Síntesis informativa - 2 de septiembre 2019
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Trump Administration Officials at Odds Over C.I.A.’s Role in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Senior White House advisers have proposed secretly expanding the C.I.A.’s presence in Afghanistan if international forces begin to withdraw from the country, according to American officials. But C.I.A. and military officials have expressed reservations, prompting a debate in the administration that could complicate negotiations with the Taliban to end the war.
Some administration officials want C.I.A.-backed militia forces in Afghanistan to serve as part of a counterterrorism force that would prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State or Al Qaeda as American military troops prepare to leave — in effect, an insurance policy.
But others are skeptical that the shadowy militias, many of which face accusations of brutality, can serve as a bulwark against terrorism without the support of the American military.
Hezbollah Hits Back at Israeli Army but Without Casualties
JERUSALEM — The Lebanese militia Hezbollah fired missiles at an Israeli military border post on Sunday in what it called payback for an Israeli airstrike a week earlier that killed two Lebanese operatives in Syria and a drone strike that damaged Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beirut suburbs.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel experienced no casualties — “not an injury, not even a scratch.” And while Israel returned fire with attack helicopters and about 100 artillery shells, both sides appeared eager to let the hostilities subside just as quickly as they had begun.
Sunday’s abbreviated fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed military force that dominates politics in Lebanon, comes as Israel is pushing back more assertively, and often openly, against what it sees as Iranian aggression throughout the Middle East.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/01/world/middleeast/hezbollah-israel-airstrike.html
Saudi-Led Airstrikes in Yemen Kill More Than 60 in Prison, Rebels Say
SANA, Yemen — Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen hit a university used as a detention center in a southwestern province on Sunday, killing at least 60 people, officials and the rebels’ health ministry said.
A spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross said the death toll could be more than 100.
The attack was the deadliest so far this year by the coalition, which has faced international criticism for airstrikes that have killed civilians and hit nonmilitary targets.
Yemen officials said the airstrikes had targeted the university in Dhamar that is one of dozens of detention centers run by the Houthis in areas under their control. Dhamar is around 60 miles south of the capital, Sana.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/01/world/middleeast/yemen-houthi-saudi-arabia.html
Taliban Attack Second Afghan City in 2 Days as Peace Deal Nears
KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters mounted their second attack in two days on a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, as American and Taliban negotiators finalized the details of a preliminary peace agreement.
Just before the top American negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, said the two sides were on “the threshold of an agreement,” the Taliban attacked poorly defended provincial capitals and forced the Afghan government to send in commandos to keep the cities from being overrun.
The Taliban attack on Sunday targeted Pul-i-Kumri, the capital of Baghlan Province in northern Afghanistan, about 145 miles north of Kabul. On Saturday, the militants launched an offensive against a neighboring provincial capital, Kunduz, killing the top police spokesman and wounding the police chief, local officials said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/01/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-peace-talks.html
U.S. Will Drill With Southeast Asian Navies, Echoing Move by China
HONG KONG — Southeast Asian countries tend to be deeply reluctant to collectively challenge China’s growing military and economic prowess in their region. But this week, they appear to be doing just that — by holding their first joint naval drills with the United States Navy.
The drills, which will take place partly in the South China Sea, a site of geopolitical tension, were scheduled to start on Monday and were not expected to focus on lethal maneuvers, or to take place in contested waters where China operates military bases.
But the maneuvers follow similar exercises held last year by China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in an undisputed area of the sea, making them a riposte of sorts to Beijing.
During a summer of heightened tensions over territorial claims, plus an escalating trade war between China and the United States, the drills are being closely watched as the latest move in a high-stakes geopolitical chess match between the superpowers and their shared regional allies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/01/world/asia/asean-us-navy-south-china-sea.html
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THE GUARDIAN
Red Cross says more than 100 people killed in airstrike on Yemen prison
More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in an airstrike by the Saudi-led military coalition on a detention centre in Yemen, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The coalition said it had targeted a facility run by Houthi rebels that “stores drones and missiles”, but the rebels said the attack had levelled a building they used as a prison.
US and China begin imposing new tariffs as trade war escalates
A new round of tariffs took effect from 0401 GMT on Sunday, with Beijing’s levy of 5% on US crude oil marking the first time the fuel has been targeted since the world’s two largest economies started their trade war more than a year ago.
The Trump administration will begin collecting 15% tariffs on more than $125bn in Chinese imports, including smart speakers, Bluetooth headphones and many types of footwear.
In retaliation, China started to impose additional tariffs on some of the US goods on a $75bn target list. Beijing did not specify the value of the goods that face higher tariffs from Sunday.
Israel and Hezbollah trade cross-border fire for first time in years
Israel’s military said “two or three anti-tank missiles” had been fired from southern Lebanon toward an army base and a military ambulance but had caused no deaths or injuries..
Hezbollah, the pro-Iran Lebanese militant group, claimed the attack. It said its fighters had destroyed an Israeli army vehicle near the frontier in the same area. It said it had killed and wounded people inside, contradicting Israeli claims.
Chinese face-swap app triggers privacy fears after going viral
The app’s surge in popularity and sudden backlash from some users highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies raise concerns surrounding identity verification.
Zao was uploaded to China’s iOS App Store on Friday and immediately went viral. According to a post from the app’s makers on China’s Weibo social media site, Zao’s servers nearly crashed because of the deluge of traffic.
Users sign up for Zao with their phone number and upload images of their face, using photographs taken with their smartphone. They can then choose from a range of videos of celebrities on which to superimpose their face, and share the videos with their friends.
One section of the user agreement says consumers who upload their images agree to surrender the intellectual property rights to their face, and permit Zao to use their images for marketing purposes.
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XINHUA
Palestinian PM calls for pressure on Israel to stop "assaults"
RAMALLAH, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ishtaye on Monday called on world powers to "halt Israeli barbaric assaults in the region."
Ishtaye told reporters in the opening of his weekly cabinet meeting at West Bank's Ramallah city that "we were alerted by Israeli uproarious practices in the region last week ... we urge the world to stop Israel's flagrant attacks."
Ishtaye described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to impose Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank as "dangerous."
He urged European countries and the international community to "recognize Palestine as a state on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for refugees."
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/02/c_138358844.htm
Israeli military chief, UNIFIL commander meet over current tensions
JERUSALEM, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army said Monday its military chief met with the force commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a day after hours-long intense fighting between Hezbollah and Israel along the Lebanese border.
Israel's Chief of General Staff Aviv Kohavi met with the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Stefano Del Col on Sunday, an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement.
The meeting was scheduled in advance before the fire exchanges between Israel and the Shiite group which erupted on Sunday afternoon.
It was the first meeting between the two.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/02/c_138358749.htm
AL chief, UN envoy urge political settlement in Libya
CAIRO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit and United Nations Special Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame discussed here on Monday the latest political and security conditions in Libya and efforts for stopping the ongoing fight around the capital Tripoli.
In a statement, the AL stressed "the importance of the field de-escalation efforts that pave the road for permanent cease-fire."
The two officials confirmed "only the political solution, rather than any military one, could settle the conflict-torn country," the statement added.
Abul Gheit reiterated the AL's stance of rejection all kinds of foreign intervention in the Libyan affairs.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/02/c_138359023.htm
4 police killed in suicide bomb blast in N. Afghan city
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least four police officers were killed and 17 people wounded in a suicide bomb blast in northern Afghan Kunduz city on Monday, an Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/02/c_138359003.htm
Moon lander separates from India's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter
NEW DELHI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday said that Vikram Lander has successfully separated from India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter.
ISRO said in a statement that, "The Vikram Lander successfully separated from Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter at 1315 IST today (Sept. 2). The Vikram Lander is currently located in an orbit of 119 km x 127 km. The Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter continues to orbit the Moon in its existing orbit."
ISRO added that all the systems of Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter and Lander are healthy.
Launched on July 22, Vikram Lander will attempt to make a soft-landing on the Lunar surface on Sept. 7. The lander has been named in honor of the father of Indian space research program Vikram Sarabhai.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2019-09/02/c_138358591.htm
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AL JAZEERA
US envoy shows draft of deal with Taliban to Afghan president
Zalmay Khalilzad briefs President Ashraf Ghani on US-Taliban talks as clashes intensify in several provinces.
The negotiations have focused on the withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Afghanistan in exchange for guarantees by the Taliban not to allow the country to be used as a base for attacks abroad.
The Afghan government has been shut out of the negotiations as the Taliban dismisses it as a "puppet" of the US, but intra-Afghan talks that include the government are meant to follow a US-Taliban deal.
Cautious border calm as Hezbollah, Israel urged to show restraint
No fighting overnight as Lebanon's prime minister calls on US and France to 'intervene' to prevent escalation.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Sunday held phone conversations with the top United States and French diplomats, urging them to "intervene" to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-fledged war, his office said.
In an anticipated response to an Israeli air raid last week that killed two of its fighters in Syria, as well as a suspected Israeli drone attack on the group's stronghold in southern Beirut, Hezbollah on Sunday fired a number of anti-tank missiles at an Israeli army base and vehicles near the border.
Condemning the escalation, Bahrain hinted on Sunday that Beirut stood by "as a spectator" as the two parties exchanged fire along the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Looking to future, school students join Hong Kong protests
Teenagers boycott classes on first day to join long-running pro-democracy demonstrations in self-governing territory.
Violet Law
All of them donned surgical masks to protect their identity, although they expected their legal and relatively small gathering would not invite a police crackdown.
Since early June, the campaign against the extradition bill, which opponents believe will put the independence of the territory's justice system at risk, has morphed into a broader anti-government and pro-democracy movement including a demand for full universal suffrage, as promised in the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984, the treaty on the territory's future under China.
Burkina Faso convicts two generals over 2015 coup
General Gilbert Diendere sentenced to 20 years in prison while General Bassole handed 10-year sentence.
The coup - carried out by troops loyal to deposed President Blaise Compaore - fizzled out within a week after army-backed demonstrators attacked the rebels' barracks. Fourteen people were killed and more than 300 wounded during the unrest.
Diendere and Bassole were the leading figures in a 19-month trial of 84 people accused of the attempted overthrow of Burkina's transitional government.
The coup was mounted by an elite unit of the army, the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP), on September 16, 2015, less than a month before scheduled general elections.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/burkina-faso-convicts-generals-2015-coup-190902121107740.html
Germany's far right eyes future gains after election boost
The AfD, which focuses on anti-immigration, anti-Islam rhetoric, increases support in two eastern states
Alternative for Germany, or AfD, proclaimed that it cannot be frozen out of power forever after it nearly tripled its support in Saxony and almost doubled it in neighbouring Brandenburg on Sunday, compared with five years earlier.
The leader of Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, renewed her long-standing insistence that her party will not work with AfD. Asked if it can continue freezing out a force that wins a quarter of the vote, she replied: "Yes, we can." She argued such a stance had attracted voters.
But she acknowledged that the outcome in Saxony, where her party won but now faces the prospect of patching together a three-way alliance with the environmentalist Greens, was a "difficult result". In Brandenburg, the Social Democrats face a similar task after their outgoing government lost its majority.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/germany-eyes-future-gains-election-boost-190902095106698.html
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AL MAYADEEN
Venezuela: Masiva marcha en Caracas contra bloqueo de EE.UU.
Los manifestantes se concentraron durante varias horas frente a la sede del Palacio de Miraflores (sede de Ejecutivo), donde intervinieron varios dirigentes bolivarianos y participantes en el primer Encuentro Internacional Obrero que sesiona en la capital venezolana.
OLP condena apertura de oficina de Honduras en Jerusalén
Saeb Erekat, secretario general del Comité Ejecutivo de la Organización para la Liberación de Palestina (OLP) condenó la apertura de una oficina diplomática de Honduras en Jerusalén como una extensión de su embajada en Tel Aviv.
Asimismo, añadió que "en términos enérgicos condenamos la medida de Honduras porque reconocer a Jerusalén como capital israelí es algo ilegal que hace caso omiso a los principios básicos del derecho y socava la solución de dos Estados".
