Libya which is in a deadly regional conflict might finally see some peace after a new line of talks between the rival camps in Morocco. The talks begin to put an end to a decade-old conflict.

Libya's opposing factions come together for talks

Rockets from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region hit the capital of neighbouring Eritrea on Saturday, signifying Ethiopia's internal conflict had spread beyond its borders.

In a major escalation of an 11-day conflict pitting Ethiopian federal troops against local forces in the northern Tigray region, at least three rockets were fired at Eritrea's capital from Ethiopia on Saturday night. 
&nbsp; 
At least two of the rockets hit Asmara airport, three diplomats said.

Tigray's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, said on Tuesday that Eritrea had sent troops across the border in support of Ethiopian government forces but provided no evidence.

Ethiopian&nbsp;Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced November 4 he had ordered military operations in Tigray in a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud with the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).&nbsp;

Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in the conflict in Africa's second most populous country, some in a gruesome massacre documented by Amnesty International.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thousands have fled fighting and air strikes in Tigray, crossing to neighbouring Sudan.&nbsp;

The TPLF accuses Abiy's government of enlisting military support from Eritrea, something Ethiopia denies.&nbsp;

Tigray has been under a communications blackout since the conflict began, and calls to Asmara were not going through Saturday.&nbsp;

The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades and in that time fought a brutal 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea that left tens of thousands dead.

Abiy came to power in 2018 and won the Nobel prize the following year in large part for his effort to initiate a rapprochement with Eritrea.

Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace deal two years ago, but Isaias Afwerki's government in Asmara remains hostile to the Tigrayan leadership after its role in a devastating 1998-2000 war.

Late on Friday rockets were fired at two airports in Ethiopia's Amhara state, which has sent troops into Tigray in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in what Tigray’s ruling party said was retaliation for government air strikes against their region.

(with inputs from agencies)

Rockets from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region hit the capital of neighbouring Eritrea on Saturday, signifying Ethiopia's internal conflict had spread beyond its borders.

Rockets from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region hit the capital of neighbouring Eritrea on Saturday, signifying Ethiopia's internal conflict had spread beyond its borders. In a major escalation of an 11-day conflict pitting Ethiopian federal troops against local forces in the northern Tigray region, at least three rockets were fired at Eritrea's capital from Ethiopia on Saturday night. At least two of the rockets hit Asmara airport, three diplomats said. Tigray's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, said on Tuesday that Eritrea had sent troops across the border in support of Ethiopian government forces but provided no evidence. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced November 4 he had ordered military operations in Tigray in a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud with the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Hundreds of people are reported to have been killed in the conflict in Africa's second most populous country, some in a gruesome massacre documented by Amnesty International. Thousands have fled fighting and air strikes in Tigray, crossing to neighbouring Sudan. The TPLF accuses Abiy's government of enlisting military support from Eritrea, something Ethiopia denies. Tigray has been under a communications blackout since the conflict began, and calls to Asmara were not going through Saturday. The TPLF dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades and in that time fought a brutal 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea that left tens of thousands dead. Abiy came to power in 2018 and won the Nobel prize the following year in large part for his effort to initiate a rapprochement with Eritrea. Eritrea and Ethiopia signed a peace deal two years ago, but Isaias Afwerki's government in Asmara remains hostile to the Tigrayan leadership after its role in a devastating 1998-2000 war. Late on Friday rockets were fired at two airports in Ethiopia's Amhara state, which has sent troops into Tigray in support of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in what Tigray’s ruling party said was retaliation for government air strikes against their region. (with inputs from agencies)

Ethiopia's internal conflict goes beyond its borders, rockets hit Eritrea capital

A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, David Letterman sat behind his desk at CBS’s “Late Show” and shared the story of a rally in Choteau, Montana, to raise money for New York. Getting choked up, he told his viewers, “If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about the spirit of the United States, then I can’t help you.”

Nineteen years later, with the country in the midst of a monthslong pandemic, Letterman found it difficult to conjure up any similarly inspiring anecdotes. One morning last week, this veteran late-night host, broadcaster and comedian, now 73, was sitting in a park here, contemplating the Hudson River and cracking wise about the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

“It looks kind of unfinished,” he said through a fabric mask that barely held back his unruly beard. “Doesn’t it look like the new kid got to design it?”

But truth be told, Letterman was in a more melancholy than mirthful frame of mind. Though he, his wife, Regina, and their son, Harry, have remained safe, he knows several people who were stricken by the coronavirus, some of whom died from it. And he is deeply frustrated by what he feels have been inconsistent, nationwide efforts to inform people about the pandemic and mitigate its spread.

While hardly its most devastating casualty, Letterman’s Netflix interview show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” returns Wednesday but nearly came to a halt. He had recorded two episodes, with Kim Kardashian West and with Robert Downey Jr., before the pandemic, and believed the season — if not the series — was finished.

Instead, he was able to produce two more episodes over the summer, under substantially different circumstances: one with Dave Chappelle, which was recorded at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio; and one with Lizzo, at her home studio in Los Angeles, which had no audience at all.

For Letterman, each of these episodes offered him a further education in the evolution of entertainment and deeper insights as an interviewer and observer of human nature. Even so, he found himself yearning for what he called “the carefree days of nonsense” when he could “bring people into a theater and talk to them for an hour, and when we were done I would go out into the crowd and shake hands, and everybody would want to tongue-kiss me.”

“We don’t do that anymore,” he added.

Letterman spoke further about his pandemic experience, the making of his Netflix series and what he hopes the future might hold for him. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.

Q: How has the pandemic been for you? What is it like for you now?

A: Like everybody else, you forget about it. Six, eight months into it, you go on talking as though things are normal, and then it’s, oh, no, we can’t do that because of the pandemic. In the beginning, it was more than ghastly. The husband of a woman that worked at (“Late Show”), he died. A teacher at Harry’s school died. Paul Shaffer and his wife both had it. Cathy, his wife, was hospitalized. Barbara Gaines, who was a producer on the show, she and her wife both had it. And on and on and on.

Q: How do you feel when you come into contact with people elsewhere in the country who don’t seem to be taking the pandemic as seriously?

A: That makes me very sad. Because we learned a lesson that these other people are dismissing. I was talking to a friend of mine, and he was furious at the mayor of his city for keeping it closed, and he said, “Well, that guy will never be reelected.” And I just thought, do I tell him what this really can be? We’re looking at a quarter of a million people dead soon. But I just didn’t want to have that fight. 
 
Q: After the 9/11 attacks, you gave several “Late Show” monologues where you tried to rally your viewers’ spirits and bring them together. Do you ever feel like saying anything similar now?

A: Something applicable to these times? I wish I had the wherewithal to say something meaningful. But all of these people who are resisting the idea of prevention, I just keep thinking: What about the families of the 220,000 people who are dead? I wonder how they’re feeling. I don’t get it. I have no solution other than to do what is told: Take care of yourself and your family.

Q: How did the pandemic affect your work on your Netflix series?

A: I thought we were done for good. Really. In the beginning, it really seemed like, holy God, they’re coming over the wall, we’re all going to die. People keep reminding me that, at my age, I’m particularly vulnerable. Which I don’t appreciate at all. “Dad, you know you’re close to 100, you’d better not go out.”

Q: How did you decide to continue with your season?

A: We had two more episodes (with Lizzo and Dave Chappelle) in preproduction, and we were eager to do something. We did them within a very short period of time, and then we came home. By that point, there were protocols in place from the production company and from Netflix that we had to observe, gladly, and we got through it OK.

Q: Kim Kardashian West, who is now a prized guest on your Netflix series, was a frequent target of mockery in your “Late Show” days.

A: Oh, I was at the head of that list. I can remember when she would be booked on the show, it was like, I don’t know anything about her, and I’ve never seen her show. And then when we went to talk to Kanye, I thought, oh, I’ve misjudged this woman.

Q: What changed your mind about her?

A: After we met with Kanye West (for the previous season of the Netflix series), I had a long talk with her at their home, and I started to think about how I had used her as a joke and regarded her as someone not to be taken seriously. I found that that impression was not the end of the story. She had a family. She has her prison reform program. I won’t comment on the ease of being married to Kanye West. And if she can keep a show like that on the air for all those years, that’s an accomplishment. If you can stay in business on television that long, good for you.

Q: You went to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to interview Dave Chappelle. Did you perform at his outdoor comedy show there?

A: Yes. I think I did it. (To his publicist) Did I do it? (Publicist answers: “You did it.”) I’m being told I did it (laughs). It was grand. The setting is unique. It’s outdoors. Everybody’s tested, everybody social distanced. He had three or four comics on and each comic made my heart sink deeper. Because when I was doing comedy, a lot of it was (weakly) “Hey, where you from?” But these men and women, whoa — the level of it, the intellect of it, the presentation of it is so much more than it was when me and my little buddies were, “Hey, how ya doin’, I just got in from Indiana.” Really? No one cares. Get outta here.

Q: Do you ever have moments in these interviews where you feel as if you don’t have a shared frame of reference to talk to some of these guests?

A: Yes. Because the experience is barely parallel. We’re all in show business, but that’s as close a comparison as you can make, culturally. I did feel like, is this going to look stupid? An old guy here, trying to talk to people who are thriving and alive and dominating the world through social media? I felt like it was a wreck. That’s the inner dialogue.

Q: How do you get past this?

A: Like anybody else that you talk to, every human being, there are situations that helped develop into what they are. So you’re going to get a story out of anybody. It may not happen in the first five minutes, but in every one of these experiences, there’s always a conduit for mutual experience. “Oh yeah? You think that’s something? Well, one time I choked on a peanut-butter sandwich and nearly died.” You have to make everybody a good interview.

Q: Do you think that late-night television, a genre that you helped to pioneer, has been diminished in recent years — that so much of it has become political comedy that doesn’t really move the needle and crowds out everything else?

A: I know that people have been hugely successful with it. Stephen (Colbert) has done a great job with my old show — his show now. In my day, the goal was just anything to make the audience laugh. That may be part of the dynamic now. People have this hunger to see the current administration being assailed and embarrassing itself. So I think that’s what (late-night shows) worked toward. I don’t fault them for that. After a while, it wears thin, but the appetite for it has not worn thin. I think they still do enough business to keep people happy.

Q: Do you ever find yourself fearing for the future of this country?

A: I really did, until recently. And now I am confident — or more confident than I’ve been in the last four years — that we’re changing presidents in a couple of weeks. And it will be a huge victory. Not just for our culture and our government, but the simple act of voting will have been the reason that the rest of our country is put back together and, in many ways, saved from what appears to be tyranny, certainly jeopardy. I think it will be a huge victory on many fronts, not the least of which is calling attention to the valuable freedom of voting.

Q: Please don’t mistake this for a suggestion, but do you ever think about packing it in as a broadcaster entirely?

A: First of all, you can’t hurt my feelings because I’m dead inside. But the Netflix people put me back in business in a way that has been, for me, really, really fun. On the other hand, I recognize my own shelf life. I’m way overdue. When it happens, I still will enjoy little things here and there, and that’ll be enough. But there’s other people more capable. I got no problem with that. If there is any kind of schedule, it would be when my son is finished with high school. But if it’s tomorrow, that’s fine.

Q: Your son, Harry, is 16 now. Are you worried about how the pandemic is going to affect his life?

A: I think it’s every parent’s concern, regardless of the age of their kids. But for Harry and his buddies, the junior year of high school is a crucial experience. Now they’re starting to look beyond high school, and it’s not good. For guys Harry’s age and older, it might be a setback. Time takes care of everything, and one hopes that that’s the case here.

Q: How do you talk about these feelings with him?

A: I had a conversation with my son the other night that went this way. Because of the pandemic and the fact that he’s getting older, I said, Harry, your mother and I have two responsibilities. One is to keep you safe. And other than the time that your mother let you roll off the bed and land on your head, we have kept you safe. The other responsibility is your happiness. And he said, “Have you been drinking?” So that’s how that works at my house.

&nbsp;

A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, David Letterman sat behind his desk at CBS’s “Late Show” and shared the story of a rally in Choteau, Montana, to raise money for New York.

A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, David Letterman sat behind his desk at CBS’s “Late Show” and shared the story of a rally in Choteau, Montana, to raise money for New York. Getting choked up, he told his viewers, “If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about the spirit of the United States, then I can’t help you.” Nineteen years later, with the country in the midst of a monthslong pandemic, Letterman found it difficult to conjure up any similarly inspiring anecdotes. One morning last week, this veteran late-night host, broadcaster and comedian, now 73, was sitting in a park here, contemplating the Hudson River and cracking wise about the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. “It looks kind of unfinished,” he said through a fabric mask that barely held back his unruly beard. “Doesn’t it look like the new kid got to design it?” But truth be told, Letterman was in a more melancholy than mirthful frame of mind. Though he, his wife, Regina, and their son, Harry, have remained safe, he knows several people who were stricken by the coronavirus, some of whom died from it. And he is deeply frustrated by what he feels have been inconsistent, nationwide efforts to inform people about the pandemic and mitigate its spread. While hardly its most devastating casualty, Letterman’s Netflix interview show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” returns Wednesday but nearly came to a halt. He had recorded two episodes, with Kim Kardashian West and with Robert Downey Jr., before the pandemic, and believed the season — if not the series — was finished. Instead, he was able to produce two more episodes over the summer, under substantially different circumstances: one with Dave Chappelle, which was recorded at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio; and one with Lizzo, at her home studio in Los Angeles, which had no audience at all. For Letterman, each of these episodes offered him a further education in the evolution of entertainment and deeper insights as an interviewer and observer of human nature. Even so, he found himself yearning for what he called “the carefree days of nonsense” when he could “bring people into a theater and talk to them for an hour, and when we were done I would go out into the crowd and shake hands, and everybody would want to tongue-kiss me.” “We don’t do that anymore,” he added. Letterman spoke further about his pandemic experience, the making of his Netflix series and what he hopes the future might hold for him. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. Q: How has the pandemic been for you? What is it like for you now? A: Like everybody else, you forget about it. Six, eight months into it, you go on talking as though things are normal, and then it’s, oh, no, we can’t do that because of the pandemic. In the beginning, it was more than ghastly. The husband of a woman that worked at (“Late Show”), he died. A teacher at Harry’s school died. Paul Shaffer and his wife both had it. Cathy, his wife, was hospitalized. Barbara Gaines, who was a producer on the show, she and her wife both had it. And on and on and on. Q: How do you feel when you come into contact with people elsewhere in the country who don’t seem to be taking the pandemic as seriously? A: That makes me very sad. Because we learned a lesson that these other people are dismissing. I was talking to a friend of mine, and he was furious at the mayor of his city for keeping it closed, and he said, “Well, that guy will never be reelected.” And I just thought, do I tell him what this really can be? We’re looking at a quarter of a million people dead soon. But I just didn’t want to have that fight. Q: After the 9/11 attacks, you gave several “Late Show” monologues where you tried to rally your viewers’ spirits and bring them together. Do you ever feel like saying anything similar now? A: Something applicable to these times? I wish I had the wherewithal to say something meaningful. But all of these people who are resisting the idea of prevention, I just keep thinking: What about the families of the 220,000 people who are dead? I wonder how they’re feeling. I don’t get it. I have no solution other than to do what is told: Take care of yourself and your family. Q: How did the pandemic affect your work on your Netflix series? A: I thought we were done for good. Really. In the beginning, it really seemed like, holy God, they’re coming over the wall, we’re all going to die. People keep reminding me that, at my age, I’m particularly vulnerable. Which I don’t appreciate at all. “Dad, you know you’re close to 100, you’d better not go out.” Q: How did you decide to continue with your season? A: We had two more episodes (with Lizzo and Dave Chappelle) in preproduction, and we were eager to do something. We did them within a very short period of time, and then we came home. By that point, there were protocols in place from the production company and from Netflix that we had to observe, gladly, and we got through it OK. Q: Kim Kardashian West, who is now a prized guest on your Netflix series, was a frequent target of mockery in your “Late Show” days. A: Oh, I was at the head of that list. I can remember when she would be booked on the show, it was like, I don’t know anything about her, and I’ve never seen her show. And then when we went to talk to Kanye, I thought, oh, I’ve misjudged this woman. Q: What changed your mind about her? A: After we met with Kanye West (for the previous season of the Netflix series), I had a long talk with her at their home, and I started to think about how I had used her as a joke and regarded her as someone not to be taken seriously. I found that that impression was not the end of the story. She had a family. She has her prison reform program. I won’t comment on the ease of being married to Kanye West. And if she can keep a show like that on the air for all those years, that’s an accomplishment. If you can stay in business on television that long, good for you. Q: You went to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to interview Dave Chappelle. Did you perform at his outdoor comedy show there? A: Yes. I think I did it. (To his publicist) Did I do it? (Publicist answers: “You did it.”) I’m being told I did it (laughs). It was grand. The setting is unique. It’s outdoors. Everybody’s tested, everybody social distanced. He had three or four comics on and each comic made my heart sink deeper. Because when I was doing comedy, a lot of it was (weakly) “Hey, where you from?” But these men and women, whoa — the level of it, the intellect of it, the presentation of it is so much more than it was when me and my little buddies were, “Hey, how ya doin’, I just got in from Indiana.” Really? No one cares. Get outta here. Q: Do you ever have moments in these interviews where you feel as if you don’t have a shared frame of reference to talk to some of these guests? A: Yes. Because the experience is barely parallel. We’re all in show business, but that’s as close a comparison as you can make, culturally. I did feel like, is this going to look stupid? An old guy here, trying to talk to people who are thriving and alive and dominating the world through social media? I felt like it was a wreck. That’s the inner dialogue. Q: How do you get past this? A: Like anybody else that you talk to, every human being, there are situations that helped develop into what they are. So you’re going to get a story out of anybody. It may not happen in the first five minutes, but in every one of these experiences, there’s always a conduit for mutual experience. “Oh yeah? You think that’s something? Well, one time I choked on a peanut-butter sandwich and nearly died.” You have to make everybody a good interview. Q: Do you think that late-night television, a genre that you helped to pioneer, has been diminished in recent years — that so much of it has become political comedy that doesn’t really move the needle and crowds out everything else? A: I know that people have been hugely successful with it. Stephen (Colbert) has done a great job with my old show — his show now. In my day, the goal was just anything to make the audience laugh. That may be part of the dynamic now. People have this hunger to see the current administration being assailed and embarrassing itself. So I think that’s what (late-night shows) worked toward. I don’t fault them for that. After a while, it wears thin, but the appetite for it has not worn thin. I think they still do enough business to keep people happy. Q: Do you ever find yourself fearing for the future of this country? A: I really did, until recently. And now I am confident — or more confident than I’ve been in the last four years — that we’re changing presidents in a couple of weeks. And it will be a huge victory. Not just for our culture and our government, but the simple act of voting will have been the reason that the rest of our country is put back together and, in many ways, saved from what appears to be tyranny, certainly jeopardy. I think it will be a huge victory on many fronts, not the least of which is calling attention to the valuable freedom of voting. Q: Please don’t mistake this for a suggestion, but do you ever think about packing it in as a broadcaster entirely? A: First of all, you can’t hurt my feelings because I’m dead inside. But the Netflix people put me back in business in a way that has been, for me, really, really fun. On the other hand, I recognize my own shelf life. I’m way overdue. When it happens, I still will enjoy little things here and there, and that’ll be enough. But there’s other people more capable. I got no problem with that. If there is any kind of schedule, it would be when my son is finished with high school. But if it’s tomorrow, that’s fine. Q: Your son, Harry, is 16 now. Are you worried about how the pandemic is going to affect his life? A: I think it’s every parent’s concern, regardless of the age of their kids. But for Harry and his buddies, the junior year of high school is a crucial experience. Now they’re starting to look beyond high school, and it’s not good. For guys Harry’s age and older, it might be a setback. Time takes care of everything, and one hopes that that’s the case here. Q: How do you talk about these feelings with him? A: I had a conversation with my son the other night that went this way. Because of the pandemic and the fact that he’s getting older, I said, Harry, your mother and I have two responsibilities. One is to keep you safe. And other than the time that your mother let you roll off the bed and land on your head, we have kept you safe. The other responsibility is your happiness. And he said, “Have you been drinking?” So that’s how that works at my house.

David Letterman isn’t here to cheer you up this time

Azerbaijan and Armenia are fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Even civilian facilities are under attack, and the Moscow-mediated peace deal is on the verge of collapse.&nbsp;

Is a war now inevitable between the two former Soviet Republics?

Nagorno-Karabakh has been laid to waste by the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia. On paper, the two sides have agreed to a ceasefire, but the reality is far-off, with the fragile truce on the verge of collapsing.

“We believed in the ceasefire. We believed that this will not happen, that is why they returned home. They wouldn't return if a ceasefire was not established. They were scared. Everybody was scared. Who would have wanted this?”, a Ganja resident, Vesile Mehmedova said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/reports-of-new-armenia-azerbaijan-clashes-dent-ceasefire-hopes-334643" hreflang="en">Reports of new Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes dent ceasefire hopes</a>

On Friday, after 11 hours of marathon talks in Moscow - Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire. They were to exchange bodies and prisoners of war. But over the weekend - fighting erupted again.

Armenia called for Nagorno-Karabakh's independence, while Azerbaijan decried the lack of pressure on Armenia.

Both sides are trading accusations of air strikes, shelling, and targeting civilian facilities. Eye-witnesses in Karabakh reported blasts in the regional capital, which were allegedly carried out by Azerbaijan.

Baku has admitted launching air strikes on Armenian troops. But they deny firing the first shot. Armenia is accused of firing missiles at Ganja - the second largest city in Azerbaijan. Reportedly, Armenian missiles hit a residential building, killing 9 civilians and injuring more than 30.

The attack, Azerbaijan claims - shows the true face of Armenia.

“Ganja city is more than 100 kilometres away from the scene of military operations. What was the reason to attack the city? What was the reason to attack Mingechevir city of Azerbaijan? There is no military targets. It doesn't have the necessity, in no way it can be justified from the military necessity. But what we see here is just Armenia's purpose to kill civilians”, Azerbaijan's presidential aide, Hikmet Hajiyev said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/armenia-and-azerbaijan-accuse-each-other-of-violating-fragile-truce-334365" hreflang="en">Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of violating 'fragile' truce</a>

Armenia has rejected these allegations, but the evidence including CCTV footage is stacked up against them.

Nearly 500 lives have been lost in the fight so far, including 60 civilians. The ceasefire was supposed to offer both sides some breathing space. Instead, the fighting has intensified.

So what’s next in Nagorno-Karabakh?

Russia was hailed as the last hope. But the peace effort is teetering.

Turkey is blaming Russia for it, asking Moscow to exert more pressure on Armenia. Increased foreign meddling has only escalated the situation until now. The talks in Moscow offered a brief window of resolution. But in 48 hours, that window has been firmly shut.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are back on the brink of war.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Even civilian facilities are under attack, and the Moscow-mediated peace deal is on the verge of collapse.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Even civilian facilities are under attack, and the Moscow-mediated peace deal is on the verge of collapse. Is a war now inevitable between the two former Soviet Republics? Nagorno-Karabakh has been laid to waste by the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia. On paper, the two sides have agreed to a ceasefire, but the reality is far-off, with the fragile truce on the verge of collapsing. “We believed in the ceasefire. We believed that this will not happen, that is why they returned home. They wouldn't return if a ceasefire was not established. They were scared. Everybody was scared. Who would have wanted this?”, a Ganja resident, Vesile Mehmedova said. Also read: Reports of new Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes dent ceasefire hopes On Friday, after 11 hours of marathon talks in Moscow - Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire. They were to exchange bodies and prisoners of war. But over the weekend - fighting erupted again. Armenia called for Nagorno-Karabakh's independence, while Azerbaijan decried the lack of pressure on Armenia. Both sides are trading accusations of air strikes, shelling, and targeting civilian facilities. Eye-witnesses in Karabakh reported blasts in the regional capital, which were allegedly carried out by Azerbaijan. Baku has admitted launching air strikes on Armenian troops. But they deny firing the first shot. Armenia is accused of firing missiles at Ganja - the second largest city in Azerbaijan. Reportedly, Armenian missiles hit a residential building, killing 9 civilians and injuring more than 30. The attack, Azerbaijan claims - shows the true face of Armenia. “Ganja city is more than 100 kilometres away from the scene of military operations. What was the reason to attack the city? What was the reason to attack Mingechevir city of Azerbaijan? There is no military targets. It doesn't have the necessity, in no way it can be justified from the military necessity. But what we see here is just Armenia's purpose to kill civilians”, Azerbaijan's presidential aide, Hikmet Hajiyev said. Also read: Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of violating 'fragile' truce Armenia has rejected these allegations, but the evidence including CCTV footage is stacked up against them. Nearly 500 lives have been lost in the fight so far, including 60 civilians. The ceasefire was supposed to offer both sides some breathing space. Instead, the fighting has intensified. So what’s next in Nagorno-Karabakh? Russia was hailed as the last hope. But the peace effort is teetering. Turkey is blaming Russia for it, asking Moscow to exert more pressure on Armenia. Increased foreign meddling has only escalated the situation until now. The talks in Moscow offered a brief window of resolution. But in 48 hours, that window has been firmly shut. Azerbaijan and Armenia are back on the brink of war.

Azerbaijan-Armenia: Back on the brink of war

An Israeli minister played down on Tuesday the likelihood of major moves to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on July 1, the planned starting point for cabinet debate on the issue.

Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said Israel still did not have the green light it seeks from Washington to begin extending its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, territory Palestinians seek for a state.

Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries have all denounced any annexation of land that Israeli forces captured in a 1967 war.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/israel-leaders-netanyahu-and-gantz-at-odds-over-west-bank-annexation-plan-309532" hreflang="en">Israel leaders Netanyahu and Gantz at odds over West Bank annexation plan</a>

"Whoever painted a picture of everything happening in one day on July 1, did so at their own risk," Elkin, minister of higher education, told Army Radio when asked what would happen on Wednesday. "From tomorrow, the clock will start ticking."

No cabinet session for Wednesday has been announced.

US&nbsp;officials are in Israel as part of the White House's efforts to win consensus within its government for annexation as envisioned in an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan announced by President Donald Trump in January.

The proposal calls for Israeli sovereignty over about 30% of the West Bank - land on which Israel has built settlements for decades - as well as the creation of a Palestinian state under strict conditions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/israels-cabinet-meets-to-finalise-annexation-plans-for-occupied-west-bank-309153" hreflang="en">Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank</a>

Palestinians say the blueprint would make statehood, in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, unviable, and most world powers view Israel's settlements on occupied land as illegal. Netanyahu says the Jewish people have a legal, historic and moral claim to the West Bank, the biblical Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu and his main coalition government partner, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, are at odds over annexation, which the right-wing prime minister has promoted.

In an interview with the YNet news site on Tuesday, Gantz repeated his call for Israel to try to enlist Palestinian and international support for the Trump plan before proceeding with a unilateral annexation move.

An Israeli minister played down on Tuesday the likelihood of major moves to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on July 1, the planned starting point for cabinet debate on the issue.

An Israeli minister played down on Tuesday the likelihood of major moves to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on July 1, the planned starting point for cabinet debate on the issue. Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said Israel still did not have the green light it seeks from Washington to begin extending its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, territory Palestinians seek for a state. Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries have all denounced any annexation of land that Israeli forces captured in a 1967 war. Also read: Israel leaders Netanyahu and Gantz at odds over West Bank annexation plan "Whoever painted a picture of everything happening in one day on July 1, did so at their own risk," Elkin, minister of higher education, told Army Radio when asked what would happen on Wednesday. "From tomorrow, the clock will start ticking." No cabinet session for Wednesday has been announced. US officials are in Israel as part of the White House's efforts to win consensus within its government for annexation as envisioned in an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan announced by President Donald Trump in January. The proposal calls for Israeli sovereignty over about 30% of the West Bank - land on which Israel has built settlements for decades - as well as the creation of a Palestinian state under strict conditions. Also read: Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank Palestinians say the blueprint would make statehood, in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, unviable, and most world powers view Israel's settlements on occupied land as illegal. Netanyahu says the Jewish people have a legal, historic and moral claim to the West Bank, the biblical Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu and his main coalition government partner, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, are at odds over annexation, which the right-wing prime minister has promoted. In an interview with the YNet news site on Tuesday, Gantz repeated his call for Israel to try to enlist Palestinian and international support for the Trump plan before proceeding with a unilateral annexation move.

Israeli minister signals major West Bank annexation move not imminent

Indian state Maharashtra’s cyber department published a report and issued a warning alongside it on June 23 claiming that threats of cyber attacks originating in China loomed large.

Additionally, it said that over the last week, over 40,000 attacks targetted sites that hoard sensitive information in the state. These include government records of infrastructure, and bank details.

However, the state body added that none of these infiltrations were successful. The police said urged users on the internet to exercise caution and to audit their systems regularly, given the strenuous relationship between China and India in the aftermath of the Galwan valley violence which killed 20 Indian soldiers in action.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/strong-dissatisfaction-at-us-smearing-china-on-alleged-coronavirus-vaccine-hacking-298645" hreflang="en">Strong dissatisfaction at US smearing: China on alleged coronavirus vaccine hacking</a>

Yet, the state officials added that the hackers have in their possession a database of over 20 lakh Indian email IDs.

Given the severity of the border conflict, a warning was issued by the central government. A report from June 18 revealed that China is hosting multiple DDOS (distributed denial of service) attacks against Indian information websites, and payment gateways, which could jeopardise a lot of data.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/wion-edit-date-theft-hacking-what-are-the-solutions-258899/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the Maharashtra Cyber Department, exactly 40,300 cyber attacks were initiated over the last week.

As part of these coordinated attacks, hackers attempted to trespass protective measures to prevent data leakage. The targets were major government websites, banking systems, and ATMs.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/whatsapp-sues-israeli-firm-over-deep-involvement-in-hacking-phones-295571" hreflang="en">WhatsApp sues Israeli firm over 'deep involvement' in hacking phones</a>

When the cyber department tracked these attacks, it led them to Chengdu, a city in Central China. The imperative detail here is that China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Unit 61398 is stationed in the city, and is known for its cyber warfare tactics.

India is one of many&nbsp;victims of such Chinese aggression. Reportedly, Australia also reported a major attack on its administrative services and political organisations last month. This came in the backdrop of Australia seeking an international review of China’s role in the spread of coronavirus, and its alleged negligence. Following this, China imposed tariffs on Australian exports of beef and barley.

Earlier, Indian agencies put out a warning stating an attack could take place, posing as “free coronavirus tests”.

Indian state Maharashtra’s cyber department published a report and issued a warning alongside it on June 23 claiming that threats of cyber attacks originating in China loomed large.

Indian state Maharashtra’s cyber department published a report and issued a warning alongside it on June 23 claiming that threats of cyber attacks originating in China loomed large. Additionally, it said that over the last week, over 40,000 attacks targetted sites that hoard sensitive information in the state. These include government records of infrastructure, and bank details. However, the state body added that none of these infiltrations were successful. The police said urged users on the internet to exercise caution and to audit their systems regularly, given the strenuous relationship between China and India in the aftermath of the Galwan valley violence which killed 20 Indian soldiers in action. Also read: Strong dissatisfaction at US smearing: China on alleged coronavirus vaccine hacking Yet, the state officials added that the hackers have in their possession a database of over 20 lakh Indian email IDs. Given the severity of the border conflict, a warning was issued by the central government. A report from June 18 revealed that China is hosting multiple DDOS (distributed denial of service) attacks against Indian information websites, and payment gateways, which could jeopardise a lot of data. According to the Maharashtra Cyber Department, exactly 40,300 cyber attacks were initiated over the last week. As part of these coordinated attacks, hackers attempted to trespass protective measures to prevent data leakage. The targets were major government websites, banking systems, and ATMs. Also read: WhatsApp sues Israeli firm over 'deep involvement' in hacking phones When the cyber department tracked these attacks, it led them to Chengdu, a city in Central China. The imperative detail here is that China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Unit 61398 is stationed in the city, and is known for its cyber warfare tactics. India is one of many victims of such Chinese aggression. Reportedly, Australia also reported a major attack on its administrative services and political organisations last month. This came in the backdrop of Australia seeking an international review of China’s role in the spread of coronavirus, and its alleged negligence. Following this, China imposed tariffs on Australian exports of beef and barley. Earlier, Indian agencies put out a warning stating an attack could take place, posing as “free coronavirus tests”.

Maharashtra reports over 40,000 cyber attacks originating in China over the last week

United States President Donald Trump likened his diplomacy with North Korean Kim Jong-un to “dating”.

His ex-security adviser John Bolton’s upcoming book which has made headlines for its controversial nature apparently mentions the bizarre details.

The book is titled “The Room Where It Happened”, and has been at the centre of controversy in terms of its content. According to Bolton, Trump had sought political favours from Chinese President Xi Jinping and had allegedly not raised any red flags with China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, who are reportedly kept in concentration camps.

Bolton also revealed that Trump “always wanted to be the one who broke up with the girl first”.

Related story:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apple-google-amazon-take-aim-at-trump-visa-ban-308029" hreflang="en">Apple, Google, Amazon take aim at Trump visa ban</a>

The memoir was published on Tuesday, and is perhaps the first of its kind in the entire US history. Trump had attempted to block the release of the book, which was denied by US court. According to Trump, the book contains sensitive details pertaining to national security, which is why, according to him it ought to be banned. This request was rejected.

Trump intends to drag Bolton to court and will reportedly seek a share of profits made from the book.

Bolton claims that he had resigned last September after first-handedly witnessing denuclearisation efforts in the Korean peninsula.

<h6><img alt="North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump cross south of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, after Trump briefly stepped over to the northern side, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="facc88e3-f2ff-4d9a-8424-9875f48013a4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-4_9.jpg" /> 
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump cross south of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, after Trump briefly stepped over to the northern side, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019 | AFP</h6>

 
“Well, he said that he always, back in the day, as they say, he always wanted to be the one who broke up with the girl first,” Bolton said. “He didn’t want the girl to break up with him. And he used that to describe whether he would cancel the summit with Kim Jong-un first or whether we would risk the North Koreans cancelling it”.

“And I thought it was an insight into the president, candidly given, that showed how he approached this. As opposed to looking at it from the perspective of what our ultimate strategic interest was, in my view, would have been better not to agree to the summit to begin with.”

Trump has recently not made any comments on North Korea, especially after North’s violent transgressions whereby it blew up a shared liaison office across the border, which was seen as a symbol of North-South unity.

Related story:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-negotiates-nuclear-arms-treaty-with-russia-wants-chinas-inclusion-in-talks-307961" hreflang="en">US negotiates nuclear arms treaty with Russia, wants China's inclusion in talks</a>

Bolton said “this entire two-year-long effort with North Korea ended in diplomatic failure. But that allowed the North Koreans the time that they need to continue to pursue nuclear weapons and ballistic missile delivery systems.”

Trump told a rally in West Virginia earlier while alluding to Kim, “He wrote me beautiful letters, and they’re great letters. We fell in love."

Recently, Trump held his first post-coronavirus rally in Tulsa, which saw lesser turnout than expected. Reportedly, thousands of tickets were reserved by TikTok and K-pop fans who had no plans of going to the rally.

United States President Donald Trump likened his diplomacy with North Korean Kim Jong-un to “dating”. His ex-security adviser John Bolton’s upcoming book which has made headlines for its controversial nature apparently mentions the bizarre details.

United States President Donald Trump likened his diplomacy with North Korean Kim Jong-un to “dating”. His ex-security adviser John Bolton’s upcoming book which has made headlines for its controversial nature apparently mentions the bizarre details. The book is titled “The Room Where It Happened”, and has been at the centre of controversy in terms of its content. According to Bolton, Trump had sought political favours from Chinese President Xi Jinping and had allegedly not raised any red flags with China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, who are reportedly kept in concentration camps. Bolton also revealed that Trump “always wanted to be the one who broke up with the girl first”. Related story: Apple, Google, Amazon take aim at Trump visa ban The memoir was published on Tuesday, and is perhaps the first of its kind in the entire US history. Trump had attempted to block the release of the book, which was denied by US court. According to Trump, the book contains sensitive details pertaining to national security, which is why, according to him it ought to be banned. This request was rejected. Trump intends to drag Bolton to court and will reportedly seek a share of profits made from the book. Bolton claims that he had resigned last September after first-handedly witnessing denuclearisation efforts in the Korean peninsula. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump cross south of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, after Trump briefly stepped over to the northern side, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) on June 30, 2019 | AFP “Well, he said that he always, back in the day, as they say, he always wanted to be the one who broke up with the girl first,” Bolton said. “He didn’t want the girl to break up with him. And he used that to describe whether he would cancel the summit with Kim Jong-un first or whether we would risk the North Koreans cancelling it”. “And I thought it was an insight into the president, candidly given, that showed how he approached this. As opposed to looking at it from the perspective of what our ultimate strategic interest was, in my view, would have been better not to agree to the summit to begin with.” Trump has recently not made any comments on North Korea, especially after North’s violent transgressions whereby it blew up a shared liaison office across the border, which was seen as a symbol of North-South unity. Related story: US negotiates nuclear arms treaty with Russia, wants China's inclusion in talks Bolton said “this entire two-year-long effort with North Korea ended in diplomatic failure. But that allowed the North Koreans the time that they need to continue to pursue nuclear weapons and ballistic missile delivery systems.” Trump told a rally in West Virginia earlier while alluding to Kim, “He wrote me beautiful letters, and they’re great letters. We fell in love." Recently, Trump held his first post-coronavirus rally in Tulsa, which saw lesser turnout than expected. Reportedly, thousands of tickets were reserved by TikTok and K-pop fans who had no plans of going to the rally.

Trump likened his relationship with North Korea's Kim to 'dating', 'wanted to be the one to break-up'

After the altercation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between China and India which caused casualties on both the sides, India needs to come up with strategic ways to counter China’s aggression.

Increased counter-activity

India could increase its operations in the Strait of Malacca and the region around Indian Ocean.&nbsp;The Strait of Malacca is a narrow waterway between the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It accounts for nearly 80 per cent of Chinese oil imports.

Experts say an increase in Indian activities in this region could disturb Chinese moves on the LAC.&nbsp;However, India will require the support of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Calling out abuses

India has the second-largest population of Muslims in the world.But China in collusion with Pakistan has constantly questioned India’s secular credentials.&nbsp;The country has made Kashmir a flashpoint at global platforms constantly, and has historically sided with Pakistan.

All this while China commits human rights crimes in its own territories. India must stand up resolutely against human rights violations of the Uighur Muslims.

Xinjiang is the most policed area in China, where the country is running concentration camps in the garb of re-education centres.

Go local!

Additionally, the calls to go local could reap benefits. But boycotting Chinese companies may not be the immediate solution. However, India can take small steps for large-term gains.

A Chinese mobile company, Vivo has retained the rights for the upcoming seasons of the Indian Premier League.&nbsp;It won a bid of over $310 million to sponsor the IPL till 2022. The BCCI should take the lead and look for sponsors other than the Chinese.

India could capitalise on the Chinese regime’s weakness, including the backlash it faced for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

In the aftermath, a number of companies are shifting base from China. India could attract investments from such companies.&nbsp;Both the countries have similar things to offer, lots of land and a trained, low-cost labour force.

India, additionally, could revive the issue of Tibet by reviewing the Dalai Lama's official status and treating him at par with other heads of states.

After the altercation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between China and India which caused casualties on both the sides, India needs to come up with strategic ways to counter China’s aggression.

After the altercation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between China and India which caused casualties on both the sides, India needs to come up with strategic ways to counter China’s aggression. Increased counter-activity India could increase its operations in the Strait of Malacca and the region around Indian Ocean. The Strait of Malacca is a narrow waterway between the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It accounts for nearly 80 per cent of Chinese oil imports. Experts say an increase in Indian activities in this region could disturb Chinese moves on the LAC. However, India will require the support of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Calling out abuses India has the second-largest population of Muslims in the world.But China in collusion with Pakistan has constantly questioned India’s secular credentials. The country has made Kashmir a flashpoint at global platforms constantly, and has historically sided with Pakistan. All this while China commits human rights crimes in its own territories. India must stand up resolutely against human rights violations of the Uighur Muslims. Xinjiang is the most policed area in China, where the country is running concentration camps in the garb of re-education centres. Go local! Additionally, the calls to go local could reap benefits. But boycotting Chinese companies may not be the immediate solution. However, India can take small steps for large-term gains. A Chinese mobile company, Vivo has retained the rights for the upcoming seasons of the Indian Premier League. It won a bid of over $310 million to sponsor the IPL till 2022. The BCCI should take the lead and look for sponsors other than the Chinese. India could capitalise on the Chinese regime’s weakness, including the backlash it faced for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis. In the aftermath, a number of companies are shifting base from China. India could attract investments from such companies. Both the countries have similar things to offer, lots of land and a trained, low-cost labour force. India, additionally, could revive the issue of Tibet by reviewing the Dalai Lama's official status and treating him at par with other heads of states.

Strategies India could undertake to counter Chinese aggressions

Hearing about Iran's ballistic missile attack on Iraq's al-Asad airbase, which hosts U.S. soldiers, was emotional for Wayne Anstead, the owner of a cigar lounge in Fayetteville, North Carolina, which is frequented by members of the U.S. military.

Popular cigar lounge near Fort Bragg remembers troops deployed to Iraq

“Am I a Hindu or a Muslim?” 
“What do you think?” 
“I don’t know. Maybe a Muslim.” 
“Why do you say so?” 
“I don’t know.” 
“Why do you ask?” 
“My judo teacher asked me.” 
 
The boy asking the question is six and a half years old. This conversation happened a week ago. It has been bothering me since. We never needed religion as a qualifier. So we never told him what his religion was. We’ve long pulled up the judo teacher for asking the question. But that’s not even the point. He’s not an evil bigot. He’s just another person, unwittingly offensive. This is an unacceptable yet casual question in India — a secular country with a majority that harbours the angst of perceived wrongs and a minority that has forever been used as a political pawn. 
 
The makers of India’s constitution wanted a secular state but the biggest proponents of secularism, Nehru and Ambedkar, did not allow the word secular to be part of the Preamble. The debate is worth revisiting. The crux is this — for the state to truly distance itself from religion, as secularism demands, there should be no recognition of minority on the basis of religion, no reservation, no muslim personal law, no directive principle for protection of cows. In the Indian context such detachment was hard to achieve. So it was agreed to drop the term, than to “fraudulently” use it. It was only inserted much later by Indira Gandhi in 1976 through unconstitutional means. The preamble was amended without a debate in Parliament. 
 
This unsettled debate is manifesting itself today, seven decades since Independence. Secularism in India is an ideal that has been pursued but not truly achieved. It has systematically been abused for political gain. The confusion and lack of consensus has come back to bite us. The repressed Islamophobia of India is revealing itself and it makes a sorry picture. It is easy to blame a party or its leaders, but who put them there? They never hid what they stood for. Perhaps Indians hid what they really stood for, or were wary of expressing themselves. And so it is important to view this protest beyond the binaries. 
 
India is not a monolith. There are many Indias, many ideologies and beliefs that clash and co-exist. One India is protesting today. On the streets and on social media. Another India is supporting this law. And a third, perhaps much bigger India, is watching from the sidelines. Most of these people have no political agenda, no real understanding of the subject and no direct stakes in this battle of ideologies. They’re trying to make sense of the frenzy, to fathom the full import of what’s happening. The questions are confounding. 
 
Is India sliding into a majoritarian abyss? Is this politically stimulated hype? Are the policemen devils? The pictures show them raining lathis on hapless protestors. The pictures also show them pouring tea for people on a cold Delhi evening. The pictures show people pelting stones at them. And yet others show a muslim cop telling a lady to let him do his job. So many protestors have sustained head injuries. Why are the police hitting children? What were the children doing at a protest site? Should children not be allowed to protest? At what age do you qualify? Why detain journalists? Why say things like “identifying people by their clothes” in such a volatile situation? Isn’t protest a basic right of every citizen? Isn’t civil disobedience the bedrock of Indian democracy? But what justifies violence? Should police not do their duty? Who are the people indulging in violence? It’s so vitiated now, with so many conflicting versions that sifting the “truth” is well nigh impossible. 
 
But here’s what can be done. The government has every right to pass laws, even controversial ones. They did not do it on the sly. They followed due procedure, got it passed in Parliament. What they seem to have forgotten is the universal mantra of democracy - “a government of the people, for the people, by the people.” And that includes all people. When they complain listen to them, don’t discredit them. When they break the law, investigate and punish them. Don’t&nbsp;pander to their basest emotions, don’t exploit their anxieties. 
 
Reach out. Restore peace.

(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

“Am I a Hindu or a Muslim?” “What do you think?” “I don’t know. Maybe a Muslim.” “Why do you say so?” “I don’t know.” “Why do you ask?” “My judo teacher asked me.

“Am I a Hindu or a Muslim?” “What do you think?” “I don’t know. Maybe a Muslim.” “Why do you say so?” “I don’t know.” “Why do you ask?” “My judo teacher asked me.” The boy asking the question is six and a half years old. This conversation happened a week ago. It has been bothering me since. We never needed religion as a qualifier. So we never told him what his religion was. We’ve long pulled up the judo teacher for asking the question. But that’s not even the point. He’s not an evil bigot. He’s just another person, unwittingly offensive. This is an unacceptable yet casual question in India — a secular country with a majority that harbours the angst of perceived wrongs and a minority that has forever been used as a political pawn. The makers of India’s constitution wanted a secular state but the biggest proponents of secularism, Nehru and Ambedkar, did not allow the word secular to be part of the Preamble. The debate is worth revisiting. The crux is this — for the state to truly distance itself from religion, as secularism demands, there should be no recognition of minority on the basis of religion, no reservation, no muslim personal law, no directive principle for protection of cows. In the Indian context such detachment was hard to achieve. So it was agreed to drop the term, than to “fraudulently” use it. It was only inserted much later by Indira Gandhi in 1976 through unconstitutional means. The preamble was amended without a debate in Parliament. This unsettled debate is manifesting itself today, seven decades since Independence. Secularism in India is an ideal that has been pursued but not truly achieved. It has systematically been abused for political gain. The confusion and lack of consensus has come back to bite us. The repressed Islamophobia of India is revealing itself and it makes a sorry picture. It is easy to blame a party or its leaders, but who put them there? They never hid what they stood for. Perhaps Indians hid what they really stood for, or were wary of expressing themselves. And so it is important to view this protest beyond the binaries. India is not a monolith. There are many Indias, many ideologies and beliefs that clash and co-exist. One India is protesting today. On the streets and on social media. Another India is supporting this law. And a third, perhaps much bigger India, is watching from the sidelines. Most of these people have no political agenda, no real understanding of the subject and no direct stakes in this battle of ideologies. They’re trying to make sense of the frenzy, to fathom the full import of what’s happening. The questions are confounding. Is India sliding into a majoritarian abyss? Is this politically stimulated hype? Are the policemen devils? The pictures show them raining lathis on hapless protestors. The pictures also show them pouring tea for people on a cold Delhi evening. The pictures show people pelting stones at them. And yet others show a muslim cop telling a lady to let him do his job. So many protestors have sustained head injuries. Why are the police hitting children? What were the children doing at a protest site? Should children not be allowed to protest? At what age do you qualify? Why detain journalists? Why say things like “identifying people by their clothes” in such a volatile situation? Isn’t protest a basic right of every citizen? Isn’t civil disobedience the bedrock of Indian democracy? But what justifies violence? Should police not do their duty? Who are the people indulging in violence? It’s so vitiated now, with so many conflicting versions that sifting the “truth” is well nigh impossible. But here’s what can be done. The government has every right to pass laws, even controversial ones. They did not do it on the sly. They followed due procedure, got it passed in Parliament. What they seem to have forgotten is the universal mantra of democracy - “a government of the people, for the people, by the people.” And that includes all people. When they complain listen to them, don’t discredit them. When they break the law, investigate and punish them. Don’t pander to their basest emotions, don’t exploit their anxieties. Reach out. Restore peace. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why India is conflicted

North&nbsp;Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-and-trump-have-special-relationship-state-media-257802">Kim Jong Un</a> has opened a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu, a symbol of the Korean nation and the supposed birthplace of his father and predecessor, state media reported Tuesday.

The North has poured huge resources into the rebuilding of Samjiyon, the closest town to the dormant volcano that straddles the border with China.

The project is on a vast scale and includes a museum of revolutionary activities, a winter sports training complex, processing plants for blueberries and potatoes, and 10,000 apartments.

Kim is closely associated with the scheme and has visited the area several times, reportedly riding a white horse to the mountain's summit in October.

Kim had "worked heart and soul to turn Samjiyon County, the sacred place of the revolution, into the utopia town under socialism", the North's official KCNA news agency said.

The North is subject to multiple sets of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and KCNA portrayed Samjiyon as a demonstration of resilience.

The Korean people were, it said, "advancing along the straight road chosen by themselves without any vacillation despite the worst trials".

The opening comes with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-and-kim-jong-un-hail-immortal-china-north-korea-relationship-254034">nuclear negotiations with the US deadlocked</a> since the Hanoi summit broke up in February.

Pyongyang has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to offer it new concessions and has&nbsp;issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as time runs out.

KCNA released a picture of Kim,&nbsp;in a black leather trenchcoat and surrounded by fur-hatted officials,&nbsp;cutting a red ribbon at an inaugural ceremony,&nbsp;with a statue of his father Kim Jong Il in the background.

According to North Korean propaganda the elder Kim was born at the nearby Mount Paektu Secret Camp where his own father Kim Il Sung was fighting the Japanese,&nbsp;although independent historians and Soviet records say he was actually born in Russia, where the North's founder was in exile.

The official story plays a central role in Pyongyang's teachings about the Kim family, who have led the country for three generations, and every year 100,000&nbsp;students and workers or more are taken on study trips to the area.

The scale of the Samjiyon project is immense: thousands of workers swarmed over the site during construction, AFP saw, many of them soldiers. Much of the North's army is devoted to construction.

Students have been sent to work on the scheme during university holidays, KCNA reported previously, while diplomats say children have also been deployed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu, a symbol of the Korean nation and the supposed birthplace of his father and predecessor, state media reported Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu, a symbol of the Korean nation and the supposed birthplace of his father and predecessor, state media reported Tuesday. The North has poured huge resources into the rebuilding of Samjiyon, the closest town to the dormant volcano that straddles the border with China. The project is on a vast scale and includes a museum of revolutionary activities, a winter sports training complex, processing plants for blueberries and potatoes, and 10,000 apartments. Kim is closely associated with the scheme and has visited the area several times, reportedly riding a white horse to the mountain's summit in October. Kim had "worked heart and soul to turn Samjiyon County, the sacred place of the revolution, into the utopia town under socialism", the North's official KCNA news agency said. The North is subject to multiple sets of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and KCNA portrayed Samjiyon as a demonstration of resilience. The Korean people were, it said, "advancing along the straight road chosen by themselves without any vacillation despite the worst trials". The opening comes with nuclear negotiations with the US deadlocked since the Hanoi summit broke up in February. Pyongyang has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to offer it new concessions and has issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as time runs out. KCNA released a picture of Kim, in a black leather trenchcoat and surrounded by fur-hatted officials, cutting a red ribbon at an inaugural ceremony, with a statue of his father Kim Jong Il in the background. According to North Korean propaganda the elder Kim was born at the nearby Mount Paektu Secret Camp where his own father Kim Il Sung was fighting the Japanese, although independent historians and Soviet records say he was actually born in Russia, where the North's founder was in exile. The official story plays a central role in Pyongyang's teachings about the Kim family, who have led the country for three generations, and every year 100,000 students and workers or more are taken on study trips to the area. The scale of the Samjiyon project is immense: thousands of workers swarmed over the site during construction, AFP saw, many of them soldiers. Much of the North's army is devoted to construction. Students have been sent to work on the scheme during university holidays, KCNA reported previously, while diplomats say children have also been deployed.

Kim Jong Un opens a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu

A total of 657 children have been killed in Syria since the beginning of the year, UNICEF said on Thursday (November 21), making 2019 another bleak year for Syrian children after more 8 years of conflict.

Nearly 700 children killed in Syria since beginning of 2019 - UNICEF

Fresh clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters broke out in Baghdad on Friday despite a call for calm by the country's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqs-top-shiite-cleric-sistani-says-security-forces-must-keep-peace-260801">top Shi'ite Muslim cleric</a>, as authorities grapple with the country's biggest crisis in years.

Security forces fired tear gas and threw stun grenades into crowds of protesters wearing helmets and makeshift body armour on the main road in the middle of the Iraqi capital, sending demonstrators scattering, some wounded, Reuters reporters said.

More than 260 people have been killed since the protests over a lack of jobs and services began in Baghdad on Oct. 1 and quickly spread to southern provinces, according to police and medics.

Police, the military and paramilitary groups have used live gunfire against mostly unarmed protesters since the beginning of the unrest.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who only speaks on politics in times of crisis and wields enormous influence over public opinion in Shi'ite-majority Iraq, held security forces accountable for any violent escalation and urged the government to respond as quickly as possible to demonstrators' demands.

"The biggest responsibility is on the security forces," a representative of Sistani said in a sermon after Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala. "They must avoid using excessive force with peaceful protesters."

Protesters, some of whom view Sistani as part of the political and religious system they say is the cause of many Iraqis' misery, took little solace from the cleric's words.

"He says he's supporting protests and that we should keep going but he hasn't helped. The speech won't make a difference either way," said one woman protesting in Baghdad whose son was killed in recent clashes.

"I'm the mother of a student. They took his life," she said, giving her name as Umm al-Shaheed, Arabic for mother of the martyr.

The demonstrators, mostly unemployed youth, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-crude-stuck-at-field-for-third-day-as-protests-cut-roads-260728">demand an overhaul of the political system</a> and a corrupt ruling class which has dominated state institutions since the US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The violent response from authorities has fuelled public anger. Snipers from Iran-backed militias that have participated in the crackdown were deployed last month, Reuters reported.

Watch video: Iraq protests continue

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Deadly force

Live fire is still being used and even tear gas canisters, fired directly at protesters' bodies instead of being lobbed into crowds, have killed at least 16 people, New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Friday.

Doctors at hospitals have shown Reuters scans of tear gas canisters embedded in the skulls of dead protesters.

Sistani warned against the exploitation of the unrest by "internal and external" forces which he said sought to destabilise Iraq for their own goals. He did not elaborate.

He said those in power must come up with a meaningful response to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blocking-police-at-checkpoints-iraqis-revel-in-people-power-260738">the demonstrations</a>.

Handouts for the poor, promises to try corrupt officials and creation of more job opportunities for graduates have failed to placate protesters, whose demands include a new electoral system and the removal of all current political leaders.

The protesters have also rejected foreign interference in Iraq, which has long been caught between its two main allies and bitter rivals the United States and Iran.

Public anger has been directed particularly towards Iran, which supports the parties and paramilitary groups that dominate the Baghdad government and state institutions.

Fresh clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters broke out in Baghdad on Friday despite a call for calm by the country's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, as authorities grapple with the country's biggest crisis in years.

Fresh clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters broke out in Baghdad on Friday despite a call for calm by the country's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric, as authorities grapple with the country's biggest crisis in years. Security forces fired tear gas and threw stun grenades into crowds of protesters wearing helmets and makeshift body armour on the main road in the middle of the Iraqi capital, sending demonstrators scattering, some wounded, Reuters reporters said. More than 260 people have been killed since the protests over a lack of jobs and services began in Baghdad on Oct. 1 and quickly spread to southern provinces, according to police and medics. Police, the military and paramilitary groups have used live gunfire against mostly unarmed protesters since the beginning of the unrest. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who only speaks on politics in times of crisis and wields enormous influence over public opinion in Shi'ite-majority Iraq, held security forces accountable for any violent escalation and urged the government to respond as quickly as possible to demonstrators' demands. "The biggest responsibility is on the security forces," a representative of Sistani said in a sermon after Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala. "They must avoid using excessive force with peaceful protesters." Protesters, some of whom view Sistani as part of the political and religious system they say is the cause of many Iraqis' misery, took little solace from the cleric's words. "He says he's supporting protests and that we should keep going but he hasn't helped. The speech won't make a difference either way," said one woman protesting in Baghdad whose son was killed in recent clashes. "I'm the mother of a student. They took his life," she said, giving her name as Umm al-Shaheed, Arabic for mother of the martyr. The demonstrators, mostly unemployed youth, demand an overhaul of the political system and a corrupt ruling class which has dominated state institutions since the US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The violent response from authorities has fuelled public anger. Snipers from Iran-backed militias that have participated in the crackdown were deployed last month, Reuters reported. Watch video: Iraq protests continue Deadly force Live fire is still being used and even tear gas canisters, fired directly at protesters' bodies instead of being lobbed into crowds, have killed at least 16 people, New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Friday. Doctors at hospitals have shown Reuters scans of tear gas canisters embedded in the skulls of dead protesters. Sistani warned against the exploitation of the unrest by "internal and external" forces which he said sought to destabilise Iraq for their own goals. He did not elaborate. He said those in power must come up with a meaningful response to the demonstrations. Handouts for the poor, promises to try corrupt officials and creation of more job opportunities for graduates have failed to placate protesters, whose demands include a new electoral system and the removal of all current political leaders. The protesters have also rejected foreign interference in Iraq, which has long been caught between its two main allies and bitter rivals the United States and Iran. Public anger has been directed particularly towards Iran, which supports the parties and paramilitary groups that dominate the Baghdad government and state institutions.

Fresh clashes erupt in Baghdad despite call for peace by top cleric Sistani

Lebanese protesters demanding the overthrow of their country's elite poured onto the streets on Sunday (November 3) in the largest numbers since the government was toppled and hours after opposing supporters of President Michel Aoun staged a big rally.

Lebanese protesters wave flags, raise fortitude

Protesters clashed with police on the streets of Santiago yet again on Monday (November 4), with tensions initially sparked by an increase in the price of metro fares continuing to remain high.

Protests hit Santiago, take toll on Chile's economy

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences.

The remarks add to recent comments from Pyongyang expressing discontent at the lack of progress in its negotiations with Washington.&nbsp;

This month North Korea issued a veiled threat about ending the freeze in long-range missile testing amid continued economic sanctions and pressure aimed at pushing it to give up its nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes.

Kim Hyong Ryong, North Korea's Vice Minister of the People's Armed Forces, said at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing that North Korea has worked to build lasting piece but that the situation has relapsed into a "dangerous, vicious cycle" of exacerbating tensions because of the actions of the US and South Korean governments.

"Though it has been more than one year since the DPRK-US joint statement was adopted, there is no progress in improving bilateral relations between the two countries, completely because of the US' anachronistic, hostile policies against the DPRK," Kim said, referring to his country by the initials of its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He also accused South Korea of a "double-dealing attitude" in continuing to carry out military drills with the U.S. and buying advanced military equipment.

"Bearing in mind our firm will to safeguard peace in the region, the United States and the South Korean authorities must refrain from any actions disrupting the stability of the situation and come up with a new way for solving the problem," Kim said.

North Korea has conducted missile tests in recent months, including that of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and broke off the latest working-level nuclear talks with the US in early October.

Pyongyang's top negotiator for the talks blamed the US for the breakdown and said Washington "brought nothing" to the negotiating table.

Pyongyang has so far stuck to a freeze in testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that has been in place since 2017 and allowed for three meetings between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump since last year.

North Korean state media reported last week on Kim Jong Un's visit to Mt Paektu, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty, and that his aides are convinced the leader plans "a great operation," which experts say may signal a major shift in Pyongyang's stance towards the US&nbsp;in the coming months.

Some analysts say possible North Korean actions could include another space launch or an intercontinental ballistic missile test.

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences.

The United States and South Korea must produce new solutions for the current standoff on the Korean Peninsula, a senior North Korean military official said on Monday, warning that hostile policies towards Pyongyang would lead to serious consequences. The remarks add to recent comments from Pyongyang expressing discontent at the lack of progress in its negotiations with Washington. This month North Korea issued a veiled threat about ending the freeze in long-range missile testing amid continued economic sanctions and pressure aimed at pushing it to give up its nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes. Kim Hyong Ryong, North Korea's Vice Minister of the People's Armed Forces, said at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing that North Korea has worked to build lasting piece but that the situation has relapsed into a "dangerous, vicious cycle" of exacerbating tensions because of the actions of the US and South Korean governments. "Though it has been more than one year since the DPRK-US joint statement was adopted, there is no progress in improving bilateral relations between the two countries, completely because of the US' anachronistic, hostile policies against the DPRK," Kim said, referring to his country by the initials of its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He also accused South Korea of a "double-dealing attitude" in continuing to carry out military drills with the U.S. and buying advanced military equipment. "Bearing in mind our firm will to safeguard peace in the region, the United States and the South Korean authorities must refrain from any actions disrupting the stability of the situation and come up with a new way for solving the problem," Kim said. North Korea has conducted missile tests in recent months, including that of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and broke off the latest working-level nuclear talks with the US in early October. Pyongyang's top negotiator for the talks blamed the US for the breakdown and said Washington "brought nothing" to the negotiating table. Pyongyang has so far stuck to a freeze in testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that has been in place since 2017 and allowed for three meetings between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and US President Donald Trump since last year. North Korean state media reported last week on Kim Jong Un's visit to Mt Paektu, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty, and that his aides are convinced the leader plans "a great operation," which experts say may signal a major shift in Pyongyang's stance towards the US in the coming months. Some analysts say possible North Korean actions could include another space launch or an intercontinental ballistic missile test.

US, South Korea must present new solutions for conflict: North Korea

China's defence minister said on Monday that resolving the "Taiwan question" is his country's "greatest national interest," and that no force could prevent China's "reunification."

Separatist activities are doomed to failure, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said at the opening in Beijing of the Xiangshan Forum, which China styles as its answer to the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-condemns-chinas-dictatorship-on-70th-anniversary-of-communist-rule-252977">Tensions between China and Taiwan have ratcheted up</a> ahead of the self-ruled island's presidential election in January. Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue.

"China is the only major country in the world that is yet to be completely reunified," Wei said.

"Resolving the Taiwan question so as to realise China's full reunification is the irresistible trend of the times, China's greatest national interest, the righteous path to follow and the longing of all Chinese people."

Proudly democratic Taiwan has lambasted China for its authoritarian rule and for being a threat to regional peace, while China has heaped pressure on Taiwan, whittling away at its few remaining diplomatic allies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-says-china-is-an-authoritarian-threat-in-the-pacific-254245">China regards Taiwan as its sacred territory</a>, to be brought under Beijing's rule, by force if needed, a message President Xi Jinping reiterated at the start of this year.

China translates the word "tong yi" as "reunification," but it can also be translated as "unification," a term in English preferred by supporters of Taiwan independence who point out that Beijing's Communist government has never ruled Taiwan and so it cannot be "reunified."

Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of a civil war with the Communists. The People's Republic of China has never governed Taiwan, whose people have shown little interest in being ruled by autocratic Beijing.

China has also been angered by US&nbsp;support for Taiwan, including arms sales. Washington has no formal ties with Taipei but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

The US&nbsp;and China are also locked in a bitter trade war, though they have been holding talks to end it.

"No one and no force can ever stop China's full reunification. We are committed to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan strait relations and the peaceful reunification of the country," Wei said.

"However we will never allow separatists for Taiwan independence to have their way, nor allow interference by any external forces. Advancing china's reunification is a just cause, while separatist activities are doomed to failure."

The United States has also angered China by repeatedly conducting what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations by naval ships close to islands China occupies in the South China Sea.

China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, but neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

"The South China Sea islands and Diaoyu islands are inalienable parts of China's territory. We will not allow even an inch of territory that our ancestors have left to us to be taken away," Wei said.

China's defence minister said on Monday that resolving the "Taiwan question" is his country's "greatest national interest," and that no force could prevent China's "reunification.

China's defence minister said on Monday that resolving the "Taiwan question" is his country's "greatest national interest," and that no force could prevent China's "reunification." Separatist activities are doomed to failure, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said at the opening in Beijing of the Xiangshan Forum, which China styles as its answer to the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore. Tensions between China and Taiwan have ratcheted up ahead of the self-ruled island's presidential election in January. Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue. "China is the only major country in the world that is yet to be completely reunified," Wei said. "Resolving the Taiwan question so as to realise China's full reunification is the irresistible trend of the times, China's greatest national interest, the righteous path to follow and the longing of all Chinese people." Proudly democratic Taiwan has lambasted China for its authoritarian rule and for being a threat to regional peace, while China has heaped pressure on Taiwan, whittling away at its few remaining diplomatic allies. China regards Taiwan as its sacred territory, to be brought under Beijing's rule, by force if needed, a message President Xi Jinping reiterated at the start of this year. China translates the word "tong yi" as "reunification," but it can also be translated as "unification," a term in English preferred by supporters of Taiwan independence who point out that Beijing's Communist government has never ruled Taiwan and so it cannot be "reunified." Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 at the end of a civil war with the Communists. The People's Republic of China has never governed Taiwan, whose people have shown little interest in being ruled by autocratic Beijing. China has also been angered by US support for Taiwan, including arms sales. Washington has no formal ties with Taipei but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. The US and China are also locked in a bitter trade war, though they have been holding talks to end it. "No one and no force can ever stop China's full reunification. We are committed to promoting the peaceful development of cross-Taiwan strait relations and the peaceful reunification of the country," Wei said. "However we will never allow separatists for Taiwan independence to have their way, nor allow interference by any external forces. Advancing china's reunification is a just cause, while separatist activities are doomed to failure." The United States has also angered China by repeatedly conducting what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations by naval ships close to islands China occupies in the South China Sea. China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, but neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. "The South China Sea islands and Diaoyu islands are inalienable parts of China's territory. We will not allow even an inch of territory that our ancestors have left to us to be taken away," Wei said.

China's defence minister says resolving 'Taiwan question' is national priority

Hong Kong residents said on Monday (October 21) that anti-government protesters and police both "overreacted" after a largely peaceful protest degenerated into violence on the Kowloon peninsula, with shops destroyed and ATM torched.

Hong Kong residents blame police and protesters for overreacting after violent protests

Ahead of World Food Day, the World Food Programme (WFP) said more than 800 million people, one in nine people globally, are facing chronic hunger and are unable to meet their basic food requirements. WFP. World Food Day is marked on Wednesday (16 Oct). WFP said, for the most part, the causes of hunger remain the same – conflict, the climate crisis and economic marginalization.

More than 800 million people facing chronic hunger: World Food Programme

German authorities on Tuesday appealed to its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-forces-in-full-control-of-manbij-russia-256109">Turkish and Kurdish communities</a> to avoid echoing the Middle Eastern conflict, after clashes between the two groups over Ankara's offensive in northeastern Syria.

Police said at least five people had been injured in fights between the two communities late on Monday.

"We have a responsibility to prevent the conflict in the region becoming a conflict in our society... in Germany," integration commissioner Annette Widmann-Mauz told the Funke newspaper group.

"I expect all sides, especially migrant organisations and religious communities, to take responsibility and contribute to restraint", Annette added.

The commissioner advises the government on integration and serves as a point of contact for migrants and community organisations.

The clashes happened as around 350 people were marching through the western city of Herne Monday against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-halts-weapon-exports-to-turkey-over-syria-offensive-foreign-secretary-dominic-raab-256092">Turkey's offensive in Kurdish-controlled areas of Syria</a>, police said in a statement.

They were "provoked with hand signals" by people drinking at a nearby kiosk, the statement added.

"Some of them stormed into the kiosk, attacked two people inside and injured them" as well as breaking a window.

The demonstration continued and someone threw a bottle at the marchers from a Turkish-owned cafe as they passed.

"The reaction was very emotional and angry" as several participants again rushed into the cafe, breaking windows and furniture and injuring at least one person inside, as well as one of the police officers who intervened to stop the fighting.

Nevertheless, "the police were able to calm the situation" and the demonstration ended as planned when the marchers reached their destination in the centre.

Among the five people hurt was the organiser of the march. He too was attacked when he tried to stop the violence.

Of the roughly three million people with Turkish nationality or roots living in Germany, around one million are Kurds.

Politicians regularly warn of tensions between the two communities, which have been stoked by Turkey's offensive against Kurdish fighters inside Syria.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-eu-shielding-terror-elements-by-criticising-syria-offensive-255938">Separately in Berlin</a>, local police said a man wearing a jacket with a Turkish flag was beaten by around 15 people, leaving him with a facial injury.

"According to the 30-year-old Turkish citizen, the men had assaulted him because of the jacket he was wearing, which had a Turkish national flag on it," Berlin police said in a statement.

The assailants spoke Arabic and German, police said.

From last Wednesday, Turkish troops moved into the zone controlled by Kurdish militias, which had helped a Western-led coalition fight jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group but whom Ankara accuses of terrorism.

Germany, along with European allies such as France, has condemned the offensive and halted arms exports to Turkey.

German authorities on Tuesday appealed to its Turkish and Kurdish communities to avoid echoing the Middle Eastern conflict, after clashes between the two groups over Ankara's offensive in northeastern Syria.

German authorities on Tuesday appealed to its Turkish and Kurdish communities to avoid echoing the Middle Eastern conflict, after clashes between the two groups over Ankara's offensive in northeastern Syria. Police said at least five people had been injured in fights between the two communities late on Monday. "We have a responsibility to prevent the conflict in the region becoming a conflict in our society... in Germany," integration commissioner Annette Widmann-Mauz told the Funke newspaper group. "I expect all sides, especially migrant organisations and religious communities, to take responsibility and contribute to restraint", Annette added. The commissioner advises the government on integration and serves as a point of contact for migrants and community organisations. The clashes happened as around 350 people were marching through the western city of Herne Monday against Turkey's offensive in Kurdish-controlled areas of Syria, police said in a statement. They were "provoked with hand signals" by people drinking at a nearby kiosk, the statement added. "Some of them stormed into the kiosk, attacked two people inside and injured them" as well as breaking a window. The demonstration continued and someone threw a bottle at the marchers from a Turkish-owned cafe as they passed. "The reaction was very emotional and angry" as several participants again rushed into the cafe, breaking windows and furniture and injuring at least one person inside, as well as one of the police officers who intervened to stop the fighting. Nevertheless, "the police were able to calm the situation" and the demonstration ended as planned when the marchers reached their destination in the centre. Among the five people hurt was the organiser of the march. He too was attacked when he tried to stop the violence. Of the roughly three million people with Turkish nationality or roots living in Germany, around one million are Kurds. Politicians regularly warn of tensions between the two communities, which have been stoked by Turkey's offensive against Kurdish fighters inside Syria. Separately in Berlin, local police said a man wearing a jacket with a Turkish flag was beaten by around 15 people, leaving him with a facial injury. "According to the 30-year-old Turkish citizen, the men had assaulted him because of the jacket he was wearing, which had a Turkish national flag on it," Berlin police said in a statement. The assailants spoke Arabic and German, police said. From last Wednesday, Turkish troops moved into the zone controlled by Kurdish militias, which had helped a Western-led coalition fight jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group but whom Ankara accuses of terrorism. Germany, along with European allies such as France, has condemned the offensive and halted arms exports to Turkey.

Berlin urges 'restraint' after Turkish-Kurdish clashes in Germany

An Army jawan was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Sunday. 
 
Indian Army is retaliating effectively. Further details in this regard are awaited. 
 
Earlier on Saturday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-pakistan-violates-ceasefire-in-hiranagar-sector-targets-civilian-areas-255571">Pakistan resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire in Hiranagar</a> sector that continued till 5:30 am today. 
 
The number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan has gone up significantly this year compared to 2018. 
 
"2317 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2019 till October 10 while 147 terrorists have been killed in different operations by the security forces on the Line of Control (LoC) and hinterland," Indian Army sources had said. 
 
In 2018, the total number of ceasefire violations was 1629.

An Army jawan was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Sunday. Indian Army is retaliating effectively.

An Army jawan was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Sunday. Indian Army is retaliating effectively. Further details in this regard are awaited. Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire in Hiranagar sector that continued till 5:30 am today. The number of ceasefire violations by Pakistan has gone up significantly this year compared to 2018. "2317 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2019 till October 10 while 147 terrorists have been killed in different operations by the security forces on the Line of Control (LoC) and hinterland," Indian Army sources had said. In 2018, the total number of ceasefire violations was 1629.

Army jawan killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in J&K's Uri

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi's cabinet issued a series of reforms early Sunday after an "extraordinary" session overnight in response to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-nations-says-this-must-stop-after-iraqi-protest-violence-kills-nearly-100-253995">sweeping anti-government rallies</a> that have left nearly 100 dead.

Iraqis have gathered in Baghdad and across the south since Tuesday to demand widespread government reforms, which Abdel Mahdi had promised to tackle when he came into power just under a year ago.

Early Sunday, his cabinet <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/innovative-iraqis-dodge-net-blackout-to-illuminate-protest-violence-253984">issued a decree</a> including more than a dozen planned reforms, including land distributions, military enlistment and increased welfare stipends for needy families.

In response to staggering youth unemployment, which has reached around 25 per cent according to the World Bank, the government said it would create large market complexes and boost benefits for those without work.

In the southern city of Kut last month, a young Iraqi man died after he set himself alight in despair after authorities seized his mobile kiosk.

The public sector remains the largest employer in Iraq, a country of 40 million people, but it has struggled to absorb new university graduates in recent years.

Local authorities also recently cleared housing units built without proper permits, which a total of three million Iraqis live in across the country.

Starting Tuesday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-authorities-lift-baghdad-curfew-253920">protesters gathered in Baghdad</a> and spread to the country's Shiite-majority south, defying an internet blackout, tear gas and even live rounds.

The mainly male, young crowds say they are not backed by any political or religious establishment and have attacked a broad range of political party offices.

The Iraqi Human Rights Commission said Saturday that 99 people have died and nearly 4,000 have been wounded since protests kicked off.

The government has officially designated those killed as "martyrs," granting their families a special set of benefits.

Parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi also <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-protest-death-toll-nears-100-rights-panel-253906">pledged a range of reforms</a> in a meeting with lawmakers on Saturday, but did not hold his planned legislative session as the body failed to reach quorum.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi's cabinet issued a series of reforms early Sunday after an "extraordinary" session overnight in response to sweeping anti-government rallies that have left nearly 100 dead.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi's cabinet issued a series of reforms early Sunday after an "extraordinary" session overnight in response to sweeping anti-government rallies that have left nearly 100 dead. Iraqis have gathered in Baghdad and across the south since Tuesday to demand widespread government reforms, which Abdel Mahdi had promised to tackle when he came into power just under a year ago. Early Sunday, his cabinet issued a decree including more than a dozen planned reforms, including land distributions, military enlistment and increased welfare stipends for needy families. In response to staggering youth unemployment, which has reached around 25 per cent according to the World Bank, the government said it would create large market complexes and boost benefits for those without work. In the southern city of Kut last month, a young Iraqi man died after he set himself alight in despair after authorities seized his mobile kiosk. The public sector remains the largest employer in Iraq, a country of 40 million people, but it has struggled to absorb new university graduates in recent years. Local authorities also recently cleared housing units built without proper permits, which a total of three million Iraqis live in across the country. Starting Tuesday, protesters gathered in Baghdad and spread to the country's Shiite-majority south, defying an internet blackout, tear gas and even live rounds. The mainly male, young crowds say they are not backed by any political or religious establishment and have attacked a broad range of political party offices. The Iraqi Human Rights Commission said Saturday that 99 people have died and nearly 4,000 have been wounded since protests kicked off. The government has officially designated those killed as "martyrs," granting their families a special set of benefits. Parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi also pledged a range of reforms in a meeting with lawmakers on Saturday, but did not hold his planned legislative session as the body failed to reach quorum.

Iraqi prime minister pledges reforms to calm angry protests

Among the destroyed buildings of&nbsp;Syria's&nbsp;Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of&nbsp;post-war reconstruction.

"The industrial city of&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;thanks you for your visit," it reads.

Once the country's powerhouse,&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;was devastated by&nbsp;Syria's ongoing civil war before Russia-backed government forces expelled the last rebels in late 2016 after a devastating siege.

As some of the city is slowly rebuilt, the Russian army this week showed reporters around, as Moscow seeks to highlight its role in the reconstruction&nbsp;of the war-torn country.

Several factories have reopened in the almost three years since the fighting ended in&nbsp;Aleppo, large parts of which were flattened.

At Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries, 1,000 people are employed in metalworking jobs.

About a fifth of the workers recently returned to&nbsp;Aleppo.

"We started work again a year ago and today we have four operational warehouses," said Salah Mitar, the engineer in charge.

"We hope to expand to 11 by 2020," he told AFP, as employees bustled around him in one huge warehouse.

But Mitar said international sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government and associated businessmen meant the factory cannot import sophisticated machinery.

The two main shareholders of Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries Hussam and Baraa Katerji are targeted by European Union and US sanctions respectively.

The factory was under rebel control until&nbsp;Aleppo's recapture and production ground to a halt during the fighting.&nbsp;

For the past eight months since the factory re-opened, employee Khaled said he had received a good salary.

But "very high prices in town" still make life difficult for him and his family, said the 38-year-old father of five.

After fuel shortages the government blames on sanctions, the value of the Syrian pound fell to its lowest level ever on the black market earlier this month.

Customers will return

Aleppo's UNESCO-listed historic centre and its centuries-old covered markets are also returning to life.

The frontline once ran through the old souqs, but today large parts of the historical trading centre have been restored.

Workers still shovel rubble in some alleys, like coffee shops and stalls most still empty prepare to receive merchandise.

Among them,&nbsp;59-year-old Abdel Rahman Mahmud could not wait to see shoppers back in his two-decade-old shop, where he will resume selling soap and spice.

"Customers will return. I'm sure of it. We just need to wait a bit," said the trader, who lost a son in the war.

The civil war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

But, Mahmud said, "our lives have changed a lot these past few years.

Things are a lot better&nbsp;we have electricity, water."

Russian pipes and cables

President Bashar al-Assad's government has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015.

After blistering military campaigns and Russia-brokered surrender deals, Damascus now controls more than 60 per cent of&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;and is looking to rebuild with Russian support.

Moscow says it has delivered thousands of tonnes of the water pipe and hundreds of kilometres (miles) of high-tension cable to improve water and power supplies.

Its military police on the ground have deterred looters, Russia says.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, has offered to fund the restoration of&nbsp;Aleppo's centuries-old Umayyad Mosque after it was damaged in the fighting.

But in the east of the city, residential neighbourhoods once under rebel control still largely lie in ruin.

Flattened apartment blocks lie on either side of deserted streets, dotted only by army checkpoints.

And just 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, fighting has continued.

The city lies east of the jihadist-run region of Idlib, where a Russia-announced ceasefire has largely held in recent weeks, despite sporadic bombardment.

The governor of&nbsp;Aleppo&nbsp;province, Hussein Diab, said fighting wounded 123 people in the province in September.

Among the destroyed buildings of Syria's Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of post-war reconstruction.

Among the destroyed buildings of Syria's Aleppo, a battered sign between two army checkpoints welcomes visitors to an area earmarked to become a beacon of post-war reconstruction. "The industrial city of Aleppo thanks you for your visit," it reads. Once the country's powerhouse, Aleppo was devastated by Syria's ongoing civil war before Russia-backed government forces expelled the last rebels in late 2016 after a devastating siege. As some of the city is slowly rebuilt, the Russian army this week showed reporters around, as Moscow seeks to highlight its role in the reconstruction of the war-torn country. Several factories have reopened in the almost three years since the fighting ended in Aleppo, large parts of which were flattened. At Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries, 1,000 people are employed in metalworking jobs. About a fifth of the workers recently returned to Aleppo. "We started work again a year ago and today we have four operational warehouses," said Salah Mitar, the engineer in charge. "We hope to expand to 11 by 2020," he told AFP, as employees bustled around him in one huge warehouse. But Mitar said international sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government and associated businessmen meant the factory cannot import sophisticated machinery. The two main shareholders of Katerji Engineering and Mechanical Industries Hussam and Baraa Katerji are targeted by European Union and US sanctions respectively. The factory was under rebel control until Aleppo's recapture and production ground to a halt during the fighting. For the past eight months since the factory re-opened, employee Khaled said he had received a good salary. But "very high prices in town" still make life difficult for him and his family, said the 38-year-old father of five. After fuel shortages the government blames on sanctions, the value of the Syrian pound fell to its lowest level ever on the black market earlier this month. Customers will return Aleppo's UNESCO-listed historic centre and its centuries-old covered markets are also returning to life. The frontline once ran through the old souqs, but today large parts of the historical trading centre have been restored. Workers still shovel rubble in some alleys, like coffee shops and stalls most still empty prepare to receive merchandise. Among them, 59-year-old Abdel Rahman Mahmud could not wait to see shoppers back in his two-decade-old shop, where he will resume selling soap and spice. "Customers will return. I'm sure of it. We just need to wait a bit," said the trader, who lost a son in the war. The civil war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. But, Mahmud said, "our lives have changed a lot these past few years. Things are a lot better we have electricity, water." Russian pipes and cables President Bashar al-Assad's government has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015. After blistering military campaigns and Russia-brokered surrender deals, Damascus now controls more than 60 per cent of Syria and is looking to rebuild with Russian support. Moscow says it has delivered thousands of tonnes of the water pipe and hundreds of kilometres (miles) of high-tension cable to improve water and power supplies. Its military police on the ground have deterred looters, Russia says. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a longtime Kremlin protege with vast resources, has offered to fund the restoration of Aleppo's centuries-old Umayyad Mosque after it was damaged in the fighting. But in the east of the city, residential neighbourhoods once under rebel control still largely lie in ruin. Flattened apartment blocks lie on either side of deserted streets, dotted only by army checkpoints. And just 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, fighting has continued. The city lies east of the jihadist-run region of Idlib, where a Russia-announced ceasefire has largely held in recent weeks, despite sporadic bombardment. The governor of Aleppo province, Hussein Diab, said fighting wounded 123 people in the province in September.

In Syria's Aleppo, reconstruction makes slow start

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