Dawn.com, Kashmir
Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said Pakistan would “soon be in ten pieces” if cross-border terrorism does not come to an end, Times of India reported.
“Pakistan has been divided into 2 countries (in 1971). If it does not stop cross-border terrorism, it will soon be in 10 pieces,” Singh said while speaking to a gathering in India-held Kashmir’s Kathua district.
Accusing Pakistan of “encouraging terrorism” to harm India, the Indian home minister said, “Perhaps it was not able to understand the fact that terrorism is not a weapon of the brave but of cowards.”
“Our government will never let the nation bow its head before anyone,” Rajnath Singh said.
Bashir vows to crush oppon protests
AFP, Khartoum
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed Monday to brutally crush anti-regime protests, warning the authorities will crack down on demonstrators as they did in 2013 when dozens were killed during clashes.
Bashir’s warning came as opposition activists issued a new call to hold a two-day nationwide strike next week against a government decision to cut fuel subsidies that has led to rising prices for goods including medicines.
“In the past few days we have heard some people, who are hiding behind their keyboards, calling for the overthrow of the regime,” Bashir told supporters gathered in the eastern town of Kasala.
“We want to tell them that if you want to overthrow the regime, then face us directly on the streets. I challenge you to come out onto the streets.
EU, Mali sign deal to return migrants
AFP, The Hague
The European Union on Sunday signed an agreement with the Malian government aimed at enabling the return of migrants who have reached Europe’s shores, and whose asylum requests have been refused.
“It is the first time the EU establishes such a precise mechanism with an African country with regards to returning failed asylum seekers,” said a statement from the Dutch foreign ministry, which signed the agreement on the EU’s behalf.
The accord seeks to fight “the root causes of illegal migration” and to “enable the return from Europe of Malian migrants”, the statement said.
The agreement came after a summit in the Maltese capital Valletta in November 2015, when EU leaders agreed with their African counterparts to set up a 1.8-billion-euro ($1.9-billion) fund to help address the root causes of migration.
Carter in Israel as country gets F-35 jets
AP, Tel Aviv
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter was visiting Israel as it prepared to receive on Monday the first two next-generation F-35 fighter jets that will help preserve the country’s military edge in the volatile Mideast.
The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, with an estimated cost of nearly $400 billion. Israel is among a small number of allies to get the plane, with the first expected later in the day.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the fighter jets “present another component in maintaining air superiority in our region” and expressed gratitude to Carter, who was welcomed with a military honor guard at a Tel Aviv army base.
