Highlighting Pakistan's hypocrisy, Voice of Karachi (VoK) Chairman Nadeem Nusrat has asked Pakistan to address the discrimination faced by religious minorities and non-Punjabi ethnic groups instead of crying foul over the Kashmir issue. 
 
In a statement, Nusrat added that while the world is discussing the situation in Kashmir, it is essential to not to ignore the plight of religious minorities and non-Punjabi ethnic groups who are facing ever-growing human rights abuses in Pakistan by its Punjabi-dominated security forces. 
 
Terming Pakistan's decision to observe October 27 as a 'Black Day' in solidarity with Kashmiri people as "sheer hypocrisy", the VoK chairman said that Pakistan claims itself to be the leader of the Muslim world but opts to keep quiet on the sufferings of Muslims in China, Yemen, Syria and Myanmar. This 'selective' demonstration of the so-called 'Muslim brotherhood' speaks volumes about the true nature of Pakistan's tall claims. 
 
Nusrat asserted that the continued hostilities and war-like situation against India suit Pakistan's military establishment since it allows it to continue to spend a huge chunk of the country's budget on defence expenditures. 
 
"Pakistan is concerned about India's decision to change the constitutional status of Kashmir whereas its own constitution is practically suspended, and the military is practically running all the affairs in the shadows of sham democracy. All the fundamental constitutional freedoms - assembly, speech, press and religion- are barred and human rights abuses are steadily rising," he continued. 
 
The Mohajir leader further stated that Pakistan laments the deployment of Indian troops in Kashmir but forgets that it has deployed hundreds of thousands of military and paramilitary troops in Karachi, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to suppress the genuine demands of the people of these areas. 
 
Nadeem Nusrat urged Pakistani authorities to pay serious attention to the comments of the acting US Assistant Secretary Alice Wells who pointed out in a recent US&nbsp;Congressional hearing on South Asia that the terror groups operating from Pakistani soil have been playing a major role in the unrest in Kashmir valley. She also urged the Pakistani government to take firm action against these militant groups who are recruiting people in the name of jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan. 
 
Nadeem Nusrat said that the successive US&nbsp;administrations, as well as the rest of the world community, have repeatedly demanded Pakistan to eliminate terror sanctuaries from its soil, but many groups continue to enjoy visible impunity in Pakistan despite such pleas. 
 
The Mohair leader further said that the terror financing watchdog FATF has also repeatedly warned Pakistan that it could be added to its 'blacklist ' if it fails to stop terror financing and support for terrorist groups. 
 
Pakistani authorities should take this warning seriously as these terror groups pose the most serious threat to Pakistan's international standing, its integrity, and security. Those elements within the Pakistani establishment who are trying to shield these elements are seriously jeopardising the future of Pakistan. 
 
Nusrat added that it is hard for Pakistan to question media censorship in Kashmir when the news media in Pakistan are barred from reporting the facts and the dissident voices are being silenced or forced to flee the country. The situation has come to a point where even the proponents of the military establishment are admitting that Pakistan has become a 'police state'. 
 
"If Pakistan is sincere with Kashmiris, it must first stop killing its non-Punjabi citizens and suppressing their genuine demand for rights. Without putting an end to ongoing suppression of its own citizens will make Pakistan's stance on Kashmir sheer hypocrisy and political expediency," the Voice of Karachi chairman concluded.

Highlighting Pakistan's hypocrisy, Voice of Karachi (VoK) Chairman Nadeem Nusrat has asked Pakistan to address the discrimination faced by religious minorities and non-Punjabi ethnic groups instead of crying foul over the Kashmir issue.

Highlighting Pakistan's hypocrisy, Voice of Karachi (VoK) Chairman Nadeem Nusrat has asked Pakistan to address the discrimination faced by religious minorities and non-Punjabi ethnic groups instead of crying foul over the Kashmir issue. In a statement, Nusrat added that while the world is discussing the situation in Kashmir, it is essential to not to ignore the plight of religious minorities and non-Punjabi ethnic groups who are facing ever-growing human rights abuses in Pakistan by its Punjabi-dominated security forces. Terming Pakistan's decision to observe October 27 as a 'Black Day' in solidarity with Kashmiri people as "sheer hypocrisy", the VoK chairman said that Pakistan claims itself to be the leader of the Muslim world but opts to keep quiet on the sufferings of Muslims in China, Yemen, Syria and Myanmar. This 'selective' demonstration of the so-called 'Muslim brotherhood' speaks volumes about the true nature of Pakistan's tall claims. Nusrat asserted that the continued hostilities and war-like situation against India suit Pakistan's military establishment since it allows it to continue to spend a huge chunk of the country's budget on defence expenditures. "Pakistan is concerned about India's decision to change the constitutional status of Kashmir whereas its own constitution is practically suspended, and the military is practically running all the affairs in the shadows of sham democracy. All the fundamental constitutional freedoms - assembly, speech, press and religion- are barred and human rights abuses are steadily rising," he continued. The Mohajir leader further stated that Pakistan laments the deployment of Indian troops in Kashmir but forgets that it has deployed hundreds of thousands of military and paramilitary troops in Karachi, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to suppress the genuine demands of the people of these areas. Nadeem Nusrat urged Pakistani authorities to pay serious attention to the comments of the acting US Assistant Secretary Alice Wells who pointed out in a recent US Congressional hearing on South Asia that the terror groups operating from Pakistani soil have been playing a major role in the unrest in Kashmir valley. She also urged the Pakistani government to take firm action against these militant groups who are recruiting people in the name of jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Nadeem Nusrat said that the successive US administrations, as well as the rest of the world community, have repeatedly demanded Pakistan to eliminate terror sanctuaries from its soil, but many groups continue to enjoy visible impunity in Pakistan despite such pleas. The Mohair leader further said that the terror financing watchdog FATF has also repeatedly warned Pakistan that it could be added to its 'blacklist ' if it fails to stop terror financing and support for terrorist groups. Pakistani authorities should take this warning seriously as these terror groups pose the most serious threat to Pakistan's international standing, its integrity, and security. Those elements within the Pakistani establishment who are trying to shield these elements are seriously jeopardising the future of Pakistan. Nusrat added that it is hard for Pakistan to question media censorship in Kashmir when the news media in Pakistan are barred from reporting the facts and the dissident voices are being silenced or forced to flee the country. The situation has come to a point where even the proponents of the military establishment are admitting that Pakistan has become a 'police state'. "If Pakistan is sincere with Kashmiris, it must first stop killing its non-Punjabi citizens and suppressing their genuine demand for rights. Without putting an end to ongoing suppression of its own citizens will make Pakistan's stance on Kashmir sheer hypocrisy and political expediency," the Voice of Karachi chairman concluded.

Voice of Karachi chairman points out Pakistan hypocrisy over Kashmir issue

Shipping firms in Pakistan have accused authorities in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of forcibly seizing their containers for using them to block the entry of demonstrators to capital Islamabad ahead of the 'Azadi March'. 
 
"Over the last three days, police have forcibly taken possession of more than 3,000 containers in different parts of the country," Hakimullah Khan, president of the Containers Association in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told Anadolu Agency. 
 
Opposition parties in Pakistan have announced a five-day anti-government protest named 'Azadi March' from October 27. The protests will begin from various parts of the country and converge in Islamabad on October 31. 
 
Hakimullah Khan has claimed that the owners of the seized containers have faced huge financial loses as a result of the authorities' actions. 
On the other hand, Islamabad's deputy commissioner Hamza Shafqaat has said that the containers have not been seized but hired from their owners for which they shall be duly paid. 
 
"We have not taken a single container by force," said Hamza Shafqaat, Islamabad's deputy commissioner. "We have hired all containers from the owners and we will pay for them," he added. 
 
The Azadi March has been announced by Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman in a bid to topple the government, which Rehman believes came to power through "fake elections". The Pakistan government has decided to let the march proceed as long as parameters laid out by courts for lawful protest are not breached.

Shipping firms in Pakistan have accused authorities in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of forcibly seizing their containers for using them to block the entry of demonstrators to capital Islamabad ahead of the 'Azadi March'.

Shipping firms in Pakistan have accused authorities in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of forcibly seizing their containers for using them to block the entry of demonstrators to capital Islamabad ahead of the 'Azadi March'. "Over the last three days, police have forcibly taken possession of more than 3,000 containers in different parts of the country," Hakimullah Khan, president of the Containers Association in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told Anadolu Agency. Opposition parties in Pakistan have announced a five-day anti-government protest named 'Azadi March' from October 27. The protests will begin from various parts of the country and converge in Islamabad on October 31. Hakimullah Khan has claimed that the owners of the seized containers have faced huge financial loses as a result of the authorities' actions. On the other hand, Islamabad's deputy commissioner Hamza Shafqaat has said that the containers have not been seized but hired from their owners for which they shall be duly paid. "We have not taken a single container by force," said Hamza Shafqaat, Islamabad's deputy commissioner. "We have hired all containers from the owners and we will pay for them," he added. The Azadi March has been announced by Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman in a bid to topple the government, which Rehman believes came to power through "fake elections". The Pakistan government has decided to let the march proceed as long as parameters laid out by courts for lawful protest are not breached.

Pakistani shipping firms accuse government of seizing containers to block roads ahead of 'Azaadi March'

Actress and activist Jane Fonda accepted the BAFTA Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award while getting arrested for protesting against climate change.

The award honours people for excellence and&nbsp;longlasting influence in films. The ceremony was held at the Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Fonda opted to send an acceptance video message, which is customary in the case of absence.

While being arrested in Washington DC, Fonda thanked BAFTA for the recognition and claimed that she was ''very honoured''.

This was Fonda's third recent arrest, as she faced her last arrest for protesting outside the United States Capitol on Friday. She has constantly been demanding urgent action against climate change.

"It's so important that we help people understand that this crisis is urgent. Urgent. It is too late for business as usual. I'm inspired by Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish student, who said 'we have to behave like our house is on fire. Because it is.' And that's why we're calling these Fire Drill Fridays", Fonda said

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Folks, <a href="https://twitter.com/Janefonda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Janefonda</a> accepted the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award WHILE BEING ARRESTED. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Britannias?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Britannias</a> <a href="https://t.co/LDbZKTZWrs">pic.twitter.com/LDbZKTZWrs</a>
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Fonda&nbsp;marched arm-in-arm with other protesters, chanting, "What do we want? A Green New Deal! When do we want it? Now!"

The&nbsp;protest marked the second week of "Fire Drill Fridays", a movement inspired by young climate activists.

The Oscar-winning actress was best known outside the screen for her Vietnam War activism.&nbsp;Fonda, a longtime anti-war and women's' rights activist, launched a fitness craze with her 1980s workout videos, and was recently nominated for a Screen Actors Guild awards for her lead role in TV series "Grace and Frankie".

Previous winners of the Stanely Kubrick Britannia Award include Cate Blanchett, George Clooney and Meryl Streep.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Actress and activist Jane Fonda accepted the BAFTA Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award while getting arrested for protesting against climate change. The award honours people for excellence and longlasting influence in films.

Actress and activist Jane Fonda accepted the BAFTA Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award while getting arrested for protesting against climate change. The award honours people for excellence and longlasting influence in films. The ceremony was held at the Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Fonda opted to send an acceptance video message, which is customary in the case of absence. While being arrested in Washington DC, Fonda thanked BAFTA for the recognition and claimed that she was ''very honoured''. This was Fonda's third recent arrest, as she faced her last arrest for protesting outside the United States Capitol on Friday. She has constantly been demanding urgent action against climate change. "It's so important that we help people understand that this crisis is urgent. Urgent. It is too late for business as usual. I'm inspired by Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish student, who said 'we have to behave like our house is on fire. Because it is.' And that's why we're calling these Fire Drill Fridays", Fonda said Folks, @Janefonda accepted the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award WHILE BEING ARRESTED. #Britannias pic.twitter.com/LDbZKTZWrs — BAFTA Los Angeles (@BAFTALA) October 26, 2019 × Fonda marched arm-in-arm with other protesters, chanting, "What do we want? A Green New Deal! When do we want it? Now!" The protest marked the second week of "Fire Drill Fridays", a movement inspired by young climate activists. The Oscar-winning actress was best known outside the screen for her Vietnam War activism. Fonda, a longtime anti-war and women's' rights activist, launched a fitness craze with her 1980s workout videos, and was recently nominated for a Screen Actors Guild awards for her lead role in TV series "Grace and Frankie". Previous winners of the Stanely Kubrick Britannia Award include Cate Blanchett, George Clooney and Meryl Streep. (With inputs from Reuters)

Jane Fonda accepts BAFTA award while getting arrested for climate change protest

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/millions-face-power-cuts-as-california-fires-spread-258303">California firefighters</a> raced against time on Saturday&nbsp;as they cut defensive lines against a wildfire in Sonoma County's famed wine country and authorities ordered 50,000 people to evacuate, ahead of winds that are forecast to pick up at night and spread the flames.

The 25,000-acre&nbsp;Kincade Fire in rugged and steep terrain north of San Francisco was one of two major wildfires burning in California, with the other, the Tick Fire, raging in suburban Los Angeles where it has charred 4,600 acres.

The more than 2,000 firefighters battling the Kincade Fire, which officials said was 10 per cent contained and had destroyed nearly 50 structures, faced a more immediate threat from weather than crews battling the Tick Fire.

The National Weather Service has issued a "red flag" warning for areas around the Kincade Fire, with low-humidity drying out plants and trees and leaving the flames with plenty of combustible fuel. And conditions were only expected to worsen.

The cause of the Kincade Fire is still under investigation, but officials have said it erupted on Wednesday near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower owned by the troubled utility Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation.

Earlier in the week, authorities had ordered 2,000 people to evacuate their homes, with Sonoma County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Karen Hancock describing the flames as having come closest to the community of Geyserville.

On Saturday, authorities <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/california-firefighters-tackle-blazes-in-suburbs-of-los-angeles-258238">expanded evacuation orders in the nearby communities</a> of Windsor and Healdsburg, with more than 50,000 people told to leave home by 4 pm&nbsp;local time when power was expected to be shut off in those areas.

California firefighters raced against time on Saturday as they cut defensive lines against a wildfire in Sonoma County's famed wine country and authorities ordered 50,000 people to evacuate, ahead of winds that are forecast to pick up at night and spread the flames.

California firefighters raced against time on Saturday as they cut defensive lines against a wildfire in Sonoma County's famed wine country and authorities ordered 50,000 people to evacuate, ahead of winds that are forecast to pick up at night and spread the flames. The 25,000-acre Kincade Fire in rugged and steep terrain north of San Francisco was one of two major wildfires burning in California, with the other, the Tick Fire, raging in suburban Los Angeles where it has charred 4,600 acres. The more than 2,000 firefighters battling the Kincade Fire, which officials said was 10 per cent contained and had destroyed nearly 50 structures, faced a more immediate threat from weather than crews battling the Tick Fire. The National Weather Service has issued a "red flag" warning for areas around the Kincade Fire, with low-humidity drying out plants and trees and leaving the flames with plenty of combustible fuel. And conditions were only expected to worsen. The cause of the Kincade Fire is still under investigation, but officials have said it erupted on Wednesday near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower owned by the troubled utility Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation. Earlier in the week, authorities had ordered 2,000 people to evacuate their homes, with Sonoma County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Karen Hancock describing the flames as having come closest to the community of Geyserville. On Saturday, authorities expanded evacuation orders in the nearby communities of Windsor and Healdsburg, with more than 50,000 people told to leave home by 4 pm local time when power was expected to be shut off in those areas.

Bracing for winds, authorities order thousands to flee California wine country fire

At least 67 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sit-in-put-pressure-on-iraq-government-amid-relentless-protests-258318">Iraqis were killed</a> and hundreds wounded in two days of protests over the weekend, as demonstrators clashed with security forces and militia groups in the second wave of protests against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's government this month.

Seeking to contain the spiralling violence, on Saturday night Abdul Mahdi ordered members of the country's elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) onto the streets of the capital Baghdad and the southern city of Nasiriya.

They were told to "use all necessary measures" to end the protests, security sources told Reuters.

Around midnight, CTS troops took over checkpoints in neighbourhoods surrounding Baghdad's central Tahrir Square and began corralling protesters out. Security forces firing tear gas had earlier failed to clear the square of demonstrators.

In Nasiriya, CTS soldiers broke up demonstrations by beating and arresting dozens, police and security sources said.

The two cities, where thousands had turned out for the second day of protests, saw the bulk of Saturday's violence as protesters continued to vent their frustration at political elites they say have failed to improve their lives after years of conflict and economic hardship.

Four people were killed after being struck directly in the head by tear gas canisters fired by security forces in Baghdad, with dozens more wounded. Four others died in Nasiriya when a group of protesters stormed the home of a local security official, police said. Guards opened fire after the protesters torched the building, police said.

Seven more people died in Hilla, most when members of the Iranian-backed Badr Organisation militia group opened fire on protesters who had gathered near their office.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-forces-clamp-down-on-protests-after-bloodshed-258285">At least 52 people were killed</a> around the country on Friday, and more than 2,000 more wounded.

The latest bloodshed was the second major bout of violence this month. Earlier in October, 157 people were killed and more than 6,000 wounded in other clashes between protesters and security forces. 
&nbsp;

Watch - Iraq: At least 40 have been killed in the anti-government protests

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Spiralling Violence

&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-security-forces-fire-tear-gas-as-protests-linger-in-baghdad-ahead-of-parliament-session-258274">unrest has broken nearly two years of relative stability</a> in Iraq, which from 2003 to 2017 endured a foreign occupation, civil war and an Islamic State (IS) insurgency.

It poses the biggest challenge to Abdul Mahdi since he took office just a year ago. Despite promising reforms and ordering a broad cabinet reshuffle, he has so far struggled to address the protesters' discontent.

Adding more pressure, the parliamentary bloc linked to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced it was going into opposition on Saturday, a big blow to his premiership.

However, Abdul Mahdi's decision to deploy CTS troops was likely to be met with broad support from the country's political elite as well as praise from security forces who said they would not shy away from using force.

Earlier in the day, Iraq's military and Ministry of Interior said that they planned to respond more firmly to protests on Saturday after Friday's heavy death toll.

In Basra, police said protesters who attacked security forces, public and private property would be prosecuted under Iraq's strict counter-terrorism law.

Political leaders also spoke out in support of the security forces' actions over the weekend, while militia leaders signalled their support for a tough stance against protesters, and urged the premier not to back down.

The statements came after another long day of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-40-killed-as-fresh-protests-engulf-iraq-258212">violent protests across the country</a>. Although volleys of tear gas were lobbed indiscriminately at protesters on Saturday, many demonstrators expressed relief that security forces had not used live rounds this time.

In Baghdad protesters distributed masks and homemade remedies to protect themselves from the tear gas. Others handed out food and water.

As sirens wailed and tuk-tuks ferried bloodied protesters to hospitals, others expressed outrage at a political establishment so willing to resort to violence.

"Our protests are peaceful, we only have flags and water bottles, but they keep firing bombs at us, firing tear gas at us," said 33-year-old demonstrator Silwan Ali. "What have we done to deserve this? What have we done? The young men who died, what did they do?" he said. 
 
'Stealing from us'

Most of those <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-protesters-march-towards-baghdads-green-zone-one-killed-258183">killed on Friday and Saturday were protesters in cities in the south</a>, as demonstrators focussed their anger on politicians and Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia groups.

Members of the powerful Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) militia turned their guns on protesters in both Nasiriya and Amara on Friday, leaving scores dead. AAH also clashed with another powerful militia, one loyal to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Despite a curfew and federal anti-riot forces dispatched from Baghdad, thousands gathered across cities in the south on Saturday, clashing again with militia groups.

Protesters continued to torch the offices of all major political parties, militia groups, and local government buildings. In Nasiriya, they set fire to the governor's house.

"This is not a protest, this is a revolution," said one protester who declined to give his name.

Parliament was set to meet on Saturday in an emergency session to discuss the protesters' demands, but with many politicians keeping a low profile since the protests began it failed to reach a quorum and the session was cancelled.

"The government has been stealing from us for 15 years. Saddam went and 1,000 Saddams have been hiding in the Green Zone," a protester who declined to be named said on Saturday, referring to the former Iraqi dictator.

At least 67 Iraqis were killed and hundreds wounded in two days of protests over the weekend, as demonstrators clashed with security forces and militia groups in the second wave of protests against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's government this month.

At least 67 Iraqis were killed and hundreds wounded in two days of protests over the weekend, as demonstrators clashed with security forces and militia groups in the second wave of protests against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's government this month. Seeking to contain the spiralling violence, on Saturday night Abdul Mahdi ordered members of the country's elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) onto the streets of the capital Baghdad and the southern city of Nasiriya. They were told to "use all necessary measures" to end the protests, security sources told Reuters. Around midnight, CTS troops took over checkpoints in neighbourhoods surrounding Baghdad's central Tahrir Square and began corralling protesters out. Security forces firing tear gas had earlier failed to clear the square of demonstrators. In Nasiriya, CTS soldiers broke up demonstrations by beating and arresting dozens, police and security sources said. The two cities, where thousands had turned out for the second day of protests, saw the bulk of Saturday's violence as protesters continued to vent their frustration at political elites they say have failed to improve their lives after years of conflict and economic hardship. Four people were killed after being struck directly in the head by tear gas canisters fired by security forces in Baghdad, with dozens more wounded. Four others died in Nasiriya when a group of protesters stormed the home of a local security official, police said. Guards opened fire after the protesters torched the building, police said. Seven more people died in Hilla, most when members of the Iranian-backed Badr Organisation militia group opened fire on protesters who had gathered near their office. At least 52 people were killed around the country on Friday, and more than 2,000 more wounded. The latest bloodshed was the second major bout of violence this month. Earlier in October, 157 people were killed and more than 6,000 wounded in other clashes between protesters and security forces. Watch - Iraq: At least 40 have been killed in the anti-government protests Spiralling Violence The unrest has broken nearly two years of relative stability in Iraq, which from 2003 to 2017 endured a foreign occupation, civil war and an Islamic State (IS) insurgency. It poses the biggest challenge to Abdul Mahdi since he took office just a year ago. Despite promising reforms and ordering a broad cabinet reshuffle, he has so far struggled to address the protesters' discontent. Adding more pressure, the parliamentary bloc linked to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced it was going into opposition on Saturday, a big blow to his premiership. However, Abdul Mahdi's decision to deploy CTS troops was likely to be met with broad support from the country's political elite as well as praise from security forces who said they would not shy away from using force. Earlier in the day, Iraq's military and Ministry of Interior said that they planned to respond more firmly to protests on Saturday after Friday's heavy death toll. In Basra, police said protesters who attacked security forces, public and private property would be prosecuted under Iraq's strict counter-terrorism law. Political leaders also spoke out in support of the security forces' actions over the weekend, while militia leaders signalled their support for a tough stance against protesters, and urged the premier not to back down. The statements came after another long day of violent protests across the country. Although volleys of tear gas were lobbed indiscriminately at protesters on Saturday, many demonstrators expressed relief that security forces had not used live rounds this time. In Baghdad protesters distributed masks and homemade remedies to protect themselves from the tear gas. Others handed out food and water. As sirens wailed and tuk-tuks ferried bloodied protesters to hospitals, others expressed outrage at a political establishment so willing to resort to violence. "Our protests are peaceful, we only have flags and water bottles, but they keep firing bombs at us, firing tear gas at us," said 33-year-old demonstrator Silwan Ali. "What have we done to deserve this? What have we done? The young men who died, what did they do?" he said. 'Stealing from us' Most of those killed on Friday and Saturday were protesters in cities in the south, as demonstrators focussed their anger on politicians and Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia groups. Members of the powerful Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) militia turned their guns on protesters in both Nasiriya and Amara on Friday, leaving scores dead. AAH also clashed with another powerful militia, one loyal to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Despite a curfew and federal anti-riot forces dispatched from Baghdad, thousands gathered across cities in the south on Saturday, clashing again with militia groups. Protesters continued to torch the offices of all major political parties, militia groups, and local government buildings. In Nasiriya, they set fire to the governor's house. "This is not a protest, this is a revolution," said one protester who declined to give his name. Parliament was set to meet on Saturday in an emergency session to discuss the protesters' demands, but with many politicians keeping a low profile since the protests began it failed to reach a quorum and the session was cancelled. "The government has been stealing from us for 15 years. Saddam went and 1,000 Saddams have been hiding in the Green Zone," a protester who declined to be named said on Saturday, referring to the former Iraqi dictator.

Death toll in Iraq reaches 67 amid protests against government

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">United States</a>&nbsp;military conducted an operation against elusive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday, a US&nbsp;official said, as US&nbsp;President Donald Trump prepared to make a "major statement" at the White House on Sunday morning.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was unable to say whether the operation against Baghdadi was successful. Newsweek said the operation took place in Syria's northwestern Idlib province and was carried out by special operations forces after receiving actionable intelligence.

The official did not disclose details of the operation and other US&nbsp;officials contacted by Reuters declined to comment. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley announced late on Saturday that Trump would make a "major statement" at 1300 GMT (1830 IST)&nbsp;on Sunday.

Gidley gave no further details.

The president gave an indication that something was afoot earlier on Saturday night when he tweeted without explanation, "Something very big has just happened!"

Trump has been frustrated by the US&nbsp;news media's heavy focus on the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry, which he calls an illegitimate witch hunt.

He has also faced withering criticism from both Republicans and Democrats alike for his US&nbsp;troop withdrawal from northeastern Syria, which permitted Turkey to attack America's Kurdish allies.

Trump was expected to make the statement in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-united-states-not-to-exploit-close-trump-kim-ties-258322">White House</a> Diplomatic Reception Room, which he has used to make a number of major announcements.

Just last week he used the same room to announce that a ceasefire between Turkey and the Kurds had taken hold.

The United States military conducted an operation against elusive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday, a US official said, as US President Donald Trump prepared to make a "major statement" at the White House on Sunday morning.

The United States military conducted an operation against elusive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday, a US official said, as US President Donald Trump prepared to make a "major statement" at the White House on Sunday morning. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, was unable to say whether the operation against Baghdadi was successful. Newsweek said the operation took place in Syria's northwestern Idlib province and was carried out by special operations forces after receiving actionable intelligence. The official did not disclose details of the operation and other US officials contacted by Reuters declined to comment. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley announced late on Saturday that Trump would make a "major statement" at 1300 GMT (1830 IST) on Sunday. Gidley gave no further details. The president gave an indication that something was afoot earlier on Saturday night when he tweeted without explanation, "Something very big has just happened!" Trump has been frustrated by the US news media's heavy focus on the Democratic-led impeachment enquiry, which he calls an illegitimate witch hunt. He has also faced withering criticism from both Republicans and Democrats alike for his US troop withdrawal from northeastern Syria, which permitted Turkey to attack America's Kurdish allies. Trump was expected to make the statement in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, which he has used to make a number of major announcements. Just last week he used the same room to announce that a ceasefire between Turkey and the Kurds had taken hold.

Islamic State leader targeted by United States forces as Trump plans Sunday statement

Clashes between police and militant elements in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/catalan-crisis-looms-large-over-spains-november-election-257364">thousands-strong crowd of demonstrators</a> transformed part of central Barcelona into a battleground late on Saturday as another day of pro-independence protests turned violent.

Projectiles were fired, at least six people were hospitalised with injuries, and barricades were set alight after officers charged ranks of demonstrators,&nbsp;many young and masking their faces,&nbsp;who had amassed outside Spanish police headquarters.

The violent standoff in the city's tourist heartland offered stark evidence of the faultlines developing between hardline and conciliatory elements within the region's independence movement. It lasted several hours before protesters dispersed through the city's streets.

Barcelona has witnessed daily pro-secession protests since October&nbsp;14.

That was when Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine politicians and activists to up to 13 years in jail for their role in a failed independence bid in 2017, prompting widespread anger in the region and sending shockwaves through <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-prime-minister-under-pressure-over-catalan-protests-257089">Spain's political landscape</a>.

Saturday's protest was not the first marred by violence, with unrest notably on October&nbsp;18 having been more widespread.

But it contrasted starkly with events earlier in the day when some 350,000 Catalans had marched peacefully through the city in support of calls from civil rights groups for the jailed separatist leaders to be freed.

Bottles, balls, and bullets

The later protest was organised by CDR, a pro-independence pressure group that favours direct action and has cut off rail tracks and roads, as well as trying to storm the regional parliament.

It began around 7:30 pm&nbsp;and as the crowd grew to around 10,000, according to police estimates, demonstrators threw a hail of bottles, balls and rubber bullets at officers, TV footage showed.

Police carrying shields and weapons and backed by some 20 riot vans then charged the demonstrators in an attempt to disperse them, splitting the crowd in two along Via Laietana near the police HQ.

Reuters TV footage showed police armed with batons forcing their way through the crowd while demonstrators threw stones and flares. News channel 24h showed police grappling one-on-one with demonstrators, who fell back before reforming their lines.

Some projectiles were fired, with a Reuters photographer among those hospitalised after being hit in the stomach by a rubber or foam bullet. Catalan emergency services said that, in all, six people were hospitalised.

The organisers of the earlier protest, grassroots groups Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) and Omnium Cultural, had hoped that, with pro-secessionist parties split over what strategy to adopt, it would refocus attention in the secessionist camp by drawing the largest crowd since the court verdicts were passed.

"From the street, we will keep defending all the (people's) rights but from the institutions we need political answers," ANC leader Elisenda Paluzie told the gathering, pledging to organise more protests.

Local police said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/catalan-leaders-demand-talks-with-madrid-after-violent-clashes-256960">around 350,000 attended</a>, compared with a daily peak of some 500,000 at the October 18 protest and 600,000 at a march that took place on Catalonia's national day last month.

All those figures, however, represent only a small percentage of the region's 7.5 million population and its electorate is almost evenly split over the issue of independence.

Mainstream Spanish parties, including the minority Socialist government, have consistently rejected moves towards Catalan independence and all bar left-wing Podemos are opposed to any form of a referendum.

They are now gearing up for a national election on November&nbsp;10. 
 
'Prison is not the answer'

Both ANC and Omnium Cultural eschew violence and their then leaders were among the nine jailed on October 14.

Many who joined their march carried <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/catalan-separatists-police-clash-in-fresh-violence-256595">Catalan pro-independence</a> flags and banners bearing slogans that included: "Prison is not the answer", "Sit and talk" and "Freedom for political prisoners".

In the front row was regional government head Quim Torra, who earlier presided over a ceremony at which hundreds of Catalan mayors endorsed a document demanding self-determination.

"We have to be capable of creating a republic of free men and woman ... and overcoming the confrontational dynamic with a constructive one," he told them.

While not currently affiliated to any party, Torra belongs to the separatist political movement Junts per Catalunya. It has been in favour of maintaining confrontation with authorities in Madrid, while its leftist coalition partner Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya favours dialogue.

One marcher, 63-year-old Maria Llopart, criticised the lack of unity between the two parties. "Everything looks very bad, we are not advancing," she said.

Francesc Dot, 65, said the nine leaders had been jailed in defence of "Spain's unity."

His wife, Maria Dolors Rustarazo, 63, said she should also be in prison because she voted in the 2017 referendum, which Spanish courts outlawed. "If (all separatist votes)... have to go to jail, we will go but I don't think we would all fit," she said.

She condemned the violence but had an understanding for young protesters being "angry at the lack of democracy".

On Saturday they included Manel, a 20-year-old student with his face obscured by a cloth who said he was among those who lit barricades during last week's unrest.

"We need a consistent protest: more streets and less parliamentary talk because that doesn't seem to work," he said before the CDR protest turned violent.

"If we halt the economy, the Spanish government would be obliged to talk."

Clashes between police and militant elements in a thousands-strong crowd of demonstrators transformed part of central Barcelona into a battleground late on Saturday as another day of pro-independence protests turned violent.

Clashes between police and militant elements in a thousands-strong crowd of demonstrators transformed part of central Barcelona into a battleground late on Saturday as another day of pro-independence protests turned violent. Projectiles were fired, at least six people were hospitalised with injuries, and barricades were set alight after officers charged ranks of demonstrators, many young and masking their faces, who had amassed outside Spanish police headquarters. The violent standoff in the city's tourist heartland offered stark evidence of the faultlines developing between hardline and conciliatory elements within the region's independence movement. It lasted several hours before protesters dispersed through the city's streets. Barcelona has witnessed daily pro-secession protests since October 14. That was when Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine politicians and activists to up to 13 years in jail for their role in a failed independence bid in 2017, prompting widespread anger in the region and sending shockwaves through Spain's political landscape. Saturday's protest was not the first marred by violence, with unrest notably on October 18 having been more widespread. But it contrasted starkly with events earlier in the day when some 350,000 Catalans had marched peacefully through the city in support of calls from civil rights groups for the jailed separatist leaders to be freed. Bottles, balls, and bullets The later protest was organised by CDR, a pro-independence pressure group that favours direct action and has cut off rail tracks and roads, as well as trying to storm the regional parliament. It began around 7:30 pm and as the crowd grew to around 10,000, according to police estimates, demonstrators threw a hail of bottles, balls and rubber bullets at officers, TV footage showed. Police carrying shields and weapons and backed by some 20 riot vans then charged the demonstrators in an attempt to disperse them, splitting the crowd in two along Via Laietana near the police HQ. Reuters TV footage showed police armed with batons forcing their way through the crowd while demonstrators threw stones and flares. News channel 24h showed police grappling one-on-one with demonstrators, who fell back before reforming their lines. Some projectiles were fired, with a Reuters photographer among those hospitalised after being hit in the stomach by a rubber or foam bullet. Catalan emergency services said that, in all, six people were hospitalised. The organisers of the earlier protest, grassroots groups Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) and Omnium Cultural, had hoped that, with pro-secessionist parties split over what strategy to adopt, it would refocus attention in the secessionist camp by drawing the largest crowd since the court verdicts were passed. "From the street, we will keep defending all the (people's) rights but from the institutions we need political answers," ANC leader Elisenda Paluzie told the gathering, pledging to organise more protests. Local police said around 350,000 attended, compared with a daily peak of some 500,000 at the October 18 protest and 600,000 at a march that took place on Catalonia's national day last month. All those figures, however, represent only a small percentage of the region's 7.5 million population and its electorate is almost evenly split over the issue of independence. Mainstream Spanish parties, including the minority Socialist government, have consistently rejected moves towards Catalan independence and all bar left-wing Podemos are opposed to any form of a referendum. They are now gearing up for a national election on November 10. 'Prison is not the answer' Both ANC and Omnium Cultural eschew violence and their then leaders were among the nine jailed on October 14. Many who joined their march carried Catalan pro-independence flags and banners bearing slogans that included: "Prison is not the answer", "Sit and talk" and "Freedom for political prisoners". In the front row was regional government head Quim Torra, who earlier presided over a ceremony at which hundreds of Catalan mayors endorsed a document demanding self-determination. "We have to be capable of creating a republic of free men and woman ... and overcoming the confrontational dynamic with a constructive one," he told them. While not currently affiliated to any party, Torra belongs to the separatist political movement Junts per Catalunya. It has been in favour of maintaining confrontation with authorities in Madrid, while its leftist coalition partner Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya favours dialogue. One marcher, 63-year-old Maria Llopart, criticised the lack of unity between the two parties. "Everything looks very bad, we are not advancing," she said. Francesc Dot, 65, said the nine leaders had been jailed in defence of "Spain's unity." His wife, Maria Dolors Rustarazo, 63, said she should also be in prison because she voted in the 2017 referendum, which Spanish courts outlawed. "If (all separatist votes)... have to go to jail, we will go but I don't think we would all fit," she said. She condemned the violence but had an understanding for young protesters being "angry at the lack of democracy". On Saturday they included Manel, a 20-year-old student with his face obscured by a cloth who said he was among those who lit barricades during last week's unrest. "We need a consistent protest: more streets and less parliamentary talk because that doesn't seem to work," he said before the CDR protest turned violent. "If we halt the economy, the Spanish government would be obliged to talk."

Police, Catalan separatists clash as day of protest ends in violence

An assembly of Roman Catholic bishops from the Amazon on Saturday proposed that married men in the remote area be allowed to be ordained priests, which could lead to a landmark change in the Church's centuries-old discipline of celibacy.

The proposal, made in a final document from a three-week assembly, known as a synod, passed by 128 votes in favour to 41 against.

Pope Francis will consider it, along with many other proposals on issues including the environment and the role of women, in a future document of his own, known as an Apostolic Exhortation.

Separately, when he closed the synod's final working session earlier on Saturday, Francis announced that he would reconvene a commission to study the history of women deacons in the early centuries of the Catholic Church, responding to calls by women that they are allowed to take up the role today.

But the issue of a married priesthood for the Amazon region was by far the most contentious item in the 120-paragraph final document.

The proposal calls for married men who are already deacons in the Church, have a stable family relationship, and are proven leaders in their communities to be ordained as priests.

It said the ordination to the priesthood would have to be preceded by an "adequate formation".

This solution to the shortage of priests, backed by many South American bishops, would allow Catholics in isolated areas to attend Mass and receive the sacraments more regularly.

At least 85% of Amazon villages cannot attend Mass every week and some cannot do so for years.

Conservatives oppose the change, fearing it would be a slippery slope leading to a married priesthood throughout the 1.3 billion-member Church.

They fear that if one part of the Church was allowed to ordain married men as an exception, there would be nothing to stop other areas with a shortage of priests doing the same, even in developed countries.

A CBS News poll last year said nearly 70 per cent&nbsp;of American Catholics favour letting priests marry.

The document said that some bishops in the synod thought the issue should be discussed on a universal basis. 
 
Women Deacons

Conservatives are also opposed to women deacons, saying the diaconate is linked with the male priesthood.

Many deacons in the Church around the world today are married men.

Deacons, like priests, are ordained ministers. They may not celebrate Mass, but they may preach, teach in the name of the Church, baptise and conduct wedding, wake and funeral services and even run a parish with the permission of a bishop.

In his closing comments to the synod, Francis said: "We still have not grasped the significance of women in the Church."

Scholars have debated the precise role of women deacons in the early Church.

Some say they ministered only to other women, such as at immersion rites at baptism and to inspect the bodies of women in cases where Christian men were accused of domestic violence and brought before Church tribunals.

Others believe women deacons in the early Church were fully ordained and on a par with the male deacons at the time. The Church did away with female deacons altogether in later centuries.

A commission that handed its report to the pope this year was inconclusive. Francis, who ends the synod ceremoniously with a Mass in St&nbsp;Peter's Basilica on Sunday, gave no details on when the new commission would start its work.

Francis and his predecessors have ruled out allowing women to become priests.

But advocates of women priests see a female diaconate might eventually make it easier for a future pope to study the possibility of women priests.

An assembly of Roman Catholic bishops from the Amazon on Saturday proposed that married men in the remote area be allowed to be ordained priests, which could lead to a landmark change in the Church's centuries-old discipline of celibacy.

An assembly of Roman Catholic bishops from the Amazon on Saturday proposed that married men in the remote area be allowed to be ordained priests, which could lead to a landmark change in the Church's centuries-old discipline of celibacy. The proposal, made in a final document from a three-week assembly, known as a synod, passed by 128 votes in favour to 41 against. Pope Francis will consider it, along with many other proposals on issues including the environment and the role of women, in a future document of his own, known as an Apostolic Exhortation. Separately, when he closed the synod's final working session earlier on Saturday, Francis announced that he would reconvene a commission to study the history of women deacons in the early centuries of the Catholic Church, responding to calls by women that they are allowed to take up the role today. But the issue of a married priesthood for the Amazon region was by far the most contentious item in the 120-paragraph final document. The proposal calls for married men who are already deacons in the Church, have a stable family relationship, and are proven leaders in their communities to be ordained as priests. It said the ordination to the priesthood would have to be preceded by an "adequate formation". This solution to the shortage of priests, backed by many South American bishops, would allow Catholics in isolated areas to attend Mass and receive the sacraments more regularly. At least 85% of Amazon villages cannot attend Mass every week and some cannot do so for years. Conservatives oppose the change, fearing it would be a slippery slope leading to a married priesthood throughout the 1.3 billion-member Church. They fear that if one part of the Church was allowed to ordain married men as an exception, there would be nothing to stop other areas with a shortage of priests doing the same, even in developed countries. A CBS News poll last year said nearly 70 per cent of American Catholics favour letting priests marry. The document said that some bishops in the synod thought the issue should be discussed on a universal basis. Women Deacons Conservatives are also opposed to women deacons, saying the diaconate is linked with the male priesthood. Many deacons in the Church around the world today are married men. Deacons, like priests, are ordained ministers. They may not celebrate Mass, but they may preach, teach in the name of the Church, baptise and conduct wedding, wake and funeral services and even run a parish with the permission of a bishop. In his closing comments to the synod, Francis said: "We still have not grasped the significance of women in the Church." Scholars have debated the precise role of women deacons in the early Church. Some say they ministered only to other women, such as at immersion rites at baptism and to inspect the bodies of women in cases where Christian men were accused of domestic violence and brought before Church tribunals. Others believe women deacons in the early Church were fully ordained and on a par with the male deacons at the time. The Church did away with female deacons altogether in later centuries. A commission that handed its report to the pope this year was inconclusive. Francis, who ends the synod ceremoniously with a Mass in St Peter's Basilica on Sunday, gave no details on when the new commission would start its work. Francis and his predecessors have ruled out allowing women to become priests. But advocates of women priests see a female diaconate might eventually make it easier for a future pope to study the possibility of women priests.

Vatican synod proposes ordaining married men as priests in the Amazon

The top US&nbsp;diplomat for Europe did not know US&nbsp;security aid may have been withheld to pressure Ukraine's new president to <a href="United States lawmakers hear from 'corroborating' witness in Trump impeachment probe">conduct investigations</a> politically helpful to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, testified on Saturday before three Democratic-led House of Representatives panels conducting an inquiry into whether to impeach Trump.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Reeker was prepared to tell the committees in the closed-door session he had largely left Ukraine policy to Kurt Volker, then the US&nbsp;special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and to others.

Reeker took up his post on March 18, overseeing diplomacy in 50 nations including Russia and Ukraine, as then-US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch faced public criticism including the allegation, which she and the department denied, that she gave a Ukrainian official a list of people not to prosecute.

The source said Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch,&nbsp;who was brought back early from her post in May, under US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's name, but this appeared to have been stymied "from the top," though it was not clear if Pompeo himself had objected.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">impeachment enquiry</a> focuses on Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate a domestic political rival, Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination to face Trump in 2020.

The Republican president this year withheld $391 million in security aid to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress.

During a July 25 call at the heart of the inquiry, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as "a favour" to look into a claim - debunked as a conspiracy theory - that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine.

The unsubstantiated theory could buttress Trump's scepticism of US&nbsp;intelligence agencies' conclusion Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate Biden, and Biden's son Hunter Biden, who had served as a director for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

In the call, Zelenskiy agreed to conduct the investigations. The US&nbsp;aid was released in mid-September.

Trump and other US&nbsp;officials have denied for weeks that they had demanded a "quid pro quo" -&nbsp;a Latin phrase meaning favour for favour - for delivering the US&nbsp;aid.

But Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney on October&nbsp;17 said Trump's withholding the aid was linked to his request that the Ukrainians look into the claims about the Democrats' server.

The source said Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-democrats-to-limit-witnesses-in-public-impeachment-hearings-report-258221">possibility Trump may have withheld the aid</a> or a meeting to pressure Zelenskiy to carry out the investigations.

Reeker knew the aid was being delayed, the source said, but not why and largely left policy toward Ukraine to Volker, to Charge d'Affaires at the US&nbsp;embassy in Kiev Ambassador William Taylor, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state.

All four have already testified in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-to-unveil-measure-knocking-trump-impeachment-effort-258014">impeachment enquiry</a>.

In his testimony, Taylor said by mid-July "it was becoming clear to me that the (White House) meeting President Zelenskiy wanted was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;elections."

He testified that he was alarmed when he later heard security aid, not just a meeting, was conditioned on the investigations.

However, the source said that Reeker, a veteran career US&nbsp;diplomat, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine.

"He knew that Volker and Sondland and Kent were on top of this and were dealing with it on the day to day and he just wasn't," said the source. "His take on this was ... he should let those people do their job."

However, the source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stauncher defence of Yovanovitch. In March, the agency said allegations she provided a list of people not to prosecute "are not true and are intended to tarnish (her) reputation."

Yovanovitch was recalled early despite being told she had done nothing wrong, partly because of attacks on her, including by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has told Reuters he provided information to both Trump and the State Department.

The source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stronger defence in Pompeo's name but the final statement was "weaker than some folks in the department, including Phil, wanted."

The top US diplomat for Europe did not know US security aid may have been withheld to pressure Ukraine's new president to conduct investigations politically helpful to US President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The top US diplomat for Europe did not know US security aid may have been withheld to pressure Ukraine's new president to conduct investigations politically helpful to US President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, testified on Saturday before three Democratic-led House of Representatives panels conducting an inquiry into whether to impeach Trump. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Reeker was prepared to tell the committees in the closed-door session he had largely left Ukraine policy to Kurt Volker, then the US special representative for Ukraine negotiations, and to others. Reeker took up his post on March 18, overseeing diplomacy in 50 nations including Russia and Ukraine, as then-US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch faced public criticism including the allegation, which she and the department denied, that she gave a Ukrainian official a list of people not to prosecute. The source said Reeker sought a stronger State Department defence of Yovanovitch, who was brought back early from her post in May, under US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's name, but this appeared to have been stymied "from the top," though it was not clear if Pompeo himself had objected. The impeachment enquiry focuses on Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate a domestic political rival, Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination to face Trump in 2020. The Republican president this year withheld $391 million in security aid to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress. During a July 25 call at the heart of the inquiry, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as "a favour" to look into a claim - debunked as a conspiracy theory - that a Democratic National Committee computer server was in Ukraine. The unsubstantiated theory could buttress Trump's scepticism of US intelligence agencies' conclusion Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help him against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump also asked Zelenskiy to investigate Biden, and Biden's son Hunter Biden, who had served as a director for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. In the call, Zelenskiy agreed to conduct the investigations. The US aid was released in mid-September. Trump and other US officials have denied for weeks that they had demanded a "quid pro quo" - a Latin phrase meaning favour for favour - for delivering the US aid. But Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney on October 17 said Trump's withholding the aid was linked to his request that the Ukrainians look into the claims about the Democrats' server. The source said Reeker was unaware in the June-August period of the possibility Trump may have withheld the aid or a meeting to pressure Zelenskiy to carry out the investigations. Reeker knew the aid was being delayed, the source said, but not why and largely left policy toward Ukraine to Volker, to Charge d'Affaires at the US embassy in Kiev Ambassador William Taylor, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state. All four have already testified in the impeachment enquiry. In his testimony, Taylor said by mid-July "it was becoming clear to me that the (White House) meeting President Zelenskiy wanted was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US elections." He testified that he was alarmed when he later heard security aid, not just a meeting, was conditioned on the investigations. However, the source said that Reeker, a veteran career US diplomat, was largely out of the loop on policy toward Ukraine. "He knew that Volker and Sondland and Kent were on top of this and were dealing with it on the day to day and he just wasn't," said the source. "His take on this was ... he should let those people do their job." However, the source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stauncher defence of Yovanovitch. In March, the agency said allegations she provided a list of people not to prosecute "are not true and are intended to tarnish (her) reputation." Yovanovitch was recalled early despite being told she had done nothing wrong, partly because of attacks on her, including by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has told Reuters he provided information to both Trump and the State Department. The source said Reeker tried to get the agency to issue a stronger defence in Pompeo's name but the final statement was "weaker than some folks in the department, including Phil, wanted."

United States diplomat unaware of possible quid pro quo on Ukraine

The Iraqi government faced more pressure late Saturday from a surprise sit-in by lawmakers linked to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr amid <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-forces-clamp-down-on-protests-after-bloodshed-258285">persistent mass protests</a> across the country.

Thousands of Iraqis returned to the streets in the capital Baghdad and across the south over the last two days, defying curfews and violence that has leftover 60 dead.

Sadr, a firebrand former militia leader, has thrown his weight behind the protests by demanding the government resign and Iraq hold early parliamentary elections.&nbsp;

Saturday night, members of his Saeroon bloc,&nbsp;parliament's largest with 54 MPs,&nbsp;escalated the situation.

MP Badr al-Zayadi said they had begun an open-ended "sit-in, until the enactment of all reforms the Iraqi people are demanding."

Zayadi told AFP the bloc had sent an "official request" to Iraq's president, who according to the constitution can ask parliament to withdraw confidence from the premier.

The move has put Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi under more pressure than ever as Saeroon was one of the two main sponsors of his government.&nbsp;

He faced relentless protests on Friday despite efforts in Baghdad and across the south to clamp down on them.

Late Saturday, street lights were turned off around Baghdad's Tahrir (Liberation) square, plunging protesters clinging onto their positions there into darkness.

Witnesses said security forces were unleashing volleys of tear gas to clear the crowds, each canister lighting up the smoke-filled square with flashes of light.&nbsp;

Explosions could be heard from the square well past midnight. 
&nbsp;

Watch: Iraq - At least 40 have been killed in anti-government protests

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Vows of 'revenge'

In the south, rallies continued in Diwaniyah, Nasiriyah, Babylon and Najaf.

They have taken a dangerous new turn in recent days as protesters torched dozens of provincial government buildings and offices tied to the powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force.

<a href="wionews.com/world/iraq-security-forces-fire-tear-gas-as-protests-linger-in-baghdad-ahead-of-parliament-session-258274">The latest round of demonstrations</a> has been notably violent, with 63 people killed and more than 2,000 wounded over just two days, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission.

That has pushed the death toll for so far this month to 220.

Top Hashed commanders have threatened revenge after their offices were attacked, and denounced those they said aimed at sowing "discord and chaos" in the country.

Hashed was founded in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group but its factions have since been ordered to incorporate into the state security services.&nbsp;

"Public anger is directed at them in addition to governorate councils, for they were the obvious face of 'the regime'," wrote Harith Hasan, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

But the attacks could also hint at political rivalries between the Hashed and Sadr.&nbsp;

"The Sadrists, especially in their traditional strongholds such as Missan, saw this an opportunity to act against competing militias," such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Badr and Kataeb Hezbollah, Hasan said on Twitter.&nbsp;

The United Nations said it was "tragic" to see renewed violence but also warned against "armed spoilers".

"Armed entities sabotaging the peaceful demonstrations, eroding the government's credibility and ability to act, cannot be tolerated," said the UN top official in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.&nbsp;

'It's enough!'

Oil-rich Iraq is OPEC's second-biggest producer but one in five people live below the poverty line and youth unemployment stands at 25 per cent, according to the World Bank.

About 60 per cent of Iraq's 40-million-strong population is under the age of 25.

The staggering rates of joblessness and graft allegations have been at the root of protesters' anger, which the government has struggled to quell.

Abdel Mahdi has proposed a laundry list of reforms, including hiring drives, increased pensions and a cabinet reshuffle.

New education and health ministers were approved by parliament earlier this month, the only time it was able to meet since protests began.

But a scheduled meeting of parliament on Saturday to discuss the latest protests failed to take place due to a lack of a quorum.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-40-killed-as-fresh-protests-engulf-iraq-258212">Protesters so far have seemed unimpressed</a> by the government's efforts.

"They told people: 'Go home, we'll give you pensions and come up with a solution'. They tricked us," said one of the rare woman protesters on Saturday, her young son at her side.

Some protesters have directed some of their anger at Sadr and the country's top Shiite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is deeply revered among most Iraqis.&nbsp;

"Sadr, Sistani this is a shame," a protester in Tahrir said on Saturday.

"We were hit! It's enough," he said, waving a tear gas canister fired earlier by security forces.&nbsp;

The Iraqi government faced more pressure late Saturday from a surprise sit-in by lawmakers linked to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr amid persistent mass protests across the country.

The Iraqi government faced more pressure late Saturday from a surprise sit-in by lawmakers linked to populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr amid persistent mass protests across the country. Thousands of Iraqis returned to the streets in the capital Baghdad and across the south over the last two days, defying curfews and violence that has leftover 60 dead. Sadr, a firebrand former militia leader, has thrown his weight behind the protests by demanding the government resign and Iraq hold early parliamentary elections. Saturday night, members of his Saeroon bloc, parliament's largest with 54 MPs, escalated the situation. MP Badr al-Zayadi said they had begun an open-ended "sit-in, until the enactment of all reforms the Iraqi people are demanding." Zayadi told AFP the bloc had sent an "official request" to Iraq's president, who according to the constitution can ask parliament to withdraw confidence from the premier. The move has put Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi under more pressure than ever as Saeroon was one of the two main sponsors of his government. He faced relentless protests on Friday despite efforts in Baghdad and across the south to clamp down on them. Late Saturday, street lights were turned off around Baghdad's Tahrir (Liberation) square, plunging protesters clinging onto their positions there into darkness. Witnesses said security forces were unleashing volleys of tear gas to clear the crowds, each canister lighting up the smoke-filled square with flashes of light. Explosions could be heard from the square well past midnight. Watch: Iraq - At least 40 have been killed in anti-government protests Vows of 'revenge' In the south, rallies continued in Diwaniyah, Nasiriyah, Babylon and Najaf. They have taken a dangerous new turn in recent days as protesters torched dozens of provincial government buildings and offices tied to the powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force. The latest round of demonstrations has been notably violent, with 63 people killed and more than 2,000 wounded over just two days, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission. That has pushed the death toll for so far this month to 220. Top Hashed commanders have threatened revenge after their offices were attacked, and denounced those they said aimed at sowing "discord and chaos" in the country. Hashed was founded in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group but its factions have since been ordered to incorporate into the state security services. "Public anger is directed at them in addition to governorate councils, for they were the obvious face of 'the regime'," wrote Harith Hasan, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center. But the attacks could also hint at political rivalries between the Hashed and Sadr. "The Sadrists, especially in their traditional strongholds such as Missan, saw this an opportunity to act against competing militias," such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Badr and Kataeb Hezbollah, Hasan said on Twitter. The United Nations said it was "tragic" to see renewed violence but also warned against "armed spoilers". "Armed entities sabotaging the peaceful demonstrations, eroding the government's credibility and ability to act, cannot be tolerated," said the UN top official in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. 'It's enough!' Oil-rich Iraq is OPEC's second-biggest producer but one in five people live below the poverty line and youth unemployment stands at 25 per cent, according to the World Bank. About 60 per cent of Iraq's 40-million-strong population is under the age of 25. The staggering rates of joblessness and graft allegations have been at the root of protesters' anger, which the government has struggled to quell. Abdel Mahdi has proposed a laundry list of reforms, including hiring drives, increased pensions and a cabinet reshuffle. New education and health ministers were approved by parliament earlier this month, the only time it was able to meet since protests began. But a scheduled meeting of parliament on Saturday to discuss the latest protests failed to take place due to a lack of a quorum. Protesters so far have seemed unimpressed by the government's efforts. "They told people: 'Go home, we'll give you pensions and come up with a solution'. They tricked us," said one of the rare woman protesters on Saturday, her young son at her side. Some protesters have directed some of their anger at Sadr and the country's top Shiite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is deeply revered among most Iraqis. "Sadr, Sistani this is a shame," a protester in Tahrir said on Saturday. "We were hit! It's enough," he said, waving a tear gas canister fired earlier by security forces.

Sit-in puts pressure on Iraq government amid relentless protests

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/39-bodies-found-near-london-in-truck-container-uk-police-257701">39 people found dead</a> in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km&nbsp;east of central London.

British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people.

Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community.

Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally.

Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km&nbsp;south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members.

"The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community."

On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh.

"We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said.

Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones.

The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives.

Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families.

Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/essex-lorry-deaths-chinas-embassy-urges-uk-police-to-find-out-the-truth-about-39-bodies-discovered-in-truck-258039">initial hearing</a>, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin.

Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/essex39-bodies-found-in-a-tanker-police-interrogate-25-year-old-driver-257991/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
'Beautiful day'

&nbsp;

In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed.

"She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh.

"We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group".

In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going.

"Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination.

Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18.

"Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted.

Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job.

A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom.

"I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything".

Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up.

"They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters.

"I haven't heard anything from my son". 
 
Parents 'can't breathe'

How the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-39-uk-truck-victims-likely-from-vietnam-priest-258278">victims came to be in the truck</a> is not yet known.

Some 70 per cent&nbsp;of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year.

"Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said.

British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification.

"If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said.

Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation.

Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media.

The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries.

Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain.

"That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country.

Several townships in rural Vietnam sank into mourning on Saturday, with communities believing that many of the 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London this week came from poor, rice-growing areas of the country. The bodies were discovered on Wednesday after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 32 km east of central London. British police said on Saturday that they had charged one man, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson of Craigavon in Northern Ireland, with 39 counts of manslaughter and other offences including conspiracy to traffic people. Police initially believed the dead were Chinese, but Beijing said the nationalities had not been confirmed and on Saturday a senior British police officer in charge of identification asked for help from Britain's Vietnamese community. Chinese and Vietnamese officials are now both working closely with British police, the two countries' embassies have said. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government officials to help establish the identities of the victims and look into cases of Vietnamese citizens sent abroad illegally. Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam, a Catholic priest in the remote town of Yen Thanh in northern-central Vietnam's Nghe An province, 300 km south of Hanoi, said he believed most of the dead were likely from Vietnam. He told Reuters he was liaising with family members. "The whole district is covered in sorrow," Nam said, as prayers for the dead rang out over loudspeakers throughout the misty, rain-soaked town on Saturday. "This is a catastrophe for our community." On Saturday evening, Nam led around 500 worshippers in prayers for the dead as they held lit candles in the modest, white-walled church in Yen Thanh. "We are here to pray for justice and peace, and for the victims of society. We pray for the 39 people who lost their lives on the way to the UK. They are people coming from central Vietnam, our land," Nam said. Nam said families had told him they knew relatives were travelling to Britain at the time the container truck was travelling, and had been unable to contact their loved ones. The British police officer in charge of identifying the victims, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, said very few were carrying official identification and that he hoped to identify the dead through fingerprints, dental records and DNA, as well as photos from friends and relatives. Police have found more than 500 items within the truck including bags, clothing and mobile phones that need to be assessed. Once a preliminary identification has been made, liaison officers will be deployed to support families. Apart from the man charged, who will appear in court on Monday for an initial hearing, three other people are under arrest in Britain on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking. A fourth person is under arrest in Dublin. Watch - Essex: 39 bodies found in a lorry, police interrogate 25-year-old driver 'Beautiful day' In Yen Thanh, Nghe An province, dozens of worried relatives of 19-year-old Bui Thi Nhung gathered in the family's small courtyard home where her distraught mother has been unable to rise from her bed. "She said she was in France and on the way to the UK, where she has friends and relatives," said Nhung's cousin, Hoang Thi Linh. "We are waiting and hoping it's not her among the victims, but it's very likely. We pray for her every day. There were two people from my village travelling in that group". In comments under a photo uploaded to Nhung's Facebook account on Monday, two days before the doomed truck was discovered, one friend asked how her journey was going. "Not good," Nhung replied. "Almost spring," she said, using a term in Vietnamese meaning she had almost reached her destination. Other photos on her account show her sightseeing in Brussels on October 18. "Such a beautiful day," Nhung posted. Another person who may have died is Nguyen Dinh Tu, who had been working illegally in Romania, and Germany, where he lost his job. A few months ago, he asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help him raise 11,000 pounds to cover the cost of an illicit trip from Germany to the United Kingdom. "I lost contact with him on October 21," Thuong told Reuters. "I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything". Tu's father said relatives in the United Kingdom had told him that Tu was inside the truck, and had been planning to pick him up. "They were supposed to pick him up at the drop-off point but they called and said Tu was in that truck," Tu's father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters. "I haven't heard anything from my son". Parents 'can't breathe' How the victims came to be in the truck is not yet known. Some 70 per cent of Vietnamese trafficking cases in the United Kingdom between 2009-2016 were for labour exploitation, including cannabis production and work in nail bars, according to a British government report last year. "Women and girls from rural areas are also considered more susceptible to trafficking," the report said. British police sought to reassure anyone living in Britain illegally that they would not be investigated if they came forward to help with the identification. "If you come to us, we will do all we can to put our arm around you and take you through this process, and establish as quickly as possible whether or not we have your loved involved in this tragic incident, and try and reunite you," Pasmore said. Nghe An is one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, and home to many victims of human trafficking who end up in Europe, according to a March report by the Pacific Links Foundation, a U.S.-based anti-trafficking organisation. Other victims are believed to come from the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, Father Nam said. In the first eight months of this year, 41,790 people left Ha Tinh looking for work elsewhere, including overseas, according to state media. The province was ravaged by one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters in 2016 when a steel mill owned by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics contaminated coastal waters, devastating local fishing and tourism industries. Another suspected victim from Ha Tinh, 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, had sent a text message to her mother saying she could not breathe at about the time the truck container was en route from Belgium to Britain. "That girl who said in her message that she couldn't breathe in the truck? Her parents can't breathe here at home," Nam said.

Rural Vietnamese mourn loved ones feared dead in back of British truck

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Zee News Rajasthan

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