DDMA Headline Animator

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Land mine blast in east Ukraine kills 5 soldiers, wounds 3

July 05, 2015

MOSCOW (AP) — Ukraine says five of its soldiers were killed and three wounded when a land mine exploded in the east of the country, where government troops are fighting Russia-backed separatists.

The presidential administration spokesman for the military operation, Alexander Motuzyanik, told reporters Sunday that the explosion occurred the previous day near the village of Donetsky in the Lugansk region, which is along the front line. The spokesman's remarks in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, were carried by Russian news agencies.

Despite an internationally brokered cease-fire in February, sporadic fighting continues along Ukraine's front line and each side regularly accuses the other of shelling its positions. The United Nations estimates that the war in Ukraine has claimed about 6,500 lives since it broke out in April 2014.

Polish PM candidate vows no euro, more economic justice

July 02, 2015

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Beata Szydlo led a little-known politician to a surprise victory in Poland's recent presidential election. Now she hopes to repeat that winning formula for herself.

The 52-year-old who managed the election campaign of President-elect Andrzej Duda is traveling the country these days in hopes of becoming Poland's next prime minister in the fall parliamentary election. For now, her chances look good, with her Law and Justice party leading the polls.

The rising prominence of Szydlo is part of a deeper political shift underway in the largest of the European Union's eastern nations, where voters seem increasingly disillusioned with eight years of governance by the pro-market and pro-EU Civic Platform party.

It is also part of a new shift within her Law and Justice party, with the sometimes radical leader, former prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 66, opening the way for younger, more moderate members to take on key roles.

The ruling Civic Platform has overseen strong economic growth during its eight years at the helm, but many Poles are frustrated that the new wealth isn't being distributed more evenly. The discontent has given a boost to Law and Justice, which mixes a deeply conservative, Catholic stance on moral issues with calls for a strong welfare state.

"Over the past eight years, the outgoing ruling party has increased divisions among Poles," Szydlo said at a recent party convention. "It's time to put an end to a policy of development that benefits only 10 percent of the people. It is time for us all to benefit."

Szydlo, an ethnologist, can claim some credit for the revived fortunes of her party after managing the campaign of Duda, a little-known 43-year-old lawyer who came from behind to win the presidency in May, unseating an incumbent long assumed to be unbeatable.

While President Bronislaw Komorowski seemed out of touch with the problems of regular Poles, Duda, who will be sworn in Aug. 6, crisscrossed the country in his "Dudabus" to meet with voters even in the smallest towns. He promised to improve their lives by reversing a rise in the retirement age and creating conditions for higher wages and job security, problems that drive many young Poles abroad.

Now Szydlo is traveling across the country in her "Szydlobus." The Associated Press joined her as she traveled to towns near Warsaw, where she showed interest in problems ranging from river dikes that need strengthening to Poland's much-criticized national health care system.

A coal miner's daughter and a practicing Catholic, Szydlo's own life seems to embody Polish tradition. One of her two sons is preparing to become a priest. She also grew up in Oswiecim, where the Germans ran the Auschwitz death camp during World War II, and where one of her own great-grandfathers was killed.

Szydlo told the AP that if her party wins, she will continue the current government's strong support for conflict-stricken Ukraine and its backing for a greater U.S. military presence in Poland. But she is interested in keeping more powers in Warsaw, and less in Brussels, seat of the 28-nation European Union.

"We are happy that we are in the European Union. This is a great achievement," she told The AP. "But for me, it's important to have Poland's economic interests and various matters of conscience left with the member nations, whose laws should be above the union laws."

On Thursday she spoke out against a plan for Poland to one day join the 19 nations who use the shared euro currency. "My government ... will certainly not introduce the euro to Poland," Szydlo said.

Head of new Polish political force stresses strong economy

June 26, 2015

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland's new, pro-business political movement said Friday that a strong economy in Poland would breathe new energy into the European Union and help it compete on the global level.

Ryszard Petru spoke to The Associated Press after a news conference in which he sought online donations from supporters as a novel, transparent way of financing politics. His movement, ModernPl Association, is hoping for between 12 and 20 percent of the votes in the general elections scheduled in the fall. It was initiated last month and seeks to free the economy from politics. It is directed toward young, enterprising people, an electorate usually associated with the ruling Civic Platform party, which, however, has been losing popularity after almost eight years in power.

Poland's political scene seems poised for a reshuffle following the surprise win of conservative opposition candidate Andrzej Duda in May's presidential election. Petru, an economist with experience in the World Bank and in Poland's banks, also spoke in favor of a free trade agreement with the United States, the long-negotiated Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, saying that would help boost cooperation also in many other areas.

He also backs greater U.S. and NATO military presence in Poland and in the region, because "it is evident that NATO is more needed now than ever before." He did not refer directly to the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, that involves Russia-backed separatists.

Petru said he believes Poland's wide participation in European markets would "inspire new energy and release competitiveness of the EU vis-a-vis the rest of the world." On a major EU issue of accepting immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, Petru said he is "in favor, in principle."

"But I am not sure if we (in Poland) are prepared for that," he said.

Poland's ruling, opposition parties hold electoral meetings

June 20, 2015

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland's opposition Law and Justice party on Saturday named his deputy Beata Szydlo as the party's candidate for prime minister in case it wins the general elections this autumn.

At a party convention, Jaroslaw Kaczynski praised Szydlo, 53, as "honest" and "hard-working." She has experience from local government and from parliament and currently leads the party's electoral campaign.

She was also in charge of Law and Justice's presidential campaign earlier this year, which led to the victory of its candidate Andrzej Duda who will take office on Aug. 6. The victory was a great boost for the conservative party and raised expectations that it can defeat the ruling, pro-business Civic Platform party in parliamentary elections, expected in October.

At the convention Szydlo said that not all Poles are benefiting from the country's economic growth and that it's time to change that. She promised a higher tax-free income level, a reversal of the recent increase of the retirement age and new benefits for families with children.

At a simultaneous convention, Civic Platform, in power since 2007, was seeking to improve its position, strained by the presidential loss, a wiretapping scandal and some unpopular decisions. "We have been in power for almost eight years and we've accumulated some mistakes," Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said. "Some of us simply failed. We are admitting it and we are saying that we are sorry."

She promised to increase the minimum wage and to introduce better job and housing programs for young people.

Hundreds rally against refugees in 2nd largest Czech city

June 26, 2015

BRNO, Czech Republic (AP) — Hundreds of far right supporters have rallied against immigration and Islam in the Czech Republic's second largest city Brno, while others gathered nearby in support of immigration.

The rally follows a similar demonstration in the Slovak capital of Bratislava on Saturday which turned violent. They reflect the rising tensions surrounding immigration Europe, even in countries that have not been significantly hit by the recent wave of asylum-seekers.

Riot police on Friday separated the groups and were pelted with objects such as beer cans and bottles by the anti-migrants protesters. Tomas Vandas, the leader of the far right Workers Party of Social Justice condemned the decision of EU leaders to relocate 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece in Europe and demanded they are sent back to their countries of origin.

Hungary's leader says Hungary will protect Europe's borders

June 19, 2015

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Hungary's plan to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence on the border with Serbia to stop the flow of migrants will also protect Europe, Hungary's prime minister said Friday.

Viktor Orban said that "if a question is complicated, choose the easiest solution," so in the case of the migrants, "the state will defend its external borders." Hungary has received more than 53,000 asylum requests this year, compared with fewer than 43,000 in 2014 and 2,150 in 2012.

Orban was in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, to meet with Central European leaders and French President Francois Hollande. He said Hungary considers it a state obligation to defend its borders and will not seek help for the task.

Serbia is adamantly opposed to the fence. The governments of Hungary and Serbia are set to hold a joint meeting in Budapest on July 1. The fence along the Hungary-Serbia border "cannot and will not happen," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said.

"I will talk to Victor Orban, even though I know that he promised (a fence) to the public, and that he is a hard politician," Vucic said in Belgrade. "I will plead and ask in the name of Serbia that that wall is not built, and that we try to find other political solutions, because Serbia will not build any walls toward anyone in the region."

Most of the migrants reaching Hungary from Serbia come north on the so-called Balkan route, often after having passed through Turkey, Greece or Bulgaria. Hassan, a 23-year-old refugee from Sierra Leone who spoke with The Associated Press on Thursday in the southern Hungarian village of Asotthalom minutes after crossing over from Serbia, said he had left his home in April 2014, spent several months in Turkey, traveled by sea to Greece and had mostly walked since.

The United Nations said it was "deeply concerned" about Hungary's fence project. "Such harsh border enforcement measures may also force migrants to adopt more risky routes and modes of transport, putting them at greater risk of abuse by traffickers and smugglers," said Cecile Pouilly, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Orban said preparations for the construction of the fence have begun and the details, including costs and the route, will be decided at Wednesday's government Cabinet meeting. He said that in the 1990s, Hungary sheltered refugees from the wars in the Balkans regardless of ethnicity or nationality, but there needs to be a distinction between those fleeing war and those fleeing poverty.

"There is a know-how in Hungary about how to differentiate between a refugee running for his life and an economic migrant," Orban said. "The phenomenon now faced by Europe and Hungary is essentially the problem of economic immigration."

Orban said that more migrants had arrived in Hungary this year than in any other European country, "and we'd like Europe to be clear about the magnitude of the problem."

Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.

Greece heads to negotiation for bailout reform proposals

July 11, 2015

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's negotiators head to Brussels on Saturday armed with their reform proposals and parliamentary backing to seek a third bailout, but with the shadow of severe dissent from governing lawmakers hanging over them.

Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos was to meet with his 18 colleagues from the other eurozone countries Saturday afternoon to discuss the Greek proposals, which contain tax hikes and deep spending cuts, including on pensions, that the six-month-old left-wing government had so far resisted.

Without a deal Greece, already desperately low on cash, its banks shut for the past two weeks and its population restricted on cash withdrawals, risks crashing out of Europe's joint currency, the euro. It would be the first country to do so, and the consequences for the country and global markets would be unpredictable.

The austerity measures Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government is proposing are so far from his radical left Syriza party's policies that he suffered severe dissent in a late-night parliamentary debate that culminated in a 3:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) vote Saturday.

It comes less than a week after 61 percent of voters opposed similar reforms, proposed by creditors, in a referendum last Sunday. The motion, which sought to authorize the government to use the proposal as a basis for negotiation with international creditors during the weekend, passed with 251 votes in favor, 32 against and 8 voting 'present' — a form of abstention — in the 300-member parliament.

Those who voted 'present' or were absent, as well as two of those who voted against, were Syriza party members — raising questions about the stability of Tspras' government, a coalition of Syriza and the small nationalist Independent Greeks.

The dissenters included two ministers — Panagiotis Lafazanis who holds the energy portfolio and Dimitris Stratoulis who holds the social security portfolio, and prominent party member and Parliament Speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou.

"I support the government but I don't support an austerity program of neoliberal deregulation and privatizations which ... would prolong the vicious circle of recession, poverty and misery," Lafazanis said in a statement released to the press explaining his "radical and categorical" objection to the proposal.

Former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, who resigned this week, was absent for family reasons, saying on Twitter he was spending the weekend with his daughter who was visiting from Australia. Although he sent parliament a letter saying he would have voted in favor had he been present, it could not be counted among the 'yes' votes under parliamentary rules.

All opposition parties except the Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn and the Communist Party voted in favor. Speaking earlier in the debate which began just before midnight Friday, Tsipras acknowledged the reforms his government has proposed were harsh and include measures far from his party's election pledges, but insisted they were Greece's best chance to emerge from its financial crisis.

Tsipras said his government had made mistakes during his six-month tenure but said he had negotiated as hard as he could. "There is no doubt that for six months now we've been in a war," he said, adding that his government had fought "difficult battles" and had lost some of them.

"Now I have the feeling we've reached the ... line. From here on there is a minefield, and I don't have the right to dismiss this or hide it from the Greek people," he said. The proposed measures are certain to inflict more pain on a Greek public who just days ago voted overwhelmingly against a similar plan. But if approved by Greece's international creditors, the deal would also provide longer-term financial support for a nation that has endured six years of recession, and address the country's debt which the government has long argued is unsustainable.

If approved, Greece would get a three-year loan package worth nearly $60 billion (53.5 billion euros) as well as some form of debt relief. That is far more than the 7.2 billion euros left over from Greece's previous bailout that had been at stake in the country's five-month negotiations until last month.

Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, who heads Independent Greeks, said he was advocating a vote in favor of the proposal even though the reforms were against his party's principles. "I want to state clearly, I am not afraid of Grexit," he said, referring to the possibility of Greece leaving the euro. "I am afraid of one thing: national division and civil war."

He said he feared failure to get a deal with creditors would eventually lead to civil strife. The country has relied on bailout funding since losing access to financing from bond markets in 2010.

After vote win, Greece's Tsipras looks to rebuild talks

July 06, 2015

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Despite triumphing in a popular vote against austerity, Greece on Monday faced the urgent need to heal its ties with European creditors and reach a financial rescue deal that might prevent it from falling out of the euro — possibly within days.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras won big in Sunday's referendum, in which 60 percent of Greeks rejected the economic measures creditors had proposed in exchange for loans the country needs to remain afloat. He also received the rare backing of opposition parties to restart bailout negotiations.

But his bolstered mandate to push for better concessions from creditors hit the hard reality of the country's deteriorating finances, with the banks facing the risk of collapse within days unless a rescue deal is reached.

In a sign that he hopes to reach a deal as soon as possible, Tsipras appointed a new mild-mannered finance minister to lead talks with bailout creditors and replace Yanis Varoufakis, the hard-talking professor who clashed regularly with his European counterparts.

Euclid Tsakalotos, a 55-year-old economist, appears more willing to reach a compromise with creditors and will be tested as soon as Tuesday, when he will meet the other 18 eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.

That meeting is meant to seek the basis for a deal that European leaders, including Tsipras, might discuss at an emergency summit later in the day. Ahead of the summit, Tsipras spoke by phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Greece's financial situation is getting more difficult by the day. It had to close the banks last week to prevent their collapse in the face of a run, and imposed limits on cash withdrawals and transfers.

Greek banks remained closed Monday, with only a few branches opening for pensioners to receive emergency assistance. Louka Katseli, head of the Greek Bank Association, said she expected banks to remain closed for at least two more days.

The government is expected to extend the restrictions on withdrawals after the European Central Bank makes a decision later Monday on cash support for Greek banks. The ECB has frozen the amount of credit it allows Greek banks to draw on, even though their cash requirements are growing as people rush to withdraw what money they can.

Analysts say that if the ECB keeps the amount of credit on hold, Greek banks will come under increasing pressure and the government could have to make the limits on cash withdrawals even tougher. The ongoing Greek drama hurt stocks around the world, particularly in Europe. The losses were not as great as some had feared, however, suggesting investors think that a Greek exit from the euro, while devastating for the country and destabilizing in Europe, would be manageable for the global economy.

"The 'no' vote in Greece's referendum on Sunday dramatically increases the risk of a slide toward a disorderly Greek exit from the eurozone," ratings agency Fitch said. "An agreement between Greece and its official creditors remains possible, but time is short and the risk of policy missteps, or that the two sides simply cannot agree a deal, is high."

With all ballots counted, 61.3 percent of voters in Sunday's referendum said "no" to the question of whether they would accept creditors' proposed measures. Tsipras has agreed to imposing more harsh austerity measures, following a six-year recession, but wants eurozone lenders to grant the country better terms for bailout debt repayments.

"The prime minister is ... committed to starting a fundamental debate on dealing with the problem of sustainability of the Greek national debt," a statement signed by the government and three pro-European opposition parties said.

European officials appear to be split on Greece's demand for easier debt repayment. France's finance minister, Michel Sapin, indicated that discussing Greece's debt is not taboo, saying the country could not recover with its current obligations "in the months and years to come."

Germany, however, remains highly reluctant to discuss debt relief. Finance Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said Germany's "position is well-known ... a debt cut is not an issue for us." German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said Europe should be preparing to help Greeks with humanitarian assistance.

"The situation that is now being created by the referendum makes me sad, because life for the Greek population is going to get harder in the coming days and weeks," he said. "After yesterday's celebrations in the streets there's a danger of a rude awakening soon."

Demetris Nellas and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Athens, Greece, Lori Hinnant in Paris, Raf Casert in Brussels and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

Finance minister resigns after decisive 'no' bailout vote

July 06, 2015

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis resigned Monday, saying he was told shortly after Greece's decisive referendum result that some other eurozone finance ministers and the country's other creditors would appreciate his not attending the ministers' meetings.

Varoufakis said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had judged that his resignation "might help achieve a deal" and that he was leaving the finance ministry for that reason. "I shall wear the creditors' loathing with pride," Varoufakis said in his announcement.

Greeks voted overwhelmingly to reject creditors' proposal of more austerity measures in return for rescue loans, in the country's first referendum in 41 years Sunday. The referendum "will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage," Varoufakis said.

With his brash style and fondness for frequent media appearances at the start of his tenure at the ministry when the new government was formed in January, Varoufakis had visibly annoyed many of the eurozone's finance ministers during Greece's debt negotiations.

There was no immediate announcement of his replacement. Tsipras was elected on promises to repeal the austerity demanded in return for a bailout from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund, and negotiations broke down late last month after dragging on unsuccessfully for five months.

With his hight-stakes gamble to call a referendum on creditor proposals with just a week's notice, Tsipras aimed to show creditors that Greeks, whose economy has been shattered and who face spiralling unemployment and poverty, have had enough and that the austerity prescribed isn't working.

But everything will hinge on the reaction by his European partners. A eurozone summit was hastily called for Tuesday afternoon to discuss the situation. Greeks awoke Monday to the stark reality of the country's accelerating crisis - shuttered banks and ATMs with little cash.

The referendum results — 61 percent voted "no" and 39 percent "yes" — left the bankrupt country's future in the European Union and its euro currency uncertain. The margin of victory for "no" was far wider than expected. But as celebrations died down early Monday, Greece entered a second week of severe restrictions on financial transactions and faced even limited amounts of cash drying out, with no prospect of an immediate infusion. Greece imposed the restrictions to stem a bank run after the vote was called and its bailout program expired.

Besieged by a prolonged recession, high unemployment and banks dangerously low on capital, Greece defaulted on an IMF loan repayment last week, becoming the first developed nation to do so. Now some analysts wonder if Greece is so starved of cash that it could be forced to start issuing its own currency and become the first country to leave the 19-member eurozone, established in 1999.

Asian markets mostly fell Monday, as economists said the markets were not expecting such a decisive "no" vote. The European Central Bank's governing council was not expected to provide more liquidity assistance to Greek banks Monday. The assistance, now at about 90 billion euros, has been maintained but not increased in past days, leaving the country's financial system in a stranglehold. Without an increase, Greeks might not be able to withdraw even the meager 60 euros ($67) allocated per day.

That will make it difficult for Tsipras to keep his pledge, expressed on TV and on his Twitter account, that Greece's "immediate priority is to restore our banking system's functioning & economic stability" or for banks to re-open Tuesday, as scheduled.

Negotiations on a financial rescue package broke off with Greece's creditors after Tsipras called for the referendum. It is unclear when they could restart, but the government has said it believes a deal with creditors could be reached within 48 hours of the vote.

Leaders of six of the seven parties represented in Parliament were meeting Monday morning in the presidential palace. Tsipras requested the meeting to share his negotiating strategy and call for support.

The main opposition party, New Democracy, was sending an interim chief, after its leader - former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras — resigned Sunday as "no" votes poured in. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande spoke to each other Sunday night and agreed "that the vote of the Greek people must be respected," Merkel's office said.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Eurogroup head, said Sunday's referendum result was "very regrettable for the future of Greece." The Dutch finance minister had been a steadfast opponent of Greece as it sought better conditions during five months of bailout negotiations. "For recovery of the Greek economy, difficult measures and reforms are inevitable," he said. "We will now wait for the initiatives of the Greek authorities."

Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's vice chancellor and economic minister, told a German newspaper the Greek government was leading its people "onto a path of bitter austerity and hopelessness." Belgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt was somewhat softer in his approach, saying a "no" result "complicates matters," but that the door remained open to resume talks immediately.

"What we certainly don't want to do is to take decisions that will threaten the monetary union," he told Belgium's VRT. "Within that framework we can start talks again with the Greek government, literally, within hours."

Derek Gatopoulos, Costas Kantouris and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Athens, Raf Casert in Brussels, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Carlo Piovano in London contributed to this report.

London's commuters make do as strike shuts subway system

July 09, 2015

LONDON (AP) — The choices Thursday in London: take a hike, ride a bike, try to find a bus you like.

Millions of commuters jammed buses, rented bicycles or simply walked for miles to and from work as a 24-hour strike shut down the British capital's famed subway system and threw public transport into chaos.

Train drivers on the London Underground solidly supported the strike in a dispute over pay and schedules that take effect when 24-hour service is introduced on some lines later this year. That unanimity has made this strike more severe than previous ones in which management was able to keep a few Tube lines operating.

Business groups say the strike will cost this city of 8.6 million people tens of millions of pounds (dollars) in lost productivity. "I have to file a statement for today — I don't know how I am going to do it. I am utterly fed up," said distraught attorney Susan Miller, 48. "I just don't think (strikers) have seen the big picture here."

London's subway system, with 4 million journeys a day, normally shuts down shortly after midnight, with the overnight shift reserved for track maintenance. While it has operated all night on New Year's Eve, the move to have some lines running 24 hours on weekends marks a huge shift for a 152-year-old system.

London Underground's managing director Mike Brown apologized for the disruption but insisted it was a "remarkably fair" pay offer. "This strike is unnecessary," he said. Transport officials say the offer included a 2 percent salary increase, a 500 pound ($770) night Tube launch bonus and an additional 2,000 pound ($3,080) one-off bonus for night Tube train drivers.

Unions say management is trying to bulldoze new work patterns that will cause stress and wreck the work-life balance of people in critical safety jobs. "We've wasted three months in negotiations that failed to address staff concerns," said the RMT union's general secretary Mick Cash.

Taxi company Uber said their prices — which fluctuate based on supply and demand — were nearly three times higher than usual at one point. Uber spokesman Harry Porter said the demand was on par with New Year's Eve but he stressed that their cost is comparable to other providers.

The one thing everyone agreed on is that the city's commuters took it on the chin. Lida Fallah-ardakani, 53, tried to attend a medical appointment she had scheduled five months ago. The journey normally takes an hour, but three hours into her trip Thursday she was still trying to get to St. Mary's Hospital.

"I came out of the house at 6 in the morning. But I am still in the bus to the hospital and I am not sure if I can be seen," she said. Some commuters supported the strikers. "You have to take action sometimes when you are up against the ... forces of capitalism," said Tricha Passes, a 58-year-old university lecturer.

Activists slam Thailand's repatriation of Uighurs to China

July 09, 2015

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand sent back to China more than 100 ethnic Uighur refugees on Thursday, drawing harsh criticism from the U.N. refugee agency and human rights groups over concerns that they face persecution by the Chinese government.

Protesters in Turkey, which accepted an earlier batch of Uighur refugees from Thailand, ransacked the Thai Consulate in Istanbul overnight. Police in the capital, Ankara, used pepper spray to push back a group of Uighur protesters who tried to break through a barricade outside the Chinese Embassy.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned Thailand, saying the deportation violated international humanitarian laws and came despite "numerous initiatives" by Turkey to prevent their repatriation. It said Turkey will continue to monitor their fate.

Thai deputy government spokesman Maj. Gen. Verachon Sukhonthapatipak said Thailand had assurances from Chinese authorities about the safety of 109 Uighurs. However, in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China would take action against those suspected of breaking the law.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said that as a third country, the matter was not Thailand's problem, and that the place they were sent to — he did not name China — would take care of it according to its justice system.

"I'm asking if we don't do it this way, then how would we do it?" he said. "Or do you want us to keep them for ages until they have children for three generations?" The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it was "shocked" and considered Thailand's action "a flagrant violation of international law."

The Uighur group had been in Thailand for over a year, along with others who had fled China and claimed to be Turkish, Verachon said. Thai authorities sought to verify their nationalities before relocating them, he said.

"We found that about 170 of them were Turkish, so they were recently sent to Turkey," he said. "And about 100 were Chinese, so they were sent to China as of this morning, under the agreement that their safety is guaranteed according to humanitarian principles." He denied reports from Uighur activists that the refugees resisted deportation and some had been hurt.

Two witnesses who saw the Uighurs being led into trucks to be driven to Bangkok's military airport said the men were handcuffed and some of women were crying and shouted, "Help us! Don't allow them to send us back to China."

Bilal Degirmenci and a colleague from the Turkish humanitarian group Cansuyu said they were forced by police to delete photos and video they had taken of the Uighurs, and were threatened with punishment if any were published or posted on the Internet.

The Uighurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority in China's far western Xinjiang region. The group has complained of cultural and religious suppression as well as economic marginalization under Chinese rule.

The U.N. agency said it repeatedly brought up the matter of the Uighur refugees with the Thai government, and "in response, the agency was given assurances that the matter would be handled in accordance with international legal standards, and that the group would continue to receive protection."

Such deportations violate the right to protection against return to a country where a person has reason to fear persecution, said Volker Türk, UNHCR's assistant high commissioner for protection, said in a statement.

China's position is that the Uighurs left the country illegally. Beijing has accused Uighur separatists of terrorism in Xinjiang, where ethnic violence has left hundreds of people dead over the past two years.

"China's relevant departments will bring those who are suspected of committing serious crimes to justice according to law," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua told reporters. "As for those who are not suspected of committing crimes or who commit lesser offences, we will find proper ways to deal with them."

In Turkey, which has cultural ties to the Uighurs and agreed to take in the other 170 refugees despite China's objections, mostly Uighur protesters vandalized the Thai Consulate in Istanbul. The office was closed on Thursday.

Police allowed about 100 protesters to pray outside the consulate before taking nine of them away for questioning. The Thai Embassy issued a statement urging its nationals in Turkey to be on alert. The World Uyghur Congress, a German-based advocacy group, said those repatriated could face criminal charges and harsh punishment, possibly execution, under China's opaque legal system — the reasons they fled China in the first place.

"The extradition is a dirty political deal between the Thai and Chinese authorities," spokesman Dilxat Raxit said in a statement.

Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Beijing and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

India, Pakistan to join security group led by Russia, China

July 10, 2015

UFA, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says India and Pakistan will join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group dominated by Russia and China and also including former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

Russia sees the organization as a counterweight to Western alliances. Membership in the group potentially offers India greater access to the energy resources of Central Asia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has combined his attendance at the summit in Russia with visits to SCO members Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Putin opened the annual summit on Friday by announcing the acceptance of India and Pakistan as members. He said Belarus would obtain observer status, joining Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia. The Russian president called for greater cooperation in fighting drug trafficking from Afghanistan and the financing of terrorism.