tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5248100111198388242024-02-19T14:31:22.812-08:00INTepilogesGreek and International highlights & newsxronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.comBlogger1367125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-84443087823012500872018-07-21T12:31:00.000-07:002018-07-21T12:31:18.624-07:00Hmeymim Air Defenses Shoot Down Militant UAV in Syria - Russian MoD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuJM2tDVaKfWB4mJE_Oj9NTUMuTLYuQ5nbuOSG52ZyD4Gqs0YJ7RB_Y9baUzGzt0OuUSvfcJa0UkVPyr3fih2OqAXhrhW0aWwEGccDFJhC1i_46Yf3TCTyaUfVITSNoJnrp9FzUgYqRgX/s1600/Hmeimim+airbase+in+Lattakia3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hmeymim airbase in Syria" border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuJM2tDVaKfWB4mJE_Oj9NTUMuTLYuQ5nbuOSG52ZyD4Gqs0YJ7RB_Y9baUzGzt0OuUSvfcJa0UkVPyr3fih2OqAXhrhW0aWwEGccDFJhC1i_46Yf3TCTyaUfVITSNoJnrp9FzUgYqRgX/s1600/Hmeimim+airbase+in+Lattakia3.jpg" title="Hmeymim Air Defenses Shoot Down Militant UAV in Syria - Russian MoD" /></a></div>
According to the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, militants are continuing to deploy drones near the Hmeymim airbase in Syria.<br />
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A drone launched from a militant-controlled area was detected and destroyed near the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, according to the Russian Defense Ministry's Reconciliation Center.<br />
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"From the territory occupied by militants, launches of unmanned aerial vehicles in the direction of the air base Hmeymim are not stopping. On the night of July 21, air control at the Russian Hmeymim airbase detected a UAV launched from territory controlled by illegal armed groups in northern Latakia," the statement read.<br />
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The center added that the drone was destroyed sufficiently far from the airbase, thus there were no casualties or material damage.<br />
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"The Russian Hmeymim airbase is working according to its standard mode of operation," the statement said.<br />
(sputnik)<br />
21/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-72675824723885696082018-07-20T13:09:00.002-07:002018-07-20T13:09:59.070-07:00Several killed as Israeli air strikes hit targets 'throughout Gaza'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Zt3ZdnbnfD6NeUcAFjV0Ykrnxn50D2cfpt3id9037jx61dr1_uYeeGfqeo9h-7YIA9q86EVbt7xH0umvkkKIavpJNEScojWREJCokOYPO1fd1pJlu4DAFcyHhM4UJeU3m_xvKVcfqJRW/s1600/gaza+strip+PORT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gaza Strip" border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="590" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Zt3ZdnbnfD6NeUcAFjV0Ykrnxn50D2cfpt3id9037jx61dr1_uYeeGfqeo9h-7YIA9q86EVbt7xH0umvkkKIavpJNEScojWREJCokOYPO1fd1pJlu4DAFcyHhM4UJeU3m_xvKVcfqJRW/s320/gaza+strip+PORT.jpg" title="Several killed as Israeli air strikes hit targets 'throughout Gaza'" width="320" /></a></div>
Israeli aircraft and tanks hit targets across the Gaza Strip Friday after shots were fired at troops on the border, the army said, with Hamas reporting three members of its military wing killed.<br />
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A fourth Palestinian was shot dead during protests along the frontier with Israel, Gaza's health ministry said.<br />
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The flare-up is the latest in months of tensions that have ratcheted up fears of a wider conflict between Israel and Gaza's rulers Hamas, who have fought three wars since 2008.<br />
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An Israeli army statement said shots were fired at troops during renewed protests along the Gaza-Israel frontier and "in response... aircraft and tanks targeted military targets throughout the Gaza Strip."<br />
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It did not say if any Israeli soldiers were hurt in the shooting.<br />
[france24.com/AFP]<br />
20/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-90974339520908569562018-07-18T12:26:00.000-07:002018-07-18T12:26:34.648-07:00Kurds to Increase Cooperation with Syrian Gov't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RbY5-5kq1-WR-sfsOFR07rdZBJPEPsDQmtmnl8Cyr3maTon9Evoz99N47zFLXMdpkMCQ8Uo6R2D5ElbNoX-fC8nM0f8UK3LUj2O4VfTwU7qQokBJaKqEUr2sTvosf0yem2nYZqKA33tA/s1600/KURDS+SYRIA+FLAG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kurds to Increase Cooperation with Syrian Gov't" border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RbY5-5kq1-WR-sfsOFR07rdZBJPEPsDQmtmnl8Cyr3maTon9Evoz99N47zFLXMdpkMCQ8Uo6R2D5ElbNoX-fC8nM0f8UK3LUj2O4VfTwU7qQokBJaKqEUr2sTvosf0yem2nYZqKA33tA/s320/KURDS+SYRIA+FLAG.jpg" title="Kurds to Increase Cooperation with Syrian Gov't" width="320" /></a></div>
Chairman of the Kurds' Syrian Democratic Council Ilham Ahmad announced plans to set up offices in several Syrian cities, including Damascus.<br />
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The Kurdish-language Rudaw news website quoted Ahmad as saying on Wednesday that the Council plans to establish offices in Damascus, Lattakia, Homs and Hama, describing it as an effort to find a democratic solution to the crisis in Syria.<br />
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He made the remarks at the end of the third round of the Council's conference in the town of al-Tabaqa in Raqqa province in attendance of the Kurdish figures.<br />
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Ahmad said that the Council had invited a number of Syrian dissidents living in Turkey to participate in the conference but they didn't show up because of Ankara's opposition.<br />
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<li>Relevant reports said on Tuesday that the predominately Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has formed a negotiating delegation to resume talks with the Syrian government after a series of recent talks on the delivery of control of SDF-held regions to the Damascus army.</li>
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The SDF-affiliated Syria's Democratic Council held a conference participated by Kurdish militias and representatives of Syria-based opposition groups in the town of al-Tabaqa in Western Raqqa.<br />
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Hekmat Habib, a member of the presiding board of the council, said that resumption of negotiations with Damascus is among the aims of the conference.<br />
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He further said that the newly-formed delegation will represent the entire Kurdish-held regions, including Raqqa, Deir Ezzur and Manbij in talks with the Syrian government.<br />
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According to pervious reports, the Kurdish militia and Damascus authorities have thus far held several round of talks over handing over of SDF-held regions to the government forces. <br />
(FNA)<br />
18/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-85369201120107514492018-07-17T12:08:00.000-07:002018-07-17T12:08:28.712-07:00Israeli army turns away displaced Syrians along Golan Heights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobXKcMtbCZzH1yJ4u0q0jDfkS31AX0GIi_Z9Gdcx_76YyBLw2C4utmjvG06KxlyVqR2JNIrfXRyVyYF7P7Hv0veva6x4MMNbZtF5JTz1Z2EFx1MVbTXNAQNiL8oSGFk5GaYeLUSUv1qQ-/s1600/Golan+Heights+un+checkpoint+SYRIA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Golan Heights" border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="626" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobXKcMtbCZzH1yJ4u0q0jDfkS31AX0GIi_Z9Gdcx_76YyBLw2C4utmjvG06KxlyVqR2JNIrfXRyVyYF7P7Hv0veva6x4MMNbZtF5JTz1Z2EFx1MVbTXNAQNiL8oSGFk5GaYeLUSUv1qQ-/s320/Golan+Heights+un+checkpoint+SYRIA.jpg" title="Israeli army turns away displaced Syrians along Golan Heights" width="320" /></a></div>
Scores of displaced Syrians were turned away by the Israeli army units on Tuesday as they attempted to approach the border fence along the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.<br />
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They stopped some 200 metres away, before an Israeli soldier told them to leave.<br />
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"You are on the border of the State of Israel. Go back, we don't want to hurt you," the soldier shouted in Arabic through a loudspeaker at the crowd, live Reuters TV footage showed.<br />
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The crowd, which included women and children, then walked back slowly towards the IDP encampment. Some stopped midway and waved white cloths in the direction of the Israeli frontier.<br />
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The group is among tens of thousands of Syrians who have arrived near the frontier over the past month following renewed fighting along the country's southern Deraa and Quneitra provinces.<br />
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"Go back before something bad happens. If you want us to be able to help you, go back," the Israeli army officer told the crowd "Get a move on."<br />
(aljazeera.com)<br />
17/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-43316451038415125932018-07-13T13:02:00.000-07:002018-07-13T13:02:06.916-07:00So-Called US-Led Coalition Succeeded Only in Killing Innocent Syrians: Foreign Ministry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhfEgKCr8S6VS9QPxiCHJjpAdDtC_OhFhJTJMPA45wYSzuvTO3uIqeYMcpgF16EPacdgL1ipoQyv3WQFeBkW6xJbtRbDVRSzSUUujULQAP7FrJBohTD5hlNb_-f-rWg-hnzde3tgx3yCm/s1600/civilians+airstrikes+children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="So-Called US-Led Coalition Succeeded Only in Killing Innocent Syrians" border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="800" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhfEgKCr8S6VS9QPxiCHJjpAdDtC_OhFhJTJMPA45wYSzuvTO3uIqeYMcpgF16EPacdgL1ipoQyv3WQFeBkW6xJbtRbDVRSzSUUujULQAP7FrJBohTD5hlNb_-f-rWg-hnzde3tgx3yCm/s320/civilians+airstrikes+children.jpg" title="So-Called US-Led Coalition Succeeded Only in Killing Innocent Syrians: Foreign Ministry" width="320" /></a></div>
Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has affirmed that the illegal US-led coalition, purportedly against Daesh, has succeeded only in killing innocent Syrians and destroying the Syrian infrastructure along the Euphrates.<br />
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In a letter addressing the UN Chief and President of the Security Council dealing with the latest aggression carried out by the illegal Washington-led coalition against Syrian civilians in the towns of al-Baghouz Fouqani and al-Sousa in the countryside of al-Boukmal city in Deir Ezzor, the ministry condemned the coalition's new aggression, describing it as unjustified.<br />
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More than 30 civilians were martyred, tens others were wounded and several houses were destroyed in airstrikes carried out at midnight by the US-led Coalition against civilians' houses in the towns of al-Baghouz Fouqani and al-Sousa al-Boukmal countryside in the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor. <br />
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The ministry said that the pretexts made to justify the crime were unacceptable because the coalition knows well the geography of the area and because the real goal of the airstrikes was to pressure the locals to accept the entry of the militias of the so-called Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) to their towns.<br />
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"This illegal coalition has succeeded only in killing innocent Syrians and destroying the Syrian infrastructure along the Euphrates, particularly bridges, schools, the water pumping and electricity generating facilities," said the ministry, pointing out that the destroyed Syrian city of Raqqa has become a symbol telling the savageness of the United States and its allied western countries.<br />
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The ministry went on to say that Syria renews its call on some countries, who are member in this illegal coalition and who still have the minimum level of humanitarian feeling, to immediately withdraw from this ill-famed coalition and to not allow Washington, Paris and London to continue misleading the international community about their real intentions to impose their hegemony over peoples of the world.<br />
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The United Nations should assume its responsibility in maintaining international peace and security as well as in playing an honest neutral role in the region and avoiding being a tool to implement the American, Israeli and western policies which have lost their credibility and become a source of irony to the world public opinion, the ministry said.<br />
[syriatimes.sy]<br />
13/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-1997947394891055472018-07-11T12:14:00.000-07:002018-07-11T12:14:40.189-07:00Trump and Merkel meet after he calls Germany a 'captive' of Russia'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4_skH-ZKmkOhJF0ZWLwtr31snXI8vSYcqY3cVotRaQGpuFvY8odzr2kjH5KC9T_09sXTv-irAGCYvoAWxjCLtP_6FfLx7dzDayLQXxmd1-rKXUCgkw6e1To-ehkzXwihrt6RhCRF8iBY/s1600/xaxas+nato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trump and Merkel meet after he calls Germany a 'captive' of Russia'" border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4_skH-ZKmkOhJF0ZWLwtr31snXI8vSYcqY3cVotRaQGpuFvY8odzr2kjH5KC9T_09sXTv-irAGCYvoAWxjCLtP_6FfLx7dzDayLQXxmd1-rKXUCgkw6e1To-ehkzXwihrt6RhCRF8iBY/s320/xaxas+nato.jpg" title="Trump and Merkel meet after he calls Germany a 'captive' of Russia'" width="320" /></a></div>
US President Donald Trump has held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels, hours after he fiercely criticised German policy on defence spending and gas imports from Russia.<br />
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The tone of their remarks when they jointly addressed reporters afterwards appeared business like, after Mr Trump had said Germany's reliance on Russian energy left it "in the control" of Moscow.<br />
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Mrs Merkel responded, saying that Germany makes "independent decisions", and referred to her youth in Soviet-run East Germany to insist Berlin was now fully sovereign.<br />
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"We're having a great meeting. We're discussing military expenditure ... talking about trade," President Trump told reporters who were allowed in to the meeting room.<br />
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"We have a very, very good relationship with the chancellor. We have a tremendous relationship with Germany," he added, saying he had raised his concerns about a new gas pipeline planned from Russia to Germany.<br />
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Mrs Merkel said she had discussed migration and trade with President Trump and looked forward to further exchanges as the United States remained a partner of Germany.<br />
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Earlier, at the start of the NATO summit, President Trump said that Germany's "inappropriate" gas deal with Moscow made it a "captive" of Russia.<br />
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He appeared to catch NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg unaware as he abandoned the polite formality of a breakfast meeting and lashed out at Berlin and other allies for failing to pay their way.<br />
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"Germany is captive of Russia because it is getting so much of its energy from Russia," Mr Trump said.<br />
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"They pay billions of dollars to Russia and we have to defend them against Russia."<br />
(rte)<br />
11/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-10839459243267903642018-07-07T12:12:00.000-07:002018-07-07T12:12:53.149-07:00North Korea, U.S. split after denuclearization meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpMPQx-K6CEuMrZ_fnkhFmNlYJagSDfWMGtojjjBnluSFEsfTAUokOf7EVNc3ZbXy0CB_MRPL0zUvLJTkGRVPyPVqI3pGASdZ9n2RN_uhNu8Hzxqjp4v-CIp7xSSBwUDVy0LWdyF8S8VI/s1600/North+Korea%2527s+nuclear+test+site+kok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="North Korea, U.S. split after denuclearization meeting" border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpMPQx-K6CEuMrZ_fnkhFmNlYJagSDfWMGtojjjBnluSFEsfTAUokOf7EVNc3ZbXy0CB_MRPL0zUvLJTkGRVPyPVqI3pGASdZ9n2RN_uhNu8Hzxqjp4v-CIp7xSSBwUDVy0LWdyF8S8VI/s1600/North+Korea%2527s+nuclear+test+site+kok.jpg" title="North Korea, U.S. split after denuclearization meeting" /></a></div>
North Korea expressed regret Saturday over the attitude of U.S. negotiators during their talks this week to work out details on how to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula as agreed to by their leaders in their recent summit meeting.<br />
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In a statement issued by an unnamed foreign ministry spokesman and carried by the Korean Central News Agency, the North lashed out at the United States for seeking unilateral and forced denuclearization from Pyongyang.<br />
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The statement came hours after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up his two-day trip to Pyongyang aimed at hashing out measures to implement the June 12 summit agreement in Singapore, at which their leaders agreed to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.<br />
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"We expected that the U.S. side would come with productive measures conducive to building trust in line with the spirit of the North-U.S. summit and [we] considered providing something that would correspond to them," the spokesman said.<br />
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"The U.S. just came out with such unilateral and robber-like denuclearization demands as CVID, declaration and verification that go against the spirit of the North-U.S. summit meeting," he added, calling the talks "really disappointing."<br />
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CVID stands for complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of the North's nuclear program, an oft-cited demand by Washington for Pyongyang.<br />
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The spokesman apparently rejected the U.S. demand and reiterated Pyongyang's call for a "phased" and "synchronous" approach, saying that it would be the shortest way to realize a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.<br />
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"It would be the shortest path toward realization of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula to ... boldly break away from the failure-ridden methods of the past, push for whole new approaches and seek to resolve problems one by one based on trust and in a phased and synchronous principle," he said.<br />
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The North's relatively harsh tone contrasts somewhat with what Pompeo said after holding talks with Kim Yong-chol, a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, for two straight days from Friday, though he also admitted that there was "more work to be done."<br />
(UPI)<br />
7/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-74590719080225037022018-07-06T12:26:00.000-07:002018-07-06T12:26:22.185-07:00No nerve agents but maybe chlorine used in Douma, says watchdog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEWm0gNTw3aIQOoIZRYzr6lCGuHNEkGG7zSgErR5BCDDs048txI1qyJL7mTvXGHwDONv1sMhbiWqweLSV58nkltXTwnkcbnVglfGH1wkukSgSlK_4imn2zfx_zx1yqQA9pczc6DZRjO2r/s1600/CHEMICAL+WEAPONS+CNN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="No nerve agents but maybe chlorine used in Douma" border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="823" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEWm0gNTw3aIQOoIZRYzr6lCGuHNEkGG7zSgErR5BCDDs048txI1qyJL7mTvXGHwDONv1sMhbiWqweLSV58nkltXTwnkcbnVglfGH1wkukSgSlK_4imn2zfx_zx1yqQA9pczc6DZRjO2r/s320/CHEMICAL+WEAPONS+CNN.jpg" title="No nerve agents but maybe chlorine used in Douma, says watchdog" width="320" /></a></div>
The world's chemical arms watchdog said today it had found no evidence of nerve gas after an attack on the Syrian town of Douma, but chlorine may have been used.<br />
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A team of inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons took more than 100 samples from some seven sites in Douma when they gained access to the town several weeks after the 7 April attack.<br />
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"The results show that no organophosphorous nerve agents or their degradation products were detected," the OPCW said in an interim report this evening.<br />
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But it added that the fact-finding mission also found "along with explosive residues, various chlorinated organic chemicals".<br />
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It is understood that could mean some samples contained what may be potential markers of exposure to an active source of chlorine, not found naturally in the environment.<br />
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"Work by the team to establish the significance of these results is ongoing," the OPCW added.<br />
(rte)<br />
6/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-32203653108735818012018-07-05T12:33:00.000-07:002018-07-05T12:33:35.991-07:00Iran threatens to block Strait of Hormuz in response to US attempts to stop its oil exports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX5Zgzsd1i6bW4TNNeg1ElGACDum0a_cN-J4Okoj9Gpdo3NEXRYlToGdwePDWz297eizBSTHP7Y7x0A6lmWmSh0Rhr2VfOtvlut_0_YeUUxGgBSpEKJJqiNHp9GvLBNaDZ0UQ7KY3ZVey/s1600/Hormuz+Strait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Iran threatens to block Strait of Hormuz" border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="1091" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX5Zgzsd1i6bW4TNNeg1ElGACDum0a_cN-J4Okoj9Gpdo3NEXRYlToGdwePDWz297eizBSTHP7Y7x0A6lmWmSh0Rhr2VfOtvlut_0_YeUUxGgBSpEKJJqiNHp9GvLBNaDZ0UQ7KY3ZVey/s320/Hormuz+Strait.jpg" title="Iran threatens to block Strait of Hormuz in response to US attempts to stop its oil exports" width="320" /></a></div>
Tehran will close the Strait of Hormuz, effectively blocking all the oil shipments from the Persian Gulf if Washington succeeds in its attempts to reduce Iranian oil exports, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said.<br />
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“Any hostile attempt by the US [to impede Iran’s oil trade] will be followed by an exorbitant cost for them,” Esmail Kowsari, a deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ Sarollah base in Tehran told the Iranian Young Journalists Club, which is linked to the national broadcaster controlled by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<br />
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“If Iran’s oil exports are [stopped], we will not give permission for oil to be exported to the world through the Strait of Hormuz,” Kowsari said, as cited by Bloomberg.<br />
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The US and Iran have been trading veiled threats for quite some time now. On Wednesday, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also warned Washington against intervening into Iran’s oil trade and threatened the US with “consequences,” even though he did not name any specific measures. Some international media then promptly attributed the remark to a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<br />
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A spokesman for US Central Command (Centcom), Captain Bill Urban, responded by saying that the US Navy and its regional allies are ready to safeguard “the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce” in the Persian Gulf.<br />
RT<br />
5/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-88402431428882881192018-07-03T12:42:00.000-07:002018-07-03T12:42:28.925-07:00Baghdad denies deal between Peshmerga, US-led coalition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkqnQYS5x1bLdV8_g4FEx18-4ilDv7J9vlHDYgfz9DteisoCfbEKf0NwdAS-g1L5x162E9-Rgo36qnYvbAkpAq8CgtGKFKvxYz3VGhGSPkdWS9k0NmDmLGQ1xZ8STCB_iaNOX_HFVn8xf/s1600/kirkuk+mosul+baghdad.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="deal between Peshmerga, US-led coalition" border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="500" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkqnQYS5x1bLdV8_g4FEx18-4ilDv7J9vlHDYgfz9DteisoCfbEKf0NwdAS-g1L5x162E9-Rgo36qnYvbAkpAq8CgtGKFKvxYz3VGhGSPkdWS9k0NmDmLGQ1xZ8STCB_iaNOX_HFVn8xf/s320/kirkuk+mosul+baghdad.gif" title="Baghdad denies deal between Peshmerga, US-led coalition" width="320" /></a></div>
Iraq’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied reports that a deal had been struck between Peshmerga forces loyal to northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government and a U.S.-led coalition to “protect” Iraq’s Kirkuk province and other “disputed” parts of the country.<br />
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In a Monday statement, the Peshmerga announced that it had agreed with U.S.-led coalition officials to review its “military plans” for disputed areas of northern Iraq following a meeting in Erbil attended by Peshmerga officials and coalition representatives.<br />
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In response to the claims, however, Iraq’s Defense Ministry issued its own statement reading: “The security situation in Kirkuk -- and in other disputed areas -- falls within the jurisdiction of the federal government.”<br />
<br />
“Our forces seized control of these areas [in late 2017],” it added. “[U.S.-led] coalition forces were not involved.”<br />
<br />
The statement adds that Iraqi security forces had “developed a comprehensive plan for assuming security and enhancing stability in Kirkuk and in other parts of the country.”<br />
<br />
It goes on to assert that Kirkuk’s civilian population held the Iraqi security forces -- and their achievements -- in high regard.<br />
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In recent months, the frequency of terrorist attacks -- which authorities blame on the Daesh terror group -- have increased significantly in “disputed” parts of Iraq, especially in oil-rich Kirkuk.<br />
<br />
The attacks, which have included bombings and kidnappings, have led to panic in these areas, prompting hundreds of civilians to flee the region.<br />
<br />
Peshmerga forces had held these “disputed” areas until they were expelled by Iraqi federal forces late last year following an ill-fated referendum on Kurdish regional independence.<br />
[aa.com.tr]<br />
3/7/18xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-6436744242233427382018-06-30T12:29:00.000-07:002018-06-30T12:29:05.654-07:00Afghan president ends 18-day cease-fire with Taliban<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhjLVH-hPf3QXato-Ib-dAnhTWTwrlUCtjQp0sNTGegzze1-tLz4AchXdYfmjv4Lk63ntE85F_lJgYvo-13ckK6luqDHAcDP-HCuDY61v492DEgqWrO_tpnS4comeji6fue0BO1t5-S9i/s1600/TALIBAN+CEASEFIRE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="unarmed Taliban fighters were seen on the streets of Kabul" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="610" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhjLVH-hPf3QXato-Ib-dAnhTWTwrlUCtjQp0sNTGegzze1-tLz4AchXdYfmjv4Lk63ntE85F_lJgYvo-13ckK6luqDHAcDP-HCuDY61v492DEgqWrO_tpnS4comeji6fue0BO1t5-S9i/s320/TALIBAN+CEASEFIRE.jpg" title="Afghan president ends 18-day cease-fire with Taliban" width="320" /></a></div>
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday ended his government's cease-fire with the Taliban, ordering security forces to resume operations.<br />
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During an announcement about the cease-fire by Ghani, the president appealed to the Taliban to join a peace process going forward.<br />
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"No one has the right to monopolize the peace process," Ghani said. "It is now the Taliban's decision, whether they want to keep killing or join the peace process."<br />
<br />
On June 5, Ghani announced the unconditional cease-fire coinciding with the end of Ramadan, a holy month of fasting and prayers for Muslims. A few days later, the Taliban announced they would adhere to a cease-fire through the first three days of Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of Ramadan.<br />
<br />
During the cease-fire, unarmed Taliban fighters were seen on the streets of Kabul, greeting civilians and taking pictures and videos.<br />
<br />
Ghani attributed the peace to the truce, which he said was "98 percent successful" and proved the Taliban fighters and civilians want peace.<br />
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"[It is the] Taliban's turn to give a positive response," Ghani said. "I am ready to extend the cease-fire anytime when the Taliban are ready."<br />
<br />
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said earlier in the week the Afghan president's objective is for the Taliban to "lay down our weapons and accept the regime imposed by the invaders."<br />
(UPI)<br />
30/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-40384544412999582622018-06-29T11:56:00.001-07:002018-06-29T11:56:24.485-07:00EU migration deal welcomed by UN agencies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhQP3WvaRwl1K_DGiYGZmiEKXpgpOu6yPBUu2rNWF05Z_Q2oeWybMX46cmsYqy3YAlgS9st7TTug2qSIf6ogeEzjb8SCUUBc7j2AEpuOveqS51bACRimccECsyJqcm3HpKnUfVx02BvF9/s1600/idomeni+gr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EU migration deal welcomed by UN agencies" border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="389" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhQP3WvaRwl1K_DGiYGZmiEKXpgpOu6yPBUu2rNWF05Z_Q2oeWybMX46cmsYqy3YAlgS9st7TTug2qSIf6ogeEzjb8SCUUBc7j2AEpuOveqS51bACRimccECsyJqcm3HpKnUfVx02BvF9/s320/idomeni+gr.jpg" title="EU migration deal welcomed by UN agencies" width="320" /></a></div>
In a joint statement, the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) said that while the finer detail of the accord needs to be examined, they “stand ready to support a common approach”.<br />
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Echoing those sentiments, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) cautioned that more details were needed regarding the detention of minors and the processing of asylum claims for youngsters.<br />
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Speaking in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley noted that the development comes at a time when more than 1,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe for the fifth year in a row.<br />
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He noted the “disproportionate responsibility” that has been placed on “a small handful of States” by the long-running migration crisis – which peaked in 2015 - leading to search-and-rescue boats being denied the chance to disembark hundreds of individuals picked up at sea.<br />
<br />
What was needed, the UNHCR spokesperson added, was “a unified approach that moves away from some of the more recent actions where we have seen States unilaterally seeking to harden or strengthen borders or restrict access to the asylum space”.<br />
<br />
A crucial part of the EU deal reportedly involves the creation of additional “regional disembarkation points” and “disembarkation centres” for new arrivals.<br />
[un.org]<br />
29/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-15561943291859699752018-06-28T11:49:00.000-07:002018-06-28T11:49:41.290-07:00‘No problem’: Tsipras cool with Germany sending migrants back to Greece to ‘share the burden’<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT48nySuGyBCoCjqVFHlefbC3PqO4y4oXjzgmpUZUAyZf5PLRXzp2gE7YJLOph17NHaVffJI4f5PEu8x2vsyS2DFW-krTO0RxcRDj_8KCJDyqK9e5GMjTphoP_Ut8WFelsJhkqeU1n-kK/s1600/moria+lesbos+1d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="‘No problem’:" border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="600" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicT48nySuGyBCoCjqVFHlefbC3PqO4y4oXjzgmpUZUAyZf5PLRXzp2gE7YJLOph17NHaVffJI4f5PEu8x2vsyS2DFW-krTO0RxcRDj_8KCJDyqK9e5GMjTphoP_Ut8WFelsJhkqeU1n-kK/s400/moria+lesbos+1d.jpg" title="‘No problem’: Tsipras cool with Germany sending migrants back to Greece to ‘share the burden’" width="400" /></a></div>
Athens “doesn’t care” if some migrants return from Germany to Greece as part of a possible deal with Berlin, PM Alexis Tsipras said. His words are in sharp contrast with the mood on Greek islands overwhelmed by the migrant influx.<br />
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“We don’t care about the fact that maybe we’ll have some returns from Germany if this will help, in order to give the signal to the smugglers [that Europe is tackling illegal migration flows],” Tsipars told the Financial Times.<br />
<br />
The Greek leader was commenting on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plans to seek bilateral deals with some EU countries. Merkel is seeking to curb “secondary movements” of migrants and refugees who arrive at Europe’s southern borders and then travel further north, often heading for Germany....<br />
RT<br />
28/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-70695736205790709862018-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:002018-06-26T12:29:01.763-07:00Border crossing of Spielfeld: Austria simulates response to migrants in border exercise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyxSkufLcjtZdDUyNzs6eKlmR87gCo8ZZK8w4y2JceB-wPS13rFlqAt3omuOCpryb9LOSrmYurFS-BEbvxYI4ID3z4ujLG5PiZp8OcEeO_FwxmCb2OL4cEEeO2bC9wXd7jeuZX7JVgYNV/s1600/austria+slovenia+borders+migrants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="austria slovenia borders migrants" border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="899" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyxSkufLcjtZdDUyNzs6eKlmR87gCo8ZZK8w4y2JceB-wPS13rFlqAt3omuOCpryb9LOSrmYurFS-BEbvxYI4ID3z4ujLG5PiZp8OcEeO_FwxmCb2OL4cEEeO2bC9wXd7jeuZX7JVgYNV/s320/austria+slovenia+borders+migrants.jpg" title="Austria simulates response to migrants in border exercise" width="320" /></a></div>
Several hundred Austrian police officers and soldiers have performed an exercise on the country's southern border with Slovenia to simulate different responses to any repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis.<br />
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Over 500 policemen and 220 soldiers took part at the border crossing of Spielfeld, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.<br />
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"A state which can't protect its borders when needed loses its credibility," said Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, who oversaw the exercise along with Defence Minister Mario Kunasek.<br />
<br />
Both men are members of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), which since last year has been the junior partner in a coalition government under conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz which has been at pains to emphasise its anti-immigration message.<br />
<br />
Among the military hardware on display today were two Black Hawk helicopters.<br />
(rte)<br />
26/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-55862438122049750272018-06-23T12:51:00.000-07:002018-06-23T12:51:08.089-07:00Italian Deputy PM: Very Existence of United Europe to be Decided within the Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jnYJiRfWpw29SPFwG91HfRgMvwDXXvTmoD6hVqpnruj1ozTIECbT4UuxzgBOA3mBFo1-ITVR_ivA8LMnklb7n3BZEhKmBZJ9703kUfubVOpRIwWyR-VHVXoh2sb5_sIZaM4thHhO6bSL/s1600/Lifeline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Existence of United Europe to be Decided within the Year" border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jnYJiRfWpw29SPFwG91HfRgMvwDXXvTmoD6hVqpnruj1ozTIECbT4UuxzgBOA3mBFo1-ITVR_ivA8LMnklb7n3BZEhKmBZJ9703kUfubVOpRIwWyR-VHVXoh2sb5_sIZaM4thHhO6bSL/s1600/Lifeline.jpg" title="Italian Deputy PM: Very Existence of United Europe to be Decided within the Year" /></a></div>
Ahead of the EU summit, where the latest disagreements within the bloc over migration policy are expected to be on the agenda, Italy lambasted Paris for “lecturing” Rome and resisted Germany’s plans to turn away refugees which have been registered in other countries.<br />
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The leader of the Italy’s Euro-sceptic League party Matteo Salvini, who was appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister at the beginning of June, has warned that the future of the European Union is at stake in an interview with the German weekly news magazine Spiegel.<br />
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According to the top Italian official, the upcoming talks on the joint budget and the results of the European elections, scheduled for 2019, will show if the whole creation “has become meaningless.”<br />
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"Within a year, it will be decided whether a United Europe will still exist or not," Salvini told the German media outlet, Sputnik reported.<br />
<br />
He lashed out at the way decisions are made within the EU, lambasting the reform drafts waived by the French and German leaders ahead of the upcoming EU summit.<br />
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"Drafts written in advance by other countries and then sent by e-mail are not in line with our working style," Salvini told the German magazine.<br />
<br />
Speaking on the differences among the bloc members, Salvini has slammed Berlin’s plan to deport asylum seekers from Germany if they have been registered in other EU countries or already denied asylum in the country.<br />
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"We can’t take a single person more. On the contrary, we want to hand over a few," said the leader of the League party, advocating for harder stance on migration, in the interview with Spiegel.<br />
(Tasnim)<br />
23/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-82750172394612887462018-06-22T12:55:00.000-07:002018-06-22T12:55:19.096-07:00Call for EU solidarity ahead of migrant summit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-Y-2HT9lfSizopZl9dH6NJDTlmn2RkvprbGE-CevU6eXqA8a2V225pkGMg3T38TcByupgXEg_ZZU_U4458pyGK6mlZrn89mxUVSi47-6xZjzGo2KcJf-CtHzttAq_N5EMZTgQ40hTVCf/s1600/EASTERN+GHOUTA+civilians+sana2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Call for EU solidarity ahead of migrant summit" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="660" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-Y-2HT9lfSizopZl9dH6NJDTlmn2RkvprbGE-CevU6eXqA8a2V225pkGMg3T38TcByupgXEg_ZZU_U4458pyGK6mlZrn89mxUVSi47-6xZjzGo2KcJf-CtHzttAq_N5EMZTgQ40hTVCf/s320/EASTERN+GHOUTA+civilians+sana2.jpg" title="Call for EU solidarity ahead of migrant summit" width="320" /></a></div>
All EU countries need to help southern neighbours, where most migrants are arriving, European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has said.<br />
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Mr Oettinger was speaking ahead of a mini-summit on migration in Brussels on Sunday.<br />
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He told reporters in Luxembourg that the meeting should serve as "a reminder of the way towards European unity".<br />
<br />
"I think that the whole of Europe must show solidarity towards those who are most affected, the Greeks, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Italy and Spain, to ease their burden and to reimburse and honour a part of their costs and efforts," he said.<br />
<br />
A number of former Communist countries in the European Union will not be represented at the summit, following a meeting of the 'Visegrad 4'.<br />
<br />
Hungarian leader Viktor Orban hosted a meeting of the leaders of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia yesterday.<br />
<br />
The four confirmed they would not attend Sunday’s talks, taking a veiled swipe at German Chancellor Angela Merkel by accusing countries of pushing the issue for domestic political reasons.<br />
<br />
"We understand there are domestic political difficulties in some countries but that cannot lead to pan-European haste," Mr Orban said.<br />
<br />
"We understand that there will ... be a mini-summit on Sunday but we would like to state clearly that the prime ministers of V4 agreed that they will not go to that."<br />
<br />
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has also said a draft EU accord on migration had been withdrawn after he clashed with Ms Merkel.<br />
<br />
The withdrawn declaration had been drafted ahead of Sunday’s emergency meeting of ten EU leaders, with Germany and France hoping for a swift deal that could be approved at a full EU summit at the end of next week.<br />
<br />
It contained key elements Ms Merkel needs to placate her rebellious coalition partner, the Bavaria-based Christian Social Union and its head, Horst Seehofer, who is also Germany's interior minister.<br />
<br />
Italy objected to provisions that said asylum seekers would have to be returned to the EU country they had first logged their claim in, which often means Italy.<br />
<br />
Italy has taken in some 650,000 boat migrants over the past five years, stoking anti-immigration sentiment in the country and fueling the rise of the far-right League, which forged a coalition government this month.<br />
(RTE)<br />
22/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-57092428919362221062018-06-15T13:53:00.000-07:002018-06-15T13:53:52.187-07:00China strikes back: Beijing sets 25% tariff on $50 bln worth US products<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8Ry-x9Tasy5xtNYLpSd3KbEfctcndiOy7ZoQJ-MBquPtCcs1HlGAJTBKz98-nydpM46aaaiVx4Y_DJNBdhXMVnwyXfG8F4V1GOandzBcHCCn6psCyN-UZZsOwe8dTQvmp2hsWGWZYz2d/s1600/100.000+lumi%25C3%25A8res+du+festival+des+lanternes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="China strikes back: Beijing sets 25% tariff on $50 bln worth US products" border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="800" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8Ry-x9Tasy5xtNYLpSd3KbEfctcndiOy7ZoQJ-MBquPtCcs1HlGAJTBKz98-nydpM46aaaiVx4Y_DJNBdhXMVnwyXfG8F4V1GOandzBcHCCn6psCyN-UZZsOwe8dTQvmp2hsWGWZYz2d/s320/100.000+lumi%25C3%25A8res+du+festival+des+lanternes.jpg" title="China strikes back: Beijing sets 25% tariff on $50 bln worth US products" width="320" /></a></div>
Responding to US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, Beijing has adopted a 25 percent tariff on 659 American products worth the same amount.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
US agricultural products, fish and automobiles worth some $34 billion worth of US goods will kick in on July 6, with another $16 billion worth of products subject to the 25 percent duty at a later date, Xinhua reported citing the Tariff Commission of the State Council.<br />
<br />
Beijing’s move is a tit-for-tat response to the US imposition of a 25 percent tariff on Chinese products announced Friday. The first package of revised US tariffs is scheduled to kick in on July 6 and will apply to 818 Chinese product lines, with another 284 product lines to follow at a later date.<br />
<br />
In rolling out the tariffs, the US Treasury Department accused China of “theft of intellectual property and technology and its other unfair trade practices.”<br />
<br />
Beijing rejected that characterization, arguing the US tariffs were against the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and previous trade negotiations.<br />
<br />
“It has also seriously damaged China's legitimate rights and interests and has harmed the interests of China and its people,” Xinhua reported.<br />
RT<br />
15/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-31393893997137165802018-06-09T11:30:00.000-07:002018-06-09T11:30:07.971-07:00Chinese Hackers 'Steal Secret US Navy Plans for Supersonic Submarine Missiles'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxHgSL_BQcavsjS3qpaboMlzP2OzL1U9vH9E8EWBooz5OrjdI808EeMo9tjD-vQwQvF6_w01aRitlDC38qd0u4kF4RTbR7Did5m7zcdL9j2opsYHXNsxxZM-e-EG4ylxw1ClMhyzBUqdc/s1600/hacking+accusations+china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chinese Hackers" border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="460" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxHgSL_BQcavsjS3qpaboMlzP2OzL1U9vH9E8EWBooz5OrjdI808EeMo9tjD-vQwQvF6_w01aRitlDC38qd0u4kF4RTbR7Did5m7zcdL9j2opsYHXNsxxZM-e-EG4ylxw1ClMhyzBUqdc/s320/hacking+accusations+china.jpg" title="Chinese Hackers 'Steal Secret US Navy Plans for Supersonic Submarine Missiles'" width="320" /></a></div>
Chinese government hackers have been accused of stealing sensitive data from the computers of a US Navy contractor, including plans for submarine-launched supersonic anti-ship missiles.<br />
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The breaches took place in January and February, US officials told the Washington Post, speaking on condition of anonymity about an ongoing investigation led by the Navy and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.<br />
<br />
The US Navy declined to comment other than to say: "Per federal regulations, there are measures in place that require companies to notify the government when a 'cyber incident' has occurred that has actual or potential adverse effects on their networks that contain controlled unclassified information. It would be inappropriate to discuss further details at this time."<br />
<br />
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said officials knew nothing about the reported hacking, according to Reuters, adding that the Chinese government "staunchly upholds cyber security, firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber-attacks in accordance with law".<br />
<br />
The hackers are believed to have targeted a contractor working for the Naval Undersea Warfare Centre, on Rhode Island.<br />
(Tasnim)<br />
9/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-83368631747343005652018-06-08T13:10:00.000-07:002018-06-08T13:10:00.206-07:00Russia denies reports regarding alleged Russian airstrike on Idleb Thursday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Russia denied involvement in any aerial bombardment targeting Idleb province on Thursday.<br />
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All of the so-called ‘The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ and the ‘The White Helmets’ statements regarding an alleged Russian airstrike yesterday night near Zardana town in Idleb province are ‘untrue, do not correspond to reality,’ a statement published on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website said.<br />
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Instead, the ministry cited information that “fierce battles took place between the large group of the terrorist organization Jebhat Al Nusra and the irreconcilable group Jaysh al-Ahrar, using heavy artillery weapons, in the specified area of Idleb Province.”<br />
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Since earlier this year, infighting has raged between terrorist organizations in Idleb city and countryside and parts of Aleppo countryside with different kinds of weapons including heavy artillery, car bombs and rocket launchers, not to mention assassinations on both sides that have left scores of terrorists and civilians dead.<br />
SANA<br />
8/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-69211390365054455132018-06-07T13:25:00.000-07:002018-06-07T13:25:32.257-07:00Turkey halts migrant re-admission deal with Greece<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Turkey suspended its migrant re-admission deal with Greece days after Athens released from prison eight Turkish soldiers who fled their country after a 2016 attempted coup.<br />
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The troops were released on Monday after an order extending their custody expired. A decision on their asylum applications is still pending.<br />
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"We have a bilateral re-admission agreement, we have suspended that re-admission agreement," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu news agency on Thursday.<br />
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He said a separate migrant deal between the EU and Turkey would continue.<br />
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Under the bilateral deal signed in 2001, 1,209 foreign nationals have been deported to Turkey from Greece in the last two years.<br />
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<b>Cavusoglu said</b> he believed the Greek government wanted to resolve the issue with the Turkish soldiers, but Greek judges were <b>under pressure from the West</b>.<br />
[aljazeera.com]<br />
7/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-56509384828644343392018-06-06T13:29:00.001-07:002018-06-06T13:29:36.747-07:00Kim Jong-un 'begged' for summit to take place<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani has said North Korea's leader "begged" for their summit to be rescheduled after the US president cancelled it.<br />
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Speaking at a conference in Israel, Mr Giuliani said Mr Trump's tough stance had forced Pyongyang's hand.<br />
Mr Trump called off the summit in May, accusing North Korea of "tremendous anger and open hostility".<br />
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But plans for the 12 June bilateral in Singapore were revived after a conciliatory response from Pyongyang.<br />
BBC<br />
6/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-30312006484896945712018-06-05T13:25:00.000-07:002018-06-05T13:25:05.879-07:00US-Led Coalition’s Attacks Target Locals for Their Refusal to Join Separatist Militias: FM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said the illegitimate US-led International Coalition has been targeting civilians in the villages of al-Hasaka, Raqqa and Deir Ezzor as a retribution for their refusal to join US-allied separatist militias, SANA reported.<br />
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In a letter addressed to the UN Secretary-General and President of the United Nations Security Council, the ministry lambasted the Coalition’s incessant acts of aggression targeting innocent Syrian civilians and Syria’s sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity.<br />
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Citing a slew of atrocities the Coalition perpetrated in the villages of al-Hasaka, which left scores of civilians dead and many others injured, the ministry said the attacks are intended to punish the locals for their reluctance to join separatist militias allied to the United States.<br />
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According to the letter, the US has been restructuring relations with Daesh terrorists, integrating some within these militias and using others in mounting attacks against the Syrian Arab army’s sites with a view to recapturing areas the Syrian army and allies have liberated from terrorism.<br />
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The letter said the Coalition had not balked at providing overt military backing to Daesh terrorists against the Syrian army, the latest of which was on May 24 when its warplanes targeted military outposts for the Syrian army between al-Bukamal and Humaima in Deir Ezzor countryside 24 hours after the Syrian army managed to abort Daesh attack against these sites.<br />
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The Coalition’s sole aim is to undermine Syria’s sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity and prolong the crisis in it which contravenes the UN Security Council’s resolutions, added the letter.<br />
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The ministry urged the Coalition’s member country to pull out of this “outrageous coalition,” calling on the UNSC to assume its responsibilities in preserving international peace and security and take immediate action to end its massacres.<br />
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The letter also called for terminating the illegal US and foreign presence on the Syrian territories and to call a halt to the US plans in support of terrorism.<br />
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“The US hostile polices in Syria, the region and the world lack ethical grounds because it has become part and parcel of the threats which endanger international peace and security,” the ministry’s letter concluded.<br />
Syriatimes.sy<br />
5/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-19971032707289532082018-06-02T13:05:00.001-07:002018-06-02T13:05:28.733-07:00Moallem: Syria’s Sovereignty Indubitable, Turkey and US Are Invaders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moallem said that Syria’s sovereignty in Tanaf is indubitable, stressing that Turkey and US are invaders and should withdraw from the Syrian territories.<br />
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As he denied reports on an agreement regarding Syria’s south, Moallem stressed that US forces should withdraw from Tanaf.<br />
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“US forces must withdraw from Tanaf, Syria’s sovereignty in this region is indubitable,” Moallem said during a press conference in Damascus.<br />
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“We consider Turkey enemy and invader, <b>neither Turkey, nor US has the right to negotiate regarding the Syrian cities</b>,” the top Syrian diplomat said, stressing that the Syrian forces will liberate every inch of the Syrian territory.<br />
[almanar.com.lb]<br />
21/6//18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-8778476335390670472018-06-01T13:35:00.001-07:002018-06-01T13:35:42.298-07:00Saudi threatens military action against Qatar over S-400<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Saudi Arabia, one of the countries blockading Qatar, has threatened military action against its Gulf neighbour if it acquires the Russian-made S-400 aerial defence system, French daily Le Monde reported on Friday.<br />
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In a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron of France, Saudi King Salman expressed his "profound concern" with talks under way between Moscow and Doha for the sale of the advanced anti-aircraft weapon system.<br />
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The Saudi monarch, who asked that France increase its pressure on Qatar, said he was worried about the consequences of Doha's acquisition of the mobile surface-to-air missile system which he said threatened Saudi security interests. <br />
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"[In such a situation], the Kingdom would be ready to take all the necessary measures to eliminate this defence system, including military action," King Salman was quoted as saying in the letter, whose content Le Monde obtained via a source close to Elysee Palace.<br />
[aljazeera.com]<br />
1/6/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524810011119838824.post-5522819585467637082018-05-31T13:12:00.000-07:002018-05-31T13:12:35.505-07:00Trump’s decision on tariffs closed doors to other talks – Macron<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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France’s President Emmanuel Macron slammed the US move to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union, calling the decision “unlawful” and a “mistake.”<br />
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The decision on tariffs made by the US President Donald Trump closed doors to the talks with Washington <b>on other issues</b>, Macron said as cited by Reuters.<br />
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“This decision is not only unlawful but it is a mistake in many respects,” Macron said. “Economic nationalism leads to war.”<br />
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The French president also announced telephone talks with his US counterpart, expected to take place later on Thursday.<br />
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The US president’s decision to scrap the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and today’s move to finally impose the tariffs on Europe, have definitely soured the “bromance” between him and Macron, which blossomed only a month ago. The French president earlier vowed to maintain the relationship with Iran and protect European companies from any hostile moves on part of the US.<br />
RT<br />
31/5/18</div>
xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642noreply@blogger.com0