Ukraine ratifies landmark EU pactUkrainian lawmakers on 16th September ratified a landmark EU pact and adopted laws granting self-rule to the east in crucial votes that will shape the future of the splintered former Soviet state. But Russia signalled it had no intention of backing down in the most serious East-West standoff since the Cold War, announcing it plans to boost its troop presence in annexed Crimea.
The European and Ukrainian parliaments held simultaneous votes to approve the political and economic association agreement whose rejection by the former government triggered the country's worst crisis since independence in 1991.
Lawmakers in Kiev also voted to grant self-rule in eastern regions under the control of pro-Russian rebels and offer amnesty to fighters under a peace plan drawn up 11 days ago to halt the bloody five-month conflict. Poroshenko said the adoption of the 1,200-page EU deal was Ukraine's first step towards membership of the 28-nation bloc.
Back groundThe rejection of the broad EU pact by Kremlin-backed president Viktor Yanukovych in November set off the bloody chain of events that led to his ouster in February, Russia's subsequent seizure of Crimea and the unleashing of the revolt in the east. The conflict in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions has now killed almost 2,900 people and forced at least 600,000 from their homes, according to UN figures.
Russia's denials of involvement have not spared it from waves of punishing Western sanctions that have left President Vladimir Putin more isolated than at any stage of his 15-year rule.
NATO earlier this month also unveiled plans to boost its forces in eastern Europe in response to Russia's "aggression". Russia already has tens of thousands of soldiers in Crimea but denies NATO charges it sent more than 1,000 elite troops into eastern Ukraine to help the militias launch a surprise counter-offensive in August.
The truce signed on September 5 has offered the first significant glimmer of hope that the crisis may be abating, although up to 30 civilians and servicemen have since been killed, most in shelling around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.
Under the terms of the truce, lawmakers adopted "special status" legislation that offers three years of limited self-rule to the coal and steel belt known as the Donbass that generates a quarter of Ukraine's exports.
The legislation calls for December polls in Donetsk and Lugansk and allows local legislatures to set up their own police forces and name judges and prosectors. Crucially, it also guarantees the right for Russian to be used in all state institutions -- a particularly sensitive issue in the mainly Russian-speaking regions.
Another law also grants amnesty to both the insurgents and Ukrainian government forces over their actions during the conflict, although rights groups have alleged abuses by both sides that could be considered war crimes.
The European and Ukrainian parliaments held simultaneous votes to approve the political and economic association agreement whose rejection by the former government triggered the country's worst crisis since independence in 1991.
Lawmakers in Kiev also voted to grant self-rule in eastern regions under the control of pro-Russian rebels and offer amnesty to fighters under a peace plan drawn up 11 days ago to halt the bloody five-month conflict. Poroshenko said the adoption of the 1,200-page EU deal was Ukraine's first step towards membership of the 28-nation bloc.
Back groundThe rejection of the broad EU pact by Kremlin-backed president Viktor Yanukovych in November set off the bloody chain of events that led to his ouster in February, Russia's subsequent seizure of Crimea and the unleashing of the revolt in the east. The conflict in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions has now killed almost 2,900 people and forced at least 600,000 from their homes, according to UN figures.
Russia's denials of involvement have not spared it from waves of punishing Western sanctions that have left President Vladimir Putin more isolated than at any stage of his 15-year rule.
NATO earlier this month also unveiled plans to boost its forces in eastern Europe in response to Russia's "aggression". Russia already has tens of thousands of soldiers in Crimea but denies NATO charges it sent more than 1,000 elite troops into eastern Ukraine to help the militias launch a surprise counter-offensive in August.
The truce signed on September 5 has offered the first significant glimmer of hope that the crisis may be abating, although up to 30 civilians and servicemen have since been killed, most in shelling around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.
Under the terms of the truce, lawmakers adopted "special status" legislation that offers three years of limited self-rule to the coal and steel belt known as the Donbass that generates a quarter of Ukraine's exports.
The legislation calls for December polls in Donetsk and Lugansk and allows local legislatures to set up their own police forces and name judges and prosectors. Crucially, it also guarantees the right for Russian to be used in all state institutions -- a particularly sensitive issue in the mainly Russian-speaking regions.
Another law also grants amnesty to both the insurgents and Ukrainian government forces over their actions during the conflict, although rights groups have alleged abuses by both sides that could be considered war crimes.
World’s wild tiger population to be counted by 2016Thirteen countries with wild tiger populations agreed on 16th September to take part in a global count to establish how many of the critically endangered big cats are left and improve policies to protect them. The pledge came at a global conference in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka where more than 140 people have converged for three days to discuss actions to save the tiger.
The world's wild tiger population fell to little over 3,200 in 2010 from 100,000 only a century ago and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed the animal as critically endangered. Poaching, encroachment on its habitat and the illegal wildlife trade are blamed for the declining numbers.
In 2010 the 13 countries with tiger populations -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam -- launched a plan to double their numbers by 2022.
But poaching continues to be a major problem. Statistics from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, show that at least 1,590 tigers -- an average of two a week -- were seized between January 2000 and April 2014.
Bangladesh has come under fire for setting up a giant coal-fired power plant on the edge of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, home to one of the largest tiger populations. Experts fear the 1,320-megawatt power plant being built just 14 kilometres (nine miles) from the Sundarbans will pollute the water of the world's largest mangrove forest, jeopardising its delicate biodiversity and threatening the tiger population.
The world's wild tiger population fell to little over 3,200 in 2010 from 100,000 only a century ago and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed the animal as critically endangered. Poaching, encroachment on its habitat and the illegal wildlife trade are blamed for the declining numbers.
In 2010 the 13 countries with tiger populations -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam -- launched a plan to double their numbers by 2022.
But poaching continues to be a major problem. Statistics from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, show that at least 1,590 tigers -- an average of two a week -- were seized between January 2000 and April 2014.
Bangladesh has come under fire for setting up a giant coal-fired power plant on the edge of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, home to one of the largest tiger populations. Experts fear the 1,320-megawatt power plant being built just 14 kilometres (nine miles) from the Sundarbans will pollute the water of the world's largest mangrove forest, jeopardising its delicate biodiversity and threatening the tiger population.
U.S. House approval Obama’s Syria planThe US House of Representatives has approved President Barack Obama's plan to train and arm the moderate Syrian opposition taking on Islamic State. The vote passed by a large majority in the Republican-controlled House and is expected to be adopted in the Senate.
The endorsement came after President Obama repeated that he would not be committing American combat troops to ground operations in Iraq. The US has undertaken 174 air strikes against IS in Iraq since mid-August. The jihadist group controls large areas of Syria and northern Iraq.
In the most recent air strikes on 16th and 17th September, US forces destroyed two IS armed vehicles north-west of Irbil and several units south-west of Baghdad, according to US Central Command (Centcom). Mr Obama's new strategy plans similar attacks in Syria and calls on a coalition of 40 countries to confront the militant group.
Convinced International communityUS Secretary of State John Kerry has completed a tour of the Middle East, trying to enlist allies in the fight against Islamic State (IS). During his campaign to recruit allies, he has managed to win the support of 10 Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The reasons for the toughness of USThe scale and scope of Islamic State (IS) marks it out from other jihadist groupings insofar as it already controls a significant swathe of territory across Syria and Iraq. IS has captured huge quantities of weaponry and has significant financial resources, giving it more of the character of a quasi-state rather than a cell-like terrorist organisation.
With its ambition to establish an Islamic caliphate expanding from the areas it already controls, it represents a clear threat to US allies in the region and, given the significant numbers of foreign fighters in its ranks, potentially to Western countries as well.
Support that US gotUS Secretary of State John Kerry has received strong backing - at least on paper - from pro-Western states in the region. A declaration signed noted a range of measures that will be required - not just military action: controlling borders, clamping down on the funding of IS, efforts to counter its ideology and to constrain foreign fighters from joining it.
A number of Washington's Western allies are also stepping up to the mark, with Australia announcing that it will send 600 personnel, initially to the United Arab Emirates. (This is believed to include Special Forces soldiers to help train Iraqi and Kurdish units along with six FA-18 Super Hornet fighters, tankers and other support aircraft.)
All the signs from London are that Britain will join in although it is unclear when an announcement on military action might come and whether it would encompass just Iraq or extend to Syria, too.
The endorsement came after President Obama repeated that he would not be committing American combat troops to ground operations in Iraq. The US has undertaken 174 air strikes against IS in Iraq since mid-August. The jihadist group controls large areas of Syria and northern Iraq.
In the most recent air strikes on 16th and 17th September, US forces destroyed two IS armed vehicles north-west of Irbil and several units south-west of Baghdad, according to US Central Command (Centcom). Mr Obama's new strategy plans similar attacks in Syria and calls on a coalition of 40 countries to confront the militant group.
Convinced International communityUS Secretary of State John Kerry has completed a tour of the Middle East, trying to enlist allies in the fight against Islamic State (IS). During his campaign to recruit allies, he has managed to win the support of 10 Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The reasons for the toughness of USThe scale and scope of Islamic State (IS) marks it out from other jihadist groupings insofar as it already controls a significant swathe of territory across Syria and Iraq. IS has captured huge quantities of weaponry and has significant financial resources, giving it more of the character of a quasi-state rather than a cell-like terrorist organisation.
With its ambition to establish an Islamic caliphate expanding from the areas it already controls, it represents a clear threat to US allies in the region and, given the significant numbers of foreign fighters in its ranks, potentially to Western countries as well.
Support that US gotUS Secretary of State John Kerry has received strong backing - at least on paper - from pro-Western states in the region. A declaration signed noted a range of measures that will be required - not just military action: controlling borders, clamping down on the funding of IS, efforts to counter its ideology and to constrain foreign fighters from joining it.
A number of Washington's Western allies are also stepping up to the mark, with Australia announcing that it will send 600 personnel, initially to the United Arab Emirates. (This is believed to include Special Forces soldiers to help train Iraqi and Kurdish units along with six FA-18 Super Hornet fighters, tankers and other support aircraft.)
All the signs from London are that Britain will join in although it is unclear when an announcement on military action might come and whether it would encompass just Iraq or extend to Syria, too.
Scotland to remain in UKScotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom after voters decisively rejected independence. With the results in from all 32 council areas, the "No" side won with 2,001,926 votes over 1,617,989 for "Yes". The margin of victory for the Better Together campaign - 55% to 45% - was greater by about 3% than that anticipated by the final opinion polls. The winning total needed was 1,852,828.
Alex Salmond to quitAlex Salmond is to step down as Scottish first minister after voters rejected independence. He will also resign as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which he has led for a total of 20 years. Scottish voters backed the country staying in the UK by 2,001,926 votes to 1,617,989 in 19th September referendum
About Scotland:
Scotland ispart of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a border with England to the south, and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. In addition to the mainland, the country is made up of more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides. Edinburgh, the country's capital and second-largest city. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. Scotland joined in UK in 1707
Alex Salmond to quitAlex Salmond is to step down as Scottish first minister after voters rejected independence. He will also resign as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which he has led for a total of 20 years. Scottish voters backed the country staying in the UK by 2,001,926 votes to 1,617,989 in 19th September referendum
About Scotland:
Scotland ispart of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a border with England to the south, and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. In addition to the mainland, the country is made up of more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides. Edinburgh, the country's capital and second-largest city. Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. Scotland joined in UK in 1707
Air strikes against IS by FranceFrench planes have carried out air strikes on Islamic State (Isis) targets in Iraq. Less than 24 hours after President François Hollande announced he had approved a request from the government in Baghdad for air support, at least two French Rafale planes attacked the insurgents' positions.
UN chief sought Sri Lankan cooperation
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Jordan, on September 8th urged Sri Lanka to cooperate with the international probe mandated by the Human Rights Council. He took charge as UN High Commissioner for Human rights from Navi Pillay. He encouraged the Sri Lankan authorities to cooperate with this process in the interests of justice and reconciliation.
Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ravinatha Aryasinha responded reiterating Sri Lanka’s categorical rejection of the resolution and its call for a ‘comprehensive investigation’ by the OHCHR.
Sri Lanka has been in the spotlight ever since the Human Rights Council in March 2014 adopted a U.S.-backed resolution calling for a probe into the island’s rights record, where India abstained from voting. The Sri Lankan government however rejected the resolution, and said it would not offer any cooperation.
UN High Commission
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The office was established by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1993 in the wake of the 1993World Conference on Human Rights.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Jordan, on September 8th urged Sri Lanka to cooperate with the international probe mandated by the Human Rights Council. He took charge as UN High Commissioner for Human rights from Navi Pillay. He encouraged the Sri Lankan authorities to cooperate with this process in the interests of justice and reconciliation.
Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ravinatha Aryasinha responded reiterating Sri Lanka’s categorical rejection of the resolution and its call for a ‘comprehensive investigation’ by the OHCHR.
Sri Lanka has been in the spotlight ever since the Human Rights Council in March 2014 adopted a U.S.-backed resolution calling for a probe into the island’s rights record, where India abstained from voting. The Sri Lankan government however rejected the resolution, and said it would not offer any cooperation.
UN High Commission
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The office was established by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1993 in the wake of the 1993World Conference on Human Rights.
World Bank warns of global jobs crisis
The world is facing a global jobs crisis that is hurting the chances of re-igniting economic growth and there is no magic bullet to solve the problem, the World Bank warned on 8th September. In a study released at a G20 Labor and Employment Ministerial Meeting in Australia, the Bank said an extra 600 million jobs needed to be created worldwide by 2030 just to cope with the expanding population.
As this report makes clear, there is a shortage of jobs, and quality jobs. He said that overall emerging market economies had done better than advanced G20 countries in job creation, driven primarily by countries such as China and Brazil, but the outlook was bleak.
The report, compiled with the OECD and International Labor Organization, said more than 100 million people were unemployed in G20 economies and 447 million were considered "working poor", living on less than US$2 a day.
It said despite a modest economic recovery in 2013-14, global growth was expected to remain below trend with downside risks in the foreseeable future, while weak labour markets were constraining consumption and investment.
The persistent slow growth would continue to dampen employment prospects, it said, and warned that real wages had stagnated across many advanced G20 nations and even fallen in some.
The world is facing a global jobs crisis that is hurting the chances of re-igniting economic growth and there is no magic bullet to solve the problem, the World Bank warned on 8th September. In a study released at a G20 Labor and Employment Ministerial Meeting in Australia, the Bank said an extra 600 million jobs needed to be created worldwide by 2030 just to cope with the expanding population.
As this report makes clear, there is a shortage of jobs, and quality jobs. He said that overall emerging market economies had done better than advanced G20 countries in job creation, driven primarily by countries such as China and Brazil, but the outlook was bleak.
The report, compiled with the OECD and International Labor Organization, said more than 100 million people were unemployed in G20 economies and 447 million were considered "working poor", living on less than US$2 a day.
It said despite a modest economic recovery in 2013-14, global growth was expected to remain below trend with downside risks in the foreseeable future, while weak labour markets were constraining consumption and investment.
The persistent slow growth would continue to dampen employment prospects, it said, and warned that real wages had stagnated across many advanced G20 nations and even fallen in some.
Ukraine offered autonomy
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed on 10th September that Russia had withdrawn most of the troops it allegedly snuck across the border to bolster pro-Kremlin rebels, and vowed greater autonomy for the separatist east in order to sustain a fragile new truce. He also said that the recent ceasefire agreement, backed by both Kiev and Moscow since the conflict erupted five months ago — had dramatically improved security in the war-ravaged industrial rustbelt.
Back ground
Russia intervened in Ukraine on several fronts following the events of the February 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the success of the Euromaidan movement which led to the disputed impeachment of President Viktor Yanukovych. Following the ouster of Yanukovych government, a secession crisis erupted in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. In late February, unmarked soldiers gradually took control of Crimea. The local population and the media referred to these men as "little green men". These men were identified as Russian Special Forces and other paramilitaries, although the Russian government initially denied involvement. After this take-over, Russia annexed Crimea following a disputed status referendum. Several months later, as Russian-backed separatist insurgents fought a war against Ukrainian forces in the Donbass region of Ukraine, unmarked troops and military vehicles from Russia crossed into Ukraine, reinforced the insurgents, and opened a new front on the coast of the Sea of Azov.
During the Crimean crisis, the Russian government insisted that the anti-Ukrainian government forces that took control of the autonomous republic did not include Russian troops stationed in the area, but local self-defence forces. Despite this, Russian president Vladimir Putin admitted on 17 April that Russian troops were active in Crimea during the status referendum, and said that this facilitated self-determination for the peninsula. In mid-April, the United States accused Russia of responsibility for unrest in eastern and southern Ukraine and the subsequent war in the Donbass region, which the Russian Foreign Ministry also denied. Many of the separatist insurgents are Russian citizens, and American and Ukrainian officials said they had evidence of Russian interference in Ukraine, including intercepted communications between Russian officials and Donbass insurgents.
There is also evidence that indicates the Buk missile system, widely believed to have been used to shoot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on the 17 July, came from Russia. The SBU claims key commanders of the rebel movement during this time, including Igor Strelkov and Igor Bezler are Russian agents. In late August NATO released satellite images which it said showed evidence of Russian operations inside Ukraine with sophisticated weaponry. After the heavy defeat of Ukrainian forces by early September it was evident Russia had sent soldiers and armour across the border and locals acknowledged the role of Putin and Russian soldiers in effecting a reversal of fortunes.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed on 10th September that Russia had withdrawn most of the troops it allegedly snuck across the border to bolster pro-Kremlin rebels, and vowed greater autonomy for the separatist east in order to sustain a fragile new truce. He also said that the recent ceasefire agreement, backed by both Kiev and Moscow since the conflict erupted five months ago — had dramatically improved security in the war-ravaged industrial rustbelt.
Back ground
Russia intervened in Ukraine on several fronts following the events of the February 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the success of the Euromaidan movement which led to the disputed impeachment of President Viktor Yanukovych. Following the ouster of Yanukovych government, a secession crisis erupted in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. In late February, unmarked soldiers gradually took control of Crimea. The local population and the media referred to these men as "little green men". These men were identified as Russian Special Forces and other paramilitaries, although the Russian government initially denied involvement. After this take-over, Russia annexed Crimea following a disputed status referendum. Several months later, as Russian-backed separatist insurgents fought a war against Ukrainian forces in the Donbass region of Ukraine, unmarked troops and military vehicles from Russia crossed into Ukraine, reinforced the insurgents, and opened a new front on the coast of the Sea of Azov.
During the Crimean crisis, the Russian government insisted that the anti-Ukrainian government forces that took control of the autonomous republic did not include Russian troops stationed in the area, but local self-defence forces. Despite this, Russian president Vladimir Putin admitted on 17 April that Russian troops were active in Crimea during the status referendum, and said that this facilitated self-determination for the peninsula. In mid-April, the United States accused Russia of responsibility for unrest in eastern and southern Ukraine and the subsequent war in the Donbass region, which the Russian Foreign Ministry also denied. Many of the separatist insurgents are Russian citizens, and American and Ukrainian officials said they had evidence of Russian interference in Ukraine, including intercepted communications between Russian officials and Donbass insurgents.
There is also evidence that indicates the Buk missile system, widely believed to have been used to shoot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on the 17 July, came from Russia. The SBU claims key commanders of the rebel movement during this time, including Igor Strelkov and Igor Bezler are Russian agents. In late August NATO released satellite images which it said showed evidence of Russian operations inside Ukraine with sophisticated weaponry. After the heavy defeat of Ukrainian forces by early September it was evident Russia had sent soldiers and armour across the border and locals acknowledged the role of Putin and Russian soldiers in effecting a reversal of fortunes.
U.S., EU intensify sanctions on Russia
The US and the European Union have decided to "intensify" their coordinated sanctions on Russia in the defense, finance and energy sectors as punishment for its illegal actions in Ukraine, President Barack Obama said on 11th September.
The US and EU are implementing these new measures in light of Russia's actions to further destabilize Ukraine over the last month, including through the presence of heavily armed Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, he said. The new EU sanctions will also add 24 more Russian officials and rebel leaders to a blacklist, subjecting them to visa bans and asset freezes.
Western help to Ukraine
The US says it is supplying Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment, including radios, vehicles and "non-lethal individual tactical gear". The US is also sharing some intelligence information with Ukraine, the New York Times reports. But that does not include real-time data on potential targets, the paper's sources say. Ukraine is not in NATO - so that restricts the kind of military help the West can provide legally. There are unconfirmed reports that US military advisers have been helping Ukraine in its major offensive against the rebels in July-August.
The EU has put in place a wide-ranging economic support package for Ukraine, to help Kiev manage its debts and balance-of-payments problems.
The US and the European Union have decided to "intensify" their coordinated sanctions on Russia in the defense, finance and energy sectors as punishment for its illegal actions in Ukraine, President Barack Obama said on 11th September.
The US and EU are implementing these new measures in light of Russia's actions to further destabilize Ukraine over the last month, including through the presence of heavily armed Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, he said. The new EU sanctions will also add 24 more Russian officials and rebel leaders to a blacklist, subjecting them to visa bans and asset freezes.
Western help to Ukraine
The US says it is supplying Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment, including radios, vehicles and "non-lethal individual tactical gear". The US is also sharing some intelligence information with Ukraine, the New York Times reports. But that does not include real-time data on potential targets, the paper's sources say. Ukraine is not in NATO - so that restricts the kind of military help the West can provide legally. There are unconfirmed reports that US military advisers have been helping Ukraine in its major offensive against the rebels in July-August.
The EU has put in place a wide-ranging economic support package for Ukraine, to help Kiev manage its debts and balance-of-payments problems.
Obama orders air strikes in Syria against IS
President Barack Obama told Americans on 10th September he had authorized U.S. airstrikes for the first time in Syria and more attacks in Iraq in a broad escalation of a campaign against the Islamic State militant group.
Obama's decision to launch attacks inside Syria, which is embroiled in a three-year civil war, marked a turnabout for the president, who shied away a year ago from airstrikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people.
Obama asked Congress to authorize $500 million to train and arm moderate Syrian rebels. The training would take place in Saudi Arabia. It is unclear whether more American weapons and training can shift the battlefield balance toward the U.S.-backed rebels, who are badly outgunned by Islamic State, other militant groups and Assad's forces.
Obama plans to expand the list of targets inside Iraq beyond several isolated areas. The U.S. military has launched more than 150 airstrikes in Iraq in the past month to help halt Islamic State advances.
The new target list will include Islamic State's "leadership, logistical and operational capability," as well as an attempt to "deny it sanctuary and resources to plan, prepare and execute attacks," the White House said.
Obama will send 475 more American advisers to help Iraqi forces, which will bring to 1,600 the number there. Obama, determined to avoid a repeat of the Iraq war, stressed they would not engage in combat.
The president laid out his emerging plan for tackling the group two weeks after coming under fire for saying: "We don't have a strategy yet" for the group in Syria and six months after declaring that groups like Islamic State were minor players.
What is IS?
Islamic State (IS) is a radical Islamist group that has seized large swathes of territory in eastern Syria and across northern and western Iraq. Its brutal tactics - including mass killings and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as the beheadings of soldiers and journalists - have sparked fear and outrage across the world and prompted US military intervention
What does IS want?
The group aims to establish a "caliphate", a state ruled by a single political and religious leader according to Islamic law, or Sharia. Although currently limited to Iraq and Syria, IS has promised to "break the borders" of Jordan and Lebanon and to "free Palestine". It attracts support from Muslims across the world and demands that all swear allegiance to its leader - Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai, better known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
What are its origins?
IS can trace its roots back to the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian who set up Tawhid wa al-Jihad in 2002. A year after the US-led invasion of Iraq, Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama Bin Laden and formed al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which became a major force in the insurgency.
After Zarqawi's death in 2006, AQI created an umbrella organization, Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). ISI was steadily weakened by the US troop surge and the creation of Sahwa (Awakening) councils by Sunni Arab tribesmen who rejected its brutality. After becoming leader in 2010, Baghdadi rebuilt ISI's capabilities. By 2013, it was once again carrying out dozens of attacks a month in Iraq. It had also joined the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, setting up the al-Nusra Front.
In April 2013, Baghdadi announced the merger of his forces in Iraq and Syria and the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis). The leaders of al-Nusra and al-Qaeda rejected the move, but fighters loyal to Baghdadi split from al-Nusra and helped Isis remain in Syria.
At the end of December 2013, Isis shifted its focus back to Iraq and exploited a political stand-off between the Shia-led government and the minority Sunni Arab community. Aided by tribesmen, the group took control of the central city of Falluja.
In June 2014, Isis overran the northern city of Mosul, and then advanced southwards towards Baghdad. At the end of the month, after consolidating its hold over dozens of cities and towns, Isis declared the creation of a caliphate and changed its name to Islamic State.
Back ground for Syria conflict
Over the past three years, more than 100,000 Syrians have lost their lives in the escalating conflict between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule. The bloody internal conflict has destroyed whole neighborhoods and forced more than nine million people from their homes.
The conflict has its roots in protests that erupted in March 2011 in the southern city of Deraa after the arrest and torture of some teenagers who painted revolutionary slogans on a school wall. When security forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing several, more took to the streets. The unrest triggered nationwide protests demanding President Assad's resignation.
The government use of military force to crush the dissent merely hardened the protesters' resolve. By July 2011, hundreds of thousands were taking to the streets in towns and cities across the country
Opposition supporters eventually began to take up arms, first to defend themselves and later to expel security forces from their local areas. The country descended into civil war as rebel brigades battled government forces for control of cities, towns and the countryside. Fighting reached the capital Damascus and second city of Aleppo in 2012. In July 2013, the UN said more than 100,000 people had been killed. It has stopped updating the death toll, but activists say it now exceeds 140,000.
A UN commission of inquiry has been investigating all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011. It has evidence showing that both sides have committed war crimes including torture, hostage-taking, murder and execution
Before the uprising began, the Syrian military had one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, comprising more than 1,000 tones of precursor chemicals and chemical agents, including sulphur mustard and sarin.
The government insisted the toxic arsenal was secure and would never be used "inside Syria", but reports of chemical attacks began to surface in early 2013.
Then on 21 August 2013, rockets filled with sarin were fired at several suburbs in the Ghouta agricultural belt around Damascus, killing between 300 and 1,430 people. The opposition and Western powers said it could only have been carried out by the government. President Assad blamed rebels for the deaths, but within weeks he agreed to a US and Russian deal that is hoped will see the removal and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons by the end of June 2013.
President Barack Obama told Americans on 10th September he had authorized U.S. airstrikes for the first time in Syria and more attacks in Iraq in a broad escalation of a campaign against the Islamic State militant group.
Obama's decision to launch attacks inside Syria, which is embroiled in a three-year civil war, marked a turnabout for the president, who shied away a year ago from airstrikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against his own people.
Obama asked Congress to authorize $500 million to train and arm moderate Syrian rebels. The training would take place in Saudi Arabia. It is unclear whether more American weapons and training can shift the battlefield balance toward the U.S.-backed rebels, who are badly outgunned by Islamic State, other militant groups and Assad's forces.
Obama plans to expand the list of targets inside Iraq beyond several isolated areas. The U.S. military has launched more than 150 airstrikes in Iraq in the past month to help halt Islamic State advances.
The new target list will include Islamic State's "leadership, logistical and operational capability," as well as an attempt to "deny it sanctuary and resources to plan, prepare and execute attacks," the White House said.
Obama will send 475 more American advisers to help Iraqi forces, which will bring to 1,600 the number there. Obama, determined to avoid a repeat of the Iraq war, stressed they would not engage in combat.
The president laid out his emerging plan for tackling the group two weeks after coming under fire for saying: "We don't have a strategy yet" for the group in Syria and six months after declaring that groups like Islamic State were minor players.
What is IS?
Islamic State (IS) is a radical Islamist group that has seized large swathes of territory in eastern Syria and across northern and western Iraq. Its brutal tactics - including mass killings and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as the beheadings of soldiers and journalists - have sparked fear and outrage across the world and prompted US military intervention
What does IS want?
The group aims to establish a "caliphate", a state ruled by a single political and religious leader according to Islamic law, or Sharia. Although currently limited to Iraq and Syria, IS has promised to "break the borders" of Jordan and Lebanon and to "free Palestine". It attracts support from Muslims across the world and demands that all swear allegiance to its leader - Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai, better known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
What are its origins?
IS can trace its roots back to the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian who set up Tawhid wa al-Jihad in 2002. A year after the US-led invasion of Iraq, Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama Bin Laden and formed al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), which became a major force in the insurgency.
After Zarqawi's death in 2006, AQI created an umbrella organization, Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). ISI was steadily weakened by the US troop surge and the creation of Sahwa (Awakening) councils by Sunni Arab tribesmen who rejected its brutality. After becoming leader in 2010, Baghdadi rebuilt ISI's capabilities. By 2013, it was once again carrying out dozens of attacks a month in Iraq. It had also joined the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, setting up the al-Nusra Front.
In April 2013, Baghdadi announced the merger of his forces in Iraq and Syria and the creation of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis). The leaders of al-Nusra and al-Qaeda rejected the move, but fighters loyal to Baghdadi split from al-Nusra and helped Isis remain in Syria.
At the end of December 2013, Isis shifted its focus back to Iraq and exploited a political stand-off between the Shia-led government and the minority Sunni Arab community. Aided by tribesmen, the group took control of the central city of Falluja.
In June 2014, Isis overran the northern city of Mosul, and then advanced southwards towards Baghdad. At the end of the month, after consolidating its hold over dozens of cities and towns, Isis declared the creation of a caliphate and changed its name to Islamic State.
Back ground for Syria conflict
Over the past three years, more than 100,000 Syrians have lost their lives in the escalating conflict between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule. The bloody internal conflict has destroyed whole neighborhoods and forced more than nine million people from their homes.
The conflict has its roots in protests that erupted in March 2011 in the southern city of Deraa after the arrest and torture of some teenagers who painted revolutionary slogans on a school wall. When security forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing several, more took to the streets. The unrest triggered nationwide protests demanding President Assad's resignation.
The government use of military force to crush the dissent merely hardened the protesters' resolve. By July 2011, hundreds of thousands were taking to the streets in towns and cities across the country
Opposition supporters eventually began to take up arms, first to defend themselves and later to expel security forces from their local areas. The country descended into civil war as rebel brigades battled government forces for control of cities, towns and the countryside. Fighting reached the capital Damascus and second city of Aleppo in 2012. In July 2013, the UN said more than 100,000 people had been killed. It has stopped updating the death toll, but activists say it now exceeds 140,000.
A UN commission of inquiry has been investigating all alleged violations of international human rights law since March 2011. It has evidence showing that both sides have committed war crimes including torture, hostage-taking, murder and execution
Before the uprising began, the Syrian military had one of the world's largest stockpiles of chemical weapons, comprising more than 1,000 tones of precursor chemicals and chemical agents, including sulphur mustard and sarin.
The government insisted the toxic arsenal was secure and would never be used "inside Syria", but reports of chemical attacks began to surface in early 2013.
Then on 21 August 2013, rockets filled with sarin were fired at several suburbs in the Ghouta agricultural belt around Damascus, killing between 300 and 1,430 people. The opposition and Western powers said it could only have been carried out by the government. President Assad blamed rebels for the deaths, but within weeks he agreed to a US and Russian deal that is hoped will see the removal and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons by the end of June 2013.
US urges Turkey to join anti-IS coalition
US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence on 12th September of building a broad coalition including Arab and European nations against Islamic State jihadists, on a visit to Turkey which has refused to allow strikes on the extremists from its territory. The top US diplomat also voiced Washington's opposition to Iran joining a conference on the Iraq crisis in Paris
Kerry held talks in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a push to establish a coalition of more than 40 countries to defeat the IS militants in Iraq and Syria.
But he added that while Turkey and the US stand together in regional challenges, Ankara's role in the anti-IS campaign would be determined later France meanwhile will host an international conference on Iraq aimed at coordinating actions against the IS militants. The decision to host the conference came after US President Barack Obama vowed this week to expand operations, including to Syria.
Turkey, a NATO member and Washington's key ally in the region, has been reluctant to take part in combat operations against IS militants, or allow a US-led coalition to use its airbases for strikes against the jihadists.
Turkey has been accused of indirectly encouraging the formation of IS with its wholehearted support of Islamist elements within the Syrian rebellion against Assad. IS militants now hold 49 Turks hostage, including diplomats and children, abducted from the Turkish consulate in Mosul in Iraq in June.
In this regard, Turkey will continue to share intelligence with the United States, give logistical support to the Syrian opposition and humanitarian aid to the victims of the war in Syria, it added.
Kerry's visit comes a day after 10 Arab states, including heavyweight Saudi Arabia, agreed in Jeddah to rally behind Washington in the fight against IS. Although Turkey was represented in the meeting by its foreign minister, it did not sign the communique.
On arriving in Ankara, Kerry said that the US would provide an additional $500 million (385 million euros) in humanitarian aid to victims of the war in Syria, bringing total US assistance to $2.9 billion since the start of the conflict in 2011.
US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed confidence on 12th September of building a broad coalition including Arab and European nations against Islamic State jihadists, on a visit to Turkey which has refused to allow strikes on the extremists from its territory. The top US diplomat also voiced Washington's opposition to Iran joining a conference on the Iraq crisis in Paris
Kerry held talks in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a push to establish a coalition of more than 40 countries to defeat the IS militants in Iraq and Syria.
But he added that while Turkey and the US stand together in regional challenges, Ankara's role in the anti-IS campaign would be determined later France meanwhile will host an international conference on Iraq aimed at coordinating actions against the IS militants. The decision to host the conference came after US President Barack Obama vowed this week to expand operations, including to Syria.
Turkey, a NATO member and Washington's key ally in the region, has been reluctant to take part in combat operations against IS militants, or allow a US-led coalition to use its airbases for strikes against the jihadists.
Turkey has been accused of indirectly encouraging the formation of IS with its wholehearted support of Islamist elements within the Syrian rebellion against Assad. IS militants now hold 49 Turks hostage, including diplomats and children, abducted from the Turkish consulate in Mosul in Iraq in June.
In this regard, Turkey will continue to share intelligence with the United States, give logistical support to the Syrian opposition and humanitarian aid to the victims of the war in Syria, it added.
Kerry's visit comes a day after 10 Arab states, including heavyweight Saudi Arabia, agreed in Jeddah to rally behind Washington in the fight against IS. Although Turkey was represented in the meeting by its foreign minister, it did not sign the communique.
On arriving in Ankara, Kerry said that the US would provide an additional $500 million (385 million euros) in humanitarian aid to victims of the war in Syria, bringing total US assistance to $2.9 billion since the start of the conflict in 2011.
So far, 10 states in the Middle East have declared a "shared commitment" to President Obama's plan to tackle the extremist group.
Honor for Bangladesh and Timor-LesteThe World Health Organization (WHO) honored Bangladesh and Timor-Leste with South East Asia Regional Award for Excellence in Public Health. The newly instituted awards were presented to Saima Hossain of Bangladesh and National Malaria Control Programme of Timor-Leste in Dhaka on 10 September 2014.
Saima Hossain was conferred the Award in the individual category for leadership in advancing the cause of Autism in South East Asia and worldwide. She is a chairperson of National Advisory Committee on Neuro development and Autism in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of Bangladesh.
The National Malaria Control Programme of Timor-Leste was conferred the Award in the region category for its aggressive anti-malaria effort which has drastically reduced malaria cases in Timor-Leste.
Saima Hossain was conferred the Award in the individual category for leadership in advancing the cause of Autism in South East Asia and worldwide. She is a chairperson of National Advisory Committee on Neuro development and Autism in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of Bangladesh.
The National Malaria Control Programme of Timor-Leste was conferred the Award in the region category for its aggressive anti-malaria effort which has drastically reduced malaria cases in Timor-Leste.
Violence continues in PakistanThe situation in Pakistan is tense. Anti-Government demonstrations are pitching high. The clashes broke out and demonstrators who have laid siege to the heart of the Pakistani establishment, housing the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister’s Office, sought to storm Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s residence nearby after breaking through the police barricade. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan vowed to fight till death.
A brief back groundOn 14 August 2014, cricketer turned politician Imran Khan started his march at container. 7 hours after leaving from Zaman Park Lahore, the march reached Faisal Chowk where Khan addressed the marchers demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
On 15 August, Khan's convoy was attacked by stones PMLN supporters in Gujranwala. PMLN MPA from Gujranwala Imran Khalid's brother Poomi Butt was allegedly involved in this attack. Khan was reported to be attacked with guns which forced him to travel him in bullet-proof vehicle.
Khan's march reached Islamabad 38 hours after departing from Zaman Park Lahore. Addressing his supporters at Aabpara Chowk, Khan again demanded resignation of prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and re-election in Pakistan.
A brief back groundOn 14 August 2014, cricketer turned politician Imran Khan started his march at container. 7 hours after leaving from Zaman Park Lahore, the march reached Faisal Chowk where Khan addressed the marchers demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
On 15 August, Khan's convoy was attacked by stones PMLN supporters in Gujranwala. PMLN MPA from Gujranwala Imran Khalid's brother Poomi Butt was allegedly involved in this attack. Khan was reported to be attacked with guns which forced him to travel him in bullet-proof vehicle.
Khan's march reached Islamabad 38 hours after departing from Zaman Park Lahore. Addressing his supporters at Aabpara Chowk, Khan again demanded resignation of prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and re-election in Pakistan.
World’s largest duty-free shop opens in ChinaThe world's largest duty-free shop (DFS) opened on 1st September in China’s city Sanya. This duty-free shopping center has attracted nearly 300 international brands. For several of them, including Prada, Rolex and Giorgio Armani, it is the first time they have appeared in a DFS on the Chinese mainland.
China International Travel Service Group (CITS) has invested 5 billion yuan (about 814 million US dollars) in the center, which is run by China Duty Free Group under CITS. Wang Weimin, chairman of CITS, said the new store excels in functions, the number of brands and shopping area compared with any others in the world, and called its opening is a milestone for China's duty-free market.
China International Travel Service Group (CITS) has invested 5 billion yuan (about 814 million US dollars) in the center, which is run by China Duty Free Group under CITS. Wang Weimin, chairman of CITS, said the new store excels in functions, the number of brands and shopping area compared with any others in the world, and called its opening is a milestone for China's duty-free market.
Russia and Ukraine agreementRussian President Vladimir Putin on 3rd September called on both Ukrainian rebels and government forces to cease fire and agree to the broad terms of a truce ending their four-month war. Mr. Putin’s first direct appeal on the insurgents to lay down their weapons came hours after the beleaguered Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, said he and Mr. Putin had agreed on a ceasefire deal.
The announcements raised hopes of an end to fighting that has killed at least 2,600 people and driven relations between Russia and the West to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.
The Russian leader added that he expected a final agreement to be announced by the insurgents and Kiev representatives during European-mediated negotiations on Friday in the Belarussian capital Minsk.
Russia and Ukraine relations
The announcements raised hopes of an end to fighting that has killed at least 2,600 people and driven relations between Russia and the West to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.
The Russian leader added that he expected a final agreement to be announced by the insurgents and Kiev representatives during European-mediated negotiations on Friday in the Belarussian capital Minsk.
Russia and Ukraine relations
Russia–Ukraine relations were established in 1991
Governmental relations between the two countries are complex.
After the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution when the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on 21 February 2014 the relations between Russia and Ukraine deteriorated rapidly;
The administration in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was swiftly replaced with one which demanded unification (of Crimea) with the Russian Federation and demonstrators seized or attempted to seize control of administrative buildings in the Donbass and southern Ukraine.
In March 2014 a referendum was held in Crimea which facilitated the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Throughout March and April 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine spread with pro-Russian "People's Republics" being proclaimed in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Open fighting between pro-Russian "People's Militias" and the Armed Forces of Ukraine began in May 2014. As of July 2014 a state of war exists between Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels in the east.
After the election of pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych as Ukrainian President in early 2010 the relations between the two nations had improved, then deteriorated in 2014 with the Crimean crisis and the Russian military intervention in the peninsula. Later, Ukraine suspended majority of ties with Russia including military cooperation and export of Defense equipments
Violence part of life for world’s youth: UNA new report from the United Nations’ children agency says that young people from around the world are routinely exposed to violence, ranging from homicide and forced sexual acts to bullying and abusive discipline from parents. The report found that in 2012 alone almost 95,000 children and adolescents were murdered, making it the leading cause of death among people under the age of 20. Most of them lived in low- and middle-income countries. The study also finds that about six in 10 children worldwide between the ages of two and 14 numbering almost one billion are subjected to physical punishment by their caregivers on a regular basis. The report drew on data from 190 countries and was released on 4th September.
NATO approves new force aimed at deterring RussiaNATO leaders approved plan on 5th September to create a rapid response force with a headquarters in Eastern Europe that could quickly mobilize if an alliance country in the region were to come under attack. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a command headquarters would be set up in Eastern Europe with supplies and equipment stockpiled there, enabling the "spearhead" force to mobilize and deploy quickly.
NATO air patrol flights over the Baltic and other air, land and naval measures already in place will be extended indefinitely, Rasmussen said, as part of a readiness package that also calls for upgraded intelligence-sharing and more short-term military exercises.
NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. An additional 22 countries participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programmes
NATO air patrol flights over the Baltic and other air, land and naval measures already in place will be extended indefinitely, Rasmussen said, as part of a readiness package that also calls for upgraded intelligence-sharing and more short-term military exercises.
NATO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. NATO's headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, one of the 28 member states across North America and Europe, the newest of which, Albania and Croatia, joined in April 2009. An additional 22 countries participate in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, with 15 other countries involved in institutionalized dialogue programmes
Ukraine signs ceasefire agreement with rebelsUkraine's government and separatist leaders signed a ceasefire deal on 5th September after talks in Belarus, raising hopes of an end to the nearly five-month conflict that has wracked eastern Ukraine.
The ceasefire talks in Minsk, Belarus, were brokered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and involved a former Ukrainian president, leaders of the pro-Russian rebels, and a Russian delegate. Both sides agreed to stop fighting, and the OSCE said it would monitor the ceasefire. However, the full agreement has not been published.
Sanctions by EUEuropean Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement on 5th September that the EU had expanded the list of persons under an EU asset freeze and travel ban to include the new leadership in eastern Ukraine, the Crimean government and Russian decision-makers and oligarchs. The sanctions are due to be formally adopted on 1st September. However, quoted said the measures could be suspended if the ceasefire held and if Moscow withdrew forces from Ukraine.
The ceasefire talks in Minsk, Belarus, were brokered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and involved a former Ukrainian president, leaders of the pro-Russian rebels, and a Russian delegate. Both sides agreed to stop fighting, and the OSCE said it would monitor the ceasefire. However, the full agreement has not been published.
Sanctions by EUEuropean Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement on 5th September that the EU had expanded the list of persons under an EU asset freeze and travel ban to include the new leadership in eastern Ukraine, the Crimean government and Russian decision-makers and oligarchs. The sanctions are due to be formally adopted on 1st September. However, quoted said the measures could be suspended if the ceasefire held and if Moscow withdrew forces from Ukraine.
Iran fails to meet deadline in probeIran has failed to meet a deadline to provide answers about its nuclear weapons program, the UN atomic watchdog says in a report.
Not answering the International Atomic Energy Agency's long-standing questions over the allegations could harm the chances of a potentially historic deal between Iran and world powers focused on Tehran's current activities.
New talks on this possible accord between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are due to resume in New York on September 18 ahead of a November 24 deadline to cut a deal. In the new quarterly report the IAEA said that Iran missed a mutually agreed August 25 deadline to provide answers on two of these areas, saying merely they had 'begun discussions'.
The report also said that more construction work had been noticed at the Parchin military base, a key site in the nuclear weapons probe, making an investigation there more difficult.
The IAEA said it had 'observed through satellite imagery ongoing construction activity (at Parchin) ... These activities are likely to have further undermined the Agency's ability to conduct effective verification'.
Not answering the International Atomic Energy Agency's long-standing questions over the allegations could harm the chances of a potentially historic deal between Iran and world powers focused on Tehran's current activities.
New talks on this possible accord between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are due to resume in New York on September 18 ahead of a November 24 deadline to cut a deal. In the new quarterly report the IAEA said that Iran missed a mutually agreed August 25 deadline to provide answers on two of these areas, saying merely they had 'begun discussions'.
The report also said that more construction work had been noticed at the Parchin military base, a key site in the nuclear weapons probe, making an investigation there more difficult.
The IAEA said it had 'observed through satellite imagery ongoing construction activity (at Parchin) ... These activities are likely to have further undermined the Agency's ability to conduct effective verification'.
Morsi charged for leaking secretesEgypt charged ousted President Mohammad Morsi and several other people on 6th September with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar, dealing a further blow to his outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
Relations between Qatar and Egypt have been icy since July 2013, when then-Egyptian army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi toppled Morsi after mass unrest against his rule.
Qatar had supported Morsi, who is already in jail along with thousands of Brotherhood members, many of whom have been sentenced to death on separate charges.
The Cairo public prosecutor's office said that its secret investigation had unearthed enough evidence of espionage to charge Morsi in a criminal court.
Relations between Qatar and Egypt have been icy since July 2013, when then-Egyptian army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi toppled Morsi after mass unrest against his rule.
Qatar had supported Morsi, who is already in jail along with thousands of Brotherhood members, many of whom have been sentenced to death on separate charges.
The Cairo public prosecutor's office said that its secret investigation had unearthed enough evidence of espionage to charge Morsi in a criminal court.
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