Thursday, 31 January 2019
The News,World
Washington: The government of President Ashraf Ghani is steadily losing its grip over parts of Afghanistan even as American forces intensify their air campaign against insurgent groups, a US government watchdog said Thursday.The latest grim assessment of Afghanistan’s security situation comes as the US pursues talks with the Taliban and urgently seeks a way out of the 17-year war.Numbers provided by Resolute Support, the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan, show that as of October 31, only 63.5 percent of Afghans are living in areas controlled or influenced by the Kabul government -- down from 65.2 percent the previous quarter.According to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which compiled the data, the decrease came as Kabul’s control or influence over Afghan districts dropped.SIGAR said just 53.8 percent of Afghanistan’s 407 districts are in government hands, and experts on Afghanistan say the number is lower still.Instead of looking at population metrics, the Pentagon in a response to SIGAR said it is more important to "focus on the principal goal of the strategy of concluding the war in Afghanistan on terms favorable to Afghanistan and the United States."Officials pointed to ongoing talks between the Taliban and US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who this week said he had sealed the outlines of a peace deal.- Unsustainable losses -Highlighting the ongoing security crisis, SIGAR said the US has dramatically increased air strikes, dropping 6,823 bombs in the first 11 months of 2018.The "figure was already 56 percent higher than the total number of munitions released in 2017 (4,361), and is more than five times the total in 2016," SIGAR said in its report.Meanwhile, the strength of Afghan security forces has continued to dwindle, and currently stands at 308,693 personnel. That means only 87.7 percent of positions are filled, the lowest level since January 2015.Afghan forces have suffered staggering losses since they assumed responsibility for their country’s security four years ago.President Ashraf Ghani last week said 45,000 security forces have been killed since he took office in September 2014.NATO combat forces pulled out at the end of that year, and observers say the losses may not be sustainable.- Surrender? -Officials say President Donald Trump has decided to pull half of America’s forces from Afghanistan. The Pentagon insisted the numbers in SIGAR’s report do not necessarily reflect poorly on his strategy to find an end to the conflict."Measures of population control are not indicative of effectiveness of the South Asia strategy or of progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan," the Pentagon said, according to SIGAR.Khalilzad has provided few specifics about a potential deal with the Taliban, but the militants are believed to have promised not to provide shelter again to foreign extremists.However, the Taliban have so far refused another key US demand -- that they talk to the internationally recognized government in Kabul, which the insurgents view as American "puppets."Ghani has warned against rushing into a deal, citing violence following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Tuesday that he saw "some very encouraging possibilities" in Khalilzad’s negotiations."But we need to give them time and space," Shanahan said.Ryan Crocker, a former US ambassador to multiple nations including Afghanistan, said in an opinion piece in The Washington Post that US negotiations with the Taliban are akin to "surrender.""The Taliban will offer any number of commitments, knowing that when we are gone and the Taliban is back, we will have no means of enforcing any of them," Crocker wrote.
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2FZH55N
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2FZH55N
The News,World
OTTAWA: The daughters of Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi, whose blasphemy case spotlighted religious extremism in her country, are now in Canada, a source close to the case said Wednesday.Unconfirmed Pakistani reports earlier claimed the children had already fled to Canada, and speculation was rampant that she would seek asylum in North America or Europe.Canadian officials reached by AFP would not confirm the source’s information.Bibi, a laborer from central Punjab province, was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and was on death row until her acquittal last year which prompted days of violent demonstrations.Under a deal with protesters to end the violence, the government allowed a petition demanding an appeal against the acquittal.But Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Tuesday threw out the petition, lifting the last legal hurdle in the case and paving the way for her to leave the country.After the ruling, Bibi’s lawyer Saif-ul-Mulook hinted that his client’s move could be imminent."I think at this time she is here (in Pakistan) -- but by tonight, I don’t know," he told reporters outside the court.Extremists "said they would kill her despite the judgment of the Supreme Court," he said. "Therefore, I think she should leave the country."But the call by religious hardliners for protests fell flat on Wednesday, when fewer than 30 demonstrated in two cities.Bibi has been in protective custody and the government of Pakistan refused to reveal her whereabouts for fear of her being targeted by vigilantes.In a statement, Canada’s foreign ministry said Bibi’s case "is a priority for our government, and we are focused on ensuring the safety of her and her family."It added that "we are working with like-minded friends and allies on this issue. Canada is prepared to do everything we can to ensure the safety of Asia Bibi."In November Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa was holding talks with Pakistan about bringing her to Canada, which he said is "a welcoming country."
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2Sej0hA
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2Sej0hA
The News,World
CHICAGO: Bitter cold with temperatures lower than Antarctica gripped the American Midwest on Wednesday, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising frostbite and hypothermia fears for homeless residents.Mail deliveries were suspended and people encouraged to stay home in nearly a dozen US states where the mercury plunged into the negative double digits, the worst freeze to grip the region in a generation.US media have attributed at least five deaths since the weekend to the freezing conditions and a major snowstorm that preceded the blast of Arctic air currently gripping the region. In Chicago, blocks of ice floated on the downtown river of America´s third-largest city and flames from gas burners heated regional commuter rail lines to keep them functioning. The morning temperature in the Windy City was -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 Celsius), which felt like -50 degrees (-46 Celsius) with wind chill. It was colder than Alaska´s state capital and even colder than parts of Antarctica. "It feels like being close to dry ice, so I can feel my skin tighten up," Leon Gilbert, 31, told AFP. Unlike most Chicago residents, Gilbert was required to report to his job at a Starbucks located on a downtown street largely devoid of its usual bustle of people and traffic.More than 1,800 flights were canceled at Chicago´s two major airports, while rail operator Amtrak scrapped train services from its hub in the city. The US Postal Service -- known for its commitment to bringing the mail whatever the weather -- suspended deliveries in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, the Dakotas and Nebraska. The cause of the sub-zero chill affecting tens of millions of Americans was a swirl of arctic air that broke away from the polar vortex that usually encircles the North Pole."There´s cold, and then there´s COLD!" the National Weather Service (NWS) said. "Extreme and dangerous COLD!"The agency predicted temperatures to remain 25 to 45 degrees below average through Thursday, with wind chill values as low as -25 to -55 degrees Fahrenheit (-32 to -48 Celsius). "The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as five minutes," NWS said. Homeless at risk Residents of Grand Forks, North Dakota, faced a bone-chilling -35 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chill temperatures as low as -63, and it was -27 degrees in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Authorities warned that the extreme temperatures were life-threatening, as Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin implemented emergency measures."The bitter cold temperatures pose a real risk to people across the state," Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Twitter after touring state emergency operations. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said government offices would remain closed through Thursday and nonessential employees would stay home. "The National Weather Service continues to predict dangerously cold sub-zero temperatures and the priority must continue to be on keeping people safe," Whitmer said in a statement. Authorities and health experts warned that frostbite and hypothermia could set in in minutes in the extreme cold. Warming centers were opened for vulnerable residents such as the elderly and shelter capacities increased for the homeless, including the approximately 16,000 people estimated to live on the streets of Chicago. In Chicago and Minneapolis, buses were used as roving warming shelters for the homeless. Chicago´s regional electric train service was canceled due to wire problems caused by the freezing temperatures, as gas burners heated rail switches to keep trains moving on a reduced schedule. Flight cancelations piled up throughout the United States, with more than 2,500 by mid-afternoon, stranding travelers such as Brandon Robinson who was spending extra days in a downtown Chicago hotel. "I´m here until they let me leave," Robinson told AFP. "All my flights have been cancelled."Remnants of a weekend snowstorm continued to plague portions of the northeast US -- with strong winds and blowing snow reducing visibility on the roads. Heavy snow was forecast in the northern stretches of Maine and snow squalls were predicted for other parts of the east coast of the country.
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2HP25ya
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2HP25ya
The News,World
WASHINGTON: Facebook paid users, including teens, to track their smartphone activity as part of an effort to glean more data that could help the social network´s competition efforts, according to a new report that may raise fresh privacy concerns.An investigation by the online news site TechCrunch said the effort, which had been known as the Onavo Protect and later rebaptized as Facebook Research, was used to gather data on usage habits.Apple told AFP on Wednesday that it revoked software certificates letting Facebook take part in its Enterprise Developer Program to work in-house on applications for the Cupertino-based company´s devices."Facebook has been using their membership to distribute a data-collecting app to consumers, which is a clear breach of their agreement with Apple," Apple said.The news could be a further embarrassment for Facebook, which has been under heightened scrutiny over failing to crack down on manipulation of its platform and for sharing private data with its business partners.Facebook said it shut down the application on Apple´s iOS on Wednesday after the TechCrunch article was published. It remained unclear if it remained active for Android users.The report said the initial Onavo app was shuttered for violating Apple´s privacy policy and that the newer version may also contravene Apple´s terms.The program paid users ages 13 to 35 up to $20 a month for "root" access to their devices to track their location, app usage, spending habits and other activity.In a statement to AFP, Facebook said there was "nothing secret" about its efforts, and that Onavo and Facebook Research were separate programs."It wasn´t ´spying´ as all of the people who signed up to participate went through a clear on-boarding process asking for their permission and were paid to participate," the Facebook statement said."Finally, less than five percent of the people who chose to participate in this market research program were teens. All of them with signed parental consent forms."The project may have allowed Facebook to scoop up more data about younger users as it fends off a challenge from rival services like Snapchat, which has become more popular than Facebook among US teens.
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2DJo7OF
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2DJo7OF
The News,World
NEW YORK: A drawing by Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens sold for $8.2 million in an auction in New York on Wednesday that was criticized by some in the Netherlands who said the work should have been offered to a Dutch museum. Sotheby´s described the small, rectangular "Nude Study of a Young Man with Raised Arms" as a key piece in the development of one of the artist´s pivotal commissions, and one of only a handful of drawings of comparable importance by Rubens to have come on the market in the last half century.Depicting a muscular, nearly nude young man who strains as he pushes an unseen weight above his head, the drawing was used in the preparation of Ruben´s famous "Raising of the Cross" triptych, painted in 1610.It was acquired by the Dutch royal family in 1838 by Prince William of Orange, who became the Netherlands´s King William II. Unlike many monarchies, the Orange-Nassau dynasty, whose fortune Forbes magazine estimated to be $220 million in 2011, owns personal assets separate from the institution´s official holdings. Dutch museums responded with criticism in recent weeks after the announcement that several works of art from the royal collection would be put up for auction.Some believed that Princess Christina, who owned the Rubens drawing sold Wednesday, should have given museums the chance to buy the work, which they see as part of Dutch cultural heritage, before selling it at auction abroad. Members of the D66 party, which is part of the governing coalition, also expressed reservations about the sale, before Culture Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven cut short the debate, saying the decision of whether or not to sell a work of art was up to the owner. Prime Minister Mark Rutte added it was a "private matter.""It´s an important distinction here that this drawing is actually the private property of a private individual," head of old master drawings at Sotheby´s Greg Rubenstein. "It doesn´t belong to a royal collection or a public collection. As such, the owner is entirely able to do what they will, which includes selling."After several hectic minutes marked by a bidding battle between an in-person buyer and another over the phone Wednesday, the drawing finally sold for $7 million, which came to a total of $8.2 million after fees and commissions -- much higher than Sotheby´s $2.5 to $3.5 million estimate. The buyer was not identified.The previous record for a drawing from a Dutch master was set during a 2014 Christie´s sale in London, when the only known preparatory drawing from Ruben´s "Samson and Delilah" went for 3.2 million pounds ($5.5 million).
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2DIoyc7
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2DIoyc7
The News,World
Riyadh: Twelve people have been killed in floods after heavy rain lashed northern parts of Saudi Arabia this week, the civil defence agency said on Wednesday.Ten died in the northwestern city of Tabuk and one each in the holy city of Medina and in northern border areas, the agency said in a statement cited by the official SPA news agency.Between Sunday and Wednesday, the agency had rescued 271 people from flooded areas, more than half of them in Tabuk, the statement said.Heavy downpours have hit several areas of Saudi Arabia this week, mainly in western and northwestern parts of the kingdom close to the border with Jordan.A number of committees have been set up to assess the damage caused by the bad weather, the agency said.
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2sTD4aH
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2sTD4aH
The News,World
Bangkok: Toxic smog forced hundreds of Bangkok schools to close Wednesday, as authorities struggle to manage a pollution crisis that has stirred widespread health fears and taken on a political edge just weeks before elections.The Thai capital has been shrouded in murky haze for weeks, sparking social media criticism of the uneven response by the government and prompting rare scenes of residents donning masks on streets and on public transport.Reasons given for the lingering pall include exhaust from traffic, unfettered construction, the burning of crop stubble, and pollution from factories getting trapped in the city.Authorities have seeded clouds to provoke rain, sprayed overpasses with water to catch micro-pollutants and even asked people not to burn incense sticks and paper during Chinese New Year celebrations.The measures so far have drawn derision from many Bangkok residents, while stocks of pollution masks have run out in many shops.But on Wednesday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration stepped up its health warnings, ordering all 437 city-controlled public schools to close from lunchtime through Friday, designating 1,500 square kilometres (580 square miles) of the city a "control area"."The situation will be bad until February 3 to 4, so I decided to close schools," said Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang, adding he hoped the move would also empty the road of cars on the school run.Three to four of the city´s districts are "severely hit with smog", he added.A spokesperson for the prime minister´s office said private and vocational schools would be closed as well, but did not give a number.- ´Public health crisis´-At a downtown Bangkok school where parents arrived early to pick up their children, pupils said they knew about the risks posed by the dangerous pollutant particles, known as PM 2.5."I use a mask wherever I go," said 12-year-old Chaiwawut Benpalee. "It will not affect us now, but it will in the future."Fleets of drones are set to be deployed to disperse sugary liquid solution to help clear the air of microscopic particles.It is not clear how effective that will be given the scale of the smog cloaking the city.Aswin also said City Hall may soon issue a warning against exercising in parks.Air Visual, an independent online air quality index (AQI) monitor, on Wednesday pegged Bangkok at the "unhealthy" level of 171, up from 156 mid-month."It´s a public health crisis," said Tara Buakamsri, Greenpeace country director for Thailand.Measurements of harmful particulates are higher than some cities in China but well below the Indian capital New Delhi.Siwatt Pongpiachan, a professor of environmental science at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), said that while the cold dry climate was part of the problem the government should "think seriously" about congestion measures limiting the number of cars on the road.- Pollution politics -The battle against smog comes during Thailand´s key tourist season, with the Chinese New Year getaway looming, in a country where earnings from foreign visitors make up around a fifth of the economy.Edward Huang, a 28-year-old tourist from Taiwan who was wearing a mask, said visitors may be deterred from trips to Bangkok."The air is just so bad," he told AFP.The haze is also starting to seep into the political conversation.Thailand is set to hold an election on March 24, the first since the military took over in a 2014 coup."I don´t see serious measures being taken," tweeted Chaturon Chaisang, a key member of the Thai Raksa Chart party, urging more to be done beyond the school closures.His party, closely linked to the politically powerful Shinawatra clan, has been quick to launch a "measure the pollution" app, while other parties have handed out masks -- leaving the ruling junta appearing flat-footed in its response.
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2Rva2Io
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2Rva2Io
The News,World
TOKYO: Detained auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn believes his arrest and the charges against him are the result of a "plot and treason" at his former employer Nissan, he told the Nikkei newspaper Wednesday.The Japanese business daily quoted Ghosn as saying he had "no doubt" that the charges against him were motivated by Nissan executives opposed to greater integration of the firm with its French alliance partner Renault.It was the first press interview Ghosn has given since his stunning arrest on November 19, conducted in the Tokyo detention centre where he has languished ever since.A Nissan spokesman hit back immediately, saying that current CEO Hiroto Saikawa has "already categorically refuted the notion of a ´coup d´etat´"."The sole cause of this chain of events is the misconduct led by Ghosn and (chief of staff Greg) Kelly," the spokesman added.He said a Nissan probe had uncovered "substantial and convincing evidence of misconduct" and that the firm´s focus is "firmly on addressing the weaknesses in governance" that allowed this misconduct to happen.The 64-year-old Ghosn has been denied bail several times, with the court considering him a flight risk and concerned he could attempt to destroy evidence.But he again stressed that he "won´t flee. I will defend (myself)", according to the Nikkei."All the evidence is with Nissan and Nissan forbids all employees to talk to me," he added.Even his own lawyer has said it is unlikely he will be released before a trial, which could take up to six months to organise given the complexity of the case.Ghosn faces three separate charges, all of which he denies. He stands accused of under-reporting his income between 2010 and 2015 to the tune of five billion yen ($46 million) and continuing to do so for a further three years.He also stands accused of a complex scheme to try to pass off personal foreign exchange losses to Nissan and using company funds to reimburse a Saudi contact who stumped up collateral for him.He said the payment to this businessman, Khaled Juffali, had been signed by "four officers".´Up and down´ The executive, once feted for his turnaround of the struggling Nissan, has been removed as chairman of the Japanese firm as well as of Mitsubishi Motors. He has also resigned as chairman and chief executive of French company Renault.He told the Nikkei there was a plan to "integrate" the three companies but insisted it was intended to ensure there would be "autonomy under one holding company."After Ghosn´s arrest, Saikawa referred to the "dark side" of his former mentor´s tenure and accused him of having accrued too much power.But Ghosn rejected the characterisation of his tenure as a "dictatorship." "People translated strong leadership to dictator, to distort reality," he told the Nikkei. They did so, he added, for the "purpose of getting rid of me".Another accusation against him revolves around some $9 million allegedly paid to him from a joint venture based in The Netherlands but Ghosn rejected this, saying the claims of improper payments were "a distortion of reality".He has also come under fire for luxury houses in Rio de Janeiro and Beirut -- which Nissan alleges were paid for improperly via a subsidiary.He justified these residences on the grounds that he "needed a safe place where (he) can work and receive people in both Brazil and Lebanon."He stressed that the purchases were approved by the legal department.Asked about his conditions in the detention centre, Ghosn replied that the situation was "up and down" but said his health was "fine."Family members have said his detention conditions are overly difficult and even French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised them as "harsh."The reported comments by Ghosn were the first since a dramatic court appearance earlier this month in which he said he had been "wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations".
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2sXvcoG
from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2sXvcoG
Wednesday, 30 January 2019
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