Gunman Robert Bowers only needed 20 minutes to sow terror at the Tree of Life synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, where congregants had gathered peacefully for Shabbat services marking a day of rest.

Shortly before 10 am (1400 GMT) the 46-year-old Bowers -- who had penned virulent anti-Semitic messages on social networks -- burst into the synagogue armed with an assault rifle and three handguns.

Stephen Weiss, a member of the congregation who was inside the building, told the Tribune-Review newspaper he heard dozens of shots coming from the front lobby.

"We had services going on in the chapel when we heard a loud noise in the lobby area," he said. "I recognized it as gunshots."

Like any other Saturday, people from three different congregations were scattered throughout rooms in the building, located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood that is historically the heart of Jewish life in greater Pittsburgh.

Bowers entered a room where a baby-naming ceremony was taking place. He rained bullets, killing 11 people, all of them adults.

As he attempted to leave the synagogue, he found himself face-to-face with a uniformed officer calling for reinforcement.

He barricaded himself on the building's third floor and was taken into custody after a shootout with police.

Twenty minutes after his first shot, Bowers surrendered to officers. He was hospitalized with multiple injuries but authorities said he was in "fine" condition.

Ben Opie, 55, lives in front of the synagogue and told journalists his wife was heading out for a volunteer shift when police demanded she stay inside.

Two hours later, Opie's voice was still trembling.

"It's just," he said before pausing. "Sorry, it's shaking me more than usual."

Gunman Robert Bowers only needed 20 minutes to sow terror at the Tree of Life synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, where congregants had gathered peacefully for Shabbat services marking a day of rest.

Gunman Robert Bowers only needed 20 minutes to sow terror at the Tree of Life synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh, where congregants had gathered peacefully for Shabbat services marking a day of rest. Shortly before 10 am (1400 GMT) the 46-year-old Bowers -- who had penned virulent anti-Semitic messages on social networks -- burst into the synagogue armed with an assault rifle and three handguns. Stephen Weiss, a member of the congregation who was inside the building, told the Tribune-Review newspaper he heard dozens of shots coming from the front lobby. "We had services going on in the chapel when we heard a loud noise in the lobby area," he said. "I recognized it as gunshots." Like any other Saturday, people from three different congregations were scattered throughout rooms in the building, located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood that is historically the heart of Jewish life in greater Pittsburgh. Bowers entered a room where a baby-naming ceremony was taking place. He rained bullets, killing 11 people, all of them adults. As he attempted to leave the synagogue, he found himself face-to-face with a uniformed officer calling for reinforcement. He barricaded himself on the building's third floor and was taken into custody after a shootout with police. Twenty minutes after his first shot, Bowers surrendered to officers. He was hospitalized with multiple injuries but authorities said he was in "fine" condition. Ben Opie, 55, lives in front of the synagogue and told journalists his wife was heading out for a volunteer shift when police demanded she stay inside. Two hours later, Opie's voice was still trembling. "It's just," he said before pausing. "Sorry, it's shaking me more than usual."

US synagogue attacked: Twenty minutes of terror

Two Pakistani security personnel have been killed in a targeted attack carried out by the Taliban militants in the country's restive Waziristan district, officials said.&nbsp;

The incident took place in Walma Langar Khel area where the two personnel had gone to fetch water. The security personnel came under attack from the Taliban militants as they were returning from the area, said the official.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed the responsibility of the attack.&nbsp;

Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups.

Two Pakistani security personnel have been killed in a targeted attack carried out by the Taliban militants in the country's restive Waziristan district, officials said.

Two Pakistani security personnel have been killed in a targeted attack carried out by the Taliban militants in the country's restive Waziristan district, officials said. The incident took place in Walma Langar Khel area where the two personnel had gone to fetch water. The security personnel came under attack from the Taliban militants as they were returning from the area, said the official. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed the responsibility of the attack. Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups.

Pakistani security personnel killed by militants in Pakistan

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence in intelligence reports that suggest a high-level Saudi role in the suspected killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said, however, it was still "a little bit early" to draw definitive conclusions about who may have been behind it.

Trump met for less than an hour with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who gave the president an update on his talks this week with Saudi and Turkish officials about the Khashoggi case amid concern that the journalist was killed in the consulate after entering it on Oct. 2.

Pompeo told reporters after his talks with Trump that he made clear to the Saudis in his visit to Riyadh that "we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously."

"They made clear to me that they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi. They also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they will do so in a timely fashion," Pompeo added.

Pompeo said he told Trump that "we ought to give them a few more days to complete" their investigation in order to get a full understanding of what happened "at which point we can make decisions about how - or if - the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi."

"I think it's important for us all to remember to, we have a long - since 1932 - a long strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Pompeo added.

Meanwhile, four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation into the possible murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would shed light on the fate of the prominent journalist.

Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi - a US&nbsp;resident and Washington Post columnist who was a strong critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - was murdered at the consulate and his body chopped up and removed.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence in intelligence reports that suggest a high-level Saudi role in the suspected killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence in intelligence reports that suggest a high-level Saudi role in the suspected killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In an interview with the New York Times, Trump said, however, it was still "a little bit early" to draw definitive conclusions about who may have been behind it. Trump met for less than an hour with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who gave the president an update on his talks this week with Saudi and Turkish officials about the Khashoggi case amid concern that the journalist was killed in the consulate after entering it on Oct. 2. Pompeo told reporters after his talks with Trump that he made clear to the Saudis in his visit to Riyadh that "we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously." "They made clear to me that they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi. They also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they will do so in a timely fashion," Pompeo added. Pompeo said he told Trump that "we ought to give them a few more days to complete" their investigation in order to get a full understanding of what happened "at which point we can make decisions about how - or if - the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi." "I think it's important for us all to remember to, we have a long - since 1932 - a long strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Pompeo added. Meanwhile, four prominent human rights and press freedom groups on Thursday urged Turkey to request a United Nations investigation into the possible murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to prevent a "whitewash" of the alleged crime. The Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders said such a probe established by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would shed light on the fate of the prominent journalist. Turkish officials have said they believe Khashoggi - a US resident and Washington Post columnist who was a strong critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - was murdered at the consulate and his body chopped up and removed.

Trump says too early to assign blame in Khashoggi's apparent killing

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied covering up for ally Saudi Arabia in the suspected murder of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/missing-saudi-journalist-was-decapitated-report-171928">critical journalist</a> and said that he should know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi within days.

"No not at all, I just want to find out what's happening," Trump told reporters in the White House when asked if his consistently cautious approach to the scandal amounts to a cover-up. "I'm not giving cover at all."

The president said he would get a "full report" from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the diplomat's return from meetings with Saudi and Turkish leaders and that he'd then know the truth.

"We will probably know that by the end of the week," Trump said.

His comments followed publication in pro-government Turkish media of allegations purporting to confirm that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-considers-admitting-khashoggi-died-in-botched-interrogation-reports-171638">Khashoggi was not just murdered</a> by Saudi agents in their consulate in Istanbul, but dismembered.

According to the reports, the assassination squad included agents tied to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a powerful figure in the Saudi royal family and lynchpin in the trend toward ever-tightening relations with the White House.

The US president has been on the defensive ever since Khashoggi -- a US resident and Washington Post contributor who had criticized Prince Mohammed -- vanished on October 2 after visiting the Istanbul consulate.

The controversy has blown a massive hole in Prince Mohammed's bid to promote himself as the modern face of Saudi Arabia and led to a spate of cancelations by attendees at a major Riyadh investment conference scheduled next week.

But Trump has slow-pedaled on the possibility of action against Saudi Arabia, which he has repeatedly praised as a historic customer for the US weapons industry. Earlier Wednesday, he told Fox Business that the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism.

After talks with the Saudi leadership in Riyadh marked by expressions of mutual goodwill, Pompeo met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

But Pompeo was tight-lipped, telling journalists he did not want "to talk about any of the facts."

Turkish police on Wednesday began searching the residence of the Saudi consul in Istanbul for their investigation, with forensics experts in white overalls entering the building, an AFP correspondent said.

The Saudi consul Mohammed al-Otaibi left Istanbul for Riyadh on a scheduled Saudia flight Tuesday afternoon, with Ankara insisting he had not been expelled but left of his own choice.

Turkish police on Monday night also carried out an eight-hour search at the consulate itself, taking away soil and DNA samples. Erdogan said toxic material was found which had been "painted over".

Several US media outlets said Monday that the Saudis are preparing a report that Khashoggi's death resulted from a botched interrogation. However there has yet to be any sign of this being published.

Pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Safak reported it had heard audio recordings of Khashoggi being tortured during an interrogation, having his fingers cut off and then being decapitated.

It said al-Otaibi can be heard on one tape saying during Khashoggi's torture: "Do this outside. You are going to get me in trouble."

The daily reported that in another tape, an unknown individual tells Otaibi: "If you want to live when you return to Saudi Arabia, be quiet!"

The New York Times reported Tuesday that a suspect identified by Turkey was a frequent companion of the prince's. Three other suspects are linked to his security detail and a fifth is a high-level forensic doctor, the Times said.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde was the latest to pull out of Prince Mohammed's much-trumpeted investment conference next week. An IMF spokesman said she had postponed her planned trip to the Middle East with a stop in Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo came to Ankara after Riyadh where he held a 20-minute talk with King Salman and then a brief meeting and much lengthier dinner with his son Prince Mohammed.

The top US diplomat said that in Saudi Arabia he stressed the "importance of them conducting a complete investigation."

"They made a commitment that they would show the entire world the results of their investigation," said Pompeo, adding Saudi also vowed that no-one would have immunity.

Pompeo held 40 minutes of talks at the airport with Erdogan.&nbsp;

Interviewed by state-run Anadolu news agency, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu refused to be drawn into commenting on what may have happened inside the consulate.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied covering up for ally Saudi Arabia in the suspected murder of a critical journalist and said that he should know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi within days.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied covering up for ally Saudi Arabia in the suspected murder of a critical journalist and said that he should know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi within days. "No not at all, I just want to find out what's happening," Trump told reporters in the White House when asked if his consistently cautious approach to the scandal amounts to a cover-up. "I'm not giving cover at all." The president said he would get a "full report" from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the diplomat's return from meetings with Saudi and Turkish leaders and that he'd then know the truth. "We will probably know that by the end of the week," Trump said. His comments followed publication in pro-government Turkish media of allegations purporting to confirm that Khashoggi was not just murdered by Saudi agents in their consulate in Istanbul, but dismembered. According to the reports, the assassination squad included agents tied to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a powerful figure in the Saudi royal family and lynchpin in the trend toward ever-tightening relations with the White House. The US president has been on the defensive ever since Khashoggi -- a US resident and Washington Post contributor who had criticized Prince Mohammed -- vanished on October 2 after visiting the Istanbul consulate. The controversy has blown a massive hole in Prince Mohammed's bid to promote himself as the modern face of Saudi Arabia and led to a spate of cancelations by attendees at a major Riyadh investment conference scheduled next week. But Trump has slow-pedaled on the possibility of action against Saudi Arabia, which he has repeatedly praised as a historic customer for the US weapons industry. Earlier Wednesday, he told Fox Business that the US relies on the kingdom in the fight against terrorism. After talks with the Saudi leadership in Riyadh marked by expressions of mutual goodwill, Pompeo met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. But Pompeo was tight-lipped, telling journalists he did not want "to talk about any of the facts." Turkish police on Wednesday began searching the residence of the Saudi consul in Istanbul for their investigation, with forensics experts in white overalls entering the building, an AFP correspondent said. The Saudi consul Mohammed al-Otaibi left Istanbul for Riyadh on a scheduled Saudia flight Tuesday afternoon, with Ankara insisting he had not been expelled but left of his own choice. Turkish police on Monday night also carried out an eight-hour search at the consulate itself, taking away soil and DNA samples. Erdogan said toxic material was found which had been "painted over". Several US media outlets said Monday that the Saudis are preparing a report that Khashoggi's death resulted from a botched interrogation. However there has yet to be any sign of this being published. Pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Safak reported it had heard audio recordings of Khashoggi being tortured during an interrogation, having his fingers cut off and then being decapitated. It said al-Otaibi can be heard on one tape saying during Khashoggi's torture: "Do this outside. You are going to get me in trouble." The daily reported that in another tape, an unknown individual tells Otaibi: "If you want to live when you return to Saudi Arabia, be quiet!" The New York Times reported Tuesday that a suspect identified by Turkey was a frequent companion of the prince's. Three other suspects are linked to his security detail and a fifth is a high-level forensic doctor, the Times said. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde was the latest to pull out of Prince Mohammed's much-trumpeted investment conference next week. An IMF spokesman said she had postponed her planned trip to the Middle East with a stop in Saudi Arabia. Pompeo came to Ankara after Riyadh where he held a 20-minute talk with King Salman and then a brief meeting and much lengthier dinner with his son Prince Mohammed. The top US diplomat said that in Saudi Arabia he stressed the "importance of them conducting a complete investigation." "They made a commitment that they would show the entire world the results of their investigation," said Pompeo, adding Saudi also vowed that no-one would have immunity. Pompeo held 40 minutes of talks at the airport with Erdogan. Interviewed by state-run Anadolu news agency, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu refused to be drawn into commenting on what may have happened inside the consulate.

Jamal Khashoggi case: Trump says he is not covering for Saudis, truth will be out in days

An Afghan lawmaker contesting this week`s parliamentary elections was among four people killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted under his office chair, officials said, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants.

Abdul Jabar Qahraman was killed as he prepared for Saturday`s election, a senior government official said, becoming the 10th candidate killed in the past two months, with two more abducted and four wounded by hardline Islamist militants.

"Such brutal acts of the terrorists and their supporters cannot weaken people`s trust in the peaceful and democratic processes," President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement condemning the attack.&nbsp;

The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast in the southern province of Helmand, saying in a statement: "We have killed Qahraman, a renowned communist."

Qahraman had spearheaded the formation of Sangorian, a secret militia trained by Afghan intelligence to infiltrate the Taliban. The militia has been heavily targeted by the Taliban in recent years.

The Taliban, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, have ordered Afghans to boycott the much-delayed polls in their battle to overthrow the Western-backed government and restore their own Islamist regime.

Three men sitting in Qahraman`s office were also killed, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, adding that police had arrested three suspects in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

The blast wounded seven people, said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.&nbsp;

"A bomb was placed below Qahraman`s chair in his campaign office," he added. "We are investigating."

Wednesday`s blast follows the deaths of 22 people last week in an explosion at an election rally for a woman candidate in the northeastern province of Takhar 
The Taliban on Wednesday directed teachers not to set up their schools as polling stations.

Thousands of teachers across the country have been trained to work as polling officers and more than 5,000 polling stations will be set up in schools, mosques and medical centres.&nbsp;

"Teachers and students of educational institutes must stay away from all enemy political processes and must not allow the invaders and their stooges to utilize their schools for the implementation of their evil projects," the Taliban said in a statement.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

An Afghan lawmaker contesting this week`s parliamentary elections was among four people killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted under his office chair, officials said, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants.

An Afghan lawmaker contesting this week`s parliamentary elections was among four people killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted under his office chair, officials said, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants. Abdul Jabar Qahraman was killed as he prepared for Saturday`s election, a senior government official said, becoming the 10th candidate killed in the past two months, with two more abducted and four wounded by hardline Islamist militants. "Such brutal acts of the terrorists and their supporters cannot weaken people`s trust in the peaceful and democratic processes," President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement condemning the attack. The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast in the southern province of Helmand, saying in a statement: "We have killed Qahraman, a renowned communist." Qahraman had spearheaded the formation of Sangorian, a secret militia trained by Afghan intelligence to infiltrate the Taliban. The militia has been heavily targeted by the Taliban in recent years. The Taliban, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, have ordered Afghans to boycott the much-delayed polls in their battle to overthrow the Western-backed government and restore their own Islamist regime. Three men sitting in Qahraman`s office were also killed, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, adding that police had arrested three suspects in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. The blast wounded seven people, said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor. "A bomb was placed below Qahraman`s chair in his campaign office," he added. "We are investigating." Wednesday`s blast follows the deaths of 22 people last week in an explosion at an election rally for a woman candidate in the northeastern province of Takhar The Taliban on Wednesday directed teachers not to set up their schools as polling stations. Thousands of teachers across the country have been trained to work as polling officers and more than 5,000 polling stations will be set up in schools, mosques and medical centres. "Teachers and students of educational institutes must stay away from all enemy political processes and must not allow the invaders and their stooges to utilize their schools for the implementation of their evil projects," the Taliban said in a statement.

Afghan election candidate killed by bomb under office chair

Dozens of Afghan police were killed or wounded in heavy fighting in northern and central provinces overnight, officials said on Tuesday, just days before parliamentary elections which the insurgents have promised to disrupt.

The latest fighting came despite increasing signs of moves towards possible peace talks and followed a meeting in Qatar last week between Taliban officials and Zalmay Khalilzad, the new U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan.

In the northern province of Samangan, 11 police, including the province’s deputy police chief, were killed and 30 wounded when Taliban fighters attacked security checkpoints in Dara-e Sof Payeen district, said Naqibullah Tataar, a member of the provincial council.

Another 15 police were captured along with a large quantity of weapons, vehicles and equipment. The Taliban also suffered heavy casualties, he said but had no exact details.

Munir Ahmad Rahimi, spokesman for Samangan police, confirmed the attack and the death of deputy provincial police chief Khawani Taheri but said seven members of the security forces had been killed.

In the central province of Daikundi, hundreds of Taliban fighters equipped with heavy weapons attacked checkpoints in Kajran district and fought an hours-long battle in which eight Afghan soldiers and five police were killed, Ali Akbar Nateqi, the provincial governor’s spokesman said.

The Taliban’s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for both attacks, saying 30 police were killed in Samangan province and 19 killed in Daikundi, with large quantities of weapons and equipment and captured.

Although the latest attacks had no apparent direct link with Saturday’s elections, they underlined the strength of the Taliban who control large areas of the countryside and earlier this year overran the major city of Ghazni.

Security officials see the increased attacks as part of a broad strategy by the insurgents to establish a strong position to impose their demands if formal peace talks begin. The Taliban have also suffered heavy casualties and say they are willing to keep talking about finding a solution to the conflict.

The United States has said it is willing to take part in talks but insists that the process must be led by the internationally recognised Afghan government, which the Taliban regard as an illegitimate regime imposed by foreign powers.

In the meanwhile, thousands of civilians have continued to be killed and wounded in the fighting, with more than 8,000 casualties in the first nine months of the year, according to United Nations figures.

Dozens of Afghan police were killed or wounded in heavy fighting in northern and central provinces overnight, officials said on Tuesday, just days before parliamentary elections which the insurgents have promised to disrupt.

Dozens of Afghan police were killed or wounded in heavy fighting in northern and central provinces overnight, officials said on Tuesday, just days before parliamentary elections which the insurgents have promised to disrupt. The latest fighting came despite increasing signs of moves towards possible peace talks and followed a meeting in Qatar last week between Taliban officials and Zalmay Khalilzad, the new U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan. In the northern province of Samangan, 11 police, including the province’s deputy police chief, were killed and 30 wounded when Taliban fighters attacked security checkpoints in Dara-e Sof Payeen district, said Naqibullah Tataar, a member of the provincial council. Another 15 police were captured along with a large quantity of weapons, vehicles and equipment. The Taliban also suffered heavy casualties, he said but had no exact details. Munir Ahmad Rahimi, spokesman for Samangan police, confirmed the attack and the death of deputy provincial police chief Khawani Taheri but said seven members of the security forces had been killed. In the central province of Daikundi, hundreds of Taliban fighters equipped with heavy weapons attacked checkpoints in Kajran district and fought an hours-long battle in which eight Afghan soldiers and five police were killed, Ali Akbar Nateqi, the provincial governor’s spokesman said. The Taliban’s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed responsibility for both attacks, saying 30 police were killed in Samangan province and 19 killed in Daikundi, with large quantities of weapons and equipment and captured. Although the latest attacks had no apparent direct link with Saturday’s elections, they underlined the strength of the Taliban who control large areas of the countryside and earlier this year overran the major city of Ghazni. Security officials see the increased attacks as part of a broad strategy by the insurgents to establish a strong position to impose their demands if formal peace talks begin. The Taliban have also suffered heavy casualties and say they are willing to keep talking about finding a solution to the conflict. The United States has said it is willing to take part in talks but insists that the process must be led by the internationally recognised Afghan government, which the Taliban regard as an illegitimate regime imposed by foreign powers. In the meanwhile, thousands of civilians have continued to be killed and wounded in the fighting, with more than 8,000 casualties in the first nine months of the year, according to United Nations figures.

Dozens of Afghan police killed or wounded as election nears

The prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, for some routine paperwok, on October 2 a little before 1.15 pm.&nbsp;

His girlfriend, who was waiting for him outside, says he never came out.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported a Turkish official as saying Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate by a 15-man Saudi "hit team" that had flown in on two charter flights especially for the job.&nbsp;

The hit team then dismembered Khashoggi's body with a bone saw and flew out to different countries only a few hours after the killing.&nbsp;

“It is like ‘Pulp Fiction,’” the New York Times quoted the official as saying.&nbsp;

Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have denied the accusations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile has demanded that the Saudis prove Khashoggi left the consulate safe and sound.&nbsp;

The Times added that it is unclear how the Turkish government decided Khashoggi had been killed. Some news outlets have reported that Khashoggi has been abducted and not killed but with over a week passing and there still being no sign of him, the possibility of him being alive is rapidly diminishing.&nbsp;

The Times reported on Tuesday that Turkish officials have "left things murky enough" &nbsp;— they have spoken on the condition of anonymity and have refused to publicly disclose their evidence.&nbsp;

The Times added however that the Turkish security establishment has concluded that Khashoggi’s killing was ordered by the very top because only the most senior Saudi leaders could order an operation of this scale and complexity.&nbsp;

Khashoggi, 59, a US resident, has written articles over the past year that have been critical of Crown Prince Salman. He has had a long career as a senior journalist in Saudi Arabia and as an adviser to top officials.

The prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, for some routine paperwok, on October 2 a little before 1.15 pm. His girlfriend, who was waiting for him outside, says he never came out.

The prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, for some routine paperwok, on October 2 a little before 1.15 pm. His girlfriend, who was waiting for him outside, says he never came out. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported a Turkish official as saying Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate by a 15-man Saudi "hit team" that had flown in on two charter flights especially for the job. The hit team then dismembered Khashoggi's body with a bone saw and flew out to different countries only a few hours after the killing. “It is like ‘Pulp Fiction,’” the New York Times quoted the official as saying. Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have denied the accusations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile has demanded that the Saudis prove Khashoggi left the consulate safe and sound. The Times added that it is unclear how the Turkish government decided Khashoggi had been killed. Some news outlets have reported that Khashoggi has been abducted and not killed but with over a week passing and there still being no sign of him, the possibility of him being alive is rapidly diminishing. The Times reported on Tuesday that Turkish officials have "left things murky enough" — they have spoken on the condition of anonymity and have refused to publicly disclose their evidence. The Times added however that the Turkish security establishment has concluded that Khashoggi’s killing was ordered by the very top because only the most senior Saudi leaders could order an operation of this scale and complexity. Khashoggi, 59, a US resident, has written articles over the past year that have been critical of Crown Prince Salman. He has had a long career as a senior journalist in Saudi Arabia and as an adviser to top officials.

Journalist Khashoggi was killed by Saudi 'hit team' that then dismembered his body with bone saw: NYT

After the Indian government <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-refuses-intervene-deportation-7-rohingya-refugees-myanmar-169333">deported seven of them to Myanmar this week</a>, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland".&nbsp;

And they added that the seven Rohingya refugees who have been deported will very soon be killed.&nbsp;

"I have been living here since 2012. I only request the government to let us live here. We have faced a lot of hardships in our country. We did not leave our country out of greed, no one really wants to leave their own nation," Mohammad Farooq told ANI.&nbsp;

"Our records are there with the authorities and the UN. Police brought us a form to fill but it was in Burmese language and we refused to fill it. The seven people who have been deported won`t be alive for long. They will be killed," Mohammad added.&nbsp;

Mohammad currently lives in Delhi's Kalindi Kunj.&nbsp;

Haroon said the same thing to ANI.&nbsp;

"We are living here since 2005. The government has provided us with no help apart from long-term visa. The government has stopped renewing it since 2017. It was previously renewed five times. We want to request the government that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-rohingya-refugees-struggle-with-hatred-fear-as-first-group-is-expelled-169923">there is still no peace in our country</a>. Houses are still being burnt there. No matter how long we live here, we will not get a citizenship until the government makes such provision," Haroon said. &nbsp;

"Some people have filled a form that has come from Burma embassy. Whatever Indian government`s order comes we follow but we did not fill that form because it was all in the Burmese language. Filling it would mean that we are going to Burma with our free will. We do not want to go to Myanmar as of now," he added.&nbsp;

The seven Rohingya refugees deported to Myanmar had been in custody in Assam since 2012. They were bussed to the Moreh border post in Myanmar and handed over to Myanmarese authorities on Thursday after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the deportation.&nbsp;

The court said it did not wish to interfere in the Central government's decision.&nbsp;

The special rapporteur on racism at the India office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees however had said the move might amount to refoulment — or the deliberate return of refugees to a place where they face persecution and the threat of violence.&nbsp;

Refoulment falls foul of international law.&nbsp;

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees had added that the seven Rohingya should be allowed to make an "informed decision" about whether they wish to return, or claim asylum in India.&nbsp;

Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 2017 after a military campaign against them. The military campaign — which the UN has called ethnic cleansing — followed an attack on police and army posts by the militant Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army group.&nbsp;

About 40,000 Rohingya currently live in India.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland".

After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland". And they added that the seven Rohingya refugees who have been deported will very soon be killed. "I have been living here since 2012. I only request the government to let us live here. We have faced a lot of hardships in our country. We did not leave our country out of greed, no one really wants to leave their own nation," Mohammad Farooq told ANI. "Our records are there with the authorities and the UN. Police brought us a form to fill but it was in Burmese language and we refused to fill it. The seven people who have been deported won`t be alive for long. They will be killed," Mohammad added. Mohammad currently lives in Delhi's Kalindi Kunj. Haroon said the same thing to ANI. "We are living here since 2005. The government has provided us with no help apart from long-term visa. The government has stopped renewing it since 2017. It was previously renewed five times. We want to request the government that there is still no peace in our country. Houses are still being burnt there. No matter how long we live here, we will not get a citizenship until the government makes such provision," Haroon said. "Some people have filled a form that has come from Burma embassy. Whatever Indian government`s order comes we follow but we did not fill that form because it was all in the Burmese language. Filling it would mean that we are going to Burma with our free will. We do not want to go to Myanmar as of now," he added. The seven Rohingya refugees deported to Myanmar had been in custody in Assam since 2012. They were bussed to the Moreh border post in Myanmar and handed over to Myanmarese authorities on Thursday after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the deportation. The court said it did not wish to interfere in the Central government's decision. The special rapporteur on racism at the India office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees however had said the move might amount to refoulment — or the deliberate return of refugees to a place where they face persecution and the threat of violence. Refoulment falls foul of international law. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees had added that the seven Rohingya should be allowed to make an "informed decision" about whether they wish to return, or claim asylum in India. Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 2017 after a military campaign against them. The military campaign — which the UN has called ethnic cleansing — followed an attack on police and army posts by the militant Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army group. About 40,000 Rohingya currently live in India. (With inputs from ANI)

7 Rohingya deported to Myanmar will be killed very soon: Rohingya refugees in Delhi

At least 10 people were killed and 28 others injured after a deadly thunderstorm struck parts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.

Out of the 10 people, three died in Gonda, one in Faizabad and six in Sitapur.

The Meteorological Centre, Lucknow had earlier issued warnings of thunderstorm accompanied with squall, dust storm and rain in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

This comes after 15 people were reported dead and nine others injured after a thunderstorm hit various regions of the state on June 2.

The causalities were reported from Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Amroha, and Sambhal districts of the state.

Out of the 10 people, three died in Gonda, one in Faizabad and six in Sitapur

At least 10 people were killed and 28 others injured after a deadly thunderstorm struck parts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Out of the 10 people, three died in Gonda, one in Faizabad and six in Sitapur. The Meteorological Centre, Lucknow had earlier issued warnings of thunderstorm accompanied with squall, dust storm and rain in parts of Uttar Pradesh. This comes after 15 people were reported dead and nine others injured after a thunderstorm hit various regions of the state on June 2. The causalities were reported from Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Amroha, and Sambhal districts of the state.

Thunderstorm kills 10 in UP

A roadside bomb killed an Afghan archaeologist near an ancient Buddhist excavation site, also home to the country’s largest copper reserve, raising concerns about increasing threats to government-backed projects, officials said on Sunday.

Security threats by insurgents have forced European and US&nbsp;archaeologists to pull out of the Mes Aynak site in recent years, leaving Afghan experts to pursue the work on their own and try to prevent rampant illegal mining.

Saturday’s attack wounded four employees of the cultural ministry near the excavation site, 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, home to the remains of 5,000-year-old temples, residential areas, markets and a fortress.

No group has claimed responsibility. Taliban militants, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, blew up two ancient giant Buddha statues in Bamiyan province in March that year because they were deemed un-Islamic.

“We never thought such action would be taken against us, because we are neither military nor high-ranking government officials,” said archaeologist Mohammad Rabi Saber, a colleague of the victims. “But after this incident, a kind of fear has spread among the archaeology staff members.”

In 2008, a Chinese company, Metallurgical Corporation of China, was awarded a contract to recover copper from Mes Aynak but a series of protests to protect the Buddhist site stalled the project.

Afghan and international archaeologists began uncovering thousands of statues, manuscripts, coins and monuments at Mes Aynak in 2009. The government has said that all antiques from Mes Aynak will be excavated before mining begins.

The archaeologist who was killed, Abdul Wahab Ferozi, oversaw the repairs of more than 3,000 antiques from Mes Aynak that were handed to the National Museum in Kabul.

Police said Ferozi was on his way to the site when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near his car.

“We are trying the identify who planted the bomb. No insurgent group has claimed responsibility so far,” said Hashmat Stanakzai, spokesman for Kabul police.

At least 183 Afghan civilians were killed and 337 wounded in clashes and attacks nationwide in May, the Civilian Protection Advocacy Group, an independent monitor group, reported on Saturday.

Many local and international companies are reevaluating their hiring strategy because of the rising violence.

Security threats by insurgents have forced European and U.S. archaeologists to pull out of the Mes Aynak site in recent years, leaving Afghan experts to pursue the work on their own and try to prevent rampant illegal mining

A roadside bomb killed an Afghan archaeologist near an ancient Buddhist excavation site, also home to the country’s largest copper reserve, raising concerns about increasing threats to government-backed projects, officials said on Sunday. Security threats by insurgents have forced European and US archaeologists to pull out of the Mes Aynak site in recent years, leaving Afghan experts to pursue the work on their own and try to prevent rampant illegal mining. Saturday’s attack wounded four employees of the cultural ministry near the excavation site, 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, home to the remains of 5,000-year-old temples, residential areas, markets and a fortress. No group has claimed responsibility. Taliban militants, seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ouster, blew up two ancient giant Buddha statues in Bamiyan province in March that year because they were deemed un-Islamic. “We never thought such action would be taken against us, because we are neither military nor high-ranking government officials,” said archaeologist Mohammad Rabi Saber, a colleague of the victims. “But after this incident, a kind of fear has spread among the archaeology staff members.” In 2008, a Chinese company, Metallurgical Corporation of China, was awarded a contract to recover copper from Mes Aynak but a series of protests to protect the Buddhist site stalled the project. Afghan and international archaeologists began uncovering thousands of statues, manuscripts, coins and monuments at Mes Aynak in 2009. The government has said that all antiques from Mes Aynak will be excavated before mining begins. The archaeologist who was killed, Abdul Wahab Ferozi, oversaw the repairs of more than 3,000 antiques from Mes Aynak that were handed to the National Museum in Kabul. Police said Ferozi was on his way to the site when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near his car. “We are trying the identify who planted the bomb. No insurgent group has claimed responsibility so far,” said Hashmat Stanakzai, spokesman for Kabul police. At least 183 Afghan civilians were killed and 337 wounded in clashes and attacks nationwide in May, the Civilian Protection Advocacy Group, an independent monitor group, reported on Saturday. Many local and international companies are reevaluating their hiring strategy because of the rising violence.

Roadside bomb kills Afghan archaeologist near Buddhist site

Russia's embattled liberal community was reeling Wednesday from the murder of fiercely anti-Kremlin journalist Arkady Babchenko who was gunned down in Ukraine after leaving Moscow following a campaign of harassment.

A prominent Russian war correspondent who became famous for his fierce tirades against Moscow, Babchenko, 41, was murdered on Tuesday evening in a contract-style killing in the stairwell of his building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev where he moved last year.

Ukrainian authorities blamed Russia's "totalitarian machine" for his murder, while Moscow denied the charges and the Kremlin warned that Kiev had become "a very dangerous place" for journalists.

His murder triggered a huge outpouring of grief among Russia's liberal opposition, with journalists and politicians warning that Kremlin critics had become fair game under President Vladimir Putin.

Top opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he was "shocked", writing on his blog that he had no doubt that the journalist was murdered because of his "public political position."

Over the past years a number of Kremlin critics and Russian liberals have left the country after physical attacks and death threats and many blamed the atmosphere of growing intolerance under Putin for Babchenko's death.

Opposition politician and former MP Ilya Ponomaryov, who now lives in Kiev, said he feared other Kremlin critics would be murdered in the future.

"Over the last three days, I have heard about three contracts taken out on Russian opposition figures among emigres," he wrote on Facebook.

Pavel Kanygin, an investigative reporter with Russia's Novaya Gazeta liberal newspaper to which Babchenko contributed in the past, called his assassination "a terror attack" against journalists in both Russia and Ukraine.

"Arkasha would shoot straight from the hip every day in such a brazen manner that even those close to him felt uneasy sometimes," Kanygin wrote, referring to his friend by his nickname.

Novaya Gazeta has lost a number of journalists over the past years including Anna Politkovskaya, gunned down in the stairwell of her Moscow apartment in 2006.

"Arkady knew what war was about, took part in it but always hated it viscerally," the award-winning newspaper said in an editorial.

The Bell, a respected Russian media start-up, said it did not always agree with Babchenko but called him "a principled, passionate, brave man and journalist worthy of respect."

Babchenko was killed less than a month after Putin was inaugurated for his fourth Kremlin term and as Russia gears up to host the World Cup later this month.

He was shot three times in the back in a killing reminiscent of that of another prominent Kremlin critic, politician Boris Nemtsov who was shot in the back as he walked near the Kremlin in February 2015.

The journalist quit Russia after pro-Kremlin supporters launched a campaign of intimidation and harassment after he wrote on Facebook he was not sorry when a plane transporting a Russian military choir crashed into the Black Sea en route to Syria in December 2016.

Some liberals drew parallels with the case of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter who were targeted with a potent nerve agent in Britain in March.

"The toxic homeland is continuing to kill, poisoning the world already outside its borders," wrote Sergei Medvedev, a professor at Moscow's Higher School of Economics.

Natalia Gevorkyan, a Russian reporter living in France, said the situation was becoming so bad that the European Union and the United States should help protect people fleeing persecution and facing death threats in Russia.

Babchenko fought in Russia's two Chechen campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s before becoming a war correspondent and author. He repeatedly said he faced death threats.

He contributed to a number of media outlets besides Novaya Gazeta and was an avid blogger, accusing Russian authorities of slaughtering Kremlin critics and unleashing wars in Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere.

His increasingly bombastic posts constantly pushed the boundaries of good taste and some of his colleagues and followers stopped reading him in recent years.

A prominent Russian war correspondent who became famous for his fierce tirades against Moscow, Babchenko, 41, was murdered on Tuesday evening in a contract-style killing in the stairwell of his building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev where he moved last year

Russia's embattled liberal community was reeling Wednesday from the murder of fiercely anti-Kremlin journalist Arkady Babchenko who was gunned down in Ukraine after leaving Moscow following a campaign of harassment. A prominent Russian war correspondent who became famous for his fierce tirades against Moscow, Babchenko, 41, was murdered on Tuesday evening in a contract-style killing in the stairwell of his building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev where he moved last year. Ukrainian authorities blamed Russia's "totalitarian machine" for his murder, while Moscow denied the charges and the Kremlin warned that Kiev had become "a very dangerous place" for journalists. His murder triggered a huge outpouring of grief among Russia's liberal opposition, with journalists and politicians warning that Kremlin critics had become fair game under President Vladimir Putin. Top opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he was "shocked", writing on his blog that he had no doubt that the journalist was murdered because of his "public political position." Over the past years a number of Kremlin critics and Russian liberals have left the country after physical attacks and death threats and many blamed the atmosphere of growing intolerance under Putin for Babchenko's death. Opposition politician and former MP Ilya Ponomaryov, who now lives in Kiev, said he feared other Kremlin critics would be murdered in the future. "Over the last three days, I have heard about three contracts taken out on Russian opposition figures among emigres," he wrote on Facebook. Pavel Kanygin, an investigative reporter with Russia's Novaya Gazeta liberal newspaper to which Babchenko contributed in the past, called his assassination "a terror attack" against journalists in both Russia and Ukraine. "Arkasha would shoot straight from the hip every day in such a brazen manner that even those close to him felt uneasy sometimes," Kanygin wrote, referring to his friend by his nickname. Novaya Gazeta has lost a number of journalists over the past years including Anna Politkovskaya, gunned down in the stairwell of her Moscow apartment in 2006. "Arkady knew what war was about, took part in it but always hated it viscerally," the award-winning newspaper said in an editorial. The Bell, a respected Russian media start-up, said it did not always agree with Babchenko but called him "a principled, passionate, brave man and journalist worthy of respect." Babchenko was killed less than a month after Putin was inaugurated for his fourth Kremlin term and as Russia gears up to host the World Cup later this month. He was shot three times in the back in a killing reminiscent of that of another prominent Kremlin critic, politician Boris Nemtsov who was shot in the back as he walked near the Kremlin in February 2015. The journalist quit Russia after pro-Kremlin supporters launched a campaign of intimidation and harassment after he wrote on Facebook he was not sorry when a plane transporting a Russian military choir crashed into the Black Sea en route to Syria in December 2016. Some liberals drew parallels with the case of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter who were targeted with a potent nerve agent in Britain in March. "The toxic homeland is continuing to kill, poisoning the world already outside its borders," wrote Sergei Medvedev, a professor at Moscow's Higher School of Economics. Natalia Gevorkyan, a Russian reporter living in France, said the situation was becoming so bad that the European Union and the United States should help protect people fleeing persecution and facing death threats in Russia. Babchenko fought in Russia's two Chechen campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s before becoming a war correspondent and author. He repeatedly said he faced death threats. He contributed to a number of media outlets besides Novaya Gazeta and was an avid blogger, accusing Russian authorities of slaughtering Kremlin critics and unleashing wars in Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere. His increasingly bombastic posts constantly pushed the boundaries of good taste and some of his colleagues and followers stopped reading him in recent years.

Murder of anti-Kremlin war reporter shocks Russian opposition

A Palestinian was killed by Israeli tank fire into northern Gaza on Monday, the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said.

It named the dead man as Mohammed al-Rudeia, 30, and said another man was wounded.

An army spokeswoman told AFP that two Palestinian men tried to breach the border fence "with the intention of carrying out an attack".

It said the pair were captured but other Palestinians on the Gaza side fired at Israeli soldiers, without causing injuries.

"In response we attacked with a tank a nearby lookout post," she said.

Eyewitnesses said the tank strike targeted an observation point belonging to an armed group.

A statement by Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, hailed Rudeia as a "fighter", an accolade usually only given to its own members.

Separately Monday the health ministry announced the death of a Palestinian injured in clashes with Israeli forces.

Nasser al-Areenee, 28, was shot a "number of days ago" east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the ministry said, without giving further details.

At least 121 Palestinians have been killed during weeks of unrest since March 30, when Palestinians began calling to be allowed to return to their historic homelands inside Israel.

The majority were killed during protests along the border, including at least 61 on May 14.

Others have been killed in air strikes, including on Sunday when three members of the Hamas-allied Islamic Jihad militant group were killed.

Israel says it is merely defending its borders and accuses Hamas of encouraging thousands of Palestinians to break through the border and attack Israelis.

The Jewish state has fought three wars with Hamas since 2008.

It named the dead man as Mohammed al-Rudeia, 30, and said another man was wounded

A Palestinian was killed by Israeli tank fire into northern Gaza on Monday, the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said. It named the dead man as Mohammed al-Rudeia, 30, and said another man was wounded. An army spokeswoman told AFP that two Palestinian men tried to breach the border fence "with the intention of carrying out an attack". It said the pair were captured but other Palestinians on the Gaza side fired at Israeli soldiers, without causing injuries. "In response we attacked with a tank a nearby lookout post," she said. Eyewitnesses said the tank strike targeted an observation point belonging to an armed group. A statement by Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, hailed Rudeia as a "fighter", an accolade usually only given to its own members. Separately Monday the health ministry announced the death of a Palestinian injured in clashes with Israeli forces. Nasser al-Areenee, 28, was shot a "number of days ago" east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the ministry said, without giving further details. At least 121 Palestinians have been killed during weeks of unrest since March 30, when Palestinians began calling to be allowed to return to their historic homelands inside Israel. The majority were killed during protests along the border, including at least 61 on May 14. Others have been killed in air strikes, including on Sunday when three members of the Hamas-allied Islamic Jihad militant group were killed. Israel says it is merely defending its borders and accuses Hamas of encouraging thousands of Palestinians to break through the border and attack Israelis. The Jewish state has fought three wars with Hamas since 2008.

Palestinian killed in Israel strike in north Gaza: Ministry

Five people including one Indian national were killed due to the Mekumu cyclone storm on the Yemen islan of Socotra on Friday before hitting Arabian Peninsula's southern coast.&nbsp

The other four who were killed were Yemen nationals. At least 40 have also been reported missing among which three wre local sailor whose ship capsized off the coast.&nbsp

Following the incident, Yemen declared a state of emergency for Socotra, which lies between southern Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

A major cyclonic storm termed as 'Mekunu' which hit Westcentral and adjoining Southwest Arabian Sea may now move northwards during the next 24 hours, reports said on Friday.&nbsp

It is likely to move north-northwestwards and cross south Oman-southeast Yemen coasts close to Salalah, by May 26.

As per reports, a cyclone Mekunu in the Arabian Sea may make a landfall in the Arabian Peninsula later this week. A north to northwest track in the coming days will bring the risk for life-threatening impacts to Socotra, Oman and Yemen.

The storm is worsening and most parts of the island have lost communications, said the governor of the nearby province of Hadhramaut.

The same weather system hit the Horn of Africa on Wednesday, killing more than 50 people in Somaliland.

Yemeni government spokesman Badi called on international humanitarian organisations and the Riyadh-led military coalition participating in the war to provide urgent aid to the island, where Saudi and UAE forces have a presence.

Following the incident, Yemen declared a state of emergency for Socotra, which lies between southern Yemen and the Horn of Africa

Five people including one Indian national were killed due to the Mekumu cyclone storm on the Yemen islan of Socotra on Friday before hitting Arabian Peninsula's southern coast. The other four who were killed were Yemen nationals. At least 40 have also been reported missing among which three wre local sailor whose ship capsized off the coast. Following the incident, Yemen declared a state of emergency for Socotra, which lies between southern Yemen and the Horn of Africa. A major cyclonic storm termed as 'Mekunu' which hit Westcentral and adjoining Southwest Arabian Sea may now move northwards during the next 24 hours, reports said on Friday. It is likely to move north-northwestwards and cross south Oman-southeast Yemen coasts close to Salalah, by May 26. As per reports, a cyclone Mekunu in the Arabian Sea may make a landfall in the Arabian Peninsula later this week. A north to northwest track in the coming days will bring the risk for life-threatening impacts to Socotra, Oman and Yemen. The storm is worsening and most parts of the island have lost communications, said the governor of the nearby province of Hadhramaut. The same weather system hit the Horn of Africa on Wednesday, killing more than 50 people in Somaliland. Yemeni government spokesman Badi called on international humanitarian organisations and the Riyadh-led military coalition participating in the war to provide urgent aid to the island, where Saudi and UAE forces have a presence.

Indian national among 5 killed in Mekunu Cyclone

Kerala has been put on high alert after a number of people from one family died in Kozhikode over the last two weeks due to a rare and deadly virus called "Nipah".

The National Virology Institute, Pune, stated that the fever has spread and also killed people in Malappuram districts over the last fortnight. With six more people succumbing to symptoms suspected to be that of the Nipah virus on Sunday, the current toll is nine.&nbsp;

"The kind of virus that caused the disease has not been ascertained. Blood and other samples of the deceased have been sent to the National Virology Institute in Pune. The results will be made available in a few days", PTI quoted state Health Minister KK Shylaja as saying&nbsp;on Sunday.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda has today ordered the constitution of a high-level tea, of doctors to take the situation under control in Kerala. The order was given by the minister after he reviewed the situation.

As per ANI, the&nbsp;team constituted under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has already reached Kerala. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is constantly in touch with the Kerala Health department.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a newly-emerging zoonosis, a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. In humans, NiV infection is linked to encephalitis, characterised by fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death. A person infected with Nipah virus could end ujp in a&nbsp;coma within 24-48 hours.

There is no vaccine at the moment for either humans or animals. The primary treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care, the WHO says on its website.

The Director of Health Service in Kerala, Dr RL Sarita, took the decision to form the task force after the meeting with top health department officials. "A single window system has been put in place to monitor emergency treatment to meet any eventuality," PTI quoted her as saying.

Those who died due to the Nipah&nbsp;virus include a 50-year-old woman and her male relatives, aged 23 and 25. While the two male relatives died on May 5 and May 18 respectively, the woman died at a private hospital in the district on Saturday.

Dr Sarita told reporters that the deaths occurred due to a "rare virus" and that the health department has taken all preventive measures. "We need to ascertain which type of virus caused the deaths. Many viruses are zoonotic types and some can be transmitted through bats," she said.

She also said that the health department has issued directions to all District Medical Officers to maintain vigil and forward any information in case people with similar symptoms approach them for treatment.

"We have started special medical camps at Changarothu in Kozhikode to avoid further spread of the disease", she added.

A single-window system has also put in place in the district to coordinate and monitor emergency treatment facilities.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

The Nipah virus is a newly-emerging zoonosis, a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. There is no vaccine at the moment, for humans or animals

Kerala has been put on high alert after a number of people from one family died in Kozhikode over the last two weeks due to a rare and deadly virus called "Nipah". The National Virology Institute, Pune, stated that the fever has spread and also killed people in Malappuram districts over the last fortnight. With six more people succumbing to symptoms suspected to be that of the Nipah virus on Sunday, the current toll is nine. "The kind of virus that caused the disease has not been ascertained. Blood and other samples of the deceased have been sent to the National Virology Institute in Pune. The results will be made available in a few days", PTI quoted state Health Minister KK Shylaja as saying on Sunday. Union Health Minister JP Nadda has today ordered the constitution of a high-level tea, of doctors to take the situation under control in Kerala. The order was given by the minister after he reviewed the situation. As per ANI, the team constituted under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has already reached Kerala. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is constantly in touch with the Kerala Health department. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a newly-emerging zoonosis, a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. In humans, NiV infection is linked to encephalitis, characterised by fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death. A person infected with Nipah virus could end ujp in a coma within 24-48 hours. There is no vaccine at the moment for either humans or animals. The primary treatment for human cases is intensive supportive care, the WHO says on its website. The Director of Health Service in Kerala, Dr RL Sarita, took the decision to form the task force after the meeting with top health department officials. "A single window system has been put in place to monitor emergency treatment to meet any eventuality," PTI quoted her as saying. Those who died due to the Nipah virus include a 50-year-old woman and her male relatives, aged 23 and 25. While the two male relatives died on May 5 and May 18 respectively, the woman died at a private hospital in the district on Saturday. Dr Sarita told reporters that the deaths occurred due to a "rare virus" and that the health department has taken all preventive measures. "We need to ascertain which type of virus caused the deaths. Many viruses are zoonotic types and some can be transmitted through bats," she said. She also said that the health department has issued directions to all District Medical Officers to maintain vigil and forward any information in case people with similar symptoms approach them for treatment. "We have started special medical camps at Changarothu in Kozhikode to avoid further spread of the disease", she added. A single-window system has also put in place in the district to coordinate and monitor emergency treatment facilities. (With inputs from PTI)

Kerala put on high alert after rare Nipah virus kills 9

A New York nanny convicted of fatally stabbing two young children in her care was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a crime that has been described as every parent's nightmare.

In a case that drew national headlines, Yoselyn Ortega, 56, was found guilty by a jury in April of murdering both Lucia Krim, 6, nicknamed Lulu, and her 2-year-old brother, Leo, and leaving their bloody bodies in a bathtub in their luxury Manhattan apartment in October 2012.

Judge Gregory Carro on Monday called the case "pure evil" before issuing the sentence, the stiffest available.

Before hearing the sentence, Ortega addressed the court and apologized. She spoke in Spanish through a translator.

"I'm very sorry for everything that happened ... I ask for a great deal of forgiveness," she said in a shaky voice.

She said she was asking forgiveness from God and the children's parents, adding she had not been feeling well on the day of the murders.

The two-month trial at state Supreme Court in Manhattan featured testimony by the children's mother, Marina Krim.

Krim, 42, had for months sat through a trial that forced him again and again to relive that day in October 2012, when he turned on his phone after a flight to find a number of missed calls and voice mails, which filled him with the kind of dread fathers sometimes feel when they know something must be wrong with their children.

She recalled the shock of returning to the family's Upper West Side apartment to find her children slain and their nanny standing over them stabbing her own neck with a kitchen knife. Krim had come home with the children's 3-year-old sister, Nessie, after Ortega failed to show up with the children at Lulu's dance lesson.

On Monday, Krim asked the judge, Gregory Carro, to give Ortega, 55, a life sentence so that she "can never leave prison alive."

"I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare that I knew wasn't a nightmare. It was real," Krim told jurors. "It's like a total horror movie."

The motive, prosecutors said, was Ortega's overwhelming financial problems after bringing her 17-year-old son from the Dominican Republic and her resentment toward Marina Krim, married to then-CNBC executive Kevin Krim, for being the mother "she could never be."

In 2012, in the aftermath of the killings, the Krims founded the Lulu & Leo Fund, which supports creativity in schools. Their family now includes two more children: Felix, born in October 2013, and Linus, born in January 2016.

Marina and Kevin Krim left the courtroom before the sentence was read.

She said she was asking forgiveness from God and the children's parents, adding she had not been feeling well on the day of the murders

A New York nanny convicted of fatally stabbing two young children in her care was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a crime that has been described as every parent's nightmare. In a case that drew national headlines, Yoselyn Ortega, 56, was found guilty by a jury in April of murdering both Lucia Krim, 6, nicknamed Lulu, and her 2-year-old brother, Leo, and leaving their bloody bodies in a bathtub in their luxury Manhattan apartment in October 2012. Judge Gregory Carro on Monday called the case "pure evil" before issuing the sentence, the stiffest available. Before hearing the sentence, Ortega addressed the court and apologized. She spoke in Spanish through a translator. "I'm very sorry for everything that happened ... I ask for a great deal of forgiveness," she said in a shaky voice. She said she was asking forgiveness from God and the children's parents, adding she had not been feeling well on the day of the murders. The two-month trial at state Supreme Court in Manhattan featured testimony by the children's mother, Marina Krim. Krim, 42, had for months sat through a trial that forced him again and again to relive that day in October 2012, when he turned on his phone after a flight to find a number of missed calls and voice mails, which filled him with the kind of dread fathers sometimes feel when they know something must be wrong with their children. She recalled the shock of returning to the family's Upper West Side apartment to find her children slain and their nanny standing over them stabbing her own neck with a kitchen knife. Krim had come home with the children's 3-year-old sister, Nessie, after Ortega failed to show up with the children at Lulu's dance lesson. On Monday, Krim asked the judge, Gregory Carro, to give Ortega, 55, a life sentence so that she "can never leave prison alive." "I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare that I knew wasn't a nightmare. It was real," Krim told jurors. "It's like a total horror movie." The motive, prosecutors said, was Ortega's overwhelming financial problems after bringing her 17-year-old son from the Dominican Republic and her resentment toward Marina Krim, married to then-CNBC executive Kevin Krim, for being the mother "she could never be." In 2012, in the aftermath of the killings, the Krims founded the Lulu & Leo Fund, which supports creativity in schools. Their family now includes two more children: Felix, born in October 2013, and Linus, born in January 2016. Marina and Kevin Krim left the courtroom before the sentence was read.

New York: Nanny sentenced to life imprisonment for killing children in her care

At least five IS terrorists have been killed in airstrikes carried out by the US forces Nahangar province in Afghanistan on Sunday.&nbsp

The latest airstrike was carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles, in the vicinity of Haska Mina district.&nbsp

As per reports, a commander of the terror is also among those killed in the airstrike. Further, a similar airstrike in Ali Khel area of Pacher Agam also left an ISIS militant dead.&nbsp

This comes in tandem with various ongoing counter-terrorism operations in certain restive parts of Nangarhar province as the militant and terrorist groups are attempting to expand their insurgency activities.

The US military based in Afghanistan also conduct regular airstrikes against the IS, Taliban, and other militant and terrorist groups.

The latest airstrike was carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles, in the vicinity of Haska Mina district

At least five IS terrorists have been killed in airstrikes carried out by the US forces Nahangar province in Afghanistan on Sunday. The latest airstrike was carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles, in the vicinity of Haska Mina district. As per reports, a commander of the terror is also among those killed in the airstrike. Further, a similar airstrike in Ali Khel area of Pacher Agam also left an ISIS militant dead. This comes in tandem with various ongoing counter-terrorism operations in certain restive parts of Nangarhar province as the militant and terrorist groups are attempting to expand their insurgency activities. The US military based in Afghanistan also conduct regular airstrikes against the IS, Taliban, and other militant and terrorist groups.

At least 5 IS militants killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan

Pakistan's Khaigala city saw massive protests Sunday demanding justice for the PoK leader Sardar Arif Shahid.

Shahid, chairman of the All Parties National Alliance (APNA), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home in Rawalpindi on May 14, 2013.&nbsp;

Shahid was allegedly killed&nbsp;by the ISI. Today is his fifth death anniversary.&nbsp;

Khaigala is Shahid's hometown.&nbsp;

The Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA) also organised a protest outside Pakistani consulate in Bradford and raised slogans against Pakistan for denying justice to Arif Shahid. 
They shouted slogans such as 'Who killed Arif Shahid? ISI... ISI...' and 'Pakistani forces... out... out...'

Protests were also staged outside the Pakistan Embassy in London on the same day. Activists of United Kashmir People's National Party and Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of Sardar Arif Shahid, who was shot dead outside his residence in 2013.

"We want a judicial enquiry in the matter and we demand immediate arrest of the killers of Arif Shahid," Sajjad Raza, Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (UK) leader said.

Shahid, 62, was the chairman of the All Parties National Alliance (APNA). He was a vocal critic of Pakistan's nefarious activities in Jammu and Kashmir and a supporter of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's freedom.

Arif Shahid, chairman of the All Parties National Alliance (APNA), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home in Rawalpindi on May 14, 2013

Pakistan's Khaigala city saw massive protests Sunday demanding justice for the PoK leader Sardar Arif Shahid. Shahid, chairman of the All Parties National Alliance (APNA), was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his home in Rawalpindi on May 14, 2013. Shahid was allegedly killed by the ISI. Today is his fifth death anniversary. Khaigala is Shahid's hometown. The Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA) also organised a protest outside Pakistani consulate in Bradford and raised slogans against Pakistan for denying justice to Arif Shahid. They shouted slogans such as 'Who killed Arif Shahid? ISI... ISI...' and 'Pakistani forces... out... out...' Protests were also staged outside the Pakistan Embassy in London on the same day. Activists of United Kashmir People's National Party and Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of Sardar Arif Shahid, who was shot dead outside his residence in 2013. "We want a judicial enquiry in the matter and we demand immediate arrest of the killers of Arif Shahid," Sajjad Raza, Jammu and Kashmir National Awami Party (UK) leader said. Shahid, 62, was the chairman of the All Parties National Alliance (APNA). He was a vocal critic of Pakistan's nefarious activities in Jammu and Kashmir and a supporter of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's freedom.

Protesting activists demand justice for PoK leader allegedly killed by ISI

At least twelve militants have been killed during the operations of the Afghan army Commandos and the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Special Forces in Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province.

The operation was conducted in the vicinity of Alingar district and this operation led to the killing of at least five militants, including two key militant figures, reported Khaama Press, citing a statement released by the governor's office in Laghman.

Meanwhile, the Afghan army commandos conducted operations in Qasaba and Salingar areas of the district and as a result at least seven militants have been killed, the statement added.

A suspect was also arrested during the operation and a weapons depot was eliminated.

Commander of the militants identified as Mohibullah also famous as Khyber was among those killed, the report said.

However, it is unclear as to which terror outfits did these militants belong to.&nbsp

The operation was conducted in the vicinity of Alingar district and this operation led to the killing of at least five militants, including two key militant figures

At least twelve militants have been killed during the operations of the Afghan army Commandos and the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Special Forces in Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province. The operation was conducted in the vicinity of Alingar district and this operation led to the killing of at least five militants, including two key militant figures, reported Khaama Press, citing a statement released by the governor's office in Laghman. Meanwhile, the Afghan army commandos conducted operations in Qasaba and Salingar areas of the district and as a result at least seven militants have been killed, the statement added. A suspect was also arrested during the operation and a weapons depot was eliminated. Commander of the militants identified as Mohibullah also famous as Khyber was among those killed, the report said. However, it is unclear as to which terror outfits did these militants belong to.

12 militants killed in Afghanistan

More than 50 people lost their lives during an explosion at a mosque on Sunday when attackers targetted a voter centre in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, also leaving over 34 people wounded.&nbsp;

Basir Bina, a spokesman for the provincial police, said the explosion took place when people gathered after afternoon prayers in the mosque, which was also being used as a voter registration centre for parliamentary elections due in October.

He said the blast appeared to have been caused by explosives left in the mosque rather than by a suicide bomber.

As per reports an explosive device placed inside the Yaqoubi mosque detonated at around 2.30 pm local time on May 6 and caused casualties among civilians who had gathered both for prayers and to register to vote.

No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the extremist group Islamic State (IS) has carried out similar attacks in the past. Taliban militants have also warned people not to take part in the elections.

Habib Shah Ansari, head of the health department in Khost, a mountainous region on the border with Pakistan, said 17 were confirmed dead from the blast with 34 injured.

Sunday's blast came as fighting has spread across Afghanistan, with government officials saying that a district in the northern province of Badakhshan which was seized by Taliban fighters last week had been retaken. 
&nbsp;

The blast appeared to have been caused by explosives left in the mosque rather than by a suicide bomber

More than 50 people lost their lives during an explosion at a mosque on Sunday when attackers targetted a voter centre in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, also leaving over 34 people wounded. Basir Bina, a spokesman for the provincial police, said the explosion took place when people gathered after afternoon prayers in the mosque, which was also being used as a voter registration centre for parliamentary elections due in October. He said the blast appeared to have been caused by explosives left in the mosque rather than by a suicide bomber. As per reports an explosive device placed inside the Yaqoubi mosque detonated at around 2.30 pm local time on May 6 and caused casualties among civilians who had gathered both for prayers and to register to vote. No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the extremist group Islamic State (IS) has carried out similar attacks in the past. Taliban militants have also warned people not to take part in the elections. Habib Shah Ansari, head of the health department in Khost, a mountainous region on the border with Pakistan, said 17 were confirmed dead from the blast with 34 injured. Sunday's blast came as fighting has spread across Afghanistan, with government officials saying that a district in the northern province of Badakhshan which was seized by Taliban fighters last week had been retaken.

More than 50 killed in blast at mosque in eastern Afghanistan

At least 18 people were killed, 13 injured and about a dozen went missing as two coal mines collapsed in different areas of Pakistan's Balochistan on Saturday, media reports said.

A mine in Marwar area near provincial capital Quetta collapsed due to gas explosion and about two dozen miners were trapped inside. 
Deputy Commissioner Quetta Farrukh Atique told PTI that that 16 people have died in the collapse.

"We have recovered all the 16 bodies from the rubble caused by the collapse in the coal mine," Atique said.

"We have also rescued six workers who are trapped in the rubble and have sent them to the hospital for treatment but one miner is still trapped under the rubble," he said.

Rescue officials said a dozen of the dead miners belonged to Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"The collapse apparently took place because of a gas explosion and the miners working at that time were trapped inside. Some died on the spot while others who were badly injured breathed their last under the rubble," Atique said.

Chief of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Muhammad Tariq also confirmed that 16 miners had been killed. 
"So far 16 dead bodies and six injured miners have been recovered from the mine," he said.

In another incident, at least nine miners were trapped in a mine of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) near Quetta, an official said.

He said the rescue workers recovered two dead bodies and two injured miners, while efforts were on to recover another five workers who remain trapped.

Mining is considered highly dangerous in Pakistan where dozens of miners die each year due to lack of modern mining facilities, training and equipment.

According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), about 100 to 200 labourers die on average in coal mine accidents every year.

Last month, at least 11 miners died in two separate mining incidents in Darra Adam Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Jhelum district of Punjab.&nbsp;

Officials said the death toll might rise as at least five people were trapped under the debris of the collapsed mine.

At least 18 people were killed, 13 injured and about a dozen went missing as two coal mines collapsed in different areas of Pakistan's Balochistan on Saturday, media reports said. A mine in Marwar area near provincial capital Quetta collapsed due to gas explosion and about two dozen miners were trapped inside. Deputy Commissioner Quetta Farrukh Atique told PTI that that 16 people have died in the collapse. "We have recovered all the 16 bodies from the rubble caused by the collapse in the coal mine," Atique said. "We have also rescued six workers who are trapped in the rubble and have sent them to the hospital for treatment but one miner is still trapped under the rubble," he said. Rescue officials said a dozen of the dead miners belonged to Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "The collapse apparently took place because of a gas explosion and the miners working at that time were trapped inside. Some died on the spot while others who were badly injured breathed their last under the rubble," Atique said. Chief of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Muhammad Tariq also confirmed that 16 miners had been killed. "So far 16 dead bodies and six injured miners have been recovered from the mine," he said. In another incident, at least nine miners were trapped in a mine of Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) near Quetta, an official said. He said the rescue workers recovered two dead bodies and two injured miners, while efforts were on to recover another five workers who remain trapped. Mining is considered highly dangerous in Pakistan where dozens of miners die each year due to lack of modern mining facilities, training and equipment. According to the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), about 100 to 200 labourers die on average in coal mine accidents every year. Last month, at least 11 miners died in two separate mining incidents in Darra Adam Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Jhelum district of Punjab.

18 miners killed, several injured as two coal mines collapse in Balochistan

At least six terrorists of the Taliban terror outfit were killed in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The deaths were the result of the raids conducted by the Special Operations Forces of the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Khaama Press reported.

The operation was conducted in the vicinity of Khogyani district according to the statement issued by the provincial government media office.

The Taliban leader killed during the operation has been identified as Faridullah who was also famous as Zindani, the statement added.

Two other individuals, identified as Ezatullah and Hejratullah have been arrested on suspicion of having connections with the Taliban, according to the report.

Last week, Taliban fighters seized a district center in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, while a bomb at an army base in the southern province of Helmand killed at least five people.

Fighters captured the governor’s house and police headquarters in Aq Tapa, in the Qala-e Zal district of Kunduz province and Afghan government forces were fighting to drive them out, said Sayed Assadullah Sadat, a provincial council member.

The Taliban’s main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said fighters had captured a police headquarters, 10 security check posts and a market in Qala-e Zal, north of Kunduz city.&nbsp;

The deaths were the result of the raids conducted by the Special Operations Forces of the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Khaama Press reported

At least six terrorists of the Taliban terror outfit were killed in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday. The deaths were the result of the raids conducted by the Special Operations Forces of the Afghan Intelligence, National Directorate of Security (NDS), Khaama Press reported. The operation was conducted in the vicinity of Khogyani district according to the statement issued by the provincial government media office. The Taliban leader killed during the operation has been identified as Faridullah who was also famous as Zindani, the statement added. Two other individuals, identified as Ezatullah and Hejratullah have been arrested on suspicion of having connections with the Taliban, according to the report. Last week, Taliban fighters seized a district center in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, while a bomb at an army base in the southern province of Helmand killed at least five people. Fighters captured the governor’s house and police headquarters in Aq Tapa, in the Qala-e Zal district of Kunduz province and Afghan government forces were fighting to drive them out, said Sayed Assadullah Sadat, a provincial council member. The Taliban’s main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said fighters had captured a police headquarters, 10 security check posts and a market in Qala-e Zal, north of Kunduz city.

6 Taliban terrorists killed in Afghanistan during raids by Special Operations Forces

A Revolutionary Court in Iran on Saturday began the trial of a group accused of involvement in attacks last year which killed 18 people in the first deadly operation by Islamic State in the country.

Eight of the 26 suspects in the case attended the hearing, facing charges including belonging to a terrorist organisation, weapons smuggling and unauthorised entry to Iran, the Iranian judiciary's news website Mizanonline reported.

Sunni Islamic State, in decline in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the unprecedented attacks in majority Shi'ite Iran, in which suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in Tehran. The attackers were Kurdish Iranian Sunnis.

Iran has said that the five gunmen and suicide bombers who were killed had fought in the militants’ strongholds in Syria and Iraq.

Eight of the 26 suspects in the case attended the hearing, facing charges including belonging to a terrorist organisation, weapons smuggling and unauthorised entry to Iran, the Iranian judiciary's news website Mizanonline reported

A Revolutionary Court in Iran on Saturday began the trial of a group accused of involvement in attacks last year which killed 18 people in the first deadly operation by Islamic State in the country. Eight of the 26 suspects in the case attended the hearing, facing charges including belonging to a terrorist organisation, weapons smuggling and unauthorised entry to Iran, the Iranian judiciary's news website Mizanonline reported. Sunni Islamic State, in decline in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the unprecedented attacks in majority Shi'ite Iran, in which suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mausoleum in Tehran. The attackers were Kurdish Iranian Sunnis. Iran has said that the five gunmen and suicide bombers who were killed had fought in the militants’ strongholds in Syria and Iraq.

Trial begins in Iran over deadly attacks claimed by Islamic State

At least 38 Houthi militants were killed when a coalition airstrike led by Saudi Arabia targeted the building of Yemen interior ministry in Sanaa in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

The Saudi-led airstrike targeted a high-level meeting of Shiite rebels in Yemen’s capital which also killed two of the group’s leaders.

The raid happened during a meeting organizing the burial of the so-called Supreme Political Council, reports said. The deputy interior minister of the militia government, Abdelhakim al-Khiowani, who is known as Abu al-Karrar, is believed to be among the targets.

The Houthis confirmed an air strike on Sanaa but gave no details.

Earlier on Saturday, Saudi air defences reportedly intercepted four missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Jazan province bordering with Yemen in southern Saudi Arabia.

Continued missile attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen have forced Saudi Arabia to cut off air, sea and land links from its neighbour. Saudi defence forces have also halted Yemen's financial aids and food and fuel imports as well.

Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed in Sanaa after days of intense fighting between Houthi rebels and his loyalist forces on December 4 last year.

The Saudi-led airstrike targeted a high-level meeting of Shiite rebels in Yemen’s capital which also killed two of the group’s leaders.

At least 38 Houthi militants were killed when a coalition airstrike led by Saudi Arabia targeted the building of Yemen interior ministry in Sanaa in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. The Saudi-led airstrike targeted a high-level meeting of Shiite rebels in Yemen’s capital which also killed two of the group’s leaders. The raid happened during a meeting organizing the burial of the so-called Supreme Political Council, reports said. The deputy interior minister of the militia government, Abdelhakim al-Khiowani, who is known as Abu al-Karrar, is believed to be among the targets. The Houthis confirmed an air strike on Sanaa but gave no details. Earlier on Saturday, Saudi air defences reportedly intercepted four missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Jazan province bordering with Yemen in southern Saudi Arabia. Continued missile attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen have forced Saudi Arabia to cut off air, sea and land links from its neighbour. Saudi defence forces have also halted Yemen's financial aids and food and fuel imports as well. Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed in Sanaa after days of intense fighting between Houthi rebels and his loyalist forces on December 4 last year.

At least 38 Houthis killed in Saudi-led airstrike

Four terrorists have been killed by security forces in Lam village of Tral in J&K's Pulwama district on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;

Public places have been closed in the area as a precautionary measure.&nbsp;

The security forces have now cordoned off the area.

Earlier, Terrorists fled the spot after they were involved in a gun battle with the security forces.

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One more terrorist killed taking the total to 4 . Well done boys.
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Tral — considered a terrorist hotbed — is the native town of Hizbul Mujahideen's Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016, and Zakir Musa, an active militant commander.&nbsp;

The district is also considered to be the stronghold of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Gunbattle broke out between militants and security forces when the ultras opened fire.

Four terrorists have been killed by security forces in Lam village of Tral in J&K's Pulwama district on Tuesday evening. Public places have been closed in the area as a precautionary measure. The security forces have now cordoned off the area. Earlier, Terrorists fled the spot after they were involved in a gun battle with the security forces. One more terrorist killed taking the total to 4 . Well done boys. — Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) April 24, 2018 × Tral — considered a terrorist hotbed — is the native town of Hizbul Mujahideen's Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016, and Zakir Musa, an active militant commander. The district is also considered to be the stronghold of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Four terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district

Nashville police were working on Tuesday to determine what motivated a gunman with an AR-15 rifle to kill four people at an all-night Waffle House restaurant, having arrested a suspect with a history of erratic behavior.

Travis Reinking, 29, was taken into custody on Monday after a protracted manhunt, following tips from the public that led authorities to search secluded woods in which he was hiding near his home.

Police say a nearly naked Reinking opened fire at the restaurant at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, then fled the scene. The gunman, who began shooting outside the restaurant and then moved inside, aborted his attack and fled when a customer, 29-year-old James Shaw Jr., wrestled the rifle from him in what authorities called an act of heroism.

"We don't know why he went into the Waffle House," Metropolitan Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters on Monday. He said an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle was used in the attack.

Reinking, who had a pistol and ammunition in a backpack when he was arrested, was not talking to police. He was being held at a Nashville jail on bond initially set at $500,000 for each of four murder charges, online jail records showed.

Reinking, who moved to the Tennessee capital last year from his Illinois hometown, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday morning.

The killings were the latest in a string of mass shootings around the country in which a gunman used an AR-15 style rifle. One of the deadliest was the massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14 by a gunman brandishing an AR-15. A former student at the school is charged with the murders.

In Nashville, authorities said they are still unclear about what motivated the Waffle House attack, which sent a shudder through the city, one of the biggest in the U.S. South.

Tips from people in the neighborhood helped lead police to search through the woods about two miles (3 km) from the restaurant, where Reinking eventually surrendered without resisting.

More than 150 city, state and local law enforcement agents searched for the gunman, who has had a history of bizarre behavior, delusions and multiple encounters with authorities. In July 2017, Reinking was arrested for attempting to get into the White House, according to police records.

After that episode, authorities in Illinois revoked his gun license and confiscated four firearms, including what police said was the rifle used in the Waffle House shooting. The guns were given to his father, who told police he would lock up and keep them away from his son. But the father, from Tazewell County, Illinois, 130 miles southwest of Chicago, eventually returned the weapons to his son, Nashville police said on Sunday.

Marcus Watson, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Reinking's father, Jeffrey, could face federal charges if he knowingly transferred weapons to a person who was prohibited from owning them. The father was not immediately available for comment.

Travis Reinking, 29, was taken into custody on Monday after a protracted manhunt, following tips from the public that led authorities to search secluded woods in which he was hiding near his home

Nashville police were working on Tuesday to determine what motivated a gunman with an AR-15 rifle to kill four people at an all-night Waffle House restaurant, having arrested a suspect with a history of erratic behavior. Travis Reinking, 29, was taken into custody on Monday after a protracted manhunt, following tips from the public that led authorities to search secluded woods in which he was hiding near his home. Police say a nearly naked Reinking opened fire at the restaurant at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, then fled the scene. The gunman, who began shooting outside the restaurant and then moved inside, aborted his attack and fled when a customer, 29-year-old James Shaw Jr., wrestled the rifle from him in what authorities called an act of heroism. "We don't know why he went into the Waffle House," Metropolitan Nashville Police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters on Monday. He said an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle was used in the attack. Reinking, who had a pistol and ammunition in a backpack when he was arrested, was not talking to police. He was being held at a Nashville jail on bond initially set at $500,000 for each of four murder charges, online jail records showed. Reinking, who moved to the Tennessee capital last year from his Illinois hometown, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday morning. The killings were the latest in a string of mass shootings around the country in which a gunman used an AR-15 style rifle. One of the deadliest was the massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14 by a gunman brandishing an AR-15. A former student at the school is charged with the murders. In Nashville, authorities said they are still unclear about what motivated the Waffle House attack, which sent a shudder through the city, one of the biggest in the U.S. South. Tips from people in the neighborhood helped lead police to search through the woods about two miles (3 km) from the restaurant, where Reinking eventually surrendered without resisting. More than 150 city, state and local law enforcement agents searched for the gunman, who has had a history of bizarre behavior, delusions and multiple encounters with authorities. In July 2017, Reinking was arrested for attempting to get into the White House, according to police records. After that episode, authorities in Illinois revoked his gun license and confiscated four firearms, including what police said was the rifle used in the Waffle House shooting. The guns were given to his father, who told police he would lock up and keep them away from his son. But the father, from Tazewell County, Illinois, 130 miles southwest of Chicago, eventually returned the weapons to his son, Nashville police said on Sunday. Marcus Watson, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Reinking's father, Jeffrey, could face federal charges if he knowingly transferred weapons to a person who was prohibited from owning them. The father was not immediately available for comment.

Motive behind Waffle House shooting eludes Nashville police

A driver suspected of killing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics:-10-dead,-15-injured-after-van-ploughs-into-crowd-on-toronto-sidewalk-132410">10 and injuring 15 others </a>when he plowed a rental van into pedestrians in Toronto will make his first court appearance on Tuesday when details of a motive for the attack were expected to emerge.

While the worst mass killing in Canada in decades has the hallmarks of other deadly vehicle assaults by Islamic State supporters in the United States and Europe, officials said it did not represent a threat to national security.

Alex Minassian, 25, identified by police as the suspect, will appear in a Toronto court at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT), Toronto police said. Charges will be made public at that time.

Watch:&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/kill-me-shouted-toronto-van-driver-pointing-gun-at-cop-132497">'Kill me,' shouted Toronto van driver, pointing </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/kill-me-shouted-toronto-van-driver-pointing-gun-at-cop-132497">gun</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/kill-me-shouted-toronto-van-driver-pointing-gun-at-cop-132497"> at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/kill-me-shouted-toronto-van-driver-pointing-gun-at-cop-132497">cop</a>

Minassian, who was not previously known to authorities, attended a high school program where one classmate remembered him as "absolutely harmless."

The officer who apprehended Minassian was praised for making a peaceful arrest eve as the suspect shouted "Kill me" and claimed to have a gun.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the incident a "tragic and senseless attack," was to speak to reporters at 8:45 a.m. EDT (1245 GMT) in Ottawa.

Canadians mourned as the victims began to be identified on Tuesday. "We are a peaceful, tolerant, free society. The horrific violence on Toronto’s Yonge Street will strengthen rather than undermine these truths," columnist John Ibbitson wrote in the Globe and Mail national newspaper.

The attack shook the usually peaceful streets of Toronto, a multicultural city with a population of 2.8 million. The city recorded 61 murders last year.

Downtown Toronto`s iconic CN Tower, which is normally lit up in the evening, went dark on Monday evening.&nbsp

The drama started at lunchtime on a warm spring day, when the driver drove his vehicle into the crowds. The street was soon covered in blood, empty shoes and bodies.

Canada is still recovering from the shock of a highway crash in Saskatchewan earlier this month that killed 16 people on a bus carrying a junior hockey team.&nbsp

Last October eight people died in New York when a man driving a rented pickup truck mowed down pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path.

Alex Minassian, 25, identified by police as the suspect, will appear in a Toronto court at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT), Toronto police said. Charges will be made public at that time

A driver suspected of killing 10 and injuring 15 others when he plowed a rental van into pedestrians in Toronto will make his first court appearance on Tuesday when details of a motive for the attack were expected to emerge. While the worst mass killing in Canada in decades has the hallmarks of other deadly vehicle assaults by Islamic State supporters in the United States and Europe, officials said it did not represent a threat to national security. Alex Minassian, 25, identified by police as the suspect, will appear in a Toronto court at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT), Toronto police said. Charges will be made public at that time. Watch: 'Kill me,' shouted Toronto van driver, pointing gun at cop Minassian, who was not previously known to authorities, attended a high school program where one classmate remembered him as "absolutely harmless." The officer who apprehended Minassian was praised for making a peaceful arrest eve as the suspect shouted "Kill me" and claimed to have a gun. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the incident a "tragic and senseless attack," was to speak to reporters at 8:45 a.m. EDT (1245 GMT) in Ottawa. Canadians mourned as the victims began to be identified on Tuesday. "We are a peaceful, tolerant, free society. The horrific violence on Toronto’s Yonge Street will strengthen rather than undermine these truths," columnist John Ibbitson wrote in the Globe and Mail national newspaper. The attack shook the usually peaceful streets of Toronto, a multicultural city with a population of 2.8 million. The city recorded 61 murders last year. Downtown Toronto`s iconic CN Tower, which is normally lit up in the evening, went dark on Monday evening. The drama started at lunchtime on a warm spring day, when the driver drove his vehicle into the crowds. The street was soon covered in blood, empty shoes and bodies. Canada is still recovering from the shock of a highway crash in Saskatchewan earlier this month that killed 16 people on a bus carrying a junior hockey team. Last October eight people died in New York when a man driving a rented pickup truck mowed down pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path.

Toronto van attack suspect expected in court on Tuesday

At least 20 militants affiliated with the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) have been killed during the operations of the Afghan armed forces in war-torn country's eastern Nangarhar province.

The militants have been killed during the operations conducted by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in three different districts of Nangarhar, namely, Haska Mina, Rodat, and Bati Kot districts, Khaama Press, quoted the Afghan Military, as saying.

This comes in tandem with various ongoing counter-terrorism operations in certain northern provinces as the militant and terrorist groups are attempting to expand their insurgency activities in the north.

The US military based in Afghanistan also conduct regular airstrikes against the IS, Taliban, and other militant and terrorist groups.

The US forces conduct airstrikes by using unmanned aerial vehicles in the province to clamp down the militants, according to the reports.

The militants have been killed during the operations conducted by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in three different districts of Nangarhar, namely, Haska Mina, Rodat, and Bati Kot districts

At least 20 militants affiliated with the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) have been killed during the operations of the Afghan armed forces in war-torn country's eastern Nangarhar province. The militants have been killed during the operations conducted by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in three different districts of Nangarhar, namely, Haska Mina, Rodat, and Bati Kot districts, Khaama Press, quoted the Afghan Military, as saying. This comes in tandem with various ongoing counter-terrorism operations in certain northern provinces as the militant and terrorist groups are attempting to expand their insurgency activities in the north. The US military based in Afghanistan also conduct regular airstrikes against the IS, Taliban, and other militant and terrorist groups. The US forces conduct airstrikes by using unmanned aerial vehicles in the province to clamp down the militants, according to the reports.

20 IS militants killed in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province

Several Afghan soldiers including a policeman and a local tribesman were killed in the ongoing clashes with Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps near the disputed border Durand Line on Saturday.

A regional Afghan police chief said that the clashes broke out along the Zazi Maidan border district in the southeastern province of Khost adjacent to Kurram as Pakistan initiated firing to force people outside the claimed Pakistan border, reported by Anadolu Agency.

Pakistani officials told Reuters that two Pakistani soldiers were killed.

Abdul Hanan, the acting provincial police chief in Khost said that clashes broke out in three locations along the border in the early hours of April 15 after Pakistani paramilitary troops ignored repeated warnings from locals and Afghan border police officers and crossed the border.

Though security has improved in Pakistan’s remote areas bordering Afghanistan, sectarian militant attacks, primarily targeting Shi’ite Muslims, still occur.

“Pakistani troops are exercising maximum restraint so as to avoid any Afghan civilian casualties,” the Pakistan Army’s public relations department said, adding that five soldiers were wounded in the attack.

Afghan officials said that Pakistani troops crossed on to Afghan soil, prompting a response by border forces and the local tribal force.

“Two tribesmen were killed and the exchange of fire is ongoing,” said Mohmud Zazai, a senior army commander in the area.

Pakistan has blamed Pakistani Taliban militants it says are based on Afghan soil for attacks that have taken place in the region over the past two years, urging Kabul to eradicate “sanctuaries” for militants.

Afghanistan, in turn, accuses Islamabad of sheltering the leadership of the Afghan Taliban militants who are battling the Western-backed government in Kabul.

Pakistan and Afghanistan share a nearly 2,600-kilometer largely porous border. The Pakistani military has recently started constructing a robust fence on the border in its bid to prevent illegal crossings in either direction.

A regional Afghan police chief said that the clashes broke out along the Zazi Maidan border district in the southeastern province of Khost adjacent to Kurram as Pakistan initiated firing to force people outside the claimed Pakistan border

Several Afghan soldiers including a policeman and a local tribesman were killed in the ongoing clashes with Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps near the disputed border Durand Line on Saturday. A regional Afghan police chief said that the clashes broke out along the Zazi Maidan border district in the southeastern province of Khost adjacent to Kurram as Pakistan initiated firing to force people outside the claimed Pakistan border, reported by Anadolu Agency. Pakistani officials told Reuters that two Pakistani soldiers were killed. Abdul Hanan, the acting provincial police chief in Khost said that clashes broke out in three locations along the border in the early hours of April 15 after Pakistani paramilitary troops ignored repeated warnings from locals and Afghan border police officers and crossed the border. Though security has improved in Pakistan’s remote areas bordering Afghanistan, sectarian militant attacks, primarily targeting Shi’ite Muslims, still occur. “Pakistani troops are exercising maximum restraint so as to avoid any Afghan civilian casualties,” the Pakistan Army’s public relations department said, adding that five soldiers were wounded in the attack. Afghan officials said that Pakistani troops crossed on to Afghan soil, prompting a response by border forces and the local tribal force. “Two tribesmen were killed and the exchange of fire is ongoing,” said Mohmud Zazai, a senior army commander in the area. Pakistan has blamed Pakistani Taliban militants it says are based on Afghan soil for attacks that have taken place in the region over the past two years, urging Kabul to eradicate “sanctuaries” for militants. Afghanistan, in turn, accuses Islamabad of sheltering the leadership of the Afghan Taliban militants who are battling the Western-backed government in Kabul. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a nearly 2,600-kilometer largely porous border. The Pakistani military has recently started constructing a robust fence on the border in its bid to prevent illegal crossings in either direction.

Several Afghan soldiers killed in border clashes with Pakistan

Kurdish militants attacked Turkish security forces in southeast Turkey early on Monday, killing three soldiers and wounding one, security sources said.

They said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants staged the attack in the Kuyutepe military base area of Sirnak province.

As per local reports, the attackers used long-barreled weapons and rocket launchers.

Further, it was learned that reinforcements were sent to the area after the attack.&nbsp;

They said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants staged the attack in the Kuyutepe military base area of Sirnak province

Kurdish militants attacked Turkish security forces in southeast Turkey early on Monday, killing three soldiers and wounding one, security sources said. They said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants staged the attack in the Kuyutepe military base area of Sirnak province. As per local reports, the attackers used long-barreled weapons and rocket launchers. Further, it was learned that reinforcements were sent to the area after the attack.

Three Turkish soldiers killed in Kurdish terrorist attack - Security sources

Two Indian army soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district during a shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1715 hours in Sunderbanisector along the Line of Control (LoC) last night," a defence spokesman said.

The soldiers, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma, &nbspwere critically injured after which both of them succumbed to their injuries, the spokesperson informed.&nbsp

Singh, 24, belonged to Danapur village of Akhnoor district in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his father, Ajit Singh. 
Sharma, 30, was from Sanhail village of Hiranagar district in Jammu. He is survived by his wife, Rajni Devi.

"Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to the brave hearts for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the defence spokesperson said.&nbsp

The fresh ceasefire violation comes four days after an army officer was injured when Pakistan Army violated ceasefire on Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.&nbsp

(With inputs from PTI)

The soldiers, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma, were critically injured after which both of them succumbed to their injuries, the spokesperson informed

Two Indian army soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district during a shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday. "Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1715 hours in Sunderbanisector along the Line of Control (LoC) last night," a defence spokesman said. The soldiers, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma, &nbspwere critically injured after which both of them succumbed to their injuries, the spokesperson informed. Singh, 24, belonged to Danapur village of Akhnoor district in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his father, Ajit Singh. Sharma, 30, was from Sanhail village of Hiranagar district in Jammu. He is survived by his wife, Rajni Devi. "Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to the brave hearts for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the defence spokesperson said. The fresh ceasefire violation comes four days after an army officer was injured when Pakistan Army violated ceasefire on Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district. (With inputs from PTI)

2 Indian army soldiers dead after unprovoked shelling by Pakistan

At least three Afghanistan National Police soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Faryab province on Sunday.&nbsp;

As per security official Safar Mohammad, a police soldier was killed in an encounter with the Taliban on Dawlat Abad-Qaramqol highway in the Qaramqol district and one was injured.&nbsp;

He further informed that two national police soldiers, including Qaramqol’s district deputy director of the criminal department, were killed and one other soldier was wounded in a roadside bomb in Qaramqol.&nbsp;

Safar said that the electricity was also cut off during those clashes.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, at least six people including four children have reportedly lost their lives in a blast at Afghanistan's Herat province on Monday.

The blast is said to have taken place near a mosque at Shindand district in Afghanistan.

As per security official Safar Mohammad, a police soldier was killed in an encounter with the Taliban on Dawlat Abad-Qaramqol highway in the Qaramqol district and one was injured

At least three Afghanistan National Police soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Faryab province on Sunday. As per security official Safar Mohammad, a police soldier was killed in an encounter with the Taliban on Dawlat Abad-Qaramqol highway in the Qaramqol district and one was injured. He further informed that two national police soldiers, including Qaramqol’s district deputy director of the criminal department, were killed and one other soldier was wounded in a roadside bomb in Qaramqol. Safar said that the electricity was also cut off during those clashes. Meanwhile, at least six people including four children have reportedly lost their lives in a blast at Afghanistan's Herat province on Monday. The blast is said to have taken place near a mosque at Shindand district in Afghanistan.

3 Afghanistan security soldiers killed in separate incidents

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