Friday 14 July 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

UN Syria envoy hails small gains in latest peace talks

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GENEVA (AFP) - The UN Syria envoy closed the latest round of sputtering peace talks Friday insisting incremental progress was made, driving hope that face-to-face negotiations between rebels and the Damascus regime may soon be possible.United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva that he planned to convene an eighth round of talks in early September and had instructed all sides, including the regime, to be ready to tackle the flashpoint issue of political transition.The main opposition High Negotiations Committee says political transition means the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.Assads delegation, led by Syrias UN ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari, has declared the presidents fate off limits.De Mistura said he has not seen any indication that the regime is willing to talk about forming a new government in Syria but voiced hope that international pressure could move the needle.We have made, as we were expecting and hoping, incremental progress. No breakthrough, no breakdown, no one walking out, de Mistura said after briefing the UN Security Council by video on the seventh round of talks.Aside from the HNC, the UN envoy has been meeting with two other opposition groups -- known as the Moscow and Cairo platforms -- seen as more favourable to Assad.De Mistura wants to merge the three opposition camps before pushing for direct talks between the government and a unified opposition delegation.The opposition groups have drawn closer together, built new levels of trust and have scheduled to meet again later this month, de Mistura said.That may make it possible for all sides to be able to sit in the same room and start talking about substance, he added, explaining that he would push for direct regime-opposition talks in September.The regime and HNC traded familiar soundbites before leaving the Swiss city on Friday.Jaafari said his side focused on counter-terrorism as well as technical, legal and constitutional discussions during this round.The HNC argues that the regime stresses the terrorism issue to distract from Assads future, the massive hurdle in the way of any prospective deal.The Geneva talks focus on four so-called baskets -- a new constitution, governance, elections and fighting terrorism.The first three were set out by the Security Council, while terrorism was added at the regimes insistence.The HNC again blasted the regime for stalling the process.Lets speak frankly, the Syrian regime, until this moment, is refusing any engagements and discussion or negotiation, the HNCs delegation chief, Nasr al-Hariri, told reporters.De Mistura has consistently stressed that international pressure by nations with influence on the ground is vital to negotiating an end to the six-year war that has claimed more than 320,000 lives.On that front, he praised a new initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron to create a so-called contact group, including permanent Security Council members and regional powers, like rebel-backer Turkey and regime supporter Iran.Macron outlined the proposal during his meeting Thursday in Paris with US President Donald Trump, Frances UN ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters in New York.Delattre said the group would aim to push for united views among the five Permanent Members of the Security Council and the regional players, which is needed.De Mistura supported the effort, saying he had been in touch with Macrons team and was confident the contact group could help the UN peace push, even if its format had not yet been outlined.

Macron and Trump mark France's Bastille Day

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PARIS (AFP) - President Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump marked Frances national day together on Friday at a military parade which clearly delighted the US leader and showcased warming relations between the two men.But the day was tinged with mourning, coming a year on from a jihadist massacre that claimed 86 lives in the southern city of Nice, where Macron led remembrances after the Paris ceremonies. Trump was Macrons guest of honour at national day celebrations in the capital as this year also marked the centenary of the United States entering World War I.The parade featured French and American troops marching down the fabled Champs-Elysees and the traditional flypast of French jets, this year followed by the US aerobatic team along with two F-22 stealth fighters.US troops dressed in the brown uniform and gaiters of the Great War were among 3,720 soldiers in the parade.Nothing will ever separate us, the 39-year-old Macron said from the reviewing stand, adding that Trumps presence by his side was the sign of a friendship across the ages between their countries.Today our two countries stand taller -- and more united -- than ever, Trump, 71, said in a statement issued by the White House after his departure, which featured yet another muscular handshake between the men, this one lasting a full 25 seconds.Macron then flew to Nice, where a year ago, a Tunisian extremist rammed a 19-tonne truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day along the famous Promenade des Anglais hugging the Mediterranean.In less than three minutes, 86 people including 15 children were crushed to death and another 450 were injured. Of the dead, 37 were foreigners of 19 different nationalities.The Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility, saying the attack was carried out by one of its soldiers -- who was shot dead at the end of his rampage -- though no direct link has been found.Our attackers simply want to see us grieve, and you responded with your dignity, Macron said during Fridays observances in Nice, which included a low-key military parade and moving tributes by relatives of the dead.We will respond with the merciless fight against terrorism... while also preserving our values, our state of law, the love of freedom and the memory of those who loved freedom fiercely that July 14 evening.July 14 in Nice will never be the same and it will never be the same in France, he added.Thousands of people gathered along the Promenade des Anglais, laying red, white and blue tiles to spell out Frances national motto: Freedom, Equality, Fraternity.Earlier, the French leader elected in May bestowed awards, including the coveted Legion of Honour, on emergency workers and police who responded to the carnage.Trump left Paris where Macron on Thursday had rolled out the red carpet for a visit hoping to improve relations and persuade the US president to change his mind about withdrawing from the global Paris agreement on climate change.Trump said cryptically after their first talks that something could happen with respect to the Paris accord... but we will talk about that over the coming period of time.The US leader had appeared isolated at a meeting of top countries last weekend in Germany over his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris accord. His protectionist stance on trade has also set him adrift.But warm body language between Trump and Macron seemed at odds with broader concerns about the transatlantic relationship since the former Apprentice TV show host entered the White House in January after an election victory two months earlier.The two men enjoyed a dinner between friends on Thursday at a Michelin-starred restaurant on the Eiffel Tower.Joined by their wives Brigitte and Melania, they tucked into beef with truffle sauce and warm strawberry and yogurt sorbet, with one of the most celebrated views in the world as their backdrop.Despite their differences on climate change and trade, the two leaders focused on their close cooperation against IS in Syria and Iraq.We are fighting to destroy the terrorist organisations that threaten all civilised peoples and that continue to exact a terrible toll on the French people, including one year ago today, Trumps statement said.Together, we will eliminate their safe havens, end their financing and eradicate their ideology.France has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when 130 people were slaughtered in a wave of coordinated violence across Paris, with French lawmakers voting last week to extend it for the sixth time.Terror attacks in France have killed more than 230 people since January 2015. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb says seven terror plots have been foiled since the start of this year.

Leader of Afghan IS branch killed in US strike: Pentagon

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US forces have killed the head of the Islamic State groups Afghanistan branch, the Pentagon said Friday, marking the third time in a year the franchise has lost its leader.Abu Sayed was killed in a July 11 strike in Afghanistans northeastern province of Kunar on the headquarters of IS-Khorasan Province (IS-K), which also killed additional jihadists, the Pentagon said in a statement.You kill a leader of one of these groups and it sets them back, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told reporters.Its obviously a victory on our side in terms of setting them back. Its the right direction.First emerging in 2015, IS-K overran large parts of Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, near the Pakistan border, but their part in the Afghan conflict had been largely overshadowed by the operations against the Taliban.Afghan and US forces had killed Abu Sayeds two predecessors atop the groups Afghan branch -- Hafiz Saeed in July 2016 and Abdul Hasib in late April of this year, the Pentagon said.Hasib and other top militant commanders were killed in a joint raid by US Army Rangers and Afghan special forces.At the time, the US military had said Hasibs death would help reach our goal of destroying them in 2017.We will continue until they are annihilated. There is no safe haven for ISIS-K in Afghanistan, said General John Nicholson, who leads US Forces-Afghanistan.Pentagon officials say the group now numbers fewer than 1,000 in Afghanistan.The compound used by Hasib in Nangarhar province was not far from the spot where on April 13, the US military dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, hitting IS positions.The deployment of the so-called Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) killed at least 95 jihadists, according to the Afghan defense ministry, but fighting in the area has continued.

Turkey to celebrate defeat of anti-Erdogan putsch

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkey on Saturday will hold an intense series of events to celebrate the first anniversary of the defeat of last years attempted coup, showcasing President Recep Tayyip Erdogans grip on power. The authorities have declared July 15 an annual national holiday of democracy and unity, billing the foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish democracy.Two hundred and forty nine people, not including the plotters, were killed when a disgruntled faction in the army sent tanks into the streets and war planes into the sky in a violent bid to overthrow Erdogan after one-and-a-half decades in power.But they were thwarted within hours as the authorities regrouped and people poured into the streets in support of Erdogan, who blamed followers of his ally turned nemesis, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who denies involvement.Without hesitation, the authorities embarked on the biggest purge in Turkeys history, arresting 50,000 people and sacking over 100,000 more. Erdogan also shored up his position by winning an April 16 referendum on enhancing his powers.The scale of Saturdays nationwide commemorations is aimed at etching July 15, 2016 into the minds of Turks as a key date in the history of the modern state founded in 1923 out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.From now on, nothing will be as it was before July 15, Erdogan said in a speech on Thursday.He compared the defeat of the coup to the World War 1 1915 Battle of Gallipoli where Ottoman troops famously withstood an onslaught by invading Allied soldiers in what became one of the founding narratives of the modern state.States and nations have critical turning points in their histories that shape their future. July 15 is such a date for the Republic of Turkey, he added.Giant posters designed by the presidency have sprung up across billboards in Istanbul showing gaudy paintings that portray the key events of the coup night, including the surrender of the putschist soldiers.The epic of July 15, says the slogan.Turkeys opposition put political disputes aside on the night of the attempted coup.But this has frayed since the April 16 referendum, with critics accusing Erdogan of pursuing one man rule and cracking down on anyone who expresses dissent.In the latest swoop, authorities on Friday announced the dismissal of a further 7,563 soldiers, police and officials, with nearly 350 retired army members also stripped of their rank.Coming on the eve of the anniversary, a statement said those targeted were linked to terror organisations, or groups determined to have been acting against the states national security.Earlier this month, Turkey also detained the country director of Amnesty International and over half a dozen rights defenders on charges of belonging to a terror group.Turkey remains under a state of emergency imposed on July 20, which has been renewed three times.The commemorations will for Erdogan be a helpful riposte to a giant opposition rally -- the largest in years -- held last Sunday by the head of the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu at the end of a nearly one month foot march pushing for justice in Turkey.Public transport is free in Istanbul over the weekend while mobile operator Turkcell has sent text messages to clients promising them a free extra gigabyte of data from July 15.Meanwhile, illuminated anti-coup slogans have been hung between the minarets of some of Istanbuls greatest Ottoman mosques.Let our unity be everlasting, says one of them.A special session of parliament at 1000 GMT starts the commemorations.Erdogan, at the centre of the events, will then fly to Istanbul to take part in a peoples march on the bridge across the Bosphorus that saw bloody fighting a year ago.The bridge has since been renamed Bridge of the Martyrs of July 15.At midnight local time (2100 GMT) people across Turkey will take part in democracy watches, rallies commemorating how people poured out into the streets.Erdogan will return to Ankara and at 2300 GMT give a speech in parliament to mark the time it was bombed. A monument to those killed will then be unveiled outside his palace in the capital as the dawn call to prayer rings out.

Nawabshah: Three killed in coach, car collision

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NAWABSHAH (Dunya News) – A speeding coach collided with a car at the Daur Road near Nawabshah on Friday, killing at least three people travelling in the car, Dunya News reported.According to details, the deceased were returning to their home in Daur after attended a marriage ceremony when their car collided head-on with a speeding coach coming from opposite direction, killing three persons on the spot.Police and rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the dead bodies to hospital.Deadly accidents are common on roads across Pakistan due to bad road infrastructure as well as people rarely follow the traffic rules. Over 9,000 road accidents are reported to the police every year, killing on average around 5,000 people, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Sargodha: Underground tank of petrol pump catches fire

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SARGODHA (Dunya News) – According to details, fire broke out at an underground tank of a petrol pump near Khayam Chowk in Sargodha on Friday during unloading of oil from an oil tanker.Police and rescue teams reached the spot within three minutes after getting information and started rescue operation. Police evacuated and sealed the area around the petrol pump to avoid any disaster. Traffic was also blocked at the University Road.Rescue teams doused the blaze after a hectic effort of one hour. No casualty was reported in the incident.

Karachi: Bid to smuggle Iranian diesel foiled

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Police foiled a bid to smuggle 40,000 litres of Iranian diesel during an operation in Mochko area of Karachi on Friday and seized an oil tanker, Dunya News reported.The Iranian diesel was smuggled to Karachi via Hub. Police have also arrested two accused and also registered a case against the owners of the oil tanker.Police handed over the oil tanker to Customs Intelligence officials for further investigation.

Nawaz Sharif is a threat to democracy: Khursheed Shah

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The opposition leader in the National Assembly and PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah on Friday said that Nawaz Sharif is a threat to democracy.Responding to Maulana Fazlur Rehman statement in which Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief asked PM Nawaz to stay defiant amid opposition demands for his resignation, Khursheed Shah said that we are demoing PM’s resignation to save democracy.Khursheed Shah further said that we only supported Nawaz Sharif during PTI sit-in in 2014 to save the democracy and added that now Nawaz Sharif is himself a threat to democracy.Khursheed Shah said that if Nawaz Sharif didn’t resign now then the democracy in the country will suffer.

Ch Nisar to PM Nawaz: Only a miracle can save you now

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - According to the inside story of the cabinet meeting held on Thursday to review the political situation arising after the JIT report, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that only a miracle can save you now, Dunya News reported on Friday.Inside sources said that Ch Nisar during his dialogue with the Prime Minister complained that his sincere suggestions were always ignored. “I always gave you sincere suggestions but my suggestions were ignored,” Ch Nisar said to PM.The Interior Minister who arrived late at the cabinet meeting also said that nobody could doubt his loyalty to the Prime Minister and the party. He also told PM that you and the party are facing difficulties due to bad suggestions and advices from some party members. “Only a miracle can save you now,” Ch Nisar said.Ch Nisar also expressed his reservations over the way the legal team of the ruling party handled the Panama Papers case. He also criticised the speeches made by some ministers during which they used harsh words against certain institutions. He advised the PM to avoid confrontation with state institutions.The Prime Minister in his reply to the Interior Minister said that he could have expressed his views in a private meeting. “Ive always encouraged you for your outspokenness and gave you due respect,” PM said.I will give answers to your complains in a private meeting later, PM Nawaz said to the Interior Minister.Sources further said that Ch Nisar walked out of the cabinet meeting when Federal Minister Rana Tanveer was delivering his speech.

Baluchistan is in my prime focus: COAS

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QUETTA (Dunya News) - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Quetta Garrison on Friday. He was given detailed briefing on security situation of the province at Headquarters Southern Command and Headquarters FC Baluchistan (North).General Qamar Javed Bajwa was apprised that there has been phenomenal reduction in sectarian targeting while terrorists in desperation were now targeting Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and soft targets.COAS appreciated achievements of Army, FC, police, intelligence and other agencies including provincial administrations towards improvement of security situation. COAS especially hailed efforts in socio-economic domain and resultant considerable willing surrender of fararies.General Qamar Javed Bajwa said that Baluchistan is in his prime focus and prosperity of people of Baluchistan at par with other provinces is the main objective.Later, COAS interacted with officers/soldiers and appreciated their morale and motivation. He said that we are Army for people of Pakistan and shall continue to perform our duty with their full support.Earlier, upon his arrival at Quetta, he was received by Lieutenant General Aamer Riaz, Commander Southern Command.

Philander rallies South Africa after Broad double

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NOTTINGHAM (AFP) - Vernon Philanders unbeaten fifty revived South Africa, after Stuart Broad sparked a collapse that saw the Proteas lose four wickets in the last session of a see-saw first day of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday.South Africa were 309 for six at stumps after returning captain Faf du Plessis won the toss.Philander was 54 not out and recalled all-rounder Chris Morris, one of three changes to the side that lost the first of a four-Test campaign by 211 runs at Lords last week, 23 not out.Their unbroken seventh-wicket partnership was worth 74 runs with Philander, primarily a pace bowler, making his second fifty of the series.South Africa had been 179 for two at tea, but they soon slumped to 235 for six.The previously well set Quinton de Kock (68) and Hashim Amla (78) both fell to Broad as the fast bowler, who led Englands attack with three wickets for 47 runs in 19 overs, struck on his Nottinghamshire home ground.But conditions for batting improved as the day wore on, with grey clouds replaced by sunny blue skies at stumps.The sun came out at the wrong time, Broad told Sky Sports.Its a pretty good pitch to bat on, but when theres cloud you feel in the game a little bit.To the very first ball after tea, left-hander de Kock -- whose tally of 11 Test fifties but just three hundreds is an indication of a sometimes frustrating talent -- chased a wide Broad delivery and edged to former England captain Alastair Cook at first slip.Amla eventually paid the price for repeatedly mis-hooking when such a shot off Broad found Mark Wood at long leg.It was a careless way for an experienced batsman -- this innings saw Amla become just the fourth South African to score 8,000 Test runs -- to get out.Broad had now taken two wickets for three runs in 22 balls -- some way short of his stunning eight for 15 in Australias 60 all out when England clinched the Ashes in their last Test at Trent Bridge two years ago, but important all the same.All-rounder Ben Stokes then took two for four in 11 balls.Du Plessis (19) was well-caught left-handed down the legside by diving wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow off a thin glove.The skipper reviewed but replays upheld the fine decision of on-field umpire Paul Reiffel.But there was no doubt when Temba Bavuma (20) was caught behind off Stokes trying to leave the ball.De Kock had at least justified his promotion to number four in place of the dropped JP Duminy.Faf asked where I would like to bat and I said that I would like to bat at four, wicket-keeper de Kock told reporters after what he said was an up and down day.Ive always liked to bat high up but the team make-up has never allowed me to.With this Test there were a few selection things that came up so I thought there was a gap there they might need me for.Du Plessis, by his own admission, faced a tricky decision after winning the toss after not playing at Lords following the birth of his first child.Yet despite grey skies overhead and Trent Bridges reputation for aiding swing bowling, he opted to bat first in the hope his top order could overcome a difficult first hour.It looked a sound plan as South Africa lost just Dean Elgar, the stand-in skipper at Lords, before lunch.Amla went to a 93-ball fifty by driving left-arm spinner Liam Dawson for six.Philander, again demonstrating his batting ability, pulled Broad for a resounding four that raised a fifty stand with Morris.England were unchanged from the XI that marked Joe Roots first match as captain with a thumping win where the new skipper made 190 in the first innings.All South Africas batsmen wore black armbands in memory of the late mother of Proteas coach Russell Domingo, after she died recently following injuries sustained in a car crash.

Ervine ton lifts Zimbabwe out of Test trouble

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Batsman Craig Ervine hit an unbeaten 151 to pull Zimbabwe out of trouble on the opening day of their one-off Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.Ervines career-best effort lifted Zimbabwe from a precarious 70-4 to 344-8 at stumps. Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took four wickets.The left-handed batsman held on with Donald Tiripano (24 not out) at the end of play, putting on a frustrating 62-run stand for the ninth wicket.Ervine, who surpassed his previous Test best of 146 against New Zealand in Bulawayo last year, built crucial partnerships including a 84-run fifth-wicket stand with Sikandar Raza (36).It was the 31-year-olds second Test ton in the 12th Test of his seven-year-old international career. He swept Herath for a single to achieve the feat.It was very satisfying as I had not got a big one away from home. To get a hundred in Sri Lanka and in a Test match means a lot to me, Ervine said at the end of the days play.At the start, the wicket was a little bit damp. But once it dried out, it was nice to bat on. We wanted to have a good rate throughout the day.I thought we may have given couple of wickets away. Other than that we have done really well. Hopefully tomorrow we can put on another 50-60 runs on the board, Ervine added.Herath, 39, who returned figures of 4-106, provided early delight for Sri Lankas new Test captain Dinesh Chandimal after he lost the toss.Herath sent back openers Regis Chakabva for 12 and Hamilton Masakadza for 19 to rattle the Zimbabwe top-order at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.Paceman Lahiru Kumara got debutant batsman Tarisai Musakanda caught behind for six as Zimbabwe suffered regular losses in the first two sessions.Herath took Raza and then Malcolm Waller (36) but Ervine, who piled on the runs while playing the sweep and the reverse sweep, stood firm from one end to thwart Sri Lankas bowlers.Medium-pace bowler Asela Gunaratne claimed two wickets while off-spinner Dilruwan Perera and Kumara took one each.It is a bit disappointing to end up at 340 for 8 after taking the top four wickets cheaply. But this is Test cricket and I have got to give credit to Craig Ervine, Sri Lankan manager Asanka Gurusinha said.It was a really good knock and he batted well.Graeme Cremers Zimbabwe are on a high after their victory in the one-day series this week.

Ban over, top IPL teams back into fray

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Two popular Indian Premier League teams will be back in action next year after serving a two-year ban over a scandal that involved illegal betting on matches, the cricket board said Friday.A Supreme Court appointed panel had barred Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the Twenty20 competition in 2015, saying such a punishment was needed to protect the integrity of the game.Royals co-owner Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, and Gurunath Meiyappan, of the Chennai franchise, were banned for life from cricket-related activities.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Friday welcomed the teams back into the fold, saying the tournament will be enriched by their return.Both the teams have enjoyed tremendous on-field success and have a mass following, acting BCCI president C. K. Khanna said in a news release.The loyal fans will again get to see their favourite teams and stars in action from the upcoming season of the VIVO IPL.The Chennai franchise, led by former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are the most successful team in the IPL, having won the tournament in 2010 and 2011. They finished runners-up in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2015.Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural event in 2008 under the captaincy of Australian spin legend Shane Warne, but have failed to make the final since then.The IPL, which is broadcast around the world, is hugely popular in India with its mix of sport and showbiz, with a number of teams fronted by big Bollywood names.But it has been continuously dogged by corruption allegations.The 2013 season saw police launch legal proceedings against several officials and three Rajasthan Royals players, including former Test fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, for illegal betting and spot-fixing.Criminal charges were later dropped but the players were banned for breaching the BCCIs code of conduct.

US federal judge weakens Trump travel ban

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Hawaii judge has dealt a fresh setback to President Donald Trumps ban on travelers from six mainly-Muslim countries and refugees, saying it unfairly excludes the grandparents and grandchildren of people living in the United States.The decision by Federal Judge Derrick Watson late Thursday did not end the travel ban, which came into effect on June 29 after the administration won a partial victory in the Supreme Court, capping months of legal wrangling.But it expanded the exceptions to the ban, which the administration insists is necessary to keep violent extremists out of the country.The Supreme Courts ruling allowed a 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and a 120-day ban on refugees, with exceptions for people with bona fide relationships to people or entities in the United States.The Trump administration defined that to be parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- or half-siblings.Common senseWatson however ordered the exception list be expanded to include grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins of people in the United States.He said the governments narrowly defined list finds no support in the careful language of the Supreme Court or even in the immigration statutes on which the government relies.Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents, he wrote.Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members. The Governments definition excludes them. That simply cannot be.The judge also ruled that refugees who have assurances of a placement by an agency in the United States should also be exempt.It was not known if the White House would contest the ruling, as it did for previous court challenges to the ban.Government agencies involved in implementing the ban, including the State Department, Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security, had no comment as of midday Friday.White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert told journalists that he has concerns with the ruling, based on initial reports.It seemed to be fairly broad and something that would trouble me if it was as broad as reported, he said.Well have to go back and have the attorneys read it, interpret it further, and decide whether this is another productive or unproductive step in this saga as we try to secure our country.The original ban, announced days after Trump became president on January 20, was successfully challenged in lower courts on the grounds that it overstepped Trumps presidential authority and that it discriminated against Muslims in violation of the US constitution. A revised version also did not pass legal muster.Judges in lower courts had cited Trumps repeated statements during the presidential campaign that he intended to ban Muslims from entering the United States.Real people have suffered enoughDouglas Chin, attorney general for the state of Hawaii, which filed the lawsuit against the Trump administration, welcomed the Thursday ruling.The federal court today makes clear that the US government may not ignore the scope of the partial travel ban as it sees fit, said Chin.Family members have been separated and real people have suffered enough. Courts have found that this Executive Order has no basis in stopping terrorism and is just a pretext for illegal and unconstitutional discrimination.

Two police killed near Jerusalem holy site, attackers shot dead

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Three gunmen opened fire on Israeli police in Jerusalem Friday, killing two before fleeing to an ultra-sensitive holy site where they too were shot dead in one of the citys most serious incidents in recent years.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone later as tensions rose over the attack and its aftermath.Israeli authorities also detained Jerusalems top Muslim cleric as crowds gathered at the gates of the Old City after the attack, his son said.The three attackers, Arab Israelis aged between 19 and 29, were shot dead by police. A body could be seen on the ground near the Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City.Police recovered two locally-made automatic rifles, a pistol and a knife, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.A hail of gunfire could be heard on grainy footage posted on social media.Police distributed a video they said showed at least two of the attackers arriving from the direction of the mosque and ambushing police officers.Security forces later locked down the area and in a highly unusual move, the Al-Aqsa mosque was closed to Friday prayers.Netanyahu signalled later in the day that the site would remain closed until at least Sunday.The attackers were from the Arab Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm near the occupied West Bank.Police identified them as Muhammad Ahmad Muhammad Jabareen, 29; Muhammad Hamed Abdel Latif Jabareen, 19; and Muhammad Ahmad Mafadal Jabareen, 29.Arab Israelis are descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land following the creation of Israel in 1948. They largely identify with the Palestinian cause.The police who were killed were Hail Satawi, 30, and Kamil Shanan, 22, both from the Druze minority.The assailants were killed at the site known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, which is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam.It is the scene of regular clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police, but gunfire there is rare.The site includes the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.In the phone call with Netanyahu, Abbas expressed his strong rejection and condemnation of the incident and rejected any act of violence from any side, especially in places of worship, official Palestinian news agency WAFA said.The statement appeared stronger than previous such responses from Abbas, who has repeatedly called for non-violent resistance to Israels occupation without specifically condemning Palestinian attacks.Netanyahu said in a statement the security situation surrounding the holy site would be reassessed on Sunday.Gradually reopening the site to worshippers and visitors will be based on an estimate that will be made Sunday, he said.Mosque closedWith Al-Aqsa closed, crowds gathered at Old City gates and held prayers there.The grand mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, the citys highest Islamic authority, condemned the closure of the mosque compound for prayers.I have very little information about it, but it doesnt mean you should close the mosque for prayers, he told journalists at the nearby Lions Gate entrance to the Old City.According to his son Jihad Hussein, he was later detained by Israeli police, who declined to comment.He was released without charge after being questioned over his call for Muslims to come to Jerusalem after the holy sites closure, another of his sons told AFP.Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, called the attack a natural response to Zionist terrorism and the desecration of the Al Aqsa mosque, referring to previous Israeli raids at the site.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the attack could spark more violence and urged all sides to avoid escalation.Jordan, the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, urged Israel to immediately reopen it.Flashpoint siteThe Haram al-Sharif / Temple Mount is central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Palestinians fear Israel may one day seek to assert further control over it.It lies in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.Jews are allowed to visit, but are banned from praying there to avoid provoking tensions.The site is administered by the Islamic Waqf organisation. Waqf officials said Israeli police detained its guards there after the attack.A wave of unrest that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of at least 281 Palestinians or Arab Israelis, 44 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP toll.Israeli authorities say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.Others were shot dead in protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.The violence had greatly subsided in recent months.
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