Fighting between Myanmar army, ethnic insurgents leaves at least 20 killed
Clashes between Myanmar soldiers and ethnic insurgents this week has
killed at least 20 people near the northeastern border with China,
Reuters reported. Myanmar’s Information Ministry said on Thursday that
nine soldiers and 11 rebels were killed in a series of clashes from
Monday in northern Shan and Kachin states. Various rebels groups have
fought the central government in Myanmar since independence in 1948.
Clashes often flare up despite ceasefires struck by the government with
almost all of the factions.
Eight wounded in rocket attacks on Damascus
At least eight people were wounded in a rocket attack on residential
areas of the Syrian capital on Thursday, state news agency SANA said.
Shells fired from the east of Damascus could be heard landing in the
center of the city, Reuters quoted a witness as saying. The projectiles
were fired by Islam Army, an insurgent group based in the eastern Ghouta
region on the outskirts of town, according to Lebanon’s Hezbollah-run
al-Manar television.
32 dead, 11 missing, 15 rescued in TransAsia plane crash
The death toll in the crash landing of TransAsia plane in northern
Taiwan rose to 32 as of Thursday, with 11 others remaining missing, and
15 people rescued, local officials said, warning that the number of
victims could yet rise. TransAsia Airways flight GE235 was carrying 58
passengers when it
slammed
into a river in Taipei on Wednesday. Thirty one of the passengers were
tourists from mainland China. Rescuers have pulled out the bodies of the
jet’s pilot and co-pilot, both of whom died in the
crash. A black box of the plane has also been retrieved.
Russia files UN initiative to cut off Islamic State’s funding
Russia has introduced a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that focuses on cutting off the Islamic State’s funding.
“The draft resolution has already been presented and is currently being
discussed. We hope that it will be adopted by the Security Council in
the coming days,” spokesman of the Russian Mission to the UN,
Aleksey Zaytsev said. The announcement comes a day after the 15-nation
Security Council condemned the Islamic State’s execution of the
Jordanian pilot, who was being held captive. In November, Russian
ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said that the Islamic
State makes around $3 million per day by selling Syrian and Iraqi oil.
Suspected ISIS gunmen attack Libya oilfield, kill 12
Twelve people have been killed in an attack by gunmen on a Libyan
oilfield, Reuters quoted a local official as saying. Four of the victims
were foreign nationals – two Filipino and two Ghanaian.
“Most were beheaded or killed by gunfire,”
said the commander of a security force in charge of protecting the
al-Mabrook oilfield, Abdelhakim Maazab. Islamic State (formerly ISIS /
ISIL) is said to be behind the attack, which took place on Tuesday
night, according to French diplomatic and Libyan sources. The oilfield
is located about 170 km (105 miles) south of Sirte. The latest attack
comes after an assault on a hotel in Tripoli that killed at least nine
people.
Over 100 killed in Boko Haram attack in Cameroon
More than 100 people have been killed in a northern Cameroon town in
the latest attack by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, Reuters quoted a
local civic leader as saying. Residents of Fotokol were murdered inside
their homes and in the local mosque on Wednesday.
“Boko Haram
entered Fotokol through Gambaru early in the morning and they killed
more than 100 people in the mosque, in the houses and they burned
property,” according to a man who lost one of his sons in the attack.
Greece’s Golden Dawn party members to stand trial on criminal charges
A Greek judicial panel ruled on Wednesday that the leader and members
of the extreme right Golden Dawn party, totaling 72 people, will stand
trial on accusations of having participated in a criminal group. The
party came third in the elections last month with 6.3 percent of the
votes. Thirteen members of the party were re-elected to the parliament
and were due to be sworn on Thursday, but it is still unknown how the
ruling will affect the situation. The party insists the charges are a
part of political conspiracy against them.
Russia denounces ISIS murder of Jordanian pilot
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the execution of
Jordanian pilot Muadh al-Kasasbeh who was brutally killed by Islamic
State militants. The ministry offered its condolences to the family of
al-Kasasbeh and the population of Jordan. The statement on the
ministry’s official website called for a consolidation of efforts in the
fight against terrorism. “Such brutal crimes once more emphasize the
necessity to consolidate the efforts of the whole world community in the
fight against absolute evil,” the statement said.
Machete attack in NE Congo leaves at least 21 killed
Machete-wielding attackers killed at least 14 men and seven women
overnight in the town of Mayangose in the northeastern part of the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Reuters reported. Ugandan militants from
the Allied Democratic Forces group that operates along the Congo border
“this time… spared the young children,” Kavota
said. Martin Kobler, head of the UN peacekeeping mission to Congo
(MONUSCO), said that over 20 people had been killed in the attack.
No demands yet from Sudan captors of 2 Russians – airline
The captors of two Russian citizens in Sudan have not yet announced
any demands for their release, TASS quoted UTair airline officials as
saying on Wednesday. The Russian embassy earlier said it was working to
free a manager of UTair airline, and a technician of UTair-Engineering,
who were reportedly kidnapped in Sudan’s Central Darfur state on January
29 by unknown men.
Jordan ready to intensify role in anti-Islamic State coalition
Jordan will intensify its efforts in cooperation with an
international coalition fighting the Islamic State, Reuters quoted a
spokesman for the government as saying on Wednesday. The meeting with
top security officials was headed by King Abdullah. The statement came a
day after militants released a video purporting to show the brutal
killing of a captured Jordanian pilot.
“We are talking about a
collaborative effort between coalition members to intensify efforts to
stop extremism and terrorism to undermine, degrade and eventually finish
Daesh,” Mohammad al-Momani said, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.
German govt approves draft law to prevent jihadist recruitment
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government approved a draft law on
Wednesday aimed at preventing radical German Muslims from traveling to
Iraq and Syria, Reuters said. The bill, when approved by parliament,
will make Germany the second EU member state after France to implement
“foreign fighters” measures sought by the UN in a resolution last year,
according to Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert.
Australian reporter Greste freed in Egypt arrives in Brisbane
Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste arrived home in Australia on
Thursday after his release from Egypt, AFP reported. The award-winning
correspondent was deported from Cairo on Sunday. Greste was detained for
more than 400 days for allegedly aiding the blacklisted Muslim
Brotherhood.
EU criticizes Jordan for execution of jihadists after pilot killed
The EU has issued a statement of solidarity with Jordan over the
killing of one of its military pilots by Islamist fighters, but
criticized Amman’s immediate execution of two Iraqi jihadists, Reuters
reported.
“While all efforts must be made to counter terrorism and
hold the perpetrators accountable, our reaction to the threat posed by
[the Islamic State] needs to be consistent with our common values on
justice and the rights of prisoners,” foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Wednesday.
Egypt court sentences 230 anti-Mubarak activists to life
An Egyptian court on Wednesday sentenced 230 activists from the 2011
revolt against Hosni Mubarak to life imprisonment, France 24 TV said,
citing judicial sources. They included leading campaigner Ahmed Douma.
Thirty-nine other defendants, all minors, were sentenced to 10 years in
prison. All the defendants were reportedly found guilty of taking part
in clashes with security forces near Cairo’s Tahrir Square in December
2011.
Ukraine parliament complains about Russian officials to Hague Tribunal
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovnaya Rada, on Wednesday recognized
the jurisdiction of the Hague Tribunal. MPs also reportedly asked the
court to bring Russian officials to justice for alleged crimes against
Ukraine. The parliament also asked Ukrainian security services to
collect evidence against officials in Russia and the self-proclaimed
Donetsk and Lugansk republics in eastern Ukraine about their alleged
crimes.
Nearly 1,000 Iraq Kurdish fighters killed battling Islamic State since June
Nearly 1,000 Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have been killed
fighting the Islamic State jihadist group since June, AFP reported.
Jabbar Yawar, the secretary general of the ministry responsible for the
Peshmerga, said on Wednesday that 999 Kurdish fighters were killed and
4,569 wounded between June 10 and February 3. Previous casualty figures
released on December 10 put the toll at 727 killed and 3,564 wounded.
Amnesty International urges wealthy nations to accept Syrian refugees
Amnesty International says wealthy nations should agree to accept
hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, maintaining they cannot safely
remain within the region, AP said. About 380,000 of the 4 million
Syrians sheltering in neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey should be
relocated abroad, the humans rights watchdog said in a report on the
Syrian refugee crisis. The report published on Wednesday found that
about 80,000 had been offered new homes as refugees overseas, while
300,000 more remain in legal limbo.
US-led forces launch 11 airstrikes on Syria’s Kobani
The US and its allies launched 11 airstrikes near the Syrian city of
Kobani, Reuters said. The strikes were conducted since early Tuesday
morning, according to the Combined Joint Task Force. They hit 10
tactical units of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), destroyed three
staging positions and a fighting position. In Iraq, tactical units were
targeted, as well as a facility that made improvised explosive devices
and checkpoints near the cities of Bayji, Tal Afar, al Asad, Rawa, al
Huwayja and Mosul.
Islamic State kills 50 captives in Syria this year
The Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) has killed 50 people this year
in Syria, accusing them of spying or being enemy fighters, Reuters said,
citing a monitor. The ultra-hardline group killed the people mainly
through beheadings and shootings, according to the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights. Al-Qaeda’s Syria wing Al-Nusra Front killed six
captives, while around 20 others were put to death by other insurgents
or pro-government groups, the Observatory said.
Riots in northern Guinea leave 50 injured
Around 50 people were injured in riots in the town of Labe in
northern Guinea, Reuters said. People protested a shake-up in the civil
service and clashed with security forces, officials said on Wednesday.
Labe is a stronghold of opposition to President Alpha Conde, who came to
power in 2010 as the country’s first democratically elected leader.
Around 24 members of the security forces and 25 civilians were hurt in
the riots that started on Monday.
Armed men storm Libya’s al-Mabrook oilfield
Four local employees were possibly killed after an armed attack at
the al-Mabrook oilfield in Libya this week, Reuters quoted a French
diplomatic source as saying on Wednesday. The oilfield is run by Libyan
state-run oil company NOC and France’s Total owns a stake in it. It was
closed when the Es Sider oil port shut down in December due to clashes.
Total had already withdrawn staff from the site in 2013.
“The site was subcontracted to a Libyan firm,” according to the source.
9 Chadian soldiers, 200 Boko Haram fighters killed in clashes
Clashes between Chadian troops and Boko Haram fighters during a raid
in neighboring Nigeria on Tuesday killed 200 Islamists and nine
soldiers, AFP reported, citing Chad’s military. The military said on
Wednesday the clean-up operations in the Nigerian town of Gamboru were
continuing.
Minibus carrying Ukrainians collides with truck in SW Russia
A minibus reportedly carrying Ukrainian citizens smashed into a truck
in southwest Russia’s Belgorod region on Wednesday, killing 11 people,
TASS reported, citing the Interior Ministry. The Mercedes Benz minibus
with Ukrainian plates, transporting 14 passengers, was reportedly
heading from Kharkov, Ukraine, to Belgorod. It is thought the driver
might have fallen asleep at the wheel. The minibus veered into the lane
of oncoming traffic and collided with a truck, according to initial
reports.
Syria urges Jordan to cooperate in fighting ISIS after pilot killing
Syria urged Jordan to work with it to fight Islamic State (IS,
formerly ISIS) and Al-Qaeda’s Syria wing, condemning the “heinous”
killing of a Jordanian pilot by militants, Reuters said. The Syrian
Foreign Ministry called on Jordan,
“to cooperate in the fight
against terrorism represented by the organization Daesh and Al-Nusra
Front… and other terrorist organizations associated with them in Syria
and the region,” Syria’s news agency SANA said on Wednesday.
Russia won’t insist Ukrainians use passports for entry
The Russian Foreign Ministry regrets Ukrainian decision to close the
border to Russian citizens with domestic IDs, or passports, TASS
reported. However, Moscow will not introduce similar measures for
Ukrainians, due to humanitarian reasons, the ministry said. It added
that Russia has not yet received official notification from Kiev that
starting on March 1, Russian citizens will be able to enter Ukraine only
with an international travel passport.
Turkish regulator seizes control of bank linked to president’s rival Gulen
Turkey’s banking regulator has taken over control of Bank Asya,
affiliated with a moderate Islamic movement which is locked in a feud
with the government, AP said. The Banking Regulation and Supervision
Agency said that the saving deposit insurance fund had seized control of
Bank Asya’s management, appointing a new CEO and board, citing a
violation of banking regulations on transparency. The move comes amid a
government crackdown on the movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah
Gulen. Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Gulen accusing him of
plotting against the government.
‘Security reasons’ behind new Ukraine border rules for Russians – Poroshenko
Russian citizens will be required to present international passports when crossing into Ukraine starting from March 1 due to
“security reasons,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told reporters on Tuesday.
“The decision to tighten policy was solely based on security concerns,”
Poroshenko said. The new passport rule was signed into law on Tuesday
by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk. Prior to the new rule’s
implementation, Russian citizens have qualified for visa-free entrance
into Ukraine that required only a domestic passport. Earlier, Yatsenyuk
reportedly attributed the new travel rule to an idea produced by Russian
President Vladimir Putin. This was dismissed by Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.
“In reference to the
international passport requirement for Russian citizens, if I heard
correctly, the Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that this initiative was
initially Putin’s, who at one point expressed this idea…what Yatsenyuk
said is not true,” Lavrov stressed. Ukrainian citizens are still
exempt from the need to have international passports when crossing the
Russian border. Media agencies
