<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=http://www.wionews.com/sitemap-2019-feb.xml&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwie4ZP90r7kAhU76XMBHVeTCDcQFjAAegQIBxAB&amp;usg=AOvVaw2J02jDSfBGEJhKYGAAP3ui">Italy</a> has issued arrest warrants for 10 people, including an imam, suspected of financing terrorism, prosecutors said Saturday.

Eight of the suspects are of Tunisian origin and two are Italian. The Imam is from the city of Teramo in the central region of Abruzzo. &nbsp;

The suspects are alleged to have "created many false accounts, through various companies to set aside large sums of money," the prosecutor’s office in Aquila said.

The money was used to finance activities related to the radical Al-Nusra organisation, the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, it said.

Part of the money was also intended for imams in Italy, &nbsp;"including one convicted for association with a group linked to international terrorism".

An Italian accountant is also among the 10 suspects, whose property, money and real estate, said to be worth more than one million euros (over $1.1 million), were seized, the statement said.

Italy has issued arrest warrants for 10 people, including an imam, suspected of financing terrorism, prosecutors said Saturday. Eight of the suspects are of Tunisian origin and two are Italian.

Italy has issued arrest warrants for 10 people, including an imam, suspected of financing terrorism, prosecutors said Saturday. Eight of the suspects are of Tunisian origin and two are Italian. The Imam is from the city of Teramo in the central region of Abruzzo. The suspects are alleged to have "created many false accounts, through various companies to set aside large sums of money," the prosecutor’s office in Aquila said. The money was used to finance activities related to the radical Al-Nusra organisation, the former Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, it said. Part of the money was also intended for imams in Italy, "including one convicted for association with a group linked to international terrorism". An Italian accountant is also among the 10 suspects, whose property, money and real estate, said to be worth more than one million euros (over $1.1 million), were seized, the statement said.

Italy seeks 10, including Imam, on terror finance charges

Al-Qaeda prepared the ground for a break with its Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, today following several days of online chatter over a break-up between the jihadist groups.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We direct the leadership of Al-Nusra Front to go ahead with what preserves the good of Islam and the Muslims, and protects the jihad of the Syrian people,&quot; Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khayr said in an audio message released online by Al-Nusra.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We urge them to take the appropriate steps towards this matter,&quot; said Abu al-Khayr, who was identified as a deputy of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.&nbsp; 
 
Jihadist sympathisers and observers have been speculating online about a possible split between Al-Nusra and the network founded by Osama bin Laden to which it pledged allegiance in 2013.&nbsp; 
 
Analysts say Al-Nusra aims to rebrand and defend itself as it comes under increased pressure after Moscow and Washington agreed to step up joint efforts against the group.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Whatever Nusra does, its ultimate objective is to further embed itself into Syria&#39;s revolution and secure its long-term future&quot; as a legitimate rebel group, analyst Charles Lister tweeted.&nbsp; 
 
Al-Nusra first emerged in January 2012 -- 10 months after Syria&#39;s conflict began with anti-government protests that were brutally repressed by President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime.&nbsp; 
 
It is Syria&#39;s preeminent jihadist group, along with its key rival, the Islamic State group. But unlike IS, which opposes all those who fail to swear allegiance, Al-Nusra has worked alongside an array of rebel groups fighting Assad&#39;s regime and has popular support.&nbsp; 
 
Al-Nusra is a key member of the al-Qaeda network, alongside North Africa&#39;s al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen. But it has been eclipsed in recent years by IS.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Analysts say Al-Nusra aims to rebrand itself after Moscow and Washington agreed to step up joint efforts against the group

Al-Qaeda prepared the ground for a break with its Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, today following several days of online chatter over a break-up between the jihadist groups. "We direct the leadership of Al-Nusra Front to go ahead with what preserves the good of Islam and the Muslims, and protects the jihad of the Syrian people," Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khayr said in an audio message released online by Al-Nusra. "We urge them to take the appropriate steps towards this matter," said Abu al-Khayr, who was identified as a deputy of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Jihadist sympathisers and observers have been speculating online about a possible split between Al-Nusra and the network founded by Osama bin Laden to which it pledged allegiance in 2013. Analysts say Al-Nusra aims to rebrand and defend itself as it comes under increased pressure after Moscow and Washington agreed to step up joint efforts against the group. "Whatever Nusra does, its ultimate objective is to further embed itself into Syria's revolution and secure its long-term future" as a legitimate rebel group, analyst Charles Lister tweeted. Al-Nusra first emerged in January 2012 -- 10 months after Syria's conflict began with anti-government protests that were brutally repressed by President Bashar al-Assad's regime. It is Syria's preeminent jihadist group, along with its key rival, the Islamic State group. But unlike IS, which opposes all those who fail to swear allegiance, Al-Nusra has worked alongside an array of rebel groups fighting Assad's regime and has popular support. Al-Nusra is a key member of the al-Qaeda network, alongside North Africa's al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), based in Yemen. But it has been eclipsed in recent years by IS. (AFP)

Al-Qaeda prepares ground for split up with Syrian affiliate

Al-Qaeda&#39;s Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front has executed 14 captured men it accused of fighting for President Bashar al-Assad, in retaliation for a regime advance near Damascus. 
 
A video distributed via the group&#39;s social media accounts showed 14 men, many with injuries including black eyes, stating their names as they lined up in pairs in front of the group&#39;s black flag. 
 
&quot;Implementation of the death sentence against a group of... regime prisoners because of their attack on Harira village in Wadi Barada,&quot; text on the video read. 
 
The footage showed the men being shot in the head simultaneously as they knelt in front of Al-Nusra fighters.&nbsp;Wadi Barada is an area in the Qalamun region of Syria&#39;s Damascus province and is mostly controlled by an array of opposition groups, including Al-Nusra. 
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that Al-Nusra had threatened to execute prisoners if government forces entered Harira.&nbsp;The threats came in an earlier video in which one of the captured men warned that the group would kill 14 captives if the government attacked. 
 
Al-Nusra is the local affiliate of Al-Qaeda and has regularly carried out executions of government forces. 
 
In September 2015, it executed at least 56 regime fighters at a military airport in Idlib province in the northwest of the country.&nbsp;More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011. 
 
(AFP0

A video distributed via the group's social media accounts showed 14 men, many with injuries including black eyes, stating their names

Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front has executed 14 captured men it accused of fighting for President Bashar al-Assad, in retaliation for a regime advance near Damascus. A video distributed via the group's social media accounts showed 14 men, many with injuries including black eyes, stating their names as they lined up in pairs in front of the group's black flag. "Implementation of the death sentence against a group of... regime prisoners because of their attack on Harira village in Wadi Barada," text on the video read. The footage showed the men being shot in the head simultaneously as they knelt in front of Al-Nusra fighters. Wadi Barada is an area in the Qalamun region of Syria's Damascus province and is mostly controlled by an array of opposition groups, including Al-Nusra. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that Al-Nusra had threatened to execute prisoners if government forces entered Harira. The threats came in an earlier video in which one of the captured men warned that the group would kill 14 captives if the government attacked. Al-Nusra is the local affiliate of Al-Qaeda and has regularly carried out executions of government forces. In September 2015, it executed at least 56 regime fighters at a military airport in Idlib province in the northwest of the country. More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011. (AFP0

Al-Qaeda executes 14 pro-Assad fighters

Russia announced a last minute 48-hour ceasefire for Syria&#39;s war-torn Aleppo late Wednesday, just hours after Washington warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally Moscow that they must respect the nationwide truce agreed in February. 
 
The vital northern province of Aleppo has been ravaged on multiple fronts in a devastating war that has killed more than 280,000 people. 
 
Dozens of fighters were killed in a fresh bout of fighting between the regime, rebels, and jihadists south of Aleppo city on Wednesday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
Backed by Russian and government air strikes, pro-regime fighters are locked in battle with rebel groups and al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front for a string of villages lying in hilly terrain between strategic routes. 
 
&quot;On Russia&#39;s initiative, a &#39;regime of silence&#39; has been introduced in Aleppo for 48 hours from 00:01 16 June (2101 GMT Wednesday) with the goal of lowering the level of armed violence and stabilising the situation,&quot; the Russian defence ministry said. 
 
The statement did not specify who Russia has discussed the two-day ceasefire with. 
 
It accused al-Nusra of attacking various Aleppo neighbourhoods with multiple rocket launchers, as well as mounting a tank attack southwest of the city. 
 
The five-year conflict has drawn in world powers who back opposing sides -- including the United States which broadly supports the opposition and Russia on the side of Assad. 
 
&quot;Russia needs to understand that our patience is not infinite, in fact it is very limited with whether or not Assad is going to be held accountable,&quot; said the US secretary of state John Kerry on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We also are prepared to hold accountable members of the opposition,&quot; he said after a meeting in Norway with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. 
 
UN-hosted peace talks aimed at ending the conflict have been stalled since April, and a fragile ceasefire deal between the government and non-jihadist rebels has all but collapsed. 
 
&quot;It is very clear that the cessation of hostilities is frayed and at risk and that it is critical for a genuine cessation to be put in place,&quot; said Kerry. 
 
Efforts were underway, he said, to reach a new agreement &quot;in the next week or two&quot; to reinstate the ceasefire across Syria, leading to more humanitarian aid deliveries and a resumption of the peace process. 
 
Fresh Aleppo clashes&nbsp; 
 
Since fighting erupted in Aleppo province on Tuesday, at least 70 fighters in total have been killed and the villages of Zaytan and Khalasa have changed hands twice. 
 
The strategic border province is criss-crossed with supply routes for various sides of the conflict, including rebels, regime, Kurds, and jihadists such as the Islamic State group. 
 
Aleppo was once Syria&#39;s commercial powerhouse, but it has been a battleground since 2012 when rebels seized the east of the city confining the army to the west. 
 
A hospital in eastern Aleppo supported by Medecins du Monde was heavily damaged in an air strike on Tuesday, the France-based charity said, without reporting casualties. 
 
Three other hospitals in Syria were hit in bombing at the start of June, leaving 10 dead. 
 
As opposing forces close in from either side, residents of both halves of the city fear a potential total siege on the northern metropolis. 
 
The UN says nearly 600,000 Syrians live in besieged areas, most surrounded by government forces. 
 
Earlier this month, it said the government had granted preliminary aid access to 15 of 18 besieged areas, after one was taken off the UN&#39;s list. 
 
Dozens of opposition activist groups accused the UN of &quot;capitulating&quot; to Damascus on aid access. 
 
The scathing report, authored by The Syria Campaign (TSC) advocacy group, was based on testimonies from current and former UN staff and other aid workers. 
 
It accused the UN of &quot;choosing to prioritise cooperation with the Syrian government at all costs,&quot; allowing the regime to unduly influence UN aid strategy. 
 
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, said however that while aid access was not ideal, the UN continues to &quot;assist Syrians based on need&quot;. 
 
TSC spokeswoman Bissan Fakih countered: &quot;A UN with the backbone to stand for its principles would help get aid to hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians under siege, many of them only a few minutes&#39; drive from where the UN is based in Damascus.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The city had been wracked by violence with at least 70 pro-regime fighters, backed by the Russians, killed on Tuesday

Russia announced a last minute 48-hour ceasefire for Syria's war-torn Aleppo late Wednesday, just hours after Washington warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally Moscow that they must respect the nationwide truce agreed in February. The vital northern province of Aleppo has been ravaged on multiple fronts in a devastating war that has killed more than 280,000 people. Dozens of fighters were killed in a fresh bout of fighting between the regime, rebels, and jihadists south of Aleppo city on Wednesday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Backed by Russian and government air strikes, pro-regime fighters are locked in battle with rebel groups and al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front for a string of villages lying in hilly terrain between strategic routes. "On Russia's initiative, a 'regime of silence' has been introduced in Aleppo for 48 hours from 00:01 16 June (2101 GMT Wednesday) with the goal of lowering the level of armed violence and stabilising the situation," the Russian defence ministry said. The statement did not specify who Russia has discussed the two-day ceasefire with. It accused al-Nusra of attacking various Aleppo neighbourhoods with multiple rocket launchers, as well as mounting a tank attack southwest of the city. The five-year conflict has drawn in world powers who back opposing sides -- including the United States which broadly supports the opposition and Russia on the side of Assad. "Russia needs to understand that our patience is not infinite, in fact it is very limited with whether or not Assad is going to be held accountable," said the US secretary of state John Kerry on Wednesday. "We also are prepared to hold accountable members of the opposition," he said after a meeting in Norway with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. UN-hosted peace talks aimed at ending the conflict have been stalled since April, and a fragile ceasefire deal between the government and non-jihadist rebels has all but collapsed. "It is very clear that the cessation of hostilities is frayed and at risk and that it is critical for a genuine cessation to be put in place," said Kerry. Efforts were underway, he said, to reach a new agreement "in the next week or two" to reinstate the ceasefire across Syria, leading to more humanitarian aid deliveries and a resumption of the peace process. Fresh Aleppo clashes Since fighting erupted in Aleppo province on Tuesday, at least 70 fighters in total have been killed and the villages of Zaytan and Khalasa have changed hands twice. The strategic border province is criss-crossed with supply routes for various sides of the conflict, including rebels, regime, Kurds, and jihadists such as the Islamic State group. Aleppo was once Syria's commercial powerhouse, but it has been a battleground since 2012 when rebels seized the east of the city confining the army to the west. A hospital in eastern Aleppo supported by Medecins du Monde was heavily damaged in an air strike on Tuesday, the France-based charity said, without reporting casualties. Three other hospitals in Syria were hit in bombing at the start of June, leaving 10 dead. As opposing forces close in from either side, residents of both halves of the city fear a potential total siege on the northern metropolis. The UN says nearly 600,000 Syrians live in besieged areas, most surrounded by government forces. Earlier this month, it said the government had granted preliminary aid access to 15 of 18 besieged areas, after one was taken off the UN's list. Dozens of opposition activist groups accused the UN of "capitulating" to Damascus on aid access. The scathing report, authored by The Syria Campaign (TSC) advocacy group, was based on testimonies from current and former UN staff and other aid workers. It accused the UN of "choosing to prioritise cooperation with the Syrian government at all costs," allowing the regime to unduly influence UN aid strategy. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, said however that while aid access was not ideal, the UN continues to "assist Syrians based on need". TSC spokeswoman Bissan Fakih countered: "A UN with the backbone to stand for its principles would help get aid to hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians under siege, many of them only a few minutes' drive from where the UN is based in Damascus." (AFP)

Russia announces 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo

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Italy seeks 10, including Imam, on terror finance charges

Al-Qaeda prepares ground for split up with Syrian affiliate

Al-Qaeda executes 14 pro-Assad fighters

Russia announces 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo