Syria drops off the radar at UN assembly
KARANGASEM, Sept 22 (AFP) - Indonesian officials raised the highest possible alert for a volcano on the resort island of Bali late Friday, after tremors prompted thousands to flee over fears it could erupt for the first time in more than 50 years.
Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been rumbling since August and officials have recommended that people stay at least 9km away from the crater. Hundreds of small tremors have rattled the mountain this week, causing almost 10,000 people to leave their homes over fears of a volcanic eruption.
National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho advised people to stay calm and not to believe rumours. The airport on Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has not been affected but airport management are watching the situation closely.
NFL: Trump launches foul-mouthed tirade against anthem protesters
LOS ANGELES, Sept 23 (AFP) - Donald Trump on Friday launched a foulmouthed tirade at NFL players who protest the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner at games, urging team owners to “fire” athletes who take a knee or raise a fist during the anthem.
Speaking at a Republican rally in Alabama, the American president drew loud cheers and chants of “USA, USA, USA” when he said fans should “leave the stadium” when it happens because it shows “disrespect of our heritage”. “Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a b**** off the field right now, out, he's fired. He's fired!'” Trump said at the rally.
The protests began last year when quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. Several more players have since joined in, nearly all of them black. The 29-year-old said he started his protests because he wanted to spark a nationwide debate.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 ( AFP) - Syria's war has taken a new turn with the expected recapture of Raqa from the Islamic State, but world leaders gathered at the United Nations this week seem to be paying little attention.
Once the focal point of a myriad of high- powered meetings during the UN General Assembly, Syria this year dropped off the diplomatic agenda, dwarfed by the crises over North Korea and the Iran nuclear deal.
Last year, tensions were running high at the UN assembly, with Western powers locked in heated exchanges with Russia and Iran, the Syrian government's allies, over the offensive against rebel-held Aleppo.
Since then, President Bashar al- Assad's forces have retaken
the situation on the ground has improved. Daesh (IS) has been driven out from its strongholds
Aleppo and most of the opposition- held territory, backed by Moscow and Tehran. The Islamic State (IS) group is close to defeat in its two remaining Syrian strongholds: Raqa and Deir Ezzor.
Russia, Iran and Turkey have set up four “de-escalation zones” in Syria and are working with the US and Jordan in the south to bring about ceasefires that have eased the violence.
“The war in Syria is not over yet,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reminded foreign ministers at an EU- hosted meeting on Syria on Thursday.
But she acknowledged that “the situation on the ground has improved. Daesh ( IS) has been driven out from its strongholds,” and fighting has eased.
“For many Syrians, this makes the difference between life and death.”
Now in its seventh year of war that has left 330,000 dead, Syria has become an extremely complex conflict, but diplomatic efforts remain low profile.
The Kurdish issue and Israel's growing involvement, fueled by fears that neighboring Syria will become a springboard for Iran, are shaping up as new crises, diplomats say.
“Nothing is resolved”, said a European diplomat, who asked not to be named.
The country remains deeply divided -- some would call it a de-facto partition -- five million Syrians are still refugees and a new outbreak of fighting is still possible, he said.
During his address to the assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the establishment of a new Syria “contact group” to push for a diplomatic solution.
Russia and the United States reacted coolly to the proposal.
The administration of President Donald Trump has yet to define its Syria strategy beyond fighting IS militants and is refusing to give Iran, a key player in the war, a seat at the table.
“If the contact group had Iran in it, that would be difficult for us,” a senior US official told AFP this week following a meeting between the United States and allies on Syria.
“The Americans have dropped out of the search for a political solution,” said the European diplomat. “Their focus is solely military: defeating IS.” The United Nations is planning to convene a new round of peace talks in the coming weeks between Syria's government and the opposition, even though past negotiations have failed to yield more than incremental progress.
With the rebel fighting position weakened, the regime is under no pressure to make concessions during the upcoming Geneva talks.