US spy chief: Syria’s Assad cannot hold power
US spy chief: Syria’s Assad cannot hold power By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services Ayman Mohyeldin / NBC News President Bashar Assad’s regime is intensifying its violent crackdown on Syrian protesters, despite international pressure. NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin is one of the few Western journalists to have been granted permission inside Syria in recent weeks, click to see some of his photos. Updated at 12:35 p.m. ET: Syrian leader Bashar Assad cannot sustain his hold on power and it is a matter of time before his leadership falls, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper tells Senators, according to Reuters. “I personally believe it’s a question of time before Assad falls, but that’s the issue, it could be a long time,” Clapper has told a Senate intelligence committee hearing. “Protraction of these demonstrations, the opposition continues to be fragmented, but I do not see how he can sustain [...]
US spy chief: Syria’s Assad cannot hold power
US spy chief: Syria’s Assad cannot hold power By NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services Ayman Mohyeldin / NBC News President Bashar Assad’s regime is intensifying its violent crackdown on Syrian protesters, despite international pressure. NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin is one of the few Western journalists to have been granted permission inside Syria in recent weeks, click to see some of his photos. Updated at 12:35 p.m. ET: Syrian leader Bashar Assad cannot sustain his hold on power and it is a matter of time before his leadership falls, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper tells Senators, according to Reuters. “I personally believe it’s a question of time before Assad falls, but that’s the issue, it could be a long time,” Clapper has told a Senate intelligence committee hearing. “Protraction of these demonstrations, the opposition continues to be fragmented, but I do not see how he can sustain [...]
Iran puts on hold bill on EU oil ban
Iran puts on hold bill on EU oil ban TEHRAN: Iran on Sunday declared itself optimistic about a UN experts’ visit aimed at probing suspected military aspects of its nuclear work and lawmakers postponed debate on a proposed halt to oil flows to the EU, watched closely in energy markets. A team of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors began a three-day visit to try to advance efforts to resolve a row about nuclear work which Iran says is for making electricity but the West suspects is aimed at seeking a nuclear weapon. Tensions with the West rose this month when Washington and the European Union imposed the toughest sanctions yet in a drive to force Tehran to provide more information on its nuclear programme. The measures take direct aim at the ability of Opec’s second biggest oil exporter to sell its crude. But on Sunday, Iranian lawmakers postponed discussing the [...]
Categories: World News Tags: Bill, hold, Iran, puts
Indian Army to hold war games with US, Russia
Indian Army to hold war games with US, Russia New Delhi: Top global powers, including US, Russia, France and some of the friendly neighbourhood countries such as Bangladesh, will engage in war games with the Indian Army to learn from India its experience of counter terrorism and urban warfare operations. Indian Army will hold around 15 exercises this year with friendly foreign countries including the who’s who in the global arena, army officials said. In its immediate neighbourhood, Indian Army will conduct these joint training exercises with Bangladesh and Singapore. ‘Bold Kurukshetra’ with Singapore army will kick-off the war games in Babina near Jhansi in March. The two sides will field their mechanised forces in the training engagement. The schedule and nature of exercises with other countries are yet to be decided, but anti-terrorism drills and urban warfare is going to be an important part of all of these war [...]
2nd Test: Pakistan fight but England hold the edge
2nd Test: Pakistan fight but England hold the edge Abu Dhabi: Pakistan finished Day 3 on 125/4, a lead of 55 runs over England. For the first time in their notional home series, Pakistan had a crowd to strengthen their resolve. They came in thousands after Friday prayers and sat on the grassy banks at the Sheikh Zayed stadium. What they witnessed was Test cricket at its most attritional but they also witnessed a clue to Pakistan’s batting future. Scorecard Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq came together at 54 for 4 with Pakistan still 16 runs in arrears and England’s bowlers coming to terms with the rigours of playing Test cricket in Asia. It is a rare sight to see England with two spinners bowling to an attacking ring. With Pakistan faltering, they were even beginning to think they might like it. This time Azhar and Shafiq did not have Misbah-ul-Haq [...]
2nd Test: Pakistan fight but England hold the edge
2nd Test: Pakistan fight but England hold the edge Abu Dhabi: Pakistan finished Day 3 on 125/4, a lead of 55 runs over England. For the first time in their notional home series, Pakistan had a crowd to strengthen their resolve. They came in thousands after Friday prayers and sat on the grassy banks at the Sheikh Zayed stadium. What they witnessed was Test cricket at its most attritional but they also witnessed a clue to Pakistan’s batting future. Scorecard Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq came together at 54 for 4 with Pakistan still 16 runs in arrears and England’s bowlers coming to terms with the rigours of playing Test cricket in Asia. It is a rare sight to see England with two spinners bowling to an attacking ring. With Pakistan faltering, they were even beginning to think they might like it. This time Azhar and Shafiq did not have Misbah-ul-Haq [...]
People demonstrate in Syria as U.N. Security Council to hold talks
People demonstrate in Syria as U.N. Security Council to hold talks Pillay: Tracking Syrian deaths diffiicult U.N. Security Council is set to hold closed-door talks about Syria A draft U.N. resolution calls for steps similar to Arab League sanctions imposed in November The United Nations and activists say thousands have died in regime crackdown (CNN) — Thousands took to the streets in a Damascus suburb Friday for a funeral procession for a man they say was killed overnight as violence spawned by anti-government protests continues in Syria. The street demonstration comes the same day that the U.N. Security Council will hold closed-door talks on the situation in the country. That discussion — set to start at 3 p.m. ET — comes as members weigh a draft U.N. resolution on Syria, obtained by CNN this week, which calls on “all states” to take steps similar to Arab League sanctions imposed in [...]
US, South Korea to Hold Joint Military Exercises
US, South Korea to Hold Joint Military Exercises The United States and South Korea are to hold two military exercises on the Korean peninsula soon. They will be the first such war games since the recent change of leadership in North Korea. There had been speculation one or both of the joint U.S.-South Korean military drills might be postponed or called off this year. But on Friday, the U.S. and South Korea militaries announced the annual exercises would go ahead. There has been some thought that war games might give North Korea’s young, untested leader, Kim Jong Un, an excuse to flex his muscles to bolster national unity and his own credentials. He succeeded his late father last month and is a four-star general but is not known to have performed any actual military service. Professor Kim Yeon-su, a specialist on North Korea, at the National Defense University in Seoul, [...]
U.N. Security Council to hold Syria talks
U.N. Security Council to hold Syria talks Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby will head to New York for U.N. talks on Syria. The death toll for Thursday reached 50 across Syria, opposition activists say The U.N.’s Ban Ki-moon condemns the killing of a Red Crescent leader in Syria The Arab League chief is heading to New York for U.N. talks on Syria, an official says The United Nations and activists say thousands have died in Syrian regime crackdown (CNN) — The Arab League’s secretary-general and Qatar’s prime minister will travel to New York for talks on Syria with the United Nations, an Arab League official said Thursday. A meeting with the U.N. Security Council will be held Monday, said the official, who cannot be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media. U.N. diplomats hope the talks with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby and Qatari Prime Minister [...]
Arab League chief to hold U.N. talks on Syria
Arab League chief to hold U.N. talks on Syria A picture released by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria shows troops taking position in Homs on January 19, 2012 . Members of the Syrian security forces have been killed and injured in clashes, activists say Syrian state media report huge pro-government rallies in the capital and elsewhere The extension of an Arab League monitoring mission was agreed to this week The United Nations says more than 5,000 civilians have died in the government crackdown (CNN) — At least one member of the Syrian security forces was killed and nine others were injured following violent clashes with army defectors in Daraa province, opposition activists said Thursday. The clashes occurred on a highway near the town of Khirbet Ghazaly, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Also in Daraa, three people were injured in the town of Nawa, including an 11-year-old [...]
