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Assad’s future should be discussed at Syria talks in Astana - German Foreign Ministry
Валерий Шарифулин/ТАСС
BERLIN, January 2. /TASS/. The issue of the political future of Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, should be a matter of discussion at the talks on Syria in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, German Foreign Ministry spokesman, Martin Schaefer, said on Monday.
"The issue of Assad’s political future and the role of opposition groups in forming the transitional government should be discussed in Astana," he said.
"From our point of view, it is important to make sure that the initiatives announced by Russia, Iran and Turkey, namely, the intention to bring together representatives of the government and opposition at the negotiating table are implemented under the auspices and in cooperation with the UN," Schaefer stressed. He noted that UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, should remain the key mediator in this process. He admitted that so far the German Foreign Ministry has no idea how the talks in Astana would be later linked to the intra-Syrian consultations earlier held in Geneva.
According to Schaefer, neither Russia nor Turkey are interested in excluding the United Nations from this process. "I think it can hardly be otherwise, as all resolutions on Syria passed at the UN Security Council emphasized the role played by the UN and its special envoy in that process," he said.
Schaefer added that Assad’s participation in Syria’s transition is possible if his presidential powers are reduced substantially, reiterating that Berlin sees no future for Syria with Assad as the head of state.
More:
http://tass.com/world/923691
Russia increases oil production by 2.5% in 2016
Максим Слуцкий/ТАСС
MOSCOW, January 2. /TASS/. Oil production in Russia grew by 2.5% in 2016 year on year reaching 547.49 mln tonnes, according to the data provided by the Central Control Administration of the Fuel and Energy Complex.
In December, oil production was 47.4 million tonnes (3.5% growth compared to December 2015).
Novatek was the leader in terms of oil production growth in Russia last year with the 37.6% growth year on year, its oil production grew to 12.46 mln tonnes. Gazprom Neft was the best oil company in terms of oil production dynamics. The company produced 57.79 million tonnes of oil, which is 6.7% more than in the previous year.
A growth in oil production was also demonstrated by Bashneft - 6.3%, 20.8 mln tonnes - and Tatneft - 5.3%, 28.69 mln tonnes. Rosneft increased oil production by 0.5% to reach 209.96 mln tonnes, and Surgutneftegaz - by 0.4% to reach 61.85 mln tonnes.
On the other hand, Lukoil reduced oil production by 2.8% to 83.57 mln tonnes, RussNeft - by 5.2% to 7 mln tonnes and the Independent Oil Company - by 1.3% to 2.3 mln tonnes.
More:
http://tass.com/economy/923680
Son of Equatorial Guinea's president on trial in France
Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, who is also Equatorial Guinea's second vice president, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of corruption, money laundering and embezzlement. Obiang's lawyer, Emmanuel Marsigny, asked for a delay in the proceedings, arguing that his client was not given enough time to prepare a defense. It was unclear whether Obiang still was in France or had returned to Equatorial Guinea.
Marsigny said two months was insufficient to prepare a defense for a case that covered a 14-year period and to arrange testimony from witnesses living abroad. "Believe me, Mr. Nguema is not a big-time bandit," he said. "He just wants his rights observed."
Representing Transparency International, lawyer William Bourdon told the court that the trial should go as planned. He accused the defense of trying to "paralyze" the judicial system through a series of "opportunistic" and "malicious" maneuvers.
Equatorial Guinea argues that Obiang has diplomatic immunity, but the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest court, last month declined to order France to halt the prosecution. Obiang's trial came after two non-governmental organizations targeting corruption and an association of Congolese citizens living abroad launched a lawsuit in France nearly 10 years ago.
Known in France as the case of the "ill-gotten gains," the complaint claimed several African heads of state, including the late Gabon president Omar Bongo, embezzled state funds during or after their tenures to buy properties in France.
According to court documents, Obiang allegedly used millions of dollars in public money to stay in luxury Parisian palaces and later purchased a mansion located on one of the French capital's most sought-after avenues.
He also allegedly bought about 15 cars in France for 5.7 million euros (currently $6 million) and once splashed nearly 20 million euros at an arts auction. The case has put a spotlight on the lavish lifestyle of Obiang, whose father, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, is Africa's longest-serving president. Equatorial Guinea is rich in oil and gas, but most of the country's population still lives in poverty.
The same cannot be said for the ruling elite. In 2011, French authorities seized assets from Obiang's Paris mansion that included Ferrari and Bugatti Veyron sports cars, expensive works of art and luxury suits and shoes.
The International Court of Justice, however, ruled that France must treat the Paris mansion as Equatorial Guinea's diplomatic mission. The French case is not the first time Obiang's opulent way of life has come under scrutiny.
In 2014, he reached a deal with United States authorities to sell a Malibu mansion, a Ferrari and a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia to raise more than $30 million. The U.S. filed claims in 2011 against Obiang's U.S.-held assets worth more than $70 million, alleging they were the proceeds of corruption. Swiss authorities have also begun a preliminary investigation of Obiang.
Elaine Ganley contributed to this report.
Turkey monitoring social media accounts
Numan Kurtulmus said Monday that 347 social media accounts which were determined to "sow seeds of enmity among the public" were under investigation, with legal action taken against 92 individuals. Kurtulmus says authorities are working closely with social media providers such as Facebook and Twitter to shut down suspect accounts.
He says: "We are not going to sit by and watch as three to five social media trolls spread discord among the people." Turkey has prosecuted several people, including prominent government critics for allegedly spreading terrorist propaganda through social media. One of them, journalist Ahmet Sik, was arrested last week.
7 p.m.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus says authorities have obtained the fingerprints and a basic description of the gunman who attacked an Istanbul nightclub attack and are close to identifying him.
Speaking to reporters Monday after a weekly Cabinet meeting, Kurtulmus also confirmed that eight people had been detained in connection to the attack.
Kurtulmus said the attack in the early hours of 2017 was a message from extremist organizations that they intend to continue to be a "scourge" against Turkey in the new year. Kurtulmus also said it was intended as a response to Turkey's "successful and determined" military operation against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. Turkey had been rocked by a wave of violent attack in 2016.
Kurtulmus said Turkey was determined to continue fighting violent groups declaring: "Wherever they may hide in 2017, we will enter their lair... With the will of God, with the support of our people, with all our national capacity, we will bring them to their knees and give them all the necessary response."
5:00 p.m.
Turkey's state-run news agency says a criminal complaint has been filed against people who used social media to praise the deadly New Year's attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, as well as against several people who demonized the New Year celebration or threatened attacks.
The Turkish Bar Association filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's office on Monday, calling for the investigation and prosecution of those who praised the gun attack which killed 39 and injured dozens.
Some social media users praised the killings and condemned the night's celebration on religious grounds.
The complaint also called for prosecution of a school administrator who banned New Year's celebrations, those responsible for protests or banners depicting violence against Santa Claus, as well as a newspaper which published threatening headlines.
Prime Minister Binali Yilidirim sent a Twitter message on Sunday warning that legal action would be taken against those who praised terrorism.
3:40 p.m.
Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry says it is looking into media reports that the gunman in the New Year's Eve night club attack in Istanbul could be from the Central Asian country.
"We have ordered the consul in Istanbul the check this report that has appeared in the press," ministry spokeswoman Aiymkan Kulukeyeva was quoted as saying Monday by the Interfax news agency. "According to preliminary information, this information is doubtful but we are checking all the same."
The Hurriyet and Karar newspapers on Monday cited unnamed security officials saying that authorities have determined that the gunman who killed 39 people comes from a Central Asian nation and is believed to be either from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan.
3:15 p.m.
Turkey's state-run news agency says police have detained eight people in connection with the Istanbul nightclub attack.
Anadolu Agency says that the eight have been taken into custody by Istanbul anti-terrorism squads and they are being questioned at Istanbul's main police headquarters.
The gunman, who escaped after carrying out the attack, wasn't among the eight.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed 39 people, most of them foreigners.
3 p.m.
The father of one of the victims of the deadly New Year's attack at a popular Istanbul nightclub has arrived from Belgium to collect his 23-year-old son's body.
Waiting outside the Forensic Medicine Institute, Ali Akyil told Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency that they were a Turkish family who loved their country, and so his son, Mehmet Kerim Akyil, had gone to Istanbul for his New Year's vacation.
Anadolu said that relatives were also waiting outside to collect 38-year-old Bulent Sirvan Osman's body and return him to Erbil, Iraq. A married father of two, Osman was in Istanbul for business.
Abdullah Ahmed Abbolos, a 32-year-old Palestinian who lived in Saudi Arabia, had come to Istanbul to celebrate the new year. An acquaintance told Anadolu his body would likely be taken to Saudi Arabia.
2 p.m.
Germany's Foreign Ministry says two people who lived in Germany, one of them a German citizen, are believed to have died in the New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub.
Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer says that both resided in Bavaria. One was a German-Turkish dual citizen and the other is believed to have had only Turkish nationality.
Schaefer said that three German citizens were wounded in the attack. They are not in a life-threatening condition.
1:30 p.m.
Relatives and Bollywood friends have converged at the Mumbai home of Abis Rizvi, one of the two Indian victims of the New Year's attack at a popular Istanbul nightclub.
They offered condolences to the bereaved family on Monday even as Rizvi's father left for Istanbul to bring back his son's body. The body is expected to reach Mumbai on Wednesday, according to Bollywood actor and friend Raza Murad.
Rizvi, a 49-year-old builder, wrote, produced and directed a Bollywood movie "Roar: The Tigers of Sunderbans," in 2014 aimed at spreading awareness about tigers.
The other Indian victim of the Istanbul attack that killed 39 people was Khushi Shah, a fashion designer from Vadodara, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
12:50 p.m.
Turkey's Interior Ministry says that dozens of people have been detained in the past week over suspected ties to the Islamic State group.
The ministry's announcement came after a gunman opened fire on New Year's revelers at an Istanbul nightclub, killing 39 people and wounded dozens of others. IS has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a statement released Monday, the ministry said 147 people were detained after authorities determined "they were in contact with the Daesh terrorist organization," referring to an Arabic acronym for IS.
Of the detained, 25 people have been formally put under arrest.
12:20 p.m.
Turkey's state news agency says 38 of the 39 victims of the New Year's attack on an Istanbul nightclub have been identified.
The Anadolu news agency, citing unidentified Turkish justice ministry officials, says 11 those killed by a gunman who escaped were Turkish nationals and one was a Turkish-Belgium dual citizen.
The report says seven victims were from Saudi Arabia; three were from Lebanon and Iraq each; two nationals were from Tunisia, India, Morocco and Jordan each. Kuwait, Canada, Israel, Syria and Russia each lost one citizen.
Sixty-nine people were also wounded. Anadolu says one victim remains unidentified.
Relatives of the victims and embassy personal were seen walking into an Istanbul morgue to claim the bodies of the deceased.
Turkish officials haven't released the names of those identified.
12 p.m.
Turkey's state-run news agency says more than 100 Islamic State targets in Syria have been hit by Turkey and Russia in separate operations, a day after a deadly attack at a popular Istanbul nightclub during New Year's celebrations claimed by the group.
Citing the Turkish Chief of General Staff's office, Anadolu Agency said Turkish jets struck eight IS group targets while tanks and artillery fired upon 103 targets near Al Bab, killing 22 extremists while destroying many structures.
Anadolu added that Russian jets also attacked IS targets in Dayr Kak, eight kilometers (five miles) to the southwest of Al Bab.
Turkey sent troops into neighboring northern Syria in August to clear a border area of IS militants and curb territorial advances by Syrian Kurdish forces.
11:45 a.m.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Istanbul shooting that killed 39 people and wounded scores of others.
The IS-linked Aamaq News Agency said the New Year's attack was carried by a "heroic soldier of the caliphate who attacked the most famous nightclub where Christians were celebrating their pagan feast."
It said the man opened fire from an automatic rifle in "revenge for God's religion and in response to the orders" of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The group described Turkey as "the servant of the cross."
10:10 a.m.
Turkish media reports say that authorities believe that the Islamic State group is behind the attack on a popular Istanbul nightclub during New Year's celebrations.
Hurriyet and Karar newspaper reports Monday cited unnamed security officials saying that authorities have determined that the gunman who killed 39 people comes from a Central Asian nation and is believed to be either from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan.
Police had also established similarities with the high-casualty attack at Ataturk Airport in June and was investigating whether the same IS cell carried out both attacks.
The gunman, who is still at large, killed a policeman and another man outside the Reina club in the early hours of 2017 before firing at people partying inside.
Nearly two-thirds of the dead were foreigners, many from the Middle East.
Environmentalists protest hunting bison plan in Poland
Please click on headlines for more details,where details are not available.
Greenpeace had gathered almost 9,000 signatures online by Monday afternoon on a letter asking Prime Minister Beata Szydlo to stop the plan. The opponents say Europe's largest mammals, which live in old-growth forests in northeastern Poland, are endangered and protected by law, and a symbol of Poland's nature.
There are over 1,500 bison in Poland, mostly living freely in state-owned reserves but also on private farms. The bulls can weigh over 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) and stand some 1.9 meters (6.2 feet) tall.
Environment authorities have allowed the hunting of 10 bison in the Borecka forest before April, saying the herd there is too large and threatened with tuberculosis. With 15 calves born in 2016, the herd has 111 animals, while it should be around 95, authorities say.
They say limited hunting allows for a controlled elimination of weak animals, while earning funds for fodder and other care for the herds. Some sick bison have been shot in recent years in other regions in Poland.
Paid events are regularly organized in Poland for foreigners who want to hunt deer, wild boar, hares or other small wild animals.
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