Syrian Army Regains Control Over Crucial Road in Aleppo

http://www.newsbharati.com/ Syrian Army Regains Control Over Crucial Road in Aleppo.

Syrian army retakes key road to Aleppo

Damascus - Syria's army on Wednesday recaptured the only road into the government-held side of Aleppo city from Islamic State group fighters, state media reported, effectively breaking a nearly two-week-long siege.



Related Stories



US accuses Moscow of 'dangerously' worsening Syria war AFP

Syria army battles to retake Aleppo supply line from IS AFP

Syria army, allies advance near Aleppo with Russian cover AFP

Syria army begins offensive near Aleppo with Russian support AFP

Syrian, Russian air raids kill 64 people in Aleppo province: monitor Reuters

The Powerful Chevrolet Cruze is Now Easier to Own Chevrolet Sponsored 

The army gained full control of the route from the regime-controlled west of Aleppo to Khanasser, Ithriya and Al-Salmiyeh "after eliminating a number of Daesh (IS) terrorists," state television said.



Advancing IS forces had managed to cut off the route at the end of October despite Russian air support and a government offensive south of Damascus.



State TV said the road was now being demined and would be reopened to public traffic on Thursday.



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the frontline with IS had been pushed back about 10 kilometres from the route.



Aleppo was once Syria's economic hub, but has been ravaged by years of fierce fighting.



View galleryA Syrian woman serves food at an orphanage in the Salah …

A Syrian woman serves food at an orphanage in the Salah al-Din neighbourhood of Aleppo (AFP Photo/Ba …

- Skyrocketing prices -



The city has been divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since shortly after fighting began there in mid-2012.



The main Aleppo-Damascus highway out of the city has been cut by rebels since then, but last year the army opened another route running through Khanasser to government-controlled Hama and Homs.



Its closure last month had left residents of west Aleppo stranded and sent the cost of basic goods in the sector skyrocketing.



Residents told AFP the roads were virtually empty because of fuel shortages, and several said they had been forced to cancel plans to travel abroad.



View galleryA Syrian man checks the destruction following a reported …

A Syrian man checks the destruction following a reported airstrike by government forces on the rebel …

The IS advance was a blow to the regime as it seeks to capitalise on a Russian air campaign that began September 30 to regain momentum against a range of opposition forces.



Moscow says its strikes target IS and other "terrorists", but the opposition accuses Russia of focusing on moderate and Islamist rebels over jihadists.



Regime forces have launched ground offensives in Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Latakia provinces since the air campaign began, though they have so far registered modest advances.



They have also continued to pound the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area outside the capital Damascus.



The Observatory said Wednesday at least 12 people, including a woman and a child, were killed in government shelling on Douma in the rebel region.



The town is the frequent target of regime fire, with at least 70 people killed there in government attacks last Friday.



Elsewhere, the Observatory said the toll in apparent Russian strikes on the IS-held town of Al-Qaryatain on Monday had risen to 23 civilians killed.



The group added that an unknown additional number of IS fighters had been killed in the same strikes.



The Observatory relies on a network of sources on the ground in Syria, including opposition activists and individuals in government-held territory.



The group says it distinguishes between strikes carried out by Syrian, Russian and US-led coalition aircraft based on flight patterns indicating whether planes took off from inside the country, as well as the type of planes and ordnance used.

UK and US say ISIS Bomb May Have Downed Russian Metrojet Over Egypt

http://www.newsbharati.com/ UK and US say ISIS Bomb May Have Downed Russian Metrojet Over Egypt.

UK and US say bomb may have downed Russian jet over Egypt

Jim Pickard, Tanya Powley and Sam Jones in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington



High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d77d105a-831c-11e5-8095-ed1a37d1e096.html#ixzz3qc2Dg4Te



Downing Street has pre-empted the findings of an investigation into the Russian plane crash in Egypt at the weekend by suggesting it might have been caused by a bomb.

The government said it was suspending all flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh for the foreseeable future, after holding an emergency meeting of Cobra, the government’s security committee. It also changed its travel advice and warned British citizens against travelling to the area.

More

ON THIS STORY

FT View Sisi autocracy is no way forward for Egypt

Metrojet blames crash on external impact

Russian airliner crashes in Sinai

Search widened in Metrojet crash probe

FT View Sisi’s crackdown in Egypt will not bring stability

ON THIS TOPIC

CAA curbs aerobatics after Shoreham crash

FT View The pursuit of justice for the victims of MH17

Special Report Aviation industry works to improve safety

Movie’s theme does flying poison you?

IN MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

UK boosts Sharm el-Sheikh airport security

Moscow claims allies among Syria rebels

Jordan Valley anger over EU labelling

US special forces to deploy in Syria

Sign up now



firstFT

FirstFT is our new essential daily email briefing of the best stories from across the web

Three flights set to depart the Red Sea tourist resort for the UK were grounded on Wednesday evening while a team of British aviation experts carried out a security assessment of the airport, Number 10 said.

Ireland followed the announcement, saying it was also suspending flights to and from the tourist resort until further notice, according to a statement from the Irish Aviation Authority.

An Airbus A321 jet, operated by Russian airline Metrojet, crashed early on Saturday morning in a mountainous area 23 minutes after take-off from the Red Sea resort, one of the most popular destinations for Russian tourists. All 224 on board were killed, making it Russia’s deadliest air disaster.

The UK said all flights to and from the Red Sea destination would be cancelled for the rest of Wednesday. “While the investigation is still ongoing we cannot say categorically why the Russian jet crashed,” said a spokesperson.

“But as more information has come to light we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device.”

CNN on Wednesday quoted an anonymous US intelligence official who said that the crash was probably caused by a bomb. “There is a definite feeling it was an explosive device,” the official told the news network.

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House declined to comment Josh Earnest, White House press secretary, said he did not want to “say anything that would interfere with or prejudice” the investigation. The CIA and White House declined to comment on the CNN report.

The intervention by the UK is without precedent while an air crash investigation is continuing. Under a UN treaty the countries leading the investigation, in this case Russia and Egypt, would take the lead on announcing any likely cause of a crash.

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told the BBC the circumstances of the flight suspensions were “a premature and unwarranted statement” which risked devastating consequences for the country’s vital tourism industry.

Chris Yates, an aviation safety expert, said: “I haven’t seen anything like this before. It is a big move but . . .  they’ve obviously got some sort of evidence to suggest it’s a bomb. I think they are making the right step by halting flights temporarily. It’s important to make sure passengers are safe.”



The government said that protecting British citizens would always be its priority. Senior officials said the intervention reflected the UK’s particular concern over the security implications of the crash, informed by intelligence assessments.

As yet, no perpetrator has been identified by UK agencies. A bomb attack on a plane bears the mark of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the most virulent offshoot of the global jihadi network, but the group has not claimed responsibility.

Fears over security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh reflect the possibility that the attack was not highly sophisticated but, rather, opportunistic. The UK experts dispatched to the airport are assessing whether the airport has serious security lapses.

The opportunistic scenario would put other terrorist groups in the frame, including Isis, which intelligence officials believe lacks the technical know-how to sneak bombs past most conventional airline security measures.

Andrew Parker, the head of the UK’s domestic security service, MI5, warned only last week that the latest intelligence assessments indicated a growing interest by terrorist groups such as Isis in mounting “mass casualty” “spectacular” attacks.

A Sinai-based affiliate of Isis, the jihadi militant group, repeated a claim on Wednesday that it was behind the downing of the airliner.

FT View



Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s autocracy is no way forward for Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi returns after speaking at the India Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi, India in October

Cameron should deliver a tough message on president’s London visit

Read more

Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee, which is leading the investigation, said on Sunday that the plane had broken up in mid-air and its wreckage was scattered over an area of about 20 square kilometres, prompting speculation of a terrorist attack.

Dmitri Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, said no possibility should be excluded. But Egyptian officials have, on a number of occasions, ruled out terrorism as the cause.

David Cameron, the British prime minister, spoke to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt on Tuesday evening, before bilateral talks in London on Thursday, to discuss security measures at Sharm el-Sheikh. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 British tourists are in Egypt.

The UK spokesperson said the action was a “precautionary step” and the government would work closely with airlines. “We recognise that this information may cause concern for those in Sharm and indeed for those planning to travel to Sharm in the coming days,” he said.

15,000

Upper range of British tourists estimated to be in Egypt

“We have deployed extra consular staff to Sharm who will be on hand at the airport, working with the airlines, to assist British holidaymakers there. For others, either in resorts at Sharm or planning a holiday to Sharm in the coming days, our advice is to contact your airline or tour operator.”

The three flights due to leave Sharm el-Sheikh airport on Wednesday evening to return to the UK were operated by easyJet and Thomson.

The decision will mean thousands of British holidaymakers will see their flights to the tourist destination cancelled. easyJet, British Airways, Thomson and Monarch all fly to Sharm el-Sheikh airport, with both easyJet and Thomson already postponing their flights on Wednesday evening.

Responding to the government’s updated guidance, easyJet said its six scheduled flights for Thursday had been cancelled. “We are doing all possible to keep passengers informed,” it said.

Thomson confirmed it had temporarily suspended flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh.

British Airways has a service due to fly out on Thursday morning.

Russia Sends Anti Aircraft Missiles to Syria-Col.Gen. Viktor Bondarev

http://www.newsbharati.com/ Russia Sends Anti Aircraft Missiles to Syria-Col.Gen. Viktor Bondarev.



This photo made from the footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official web site on Monday, Nov. 2, 2015 shows a target hit during s Russian air raid in Syria. Russian Defense Ministry said the strike was performed by an Su-34M bomber in Aleppo province. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/Associated Press)

By Associated Press November 5 at 2:17 AM

MOSCOW — Russia has sent anti-aircraft missiles to Syria in order to safeguard its jets involved in airstrikes against militants in the war-battered Arab country, the commander of the Russian Air Force was quoted as saying Thursday.



Russia has been carrying out airstrikes on Islamic State fighters in Syria since the end of September at the request of President Bashar Assad, Russia’s long-term ally.



Russian officials have insisted that their military involvement in Syria will be limited to an air force operation.



Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said in an interview with the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda that the anti-aircraft missiles are there to project Russian fighter jets from a possible attack or hijack while on mission.



“There can be different emergencies, such as hijacking the jet on the territory of a neighboring country or an attack on it,” he said. “We should be prepared for that.”



Bondarev did not specify the type of missiles Russia provided.



Russia and Western nations have been engaged in intense diplomatic talks in the past few weeks, aiming to bring about a political settlement in Syria, which has been torn by a civil war since 2011 that has killed 250,000 people and forced millions to flee.



A Russian deputy foreign minister said earlier this week that Moscow is aiming to host a round of talks between Syrian officials and opposition leaders next week. He said the Syrian government has agreed to participate but it’s unclear which opposition groups might come.

Russia Anti Aircraft Missiles

India Prime Minister Launches 3 Innovative Gold Monetisation Schemes

http://www.newsbharati.com/ India Prime Minister Launches 3 Innovative Gold Monetisation Schemes

India Prime Minister Launches 3 Innovative Gold Monetization Schemes.

NDTVBusinessHindiMoviesCricketGood TimesFoodTechAutoAppsPrime

NDTV



SECTIONSHOME | CHEAT SHEETNdtv



Search here...

74 COMMENTSSHARE



NEWS FLASH Supreme Court gives a week for public suggestions on how to improve collegium system of appointing judges

Your 10-point Guide to Gold Schemes Launched By PM Narendra Modi

Cheat Sheet | Reported by Rahul Shrivastava (With Inputs from agencies) | Updated: November 05, 2015 14:10 IST

Ads by Google

HDFC Life™ ULIP Plan – Invest Rs. 1000/Month & Get more Returns on Maturity. Tax Benefits.

hdfclife.com/Click2Invest

EMAIL

PRINT

74

COMMENTS

Your 10-point Guide to Gold Schemes Launched By PM Narendra ModiPM Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the launch of gold schemes in Delhi.

NEW DELHI:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched three gold schemes, including a gold monetization scheme, to lure tonnes of gold from households into the banking system. It is aimed at cutting imports.

Under the scheme, banks will collect gold for up to 15 years to auction them off or lend to jewelers from time to time. They will pay 2.25-2.50 per cent interest a year, higher than previous rates of around 1 per cent.

The country has amassed about 20,000 tonnes of gold worth over $800 billion (Rs. 52.40 lakh crore) in family lockers and temples and previous attempts at mobilising this gold have been unsuccessful.

"20,000 tonnes of gold is just lying unused. That is the reason we are poor," PM Modi said today and added, "If we make some effort in the right direction, we can be free of this tag."

People can deposit a minimum 30 grams of raw gold - bars, coins, jewellery excluding stones and other metals. There is no maximum limit for deposits under the scheme.

A Gold Sovereign Bond Scheme also launched today offers 2.75 per cent interest to domestic investors to cut physical buying. Interest on gold bonds, which can be used as collateral for loans, will be payable every six months.

PM also unveiled a gold coin with the Ashok Chakra engraved on one side. These gold coins weigh five or 10 grams. A 20-gram gold bar will also be available for purchase.

Industry experts and bankers say many prospective depositors may not take up the monetization scheme due to concerns that the tax department could question the source of gold.

Investors will have to disclose their permanent account number, registered with the income tax department, if the value of gold is worth more than Rs. 50,000. Some people fear it is a way for the government to keep a tab on the source.

Another concern is the likely loss of 20-30 per cent of the weight of jewellery as it is melted at certified centres at the cost of the depositor. Also, say experts, some people may find conventional bank deposit rates of 8 per cent more attractive.

South China Sea- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to Join Aircraft Car...

http://www.newsbharati.com/ South China Sea- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to Join Aircraft Carrier on SCS Patrol



Even though China has serious concerns about American patrols, Mr. Carter is doubling down on the signals he intends to send while he is in the region by visiting the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday. The warship’s presence in the South China Sea is “a symbol of our commitment to the rebalance” to the Asia-Pacific region, Mr. Carter said, referring to the Obama administration’s signature foreign policy of increasing U.S. engagement with Asian countries.



But the confrontation demonstrated how Asean summits are “increasingly being held hostage to tensions between China and the U.S.,” said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at the Institute of South East Asian Studies in Singapore. Asean meetings were “outliving their usefulness because of the increasing tensions between the great powers.”



China’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday said Beijing “regretted” the failure to reach a common position at the Malaysia talks, blaming “some particular countries from outside the region.” The Chinese defense minister, Gen. Chang Wanquan, said the issue of freedom of navigation “should not be hyped or even become an excuse for provocation,” according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

Sensitivity over the South China Sea disputes is at a high, with a U.S. warship having last week sailed close to an artificial Chinese islet in the disputed Spratly Islands to assert the right to freedom of navigation there. Beijing condemned the move as provocative.

 “Freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce are not new concepts,” Mr. Carter said. “They are not theoretical or aspirational goals.”

The Theodore Roosevelt isn’t expected to sail within 12 nautical miles of any of the disputed islands, as the destroyer USS Lassen did last week, in a direct challenge to Chinese claims there.

At the same time, military exchanges, including one in which Chinese ships are exercising with the U.S. are still occurring, and Mr. Carter accepted an invitation to travel to Beijing this spring.

The Chinese government also reacted angrily to a ruling last week by a United Nations-backed tribunal in the Netherlands that it has jurisdiction over a case brought by the Philippines against Beijing seeking to have China’s actions in the South China Sea ruled unlawful. China has refused to take part in the arbitration process.



Joint declarations used to be a formality at the closure of Asean summits, but disagreements over how to handle the South China Sea disputes, which involve China and Asean members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, have lately made this a contentious process.

Even so,Asean has failed to issue a joint statement only once before, when a 2012 Asean summit in Cambodia ended in acrimony over the group’s conflicted approach to the South China Sea.



“It’s 2012 all over again,” said Mr. Storey, referring to this week’s summit. “The dynamic between the U.S. and China now dominates the dispute. The Asean conflict-management process is increasingly irrelevant to events on the water.” Statements by China and Asean members agreeing to reduce tensions were becoming “divorced from reality,” he said, with China building islets to exercise control over the South China Sea despite the objections of rival claimants.

U.S. officials in Kuala Lumpur said there had been no agreement on language that included even broad references to the South China Sea.

The U.S. official said the lack of a unifying statement “reflects the divide China’s reclamation and militarization in the South China Sea has caused in the region.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ENLARGE

Mr. Hishammuddin highlighted the dilemma Asean faces: He said Malaysia supports the freedom of navigation operations being conducted by the U.S., but lamented that the “the geopolitical considerations of the major powers” – namely China and the U.S.—were raising the stakes in the South China Sea.

High-level defense talks crumbled over growing territorial disputes in the South China Sea, as the U.S. sought to show strength and assert its role as a counterweight to China.

“We couldn’t reach a consensus,” said Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at the conclusion of the Asean Defense Ministers Meeting Plus, which brings together 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and eight other countries, including China and the U.S.