JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
Palestinian flag flies at UN, Abbas seeks full status-AFP By Jennie Matthew, Cecile Feuillatre-October 1, 2015 2:06 AM-YAHOONEWS
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The Palestinian flag was raised at the United Nations in a symbolic gesture as leader Mahmud Abbas called on the world body to grant them full membership, warning the risk of religious conflict.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Abbas presided over the packed, slightly chaotic ceremony against a backdrop of stalemate in the peace process and escalating tensions at holy sites in Jerusalem."In this historical moment, I say to my people everywhere: raise the flag of Palestinians very high because it is the symbol of our identity," the 80-year-old Abbas told the crowd. "It is a proud day."Israel and the United States, which voted against the flag-raising, have called it a symbolic move that will not serve the cause of peace.On Wednesday, the Diplomatic Quartet agreed at talks in New York to revitalize the quest for a political settlement, warning that facts on the ground were "dangerously imperiling" a possible two-state solution."Now is the time to restore confidence by both Israelis and Palestinians for a peaceful settlement and, at last, the realization of two states for two peoples," Ban told the ceremony.The crowd, which included French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, diplomats from around the world and journalists, cheered when the red, black, white and green Palestinian flag fluttered in the gentle breeze.In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, hundreds of people gathered to watch the flag-raising and Abbas's speech, cheering loudly and waving flags as he spoke.- Not bound by agreements -The General Assembly voted September 10 to allow the flags of Palestine and the Vatican -- both have observer status -- to be raised at the world body alongside those of member states.The resolution was backed by 119 countries, with 45 abstentions and eight votes against, including Australia, Israel and the United States.Abbas used his speech at the General Assembly to launch a searing attack on Israeli policy and appeal for "countries that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine yet, to do so.""Palestine, which is an observer state in the United Nations, deserves full recognition and full membership," he said.Abbas said Israel's refusal to release Palestinian prisoners and stop settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, meant that Palestinians could no longer feel bound by past agreements."They leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them," he said."We cannot continue to be bound by these signed agreements with Israel and Israel must assume fully all its responsibilities as an occupying power," saying that Palestinian patience "has come to an end."He warned that recent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem risk turning a political conflict into a religious one, "creating a explosive situation.""I call on the Israeli government to cease its use of brutal force... particularly its actions at the Al-Aqsa mosque," Abbas said.- Urgency to act -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced his speech as "deceitful" and accused Abbas's words of encouraging "incitement and destruction in the Middle East.EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said Abbas's speech underscored the "urgency" of the need to act now."There is an if, and on that if we are going to have to work," she told reporters of the Palestinian threat to abandon past agreements.A recent poll found that most Palestinians favor a return to armed uprising in the absence of peace talks, frustrated with Israel's right-wing government, and that two-thirds want Abbas to resign.Mogherini said the Diplomatic Quartet would revitalize its activities."The risk (is) that if we don't act... this can be a major source of radicalism not only in the region but worldwide," she said.In a shift, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League were invited to Wednesday's meeting of the quartet, along with the foreign ministers of Russia, the United States and Federica Mogherini.The quartet expressed "serious concern" that trends on the ground "are dangerously imperiling" the viability of a two-state solution. Netanyahu is to address the United Nations on Thursday and call on Palestinians to stop "incitement to violence."
Hamas official calls on Palestinians to "take up arms"-AFP-oct 3,15-yahoonews
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A senior Hamas official Saturday called on Palestinians to take up arms to "defend" the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after a rise in Jewish visitors to the flashpoint site."The only solution to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque and to prevent Israelis from carrying out their plans there is for West Bank and Jerusalem residents to take up arms," Mahmud Zahar said in an interview posted on the Islamist movement's website.Tensions have been high in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem recently, with Palestinians and Israeli police clashing at the site, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews. Zahar's call comes after numerous attacks on Palestinians were reported in the West Bank Friday as Israeli troops searched for the suspected Palestinian killers of a Jewish settler couple shot in front of their young children."Until now weapons have only served to protect the settlers and the occupiers," added Zahar, whose movement rules the Gaza Strip. "But we should not forget the West Bank has great human resources that can be mobilised at any moment.""The image of Palestinians from the West Bank and Jerusalem throwing stones and Molotov cocktails has dealt a blow to the occupier," he said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month vowed "war" on stone-throwers.His security cabinet broadened the rules under which they can be targeted by live fire, while setting minimum sentences and authorising larger fines for stone-throwing minors and their parents.
10 Palestinians wounded as Israel hunts settlers' killers-AFP-oct 3,15-yahoonews
Nablus (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Ten Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in the West Bank on Saturday during a raid by troops hunting the murderers of a Jewish settler couple, Palestinian police and medical sources said.Palestinians protesting against the raid in the territory's main northern city of Nablus hurled stones at soldiers, who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and live ammunition, the sources said.The Palestinian Red Crescent said "10 people were wounded by live rounds to the legs or stomach," and "four others were wounded in beatings" by security forces.Tensions have soared in the West Bank since the settler couple were shot dead in their car in front of their four children on Thursday evening.Rabbi Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama, both in the 30s, were buried in Jerusalem on Friday.Israel has launched a huge manhunt for the gunmen, and deployed troop reinforcements to maintain order following revenge attacks by settlers.Palestinian police said Saturday's violence began when "dozens of Israeli soldiers in military vehicles" entered an eastern neighbourhood of Nablus, one of the largest cities in the West Bank."They arrested eight people and conducted searches, entering properties by force and causing damage," the police said.An Israeli military spokeswoman said she was unable to comment on the raid.Apprehensive of rising tensions between settlers and Palestinians after Thursday's shooting, the Israeli army said it had deployed "four battalions in order to prevent an escalation of violence in the area adjacent to the location of the attack".Palestinian news agency Wafa said a 35-year-old man was shot in the leg by settlers near Bethlehem, and police said settlers had stoned a number of cars and set fire to olive trees.And in the Palestinian village of Beitillu, assailants torched a car and spray-painted "Revenge Henkin" in Hebrew on a wall, the army said, adding that nobody was hurt.
Families, friends grieve for Oregon college massacre victims-Reuters By Laila Kearney-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Larry Levine, 67, was a college English instructor with a love of fly-fishing. Lucero Alcaraz, 19, was an honors student with hopes of becoming a pediatric nurse. Rebecka Carnes, 18, was a teenager fresh out of high school, excited about her future.A photo of a smiling Carnes posted to social media on Friday showed her holding up a sign on graduation day that read, "And so the adventure begins..."But Carnes, along with Levine and Alcaraz, were among nine people shot and killed in a rampage at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, on Thursday morning by gunman Chris Harper-Mercer, 26.Mercer stormed into a classroom at the college and executed people after asking them about their religion. In addition to those killed, another nine were injured.Harper-Mercer, who authorities said left a cache of weapons at the crime scene and at his home in nearby Winchester, about 170 miles (273 km) south of Portland, was killed in a gunfire exchange with police.Few details about the shooter's motive have emerged, but authorities said Harper-Mercer was a student at the school and enrolled in the class where the shooting took place.Law enforcement officials named all victims late on Friday.Along with Carnes, Levine and Alcaraz, Quinn Cooper, 18; Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59; Lucas Eibel, 18; Jason Johnson, 33; Sarena Moore, 44; and Treven Anspach, 20, were killed, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office."I don't know how we're going to move forward without Quinn," Cooper's family said in a statement released by the sheriff's office. "No one should ever feel the pain that we are feeling."Johnson's family said he was a proud Christian who had recently decided to return to school. "Jason had finally found his path," it said.The family of Eibel, a chemistry student who received multiple academic scholarships, said he loved wildlife and volunteered with animals. "He was (also) an amazing soccer player," their statement said.Before any announcement, friends gathered to mourn Levine, who was teaching in the classroom where the shooting occurred.Levine, a native New Yorker, had published articles in fly fishing magazines and had written more than one unpublished novel, a friend, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.On social media on Friday, family members of the dead were posting messages about their lost loved ones."Sister, I miss you, I love you, and I wish I could see you walk through the front door right this second," Maria Alcaraz, who identified herself as the older sister of Lucero Alcaraz, wrote on Facebook. "I'm full of anger, pain, sadness, regret that I didn't get the chance to see her or prevent this from happening."Maria Alcaraz said her sister was an exceptional student who had received scholarships to pay in full her community college education.The family of Rebecka Carnes, who went by "Becka," said on Facebook that the teenager had just started a new job and began classes this week to eventually become a dental hygienist."I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to have watched Becka grow up," cousin Lisa Crawford wrote. "This isn't how life is supposed to work."(Additional reporting by Emily Flitter in Roseburg, Oregon; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Gunman in Oregon massacre was turned away from firearms academy-Reuters By Eric M. Johnson and Emily Flitter-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
ROSEBURG, Ore. (Reuters) - The gunman slain by police after he killed his English professor and eight others at an Oregon college was once turned away from a firearms academy by an instructor who recalled finding him "weird" and "a little bit too anxious" for high-level weapons training.Christopher Harper-Mercer, 26, who moved to Oregon from the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, California, was officially identified on Friday as the assailant in the rampage at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, which ranks as the deadliest among dozens of U.S. mass shootings in the past two years.According to accounts of survivors, the gunman stormed into the classroom of his introductory writing class to shoot the professor at point-blank range, then began picking off other victims one at a time as he questioned each about their religion and whether they were Christians.Harper-Mercer had a monthlong stint in the Army in 2008 and a preoccupation with weaponry that dated back at least two years.He sought to register for training in 2012 or 2013 at Seven 4 Para, a private self-defense and law enforcement training academy in Torrance, but Eloy Way, president and head instructor for the center, said he sent Harper-Mercer away."We wanted him to take a beginner safety course and he was trying to tell me that he already had experience with firearms and I didn't get a good feeling about him, so I turned him down," Way told Reuters."He was just kind of a weird guy and seemed kind of spoiled, immature," Way said. "He was a little bit too anxious to get high-level training and there was no reason for it."Authorities have disclosed little of what they may know about the gunman's motives.The shooter left behind a "multipage, hated-filled" statement in the classroom, according to a Twitter message from an NBC reporter, citing multiple law enforcement sources who were not identified. CNN, citing sources, said the statement showed animosity toward blacks.Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, who has vowed never to say the gunman's name, declined to comment when asked about the writings at a news conference.-INTEREST IN IRA-Harper-Mercer was born in the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States as a boy, his stepsister Carmen Nesnick told CBS Los Angeles.Harper-Mercer, who identified himself as "mixed race" on a social networking site, enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for about a month in 2008 before being discharged for failing to meet administrative standards, military records showed.At some point, Harper-Mercer appeared to have been sympathetic to the Irish Republican Army, a militant group that waged a violent campaign to drive the British from Northern Ireland. On an undated Myspace page, he posted photos of masked IRA gunmen carrying assault rifles.Harper's victims were identified as assistant English professor Lawrence Levine, 67, and eight people believed to be his students: Quinn Cooper, 18; Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59; Lucas Eibel, 18; Jason Johnson, 33; Sarena Moore, 44; Treven Anspach, 20; and Rebecka Carnes, 18; and Lucero Alcaraz, 19.Nine more people were wounded, three critically, before Harper-Mercer was killed in an exchange of gunfire with two police officers.One of those wounded, Chris Mintz, 30, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was credited with likely saving lives when he confronted the gunman outside another classroom before police arrived. Mintz drew fire that left him with seven bullet wounds and two broken legs, according to his former girlfriend.So far this year, 294 U.S. mass shootings have been reported nationwide, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker website, a crowd-sourced database kept by anti-gun activists that logs events in which four or more people are shot.The Roseburg shooting ranks as the deadliest bout of gun violence since September 2013, when a former U.S. Navy reservist working as a government contractor killed 12 people before he was slain by police at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard. About 80 shootings have occurred across the country since then that claimed at least four lives each.The Oregon shooting has led to fresh demands for stricter gun control in the United States, including an impassioned plea by President Barack Obama for political action, and statements by some Republican presidential candidates supporting the right of Americans to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.(Additional reporting by Courtney Sherwood and Jane Ross in Roseburg, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Daniel Wallis in Denver, Doina Chiacu in Washington, Suzannah Gonzalez in Chicago, Shelby Sebens in Portland and Angela Moon in New York; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Edward Tobin and Bill Trott)
Sense of regret' in Vatican over pope meeting with gay marriage opponent-Reuters By Philip Pullella-OCT 2,15-YAHOONEWS
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis' meeting last week with an American woman at the center of a row over gay marriage was not something he had sought and should not be seen as an endorsement of her views, the Vatican said on Friday.One Vatican official said there was "a sense of regret" that the pope had ever seen Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in September for refusing to honor a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and issue same-sex marriage licenses.The encounter in Washington was originally kept secret and has sparked widespread debate since it became public this week, proving something of a misstep for the pontiff.Looking to smother the fierce controversy, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Davis was one of "several dozen" people who had been invited by the Vatican ambassador to see Francis during his visit to the U.S. capital."The Pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects," Lombardi said in a statement."The only real audience granted by the Pope at the Nunciature (Vatican embassy) was with one of his former students and his family," the statement said.The Vatican later confirmed on Friday that the pope met with Yayo Grassi, a U.S.-based Argentine caterer who is gay and brought his male partner of 19 years to the meeting.Grassi, 67, has known the pope since Francis taught him literature and psychology at a high school in Argentina in the 1960s and has stayed in touch."What I can say is that he met with me knowing that I am gay, and we had an extraordinary, very moving conversation," Grassi told Reuters.EMBASSY UNDERESTIMATED SIGNIFICANCE-The meeting with Davis disappointed many liberal Catholics but delighted conservatives, who saw it as a sign that the pope was clearly condemning a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage.Davis said on Wednesday that the pope had thanked her for her courage and told her to "stay strong," adding that knowing that he agreed with what she was doing "kind of validates everything."While Lombardi declined to take questions on the incident, his assistant, Father Tom Rosica, a Canadian priest, laid the blame on the Vatican embassy in Washington, saying it had underestimated the impact of Davis's presence at the reception."I'm not sure that they (the embassy) realized how significant it would be," he told reporters.Rosica said he did not believe the pope was even indirectly involved in inviting Davis, adding that the greeting was very brief and that she and her husband were among the many guests at the Washington embassy before the pope left for New York.Rosica said he did not know if there had been a private meeting. Davis' lawyer, Mat Staver, said the couple were not in a line, that the meeting was private and seen only by Vatican personnel and security."Had Kim Davis been in a line of people or been seen by anyone outside of Vatican personnel, we would not have been able to keep her visit secret," he said in a statement.Rosica said the pope was most likely not fully aware of how controversial a figure Davis had become."I would simply say her case is a very complex case. It has all kinds of intricacies. Was there an opportunity to brief the pope on this beforehand? I don't think so. Was an in-depth process done? No, probably not," Rosica said.Asked if the pope had been set up intentionally by someone in the embassy, Rosica said: "No, reading all of the information, listening to all of the facts, these things happen."Rosica said he also doubted that Davis and her husband spent 15 minutes with the pope, as her lawyer had reported, saying "there simply was not enough time".Davis has said her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian prevent her from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her church belongs to a Protestant movement known as Apostolic Pentecostalism.Rosica said he hoped the Davis incident and its aftermath would not distract from the significance of the U.S. trip."The visit was extraordinary ... so to allow this to kind of overshadow it would be very unfortunate. This is not the centerpiece of the papal visit. This is one small part of it, but it is a loaded centerpiece."(Additional reporting by Steve Bittenbender in Louisville, Kentucky and Alistair Bell in Washington DC; Editing by Crispian Balmer, Ralph Boulton, Richard Balmforth and Jonathan Oatis)
Vatican sacks gay priest after highly public coming out-Reuters By Philip Pullella-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday dismissed a gay priest from his Holy See job on the eve of a major Church meeting for a highly public coming out that challenged the Roman Catholic teaching that homosexual acts are a sin.Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa, a Polish theologian, had worked at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's doctrinal arm, since 2003. He was also sacked from his jobs teaching theology at pontifical universities in Rome.Charamsa, 43, told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper that he was gay and had a partner in an interview published on Saturday. The Church does not consider homosexuality a sin but priests, whether heterosexual or gay, are meant to be celibate.Charasma also held a news conference with his partner and gay activists at a Rome restaurant. They had planned a demonstration in front of the Vatican but changed the venue several hours before it was due to have started.The Vatican said the dismissal had nothing to do with Charasma's reflections on his personal life, which it said "merit respect".But it said giving the interview and the planned demonstration was "grave and irresponsible" given their timing on the eve of a synod of bishops who will discuss family issues, including the Church's position on gays.It said his actions would subject the synod, which Pope Francis is due to open on Sunday, to "undue media pressure".At the news conference, Charamsa said he wanted to make "an enormous noise for the good of the Church" and apply "good Christian pressure" on the synod not to forget homosexual believers."This decision of mine to come out was a very personal one taken in a Catholic Church that is homophobic and very difficult and harsh (towards gays)," he said.He suggested that a study be made of how many homosexuals work in the Vatican. "We can't continue showing contempt and offence towards homosexuals," he said.The issue of homosexuality and the Church has dominated the aftermath of the pope's visit to the United States last week."I ask the pope to be strong and to remember us, homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals as children of the Church and members of humanity," Charamsa said.The Vatican has been embarrassed by a row over the pope's meeting during his U.S. trip with Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in September for refusing to honor a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and issue same-sex marriage licences.
Before bishops meet, discordant voices on gays' place in Church-AFP By Fanny Carrier-oct 3,15-yahoonews
Rome (AFP) - In the days leading up to a synod of bishops at which the Church's approach to homosexuality will come under review, representatives of gay Catholics from nearly 40 countries have descended on Rome.Seminars, meetings and conferences have echoed to the sound of sometimes sharply discordant voices seeking to influence the direction of the debate.The official stance of the Church remains clear: homosexuality is an "intrinsic disorder" and individuals attracted to the same sex should live a life of abstinence.But at all levels of its global structure, there are important differences of view on how variations in human sexuality should be dealt with, both in Catholic teaching and in the pastoral activities of priests across a world in which broader societal views of the question also vary greatly."Without wishing to offend anyone ... a man is nothing without a woman, and neither of them is anything without being open to life. Homosexuality is closed to life," conservative Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah told a seminar in the run-up to the synod.A related perspective is offered by Father Paul Check, head of Courage, an organisation which describes its mission as helping people with homosexual desires to live a more Christian life."There is much more to their humanity and their Christianity than their feelings," he told AFP TV."I'm not diminishing these feelings, I say there is much more that makes you a human, a Christian. And part of engaging that is how I'm going to choose to respond to what's inside me."Then there is 23-year-old Frenchman Clement Borioli, who says has overcome his gay tendencies and now aspires to "an exclusive and affectionate" but chaste friendship with another man.Yet while Pope Francis and most of his bishops all concur in their condemnation of the trend towards legalising gay marriage, there are important voices in the church supporting a more profound reflection on the evidence that sexuality is innate."For me, this inclination is a question mark: it does not reflect God's original design, and yet it is a reality, because you are born gay," German Cardinal Walter Kasper, the most influential reformist theologian in the upper echelons of the Church, wrote recently.Kasper is widely thought to have the ear of the pope; the book in which he made that observation was subtitled "my journey with Francis."Mexican bishop Raul Vera Lopez was reprimanded in 2010 for telling priests in his diocese to offer a pastoral welcome to homosexuals.- A step forward -"What a scandal!" he said. "People think homosexuals are perverse, that they are sick. But the sickness is in our heads not in theirs," he said on the sidelines of a meeting here of umbrella group the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC).Hailing from both developed countries like the United States, Spain and Germany as well as from Zambia and Chile, these "rainbow Catholics" have decided to live openly as homosexuals but do not demand much of the men inside the ornate halls that will host the synod.In a reference to the pope's famous "who am I to judge" comment about gays, GNRC spokesman Andrea Rubera says the fact a discussion has been opened within the Church at all represents major progress."The fact that a Pope said the word 'gay' in itself was a historic event," said the 50-year-old from Rome, who is bringing up three children with his husband.References to homosexuals and their children in official synod documents "amount to a recognition of a phenomenon that is a reality and that in itself is already a step forward," said Rubera.The next step, he says, is to turn words into action by getting the Church to approve the universal adoption of a new pastoral approach which would see priests help families to be accepting of their homosexual children, encourage parishes to embrace the children of gay couples and recognise the value of loving, stable same-sex relationships.The last point figured in a working document at last year's first round of synod discussions but caused so much hostile reaction it was excised from the final text.For now, it is greater tolerance not pride that is on the Church's agenda.
Greece must stick to program to exit bailout: PM-Reuters By Renee Maltezou-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece must implement its bailout program fast to achieve its main aim of regaining access to market financing and escaping international supervision, re-elected leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday.Speaking to lawmakers of his Syriza party on the day a new parliament was sworn in, the premier said he aimed to complete the first review of a 86 billion euro bailout agreed in August as soon as possible so Athens could open negotiations with its euro zone partners on debt relief.To achieve that, Greece is required to enact a swathe of reforms of taxation, pensions, healthcare, the financial sector and public services by Nov. 15 to unlock the next tranche of aid and receive help in recapitalizing its stricken banks."Implementing the bailout is not going to be easy. But we are obliged to make these decisions although we don't like them," Tsipras said. "It's necessary, in order to exit this system of surveillance and immediately start the discussion on the debt issue."Our main target is to exit this system of supervision, and regain market access. But a necessary condition for that is to return to growth," he added.Tsipras performed a spectacular U-turn in July after calling a referendum to reject austerity terms for a bailout, only to accept more stringent conditions after Greece was forced to shut its banks, ration cash and impose capital controls.A hard-left faction broke from Syriza, but Tsipras trounced them in an early election last month, returning to office comfortably with his right-wing nationalist coalition partners.Tsipras said Syriza, which still spans from social democrats to radical leftists, needed to learn from the errors of its chaotic first seven months in office and avoid past divisions."In the end, we must all respect the collective will so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated," he said in what sounded like a veiled warning to lawmakers.He also said Syriza would aim to change the country by fighting "the establishment", corruption and tax evasion, and reforming the justice system, education and social welfare.DEBT RELIEF DEBATE-European Union officials have cautioned Greece against expecting massive relief on its debt when talks get under away after the completion of the first bailout review by EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund monitors.Klaus Regling, head of the euro zone's bailout fund, told the Financial Times last week that Greece did not need large-scale debt relief and had already received the most concessionary loan terms "in world history".EU sources have told Reuters the bloc could reach a consensus on capping Greece's annual gross borrowing costs at 15 percent of its economic output, by extending loan maturities and repayment grace periods as necessary.An IMF source said the Fund believed Greece needed easier terms closer to the 10 percent annual gross borrowing cost it aims to achieve for developing countries.The IMF has made Greek compliance with the bailout program and adequate euro zone debt relief conditions for its continued involvement in Greece, which Germany insists is necessary to satisfy its parliament.Berlin, the euro zone's leading economy with the largest exposure to Greece, has ruled out any "haircut" but agreed to consider longer maturities and grace periods.(Additional reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Alison Williams)
Germany fetes 25 years of unity with call for refugee welcome-AFP By Deborah Cole-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
Berlin (AFP) - Germany on Saturday celebrated 25 years since its joyful reunification, with its leaders urging the nation to muster the same strength and solidarity to face a record refugee influx.The silver anniversary of the day communist East Germany and the capitalist West reunited as one country comes with Europe's top economy standing at a crossroads.Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck, both of whom grew up under communism, attended ceremonies in the business capital Frankfurt with the resonant slogan "Overcoming Borders".In the keynote speech, Gauck focused on the refugee crisis and called on Germans to recapture the same can-do spirit that gripped the country in the heady months between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the remarriage of east and west."Today we celebrate the courage and self-confidence of that time. Let us use this memory as a bridge," said Gauck, who was a dissident pastor in East Germany."In 1990 too, there was the legitimate question: 'Are we up to this challenge?' Then too, there was no example from history to follow. And nevertheless, millions of people took on the national task of unification and made Germany into a country that was more than the sum of its parts."- Epochal test -Merkel, who will mark 10 years in power in November, is grappling with the arrival this year of up to one million people fleeing war and hardship.Buoyed by a robust economy and job market, voters have largely backed her policy of extending help.Volunteers have greeted hundreds of thousands with open arms and mountains of donated essentials in moving scenes that Merkel has said made her "proud of this country".However as the numbers have grown, Merkel's popularity has slipped as she comes under fire from critics at home and abroad for her willing acceptance of the burden on Europe.Merkel on Saturday said the migrant crisis represented an epochal test for the European Union."Twenty-five years on, we are facing great challenges with the issue of refugees," she told reporters in Frankfurt."Now too, we Germans will not be able to solve the problem on our own but only with Europe, with a fair division of the burden, and with the rest of the world."She said earlier in her weekly podcast that this must include a range of measures including protection of Europe's external borders, development aid and conflict resolution in the refugees' countries of origin, and smoother distribution of newcomers within the EU.Some countries have resisted Berlin's bid for the mantle of European leadership, however, with Hungary's hardline Prime Minister Viktor Orban even accusing Merkel of "moral imperialism". Gauck expressed understanding for the fears of eastern European countries that do not have experience in integrating foreigners, unlike that acquired over generations in the west."This recognition should make it easier to respect the experiences of other nations," he said.- Enduring divisions -On October 3, 1990, just under a year after the Berlin Wall was pulled down in a bloodless revolution, the reunification treaty bringing the two halves of the country together came into effect amid jubilant scenes.Ever since, this date has been a public holiday to mark Germany's national day.The anniversary festivities were carrying on throughout the weekend in Frankfurt, with pop bands, fireworks and an art installation on the Main River illuminating 25 bridges.And thousands joined a street party in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unity.Yet divisions persist.Sixty-six percent of Germans say reunification was the right decision. But 71 percent of westerners and 83 percent of easterners argue that "major differences" endure between the two halves, opinion research firm YouGov said.Unemployment remains higher in the eastern states than in the west, but the spread has shrunk to nine percent versus six percent.Social differences abound too, with far more eastern children born out of wedlock and enrolled in daycare.A schism can be seen on the issue of refugees too, with vandals' attacks on refugee shelters disproportionately focused in the east, where populist anti-migrant groups have gained a foothold.In Frankfurt, the festivities were marred by a protest when around 70 people calling for more generous asylum laws stormed a festive tent set up by the Bundesrat upper house of parliament.
Central African president calls for tougher mandate for U.N. mission-Reuters-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
DAKAR (Reuters) - Central African Republic's interim President Catherine Samba-Panza called on Saturday for a tougher mandate for the U.N. mission, MINUSCA, and the disarmament of militias and rebels after more than 40 people were killed in the capital of Bangui.Samba-Panza, who returned early from the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week because of the unrest, also declared three days of national mourning for the victims, starting on Monday.The murder of a Muslim man last weekend rekindled sectarian violence that has plagued the mostly Christian nation of 4.5 million people since Muslim Seleka rebels briefly seized power in March 2013.Scores of homes were burned, while shops and aid organizations' offices were looted in the riverside capital, severely hampering humanitarian operations.More than 40,000 people were displaced, according to U.N. figures, and the violence ended any hopes of holding elections scheduled for Oct. 18.Samba-Panza has blamed the latest unrest on supporters of former president Francois Bozize, who was ousted in 2013 by mainly Muslim rebels who fought under the umbrella group Seleka. Many shops reopened on Saturday and people returned to the streets. Isolated acts of criminality were reported, however, and a night-time curfew remains in place."The whole of the Central African people is convinced of the need for a more robust mandate for MINUSCA forces and the complete and immediate disarmament of the non-conventional forces," said a statement from Samba-Panza, read on national radio. She gave no details on what such a mandate would be.Samba-Panza took office in early 2014 after Seleka relinquished power in the face of international pressure. She is charged with steering the country to elections this year.In a bid to put in place a government with a democratic mandate, the international community is pushing for the vote to go ahead before the end of the year, despite widespread insecurity and Seleka's hold over parts of the north.In the south, the "anti-balaka" Christian militia controls swathes of territory.In recent weeks, protests have taken place in Bangui and other towns at the failure of the 10,000-strong U.N. mission and French forces to restore peace, amid opposition calls for the national army to be re-armed. The police and gendarmerie are allowed to carry weapons but soldiers are not.The Central African military was sidelined when Seleka seized power and many of its members are alleged to have carried out sectarian violence as part of the "anti-balaka" militia.(Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Kunduz air strikes 'inexcusable', 'possibly criminal': UN rights chief-AFP-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
Geneva (AFP) - A suspected US air strike on a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz that killed sixteen people including nine MSF staff on Saturday was "inexcusable" and possibly criminal, UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.Zeid called for a full and transparent investigation, noting that, "if established as deliberate in a court of law, an air strike on a hospital may amount to a war crime."“This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable and possibly even criminal,” Zeid said in a statement.The death toll jumped to 16 from the earlier reported nine, with three children among those killed, Doctors Without Borders said."At least 16 people died including nine MSF staff," said MSF spokeswoman Kate Stegeman, adding that 37 people were wounded in the bombardment.
Moscow says 600 'militants' flee Syria, vows to ramp up bombing-AFP-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
Moscow (AFP) - Russian air strikes Saturday targeting the Islamic State group in Syria have sown "panic", forcing some 600 "militants" to abandon their positions and head to Europe, Moscow claimed.Summing up the results of Russia's first three days of strikes, a senior official with the General Staff said Russian jets had made more than 60 sorties over 50 IS targets and added that Russia would ramp up its aerial campaign."Our intelligence shows that militants are leaving areas under their control. Panic and desertion have started in their ranks," Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, a senior Russian General Staff official, said in a statement." Some 600 mercenaries have abandoned their positions and are trying to find their way into Europe," Kartapolov said."Over the past three days we have managed to undermine material and technical resources of the terrorists and significantly reduce their combat potential," he added. "We will not only continue the strikes by our air force but also will increase their intensity."He said Russia had managed to destroy IS command posts, warehouses storing ammunition and explosives, communication hubs, training camps as well as "mini-factories that made weapons for suicide bombers".The United States and its allies have slammed Moscow's intervention, accusing the Kremlin of seeking to buttress Syria's embattled leader Bashar al-Assad and targeting moderate rebels.Kartapolov said Russian officials had contacted their foreign counterparts and recommended that they pull their personnel from the region.Russia also recommended that Washington pull out "those valuable employees who were trained at the expense of American taxpayers," Kartapolov said with heavy irony.US Senator John McCain had earlier claimed that Russian jets killed rebel soldiers trained and funded by the CIA."By the way, during these contacts Americans informed us that no one but terrorists are present in this region," the Russian official added.He also said that a task force Russia is setting up with Iraq, Iran and Syria had begun its work in Baghdad but expressed regret that the West had not moved to share intelligence."We have to admit openly that as of today we are receiving such data only from our colleagues at the centre," Kartapolov said."We are still open for dialogue with all interested parties."
Washington has accused Russia of making little distinction between IS militants and other factions.
Russian jets hit Syrian rebels, Moscow says Islamic State targeted-Reuters By Alexander Winning and Suleiman Al-Khalidi-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW/AMMAN (Reuters) - Russian jets hit Islamic State targets and other rebel groups in Syria on Saturday, on a fourth day of air strikes by Moscow in support of President Bashar al-Assad which have dramatically escalated foreign intervention in Syria.Russia's air campaign in Syria, where a U.S.-led air coalition and fighters on the ground from regional states are already entangled in the four-year-old civil war, has drawn strong criticism from the United States and its allies.Britain's defense minister said on Saturday that only one in 20 Russian air strikes in Syria were aimed at the hardline Islamic State forces, which control large parts of eastern Syria and western Iraq.Michael Fallon accused Russia of dropping unguided munitions on civilian areas, and against Assad's Western and Gulf-backed enemies. Russia says it is targeting Islamic State with precision bombs.The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 39 civilians had been killed since the start of the Russian air strikes on Wednesday. It said 14 fighters, mostly Islamic State militants, had also been killed.Russia said its planes made over 20 flights in Syria in the past 24 hours and targeted nine Islamic State sites, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.Targets included a command post and underground weapons bunker near Raqqa, the eastern Syrian stronghold of the Islamic State militants, as well as a weapons store in Maarat al-Numaan, Russian defense ministry statement said.Maarat al-Numaan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, is not known as an Islamic State base. Most fighters in the area are from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham and other insurgent groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.A Syrian military source, quoted by state media, said Russian and Syrian planes destroyed a command center in Latamneh, in Hama province, where Western-backed rebels operate. They also hit a training camp and weapons depot in Maarat al-Numaan, and weapons and ammunitions stores in Jisr al-Shughour.-WESTERN-BACKED REBELS HIT-The Russian air strikes have hit at least four rebel factions operating under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army which had received significant military support from states that oppose Assad, rebel fighters said this week.Some have been trained in the use of guided anti-tank missiles as part of an assistance program that has in some cases included training overseen by the Central Intelligence Agency in countries including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.This program is separate to the U.S. Defense Department’s train and equip program aimed at fighting Islamic State.The anti-tank weapons, supplied by states opposed to Assad, were an important factor in insurgent advances this year.The Russian defense ministry said Su-34 and Su-24M aircraft, flying from an air base near Syria's Mediterranean port of Latakia, took part in the most recent strikes. A Su-34 plane destroyed a command post and underground bunker with explosives and weapons near Raqqa, it said.In Maarat al-Numaan, a guided KAB-500 bomb destroyed seven vehicles as well as other facilities and weapons stores, the statement said, adding that the type of bomb was accurate to within 5 meters of its assigned target."In recent days, these and other precision weapons have been used against ISIS terrorist facilities: command centers, ammunition and ... depots, workshops where armament for terrorist attacks is produced," it said.Rescue workers in opposition-held areas in western Syria say the strikes have killed at least several dozen civilians, including children.A fighter operating in the Al-Ghab region in north-west Syria reported several air strikes. "Russian warplanes hit a number of areas in the Ghab plain. They are hitting all the factions fighting Assad. The only casualties are civilians," said Abu el Baraa al Hamawi, from Ajnaad al-Sham rebel group.He said there were "Russian experts" at a Syrian army base in the area, as well as increasing numbers of personnel from Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.A Syrian military source said an Islamic State attack on government troops in the eastern city of Deir al Zor had failed, and the army had killed a large number of "terrorists".(Additional reporting by Kate Holton in; London, Tom Perry in Beirut; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
No future for Russia bid for U.N. approval of Syria strikes: Britain-Reuters By Michelle Nichols-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday there was no future for a Russian bid to win United Nations approval of international military campaigns combating Islamic State militants, which Russia decried as strange because there was nothing objectionable in its proposal.Russia circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that would call on states involved in military efforts against Islamic State and other militants to coordinate with the countries where they are operating.In the case of Syria, this would mean cooperating military activities with President Bashar al-Assad's government.When asked if the Russian draft resolution had a future, British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters: "No." Britain is one of the council's five veto powers, along with the United States, France, China and Russia.Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin described Rycroft as a "pessimist." He said he may convene negotiations on Monday on the draft, which had been circulated during a counter terrorism meeting chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."I don't see anything which could be objectionable in that resolution. This is really very strange," Churkin said. "There is nothing to object to so I will be very curious to see what they say against this resolution."Russia bombed Syria for a third day on Friday, mainly hitting areas held by rival insurgent groups rather than the Islamic State fighters it said it was targeting and drawing an increasingly angry response from the West."We're deeply concerned by the situation in Syria, made far worse by the build up of forces by Russia and the fact that Russia is using those forces against opponents of the Assad regime," Rycroft said.The Russian draft, seen by Reuters, welcomes efforts of states fighting Islamic State, al Qaeda, Nusra Front and other groups in the region and calls upon those states "to coordinate their activities with the consent of the States, in the territories of which such activities are conducted."The U.S.-led coalition informed Syria when it began air strikes a year ago but did not seek permission. The coalition members say they are acting in collective self-defense at the request of neighboring Iraq.Russia said Syria had requested its military assistance.The Russian draft resolution also asked states combating extremist groups in the region to submit periodic reports to the Security Council on their activities. It also says those responsible for "terrorist acts" must be held accountable.A bid by Russia for a unanimous council statement last month on counter terrorism failed after Washington refused to negotiate on the text, which Western diplomats said included unacceptable language on Syria and Yemen and the Middle East peace process.Churkin said he was concerned that Britain appeared to be unwilling to negotiate, similar to the United States in the case of the rejected council statement last month."I'm a little bit bothered," Churkin said. "If from the outset you say 'well I don't want to even try (to find) common ground' then it's going to be a very strange Security Council."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Grant McCool)
Iran troops to join Syria war, Russia bombs group trained by CIA-Reuters By Laila Bassam and Andrew Osborn-October 1, 2015 7:04 PM
BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria to join a major ground offensive in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Lebanese sources said on Thursday, a sign the civil war is turning still more regional and global in scope.Russian warplanes, in a second day of strikes, bombed a camp run by rebels trained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the group's commander said, putting Moscow and Washington on opposing sides in a Middle East conflict for the first time since the Cold War.Senior U.S. and Russian officials spoke for just over an hour by secure video conference on Thursday, focusing on ways to keep air crews safe, the Pentagon said, as the two militaries carry out parallel campaigns with competing objectives."We made crystal clear that, at a minimum, the priority here should be the safe operation of the air crews over Syria," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.Two Lebanese sources told Reuters hundreds of Iranian troops had reached Syria in the past 10 days with weapons to mount a major ground offensive. They would also be backed by Assad's Lebanese Hezbollah allies and by Shi'ite militia fighters from Iraq, while Russia would provide air support."The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria -soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle. They are not advisers ... we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more," one of the sources said.So far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisers. Iran has also mobilized Shi'ite militia fighters, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.Moscow said it had hit Islamic State positions, but the areas it struck near the cities of Hama and Homs are mostly held by a rival insurgent alliance, which unlike Islamic State is supported by U.S. allies including Arab states and Turkey.Hassan Haj Ali, head of the Liwa Suqour al-Jabal rebel group that is part of the Free Syrian Army, told Reuters one of the targets was his group's base in Idlib province, struck by about 20 missiles in two separate raids. His fighters had been trained by the CIA in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, part of a program Washington says is aimed at supporting groups that oppose both Islamic State and Assad."Russia is challenging everyone and saying there is no alternative to Bashar," Haj Ali said. He said the Russian jets had been identified by members of his group who once served as Syrian air force pilots.The group is one of at least three foreign-backed FSA rebel factions to say they had been hit by the Russians in the last two days.At the United Nations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference Moscow was targeting Islamic State. He did not specifically deny that Russian planes had attacked Free Syrian Army facilities but said Russia did not view it as a terrorist group and viewed it as part of a political solution in Syria.The aim is to help the Syrian armed forces "in their weak spots", said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook described Thursday's military talks as "cordial and professional." During the talks, Elissa Slotkin, an acting assistant U.S. secretary of defense, "noted U.S. concern that areas targeted by Russia so far were not ISIL strongholds." Cook said, using an acronym for Islamic State.The Pentagon said it would not share U.S. intelligence with Russia and suggested the talks included ideas to increase safety, such as agreeing on radio frequencies for distress calls and a common language for communications.U.S. Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a frequent Obama critic, questioned the logic of talks on how to keep U.S. and Russian militaries apart, known in military parlance as "deconfliction."“Unfortunately, it appears ‘deconfliction’ is merely an Orwellian euphemism for this administration’s acceptance of Russia’s expanded role in Syria, and as a consequence, for Assad’s continued brutalization of the Syrian people,” McCain said.-SAME ENEMIES, DIFFERENT FRIENDS-Russia's decision to join the war with air strikes on behalf of Assad, as well as the increased military involvement of Iran, could mark a turning point in a conflict that has drawn in most of the world's military powers.With the United States leading an alliance waging its own air war against Islamic State, the Cold War superpower foes, Washington and Moscow, are now engaged in combat over the same country for the first time since World War Two.They say they have the same enemies - the Islamic State group of Sunni Muslim militants who have proclaimed a caliphate across eastern Syria and northern Iraq.But they also have different friends, and sharply opposing views of how to resolve the 4-year-old Syrian civil war, which has killed more than 250,000 people and driven more than 10 million from their homes.Washington and its allies oppose both Islamic State and Assad, believing he must leave power in any peace settlement.Washington says a central part of its strategy is building "moderate" insurgents to fight Islamic State, although so far it has struggled to find many fighters to accept its training. Moscow supports the Syrian president and believes his government should be the centerpiece of international efforts to fight the extremist groups.It appears to be using the common campaign against Islamic State as a pretext to strike against groups supported by Washington and its allies, as a way of defending a Damascus government with which Moscow has been allied since the Cold War.The Russian strikes represent a bold move by President Vladimir Putin to assert influence beyond his own neighborhood. It is the first time Moscow has ordered its forces into combat outside the frontiers of the former Soviet Union since its disastrous Afghanistan campaign in the 1980s.The Russian and Iranian interventions in support of Assad come at a time when momentum in the conflict had swung against his government and seem aimed at reversing insurgent gains.Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi of neighboring Iraq, where Washington is also leading an air war against Islamic State while Iran aids government forces on the ground, said he would be open to Russian strikes as well.A Syrian military source said on Thursday that Russian military support would bring a "big change" in the course of the conflict, particularly through advanced surveillance capabilities that could pinpoint insurgent targets.Putin's gamble of going to war in Syria comes a year after he defied the West to annex Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, drawing U.S. and EU economic sanctions while igniting a wave of popular nationalist support at home.(Reporting by Laila Bassam, Sylvia Westall and Tom Perry in Beirut, Andrew Osborn and Lidia Kelly in Moscow, and Yeganeh Torbati, Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Giles Elgood, Howard Goller and Ken Wills)
Palestinian flag flies at UN, Abbas seeks full status-AFP By Jennie Matthew, Cecile Feuillatre-October 1, 2015 2:06 AM-YAHOONEWS
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The Palestinian flag was raised at the United Nations in a symbolic gesture as leader Mahmud Abbas called on the world body to grant them full membership, warning the risk of religious conflict.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Abbas presided over the packed, slightly chaotic ceremony against a backdrop of stalemate in the peace process and escalating tensions at holy sites in Jerusalem."In this historical moment, I say to my people everywhere: raise the flag of Palestinians very high because it is the symbol of our identity," the 80-year-old Abbas told the crowd. "It is a proud day."Israel and the United States, which voted against the flag-raising, have called it a symbolic move that will not serve the cause of peace.On Wednesday, the Diplomatic Quartet agreed at talks in New York to revitalize the quest for a political settlement, warning that facts on the ground were "dangerously imperiling" a possible two-state solution."Now is the time to restore confidence by both Israelis and Palestinians for a peaceful settlement and, at last, the realization of two states for two peoples," Ban told the ceremony.The crowd, which included French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, diplomats from around the world and journalists, cheered when the red, black, white and green Palestinian flag fluttered in the gentle breeze.In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, hundreds of people gathered to watch the flag-raising and Abbas's speech, cheering loudly and waving flags as he spoke.- Not bound by agreements -The General Assembly voted September 10 to allow the flags of Palestine and the Vatican -- both have observer status -- to be raised at the world body alongside those of member states.The resolution was backed by 119 countries, with 45 abstentions and eight votes against, including Australia, Israel and the United States.Abbas used his speech at the General Assembly to launch a searing attack on Israeli policy and appeal for "countries that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine yet, to do so.""Palestine, which is an observer state in the United Nations, deserves full recognition and full membership," he said.Abbas said Israel's refusal to release Palestinian prisoners and stop settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, meant that Palestinians could no longer feel bound by past agreements."They leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them," he said."We cannot continue to be bound by these signed agreements with Israel and Israel must assume fully all its responsibilities as an occupying power," saying that Palestinian patience "has come to an end."He warned that recent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem risk turning a political conflict into a religious one, "creating a explosive situation.""I call on the Israeli government to cease its use of brutal force... particularly its actions at the Al-Aqsa mosque," Abbas said.- Urgency to act -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced his speech as "deceitful" and accused Abbas's words of encouraging "incitement and destruction in the Middle East.EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said Abbas's speech underscored the "urgency" of the need to act now."There is an if, and on that if we are going to have to work," she told reporters of the Palestinian threat to abandon past agreements.A recent poll found that most Palestinians favor a return to armed uprising in the absence of peace talks, frustrated with Israel's right-wing government, and that two-thirds want Abbas to resign.Mogherini said the Diplomatic Quartet would revitalize its activities."The risk (is) that if we don't act... this can be a major source of radicalism not only in the region but worldwide," she said.In a shift, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League were invited to Wednesday's meeting of the quartet, along with the foreign ministers of Russia, the United States and Federica Mogherini.The quartet expressed "serious concern" that trends on the ground "are dangerously imperiling" the viability of a two-state solution. Netanyahu is to address the United Nations on Thursday and call on Palestinians to stop "incitement to violence."
Hamas official calls on Palestinians to "take up arms"-AFP-oct 3,15-yahoonews
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A senior Hamas official Saturday called on Palestinians to take up arms to "defend" the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after a rise in Jewish visitors to the flashpoint site."The only solution to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque and to prevent Israelis from carrying out their plans there is for West Bank and Jerusalem residents to take up arms," Mahmud Zahar said in an interview posted on the Islamist movement's website.Tensions have been high in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem recently, with Palestinians and Israeli police clashing at the site, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews. Zahar's call comes after numerous attacks on Palestinians were reported in the West Bank Friday as Israeli troops searched for the suspected Palestinian killers of a Jewish settler couple shot in front of their young children."Until now weapons have only served to protect the settlers and the occupiers," added Zahar, whose movement rules the Gaza Strip. "But we should not forget the West Bank has great human resources that can be mobilised at any moment.""The image of Palestinians from the West Bank and Jerusalem throwing stones and Molotov cocktails has dealt a blow to the occupier," he said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month vowed "war" on stone-throwers.His security cabinet broadened the rules under which they can be targeted by live fire, while setting minimum sentences and authorising larger fines for stone-throwing minors and their parents.
10 Palestinians wounded as Israel hunts settlers' killers-AFP-oct 3,15-yahoonews
Nablus (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Ten Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire in the West Bank on Saturday during a raid by troops hunting the murderers of a Jewish settler couple, Palestinian police and medical sources said.Palestinians protesting against the raid in the territory's main northern city of Nablus hurled stones at soldiers, who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas and live ammunition, the sources said.The Palestinian Red Crescent said "10 people were wounded by live rounds to the legs or stomach," and "four others were wounded in beatings" by security forces.Tensions have soared in the West Bank since the settler couple were shot dead in their car in front of their four children on Thursday evening.Rabbi Eitam Henkin and his wife Naama, both in the 30s, were buried in Jerusalem on Friday.Israel has launched a huge manhunt for the gunmen, and deployed troop reinforcements to maintain order following revenge attacks by settlers.Palestinian police said Saturday's violence began when "dozens of Israeli soldiers in military vehicles" entered an eastern neighbourhood of Nablus, one of the largest cities in the West Bank."They arrested eight people and conducted searches, entering properties by force and causing damage," the police said.An Israeli military spokeswoman said she was unable to comment on the raid.Apprehensive of rising tensions between settlers and Palestinians after Thursday's shooting, the Israeli army said it had deployed "four battalions in order to prevent an escalation of violence in the area adjacent to the location of the attack".Palestinian news agency Wafa said a 35-year-old man was shot in the leg by settlers near Bethlehem, and police said settlers had stoned a number of cars and set fire to olive trees.And in the Palestinian village of Beitillu, assailants torched a car and spray-painted "Revenge Henkin" in Hebrew on a wall, the army said, adding that nobody was hurt.
Families, friends grieve for Oregon college massacre victims-Reuters By Laila Kearney-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Larry Levine, 67, was a college English instructor with a love of fly-fishing. Lucero Alcaraz, 19, was an honors student with hopes of becoming a pediatric nurse. Rebecka Carnes, 18, was a teenager fresh out of high school, excited about her future.A photo of a smiling Carnes posted to social media on Friday showed her holding up a sign on graduation day that read, "And so the adventure begins..."But Carnes, along with Levine and Alcaraz, were among nine people shot and killed in a rampage at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, on Thursday morning by gunman Chris Harper-Mercer, 26.Mercer stormed into a classroom at the college and executed people after asking them about their religion. In addition to those killed, another nine were injured.Harper-Mercer, who authorities said left a cache of weapons at the crime scene and at his home in nearby Winchester, about 170 miles (273 km) south of Portland, was killed in a gunfire exchange with police.Few details about the shooter's motive have emerged, but authorities said Harper-Mercer was a student at the school and enrolled in the class where the shooting took place.Law enforcement officials named all victims late on Friday.Along with Carnes, Levine and Alcaraz, Quinn Cooper, 18; Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59; Lucas Eibel, 18; Jason Johnson, 33; Sarena Moore, 44; and Treven Anspach, 20, were killed, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office."I don't know how we're going to move forward without Quinn," Cooper's family said in a statement released by the sheriff's office. "No one should ever feel the pain that we are feeling."Johnson's family said he was a proud Christian who had recently decided to return to school. "Jason had finally found his path," it said.The family of Eibel, a chemistry student who received multiple academic scholarships, said he loved wildlife and volunteered with animals. "He was (also) an amazing soccer player," their statement said.Before any announcement, friends gathered to mourn Levine, who was teaching in the classroom where the shooting occurred.Levine, a native New Yorker, had published articles in fly fishing magazines and had written more than one unpublished novel, a friend, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.On social media on Friday, family members of the dead were posting messages about their lost loved ones."Sister, I miss you, I love you, and I wish I could see you walk through the front door right this second," Maria Alcaraz, who identified herself as the older sister of Lucero Alcaraz, wrote on Facebook. "I'm full of anger, pain, sadness, regret that I didn't get the chance to see her or prevent this from happening."Maria Alcaraz said her sister was an exceptional student who had received scholarships to pay in full her community college education.The family of Rebecka Carnes, who went by "Becka," said on Facebook that the teenager had just started a new job and began classes this week to eventually become a dental hygienist."I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to have watched Becka grow up," cousin Lisa Crawford wrote. "This isn't how life is supposed to work."(Additional reporting by Emily Flitter in Roseburg, Oregon; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Gunman in Oregon massacre was turned away from firearms academy-Reuters By Eric M. Johnson and Emily Flitter-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
ROSEBURG, Ore. (Reuters) - The gunman slain by police after he killed his English professor and eight others at an Oregon college was once turned away from a firearms academy by an instructor who recalled finding him "weird" and "a little bit too anxious" for high-level weapons training.Christopher Harper-Mercer, 26, who moved to Oregon from the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, California, was officially identified on Friday as the assailant in the rampage at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, which ranks as the deadliest among dozens of U.S. mass shootings in the past two years.According to accounts of survivors, the gunman stormed into the classroom of his introductory writing class to shoot the professor at point-blank range, then began picking off other victims one at a time as he questioned each about their religion and whether they were Christians.Harper-Mercer had a monthlong stint in the Army in 2008 and a preoccupation with weaponry that dated back at least two years.He sought to register for training in 2012 or 2013 at Seven 4 Para, a private self-defense and law enforcement training academy in Torrance, but Eloy Way, president and head instructor for the center, said he sent Harper-Mercer away."We wanted him to take a beginner safety course and he was trying to tell me that he already had experience with firearms and I didn't get a good feeling about him, so I turned him down," Way told Reuters."He was just kind of a weird guy and seemed kind of spoiled, immature," Way said. "He was a little bit too anxious to get high-level training and there was no reason for it."Authorities have disclosed little of what they may know about the gunman's motives.The shooter left behind a "multipage, hated-filled" statement in the classroom, according to a Twitter message from an NBC reporter, citing multiple law enforcement sources who were not identified. CNN, citing sources, said the statement showed animosity toward blacks.Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, who has vowed never to say the gunman's name, declined to comment when asked about the writings at a news conference.-INTEREST IN IRA-Harper-Mercer was born in the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States as a boy, his stepsister Carmen Nesnick told CBS Los Angeles.Harper-Mercer, who identified himself as "mixed race" on a social networking site, enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for about a month in 2008 before being discharged for failing to meet administrative standards, military records showed.At some point, Harper-Mercer appeared to have been sympathetic to the Irish Republican Army, a militant group that waged a violent campaign to drive the British from Northern Ireland. On an undated Myspace page, he posted photos of masked IRA gunmen carrying assault rifles.Harper's victims were identified as assistant English professor Lawrence Levine, 67, and eight people believed to be his students: Quinn Cooper, 18; Kim Saltmarsh Dietz, 59; Lucas Eibel, 18; Jason Johnson, 33; Sarena Moore, 44; Treven Anspach, 20; and Rebecka Carnes, 18; and Lucero Alcaraz, 19.Nine more people were wounded, three critically, before Harper-Mercer was killed in an exchange of gunfire with two police officers.One of those wounded, Chris Mintz, 30, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was credited with likely saving lives when he confronted the gunman outside another classroom before police arrived. Mintz drew fire that left him with seven bullet wounds and two broken legs, according to his former girlfriend.So far this year, 294 U.S. mass shootings have been reported nationwide, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker website, a crowd-sourced database kept by anti-gun activists that logs events in which four or more people are shot.The Roseburg shooting ranks as the deadliest bout of gun violence since September 2013, when a former U.S. Navy reservist working as a government contractor killed 12 people before he was slain by police at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard. About 80 shootings have occurred across the country since then that claimed at least four lives each.The Oregon shooting has led to fresh demands for stricter gun control in the United States, including an impassioned plea by President Barack Obama for political action, and statements by some Republican presidential candidates supporting the right of Americans to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.(Additional reporting by Courtney Sherwood and Jane Ross in Roseburg, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Daniel Wallis in Denver, Doina Chiacu in Washington, Suzannah Gonzalez in Chicago, Shelby Sebens in Portland and Angela Moon in New York; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Edward Tobin and Bill Trott)
Sense of regret' in Vatican over pope meeting with gay marriage opponent-Reuters By Philip Pullella-OCT 2,15-YAHOONEWS
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis' meeting last week with an American woman at the center of a row over gay marriage was not something he had sought and should not be seen as an endorsement of her views, the Vatican said on Friday.One Vatican official said there was "a sense of regret" that the pope had ever seen Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in September for refusing to honor a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and issue same-sex marriage licenses.The encounter in Washington was originally kept secret and has sparked widespread debate since it became public this week, proving something of a misstep for the pontiff.Looking to smother the fierce controversy, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Davis was one of "several dozen" people who had been invited by the Vatican ambassador to see Francis during his visit to the U.S. capital."The Pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects," Lombardi said in a statement."The only real audience granted by the Pope at the Nunciature (Vatican embassy) was with one of his former students and his family," the statement said.The Vatican later confirmed on Friday that the pope met with Yayo Grassi, a U.S.-based Argentine caterer who is gay and brought his male partner of 19 years to the meeting.Grassi, 67, has known the pope since Francis taught him literature and psychology at a high school in Argentina in the 1960s and has stayed in touch."What I can say is that he met with me knowing that I am gay, and we had an extraordinary, very moving conversation," Grassi told Reuters.EMBASSY UNDERESTIMATED SIGNIFICANCE-The meeting with Davis disappointed many liberal Catholics but delighted conservatives, who saw it as a sign that the pope was clearly condemning a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage.Davis said on Wednesday that the pope had thanked her for her courage and told her to "stay strong," adding that knowing that he agreed with what she was doing "kind of validates everything."While Lombardi declined to take questions on the incident, his assistant, Father Tom Rosica, a Canadian priest, laid the blame on the Vatican embassy in Washington, saying it had underestimated the impact of Davis's presence at the reception."I'm not sure that they (the embassy) realized how significant it would be," he told reporters.Rosica said he did not believe the pope was even indirectly involved in inviting Davis, adding that the greeting was very brief and that she and her husband were among the many guests at the Washington embassy before the pope left for New York.Rosica said he did not know if there had been a private meeting. Davis' lawyer, Mat Staver, said the couple were not in a line, that the meeting was private and seen only by Vatican personnel and security."Had Kim Davis been in a line of people or been seen by anyone outside of Vatican personnel, we would not have been able to keep her visit secret," he said in a statement.Rosica said the pope was most likely not fully aware of how controversial a figure Davis had become."I would simply say her case is a very complex case. It has all kinds of intricacies. Was there an opportunity to brief the pope on this beforehand? I don't think so. Was an in-depth process done? No, probably not," Rosica said.Asked if the pope had been set up intentionally by someone in the embassy, Rosica said: "No, reading all of the information, listening to all of the facts, these things happen."Rosica said he also doubted that Davis and her husband spent 15 minutes with the pope, as her lawyer had reported, saying "there simply was not enough time".Davis has said her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian prevent her from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her church belongs to a Protestant movement known as Apostolic Pentecostalism.Rosica said he hoped the Davis incident and its aftermath would not distract from the significance of the U.S. trip."The visit was extraordinary ... so to allow this to kind of overshadow it would be very unfortunate. This is not the centerpiece of the papal visit. This is one small part of it, but it is a loaded centerpiece."(Additional reporting by Steve Bittenbender in Louisville, Kentucky and Alistair Bell in Washington DC; Editing by Crispian Balmer, Ralph Boulton, Richard Balmforth and Jonathan Oatis)
Vatican sacks gay priest after highly public coming out-Reuters By Philip Pullella-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday dismissed a gay priest from his Holy See job on the eve of a major Church meeting for a highly public coming out that challenged the Roman Catholic teaching that homosexual acts are a sin.Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa, a Polish theologian, had worked at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's doctrinal arm, since 2003. He was also sacked from his jobs teaching theology at pontifical universities in Rome.Charamsa, 43, told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper that he was gay and had a partner in an interview published on Saturday. The Church does not consider homosexuality a sin but priests, whether heterosexual or gay, are meant to be celibate.Charasma also held a news conference with his partner and gay activists at a Rome restaurant. They had planned a demonstration in front of the Vatican but changed the venue several hours before it was due to have started.The Vatican said the dismissal had nothing to do with Charasma's reflections on his personal life, which it said "merit respect".But it said giving the interview and the planned demonstration was "grave and irresponsible" given their timing on the eve of a synod of bishops who will discuss family issues, including the Church's position on gays.It said his actions would subject the synod, which Pope Francis is due to open on Sunday, to "undue media pressure".At the news conference, Charamsa said he wanted to make "an enormous noise for the good of the Church" and apply "good Christian pressure" on the synod not to forget homosexual believers."This decision of mine to come out was a very personal one taken in a Catholic Church that is homophobic and very difficult and harsh (towards gays)," he said.He suggested that a study be made of how many homosexuals work in the Vatican. "We can't continue showing contempt and offence towards homosexuals," he said.The issue of homosexuality and the Church has dominated the aftermath of the pope's visit to the United States last week."I ask the pope to be strong and to remember us, homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals as children of the Church and members of humanity," Charamsa said.The Vatican has been embarrassed by a row over the pope's meeting during his U.S. trip with Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in September for refusing to honor a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and issue same-sex marriage licences.
Before bishops meet, discordant voices on gays' place in Church-AFP By Fanny Carrier-oct 3,15-yahoonews
Rome (AFP) - In the days leading up to a synod of bishops at which the Church's approach to homosexuality will come under review, representatives of gay Catholics from nearly 40 countries have descended on Rome.Seminars, meetings and conferences have echoed to the sound of sometimes sharply discordant voices seeking to influence the direction of the debate.The official stance of the Church remains clear: homosexuality is an "intrinsic disorder" and individuals attracted to the same sex should live a life of abstinence.But at all levels of its global structure, there are important differences of view on how variations in human sexuality should be dealt with, both in Catholic teaching and in the pastoral activities of priests across a world in which broader societal views of the question also vary greatly."Without wishing to offend anyone ... a man is nothing without a woman, and neither of them is anything without being open to life. Homosexuality is closed to life," conservative Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah told a seminar in the run-up to the synod.A related perspective is offered by Father Paul Check, head of Courage, an organisation which describes its mission as helping people with homosexual desires to live a more Christian life."There is much more to their humanity and their Christianity than their feelings," he told AFP TV."I'm not diminishing these feelings, I say there is much more that makes you a human, a Christian. And part of engaging that is how I'm going to choose to respond to what's inside me."Then there is 23-year-old Frenchman Clement Borioli, who says has overcome his gay tendencies and now aspires to "an exclusive and affectionate" but chaste friendship with another man.Yet while Pope Francis and most of his bishops all concur in their condemnation of the trend towards legalising gay marriage, there are important voices in the church supporting a more profound reflection on the evidence that sexuality is innate."For me, this inclination is a question mark: it does not reflect God's original design, and yet it is a reality, because you are born gay," German Cardinal Walter Kasper, the most influential reformist theologian in the upper echelons of the Church, wrote recently.Kasper is widely thought to have the ear of the pope; the book in which he made that observation was subtitled "my journey with Francis."Mexican bishop Raul Vera Lopez was reprimanded in 2010 for telling priests in his diocese to offer a pastoral welcome to homosexuals.- A step forward -"What a scandal!" he said. "People think homosexuals are perverse, that they are sick. But the sickness is in our heads not in theirs," he said on the sidelines of a meeting here of umbrella group the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC).Hailing from both developed countries like the United States, Spain and Germany as well as from Zambia and Chile, these "rainbow Catholics" have decided to live openly as homosexuals but do not demand much of the men inside the ornate halls that will host the synod.In a reference to the pope's famous "who am I to judge" comment about gays, GNRC spokesman Andrea Rubera says the fact a discussion has been opened within the Church at all represents major progress."The fact that a Pope said the word 'gay' in itself was a historic event," said the 50-year-old from Rome, who is bringing up three children with his husband.References to homosexuals and their children in official synod documents "amount to a recognition of a phenomenon that is a reality and that in itself is already a step forward," said Rubera.The next step, he says, is to turn words into action by getting the Church to approve the universal adoption of a new pastoral approach which would see priests help families to be accepting of their homosexual children, encourage parishes to embrace the children of gay couples and recognise the value of loving, stable same-sex relationships.The last point figured in a working document at last year's first round of synod discussions but caused so much hostile reaction it was excised from the final text.For now, it is greater tolerance not pride that is on the Church's agenda.
Greece must stick to program to exit bailout: PM-Reuters By Renee Maltezou-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece must implement its bailout program fast to achieve its main aim of regaining access to market financing and escaping international supervision, re-elected leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday.Speaking to lawmakers of his Syriza party on the day a new parliament was sworn in, the premier said he aimed to complete the first review of a 86 billion euro bailout agreed in August as soon as possible so Athens could open negotiations with its euro zone partners on debt relief.To achieve that, Greece is required to enact a swathe of reforms of taxation, pensions, healthcare, the financial sector and public services by Nov. 15 to unlock the next tranche of aid and receive help in recapitalizing its stricken banks."Implementing the bailout is not going to be easy. But we are obliged to make these decisions although we don't like them," Tsipras said. "It's necessary, in order to exit this system of surveillance and immediately start the discussion on the debt issue."Our main target is to exit this system of supervision, and regain market access. But a necessary condition for that is to return to growth," he added.Tsipras performed a spectacular U-turn in July after calling a referendum to reject austerity terms for a bailout, only to accept more stringent conditions after Greece was forced to shut its banks, ration cash and impose capital controls.A hard-left faction broke from Syriza, but Tsipras trounced them in an early election last month, returning to office comfortably with his right-wing nationalist coalition partners.Tsipras said Syriza, which still spans from social democrats to radical leftists, needed to learn from the errors of its chaotic first seven months in office and avoid past divisions."In the end, we must all respect the collective will so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated," he said in what sounded like a veiled warning to lawmakers.He also said Syriza would aim to change the country by fighting "the establishment", corruption and tax evasion, and reforming the justice system, education and social welfare.DEBT RELIEF DEBATE-European Union officials have cautioned Greece against expecting massive relief on its debt when talks get under away after the completion of the first bailout review by EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund monitors.Klaus Regling, head of the euro zone's bailout fund, told the Financial Times last week that Greece did not need large-scale debt relief and had already received the most concessionary loan terms "in world history".EU sources have told Reuters the bloc could reach a consensus on capping Greece's annual gross borrowing costs at 15 percent of its economic output, by extending loan maturities and repayment grace periods as necessary.An IMF source said the Fund believed Greece needed easier terms closer to the 10 percent annual gross borrowing cost it aims to achieve for developing countries.The IMF has made Greek compliance with the bailout program and adequate euro zone debt relief conditions for its continued involvement in Greece, which Germany insists is necessary to satisfy its parliament.Berlin, the euro zone's leading economy with the largest exposure to Greece, has ruled out any "haircut" but agreed to consider longer maturities and grace periods.(Additional reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Alison Williams)
Germany fetes 25 years of unity with call for refugee welcome-AFP By Deborah Cole-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
Berlin (AFP) - Germany on Saturday celebrated 25 years since its joyful reunification, with its leaders urging the nation to muster the same strength and solidarity to face a record refugee influx.The silver anniversary of the day communist East Germany and the capitalist West reunited as one country comes with Europe's top economy standing at a crossroads.Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck, both of whom grew up under communism, attended ceremonies in the business capital Frankfurt with the resonant slogan "Overcoming Borders".In the keynote speech, Gauck focused on the refugee crisis and called on Germans to recapture the same can-do spirit that gripped the country in the heady months between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the remarriage of east and west."Today we celebrate the courage and self-confidence of that time. Let us use this memory as a bridge," said Gauck, who was a dissident pastor in East Germany."In 1990 too, there was the legitimate question: 'Are we up to this challenge?' Then too, there was no example from history to follow. And nevertheless, millions of people took on the national task of unification and made Germany into a country that was more than the sum of its parts."- Epochal test -Merkel, who will mark 10 years in power in November, is grappling with the arrival this year of up to one million people fleeing war and hardship.Buoyed by a robust economy and job market, voters have largely backed her policy of extending help.Volunteers have greeted hundreds of thousands with open arms and mountains of donated essentials in moving scenes that Merkel has said made her "proud of this country".However as the numbers have grown, Merkel's popularity has slipped as she comes under fire from critics at home and abroad for her willing acceptance of the burden on Europe.Merkel on Saturday said the migrant crisis represented an epochal test for the European Union."Twenty-five years on, we are facing great challenges with the issue of refugees," she told reporters in Frankfurt."Now too, we Germans will not be able to solve the problem on our own but only with Europe, with a fair division of the burden, and with the rest of the world."She said earlier in her weekly podcast that this must include a range of measures including protection of Europe's external borders, development aid and conflict resolution in the refugees' countries of origin, and smoother distribution of newcomers within the EU.Some countries have resisted Berlin's bid for the mantle of European leadership, however, with Hungary's hardline Prime Minister Viktor Orban even accusing Merkel of "moral imperialism". Gauck expressed understanding for the fears of eastern European countries that do not have experience in integrating foreigners, unlike that acquired over generations in the west."This recognition should make it easier to respect the experiences of other nations," he said.- Enduring divisions -On October 3, 1990, just under a year after the Berlin Wall was pulled down in a bloodless revolution, the reunification treaty bringing the two halves of the country together came into effect amid jubilant scenes.Ever since, this date has been a public holiday to mark Germany's national day.The anniversary festivities were carrying on throughout the weekend in Frankfurt, with pop bands, fireworks and an art installation on the Main River illuminating 25 bridges.And thousands joined a street party in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unity.Yet divisions persist.Sixty-six percent of Germans say reunification was the right decision. But 71 percent of westerners and 83 percent of easterners argue that "major differences" endure between the two halves, opinion research firm YouGov said.Unemployment remains higher in the eastern states than in the west, but the spread has shrunk to nine percent versus six percent.Social differences abound too, with far more eastern children born out of wedlock and enrolled in daycare.A schism can be seen on the issue of refugees too, with vandals' attacks on refugee shelters disproportionately focused in the east, where populist anti-migrant groups have gained a foothold.In Frankfurt, the festivities were marred by a protest when around 70 people calling for more generous asylum laws stormed a festive tent set up by the Bundesrat upper house of parliament.
Central African president calls for tougher mandate for U.N. mission-Reuters-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
DAKAR (Reuters) - Central African Republic's interim President Catherine Samba-Panza called on Saturday for a tougher mandate for the U.N. mission, MINUSCA, and the disarmament of militias and rebels after more than 40 people were killed in the capital of Bangui.Samba-Panza, who returned early from the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week because of the unrest, also declared three days of national mourning for the victims, starting on Monday.The murder of a Muslim man last weekend rekindled sectarian violence that has plagued the mostly Christian nation of 4.5 million people since Muslim Seleka rebels briefly seized power in March 2013.Scores of homes were burned, while shops and aid organizations' offices were looted in the riverside capital, severely hampering humanitarian operations.More than 40,000 people were displaced, according to U.N. figures, and the violence ended any hopes of holding elections scheduled for Oct. 18.Samba-Panza has blamed the latest unrest on supporters of former president Francois Bozize, who was ousted in 2013 by mainly Muslim rebels who fought under the umbrella group Seleka. Many shops reopened on Saturday and people returned to the streets. Isolated acts of criminality were reported, however, and a night-time curfew remains in place."The whole of the Central African people is convinced of the need for a more robust mandate for MINUSCA forces and the complete and immediate disarmament of the non-conventional forces," said a statement from Samba-Panza, read on national radio. She gave no details on what such a mandate would be.Samba-Panza took office in early 2014 after Seleka relinquished power in the face of international pressure. She is charged with steering the country to elections this year.In a bid to put in place a government with a democratic mandate, the international community is pushing for the vote to go ahead before the end of the year, despite widespread insecurity and Seleka's hold over parts of the north.In the south, the "anti-balaka" Christian militia controls swathes of territory.In recent weeks, protests have taken place in Bangui and other towns at the failure of the 10,000-strong U.N. mission and French forces to restore peace, amid opposition calls for the national army to be re-armed. The police and gendarmerie are allowed to carry weapons but soldiers are not.The Central African military was sidelined when Seleka seized power and many of its members are alleged to have carried out sectarian violence as part of the "anti-balaka" militia.(Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Kunduz air strikes 'inexcusable', 'possibly criminal': UN rights chief-AFP-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
Geneva (AFP) - A suspected US air strike on a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz that killed sixteen people including nine MSF staff on Saturday was "inexcusable" and possibly criminal, UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.Zeid called for a full and transparent investigation, noting that, "if established as deliberate in a court of law, an air strike on a hospital may amount to a war crime."“This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable and possibly even criminal,” Zeid said in a statement.The death toll jumped to 16 from the earlier reported nine, with three children among those killed, Doctors Without Borders said."At least 16 people died including nine MSF staff," said MSF spokeswoman Kate Stegeman, adding that 37 people were wounded in the bombardment.
Moscow says 600 'militants' flee Syria, vows to ramp up bombing-AFP-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
Moscow (AFP) - Russian air strikes Saturday targeting the Islamic State group in Syria have sown "panic", forcing some 600 "militants" to abandon their positions and head to Europe, Moscow claimed.Summing up the results of Russia's first three days of strikes, a senior official with the General Staff said Russian jets had made more than 60 sorties over 50 IS targets and added that Russia would ramp up its aerial campaign."Our intelligence shows that militants are leaving areas under their control. Panic and desertion have started in their ranks," Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, a senior Russian General Staff official, said in a statement." Some 600 mercenaries have abandoned their positions and are trying to find their way into Europe," Kartapolov said."Over the past three days we have managed to undermine material and technical resources of the terrorists and significantly reduce their combat potential," he added. "We will not only continue the strikes by our air force but also will increase their intensity."He said Russia had managed to destroy IS command posts, warehouses storing ammunition and explosives, communication hubs, training camps as well as "mini-factories that made weapons for suicide bombers".The United States and its allies have slammed Moscow's intervention, accusing the Kremlin of seeking to buttress Syria's embattled leader Bashar al-Assad and targeting moderate rebels.Kartapolov said Russian officials had contacted their foreign counterparts and recommended that they pull their personnel from the region.Russia also recommended that Washington pull out "those valuable employees who were trained at the expense of American taxpayers," Kartapolov said with heavy irony.US Senator John McCain had earlier claimed that Russian jets killed rebel soldiers trained and funded by the CIA."By the way, during these contacts Americans informed us that no one but terrorists are present in this region," the Russian official added.He also said that a task force Russia is setting up with Iraq, Iran and Syria had begun its work in Baghdad but expressed regret that the West had not moved to share intelligence."We have to admit openly that as of today we are receiving such data only from our colleagues at the centre," Kartapolov said."We are still open for dialogue with all interested parties."
Washington has accused Russia of making little distinction between IS militants and other factions.
Russian jets hit Syrian rebels, Moscow says Islamic State targeted-Reuters By Alexander Winning and Suleiman Al-Khalidi-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW/AMMAN (Reuters) - Russian jets hit Islamic State targets and other rebel groups in Syria on Saturday, on a fourth day of air strikes by Moscow in support of President Bashar al-Assad which have dramatically escalated foreign intervention in Syria.Russia's air campaign in Syria, where a U.S.-led air coalition and fighters on the ground from regional states are already entangled in the four-year-old civil war, has drawn strong criticism from the United States and its allies.Britain's defense minister said on Saturday that only one in 20 Russian air strikes in Syria were aimed at the hardline Islamic State forces, which control large parts of eastern Syria and western Iraq.Michael Fallon accused Russia of dropping unguided munitions on civilian areas, and against Assad's Western and Gulf-backed enemies. Russia says it is targeting Islamic State with precision bombs.The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 39 civilians had been killed since the start of the Russian air strikes on Wednesday. It said 14 fighters, mostly Islamic State militants, had also been killed.Russia said its planes made over 20 flights in Syria in the past 24 hours and targeted nine Islamic State sites, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.Targets included a command post and underground weapons bunker near Raqqa, the eastern Syrian stronghold of the Islamic State militants, as well as a weapons store in Maarat al-Numaan, Russian defense ministry statement said.Maarat al-Numaan, in Syria's northern province of Idlib, is not known as an Islamic State base. Most fighters in the area are from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham and other insurgent groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.A Syrian military source, quoted by state media, said Russian and Syrian planes destroyed a command center in Latamneh, in Hama province, where Western-backed rebels operate. They also hit a training camp and weapons depot in Maarat al-Numaan, and weapons and ammunitions stores in Jisr al-Shughour.-WESTERN-BACKED REBELS HIT-The Russian air strikes have hit at least four rebel factions operating under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army which had received significant military support from states that oppose Assad, rebel fighters said this week.Some have been trained in the use of guided anti-tank missiles as part of an assistance program that has in some cases included training overseen by the Central Intelligence Agency in countries including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.This program is separate to the U.S. Defense Department’s train and equip program aimed at fighting Islamic State.The anti-tank weapons, supplied by states opposed to Assad, were an important factor in insurgent advances this year.The Russian defense ministry said Su-34 and Su-24M aircraft, flying from an air base near Syria's Mediterranean port of Latakia, took part in the most recent strikes. A Su-34 plane destroyed a command post and underground bunker with explosives and weapons near Raqqa, it said.In Maarat al-Numaan, a guided KAB-500 bomb destroyed seven vehicles as well as other facilities and weapons stores, the statement said, adding that the type of bomb was accurate to within 5 meters of its assigned target."In recent days, these and other precision weapons have been used against ISIS terrorist facilities: command centers, ammunition and ... depots, workshops where armament for terrorist attacks is produced," it said.Rescue workers in opposition-held areas in western Syria say the strikes have killed at least several dozen civilians, including children.A fighter operating in the Al-Ghab region in north-west Syria reported several air strikes. "Russian warplanes hit a number of areas in the Ghab plain. They are hitting all the factions fighting Assad. The only casualties are civilians," said Abu el Baraa al Hamawi, from Ajnaad al-Sham rebel group.He said there were "Russian experts" at a Syrian army base in the area, as well as increasing numbers of personnel from Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.A Syrian military source said an Islamic State attack on government troops in the eastern city of Deir al Zor had failed, and the army had killed a large number of "terrorists".(Additional reporting by Kate Holton in; London, Tom Perry in Beirut; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
No future for Russia bid for U.N. approval of Syria strikes: Britain-Reuters By Michelle Nichols-OCT 3,15-YAHOONEWS
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday there was no future for a Russian bid to win United Nations approval of international military campaigns combating Islamic State militants, which Russia decried as strange because there was nothing objectionable in its proposal.Russia circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that would call on states involved in military efforts against Islamic State and other militants to coordinate with the countries where they are operating.In the case of Syria, this would mean cooperating military activities with President Bashar al-Assad's government.When asked if the Russian draft resolution had a future, British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters: "No." Britain is one of the council's five veto powers, along with the United States, France, China and Russia.Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin described Rycroft as a "pessimist." He said he may convene negotiations on Monday on the draft, which had been circulated during a counter terrorism meeting chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."I don't see anything which could be objectionable in that resolution. This is really very strange," Churkin said. "There is nothing to object to so I will be very curious to see what they say against this resolution."Russia bombed Syria for a third day on Friday, mainly hitting areas held by rival insurgent groups rather than the Islamic State fighters it said it was targeting and drawing an increasingly angry response from the West."We're deeply concerned by the situation in Syria, made far worse by the build up of forces by Russia and the fact that Russia is using those forces against opponents of the Assad regime," Rycroft said.The Russian draft, seen by Reuters, welcomes efforts of states fighting Islamic State, al Qaeda, Nusra Front and other groups in the region and calls upon those states "to coordinate their activities with the consent of the States, in the territories of which such activities are conducted."The U.S.-led coalition informed Syria when it began air strikes a year ago but did not seek permission. The coalition members say they are acting in collective self-defense at the request of neighboring Iraq.Russia said Syria had requested its military assistance.The Russian draft resolution also asked states combating extremist groups in the region to submit periodic reports to the Security Council on their activities. It also says those responsible for "terrorist acts" must be held accountable.A bid by Russia for a unanimous council statement last month on counter terrorism failed after Washington refused to negotiate on the text, which Western diplomats said included unacceptable language on Syria and Yemen and the Middle East peace process.Churkin said he was concerned that Britain appeared to be unwilling to negotiate, similar to the United States in the case of the rejected council statement last month."I'm a little bit bothered," Churkin said. "If from the outset you say 'well I don't want to even try (to find) common ground' then it's going to be a very strange Security Council."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Grant McCool)
Iran troops to join Syria war, Russia bombs group trained by CIA-Reuters By Laila Bassam and Andrew Osborn-October 1, 2015 7:04 PM
BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria to join a major ground offensive in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government, Lebanese sources said on Thursday, a sign the civil war is turning still more regional and global in scope.Russian warplanes, in a second day of strikes, bombed a camp run by rebels trained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the group's commander said, putting Moscow and Washington on opposing sides in a Middle East conflict for the first time since the Cold War.Senior U.S. and Russian officials spoke for just over an hour by secure video conference on Thursday, focusing on ways to keep air crews safe, the Pentagon said, as the two militaries carry out parallel campaigns with competing objectives."We made crystal clear that, at a minimum, the priority here should be the safe operation of the air crews over Syria," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.Two Lebanese sources told Reuters hundreds of Iranian troops had reached Syria in the past 10 days with weapons to mount a major ground offensive. They would also be backed by Assad's Lebanese Hezbollah allies and by Shi'ite militia fighters from Iraq, while Russia would provide air support."The vanguard of Iranian ground forces began arriving in Syria -soldiers and officers specifically to participate in this battle. They are not advisers ... we mean hundreds with equipment and weapons. They will be followed by more," one of the sources said.So far, direct Iranian military support for Assad has come mostly in the form of military advisers. Iran has also mobilized Shi'ite militia fighters, including Iraqis and some Afghans, to fight alongside Syrian government forces.Moscow said it had hit Islamic State positions, but the areas it struck near the cities of Hama and Homs are mostly held by a rival insurgent alliance, which unlike Islamic State is supported by U.S. allies including Arab states and Turkey.Hassan Haj Ali, head of the Liwa Suqour al-Jabal rebel group that is part of the Free Syrian Army, told Reuters one of the targets was his group's base in Idlib province, struck by about 20 missiles in two separate raids. His fighters had been trained by the CIA in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, part of a program Washington says is aimed at supporting groups that oppose both Islamic State and Assad."Russia is challenging everyone and saying there is no alternative to Bashar," Haj Ali said. He said the Russian jets had been identified by members of his group who once served as Syrian air force pilots.The group is one of at least three foreign-backed FSA rebel factions to say they had been hit by the Russians in the last two days.At the United Nations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference Moscow was targeting Islamic State. He did not specifically deny that Russian planes had attacked Free Syrian Army facilities but said Russia did not view it as a terrorist group and viewed it as part of a political solution in Syria.The aim is to help the Syrian armed forces "in their weak spots", said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook described Thursday's military talks as "cordial and professional." During the talks, Elissa Slotkin, an acting assistant U.S. secretary of defense, "noted U.S. concern that areas targeted by Russia so far were not ISIL strongholds." Cook said, using an acronym for Islamic State.The Pentagon said it would not share U.S. intelligence with Russia and suggested the talks included ideas to increase safety, such as agreeing on radio frequencies for distress calls and a common language for communications.U.S. Republican Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and a frequent Obama critic, questioned the logic of talks on how to keep U.S. and Russian militaries apart, known in military parlance as "deconfliction."“Unfortunately, it appears ‘deconfliction’ is merely an Orwellian euphemism for this administration’s acceptance of Russia’s expanded role in Syria, and as a consequence, for Assad’s continued brutalization of the Syrian people,” McCain said.-SAME ENEMIES, DIFFERENT FRIENDS-Russia's decision to join the war with air strikes on behalf of Assad, as well as the increased military involvement of Iran, could mark a turning point in a conflict that has drawn in most of the world's military powers.With the United States leading an alliance waging its own air war against Islamic State, the Cold War superpower foes, Washington and Moscow, are now engaged in combat over the same country for the first time since World War Two.They say they have the same enemies - the Islamic State group of Sunni Muslim militants who have proclaimed a caliphate across eastern Syria and northern Iraq.But they also have different friends, and sharply opposing views of how to resolve the 4-year-old Syrian civil war, which has killed more than 250,000 people and driven more than 10 million from their homes.Washington and its allies oppose both Islamic State and Assad, believing he must leave power in any peace settlement.Washington says a central part of its strategy is building "moderate" insurgents to fight Islamic State, although so far it has struggled to find many fighters to accept its training. Moscow supports the Syrian president and believes his government should be the centerpiece of international efforts to fight the extremist groups.It appears to be using the common campaign against Islamic State as a pretext to strike against groups supported by Washington and its allies, as a way of defending a Damascus government with which Moscow has been allied since the Cold War.The Russian strikes represent a bold move by President Vladimir Putin to assert influence beyond his own neighborhood. It is the first time Moscow has ordered its forces into combat outside the frontiers of the former Soviet Union since its disastrous Afghanistan campaign in the 1980s.The Russian and Iranian interventions in support of Assad come at a time when momentum in the conflict had swung against his government and seem aimed at reversing insurgent gains.Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi of neighboring Iraq, where Washington is also leading an air war against Islamic State while Iran aids government forces on the ground, said he would be open to Russian strikes as well.A Syrian military source said on Thursday that Russian military support would bring a "big change" in the course of the conflict, particularly through advanced surveillance capabilities that could pinpoint insurgent targets.Putin's gamble of going to war in Syria comes a year after he defied the West to annex Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, drawing U.S. and EU economic sanctions while igniting a wave of popular nationalist support at home.(Reporting by Laila Bassam, Sylvia Westall and Tom Perry in Beirut, Andrew Osborn and Lidia Kelly in Moscow, and Yeganeh Torbati, Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Giles Elgood, Howard Goller and Ken Wills)
