Obama Says Military Strike on Isis Not Ruled Out as Iraq's Fragmentation Looms

Reuters

US President Barack Obama has said military action against the Sunni Islamist militants of the Isis who are rapidly advancing on the Iraqi capital Baghdad is not ruled out.

The fall of Mosul and Tikrit to Isis and the capture of Kirkurk by the Kurds have heightened fears about the disintegration of the Iraqi state and the capital Baghdad is under the threat of an impending surge by the Sunni fighters.

Fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) have made lightning advance through northern Iraq, making their historic goal of the creation of a Sunni Islamic caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria look plausible.

Large swathes of land in the border regions of Syria and Iraq, both under Shia-led administrations, are now under the control of the hardline Sunni insurgents.

Iran may deploy troops

The surge of Isis has sent shockwaves across the region with Iran, the major Shia power, reportedly considering deployment of troops to support the shaky government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The US, whose occupation of Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003 set off bloody sectarian clashes that culminated in the latest events, has said it has all options on the table to deal with the situation.

"There will be some short-term immediate things that need to be done militarily," Obama said.

"I don't rule out anything because we do have a stake in making sure these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in Iraq, or Syria for that matter."

The US had earlier rejected Maliki's request for aerial assault on the militants.

Following Obama's assertion of possible military action in Iraq, from where it withdrew troops in 2011, the White House clarified that the US will not send ground troops to Iraq.

While the United Nations Security Council offered unanimous support to Iraqi government, saying Iraq was facing a wave of terrorism, Obama reminded Maliki that his administration had failed to bridge the sectarian divide in the country and reassure the significant Sunni minority of their rights.

"This should be also a wakeup call for the Iraqi government. There has to be a political component to this," Obama said, according to Reuters.

Taking advantage of the chaos created by the rapid advance of the Sunni forces, the Kurds took control of Kirkurk, which they have long dreamed of as the capital of their future state.

By taking Kirkurk, home to Iraq's largest refinery, the Kurdish forces expanded their sway beyond the autonomous ethnic Kurdish north.

"The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of peshmerga," a spokesman of the Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, said. "No Iraqi army remains in Kirkuk now," he said, Reuters reported.

US Vice-President Joe Biden telephoned Maliki and offered to enhance security support to the country whose armed forces withered under a spectacular onslaught by the Isis militants that threatens to redraw the region's map.

Isis Militants Surround Iraq's Biggest Oil Refinery

The Baiji oil facility is the largest refinery in IraqReuters

Insurgents have surrounded Iraq's largest oil refinery, after Isis (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) militants captured Iraq's second largest city of Mosul.

Sunni militants arrived on Thursday at the oil refinery in Baiji, a town on the road from Mosul to the Iraqi capital Baghdad, according to Reuters.

Fighters first arrived in the town on Tuesday but later withdrew after reaching a deal with local tribesmen.

Citing a witness who lives near the refinery, Reuters said around 50 vehicles had surrounded the refinery on Thursday.

The Baiji refinery can produce up to 300,000 barrels of oil a day and is a major supplier to the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Iraq Crisis: Air Force Launch Airstrikes on Isis Positions in Mosul

Fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stand guard at a checkpoint in the northern Iraq city of Mosul.Reuters

The Iraqi air force has started a campaign of airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams (Isis) positions in Mosul following the capture of the city.

State television reported that the air force bombed positions in and around the northern city.

Mosul has provided the launchpad for a southward offensive which has seen the capture of Tikrit city, the hometown of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and fighting in the town of Samarra.

The Iraqi parliament has delayed voting on prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's request for emergency powers to regain control of key northern cities.

Only 128 of the 325 Iraqi MPs turned up to vote on al-Maliki's request despite the destablising situation in the country's north.

Elsewhere, Kurdish fighters took full control of the city of Kirkuk after the country's army fled Isis insurgents.

"The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of Peshmerga," said Jabbar Yawar, a Peshmerga spokesman, referring to the Kurdish forces.

"No Iraq army remains in Kirkuk now."

More to follow...

From Hollywood to the Boardroom: Why Firms Must Quash the Thirst for Blood Diamonds

An illegal diamond dealer from Zimbabwe displays diamonds for sale in Manica, a town in the African country of Mozambique, on September 19, 2010. People want cheap diamonds and often they overlook the fact that these are sourced from corruptionREUTERS

The trade of blood diamonds is something that the world has become increasingly concerned with in recent years. Once a relatively unknown issue, it was thrown into the spotlight with the release of a Hollywood film in 2006. Since then, we have seen an endless stream of celebrities speak out about the trade and calls for the industry and international governments to address it.

The Kimberly Process

However, as the spotlight starts to fade, it is important that the subject remains a high profile one.Today, conflict diamonds are still being used to fund insurgency in warzones.

This week, at the annual Kimberly Process Intercessional in Shanghai, we were once again reminded of the importance of stemming the flow of blood diamond trading.

The fact is the trade still exists because there is a demand for it but, ultimately, the rough diamond trade needs to be challenged. Over a quarter of rough cut diamonds in circulation are being processed as blood diamonds.

A ground-breaking report back in 1998 was one of the first to call out the issues of the trade; exposing the role of diamonds funding war in Angola. Since then, the launch of the Kimberly Process has made the most significant steps towards battling the issues surrounding the trade.

The Kimberly Process has grown rapidly in recent years and now has 54 participants, representing 81 countries. A joint government, industry and social society initiative, it was set up to encourage discussion and seek to stem the flow of blood diamond trading. More recently, it has also implemented a certification scheme for diamonds in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly.

Taking a stand

Events like the one in Shanghai are great for ensuring the debate stays alive but more needs to be done to eliminate the trading of blood diamonds and the issues associated with it.

The increased level of regulation The Kimberly Process aims to put in place is still having little impact in some of the biggest rough diamond mines. In Seurat, India, for example, the lack of regulation makes it impossible to tell which diamonds are legal.

The fact is that while these processes go some way towards addressing the issue, really it is the industry that needs to take a stand.

“People want cheap diamonds and often they are unaware or overlook the fact that these are sourced from corruption”

- Steve Bennett

People want cheap diamonds and often they are unaware or overlook the fact that these are sourced from corruption. However, jewellers do have the overview of the whole market – and they are the ones who can change what is delivered to consumers.

It's about cutting out the middle man. Currently there are around nine steps between the mine and a diamond arriving at the jewellers but, if stones are soured directly or jewellers take the time to identify the source, that can be dramatically reduced. Not only that, but less stages mean a lower cost – beneficial to both the jeweller and stemming the demand of these diamonds.

The industry also needs to do more to educate its customers. Despite the recent publicity, consumers still know little about the trade and the jewellery they are buying. Jewellers need to take responsibility; telling customers the truth about the industry and sharing the importance of The Kimberly Process.

Fundamentally, if consumers stop buying these diamonds, we can cut off the demand. Instead, we need to provide them with reasonably priced, legally sourced stones.

The Only Way is Ethics

What is essential to remember is that ethics and people are an integral part to any business.

Paying more attention to the supply of stones is not just about doing 'good' but, in today's businesses environment it addresses the need for organisations to be more socially ethical.

“In order to have a real impact, the whole industry needs to take a step back and really look at the supply chain and start educating consumers”

- Steve Bennett

What I have found is that the industry needs to overcome fear and face the issues head on. By being more directly involved in the sourcing of diamonds, I have been able to build a business that is sustainable, profitable and socially responsible.

Visiting the places where our diamonds are sourced and meeting the local communities allows us to ensure that the process is sustainable and that we are preventing the flow of blood diamonds.

It takes more than just one road block though.

In order to have a real impact, the whole industry needs to take a step back and really look at the supply chain and start educating consumers.

Ultimately, the benefits are three-fold; positively benefiting the business' bottom line, proving more ethical and sustainable for the local community and, vitally, it achieves the main goal of preventing the unwarranted and illegal trading of blood diamonds.

Steve Bennett, CEO, The Genuine Gemstone Company

A Grand Production of La Traviata at Masada in the Desert Near the Dead Sea

A huge production of La Traviata opens tonight in a vast expanse of desert near the Dead Sea. A lavish set has been installed at the foot of Masada, an ancient hill fortress and scene of a historic siege during the reign of the Roman emperor Herod.

The production crew prepares for a full dress rehearsal of La Traviata at the foot off the ancient hill fortress of Masada, near the Dead SeaGetty

At night the Unesco World Heritage site is illuminated by giant video screens and neon-lit reproductions of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe.

Dress rehearsals for the Tel Aviv Opera production of Giuseppe Verdi's most famous work were hampered by hot desert winds. Dancers struggled to keep their balance, while the singers had to cover their mouths with scarves to avoid swallowing the dust whirling around them.

The show has a cast of 700 performers and musicians, and 50,000 people are expected to watch the production, which runs from 12 to 17 June.

Elena Mosuc and Celso Albelo perform during a dress rehearsalReuters

Horses pull a carriage onto the set at the foot of Masada, an ancient Jewish mountaintop fortress near the Dead SeaReuters

The set for La Traviata is installed in the desert near the Dead SeaReuters

Performers on stage during a dress rehearsal of Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata" at the foothill of Masada, an ancient Jewish mountaintop fortress near the Dead Sea in southeast IsraelReuters

Conductor Daniel Oren directs the orchestra during a dress rehearsal of La TraviataReuters

The production crew prepares the stage for the rehearsal of La Traviata by Tel Aviv OperaGetty

The production crew prepares for a dress rehearsal of La Traviata at the Dead Sea in Masada, IsraelGetty

A performer makes her way onto the stage for a rehearsal of the productionReuters

Singers and actors wait backstage during a full dress rehearsalAFP

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Kurdish Oil Finds Buyers Despite Baghdad Legal Warnings

A man works at a makeshift oil refinery site in the Kurdish town of al-Qahtaniya of al-Hasakah Governorate(Reuters)

Russian energy giant Rosneft bought a shipment of Iraqi-Kurdish oil for a German refinery it co-owns with BP last month, according to Reuters.

The transaction would have infuriated Baghdad, which claims to have sole rights to oil sales from the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has sought to circumvent Baghdad's ban on selling Kurdish oil by sending crude through a recently-completed pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

The Kurds have since loaded two ships, each with 1 million barrels of crude, onto the ships in a bid to force through a sale. The cargoes have struggled to find a buyer, as Baghdad it would launch legal action against any purchaser of the oil.

However, according to Reuters' sources, Rosneft last month purchased around 41,000 tonnes of Kurdish light grade oil which had left Kurdistan via an overland route to the Turkish port of Mersin.

Reuters then tracked the 8 May shipment to the Italian port of Trieste, before being transferred to the Rosneft-BP Ruhr Oel refining facility in Germany.

The report comes as Islamist militants from ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Sham) seized control of Iraq's second city Mosul and swept southwards, taking Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit and claimed they were heading to the capital Baghdad.

Iraq's central government will need support from Kurds to stop ISIS broadening its power base in the country, particularly in the north where the Islamist brigade has seized territory in recent days.

State-owned Russian energy giant Rosneft has no large projects in Iraq although BP, which is the main operator of the Ruhr Oel facility, is at the forefront of investment at the Rumalia oilfield.

Mitsubishi Recalls Over 900,000 Vehicles to Fix Faulty Light Switches

A file photograph of Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko.Reuters

Japan's Mitsubishi Motors is recalling some 920,000 vehicles globally to fix faulty light switches that could result in the headlights and blinkers malfunctioning.

The recall covers certain Pajero SUV, Lancer sedan and eK minicar models. It also covers a few models the firm manufactures for fellow Japanese automaker Nissan Motor.

No accidents or injuries have been linked to the glitch, Mitsubishi said on 12 June.

Mitsubishi said it will recall 85,000 vehicles in Australia but in Japan the figure stands at 703,900 vehicles, reported Reuters.

The base of the light switch could crack, which could prevent the headlights and blinkers from working, Mitsubishi Motors spokesman Nobuhiro Kudo said.

Mitsubishi will either replace a plastic part inside the light switch or the entire light switch and repairs will take about 30 minutes.

The company refused to divulge the costs associated with the recall.

News of the Mitsubishi recall comes a day after rival Toyota said it is recalling nearly 650,000 vehicles in Japan to deal with potentially flawed airbags -- supplier Takata warned that further repairs could be needed.

The vehicles covered by the Toyota recall include the Corolla and Camry sedans, and Tundra trucks.

Meanwhile, Honda and Nissan said on 11 June they were examining whether they needed to recall more vehicles because of the problem associated with faulty Takata airbags.

Mitsubishi sold some 1.05 million vehicles globally in the financial year that ended March 2014.

Japan and China Trade Blame over Fighter Jets' Close Encounter

Japan and China trade blame over fighter jets' close encounterReuters file photo

Japan and China have pointed fingers at each other for the close encounter between military jets of the two countries while flying above the East China Sea.

Tokyo has said the Chinese military planes were "dangerously" close to the Japanese surveillance jets in the latest confrontation between the two countries.

"It was an action that was extremely regrettable, and which cannot be tolerated," government spokesperson in Tokyo Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

"It comes after a similar event which occurred last month. The government will continue urging China to prevent an accident and restrain itself. Japan will seek cooperation from countries concerned."

Tokyo also summoned the Chinese ambassador to Japan over the incident, which took place above the hotly-contested chain of islands known as Senkaku in Japan and as Diaoyus in China.

Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki told Chinese envoy Cheng Yonghua that this was a "very dangerous act" and if an accidental military clash had taken place it could have ended up in a bitter standoff between the Asian rivals.

China defended itself saying the Japanese aircraft were trailing the Chinese Tu-154 which was on a routine mission.

Colonel Geng Yansheng, in an article published on the Chinese defence ministry website, said the Japanese actions were provocative and dangerous as Japan's jets approached the Chinese aircraft as close as 30 metres.

The ministry has also released a photograph of Japanese F-15 jets closely following the Chinese plane.

Ebola Outbreak: Sierra Leone Shuts Borders to Guinea and Liberia as Death Toll Rises

Rose Komono poses for a picture at a health clinic after overcoming the Ebola virus in Gueckedou, Guinea.Reuters

Sierra Leone has shut its trade borders with Guinea and Liberia after more people died from the Ebola outbreak that has hit West Africa over recent months.

The Ministry of Health said 16 people have now died in Sierra Leone – doubling the figure from last week – and has taken measures to curb the outbreak, including the closure of schools, cinemas and nightclubs, Reuters reports.

Authorities decided to close schools after a nine-year-old tested positive for Ebola after both parents died from the virus.

Deputy Minister of Information Theo Nicol told the news agency: "There is more contacts between school-going kids than adults hence the closure of schools in the most affected district."

Health officials have also set up checkpoints in the eastern district of Kailahun, with authorities requesting all deaths be reported before burial. Health personnel will supervise the burials of anyone who dies from Ebola.

The current Ebola outbreak, which began in February, is the deadliest for years, with over 200 deaths recorded in Guinea.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation said there were seven new cases of Ebola in Guinea, including six deaths. In total, there has been 351 cases in Guinea, with 226 deaths.

In Sierra Leone, there have been 89 cases of the virus, while in Liberia exact numbers are unknown: "The total number of cases is subject to change due to reclassification, retrospective investigation, consolidation of cases and laboratory data and enhanced surveillance," WHO said.

Ebola is a severe acute viral illness with symptoms including the sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat. This is followed by vomiting and diarrhoea, a rash, poor liver and kidney function and bleeding.

'Evil' Captain Enslaved Shipwrecked Chinese Fisherman for Three Years

Sun Zhenglong was rescued after a shipwreck and was kept as a slave by his saviors for three years.Reuters

A Chinese fisherman has managed to escape from a ship where he was kept as a slave for three years, after being rescued from a shipwreck, the Mail Online has reported.

Sun Zhenglong, 41, fell from his own fishing vessel in 2011.

The boat had departed from Lianyungang, a city in the east of China.

"I thought at first that my colleagues would see me but they didn't," Sun said. "I watched the boat and its lights disappear and then I was alone.

"It was cold and dark and there was absolutely nothing in sight, and after 12 hours I was convinced I was going to die."

Sun, however, was rescued by some men who had spotted him in the water.

"II couldn't believe it when another boat came past early in the morning and I managed to shout and waved my hand, and they saw me."

After being rescued by the men, Sun was forced to repay his saviours by working unpaid for the crew.

He said the skipper of the rescue boat turned out to be a cruel man who demanded payment for saving him. When Sun said he had no money he replied: "Then you will work off your debt to me."

Each time the captain and the crew went ashore they would keep him chained up, Sun explained.

His wife Ding, 38, held a funeral service believing he had died in the sea.

Sun was forced to work hard and long hours; he was fed only on scraps and was kept locked up in chains in the bowels of the ship.

"I had to do everything they told me to do. The only thing I asked in return was that they inform my family I was still alive - I begged them.

"I lost all track of time. I had no mobile phone. Sometimes I was locked aboard the boat for two weeks at a time, all alone," Sun continued. "Only the sound of firecrackers on the shore told me the time as I could guess that, for example, the spring festival was underway."

After three years of slavery, Sun decided to escape.

While the ship's nets were cast some six hours out of port, he dived into the ocean and began swimming for the shore.

""They used to watch me like a hawk every time we were near the shore, but I think they got complacent and thought they had just broken my will to escape," Sun said.

"I stopped asking about when I might be free or if there was any news of my wife. I knew it was a risk but I didn't care whether I lived or died, I wanted either as a free man."

Dehydrated and exhausted, Sun eventually reached the shore where he was spotted by two hikers who raised an alarm.

Sun was rushed to hospital and released after 24 hours.

He was then allowed to telephone his wife.

"I never could think I would meet my husband again, even in a dream. Thank goodness he has come back to us," said his wife Ding.

Police are hunting for the crew which kept Sun as a slave.

The only information Sun could give was that they all spoke with southern Chinese accents.

Iraq Crisis: Kurdish Fighters Control Kirkuk after Army Flee Isis

Members of the Kurdish security forces stand at a checkpoint during an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of KirkukReuters

Iraqi Kurdish fighters claim they have taken full control of the city of Kirkuk after the country's army fled Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams (Isis) insurgents.

"The whole of Kirkuk has fallen into the hands of Peshmerga," said Jabbar Yawar, a Peshmerga spokesman, referring to the Kurdish forces.

"No Iraq army remains in Kirkuk now."

Isis militants have captured the Sunni towns of Mosul and Tikrit in northern Iraq as they continue to surge southward towards the capital Baghdad.

More to follow..

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Full Moon, Putin T-Shirts, World Cup Cat

A Virgin Airlines commercial aircraft is illuminated by the setting sun in front of a full moon after taking off from Sydney Airport.Reuters

A boy plays basketball as the setting sun illuminates low clouds at an outdoor basketball court in Sydney's beachside suburb of Cronulla. The city has recorded its warmest May on record, with mean maximum temperatures of 23.2 degrees Celsius, 3.8 degrees above the historical average and 0.5 degrees above the previous record, set in 2007.Reuters

Greek pole vaulter Ekaterini Stefanidi clears the bar in a promotional event at Herald Square in Manhattan, New York.Reuters

Rugby League players Will Hopoate, Josh Reynolds, Michael Jennings and Jack Wighton take an ice bath during a New South Wales Blues State of Origin training session in Coffs Harbour, Australia.Getty

England and Union flags adorn a house in a street in the Knowle West area of Bristol, ahead of the football World Cup.Getty

Flags of the participants in the 2014 World Cup are hung over a street in the town of Santa Cruz Cabralia, north of Porto Seguro, Brazil.Reuters

Leila de Matos holds her odd-eyed white cat Yandu, wearing a Brazilian flag hat, as they visit Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.Getty

A farmer prepares to plant rice at a paddy field in Cianjur, West Java province, Indonesia.Reuters

Rescue workers try to move a car trapped on a flooded street in Qinzhou, southwest China's Guangxi province.AFP

A motorcyclist drives through flooded streets following a heavy downpour in Agartala, the capital of northeastern Indian state of Tripura.AFP

People ride a motorcycle that belonged to the Iraqi army, at a Kurdish military checkpoint on the outskirts of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Kurdish forces initially attempted to stop people driving vehicles looted from the Iraqi army at the checkpoint but eventually let them through as there were too many of them.Reuters

Protesters burn tyres during a demonstration against against Yemen's fuel shortages near the house of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi in Sanaa.Reuters

A Palestinian protester argues with an Israeli border policeman during a demonstration in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners, outside Israel's Ofer military prison near Ramallah.Reuters

Ultra-orthodox Jews celebrate the wedding of Esther Rokeach and Avraham Safrin in Jerusalem. Esther Rokeach is the granddaughter of the spiritual leader of the Belz Hasidim, which is one of the largest Hasidic movements in the world.Reuters

Performers act on stage during a dress rehearsal of Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'La Traviata' at the foothill of Masada, an ancient Jewish mountaintop fortress near the Dead Sea in southeast Israel.Reuters

A visitor attends the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los Angeles, California.Reuters

Women inspect T-shirts displaying images of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, on sale at GUM department store in Moscow.Reuters

Taxi drivers blockade Whitehall in London to protest against the introduction of the Uber smartphone app.Getty

Taxi drivers gather near Berlin's Olympic Stadium to protest against apps like Uber.Getty

A boy scavenges for recyclable plastic on a rubbish tip in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Dozens of children work every day in the Anlong Pi landfill, which is situated only few kilometres aways from the world famous Angkor temples.Getty

A Seleka fighter smokes during a patrol in the Central African Republic, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.Reuters

Turkey on High Alert as Sunni Militants Advance in Iraq

Members of the Kurdish security forces pose for a picture as they take part in an intensive security deployment on the outskirts of KirkukReuters

All the government institutions in Turkey remain on high alert as the al-Qaida-backed Sunni Islamists continue to advance in Iraq capturing several cities and heading towards capital Baghdad.

About 80 Turkish nationals including the Consul General Öztürk Yılmaz have been taken hostage by the militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Iraq.

Turkey, which has called an emergency Nato meeting over the escalating situation, has said it has taken "all necessary initiatives in international organisations" to deal with the crisis.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ told the Turkish lawmakers: "All institutions of Turkey are on alert."

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held two key meetings with top authorities including with the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) chief Hakan Fidan in the last several hours.

President Abdullah Gül chaired the second round of discussions, during which the authorities have agreed diplomatically deal with the situation and to negotiate with the militants in order to ensure the hostages remain safe.

Erdoğan telephoned US Vice President Joe Biden alongside the internal talks.

"We are currently in a busy traffic of exchange [with authorities] to ensure the rescue of the drivers as soon as possible. There has been a continuous exchange between Ankara, Irbil, Baghdad, Tehran, Washington and Mosul in the last 24 hours," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who cut short his US visit, told Anadolu Agency.

Turkey has so far not invoked the Article 4 of Nato charter which allows any of the member parties to consult with the allies if the territorial integrity of a nation is threatened.