Oil shed some of its massive gains on Tuesday (September 17) as the United States flagged the possible release of crude reserves, but the threat of military action over the attacks on Saudi oil facilities kept prices elevated and stocks under pressure.

Oil falls more than 1% as market awaits response to Saudi oil attacks

Wion Dispatch: Hezbollah warns Israel against attacks. 2 Hezbollah members killed by Israel.

Wion Dispatch: Hezbollah warns Israel against attacks

Britain on Thursday relaxed its travel advice on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-proposes-new-law-on-fake-news-after-easter-attacks-224751">Sri Lanka after earlier warning</a> against "all but essential travel" following the April terror attacks that claimed more than 250 lives.

"If you're visiting or a resident in Sri Lanka, you should continue to remain vigilant and keep up to date with developments," the Foreign Office said on its website.

Tourists were still warned that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks.

"Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it said.

Over 250,000 Britons visited Sri Lanka in 2018, making it the third-highest source of tourism behind India and China, with the two countries retaining strong links since Sri Lanka became independent of colonial rule in 1948.

The suicide bombings against three Christian churches and three luxury hotels were blamed on a local jihadi group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath.

Police say just over 100 people, including 10 women are in custody in connection with the attacks.

Security forces also detained a further 100 suspects in four days of cordon-and-search operations, according to military officials.

Britain on Thursday relaxed its travel advice on Sri Lanka after earlier warning against "all but essential travel" following the April terror attacks that claimed more than 250 lives.

Britain on Thursday relaxed its travel advice on Sri Lanka after earlier warning against "all but essential travel" following the April terror attacks that claimed more than 250 lives. "If you're visiting or a resident in Sri Lanka, you should continue to remain vigilant and keep up to date with developments," the Foreign Office said on its website. Tourists were still warned that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it said. Over 250,000 Britons visited Sri Lanka in 2018, making it the third-highest source of tourism behind India and China, with the two countries retaining strong links since Sri Lanka became independent of colonial rule in 1948. The suicide bombings against three Christian churches and three luxury hotels were blamed on a local jihadi group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath. Police say just over 100 people, including 10 women are in custody in connection with the attacks. Security forces also detained a further 100 suspects in four days of cordon-and-search operations, according to military officials.

UK relaxes Sri Lanka travel advice issued after Easter attacks

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the police chief and defence secretary to quit following the Easter Sunday<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/middle-class-and-foreign-educated-face-of-terror-in-sri-lanka-213241"> suicide bomb attacks</a> on churches and luxury hotels that killed 359 people, two sources close to the president said on Wednesday.

The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter amid accusations within the government of intelligence failures ahead of the attacks.&nbsp;

Lakshman Kiriella, minister of public enterprise, told parliament on Wednesday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/top-sri-lankan-officials-deliberately-withheld-intelligence-on-attacks-minister-213244">senior officials deliberately withheld intelligence</a> about possible attacks on Sri Lanka.

"Some top intelligence officials hid the intelligence information purposefully. Information was there, but the top brass security officials did not take appropriate actions," Lakshman Kiriella, who is also minister of public enterprise, told parliament.

He said information on possible suicide attacks on churches, hotels and politicians were received from Indian intelligence on April 4 and a Security Council meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on April 7, but the information was not shared more widely.

"Somebody is controlling these top intelligence officials," the minister said. "The Security Council is doing politics. We need to investigate into this."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CB7-nfzbe_0" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Separately, Sarath Fonseka, former army chief and minister of regional development, told parliament he believed the attacks "must have been planned for at least 7-8 years".

The death toll from series of deadly attacks in Sri Lanka has risen to 359 after several people died overnight due to injuries, police said on Wednesday.

The attacks which targetted churches and hotels wounded around 500 people.

Nearly 60 people have been detained since the Sunday blasts.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the coordinated bombings in the capital.

One of the nine bombers that detonated explosives was a woman, deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the police chief and defence secretary to quit following the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 359 people, two sources close to the president said on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the police chief and defence secretary to quit following the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed 359 people, two sources close to the president said on Wednesday. The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter amid accusations within the government of intelligence failures ahead of the attacks. Lakshman Kiriella, minister of public enterprise, told parliament on Wednesday that senior officials deliberately withheld intelligence about possible attacks on Sri Lanka. "Some top intelligence officials hid the intelligence information purposefully. Information was there, but the top brass security officials did not take appropriate actions," Lakshman Kiriella, who is also minister of public enterprise, told parliament. He said information on possible suicide attacks on churches, hotels and politicians were received from Indian intelligence on April 4 and a Security Council meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on April 7, but the information was not shared more widely. "Somebody is controlling these top intelligence officials," the minister said. "The Security Council is doing politics. We need to investigate into this." × Separately, Sarath Fonseka, former army chief and minister of regional development, told parliament he believed the attacks "must have been planned for at least 7-8 years". The death toll from series of deadly attacks in Sri Lanka has risen to 359 after several people died overnight due to injuries, police said on Wednesday. The attacks which targetted churches and hotels wounded around 500 people. Nearly 60 people have been detained since the Sunday blasts. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the coordinated bombings in the capital. One of the nine bombers that detonated explosives was a woman, deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told reporters on Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Sri Lankan President asks police chief, defence secretary to quit following attacks

Senior officials deliberately withheld intelligence about possible <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/cctv-video-shows-suspected-suicide-bomber-entering-sri-lankan-church-moments-before-blast-212866">attacks on Sri Lanka</a>, where a rash of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday killed at least 359 people, the leader of parliament said on Wednesday.

"Some top intelligence officials hid the intelligence information purposefully. Information was there, but the top brass security officials did not take appropriate actions," Lakshman Kiriella, who is also minister of public enterprise, told parliament.

He said information on possible suicide attacks on churches, hotels and politicians were received from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-had-provided-specific-intelligence-on-attack-sri-lanka-pm-wickremesinghe-213001">Indian intelligence</a> on April 4 and a Security Council meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on April 7, but the information was not shared more widely.

"Somebody is controlling these top intelligence officials," the minister said. "The Security Council is doing politics. We need to investigate into this."

Separately, Sarath Fonseka, former army chief and minister of regional development, told parliament he believed the attacks "must have been planned for at least 7-8 years".

Senior officials deliberately withheld intelligence about possible attacks on Sri Lanka, where a rash of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday killed at least 359 people, the leader of parliament said on Wednesday.

Senior officials deliberately withheld intelligence about possible attacks on Sri Lanka, where a rash of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday killed at least 359 people, the leader of parliament said on Wednesday. "Some top intelligence officials hid the intelligence information purposefully. Information was there, but the top brass security officials did not take appropriate actions," Lakshman Kiriella, who is also minister of public enterprise, told parliament. He said information on possible suicide attacks on churches, hotels and politicians were received from Indian intelligence on April 4 and a Security Council meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on April 7, but the information was not shared more widely. "Somebody is controlling these top intelligence officials," the minister said. "The Security Council is doing politics. We need to investigate into this." Separately, Sarath Fonseka, former army chief and minister of regional development, told parliament he believed the attacks "must have been planned for at least 7-8 years".

Top Sri Lankan officials deliberately withheld intelligence on attacks: Minister

A new bomb was found in downtown area of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday, after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-was-warned-of-threat-hours-before-suicide-attacks-sources-213215">multiple blasts shook the country</a> on Sunday.

According to a local security guard of a shopping mall, who has witnessed the whole event, a bomb was found hid in a motorbike, and fortunately, no causalities were reported.

"I see early morning six o'clock, I don't know, after police come, check and ask if I see and what time is it? Yeah, I see, six o'clock, the army come to check, one bomb," he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/some-intelligence-officers-were-aware-of-this-incident-sri-lanka-minister-on-seriel-bomb-blast-212564">'Some intelligence officers were aware of this incident': Sri Lanka Minister on serial bomb blasts</a>

Local police officers have detonated the bomb and removed the motorbike.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CB7-nfzbe_0" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

On the same day, China's ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan held a press briefing to introduce the latest situation about Chinese citizens wounded in blasts.

Till now there is one Chinese citizen confirmed to be killed in the attacks, four feared dead, one still missing, and five injured, the Chinese ambassador told the Chinese media at his latest briefing.

Of the five injured Chinese citizens, four have been released from hospital, with one still undergoing treatment, he added.

The Chinese embassy has been trying all means to help the Chinese victims, working with the Sri Lankan side to search for the missing one, giving the injured proper medical treatment, and assisting the family of the deceased to take care of the relevant issues, Cheng said.

The eight suicide bombing attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday have killed at least 359 people and injured over 500. The Sri Lankan police have taken 58 suspects in custody. 
&nbsp;

A new bomb was found in downtown area of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday, after multiple blasts shook the country on Sunday. According to a local security guard of a shopping mall, who has witnessed the whole event, a bomb was found hid in a motorbike, and fortunately, no causalities were reported.

A new bomb was found in downtown area of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday, after multiple blasts shook the country on Sunday. According to a local security guard of a shopping mall, who has witnessed the whole event, a bomb was found hid in a motorbike, and fortunately, no causalities were reported. "I see early morning six o'clock, I don't know, after police come, check and ask if I see and what time is it? Yeah, I see, six o'clock, the army come to check, one bomb," he said. Also read: 'Some intelligence officers were aware of this incident': Sri Lanka Minister on serial bomb blasts Local police officers have detonated the bomb and removed the motorbike. × On the same day, China's ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan held a press briefing to introduce the latest situation about Chinese citizens wounded in blasts. Till now there is one Chinese citizen confirmed to be killed in the attacks, four feared dead, one still missing, and five injured, the Chinese ambassador told the Chinese media at his latest briefing. Of the five injured Chinese citizens, four have been released from hospital, with one still undergoing treatment, he added. The Chinese embassy has been trying all means to help the Chinese victims, working with the Sri Lankan side to search for the missing one, giving the injured proper medical treatment, and assisting the family of the deceased to take care of the relevant issues, Cheng said. The eight suicide bombing attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday have killed at least 359 people and injured over 500. The Sri Lankan police have taken 58 suspects in custody.

New bomb found in downtown Colombo; detonated later: Police

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-raises-terror-issue-with-pak-as-harassment-of-indian-diplomats-continues-191828">Terror groups supported by Pakistan </a>will continue to conduct terrorist attacks in both India and Afghanistan, America's spymaster has said.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats also said Pakistan's "narrow approach to counterterrorism cooperation — using some groups as policy tools and confronting only the militant groups that directly threaten Pakistan — almost certainly will frustrate US counterterrorism efforts against the Taliban."

"Militant groups supported by Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their safe haven in Pakistan to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan, including against US interests," Coats told the members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Coats and heads of other top American intelligence agencies appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on their worldwide threat assessment. Prominent among them included CIA Director Gina Haspel, who has just returned from a trip to India; FBI Director Christopher Wray and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Robert Ashley.

The comment on South Asia is part of US intelligence community's assessment of worldwide threats in 2019 and was presented in the form of a written document to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by Coats.

Coats said that the challenges facing South Asian states will grow in 2019 because of Afghanistan's presidential election in mid-July and the Taliban's large-scale attacks, Pakistan's recalcitrance in dealing with militant groups, and Indian elections that risk communal violence.

"We assess that neither the Afghan Government nor the Taliban will be able to gain a strategic military advantage in the Afghan war in the coming year if coalition support remains at current levels," he said.

Afghan forces generally have secured cities and other government strongholds, but the Taliban has increased large-scale attacks, and Afghan security suffers from a large number of forces being tied down in defensive missions, mobility shortfalls, and a lack of reliable forces to hold recaptured territory, Coats said.

Terror groups supported by Pakistan will continue to conduct terrorist attacks in both India and Afghanistan, America's spymaster has said. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats also said Pakistan's "narrow approach to counterterrorism cooperation — using some groups as policy tools and confronting only the militant groups that directly threaten Pakistan — almost certainly will frustrate US counterterrorism efforts against the Taliban.

Terror groups supported by Pakistan will continue to conduct terrorist attacks in both India and Afghanistan, America's spymaster has said. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats also said Pakistan's "narrow approach to counterterrorism cooperation — using some groups as policy tools and confronting only the militant groups that directly threaten Pakistan — almost certainly will frustrate US counterterrorism efforts against the Taliban." "Militant groups supported by Pakistan will continue to take advantage of their safe haven in Pakistan to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan, including against US interests," Coats told the members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Coats and heads of other top American intelligence agencies appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on their worldwide threat assessment. Prominent among them included CIA Director Gina Haspel, who has just returned from a trip to India; FBI Director Christopher Wray and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Robert Ashley. The comment on South Asia is part of US intelligence community's assessment of worldwide threats in 2019 and was presented in the form of a written document to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by Coats. Coats said that the challenges facing South Asian states will grow in 2019 because of Afghanistan's presidential election in mid-July and the Taliban's large-scale attacks, Pakistan's recalcitrance in dealing with militant groups, and Indian elections that risk communal violence. "We assess that neither the Afghan Government nor the Taliban will be able to gain a strategic military advantage in the Afghan war in the coming year if coalition support remains at current levels," he said. Afghan forces generally have secured cities and other government strongholds, but the Taliban has increased large-scale attacks, and Afghan security suffers from a large number of forces being tied down in defensive missions, mobility shortfalls, and a lack of reliable forces to hold recaptured territory, Coats said.

Pakistan-supported terror groups will continue to attack India: US spy chief

An Afghan official says attacks by the Taliban in the country's north have killed eight people four soldiers and four civilians.

Military spokesman Hanif Rezaie says the troops died in Kunduz province when the Taliban attacked a military outpost in the district of Archi on Friday morning. He says six were wounded in the assault.

Rezaie says the civilians were killed on Thursday, when a car bomb targeting an election campaign headquarters in Faryab province exploded prematurely.

He says several Taliban fighters died in both incidents.

Afghanistan is holding parliamentary elections on October 20. The campaign has already been marred by violence.

On Tuesday, a suicide bomber struck the home of an election candidate in the city of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, killing the candidate and seven others.&nbsp;

An Afghan official says attacks by the Taliban in the country's north have killed eight people four soldiers and four civilians. Military spokesman Hanif Rezaie says the troops died in Kunduz province when the Taliban attacked a military outpost in the district of Archi on Friday morning.

An Afghan official says attacks by the Taliban in the country's north have killed eight people four soldiers and four civilians. Military spokesman Hanif Rezaie says the troops died in Kunduz province when the Taliban attacked a military outpost in the district of Archi on Friday morning. He says six were wounded in the assault. Rezaie says the civilians were killed on Thursday, when a car bomb targeting an election campaign headquarters in Faryab province exploded prematurely. He says several Taliban fighters died in both incidents. Afghanistan is holding parliamentary elections on October 20. The campaign has already been marred by violence. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber struck the home of an election candidate in the city of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, killing the candidate and seven others.

Taliban attacks kill eight in country's north: Afghan official

Britain has convicted an 18-year-old girl after they found out that she had been planning and plotting an attack on London with the first all-women Islamic State cell.&nbsp;

Safaa Boular, plotted the grenade and gun attack in her hometown after the authorities intervened to stop her from traveling to Syria to marry an ISIS terrorist she had met online.

She is the youngest female to be charged with planning an IS attack in Britain.

Reports say that she was bullied during her childhood by strangers because of her Islamic dress.&nbsp;She became interested in terrorism after the Paris attacks in 2015 and wanted to know why would people do it.

Soon after she&nbsp;got in touch with a woman through Twitter who painted the caliphate as a world where “everyone was equal”. In no time, Safaa accumulated hundreds of ISIS contacts and through them met Naweed Hussain, a British-born Islamic State militants in Raqqa.

Boular was only 16 when she made contact with British-born ISIS terrorist Naweed Hussain, 32, discussing marriage and how they would don his-and-hers suicide belts.

But her hopes of joining him were dashed when she was stopped at the airport in August 2016 following a family trip to Morocco, and her passport was confiscated.

Hussain was later killed in a drone strike.

Afterwards, Boular decided to plan an attack in Britain, detailing it in coded language -- grenades were "pineapples" -- to online contacts who were, in fact,t undercover agents.

When Boular was charged with preparing terrorist acts in April 2017, she passed the baton to her sister Rizlaine, 22, and their mother Mina Dich, 44, who hatched their own plan.

The trio was taped talking about an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party, which the prosecution argued was code for an attack.

Rizlaine and her mother were arrested after being tracked by police visiting potential sites around Westminster and buying knives.

Safaa had consistently denied two charges of planning to travel to Syria for ISIS activity and engaging in preparations for terror attacks on iconic landmarks in London including, most notably, the British Museum. But the jury found her guilty of both charges, making her Britain’s youngest convicted female Islamic State terrorist.

(With inputs from AFP)

Safaa Boular, plotted the grenade and gun attack in her hometown after the authorities intervened to stop her from traveling to Syria to marry an ISIS terrorist she had met online

Britain has convicted an 18-year-old girl after they found out that she had been planning and plotting an attack on London with the first all-women Islamic State cell. Safaa Boular, plotted the grenade and gun attack in her hometown after the authorities intervened to stop her from traveling to Syria to marry an ISIS terrorist she had met online. She is the youngest female to be charged with planning an IS attack in Britain. Reports say that she was bullied during her childhood by strangers because of her Islamic dress. She became interested in terrorism after the Paris attacks in 2015 and wanted to know why would people do it. Soon after she got in touch with a woman through Twitter who painted the caliphate as a world where “everyone was equal”. In no time, Safaa accumulated hundreds of ISIS contacts and through them met Naweed Hussain, a British-born Islamic State militants in Raqqa. Boular was only 16 when she made contact with British-born ISIS terrorist Naweed Hussain, 32, discussing marriage and how they would don his-and-hers suicide belts. But her hopes of joining him were dashed when she was stopped at the airport in August 2016 following a family trip to Morocco, and her passport was confiscated. Hussain was later killed in a drone strike. Afterwards, Boular decided to plan an attack in Britain, detailing it in coded language -- grenades were "pineapples" -- to online contacts who were, in fact,t undercover agents. When Boular was charged with preparing terrorist acts in April 2017, she passed the baton to her sister Rizlaine, 22, and their mother Mina Dich, 44, who hatched their own plan. The trio was taped talking about an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party, which the prosecution argued was code for an attack. Rizlaine and her mother were arrested after being tracked by police visiting potential sites around Westminster and buying knives. Safaa had consistently denied two charges of planning to travel to Syria for ISIS activity and engaging in preparations for terror attacks on iconic landmarks in London including, most notably, the British Museum. But the jury found her guilty of both charges, making her Britain’s youngest convicted female Islamic State terrorist. (With inputs from AFP)

Teenage girl becomes youngest ISIS terrorist to be convicted in Britain

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/whatever-i-have-to-say-i-will-say-in-nagpur-pranab-mukherjee-on-accepting-rss-invite-141926">Whatever I have to say, I will say in Nagpur: Pranab Mukherjee on accepting RSS invite</a>

Former President Pranab Mukherjee has responded to the criticism (and the many suggestions) he has got after accepting an invite to an RSS event.&nbsp;

Mukherjee has been invited to speak to swayamsevaks in Nagpur on June 7 at the concluding function of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Tritiya Varsha Varg or third-year course.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swarajs-aircraft-goes-incommunicado-for-14-mins-en-route-to-mauritius--141934">En route to Mauritius, Sushma Swaraj's plane went incommunicado for 14 minutes</a>

Mauritius air traffic control was given a serious scare Saturday when External Affaris Minister Sushma Swaraj's aircraft, flying in from Trivandrum, went incommunicado for about 14 minutes.&nbsp;

Swaraj's Embraer ERJ135 jet took from Trivandrum at 4 pm and lost contact at around 4.44 pm.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/autopsy-of-bjp-worker-found-hanging-in-bengal-says-suicide-141953">Autopsy</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/autopsy-of-bjp-worker-found-hanging-in-bengal-says-suicide-141953"> of BJP worker found hanging in Bengal says suicide</a>

The autopsy conducted on the body of the BJP worker found hanging yesterday in West Bengal's Purulia district has indicated he committed suicide.&nbsp;

Dulal Kumar was found hanging from an electricity tower on Saturday.&nbsp;

His was the second body to be found hanging in quick succession.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-a-year-of-keeping-quiet-kejriwal-renews-attacks-on-modi-141947">After a year of keeping quiet, Kejriwal renews attacks on Modi</a>&nbsp;

In 2017, following AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the BJP's sweep in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal consciously decided to minimise his attacks on his bete-noire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

He continued with the strategy for a little more than a year. But with the BJP suffering a string of electoral defeats and anti-incumbency sentiment slowly setting in against the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal has renewed his attacks on Modi with the same level of acerbity as before.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/features/swara-bhasker-told-off-by-pakistan-actress-for-calling-the-country-a-failing-state--141923">Swara </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/features/swara-bhasker-told-off-by-pakistan-actress-for-calling-the-country-a-failing-state--141923">Bhasker</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/features/swara-bhasker-told-off-by-pakistan-actress-for-calling-the-country-a-failing-state--141923"> calls Pakistan 'failing state'. Pak actress calls her 'failing human being'</a>

Pakistani actress Urwa Hocane has responded to Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker calling Pakistan a 'failing state'.&nbsp;

Hocane, in her response, called Bhasker a 'failing human being'.&nbsp;

Bhasker made her comment after her most recent film Veere Di Wedding was banned in Pakistan because of its "vulgar content".&nbsp;

Whatever I have to say, I will say in Nagpur: Pranab Mukherjee on accepting RSS invite Former President Pranab Mukherjee has responded to the criticism (and the many suggestions) he has got after accepting an invite to an RSS event. Mukherjee has been invited to speak to swayamsevaks in Nagpur on June 7 at the concluding function of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Tritiya Varsha Varg or third-year course. En route to Mauritius, Sushma Swaraj's plane went incommunicado for 14 minutes Mauritius air traffic control was given a serious scare Saturday when External Affaris Minister Sushma Swaraj's aircraft, flying in from Trivandrum, went incommunicado for about 14 minutes. Swaraj's Embraer ERJ135 jet took from Trivandrum at 4 pm and lost contact at around 4.44 pm. Autopsy of BJP worker found hanging in Bengal says suicide The autopsy conducted on the body of the BJP worker found hanging yesterday in West Bengal's Purulia district has indicated he committed suicide. Dulal Kumar was found hanging from an electricity tower on Saturday. His was the second body to be found hanging in quick succession. After a year of keeping quiet, Kejriwal renews attacks on Modi In 2017, following AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the BJP's sweep in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal consciously decided to minimise his attacks on his bete-noire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He continued with the strategy for a little more than a year. But with the BJP suffering a string of electoral defeats and anti-incumbency sentiment slowly setting in against the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal has renewed his attacks on Modi with the same level of acerbity as before. Swara Bhasker calls Pakistan 'failing state'. Pak actress calls her 'failing human being' Pakistani actress Urwa Hocane has responded to Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker calling Pakistan a 'failing state'. Hocane, in her response, called Bhasker a 'failing human being'. Bhasker made her comment after her most recent film Veere Di Wedding was banned in Pakistan because of its "vulgar content".

News brief: Big stories of the day

In a boxing match, a player sometimes fends off the opponent, sometimes defends, and then, at the apt moment, he attacks.

As momentum gathers for the 2019 general election, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seems to be playing the political game just as carefully, say leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party and political observers.

In 2017, following AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the BJP's sweep in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal consciously decided to minimise his attacks on his bete-noire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp

He continued with the strategy for a little more than a year. But with the BJP suffering a string of electoral defeats and anti-incumbency sentiment slowly setting in&nbspagainst the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal has renewed his attacks on Modi with the same level of acerbity as before.

"When Kejriwal changed strategy in 2017, post Uttar Pradesh poll results, the charisma of Modi was intact. You don't attack a leader who is popular because that will backfire. But when he is becoming unpopular, change the strategy,&nbspa senior AAP leader told PTI.

The rising fuel prices that has resulted in anger among the people, the recent defeats in the bypolls and the opposition banding together against the BJP have prompted the change, he said.

On May 31, the day of the bypoll results in which the BJP won one parliamentary seat and one assembly seat of 14 constituencies, Kejriwal posted a carefully timed tweet in praise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the target of his anti-graft campaign during the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha polls the following year.

Taking a swipe at Modi, Kejriwal said people were missing an "educated prime minister" like Manmohan Singh.

"It's dawning on people now that the PM should be educated," Kejriwal tweeted, posting a Wall Street Journal article on the falling rupee.

This was a clear dig at Modi, reminiscent of his past attacks on the prime minister and reiterating doubts on the authenticity of his educational qualifications.

After the bypoll results became known, Kejriwal said the results were a reflection of people's anger against the prime minister.

The BJP had earlier lost Karnataka and the Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

On May 31 itself, Kejriwal tweeted a video about people in Varanasi criticising the prime minister. He sought to link the CBI raid on state Health Minister Satyendar Jain's residence to steps the Delhi government is planning to take to reduce the charges by hospitals.

On the raid that took on place on May 30, he tweeted, "What does PM Modi want?"

A few days before that, on May 26, responding to a tweet on the performance of Delhi government schools, Kerjiwal said, "This is despite the obstacles created by the LG, the BJP and the PM. Congratulations to all students, principals and teachers."

On May 22, he attacked the prime minister's insurance scheme on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). "PM's crop insurance scheme is a complete fraud on the farmers. Its sole objective is to benefit some insurance companies,"&nbspthe AAP chief said.

"Attacking a leader when he is popular will backfire. When the opposition is uniting against Modi, the bypoll results suggest that anti-incumbency is setting in, he is jumping on the bandwagon and mounting an attack,"&nbspsaid political analyst Sanjay Kumar.

AAP's Delhi unit spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said Kejriwal was a human being and was bound to hit back.

"How long will you push him against the wall? After all he is a human being, he is bound to hit back. They have not allowed the Delhi government to function,"&nbsphe said.

"We also tried to use the strategy of minimising our attacks and instead focus on work, but the incidents over past one year reflect that the strategy has not worked,"&nbspBharadwaj added.&nbsp

He was referring to the recent raids on Jain's residence by the CBI, the interrogation of the chief minister and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of an alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs, the removal of Delhi government advisors, including Atishi Marlena, and the arrest of Kejriwal's kin in an alleged irregularity in the PWD related work.&nbsp

Kejriwal kept mum in 2017 after AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the the BJP's sweep of Uttar Pradesh. But now, with Modi on the backfoot, the Delhi Chief Minister has renewed his attacks with the same level of acerbity as earlier

In a boxing match, a player sometimes fends off the opponent, sometimes defends, and then, at the apt moment, he attacks. As momentum gathers for the 2019 general election, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seems to be playing the political game just as carefully, say leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party and political observers. In 2017, following AAP's poor performance in Punjab and the BJP's sweep in Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal consciously decided to minimise his attacks on his bete-noire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He continued with the strategy for a little more than a year. But with the BJP suffering a string of electoral defeats and anti-incumbency sentiment slowly setting in&nbspagainst the BJP government at the Centre, Kejriwal has renewed his attacks on Modi with the same level of acerbity as before. "When Kejriwal changed strategy in 2017, post Uttar Pradesh poll results, the charisma of Modi was intact. You don't attack a leader who is popular because that will backfire. But when he is becoming unpopular, change the strategy,&nbspa senior AAP leader told PTI. The rising fuel prices that has resulted in anger among the people, the recent defeats in the bypolls and the opposition banding together against the BJP have prompted the change, he said. On May 31, the day of the bypoll results in which the BJP won one parliamentary seat and one assembly seat of 14 constituencies, Kejriwal posted a carefully timed tweet in praise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the target of his anti-graft campaign during the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha polls the following year. Taking a swipe at Modi, Kejriwal said people were missing an "educated prime minister" like Manmohan Singh. "It's dawning on people now that the PM should be educated," Kejriwal tweeted, posting a Wall Street Journal article on the falling rupee. This was a clear dig at Modi, reminiscent of his past attacks on the prime minister and reiterating doubts on the authenticity of his educational qualifications. After the bypoll results became known, Kejriwal said the results were a reflection of people's anger against the prime minister. The BJP had earlier lost Karnataka and the Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. On May 31 itself, Kejriwal tweeted a video about people in Varanasi criticising the prime minister. He sought to link the CBI raid on state Health Minister Satyendar Jain's residence to steps the Delhi government is planning to take to reduce the charges by hospitals. On the raid that took on place on May 30, he tweeted, "What does PM Modi want?" A few days before that, on May 26, responding to a tweet on the performance of Delhi government schools, Kerjiwal said, "This is despite the obstacles created by the LG, the BJP and the PM. Congratulations to all students, principals and teachers." On May 22, he attacked the prime minister's insurance scheme on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). "PM's crop insurance scheme is a complete fraud on the farmers. Its sole objective is to benefit some insurance companies,"&nbspthe AAP chief said. "Attacking a leader when he is popular will backfire. When the opposition is uniting against Modi, the bypoll results suggest that anti-incumbency is setting in, he is jumping on the bandwagon and mounting an attack,"&nbspsaid political analyst Sanjay Kumar. AAP's Delhi unit spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said Kejriwal was a human being and was bound to hit back. "How long will you push him against the wall? After all he is a human being, he is bound to hit back. They have not allowed the Delhi government to function,"&nbsphe said. "We also tried to use the strategy of minimising our attacks and instead focus on work, but the incidents over past one year reflect that the strategy has not worked,"&nbspBharadwaj added. He was referring to the recent raids on Jain's residence by the CBI, the interrogation of the chief minister and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of an alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP MLAs, the removal of Delhi government advisors, including Atishi Marlena, and the arrest of Kejriwal's kin in an alleged irregularity in the PWD related work.

After a year of keeping quiet, Kejriwal renews attacks on Modi 

The first group of fighters surrendered their arms and were evacuated from Syria&rsquo;s rebel-held Eastern Ghouta on Friday, as an aid convoy delivered food to the hunger-stricken residents of the enclave despite renewed bombardment.

Reports say that a group of 13 unarmed militants left Eastern Ghouta, along the humanitarian corridor opened in Muhayam al-Wafideen, Maj Gen Yuri Yevtushenko, the chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of warring sides in Syria, said on Friday.

Some appeared to be young, while others wore hoodies to cover their heads and faces.

The limited operation came as the powerful Jaish al-Islam said HTS fighters would be evacuated to the northern province of Idlib, in an arrangement struck following consultations with the United Nations and other international players.

&ldquo;It has been agreed that the first group of HTS members be released from the prisons of Jaish al-Islam &hellip; (and) moved to Idlib at their request,&rdquo; Jaish al-Islam said.

Jaish al-Islam said it had come to an agreement with a variety of parties, including the UN, to evacuate the fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - an alliance of factions led by the Nusra Front, which sprung from al-Qaeda.

The Syrian government&rsquo;s two-week onslaught in eastern Ghouta has killed around 950 civilians, the war monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

As per reports, the pro-government has taken over half the area.&nbsp;

Eastern Ghouta&rsquo;s 400,000 inhabitants have lived under government siege since 2013 and the enclave &mdash; more than half of which has over the past three weeks been retaken by regime forces &mdash; is home to a myriad of armed groups.

On Friday, a convoy of relief trucks with 2,400 food parcels crossed front lines into the rebel-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta and unloaded all its food to the trapped population, despite fighting that the Red Cross said had come &ldquo;extremely close&rdquo;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/SYRedCrescent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SYRedCrescent</a>,<a href="https://twitter.com/ICRC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICRC</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> get ready to enter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eastern_Ghouta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Eastern_Ghouta</a> again and continue the delivery of Monday&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/humanitarian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#humanitarian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aid</a> convoy <a href="https://t.co/1SFoxqNHsm">pic.twitter.com/1SFoxqNHsm</a>
&mdash; Syrian Red Crescent (@SYRedCrescent) <a href="https://twitter.com/SYRedCrescent/status/972026788863008768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

For eastern Ghouta&rsquo;s civilians, mostly trapped underground with little food or water, the choice of whether or not to emerge to seek supplies may be one of life or death.

&ldquo;People were hopeful after the bombardment decreased and went out onto the streets,&rdquo; said Moayad al-Hafi, a man in the Ghouta town of Saqba. &ldquo;But then air strikes began again, and there are still people under the rubble that we couldn&rsquo;t get out.&rdquo;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Now?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Now</a> :<a href="https://twitter.com/SYRedCrescent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SYRedCrescent</a> teams in cooperation with <a href="https://twitter.com/ICRC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICRC</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> enter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eastern_Ghouta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Eastern_Ghouta</a> on Friday, March 9, 2018. They will carry out a delivery of a remaining of aid that wasn&#39;t offloaded during the previous convoy on 5th March. The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/convoy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#convoy</a> carries 2400 food parcels, 3240 flour bags <a href="https://t.co/DOTVItM4DQ">pic.twitter.com/DOTVItM4DQ</a>
&mdash; Syrian Red Crescent (@SYRedCrescent) <a href="https://twitter.com/SYRedCrescent/status/972083171268481024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

But &ldquo;shelling&rdquo; near the enclave&rsquo;s main town of Douma threatened &ldquo;to put at risk&rdquo; the joint ICRC, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and United Nations convoy, said the UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari.

The aid was delivered as helicopters hovered overhead and warplanes targeted areas outside Douma, a correspondent said.

&nbsp;

Reports say that a group of 13 unarmed militants left Eastern Ghouta, along the humanitarian corridor

The first group of fighters surrendered their arms and were evacuated from Syria’s rebel-held Eastern Ghouta on Friday, as an aid convoy delivered food to the hunger-stricken residents of the enclave despite renewed bombardment. Reports say that a group of 13 unarmed militants left Eastern Ghouta, along the humanitarian corridor opened in Muhayam al-Wafideen, Maj Gen Yuri Yevtushenko, the chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of warring sides in Syria, said on Friday. Some appeared to be young, while others wore hoodies to cover their heads and faces. The limited operation came as the powerful Jaish al-Islam said HTS fighters would be evacuated to the northern province of Idlib, in an arrangement struck following consultations with the United Nations and other international players. “It has been agreed that the first group of HTS members be released from the prisons of Jaish al-Islam … (and) moved to Idlib at their request,” Jaish al-Islam said. Jaish al-Islam said it had come to an agreement with a variety of parties, including the UN, to evacuate the fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - an alliance of factions led by the Nusra Front, which sprung from al-Qaeda. The Syrian government’s two-week onslaught in eastern Ghouta has killed around 950 civilians, the war monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. As per reports, the pro-government has taken over half the area. Eastern Ghouta’s 400,000 inhabitants have lived under government siege since 2013 and the enclave — more than half of which has over the past three weeks been retaken by regime forces — is home to a myriad of armed groups. On Friday, a convoy of relief trucks with 2,400 food parcels crossed front lines into the rebel-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta and unloaded all its food to the trapped population, despite fighting that the Red Cross said had come “extremely close”. #BREAKING: @SYRedCrescent,@ICRC & @UN get ready to enter #Eastern_Ghouta again and continue the delivery of Monday's #humanitarian #aid convoy pic.twitter.com/1SFoxqNHsm — Syrian Red Crescent (@SYRedCrescent) March 9, 2018 × For eastern Ghouta’s civilians, mostly trapped underground with little food or water, the choice of whether or not to emerge to seek supplies may be one of life or death. “People were hopeful after the bombardment decreased and went out onto the streets,” said Moayad al-Hafi, a man in the Ghouta town of Saqba. “But then air strikes began again, and there are still people under the rubble that we couldn’t get out.” #Now :@SYRedCrescent teams in cooperation with @ICRC and @UN enter #Eastern_Ghouta on Friday, March 9, 2018. They will carry out a delivery of a remaining of aid that wasn't offloaded during the previous convoy on 5th March. The #convoy carries 2400 food parcels, 3240 flour bags pic.twitter.com/DOTVItM4DQ — Syrian Red Crescent (@SYRedCrescent) March 9, 2018 × But “shelling” near the enclave’s main town of Douma threatened “to put at risk” the joint ICRC, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and United Nations convoy, said the UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari. The aid was delivered as helicopters hovered overhead and warplanes targeted areas outside Douma, a correspondent said.

First group of militants leave Eastern Ghouta, convoy delivers aid

Dozens of people were killed Friday in twin attacks on the French embassy in Burkina Faso and the country&#39;s military headquarters, an assault that coincided with a meeting of regional anti-jihadist forces.&nbsp; 
 
The apparently coordinated attacks underlined the struggle the fragile West African nation faces in containing a bloody and growing jihadist insurgency. 
 
The government said the attack on the military was a suicide car bombing and that a planned meeting of the G5 Sahel regional anti-terrorism force may have been the target. 
 
Officials from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger were at the meeting, representing the G5 Sahel nations who have launched a joint military force to combat jihadists on the southern rim of the Sahara. 
 
Eight members of the armed forces were killed by the blast and the parallel attack on the French embassy, while 80 were wounded, said Security Minister Clement Sawadogo. The minister said eight attackers had been shot dead. 
 
&quot;The vehicle was packed with explosives&quot; and caused &quot;huge damage&quot;, Sawadogo said, adding that it was a suicide attack. 
 
Three security sources, two in France and one in West Africa, told AFP that at least 28 people were killed in the attack on the military HQ alone. 
 
French government sources said there were no French casualties and described the situation in Ouagadougou as &quot;under control&quot;. 
 
&quot;Our country was once again the target of dark forces,&quot; President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said in a statement. 
 
The violence began mid-morning when heavy gunfire broke out in the centre of the Burkinabe capital. 
 
Witnesses said five armed men got out of a car and opened fire on passersby before heading towards the French embassy. 
 
At the same time, the bomb went off near the headquarters of the Burkinabe armed forces and the French cultural centre, about a kilometre (half a mile) from the site of the first attack, other witnesses said. 
 
Sawadogo said the G5 meeting was supposed to have been held at the headquarters but had been moved to another room. 
 
&quot;Perhaps it was the target. We do not know at the moment. In any case the room was literally destroyed by the explosion,&quot; the minister said. 
 
The G5 Sahel&#39;s completed force will be composed of 5,000 troops and aims to be fully operational by the end of the month. 
 
It has already carried out operations against jihadist fighters with help from the French army. 
 
Mahamadou Issoufou, Niger&#39;s president and the current chair of the group, said Friday&#39;s attacks &quot;will only strengthen the resolve of the G5-Sahel and its allies in the fight against terrorism&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
French President Emmanuel Macron telephoned his Burkinabe counterpart Kabore to express solidarity and send his condolences to the families of the slain security force members, his office said. 
 
Macron, who made a high-profile visit to Burkina Faso in November, said the attacks &quot;illustrate once more the threat weighing on the entire Sahel region&quot;. 
 
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said damage to the embassy was minor, and the mission would be able to resume normal operations &quot;in two or three days&quot;. 
 
Turkey&#39;s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is on a visit to neighbouring Mali, &quot;strongly condemned&quot; the attack while UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an &quot;urgent and concerted effort&quot; to improve stability in the Sahel. 
 
An interim UN report seen by AFP warned of a &quot;growing threat&quot; to the Sahel from two groups: the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (ISGS) and Ansar al-Islam. 
 
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Burkina Information Minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said the attack &quot;has strong overtones of terrorism&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Burkina Faso has a history of military-backed coups as well as jihadist attacks. 
 
The insurgency in the region has caused thousands of deaths, prompted tens of thousands to flee their homes and dealt crippling blows to economies that are already among the poorest in the world. 
 
On August 13 last year, two assailants opened fire on a restaurant on Ouagadougou&#39;s main avenue, killing 19 people and wounding 21. No one has so far claimed responsibility for that attack. 
 
On January 15 2016, 30 people -- including six Canadians and five Europeans -- were killed in a jihadist attack on a hotel and restaurant in the city centre.&nbsp; 
 
That attack was claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Murabitoun group, which was led by the one-eyed Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar. 
 
A group called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) also said some of its militants were involved. 
 
France, the former colonial power in the Sahel region, has deployed 4,000 troops to support the G5 joint force. 
 
On February 21, two members of the French counter-terrorism force were killed by a landmine near Mali&#39;s border with Niger and Burkina Faso. Twelve French soldiers have died since the campaign -- called Operation Barkhane -- was launched in August 2014. 
 
The United Nations also has a 12,000-strong peacekeeping force in Mali called MINUSMA, which has taken heavy casualties. Four UN peacekeepers were killed by a mine blast on Wednesday in the centre of the country. 
&nbsp;

The apparently coordinated attacks underlined the struggle the fragile West African nation faces in containing a bloody and growing jihadist insurgency

Dozens of people were killed Friday in twin attacks on the French embassy in Burkina Faso and the country's military headquarters, an assault that coincided with a meeting of regional anti-jihadist forces. The apparently coordinated attacks underlined the struggle the fragile West African nation faces in containing a bloody and growing jihadist insurgency. The government said the attack on the military was a suicide car bombing and that a planned meeting of the G5 Sahel regional anti-terrorism force may have been the target. Officials from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger were at the meeting, representing the G5 Sahel nations who have launched a joint military force to combat jihadists on the southern rim of the Sahara. Eight members of the armed forces were killed by the blast and the parallel attack on the French embassy, while 80 were wounded, said Security Minister Clement Sawadogo. The minister said eight attackers had been shot dead. "The vehicle was packed with explosives" and caused "huge damage", Sawadogo said, adding that it was a suicide attack. Three security sources, two in France and one in West Africa, told AFP that at least 28 people were killed in the attack on the military HQ alone. French government sources said there were no French casualties and described the situation in Ouagadougou as "under control". "Our country was once again the target of dark forces," President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said in a statement. The violence began mid-morning when heavy gunfire broke out in the centre of the Burkinabe capital. Witnesses said five armed men got out of a car and opened fire on passersby before heading towards the French embassy. At the same time, the bomb went off near the headquarters of the Burkinabe armed forces and the French cultural centre, about a kilometre (half a mile) from the site of the first attack, other witnesses said. Sawadogo said the G5 meeting was supposed to have been held at the headquarters but had been moved to another room. "Perhaps it was the target. We do not know at the moment. In any case the room was literally destroyed by the explosion," the minister said. The G5 Sahel's completed force will be composed of 5,000 troops and aims to be fully operational by the end of the month. It has already carried out operations against jihadist fighters with help from the French army. Mahamadou Issoufou, Niger's president and the current chair of the group, said Friday's attacks "will only strengthen the resolve of the G5-Sahel and its allies in the fight against terrorism". French President Emmanuel Macron telephoned his Burkinabe counterpart Kabore to express solidarity and send his condolences to the families of the slain security force members, his office said. Macron, who made a high-profile visit to Burkina Faso in November, said the attacks "illustrate once more the threat weighing on the entire Sahel region". French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said damage to the embassy was minor, and the mission would be able to resume normal operations "in two or three days". Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is on a visit to neighbouring Mali, "strongly condemned" the attack while UN chief Antonio Guterres called for an "urgent and concerted effort" to improve stability in the Sahel. An interim UN report seen by AFP warned of a "growing threat" to the Sahel from two groups: the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (ISGS) and Ansar al-Islam. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Burkina Information Minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said the attack "has strong overtones of terrorism". Burkina Faso has a history of military-backed coups as well as jihadist attacks. The insurgency in the region has caused thousands of deaths, prompted tens of thousands to flee their homes and dealt crippling blows to economies that are already among the poorest in the world. On August 13 last year, two assailants opened fire on a restaurant on Ouagadougou's main avenue, killing 19 people and wounding 21. No one has so far claimed responsibility for that attack. On January 15 2016, 30 people -- including six Canadians and five Europeans -- were killed in a jihadist attack on a hotel and restaurant in the city centre. That attack was claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Murabitoun group, which was led by the one-eyed Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar. A group called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) also said some of its militants were involved. France, the former colonial power in the Sahel region, has deployed 4,000 troops to support the G5 joint force. On February 21, two members of the French counter-terrorism force were killed by a landmine near Mali's border with Niger and Burkina Faso. Twelve French soldiers have died since the campaign -- called Operation Barkhane -- was launched in August 2014. The United Nations also has a 12,000-strong peacekeeping force in Mali called MINUSMA, which has taken heavy casualties. Four UN peacekeepers were killed by a mine blast on Wednesday in the centre of the country.

Dozens dead in attacks on Burkina military HQ, French embassy

The current situation in Syria seems to have gotten worse since the United Nations decided to conduct a month-long humanitarian ceasefire.&nbsp;

The UN had called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria on Tuesday as heavy air strikes were reported to have killed scores of people in the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus.

The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator Ali al-Za&#39;tari said on Monday that Syria has witnessed &quot;some of the worst fighting of the entire conflict&quot; since the decision.

There are reports of &quot;hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, massive displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities,&quot; Za&#39;tari said in an emailed statement.&nbsp;

Syria&rsquo;s President Bashar al-Assad is, with the support of Iranian-backed militias and the Russian air force, pursuing military offensives against insurgents in his opponents&rsquo; last major strongholds in the west of the country.

Separately, UN war crimes experts said they were investigating several reports of bombs allegedly containing chlorine gas being used against civilians in the rebel-held towns of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib and Douma in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday&rsquo;s bombardment of Eastern Ghouta had killed 63 people. A local official, Khalil Aybour, put the toll at 53.

On Monday, air strikes killed 30 people in Eastern Ghouta, the Observatory said.

Insurgent shelling of government-held Damascus killed three people, the Observatory, and Syrian state media reported.

Air strikes also killed at least six people in rebel-held Idlib including five in Tarmala village, the Observatory said.

UN officials in Syria called for fighting to stop to enable aid deliveries and the evacuation of sick and wounded, listing seven areas of concern including northern Syria&rsquo;s Kurdish-led Afrin region, being targeted by a Turkish offensive.

&nbsp;

(With input from Reuters)&nbsp;

The UN had called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria on Tuesday as heavy air strikes were reported to have killed scores of people in the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus

The current situation in Syria seems to have gotten worse since the United Nations decided to conduct a month-long humanitarian ceasefire. The UN had called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria on Tuesday as heavy air strikes were reported to have killed scores of people in the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus. The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator Ali al-Za'tari said on Monday that Syria has witnessed "some of the worst fighting of the entire conflict" since the decision. There are reports of "hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, massive displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities," Za'tari said in an emailed statement. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is, with the support of Iranian-backed militias and the Russian air force, pursuing military offensives against insurgents in his opponents’ last major strongholds in the west of the country. Separately, UN war crimes experts said they were investigating several reports of bombs allegedly containing chlorine gas being used against civilians in the rebel-held towns of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib and Douma in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday’s bombardment of Eastern Ghouta had killed 63 people. A local official, Khalil Aybour, put the toll at 53. On Monday, air strikes killed 30 people in Eastern Ghouta, the Observatory said. Insurgent shelling of government-held Damascus killed three people, the Observatory, and Syrian state media reported. Air strikes also killed at least six people in rebel-held Idlib including five in Tarmala village, the Observatory said. UN officials in Syria called for fighting to stop to enable aid deliveries and the evacuation of sick and wounded, listing seven areas of concern including northern Syria’s Kurdish-led Afrin region, being targeted by a Turkish offensive. (With input from Reuters)

Situation in Syria worse since call for ceasefire: UN

A campaign was launched in Kabul city in the aftermath of the deadly attacks that hit the war-torn nation recently, leaving a plethora of people dead and wounded.

Afghanistan&#39;s ArtLords launched the campaign &quot;I am With You Compatriot&quot; with an aim to pay tribute to the scores of victims of the recent attacks, reported Khaama Press.&quot;

To show sympathy with the victims of terror attacks, ArtLords is distributing armbands with the message &quot;I am with you Compatriot&quot; and we are painting the mural against the warlords and people are driving around Afghanistan with black tinted windows and no number plates,&quot; ArtLords, said in a statement.

The statement added that the campaign also denounces the culture of impunity for the influential figures and powermongers.

Artlords was established in 2015. It is a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers which paves the way for social transformation and behavioural change through employing the soft power of art and culture as a non-intrusive approach.

The campaign participants also painted the posters on the walls in Kabul mainly denouncing the influential figures for hiding in vehicles with black tinted windows.

Afghanistan has been witnessing a string of attacks starting January 20 when the Taliban gunmen raided a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing at least 22 people, mostly foreigners.

&#39;Save The Children&#39; organisation in Afghan`s Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province was also attacked on January 24, leaving six people dead.

However, the deadliest attack was carried out last week near the old compound of the ministry of interior that left more than 100 people dead and more than 200 others wounded.

&nbsp;

Afghanistan's ArtLords launched the campaign to show sympathy with the victims of terror attacks

A campaign was launched in Kabul city in the aftermath of the deadly attacks that hit the war-torn nation recently, leaving a plethora of people dead and wounded. Afghanistan's ArtLords launched the campaign "I am With You Compatriot" with an aim to pay tribute to the scores of victims of the recent attacks, reported Khaama Press." To show sympathy with the victims of terror attacks, ArtLords is distributing armbands with the message "I am with you Compatriot" and we are painting the mural against the warlords and people are driving around Afghanistan with black tinted windows and no number plates," ArtLords, said in a statement. The statement added that the campaign also denounces the culture of impunity for the influential figures and powermongers. Artlords was established in 2015. It is a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers which paves the way for social transformation and behavioural change through employing the soft power of art and culture as a non-intrusive approach. The campaign participants also painted the posters on the walls in Kabul mainly denouncing the influential figures for hiding in vehicles with black tinted windows. Afghanistan has been witnessing a string of attacks starting January 20 when the Taliban gunmen raided a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing at least 22 people, mostly foreigners. 'Save The Children' organisation in Afghan`s Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province was also attacked on January 24, leaving six people dead. However, the deadliest attack was carried out last week near the old compound of the ministry of interior that left more than 100 people dead and more than 200 others wounded.

Campaign launched in Kabul over recent attacks

<p content="Islamic State group jihadists have recaptured nearly all of Albu Kamal, putting up a fierce fightback for what had been the last significant Syrian town under their control, a monitor said Saturday." type="text">Islamic State group jihadists have recaptured nearly all of Albu Kamal, putting up a fierce fightback for what had been the last significant Syrian town under their control, a monitor said Saturday.

Syrian regime forces and allied militia overran Albu Kamal, which lies on the border with Iraq, on Thursday but have since faced a string of IS counter-attacks.

On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS had &#39;ambushed&#39;&nbsp;the attacking forces and managed to oust them from most of the town.

<p content="&quot;IS has almost completely retaken control of Albu Kamal, pushing pro-regime forces to its southern and eastern edges,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based monitor." type="text">&quot;IS has almost completely retaken control of Albu Kamal, pushing pro-regime forces to its southern and eastern edges,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based monitor.

Clashes were still raging there on Saturday, he said.

IS began counter-attacking on Thursday night, swiftly retaking several northern districts of Albu Kamal from pro-government fighters.

&quot;It was Daesh&#39;s biggest ambush operation, tricking the attacking forces into thinking they had controlled the city,&quot; Abdel Rahman said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Albu Kamal lies at the heart of what used to be the sprawling &#39;caliphate&#39;&nbsp;that IS declared in 2014 across swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Losing it completely would have capped the group&#39;s reversion to an underground guerrilla organisation with no urban base.

<p content="Russian-backed Syrian regime forces and allied fighters had steadily advanced on Albu Kamal from the south and west for weeks, while Iraqi forces had closed in on the border area from the east." type="text">Russian-backed Syrian regime forces and allied fighters had steadily advanced on Albu Kamal from the south and west for weeks, while Iraqi forces had closed in on the border area from the east.

The Observatory has said most of the fighting was done by the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and elite forces from its backer Tehran, as well as militia groups from Iraq.

On Saturday, Abdel Rahman said Albu Kamal was being pummelled by air strikes, but he could not specify whether they were Iraqi or Russian raids.

Across the border on Saturday, Iraqi forces launched an assault to capture the last pocket of IS territory in their country.

The Euphrates valley town of Rawa and nearby villages were bypassed by government troops and allied militia when they retook the border town of Al-Qaim last week.

Syrian regime forces and allied militia overran Albu Kamal, which lies on the border with Iraq, on Thursday but have since faced a string of IS counter-attacks.

Islamic State group jihadists have recaptured nearly all of Albu Kamal, putting up a fierce fightback for what had been the last significant Syrian town under their control, a monitor said Saturday. Syrian regime forces and allied militia overran Albu Kamal, which lies on the border with Iraq, on Thursday but have since faced a string of IS counter-attacks. On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS had 'ambushed' the attacking forces and managed to oust them from most of the town. "IS has almost completely retaken control of Albu Kamal, pushing pro-regime forces to its southern and eastern edges," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based monitor. Clashes were still raging there on Saturday, he said. IS began counter-attacking on Thursday night, swiftly retaking several northern districts of Albu Kamal from pro-government fighters. "It was Daesh's biggest ambush operation, tricking the attacking forces into thinking they had controlled the city," Abdel Rahman said, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Albu Kamal lies at the heart of what used to be the sprawling 'caliphate' that IS declared in 2014 across swathes of Iraq and Syria. Losing it completely would have capped the group's reversion to an underground guerrilla organisation with no urban base. Russian-backed Syrian regime forces and allied fighters had steadily advanced on Albu Kamal from the south and west for weeks, while Iraqi forces had closed in on the border area from the east. The Observatory has said most of the fighting was done by the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and elite forces from its backer Tehran, as well as militia groups from Iraq. On Saturday, Abdel Rahman said Albu Kamal was being pummelled by air strikes, but he could not specify whether they were Iraqi or Russian raids. Across the border on Saturday, Iraqi forces launched an assault to capture the last pocket of IS territory in their country. The Euphrates valley town of Rawa and nearby villages were bypassed by government troops and allied militia when they retook the border town of Al-Qaim last week.

IS retakes almost all of vital Syria border town: Monitor

Another day, another extremist attack, so what else is new? Recently it was in New York, a couple of weeks ago it was in Las Vegas, before that in London, and before that in Paris and so the list goes on and on. We could just as easily be referring to the seasonal Fashion Week held in these international hubs of design instead of the far grimmer subject of &lsquo;lone wolf&rsquo; attacks and terrorism.

Israel for example, despite its outstanding intelligence and security services, apart from a pro-active and robust approach to counter-terror policy and actions, reportedly faces at least one lone wolf attack a month.

The attackers themselves too span the globe. The New York attacker is of Uzbek origin, while we have had Afghans, Pakistanis, Libyans, Algerians, Palestinians and a host of other nationalities involved as well. If there is one thing in common amongst them, it is that they are homegrown, that is citizens of the country attacked, and in most cases followers of radical Islam.

Also, does the present attack by an Uzbek imply that Uzbekistan and probably Central Asia is the new focus of radical Islam? &nbsp;While one attack is hardly evidence of such a trend, it is worth recalling that Central Asia has been the focus of radical Islam for years. It is now a forgotten footnote of history that the erstwhile Soviet Union used the Red Army to suppress the Basmachi Movement, the Islamic Rebel Groups in Central Asia, in the 1920&rsquo;s.

Interestingly, documentation now available in the public domain suggests that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was in response to attempts to radicalise the population in Central Asia, though ironically the Americans got this completely wrong and gave it a massive boost instead, something they have been forced to confront over the past two decades.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The primary difference between lone wolf attackers and those belonging to terrorist groups, as we have all learnt over time, is that while they may be adherents of radical ideologies, they operate either alone or at best with an accomplice or two and are devoid of any support, logistic, intelligence or operational from any terrorist organisation.

This obviously limits the damage they can actually cause though, as we recently witnessed at Las Vegas, easy availability of high calibre weapons can tragically result in utter devastation. However, the very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent. The evolving nature of this threat makes existing counter - terror architecture and processes incapable of combating such threats effectively.

It is nobody&rsquo;s case that counter-terror intervention groups, such as the Special Action Groups of the NSG, have become redundant because it is impossible to foresee what tactics terrorists may employ in the future. Thus, hostage rescue and building/aircraft/train/ship intervention continue to be essential tasks for which specialised units must be kept trained and ready.

What however is emerging as absolutely essential to deal with lone wolf attacks is the necessity to reinforce beat cops and armed policemen with highly trained officers, both in and out of uniform, suitably equipped to respond instantaneously to ongoing situations. In this respect, the United Kingdom has been pro-active in establishing a high-level Counter-Terrorism Committee that is responsible for formulating the national Counter Terrorism and Domestic Extremism strategy.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that India&#39;s counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that India's counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Also, through its National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters it coordinates and controls specialised investigative and immediate intervention units, the CTC and CTU&rsquo;s. All of this backed by an effective database. It is no wonder then that the three attackers involved in the London Bridge terror incident in June this year were neutralised within eight minutes.

Though we in this country have not been subjected to lone wolf attacks, the reason for which needs to be analysed in depth, there is little doubt that we need to put in place systems to be able to deal with such a threat. It is, in fact, utter criminal negligence on the part of our political class that has led to the stalling of the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) projects.

It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that our counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably. It is high time that our political and security establishment get a move on and do what they are paid for, resignations and bluster after the event means little.

Security establishment of India needs to work on and develop a better counter-terrorism architecture to track and avoid terrorist attacks

Another day, another extremist attack, so what else is new? Recently it was in New York, a couple of weeks ago it was in Las Vegas, before that in London, and before that in Paris and so the list goes on and on. We could just as easily be referring to the seasonal Fashion Week held in these international hubs of design instead of the far grimmer subject of ‘lone wolf’ attacks and terrorism. Israel for example, despite its outstanding intelligence and security services, apart from a pro-active and robust approach to counter-terror policy and actions, reportedly faces at least one lone wolf attack a month. The attackers themselves too span the globe. The New York attacker is of Uzbek origin, while we have had Afghans, Pakistanis, Libyans, Algerians, Palestinians and a host of other nationalities involved as well. If there is one thing in common amongst them, it is that they are homegrown, that is citizens of the country attacked, and in most cases followers of radical Islam. Also, does the present attack by an Uzbek imply that Uzbekistan and probably Central Asia is the new focus of radical Islam? While one attack is hardly evidence of such a trend, it is worth recalling that Central Asia has been the focus of radical Islam for years. It is now a forgotten footnote of history that the erstwhile Soviet Union used the Red Army to suppress the Basmachi Movement, the Islamic Rebel Groups in Central Asia, in the 1920’s. Interestingly, documentation now available in the public domain suggests that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was in response to attempts to radicalise the population in Central Asia, though ironically the Americans got this completely wrong and gave it a massive boost instead, something they have been forced to confront over the past two decades. The very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent. × The primary difference between lone wolf attackers and those belonging to terrorist groups, as we have all learnt over time, is that while they may be adherents of radical ideologies, they operate either alone or at best with an accomplice or two and are devoid of any support, logistic, intelligence or operational from any terrorist organisation. This obviously limits the damage they can actually cause though, as we recently witnessed at Las Vegas, easy availability of high calibre weapons can tragically result in utter devastation. However, the very individualistic nature of such attacks ensures that their planning and preparation remain very low-key, and therefore, extremely difficult for the intelligence and security apparatus to pick up or prevent. The evolving nature of this threat makes existing counter - terror architecture and processes incapable of combating such threats effectively. It is nobody’s case that counter-terror intervention groups, such as the Special Action Groups of the NSG, have become redundant because it is impossible to foresee what tactics terrorists may employ in the future. Thus, hostage rescue and building/aircraft/train/ship intervention continue to be essential tasks for which specialised units must be kept trained and ready. What however is emerging as absolutely essential to deal with lone wolf attacks is the necessity to reinforce beat cops and armed policemen with highly trained officers, both in and out of uniform, suitably equipped to respond instantaneously to ongoing situations. In this respect, the United Kingdom has been pro-active in establishing a high-level Counter-Terrorism Committee that is responsible for formulating the national Counter Terrorism and Domestic Extremism strategy. It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that India's counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably. × Also, through its National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters it coordinates and controls specialised investigative and immediate intervention units, the CTC and CTU’s. All of this backed by an effective database. It is no wonder then that the three attackers involved in the London Bridge terror incident in June this year were neutralised within eight minutes. Though we in this country have not been subjected to lone wolf attacks, the reason for which needs to be analysed in depth, there is little doubt that we need to put in place systems to be able to deal with such a threat. It is, in fact, utter criminal negligence on the part of our political class that has led to the stalling of the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) projects. It is a shameful, but unquestionable fact that our counter-terrorism architecture is not much better than it was at the time of the Mumbai attacks, where it failed miserably. It is high time that our political and security establishment get a move on and do what they are paid for, resignations and bluster after the event means little.

The New York terror attack calls for a changed counter-terror response

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as &quot;extremely dishonest&quot; and even calling a TV journalist &quot;a sleaze&quot;, triggering angry protests from media associations. 
&quot;We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press,&quot; Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. 
&quot;I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much,&quot; the former reality TV star said. 
He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans&#39; charities. 
&quot;The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met,&quot; he said. 
Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, &quot;You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well&quot;. 
The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. 
Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent&#39;s Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. 
&quot;The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press,&quot; WHCA President Carol Lee said. 
&quot;We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year,&quot; Lee said. 
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. 
&quot;He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations,&quot; Clinton told the CNN in an interview. 
In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. 
&quot;I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here,&quot; Clinton added.

The Republican Presidential candidate launched into a fiery attack, slamming the media for questioning the $6 million fund he claims to have raised for military veterans

Controversial presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the US media, terming the political press as "extremely dishonest" and even calling a TV journalist "a sleaze", triggering angry protests from media associations. "We have to read probably libellous stories, or certainly close, in the newspapers and the people know the stories are false, I am going to continue to attack the press," Trump, 69, told reporters at a news conference in New York yesterday. "I find the press to be extremely dishonest. I find the political press to be unbelievably dishonest. I will say that. OK. Thank you all very much," the former reality TV star said. He slammed the US media for questioning the USD six million fund he claimed to have raised for veterans on one night in Iowa in January. He had skipped a Republican debate hosted by Fox News and hosted a fundraising event for veterans' charities. "The press should be ashamed. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met," he said. Trump pointed to ABC News journalist Tom Llamas and said, "You are a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well". The New York-based real estate tycoon-turned politician, however, immediately faced backlash from the media and presidential candidates of rival parties. Without naming Trump, the White House Correspondent's Association (WHCA) condemned any attack on the freedom of press. "The WHCA advocates for access to the president and administration officials to enhance the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press. We are concerned that any administration or presidential candidate would seek to curb the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press," WHCA President Carol Lee said. "We do not know who will be in the White House in January, but the presidential campaign has underscored the importance of press freedoms, and the WHCA will continue to defend those rights through the transition this fall and with the new administration next year," Lee said. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, meanwhile alleged that Trump had been attacking everybody. "He attacks everybody. Is a recipe for gridlock in Washington. And that is what we have got to break and get away with. You know he seems to believe, or at least is demonstrating that insulting and attacks is his mode of operations," Clinton told the CNN in an interview. In another interview to MSNBC, Clinton hoped that voters looked at the full picture of everything she has done in her career. "I have faith in the American people that they will make the right choice here," Clinton added.

Trump attacks U.S media, calls TV journalist 'sleaze'

Explosions were reportedly heard in the area, an eyewitness?claimed, and a helicopter was seen surveilling the area

One civilian and four suicide bombers were killed after gunmen wearing bomb-vests attacked Peshawar's Christian Colony early on Friday morning, the Dawn reported. A gunbattle ensued between security forces and the attackers at around 6 am, security sources told the Dawn. Director General, Inter-Services Intelligence, Public Relations, Asim Bajwa tweeted about the operation. Terrorist attacked Christian Colony Warsak Road, Peshawar.Sec forces Promptly responded,all 4 suicide bombers killed.Search in progress. — Gen Asim Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) September 2, 2016 The colony lies close to the Pak-Afghan border and the Warsak dam. Explosions were reportedly heard in the area, an eyewitness claimed, and a helicopter was seen surveilling the area. The area has reportedly been cordoned off. Contingents of police, Frontier Corps, and Pakistan Army commandos have been deployed in the area and an operation is ongoing, reported the Dawn. (WION with inputs from PTI)

One civilian, 4 suicide bombers killed in attack on Peshawar's Christian Colony

German flag carrier Lufthansa warned Tuesday that &quot;horrific&quot; terror attacks in Europe were having a &quot;tangible impact&quot; on business, with second-quarter profits down 17 per cent. 
 
Advance bookings were down sharply, the airline said, as net profits for the three months ending June came in at 437 million euros ($488 million). 
 
&quot;Horrific terror attacks are making people feel unsafe,&quot; chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Because of repeated terror attacks in Europe and political and economic uncertainty, advance bookings, especially on long-haul flights to Europe, have fallen significantly,&quot; finance director Simone Menne said. 
 
The weak profits came despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros. Compared with the figure for the first half of 2015, net profits took a 55 per cent blow, falling to 429 million Euros. 
 
Lufthansa had already said last month that the jittery atmosphere in Europe was hitting its business and considered &quot;a complete recovery as not likely anymore.&quot; Its European rival Air France-KLM also warned last week about the impact of recent attacks on the airline. 
 
Air France-KLM&#39;s chief financial officer Pierre-Francois Riolacci said unit revenue fell by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter, which he put down to the sluggish global economic recovery and &quot;most of all the effect of the terror attacks that have struck Europe in recent quarters&quot;. 
 
A spate of attacks targeting France and Germany at the height of peak tourist season in Europe has hurt the industry. France, the world&#39;s top tourist destination, is reeling from an attack at the Riviera town of Nice on Bastille Day when a gunman drove a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of revellers, killing 84. 
 
That was the third major strike against France in less than 18 months, coming just eight months after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers stormed bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris, killing 130 people. 
 
In January last year, 17 were killed in another assault at various sites including the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris. 
 
Germany was meanwhile hit in July by an axe attack that left five people, including four tourists from Hong Kong, wounded, a gun rampage, a machete assault and a suicide bomb attack. 
 
A spokeswoman for the German tourism board told AFP last week that &quot;there haven&#39;t been any cancellations&quot; in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in Europe&#39;s biggest economy. 
 
But in France, flight reservations following the Nice attack were down 20 per cent. Between January and July 10 arrivals to France by air were down 5.8 per cent, and down 11 per cent to Paris. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The weak profits for the airline have come in despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros

German flag carrier Lufthansa warned Tuesday that "horrific" terror attacks in Europe were having a "tangible impact" on business, with second-quarter profits down 17 per cent. Advance bookings were down sharply, the airline said, as net profits for the three months ending June came in at 437 million euros ($488 million). "Horrific terror attacks are making people feel unsafe," chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. "Because of repeated terror attacks in Europe and political and economic uncertainty, advance bookings, especially on long-haul flights to Europe, have fallen significantly," finance director Simone Menne said. The weak profits came despite the lower oil price, which resulted in a fuel cost boon of 597 million Euros. Compared with the figure for the first half of 2015, net profits took a 55 per cent blow, falling to 429 million Euros. Lufthansa had already said last month that the jittery atmosphere in Europe was hitting its business and considered "a complete recovery as not likely anymore." Its European rival Air France-KLM also warned last week about the impact of recent attacks on the airline. Air France-KLM's chief financial officer Pierre-Francois Riolacci said unit revenue fell by 5.6 per cent in the second quarter, which he put down to the sluggish global economic recovery and "most of all the effect of the terror attacks that have struck Europe in recent quarters". A spate of attacks targeting France and Germany at the height of peak tourist season in Europe has hurt the industry. France, the world's top tourist destination, is reeling from an attack at the Riviera town of Nice on Bastille Day when a gunman drove a 19-tonne truck into a crowd of revellers, killing 84. That was the third major strike against France in less than 18 months, coming just eight months after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers stormed bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium in Paris, killing 130 people. In January last year, 17 were killed in another assault at various sites including the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris. Germany was meanwhile hit in July by an axe attack that left five people, including four tourists from Hong Kong, wounded, a gun rampage, a machete assault and a suicide bomb attack. A spokeswoman for the German tourism board told AFP last week that "there haven't been any cancellations" in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in Europe's biggest economy. But in France, flight reservations following the Nice attack were down 20 per cent. Between January and July 10 arrivals to France by air were down 5.8 per cent, and down 11 per cent to Paris. (AFP)

Lufthansa says terror attacks impacting business

Saudi Arabia Cross-border shelling from war-torn Yemen killed four people in Saudi Arabia on Monday, authorities in the kingdom said.&nbsp;Three others were wounded and hospitalised after the incident in the Jazan region, the civil defence agency said on Twitter without giving details. 
 
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against Iran-backed rebels since March last year.&nbsp;The rebels have in recent days intensified cross-border attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough. 
 
Border clashes left a Saudi army officer and six soldiers dead on Saturday. On July 25, five Saudi border guards were killed in similar clashes.&nbsp;Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed in skirmishes, by artillery fire or landmines inside the kingdom&#39;s borders, since the coalition launched its campaign. 
 
In Yemen itself, the conflict has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year, according to UN figures. 
 
(AFP)

The rebels have intensified attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough

Saudi Arabia Cross-border shelling from war-torn Yemen killed four people in Saudi Arabia on Monday, authorities in the kingdom said. Three others were wounded and hospitalised after the incident in the Jazan region, the civil defence agency said on Twitter without giving details. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government in its fight against Iran-backed rebels since March last year. The rebels have in recent days intensified cross-border attacks on the kingdom as peace talks in Kuwait have failed to achieve a breakthrough. Border clashes left a Saudi army officer and six soldiers dead on Saturday. On July 25, five Saudi border guards were killed in similar clashes. Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed in skirmishes, by artillery fire or landmines inside the kingdom's borders, since the coalition launched its campaign. In Yemen itself, the conflict has killed more than 6,400 people and displaced 2.8 million since March last year, according to UN figures. (AFP)

Four dead in Saudi-Yemen cross-border attack

Pope Francis said today that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in Normandy, France yesterday was proof that the &quot;world is at war&quot;. 
 
However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. 
 
&quot;The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war,&quot; he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. 
 
&quot;Let&#39;s recognise it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces,&quot; he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. 
 
&quot;Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organised and it is war,&quot; he said. &quot;We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace.&quot; 
 
About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted &quot;to clarify&quot; that he was not referring to a war of religion. 
 
&quot;Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?&quot; he said. 
 
He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, &quot;a saintly priest&quot;, but said he was just one of many innocent victims. 
 
He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the Pope on Tuesday. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Pope insisted that he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests

Pope Francis said today that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in Normandy, France yesterday was proof that the "world is at war". However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. "The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war," he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. "Let's recognise it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces," he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. "Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organised and it is war," he said. "We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace." About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted "to clarify" that he was not referring to a war of religion. "Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war," he said. "All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?" he said. He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, "a saintly priest", but said he was just one of many innocent victims. He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the Pope on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Pope Francis: Attacks show 'world is at war', religion not to blame

Bangladesh&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;moved to regulate weekly sermons in hundreds of thousands of mosques as part of a stepped-up campaign to combat Islamist extremism, officials said. 
 
The move comes after the deadly attack in an upscale Dhaka cafe in which 20 hostages were brutally shot and hacked to death in the nation&#39;s worst attack by suspected Islamist militants. 
 
Since then, authorities have shut down a television channel run by a controversial Indian preacher, and decided to monitor the social media and&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;sermons of local mosques in a bid to prevent radicalisation. 
 
As part of the drive, the state-run Islamic Foundation, which works as a watchdog for mosques and religious establishments, has prepared a sermon for the main national mosque which it has asked other mosques to follow. 
 
The sermon, which was published by the agency ahead of&nbsp;Friday&#39;s&nbsp;prayers, invokes Koranic verses and traditions of the prophet Mohammed to rail against murderous extremism. 
 
&quot;Whoever kills a person unjustly, it is as though he has killed all mankind,&quot; it said, citing a verse of the Koran. 
 
It also quoted the prophet as saying the killing of a human being is the biggest sin and urged parents to take good care of their children so they cannot be &quot;brainwashed&quot;. 
 
It was not clear how many of Bangladesh&#39;s mosques, which are run by independent neighbourhood lay committees, would follow the instructions. 
 
But a senior police official said local administrations, police and regional Islamic Foundation officials would &quot;monitor&quot; the sermons. 
 
Foundation chief Shamim Mohammad Afzal told AFP that the sermon had been distributed to more than 300,000 mosques. 
 
&quot;It is not mandatory but we hope the imams will follow our sermon or take their inspiration from it,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Our core message is there is no place for terrorism in Islam. We want to make sure our children cannot be brainwashed to commit an act of terrorism.&quot; 
 
Islamic parties, who have strongly denounced the cafe siege and a string of other recent attacks on minorities, have criticised the sermon regulation as &quot;undesirable&quot;. 
 
&quot;Long before the Foundation issued its instructions, our clerics have been vocal against terrorism,&quot; said Mufti Faiz Ullah, secretary general of Islamic Oikya Jote, a faith-based party. 
 
Last month, just ahead of the cafe attack, a pro-government council of clerics issued a fatwa against violent Jihad, which was endorsed by more than 100,000 imams. 
 
(AFP)

A state-run foundation has prepared a sermon for the main national mosque that invokes Koranic verses to rail against murderous extremism

Bangladesh on Friday moved to regulate weekly sermons in hundreds of thousands of mosques as part of a stepped-up campaign to combat Islamist extremism, officials said. The move comes after the deadly attack in an upscale Dhaka cafe in which 20 hostages were brutally shot and hacked to death in the nation's worst attack by suspected Islamist militants. Since then, authorities have shut down a television channel run by a controversial Indian preacher, and decided to monitor the social media and Friday sermons of local mosques in a bid to prevent radicalisation. As part of the drive, the state-run Islamic Foundation, which works as a watchdog for mosques and religious establishments, has prepared a sermon for the main national mosque which it has asked other mosques to follow. The sermon, which was published by the agency ahead of Friday's prayers, invokes Koranic verses and traditions of the prophet Mohammed to rail against murderous extremism. "Whoever kills a person unjustly, it is as though he has killed all mankind," it said, citing a verse of the Koran. It also quoted the prophet as saying the killing of a human being is the biggest sin and urged parents to take good care of their children so they cannot be "brainwashed". It was not clear how many of Bangladesh's mosques, which are run by independent neighbourhood lay committees, would follow the instructions. But a senior police official said local administrations, police and regional Islamic Foundation officials would "monitor" the sermons. Foundation chief Shamim Mohammad Afzal told AFP that the sermon had been distributed to more than 300,000 mosques. "It is not mandatory but we hope the imams will follow our sermon or take their inspiration from it," he said. "Our core message is there is no place for terrorism in Islam. We want to make sure our children cannot be brainwashed to commit an act of terrorism." Islamic parties, who have strongly denounced the cafe siege and a string of other recent attacks on minorities, have criticised the sermon regulation as "undesirable". "Long before the Foundation issued its instructions, our clerics have been vocal against terrorism," said Mufti Faiz Ullah, secretary general of Islamic Oikya Jote, a faith-based party. Last month, just ahead of the cafe attack, a pro-government council of clerics issued a fatwa against violent Jihad, which was endorsed by more than 100,000 imams. (AFP)

Bangladesh regulates?Friday?sermons after attacks

Nearly 80 were killed late on Thursday when a truck ploughed into a crowd in the French Riviera resort of Nice during Bastille Day celebrations, the latest attack in a country still reeling from last year&#39;s Islamic State terror assaults. 
 
Here is a recap of major attacks and foiled attempts since the Charlie Hebdo shootings in January 2015. 
 
January 7-9, 2015: Two men armed with Kalashnikov rifles storm the Paris offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo killing 12, including eight cartoonists. A policewoman is killed just outside Paris the following day, while a gunman takes hostages at a Jewish supermarket, four of whom are killed. The Charlie Hebdo attackers and the hostage-taker are killed in separate shootouts with police, but not before claiming allegiance to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) respectively.&nbsp; 
 
February 3: Three soldiers guarding a Jewish community centre in Nice on the French Riviera, are attacked by a knife-wielding man. The 30-year-old assailant, Moussa Coulibaly, is arrested. In custody, he expresses his hatred for France, the police, the military and Jews. 
 
April 19: Sid Ahmed Ghlam, an Algerian IT student, is arrested in Paris on suspicion of killing a woman who was found shot dead in the passenger seat of her car, and of planning an attack on a church in the Paris suburb of Villejuif. Prosecutors say they found documents about Al-Qaeda and the IS at his home, and that he had been in touch with a suspected jihadist in Syria about an attack on a church. 
 
June 26 : Frenchman Yassin Salhi, 35, kills and beheads his boss Herve Cornara and displays the severed head on the fence of a gas plant surrounded by Islamic flags. He tries to blow up the factory at Saint-Quentin-Fallavier in southeast France, but is arrested. He commits suicide in his jail cell in December. 
 
&nbsp;July 13 : Four young men aged 16 to 23, including a former soldier, are arrested on charges of planning an attack on a military camp to behead an officer in the name of jihad. They proclaim allegiance to IS. 
 
August 21 : American, British and French passengers prevent a bloodbath on a high-speed Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris, tackling a man who opened fire on passengers. He was armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, an automatic pistol, and a box-cutter. The gunman is identified as 25-year-old Moroccan national Ayoub El Khazzani, known to intelligence services for links to radical Islam. 
 
November 13: Nine men,most of whom had fought alongside IS extremists in Syria, unleash explosives near the Stade de France stadium and open fire on people enjoying a night out at bars and restaurants in Paris, and at the Bataclan concert hall that lies just a short walk from where the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists were killed. In all, 130 people lose their lives and 350 are wounded. On November 14, the IS claims responsibility. 
 
November 18: A teacher at a Jewish school in the southern city of Marseille is stabbed by three people shouting anti-Semitic obscenities and expressing support for the IS. The man, himself Jewish, is injured in the arms, legs and stomach. 
 
January 1, 2016: A Frenchman of Tunisian origin tries to run down troops guarding a mosque in the southeastern town of Valence. He is charged with attempted homicide after telling emergency responders he &quot;wanted to be killed by soldiers and to kill soldiers... a way for him to appear like a martyr&quot;. 
 
January 7, 2016: A man wielding a meat cleaver and carrying the emblem of the IS is shot dead as he tries to attack a police station in Paris. Convicted of theft in 2013, the man identified himself at the time as Sallah Ali, born in the Moroccan city of Casablanca in 1995. 
 
June 13, 2016: Police officer Jean-Baptiste Salvaing, 42, and his companion, Jessica Schneider, 36, are killed at their home in Magnanville, west of Paris, by Larosssi Abballa, 25. Salvaing is stabbed to death, while Schneider`s throat is slit in front of their young son. Abballa is killed by a police SWAT team, but has already claimed the murders on social media in the name of the Islamic State group. 
 
July 14, 2016: A truck barrels two kilometres (1.3 miles) through a crowd on Nice&#39;s palm-lined Promenade des Anglais after a Bastille Day fireworks display, killing at least 80 people and injuring scores more. The driver is shot dead by security forces.There is no immediate claim of responsibility but prosecutors say the probe will be handled by anti-terrorism investigators. 
 
(AFP)

France has seen 11 attacks after the killings in the headquarter of the French satirical magazine on January 7, 2015

Nearly 80 were killed late on Thursday when a truck ploughed into a crowd in the French Riviera resort of Nice during Bastille Day celebrations, the latest attack in a country still reeling from last year's Islamic State terror assaults. Here is a recap of major attacks and foiled attempts since the Charlie Hebdo shootings in January 2015. January 7-9, 2015: Two men armed with Kalashnikov rifles storm the Paris offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo killing 12, including eight cartoonists. A policewoman is killed just outside Paris the following day, while a gunman takes hostages at a Jewish supermarket, four of whom are killed. The Charlie Hebdo attackers and the hostage-taker are killed in separate shootouts with police, but not before claiming allegiance to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) respectively. February 3: Three soldiers guarding a Jewish community centre in Nice on the French Riviera, are attacked by a knife-wielding man. The 30-year-old assailant, Moussa Coulibaly, is arrested. In custody, he expresses his hatred for France, the police, the military and Jews. April 19: Sid Ahmed Ghlam, an Algerian IT student, is arrested in Paris on suspicion of killing a woman who was found shot dead in the passenger seat of her car, and of planning an attack on a church in the Paris suburb of Villejuif. Prosecutors say they found documents about Al-Qaeda and the IS at his home, and that he had been in touch with a suspected jihadist in Syria about an attack on a church. June 26 : Frenchman Yassin Salhi, 35, kills and beheads his boss Herve Cornara and displays the severed head on the fence of a gas plant surrounded by Islamic flags. He tries to blow up the factory at Saint-Quentin-Fallavier in southeast France, but is arrested. He commits suicide in his jail cell in December. July 13 : Four young men aged 16 to 23, including a former soldier, are arrested on charges of planning an attack on a military camp to behead an officer in the name of jihad. They proclaim allegiance to IS. August 21 : American, British and French passengers prevent a bloodbath on a high-speed Thalys train from Amsterdam to Paris, tackling a man who opened fire on passengers. He was armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle, an automatic pistol, and a box-cutter. The gunman is identified as 25-year-old Moroccan national Ayoub El Khazzani, known to intelligence services for links to radical Islam. November 13: Nine men,most of whom had fought alongside IS extremists in Syria, unleash explosives near the Stade de France stadium and open fire on people enjoying a night out at bars and restaurants in Paris, and at the Bataclan concert hall that lies just a short walk from where the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists were killed. In all, 130 people lose their lives and 350 are wounded. On November 14, the IS claims responsibility. November 18: A teacher at a Jewish school in the southern city of Marseille is stabbed by three people shouting anti-Semitic obscenities and expressing support for the IS. The man, himself Jewish, is injured in the arms, legs and stomach. January 1, 2016: A Frenchman of Tunisian origin tries to run down troops guarding a mosque in the southeastern town of Valence. He is charged with attempted homicide after telling emergency responders he "wanted to be killed by soldiers and to kill soldiers... a way for him to appear like a martyr". January 7, 2016: A man wielding a meat cleaver and carrying the emblem of the IS is shot dead as he tries to attack a police station in Paris. Convicted of theft in 2013, the man identified himself at the time as Sallah Ali, born in the Moroccan city of Casablanca in 1995. June 13, 2016: Police officer Jean-Baptiste Salvaing, 42, and his companion, Jessica Schneider, 36, are killed at their home in Magnanville, west of Paris, by Larosssi Abballa, 25. Salvaing is stabbed to death, while Schneider`s throat is slit in front of their young son. Abballa is killed by a police SWAT team, but has already claimed the murders on social media in the name of the Islamic State group. July 14, 2016: A truck barrels two kilometres (1.3 miles) through a crowd on Nice's palm-lined Promenade des Anglais after a Bastille Day fireworks display, killing at least 80 people and injuring scores more. The driver is shot dead by security forces.There is no immediate claim of responsibility but prosecutors say the probe will be handled by anti-terrorism investigators. (AFP)

List of attacks in France since Charlie Hebdo slayings

The Afghan Taliban today condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Islam`s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, describing it as &quot;an act of enmity and hatred&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Four people were killed in the bombing outside the Prophet`s Mosque on Monday, the same day as an attack outside a minority shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, and another near the US consulate in the western city of Jeddah.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) &nbsp;which has been shocked by this gruesome act condemns this incident in the strongest of terms and considers it an act of enmity and hatred towards Islamic rituals,&quot; the militant group said in an emailed statement.&nbsp; 
 
There were no claims of responsibility for the bombings, but the Islamic State group had urged its supporters to carry out attacks during Ramzan. 
 
The Taliban, who were ousted from power by a US-led invasion in late 2001, have themselves been repeatedly blamed by the UN for deliberately targeting civilians in the war-torn country.&nbsp; 
 
As many as 600 civilians were killed and 1,343 were injured in the first three months of 2016, according to a UN report in April, with the Taliban responsible for six out of every 10 casualties.&nbsp; 
 
Monday`s suicide bombing received wide condemnation from across the Muslim world, with Shiite power Iran calling for Muslim unity following the attacks in its Sunni-dominated regional rival. 
 
Afghanistan`s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attacks in Saudi Arabia in a tweet today, expressing his sympathies to the people and government of Saudi Arabia. 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Four people were killed in the attack outside the Prophet`s Mosque on Monday

The Afghan Taliban today condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Islam`s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, describing it as "an act of enmity and hatred". Four people were killed in the bombing outside the Prophet`s Mosque on Monday, the same day as an attack outside a minority shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, and another near the US consulate in the western city of Jeddah. "The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) which has been shocked by this gruesome act condemns this incident in the strongest of terms and considers it an act of enmity and hatred towards Islamic rituals," the militant group said in an emailed statement. There were no claims of responsibility for the bombings, but the Islamic State group had urged its supporters to carry out attacks during Ramzan. The Taliban, who were ousted from power by a US-led invasion in late 2001, have themselves been repeatedly blamed by the UN for deliberately targeting civilians in the war-torn country. As many as 600 civilians were killed and 1,343 were injured in the first three months of 2016, according to a UN report in April, with the Taliban responsible for six out of every 10 casualties. Monday`s suicide bombing received wide condemnation from across the Muslim world, with Shiite power Iran calling for Muslim unity following the attacks in its Sunni-dominated regional rival. Afghanistan`s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attacks in Saudi Arabia in a tweet today, expressing his sympathies to the people and government of Saudi Arabia. (AFP)

Afghan Taliban condemn Medina bombing

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 24 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group`s deadliest attacks in the country. 
 
&quot;We must continue to fight, this insult must be expunged, there is nothing to be done, it must be avenged,&quot; Defence Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said Sunday. 
 
The minister was speaking to troops at a garrison at Bosso, near the Nigerian border where the deadly attack took place on Friday, according to a broadcast on state television on Monday. 
 
The bradcast said the minister visited military positions in Bosso accompanied by army chiefs and Nigerian General Lamidi Adeosun, head of the multinational force that groups soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to fight Boko Haram. 
The minister also toured the town to view to scale of the damage caused by the Islamic insurgents, the television said. 
 
It showed images of a burnt-out military transport vehicle and a town seemingly devoid of its 20,000 residents and Nigerian refugees. 
 
&quot;It`s terrible, all of Niger is crying,&quot; said Massoudou, adding that he felt &quot;deeply wounded&quot; after visiting the site of the bloodshed. 
The attack &quot;will unfortunately be engraved on the history of our people.&quot; 
 
He urged the troops to keep their &quot;morale high&quot; as &quot;we will win this war.&quot; 
 
Twenty-four Nigerien and two Nigerian soldiers were killed in the attack by hundreds of Boko Haram assailants on a military post in Bosso, the government said in a statement Monday.&nbsp; 
 
The defence ministry earlier said that a total of 32 soldiers had been killed.&nbsp; 
 
Some 67 soldiers were injured, according to the updated statement, while 55 Boko Haram fighters were killed and &quot;many&quot; injured. &quot;On the enemy`s side, several dead and injured were taken away,&quot; the ministry said. 
 
Local resident and former MP Elhaj Aboubacar said: &quot;They drove up at twilight, shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), they fired a lot of shots and torched many places in Bosso.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We don`t know where our military went, but one thing is for sure, Boko Haram were able to do what they liked until dawn,&quot; Aboubacar said. 
 
It was one of the deadliest attacks by Boko Haram in Niger since the Islamist group began launching raids in the country in February 2015 from its stronghold in neighbouring Nigeria. 
 
Boko Haram`s seven-year insurgency has devastated infrastructure in Nigeria`s impoverished northeast and forced around 2.1 million people in Nigeria to flee their homes, according to the UN`s refugee agency. 
 
The unrest has left at least 20,000 people dead in Nigeria and made more than 2.6 million homeless. 
 
Since Friday`s attacks, thousands of residents have fled Bosso to &quot;more secure areas&quot;, a UN source said. 
 
Water, food, shelter and medical aid remain &quot;the most urgent needs&quot;, the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in Niamey. 
 
It said humanitarian aid missions to Bosso were suspended for security reasons. 
The attack comes as the multinational force prepares to launch a &quot;decisive&quot; offensive against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 24 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group`s deadliest attacks in the country

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 24 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group`s deadliest attacks in the country. "We must continue to fight, this insult must be expunged, there is nothing to be done, it must be avenged," Defence Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said Sunday. The minister was speaking to troops at a garrison at Bosso, near the Nigerian border where the deadly attack took place on Friday, according to a broadcast on state television on Monday. The bradcast said the minister visited military positions in Bosso accompanied by army chiefs and Nigerian General Lamidi Adeosun, head of the multinational force that groups soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to fight Boko Haram. The minister also toured the town to view to scale of the damage caused by the Islamic insurgents, the television said. It showed images of a burnt-out military transport vehicle and a town seemingly devoid of its 20,000 residents and Nigerian refugees. "It`s terrible, all of Niger is crying," said Massoudou, adding that he felt "deeply wounded" after visiting the site of the bloodshed. The attack "will unfortunately be engraved on the history of our people." He urged the troops to keep their "morale high" as "we will win this war." Twenty-four Nigerien and two Nigerian soldiers were killed in the attack by hundreds of Boko Haram assailants on a military post in Bosso, the government said in a statement Monday. The defence ministry earlier said that a total of 32 soldiers had been killed. Some 67 soldiers were injured, according to the updated statement, while 55 Boko Haram fighters were killed and "many" injured. "On the enemy`s side, several dead and injured were taken away," the ministry said. Local resident and former MP Elhaj Aboubacar said: "They drove up at twilight, shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), they fired a lot of shots and torched many places in Bosso." "We don`t know where our military went, but one thing is for sure, Boko Haram were able to do what they liked until dawn," Aboubacar said. It was one of the deadliest attacks by Boko Haram in Niger since the Islamist group began launching raids in the country in February 2015 from its stronghold in neighbouring Nigeria. Boko Haram`s seven-year insurgency has devastated infrastructure in Nigeria`s impoverished northeast and forced around 2.1 million people in Nigeria to flee their homes, according to the UN`s refugee agency. The unrest has left at least 20,000 people dead in Nigeria and made more than 2.6 million homeless. Since Friday`s attacks, thousands of residents have fled Bosso to "more secure areas", a UN source said. Water, food, shelter and medical aid remain "the most urgent needs", the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in Niamey. It said humanitarian aid missions to Bosso were suspended for security reasons. The attack comes as the multinational force prepares to launch a "decisive" offensive against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

Niger vows to avenge deadly raid by Boko Haram

German prosecutors are investigating claims by 26 women that they were sexually harassed at a music festival in the western city of Darmstadt at the weekend and police have arrested three men with Pakistani backgrounds, a police spokesman said on Wednesday.

By late on Tuesday, 26 women had come forward and 14 formal complaints had been made.

&quot;The women complained that they were surrounded by small groups of men who then touched them inappropriately,&quot; the spokesman said, adding the matter was now with prosecutors.

The incident has set off alarm bells in Germany after mass sexual attacks on women at New Year&#39;s Eve in Cologne, which fuelled a backlash against Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s open-door migrant policy.

Hundreds of women said they were groped, attacked and robbed outside the Cologne train station and police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance.

Darmstadt police said they had on Sunday arrested three male suspects aged between 28 and 31. Two are seeking asylum, and a third is also from Pakistan but has been living in Germany for a long time. It is unclear if he was also seeking asylum.

More women came forward once they heard about the arrests at the four-day music festival which attracted a total of 300,000-400,000 people, the spokesman said.

Despite a fall in her own and her conservative party&#39;s popularity since her welcome to migrants, Merkel told Bunte magazine that even with hindsight, she would allow people in humanitarian need to enter Germany again, as she did last year.

&quot;I recommend anyone who is fearful to take the opportunity to personally get to know someone who has fled to us. These are people who have experienced and suffered a lot and have their worries and hopes just as much as we do,&quot; she told Bunte.

German prosecutors are investigating claims of 26 women who say they were were sexually harassed in a music festival in Darmstadt

German prosecutors are investigating claims by 26 women that they were sexually harassed at a music festival in the western city of Darmstadt at the weekend and police have arrested three men with Pakistani backgrounds, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. By late on Tuesday, 26 women had come forward and 14 formal complaints had been made. "The women complained that they were surrounded by small groups of men who then touched them inappropriately," the spokesman said, adding the matter was now with prosecutors. The incident has set off alarm bells in Germany after mass sexual attacks on women at New Year's Eve in Cologne, which fuelled a backlash against Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door migrant policy. Hundreds of women said they were groped, attacked and robbed outside the Cologne train station and police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance. Darmstadt police said they had on Sunday arrested three male suspects aged between 28 and 31. Two are seeking asylum, and a third is also from Pakistan but has been living in Germany for a long time. It is unclear if he was also seeking asylum. More women came forward once they heard about the arrests at the four-day music festival which attracted a total of 300,000-400,000 people, the spokesman said. Despite a fall in her own and her conservative party's popularity since her welcome to migrants, Merkel told Bunte magazine that even with hindsight, she would allow people in humanitarian need to enter Germany again, as she did last year. "I recommend anyone who is fearful to take the opportunity to personally get to know someone who has fled to us. These are people who have experienced and suffered a lot and have their worries and hopes just as much as we do," she told Bunte.

Germany investigates sexual attacks on women at music festival

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Criticising the central government over attacks on African nationals in India, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that such attacks were a serious issue with international repercussions. 
 
 
&quot;Attacks on Africans in Delhi is a serious issue with international repercussions. The BJP government can`t wish them away,&quot; Yechury said in a tweet. 
 
Yechury`s comments come after a 23-year-old Nigerian student was allegedly beaten by a local over a parking dispute in Hyderabad.&nbsp; 
 
The incident comes days after a 23-year-old Congolese national was beaten to death in south Delhi`s Vasant Kunj area over a minor dispute. 
 
The incidents of attacks has angered African envoys in Delhi who have protested to the Indian government, which has assured protection for the thousands of African students who study in India. 
 
The attack on the Congolese national saw repercussions in Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa, where Indian shops were attacked a some Indians injured in apparent retaliation earlier this week. 
 
--IANS

Criticising the central government over attacks on African nationals in India, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that such attacks were a serious issue with international repercussions

New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Criticising the central government over attacks on African nationals in India, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that such attacks were a serious issue with international repercussions. "Attacks on Africans in Delhi is a serious issue with international repercussions. The BJP government can`t wish them away," Yechury said in a tweet. Yechury`s comments come after a 23-year-old Nigerian student was allegedly beaten by a local over a parking dispute in Hyderabad. The incident comes days after a 23-year-old Congolese national was beaten to death in south Delhi`s Vasant Kunj area over a minor dispute. The incidents of attacks has angered African envoys in Delhi who have protested to the Indian government, which has assured protection for the thousands of African students who study in India. The attack on the Congolese national saw repercussions in Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa, where Indian shops were attacked a some Indians injured in apparent retaliation earlier this week. --IANS

Attacks on Africans a serious issue: Yechury

attacks

Attacks, News on Attacks, stories on Attacks, articles on Attacks, Attacks stories at Wion, Attacks news, Attacks latest news