The Daily Upvote - 2016-10-27

India, Pakistan to expel diplomats amid Kashmir tension

(Reuters) India and Pakistan on Thursday announced they would each expel one of the other's diplomats amid growing tension between the nuclear-armed arch-foes over the disputed region of Kashmir.

India said it would expel a Pakistani diplomat based in New Delhi who allegedly ran a spy ring that collected sensitive information about Indian security operations along its border.

Late on Thursday night, Pakistan's foreign ministry said it had declared an Indian diplomat, Surjeet Singh, persona non grata and given him 48 hours to leave the country.

Police in the Indian capital said the Pakistani diplomat was detained on Wednesday outside the gates to Delhi Zoo, where he had met two Indian associates whom police believe he had recruited to spy for him.

The Pakistani diplomat, who reportedly worked in Pakistan High Commission's visa section, and his alleged Indian accomplices were found with forged documents, defense-related maps, deployment charts and lists of officers working along India's border with Pakistan, Indian police said in a statement.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-india-idUSKCN12R2DU

Minors left stranded at Calais camp as demolition moves forward

(DW) Children and adult migrants slept in the cold and wandered around what remained of the "Jungle" camp near Calais, France, on Thursday as demolition crews continued to tear down shelters.

An unknown number of migrants were left behind or returned to the camp after authorities declared a three-day evacuation of the camp was over. Some still held onto their dream of reaching Great Britain, while others missed the Wednesday cutoff for registration and relocation at refugee centers in France.

"I want to go to England. It is better there. They appreciate the humanity of the people," Rifat Abdelatif, a 29-year-old from Sudan told German news agency dpa.

"The police are not the enemy," he added. "But they want to stop our dream."

Calais Regional Prefect Fabienne Buccio said those left in the camp had come from "Germany, Paris and elsewhere" and repeated that registrations for relocation in France had closed.

Criticizing the situation, the Save the Children charity said "the situation for children in Calais after the demolition is the worst it's ever been" and that some children "had nowhere to go."

"Lots of children are sleeping outside. We had a group of Eritrean boys, 13 and 14 years old, last night, who slept outside," said Dorothy Sang, a worker with the Save the Children. "Other children fled. They lost faith in the system."

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/minors-left-stranded-at-calais-camp-as-demolition-moves-forward/a-36175643

Spain's Rajoy loses first vote for second term, decisive vote on Saturday

(Reuters) Spain's opposition parties warned acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy he will face a challenging second term if, as expected, he wins a parliamentary confidence vote on Saturday after losing a first ballot on Thursday.

The Socialist party has agreed to abstain in the second vote, which was called automatically after Rajoy fell six votes short of the majority he needed in Thursday's first parliamentary vote.

The Socialists' planned abstention on Saturday evening, when Rajoy only needs more votes in favor than against, should allow him to form a minority conservative government and end more than 300 days of political paralysis.

Socialist leaders made clear during a heated debate on Thursday, in which fellow opposition party Podemos at one point stormed out of the chamber, that they would not give Rajoy a free hand to govern and would fight his austerity policies.

Rajoy's People's Party (PP) won two national elections in December and June but without a majority, and efforts to form a coalition in a fragmented parliament failed. On Wednesday, he urged opponents to work with him to avoid yet another election in the near future.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-politics-idUSKCN12R1XN

Colombia in suspense over peace talks with ELN rebels

(AFP) Peace talks between Colombia's government and leftist ELN rebels hung in suspense Thursday, hours before their scheduled launch, as leaders complained the insurgents had not released a key hostage.

The talks are meant to open a new, decisive front in President Juan Manuel Santos's efforts to end an armed conflict of half a century that has killed more than 260,000 people.

Santos, the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, has already signed a peace deal with the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

But voters rejected it in a referendum on October 2, sending the two sides back to the drawing board.

That has complicated the peace process with the country's second-biggest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN) -- a more intransigent negotiating partner.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/colombia-suspense-over-peace-talks-eln-rebels-173326058.html

Venezuela crisis enters dangerous phase as Maduro foes go militant

(Reuters) In a curious convergence of events on the same day last week, four Venezuelan provincial courts issued identical rulings, state governors quickly hit Twitter to celebrate, then the election board emailed a short but bombshell statement.

Opposition hopes for a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro were dashed, on grounds of fraud in an initial signature drive. The vote was off.

For many in the opposition, that settled a years-old debate about the nature of Venezuela's socialist government, uniting them in conviction they are now fighting a dictatorship.

Their new militancy heightens the risk of unrest as the South American OPEC member of 30 million people grapples with a dangerous economic and political crisis.

Long proud of its democratic credentials after winning numerous elections under Chavez, the ruling Socialist Party says it is the opposition flouting Venezuela's democracy given that independent institutions shot down the referendum.

Officials also argue that the very existence of protests and virulent public criticism of Maduro prove democracy is alive and well in Venezuela.

Scores of people on both sides were killed during anti-Maduro protests in 2014 and there was new violence on Wednesday, with dozens of injuries and arrests. A policemen was shot dead in an incident the government blamed on demonstrators.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-maduro-protests-idUSKCN12R2J8

Venezuela's Maduro raise minimum wage by 40% a day before national strike

(WSJ) President Nicolás Maduro raised the minimum wage 40% on Thursday, a day before a national strike called by the opposition to force the president to allow a referendum on his rule.

It was the fourth time this year the leader of the oil-rich nation has raised salaries and pensions as he battles the collapse of the local currency, near-record low approval ratings and a resurgent opposition. According to Mr. Maduro, nearly two-thirds of Venezuela’s labor force will benefit from the raise.

Economists say the action aims to defuse a wave of planned antigovernment protests, most importantly the national strike and the opposition’s march on the presidential palace next Thursday.

“In what other part of the world do workers enjoy so many raises?,” Mr. Maduro said on state television. “Nowhere else.”

The new wage still fetches just $70 on the black market and covers only a quarter of the monthly cost of basic foods and household products required by an average family, according to labor-research institute Cendas.

Mr. Maduro said his government has raised the minimum wage 454% this year, which he said is “much, much, much, really much more than inflation.”

Although the government stopped publishing inflation figures almost two years ago, Mr. Maduro’s own 2017 budget implies a 477% annual rise in prices. The International Monetary Fund forecasts Venezuelan inflation to accelerate to 1,600% next year.

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuelan-leader-nicolas-maduro-orders-big-boost-to-minimum-wage-1477596259

Oregon militants acquitted of conspiracy in wildlife refuge seizure

(Reuters) A federal court jury on Thursday acquitted anti-government militant leader Ammon Bundy and six followers of conspiracy charges stemming from their role in the armed takeover of a U.S. wildlife center in Oregon earlier this year.

Bundy and others, including his brother and co-defendant Ryan Bundy, cast the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as a legitimate and patriotic act of civil disobedience. Prosecutors called it a lawless scheme to seize federal property by force.

In an emotional climax to the trial in U.S. District Court in Portland, Ammon Bundy's lawyer, Marcus Mumford, was tackled to the floor by U.S. marshals as he became involved in a heated verbal exchange with the judge over the terms of his client's release.

Moments earlier, gasps of astonishment rose from the packed courtroom. Attorneys exchanged looks of excitement with the defendants, then hugged their clients as the not-guilty verdicts were read. Family members and supporters of the accused erupted in jubilation.

Outside the courthouse, supporters celebrated by shouting "Hallelujah" and reading passes from the U.S. Constitution. One man road his horse, named Lady Liberty, in front of the courthouse carrying an American flag.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oregon-militia-idUSKCN12R2Z4

Putin rejects claims of Russian interference in US election

(AP) President Vladimir Putin on Thursday dismissed claims that Russia is interfering in the U.S. presidential election, saying the allegations are designed to distract the public from real issues.

The United States has accused Russia of coordinating the hacks of Hillary Clinton's campaign emails to influence the outcome of the election.

Speaking to international foreign policy experts in Sochi, Putin dismissed "the hysteria about Russia's influence on the U.S. presidential election."

He argued that U.S. elites have used the "mythical and fictitious" issue to distract attention from real problems such as government debt and police violence.

"Does anyone seriously think Russia can somehow influence the American people's choice?" Putin said. "Is America some kind of banana republic? America is a great power!"

Putin called the claim that Russia favors Republican contender Donald Trump in the race as "sheer nonsense" that has served as a campaign tool. "It's just an instrument of political struggle, a way of manipulating public opinion," he said.

The Russian leader added that while Trump may sound "extravagant," he was trying to reach out to people who are tired of elites, and "time will tell how efficient it is for him."

"We don't know how Trump or Clinton will behave, what they will or will not deliver," he said. "We feel more or less indifferent about it."

Source: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2d057cb196444530bd83578d0f0cfaa0/putin-rejects-claims-russian-interference-us-election

Police arrest 16 in crackdown on North Dakota pipeline protesters

(Reuters) Sixteen Native Americans and other protesters were arrested in North Dakota on Thursday in the latest clash between police and demonstrators seeking to halt construction of a disputed oil pipeline.

The arrests came as police moved to clear a camp on private property in the path of the proposed $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline, according to the Morton County Sheriff's Department.

Native American protesters had occupied the site since Monday, saying they were the land's rightful owners under an 1851 treaty with the U.S. government.

Video posted on social media showed dozens of armed police and two armored vehicles slowly approaching one group of protesters during the confrontation.

Reuters was unable to confirm the authenticity of the video, which showed a helicopter clattering overhead as some protesters said police had used bean bag guns in an effort to chase them out of the camp.

The sheriff's department said in a statement that pepper spray was used on some of the estimated 330 protesters.

"This is not about the pipeline. This is not about those who wish to legally protest. This is about the rule of law,” Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said in a statement.

North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple said police were successful in clearing the camp.

"Private property is not the place to carry out a peaceful protest," he said.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipeline-regulations-idUSKCN12R2GI

Al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan killed, spy agency confirms

(AFP) Two top Al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan were killed in a US drone attack, the nation's spy agency confirmed Thursday, in a major blow to the group as it seeks to re-establish safe havens in the country.

Washington said the strikes on Sunday targeted Farouq al-Qahtani, Al-Qaeda's emir for northeastern Afghanistan, and his deputy Bilal al-Utabi, calling it the most significant attack against the group's leadership in several years.

Multiple Hellfire missiles "levelled" two different compounds in Kunar province where the men were believed to be hiding, US officials said Wednesday, without confirming if the strikes were successful.

Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security offered confirmation of their death on Thursday, adding that a third senior member of the group had also been killed.

"The attack was carried out in coordination with NDS," the spy agency said in a statement, without naming the third leader.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/afghan-spy-agency-confirms-al-qaeda-leaders-killed-003019492.html

Yemen's Houthis launch missile toward Mecca

(Reuters) Yemen's Houthi militia launched a ballistic missile toward Mecca on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition intervening in Yemen's civil war said on Saudi state news agency SPA.

Coalition forces destroyed the missile 65 km (40 miles) from the holy city without damage and retaliated against the launch site inside Yemen, the statement said. Mecca is home to the most sacred sites in Islam, including the Grand Mosque.

The Houthis confirmed the launch of a Burkan-1 ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia in a statement to their official news agency on Friday but said it targeted King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, the kingdom's busiest airport.

The group controls much of the North of Yemen including the capital Sanaa along with its allies, forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-missiles-idUSKCN12S016

2 yazidi women who fled ISIS slavery receive E.U.’s Sakharov prize

(NYT) Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar, two young Iraqis who escaped sexual slavery by the Islamic State and became advocates for women’s rights, were honored on Thursday with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union’s top human rights award.

Ms. Murad and Ms. Aji Bashar are among thousands of women and girls from the Yazidi community whom the terrorist group kidnapped, sexually assaulted, enslaved and in many cases killed.

In the summer of 2014, they were enslaved when the Islamic State overran their home village, Kocho, near the northern Iraqi city of Sinjar, a longtime hub of Yazidi life.

Separated from her mother and siblings, who were also captured, Ms. Murad, now 23, fled in November 2014 and made her way to a refugee camp in northern Iraq and then to Germany.

She created a global campaign to draw attention to the plight of Yazidis who are being held in sexual slavery or remain displaced. She was named a United Nations good-will ambassador last month on behalf of victims of human trafficking, and on Oct. 10, she was awarded the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.

Ms. Aji Bashar, who is still a teenager, tried to flee several times before she managed to escape in April with help from her family, who paid smugglers to rescue her.

As she made her way to government-controlled territory in Iraq, she was chased by Islamic State militants and was severely wounded by a land mine, which left her almost blind; two people she was with were killed. She, too, made her way to Germany, where she was reunited with several siblings who had survived.

“I cannot put into words the courage and the dignity they represent,” Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, said in a statement. “Today, Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar have become the voice for the women victims of the Islamic State’s campaign of sexual violence and enslavement.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/world/middleeast/yazidi-women-isis-sakharov-prize.html

Belgians reach deal on EU-Canada free trade agreement

(Reuters) Belgian politicians reached a deal on Thursday to break a deadlock over a planned EU-Canada free trade agreement that all 27 other EU governments support but the French-speaking south of Belgium had rejected.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters that the heads of Belgium's regions and linguistic communities had produced a common text to allay concerns about agricultural imports and a contentious dispute settlement system.

Any deal agreed in Belgium will still have to be put to the other 27 EU members for approval before CETA itself could be signed.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-canada-trade-deal-idUSKCN12R1BX