Washington Three space travellers, including two astronauts on their first flight, are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday for a six-and-a-half month mission, NASA said.

The launch comes less than two months after a booster failure forced a Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague to make an emergency landing.

The incident became the first failure of a manned space launch in modern Russian history.

The three new space travellers — Anne McClain of NASA, David Saint-Jacquesof the Canadian Space Agency and Oleg Kononenko of Russian space agency Roscosmos – are preparing to launch aboard the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft at 5.31 p.m. from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan.

Following a six-hour journey making four orbits of Earth, the crew will dock the Soyuz to the station’s Poisk module to begin their mission on the orbital laboratory.

It will be the first flight for both McClain and Saint-Jacques and the fourth for Kononenko.

Less than two hours after docking, hatches between the Soyuz and the station will open, and the current crew, Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency), NASA Flight Engineer Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Prokopyev, who have been in orbit since June, will greet them.

Kononenko, McClain and Saint-Jacques will officially become the Expedition 58 crew when Gerst, Aunon-Chancellor and Prokopyev depart the station for home on December 20.

(IANS)

 The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Friday confirmed that Israel was behind the strikes that targeted Syrian sites south of the capital Damascus a day earlier, state news agency SANA reported.

The attack against Syrian sites in the town of Kisweh south of Damascus was carried out by Israel, the ministry said, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Thursday evening, Syria’s national TV said the Syrian air defence missiles responded to a contentious missile strike, noting that all enemy targets were destroyed and that the foreign attack did not achieve its intended goal.

However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in London, said a missile hit a weapon depot believed to contain weapons for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the second wave of attack, after the 45-minute first-round attack failed.

Another missile hit a military base, with no reported losses, the watchdog added.

It is the first Israeli hit since September when it attacked military sites in Syria, causing the Syrian air defences to mistakenly hit a Russian surveillance aircraft.

After the September attack, during which Russian servicemen were killed by friendly fire, Moscow was quick to equip Damascus with the S-300 air defence missile system.

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Xinhua in September that the arrival of Russia’s S-300 to Syria would push Israel to reconsider before striking Syria again.

In its statement Friday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the Israeli attack on Thursday evening and the US-led attack that killed 30 civilians in eastern Syria on Friday are part of the aggression circle against Syria.

The Israeli attack is another sign of the Israeli support to the terrorist groups in Syria, said the ministry, adding that Israel wants to prolong the Syrian crisis.

IANS

 Leaders of India, China and Russia at a trilateral meeting held here had an in-depth exchange of views on expanding mutual cooperation in international forums and to encourage greater interaction among the three countries under new circumstances.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Friday agreed on the importance of reform and strengthening of multilateral institutions which have benefitted the world, including the UN, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and well-established as well as new global financial institutions, a statement from the External Affairs Ministry said.

They underscored the benefits of a multilateral trading system and an open world economy for global growth and prosperity.

Calling it an excellent meeting, Modi said a wide range of subjects were discussed which would further cement the friendship between the three nations and enhance world peace.

The three leaders agreed to have regular consultations at all levels to jointly promote international and regional peace and stability, to strengthen cooperation through BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and East Asia Summit (EAS) mechanisms, to address global challenges such as terrorism and climate change, and to encourage peaceful resolution of all differences.

They also acknowledged the importance of cooperation in Russia-India-China format and agreed to hold further such trilateral meetings on multilateral occasions, the Ministry said.

On the sideline of G-20 Summit here, US President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister also held a trilateral meeting, the first ever of its kind.

IANS

Kabul The death toll soared to 15 in the car bomb attack in Kabul that targeted London-based Security contractor company G4S, Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said on Thursday.

Five attackers were among those killed in the Wednesday night attack and 29 people were injured, Xinhua news agency reported citing the official.

Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Zabihullah Majahid, who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit, claimed that first a militant blew up his explosive-laden car next to the company, opening the way for others to enter the company’s compound and begin targeting anyone inside.

Earlier reports put the number of casualties at one dead and 11 injured.

G4S was yet to make any comment about the situation following the attack on its branch.

(IANS)

Washington George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the US and father of the 43rd, who steered the nation through a tumultuous period in world affairs, has died at the age of 94 in Houston, his spokesperson Jim McGrath announced.

His death on Friday night came less than eight months after that of his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush, reports The New York Times.

The cause of his death was not immediately known.

However, the former leader suffered from a form of Parkinson’s disease that forced him to use a wheelchair or motorised scooter in recent years, and he had been in and out of hospitals during that time as his health declined.

In April, a day after attending his wife’s funeral, he was treated for an infection that had spread to his blood.

Bush, a Republican, was a transitional figure in the White House, where he served from 1989 to 1993, capping a career of more than 40 years in public service.

A decorated Navy pilot who was shot down in the Pacific in 1944, he was the last of the Second World War generation to occupy the Oval Office.

Bush was a skilled bureaucratic and diplomatic player who, as President, helped end four decades of Cold War and the threat of nuclear engagement with a nuanced handling of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberation of Eastern Europe.

Born into privilege and a tradition of service, Bush was a son of a senator, student athlete, Texas oilman, Republican congressman, national party chairman, pioneering diplomat and spy chief, reports CNN.

After his own 1980 presidential campaign came up short, he served two terms as Ronald Reagan’s Vice President before reaching the pinnacle of political power by winning the 1988 presidential election, soundly defeating Democrat Michael Dukakis.

After losing the White House in 1992, Bush became a widely admired political elder who leapt out of airplanes to mark birthday milestones.

Emphasizing the generosity of his soul, he forged a close and unlikely friendship with Democrat Bill Clinton, the man who ended his presidency.

When Parkinson’s disease mostly silenced him in public, Bush flashed his sense of humour by sporting colourful striped socks.

(IANS)

A blast near a chemical plant in Zhangjiakou city, in north China’s Hebei province, has killed 22 and injured 22 others early Wednesday morning, local authorities said.

The blast occurred near Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. in Zhangjiakou at around 0:40 a.m. local time. Fire caused by the blast has engulfed 38 trucks and 12 vehicles, according to the sources from Zhangjiakou city government, Xinhua news agency reported.

The injured have been rushed to hospitals. Further investigation is underway.

IANS

 US Customs and Border Protection temporarily closed all vehicle and pedestrian traffic at the major San Ysidro port of entry between Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, California on Sunday.

The agency made the announcement as hundreds of migrants and refugees marched towards the border in an attempt to put pressure on the US government to allow thousands of asylum seekers to enter the United States.

According to several journalists in Tijuana, US authorities used tear gas on migrants and refugees, including children, who approached the border fence near the El Chaparral crossing. A small group breached the border, local media reported.

“To prepare for the possibility that additional groups would also break off from demonstrations for a possible attempt or attempts to rush illegally through the port of entry, CBP suspended operations at the port of entry,” the agency said in a statement.

The port of entry remained closed for about six hours before being re-opened.

The developments on Sunday come as frustration grows in Tijuana over the slow processing of asylum claims by US authorities.

Thousands of migrants and refugees have arrived in the Mexican border city in recent weeks as part of a caravan, dubbed the Central American exodus. Many have told Al Jazeera they are fleeing violence, poverty or political persecution.

More than 5,000 migrants and refugees have been cramped into a Tijuana stadium complex that is more than 2,000 people over capacity.  Rights groups have accused to the US government of stalling the processing of asylum claims, allegations CBP denies.

Aerial view of Central American migrants and refugees being stopped by federal police officers near El Chaparral port of entry in the US-Mexico border [Pedro Pardo/AFP]

US President Donald Trump has sought to sow fear over the collective exodus by deploying thousands of US military troops to the border and giving them expanded powers, including the “ok” to use lethal force.

The Trump administration also implemented new asylum rules, which have been temporarily blocked by a federal court. Under the new rules, individuals crossing the border between official ports of entry would not be eligible for asylum. A judge last week blocked the rules from being enforced pending further hearings.

‘Immigrants are welcome’

Prior to the border closure, hundreds gathered in San Diego to march in solidarity with the migrants and refugees in Tijuana.

The group, which included a collection of different rights organisations, accused the Trump administration of creating a “war-like atmosphere” against the Central American exodus in Mexico.

Holding banners that read “immigrants are welcome” and “money for jobs, not walls”, more than 200 people marched towards the San Ysidro port of entry.

“As a mother, I understand that families have to be together,” said 37-year-old Kelly Leon, who attended the march with her family.

“For me, it’s clear that you don’t just travel thousands of miles with your whole family, unless there is something that you [are really running] away from,” she told Al Jazeera.

While Leon grew up in the US, her husband, 40-year-old Armando Leon, was brought by his parents from Mexico when he was a child.

“I think the majority of people in San Diego stand in solidarity with these migrants, that’s what we hear around us,” Kelly Leon told Al Jazeera. “Especially from people who have families themselves.”

Protesters supporting the migrants and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico show their solidarity during a march next to the border wall with Mexico in the San Ysidro neighbourhood of San Diego [Mike Blake/Reuters]

Among the groups present at Sunday’s march was Veterans for Peace.

Paul Ross, 74, who served in the Vietnam War, said he felt compelled to come to the border and make his voice heard.

“Latin America has had one dictator after the other,” Ross told Al Jazeera. “Almost all of which have had support from the United States, in the beginning, to work towards regime change. The poverty and problems they have there now, have a history which we have to understand.”

While holding a flag with Veterans for Peace written on it in combination with a logo with a flying dove, Ross told Al Jazeera he believed the current exodus of Central Americans is a result of the involvement of the US in affairs in these countries.

“Now these places have become very dangerous and problematic, so the people have no place to go any more. They have no choice.”

Other marches in support of migrants and refugees were planned across the US.

Aljazeera

A US judge on Monday put a temporary halt to an order by US President Donald Trump’s administration denying the possibility of asylum to people who enter the US informally.

US District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday against the asylum rules to take effect immediately, applying nationwide.

The measure will last until at least December 19 when the judge scheduled a hearing to consider a more long-lasting injunction.

Trump cited an overwhelmed immigration system for his recent proclamation that officials would only process asylum claims for migrants who present themselves at an official entry point.

Civil rights groups sued this, arguing that Trump’s November 9 order violated administrative and immigration law.

In his ruling, Tigar said Congress clearly mandated that immigrants and refugees can apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the country. The judge called the latest rules an “extreme departure” from prior practice.

“Whatever the scope of the President’s authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden,” Tigar wrote.

Tigar was nominated to the court by Barack Obama, the previous US president.

Previous Trump immigration policies, including measures targeting sanctuary cities, have also been blocked by the courts.

Central Americans at US border

The latest asylum ruling came as thousands of Central Americans, including a large number of children, are travelling in caravans towards the US-Mexico border to escape violence and poverty at home. Some have already arrived at Tijuana, a Mexican city on the border with California.

Rights groups have said migrants and refugees are being forced to wait days or weeks at the border before they can present themselves for asylum.

The American Civil Liberties Union says US law stipulates that the right to request asylum must be granted to anyone entering the country, regardless of whether they do so at an official port of entry or come in informally.

Trump’s administration has argued that he has the executive power to curb immigration in the name of national security, a power he invoked right after taking office last year with a controversial ban on travellers from several mostly Muslim countries.

The final version of that order was upheld by the US Supreme Court on June 26 after a protracted legal battle.

Aljazeera

PM hits back at ‘false assertions’ by US president, who accused Islamabad of not doing ‘a damn thing’ for Washington.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said US President Donald Trump needs to inform himself about historical facts after Trump alleged that Islamabad did not adequately support the Washington-led “war on terror”.

In a series of statements on Twitter on Monday, Khan listed ways in which Pakistan assisted the US and was impacted by the war, saying the “record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump’s tirade against Pakistan”.

The comments came a day after Trump defended his decision to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of taking money while allowing former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to hide in the South Asian country.

Khan reacted sharply, recalling the Pakistani lives lost during the “war on terror”, before appearing to suggest the United States should look closer to home to find those responsible for the continued strength of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Khan said the US has made Pakistan a “scapegoat” for its failures in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are stronger than at any point since the 2001 US-led invasion.

“Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140,000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops and reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than ever before.”

Khan also highlighted how the war devastated Pakistan’s tribal areas and uprooted millions of Pakistanis from their homes. He said the country continues to provide free lines of ground and air communications to the US.

“Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?” he said.

Uncomfortable allies

In an interview with Fox News that aired on Sunday, Trump said Pakistan “don’t do a damn thing” for the US, and once again blamed Pakistan for allegedly sheltering bin Laden.

“He was living in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3bn a year, which we don’t give them any more. By the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us,” he said.

Shortly after Khan’s comments on Monday, Trump took to Twitter again to slam Pakistan.

“We paid Pakistan billions of dollars and they never told us he was living there. Fools! We no longer pay Pakistan the billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another.

“They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That’s ENDING!” Trump posted.

Bin Laden was found to be hiding in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he was killed in a raid by US Navy Seals in 2011.

Relations between the two allies have nosedived since Trump took office last year, mainly because of a clash of interests in war-torn Afghanistan.

Washington accuses Islamabad of providing safe havens to the powerful Haqqani network, which is blamed for numerous attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan in recent years.

Aljazeera