Officials must pay for Rotherham abuse

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Public servants should pay for the failings that allowed around 1,400 children to be abused in Rotherham over 16 years.

The self-delusion involved in the Rotherham child-abuse case is astonishing. Professor Alexis Jay’s report stated that around 1,400 children were sexually abused in the town over 16 years, and that police, social workers and councillors let the victims of these horrific crimes down. Yet the website of Rotherham council introduced her findings this way: “Services to protect young people at risk from child sexual exploitation in Rotherham are stronger and better co-ordinated across agencies today than ever before, an independent review has found.” The assertion of improvement is a generous interpretation, to say the least. Prof Jay accepted that services are better, but added that they are over-stretched, long-term victim support is not good enough and, crucially, “prosecutions remain low in number”.

Iran mounts 3rd Calligraphy Biennial

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The 3rd edition of International Calligraphy Biennial has been held in two competition and non-competition categories, in the Iranian city of Qazvin.

Over 400 works selected from among 800 submitted calligraphy art pieces have been showcased at the exhibition.

The participating calligraphers have presented their works in various styles including Nast’aliq, Persian Cursive Nast’aliq, Tuluth and calligraphy painting.

Considered one of the highest Islamic art forms, calligraphy became an indispensable part of Persian society in the beginning of the Islamic era so that it was not only practiced by professional artists but also by royalty and nobility.

In the 11th century six basic calligraphy styles became popular, which were referred to as, Naskh, Thuluth, Muhaqqaq, Rihani, Tauqi, and Riqa.

Nastaliq and Cursive Nastaliq are known as the most attractive Persian calligraphy styles, broadly used in copying Arabic words, romantic and epic Persian poetry and literary manuscripts.

The 2014 calligraphy biennial in Qazvin kicked off on August 28 and will run until September 2.

FGP/FGP

Iran slams US sanctions as oppression

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Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says sanctions must be confronted because they constitute oppression and violation of the rights of a nation.

“Sanctions are oppression and infringement upon a nation’s rights and we must stand up to them and keep aggressors on the back foot,” Rouhani said on Saturday.

He added that despite the existence and continuation of sanctions, his administration has maIran’s President Hassan Rouhani says anti-Iran sanctions must be confronted because they constitute oppression and violation of the rights of a nation.

“Sanctions are oppression and infringement upon a nation’s rights and we must stand up to them and keep aggressors on the back foot,” Rouhani said on Saturday.

He added that despite the existence and continuation of sanctions, his administration has managed to carry out its tasks over the past year.

The Iranian president voiced his support for the nuclear negotiating team, stressing that Tehran would not waste time in its negotiations with the P5+1 countries and would put all its efforts and power into the path of nuclear talks.

“This does not mean that we have been scared of sanctions or will be scared. This does not mean that we cannot live with sanctions,” Rouhani stated.

He said efforts should be made to keep anti-Iran sanctions from continuing.

Rouhani’s remarks come a day after the US imposed sanctions on over 25 Iranian individuals and companies, including shipping firms, oil companies, airlines and six banks.

This is while Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US — plus Germany are in talks to reach a final agreement aimed at resolving the standoff over Tehran’s civilian nuclear work.

The two sides signed a historic interim deal in Geneva last November. The agreement entered into force on January 20 and expired six months later. In July, Tehran and the six states agreed to extend their discussions until November 24 in a bid to work out a final accord.

The new US sanctions violate the terms of the Geneva deal.

SF/NN/HRB

Lesotho military seizes gov’t buildings

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Lesotho’s military has seized control of government buildings, including the police headquarters in the capital city of Maseru, in what witnesses describe as an attempted coup.

A diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said military units encircled the State House on Saturday.

“Military police have surrounded State House and there are reports of gunfire,” the diplomat said.

Meanwhile, South African radio stations reported that private radio stations were off the air in the small landlocked African country.

Thesele Maseribane, who is Lesotho’s sports minister and leader of the Basotho National Party, also described the development as a possible coup attempt in the African kingdom.

“The armed forces, the special forces of Lesotho, have taken the headquarters of the police,” he said, adding, “They’ve jammed phones, they have jammed everything.”

He further emphasized that the government of Prime Minister Tom Thabane was still in control.

Political tensions have been running high in Lesotho since June, when the premier suspended the country’s parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote amid feuding in the two-year-old coalition government.

SSM/HSN

EU unemployment rate stays unchanged

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Latest figures show there have been no signs of improvement in the eurozone as the number of unemployed persons remains unchanged, despite repeated calls for jobless ranks to be cut down, Press TV reports.

According to the European Union’s statistics agency, Eurostat, 24.8 million adults, equal to 10.2% of the European Union’s labor force, were unemployed in the countries of the 28-member politico-economic union during the month of July.

The number means the rate of unemployment has remained unchanged compared to the preceding month.

Moreover, a total of 18.4 million people were out of work in the eurozone, with Greece and Spain posting the highest unemployment rates at 27.2% and 24.5% per cent respectively.

Figures also show half of the adult population below the age of 25 is jobless in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France.
 
“It is unacceptable that people are paying the price for this financial crisis. The reasons are cuts in public spending, and reduction in consumption. Unemployment is unacceptable, especially youth unemployment,” Claudia Menne, a member of the European Trade Union Confederation, told Press TV.

Analysts are concerned that the jobs data along with the slowdown in inflation could hurt the EU job market.

According to experts, declining inflation carries the risk of falling prices, which discourages consumers from spending as they believe they can wait to buy goods and services, as well as residential and commercial properties cheaper in the future.

If such a situation occurs, experts say, demand suffers and companies put off investment, hurting employment and thus launching a vicious circle that can drag down the whole economy.

Europe plunged into financial crisis in early 2008. The worsening debt crisis has forced the EU governments to adopt harsh austerity measures and tough economic reforms, which have triggered incidents of social unrest and massive protests in many European countries.

MP/HSN/HRB

ISIL executing genocidal agenda: Kerry

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US Secretary of State John Kerry has called for a global coalition to combat ISIL’s “genocidal agenda” in Syria and northern Iraq.

The ISIL terrorist group, which is operating in Iraq and Syria, “presents a unifying threat to a broad array of countries, including the United States, Kerry wrote in an article published in The New York Times on Friday.

He advocated “a united response led by the United States and the broadest possible coalition of nations” to confront ISIL’s “nihilistic vision and genocidal agenda.”

Kerry said on Friday he and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel would “meet with our counterparts from our European allies” on the sidelines of an upcoming NATO summit in Wales. “The goal is to enlist the broadest possible assistance.”

US President Barack Obama is facing intense criticism for admitting the United States does not have a strategy to beat the ISIL terrorist organization, which has overrun large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.

In his article, Kerry said that President Obama will present a plan for tackling ISIL at the UN Security Council meeting in September.

“We will use that opportunity to continue to build a broad coalition and highlight the danger posed by foreign terrorist fighters, including those who have joined ISIS,” Kerry said, using an alternate acronym for the group.

Following the NATO summit, Kerry said he and Hagel would travel to the Middle East in order to gather support “among the countries that are most directly threatened.”

“The cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread to other countries. The world can confront this scourge, and ultimately defeat it,” Kerry added.

ISIL controls large parts of Syria’s northern territory. The group sent its fighters into neighboring Iraq in June, quickly seizing large swaths of land straddling the border between the two countries.

The US military has begun planning for airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria after the recent beheading of American journalist James Foley. The US has launched a limited air campaign against the terrorist group in Iraq since August 8.

In an interview with Press TV on Wednesday, Don DeBar, an anti-war activist and radio host in New York, said there are hundreds of US troops working with the ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

DeBar said the ISIL “group is a construct of the US military intelligence. This is a terrorist cell that was organized by the US in order to destabilize Syria and perhaps other countries.”

“My belief is that there are Americans that are a part of ISIL/ISIS with the knowledge of the US government and an assignment by the US government,” he added.

DeBar stated that there are perhaps 300 Americans fighting with ISIL “and then hundreds more US regulars, with CIA or whatever military formation they have, under the direction of US intelligence, that are a part of this. It doesn’t require that they are American nationals, of course, just that their paycheck is signed in Washington or Langley.”

GJH/GJH

Bomb, bullets kill 6 east Afghanistan

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Six people have been killed in a car bomb explosion as well as a shooting attack by Taliban militants in the city of Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan.

On Saturday morning, a truck filled with explosives blew up at the gate of the Jalalabad office of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS).

“The attack was carried out by a vehicle bomb on the Nangarhar provincial NDS office, and then some militants started attacking the office,” Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial governor, told AFP.

Three NDS employees were killed in the attack, Abdulzai added.

The head of Nangarhar public hospital, Najeebullah Kamawal, also put the number of those killed and injured at 6 and 45 respectively.

The bombing prompted heavy fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan police. Officials say the clashes continued for several hours in the area located along the Pakistani border.

Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying that several NDS staff were killed in the assault.

In December 2012, NDS head Asadullah Khalid was wounded in an assassination attempt after a bomb explosion targeted his guesthouse in the capital, Kabul.

Recently, Taliban has stepped up its attacks against the Afghan government, foreign forces and civilians. The group has vowed to escalate the attacks on Afghan forces and US-led troops, their bases, diplomatic missions and vehicle convoys.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across the country despite the presence of tens of thousands of US-led troops.

SSM/HSN/HRB

‘Pakistan to secure border with Iran’

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A Pakistani diplomat says his country has plans to improve security along its common border with Iran.

Pakistan is conducting various operations to tackle terrorism which will be beneficial to the entire region, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tehran Noor Mohammad Jadmani told IRNA on Saturday.

Islamabad needs to get on board regional and neighboring countries, namely Afghanistan, in its campaign against terrorism, said the diplomat.

He said cooperation with neighboring countries can help eradicate terrorism in the region, which will benefit all.
 
Acts of terrorism has cost Afghanistan some USD 100 billion over the past recent years, he said, adding his country has always been determined to counter terror.

In a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Tehran on May 11, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said terrorism is a “big and serious” problem in the region, stressing that Iran and Pakistan can fight terrorism in cooperation with other regional countries.

“All regional and Arab countries must believe that the presence of terrorist groups will not help peace, stability and the interests of any country,” Rouhani added.

This comes as Jaish-ul-Adl terrorists kidnapped five Iranian border guards in Jakigour region in Sistan and Baluchestan, bordering Pakistan, on February 6 and took them to the Pakistani territory.

In a message on April 6, Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said efforts by security and diplomatic bodies as well as locals had borne fruit and four of the abductees had been freed and reunited with their families.

However, the fate of the fifth border guard, Jamshid Danaeifar, has not been determined yet.

On October 25, 2013, Jaish-ul-Adl killed 14 Iranian border guards and wounded six others in the border region near the city of Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

SF/NN/HRB

Britain house prices hit all-time high

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UK house prices have surged by 11 percent in the year to August, reaching all-time high of £189,306 on average.

The Nationwide building society says prices increased by 0.8 percent over the month in August, marking the 16th monthly increase in a row. The annual pace of price growth also increased from 10.6 percent to 11 percent, the group said.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Monetary Fund and other economic think tanks have all voiced concern about the possibility of a price bubble.

They said accelerating house prices and low productivity could pose the greatest threat to the UK’s economic recovery and urged the government to consider modifying or even putting an end on its mortgage guarantee scheme, known as Help to Buy scheme, if house prices showed signs of overheating.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has, however, dismissed suggestions of a house price bubble, saying there was “no evidence” that the market was unsustainable.

Britain’s housing market crashed in 2007, triggering one of the worst recessions in the country’s history. House prices first surpassed their 2007 peak in May this year and they have been hitting new records on a monthly-basis since.

Britain’s Trades Union Congress (TUC) said last month that the number of working-age adults in absolute poverty increased from 7.7 million to 8.7 million between 2010-11 and 2012-13.  Analysts believe wage stagnation, benefits and tax credit cuts and rising housing prices are the main reasons behind the falling living standards in the UK.

MOS/HSN

Israeli cities hit by 3,000 rockets

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Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement says it fired over 3,000 rockets on dozens of Israeli cities during the war Tel Aviv imposed on the besieged Gaza Strip.

The resistance group said that over 60 of these projectiles fired by its al-Quds Brigades landed in main Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, al-Quds (Jerusalem), Dimona and Netanya.

It also said they have targeted Ashdod, Beersheba, Ashkelon and Ofkim with over 660 grad rockets.

The group added that Israeli camps and soldiers have also been targeted with these rockets.

It said al-Quds Brigades attacked Israeli tanks along Gaza borders with nearly 900 mortar shells.

Tel Aviv says 71 Israelis were killed in the conflict, but Hamas puts the number at more than 150.

Palestinian resistance groups fired rockets in retaliation for Israel’s nonstop heavy bombardments on the densely-populated territory that started on 8 July and lasted almost 50 days.

The Israeli strikes caused massive devastation in the Gaza Strip, leaving nearly 2,140 Palestinians dead and 11,000 injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under severe criticism by members of his coalition after reaching a ceasefire deal with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on August 26.

DB/HSN/HRB