Aleppo residents emerge as truce takes hold in Syrian city

ALEPPO (SYRIA) (AFP) - 

A 48-hour ceasefire took hold Thursday in Syria's battered second city of Aleppo as fighting subsided and relieved residents returned to the streets.

The Syrian army said late on Wednesday that it had agreed to calls from Russia and the United States for a two-day truce in Aleppo that would begin from 1:00 am on Thursday.

Renewed fighting in and around Aleppo in recent days had threatened the full collapse of a landmark ceasefire agreed between President Bashar al-Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels in late February.

More than 280 civilians were reported killed since April 22 in the fighting in divided Aleppo, with regime air strikes pounding the opposition-held east while rebels fired a barrage of rockets into the government-controlled west.

Early on Thursday, an AFP correspondent in the city said there had been no signs of fresh air raids since the ceasefire took effect.

As residents emerged, shopkeepers were reopening their doors while fruit and vegetable markets -- one of which was struck in an April 24 raid that left 12 dead -- were again up and running.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, confirmed there had been no bombing in the city, though it said a civilian had died in a western district from rebel shelling that came minutes after the ceasefire took effect.

The head of the powerful Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel force in Aleppo, Ahmad Sanada, told AFP the group would respect the ceasefire.

"We are in favour of any initiative that relieves the suffering of civilians and avoids bloodshed and we will respect" the ceasefire, he told AFP.

© 2016 AFP

Turkish lira hammered as political turmoil rattles investors

ISTANBUL (AFP) - 

The Turkish lira remained under pressure Thursday as political uncertainty rattled investors after it emerged Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is set to step down in a move giving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan even more power.

The lira lost almost 4 percent in value against the dollar on Wednesday -- its heaviest daily loss this year -- as news broke that crisis talks between Davutoglu and Erdogan had failed to resolve tensions between the two men.

After that hammering, the lira rallied slightly Thursday to trade at 2.91 to the dollar, a gain of 1.35 percent, but still still well off its 2.85 level against the dollar before the news broke.

"Politics has once again emerged as a major risk for the lira, which is likely to remain vulnerable in the coming days," analysts at Rabobank said in a note to clients.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is now set to hold an extraordinary congress where Davutoglu is expected to surrender his twin jobs of party chairman and prime minister.

The equity also took the news badly, with participants fearing the development was a move by Erdogan to tighten his grip on all areas of policy, including the economy.

The Istanbul stock market's benchmark 100 Index lost 1.40 percent to trade at 78,274 points.

Rabobank said Davutoglu had been perceived by markets as being "far more moderate" than Erdogan. "If Davutoglu indeed resigns, it will be a major blow for the lira and Turkish assets," it added.

Erdogan's reputation as a safe pair of hands on the economy was harmed last year when he piled pressure on the nominally independent central bank to cut interest rates for the sake of growth at a time of high inflation.

"The political uncertainty means that we're likely to see further falls in Turkish asset prices in the near term," said William Jackson, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics in London.

© 2016 AFP

Clinton may be required to testify on emails: US judge

WASHINGTON (AFP) - 

A federal judge has said Hillary Clinton may be required to testify about her private email system while secretary of state as part of a freedom of information act lawsuit brought by a conservative watchdog group.

It was the latest twist in a long-running email saga that continues to dog Clinton as she runs for president as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Judge Emmet Sullivan on Wednesday gave the go ahead for Judicial Watch to take testimony from several of Clinton's close aides when she was secretary of state.

"Based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs Clinton may be necessary," Sullivan said in an order granting Judicial Watch discovery.

The order authorizes depositions of seven former State Department officials about the private email system Clinton used for much of her electronic correspondence while secretary of state.

They include Cheryl Mills, who was Clinton's chief of staff at the State Department; Huma Abedin, her former deputy chief of staff; and Bryan Pagliano, the State Department employee who reportedly set up the email system.

Clinton's use of a private server for both official and private correspondence first came to light in 2015 during Republican-led congressional investigations into her handling of a militant attack on the US mission in Bengazi, Libya.

The assault in 2012 left the US ambassador and three other Americans dead.

The FBI has since launched a criminal investigation amid Republican charges that use of the unsecured system endangered national security.

Judicial Watch's tie-in to the controversy is a freedom of information act it had filed in 2013 seeking information about Abedin's employment by the State Department under a special status that allowed her to work for others outside the department while serving as Clinton's adviser.

It dropped the suit a year later after receiving assurances from the State Department that it had searched for the requested records.

But after learning of Clinton's private email server, Judicial Watch reopened the suit, alleging that the State Department had not acted in good faith because its records search did not include the secretary's emails.

© 2016 AFP

Israel launches airstrikes on four Hamas targets in Gaza

Text by NEWS WIRES

Latest update : 2016-05-05

The Israeli military launched airstrikes early Thursday on four Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to mortar rounds fired at Israel, the military said.

In a statement, the military said it hit "terrorist infrastructure sites" early Thursday belonging to Hamas, the Islamic militant group which rules Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry said three children and a 65-year-old Palestinian suffered light-to-moderate injuries in an airstrike that hit a metal workshop in Gaza City.

Workshop owner Hassan Hassanin said his well-digging truck, which he said was only one in Gaza that can reach a depth of 37 meters, was hit.

"Why this was bombed? I don't know why. I don't pose any threat to Israel's security. Israel itself knows this machine, what does it do and what its capabilities are. It doesn't pose any danger to security," he said.

Palestinian media said an Islamic Jihad militant group outpost was also targeted.

Israel struck five other Hamas targets Wednesday, responding to a mortar shell launched toward Israeli forces near the Gaza Strip. The army said no soldiers were harmed. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner called it the "most serious" escalation since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. More than 2,200 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them civilians, were killed in the 50-day summer war. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and seven civilians were killed.

Last month, Israel discovered and destroyed a tunnel dug from Gaza into Israel - the first to be found since the 2014 war. That discovery sparked concerns in Israel that Hamas was rebuilding its underground tunnel network in preparation for another conflagration. In 2014, Israel destroyed more than 30 tunnels Hamas had dug under the border.

Israel and Hamas have largely observed a cease-fire since the 2014 war, but other militant groups also operate in Gaza. Israel says it holds Hamas responsible for any attacks out of the territory.

The escalation comes amid a months-long wave of violence that has seen near-daily attacks by Palestinians, mostly stabbings, which have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Some 193 Palestinians have been killed, most said by Israel to have been attackers and the rest killed in clashes with Israeli forces.

(AP)

Kasich drops campaign bid, leaving Trump with no Republican rivals

Text by NEWS WIRES

Latest update : 2016-05-05

Donald Trump’s last Republican foe, Ohio Governor John Kasich, ended his presidential campaign on Wednesday, cementing Trump’s remarkable triumph as his party’s presumptive nominee.

Trump’s victory spurred some reluctant Republicans to rally around him, though others agonised over their party’s future.

Trump vowed to unite the splintered GOP, even as he was bitingly dismissive of members who have been critical of his campaign.

“Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms,” he said on NBC’s “Today” Show. “Honestly, there are some people I really don’t want.”

Clinton, in her first remarks since Trump’s new status was crystalised, said she was more than prepared to handle the kind of deeply personal attacks that helped defeat Trump’s Republican rivals.

“To me, this is the classic case of a blustering, bullying guy,” Clinton told CNN.

The long and chaotic Republican primary came to an abrupt end after Trump’s decisive victory Tuesday in Indiana. His win pushed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, his closest rival, out of the race, with Kasich following a day later.

Trump’s takeover of the GOP marks one of the most stunning political feats in modern political history.

A first-time candidate, he eschewed traditional fundraising and relied more on his own star power than television advertising to draw attention.

He also flouted political decorum with controversial statements about women and minorities, leaving some Republicans convinced he can’t cobble together the diverse coalition needed to win the general election.

“It’s his party between now and November, but I don’t think it’s going to be his party after November,” said Peter Wehner, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. Wehner is among the Republicans vowing to never vote for Trump, even if that means essentially handing Clinton the presidency.

Bob Vander Plaats, an influential evangelical leader who backed Cruz, withheld his support for Trump Wednesday, saying the real estate mogul needs to prove his conservative credentials with his vice presidential pick and more information about what kind of judges he would appoint. “It’s kind of a wait and see moment with Mr. Trump,” he said.

Vander Plaats is among the Republicans clinging to the hope that an alternative option might yet emerge.

Operatives have floated former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse and former Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn as possible candidates for a third party or independent bid. But that path is a long-shot at best, with filing deadlines for getting on state ballots fast approaching.

There was notable silence from major Republican leaders Wednesday. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not comment on Trump. Spokespeople for Bush and Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 nominee, also did not respond to inquiries.

Still, several GOP governors and senators said Wednesday that they would support Trump, according to a survey by The Associated Press.

“Our first and foremost goal is to elect a conservative, pro-business, strong on national defense, a man who will stand behind our freedoms and our rights, and that person is Donald Trump,”

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said. “It is not Hillary Clinton.”

Clinton has yet to shake Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist who has energised young people and liberals with his calls for sweeping government-run health care and education programs.

Still, Clinton has 93 percent of the delegates she needs to clinch the Democratic nomination and now is focusing the bulk of her attention on Trump.

“He is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire,” Clinton said Wednesday. Her campaign also released a web ad featuring clips of prominent Republicans, including his former rivals, bashing Trump.

Both Clinton and Trump head into the general election with historically high unfavorable ratings. But Clinton is generally popular within her own party, particularly with women and minority voters who are crucial to winning general election battleground states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada.

Some Republicans fear Trump’s poor standing with those voters will not only cost the party the White House for a third straight term but the GOP’s Senate majority as well.

Some Republican senators in tough races struggled Wednesday to position themselves in a party with Trump at the helm, including New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte who said that while she would support the businessman in a general election, she would not endorse his candidacy.

Trump turned quickly toward the general election, saying he would begin accepting more political donations and was starting to vet potential running mates. He told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he was inclined to “go the political route” and pick someone with legislative experience.

He later said he could consider Kasich, predicting the Ohio governor would be helpful this fall in any role given his state’s significance in the general election.

Though armed with an extensive resume in politics, Kasich struggled to connect with Republican primary voters in a year dominated by anti-establishment frustration.

He was a more moderate candidate who embraced elements of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul and called for an optimistic and proactive Republican agenda.

(AP)

US, Russia win temporary truce from Syrian army in Aleppo

Text by FRANCE 24

Latest update : 2016-05-05

Under pressure from Russia and the United States, the Syrian army agreed on Wednesday to respect a two-day truce in the war-ravaged city of Aleppo.

The Syrian climb-down came after Washington said the US and Russia had agreed to push the warring parties to extend their shaky ceasefire.

"A truce will be in place in Aleppo for 48 hours from 1:00 am on Thursday [2200 GMT Wednesday]," Syrian army command said, according to state media.

The Russian defence ministry said its ceasefire monitors had agreed with their US counterparts to oversee this truce until midnight on May 6.

But on the ground, reporters said fierce fighting continued in both Aleppo and an area west of Damascus that was already under the ceasefire regime.

"We've seen an overall decrease in violence in those areas even though there are some reports of continued fighting in some locations," said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Kerry added that US officials in Geneva were coordinating with their Russian colleagues on "enhanced monitoring efforts for this renewed cessation."

And he stressed that for Washington, the "cessation of hostilities" must spread nationwide and underpin a return by both sides to peace talks in Geneva.

Aleppo, Syria’s most populous city, is divided between Bashar al-Assad's government forces, Western-backed opposition forces and the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.

The cessation of hostilities, as diplomats call it, doesn't apply to the Islamic State (IS) group or the Nusra Front, which has caused problems in places such as Aleppo and provided the Syrian government a green light to go ahead with its military operations targeting rebel groups.

Mutliplying talks

Wednesday saw multiple new diplomatic efforts to stem the violence in Aleppo that has killed nearly 300 people in the last 13 days and all but unravelled the fragile ceasefure agreed to in February.

Talks on Syria shifted from Geneva to Berlin earlier Wednesday, where German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier held talks with UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, Syria's main opposition leader Riad Hijab and France's top diplomat Jean-Marc Ayrault. The UN Security Council was also set to meet on the crisis later in the day.

France also announced plans to invite ministers from countries who support Syrian opposition groups to a meeting in Paris on May 9 to seek ways to break the political and military deadlock in the country.

“We are fighting [to ensure] the ceasefire returns straight away… I am going to invite like-minded countries to meet in Paris on Monday for a strong initiative to end the deadly bombings, so that humanitarian aid can arrive effectively and that we can once again open the way to a political solution,” French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said.

Ayrault did not specify which countries France would invite, though government spokesman Stephane Le Foll earlier mentioned inviting officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

Other countries supporting non-jihadi opposition groups battling Assad’s forces include the United States, Turkey and other European powers. They have all called on Assad to step down.

Humanitarian crisis

The first major ceasefire in Syria’s five-year civil war, sponsored by the United States and Russia, had held since February but has virtually collapsed in recent weeks, with the city of Aleppo bearing the brunt of the renewed violence. Aleppo’s humanitarian situation has become increasingly dire, and UN humanitarian advisor Jan Egeland said Wednesday that Syria’s government is refusing UN appeals to deliver aid to 905,000 people including those in Aleppo.

“It is a disgrace to see that while the population of Aleppo is bleeding, their options to flee have never been more difficult than now,” Egeland said.

The humanitarian task force chaired by Egeland enjoyed some success in opening up access for aid in April, but progress has stalled and requests to the Syrian government to greenlight aid convoys to six remaining besieged areas in May have largely fallen on deaf ears.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)

Turkey to hold congress as Davotuglu’s fate hangs in balance

Text by NEWS WIRES

Latest update : 2016-05-05

Turkey's ruling party is set to replace Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at an extraordinary congress in the coming weeks, officials said on Wednesday, plunging the country into political uncertainty.

The decision, confirmed to Reuters by five AK Party officials, came after a meeting of more than 1-1/2 hours between Davutoglu and President Tayyip Erdogan that followed weeks of increasingly public tension between the two men.

Erdogan wants an executive presidency in Turkey to replace the current parliamentary system, a plan for which Davutoglu has offered only lukewarm support. His departure is likely to pave the way for a successor more willing to back Erdogan's ambition of changing the constitution and strengthening the presidency, a move opponents say will herald growing authoritarianism.

"The president and prime minister reached agreement on the congress ... I don't think Davutoglu will be a candidate again," one of the officials told Reuters.

The leader of the AKP, which has governed Turkey since 2002, also serves as prime minister. Davutoglu's likely departure looms as Turkey faces mounting security challenges, with a Kurdish insurgency in its southeast and the spillover of the war in Syria on its southern border.

The European Union is counting on Turkey to help stop migrants streaming into the continent under a landmark accord brokered by Davutoglu, and Washington is drawing on NATO member Ankara's support in fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

The lira weakened more than 4 percent to 2.976 to the dollar, its weakest since the end of February, as investors balked at the prospect of more uncertainty.

"Davutoglu's likely early exit as party leader and PM constitutes another episode that show that Erdogan's dominance over the AKP and the executive is absolute and unchallenged," said Wolfango Piccoli, head of research at Teneo Intelligence.

"In the short term policy paralysis will prevail and then, once a new party leader is elected, a more incisive effort to amend the constitution could ensue," he told Reuters.

The AKP official said the congress would be held as soon as May 21 and no later than June 6, the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and that Erdogan was adamant there should be no vacuum of power at the head of government.

Three sources close to the presidency said possible successors included government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag. Transport Minister Binali Yildirim and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan's son-in-law, had also been touted as possible names, they said.

Rift

Erdogan's drive to tighten his grip on power has caused an increasingly open rift with Davutoglu, encompassing issues from relations with Europe to the pre-trial detention of government critics.

Erdogan, a political fighter hardened by a childhood in Istanbul's rough Kasimpasa district, wants a robust presidential system as a guarantee against the fractious coalition politics that hampered Turkey in the 1990s. His opponents see a stronger presidency as a vehicle for his own ambition.

Such a system would have seen Davutoglu, a more mild-mannered academic and former diplomat who lacks Erdogan's natural appeal to crowds, sidelined.

The two have governed in a strained alliance since Erdogan won the presidency in 2014 and Davutoglu replaced him as prime minister. Aides to Davutoglu had largely dismissed the tensions as matters of style rather than substance.

But in the clearest sign yet of a power struggle, the authority to appoint provincial AKP officials was taken from Davutoglu last week. The move reduced Davutoglu's hold over the party grassroots and cemented Erdogan's influence.

The two leaders have appeared at odds over the deal with the EU to stem the flow of illegal migrants from Turkish shores to the Greek islands, in return for which Ankara has been promised accelerated EU accession talks, visa liberalisation and financial aid. The deal has been Davutoglu's project, and its future may be less certain after his departure.

Erdogan, frequently critical of the EU, has at times appeared to belittle Davutoglu's progress, most notably efforts to win visa-free travel to Europe by June, the main prize in the eyes of many Turks.

"During my time as prime minister it was announced (this) would come in October 2016," Erdogan said recently. "I don't understand why bringing it forward four months is presented as a win. I'm saddened by the presentation of small things in a bigger light."

Former diplomat and political commentator Sinan Ulgen said the two leaders had always faced a "fundamental dilemma".

"Erdogan's end goal is to consolidate enough popular support to switch to a presidential system. Davutoglu's end goal is to consolidate his own power and be a successful prime minister," said Ulgen, head of the EDAM think-tank in Istanbul.

(REUTERS)