As US-backed forces fight the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-backed-syrian-fighters-close-in-on-last-islamic-state-held-area-in-eastern-syria-196469">last battle against the Islamic State in Syria</a>, media reports say IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive and narrowly escaped a coup by his own men.&nbsp;

Chaos and rivalry seem to reign within the terror group’s ranks as they try to negotiate a safe passage offering to free hostages. WION's West Asia bureau chief Daniele Pagani has the story.

As per a report recently published in British newspaper The Guardian, on January 10, al-Baghdadi narrowly escaped a coup attempt by some of his own foreign fighters.

This would be the most recent proof that al-Baghdadi is alive and in Syria. August 2018 was the last time the world heard his voice.&nbsp;

Despite a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, local intelligence sources say rumours and information of his whereabouts have not been heard since.

The Islamic State has put a bounty on a veteran foreign fighter, who is believed to be the coup mastermind.&nbsp;

There appears to be chaos within the ranks of the terror group. Captured ISIS fighters talk about growing rivalry between local and foreign fighters.

"I guess there's a lot of bad blood between the foreigners and the Iraqis now, and the Syrians. The foreigners feel they were left out, hung to dry, they've been used and abused and now the trust is not there at all between the foreigners and the locals,” Mohammad Ali, 28, known as Abu Turab al-Kanadi, foreign jihadist fighter of IS was quoted by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

The last Islamic State contingent is trying to play all its cards to avoid total annihilation. Kurdish sources reported that terrorists tried to negotiate safe passage in return for well-known hostages.

Negotiations for safe passage have been common in the Syrian war. It was usually offered in return for surrender.&nbsp;

But now, the Islamic State is offering to free high-profile hostages on top of that. This could be out of desperation or to protect al-Baghdad and grant him the last escape.

All named hostages were kidnapped more than five years ago, which makes it difficult to assess if they are still alive.

The Syrian democratic forces’ spokesperson has recently clarified that, regardless of any ISIS negotiation attempt, no safe passage will be given.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
After saving more than 20K civilians from IS-held area and ensuring their safety in nearby camps, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SDF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SDF</a> started to move on to the last village remaining under jihadists’ control in N. Syria. Village of Baghuz, which is the only remaining <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISIS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISIS</a> pocket, will be cleared soon.
— Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) <a href="https://twitter.com/mustefabali/status/1094258579354324992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The US-backed Syrian democratic forces launched the final offensive against the 500 terrorists holed-up in two villages on the border of Iraq and Syria.

There have been intensive clashes over the weekend. Civilians living in the area have been evacuated to nearby camps.

The US-backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have been fighting the Islamic State since 2014, losing hundreds of men and women on the battlefield. They now, finally, see the end.

"Today, there are no more military gangs (Islamic State militants) left in Rojava. But their masterminds are still hiding. The time will come for them. We will finish them off. But as of today, it's over. We are very joyful. This was the last day. The war with Daesh gangs is over. It's good to finish them off. We avenged our martyrs' death. There is nothing left (of is militants)," Kurdish unidentified man, purported to be an SDF soldier was quoted by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

As US-backed forces fight the last battle against the Islamic State in Syria, media reports say IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive and narrowly escaped a coup by his own men.

As US-backed forces fight the last battle against the Islamic State in Syria, media reports say IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still alive and narrowly escaped a coup by his own men. Chaos and rivalry seem to reign within the terror group’s ranks as they try to negotiate a safe passage offering to free hostages. WION's West Asia bureau chief Daniele Pagani has the story. As per a report recently published in British newspaper The Guardian, on January 10, al-Baghdadi narrowly escaped a coup attempt by some of his own foreign fighters. This would be the most recent proof that al-Baghdadi is alive and in Syria. August 2018 was the last time the world heard his voice. Despite a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, local intelligence sources say rumours and information of his whereabouts have not been heard since. The Islamic State has put a bounty on a veteran foreign fighter, who is believed to be the coup mastermind. There appears to be chaos within the ranks of the terror group. Captured ISIS fighters talk about growing rivalry between local and foreign fighters. "I guess there's a lot of bad blood between the foreigners and the Iraqis now, and the Syrians. The foreigners feel they were left out, hung to dry, they've been used and abused and now the trust is not there at all between the foreigners and the locals,” Mohammad Ali, 28, known as Abu Turab al-Kanadi, foreign jihadist fighter of IS was quoted by news agency AFP. The last Islamic State contingent is trying to play all its cards to avoid total annihilation. Kurdish sources reported that terrorists tried to negotiate safe passage in return for well-known hostages. Negotiations for safe passage have been common in the Syrian war. It was usually offered in return for surrender. But now, the Islamic State is offering to free high-profile hostages on top of that. This could be out of desperation or to protect al-Baghdad and grant him the last escape. All named hostages were kidnapped more than five years ago, which makes it difficult to assess if they are still alive. The Syrian democratic forces’ spokesperson has recently clarified that, regardless of any ISIS negotiation attempt, no safe passage will be given. After saving more than 20K civilians from IS-held area and ensuring their safety in nearby camps, #SDF started to move on to the last village remaining under jihadists’ control in N. Syria. Village of Baghuz, which is the only remaining #ISIS pocket, will be cleared soon. — Mustafa Bali (@mustefabali) February 9, 2019 × The US-backed Syrian democratic forces launched the final offensive against the 500 terrorists holed-up in two villages on the border of Iraq and Syria. There have been intensive clashes over the weekend. Civilians living in the area have been evacuated to nearby camps. The US-backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) have been fighting the Islamic State since 2014, losing hundreds of men and women on the battlefield. They now, finally, see the end. "Today, there are no more military gangs (Islamic State militants) left in Rojava. But their masterminds are still hiding. The time will come for them. We will finish them off. But as of today, it's over. We are very joyful. This was the last day. The war with Daesh gangs is over. It's good to finish them off. We avenged our martyrs' death. There is nothing left (of is militants)," Kurdish unidentified man, purported to be an SDF soldier was quoted by news agency Reuters.

A coup, hostages and chaos: ISIS's final days in Syria 

China hopes that the next round of negotiations aimed at ending a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-talks-trump-to-meet-chinese-vice-premier-this-week-193558">trade dispute between China and the United States</a> yields positive results, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

Preparatory meetings were held on Monday with deputy US trade representative Jeffrey Gerrish ahead of the resumption of talks this week in Beijing.

"The two sides will discuss trade topics in more depth," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference.

"We hope to see a good result from this discussion," she added.

Senior level meetings will be held on Thursday and Friday between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Hua said.

This week will see the third face-to-face meeting between representatives of both countries since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed on December 1 to declare a 90-day truce to the trade dispute, making March 1 the deadline for finalizing a deal.

Negotiators made "important progress" in the last round of talks, held at the end of January in Washington DC, China's state-owned agency Xinhua reported.

A wide range of topics were discussed during those talks, including trade balance, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights, non-tariff barriers, service sector, agriculture and enforcement mechanism, according to Xinhua.

Since the December 1 truce, China has lowered tariffs on vehicles imported from the US, resuming the purchase of soya and submitting a bill to ban the forced transfer of technology, as part of various goodwill gestures.

Meanwhile, Trump temporarily suspended the 10-25 per cent tariff increase on Chinese products valued at $200 billion but threatened to discontinue the plan if a trade agreement is not reached before the expiry of the 90-day term.

The dispute dates from July last year, when the White House announced a series of tariffs would be imposed on Chinese goods, triggering the escalating trade dispute which saw both countries impose reciprocal tariffs on each other's imports.

In his election campaign, Trump had pledged to address the trade imbalance and China's perceived "longtime abuse of the broken international system".

China hopes that the next round of negotiations aimed at ending a trade dispute between China and the United States yields positive results, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

China hopes that the next round of negotiations aimed at ending a trade dispute between China and the United States yields positive results, the foreign ministry said on Monday. Preparatory meetings were held on Monday with deputy US trade representative Jeffrey Gerrish ahead of the resumption of talks this week in Beijing. "The two sides will discuss trade topics in more depth," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference. "We hope to see a good result from this discussion," she added. Senior level meetings will be held on Thursday and Friday between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Hua said. This week will see the third face-to-face meeting between representatives of both countries since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed on December 1 to declare a 90-day truce to the trade dispute, making March 1 the deadline for finalizing a deal. Negotiators made "important progress" in the last round of talks, held at the end of January in Washington DC, China's state-owned agency Xinhua reported. A wide range of topics were discussed during those talks, including trade balance, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights, non-tariff barriers, service sector, agriculture and enforcement mechanism, according to Xinhua. Since the December 1 truce, China has lowered tariffs on vehicles imported from the US, resuming the purchase of soya and submitting a bill to ban the forced transfer of technology, as part of various goodwill gestures. Meanwhile, Trump temporarily suspended the 10-25 per cent tariff increase on Chinese products valued at $200 billion but threatened to discontinue the plan if a trade agreement is not reached before the expiry of the 90-day term. The dispute dates from July last year, when the White House announced a series of tariffs would be imposed on Chinese goods, triggering the escalating trade dispute which saw both countries impose reciprocal tariffs on each other's imports. In his election campaign, Trump had pledged to address the trade imbalance and China's perceived "longtime abuse of the broken international system".

China hopes for positive results from next round of trade talks with US

Britain's economy grew at the slowest pace in six years in 2018 with near-flat output in the final quarter, data showed Monday, as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-what-will-happen-in-the-british-parliament-on-february-14-196447">Brexit uncertainty</a> and weaker global growth bites.

Gross domestic product growth stood at 1.4 per cent last year, down from 1.8 per cent in 2017, while growth was only 0.2 per cent in the last three months of 2018, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

"Following a pickup in activity over the summer months -- in part due to warm weather and the World Cup -- real GDP growth slowed markedly in the final quarter of 2018, with GDP falling by 0.4 per cent in the month of December," the ONS said.&nbsp;

"Construction, production and services output fell in the month, the first time that there has been such a broad-based fall in monthly output since September 2012."

The data comes after the Bank of England last week slashed its forecast for UK growth this year to 1.2 per cent from 1.7 per cent, blaming the downgrade on a global economic slowdown and "the fog of Brexit".

It also comes as the British government is seeking to win more time to secure EU concessions on Brexit that could pass parliament and avert a chaotic split from the bloc on March 29.

Businesses and governments are on edge as Britain is just weeks away from its scheduled departure from the European project after 46 years and still has no firm arrangements in place.

The Bank of England last week stressed that Britain's economic output was also being dragged down by a global slowdown, with growth dampening in China, the United States and the eurozone.

The point was echoed by analysts reacting to Monday's data.

"Brexit uncertainty is certainly not helping matters on the economic front, but it is probably only a secondary factor in this slowdown, with the primary cause being a drop in overall global activity," noted David Cheetham, chief market analyst at XTB trading group.

"The eurozone in particular has been especially weak on the data front of late, and the focus now is very much on whether there can be a tangible breakthrough on the trade front between the US and China, with Beijing back after their New Year's holiday."

Britain's economy grew at the slowest pace in six years in 2018 with near-flat output in the final quarter, data showed Monday, as Brexit uncertainty and weaker global growth bites.

Britain's economy grew at the slowest pace in six years in 2018 with near-flat output in the final quarter, data showed Monday, as Brexit uncertainty and weaker global growth bites. Gross domestic product growth stood at 1.4 per cent last year, down from 1.8 per cent in 2017, while growth was only 0.2 per cent in the last three months of 2018, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. "Following a pickup in activity over the summer months -- in part due to warm weather and the World Cup -- real GDP growth slowed markedly in the final quarter of 2018, with GDP falling by 0.4 per cent in the month of December," the ONS said. "Construction, production and services output fell in the month, the first time that there has been such a broad-based fall in monthly output since September 2012." The data comes after the Bank of England last week slashed its forecast for UK growth this year to 1.2 per cent from 1.7 per cent, blaming the downgrade on a global economic slowdown and "the fog of Brexit". It also comes as the British government is seeking to win more time to secure EU concessions on Brexit that could pass parliament and avert a chaotic split from the bloc on March 29. Businesses and governments are on edge as Britain is just weeks away from its scheduled departure from the European project after 46 years and still has no firm arrangements in place. The Bank of England last week stressed that Britain's economic output was also being dragged down by a global slowdown, with growth dampening in China, the United States and the eurozone. The point was echoed by analysts reacting to Monday's data. "Brexit uncertainty is certainly not helping matters on the economic front, but it is probably only a secondary factor in this slowdown, with the primary cause being a drop in overall global activity," noted David Cheetham, chief market analyst at XTB trading group. "The eurozone in particular has been especially weak on the data front of late, and the focus now is very much on whether there can be a tangible breakthrough on the trade front between the US and China, with Beijing back after their New Year's holiday."

Brexit uncertainty: UK economy posts slowest growth in six years

US Senator Elizabeth Warren formally launches 2020 Presidential campaign

US-backed Syrian forces begin attack on final IS stronghold

U.S. and Russia push rival United Nations actions on Venezuela

<a href="http://13.232.42.114/world/us-backed-syrian-forces-launch-final-battle-against-islamic-state-enclave-196295">US-backed forces</a> were locked in fierce fighting as they pressed the battle against the last shred of the <a href="http://13.232.42.114/world/us-backed-syrian-force-to-start-final-battle-against-is-enclave-196281">Islamic State group's "caliphate" in eastern Syria</a> on Sunday, a war monitor said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by a US-led coalition, announced a final push to retake the jihadist pocket near the Iraqi border late Saturday, after a pause of more than a week to allow civilians to flee.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy clashes between both sides on Sunday morning, as coalition planes and artillery bombarded jihadist positions.

"The battle is ongoing. There were heavy clashes this morning, with landmines going off," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based war monitor.

The SDF launched an offensive to expel IS from the eastern province of Deir Ezzor in September.

The Kurdish-led alliance has since whittled down jihadist-held territory to a patch of just four square kilometres (one square mile) on the eastern banks of the Euphrates.

Up to 600 jihadists could still remain inside, most of them foreigners, according to SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali.

Since fighting intensified in December, more than 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of jihadist fighters, have fled out into SDF-held desert areas, the Observatory says.

That figure includes some 3,200 suspected jihadists detained by the SDF, according to the monitor, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information.

At the height of their rule, the jihadists imposed their brutal interpretation of Islamic law on a territory spanning parts of Syria and Iraq that was roughly the size of Britain.&nbsp;

But separate military offensives in both countries, including by the SDF, have since retaken the vast bulk of the cross-border "caliphate" they declared in 2014.&nbsp;

US-backed forces were locked in fierce fighting as they pressed the battle against the last shred of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" in eastern Syria on Sunday, a war monitor said.

US-backed forces were locked in fierce fighting as they pressed the battle against the last shred of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" in eastern Syria on Sunday, a war monitor said. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by a US-led coalition, announced a final push to retake the jihadist pocket near the Iraqi border late Saturday, after a pause of more than a week to allow civilians to flee. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy clashes between both sides on Sunday morning, as coalition planes and artillery bombarded jihadist positions. "The battle is ongoing. There were heavy clashes this morning, with landmines going off," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based war monitor. The SDF launched an offensive to expel IS from the eastern province of Deir Ezzor in September. The Kurdish-led alliance has since whittled down jihadist-held territory to a patch of just four square kilometres (one square mile) on the eastern banks of the Euphrates. Up to 600 jihadists could still remain inside, most of them foreigners, according to SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali. Since fighting intensified in December, more than 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of jihadist fighters, have fled out into SDF-held desert areas, the Observatory says. That figure includes some 3,200 suspected jihadists detained by the SDF, according to the monitor, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information. At the height of their rule, the jihadists imposed their brutal interpretation of Islamic law on a territory spanning parts of Syria and Iraq that was roughly the size of Britain. But separate military offensives in both countries, including by the SDF, have since retaken the vast bulk of the cross-border "caliphate" they declared in 2014.

'Heavy clashes' as US-backed forces battle Islamic State in Syria: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/virginia-governor-ralph-northam-now-denies-appearance-in-racist-photo-refuses-to-resign-194668">Virginia's embattled governor</a>, Ralph Northam, capped a week of political chaos ignited by racial scandals by vowing to stay in office on Friday, while the fellow Democrat in line to succeed him faced a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/virginia-governors-future-in-limbo-amid-outcry-over-racist-photo-195375">second accusation of sexual assault</a>.

Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax issued a statement denying both allegations as a "coordinated smear campaign." He said the latest accusation, that he had raped a fellow student at Duke University in 2000, was "demonstrably false" and declared he would not step down.

Fairfax, 39, insisted earlier this week that his encounter with a woman who has accused him of forcing himself on her sexually at a hotel in Boston 14 years ago was entirely consensual.

But Friday's accusation sparked a round of calls for the resignation - and even a threat of impeachment - of the once-promising young politician who seemed poised days ago to replace Northam and become the second African-American governor in Virginia history.

The second in line to succeed Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring, 57, came under fire with his own admission this week that he, like Northam, had once darkened his face to imitate a black performer - a practice widely considered to be racist.

The possibility of all three top-ranked leaders of Virginia's executive branch having to resign raised the prospect of Democrats losing the governorship to the Republican speaker of the state House of Delegates, who is next in the line of succession. And that possibility has tested Democrats' resolve to show zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and racial bigotry.

It also has stirred Democrats' concerns that political discord in Virginia, a key swing state in presidential elections, could flip it back into the Republican column in the 2020 White House race.

The upheaval began with the revelation last Friday that Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook page contained a racist photo, followed by his acknowledgement of, and apology for, masquerading in blackface that year as pop star Michael Jackson.

After a week hunkered down in virtual seclusion under mounting pressure to resign, Northam indicated in an email message on Friday to state employees that he planned to keep his post.

"You have placed your trust in me to lead Virginia forward - and I plan to do that," Northam said.

ESCALATING PRESSURE

In a separate statement responding to the latest allegation against him, Fairfax said he has "never forced myself on anyone ever" and demanded a "full investigation into these unsubstantiated and false allegations."

"I will clear my good name and I have nothing to hide," Fairfax wrote, and declared: "I will not resign."

But the latest allegation of rape brought a torrent of demands for Fairfax to quit, including from all of the state House and Senate Democrats, the Legislative Black Caucus, former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe and Virginia's two US&nbsp;senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats.

One state House member, Democrat Patrick Hope, said on Twitter that he planned to introduce articles of impeachment for Fairfax on Monday unless he resigned.

The woman who made the new accusation, identified as Meredith Watson, said she was "reluctantly coming forward out of a strong sense of civic duty and her belief that those seeking or serving in public office should be of the highest character," the law firm that is representing her said in a statement.

The firm, New Jersey-based Smith Mullin, said the alleged assault occurred in 2000. Watson is "not seeking any financial damages," and her attorneys had notified Fairfax through his lawyers "that Ms Watson hopes he will resign from public office," the firm said in its statement.

The Smith Mullin statement said the alleged attack on Watson "was premeditated and aggressive," while also saying Fairfax and Watson "were friends but never dated or had any romantic relationship."

The law firm said it possessed emails, Facebook messages and statements to corroborate that Watson had shared her account of events immediately after the alleged rape.

Fairfax's first accuser, Stanford University academic Vanessa Tyson, has alleged that Fairfax had forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel room during the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

She came forward days after the disclosure by a conservative website of a racist photo on Northam's 1984 yearbook page of one person with blackface and another dressed in white robes of the Ku Klux Klan. Northam had originally admitted he was one of the people in that photo but later said that he was not.

Seeking to mend fences with Virginia's African-American population, Northam on Friday met privately with the president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, John Boyd Jr., in Richmond, the state capital. Boyd told Reuters the two men prayed together and "we asked for forgiveness."

Boyd, whose group says it represents 109,000 farmers across the country, said on Twitter that he urged the governor not to step down.

Virginia's embattled governor, Ralph Northam, capped a week of political chaos ignited by racial scandals by vowing to stay in office on Friday, while the fellow Democrat in line to succeed him faced a second accusation of sexual assault.

Virginia's embattled governor, Ralph Northam, capped a week of political chaos ignited by racial scandals by vowing to stay in office on Friday, while the fellow Democrat in line to succeed him faced a second accusation of sexual assault. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax issued a statement denying both allegations as a "coordinated smear campaign." He said the latest accusation, that he had raped a fellow student at Duke University in 2000, was "demonstrably false" and declared he would not step down. Fairfax, 39, insisted earlier this week that his encounter with a woman who has accused him of forcing himself on her sexually at a hotel in Boston 14 years ago was entirely consensual. But Friday's accusation sparked a round of calls for the resignation - and even a threat of impeachment - of the once-promising young politician who seemed poised days ago to replace Northam and become the second African-American governor in Virginia history. The second in line to succeed Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring, 57, came under fire with his own admission this week that he, like Northam, had once darkened his face to imitate a black performer - a practice widely considered to be racist. The possibility of all three top-ranked leaders of Virginia's executive branch having to resign raised the prospect of Democrats losing the governorship to the Republican speaker of the state House of Delegates, who is next in the line of succession. And that possibility has tested Democrats' resolve to show zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and racial bigotry. It also has stirred Democrats' concerns that political discord in Virginia, a key swing state in presidential elections, could flip it back into the Republican column in the 2020 White House race. The upheaval began with the revelation last Friday that Northam's 1984 medical school yearbook page contained a racist photo, followed by his acknowledgement of, and apology for, masquerading in blackface that year as pop star Michael Jackson. After a week hunkered down in virtual seclusion under mounting pressure to resign, Northam indicated in an email message on Friday to state employees that he planned to keep his post. "You have placed your trust in me to lead Virginia forward - and I plan to do that," Northam said. ESCALATING PRESSURE In a separate statement responding to the latest allegation against him, Fairfax said he has "never forced myself on anyone ever" and demanded a "full investigation into these unsubstantiated and false allegations." "I will clear my good name and I have nothing to hide," Fairfax wrote, and declared: "I will not resign." But the latest allegation of rape brought a torrent of demands for Fairfax to quit, including from all of the state House and Senate Democrats, the Legislative Black Caucus, former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe and Virginia's two US senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats. One state House member, Democrat Patrick Hope, said on Twitter that he planned to introduce articles of impeachment for Fairfax on Monday unless he resigned. The woman who made the new accusation, identified as Meredith Watson, said she was "reluctantly coming forward out of a strong sense of civic duty and her belief that those seeking or serving in public office should be of the highest character," the law firm that is representing her said in a statement. The firm, New Jersey-based Smith Mullin, said the alleged assault occurred in 2000. Watson is "not seeking any financial damages," and her attorneys had notified Fairfax through his lawyers "that Ms Watson hopes he will resign from public office," the firm said in its statement. The Smith Mullin statement said the alleged attack on Watson "was premeditated and aggressive," while also saying Fairfax and Watson "were friends but never dated or had any romantic relationship." The law firm said it possessed emails, Facebook messages and statements to corroborate that Watson had shared her account of events immediately after the alleged rape. Fairfax's first accuser, Stanford University academic Vanessa Tyson, has alleged that Fairfax had forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel room during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. She came forward days after the disclosure by a conservative website of a racist photo on Northam's 1984 yearbook page of one person with blackface and another dressed in white robes of the Ku Klux Klan. Northam had originally admitted he was one of the people in that photo but later said that he was not. Seeking to mend fences with Virginia's African-American population, Northam on Friday met privately with the president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, John Boyd Jr., in Richmond, the state capital. Boyd told Reuters the two men prayed together and "we asked for forgiveness." Boyd, whose group says it represents 109,000 farmers across the country, said on Twitter that he urged the governor not to step down.

Virginia governor denies sexual assault allegations as 'coordinated smear campaign'

President Donald Trump, who delights in confounding health experts with his junk food cravings and disinclination to exercise, is "in very good health," his doctor declared Friday following an annual medical checkup.

"I am happy to announce the president of the United States is in very good health and I anticipate he will remain so for the duration of his presidency, and beyond," chief physician Sean Conley said in a memorandum released by the White House.

The Marine One helicopter returned the 72-year-old head of state to the White House from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington suburb of Bethesda after a full four hours of prodding, poking and testing.

Dressed in a long dark overcoat, Trump gave a thumb's up but did not respond to reporters' questions about how he was feeling.

It remained unclear how many of the test results would eventually be made public.

Last year, everything from the president's cholesterol levels (high) to weight (too high at 239 pounds, or 108 kilograms) was released.

Trump's then chief physician, Ronny Jackson — who has since run into trouble over alleged ethical misconduct — also held an unusually detailed press conference in which he declared Trump to be in "excellent health."&nbsp;

On the plus side, Trump doesn't smoke and is a noted teetotaler. He says he's never even had a beer.

Less good: the former real estate tycoon and reality TV performer unashamedly embraces the couch potato life.

'Incredibly good genes'&nbsp;

Not for Trump the basketball sessions that Barack Obama sweated through in the White House, or the bike rides of George W Bush.

Trump loves the more sedate game of golf, but rides a cart between holes and has said that anything more strenuous is actually bad for your health.

"All my friends who work out all the time, they're going for knee replacements, hip replacements — they're a disaster," Trump told The New York Times in 2015.

Trump has described his chief exercise as walking around the White House compound and standing up at public events.

The 45th president's diet, reportedly involving legendary amounts of Coke and red meat, also seems to defy most doctors' orders.

In January, Trump hosted the strapping athletes of America's champion college football team, the Clemson Tigers, with a mountain of hamburgers and pizzas.

According to Jackson last year, Trump's secret is genes.

"Incredibly good genes," he said. "It's just the way God made him."

President Donald Trump, who delights in confounding health experts with his junk food cravings and disinclination to exercise, is "in very good health," his doctor declared Friday following an annual medical checkup.

President Donald Trump, who delights in confounding health experts with his junk food cravings and disinclination to exercise, is "in very good health," his doctor declared Friday following an annual medical checkup. "I am happy to announce the president of the United States is in very good health and I anticipate he will remain so for the duration of his presidency, and beyond," chief physician Sean Conley said in a memorandum released by the White House. The Marine One helicopter returned the 72-year-old head of state to the White House from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington suburb of Bethesda after a full four hours of prodding, poking and testing. Dressed in a long dark overcoat, Trump gave a thumb's up but did not respond to reporters' questions about how he was feeling. It remained unclear how many of the test results would eventually be made public. Last year, everything from the president's cholesterol levels (high) to weight (too high at 239 pounds, or 108 kilograms) was released. Trump's then chief physician, Ronny Jackson — who has since run into trouble over alleged ethical misconduct — also held an unusually detailed press conference in which he declared Trump to be in "excellent health." On the plus side, Trump doesn't smoke and is a noted teetotaler. He says he's never even had a beer. Less good: the former real estate tycoon and reality TV performer unashamedly embraces the couch potato life. 'Incredibly good genes' Not for Trump the basketball sessions that Barack Obama sweated through in the White House, or the bike rides of George W Bush. Trump loves the more sedate game of golf, but rides a cart between holes and has said that anything more strenuous is actually bad for your health. "All my friends who work out all the time, they're going for knee replacements, hip replacements — they're a disaster," Trump told The New York Times in 2015. Trump has described his chief exercise as walking around the White House compound and standing up at public events. The 45th president's diet, reportedly involving legendary amounts of Coke and red meat, also seems to defy most doctors' orders. In January, Trump hosted the strapping athletes of America's champion college football team, the Clemson Tigers, with a mountain of hamburgers and pizzas. According to Jackson last year, Trump's secret is genes. "Incredibly good genes," he said. "It's just the way God made him."

Fast-food fan Trump in 'very good health': Chief physician

The United States is holding direct communications with members of Venezuela's military urging them to abandon <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-military-attache-to-us-urges-army-to-back-maduro-opponent-193034">President Nicolas Maduro</a> and is also preparing new sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on him, a senior White House official said.

The Trump administration expects further military defections from Maduro's side, the official told Reuters in an interview, despite only a few senior officers having done so since opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president last month, earning the recognition of the United States and dozens of other countries.

"We believe these to be those first couple pebbles before we start really seeing bigger rocks rolling down the hill," the official said this week, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We're still having conversations with members of the former Maduro regime, with military members, although those conversations are very, very limited."

The official declined to provide details on the discussions or the level at which they are being held, and it was unclear whether such contacts could create cracks in the Venezuelan socialist leader's support from the military, which is pivotal to his grip on power.

With the Venezuelan military still apparently loyal to Maduro, a source in Washington close to the opposition expressed doubts whether the Trump administration has laid enough groundwork to spur a wider mutiny in the ranks where many officers are suspected of benefiting from corruption and drug trafficking.

Members of the South American country's security forces fear they or their families could be targeted by Maduro if they defect, so the US would need to offer them something that could outweigh those concerns, said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas think tank in Washington.

"It depends on what they're offering," Farnsworth said. "Are there incentives built into these contacts that will at least cause people to question their loyalty to the regime?"

Guaido says the May 2018 vote in which Maduro won a second term as president was a sham and on January 23 invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself president, promising free and fair elections.

VENEZUELAN ASSETS

The US government also sees European allies as likely to do more to prevent Maduro from transferring or hiding Venezuela government assets held outside the country, the US official said.

Major European countries have joined the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/venezuela-france-wests-duplicity-196078">United States in backing Guaido </a>but they have stopped short of the sweeping oil sanctions and financial measures that Washington has imposed.

At the same time, the Trump administration is readying further possible sanctions on Venezuela, the official said.

Previous rounds have targeted dozens of Venezuelan military and government officials, including Maduro himself, and last month finally hit the OPEC member's vital oil sector. But the administration has stopped short of imposing so-called "secondary" sanctions, which would punish non-US companies for doing business with the Venezuela government or the state oil monopoly PDVSA.

The US official said that Washington had every tool available to apply pressure on Maduro and his associates "to accept a legitimate democratic transition."

The US government is also weighing possible sanctions on Cuban military and intelligence officials whom it says are helping Maduro remain in power, a second US official and person familiar with the deliberations have told Reuters.

Maduro's government has accused Guaido, who has galvanized Venezuela's opposition, of attempting to stage a US-directed coup.

General Francisco Yanez of the air force's high command became the first active Venezuelan general to recognise Guaido, but he is one of about 2,000 generals. Venezuela's chief military attache to the United States also said he was defecting late last month.

Guaido has actively courted members of the military with promises of amnesty and preferential legal treatment if they disavow Maduro and disobey his orders, and Washington this week raised the prospect of dropping sanctions on senior Venezuelan officers if they recognise Guaido.

Maduro still has the support of the military high command, and now routinely appears in pre-recorded events at military bases where officers stand behind him and chant triumphal slogans such as "Loyal always, traitors never."

The United States is holding direct communications with members of Venezuela's military urging them to abandon President Nicolas Maduro and is also preparing new sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on him, a senior White House official said.

The United States is holding direct communications with members of Venezuela's military urging them to abandon President Nicolas Maduro and is also preparing new sanctions aimed at increasing pressure on him, a senior White House official said. The Trump administration expects further military defections from Maduro's side, the official told Reuters in an interview, despite only a few senior officers having done so since opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president last month, earning the recognition of the United States and dozens of other countries. "We believe these to be those first couple pebbles before we start really seeing bigger rocks rolling down the hill," the official said this week, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We're still having conversations with members of the former Maduro regime, with military members, although those conversations are very, very limited." The official declined to provide details on the discussions or the level at which they are being held, and it was unclear whether such contacts could create cracks in the Venezuelan socialist leader's support from the military, which is pivotal to his grip on power. With the Venezuelan military still apparently loyal to Maduro, a source in Washington close to the opposition expressed doubts whether the Trump administration has laid enough groundwork to spur a wider mutiny in the ranks where many officers are suspected of benefiting from corruption and drug trafficking. Members of the South American country's security forces fear they or their families could be targeted by Maduro if they defect, so the US would need to offer them something that could outweigh those concerns, said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas think tank in Washington. "It depends on what they're offering," Farnsworth said. "Are there incentives built into these contacts that will at least cause people to question their loyalty to the regime?" Guaido says the May 2018 vote in which Maduro won a second term as president was a sham and on January 23 invoked a constitutional provision to declare himself president, promising free and fair elections. VENEZUELAN ASSETS The US government also sees European allies as likely to do more to prevent Maduro from transferring or hiding Venezuela government assets held outside the country, the US official said. Major European countries have joined the United States in backing Guaido but they have stopped short of the sweeping oil sanctions and financial measures that Washington has imposed. At the same time, the Trump administration is readying further possible sanctions on Venezuela, the official said. Previous rounds have targeted dozens of Venezuelan military and government officials, including Maduro himself, and last month finally hit the OPEC member's vital oil sector. But the administration has stopped short of imposing so-called "secondary" sanctions, which would punish non-US companies for doing business with the Venezuela government or the state oil monopoly PDVSA. The US official said that Washington had every tool available to apply pressure on Maduro and his associates "to accept a legitimate democratic transition." The US government is also weighing possible sanctions on Cuban military and intelligence officials whom it says are helping Maduro remain in power, a second US official and person familiar with the deliberations have told Reuters. Maduro's government has accused Guaido, who has galvanized Venezuela's opposition, of attempting to stage a US-directed coup. General Francisco Yanez of the air force's high command became the first active Venezuelan general to recognise Guaido, but he is one of about 2,000 generals. Venezuela's chief military attache to the United States also said he was defecting late last month. Guaido has actively courted members of the military with promises of amnesty and preferential legal treatment if they disavow Maduro and disobey his orders, and Washington this week raised the prospect of dropping sanctions on senior Venezuelan officers if they recognise Guaido. Maduro still has the support of the military high command, and now routinely appears in pre-recorded events at military bases where officers stand behind him and chant triumphal slogans such as "Loyal always, traitors never."

US in direct contact with Venezuelan military, urging defections: Report

The US has discussed a potential missile defence collaboration with India, a top Pentagon official has said, underlining that America wants to build a “much deeper and broader relationship” with the country.

Under secretary of defence for policy John Rood, however, said that it is early to determine how far India, which already has substantial domestic missile defence capabilities, will go regarding the defence collaboration.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-approves-sale-of-two-missile-defence-systems-for-air-india-one-195813">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-approves-sale-of-two-missile-defence-systems-for-air-india-one-195813"> approves </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-approves-sale-of-two-missile-defence-systems-for-air-india-one-195813">sale</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-approves-sale-of-two-missile-defence-systems-for-air-india-one-195813"> of two missile defence systems for Air India One</a>

“We have talked to the Indians about missile defence as potentially an area as well to collaborate on. It’s early days to determine how far that will go,” Rood said speaking at a think-tank here on Thursday.

“The Indians have substantial capabilities domestically of their own and they’ve done some development of missile defences. So the degree to which they’re interested in acquiring or working collaboratively with us in the US remains to be seen,” Rood said when asked about reports that India is interested in purchasing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system popular as THAAD from the US.

The previous Obama administration was not very forthcoming in sharing its advance missile defense system with India, following which New Delhi went ahead to procure it from Russia.

As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, the Trump administration now seems to be more than inclined to let India procure its missile defense system with talks between the two countries having already started making an appearance before the prestigious Hudson Institute think-tank, Rood said the US is certainly open to this kind of collaboration with India.

“And if that isn’t one of the areas they choose to go in, there’s quite a bit of other meaty areas that we can pursue. Maybe I should have chosen a term rather than meaty, quite a few Indians are vegetarian as you know,” Rood said jokingly.

The US has had a very positive relationship with the Indian government, he said. “And we’re building a, what we hope is a much deeper and broader relationship with them, all the way from the presidential level with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi on down,” he said.

“We have had excellent meetings and we’re expanding our agenda. There’s more meat to it, if you will. So I’m really feeling very good about the overall trajectory of that relationship,” said Rood who has been personally involved through successive administrations in building India-US relationship - in both the Bush administration, the Obama administration, and now in the present Trump administration.

The US has also agreed to sell two advanced missile defence systems to India for two Boeing-777 Head-of-State aircraft for an estimated cost of $190 million, a decision that will enhance the security of the planes flying the president and the prime minister.

The Pentagon on Wednesday said the sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship.

The US is the second-largest arms supplier to India. It has already recognised India as a “major defence partner”, a status which commits the US to facilitate technology sharing with India.

In 2018, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-inclusion-in-sta-1-category-by-us-sends-strong-political-message-to-china--156932">US granted India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) status</a>. India is the only South Asian country to get STA1 status and third Asian country after Japan and South Korea. The status eases India’s defence procurement from the US.

Last year, India and the US signed the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) to facilitate interoperability between the two militaries and sale of high end technology.

The US has discussed a potential missile defence collaboration with India, a top Pentagon official has said, underlining that America wants to build a “much deeper and broader relationship” with the country.

The US has discussed a potential missile defence collaboration with India, a top Pentagon official has said, underlining that America wants to build a “much deeper and broader relationship” with the country. Under secretary of defence for policy John Rood, however, said that it is early to determine how far India, which already has substantial domestic missile defence capabilities, will go regarding the defence collaboration. Also read: US approves sale of two missile defence systems for Air India One “We have talked to the Indians about missile defence as potentially an area as well to collaborate on. It’s early days to determine how far that will go,” Rood said speaking at a think-tank here on Thursday. “The Indians have substantial capabilities domestically of their own and they’ve done some development of missile defences. So the degree to which they’re interested in acquiring or working collaboratively with us in the US remains to be seen,” Rood said when asked about reports that India is interested in purchasing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system popular as THAAD from the US. The previous Obama administration was not very forthcoming in sharing its advance missile defense system with India, following which New Delhi went ahead to procure it from Russia. As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, the Trump administration now seems to be more than inclined to let India procure its missile defense system with talks between the two countries having already started making an appearance before the prestigious Hudson Institute think-tank, Rood said the US is certainly open to this kind of collaboration with India. “And if that isn’t one of the areas they choose to go in, there’s quite a bit of other meaty areas that we can pursue. Maybe I should have chosen a term rather than meaty, quite a few Indians are vegetarian as you know,” Rood said jokingly. The US has had a very positive relationship with the Indian government, he said. “And we’re building a, what we hope is a much deeper and broader relationship with them, all the way from the presidential level with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi on down,” he said. “We have had excellent meetings and we’re expanding our agenda. There’s more meat to it, if you will. So I’m really feeling very good about the overall trajectory of that relationship,” said Rood who has been personally involved through successive administrations in building India-US relationship - in both the Bush administration, the Obama administration, and now in the present Trump administration. The US has also agreed to sell two advanced missile defence systems to India for two Boeing-777 Head-of-State aircraft for an estimated cost of $190 million, a decision that will enhance the security of the planes flying the president and the prime minister. The Pentagon on Wednesday said the sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship. The US is the second-largest arms supplier to India. It has already recognised India as a “major defence partner”, a status which commits the US to facilitate technology sharing with India. In 2018, the US granted India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) status. India is the only South Asian country to get STA1 status and third Asian country after Japan and South Korea. The status eases India’s defence procurement from the US. Last year, India and the US signed the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) to facilitate interoperability between the two militaries and sale of high end technology.

In bid to build 'deeper relationship', US and India in talks over missile defence collaboration: Pentagon

India-US Commercial Dialogue and US-India CEO Forum will take place in Delhi on February 14.

US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will visit the national capital next week to take part in the dialogue and the CEO Forum. He, along with Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu, will co-chair the forum.

Speaking on US-India CEO Forum, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said, "The US-India CEO Forum is critical to the fruitful commercial relationship and strong economic ties between our two great nations”.

He said the incoming US CEOs will "bring fresh perspectives to the forum" and "help us consider new opportunities to further deepen our cooperation”. 
&nbsp; 
The CEO forum was established in 2005. US CEOs serve a two-year term&nbsp;and are selected from respondents to a US Federal Register Notice calling for CEO-level applicants to the US Section of the forum.&nbsp;

Around 19 people from the US private sector will take part in the US-India CEO Forum. These include Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard; Sanjay Bhatnagar, CEO, WaterHealth International; John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco Systems and Deepak Chopra, CEO of OSI Systems.

The dialogue is taking place when the US President has been raising the issue of high tariff by India and even called India "tariff king".&nbsp;

Last month Trump boasted of how his call to India helped bring tariff down in "two minutes". He said, "Look at motorcycles as an example. (In) India, it was 100 per cent. I got them down to 50 per cent, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cut-on-motorcycle-tariffs-by-india-fair-deal-trump-192625">just by talking for about two minutes</a>. It's still 50 per cent vs 2.4 per cent (on imported motorcycles to the US). Again, other than that, it's a very fair deal."

India-US Commercial Dialogue and US-India CEO Forum will take place in Delhi on February 14. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will visit the national capital next week to take part in the dialogue and the CEO Forum.

India-US Commercial Dialogue and US-India CEO Forum will take place in Delhi on February 14. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will visit the national capital next week to take part in the dialogue and the CEO Forum. He, along with Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu, will co-chair the forum. Speaking on US-India CEO Forum, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said, "The US-India CEO Forum is critical to the fruitful commercial relationship and strong economic ties between our two great nations”. He said the incoming US CEOs will "bring fresh perspectives to the forum" and "help us consider new opportunities to further deepen our cooperation”. The CEO forum was established in 2005. US CEOs serve a two-year term and are selected from respondents to a US Federal Register Notice calling for CEO-level applicants to the US Section of the forum. Around 19 people from the US private sector will take part in the US-India CEO Forum. These include Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard; Sanjay Bhatnagar, CEO, WaterHealth International; John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco Systems and Deepak Chopra, CEO of OSI Systems. The dialogue is taking place when the US President has been raising the issue of high tariff by India and even called India "tariff king". Last month Trump boasted of how his call to India helped bring tariff down in "two minutes". He said, "Look at motorcycles as an example. (In) India, it was 100 per cent. I got them down to 50 per cent, just by talking for about two minutes. It's still 50 per cent vs 2.4 per cent (on imported motorcycles to the US). Again, other than that, it's a very fair deal."

India-US commerce dialogue to be held in Delhi on February 14 

The United States on Wednesday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement expressing regret over Israel's decision to end an international observer force in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-denounces-israels-decision-over-hebron-monitoring-194610">West Bank city of Hebron</a>, diplomats said.

Kuwait and Indonesia had circulated the draft statement following a closed-door council meeting during which many countries expressed concern about the Israeli move.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he would not renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), accusing the mission led by Norway of bias.

The 64-member team of unarmed observers was established in Hebron following a massacre of Palestinians in 1994.

The proposed statement was to express the Security Council's "regret" about Israel's "unilateral decision" and call for "calm and restraint" in Hebron, according to the text seen by AFP.&nbsp;

It stressed "the importance of the mandate of the TIPH and its efforts to foster calm in a highly sensitive area and the fragile situation on the ground, which risks further deteriorating, as reflected in the escalating cycle of violence."

The text warned Israel that it has an obligation under international law "to protect the Palestinian civilian population in Hebron" as well as the rest of the occupied territories.&nbsp;

The United States, which has firmly defended Israel's policies at the United Nations, moved quickly to block the proposed response, diplomats said.

Council statements require unanimous approval.

Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the council would discuss a proposed visit to the Israeli occupied territories for a close-up look at the situation on the ground.

The Hebron mission is tasked with promoting a sense of security for Palestinians in Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank.

Hebron is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At least 600 Jewish settlers live under heavy military guard in the city, which is home to around 200,000 Palestinians.

Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace, as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

The United States on Wednesday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement expressing regret over Israel's decision to end an international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron, diplomats said.

The United States on Wednesday blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement expressing regret over Israel's decision to end an international observer force in the West Bank city of Hebron, diplomats said. Kuwait and Indonesia had circulated the draft statement following a closed-door council meeting during which many countries expressed concern about the Israeli move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he would not renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), accusing the mission led by Norway of bias. The 64-member team of unarmed observers was established in Hebron following a massacre of Palestinians in 1994. The proposed statement was to express the Security Council's "regret" about Israel's "unilateral decision" and call for "calm and restraint" in Hebron, according to the text seen by AFP. It stressed "the importance of the mandate of the TIPH and its efforts to foster calm in a highly sensitive area and the fragile situation on the ground, which risks further deteriorating, as reflected in the escalating cycle of violence." The text warned Israel that it has an obligation under international law "to protect the Palestinian civilian population in Hebron" as well as the rest of the occupied territories. The United States, which has firmly defended Israel's policies at the United Nations, moved quickly to block the proposed response, diplomats said. Council statements require unanimous approval. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the council would discuss a proposed visit to the Israeli occupied territories for a close-up look at the situation on the ground. The Hebron mission is tasked with promoting a sense of security for Palestinians in Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank. Hebron is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At least 600 Jewish settlers live under heavy military guard in the city, which is home to around 200,000 Palestinians. Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace, as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

US blocks UN move to defend Hebron mission

The whole world is trying to figure out what is happening in the United States, and the shrinking role that President Trump wants the US to play in a technologically-integrating world.

Relationship between India, US on very positive track: Former US defence secretary William Cohen to WION

Breaking News: 129 Indian students detained in US

Afghan peace talks: US agrees to withdraw troops

The US has agreed to sell two state-of-the-art missile defence systems to Air India One for an estimated cost of US $190 million, a move that will enhance the security of planes flying the prime minister and the president.

According to the Pentagon, the sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Trump administrations approved the purchase of the two systems known as Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCAM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS) for an estimated cost of US $190 million, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a notification to the Congress on Wednesday.

The US decision came after the Indian Government recently made a request for LAIRCAM SPS, given the high-level threat to the prime minister and the president.&nbsp;

The defence systems, which would bring security of Air India One at par with that of Air Force One, would be installed in two Boeing 777 Head-of- State aircraft, the Pentagon said.

The Indian Government plans to buy two Bowing 777 from the national carrier Air India for this specific purpose and unlike in the past would not be used for commercial purposes.&nbsp;

The purpose of the LAIRCM programme is to protect large aircraft from man-portable missiles. Once installed, the LAIRCAM system increases crew-warning time, decreases false alarm rates and automatically counters advanced intermediate range missile systems, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

The missile warning subsystem will use multiple sensors to provide full spatial coverage.&nbsp;

The counter-measures subsystem will use lasers mounted in pointer-tracker turret assemblies. It also automatically counters advanced intermediate range missile systems with no action required by the crew.&nbsp;

The pilot will simply be informed that a threat missile was detected and jammed.&nbsp;

Observing that it will improve India's capability to deter regional threats, the Congressional notification said SPS will facilitate a more robust capability into areas of increased missile threats.&nbsp;

"India will have no problem absorbing and using this system, it said.&nbsp;

According to the notification, India had requested to buy two SPS consisting of AN/AAQ 24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM), ALQ-211(V)8 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS) and AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing System (CMDS) to protect two (2) Boeing-777 Head-of-State aircraft.&nbsp;

"This potential sale would include twelve Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies AN/AAQ-24 (V)N (6 installed and 6 spares), eight (8) LAIRCM System Processor Replacements (LSPR) AN/AAQ-24 (V)N (2 installed and 6 spares); twenty-three (23) Missile Warning Sensors (MWS) for AN/AAQ-24 (V)N (12 installed and 11 spares), five (5) AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing System (CMDS) (2 installed and 3 spares)," the notification said.

Also included in this sale are Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites (AIDEWS), LAIRCM CIURs, SCAs, HCCs, and UDM cards, initial spares, consumables, repair and return support and support equipment.&nbsp;

The department also assured that the sale will not "alter the basic military balance in the region".

The US is the second-largest arms supplier to India. It has already recognised India as a "major defence partner", a status that which commits the US to facilitate technology sharing with India.

In 2018, the US granted India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) status. India is the only South Asian country to get STA1 status and third Asian country after Japan and South Korea. The status eases defence procurement from US.

Last year both New Delhi and Washington signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement).

The US has agreed to sell two state-of-the-art missile defence systems to Air India One for an estimated cost of US $190 million, a move that will enhance the security of planes flying the prime minister and the president.

The US has agreed to sell two state-of-the-art missile defence systems to Air India One for an estimated cost of US $190 million, a move that will enhance the security of planes flying the prime minister and the president. According to the Pentagon, the sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship. The Trump administrations approved the purchase of the two systems known as Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCAM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS) for an estimated cost of US $190 million, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a notification to the Congress on Wednesday. The US decision came after the Indian Government recently made a request for LAIRCAM SPS, given the high-level threat to the prime minister and the president. The defence systems, which would bring security of Air India One at par with that of Air Force One, would be installed in two Boeing 777 Head-of- State aircraft, the Pentagon said. The Indian Government plans to buy two Bowing 777 from the national carrier Air India for this specific purpose and unlike in the past would not be used for commercial purposes. The purpose of the LAIRCM programme is to protect large aircraft from man-portable missiles. Once installed, the LAIRCAM system increases crew-warning time, decreases false alarm rates and automatically counters advanced intermediate range missile systems, according to the Federation of American Scientists. The missile warning subsystem will use multiple sensors to provide full spatial coverage. The counter-measures subsystem will use lasers mounted in pointer-tracker turret assemblies. It also automatically counters advanced intermediate range missile systems with no action required by the crew. The pilot will simply be informed that a threat missile was detected and jammed. Observing that it will improve India's capability to deter regional threats, the Congressional notification said SPS will facilitate a more robust capability into areas of increased missile threats. "India will have no problem absorbing and using this system, it said. According to the notification, India had requested to buy two SPS consisting of AN/AAQ 24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM), ALQ-211(V)8 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS) and AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing System (CMDS) to protect two (2) Boeing-777 Head-of-State aircraft. "This potential sale would include twelve Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies AN/AAQ-24 (V)N (6 installed and 6 spares), eight (8) LAIRCM System Processor Replacements (LSPR) AN/AAQ-24 (V)N (2 installed and 6 spares); twenty-three (23) Missile Warning Sensors (MWS) for AN/AAQ-24 (V)N (12 installed and 11 spares), five (5) AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing System (CMDS) (2 installed and 3 spares)," the notification said. Also included in this sale are Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites (AIDEWS), LAIRCM CIURs, SCAs, HCCs, and UDM cards, initial spares, consumables, repair and return support and support equipment. The department also assured that the sale will not "alter the basic military balance in the region". The US is the second-largest arms supplier to India. It has already recognised India as a "major defence partner", a status that which commits the US to facilitate technology sharing with India. In 2018, the US granted India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1 (STA-1) status. India is the only South Asian country to get STA1 status and third Asian country after Japan and South Korea. The status eases defence procurement from US. Last year both New Delhi and Washington signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement).

US approves sale of two missile defence systems for Air India One 

One year on, the legacy of the Parkland shooting

President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address on Tuesday to call for a bipartisan commitment to eradicate AIDS in the United States within a decade.

"Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach," Trump said in his annual address to Congress.&nbsp;

"My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years," he said.

"Together, we will defeat AIDS in America and beyond."

Some 38,000 people were infected with HIV in the United States in 2017, according to government statistics.&nbsp;

This number has shrunk over the years, but in some communities, there has been no let-up, especially among gays, blacks and Hispanics.&nbsp;

The Trump administration proposed last year to cut the budget for AIDS prevention, but Congress refused.

"No force in history has done more to advance the human condition than American freedom," Trump said.&nbsp;

"In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS." &nbsp;

Trump's mastery of the issue has been called into question, however, most notably by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who said last year that at two meetings, Trump needed help distinguishing HIV from HPV, another sexually transmitted disease.

"Both times, he wanted to know if there was a difference between HIV and HPV so I was able to explain that those are rarely confused with each other," Gates said.

President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address on Tuesday to call for a bipartisan commitment to eradicate AIDS in the United States within a decade.

President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address on Tuesday to call for a bipartisan commitment to eradicate AIDS in the United States within a decade. "Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach," Trump said in his annual address to Congress. "My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years," he said. "Together, we will defeat AIDS in America and beyond." Some 38,000 people were infected with HIV in the United States in 2017, according to government statistics. This number has shrunk over the years, but in some communities, there has been no let-up, especially among gays, blacks and Hispanics. The Trump administration proposed last year to cut the budget for AIDS prevention, but Congress refused. "No force in history has done more to advance the human condition than American freedom," Trump said. "In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS." Trump's mastery of the issue has been called into question, however, most notably by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who said last year that at two meetings, Trump needed help distinguishing HIV from HPV, another sexually transmitted disease. "Both times, he wanted to know if there was a difference between HIV and HPV so I was able to explain that those are rarely confused with each other," Gates said.

We will defeat AIDS in America and beyond: Trump in State of the Union address

The rupee Wednesday appreciated by 8 paise to 71.49 in early trade on the forex market amid a positive opening in domestic equities and fresh foreign fund inflows.

Forex traders said investors were cautious ahead RBI's Monetary Policy Committee outcome scheduled for February 7.

Moreover, rising crude prices capped the gains for the domestic unit.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the rupee opened higher at 71.56 then gained further ground to touch 71.49 against the US $, showing a gain of 8 paise over its previous closing.

In a very volatile trade, the domestic currency also touched a low of 71.60, showing a loss of 3 paise over its last close.

On Tuesday, the rupee had settled 23 paise higher at 71.57 against the US $.

Foreign funds purchased shares worth Rs 420.65 crore on a net basis, and domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 194.31 crore Tuesday, provisional data showed.

The global benchmark, Brent crude oil was trading at the US $ 62.02 per barrel, higher by 0.06 per cent.

Meanwhile, the domestic equity market opened on a higher note. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex was trading at 36,833.84, up 217.03 points in early trade. The wide-based Nifty was also trading up by 65 points at 10,999.35.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The rupee Wednesday appreciated by 8 paise to 71.49 in early trade on the forex market amid a positive opening in domestic equities and fresh foreign fund inflows.

The rupee Wednesday appreciated by 8 paise to 71.49 in early trade on the forex market amid a positive opening in domestic equities and fresh foreign fund inflows. Forex traders said investors were cautious ahead RBI's Monetary Policy Committee outcome scheduled for February 7. Moreover, rising crude prices capped the gains for the domestic unit. At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the rupee opened higher at 71.56 then gained further ground to touch 71.49 against the US $, showing a gain of 8 paise over its previous closing. In a very volatile trade, the domestic currency also touched a low of 71.60, showing a loss of 3 paise over its last close. On Tuesday, the rupee had settled 23 paise higher at 71.57 against the US $. Foreign funds purchased shares worth Rs 420.65 crore on a net basis, and domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 194.31 crore Tuesday, provisional data showed. The global benchmark, Brent crude oil was trading at the US $ 62.02 per barrel, higher by 0.06 per cent. Meanwhile, the domestic equity market opened on a higher note. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex was trading at 36,833.84, up 217.03 points in early trade. The wide-based Nifty was also trading up by 65 points at 10,999.35.

Rupee gains 8 paise to 71.49 vs US dollar

President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday that the United States would outspend Russia on missiles without a fresh international accord after he ditched a landmark <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-withdraw-from-inf-missile-treaty-unless-russia-complies-trump-194448">Cold War treaty</a>.

Trump's warning during his annual State of the Union address cemented fears of an emerging arms race, with Russia hours earlier pledging to design new missiles over the next two years.

The United States last week started the process of exiting the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/inf-treaty-with-russia-has-been-invalidated-germany-194404"> Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty</a>, saying that Russia has been violating the pact through a new missile system and ignored repeated complaints.

"Under my administration, we will never apologize for advancing America's interests," Trump told US lawmakers assembled in the House chamber.

"Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding China and others. Or perhaps we can't -&nbsp;in which case, we will outspend and out-innovate all others by far," Trump said.

While pointing the finger at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-range-of-disputed-missile-is-allowed-under-inf-treaty-192316">Russia</a>, US officials have voiced concern that the 1987 treaty does not constrain China, whose rapidly growing military relies on medium-range missiles as a core part of its defence strategy.

The INF treaty banned all missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,400 miles), a legacy of the end of the Cold War as last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US president Ronald Reagan sought to ease European fears of an arms race that would destroy their cities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin -&nbsp;who has sought a warm relationship with Trump but is widely reviled by the US establishment -- responded Saturday by saying Moscow would also leave the INF treaty.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier Tuesday that Putin had approved plans for new missiles.

"During 2019-2020 we have to develop a land-based version of the seaborne Kalibr system equipped with a long range cruise missile which showed good results in Syria," Shoigu told defence officials.

"Over the same period we will also have to create a land-based missile system with a long-range hypersonic missile," he said.

Latvia urges international pact

Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics of Latvia -&nbsp;for which former ruler Russia looms large as a threat - voiced hope that Washington and Moscow would work with other powers on a new agreement.

"I would advocate -&nbsp;even if it is going to take a very long period of time, even if it may be a very, sometimes, complex and disappointing, from time to time, process - it would be good to try to find a way forward on a multilateral arms control agreement in this area," Rinkevics told AFP.

"It needs to be more than the United States and Russia because there are more countries that can produce such weapons than 30 years ago," he said in an interview in Washington, where he is taking part in a 79-member conference Wednesday on the fight against the Islamic State group.

Latvia, like other members of the NATO alliance, has backed the United States which has charged since the administration of former president Barack Obama that Russia is infringing on the INF treaty with the range of its new 9M729 missile system.

But Rinkevics played down the immediate impact of the INF treaty's demise, saying that Russia had already been stepping up military movements since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

He acknowledged that a future pact was unlikely to be as sweeping as the INF treaty. 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday that the United States would outspend Russia on missiles without a fresh international accord after he ditched a landmark Cold War treaty.

President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday that the United States would outspend Russia on missiles without a fresh international accord after he ditched a landmark Cold War treaty. Trump's warning during his annual State of the Union address cemented fears of an emerging arms race, with Russia hours earlier pledging to design new missiles over the next two years. The United States last week started the process of exiting the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, saying that Russia has been violating the pact through a new missile system and ignored repeated complaints. "Under my administration, we will never apologize for advancing America's interests," Trump told US lawmakers assembled in the House chamber. "Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding China and others. Or perhaps we can't - in which case, we will outspend and out-innovate all others by far," Trump said. While pointing the finger at Russia, US officials have voiced concern that the 1987 treaty does not constrain China, whose rapidly growing military relies on medium-range missiles as a core part of its defence strategy. The INF treaty banned all missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,400 miles), a legacy of the end of the Cold War as last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US president Ronald Reagan sought to ease European fears of an arms race that would destroy their cities. Russian President Vladimir Putin - who has sought a warm relationship with Trump but is widely reviled by the US establishment -- responded Saturday by saying Moscow would also leave the INF treaty. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier Tuesday that Putin had approved plans for new missiles. "During 2019-2020 we have to develop a land-based version of the seaborne Kalibr system equipped with a long range cruise missile which showed good results in Syria," Shoigu told defence officials. "Over the same period we will also have to create a land-based missile system with a long-range hypersonic missile," he said. Latvia urges international pact Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics of Latvia - for which former ruler Russia looms large as a threat - voiced hope that Washington and Moscow would work with other powers on a new agreement. "I would advocate - even if it is going to take a very long period of time, even if it may be a very, sometimes, complex and disappointing, from time to time, process - it would be good to try to find a way forward on a multilateral arms control agreement in this area," Rinkevics told AFP. "It needs to be more than the United States and Russia because there are more countries that can produce such weapons than 30 years ago," he said in an interview in Washington, where he is taking part in a 79-member conference Wednesday on the fight against the Islamic State group. Latvia, like other members of the NATO alliance, has backed the United States which has charged since the administration of former president Barack Obama that Russia is infringing on the INF treaty with the range of its new 9M729 missile system. But Rinkevics played down the immediate impact of the INF treaty's demise, saying that Russia had already been stepping up military movements since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea. He acknowledged that a future pact was unlikely to be as sweeping as the INF treaty.

Russia on mind: Will develop long range cruise missile, says Trump

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/us-peace-talks-the-tensions-within-the-taliban-195361">Taliban</a> official said on Wednesday that the United States had promised to withdraw half of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of April during talks last month, RIA news agency reported, more than past estimates of the planned pull-out.

There was no immediate reaction from the Pentagon or the US Department of State to the comments from a member of a Taliban delegation visiting Moscow.

But they came a day after President Donald Trump told Americans his administration had accelerated talks for a political settlement in Afghanistan and would be able to reduce US troops there as negotiations advance to end America’s longest war.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghans-hope-for-peace-but-fear-bloodshed-as-us-taliban-talk-193222">US and Taliban delegations </a>met in Qatar in January and are due to meet again in February.

A US official at last month's meeting said significant progress was made, though more talks were needed on US demands for a Taliban ceasefire before any withdrawal and other issues.

"Yes, the Americans told us (last month) that they would withdraw half of their troops from the beginning of February to the end of April," Abdul Salam Hanafi was quoted as saying by Russian news agency RIA.

Hanafi said Washington and the Taliban had also agreed that all foreign troops would eventually leave and that Afghanistan would never be used as a base for attacks on the United States.

"The timeline (of the withdrawal) will be discussed at future meetings," Hanafi said.

The Taliban militants are in Moscow for talks with Afghan opposition politicians, including former President Hamid Karzai - discussions that the current Afghan government has said is not in the country's best interests.

A US official said in December that Trump was planning to withdraw more than 5,000, or more than a third, of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

A Taliban official said on Wednesday that the United States had promised to withdraw half of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of April during talks last month, RIA news agency reported, more than past estimates of the planned pull-out.

A Taliban official said on Wednesday that the United States had promised to withdraw half of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of April during talks last month, RIA news agency reported, more than past estimates of the planned pull-out. There was no immediate reaction from the Pentagon or the US Department of State to the comments from a member of a Taliban delegation visiting Moscow. But they came a day after President Donald Trump told Americans his administration had accelerated talks for a political settlement in Afghanistan and would be able to reduce US troops there as negotiations advance to end America’s longest war. US and Taliban delegations met in Qatar in January and are due to meet again in February. A US official at last month's meeting said significant progress was made, though more talks were needed on US demands for a Taliban ceasefire before any withdrawal and other issues. "Yes, the Americans told us (last month) that they would withdraw half of their troops from the beginning of February to the end of April," Abdul Salam Hanafi was quoted as saying by Russian news agency RIA. Hanafi said Washington and the Taliban had also agreed that all foreign troops would eventually leave and that Afghanistan would never be used as a base for attacks on the United States. "The timeline (of the withdrawal) will be discussed at future meetings," Hanafi said. The Taliban militants are in Moscow for talks with Afghan opposition politicians, including former President Hamid Karzai - discussions that the current Afghan government has said is not in the country's best interests. A US official said in December that Trump was planning to withdraw more than 5,000, or more than a third, of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

Taliban says US promised to halve its troops in Afghanistan by April: Report

Oil prices edged higher for the first time in three sessions on Wednesday, although concerns over the outlook for the global economy capped gains.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $53.74 per barrel at 0153 GMT, up 8 cents from their last settlement. They closed down 1.7 per cent on Tuesday.

International Brent crude oil futures were at $62.05 per barrel, up 7 cents, after closing down 0.8 per cent in the previous session.

Global economic worries have weighed on market sentiment in recent days, offsetting support from signs that global supplies are tightening.

With a nervous market, traders are focused on the US State of the Union address by President Donald Trump.

"Anything out of the State of the Union that hints at the US-China deal not working out, or more anti-trade rhetoric would be a negative for energy prices as demand would be lower if global growth keeps being downgraded," said Alfonso Esparza senior market analyst, OANDA.

US sanctions on Venezuela have been viewed as supportive for prices by helping tighten global supplies. A flotilla loaded with Venezuelan oil has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, some holding cargoes bought ahead of the latest US sanctions on Venezuela and others whose buyers are weighing who to pay.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, agreed to production cuts effective from last month to beat back supply growth.

However, US crude stocks rose last week even as refineries boosted output, while gasoline and distillate stocks increased, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday.

Crude inventories rose by 2.5 million barrels in the week ended February 1 to 448.2 million, compared with analysts' expectations for an increase of 2.2 million barrels. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 889,000 barrels, API said.

Oil prices edged higher for the first time in three sessions on Wednesday, although concerns over the outlook for the global economy capped gains. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $53.

Oil prices edged higher for the first time in three sessions on Wednesday, although concerns over the outlook for the global economy capped gains. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $53.74 per barrel at 0153 GMT, up 8 cents from their last settlement. They closed down 1.7 per cent on Tuesday. International Brent crude oil futures were at $62.05 per barrel, up 7 cents, after closing down 0.8 per cent in the previous session. Global economic worries have weighed on market sentiment in recent days, offsetting support from signs that global supplies are tightening. With a nervous market, traders are focused on the US State of the Union address by President Donald Trump. "Anything out of the State of the Union that hints at the US-China deal not working out, or more anti-trade rhetoric would be a negative for energy prices as demand would be lower if global growth keeps being downgraded," said Alfonso Esparza senior market analyst, OANDA. US sanctions on Venezuela have been viewed as supportive for prices by helping tighten global supplies. A flotilla loaded with Venezuelan oil has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, some holding cargoes bought ahead of the latest US sanctions on Venezuela and others whose buyers are weighing who to pay. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, agreed to production cuts effective from last month to beat back supply growth. However, US crude stocks rose last week even as refineries boosted output, while gasoline and distillate stocks increased, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday. Crude inventories rose by 2.5 million barrels in the week ended February 1 to 448.2 million, compared with analysts' expectations for an increase of 2.2 million barrels. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 889,000 barrels, API said.

Oil prices edge higher amid  concerns over global economy

Facebook has banned four insurgent groups fighting against Myanmar's military from its social network, the company said on Tuesday, saying it wanted to prevent offline harm by removing groups it branded "dangerous organisations".

The US-based social media giant says it has removed hundreds of accounts, pages and groups for links to Myanmar's military, or misrepresentation, since last August.

The action came after Facebook was criticized for not doing enough to prevent violent and hate-filled content spreading on its platform, which grew hugely popular in Myanmar just as conflicts in the country escalated.

The Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Kachin Independence Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army were banned, Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday, adding it would remove "praise, support and representation" of the groups.

"In an effort to prevent and disrupt offline harm, we do not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or engage in violence to have a presence on Facebook," the company said.

The bans targeted only some of the ethnic minority insurgent groups in Myanmar that have battled for autonomy in conflicts that have raged on and off since shortly after Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948.

The four groups named by Facebook have not signed a government-led ceasefire agreement and have frequently clashed with the armed forces in recent years.

One group, the Kachin Independence Army, is one the strongest of the country's insurgent groups and occupies territory in the north.

Another, the Arakan Army, has been engaged in fighting in the west since December that has displaced more than 5,000. It launched attacks last month that killed 13 Myanmar border police.

ATTACKING CIVILIANS?

Facebook said there was "clear evidence that these organizations have been responsible for attacks against civilians and have engaged in violence in Myanmar, and we want to prevent them from using our services to further inflame tensions on the ground".

Khine Thu Kha, an Arakan Army spokesman based outside Myanmar, said his group "never attacked civilians".

Speaking via a messaging service, he questioned whether Facebook was siding with Myanmar's government rather than "standing on the side of minorities".

Mong Aik Kyaw, a spokesman for the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, confirmed the group's page was down, but declined to comment on Facebook's reasoning.

The removal would restrict the group's ability to "inform the public" about its activities, he said.

The other two groups were not immediately available for comment.

Some accounts related to Myanmar's armed forces were first removed last August after a UN fact-finding mission called for top Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for what it said was a campaign of mass killings and gang rape against the Rohingya Muslim minority carried out with "genocidal intent".

In 2017, the military led a crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents, pushing more than 730,000 Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies.

A Reuters special report in August found that Facebook failed to promptly heed numerous warnings from organizations in Myanmar about social media posts fuelling attacks on minority groups such as the Rohingya.

Facebook has banned four insurgent groups fighting against Myanmar's military from its social network, the company said on Tuesday, saying it wanted to prevent offline harm by removing groups it branded "dangerous organisations".

Facebook has banned four insurgent groups fighting against Myanmar's military from its social network, the company said on Tuesday, saying it wanted to prevent offline harm by removing groups it branded "dangerous organisations". The US-based social media giant says it has removed hundreds of accounts, pages and groups for links to Myanmar's military, or misrepresentation, since last August. The action came after Facebook was criticized for not doing enough to prevent violent and hate-filled content spreading on its platform, which grew hugely popular in Myanmar just as conflicts in the country escalated. The Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Kachin Independence Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army were banned, Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday, adding it would remove "praise, support and representation" of the groups. "In an effort to prevent and disrupt offline harm, we do not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or engage in violence to have a presence on Facebook," the company said. The bans targeted only some of the ethnic minority insurgent groups in Myanmar that have battled for autonomy in conflicts that have raged on and off since shortly after Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948. The four groups named by Facebook have not signed a government-led ceasefire agreement and have frequently clashed with the armed forces in recent years. One group, the Kachin Independence Army, is one the strongest of the country's insurgent groups and occupies territory in the north. Another, the Arakan Army, has been engaged in fighting in the west since December that has displaced more than 5,000. It launched attacks last month that killed 13 Myanmar border police. ATTACKING CIVILIANS? Facebook said there was "clear evidence that these organizations have been responsible for attacks against civilians and have engaged in violence in Myanmar, and we want to prevent them from using our services to further inflame tensions on the ground". Khine Thu Kha, an Arakan Army spokesman based outside Myanmar, said his group "never attacked civilians". Speaking via a messaging service, he questioned whether Facebook was siding with Myanmar's government rather than "standing on the side of minorities". Mong Aik Kyaw, a spokesman for the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, confirmed the group's page was down, but declined to comment on Facebook's reasoning. The removal would restrict the group's ability to "inform the public" about its activities, he said. The other two groups were not immediately available for comment. Some accounts related to Myanmar's armed forces were first removed last August after a UN fact-finding mission called for top Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for what it said was a campaign of mass killings and gang rape against the Rohingya Muslim minority carried out with "genocidal intent". In 2017, the military led a crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents, pushing more than 730,000 Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies. A Reuters special report in August found that Facebook failed to promptly heed numerous warnings from organizations in Myanmar about social media posts fuelling attacks on minority groups such as the Rohingya.

Facebook targets 'dangerous' armed groups in latest Myanmar bans

President Ashraf Ghani is being pushed to the sidelines as the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-taliban-cancel-peace-talks-with-us-citing-agenda-disagreement-189134"> Taliban ignores</a> his overtures for peace and negotiates instead with his friends, and enemies, over the future of Afghanistan.

From Doha to Moscow, the insurgents are meeting an array of envoys with competing interests in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-taliban-reject-talks-with-us-in-pakistan-191358">Afghanistan</a>, from the United States eager to withdraw their troops to political leaders in Kabul jostling for power.

Experts say regional powers — including US foes Iran and Russia — are angling for an audience with the Taliban, who are already outlining their vision for Islamic rule once foreign troops leave.

The elephant in the room is Ghani, whose US-backed administration has not been invited to the table, despite a failed year-long effort to spark a dialogue with the Taliban.

"The sad irony is that Afghanistan's government is in danger of getting written out of the script of its own peace process," analyst Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, told AFP.

Ghani's allies in Washington insist Afghans should lead the peace process, and ostensibly the months-long push by the US to engage the Taliban has been aimed at convincing them to negotiate with the government in Kabul.

Those efforts culminated in an unprecedented six days of talks between the US and the Taliban in Doha in January.

The marathon negotiations ended with both sides touting "progress" — spurring Afghan fears the US could cut a deal with the militants to withdraw its forces before a lasting peace with Kabul is reached.

"It's a major snub because, without the Americans, the government in Kabul cannot survive," said Gilles Dorronsoro, a French researcher specialising in Afghanistan.

A week later, the Taliban agreed to a rare sit-down in Russia with some of Ghani's biggest political rivals.

The talks in Moscow hosted by an Afghan diaspora group in Russia — which are separate from the US negotiations — start Tuesday and would canvass the "end of occupation, enduring peace in homeland and establishment of an intra-Afghan Islamic system of governance", the Taliban said.

Frozen out for a second time, a furious Ghani vowed he would not be an idle spectator as his country's future was debated abroad.

"Even if I have one drop of blood in my body, I am not going to surrender to a temporary peace deal," he railed in a speech Sunday, as details of the Moscow conference broke.

The frustration and sense of betrayal in Kabul is palpable.

Amrullah Saleh, a Ghani ally, accused those Afghan leaders travelling to Moscow for the Taliban talks — including former president Hamid Karzai — of "begging to terrorists".

"A smile to the enemy is a blow to the national spirit," Saleh said.

"We appreciate the efforts, but any peace talks about Afghanistan should be under the umbrella of the Afghan government," Afghanistan's de facto prime minister Abdullah Abdullah said after the Doha talks.

'A new war'

The Taliban, who brutally ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, has always refused to break bread with Ghani and Kabul, who they view as US stooges.

Instead, the insurgents are marching ahead with their diplomatic agenda.&nbsp;

The talks in Moscow would see an "opening of channels to reaching an understanding" with Afghan leaders outside government, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Such a meeting between the Taliban and Afghan politicians — including Karzai, who was appointed by the US — is almost unheard of.

Ghani's rivals could see an opportunity in these various Taliban talks to undermine his leadership, analysts say, ahead of presidential elections slated for July.

The Taliban outreach is also drawing a host of rival powers into its orbit, all keen that any finale to the war suits their strategic ambitions.

Many of these present "a fundamental clash of vision and interests" for Afghanistan, said Davood Moradian, director of the Kabul-based Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies.

The US, Afghanistan, and India seek a stable democracy and a bulwark against terrorism, he said. The Taliban and Pakistan, conversely, seek an Islamic authority in Kabul.

A broader second group of "legitimate stakeholders and opportunistic spoilers" — including regional powers like Russia, China, and Iran — have their eyes keenly on waning US influence in the region, Moradian added.

Dorronsoro said the US-Taliban talks, which continue later this month, were an "acknowledgement of defeat" by Washington of its military campaign in the country that would not be missed by rivals Russia and Iran, who have also engaged with the insurgents.

The departure of US forces — if achieved under a deal with the Taliban — could draw the region into a "new war" for dominance in Afghanistan.

"India, Pakistan, Iran... everyone will choose sides. Today, nothing is clear. Everyone is in the process of positioning themselves," Dorronsoro said.

President Ashraf Ghani is being pushed to the sidelines as the Taliban ignores his overtures for peace and negotiates instead with his friends, and enemies, over the future of Afghanistan.

President Ashraf Ghani is being pushed to the sidelines as the Taliban ignores his overtures for peace and negotiates instead with his friends, and enemies, over the future of Afghanistan. From Doha to Moscow, the insurgents are meeting an array of envoys with competing interests in Afghanistan, from the United States eager to withdraw their troops to political leaders in Kabul jostling for power. Experts say regional powers — including US foes Iran and Russia — are angling for an audience with the Taliban, who are already outlining their vision for Islamic rule once foreign troops leave. The elephant in the room is Ghani, whose US-backed administration has not been invited to the table, despite a failed year-long effort to spark a dialogue with the Taliban. "The sad irony is that Afghanistan's government is in danger of getting written out of the script of its own peace process," analyst Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, told AFP. Ghani's allies in Washington insist Afghans should lead the peace process, and ostensibly the months-long push by the US to engage the Taliban has been aimed at convincing them to negotiate with the government in Kabul. Those efforts culminated in an unprecedented six days of talks between the US and the Taliban in Doha in January. The marathon negotiations ended with both sides touting "progress" — spurring Afghan fears the US could cut a deal with the militants to withdraw its forces before a lasting peace with Kabul is reached. "It's a major snub because, without the Americans, the government in Kabul cannot survive," said Gilles Dorronsoro, a French researcher specialising in Afghanistan. A week later, the Taliban agreed to a rare sit-down in Russia with some of Ghani's biggest political rivals. The talks in Moscow hosted by an Afghan diaspora group in Russia — which are separate from the US negotiations — start Tuesday and would canvass the "end of occupation, enduring peace in homeland and establishment of an intra-Afghan Islamic system of governance", the Taliban said. Frozen out for a second time, a furious Ghani vowed he would not be an idle spectator as his country's future was debated abroad. "Even if I have one drop of blood in my body, I am not going to surrender to a temporary peace deal," he railed in a speech Sunday, as details of the Moscow conference broke. The frustration and sense of betrayal in Kabul is palpable. Amrullah Saleh, a Ghani ally, accused those Afghan leaders travelling to Moscow for the Taliban talks — including former president Hamid Karzai — of "begging to terrorists". "A smile to the enemy is a blow to the national spirit," Saleh said. "We appreciate the efforts, but any peace talks about Afghanistan should be under the umbrella of the Afghan government," Afghanistan's de facto prime minister Abdullah Abdullah said after the Doha talks. 'A new war' The Taliban, who brutally ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, has always refused to break bread with Ghani and Kabul, who they view as US stooges. Instead, the insurgents are marching ahead with their diplomatic agenda. The talks in Moscow would see an "opening of channels to reaching an understanding" with Afghan leaders outside government, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Such a meeting between the Taliban and Afghan politicians — including Karzai, who was appointed by the US — is almost unheard of. Ghani's rivals could see an opportunity in these various Taliban talks to undermine his leadership, analysts say, ahead of presidential elections slated for July. The Taliban outreach is also drawing a host of rival powers into its orbit, all keen that any finale to the war suits their strategic ambitions. Many of these present "a fundamental clash of vision and interests" for Afghanistan, said Davood Moradian, director of the Kabul-based Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies. The US, Afghanistan, and India seek a stable democracy and a bulwark against terrorism, he said. The Taliban and Pakistan, conversely, seek an Islamic authority in Kabul. A broader second group of "legitimate stakeholders and opportunistic spoilers" — including regional powers like Russia, China, and Iran — have their eyes keenly on waning US influence in the region, Moradian added. Dorronsoro said the US-Taliban talks, which continue later this month, were an "acknowledgement of defeat" by Washington of its military campaign in the country that would not be missed by rivals Russia and Iran, who have also engaged with the insurgents. The departure of US forces — if achieved under a deal with the Taliban — could draw the region into a "new war" for dominance in Afghanistan. "India, Pakistan, Iran... everyone will choose sides. Today, nothing is clear. Everyone is in the process of positioning themselves," Dorronsoro said.

Taliban takes centre stage as Kabul cut out of peace talks

There is still time to find a solution to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-brexit-minister-no-deal-eu-exit-far-more-likely-if-parliament-rejects-pm-mays-deal-188021">Britain's exit from the EU</a>, German Chancellor<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-pm-voices-hope-britain-can-avoid-no-deal-brexit-189485"> Angela Merkel </a>said Tuesday, voicing optimism on a political deal over the tricky "backstop" that has stymied progress.

Speaking to Japanese and German business leaders in Tokyo, Merkel stressed that "on the one hand, time is pressing" and businesses using "just-in-time" delivery processes could not afford lengthy customs procedures.

However, she added, "From a political point of view, there is still time. Two months is not a long time but there is still time, and this should be used by all sides."

Britain is poised to leave the EU at the end of March following a 2016 referendum.

Merkel acknowledged the issue of the unpopular Northern Ireland backstop provision was "complicating"<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/why-a-no-deal-brexit-would-be-less-costly-for-the-eu-than-the-uk-192654"> Brexit </a>talks.

The backstop is intended to ensure there is no return to a hard border with Ireland, but Brexit supporters fear it will keep Britain tied to EU customs rules.

She said the issue with the backstop was a "problem that is precisely defined and therefore one should be able to find a precisely defined solution".

"But this solution depends on the question of what the future relationship between Britain and the EU will be like and what type of trade deal we sign with each other," added the chancellor.

Throwing the ball into London's court, she stressed, "It will be very important for us to know what exactly the British side sees as its future relationship with the EU."

After meeting Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe Monday, she urged "creativity" and "goodwill" to find a solution.&nbsp;

However, she was clear that any solution could only come via the political declaration attached to the withdrawal agreement — rather than re-opening talks on the actual exit deal.

There are concerns in London that any tweaks to the political declaration will not be legally binding.

Her Monday comments were seen as conciliatory and boosted the pound as British Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to engage in further talks with EU officials to break the Brexit deadlock as the exit date approaches.

A top EU official, however, sounded the alarm bell after talks with British MPs.

Martin Selmayr, the right-hand man of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said the meeting had confirmed the view that the EU was right to start in December 2017 preparations for a "no-deal" Brexit.

Merkel said relations between Britain and the EU bloc were currently strong and would remain that way.&nbsp;

"Over the last two years during which we have been dealing with Britain's exit, we have worked more closely together than during several years when Britain was a member of the European Union," she quipped to laughter. 
&nbsp;

There is still time to find a solution to Britain's exit from the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, voicing optimism on a political deal over the tricky "backstop" that has stymied progress.

There is still time to find a solution to Britain's exit from the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, voicing optimism on a political deal over the tricky "backstop" that has stymied progress. Speaking to Japanese and German business leaders in Tokyo, Merkel stressed that "on the one hand, time is pressing" and businesses using "just-in-time" delivery processes could not afford lengthy customs procedures. However, she added, "From a political point of view, there is still time. Two months is not a long time but there is still time, and this should be used by all sides." Britain is poised to leave the EU at the end of March following a 2016 referendum. Merkel acknowledged the issue of the unpopular Northern Ireland backstop provision was "complicating" Brexit talks. The backstop is intended to ensure there is no return to a hard border with Ireland, but Brexit supporters fear it will keep Britain tied to EU customs rules. She said the issue with the backstop was a "problem that is precisely defined and therefore one should be able to find a precisely defined solution". "But this solution depends on the question of what the future relationship between Britain and the EU will be like and what type of trade deal we sign with each other," added the chancellor. Throwing the ball into London's court, she stressed, "It will be very important for us to know what exactly the British side sees as its future relationship with the EU." After meeting Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe Monday, she urged "creativity" and "goodwill" to find a solution. However, she was clear that any solution could only come via the political declaration attached to the withdrawal agreement — rather than re-opening talks on the actual exit deal. There are concerns in London that any tweaks to the political declaration will not be legally binding. Her Monday comments were seen as conciliatory and boosted the pound as British Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to engage in further talks with EU officials to break the Brexit deadlock as the exit date approaches. A top EU official, however, sounded the alarm bell after talks with British MPs. Martin Selmayr, the right-hand man of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said the meeting had confirmed the view that the EU was right to start in December 2017 preparations for a "no-deal" Brexit. Merkel said relations between Britain and the EU bloc were currently strong and would remain that way. "Over the last two years during which we have been dealing with Britain's exit, we have worked more closely together than during several years when Britain was a member of the European Union," she quipped to laughter.

Germany's Merkel says 'still time' to find Brexit solution

The United States risks providing Afghanistan with state-of-the-art Black Hawk helicopters that the country's embattled air force does not have the pilots to fly nor the engineers to maintain, a US&nbsp;watchdog said on Tuesday.

The warning, by the US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), comes amid widespread fears that the Afghan military will struggle to cope with a looming pullout of allied foreign troops after more than 17 years of conflict.

Talks between US&nbsp;envoys and Taliban negotiators due to resume in Qatar on Feb. 25 are likely to centre on the withdrawal of thousands of US-led NATO forces and a ceasefire to end America's longest war.

The US&nbsp;military has provided the first 16 of a scheduled 159 UH-60 Black Hawks to the Afghan air force and its special forces, a move the watchdog says raises concerns about the country's ability to absorb the rest by 2023.

It calls for efforts to improve pilot training timetables and English-language skills, as well as build a teaching programme for Afghan maintenance crews to replace foreign contractors.

"Given concerns that the Afghan air force and special mission wing may not be able to fully use all 159 aircraft when delivered, the Department of Defence runs the risk of wasting US&nbsp;taxpayer dollars to purchase aircraft the AAF and SMW cannot fly or maintain," SIGAR said.

It urged that the training and maintenance be linked to the pace of deliveries so that Black Hawks "will not sit idle in Afghanistan without enough pilots to fly them".

Even reduced targets of US-led training for 320 pilots may not be met, the watchdog added, with a class attrition rate of 26 per cent.

The Black Hawks are intended to replace a fleet of ageing Soviet-era helicopters that now serve as workhorses for the Afghan air force, which is battling Taliban militants who have stepped up attacks over the last two years.

The hardline Islamist movement now controls or contests districts across nearly half of Afghanistan.

In December last year, Reuters reported that Afghanistan's fleet of 47 M-17s was under pressure from a deadly mix of hard use and poor maintenance.

As the pace of operations against Taliban and Islamic State insurgents has risen, crews said they faced pressure to take shortcuts with maintenance, an issue U.S. military advisers saw as a major concern for the fledgling Afghan air force they were trying to build up, the Reuters report said.

SIGAR said the US&nbsp;military "acknowledged that the UH-60 has performance limitations when compared with the MI-17, which can fly higher and carry more passengers".

Most missions flown by the Afghan air force did not need the additional capability provided by the Mi-17, the watchdog, quoting the US&nbsp;military.

The United States risks providing Afghanistan with state-of-the-art Black Hawk helicopters that the country's embattled air force does not have the pilots to fly nor the engineers to maintain, a US watchdog said on Tuesday.

The United States risks providing Afghanistan with state-of-the-art Black Hawk helicopters that the country's embattled air force does not have the pilots to fly nor the engineers to maintain, a US watchdog said on Tuesday. The warning, by the US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), comes amid widespread fears that the Afghan military will struggle to cope with a looming pullout of allied foreign troops after more than 17 years of conflict. Talks between US envoys and Taliban negotiators due to resume in Qatar on Feb. 25 are likely to centre on the withdrawal of thousands of US-led NATO forces and a ceasefire to end America's longest war. The US military has provided the first 16 of a scheduled 159 UH-60 Black Hawks to the Afghan air force and its special forces, a move the watchdog says raises concerns about the country's ability to absorb the rest by 2023. It calls for efforts to improve pilot training timetables and English-language skills, as well as build a teaching programme for Afghan maintenance crews to replace foreign contractors. "Given concerns that the Afghan air force and special mission wing may not be able to fully use all 159 aircraft when delivered, the Department of Defence runs the risk of wasting US taxpayer dollars to purchase aircraft the AAF and SMW cannot fly or maintain," SIGAR said. It urged that the training and maintenance be linked to the pace of deliveries so that Black Hawks "will not sit idle in Afghanistan without enough pilots to fly them". Even reduced targets of US-led training for 320 pilots may not be met, the watchdog added, with a class attrition rate of 26 per cent. The Black Hawks are intended to replace a fleet of ageing Soviet-era helicopters that now serve as workhorses for the Afghan air force, which is battling Taliban militants who have stepped up attacks over the last two years. The hardline Islamist movement now controls or contests districts across nearly half of Afghanistan. In December last year, Reuters reported that Afghanistan's fleet of 47 M-17s was under pressure from a deadly mix of hard use and poor maintenance. As the pace of operations against Taliban and Islamic State insurgents has risen, crews said they faced pressure to take shortcuts with maintenance, an issue U.S. military advisers saw as a major concern for the fledgling Afghan air force they were trying to build up, the Reuters report said. SIGAR said the US military "acknowledged that the UH-60 has performance limitations when compared with the MI-17, which can fly higher and carry more passengers". Most missions flown by the Afghan air force did not need the additional capability provided by the Mi-17, the watchdog, quoting the US military.

Afghanistan lacks pilots, engineers to handle Black Hawk helicopters, US watchdog warns

A 60-year-old Indian man has pleaded guilty for his role in a complex, transnational conspiracy to smuggle individuals from India to the US for profit, which claimed at least one life and endangered many others, the US Justice Department said. 
&nbsp; 
Yadvinder Singh Bhamba pleaded guilty last month to one count of conspiracy and 15 counts of smuggling aliens to the United States for profit before US Magistrate Judge Sivia Carreno-Coll of the District of Puerto Rico.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April. 
&nbsp; 
According to admissions in Bhamba's plea agreement, since 2013, Bhamba had a leadership role in a human smuggling conspiracy operating out of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, India and elsewhere.&nbsp;

As part of the conspiracy, Bhamba personally assisted around 400 people to unlawfully enter the United States between 2013 and 2015.

He also oversaw and directed co-conspirators operating out of the Caribbean, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said. 
&nbsp; 
Individuals paid between US$ 30,000 and US$ 85,000 to be smuggled from India to the United States and from at least 2013 to 2016, human smuggling was Bhamba's primary source of income, the Department said.&nbsp;

Bhamba was arrested in the Dominican Republic in August 2017 and later transferred to Puerto Rico.&nbsp;

Bhamba and other members of the conspiracy made flight arrangements for people to travel from India through other countries including Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran, Panama, Venezuela, Belize, and Haiti to the Dominican Republic, which was used as a staging area, where aliens were housed before being transported to the United States.&nbsp;

The organisation brought groups of aliens from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico or Florida by boat and from there they were picked up by co-conspirators and taken to stash houses until flights could be arranged to California, New York, or elsewhere in the United States.

&nbsp;Bhamba and others arranged for fraudulent identifications for some aliens to use in the United States.&nbsp;

The Justice Department said that the boat trips organised by Bhamba and his co-conspirators were perilous. Boat captains used old, damaged, cracked, unlicensed, overcrowded, and unsafe boats to make the journey.&nbsp;

In at least one instance, a person died in a boat on his way to the United States.&nbsp;

At times, the smugglers would take passports from the aliens during their journeys, physically assault them, and threaten their families to collect money.&nbsp;

Bhamba used fraudulent Indian, Dominican, and Jamaican identifications for travel and financial transactions related to the conspiracy.&nbsp;

In some instances, he created and provided false employment documents on behalf of the aliens to authorities to obtain foreign visas.

Bhamba also instructed aliens travelling through foreign airports how to find, and in some instances, pay cash to, corrupt immigration officials, passport control officers, or airport employees in order to bypass regular immigration and passport control procedures. 
&nbsp;

A 60-year-old Indian man has pleaded guilty for his role in a complex, transnational conspiracy to smuggle individuals from India to the US for profit, which claimed at least one life and endangered many others, the US Justice Department said.

A 60-year-old Indian man has pleaded guilty for his role in a complex, transnational conspiracy to smuggle individuals from India to the US for profit, which claimed at least one life and endangered many others, the US Justice Department said. Yadvinder Singh Bhamba pleaded guilty last month to one count of conspiracy and 15 counts of smuggling aliens to the United States for profit before US Magistrate Judge Sivia Carreno-Coll of the District of Puerto Rico. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April. According to admissions in Bhamba's plea agreement, since 2013, Bhamba had a leadership role in a human smuggling conspiracy operating out of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, India and elsewhere. As part of the conspiracy, Bhamba personally assisted around 400 people to unlawfully enter the United States between 2013 and 2015. He also oversaw and directed co-conspirators operating out of the Caribbean, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said. Individuals paid between US$ 30,000 and US$ 85,000 to be smuggled from India to the United States and from at least 2013 to 2016, human smuggling was Bhamba's primary source of income, the Department said. Bhamba was arrested in the Dominican Republic in August 2017 and later transferred to Puerto Rico. Bhamba and other members of the conspiracy made flight arrangements for people to travel from India through other countries including Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran, Panama, Venezuela, Belize, and Haiti to the Dominican Republic, which was used as a staging area, where aliens were housed before being transported to the United States. The organisation brought groups of aliens from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico or Florida by boat and from there they were picked up by co-conspirators and taken to stash houses until flights could be arranged to California, New York, or elsewhere in the United States. Bhamba and others arranged for fraudulent identifications for some aliens to use in the United States. The Justice Department said that the boat trips organised by Bhamba and his co-conspirators were perilous. Boat captains used old, damaged, cracked, unlicensed, overcrowded, and unsafe boats to make the journey. In at least one instance, a person died in a boat on his way to the United States. At times, the smugglers would take passports from the aliens during their journeys, physically assault them, and threaten their families to collect money. Bhamba used fraudulent Indian, Dominican, and Jamaican identifications for travel and financial transactions related to the conspiracy. In some instances, he created and provided false employment documents on behalf of the aliens to authorities to obtain foreign visas. Bhamba also instructed aliens travelling through foreign airports how to find, and in some instances, pay cash to, corrupt immigration officials, passport control officers, or airport employees in order to bypass regular immigration and passport control procedures.

Indian national pleads guilty to transnational human smuggling conspiracy in US

The week that was, in pictures

Warren Ragudo died after two Taser shocks by police intervening in a family altercation. Ramzi Saad died after a Taser shock by police during a dispute between Saad and his mother. Chinedu Okobi died after police used a Taser to subdue him in a confrontation they blamed on his refusal to stop walking in traffic.

All three were unarmed. All three had histories of mental illness. And all three died last year in a single northern California county, San Mateo.

They were among at least 49 people who died in 2018 after being shocked by police with a Taser, a similar number as in the previous two years, according to a Reuters review of police records, news reports and court documents.

The deaths typically draw little public scrutiny – no government agency tracks how often Tasers are used or how many of those deployments prove fatal, and coroners and medical examiners use varying standards to assess a Taser's role in the death. But some communities now are considering more restrictive Taser policies following allegations that the weapons were used excessively or deployed against people with physical or mental conditions that put them at higher risk of death or injury.

Reuters has contacted 14 police departments, counties and cities that saw a Taser-related death or other serious Taser-related incidents in 2018. Of those, five are reviewing their Taser policies; three had conducted reviews and made no changes, and five declined to comment because investigations into the incidents were still ongoing.

Reuters now has documented a total of at least 1,081 US deaths following the use of Tasers, almost all since the weapons began coming into widespread use in the early 2000s. In many of those cases, the Taser, which fires a pair of barbed darts that deliver a paralyzing electrical charge, was combined with other force, such as hand strikes or restraint holds.

Following the three San Mateo deaths, all within nine months, the county board of supervisors and the district attorney launched ongoing reviews of the use and safety of Tasers, which were touted by police and the weapon’s manufacturer as a near-perfect, “non-lethal” weapon when they began coming into widespread use more than a decade ago.

There is a need to reevaluate “the proper role for Tasers and how and when they are engaged,” Dave Pine, a member of the Board of Supervisors told Reuters. Until then, “I personally think it would be appropriate to have a moratorium on their use.”

Most independent researchers who have studied Tasers say deaths are rare when they are used properly, but in a series of reports in 2017, Reuters found that many police officers are not trained properly on the risks and weapons are often misused.

Reuters was able to obtain cause-of-death data for 779 of the 1,081 deaths it has documented and the Taser has deemed a cause or contributing factor in 21 per cent of those.

Axon Enterprise Inc, the Taser’s manufacturer, says most deaths involving the weapons are a result of drug use, underlying physiological conditions, such as heart problems, or other police force used along with the Taser.

Axon argues that most cause-of-death rulings implicating its weapons are misinformed and said in an email that Tasers albeit "not risk-free" are "the safest and effective less-lethal use of force tool available to law enforcement.”

RECOGNIZING THE RISKS

Reuters reporting, which included the most complete accounting to date of fatalities following Taser shocks, showed that many cases involved high-risk subjects, such as people agitated by drugs or mental illness, people with heart problems, people who are very young or very old or very frail.

At least half those who died after Taser shocks last year fell into one or more of those categories. As in previous years, about 90 per cent were unarmed and nearly a quarter had a history of mental illness.

As police departments have become more aware of Tasers’ risks and limitations, a growing number have restricted their use, says Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) think tank. Still, many officers remain unaware of the hazards when they encounter those vulnerable to a Taser's shock, Wexler warns.

“That’s a big problem.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, one of the nation’s largest police forces, drafted a new Taser policy last year that would put new restrictions on the weapons' deployment, according to an official familiar with the initiative. The policy awaits final approval from the department’s new leadership, which took over after November’s elections.

In Cincinnati, the police department is reviewing its Taser policy after an 11-year-old girl was shocked last year, said Lt. Steve Saunders, a spokesman. In Chula Vista, California, an automatic review is underway following the death of Jason Watts, 29, who died in October after police shocked him in a confrontation at a store, spokesman Capt. Phil Collum said.

Public discourse over Tasers’ safety has been especially heated in San Francisco, where the Board of Supervisors voted in June to block funding for the police department’s long-debated plan to purchase the weapons.

Nationally, there are no uniform standards governing police use of Tasers, although PERF and the International Association of Chiefs of Police offer model guidelines that warn against using Tasers on vulnerable populations and limit the number and duration of shocks during deployment.

Axon said it offers police departments “the latest public-safety best practices and training” for Taser use, including warnings about vulnerable populations. The company also offers “de-escalation training” to help officers resolve conflicts without Tasers, as well as “empathy training for special populations, including the mentally ill.”

CONCERNS IN SAN MATEO

In San Mateo, the county coroner ruled the death of Ramzi Saad a homicide: "cardiac arrest occurring during physical exertion, physical restraint and tasering."

Police visited the Redwood City home where Saad, 55, lived with his mother on Aug. 13 after a neighbour witnessed him shoving his mother during an argument and called 911.

Saad, who suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, diabetes, and high blood pressure, was shocked with a Taser at least twice after threatening an officer, then lost consciousness as he was pinned to the ground by other police, investigators later found. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Stephen Wagstaffe, the county’s district attorney, found the officers’ response justified, but the second death in 2018 after a Taser shock made local officials take notice.

Two months later, the questions about Taser use grew more urgent: Chinedu Okobi, 36, died on October 3 after being shocked by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Millbrae.

The deaths have raised major concerns, Wagstaffe told Reuters. He said he has directed staff “to come up with as much information as possible on Taser-related deaths." The results of the fact-gathering exercise will go to the sheriff and the county’s 15 municipal police chiefs “to help them in their judgment on the future use of Tasers,” Wagstaffe said.

The district attorney is conducting a separate, formal investigation into whether the deputies who confronted Okobi before his death committed any crimes. That inquiry should be completed by the end of the month and will be made public, Wagstaffe told Reuters.

While Pine favours a moratorium on Taser use during the review, several municipal police chiefs told Reuters they preferred to wait for Wagstaffe’s Okobi investigation before deciding whether to alter policies. The sheriff’s department, which operates countywide, is against a moratorium. Carlos Bolanos, the San Mateo County Sheriff, said he was awaiting results of Wagstaffe's report into Okobi's death before his department conducts its own internal review into the death.

Meanwhile, Okobi’s death has become a flashpoint in the county’s debate over Taser use. The sheriff's department and Okobi's sister Ebele, a Facebook executive, have offered conflicting accounts about the events surrounding Okobi's death. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public meeting on February 11 to discuss law enforcement's Taser use. Presenters will include officials from Axon, the county sheriff's office, the American Civil Liberties Union and Dr Zian Tseng, a cardiologist, Pine said.

Warren Ragudo died after two Taser shocks by police intervening in a family altercation. Ramzi Saad died after a Taser shock by police during a dispute between Saad and his mother.

Warren Ragudo died after two Taser shocks by police intervening in a family altercation. Ramzi Saad died after a Taser shock by police during a dispute between Saad and his mother. Chinedu Okobi died after police used a Taser to subdue him in a confrontation they blamed on his refusal to stop walking in traffic. All three were unarmed. All three had histories of mental illness. And all three died last year in a single northern California county, San Mateo. They were among at least 49 people who died in 2018 after being shocked by police with a Taser, a similar number as in the previous two years, according to a Reuters review of police records, news reports and court documents. The deaths typically draw little public scrutiny – no government agency tracks how often Tasers are used or how many of those deployments prove fatal, and coroners and medical examiners use varying standards to assess a Taser's role in the death. But some communities now are considering more restrictive Taser policies following allegations that the weapons were used excessively or deployed against people with physical or mental conditions that put them at higher risk of death or injury. Reuters has contacted 14 police departments, counties and cities that saw a Taser-related death or other serious Taser-related incidents in 2018. Of those, five are reviewing their Taser policies; three had conducted reviews and made no changes, and five declined to comment because investigations into the incidents were still ongoing. Reuters now has documented a total of at least 1,081 US deaths following the use of Tasers, almost all since the weapons began coming into widespread use in the early 2000s. In many of those cases, the Taser, which fires a pair of barbed darts that deliver a paralyzing electrical charge, was combined with other force, such as hand strikes or restraint holds. Following the three San Mateo deaths, all within nine months, the county board of supervisors and the district attorney launched ongoing reviews of the use and safety of Tasers, which were touted by police and the weapon’s manufacturer as a near-perfect, “non-lethal” weapon when they began coming into widespread use more than a decade ago. There is a need to reevaluate “the proper role for Tasers and how and when they are engaged,” Dave Pine, a member of the Board of Supervisors told Reuters. Until then, “I personally think it would be appropriate to have a moratorium on their use.” Most independent researchers who have studied Tasers say deaths are rare when they are used properly, but in a series of reports in 2017, Reuters found that many police officers are not trained properly on the risks and weapons are often misused. Reuters was able to obtain cause-of-death data for 779 of the 1,081 deaths it has documented and the Taser has deemed a cause or contributing factor in 21 per cent of those. Axon Enterprise Inc, the Taser’s manufacturer, says most deaths involving the weapons are a result of drug use, underlying physiological conditions, such as heart problems, or other police force used along with the Taser. Axon argues that most cause-of-death rulings implicating its weapons are misinformed and said in an email that Tasers albeit "not risk-free" are "the safest and effective less-lethal use of force tool available to law enforcement.” RECOGNIZING THE RISKS Reuters reporting, which included the most complete accounting to date of fatalities following Taser shocks, showed that many cases involved high-risk subjects, such as people agitated by drugs or mental illness, people with heart problems, people who are very young or very old or very frail. At least half those who died after Taser shocks last year fell into one or more of those categories. As in previous years, about 90 per cent were unarmed and nearly a quarter had a history of mental illness. As police departments have become more aware of Tasers’ risks and limitations, a growing number have restricted their use, says Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) think tank. Still, many officers remain unaware of the hazards when they encounter those vulnerable to a Taser's shock, Wexler warns. “That’s a big problem.” The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, one of the nation’s largest police forces, drafted a new Taser policy last year that would put new restrictions on the weapons' deployment, according to an official familiar with the initiative. The policy awaits final approval from the department’s new leadership, which took over after November’s elections. In Cincinnati, the police department is reviewing its Taser policy after an 11-year-old girl was shocked last year, said Lt. Steve Saunders, a spokesman. In Chula Vista, California, an automatic review is underway following the death of Jason Watts, 29, who died in October after police shocked him in a confrontation at a store, spokesman Capt. Phil Collum said. Public discourse over Tasers’ safety has been especially heated in San Francisco, where the Board of Supervisors voted in June to block funding for the police department’s long-debated plan to purchase the weapons. Nationally, there are no uniform standards governing police use of Tasers, although PERF and the International Association of Chiefs of Police offer model guidelines that warn against using Tasers on vulnerable populations and limit the number and duration of shocks during deployment. Axon said it offers police departments “the latest public-safety best practices and training” for Taser use, including warnings about vulnerable populations. The company also offers “de-escalation training” to help officers resolve conflicts without Tasers, as well as “empathy training for special populations, including the mentally ill.” CONCERNS IN SAN MATEO In San Mateo, the county coroner ruled the death of Ramzi Saad a homicide: "cardiac arrest occurring during physical exertion, physical restraint and tasering." Police visited the Redwood City home where Saad, 55, lived with his mother on Aug. 13 after a neighbour witnessed him shoving his mother during an argument and called 911. Saad, who suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, diabetes, and high blood pressure, was shocked with a Taser at least twice after threatening an officer, then lost consciousness as he was pinned to the ground by other police, investigators later found. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Stephen Wagstaffe, the county’s district attorney, found the officers’ response justified, but the second death in 2018 after a Taser shock made local officials take notice. Two months later, the questions about Taser use grew more urgent: Chinedu Okobi, 36, died on October 3 after being shocked by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Millbrae. The deaths have raised major concerns, Wagstaffe told Reuters. He said he has directed staff “to come up with as much information as possible on Taser-related deaths." The results of the fact-gathering exercise will go to the sheriff and the county’s 15 municipal police chiefs “to help them in their judgment on the future use of Tasers,” Wagstaffe said. The district attorney is conducting a separate, formal investigation into whether the deputies who confronted Okobi before his death committed any crimes. That inquiry should be completed by the end of the month and will be made public, Wagstaffe told Reuters. While Pine favours a moratorium on Taser use during the review, several municipal police chiefs told Reuters they preferred to wait for Wagstaffe’s Okobi investigation before deciding whether to alter policies. The sheriff’s department, which operates countywide, is against a moratorium. Carlos Bolanos, the San Mateo County Sheriff, said he was awaiting results of Wagstaffe's report into Okobi's death before his department conducts its own internal review into the death. Meanwhile, Okobi’s death has become a flashpoint in the county’s debate over Taser use. The sheriff's department and Okobi's sister Ebele, a Facebook executive, have offered conflicting accounts about the events surrounding Okobi's death. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public meeting on February 11 to discuss law enforcement's Taser use. Presenters will include officials from Axon, the county sheriff's office, the American Civil Liberties Union and Dr Zian Tseng, a cardiologist, Pine said.

As death toll keeps rising, US communities start rethinking Taser use

A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch, and Hazara from Pakistan met Congressman Rob Wittman and apprised him about the alleged acts of ethnic prejudice and persecution by the government agencies against the members of minority communities.

The Virginia Congressman reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the delegation that he would continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, a media release by the Congressman said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The group, led by the Voice of Karachi and South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation chairman Nadeem Nusrat, briefed Wittman about the alleged human rights violation, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, physical torture and arbitrary arrests against the minority communities.

Nusrat pointed out the devastating economic and social impact of a highly discriminatory quota system in urban Sindh that has forced the majority urban population out of government jobs and admissions in public educational institutions since the 1970s.

"You could find people of Lahore and Rawalpindi and other cities in their local police. But you'd hardly find the citizens of Karachi, Hyderabad, and Mirpurkhas in the local police of the cities and the other law enforcement agencies," Nusrat alleged.

"Persistent and organised rigging in a census and electoral constituencies have left the urban population disenfranchised. The urban majority is ruled by a fake rural population that treats urban areas as its colonies," he said.

Nusrat also shared with the Congressman details of Greater Karachi plans that the Voice of Karachi recently presented in its media briefing in the US capital.

Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara representatives also shared the details of human rights violations in their respective regions with Congressman Wittman.&nbsp;

Participants of the meeting also handed over documents describing details of security forces' brutalities against various ethnic and religious groups in Pakistan, a media release said.

Wittman, who has served at many important Congressional committees, reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the participants of the meeting that he will continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, the media release said.&nbsp;

A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch, and Hazara from Pakistan met Congressman Rob Wittman and apprised him about the alleged acts of ethnic prejudice and persecution by the government agencies against the members of minority communities.

A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch, and Hazara from Pakistan met Congressman Rob Wittman and apprised him about the alleged acts of ethnic prejudice and persecution by the government agencies against the members of minority communities. The Virginia Congressman reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the delegation that he would continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, a media release by the Congressman said on Sunday. The group, led by the Voice of Karachi and South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation chairman Nadeem Nusrat, briefed Wittman about the alleged human rights violation, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, physical torture and arbitrary arrests against the minority communities. Nusrat pointed out the devastating economic and social impact of a highly discriminatory quota system in urban Sindh that has forced the majority urban population out of government jobs and admissions in public educational institutions since the 1970s. "You could find people of Lahore and Rawalpindi and other cities in their local police. But you'd hardly find the citizens of Karachi, Hyderabad, and Mirpurkhas in the local police of the cities and the other law enforcement agencies," Nusrat alleged. "Persistent and organised rigging in a census and electoral constituencies have left the urban population disenfranchised. The urban majority is ruled by a fake rural population that treats urban areas as its colonies," he said. Nusrat also shared with the Congressman details of Greater Karachi plans that the Voice of Karachi recently presented in its media briefing in the US capital. Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara representatives also shared the details of human rights violations in their respective regions with Congressman Wittman. Participants of the meeting also handed over documents describing details of security forces' brutalities against various ethnic and religious groups in Pakistan, a media release said. Wittman, who has served at many important Congressional committees, reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the participants of the meeting that he will continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, the media release said.

Pakistan minority groups brief US Congressman over human rights abuses

us-1

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

us 1