Syria government forces split rebel-held Aleppo in two
Thousands of civilians flee as pro-government forces divide the rebel-held sector in a huge push to retake the city.
Syrian rebels have lost most of the northern neighbourhoods in besieged east Aleppo, a monitor said on Monday, as the army pushed an offensive to retake the whole of Syria's second city.
The army captured the Sakhour, Haydariya and Sheikh Khodr neighbourhoods on Monday, while Kurdish forces took the Sheikh Fares district from rebels, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Kurdish forces in Aleppo are not officially allied with the Bashar al-Assad's government in Damascus, but the opposition regards them as cooperating with the government in a bid to recapture the city.
The Observer view on corruption, repression and violence threatening fragile democracies
Malaysia, Thailand and Burma are all suffering a backwards slide from the basic standards expected of modern-day representative democracies. While the reasons vary, the results are similar: growing public unrest, increased state repression, negative economic effects, weakened institutions and reputational damage.
Malaysia vividly exemplifies these phenomena. The former British colony has never been a faultless democracy. The United Malays National Organisation, representing the ethnic Malay majority, has held power since independence in 1957. The mostly non-Muslim, ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, whose ancestors were shipped in by the British as cheap labour, have suffered historical discrimination, yet this furore has little to do with history, race or religion. It is about probity in government – which appears to be sorely lacking.
Cuban dissidents lie low after Castro's death
The Ladies in White, who have rallied almost every week since its founding in 2003, have called off this week's protest. Cuba is in nine days of mourning for its longtime leader Fidel Castro, who died Friday at age 90.
The Ladies in White movement said it had cancelled Sunday's protest "out of respect" for those who mourn Castro.
The decision came as the communist island readies several commemoration events to mark the former leader's passing last Friday.
The group, which was founded 13 years ago after Castro's regime imprisoned 75 political dissidents, said it didn't want to be accused of provoking opponents during such a sensitive period.
'Policies won't change'
Group leader Berta Soler told the Agence France-Presse news agency that they didn't expect much to change in Cuban politics in the near future, as Castro's brother Raul continues to lead the country. He took over when Fidel Castro fell ill in 2006.
S. Korea's Park refuses questioning by prosecutors: lawyer
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye will not answer questions from prosecutors over a snowballing influence-peddling scandal rocking, her lawyer said Monday.
Prosecutors describe Park and her secret confidante, Choi Soon-Sil, as co-culprits in the scandal. They are accused of coercing top Seoul firms to donate over $60 million to non-profit foundations which Choi then used for personal gain.
Choi was charged last week with coercion and abuse of power.
The scandal has sparked nationwide fury, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to call for Park's ousting.
A parliamentary vote to impeach her could take place as early as this week as a growing number of ruling party politicians back the opposition-led campaign to oust the presidentWhy India's prime minister wants a cashless society
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi defended his government's demonetization drive over the weekend, saying the move would protect the poor and middle class.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended his government's push to demonetize India this weekend, saying a cashless society would protect the vulnerable poor and middle class.
Speaking on Friday, the prime minister emphasized the need for demonetization at a time when the "common citizen of India has become a soldier against corruption and black money."
"Black money and corruption has looted the middle class and deprived the poor of their rights," he said, as reported by Asian News International. "I want to give the poor their rights. I am doing everything possible to ensure the middle class is not exploited and the poor get their dues."
Deported from Palestine: Why Israel fears journalists
Journalist Eoin Wilson reflects on Israel's policy of deporting foreign witnesses to the Israeli occupation.
Eoin Wilson
Last September, the United Nations Human Rights Council called for international action to curb what it described as "an Israeli campaign to evict international workers".
As Israel tightens its grip on Palestinians and their international supporters, a growing number of activists, researchers and journalists have been denied access by the Israeli authorities.
Among them is Eoin Wilson, an Irish-Scottish freelance journalist specialising in social movements and international solidarity activism. Earlier this month, he was refused entry and banned for 10 years. Here, he reflects on his ordeal at the hands of Israeli interrogators.
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