[Nasheman news] San Francisco Facebook has announced to invest over $300 million over the next three years to support local news organisations.

In a blog post, Campbell Brown, Vice President, Global News Partnerships, said that Facebook wants to support local journalists and newsrooms with their news gathering needs in the immediate future and help these organisations build sustainable business models, through both its product and partnership work.

“We heard one consistent answer: people want more local news, and local newsrooms are looking for more support. That’s why today we’re announcing an expanded effort around local news in the years ahead,” Brown said late on Tuesday.

In 2018, Google also committed $300 million for over three years to strengthen quality journalism, support sustainable business models and empower newsrooms through technological innovation. 

It was also committing to spend $300 million over the next three years on its various journalism-related projects.

According to Facebook, it would invest $300 million in news programmes, partnerships and content.

Among the components is a Pulitzer Centre — a $5 million endowment gift to launch “Bringing Stories Home”, a gift that will provide local newsrooms across the US with reporting grants to foster coverage on topics that affect local communities.

“Report for America” is a $2 million investment in the initiative to place 1,000 journalists in local newsrooms across America over the next five years.

“This year, we’ll commit over $20 million to continue our local ‘Accelerator’ programme in the US and to expand the model globally, including in Europe,” said Brown.

[Nasheman news] New Delhi Search engine giant Google on Tuesday celebrated the birth anniversary of Sake Dean Mahomed who was the first Indian author to publish a book in English and later, to open an Indian restaurant in Britain.

Born in 1759 in Patna, Mahomed went on to find success as the “The Shampooing Surgeon of Brighton”, opening a spa in the British seaside town that attracted the rich and the royal.

In 1810 after moving to London, he opened the ‘Hindostanee Coffee House’, Britain’s first Indian restaurant. However, Mahomed was forced to close his luxurious restaurant in 1812.

He later moved his family to the beachside town of Brighton and opened a spa named ‘Mahomed’s Baths’ which offered luxurious herbal steam baths whose specialty was a combination of a steam bath and an Indian therapeutic massage – a treatment he named ‘shampooing’, inspired by the Hindi word ‘champissage’ meaning a head massage.

He also published a book about the therapeutic benefits of the treatment with testimonials from his patients. 

In 1822, King George IV appointed Mahomed as his personal ‘shampooing surgeon’, which greatly improved his business. A portrait of Mahomed also hangs in the Brighton Museum.

[Nasheman news] WashingtonUS President Donald Trump has sent a letter to North Koran leader Kim Jong-un, an informed familiar with the ongoing denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang told CNN.

The letter comes as the two sides negotiate details of a second meeting between the two leaders. It was flown to Pyongyang and delivered by hand, the source said on Monday night.

According to the source, North Korea’s former intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol — one of Pyongyang’s top negotiators — could visit Washington to finalise details of the upcoming summit.

CNN had previously reported that US scouting teams visited Bangkok, Hanoi and Hawaii as they search for a location for the second summit.

Last week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in threw his support behind another Trump-Kim meeting, saying it would be a turning point “that will firmly solidify peace on the Korean Peninsula”.

During his visit to Beijing last week, Kim said that Pyongyang will make efforts for the second summit with the US leader to achieve results that will be welcomed by the international community.

North Korea will continue sticking to the stance of denuclearization and resolving the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation, he added.

Trump and Kim held a historic summit last June in Singapore where they had agreed to work towards denuclearization in return for security guarantees from Washington.

Talks are currently stalled due to the lack of a clear disarmament road map.

Nasheman News :  At least seven people were killed and another was injured in a Boeing 707 plane crash near the Iranian city Karaj on Monday, the media reported.

The cargo plane with 16 on board crashed in a residential area, 45 km west of Tehran, the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) quoted Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of the Emergency Centre of Iran, as saying.

The plane was flying from Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek and was carrying a cargo of meat to Iran, the Iranian Army said in a statement.

It was supposed to land in Karaj’s Payam Airport but chose to land in the Fath airport for an unknown reason, Naser Charkhsaz, Chief of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, told ISNA.

According to Press TV, the pilot took the plane to the Fath airfield by mistake, which was not suited for large cargo aircraft.

After landing in the wrong airport, the plane got out of control and overshot the runway, hitting an empty residential building and catching fire.

It was not clear who owned the plane. A spokesman for Iran’s civil aviation department said the plane belonged to Kyrgyzstan, while Kyrgyzstan’s Manas International Airport said it was operated by Iran’s Payam Air.

Armed forces shoot at mourners and protesters who tried to attend funeral prayers of two rebels killed in gun battle.

At least 11 people have been injured after Indian security forces opened fire on mourners, who were attending the funeral of two rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Zeenat ul-Islam was killed along with his associate on Saturday in a gun battle with Indian troops.

Thousands of people on Sunday marched towards his village, Sugan in Shopian district, to offer funeral prayers despite the barricades and deployment of troops along the way.

To stop people from joining the funeral prayers, government forces fired bullets, shotgun pellets and tear gas to stop the mourners, leading to street clashes as groups of youths pelted stones at the troops, police and residents said.

Kashmir sees its deadliest year in about a decade

According to Anadolu Agency, six injured were brought to the district hospital in Pulwama.

One of the injured is in critical condition, according to local media reports.

Both India and Pakistan claim the territory of Kashmir in its entirety but they control parts of the Himalayan region.

Rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule since 1989. Most Kashmiris support the rebel cause that the territory stays united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. READ MORE

Kashmir’s youngest pellet gun victim could lose complete sight

The disputed territory, over which India and Pakistan have fought three wars, is currently under the president’s rule after India dissolved the state assembly in November.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.

According to rights groups, 2018 was the country’s most deadly year in almost a decade.

Aljazeera

[Nasheman news] BeijingAnyone who wishes to buy firecrackers to celebrate the Chinese New Year, beginning on February 5, will have to present their identity document, authorities said on Monday.

Stores will have devices to identify and register buyers, who will be held accountable in case of an incident, according to an official from the Beijing Emergency Management Bureau Tang Mingming.

Tang also said that Beijing has decided to reduce the number of stores selling fireworks and firecrackers from around 80 to 30, and they can only sell them from January 30 to February 9, reports Efe news.

Other Chinese cities joined in to avoid further pollution and for safety reasons.

With the ban, launched in 2018, Beijing ended 12 years of fireworks being allowed on virtually every street, causing big fires like that of 2009 in the city skyscraper Hotel Mandarin Oriental.

The Chinese often set off firecrackers and fireworks during these festivities not only for aesthetic purposes but also due to the belief that noise and fire dispel evil spirits that lurk around this time, ensuring a prosperous and fortunate year.

 Nasheman News : German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the European spirit has been strengthened through the management of common challenges and Europe will have a better future through cooperation and not nationalism.

She gave a joint statement to the press with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday at the start of her two-day visit to Athens, reported Xinhua news agency.

“We have been through difficult years. What we have achieved was to strengthen the European spirit,” the German leader stressed during the remarks broadcast by Greek state television ERT.

Merkel praised Greece for its achievements despite the difficulties of the recent years of the debt crisis, such as the historic agreement reached last summer for the resolution of the Macedonia name dispute.

The deal, which is currently in the process of ratification by the parliaments of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece, will benefit the entire Europe, the chancellor stressed.

She reiterated Germany’s support to Greece’s efforts to stand on its feet, noting the need to continue on the path of reform in the post-bailout era.

“Today you are coming to a different Greece, which after many challenges has managed to overcome the crisis and enter the path of growth,” the Greek prime minister said.

“I believe that Greece is not only gradually exiting the crisis but is turning from part of the problem into part of the solution,” the Greek leader said, underlining that his country is a pillar of stability in a region suffering from destabilisation.

The German chancellor’s visit marks the end of a difficult period in bilateral relations, opening new prospects, Tsipras noted, referring to past differences regarding the way to address the Greek debt crisis, which was overcome through compromises.

He also stressed the need for closer cooperation in finding solutions to more problems as Europe faces more challenges, like the rise of the populist far-right.

The leaders also highlighted the need to establish a comprehensive European migration and asylum policy to deal with the refugee-migrant crisis, which has also tested the EU in recent years.

During the meeting at the prime minister’s office, police used tear gas to disperse leftist and far-right protesters who held two different demonstrations against the chancellor’s visit.

“We are here to protest against Merkel’s visit. She came indeed to check what the entire EU leadership has created in Greece. We are against and we demand that our country be liberated from the shackles of the EU and the debt load,” Nikos Adamopoulos, one of the leftist protesters, told Xinhua.

The German leader is scheduled to hold a meeting with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and main opposition New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday before departing from Athens. 

Frequent clashes between Myanmar security forces and Buddhist rebels in Rakhine state have spread alarm among thousands of Rohingya refugees living in no-man’s-land on the country’s border with Bangladesh, as concerns grow over the intensified fighting.

More than 730,000 members of the mostly Muslim minority have fled Myanmar to escape a brutal military-led crackdown that started in 2017. Most of the Rohingya have taken shelter in sprawling refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh but some have been living in limbo on the border, unwilling to enter the settlements or return home.

They are now caught on the sidelines of fighting between Myanmar troops and the Arakan Army, an armed group seeking more autonomy for western Rakhine state’s Buddhist-majority population.

“Heavy fighting is going on between the government troops and Arakan Army inside Myanmar,” Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad told AFP news agency.

Thousands flee clashes between Buddhist group and Myanmar army

“The situation is very tense,” he said, adding that the security build-up and daily gunfire had created “panic”.

Myanmar soldiers last week set up security camps and bunkers along the border after fighting saw 13 police killed.

Some of the fortifications are directly adjacent to a border fence running alongside a stream and overlooking shacks erected by an estimated 4,500 displaced Rohingya living in the narrow strip of land.

Refugee community leader Nur Alam said gunfire could frequently be heard after dark on the other side of the border.

“Every night it is close by. The Myanmar border guard have set up 10 new posts near our camp. It’s very intimidating,” he told AFP.

Last week, an Arakan Army spokesperson outside Myanmar told Reuters news agency that the group attacked the security forces in response to a broad military offensive in the north of Rakhine state that also targeted civilians.

UN appeal

Meanwhile, the United Nations said in a statement on Wednesday it was “deeply concerned” about the situation in the area.

‘Myanmar wants to drive out all Muslims’: Q&A with Kyaw Hla Aung

“Mr Ostby further appeals to all sides to intensify efforts to find a peaceful solution to the situation and to ensure humanitarian access to all people affected by the violence,” the statement added.

A Bangladesh official said they were aware of the border tensions.

“We will talk to the relevant authorities to discuss what to do,” local administrator Kamal Hossain said.

Rohingya in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have suffered decades of persecution. Impoverished western Rakhine state, in particular, is scarred by deep ethnic and religious hatred.

A report by UN investigators in August last year found that Myanmar’s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with “genocidal intent” and said the commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted under international laws.

Myanmar has denied any wrongdoing, saying it was defending itself against Rohingya fighters who attacked police posts.

Aljazeera

Nasheman News :  India and Norway agreed to work in close cooperation on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ocean economy following delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Norwegian counterpart Erna Solberg here on Tuesday.

“The Sustainable Development Goals match India’s growth targets,” Modi said in a joint address to the media with Solberg following the meeting.

“And it is a matter of happiness for us that both countries are cooperating with the Norway-India Partnership Initiative on the issue of mother and child health,” he said,

Referring to Solberg inaugurating Norway’s new green Embassy here on Monday, he said that she has contributed significantly to global efforts to achieve the SDGs.

Modi also recalled his meeting with Solberg at the G20 Summit in 2017 during which the latter gifted him a football.

“It was not a football game of goals, but a symbol of Sustainable Development Goals,” he said. 

“Prime Minister Solberg has given a lot of encouragement to global efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”

Stating that trade and investment form an important part of the India-Norway bilateral relationship, Modi said that Norway’s Government Pension Fund has made a portfolio investment of around $12 billion in India.

“I believe Norwegian companies will benefit from India’s immense potential in both portfolio investment and foreign direct investment in the days to come,” he said.

“Under the Sagarmala programme in particular, there are many opportunities for Norwegian companies in ship-building, ports and port-led development in India.”

Sagarmala is a programme for the comprehensive development of India’s coastline and maritime sector. 

According to a joint statement issued following the meeting, the two sides signed the terms of reference for the establishment of a Dialogue on Trade and Investment, which would give impetus to business cooperation and encourage participation of Norwegian companies in the flagship programmes of India.

“The two leaders recognised that all countries benefit from open and predictable trade rules,” it stated. 

“They acknowledged that a conclusion of the free trade negotiations between EFTA (European Free Trade Association) and India is a priority for both governments.” 

Modi also stressed on the importance of the ocean economy for India.

Stating that 15 per cent of India’s population lives in coastal areas, he said these people’s lives are directly linked to the ocean economy.

Referring to Norway’s immense experience in the ocean economy, he said that 70 per cent of that country’s exports is in the maritime industry.

He said that the agreement on bilateral ocean dialogue signed between the two sides following the talks will give new direction to cooperation in all sectors in this area. 

According to the joint statement, under this agreement, a joint task force on Blue Economy was also established in order to promote multi-sectoral cooperation in various aspects of Blue Economy.

Modi also said that India and Norway have strong cooperation at international fora.

“We work with close cooperation and coordination on issues like UN Security Council reforms, multilateral export control regimes and fighting terrorism,” he said.

According to the joint statement, the two sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and agreed to cooperate in combating international terrorism. 

“They also urged the international community to work towards early finalisation of the (India-initiated) Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism mooted by India at the UN,” it stated. 

On her part, Solberg said that the world will not be able to achieve the SDGs if India is not on board.

Referring to her personal interest in women’s empowerment, she said that India has been working hard in this area. 

Solberg said both India and Norway have agreed to increase cooperation in ocean economy.

“It will create more jobs and more medicine,” she said.

She also said that both sides discussed cooperation in the areas of energy, climate change and environment. 

This was the first meeting between Modi and Solberg after the first ever India-Nordic Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, in April last year. 

Earlier in the day, Solberg was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also called on the visiting dignitary during the course of which the two leaders discussed expanding bilateral cooperation across all areas.

Solberg arrived here on Monday on her first visit to India. 

Nasheman News : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday strongly rejected Washington’s calls for his country to protect US-backed Kurdish militias in Syria and said statements made by US National Security Adviser John Bolton asking for the same were “unacceptable”.

At the start of his visit to Israel and Turkey over the weekend, Bolton said that the American forces would remain in Syria until the last remnants of the Islamic State were defeated and Turkey provided guarantees that it would not strike Kurdish forces allied with the US. 

The top US official was currently in Turkey and held meetings with his counterpart Ibrahim Kalin and others, Efe news reported. 

Speaking to Justice and Development Party (AKP) party members in Ankara, Erdogan decried Bolton’s statement as a “serious error”. 

“It is impossible for us to accept Bolton’s message,” he said in a live televised speech. “They are terrorists, for this reason, they cannot tell us ‘don’t touch those Kurds.’ Whatever happens, if they are terrorists, we will do whatever it takes. This is what John Bolton got very wrong.” 

Erdogan added that the Americans did not know who the YPG and other Kurdish groups were. “If the US evaluates them as ‘Kurdish brothers’ then they are in a serious delusion,” he said.

Turkey has drawn up plans to launch a military incursion into areas of northeastern Syria to clear the region of the militias such as the YPG, one of the main cogs in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) umbrella group, which united Kurdish and local Arab units and was backed by American forces in the fight against the Islamic State. 

While the US Army — which has deployed some 2,000 ground troops to the region, where they equip and train the SDF — regards the YPG as a solid fighting partner in the regional battle against the extremists, Ankara views them as a terrorist group inextricably linked to the PKK, Kurdish separatists that fought a decades-long insurgency in eastern Turkey. 

“The terrorist organizations of the PKK and the PYD (the political arm of the YPG) can never represent my Kurdish brothers,” Erdogan said, adding that his Army was ready to launch an operation in northern Syria to clear the region of the militias. 

Turkey wants to push the Kurdish forces to the east of the Euphrates River. 

SDF forces retain control of the key city of Manbij, a predominantly-Arab settlement to the west of the major river.

Turkish-backed Syrian militias captured a tranche of northern Syria from the IS in its first major incursion into the territory in 2016. Then, in 2018, Turkey and its allies took Afrin province, located in far northwestern Syria, from Kurdish militias. 

The YPG-led SDF have spearheaded the battle on the ground against the IS and were currently routing out insurgents from their last major settlement, Hajin, in the country’s sparsely-populated east.