Cincunri Sakia

Rabu, 09 Juni 2021

Halo Trust: Afghanistan mine clearance workers shot dead 'in cold blood' - BBC News

At least 10 mine clearers working for Halo Trust in Afghanistan's northern province of Baghlan have been shot dead, and more than a dozen wounded.

Afghan officials blamed the Taliban, saying militants "started shooting everyone" in the compound.

But Halo Trust CEO James Cowan told the BBC that "the local Taliban... came to our aid and scared the assailants off". The Taliban also denied the attack.

Violence has surged since the US began to withdraw its last troops on 1 May.

The departure of international troops comes amid a deadlock in peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Several districts in Baghlan province have seen fierce fighting between the Taliban and government forces.

The workers were killed when masked gunmen burst into their compound at 21:50 (17:20 GMT) on Tuesday, after they had spent a day removing mines from a nearby field.

Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told reporters that "the Taliban entered a compound of a mine-clearing agency... and started shooting everyone".

But the Taliban issued a swift denial.

"We condemn attacks on the defenceless and view it as brutality," the militant group's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, tweeted. "We have normal relations with NGOs [non-governmental organisations]. Our Mujahideen will never carry out such brutal attacks."

Mr Cowan of the Halo Trust told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the attackers went "bed to bed" shooting the workers "in cold blood" - but that the local Taliban helped the deminers.

"I think it's important to know that the Taliban have denied responsibility for this, and indeed the local Taliban group came to our aid and scared the assailants off," he said.

"We don't know who the assailants were - we could speculate about that but I won't - but I think we have the capacity as the Halo Trust to operate on both sides of the line in this awful conflict," he added.

Mr Cowan later told the BBC Afghan service that the attackers specifically targeted members of the Hazara ethnic minority group.

Hazaras, Afghanistan's third-largest ethnic group, have faced long-term discrimination and persecution, primarily because of their Shia Muslim faith. In recent years, they have faced abductions and killings at the hands of both the Islamic State group and the Taliban, which are both Sunni Muslim.

"A group of armed men came to our camp and sought out members of the Hazara community, and then murdered them," Mr Cowan said. "This was not expected. The broader security situation [in Afghanistan] is understood, but this kind of cold-blooded killing was not expected."

Attackers unknown but motive clear

Analysis by Inayatulhaq Yasini, BBC Kabul Bureau Editor

Halo Trust and other demining organisations have been working in Afghanistan for more than three decades, freely moving even near frontlines. A fact I have seen for myself.

Halo Trust has 3,000 staff in Afghanistan. Warring factions have been helpful to deminers in the past - however it has been rare for the Taliban or other groups to come forward to help victims of an attack. Halo Trust mostly hires local people, which also creates jobs for local communities.

The organisation's CEO, James Cowan, told the BBC the attackers had "fled to an area which is not controlled by the Taliban". The province of Baghlan where the attack happened has been the scene of fighting between the government and the Taliban for weeks. Anyone can exploit a situation where different local militias and warlords are also active in the province.

It is difficult to know who carried out the attack, but the aim is clear: to incite ethnic tension among Afghans, where 40 years of war has already widely affected unity in the country.

In a clip police in Baghlan shared with reporters, a survivor of the attack also said the gunmen had asked if any of them were from the Hazara minority community before opening fire.

"Five to six armed men came, they took us to a room," he said. "First they took all our money and mobile phones, and then they asked who our leader was. They asked, 'Is any Hazara here among you?' We told them, 'We don't have any Hazara here.'"

He added that he had been shot in the head, but managed to escape through a window.

The UK-based Halo Trust was founded in 1988 to remove ordnance left behind from the almost decade-long Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

It was supported by Princess Diana, as well as by her son Prince Harry.

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2021-06-09 13:14:08Z
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Biden jets off for the G7 and Putin summit for his first foreign trip - Daily Mail

Bugging out! Biden swats HUGE cicada from his neck as he and Jill jet off from Andrews on their first foreign trip: President heads to G7 in the UK where he'll also meet the Queen

President Biden left the White House Wednesday on the way to Europe for an eight-day trip
He said his mission was to show Russia and China that Europe and the United States were 'tight'
Before leaving Joint Base Andrews, he also said he would be announcing a vaccine plan for the world
The president left just hours after his infrastructure talks collapsed with Republicans
The administration is also facing criticism over Kamala's Northern Triangle trip
Biden and wife Jill are set to land on Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk
He will then meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday
On Sunday, the first couple will head to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen
Biden will then come face-to-face with Putin on June 16 in Geneva

By Rob Crilly For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:22 BST, 9 June 2021 | Updated: 15:14 BST, 9 June 2021

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill left the White House on Wednesday on the way to Europe for the G7, a meeting with the Queen and his summit with Vladimir Putin.

Officials have billed the trip as a coming out party for a new administration intent on rebuilding alliances after the Trump years but it will come as a welcome relief to a president a day after the collapse of infrastructure talks with Republicans and amid intense criticism of Kamala Harris' trip to Guatemala and Mexico.

As he left Joint Base Andrews he swatted away a cicada that landed on his neck.

'Watch out for cicadas,' he told journalists traveling with him on Air Force One. 'I just got one... it got me.'

His brief brush proved a lucky escape. Journalists traveling separately to cover Biden's visit were delayed by seven hours on Tuesday night as the flying insects overran their charter plane.

Biden also told reporters that his G7 mission was part of a mission to demonstrate unity among western democracies.

'Making clear to Putin and and to China that Europe and the United States are tight,' he said, adding that he would also be unveiling a COVID-19 vaccine plan for the world.

President Biden brushes a cicada from his neck as he and first lady Jill Biden leave for the United Kingdom from Joint Base Andrews. The eight-day swing to Britain and Europe is the president's first foreign trip as he tries to reassert the United States on the world stage, but it will come as welcome relief a day after his key infrastructure package suffered a setback when negotiations with Republicans collapsed

Cicadas delayed the departure of a press plane carrying journalists by seven hours. Biden swatted away one of the flying insects before warning his traveling pool of journalists, 'Watch out for cicadas' before leaving for the United Kingdom

Biden told reporters that part of the aim of the trip is demonstrate unity between Europe and the United States to Russia and China. 'Making clear to Putin and and to China that Europe and the United States are tight,' he said, adding that he would also be unveiling a COVID-19 vaccine plan for the world

Schedule for President Biden's Europe Trip

President Joe Biden makes a eight-day trip to Europe. Here is the itinerary so far:

June 9: Visit US Air Force personnel and their families stationed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall

June 10: Meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

June 11-13: Attending G7 Summit in Cornwall

June 13: He and Dr. Jill Biden meet with The Queen at Windsor Castle

June 14: NATO Summit in Brussels

June 15: U.S.–EU Summit in Brussels

June 16: Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva

Biden and Jill are expected to land at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk to meet US troops on Wednesday night as they kick off an eight-day trip to Europe.

He will then meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, where the pair will affirm their special relationship, discuss global vaccine strategies and discuss reopening travel corridors.

The president will then prepare to meet with the rest of the G7 leaders on Saturday in St.Ives in the first major face-to-face summit between world leaders in two years.

He will then head to Brussels to meet with NATO leaders and the European Union before his highly-anticipated summit with Vladimir Putin on June 16.

Biden is kicking off his first foreign trip after White House insiders said they were 'perplexed' by Vice President Harris' pointed answers to questions on whether she will visit the border.

He also heads to the UK amid outrage over American PhD student at Oxford University who removed a portrait of the Queen from a student's room at Magdalen College.

As president of Magdalen's Middle Common Room, an organization of 200 graduate students, Matthew Katzman of Maryland said the portrait was 'unwelcoming' and represents 'recent colonial history'. They're going to replace it with 'art by or of other influential and inspirational people'.

British Education Secretary Gavin Williamson tweeted: 'Oxford University students removing a picture of the Queen is simply absurd. She is the Head of State and a symbol of what is best about the UK. During her long reign she has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity & respect around the world.'

Biden's hopes of passing his much-touted infrastructure bill now rest on a bipartisan group of senators after direct talks with Republicans collapsed.

Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican representing West Virginia, had been liaising with the White House over the bill.

But their talks collapsed on Tuesday after they'd tentatively bargained $928 billion worth of infrastructure improvements.

Ahead of his trip, Biden is facing increasing criticism for not nominating ambassadors to more than 90 ambassadors, including a representative to the UK.

Many in the diplomatic world expected Biden to name his British ambassador - one of the poshest postings in the diplomatic world - by Thursday's G7 meeting.

The president has named a series of career diplomats to lower level ambassadorial postings, including Bahrain, Somalia, and Algeria. But no one has been nominated for the London position nor any other top destination, such as France, Israel, Russia, China or the European Union.

'It is embarrassing that six months into office we still have over ninety embassies without ambassadors,' Brett Bruen, former US Diplomat and Director of Global Engagement at the Obama White House, told DailyMail.com.

Biden held off on foreign travel due to the coronavirus pandemic but is making up for it with this trip that includes meetings with foreign leaders, Queen Elizabeth II, the king of Belgium, and his Russian counterpart.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden flew by Marine One to Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday morning. From there they travel on Air Force One to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom

Biden shouted at the press and told them to watch out for the bugs before he spoke to a huddle of reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

Biden salutes on the top of the steps of Air Force One ahead of his flight to the UK for the G7 summit

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill left the White House on Wednesday on the way to Europe for the G7, a meeting with the Queen and his summit with Vladimir Putin

Coronavirus restrictions have limited the president's travel since taking power in January. But the G7 and NATO summits will allow him to pack multiple meetings with world leaders into one trip, before he sits down with President Putin in Geneva. He and his officials have made clear that the trip offers a chance to highlight the importance of alliances in standing up to rival powers such as China and Russia

They jetted off for the president's first foreign trip with his administration facing the fallout of the collapse of his infrastructure talks with Republicans and amid intense criticism over Kamala Harris' trip to Guatemala and Mexico

Biden and Jill are expected to land on Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall to meet US troops in Suffolk on Wednesday night as they kick off an eight-day trip to Europe

First lady Jill Biden will join him for the British portion of the trip but will return to the United States after the first couple meets with the Queen at Windsor Castle next Sunday.

Biden will be the 13th American president the Queen has met since ascending to the throne in 1953.

There is speculation that the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will also meet the American couple at some point during their visit to the UK.

At his sit down with Johnson, Biden will 'affirm the enduring strength of the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement last week.

Biden and Johnson have spoken on the phone multiple times since Biden was elected president.

'There's a range of issues of mutual interest,' Psaki said Thursday at her White House press briefing when asked about the sit down. 'From the future of economic growth in the world to addressing the COVID pandemic to security issues around the world so they have a range of topics they can clearly discuss.'

Johnson will also ask the American president to exempt vaccinated British and American travellers from quarantine restrictions to facilitate travel between the two nations.

The pair board Marine One on the way to Joint Base Andrews where they will catch the flight to the UK for the first leg of their trip

A Royal Navy ship is pictured near St Ives, as security preparations are underway for the G7 leaders summit, in Cornwall, Britain. Biden left on Wednesday morning for an eight-day trip leaving behind a series of headaches for his administration

Snipers take up position ahead of the G7 summit in Corbis bay, Cornwall. Security is tight, with warships stationed off the coastline, as the area prepares for the arrival of world leaders

Demonstrators have begun assembling in Cornwall ahead of the G7 summit. Pictured here, an activist from climate action group Ocean Rebellion wearing a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and another representing the fossil fuel industry, known as 'Oil head' demonstrate in St Ives Harbour

The PM wants to create a 'green channel' for those fully vaccinated, The Times reported, as the summer holiday season approaches.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday declined to say when travel restrictions might be eased.

'This is a process being driven by science and public health guidance and so it is ultimately up to the public health professionals in the US government to make that determination,' he said.

'We have heard very clearly, the desire of our friends in Europe and in the UK, to be able to reopen travel across the Atlantic. And we want to see that happen. But we have to follow the science and we have to follow the guidance of our public health professionals so we're actively engaging with them to determine the timeframe, and I can't give him a date today but I will tell you that we recognize the concern and we are fundamentally being guided by objective analysis,' he added.

Afterward the meeting with Johnson, Biden will attend the G7 summit, where he will hold bilateral meetings with fellow G7 leaders. The G7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.

After his meeting with The Queen, Biden will travel to Brussels, Belgium, to participate in in a NATO meeting and an EU Summit.

Security fences have also been set up around the Villa La Grane in Geneva, Switzerland, which is slated to be the destination of Biden's summit with Putin

The American Oxford student, 25, who attended elite Sidwell school with Malia Obama, who removed 'unwelcoming' portrait of the Queen from common room because she represents 'recent colonial history'

A 25-year-old Stanford graduate who attended the prestigious DC school Sidwell Friends and is the son of a top commercial lawyer has enraged British politicians and sparked a free speech row in the UK by removing a portrait of the Queen from the students' room at the Oxford college where he is now getting his PhD.

Matthew Katzman grew up in privilege in Bethesda, Maryland, a rich suburb of DC where he attended Sidwell Friends, a $48,000-a-year school where the Obama daughters, the Biden grandchildren and countless other politicians' kids have studied. After graduating from Sidwell in 2014, he studied math and theoretical computer science at Stanford, where a four-year undergraduate degree costs $295,000. He graduated in 2018.

Now, he is getting a PhD in computer science at Oxford, the historic university attended by British Prime Ministers. The four-year DPhil course he is enrolled in is $38,800-a-year. In total, his education costs $640,000.

This week, he sparked fury by removing a portrait of the Queen from the common room at Magdalen College, in his role as president of Magdalen's Middle Common Room, an organization of around 200 graduate students.

They decided between them that the portrait was 'unwelcoming' and represents 'recent colonial history'. They're going to replace it with 'art by or of other influential and inspirational people'.

The decision has been blasted as 'absurd' by British politicians who say the young students ought to 'show some respect' for the 95-year-old Monarch.

Katzman is the son of Scott and Sandy Katzman, both 65. His father is a partner at the commercial law firm Steptoe & Johnson. The family lives in a sprawling, $4million home in Bethesda. They have not yet commented on the row their son has unapologetically caused.

Matthew Katzman, 25, in a photo from his social media page

Katzman with his parents Sandy and Scott, both 65, at his Stanford graduation in 2018

Matthew Katzman, 25, has sparked fury in the UK by removing a portrait of the Queen from the students' room at his Oxford college because he and other students think it's 'unwelcoming'. The PhD student is the son of Sandy and Scott Katzman (shown with him right, on his graduation day at Stanford in 2018). They haven't commented on the row their son has caused

Katzman has defended his position, telling DailyMail.com on Wednesday the removal of the portrait 'did not equate to a statement on the Queen'. He said instead it was being taken down to create 'a welcoming, neutral place for all members regardless of background, demographic, or views'.

Members of the Middle Common Room at Magdalen College - which is made up of graduates - overwhelmingly backed the removal of a portrait of the Queen (pictured is a likeness of the photographic print)

'The Magdalen College MCR yesterday [Monday] voted to remove an inexpensive print of the queen that was hung in the common room a few years ago (a motion I brought forward in my role as MCR President as I do all motions raised in a sub-committee).

'It is being stored securely and will remain in the MCR's art collection.

'The action was taken after a discussion of the purpose of such a space, and it was decided that the room should be a welcoming, neutral place for all members regardless of background, demographic, or views.

'The Royal Family is on display in many areas of the college, and it was ultimately agreed that it was an unnecessary addition to the common room.

'The views of the MCR do not reflect the views of Magdalen College, and the aesthetic decisions made by the voting members of its committee do not equate to a statement on the Queen.

'Indeed, no stance was taken on the Queen or the Royal Family – the conclusion was simply that there were better places for this print to be hung.'

Magdalen has indicated it will not attempt to reverse the decision, despite its long association with royalty. This includes visits from the Queen in 1948 to receive an Honorary Degree and again in 2008 to mark the college's 550th anniversary.

The print was bought and put up by a previous group of students in 2008, and shows the monarch in a white gown and blue sash. It is based on a 1952 photograph taken by Dorothy Wilding to mark her accession and coronation.

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2021-06-09 12:22:14Z
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Man, 28, who slapped Macron is 'medieval role-player', lives with mum - Daily Mail

Man who slapped Emmanuel Macron is a 28-year-old 'medieval role-playing' fan who dresses as a knight, owns a copy of Mein Kampf, lives with his mother and whose politics are an 'ideological mush', police reveal

Long-haired, bespectacled assailant named by French media as Damien Tarel
He was tackled to the ground on Tuesday after hitting Macron during walkabout
House Tarel shares with mum was searched by cops, revealing stash of comic books, combat games, Hitler's autobiographical manifesto and a Soviet flag
On Instagram, he is seen parading in armour or donning robes at re-enactments

By Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline

Published: 11:24 BST, 9 June 2021 | Updated: 13:05 BST, 9 June 2021

The man who slapped Emmanuel Macron across the face yesterday is a 28-year-old medieval role-playing fan who owns a copy of Mein Kampf and lives with his mother, police have revealed.

Long-haired and bespectacled Damien Tarel was bundled to the ground by bodyguards after striking the president and crying out: 'Montjoie Saint Denis,' an old royalist war cry, 'A Bas La Macronie' ('Down with Macronia').

The grievous security breach has overshadowed the start of a Macron's 'Tour de France,' intended to gauge public opinion after a year of lockdowns, and drew condemnation from across the political spectrum.

Police searched Tarel's home where they uncovered weapons, a Soviet flag, a copy of Adolf Hitler's autobiographical manifesto, fantasy novels, Japanese comics and military simulation games.

In the immediate aftermath, a police source had claimed Tarel was an 'anarchist,' but detectives are now working on the basis he subscribes to a sort of 'ideological mush,' Le Parisien newspaper reported.

A source close to the investigation described him as someone who was 'a bit lost, a bit geeky, a bit of a gamer'.

Scroll down for video.

Named only as Damien T., the assailant is a medieval enthusiast whose social media reveals him wearing clothing of the era and participating in re-enactments

Damien T., wearing a green t-shirt and white mask, is seen slapping Macron across the face as bodyguards leap in to intervene

French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped across the face by a man during a trip to southeast France on Tuesday, an aide said.

The president is hauled away to safety after being struck as his guards bundle the attacker to the ground

Macron looks at his attacker as bodyguards move in to tackle the assailant

His Instagram account shows him donning armour and wielding swords, posing on hay bales in robes and a velvet beret, and wearing a helmet used in the Japanese martial art of Kendo.

Tarel managed a local club of martial arts enthusiasts focused on the practice of historical European martial arts, including traditional swordsmanship.

A source told Le Parisien he lives 'in a kind of parallel world made of role-playing games, simulations of medieval fights.'

He was detained with his friend, Arthur C. who is the same age, and who is accused of shouting abuse at Macron.

The pair travelled from their home town Saint-Vallier to the village of Tain-l'Hermitage, about 10 miles south along the Rhone, where Macron was greeting voters.

They had been attending a Yellow Vest protest which took place in the nearby town of Valence at around midday, according to L'Obs magazine.

At some point in the day the pair, along with another friend who has not been arrested, were chatted to by a journalist who asked them what they thought of the president being in town.

Tarel is seen standing next to the man in the video who tells the reporter he is an 'anarchist' and references the 'decline of France.'

He adds that he cannot say anything more, claiming that the media often misconstrues such views.

At around 1.15pm on Tuesday, Tarel was seen standing at barriers outside the Tain-l'Hermitage culinary school which Macron had been visiting.

Macron came over to greet him and he appeared to be stopping the president for a chat, taking hold of his arm before lashing out with a slap, shouting: 'Down with Macronia' ('A Bas La Macronie').

Damien T in a suit of plate armour carries a shield at a re-enactment

Damien T. hugging a tree in a post from Instagram. A source told Le Parisien he lives 'in a kind of parallel world made of role-playing games, simulations of medieval fights.'

Detectives are now working on the basis he subscribes to a sort of 'ideological mush,' Le Parisien newspaper reported

Bodyguards quickly seized upon the assailant and bundled him to the ground before dragging him away, as Macron was pulled to safety by a member of the security detail.

A few seconds later, Macron returned to the barriers to get a word in, although it was unclear what he was saying.

Macron said he had not feared for his safety, and continued shaking hands with members of the public after he was struck.

In an interview with the Dauphine Libere newspaper afterwards, Macron said: 'You cannot have violence, or hate, either in speech or actions. Otherwise, it's democracy itself that is threatened.'

Sources claim Tarel and Arthur C. are 'marginal' members of their local community, 'without jobs.'

Tarel follows both right-wing and and left-wing YouTube channels, among others which are focused on Japanese Manga comic books and historical combat.

One of the channels he follows is called Media for All and is hosted by Vincent Lapierre, who rose to prominence with his coverage of the Yellow Vest protests in 2018 - which he openly supported.

Two people were arrested following the incident in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region where Macron had been meeting restaurateurs and students to talk about how life is returning to normal after the Covid restrictions were eased

Another YouTuber followed by Tarel is Papicito, a 35-year-old fan of comics who has trenchant positions against immigration and released a controversial video earlier this year of him shooting a 'liberal' before repeatedly stabbing him. It has since been removed by YouTube.

Tarel and Arthur C. may be detained for up to 48 hours before an appearance at the court in Valence.

They have been charged with 'wilful violence against a person holding public authority.'

If convicted, the attacker faces up to three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros (£38,000).

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Man who slapped Macron is a 28-year-old 'medieval role-playing' fan who lives with mother, cops say - Daily Mail

Man who slapped Emanuel Macron is a 28-year-old 'medieval role-playing' fan who dresses as a knight, owns a copy of Mein Kampf, lives with his mother and whose politics are an 'ideological mush', police reveal

Long-haired, bespectacled assailant named by French media as Damien T.
He was tackled to the ground on Tuesday after hitting Macron during walkabout
House Damien shares with mum was searched by cops, revealing stash of comic books, combat games, Hitler's autobiographical manifesto and a Soviet flag
On Instagram, he is seen parading in armour or donning robes at re-enactments

By Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline

Published: 11:24 BST, 9 June 2021 | Updated: 12:08 BST, 9 June 2021

The man who slapped Emmanuel Macron across the face yesterday is a 28-year-old medieval role-playing fan who owns a copy of Mein Kampf and lives with his mother, police have revealed.

Named only as Damien T., the long-haired bespectacled man was bundled to the ground by bodyguards after striking the president and crying out: 'Montjoie Saint Denis,' an old royalist war cry, 'A Bas La Macronie' ('Down with Macronia').

Police searched Damien's home where they uncovered weapons, a Soviet flag, a copy of Adolf Hitler's autobiographical manifesto, fantasy novels, Japanese comics and military simulation games.

In the immediate aftermath, a police source had claimed Damien was 'anarchist,' but detectives are now working on the basis he subscribes to a sort of 'ideological mush,' Le Parisien newspaper reported.

Scroll down for video.

Named only as Damien T., the assailant is a medieval enthusiast whose social media reveals him wearing clothing of the era and participating in re-enactments