Pakistan accuses India of planning 'new aggression' - CNN

In remarks on Pakistan's state broadcaster PTV Sunday, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said India was plotting a "new aggression" between April 16 and 20.

Qureshi said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given his armed forces the green light for attacking targets both in Kashmir and Pakistan.

"He (Modi) says that you have permission to carry out action. They (heads of armed forces) say, 'We have selected targets which are of a military nature. And it is not essential that those targets would be limited to Kashmir ... So, a new talk of military action is going on there And a new message about a military action is being given out," he said.

India's Ministry of External Affairs said the claims were baseless, accusing Qureshi of encouraging Pakistan-based militants to attack targets in India.

"India rejects the irresponsible and preposterous statement by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan intended to whip up war hysteria in the region. This public gimmick appears to be a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India," spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.

Qureshi also referenced a February attack in Kashmir in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed when a bomb exploded near a paramilitary convoy in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The Pulwama bombing was one of the deadliest attacks in Kashmir in recent years, with India claiming Pakistan had a "direct hand" in the attack. Pakistan has vehemently denied having a role.

The accusations sparked tit-for-tat military operations by the two sides, further increasing tensions.

"In occupied Kashmir, a new Pulwama-like incident could take place, with an aim to increase diplomatic pressure on Pakistan and to justify (India's) military action," Qureshi said Sunday.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/08/asia/pakistan-accuses-india-attack-intl/index.html

2019-04-08 05:59:00Z
52780263126614

Beto O’Rourke on Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘Racist’ - The Washington Post

IOWA CITY — Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke on Sunday described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “racist” whose outreach to far-right interests as he seeks to hang onto political power has seriously damaged the chances of peace in the Middle East.

Speaking at a town hall here at the University of Iowa, the former Texas congressman denounced Netanyahu’s pledge Saturday that he would annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank if he wins another term in Tuesday’sIsraeli general election. Netanyahu’s proposed annexation, O’Rourke said, “will make peace in the long term impossible.”

In response to a voter’s question about his policy toward Israel and Palestinian rights, O’Rourke reiterated his support for a two-state solution and accused Netanyahu of having “joined forces with far-right parties who are inherently racist in their speech and the way that they want to treat their fellow human beings in that part of the world.”

He then went further, telling reporters in a gaggle afterward that Netanyahu is a “racist.”

“The U.S.-Israel relationship is one of the most important relationships that we have on the planet, and that relationship, if it is to be successful, must transcend partisanship in the United States, and it must be able to transcend a prime minister who is racist as he warns about Arabs coming to the polls, who wants to defy any prospect for peace as he threatens to annex the West Bank and who has sided with a far-right racist party in order to maintain his hold on power,” O’Rourke said.

His comments came one day after President Trump played up his pro-Israel agenda in a speech before an influential conservative Jewish group. Speaking to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, Trump accused Democrats of “advancing by far the most extreme, anti-Semitic agenda in history.”

“The Democrats’ radical agenda very well could leave Israel out there all by yourselves,” Trump declared.

As he seeks to become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has played up his ties to Trump, who has all but formally endorsed the Israeli leader ahead of Tuesday’s election. On Saturday, Trump told the Las Vegas audience that he had stood with “your prime minister.”

Explaining his approach toward a two-state solution to voters on Sunday, O’Rourke acknowledged the United States was working with imperfect partners. He criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as someone who “has also not been faithful in pursuing peace,” pointing to inflammatory rhetoric and his “inability to bring his side to the table to negotiate in good faith.”

O’Rourke also took a swipe at the Trump administration for its role in the failed peace process.

“If we truly care about the safety and the human dignity of every person in that region, Israeli or Palestinian, then we have to have a two-state solution. But that opportunity is quickly fading in the face of our inaction and some of what this administration has done to exacerbate some of the preexisting condition.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/beto-orourke-on-benjamin-netanyahu-racist/2019/04/07/313e34e0-598c-11e9-842d-7d3ed7eb3957_story.html

2019-04-07 23:56:16Z
52780261626840

Suspected rhino poacher killed by elephant, eaten by lions in Kruger National Park, South Africa - CBS News

A suspected rhino poacher in South Africa was killed by an elephant before his body was apparently devoured by lions, authorities said. A search team in Kruger National Park was only able to recover a skull and a pair of pants.

South African National Parks said Friday that the victim and four accomplices were trying to poach a rhino Tuesday evening. The accomplices called the victim's family and said he had been killed by an elephant. 

An initial search party was unable to locate the body. During a search Thursday morning, authorities found the few remains of the suspected poacher. "Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains," the park service said.

The South African Police Service said two of his alleged accomplices were arrested with rifles and ammunition in their possession.

#sapsMP Komatipoort: A human skull found in the Kruger National Park (KNP) is believed to be that of a man reportedly killed by an elephant while poaching with his accomplices on 01/04; duo arrested, rifles & ammo seized. MEhttps://t.co/XXsXpJqTjA pic.twitter.com/4Oye38Eddh

— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) April 6, 2019

"Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise, it holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that," Kruger National Park Managing Executive Glenn Phillips said in a statement. "It is very sad to see the daughters of the [deceased] mourning the loss of their father, and worse still, only being able to recover very little of his remains."

The suspected poacher has not been identified. His four accomplices are due in court, and the death is still being investigated. 

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poaching-in-south-africa-suspected-rhino-poacher-killed-by-elephant-eaten-by-lions-in-kruger-national-park/

2019-04-08 00:39:00Z
52780262121924

Beto O'Rourke: Netanyahu is 'racist,' doesn't represent 'true will of the Israeli people' - CNN

Speaking in Iowa as he campaigns for the Democratic nomination for president, O'Rourke said the US-Israeli relationship was among the most important "on the planet" and singled out Netanyahu.

"That relationship, if it is to be successful, must transcend partisanship in the United States, and it must be able to transcend a prime minister who is racist, as he warns about Arabs coming to the polls, who wants to defy any prospect for peace as he threatens to annex the West Bank, and who has sided with a far-right, racist party in order to maintain his hold on power," O'Rourke said.

O'Rourke continued, saying he did not believe Netanyahu "represents the true will of the Israeli people" or the "best interests" of the relationship between the US and Israel. He went on to endorse a two-state solution to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

"We must be able to transcend his current leadership to make sure that that alliance is strong, that we continue to push for and settle for nothing less than a two-state solution, because that is the best opportunity for peace for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine," O'Rourke said. "It is the best opportunity for the full human rights of everyone who is living in that region."

CNN has reached out to the Israeli Embassy in Washington for comment.

O'Rourke made his comment to reporters after a rally where a voter asked about the conflict in the region. In the rally itself, O'Rourke offered similar criticism of Netanyahu, while also saying the Palestinian Authority had not acted in good faith.

O'Rourke's comments joined a larger debate taking place in the US and Democratic Party about Israel and Netanyahu, whom President Donald Trump hosted in the White House just weeks before Israel is set to hold decisive elections in which Netanyahu is up for re-election.

Trump has sought to seize on the issue, including by invoking a controversy in the House over anti-Semitism, while many Democrats running to challenge Trump in 2020 have rebuffed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a political group strongly supportive of Netanyahu.

Trump signed a proclamation in March recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, overturning longstanding US policy regarding the area and handing Netanyahu a significant foreign policy victory in the run-up to the upcoming election.

A report from Haaretz quoted Netanyahu as telling Channel 12 News Saturday, "A Palestinian state will endanger our existence and I withstood huge pressure over the past eight years. No prime minister has withstood such pressure. We must control our destiny."

Netanyahu went on to say, "I will extend sovereignty but I don't distinguish between the settlement blocs and the isolated ones, because each settlement is Israeli and I will not hand it over to Palestinian sovereignty."

Netanyahu has tacked further right in the leadup to the April elections, including working openly to improve the electoral prospects of lawmakers with roots in a party banned in the 1980s for racism.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/07/politics/beto-orourke-israel-netanyahu/index.html

2019-04-07 21:53:00Z
52780261626840

Kidnapping in Uganda: American Kimberly Endicott held hostage in Uganda released unharmed - CBS News

An American who was kidnapped along with her driver in Uganda last week has been recovered unharmed, a spokesman for the Ugandan government said Sunday. The pair were recovered along the border with the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kimberly Sue Endicott, 56, and tour driver Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo were taken hostage at gunpoint while on safari in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park last Tuesday. Their four kidnappers had demanded a $500,000 ransom and had not backed down from the demand as of Friday, authorities told CBS News last week. The abductors had been using Endicott's phone to negotiate her release and were in contact with authorities nearly everyday, officials said.

The Uganda Police Force said the pair were rescued during a joint operation and are in "good health." A spokesman for the Ugandan government said Ugandan security forces were involved in the operation. The two were brought back to the lodge where she had been staying, while the kidnappers managed to escape.

Kimberly Endicott with a Ugandan commando shortly after she and her driver were rescued April 7, 2019. Obtained by CBS News

Wild Frontiers Uganda, which operates the lodge in the park where Endicott was staying, released photos of Endicott and Remezo meeting with Paul Goldring, the company's managing director.

Kimberly Endicott shakes hands with Paul Goldring of Wild Frontiers Uganda on April 7, 2019. Wild Frontiers

Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo shakes hands with Paul Goldring of Wild Frontiers Uganda on April 7, 2019. Wild Frontiers

The kidnapping spurred a massive search effort along the edge of the park, which borders the DRC. The park is one of 10 national parks in Uganda, where tourism remains a major driver of the economy. Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel to the parks each year.

Endicott, an esthetician, runs a skin care clinic in Costa Mesa, California.

Sarah Carter contributed reporting from Uganda.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kidnapping-uganda-american-kimberly-endicott-held-hostage-released-unharmed-2019-04-07/

2019-04-07 21:50:00Z
52780262469321

Suspected Rhino Poacher Killed By Elephant, Eaten By Pride Of Lions In South Africa - NPR

Enlarge this image

Officials at Kruger National Park in South Africa said a suspected rhino poacher was killed by an elephant and his remains eaten by lions. Pictured here, an elephant in the park in 2016. Kevin Anderson/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Kevin Anderson/AP

A suspected rhino poacher was killed by an elephant and his remains likely eaten by a pride of lions, park officials in South Africa said.

Kruger National Park rangers received a call last week from the family of the suspected poacher, the park said in a statement issued Friday. According to the family, accomplices of their relative said he was killed by an elephant on Tuesday, while they were in the park to poach rhino.

The elephant attacked "suddenly," Police Brig. Leonard Hlathi told South African newspaper Times Live. Hlathi said the man's accomplices claimed to have carried his body to a road before leaving the park.

Rangers began search efforts to find the man's remains and bring the family closure but could not locate a body.

"Indications found at the scene suggested that a pride of lions had devoured the remains leaving only a human skull and a pair of pants," the statement reads. The remains were found in the Crocodile Bridge section of the park.

Observers were quick to point out the apparent irony. "It's the Circle of life," one commentator quipped on Twitter.

Glenn Phillips, managing executive of the park, issued his condolences to the deceased's family. "Entering Kruger National Park illegally and on foot is not wise, it holds many dangers and this incident is evidence of that," Phillips said in the statement.

Police are investigating the incident, and the other four suspected poachers have been arrested and will appear in court, according to the statement.

It's not the first time animals have killed a suspected poacher in South Africa. Last year, one was attacked and eaten by a pride of lions in the Limpopo province, police said.

The number of rhinos poached in South Africa has trended down since 2014, but demand for the animal's horn, nonetheless, remains strong, Reuters reports. More than 500 rhinos were poached for their horns in the first eight months of last year.

Kruger National Park, South Africa's largest game reserve, covers thousands of square miles along the country's northeastern border. As of late last year, the park had some 5,000 rhinos, down from around 9,000 in 2014, according to government estimates cited by Reuters. Poaching and drought have both contributed to the decrease.

Last year, South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa called rhino poaching "a national priority crime." In a statement, she said that more than 500 alleged poachers and traffickers were arrested in 2017, with the majority of arrests taking place inside or around Kruger National Park.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/07/710840965/suspected-rhino-poacher-killed-by-elephant-eaten-by-pride-of-lions-in-south-afri

2019-04-07 20:06:00Z
52780262121924

An American tourist and her tour guide who were abducted in Uganda have been rescued, officials say - CNN

"Both were rescued from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are safely back in Kanungu district in Uganda," said Ofwono Opondo. "They are back at the lodge and she is expected to be in Kampala tomorrow."

Opondo said the kidnappers fled the scene of the rescue when law enforcement officers and soldiers moved in.

Ugandan police had said Thursday that an armed gang kidnapped Endicott and her driver at gunpoint from the national park and had made frequent demands for a $500,000 ransom. Police had said they would not offer the money.

A ransom was paid by touring company Wild Frontiers to free Endicott and her tour guide, a source with knowledge of the exchange told CNN on Sunday. The handover was "quiet and peaceful," the source said.

A spokesperson with Wild Frontiers Uganda, the company Endicott toured with, said neither Endicott nor her tour guide were harmed. The spokesperson said the identities of the alleged kidnappers have not been revealed.

The two were abducted at gunpoint while on a game drive on Tuesday evening, the Ugandan Tourism Board and Ugandan police said in a statement.

Four other people were taken at the same time, but they were freed while Endicott and her driver were taken from the park, officials said.

President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday evening saying he was "pleased to report" the two have been released.

"God bless them and their families," Trump said on Twitter.

CNN's Hilary McGann, Samson Ntale and Bukola Adebayo, Robyn Kriel and Anna Cardovilis contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/07/africa/uganda-american-tourist-found/index.html

2019-04-07 20:01:00Z
52780262469321