A government health warning over the potential dangers of toast, roast potatoes and chips -- all traditional staples of the British diet -- had the country&#39;s tabloids hitting out Monday.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said acrylamide -- a chemical substance formed when foods with high starch content are cooked at very high temperatures -- &quot;has the potential to cause cancer in humans&quot;.

&quot;It would be prudent to reduce exposure,&quot; it said.

The agency urged British consumers to &quot;#GoForGold&quot; by opting for a gold colour rather than a darker brown when frying, roasting, baking, grilling or toasting.

It also said potatoes should not be stored in the fridge, which can increase acrylamide levels, and potatoes cut into larger wedges to reduce their surface area when cooked to limit levels.

&quot;You&#39;ve Had Your Chips&quot;, roared a front-page headline in Britain`s best-selling newspaper, The Sun.

&quot;Should we give up toast?,&quot; BBC News tweeted, while the middle market Daily Mail tabloid assured readers: &quot;Burnt toast isn&#39;t dangerous -- unless you have 320 slices each day.&quot;

&quot;Health officials say burning starchy foods such as spuds, bread and pizza dough may increase the risks -- despite no study proving the link,&quot; it said.

Several reports pointed out that tests cited by the government had only confirmed that acrylamide in the diet causes cancer in animals, not in humans.

Britons consume an estimated 382 million portions of fish and chips every year and there some 10,500 around &quot;chippies&quot; around the country.

Toast is Britain&#39;s favourite breakfast and teatime food, while roast potatoes are a Sunday lunch staple.

There have been similar health alerts in other countries since Sweden first warned about the dangers of acrylamide in 2002, including in the United States.

The World Health Organisation and the European Food Safety Authority have also suggested that acrylamide may be a human carcinogen, the FSA said. 
 
(AFP)

'Should we give up toast?,' BBC News tweeted. 'You've Had Your Chips', roared a front-page headline in The Sun

A government health warning over the potential dangers of toast, roast potatoes and chips -- all traditional staples of the British diet -- had the country's tabloids hitting out Monday. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said acrylamide -- a chemical substance formed when foods with high starch content are cooked at very high temperatures -- "has the potential to cause cancer in humans". "It would be prudent to reduce exposure," it said. The agency urged British consumers to "#GoForGold" by opting for a gold colour rather than a darker brown when frying, roasting, baking, grilling or toasting. It also said potatoes should not be stored in the fridge, which can increase acrylamide levels, and potatoes cut into larger wedges to reduce their surface area when cooked to limit levels. "You've Had Your Chips", roared a front-page headline in Britain`s best-selling newspaper, The Sun. "Should we give up toast?," BBC News tweeted, while the middle market Daily Mail tabloid assured readers: "Burnt toast isn't dangerous -- unless you have 320 slices each day." "Health officials say burning starchy foods such as spuds, bread and pizza dough may increase the risks -- despite no study proving the link," it said. Several reports pointed out that tests cited by the government had only confirmed that acrylamide in the diet causes cancer in animals, not in humans. Britons consume an estimated 382 million portions of fish and chips every year and there some 10,500 around "chippies" around the country. Toast is Britain's favourite breakfast and teatime food, while roast potatoes are a Sunday lunch staple. There have been similar health alerts in other countries since Sweden first warned about the dangers of acrylamide in 2002, including in the United States. The World Health Organisation and the European Food Safety Authority have also suggested that acrylamide may be a human carcinogen, the FSA said. (AFP)

British media slams government warning over overfrying chips, toast

<div style="text-align: justify;">Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim declared on Sunday that Turkish army and rebels belonging to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) finally secured 95 km of Turkish-Syrian border which were under the control of the Islamic State (IS).&nbsp; 
 
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, this border segment has served as a supply corridor for terrorists, allowing goods, weapons and foreign fighters to enter Syria.&nbsp; 
 
Turkish soldiers and FSA rebels are fighting to secure the inner part of the area. Their main objective is to move south and reach the city of Al-Bab, an IS stronghold.&nbsp; 
 
The Free Syrian Army was created by a group of army deserters in 2011 in opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. During the conflict, the group fragmented and it is reported that many of its fighters joined Islamic State&#39;s ranks.&nbsp; 
 
The Turkish and FSA offensive is part of Operation Euphrates Shield, started on August 24 from the border city of Jarablus, on the western banks of the Euphrates. &nbsp; 
 
The river is the longest of western Asia. It starts from Turkey, flows through Syria and Iraq before flowing into the Persian Gulf. Since ancient times, it represents a vital waterway to move men and goods throughout the whole of West Asia. &nbsp; 
 
The majority of its Syrian flow is currently under IS control but the loss of Jarablus prevents them access from Turkey, depriving them of a fundamental entry point.&nbsp; 
 
It remains unclear why Turkey did not secure this area before.&nbsp; 
 
The border line running from the city of Jarablus to the city of Al-Rai stands between the Syrian region of Rojava, a Kurdish-controlled area, and the Kurdish constituency of Afrin. Both these locations are under the control of the Yek&icirc;ney&ecirc;n Parastina Gel (YPG), the People&#39;s Protection Unit, a &nbsp;Kurdish army which is fighting on the ground since 2012 against the Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
YPG is an official US ally, its members have been trained by American military personnel. It has the characteristics of a guerrilla force which relies on surprise and speedy action and has a significant component of women fighters within its rank and file. 
 
Its main task is to enter cities and villages after US airstrikes to clear the Islamic State&#39;s pockets of resistance.&nbsp; 
 
The Turkish government considers the YPG a terrorist organisation and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated that they will not accept the existence of a Kurdish region right across their border.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We will never allow an artificial state in Northern Syria,&quot; he said on Sunday. &nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/syrian_civil_war-20160905112255.png" />
<div class="media-description">
A map describing the current situation in Syria. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)
</div>

<div class="media-description">
 
Operation Euphrates Shield allows Turkey to take control of an area that will make it impossible for the two Kurdish regions to reunite. Relations between Turkey and the Kurdish population have&nbsp;never been easy. Kurds are an ethnic group spread between Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq and have long asked and fought for an independent state, Kurdistan, located across these nations. The request has never been considered feasible by Turkey&nbsp;whose territory would be the most affected. Turkey&nbsp;is home to more than ten million Kurds. &nbsp;
</div>
This denial resulted in a two-decade long Kurdish insurgency characterised by violence on both sides. The European Court of Human Rights has reported thousands of human rights violations, including executions, torture, forced displacements, village destructions and arbitrary arrests perpetrated by the Turkish government against the Kurdish population.&nbsp; 
 
Ankara believes that the YPG is just its extension and that a Kurdish stronghold, right across the border, could give a new lifeline to the Kurds living in Turkey. Turkey is scared that it will bolster their separatist spirit. &nbsp; 
 
Attacking the YPG means attacking a formal US ally but Turkey belongs to NATO. This puts Washington in a tricky situation.&nbsp; 
 
During the first phase of Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish army declared to have killed 25 &ldquo;Kurdish terrorists,&rdquo; an action that has been judged by the US Department of State &quot;unacceptable and a source of deep concern.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The United States &quot;were not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them,&quot; said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.&nbsp; 
 
When Turkish forces and Free Syrian Army rebels entered the city of Jarablus, they ordered the Kurds to retreat to the eastern bank of the Euphrates river, a request that was immediately supported by the US.&nbsp; 
 
The YPG high command has sent an official Tweet, requesting its fighters not to fight back and reminding them that the true enemy is the Islamic State and not Turkey.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YPG?src=hash">#YPG</a>&rsquo;s Command: Repeated <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash">#Turkey</a> Army&rsquo;s assaults on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rojava?src=hash">#Rojava</a>/Northern <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria?src=hash">#Syria</a> border in Derik, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kobane?src=hash">#Kobane</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Efrin?src=hash">#Efrin</a>, Aug 27 <a href="https://t.co/eLXAIj7J7S">pic.twitter.com/eLXAIj7J7S</a>
&mdash; Rojava Defense Units (@DefenseUnits) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenseUnits/status/769506841772556288">27 August 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It is, nonetheless, unlikely that the situation will remain stable for long. Even if Kurds are not yet responding, they make no bones about their intention to remain in Rojava after &ndash; and if &ndash; the war is over.&nbsp; 
 
President Erdogan is also clear about his programme. He said in a statement that the offensive would continue until &quot;the threat of Islamic State and YPG/PKK is over.&quot; &nbsp; 
 
US defence secretary Ashton Carter said he had appealed to both sides not to fight. &quot;That&#39;s the basis of our cooperation with both of them, specifically not to engage one another,&quot; he said. &nbsp; 
 
Ankara denied the existence of any official ceasefire and does not seem to be willing to change its mind. During a meeting with US President Obama, the first after the coup, on Sunday at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, President Erdogan said, &ldquo;We have to embrace the same stance against all terrorist organisations around the world.&rdquo; &ldquo;Our hope is never to see a belt of terrorism, a corridor of terrorism emerging in or around our region.&rdquo; &nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;There is no good terrorist or bad terrorist; every kind of terrorism is bad,&rdquo; Erdogan said after the meeting with Obama, the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported. &nbsp; 
 
Operation Euphrates Shield is a stress test for US-Turkey relations which are at its lowest after the failed Turkey coup and the allegations made by President Erdogan of a possible US role in it. Ankara has been demanding the extradition of Fetullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based cleric who they believe to be the mastermind behind the coup.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(WION)</div>

The Turkish military's offensive inside Syria is a stress test for US-Turkey relations

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim declared on Sunday that Turkish army and rebels belonging to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) finally secured 95 km of Turkish-Syrian border which were under the control of the Islamic State (IS). Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, this border segment has served as a supply corridor for terrorists, allowing goods, weapons and foreign fighters to enter Syria. Turkish soldiers and FSA rebels are fighting to secure the inner part of the area. Their main objective is to move south and reach the city of Al-Bab, an IS stronghold. The Free Syrian Army was created by a group of army deserters in 2011 in opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. During the conflict, the group fragmented and it is reported that many of its fighters joined Islamic State's ranks. The Turkish and FSA offensive is part of Operation Euphrates Shield, started on August 24 from the border city of Jarablus, on the western banks of the Euphrates. The river is the longest of western Asia. It starts from Turkey, flows through Syria and Iraq before flowing into the Persian Gulf. Since ancient times, it represents a vital waterway to move men and goods throughout the whole of West Asia. The majority of its Syrian flow is currently under IS control but the loss of Jarablus prevents them access from Turkey, depriving them of a fundamental entry point. It remains unclear why Turkey did not secure this area before. The border line running from the city of Jarablus to the city of Al-Rai stands between the Syrian region of Rojava, a Kurdish-controlled area, and the Kurdish constituency of Afrin. Both these locations are under the control of the Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG), the People's Protection Unit, a Kurdish army which is fighting on the ground since 2012 against the Islamic State. YPG is an official US ally, its members have been trained by American military personnel. It has the characteristics of a guerrilla force which relies on surprise and speedy action and has a significant component of women fighters within its rank and file. Its main task is to enter cities and villages after US airstrikes to clear the Islamic State's pockets of resistance. The Turkish government considers the YPG a terrorist organisation and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated that they will not accept the existence of a Kurdish region right across their border. "We will never allow an artificial state in Northern Syria," he said on Sunday. A map describing the current situation in Syria. (Courtesy: Wikipedia) Operation Euphrates Shield allows Turkey to take control of an area that will make it impossible for the two Kurdish regions to reunite. Relations between Turkey and the Kurdish population have never been easy. Kurds are an ethnic group spread between Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq and have long asked and fought for an independent state, Kurdistan, located across these nations. The request has never been considered feasible by Turkey whose territory would be the most affected. Turkey is home to more than ten million Kurds. This denial resulted in a two-decade long Kurdish insurgency characterised by violence on both sides. The European Court of Human Rights has reported thousands of human rights violations, including executions, torture, forced displacements, village destructions and arbitrary arrests perpetrated by the Turkish government against the Kurdish population. Ankara believes that the YPG is just its extension and that a Kurdish stronghold, right across the border, could give a new lifeline to the Kurds living in Turkey. Turkey is scared that it will bolster their separatist spirit. Attacking the YPG means attacking a formal US ally but Turkey belongs to NATO. This puts Washington in a tricky situation. During the first phase of Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish army declared to have killed 25 “Kurdish terrorists,” an action that has been judged by the US Department of State "unacceptable and a source of deep concern." The United States "were not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them," said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. When Turkish forces and Free Syrian Army rebels entered the city of Jarablus, they ordered the Kurds to retreat to the eastern bank of the Euphrates river, a request that was immediately supported by the US. The YPG high command has sent an official Tweet, requesting its fighters not to fight back and reminding them that the true enemy is the Islamic State and not Turkey. #YPG’s Command: Repeated #Turkey Army’s assaults on #Rojava/Northern #Syria border in Derik, #Kobane, #Efrin, Aug 27 pic.twitter.com/eLXAIj7J7S — Rojava Defense Units (@DefenseUnits) 27 August 2016 It is, nonetheless, unlikely that the situation will remain stable for long. Even if Kurds are not yet responding, they make no bones about their intention to remain in Rojava after – and if – the war is over. President Erdogan is also clear about his programme. He said in a statement that the offensive would continue until "the threat of Islamic State and YPG/PKK is over." US defence secretary Ashton Carter said he had appealed to both sides not to fight. "That's the basis of our cooperation with both of them, specifically not to engage one another," he said. Ankara denied the existence of any official ceasefire and does not seem to be willing to change its mind. During a meeting with US President Obama, the first after the coup, on Sunday at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, President Erdogan said, “We have to embrace the same stance against all terrorist organisations around the world.” “Our hope is never to see a belt of terrorism, a corridor of terrorism emerging in or around our region.” “There is no good terrorist or bad terrorist; every kind of terrorism is bad,” Erdogan said after the meeting with Obama, the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Operation Euphrates Shield is a stress test for US-Turkey relations which are at its lowest after the failed Turkey coup and the allegations made by President Erdogan of a possible US role in it. Ankara has been demanding the extradition of Fetullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based cleric who they believe to be the mastermind behind the coup. (WION)

Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield: Ankara may be fighting IS but the Kurds are also in gunsight

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area.&nbsp; 
 
The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey),&quot; the rebel said. 
 
Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. 
 
&quot;Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus,&quot; the source said. 
 
Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. 
 
Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. 
 
Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey.&nbsp; 
 
It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
Rivalry with Kurds 
 
By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS.&nbsp; 
 
A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. 
 
The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. 
 
Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF&#39;s westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. 
 
On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. 
 
The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. 
 
The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. 
 
Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said.&nbsp;On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily,&quot; he said. &quot;The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The onslaught will also dent Kurdish hopes of expansion along the Syria-Turkey border area

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified. "The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey)," the rebel said. Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. "Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus," the source said. Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey. It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State. Rivalry with Kurds By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS. A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF's westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said. On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said. "There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily," he said. "The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy." (Reuters)

Syrian rebels prepare to seize IS town from inside Turkey

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British media slams government warning over overfrying chips, toast

Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield: Ankara may be fighting IS but the Kurds are also in gunsight

Syrian rebels prepare to seize IS town from inside Turkey