US calls for coalition to 'destroy' IS group

The United States has called for the creation of a broad international coalition to go after and "destroy" the Islamic State group, and build a plan by the time the UN General Assembly meets later this month.
US secretary of state John Kerry and defence secretary Chuck Hagel, pressed a core coalition of 10 nations at a NATO summit in Wales on Friday to go after the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militarily and financially.
"There is no time to waste in building a broad international coalition to degrade and, ultimately, to destroy the threat posed by the Islamic State," Kerry and Hagel said in a joint statement.

In a private meeting with the foreign and defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark, Kerry said there were many ways each country could contribute in the fight against IS.

"We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory," Kerry told the meeting.
While noting that there would not be many willing to engage in military strikes, he said countries could instead provide intelligence, equipment, ammunition or weapons.
The session focused on the Islamic State group in Iraq, but Kerry said there are obviously "implications about Syria in this'' and suggested they could discuss that later in the day.
The US has launched air strikes against IS targets in Iraq, and has been accused by the Syrian opposition of applying double standards as it has not yet intervened against the group in Syria, where it also controls large areas in the north.
International support
Al Jazeera's diplomatic editor James Bays, reporting from the NATO summit, said no one was talking about military action but focusing on international condemnation of the IS and intelligence sharing between countries.
"I think all the NATO countries agree that they are opposed to IS, they want its destruction and they will sign up to this coalition. The effort then is to get partners in the region, particularly Gulf states, involved."
British prime minister David Cameron appeared to rule out launching immediate air strikes on the IS.
"Let's be clear, what is required is not some Western intervention that leaves others in the region to pick up the pieces," he said.
"What is required is action on the ground, from the Kurds, from the new Iraqi government, from the neighbouring states."
He stressed that the UK is already playing a role: "We're arming the Kurds, we're helping the Iraqi government, we're flying missions over Iraq, we're supplying humanitarian aid."

French president Francois Hollande said France would join a military coalition to help battle Islamic State fighters in Iraq if asked by the government there, but did not provide specific details.
In another act of support, Canada announced it would deploy military officials to Iraq to advise government forces.
"The fanaticism of the [Islamic State] terrorist group is a real threat to regional security and millions of innocent people in Iraq, Syria and beyond," Canada's rime minister Stephen Harper said at the NATO summit.
Germany, which has also decided to aid Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group, has already sent a plane carrying the first shipment of military aid for Iraq.
The plane that left Germany on Friday was stocked with protective vests, helmets, night vision telescopes, communications equipment and devices for mine search and disposal, a military officer said.
IS, formerly known as ISIL, grew out of the US-led war in Iraq, and entered the civil war in Syria last year.
The group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared himself the leader of a caliphate earlier this year after seizing control of vast swaths of territory straddling the borders of Iraq and Syria.

Dozens killed in fighting north of Sanaa

At least 50 people have been killed in fighting between Yemeni troops and Houthi rebels north of Sanaa, as supporters of the Shia group continue to rally against the government in the capital.

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Sanaa, said the deadly clashes have been ongoing in the province of Jawf over the last few days, in what is seen as a crucial fight for both groups.

At least 20 of those killed were from the army and armed pro-government groups, while 30 were from the Houthi side. 

Our correspondent said: "The fighting has intensified over the last few hours.... Both sides are trying to consolidate their presence near the capital Sanaa. Both are fighting to control a strategic junction on the main road that link the capital to Jawf and Maarib provinces."

"There was a truce earlier but suddenly it broke and the fighting resumed…There is loads of anxiety and a very charged political atmosphere in Sanaa."

Analysts said the rebels are trying to establish themselves as the dominant political force in the northern highlands, where Shia are the majority community.

'Psychological warfare'

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Sanaa on Friday in support of the beleaguered government, as a large number of its opponents held a counter-demonstration vowing to intensify their protests until the cabinet resigns.

The rebels called for further action against the government, who they accuse of corruption and whose resignation they have been demanding.

Protesters called for an escalation of the situation, and a senior member of the Houthis politburo called for "civil disobedience" and urged supporters to join in new protests on Sunday and Monday to keep up the pressure on the government.

As protesters step up pressure for the government to resign, Ahelbarra said that the Houthis and their supporters have threatened to block roads leading to the capital, and move closer to the airport.

"They are waging some sort of psychological warfare. It's quite tense tense here," he said.

Yemen has been locked in a protracted transition since long-time president Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced from power in February 2012 after a deadly 11-month uprising.

Morsi charged with passing documents to Qatar

Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi is to be tried on accusations that he handed documents relating to national security to Qatar, the state prosecutor has announced.

Morsi is already facing the death penalty in several trials, and his supporters, including top ranking members of the Muslim Brotherhood, have been the target of a deadly crackdown by authorities since his ousting in July 2013.

No date has yet been set for the new trial facing Morsi, who is accused of providing the sensitive documents to the energy-rich Gulf state during his single year of turbulent rule.

Relations between Qatar, a key supporter of Morsi's government, and Egypt have been tense since mid-2013, when then-army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi toppled Morsi.

Sisi blames outages on lack of investment

Egypt's president has blaming widespread power outages in recent days on years of lack of investment, while warning people were trying to cripple his government's efforts to rebuild the country and seeking to try take advantage of the crisis. In a TV address on Saturday, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that the outage were "the most significant incident over the last three decades", adding that the country needs to invest at least $12bn over the next five years to generate sufficient amount of electricity for its population.     "This is a battle for our existence," Sisi said in the special address to the nation, three months into his presidency. "We need to carry out a huge power generation development."   "We should be aware that such a crisis cannot be remedied overnight," the president added. "We as Egyptians are facing huge insurmountable obstacles and no one, the president nor the government, will be able to overcome them individually without your support." On Thursday, a huge power outage blacked out most of Cairo causing major disruption across the capital city of some 20 million people at the height of the morning rush hour. Services were completely suspended on one of the city's three metro lines and heavily disrupted on a second. Power was gradually restored several hours later as temperatures rose towards 40 degrees Celsius in the middle of the day. The power disruption also left parts of the capital without running water, and hit telecommunications, knocking out 2,000 mobile phone signal boosters. The outage has forced authorities to impose rolling power cuts neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Thursday's outage was the most extensive in years, as investment in generation has failed to keep up with rising population numbers amid the economic woes plaguing the country since the Arab Spring of 2011.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Egyptian jail causes Al Jazeera journalist to miss birth of son

Jailed Al Jazeera journalist Baher Mohamed will become a father again . His unjust imprisonment has however meant that he could not be at his wife Gehan’s side when she gave birth to a baby boy.

From his jail cell, Baher released a letter to the new arrival, to be named Haroun. The letter is a mix of sadness and hope for the child’s future, as well as some valuable wisdom for his two other children four year old Hazem, and three year old Fairouz.

Baher begins with sharing his hopes that there are better days ahead for Egypt:

“Sorry because you were born where free people are behind bars, including your father. Sorry too because you have come to a society where its freedom’s restricted. But I promise you I will always fight for liberty. I don’t want you to give up on this society…because I am sure that soon everything will change for the better”

He goes on to  share his life lessons to his children:

My dear children; there are things I learnt and I want to share with you. I was always fighting for the truth in my career, and that was not easy. Whatever it takes; keep looking for the truth and never be afraid of it. I want you all to maintain your dignity. It is one of your most precious values. Always be patient because you will face lots of obstacles in your path. Always be good to all, even to those who treat you badly. Feel the pain of the others and keep trying to help them. If you feel you can help and make someone happy never hesitate. If you can draw a smile on someone’s face…then take the action to draw this smile.

My dear children…keep smiling because behind the clouds the sun always shines.”

Finally, Baher tells of the close bond between the families of the three imprisoned journalists, who will be there to support each his wife and child at the hospital:

“Finally Haroun, I want you to ask your Mama to forgive me because I couldn’t be with her the moment you arrived. I want you also to take it easy on her. And by the way…the moment you will arrive you will meet two great Australians; the parents of Peter Greste, who is in prison (with) me, as well as The great Egyptian family of Mohamed Fahmy my colleague. Together we are sharing this struggle; and together we will celebrate your birth. They are your family and their sons’ are your father’s brothers.

So don’t be shy of them.

Love you Haroun..your father: Baher Mohamed”

Baher’s wife Gehan was admitted to hospital today, to deliver her son. Without his father, the parents of Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy’s family gathered to support her at this time.

Follow #FREEAJSTAFF for more shots of the family gathered for the birth of Haroun.