Nine civilians were killed and 30 others injured in a rocket attack carried out by the YPG/PKK terrorist group on Al-Bab district in northwestern Syria, according to local sources.

YPG/PKK terrorists in the Sheale region, west of al-Bab, fired a volley of rockets on the city enter, the sources said.

The rockets struck the densely-populated neighborhood of Waki and the vicinity of Al-Bab Hospital, the sources added.

According to initial reports, nine civilians lost their lives and 30 were injured in the terrorist attack, which took place while civilians were shopping.
The rocket attack has caused material damage in the area.

YPG/PKK terrorist group was cleared out of Al-Bab in February 2017 with the Euphrates Shield Operation carried out by Turkiye./aa

Islamophobic attacks continue across France with two separate incidents reported last week.

A Muslim butcher and grocery store that sells halal products in the southwestern province of Lot-et-Garonne was targeted on Sunday night.

Setting the store in Bon-Encontre town on fire, arsonists drew two svastika on the wall.

The town fire brigade reported that the store was completely burnt, but no one was harmed.

The public prosecutor initiated an investigation on the attack.

In the other attack that took place in the southwestern province of Toulouse, a pig head and skin was left in front of an Islamic community center.

Speaking to local media, Abdellatif Mellouki, a Muslim community leader, drew attention to rising Islamophobic attacks across the country.

Meanwhile, the European Collective for Struggle against Islamophobia, a non-profit advocacy group, linked the attacks with a TV program named Zone Interdite that particularly focuses on the alleged threat of radical Islamism./aa

The Iraqi Red Crescent Society announced Tuesday that the remains of 629 soldiers who went missing during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war have been discovered.

Publishing the list of the names in coordination with the Prisoners and Missing Persons Department, the organization also called on their families to receive the remains.

It did not mention when or where the remains were found.

Iran and Iraq occasionally exchange remains and bodies of soldiers based on a joint agreement they signed in Geneva in 2008.

Although there are no official figures on the number of missing soldiers in the eight-year war, it is estimated that around one million were killed on both sides./aa

A humanitarian corridor to save civilians in Myanmar must be established within a "realistic" view of the situation on the ground, experts said Tuesday, marking the first anniversary of a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation. 

The international community should provide support to put the country back on the path to democracy and for its transfer of power to an interim government so it can "prevent future coups," said Saw Nimrod, a representative of the Karen National Union (KNU)‚ an opposition group in Myanmar.

"Conflict is likely to escalate this year, (so) there's a need to declare a no-fly zone and establish a humanitarian corridor along the border with Thailand," he told a virtual conference on the situation in the country jointly hosted by Indonesian daily The Jakarta Post, the Asia News Network and the Thai Public Broadcasting Service.

On Feb. 1, 2021, Myanmar's military seized power after allegations of fraud in the 2020 general elections.

The army arrested leaders and officials of the then-ruling National League for Democracy party along with State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and declared a state of emergency which has been extended until middle of this year.

Suu Kyi faces a number of cases, and was sentenced to six years imprisonment for charges that include violating coronavirus restrictions and possessing “illegally imported” walkie-talkies.

The military takeover has triggered mass protests and a crackdown on dissent with more than 1,500 civilians killed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group. 

Cooperation with Thailand from outside

Taking part in the event, which was titled Myanmar: Year Zero Plus One, retired Gen. Nipat Thonglek said concrete measures "must come from outside."

"We need more cooperation from outside to do something," insisted Thonglek, who is also a former permanent secretary for defense of Thailand.

Referring to the KNU's request for a no-fly zone and safe zone for civilians, Thonglek said: "It's reasonable and logical. I'm happy to hear these statements, but no one listens."

Bertil Lintner, a strategic consultant, urged all parties to have a "realistic" view the situation on the ground, "with no wishful thinking."

Another speaker, senior Thai official Panitan Wattanayagorn told the panel that Thailand would not act alone "in terms of helping people of Myanmar."

"Myanmar's people must open the gate for Thailand to get in to help,” said Wattanayagorn, chairman of the Thai prime minister's Security Advisory Committee.

He suggested all stakeholders and confronting parties "really should look to this opportunity (where) officers from different parties meet in a non-official capacity."

"Civil society organizations are very much interested," he said, adding that these groups want to discuss "how humanitarian issues can move forward this year."

On the establishment of a humanitarian corridor and safe zone, as well as the depoliticization of humanitarian assistance, he stressed that "Thai civil society can't do it alone, we need help from different parties in Myanmar to allow this to happen ... to deliver help to people in need."

One possibility would be to "complement" the ongoing initiatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the UN, and the Red Cross, the Thai official said.

He added: "Thailand cannot invite itself in, all parties have to agree to it."  

'China powerful to end coup'

A senior official of Myanmar's National Unity Government (NUG) who joined the panel urged a "cease-fire with the people of Myanmar."

The NUG is a government in exile formed by former officials, lawmakers, and politicians who fled the country after a crackdown by the coup government last year.

"This is clear and loud ... This is a fight between people and a handful of military junta and generals," said the NUG's minister of international cooperation and spokesman, named Dr. Sasa.

Sasa said ASEAN "has no strategy" on Myanmar nor "any inclusiveness in engagements."

"It is unacceptable because people are dying ... People are losing faith in ASEAN" he said. "There has to be one concrete message from ASEAN."

Pointing to Beijing, he said China had the power to "stop coup today."

However, he said there were "several hundred Chinese companies" investing in Burmese entities directly under military control. "It's complicated for them to solve this problem overnight."

He insisted, however, that "democracy is the only way to stability in Myanmar."  

'Guarantees to junta path towards ending conflict'

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who in the past served as Malaysia's defense and foreign minister, told the conference that Myanmar's military "has been entrenched for a long time.”

"You can't just ask the military to give up," he said.

He suggested to provide "some guarantees" to the military if there is to be any "best democratic way ahead."​​​​​​​

He stressed the international community should seek to make inroads into the country with efforts centered on "food security, humanitarian assistance," as this would be easier to achieve.

Hamidi added: "We must look at a strategy that (ensures) the military must be out for good. But, there must be room for discussion."

On Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's trip to Myanmar early last month, he said the premier went "on his own" and not as an ASEAN representative.

He also added that, as things stand, the bloc would not be able to achieve its goals in Myanmar as "there is no plan of action."/aa

A winter storm is expected to wreak havoc on a nearly 2,000-mile swath of the US over the next few days, bringing heavy snow, ice and bitter cold temperatures. 

The National Weather Service issued winter storm watches and warnings Tuesday from as far south as Texas and New Mexico to the Midwest states of Michigan and Illinois and as far east as New York and Vermont.

New Mexico is bracing for the possibility of 14 inches of snow in some areas, and many lower lying areas will remain below freezing for several days.

In an interview with The New York Times, Brian Guyer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said temperatures in parts of eastern New Mexico could feel like 20 to 25 degrees below zero with the wind chill factor.

“It’s uncommon for us to have the combination of snow with the temperatures that we’re expected to see,” he said.

Nearly one year after a massive winter storm crippled the power grid system in Texas, causing hundreds of deaths and leaving millions without electricity, state officials are assuring residents they are ready this time around.

“We know the reforms we have put in place over these last few months and assure that our grids are reliable and ready for this winter weather event,” said Texas Public Utility Commission Chairman Peter Lake at a news conference.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott admitted there are no guarantees when it comes to a massive winter storm like the one on its way but expressed confidence in the state’s plan to add more power reserves to make sure there is additional electricity supply on hand sooner than later.

“What we're going to work to achieve, and what we're ready to achieve, is that the power is going to stay on statewide,” said Abbott./aa

The US said Tuesday that it expects a thorough criminal investigation and full accountability in the case of an elderly Palestinian-American who was found dead after being detained by “Israeli” forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank. 

In a statement, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US continues to be "deeply concerned by the circumstances" of the death of 80-year-old Omar Abdulmajeed Asaad.

"We continue to discuss this troubling incident with the Israeli government," said Price.

Asaad was found dead on Jan. 12

Fuad Fattoum, the head of the municipal council in the village of Jaljulia, told Anadolu Agency last month that Asaad, who is from the village, died after being held and assaulted by the “Israeli” army.

He said soldiers stormed the village and detained Asaad after beating and handcuffing him. The soldiers then withdrew, leaving the elderly man lying on the ground inside a house under construction, where he died.

"We convey, again, our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Mr. Assad. The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad," Price added./aa

“Israeli” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday that the nation’s army will deploy a laser air defense system to intercept drones, missiles and UAVs within one year. 

Bennett made the announcement in an address at the annual international conference of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), according to the official “Israeli” KAN news channel.

He said the new system will be deployed first in the south to tackle rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and the technology will be offered to [Israel's] friends in the region against what he said are threats from Iran and its proxies.

The “Israeli” Defense Ministry said in January 2020 that it developed a laser interception system against rockets after decades of failed attempts.

“Israel”, currently, possesses a variety of short, medium- and long-range air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, designed to shoot down short-range rockets and drones; the Arrow system, which intercepts ballistic missiles outside of the Earth’s atmosphere and the David’s Sling missile defense system that is designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles./aa

The meeting between Canada's Indigenous peoples and Pope Francis at the Vatican has been rescheduled for March 28 to April 1, according to a statement Tuesday.  

The joint statement by Indigenous groups and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops said they were seeking forgiveness and healing the rift between the church and Canada's Indigenous peoples.

"We remain committed to walking toward healing and reconciliation and very much look forward to the opportunity for Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth to meet with Pope Francis," it said.

The visit was slated for December but was canceled because of the emerging health threat of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Three indigenous groups -- Assembly of First Nations, Metis and Inuit -- still have the same goal: to get a papal apology for the Catholic Church's role in running notorious Indian Residential Schools beginning in the 1820s through to the 1990s when the last of 139 schools was closed.

About 150,000 students were sent to the schools, at times taken from their families by force with the goal of eradicating Indigenous culture.

About 4,500 died and some students were subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

During the past year more than 1,800 unmarked graves have been identified at various residential school sites across Canada.

About 60% were run by the Catholic Church and the rest by other Christian churches.

Apologies have been made by various individuals and groups representing the Catholic Church but never has an official apology been issued by a pope.

The Indigenous visitors - 30 delegates are expected to make the journey - are also seeking Francis's agreement to come to Canada to make another official apology, this time on Canadian soil./aa

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Roberto Toledo became the fourth Mexican journalist murdered since 2022 began after he was shot dead by three unknown assailants in the northeastern city of Zitacuaro.

Prosecutors reported on the death of Toledo on Monday, who died outside a legal office from multiple gun wounds.

He was part of the digital media organization Monitor Michoacan that is under constant threats for investigating corrupted government officials from the state of Michoacan, according to its director Armondo Linares.

"Exhibiting corruption of corrupt governments, officials, and corrupt politicians today led to the death of one of our colleagues," Linares said in a statement on the group’s Facebook page.

The Interior Ministry, responsible for the mechanism in charge of protecting human rights activists and journalists, issued a report last year that revealed the nature of crimes since a program to protect media personnel was launched in 2012.

From 2012 to 2021, the main perpetrators have been government officials, according to the report. Out of the 889 identified culprits, 495 held administrative positions in the government.

Lourdes Maldonado, a journalist murdered earlier this month, had recently won a lawsuit against high-profile lawmaker and politician Jaime Bonilla.

Maldonado asked President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2019 for his assistance, pointing directly at Bonilla and stating that she "feared for her life."

Maldonado was murdered outside her home Jan. 23. Her death and the murder of two other journalists weeks earlier ignited nationwide protests.

Last week, the nation demonstrated in front of governmental buildings urging the administration to address the increasing wave of violence against journalists and activists.

"I only have to tell the family of our colleague that we are not going to leave things like this. We are going to take matters to their ultimate consequences,” said Linares.