Mes: septiembre 2019

(AP) LONDON – An official involved in the Olympic movement said Friday that Britain has refused to grant a visa to Syrian Olympic Committee chief Gen. Mowaffak Joumaa to attend the London Games. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly, confirmed that Joumaa has been barred over his links to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. Britain’s Home Office, which decides on visa applications, declined to confirm details, insisting it would not comment on individual cases. Diplomats from the country’s Foreign Ministry and staff from the sport and culture ministry are also involved in considering sensitive visa applications ahead of the Summer Games, though the final decision rests with Home Secretary Theresa May. More in London 2012: 봉화출장마사지 Summer Olympics British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg had said last month that Syrian delegation members with connections to the Assad regime would be banned. In April, Joumaa told The Associated Press that he would regard it as an “honor” to be blacklisted from Britain because of his links to Assad. “Once I am blacklisted, it would be an honor for me to be one of the citizens who were banned from entering Britain because of their country’s dignity and freedom,” Joumaa said. The rejection of Joumaa’s visa was first reported by the BBC. About 10 athletes are due to compete...

(CBS/AP) KABUL, Afghanistan – The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan said a militant attack on a lakeside hotel in which 18 people were killed was likely carried out by fighters loyal to the Haqqani network. The al Qaeda-linked group is based in Pakistan and regularly targets Afghan and coalition forces in Afghanistan, and conducts deadly attacks in Kabul. Late Thursday heavily-armed Taliban insurgents stormed the Spozhmai hotel at Qargha Lake, a popular weekend retreat about a half-hour drive north from the capital Kabul, and opened fire on guests inside. Most of those killed were civilians. The 12-hour long siege ended Friday morning, after Kabul police said five attackers had been shot and killed. More in Afghanistan: The way forward “This attack bears the signature of the Haqqani network, which continues to target and kill innocent Afghans and blatantly violate Afghan sovereignty from the safety of Pakistan,” U.S. Gen. John R. Allen said. Allen said that some victims were killed in their sleep. He added that the coalition provided “minimal support” at the Afghans’ request. 18 people killed in Afghanistan hotel siege Officials have told The Associated Press that U.S. military and intelligence officials are so frustrated with Pakistan’s failure to stop local militant groups from attacking Americans in neighboring Afghanistan that they have considered launching secret joint U.S.-Afghan commando raids into Pakistan to hunt them down....