British MPs to Vote to Decide Syria Campaign- PM David Cameron Tense

www.newsbharati.com British MPs to Vote to Decide Syria Campaign- PM David Cameron Tense.

U.K. Lawmakers to Vote on Syria Parliament to debate and decide if bombing campaign against State can proceed

Britain appears to be poised to join the U.S.-led coalition against  State in Syria, with a majority of lawmakers expected to approve military intervention in a parliamentary vote Wednesday. British lawmakers are scheduled to debate a government motion designed to pave the way for Britain to extend strikes to Syria from Iraq, where it has been carrying out  for more than a year. Once the debate has concluded, the ministers are expected to vote—which will probably be late in the day U.K. time. Prime Minister David Cameron has long made the case for such intervention. He has redoubled his efforts over the past week saying the threat posed by State to the Middle East as well as the U.K. has intensified, citing a string of deadly attacks linked to the militant group over recent months, including in Paris. Mr. Cameron said this week that he believes there is “growing support” for military action in Syria.

It is a high-stakes move for the prime minister, who suffered a humiliating parliamentary defeat two years ago when he sought approval for military intervention in Syria after it emerged that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime used chemical weapons to attack civilians. Mr. Cameron had said he would only hold another vote if he was confident of winning. The prime minister’s Conservative Party commands a majority in the House of Commons and although some in his party may vote against him, Mr. Cameron is expected to be joined by a significant number of lawmakers from the main opposition Labour Party. Mr. Cameron’s renewed push comes as other countries, including the U.S. and France, have stepped up efforts to defeat State.

Britain’s participation in Syria would provide a significant boost to the international coalition’s efforts to counter the threat of violent militant groups, though senior British officials say it is unlikely to prove decisive. U.K. treasury chief George Osborne said Tuesday that extending military action to Syria would cost in the “low tens of millions of pounds,” which is paid from a special reserve for military action. The arrival of British warplanes to the Syrian battlefield, which could happen within days, could provide capabilities on a par with the U.S. Air Force and allow a potential broadening of the fight. The U.K.’s Brimstone missile system also enables specific strikes against State with low collateral damage, the prime minister has said. Some members of the public and lawmakers remain opposed to such action, including the leader of the main opposition Labour Party and some members of Mr. Cameron’s own Conservative Party. Concerns include how to identify which groups to work with on the ground; what the end point of the conflict would be; and what would happen afterward. Mr. Cameron has acknowledged the complexities involved but argued the risks of inaction outweighed those of taking action. He has argued that growing prospects for a political solution and the recent U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of military force against extremist groups justifies intervention. He has also said the U.K. shouldn’t “subcontract” its security to other allies and that the situation now is markedly different from 2013, when he lost the last vote. The U.S.-led coalition faces persistent challenges, both in coordinating attacks on State and in smoothing out the allies’ different opinions. Leaders of Western nations have faced headwinds in trying to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to concentrate efforts on State instead of rebels opposed to the Syrian regime, some of which are backed by Western countries.

Many lawmakers and members of the public are reluctant to become embroiled in another complex conflict after the experiences of Iraq in 2003—where the U.K.’s swift backing of a U.S.-led intervention proved deeply unpopular in the U.K.—as well as Afghanistan and more recently Libya. Those concerns helped derail Mr. Cameron’s earlier efforts to secure parliamentary approval for military intervention in Syria. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran peace campaigner, argues bombs will end up killing innocent civilians in Syria and that the Syrian forces the prime minister would be relying on are infiltrated by jihadists. He has also expressed concern that there is no end point in sight. The issue has forced to the fore deep rifts within the Labour Party, where many lawmakers—including some members of the shadow cabinet—have publicly disagreed with their leader. Mr. Corbyn, who took the role in September, said on Monday that he would allow Labour lawmakers to vote with their conscience, making it easier for Mr. Cameron to secure a majority.

Gujarat Civic Elections- BJP Leading in All 6 Municipal Councils

www.newsbharati.com Gujarat Civic Elections- BJP Leading in All 6 Municipal Councils.

Gujarat civic elections LIVE: Congress trails as BJP inches ahead in Surat with leads on 33 seats

Ahmedabad: Counting of votes for the recently held civic elections in Gujarat, a litmus test for the ruling BJP against the backdrop of Patel quota agitation, is currently underway amid unprecedented security. Here are the live updates:- As per latest trends available around 10. 35 am, BJP has inched ahead in Surat with leads on 33 seats Close contest in Surat between Congress and BJP. Congress has taken a lead in Bhavnagar and is leading on 20 seats while BJP is leading on 14 seats. As of now, BJP is reported to be going strong against Congress and is leading on 18 seats in Rajkot. Here is a picture of election officials counting votes at a centre in VadodaraHere is a picture of election officials counting votes at a centre in Vadodara.. Gujarat civic polls trends available at 10.15 am: In Vadodara, BJP is ahead on 17 seats, Congress on 7, meanwhile, Congress is surging ahead in Surat on 30 seats and BJP in 20. As per trends available around 10.00 am, BJP has maintained a comfortable lead in Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, while Congress is going ahead in Surat. As per trends available around 9.55 am, Congress is leading in Surat, close contest between Congress and BJP reported in Rajkot; BJP maintains lead in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. As per the latest trends available around 9.40 am, Congress has raced ahead in Surat while BJP leads in Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Jamnagar. Congress is leading on two seats in In Vadodara, while BJP is ahead on four seats and has won one. As per the trends available around 9.20 am, Congress is reported to leading on 16 seats in Surat while the BJP is leading on 10. BJP, meanwhile, has won one seat. The BJP has also maintained lead on one seat in Surat. As per the early trends, the BJP is leading on one seat in Vadodara. -Voting for six municipal corporations was held on November 26, while that for 31 district panchayats, 230 taluka panchayats and 56 municipalities was held on November 29. The six municipal corporations registered only 45% voter turn-out, but elsewhere it was over 60%. The elections are being seen as a challenge for the BJP and the Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, as they come after the Patel quota stir. These are also the first major elections in the state after Anandiben took over from Narendra Modi. The Congress is hoping to make a comeback in the state, cashing in on resentment of the Patel community against BJP. Patel leaders who are demanding inclusion in the OBC quota had appealed the community members to vote against BJP and for Congress ahead of the elections. All the six municipal corporations - Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar, and Bhavnagar - are at present controlled by the BJP. Most of the other local bodies in rural and semi-urban areas too are controlled by the BJP. The State Election Commission (SEC) had on Tuesday conducted re-polling at a booth each in Dahod and Mahisagar districts.

Russia in Syria Developing Second Military Airbase to Expand Campaigns

www.newsbharati.com Russia in Syria Developing Second Military Airbase to Expand Campaigns.

Russia adding 2nd airbase in Syria, pursuing 'expansion' in military campaign Russia has expanded its military operations in Syria to include a second airbase as well as other posts, according to a U.S. official briefed on the latest intelligence from the region – even as President Obama expresses muted optimism that Russian President Vladimir Putin eventually will “shift” his strategy and work with the West. Moscow’s presence has grown to a total of four forward operating bases, including recently added bases in Hama and Tiyas. But the most concerning to the Pentagon is the second airbase in Shayrat which can support fixed-wing aircraft, greatly expanding Russia’s capability for airstrikes, which began on Sept. 30. “The Russians are operating helicopters out of Shayrat airport, but they are making to land fixed-wing aircraft,” another U.S. official confirmed to Fox News. Shayrat is located 25 miles outside of the Syrian city of Homs, an hour drive from neighboring Lebanon. Since September, Russia has based its warplanes and helicopters at Basel al-Assad airbase in Latakia, one of the last remaining Assad strongholds along the Mediterranean coast. While the Pentagon cannot confirm any Russian military jets have landed at Shayrat, there are reports Russia has landed aircraft in the past few hours. Russia’s two other forward operating bases are used to land its attack helicopters employed to defend the Assad regime against Syrian rebels. But when asked if the move to expand to a second airbase was defensive in nature in case Syrian rebels succeed in destroying the Latakia base, one of the U.S. officials pushed back. “This is an expansion, not a defensive move at all,” the official said. He said Syrian rebels were nowhere close to taking the Russian airbase in Latakia. The expansion comes as Russia spars with other world powers over its Syria approach. While the Obama administration is trying to persuade Moscow to focus its efforts on taking out State targets, Russia is known to be targeting U.S.-backed rebels tasked with weakening the Russia-backed Assad regime. Obama acknowledged this during a press conference Tuesday, while also voicing hope that Russia at some point will cooperate. While Russia’s military involvement has stoked tensions with the U.S., it has led to a direct confrontation with Turkey. One Russian Su-24 strike aircraft was shot down by Turkey last week – and on Monday, the U.S. State Department for the first time publicly backed Turkey’s claims that the Russian warplane had entered Turkish airspace. A Russian Mi-8 transport helicopter then sent to rescue the downed pilots was destroyed with a U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missiles by Syrian rebels. After those incidents, the Russians now have 31 warplanes and 15 helicopters – thought to be at Latakia. Obama, discussing Putin’s calculations, said Tuesday that the situation in Syria is “not the outcome he is looking for.” But critics will point to Russia’s expanding influence – not just in the Middle East but in eastern Ukraine, since Russia annexed Crimea and sent troops into eastern Ukraine to support a separatist movement in 2014. The Obama administration had vowed to isolate Russia over the incident. Obama said in October he does not want a proxy war in Russia, but the CIA’s arming of rebels in Syria and Russia’s airstrikes indicates the U.S. is already engaged in one. A senior defense official also said Turkey was “really pissed” when Russia bombed Turkmen rebels fighting Assad in Syria, ethnically tied to Turkey, and warned Russia on multiple occasions not to invade its airspace before shooting down the Russian Su-24 last week. Obama, speaking in Paris Tuesday, alluded to the different sides the United States and Russia have taken in Syria’s civil war. “So long as they are aligned with the regime, a lot of Russian resources will be targeted at opposition groups that will be part of an inclusive government that we support,” he said.