The chief negotiator of Syria’s main opposition umbrella group, Mohammed Alloush, has resigned over what he called the failure of peace talks. Mr Alloush, from the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said the talks had not brought a political deal or eased the plight of Syrians in besieged areas. The HNC suspended its involvement in the UN-brokered “proximity” negotiations with a Syrian government delegation in Geneva in April. No date has been set for a resumption. “The three rounds of talks were unsuccessful because of the stubbornness of the regime and its continued bombardments and aggressions against the Syrian people,” Mr Alloush said. The Saudi-backed HNC has for months expressed its frustration about the progress of the Geneva talks. It has been angered by the lack of humanitarian aid reaching besieged areas, the slow release of political detainees and the absence of movement towards a political transition in Syria without President Bashar al-Assad. A nationwide truce between rebel and government forces brokered by the US and Russia is officially still in place, but is frequently violated. Mr Alloush’s resignation could prompt further departures. Reports say another member of the HNC has signalled he too may quit. More than 250,000 Syrians have […] Read More
A POLICE officer who sparked a nationwide terror alert by making a hoax 999 call to his own force has been jailed for seven years. PC Amar Tasaddiq Hussain sent West Midlands Police into “overdrive” after phoning through an anonymous warning that a terrorist with links to Syria was planning to kidnap a Muslim policeman. Jailing Hussain at Stafford Crown Court, Judge Michael Chambers QC criticised the 29-year-old officer for showing no remorse and pleading not guilty in the face of overwhelming evidence. A trial which ended earlier this month was told that Hussain and two other Birmingham men hoped the 999 call in 2014 would discredit an official at an Islamic community group they were members of. It’s quite clear you abused your knowledge of the 999 system and police procedures for your own ends Judge Michael Chambers QC Hussain, jobless Adil Bashir, 26, and 31-year-old tutor Muhammad Ali Sheikh, were all convicted of two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The judge told Hussain – who was suspended on full pay after his arrest and faces dismissal at a hearing next month – that he had caused “chaos and anxiety” to his colleagues and “enormous” […] Read More
Minh Quang Pham, 33, was sentenced in New York for supporting the terrorist organisation al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in 2011. In January, Pham admitted three counts of terrorist-related activity based on his support for the group though he denied that he ever intended to carry out his plot or harm anyone. No attack ever occurred. The former Vietnamese national was first arrested in the UK in June 2012 and was extradited to the US in early 2015. Scotland Yard said its Counter Terrorism Command provided key evidence that helped shape the case against Pham, also known as Amin, and led to this successful prosecution. He pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to AQAP, one count of conspiring to receive military training from AQAP and one count of possessing and using a machine gun in furtherance of crimes of violence. Prosecutors say Pham was directed by al Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki to detonate explosives in Heathrow’s arrivals area. District Judge Alison Nathan said Pham deserved an “exceptionally severe sentence” after he became a trusted asset for the terrorist group. He worked as a graphic artist on its magazine, Inspire, that was said to be used […] Read More
Islamic State militants have the upcoming sporting event in France “in their sights” and could wage a large-scale bombing campaign, according to security experts. The head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maassen, is convinced that jihadi terror groups want to launch attacks against high-profile Western targets, such as the Euros. He said: “We know that IS has the European Championship in its sights.” Maassen went on to say that there was “quite a lot of background noise” and “an elevated number of indications” that ISIS, al Qaeda or its Syrian affiliate group Nursa Front could strike imminently. But Maassen stopped short of saying there was any hard evidence of a specific attack. Terrorists killed 130 people in Paris attacks last year They will try to hit as soon as possible, and achieve the greatest possible impact Patrick Calvar The comments come after French internal intelligence chief, Patrick Calvar, admitted his country faces its “greatest threat” from Islamist attacks with the football championships just two weeks away. He said: “Clearly, France is the most threatened and we know that Islamic State is planning new attacks. “Due to suffering setbacks on the battlefield [in Iraq and […] Read More
Putin, speaking at a joint news conference in Athens with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, said: “If yesterday in those areas of Romania people simply did not know what it means to be in the crosshairs, then today we will be forced to carry out certain measures to ensure our security. “It will be the same case with Poland.” The Russian figurehead stopped short of specifically saying what the consequences of the missile shield would be and insisted that he was simply acting in response to provocative moves made by the U.S. GETTY Russian troops in annexed Crimea He said: “We won’t take any action until we see rockets in areas that neighbour us.” Putin rubbished claims that the missile shield was designed to protect against Iran’s nuclear programme and pointed out that the deadly weapons in the Eastern European countries could easily reach Russian cities. He said: “How can that not create a threat for us? Putin is angry at what he sees as provocative actions by America in Eastern Europe “We’ve been repeating like a mantra that we will be forced to respond…Nobody wants to hear us. Nobody wants to conduct negotiations with us.” The aggressive comments come […] Read More
1. The Houses of Parliament are officially known as the Palace of Westminster and it is the largest palace in the country. 2. The Palace of Westminster has eight bars (where prices are kept cheap, thanks to the taxpayer), six restaurants, 1,000 rooms, 100 staircases, 11 courtyards, a hair salon, and rifle-shooting range. 3. It is illegal to die in the Palace of Westminster. 4. Many playwrights and poets are buried at Westminster Abbey. The tomb of Elizabethan poet Edmund Spenser is there and, according to historian Edward Camden, contains unpublished works by his admirers — possibly including Shakespeare — who threw poems into his grave as a tribute. 5. Big Ben is the bell, not the clock tower. Its chime is in the key of E. 6. Cock Lane, near Holborn Viaduct, didn’t get its name due to any association with poultry, but because it was the only street to be licensed for prostitution in medieval times. 7. Unusual street names in London include Ha Ha Road in Greenwich, Hooker’s Road in Walthamstow, Quaggy Walk in Blackheath, and Cyclops Mews and Uamvar Street in Limehouse. 8. The Beatles played their last gig on the roof of Apple Corps at […] Read More
Federal agents who sought to interview a man later charged in connection with the San Bernardino terror attack were not even allowed to enter a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office where he was slated to be questioned a day after the massacre, stunned lawmakers were told at a hearing Tuesday. Read More
There’s a popular misconception that online TV viewers employ ad blockers because they don’t like advertising. Wrong. The truth is that viewers reach for ad blockers when ads are too disruptive to their TV experience. Read More
Four cities could exclusively use rainwater to flush their toilets. But by demanding drinkable water to be pumped to their houses, just so they can poop in it and throw it back out, they are burdening their infrastructure in two different ways. Read More
Leaders from nearly 120 cities and counties are backing deportation relief for undocumented immigrants in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court — many of them in opposition to governors of their states. Read More
