President Emmanuel Macron on Friday hosted representatives of the Kurdish-led force that defeated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-at-least-six-killed-seven-wounded-in-rocket-fire-launched-by-jihadists-210420">Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syri</a>a, assuring them of France's support in the fight against remaining jihadists.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had in late March flushed out IS from their last bastion in Syria but still warn the jihadists remain a threat in places.

The SDF is an umbrella force of Kurds and Arabs dominated by Kurds from the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. It is regarded with huge distrust by neighbouring Turkey which sees the YPG as a terror group.&nbsp;

Macron assured the SDF representatives, who were not named, of the "active support of France in the fight against Daesh which continues to be a menace for collective security," the presidency said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Particularly important was the support in the "handling of terrorist fighters held as prisoners along with their families."

European capitals are all keeping a careful eye on the IS prisoners held by the SDF after the defeat of the jihadists, given many are dual nationals.

Macron also vowed that financial support would be allocated to "respond to the humanitarian needs and the socio-economic stabilisation of civilian populations in Syria."

The SDF were the key ally of the West in defeating IS and waged the bulk of the fighting on the ground.

But they fear being abandoned by their patrons now IS is beaten, after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from Syria.&nbsp;

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had in April announced $1.1 million&nbsp;in humanitarian aid for camps housing displaced people, notably Al-Hol which holds thousands of women and children who lived in IS-held areas.

France's past contacts with the SDF's Syrian Kurds have angered Turkey, which regards the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The PKK has waged a 35-year insurrection against the Turkish state.

Macron also made clear of the importance to Paris of "the security of Turkey and a de-escalation along the Syrian-Turkish border," the presidency said.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday hosted representatives of the Kurdish-led force that defeated Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syria, assuring them of France's support in the fight against remaining jihadists.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday hosted representatives of the Kurdish-led force that defeated Islamic State (IS) extremists in Syria, assuring them of France's support in the fight against remaining jihadists. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had in late March flushed out IS from their last bastion in Syria but still warn the jihadists remain a threat in places. The SDF is an umbrella force of Kurds and Arabs dominated by Kurds from the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. It is regarded with huge distrust by neighbouring Turkey which sees the YPG as a terror group. Macron assured the SDF representatives, who were not named, of the "active support of France in the fight against Daesh which continues to be a menace for collective security," the presidency said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for IS. Particularly important was the support in the "handling of terrorist fighters held as prisoners along with their families." European capitals are all keeping a careful eye on the IS prisoners held by the SDF after the defeat of the jihadists, given many are dual nationals. Macron also vowed that financial support would be allocated to "respond to the humanitarian needs and the socio-economic stabilisation of civilian populations in Syria." The SDF were the key ally of the West in defeating IS and waged the bulk of the fighting on the ground. But they fear being abandoned by their patrons now IS is beaten, after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American forces from Syria. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had in April announced $1.1 million in humanitarian aid for camps housing displaced people, notably Al-Hol which holds thousands of women and children who lived in IS-held areas. France's past contacts with the SDF's Syrian Kurds have angered Turkey, which regards the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PKK has waged a 35-year insurrection against the Turkish state. Macron also made clear of the importance to Paris of "the security of Turkey and a de-escalation along the Syrian-Turkish border," the presidency said.

Macron meets Syrian Kurds, vows French support in fight against Islamic State

The International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, also known as Red Hand Day, was memorialized worldwide Tuesday to denounce the involvement of children under the age of 18 in armed conflicts.

Child Soldiers International, an international advocacy group against child soldiers, published a United Nations report Monday which said that in 2012, there were 3,159 cases of children involved in military conflicts in 12 countries, while in 2017 that figure reached 8,185 children in 15 countries, an increase of 159 per cent.

"These statistics alone are shocking and probably only scratch the surface on the true scale of child exploitation by armed actors around the world," said CSI Director Isabelle Guitard.

"It is critical the world does not turn a blind eye to this ongoing abuse and that local and international resources are amplified and combined to tackle it more effectively," Guitard added.

CSI wrote on its website that conflicts in the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and other locations expose children to recruitment.

Also in recent years, while there has been an increase in recruitment of both boys and girls as soldiers and informants, CSI said that the exploitation of girls was rising.

"Girls associated with armed groups and forces totalled 893 in the 2018 (UN) report; four times more than the 216 recorded (by the UN) in 2017," according to the organization.

UN figures show that at least 1,221 children were recruited in South Sudan in 2017, which leaves the total number of minors involved in the armed conflicts of that African nation at 19,000 since 2013.

In addition, 14,000 recruitment cases have been verified in the Central African Republic since the beginning of the conflict there in 2012.

The UN's cultural agency UNICEF, furthermore, said that it has verified the recruitment of another 3,000 children in the DRC in 2017, by the numerous active militias in the northeast of the country, such as the Bana Mura and Kamwina Nsapu militant groups.

The number of children recruited by Al Shabab (2,127) in Somalia grew in 2017, while at least 203 children were used as suicide bombers by the Islamist group Boko Haram in Cameroon and Nigeria that same year.

Throughout the world, more than 240 million children are currently living in war zones; many of them in contexts of violence, displacement, hunger and exploitation.

The International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, also known as Red Hand Day, was memorialized worldwide Tuesday to denounce the involvement of children under the age of 18 in armed conflicts.

The International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, also known as Red Hand Day, was memorialized worldwide Tuesday to denounce the involvement of children under the age of 18 in armed conflicts. Child Soldiers International, an international advocacy group against child soldiers, published a United Nations report Monday which said that in 2012, there were 3,159 cases of children involved in military conflicts in 12 countries, while in 2017 that figure reached 8,185 children in 15 countries, an increase of 159 per cent. "These statistics alone are shocking and probably only scratch the surface on the true scale of child exploitation by armed actors around the world," said CSI Director Isabelle Guitard. "It is critical the world does not turn a blind eye to this ongoing abuse and that local and international resources are amplified and combined to tackle it more effectively," Guitard added. CSI wrote on its website that conflicts in the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and other locations expose children to recruitment. Also in recent years, while there has been an increase in recruitment of both boys and girls as soldiers and informants, CSI said that the exploitation of girls was rising. "Girls associated with armed groups and forces totalled 893 in the 2018 (UN) report; four times more than the 216 recorded (by the UN) in 2017," according to the organization. UN figures show that at least 1,221 children were recruited in South Sudan in 2017, which leaves the total number of minors involved in the armed conflicts of that African nation at 19,000 since 2013. In addition, 14,000 recruitment cases have been verified in the Central African Republic since the beginning of the conflict there in 2012. The UN's cultural agency UNICEF, furthermore, said that it has verified the recruitment of another 3,000 children in the DRC in 2017, by the numerous active militias in the northeast of the country, such as the Bana Mura and Kamwina Nsapu militant groups. The number of children recruited by Al Shabab (2,127) in Somalia grew in 2017, while at least 203 children were used as suicide bombers by the Islamist group Boko Haram in Cameroon and Nigeria that same year. Throughout the world, more than 240 million children are currently living in war zones; many of them in contexts of violence, displacement, hunger and exploitation.

Tens of thousands of child soldiers fight, die in conflict zones across globe

A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day.

"You've got a nightmare, the perfect storm heading your way," David Beasley, World Food Programme (WFP) chief, said in a speech in Rome, where the United Nations' food agencies are headquartered.

The UN aims to achieve a Zero Hunger world by 2030, but faces three obstacles: conflicts, climate change and an economic slowdown.

Beasley said the battle was an urgent one. "Children are dying at a rate of every five to ten seconds" from hunger or malnutrition, he said.

Food is being wasted both during the production process and in people's kitchens.

"The answer is not in Rome alone, it's in your homes. What are you going to do about it?" he asked.

It is not a problem wealthier countries can simply ignore, for it has a knock-on effect on them in terms of the migration crisis.

"For every one percent increase in hunger, there's a two percent increase in migration," Beasley said.

Some 821 million people, or one of every nine people on the planet, suffered from hunger last year, marking the third consecutive annual increase, according to the UN's latest hunger report.

An estimated 155 million children under five years old are chronically malnourished, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while micronutrient deficiencies, dubbed the "hidden hunger", affects over two billion people worldwide.

At the same time, over 600 million people are obese.

The costs to society of the "global pandemic" of obesity are enormous -- as expensive as armed conflicts and smoking, FAO head Jose Graziano da Silva said.

"International solidarity appears to be cooling," warned Pope Francis in a speech delivered by a Vatican representative.

He warned institutions leading the fight against hunger not to "study the roots of (poor people's) misery" and merely respond with "impressive publications destined only to enlarge library catalogues".

"When it is a question of effectively confronting the causes of hunger, grandiose declarations" are not enough, he said.

"The struggle against hunger urgently demands generous financing, the abolition of trade barriers and, above all, greater resilience in the face of climate change, economic crises and warfare."

A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day.

A potent combination of hunger, climate change and man-made conflicts are creating a "perfect storm", the head of the UN's food arm warned Tuesday in a call to action on World Food Day. "You've got a nightmare, the perfect storm heading your way," David Beasley, World Food Programme (WFP) chief, said in a speech in Rome, where the United Nations' food agencies are headquartered. The UN aims to achieve a Zero Hunger world by 2030, but faces three obstacles: conflicts, climate change and an economic slowdown. Beasley said the battle was an urgent one. "Children are dying at a rate of every five to ten seconds" from hunger or malnutrition, he said. Food is being wasted both during the production process and in people's kitchens. "The answer is not in Rome alone, it's in your homes. What are you going to do about it?" he asked. It is not a problem wealthier countries can simply ignore, for it has a knock-on effect on them in terms of the migration crisis. "For every one percent increase in hunger, there's a two percent increase in migration," Beasley said. Some 821 million people, or one of every nine people on the planet, suffered from hunger last year, marking the third consecutive annual increase, according to the UN's latest hunger report. An estimated 155 million children under five years old are chronically malnourished, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), while micronutrient deficiencies, dubbed the "hidden hunger", affects over two billion people worldwide. At the same time, over 600 million people are obese. The costs to society of the "global pandemic" of obesity are enormous -- as expensive as armed conflicts and smoking, FAO head Jose Graziano da Silva said. "International solidarity appears to be cooling," warned Pope Francis in a speech delivered by a Vatican representative. He warned institutions leading the fight against hunger not to "study the roots of (poor people's) misery" and merely respond with "impressive publications destined only to enlarge library catalogues". "When it is a question of effectively confronting the causes of hunger, grandiose declarations" are not enough, he said. "The struggle against hunger urgently demands generous financing, the abolition of trade barriers and, above all, greater resilience in the face of climate change, economic crises and warfare."

'Perfect storm' of hunger, climate change & conflict coming, warns UN

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested on Monday he was open to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, saying a "two-party solution" was likely in his first extensive comments on peace efforts since taking the job last week.

"With respect to the two-state solution, the parties will ultimately make the decision. We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome," he said at a news conference in Jordan after a visit to Israel.

"The Israelis and Palestinians need to have political engagement. We urge the Palestinians to return to that political dialogue," he added.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump has said he would support a two-state solution, if the two sides agree, although he has stopped sort of re-asserting a U.S. commitment to eventual Palestinian statehood, a longtime bedrock of US&nbsppolicy. The White House is preparing a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Some 70 years after the creation of Israel, prospects for a Palestinian state appear dim. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were based on the 1993 Oslo accords that envisaged a two-state solution.

Those talks have been stalled for years and Israel has built more settlements in the occupied territories, which it seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Israel has refused any right of return for Palestinians who were expelled or fled and became refugees after the country declared independence in 1948, fearing it would lose its Jewish majority.

Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians in recent weeks who were protesting in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel to demand the return of refugees and their descendents. Israel says it is protecting its borders.

Palestinians have rejected U.S. peace-making efforts since Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy to the city, wanted by Palestinians as capital of their own state.

VIOLENCE

Amman was Pompeo's last stop before he returns to Washington DC, where he has not yet entered the State Department. Moments after being sworn in as Secretary of State on Thursday, Pompeo immediately left for a meeting in Brussels, followed by a visit to allies in the Middle East.

"(The Mideast peace) is an incredible priority for the United States to provide whatever assistance we can to allow the two parties to come to a resolution on this incredibly long standing and important conflict," Pompeo said, standing alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

Pompeo also made his first comments on the violence along the Israel-Gaza Strip border, where Israeli forces have killed 42 Palestinians since protests began on March 30 and injured some 2,000 by gunfire. No serious casualties have been reported on the Israeli side.

"We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves," he said.

The Palestinians say Israel has used excessive force, and its use of live fire has drawn international criticism.

Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling stones and rolling burning tires, or trying to lay explosives, come too close to the border fence.

Turning to Syria, he said the United States was "in perfect accord" with Jordan on Syria, including the preservation of a "de-escalation zone" in the south.

Pompeo said: "We believe there are many countries, including the United States, who will play an important political role in achieving the de-escalation and ultimate political resolution in Syria".

'With respect to the two-state solution, the parties will ultimately make the decision. We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome,' Pompeo said

US&nbspSecretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested on Monday he was open to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, saying a "two-party solution" was likely in his first extensive comments on peace efforts since taking the job last week. "With respect to the two-state solution, the parties will ultimately make the decision. We are certainly open to a two-party solution as a likely outcome," he said at a news conference in Jordan after a visit to Israel. "The Israelis and Palestinians need to have political engagement. We urge the Palestinians to return to that political dialogue," he added. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump has said he would support a two-state solution, if the two sides agree, although he has stopped sort of re-asserting a U.S. commitment to eventual Palestinian statehood, a longtime bedrock of US&nbsppolicy. The White House is preparing a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Some 70 years after the creation of Israel, prospects for a Palestinian state appear dim. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks were based on the 1993 Oslo accords that envisaged a two-state solution. Those talks have been stalled for years and Israel has built more settlements in the occupied territories, which it seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has refused any right of return for Palestinians who were expelled or fled and became refugees after the country declared independence in 1948, fearing it would lose its Jewish majority. Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians in recent weeks who were protesting in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel to demand the return of refugees and their descendents. Israel says it is protecting its borders. Palestinians have rejected U.S. peace-making efforts since Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy to the city, wanted by Palestinians as capital of their own state. VIOLENCE Amman was Pompeo's last stop before he returns to Washington DC, where he has not yet entered the State Department. Moments after being sworn in as Secretary of State on Thursday, Pompeo immediately left for a meeting in Brussels, followed by a visit to allies in the Middle East. "(The Mideast peace) is an incredible priority for the United States to provide whatever assistance we can to allow the two parties to come to a resolution on this incredibly long standing and important conflict," Pompeo said, standing alongside Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Pompeo also made his first comments on the violence along the Israel-Gaza Strip border, where Israeli forces have killed 42 Palestinians since protests began on March 30 and injured some 2,000 by gunfire. No serious casualties have been reported on the Israeli side. "We do believe the Israelis have a right to defend themselves," he said. The Palestinians say Israel has used excessive force, and its use of live fire has drawn international criticism. Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action only when protesters, some hurling stones and rolling burning tires, or trying to lay explosives, come too close to the border fence. Turning to Syria, he said the United States was "in perfect accord" with Jordan on Syria, including the preservation of a "de-escalation zone" in the south. Pompeo said: "We believe there are many countries, including the United States, who will play an important political role in achieving the de-escalation and ultimate political resolution in Syria".

Pompeo says US open to 'two-party solution' for Israeli-Palestinian conflict

An explosion went off as Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah&#39;s convoy entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding seven people, a security source and witnesses said.

The explosive device was detonated after Hamdallah and his convoy passed through the Beit Hanoun checkpoint with Israel in northern Gaza, reports said.&nbsp;

Hamdallah was not injured in the explosion, which occurred shortly after his convoy entered for a rare visit to the territory run by Islamist movement Hamas, a security source in the convoy said.

According to initial reports, several people were lightly wounded in the incident.

A statement on official Palestinian media said president Mahmud Abbas considered it a &quot;cowardly targeting&quot; of Hamdallah&#39;s convoy and held Hamas responsible.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Hamadallah, who is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, travelled to Gaza for the inauguration of a waste treatment plant.

Explosive device detonated after PM Rami Hamdallah and his convoy passed through the Beit Hanoun crossing

An explosion went off as Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah's convoy entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, wounding seven people, a security source and witnesses said. The explosive device was detonated after Hamdallah and his convoy passed through the Beit Hanoun checkpoint with Israel in northern Gaza, reports said. Hamdallah was not injured in the explosion, which occurred shortly after his convoy entered for a rare visit to the territory run by Islamist movement Hamas, a security source in the convoy said. According to initial reports, several people were lightly wounded in the incident. A statement on official Palestinian media said president Mahmud Abbas considered it a "cowardly targeting" of Hamdallah's convoy and held Hamas responsible. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Hamadallah, who is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, travelled to Gaza for the inauguration of a waste treatment plant.

Palestinian PM unhurt in Gaza explosion, several lightly injured

Syrian regime forces on Sunday seized a strategic town as they pushed towards a jihadist-held airbase in an offensive to reclaim ground in northwestern Idlib province, a monitor said.&nbsp;

Government forces backed up by Russian air power are conducting an operation to carve out a foothold in the southeast of the province, the last one that had remained completely beyond regime control.&nbsp;

Troops captured Sinjar, the &quot;biggest town in southeast Idlib&quot;, from Syria&#39;s former Al-Qaeda affiliate and were within 14 kilometres (9 miles) of the Abu al-Duhur military base, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

The base -- which government troops lost to the jihadists in 2015 after a two-year siege -- could provide President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces with a vital forward post in the Idlib province.

The drive into the region is aimed at securing a key road that links Syria&#39;s second city of Aleppo -- recaptured by the government just over a year ago -- to the capital Damascus, the Observatory said.

State news agency SANA reported Saturday evening that the regime forces had taken control of &quot;some towns and villages in the southeast&quot; of Idlib province.

Since the start of the operation in late December, Assad&#39;s forces have recaptured roughly 60 towns and villages on the border between Idlib and neighbouring Hama province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.&nbsp;

In response to the situation on the ground the jihadists&#39; &quot;military council&quot; under leader Mohammad al-Jolani convened an &quot;urgent meeting&quot;, coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said.&nbsp;

&quot;The campaign by the criminal regime will not be easy,&quot; said the group, dominated by the one-time Al-Qaeda affiliate, previously known as Al-Nusra Front.

More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria and millions displaced since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Russia&#39;s intervention in support of Assad has shifted the balance firmly in the regime&#39;s favour.&nbsp;

Government forces backed up by Russian air power are conducting an operation to carve out a foothold in the southeast of the province, the last one that had remained completely beyond regime control

Syrian regime forces on Sunday seized a strategic town as they pushed towards a jihadist-held airbase in an offensive to reclaim ground in northwestern Idlib province, a monitor said. Government forces backed up by Russian air power are conducting an operation to carve out a foothold in the southeast of the province, the last one that had remained completely beyond regime control. Troops captured Sinjar, the "biggest town in southeast Idlib", from Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate and were within 14 kilometres (9 miles) of the Abu al-Duhur military base, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The base -- which government troops lost to the jihadists in 2015 after a two-year siege -- could provide President Bashar al-Assad's forces with a vital forward post in the Idlib province. The drive into the region is aimed at securing a key road that links Syria's second city of Aleppo -- recaptured by the government just over a year ago -- to the capital Damascus, the Observatory said. State news agency SANA reported Saturday evening that the regime forces had taken control of "some towns and villages in the southeast" of Idlib province. Since the start of the operation in late December, Assad's forces have recaptured roughly 60 towns and villages on the border between Idlib and neighbouring Hama province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. In response to the situation on the ground the jihadists' "military council" under leader Mohammad al-Jolani convened an "urgent meeting", coalition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said. "The campaign by the criminal regime will not be easy," said the group, dominated by the one-time Al-Qaeda affiliate, previously known as Al-Nusra Front. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria and millions displaced since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Russia's intervention in support of Assad has shifted the balance firmly in the regime's favour.

Syria regime forces push towards Idlib airbase: Monitor

Iraqi paramilitary forces have uncovered two more&nbsp;mass&nbsp;graves containing the bodies of 140 civilians, including women and children, in an area home to the Yazidi religious minority, they said Saturday.

In 2014, IS killed thousands of Yazidis in Sinjar and kidnapped thousands of women and girls from the community to abuse them as sex slaves.

The Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary alliance said it had found &quot;a&nbsp;mass&nbsp;grave&nbsp;with the bodies of 20 women and about 40 children in the village of Kabusi, south of Sinjar.&quot;&nbsp;

Elsewhere, &quot;in the Jazira residential complex, also south of Sinjar, 80 other bodies, mostly Yazidis, were discovered,&quot; it said.

Kurdish fighters backed by the US-led coalition against IS captured Sinjar from the jihadists in November 2015 before Iraqi security forces took control of the region in October.

As government troops have advanced across Iraq they have uncovered dozens of&nbsp;mass&nbsp;graves holding hundreds of bodies in areas that fell under the jihadists&#39; brutal rule.

Iraqi officials said on 22 November they had found a&nbsp;mass&nbsp;grave&nbsp;in Sinjar containing the bodies of dozens of members of the minority killed by the Islamic State group.

Sinjar mayor Mahma Khalil said that since 2015, around 40&nbsp;mass&nbsp;graves have been discovered in the region and that &quot;all the victims were Yazidis&quot;.

The Yazidis are Kurdish-speaking but follow their own non-Muslim faith that earned them the hatred of the Sunni Muslim extremists of IS.

Yazidis believe in one God who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, the most important of which is Melek Taus, or the Peacock Angel.

The Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary alliance said it had found "a mass grave with the bodies of 20 women and about 40 children in the village of Kabusi, south of Sinjar"

Iraqi paramilitary forces have uncovered two more mass graves containing the bodies of 140 civilians, including women and children, in an area home to the Yazidi religious minority, they said Saturday. In 2014, IS killed thousands of Yazidis in Sinjar and kidnapped thousands of women and girls from the community to abuse them as sex slaves. The Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary alliance said it had found "a mass grave with the bodies of 20 women and about 40 children in the village of Kabusi, south of Sinjar." Elsewhere, "in the Jazira residential complex, also south of Sinjar, 80 other bodies, mostly Yazidis, were discovered," it said. Kurdish fighters backed by the US-led coalition against IS captured Sinjar from the jihadists in November 2015 before Iraqi security forces took control of the region in October. As government troops have advanced across Iraq they have uncovered dozens of mass graves holding hundreds of bodies in areas that fell under the jihadists' brutal rule. Iraqi officials said on 22 November they had found a mass grave in Sinjar containing the bodies of dozens of members of the minority killed by the Islamic State group. Sinjar mayor Mahma Khalil said that since 2015, around 40 mass graves have been discovered in the region and that "all the victims were Yazidis". The Yazidis are Kurdish-speaking but follow their own non-Muslim faith that earned them the hatred of the Sunni Muslim extremists of IS. Yazidis believe in one God who created the world and entrusted it to seven Holy Beings, the most important of which is Melek Taus, or the Peacock Angel.

Two mass graves found in Yazidi district of Iraq

Fighting between Yemen&#39;s Huthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh rocked the capital Sanaa for a second straight night, leaving at least three people dead, Saleh&#39;s party said Friday.

The violence threatens an alliance that has held the capital and much of the north of Yemen in defiance of the Saudi-backed government for more than three years.

Huthi fighters, also known as Ansarullah, surrounded the homes of two of Saleh&#39;s nephews late on Thursday, a source in Saleh&#39;s forces said.

&quot;We were surprised by an armed attack by Ansarullah targeting the guards of the house of Brigadier Tareq Saleh, which left three dead and wounded three others,&quot; the ex-president&#39;s General People&#39;s Congress said. &quot;We hold Ansarullah fully responsible.&quot;

The Huthis said there were &quot;clashes in some streets of south Sanaa,&quot; in a statement released on their Saba news agency, without giving further details of their location or any casualty toll.

Thursday night&#39;s violence came 24 hours after clashes at the Saleh mosque in Sanaa killed nine Huthi rebels and five Saleh supporters.

One source at the Jumhuriya hospital said late on Thursday that the death toll from the infighting had risen to as many as 18 rebels and six Saleh loyalists.

Saleh and the Huthis forged an unlikely alliance in 2014, ending decades of enmity to join ranks in fighting against Yemen&#39;s internationally recognised President Abedrabbo Mansour.

The infighting now threatens to unravel the fragile alliance, which has been battling a Saudi-led military intervention in the war since March 2015.

The conflict has since claimed more than 8,600 lives and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crisis.

The violence threatens an alliance that has held the capital and much of the north of Yemen in defiance of the Saudi-backed government for more than three years

Fighting between Yemen's Huthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh rocked the capital Sanaa for a second straight night, leaving at least three people dead, Saleh's party said Friday. The violence threatens an alliance that has held the capital and much of the north of Yemen in defiance of the Saudi-backed government for more than three years. Huthi fighters, also known as Ansarullah, surrounded the homes of two of Saleh's nephews late on Thursday, a source in Saleh's forces said. "We were surprised by an armed attack by Ansarullah targeting the guards of the house of Brigadier Tareq Saleh, which left three dead and wounded three others," the ex-president's General People's Congress said. "We hold Ansarullah fully responsible." The Huthis said there were "clashes in some streets of south Sanaa," in a statement released on their Saba news agency, without giving further details of their location or any casualty toll. Thursday night's violence came 24 hours after clashes at the Saleh mosque in Sanaa killed nine Huthi rebels and five Saleh supporters. One source at the Jumhuriya hospital said late on Thursday that the death toll from the infighting had risen to as many as 18 rebels and six Saleh loyalists. Saleh and the Huthis forged an unlikely alliance in 2014, ending decades of enmity to join ranks in fighting against Yemen's internationally recognised President Abedrabbo Mansour. The infighting now threatens to unravel the fragile alliance, which has been battling a Saudi-led military intervention in the war since March 2015. The conflict has since claimed more than 8,600 lives and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

3 dead as deadly rebel infighting rocks Yemen capital for second night

Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, visited areas hit by conflict in the western state of Rakhine on Thursday for the first time since attacks by militants from the Rohingya Muslim minority two months ago sparked a refugee crisis.

A Reuters reporter saw Suu Kyi board a military helicopter at Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital, at about 9 a.m.&nbsp;on Thursday.

Spokesman Zaw Htay said that&nbsp;she was visiting the troubled border district of Maungdaw, where more than 600,000 members of the stateless Rohingya group have crossed into Bangladesh since Aug. 25.

&quot;She will go to Maungdaw and I cannot give any more details,&quot; he said.

Suu Kyi had not previously visited Rakhine state since assuming power last year after a landslide 2015 election victory. The majority of residents in Maungdaw were Muslims until the recent crisis.

Myanmar has been stung by international criticism and accusations of ethnic cleansing, which it rejects, for the way its security forces responded to attacks by Rohingya militants on 30 security posts.

Suu Kyi was accompanied on Thursday by about 20 people travelling in two military helicopters, including state officials and military and police officers.

Businessman Zaw Zaw, formerly sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, was also with the Nobel Laureate.

Suu Kyi launched an initiative last month to assist rehabilitation and resettlement in Rakhine and has called for tycoons to contribute to the project.

She has pledged that refugees who can prove they were residents of Myanmar will be allowed to return, but thousands of people have continued to arrive in Bangladesh as recently as last night.

Talks with Bangladesh have yet to lead to an agreement on a repatriation process made more complex because the Rohingya have long been denied citizenship in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi had not previously visited Rakhine state since assuming power last year after a landslide 2015 election victory. The majority of residents in Maungdaw were Muslims until the recent crisis.

Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, visited areas hit by conflict in the western state of Rakhine on Thursday for the first time since attacks by militants from the Rohingya Muslim minority two months ago sparked a refugee crisis. A Reuters reporter saw Suu Kyi board a military helicopter at Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital, at about 9 a.m. on Thursday. Spokesman Zaw Htay said that she was visiting the troubled border district of Maungdaw, where more than 600,000 members of the stateless Rohingya group have crossed into Bangladesh since Aug. 25. "She will go to Maungdaw and I cannot give any more details," he said. Suu Kyi had not previously visited Rakhine state since assuming power last year after a landslide 2015 election victory. The majority of residents in Maungdaw were Muslims until the recent crisis. Myanmar has been stung by international criticism and accusations of ethnic cleansing, which it rejects, for the way its security forces responded to attacks by Rohingya militants on 30 security posts. Suu Kyi was accompanied on Thursday by about 20 people travelling in two military helicopters, including state officials and military and police officers. Businessman Zaw Zaw, formerly sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, was also with the Nobel Laureate. Suu Kyi launched an initiative last month to assist rehabilitation and resettlement in Rakhine and has called for tycoons to contribute to the project. She has pledged that refugees who can prove they were residents of Myanmar will be allowed to return, but thousands of people have continued to arrive in Bangladesh as recently as last night. Talks with Bangladesh have yet to lead to an agreement on a repatriation process made more complex because the Rohingya have long been denied citizenship in Myanmar.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi visits troubled Rakhine border district

Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital.

The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; where the government and opposition will halt hostilities.

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Monday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones.

The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender.

State television cited the Damascus provincial governor as saying a first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, had left Barzeh on Monday.

The channel said the evacuation would take five days, but that rebels who chose to stay could do so if they registered with the government.

Those leaving will head to the rebel-held province of Idlib, in Syria&#39;s northwest.

The evacuation deal was struck late Sunday night, and dozens of people gathered in Barzeh from Monday morning.

An AFP photographer saw rebel fighters carrying light weapons looking on as children and women in brightly-coloured headscarves pulled shabby suitcases and duffel bags.

A source from the pro-government National Defence Forces said rebel fighters would be allowed to take their &quot;personal weapons&quot; with them.

Negotiations were ongoing for a similar deal in the district of Qabun, in Damascus&#39;s northeast, which forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling heavily for weeks.

&#39;De-escalation&#39; zones

&quot;We are working on Qabun and there is the Yarmuk camp, where talks are underway for the evacuation of armed groups,&quot; said Muallem.

Assad&#39;s government controls all but six districts of Damascus: Barzeh, Qabun, Jobar, Tishreen, Tadamun, and Yarmuk camp.

The evacuation is a first in the capital, but the Barzeh agreement follows a model of &quot;reconciliation deals&quot; implemented across the country.

The government touts such deals as the best way to end the six-year conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with anti-regime protests and has killed more than 320,000 people.

But the opposition says it is forced into them by heavy government bombardment and siege tactics.

Monday&#39;s evacuation began as battlefronts quietened in Syrian territory included in four &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The agreement, inked in the Kazakh capital Astana, excludes Damascus city.

It mandates an end to hostilities, including air strikes, in specified zones for six months.

The deal came into effect on midnight Friday, with fighting subsiding, but the co-sponsors have until June 4 to submit maps finalising the borders of the zones.

It calls for continued fighting against the Islamic State group, which is largely absent from the areas where the zones will be implemented, as well as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

Fateh al-Sham has a powerful presence particularly in Idlib province, which is included in the zones, where it is allied with other opposition groups.

Russian draft resolution

The deal says the &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; would be bordered by security areas with checkpoints and observation centres &quot;ensured by the forces of the guarantors by consensus&quot;, but that &quot;third-party&quot; monitors could also be deployed.

But on Monday, Muallem rejected UN or international monitors.

&quot;We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement,&quot; he said.

He added there could be a role &quot;as the Russian guarantor has said, for military police&quot;, but it was unclear if he was referring to Syrian or foreign units.

Russia meanwhile said it had tabled a draft UN Security Council resolution backing the safe zone deal.

A source at the UN told Russia&#39;s Interfax news agency that &quot;a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week&quot;.

Western diplomats expressed reservations, saying it was premature to endorse the Astana deal until final arrangements for the proposed &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; were agreed.

The agreement has been received with caution by Washington, with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis saying it was being studied.

&quot;Does this proposal have a hope for ending this war? We&#39;ll have to look at it. The devil is always in the details, so we are going to have to look at the details,&quot; he said.

Russia has said warplanes belonging to the US-led coalition fighting IS will be barred from operating in the four &quot;de-escalation zones&quot;.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the agreement when they meet on Wednesday in Washington.

(AFP)

A first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, reportedly left Damascus' Barzeh on Monday.

Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital. The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement "de-escalation zones" where the government and opposition will halt hostilities. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Monday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones. The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender. State television cited the Damascus provincial governor as saying a first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, had left Barzeh on Monday. The channel said the evacuation would take five days, but that rebels who chose to stay could do so if they registered with the government. Those leaving will head to the rebel-held province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest. The evacuation deal was struck late Sunday night, and dozens of people gathered in Barzeh from Monday morning. An AFP photographer saw rebel fighters carrying light weapons looking on as children and women in brightly-coloured headscarves pulled shabby suitcases and duffel bags. A source from the pro-government National Defence Forces said rebel fighters would be allowed to take their "personal weapons" with them. Negotiations were ongoing for a similar deal in the district of Qabun, in Damascus's northeast, which forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling heavily for weeks. 'De-escalation' zones "We are working on Qabun and there is the Yarmuk camp, where talks are underway for the evacuation of armed groups," said Muallem. Assad's government controls all but six districts of Damascus: Barzeh, Qabun, Jobar, Tishreen, Tadamun, and Yarmuk camp. The evacuation is a first in the capital, but the Barzeh agreement follows a model of "reconciliation deals" implemented across the country. The government touts such deals as the best way to end the six-year conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with anti-regime protests and has killed more than 320,000 people. But the opposition says it is forced into them by heavy government bombardment and siege tactics. Monday's evacuation began as battlefronts quietened in Syrian territory included in four "de-escalation zones" agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey. The agreement, inked in the Kazakh capital Astana, excludes Damascus city. It mandates an end to hostilities, including air strikes, in specified zones for six months. The deal came into effect on midnight Friday, with fighting subsiding, but the co-sponsors have until June 4 to submit maps finalising the borders of the zones. It calls for continued fighting against the Islamic State group, which is largely absent from the areas where the zones will be implemented, as well as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. Fateh al-Sham has a powerful presence particularly in Idlib province, which is included in the zones, where it is allied with other opposition groups. Russian draft resolution The deal says the "de-escalation zones" would be bordered by security areas with checkpoints and observation centres "ensured by the forces of the guarantors by consensus", but that "third-party" monitors could also be deployed. But on Monday, Muallem rejected UN or international monitors. "We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement," he said. He added there could be a role "as the Russian guarantor has said, for military police", but it was unclear if he was referring to Syrian or foreign units. Russia meanwhile said it had tabled a draft UN Security Council resolution backing the safe zone deal. A source at the UN told Russia's Interfax news agency that "a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week". Western diplomats expressed reservations, saying it was premature to endorse the Astana deal until final arrangements for the proposed "de-escalation zones" were agreed. The agreement has been received with caution by Washington, with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis saying it was being studied. "Does this proposal have a hope for ending this war? We'll have to look at it. The devil is always in the details, so we are going to have to look at the details," he said. Russia has said warplanes belonging to the US-led coalition fighting IS will be barred from operating in the four "de-escalation zones". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the agreement when they meet on Wednesday in Washington. (AFP)

Syria: First evacuations from Damascus rebel district

The US-led coalition scrambled fighters to protect US advisers working with Kurdish forces after Syrian regime jets bombed the area, in the latest escalation of Syria&#39;s bloody conflict, the Pentagon said Friday. 
 
The air strikes took place on Thursday, conducted by two Syrian SU-24 attack planes targeting Kurdish forces undergoing training with US special operations advisers around the northeastern city of Hasakeh, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. 
 
The coalition scrambled its own jets to the area in a bid to intercept the Syrian jets, but the regime planes had left by the time they arrived. 
 
&quot;This was done as a measure to protect coalition forces,&quot; Davis said. 
 
&quot;We will ensure their safety and the Syrian regime would be well-advised not to do things that place them at risk... We view instances that place the coalition at risk with utmost seriousness and we do have the inherent right of self-defense.&quot; 
 
But the warning appeared to fall on deaf ears. Two Syrian regime warplanes attempted to fly to the area again on Friday, but were met by coalition aircraft, a US defense official said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The presence of the coalition aircraft encouraged the Syrian aircraft to depart the airspace without further incident,&quot; he said. &quot;No weapons were fired by the coalition fighters.&quot; 
 
As soon as Thursday&#39;s strike began, ground forces tried to hail pilots via radio but to no avail. 
 
US forces then contacted Russia, which has been bombing parts of Syria for nearly a year in support of President Bashar al-Assad, but 
Russian military officials said the planes were Syrian. 
 
&quot;This is very unusual, we have not seen the regime take this type of action against YPG before,&quot; Davis said, using the initials of the US-supported Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria. 
 
No coalition injuries were reported in Thursday&#39;s strike. US forces were moved from the area and are in a safe location, Davis said without elaborating. 
 
The coalition is now conducting additional combat air patrols in the region, he added. 
 
The Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units, or YPG, are a key US ally in the fight against the IS group. 
 
Washington regards them as the most effective fighting force on the ground in Syria and has provided weapons and special forces military advisers. 
 
More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict erupted in March 2011. 
 
(AFP)

In an unprecedented move, Syrian regime jets on Thursday targeted Kurdish forces undergoing training with US special operations advisers

The US-led coalition scrambled fighters to protect US advisers working with Kurdish forces after Syrian regime jets bombed the area, in the latest escalation of Syria's bloody conflict, the Pentagon said Friday. The air strikes took place on Thursday, conducted by two Syrian SU-24 attack planes targeting Kurdish forces undergoing training with US special operations advisers around the northeastern city of Hasakeh, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. The coalition scrambled its own jets to the area in a bid to intercept the Syrian jets, but the regime planes had left by the time they arrived. "This was done as a measure to protect coalition forces," Davis said. "We will ensure their safety and the Syrian regime would be well-advised not to do things that place them at risk... We view instances that place the coalition at risk with utmost seriousness and we do have the inherent right of self-defense." But the warning appeared to fall on deaf ears. Two Syrian regime warplanes attempted to fly to the area again on Friday, but were met by coalition aircraft, a US defense official said in a statement. "The presence of the coalition aircraft encouraged the Syrian aircraft to depart the airspace without further incident," he said. "No weapons were fired by the coalition fighters." As soon as Thursday's strike began, ground forces tried to hail pilots via radio but to no avail. US forces then contacted Russia, which has been bombing parts of Syria for nearly a year in support of President Bashar al-Assad, but Russian military officials said the planes were Syrian. "This is very unusual, we have not seen the regime take this type of action against YPG before," Davis said, using the initials of the US-supported Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria. No coalition injuries were reported in Thursday's strike. US forces were moved from the area and are in a safe location, Davis said without elaborating. The coalition is now conducting additional combat air patrols in the region, he added. The Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, are a key US ally in the fight against the IS group. Washington regards them as the most effective fighting force on the ground in Syria and has provided weapons and special forces military advisers. More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria`s conflict erupted in March 2011. (AFP)

US sent jets to Syria to protect its Kurdish advisers: Pentagon

Yemeni government negotiators said they were leaving peace talks in Kuwait on Monday after Houthi militia foes rejected a United Nations proposal aimed to ending their country&#39;s war. 
 
Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi insisted the government was not abandoning the peace process, but suggested it would only return if the Houthis and a powerful local ally lifted their objections to the UN plan. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve agreed to the initiative ... we are now leaving the territory of the brotherly state of Kuwait but we&#39;re not leaving the talks,&quot; Mekhlafi said while announcing the move. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll return at any moment, even an hour after our departure, if the other side agrees to sign this document which the (U.N.) envoy presented.&quot; 
 
UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed that the government&#39;s foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including the capital Sanaa. Under this plan, new talks would then be convened on forming a government that would include the Houthis, delegates said. 
 
The envoy said in a statement the talks would continue. &quot;The departure of the Government of Yemen delegation from Kuwait is not a departure from the Peace Talks,&quot; Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. 
 
&quot;We agreed with the parties to keep the talks ongoing until we agree on next steps in the coming days which shall be dedicated to intensive meetings&quot; with the government&#39;s foes as well as international diplomats, he said. 
 
The Houthis dismissed the UN proposal as a non-starter on Sunday, saying in a statement that any agreement would need to be comprehensive and not postpone a resolution on major issues. 
 
They said they would stay in Kuwait for the talks. 
 
The negotiations started in April have slowed the nationwide fighting that has killed at least 6,400 people and caused one of the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crises. 
 
(Reuters)

The United Nations proposed that government's foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including capital Sanaa

Yemeni government negotiators said they were leaving peace talks in Kuwait on Monday after Houthi militia foes rejected a United Nations proposal aimed to ending their country's war. Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi insisted the government was not abandoning the peace process, but suggested it would only return if the Houthis and a powerful local ally lifted their objections to the UN plan. "We've agreed to the initiative ... we are now leaving the territory of the brotherly state of Kuwait but we're not leaving the talks," Mekhlafi said while announcing the move. "We'll return at any moment, even an hour after our departure, if the other side agrees to sign this document which the (U.N.) envoy presented." UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed that the government's foes in the armed Houthi movement quit three main cities they hold, including the capital Sanaa. Under this plan, new talks would then be convened on forming a government that would include the Houthis, delegates said. The envoy said in a statement the talks would continue. "The departure of the Government of Yemen delegation from Kuwait is not a departure from the Peace Talks," Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. "We agreed with the parties to keep the talks ongoing until we agree on next steps in the coming days which shall be dedicated to intensive meetings" with the government's foes as well as international diplomats, he said. The Houthis dismissed the UN proposal as a non-starter on Sunday, saying in a statement that any agreement would need to be comprehensive and not postpone a resolution on major issues. They said they would stay in Kuwait for the talks. The negotiations started in April have slowed the nationwide fighting that has killed at least 6,400 people and caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. (Reuters)

Yemen government leaves Kuwait talks after Houthis reject UN plan

The United Nations called for a humanitarian truce in Yemen&#39;s&nbsp;province of Taiz after government forces captured a town from Iran-allied Houthi militia in heavy fighting that has spurred allegations of war crimes.

The fighting has complicated UN-sponsored peace talks, as envoys for the Houthis have delayed responding to UN&nbsp;proposals calling for Houthi pullouts from cities they control, including the capital Sanaa, and the creation of an inclusive government. 
 
James McGoldrick, the UN&nbsp;Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, voiced alarm at increasing bloodshed in the southwestern Taiz province, particularly the al-Sarari area, and the closure of Taiz city, the regional capital. 
 
He urged all warring parties to agree immediately to a &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; to protect civilians and cooperate with humanitarian agencies to help treat and evacuate war-wounded and deliver urgently needed medicine into the embattled zone. 
 
McGoldrick warned both parties that holding civilian populations hostage and depriving them of humanitarian assistance was illegal under international humanitarian law. 
 
Hadi supporters control most of Taiz, Yemen&#39;s third largest city with an estimated pre-war population of 300,000, but it is sealed off by Houthi forces on three sides. 
 
There were conflicting reports on the fighting in al-Sarari, a Houthi stronghold southeast of Taiz captured by troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi earlier this week. 
 
A Houthi envoy on a ceasefire committee assigned to oversee a shaky truce in Taiz wrote to the UN&nbsp;that Sarari residents had been subjected to &quot;war crimes&quot; including house burnings and the detention of 49 civilians including women and children. 
 
&quot;We call on you to swiftly intervene to stop these gangs and limit the massacres they have begun to commit against unarmed civilians,&quot; Ahmed al-Msawa said in the letter, seen by Reuters.

Two residents of a hamlet adjacent to Sarari said that at least 15 Houthi combatants were killed or wounded in the fighting. 
 
They said 40 other Houthis were taken prisoner but denied that any women or children were among them. They said most Sarari residents had fled to neighbouring communities. 
 
Hadi supporters have denied setting fires to houses and accused the Houthis of booby-trapping a Sarari mosque to try to kill as many Hadi supporters as possible. 
 
A Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen&#39;s conflict in March 2015 to try to restore Hadi to power after the Houthis seized Sanaa and advanced on his temporary headquarters in Aden, forcing him to flee to Saudi Arabia.

A ceasefire accord between the Houthis and Hadi loyalists has repeatedly been violated since it took effect in April. 
 
Peace talks in Kuwait since then have done little to end fighting that has killed more than 6,200 people and displaced more than 2.5 million in the Arabian Peninsula state. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The fighting between government forces and Houthi forces regarding the control of Taiz has spurred allegations of war crimes

The United Nations called for a humanitarian truce in Yemen's province of Taiz after government forces captured a town from Iran-allied Houthi militia in heavy fighting that has spurred allegations of war crimes. The fighting has complicated UN-sponsored peace talks, as envoys for the Houthis have delayed responding to UN proposals calling for Houthi pullouts from cities they control, including the capital Sanaa, and the creation of an inclusive government. James McGoldrick, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, voiced alarm at increasing bloodshed in the southwestern Taiz province, particularly the al-Sarari area, and the closure of Taiz city, the regional capital. He urged all warring parties to agree immediately to a "humanitarian pause" to protect civilians and cooperate with humanitarian agencies to help treat and evacuate war-wounded and deliver urgently needed medicine into the embattled zone. McGoldrick warned both parties that holding civilian populations hostage and depriving them of humanitarian assistance was illegal under international humanitarian law. Hadi supporters control most of Taiz, Yemen's third largest city with an estimated pre-war population of 300,000, but it is sealed off by Houthi forces on three sides. There were conflicting reports on the fighting in al-Sarari, a Houthi stronghold southeast of Taiz captured by troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi earlier this week. A Houthi envoy on a ceasefire committee assigned to oversee a shaky truce in Taiz wrote to the UN that Sarari residents had been subjected to "war crimes" including house burnings and the detention of 49 civilians including women and children. "We call on you to swiftly intervene to stop these gangs and limit the massacres they have begun to commit against unarmed civilians," Ahmed al-Msawa said in the letter, seen by Reuters. Two residents of a hamlet adjacent to Sarari said that at least 15 Houthi combatants were killed or wounded in the fighting. They said 40 other Houthis were taken prisoner but denied that any women or children were among them. They said most Sarari residents had fled to neighbouring communities. Hadi supporters have denied setting fires to houses and accused the Houthis of booby-trapping a Sarari mosque to try to kill as many Hadi supporters as possible. A Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen's conflict in March 2015 to try to restore Hadi to power after the Houthis seized Sanaa and advanced on his temporary headquarters in Aden, forcing him to flee to Saudi Arabia. A ceasefire accord between the Houthis and Hadi loyalists has repeatedly been violated since it took effect in April. Peace talks in Kuwait since then have done little to end fighting that has killed more than 6,200 people and displaced more than 2.5 million in the Arabian Peninsula state. (Reuters)

UN?calls?for?humanitarian?truce?in?Yemen's?Taiz province

Vietnam has warned that the inability of Southeast Asian nations to forge a unified front against Beijing&#39;s militarisation of the South China Sea is a &quot;test&quot; of the regional bloc in the face of its greatest security challenge. 
 
The unusually strong comments from a key claimant to the contested waters, comes as diplomats meet in Laos for the first summit since a UN-backed tribunal debunked Beijing&#39;s legal claim to vast stretches of the strategically vital sea. 
 
After talks stuttered on Sunday, Vietnam&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a late night statement warning that the South China Sea had become &quot;a test case for the unity and the central role of ASEAN&quot;. 
 
&quot;Many ministers stressed that in this context, ASEAN should promote solidarity, unity and a central role,&quot; the statement added. 
 
Diplomats met for a new round of crunch talks, called for by Laos today morning.&nbsp;As they came to a close, Indonesia&#39;s foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, expressed optimism that a statement would be agreed to, though diplomats previously told AFP it would likely be &quot;watered down&quot;. 
 
Staunch Beijing ally Cambodia has been accused of scuppering efforts by the bloc to issue a joint statement calling on Beijing to adhere to the UN tribunal&#39;s decision.&nbsp;Four ASEAN members - Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea.&nbsp; 
 
Most members of the bloc want to keep pressure on China over its campaign of island building in the strategic waters.&nbsp;But ASEAN operates on a tradition of consensus diplomacy, meaning a single nation can have an effective veto power if it disagrees with the others. 
 
China has been accused of teasing poorer members like Laos and Cambodia into fracturing regional unity with promises of aid and trade.&nbsp;Critics have long derided ASEAN for lacking real diplomatic clout. 
 
A failure to respond to the tribunal ruling or the region&#39;s key security issue will do little to counter those claims.&nbsp;The ongoing impasse in Vientiane has led to fears of a repeat of a 2012 summit in Cambodia, where the bloc failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its history because of disagreements over the South China Sea. 
 
Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of discord by the bloc, when countries swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting.&nbsp;That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing&#39;s activities in the South China Sea. Cambodia and Laos were later fingered as being behind moves to block the joint statement. 
 
(AFP)

Four ASEAN members - Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea

Vietnam has warned that the inability of Southeast Asian nations to forge a unified front against Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea is a "test" of the regional bloc in the face of its greatest security challenge. The unusually strong comments from a key claimant to the contested waters, comes as diplomats meet in Laos for the first summit since a UN-backed tribunal debunked Beijing's legal claim to vast stretches of the strategically vital sea. After talks stuttered on Sunday, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a late night statement warning that the South China Sea had become "a test case for the unity and the central role of ASEAN". "Many ministers stressed that in this context, ASEAN should promote solidarity, unity and a central role," the statement added. Diplomats met for a new round of crunch talks, called for by Laos today morning. As they came to a close, Indonesia's foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, expressed optimism that a statement would be agreed to, though diplomats previously told AFP it would likely be "watered down". Staunch Beijing ally Cambodia has been accused of scuppering efforts by the bloc to issue a joint statement calling on Beijing to adhere to the UN tribunal's decision. Four ASEAN members - Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea. Most members of the bloc want to keep pressure on China over its campaign of island building in the strategic waters. But ASEAN operates on a tradition of consensus diplomacy, meaning a single nation can have an effective veto power if it disagrees with the others. China has been accused of teasing poorer members like Laos and Cambodia into fracturing regional unity with promises of aid and trade. Critics have long derided ASEAN for lacking real diplomatic clout. A failure to respond to the tribunal ruling or the region's key security issue will do little to counter those claims. The ongoing impasse in Vientiane has led to fears of a repeat of a 2012 summit in Cambodia, where the bloc failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its history because of disagreements over the South China Sea. Chinese pressure was blamed last month for a startling show of discord by the bloc, when countries swiftly disowned a joint statement released by Malaysia after an ASEAN-China meeting. That statement had expressed alarm over Beijing's activities in the South China Sea. Cambodia and Laos were later fingered as being behind moves to block the joint statement. (AFP)

Vietnam warns South China Sea is a 'test' of ASEAN

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met with Burmese State Counselor and foreign minister Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the ongoing 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) in Vientiane, Laos on Sunday, both promising to strengthen ties and cooperation. 
 
Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s greetings to Suu Kyi. 
 
He said that China and Myanmar have a deep friendship and maintain understanding, respect, and support for one another. 
 
Wang congratulated Suu Kyi&rsquo;s new government for keeping an upbeat situation in its first 100 days and wished Myanmar further progress in its development. 
 
Wang expressed China&rsquo;s goodwill to become a trusted partner of Myanmar in its development progress, saying that China is willing to increase high-level communication and push forward practical cooperation in all fields. 
 
Suu Kyi said that China is Myanmar&rsquo;s largest friendly neighbour, and the people from two countries share strong links with each other, adding that Myanmar appreciates China&rsquo;s support and aid in its economic development as well as national reconciliation. 
 
Suu Kyi said she hopes China will continue to give Myanmar support as a good friend of the country. Myanmar is willing to work with China to continue to strengthen their relationship and pass down the traditional friendship between the two nations to later generations, she added. 
 
&#39;Media focus on South China Sea very strange&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Wang during bilateral meetings with ASEAN members on Sunday said he thought the media focus on the South China Sea issue was &quot;very strange&quot;. 
 
&quot;You should focus on China-ASEAN cooperation,&quot; he said. 
 
Southeast Asian nations failed to agree on maritime disputes in the South China Sea on Sunday after Cambodia blocked any mention to an international court ruling against Beijing in their statement, diplomats said. 
 
Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met for the first time since the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration handed an emphatic legal victory to the Philippines in the dispute this month. 
 
The ruling by the court in The Hague denied China&#39;s sweeping claims in the strategic seaway, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes each year. 
 
China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have rival claims. Beijing says the ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. 
 
(Reuters)

Foreign ministers of 10-member ASEAN met for first time since the Hague ruling on maritime disputes in the South China Sea

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met with Burmese State Counselor and foreign minister Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the ongoing 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) in Vientiane, Laos on Sunday, both promising to strengthen ties and cooperation. Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s greetings to Suu Kyi. He said that China and Myanmar have a deep friendship and maintain understanding, respect, and support for one another. Wang congratulated Suu Kyi’s new government for keeping an upbeat situation in its first 100 days and wished Myanmar further progress in its development. Wang expressed China’s goodwill to become a trusted partner of Myanmar in its development progress, saying that China is willing to increase high-level communication and push forward practical cooperation in all fields. Suu Kyi said that China is Myanmar’s largest friendly neighbour, and the people from two countries share strong links with each other, adding that Myanmar appreciates China’s support and aid in its economic development as well as national reconciliation. Suu Kyi said she hopes China will continue to give Myanmar support as a good friend of the country. Myanmar is willing to work with China to continue to strengthen their relationship and pass down the traditional friendship between the two nations to later generations, she added. 'Media focus on South China Sea very strange' Wang during bilateral meetings with ASEAN members on Sunday said he thought the media focus on the South China Sea issue was "very strange". "You should focus on China-ASEAN cooperation," he said. Southeast Asian nations failed to agree on maritime disputes in the South China Sea on Sunday after Cambodia blocked any mention to an international court ruling against Beijing in their statement, diplomats said. Foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met for the first time since the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration handed an emphatic legal victory to the Philippines in the dispute this month. The ruling by the court in The Hague denied China's sweeping claims in the strategic seaway, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes each year. China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have rival claims. Beijing says the ruling has no bearing on its rights in the sea, and described the case as a farce. (Reuters)

China promises to strengthen ties with Myanmar

South Sudan marks five years of independence on Saturday with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world&#39;s youngest country could slide back into war. 
 
Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. 
 
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned backers of a stalled peace process to act &quot;urgently&quot; to save it &quot;and prevent the country from returning to full-scale combat&quot;. 
 
The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis with over two million people forced from their homes and almost five million in need of emergency food, over a third of the population. 
 
&quot;Life is as bad as it has ever been in South Sudan,&quot; said human rights lawyer David Deng, pointing to soaring inflation, rising attacks by gunmen, hunger and intense distrust between rival forces.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If this situation isn&#39;t salvaged soon, I feel we may be looking at a protracted conflict every bit as bad as the 22-year war&quot; that preceded secession, Deng said. 
 
Prices of goods and services have soared since 2011, with inflation running at almost 300 per cent, and the currency slumping by 90 per cent this year. 
 
&quot;The fact that government does not have money to celebrate the anniversary highlights the magnitude of the economic problem,&quot; said James Alic Garang, an economist with the Juba-based Ebony Center think tank. 
 
After a 1983-2005 civil war, the country split from Sudan on July 9, 2011, following a referendum six months earlier. 
 
Since then South Sudan has fought a brief war with old enemy Sudan over oil, before turning on itself in a civil war that broke out in December 2013. 
 
Rebel chief Riek Machar returned to the capital in April as part of a peace deal which saw him become vice president, forging a unity government with President Salva Kiir.&nbsp;Yet fighting continues. 
 
Babikr Yawa, a mother of three, fled fighting last month in the Kajo-Keji district, close to the border with Uganda. 
 
&quot;We are suffering here. There is no food, no good shelter,&quot; Yawa said. &quot;What we want is that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar should end the conflict.&quot; 
 
In June, fighting in the town of Wau, now the country&#39;s second city after Malakal, Bor and Bentiu were razed during the war, forced some 88,000 people to flee their homes, with almost 20,000 seeking shelter beside a UN base. 
 
The peace deal is simply being ignored, the ICG said. 
 
&quot;Formerly warring parties are now flouting it and increasingly preparing for widespread conflict,&quot; ICG said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Unless something is done, it is a matter of only a little time before there is a return to war, and the agreement collapses.&quot; 
 
The mood on the streets is very far from the celebrations of 2011. 
 
Earlier this year UN chief Ban Ki-moon recalled the sense of euphoria, &quot;the pride, the spirit, the hope&quot;, when he witnessed the raising of the new country&#39;s flag at independence. 
 
Speaking after his last visit in February, Ban spoke instead of how &quot;that hope has been betrayed... by those who put power and profit over people&quot; in a speech citing &quot;massive human rights violations and epic corruption&quot;. The economic collapse is driving unrest and threatening peace, aid workers say. 
 
&quot;A peaceful South Sudan cannot be built without solid foundations,&quot; said Oxfam&#39;s country chief Zlatko Gegic. &quot;South Sudan&#39;s economy is in crisis. Without economic reform, its people will continue to suffer and the fragile peace process will be jeopardised.&quot; 
 
A kilogramme of sugar that used to cost eight South Sudanese pounds now costs 30 South Sudanese pounds , while a 50-kilogramme bag of white flour that once sold for 180 South Sudanese pounds , now costs 1,200 South Sudanese pounds . 
 
&quot;We are just living in problems and nothing is good,&quot; said Etisam Ahmed, sitting in a market on the dusty streets of Juba. &quot;We are just here by God&#39;s grace. If you go to the market today and buy something, tomorrow you will find the price has increased. So how can we survive?&quot; 
 
More than 160,000 civilians are living in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 at the height of the war, a clear indicator that many feel it is still too dangerous to go home. 
 
South Sudanese say that there is no doubt independence was the right choice, but many are deeply saddened by the turn their nation has taken and are yet to see the benefits of peace. 
 
&quot;I think it will be hard to find a South Sudanese person who regrets independence, despite all that has happened,&quot; Deng said. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s not to say that independence was the silver bullet that people made it out to be at the time. It is clear now that even without the role of Khartoum there, in terms of destabilising South Sudan, we had our own share of issues that needed to be addressed.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

With soaring casualties in the civil war, inflation and a massive food emergency, the world's youngest nation struggles to stand on its feet

South Sudan marks five years of independence on Saturday with celebrations cancelled in the face of a deepening hunger crisis and fears the world's youngest country could slide back into war. Tens of thousands have died in a civil war since December 2013 that has left the economy in ruins, forcing the government to abandon independence celebrations for the first time since secession from Sudan. The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned backers of a stalled peace process to act "urgently" to save it "and prevent the country from returning to full-scale combat". The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis with over two million people forced from their homes and almost five million in need of emergency food, over a third of the population. "Life is as bad as it has ever been in South Sudan," said human rights lawyer David Deng, pointing to soaring inflation, rising attacks by gunmen, hunger and intense distrust between rival forces. "If this situation isn't salvaged soon, I feel we may be looking at a protracted conflict every bit as bad as the 22-year war" that preceded secession, Deng said. Prices of goods and services have soared since 2011, with inflation running at almost 300 per cent, and the currency slumping by 90 per cent this year. "The fact that government does not have money to celebrate the anniversary highlights the magnitude of the economic problem," said James Alic Garang, an economist with the Juba-based Ebony Center think tank. After a 1983-2005 civil war, the country split from Sudan on July 9, 2011, following a referendum six months earlier. Since then South Sudan has fought a brief war with old enemy Sudan over oil, before turning on itself in a civil war that broke out in December 2013. Rebel chief Riek Machar returned to the capital in April as part of a peace deal which saw him become vice president, forging a unity government with President Salva Kiir. Yet fighting continues. Babikr Yawa, a mother of three, fled fighting last month in the Kajo-Keji district, close to the border with Uganda. "We are suffering here. There is no food, no good shelter," Yawa said. "What we want is that President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar should end the conflict." In June, fighting in the town of Wau, now the country's second city after Malakal, Bor and Bentiu were razed during the war, forced some 88,000 people to flee their homes, with almost 20,000 seeking shelter beside a UN base. The peace deal is simply being ignored, the ICG said. "Formerly warring parties are now flouting it and increasingly preparing for widespread conflict," ICG said. "Unless something is done, it is a matter of only a little time before there is a return to war, and the agreement collapses." The mood on the streets is very far from the celebrations of 2011. Earlier this year UN chief Ban Ki-moon recalled the sense of euphoria, "the pride, the spirit, the hope", when he witnessed the raising of the new country's flag at independence. Speaking after his last visit in February, Ban spoke instead of how "that hope has been betrayed... by those who put power and profit over people" in a speech citing "massive human rights violations and epic corruption". The economic collapse is driving unrest and threatening peace, aid workers say. "A peaceful South Sudan cannot be built without solid foundations," said Oxfam's country chief Zlatko Gegic. "South Sudan's economy is in crisis. Without economic reform, its people will continue to suffer and the fragile peace process will be jeopardised." A kilogramme of sugar that used to cost eight South Sudanese pounds now costs 30 South Sudanese pounds , while a 50-kilogramme bag of white flour that once sold for 180 South Sudanese pounds , now costs 1,200 South Sudanese pounds . "We are just living in problems and nothing is good," said Etisam Ahmed, sitting in a market on the dusty streets of Juba. "We are just here by God's grace. If you go to the market today and buy something, tomorrow you will find the price has increased. So how can we survive?" More than 160,000 civilians are living in UN-guarded camps across the country, down from a peak of more than 200,000 at the height of the war, a clear indicator that many feel it is still too dangerous to go home. South Sudanese say that there is no doubt independence was the right choice, but many are deeply saddened by the turn their nation has taken and are yet to see the benefits of peace. "I think it will be hard to find a South Sudanese person who regrets independence, despite all that has happened," Deng said. "That's not to say that independence was the silver bullet that people made it out to be at the time. It is clear now that even without the role of Khartoum there, in terms of destabilising South Sudan, we had our own share of issues that needed to be addressed." (AFP)

Little to celebrate as South Sudan turns five

Myanmar`s Aung San Suu Kyi arrives today in Thailand where she is expected to be garlanded by her adoring compatriots, hundreds of thousands of whom have sought work and sanctuary from war across the border. 
 
It is Suu Kyi`s highest profile overseas visit since her pro-democracy party took power in April, ending nearly half a century of military domination. 
 
Her government has seeded hopes for a new era of prosperity that could eventually convince the army of low-paid Myanmar labourers in Thailand to return home. 
 
The two Southeast Asian neighbours have travelled in starkly different directions in recent years. 
 
While Myanmar`s junta has rolled back its chokehold on politics, last year allowing the freest elections in decades, Thailand remains in the grip of a military that seized power in 2014. 
 
As Myanmar`s democracy champion, Suu Kyi is expected to receive a rock star welcome during a visit to a fishing village in Samut Sakhon later Thursday. 
 
The port, just outside Bangkok, is the seat of Thailand`s huge seafood industry and home to more than 100,000 low-paid Myanmar labourers. 
 
The visit &quot;fills me with hope,&quot; Myanmar migrant Thon Barami, 50, told AFP at the scruffy port. 
 
&quot;We have problems here in Thailand. She might help us with labour rights... people all around the world will listen to her,&quot; she added. 
 
The fishing sector has been battered by revelations of the use of slave labour and the widespread exploitation of workers. 
 
The scandals have prompted threats of sanctions by the European Union -- a key market for the multi-billion-dollar Thai seafood 
industry. 
 
Seeking to escape poverty at home, some one million registered Myanmar migrant workers form the backbone of Thailand`s manual workforce. 
 
Tens of thousands of others work illegally, with some estimates putting the total number of Myanmar nationals in Thailand at three million. 
 
Rights groups say migrants -- legal and otherwise -- are vulnerable to unscrupulous officials, trafficking gangs and employment agencies who charge huge sums to get them poorly paid work. 
 
Their low status also sees them treated with scorn and mistrust by many Thais. 
 
&quot;They all want to go home, but they are just waiting for the economic situation (in Myanmar) to improve significantly,&quot; explained Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist with an office in the port town. 
 
The nemesis of Myanmar`s generals throughout a quarter-century of struggle for democracy, the Nobel laureate will meet with the leader of the Thai junta in Bangkok on Friday. 
 
But her schedule does not include a single press conference as Suu Kyi continues to fiercely control her government`s messaging. 
 
The 71-year-old is officially Myanmar`s foreign minister and state counsellor, but also the de facto leader of her country despite a military-era constitution that bars her from the presidency. 
 
It is unclear if she will make a scheduled trip to a refugee camp in Ratchaburi province on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
It is one of nearly a dozen camps in Thailand holding more than 100,000 refugees who have fled conflict in Myanmar.&nbsp;Many are ethnic Karen displaced by war with Myanmar`s army. The violence abated following a 2012 ceasefire, but conflict with other ethnic rebel groups continues. 
 
Thailand, which does not accept refugees, wants to repatriate camp residents -- some of whom have been born on Thai soil but are barred from citizenship. 
 
Suu Kyi is also not scheduled to visit any of the Thai centres holding hundreds of Rohingya boat migrants, a Muslim group who have fled poverty and persecution in western Myanmar. 
 
Campaigners say her failure to throw her moral weight behind the stateless minority is a boon to Myanmar`s Buddhist hardliners who loathe the Rohingya and say they are illegal immigrants. 
 
In a sign of the sensitivity clouding the Rohingya question, a talk at the Foreign Correspondents` Club in Bangkok just ahead of Suu Kyi`s arrival was cancelled on military orders. 
 
(AFP)

Seeking to escape poverty at home, some one million registered Myanmar migrant workers form the backbone of Thailand's manual workforce

Myanmar`s Aung San Suu Kyi arrives today in Thailand where she is expected to be garlanded by her adoring compatriots, hundreds of thousands of whom have sought work and sanctuary from war across the border. It is Suu Kyi`s highest profile overseas visit since her pro-democracy party took power in April, ending nearly half a century of military domination. Her government has seeded hopes for a new era of prosperity that could eventually convince the army of low-paid Myanmar labourers in Thailand to return home. The two Southeast Asian neighbours have travelled in starkly different directions in recent years. While Myanmar`s junta has rolled back its chokehold on politics, last year allowing the freest elections in decades, Thailand remains in the grip of a military that seized power in 2014. As Myanmar`s democracy champion, Suu Kyi is expected to receive a rock star welcome during a visit to a fishing village in Samut Sakhon later Thursday. The port, just outside Bangkok, is the seat of Thailand`s huge seafood industry and home to more than 100,000 low-paid Myanmar labourers. The visit "fills me with hope," Myanmar migrant Thon Barami, 50, told AFP at the scruffy port. "We have problems here in Thailand. She might help us with labour rights... people all around the world will listen to her," she added. The fishing sector has been battered by revelations of the use of slave labour and the widespread exploitation of workers. The scandals have prompted threats of sanctions by the European Union -- a key market for the multi-billion-dollar Thai seafood industry. Seeking to escape poverty at home, some one million registered Myanmar migrant workers form the backbone of Thailand`s manual workforce. Tens of thousands of others work illegally, with some estimates putting the total number of Myanmar nationals in Thailand at three million. Rights groups say migrants -- legal and otherwise -- are vulnerable to unscrupulous officials, trafficking gangs and employment agencies who charge huge sums to get them poorly paid work. Their low status also sees them treated with scorn and mistrust by many Thais. "They all want to go home, but they are just waiting for the economic situation (in Myanmar) to improve significantly," explained Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist with an office in the port town. The nemesis of Myanmar`s generals throughout a quarter-century of struggle for democracy, the Nobel laureate will meet with the leader of the Thai junta in Bangkok on Friday. But her schedule does not include a single press conference as Suu Kyi continues to fiercely control her government`s messaging. The 71-year-old is officially Myanmar`s foreign minister and state counsellor, but also the de facto leader of her country despite a military-era constitution that bars her from the presidency. It is unclear if she will make a scheduled trip to a refugee camp in Ratchaburi province on Saturday. It is one of nearly a dozen camps in Thailand holding more than 100,000 refugees who have fled conflict in Myanmar. Many are ethnic Karen displaced by war with Myanmar`s army. The violence abated following a 2012 ceasefire, but conflict with other ethnic rebel groups continues. Thailand, which does not accept refugees, wants to repatriate camp residents -- some of whom have been born on Thai soil but are barred from citizenship. Suu Kyi is also not scheduled to visit any of the Thai centres holding hundreds of Rohingya boat migrants, a Muslim group who have fled poverty and persecution in western Myanmar. Campaigners say her failure to throw her moral weight behind the stateless minority is a boon to Myanmar`s Buddhist hardliners who loathe the Rohingya and say they are illegal immigrants. In a sign of the sensitivity clouding the Rohingya question, a talk at the Foreign Correspondents` Club in Bangkok just ahead of Suu Kyi`s arrival was cancelled on military orders. (AFP)

Myanmar's Suu Kyi visits troubled diaspora in Thailand

Colombians are cautiously awaiting a peace deal in the South American nation after Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced an agreement on a bilateral ceasefire and the end to hostilities at peace talks in Cuba on Wednesday. 
 
Authorities said the formal accord on the point will be signed today by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s always something important when it becomes concrete because there are a lot of doubts about what was really agreed in Havana and which hasn&#39;t yet surfaced. Citizens still don&#39;t know (about the peace agreement). We all want peace and hopefully this (deal) is good,&quot; said citizen, Terencio Poo. 
 
Agreement on a third point of the negotiating agenda would be a major step forward in efforts by the two sides to end 50 years of war that have killed 220,000 people and displaced millions. 
 
Santos has promised the final accord will be put to the Colombian people in a plebiscite, and must win over those sceptical of FARC promises to rejoin civil society, including supporters of hard-line former President Alvaro Uribe who claims a deal will grant guerrillas impunity for war crimes. 
 
&quot;Hopefully the announcement tomorrow tells us that there will be jail for those who have committed heinous crimes and crimes against humanity,&quot; said co-President of the Democratic Centre opposition party, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, 
 
Once there is agreement on the third agenda point, the only remaining topic is how exactly the referendum will be organised. 
If approved by the public, it would bring to an end Latin America&#39;s longest armed conflict. 
 
&quot;There are a lot generations, like mine, who never seen a single day of peace and tomorrow will be practically the end of the war,&quot; said Senator Mauricio Lizcano from Santos` ruling party. 
 
President Santos has said this week the government and the rebels will complete negotiations for a final deal by July 20. The ceasefire, which includes terms for the FARC&#39;s demobilisation, laying down of arms, and security for former fighters, does not begin until the final deal is signed. 
 
Colombian citizen Mariana Hoyos said Wednesday&#39;s ceasefire announcement is the first of many steps of a peace to come. 
&quot;This is the first step and I think there is still a lot to be done, but this is the start,&quot; she said. 
 
Cuban President Raul Castro, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet are also expected to attend the signing ceremony in Havana the two sides said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

If approved, it would bring to an end Latin America's longest armed conflict

Colombians are cautiously awaiting a peace deal in the South American nation after Bogota and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced an agreement on a bilateral ceasefire and the end to hostilities at peace talks in Cuba on Wednesday. Authorities said the formal accord on the point will be signed today by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. "It's always something important when it becomes concrete because there are a lot of doubts about what was really agreed in Havana and which hasn't yet surfaced. Citizens still don't know (about the peace agreement). We all want peace and hopefully this (deal) is good," said citizen, Terencio Poo. Agreement on a third point of the negotiating agenda would be a major step forward in efforts by the two sides to end 50 years of war that have killed 220,000 people and displaced millions. Santos has promised the final accord will be put to the Colombian people in a plebiscite, and must win over those sceptical of FARC promises to rejoin civil society, including supporters of hard-line former President Alvaro Uribe who claims a deal will grant guerrillas impunity for war crimes. "Hopefully the announcement tomorrow tells us that there will be jail for those who have committed heinous crimes and crimes against humanity," said co-President of the Democratic Centre opposition party, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, Once there is agreement on the third agenda point, the only remaining topic is how exactly the referendum will be organised. If approved by the public, it would bring to an end Latin America's longest armed conflict. "There are a lot generations, like mine, who never seen a single day of peace and tomorrow will be practically the end of the war," said Senator Mauricio Lizcano from Santos` ruling party. President Santos has said this week the government and the rebels will complete negotiations for a final deal by July 20. The ceasefire, which includes terms for the FARC's demobilisation, laying down of arms, and security for former fighters, does not begin until the final deal is signed. Colombian citizen Mariana Hoyos said Wednesday's ceasefire announcement is the first of many steps of a peace to come. "This is the first step and I think there is still a lot to be done, but this is the start," she said. Cuban President Raul Castro, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet are also expected to attend the signing ceremony in Havana the two sides said. (Reuters)

Colombians cautiously optimistic about peace deal with FARC

Like any other refugee, Kasim Isse Dhuhulow came to India looking for a better life. He&#39;d lost his parents in the civil war that broke out in Somalia after the overthrow of the military regime of President Siad Barre in 1991, his sister was separated from him &ndash; he doesn&#39;t know where she is any longer but he says he would like to go back to look for her &ndash; and his grandfather thought he would be better educated in India.&nbsp; 
 
He didn&#39;t find that better life, mostly because of the racism people of African origin face in India.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;We are dubbed as kaalus (blacks, a derogatory term in India) and gorillas,&rdquo; says Kassim.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;Racial discrimination is very prevalent, especially when it comes to African refugees. People from Africa complain about racial abuse from their neighbours, their employers, and their fellow students,&rdquo; says Mazher Hussain, executive director of the Hyderabad-based Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), an NGO that works towards building a &ldquo;harmonious and just society &nbsp;through sensitisation of all sections of people&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
Abdul Hussain, 28 (he asked that we not use his real name) says he was attacked in Delhi when he was nineteen. A group of young boys approached him and a friend, asking for drugs. When they said they didn&#39;t have any, the boys began to beat them. Ever since then Abdul says he has been hesitant to speak with strangers. And that he now lives in the south Indian city of Chennai where he feels safer than he did in Delhi.&nbsp; 
 
The Somalis &ndash; alongwith the Rohingyas of Myanmar &ndash; are generally thought of as the worst off of the refugees in India. This is because of the &nbsp;protracted conflict back home, the resultant malnutrition, and the near complete absence of medical care.&nbsp; 
 
Most of them &ndash; the United Nations High Commission for Refugees says there are 600 Somali refugees in India &ndash; live in the southern city of Hyderabad. With the large Muslim population there, they say they feel more at home and that at least the racism isn&#39;t as bad as in places like Delhi.&nbsp; 
 
Memories of home, obviously, are strong. &nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I dream of dying in Somalia, buried in a Muslim graveyard that echoes with prayers in Somali, my language, but I fear that I&rsquo;ll have to die here in India. Alone,&rdquo; says Kassim.&nbsp; 
 
He seems older than his 36 years &ndash; his hair is greying, his face wrinkled &ndash; and when he speaks, a surprisingly strong south Indian accent emanates.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I was very young when I came to India (he came in 2003). I have started to forget my mother tongue but I know basic Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam&rdquo;, he says, naming three of the four major south Indian languages.&nbsp; 
 
Kassim writes a blog on the lives of Somalis in India and he calls himself Mr Blackgold. &ldquo;Black people are like gold.&rdquo; For a living, he translates for African patients admitted to Indian hospitals.&nbsp; 
 
According to Mazher, most Somalis in India are single men in the 20 to 30 age group; they come to the country on student visas and then stay on as refugees.&nbsp; 
 
He says the younger Somalis are well educated &ndash; a lot of them come to study engineering and computer science &ndash; and that they come to India thinking they will find good jobs here. But because nobody will employ them &ndash; you would be hard pressed to find an African man employed in an Indian office even today &ndash; they finally have to make do with odd jobs like the translating Kassim does.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It took months to get a refugee card from the UNHCR and years to get into an educational institution. I however managed to sail through but the insensitivity here traumatised me. People here are not aware of our situation,&rdquo; says Kassim. 
 
&ldquo;It is easy for the Bangladeshis and Afghans to find work but people hesitate to employ us just because we look different,&rdquo; says Abdul. He adds, &ldquo;Access to education is very limited. Most struggle due to financial constraints. Their (the Somalis) English is not good and in India to get a job in any organisation you should be proficient in English. The lack of a work permit deprives them of jobs in formal organisations.&rdquo; &nbsp; 
 
 
 
No Refugee Policy in India 
 
India is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, nor to its 1967 protocol. This is surprising for it hosts a significant number of refugees and therefore the country, or at least the refugees who find themselves in it, are in desperate need of a refugee policy.&nbsp; 
 
Also, should India wish to be a global player it will have to take on global responsibilities. &nbsp;Estimates suggest for example that there are currently only 40 refugees from Syria in India.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;Laws like the Foreigners Act (which govern refugees in India in the absence of a refugee policy) continue to impose unreasonable restrictions on the rights of refugees to freedom of movement and association. The ad hoc nature of refugee policy in India and the absence of a robust domestic legal framework has led to uncertainty and arbitrariness in the treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees,&rdquo; says Shailesh Rai, senior law and policy adviser at Amnesty International India. &nbsp; 
 
But policy or no policy, India will have to put a lot more work into being a more hospitable place for the Somalis. And that might not be something that Kasim would like to wait around for. He says that with things improving in Somalia since 2012 when a new internationally-backed government was installed, he would like to go back.&nbsp; 
 
As for Abdul, he is now trying to get to the United States &ndash; and dreaming of a new, new life in a foreign land.

Because of the protracted conflict back home, the resultant malnutrition, and the near complete absence of medical care, displaced people from the African country are generally regarded as the ones most in need of help

Like any other refugee, Kasim Isse Dhuhulow came to India looking for a better life. He'd lost his parents in the civil war that broke out in Somalia after the overthrow of the military regime of President Siad Barre in 1991, his sister was separated from him – he doesn't know where she is any longer but he says he would like to go back to look for her – and his grandfather thought he would be better educated in India. He didn't find that better life, mostly because of the racism people of African origin face in India. “We are dubbed as kaalus (blacks, a derogatory term in India) and gorillas,” says Kassim. “Racial discrimination is very prevalent, especially when it comes to African refugees. People from Africa complain about racial abuse from their neighbours, their employers, and their fellow students,” says Mazher Hussain, executive director of the Hyderabad-based Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), an NGO that works towards building a “harmonious and just society through sensitisation of all sections of people”. Abdul Hussain, 28 (he asked that we not use his real name) says he was attacked in Delhi when he was nineteen. A group of young boys approached him and a friend, asking for drugs. When they said they didn't have any, the boys began to beat them. Ever since then Abdul says he has been hesitant to speak with strangers. And that he now lives in the south Indian city of Chennai where he feels safer than he did in Delhi. The Somalis – alongwith the Rohingyas of Myanmar – are generally thought of as the worst off of the refugees in India. This is because of the protracted conflict back home, the resultant malnutrition, and the near complete absence of medical care. Most of them – the United Nations High Commission for Refugees says there are 600 Somali refugees in India – live in the southern city of Hyderabad. With the large Muslim population there, they say they feel more at home and that at least the racism isn't as bad as in places like Delhi. Memories of home, obviously, are strong. “I dream of dying in Somalia, buried in a Muslim graveyard that echoes with prayers in Somali, my language, but I fear that I’ll have to die here in India. Alone,” says Kassim. He seems older than his 36 years – his hair is greying, his face wrinkled – and when he speaks, a surprisingly strong south Indian accent emanates. “I was very young when I came to India (he came in 2003). I have started to forget my mother tongue but I know basic Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam”, he says, naming three of the four major south Indian languages. Kassim writes a blog on the lives of Somalis in India and he calls himself Mr Blackgold. “Black people are like gold.” For a living, he translates for African patients admitted to Indian hospitals. According to Mazher, most Somalis in India are single men in the 20 to 30 age group; they come to the country on student visas and then stay on as refugees. He says the younger Somalis are well educated – a lot of them come to study engineering and computer science – and that they come to India thinking they will find good jobs here. But because nobody will employ them – you would be hard pressed to find an African man employed in an Indian office even today – they finally have to make do with odd jobs like the translating Kassim does. “It took months to get a refugee card from the UNHCR and years to get into an educational institution. I however managed to sail through but the insensitivity here traumatised me. People here are not aware of our situation,” says Kassim. “It is easy for the Bangladeshis and Afghans to find work but people hesitate to employ us just because we look different,” says Abdul. He adds, “Access to education is very limited. Most struggle due to financial constraints. Their (the Somalis) English is not good and in India to get a job in any organisation you should be proficient in English. The lack of a work permit deprives them of jobs in formal organisations.” No Refugee Policy in India India is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, nor to its 1967 protocol. This is surprising for it hosts a significant number of refugees and therefore the country, or at least the refugees who find themselves in it, are in desperate need of a refugee policy. Also, should India wish to be a global player it will have to take on global responsibilities. Estimates suggest for example that there are currently only 40 refugees from Syria in India. “Laws like the Foreigners Act (which govern refugees in India in the absence of a refugee policy) continue to impose unreasonable restrictions on the rights of refugees to freedom of movement and association. The ad hoc nature of refugee policy in India and the absence of a robust domestic legal framework has led to uncertainty and arbitrariness in the treatment of asylum-seekers and refugees,” says Shailesh Rai, senior law and policy adviser at Amnesty International India. But policy or no policy, India will have to put a lot more work into being a more hospitable place for the Somalis. And that might not be something that Kasim would like to wait around for. He says that with things improving in Somalia since 2012 when a new internationally-backed government was installed, he would like to go back. As for Abdul, he is now trying to get to the United States – and dreaming of a new, new life in a foreign land.

Somali refugees in India: The worst of the worst off

The number of Afghans internally displaced byconflict&nbsp;has &quot;dramatically&quot; doubled to 1.2 million in just three years, Amnesty International said today, warning that a lack of basic services was putting people on the brink of survival.

The rights group said that situation of people uprooted from their homes in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;has deteriorated in recent years as global attention and aid money have been diverted to other crises.

&quot;While the world&#39;s attention seems to have moved on from&nbsp;Afghanistan, we risk forgetting the plight of those left behind by the&nbsp;conflict,&quot; said Champa Patel, South Asia director at Amnesty International.

&quot;Even after fleeing their homes to seek safety, increasing numbers of Afghans are languishing in appalling conditions in their own country, and fighting for their survival with no end in sight,&quot; she said in a statement.

The insurgency in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;has gained strength since the withdrawal of international troops from combat at the end of 2014 and the Taliban are stronger than at any point since they were driven from power by U.S.-backed forces in 2001.

The Taliban launched a spring offensive in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;last month, vowing to drive out the Western-backed government in Kabul and restore strict Islamic rule.

Amnesty said displaced Afghans lacked proper shelter, food, water, access to healthcare, employment and education.

&quot;Even an animal would not live in this hut, but we have to,&quot; Amnesty quoted a 50-year old woman living in a camp in the western Afghan city of Herat as saying.

&quot;I would prefer to be in prison rather than in this place, at least in prison I would not have to worry about food and shelter.&quot;

With food being scarce, some people were struggling to have a one meal per day, Amnesty said.

&quot;We mostly live off bread or spoiled vegetables from the market,&quot; Raz Muhammad, a community leader in Kabul&#39;s Chaman-e-Barbak camp, told Amnesty.

Access to healthcare was limited to mobile clinics operated by charities or the government, which were only available occasionally, forcing displaced people to seek private care which they could hardly afford.

&quot;If we are ill, then I have to beg and find some money to go to the private clinics,&quot; a 50-year-old woman in Herat told Amnesty. &quot;We have no other choice.&quot;

The rights group said the international community and the Afghan government must address the needs of the displaced people &quot;before it&#39;s too late&quot;.

A number of Afghans displaced by conflict has increased over the past three years.

The number of Afghans internally displaced byconflict has "dramatically" doubled to 1.2 million in just three years, Amnesty International said today, warning that a lack of basic services was putting people on the brink of survival. The rights group said that situation of people uprooted from their homes in Afghanistan has deteriorated in recent years as global attention and aid money have been diverted to other crises. "While the world's attention seems to have moved on from Afghanistan, we risk forgetting the plight of those left behind by the conflict," said Champa Patel, South Asia director at Amnesty International. "Even after fleeing their homes to seek safety, increasing numbers of Afghans are languishing in appalling conditions in their own country, and fighting for their survival with no end in sight," she said in a statement. The insurgency in Afghanistan has gained strength since the withdrawal of international troops from combat at the end of 2014 and the Taliban are stronger than at any point since they were driven from power by U.S.-backed forces in 2001. The Taliban launched a spring offensive in Afghanistan last month, vowing to drive out the Western-backed government in Kabul and restore strict Islamic rule. Amnesty said displaced Afghans lacked proper shelter, food, water, access to healthcare, employment and education. "Even an animal would not live in this hut, but we have to," Amnesty quoted a 50-year old woman living in a camp in the western Afghan city of Herat as saying. "I would prefer to be in prison rather than in this place, at least in prison I would not have to worry about food and shelter." With food being scarce, some people were struggling to have a one meal per day, Amnesty said. "We mostly live off bread or spoiled vegetables from the market," Raz Muhammad, a community leader in Kabul's Chaman-e-Barbak camp, told Amnesty. Access to healthcare was limited to mobile clinics operated by charities or the government, which were only available occasionally, forcing displaced people to seek private care which they could hardly afford. "If we are ill, then I have to beg and find some money to go to the private clinics," a 50-year-old woman in Herat told Amnesty. "We have no other choice." The rights group said the international community and the Afghan government must address the needs of the displaced people "before it's too late".

Number of Afghans uprooted by violence doubles, a million "on brink of survival"- Amnesty

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday launched restoration work at Kabul`s historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have long symbolised the suffering caused by decades of conflict.&nbsp; 
 
The once-grand hilltop palace at the edge of Kabul was also the venue of Ghani`s cabinet meeting on Monday, the first such official gathering there in nearly a century. 
 
The building`s lion-headed buttresses are broken, its colonnades pockmarked by bullets, the metal sheets of its roof crumpled.&nbsp; 
Up to $20 million will be spent on restoring the former glory of the palace, built by Afghan King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s, Ghani`s office said, calling the project a symbol of national pride. 
 
&quot;Today we are returning to our past... to set the foundation for our future,&quot; Ghani said at the inauguration of the project.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are determined to reconstruct the historical structure from the budget of the Afghan government.&quot; 
 
The palace fell victim to the carnage of the early 1990s as rival mujahideen groups fought for power following the fall of a Soviet-backed regime after Moscow withdrew its troops from Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
 
Despite Ghani`s rhetoric, some in Kabul were against the restoration, however -- albeit for different reasons. 
&quot;I think it is a waste of money,&quot; Daud Hotak, a Kabul shopkeeper, told AFP. 
&quot;It comes at a time when the economy is in free fall and security is deteriorating. That money could have been spent to create jobs as thousands of people flee the country.&quot; 
 
Omaid Sharifi, a civil society activist, also pleaded against the restoration, though from a different perspective.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
President <a href="https://twitter.com/ashrafghani">@ashrafghani</a> keep <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DarulamanPalace?src=hash">#DarulamanPalace</a> like this, let&#39;s remind our younger generation the brutality of war <a href="https://t.co/EzzYglMbhZ">pic.twitter.com/EzzYglMbhZ</a>
&mdash; Omaid Sharifi (@OmaidSharifi) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmaidSharifi/status/737168607227088896">May 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday launched restoration work at Kabul`s historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have long symbolised the suffering caused by decades of conflict.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday launched restoration work at Kabul`s historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have long symbolised the suffering caused by decades of conflict. The once-grand hilltop palace at the edge of Kabul was also the venue of Ghani`s cabinet meeting on Monday, the first such official gathering there in nearly a century. The building`s lion-headed buttresses are broken, its colonnades pockmarked by bullets, the metal sheets of its roof crumpled. Up to $20 million will be spent on restoring the former glory of the palace, built by Afghan King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s, Ghani`s office said, calling the project a symbol of national pride. "Today we are returning to our past... to set the foundation for our future," Ghani said at the inauguration of the project. "We are determined to reconstruct the historical structure from the budget of the Afghan government." The palace fell victim to the carnage of the early 1990s as rival mujahideen groups fought for power following the fall of a Soviet-backed regime after Moscow withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. Despite Ghani`s rhetoric, some in Kabul were against the restoration, however -- albeit for different reasons. "I think it is a waste of money," Daud Hotak, a Kabul shopkeeper, told AFP. "It comes at a time when the economy is in free fall and security is deteriorating. That money could have been spent to create jobs as thousands of people flee the country." Omaid Sharifi, a civil society activist, also pleaded against the restoration, though from a different perspective. President @ashrafghani keep #DarulamanPalace like this, let's remind our younger generation the brutality of war pic.twitter.com/EzzYglMbhZ — Omaid Sharifi (@OmaidSharifi) May 30, 2016

Restoration starts at Kabul`s war-battered palace

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