BAGHDAD: The operation to retake the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, from the Daesh group began Sunday morning, Iraq’s prime minister said.
Tal Afar and the surrounding area is one of the last pockets of Daesh-held territory in Iraq after victory was declared in July in Mosul, the country’s second-largest city. The town, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) east of the Syrian border, sits along a major road that was once a key Daesh supply route.
“The city of Tal Afar will be liberated and will join all the liberated cities,” Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said in an address to the nation broadcast on state television early Sunday.
Al-Abadi said his message to Daesh was: “You either surrender or die.”
Iraq’s mostly Shiite militiamen largely stayed out of the operation to retake Mosul, a mostly Sunni city about 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the east, but have vowed to play a bigger role in the battle for Tal Afar, which was home to both Sunni and Shiite Turkmen before it fell to Daesh, a Sunni extremist group. The militias captured Tal Afar’s airport, on the outskirts of the town, last year.
Their participation in the coming offensive could heighten sectarian and regional tensions. The town’s ethnic Turkmen community maintained close ties to neighboring Turkey. Turkish officials have expressed concern that once territory is liberated from Daesh, Iraqi Kurdish or Shiite forces may push out Sunni Arabs or ethnic Turkmen.
A stepped up campaign of airstrikes and a troop buildup has already forced tens of thousands to flee Tal Afar, threatening to compound a humanitarian crisis sparked by the Mosul operation.
Some 49,000 people have fled the Tal Afar district since April, according to the United Nations. Nearly a million people remain displaced by the nine-month campaign to retake Mosul.
PM: Iraqi forces begin operation to retake Tal Afar from Daesh
PM: Iraqi forces begin operation to retake Tal Afar from Daesh
Over 3,000 Pakistani, overseas athletes expected to take part in Islamabad Marathon today
- Marathon to feature five categories: full marathon, half marathon, children’s race, family race and senior race
- A prize money of Rs1 million [$3594] has been allocated for winners of all categories, says marathon organizer
ISLAMABAD: Over 3,000 athletes from Pakistan and abroad are expected to take part in a running marathon in Pakistan’s capital today, Sunday, state-run media reported.
Organized by the Islamabad Run With Us (IRU) running community in the capital, the marathon will feature five categories: a full marathon, a half marathon, a children’s race, a family race and a senior race.
The IRU says it has organized over 700 complimentary community events and numerous races, adding that it launched the Islamabad Marathon event in 2020.
“Founder of the Islamabad Run with Us community, Qasim Naz announced on Friday that the fifth Islamabad Marathon will take place on January 26, with the participation of over 3,000 athletes from across Pakistan and abroad,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
Naz said a prize money of Rs1 million [$3594] has been allocated for winners of all categories of the marathon.
The marathon kicked off at the city’s newly built Iran Avenue at 9:00 am. Its route includes the GT Road and runners will have to return to the starting point, the organizer said.
Naz said a pitch system would be introduced to ensure transparency, enabling real-time tracking of athletes and accurate identification of winners.
“He said that the purpose of organizing the event is to showcase Pakistan’s soft image and highlight the country’s beauty to the world,” APP said.
Naz said arrangements for medical and other facilities for participants have been made with cooperation from the district administration and police.
Pakistan says won’t risk rushing Saim Ayub’s recovery for Champions Trophy
- Saim Ayub was ruled out of competitive cricket for six weeks after suffering ankle injury this month
- Left-handed batter will enter recovery phase in a day or two, says PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that he will not risk injured batter Saim Ayub’s future by rushing his recovery for the sake of the multi-nation Champions Trophy tournament, which is scheduled to get underway in Pakistan and Dubai next month.
Ayub, one of Pakistan’s most in-form batters who helped the team secure a historic ODI series whitewash over South Africa in December, suffered a right ankle fracture while fielding in the second Test against South Africa this month.
The injury forced Ayub out of competitive cricket for six weeks, dealing Pakistan a massive blow before it hosts the multi-nation Champions Trophy tournament in February. Ayub is currently in London seeking treatment as Pakistan hopes the star batter recovers in time for the crucial tournament.
“I am in contact with Saim on almost a daily basis. His rehab is going on and god willing, the plaster on his foot will be removed in a day or two after which he will enter the recovery phase,” Naqvi told reporters.
“It will take time, I don’t want to put his future at risk because of one Champions Trophy.”
The PCB chairman said he was monitoring Ayub’s rehabilitation himself, adding that Ayub was Pakistan’s asset and would soon make a full recovery.
Pakistan will play the Champions Trophy tournament opener on Feb. 19 against New Zealand in the eastern city of Lahore.
Pakistan expresses desire to formulate joint plan to combat ‘terrorism’ with US
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US lawmakers, investors in Washington this week to discuss bilateral issues
- Pakistan has faced a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan since November 2022
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that Islamabad wanted to formulate a comprehensive plan with American politicians to combat “terrorism,” amid Islamabad struggle to contain surging militant attacks on its soil in recent months.
Islamabad and Washington have shared a complicated history when it comes to bilateral ties. Both countries shared close defense and security cooperation in the past, particularly during the Cold War after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and post-September 11, 2001 attacks.
However, more recently, US officials criticized Pakistan for not sufficiently supporting their military efforts against the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks. Islamabad denies sheltering Taliban fighters and helping them regain control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Pakistan has faced a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan since November 2022, ever since its truce with the Pakistani Taliban broke down. Islamabad blames Afghan rulers for providing sanctuaries to militants to launch attacks against Pakistan, charges the Taliban government vehemently denies.
“See the main purpose of my visit this time [to the US] was to make a comprehensive plan against terrorism with the politicians here,” Naqvi told reporters in Washington.
Naqvi is in Washington where he met US lawmakers this week to hold talks on issues of bilateral concern between the two countries.
“The terrorism that we are suffering is not just our fight, it is everyone’s fight,” he added. “Both 2023 and 2024 were bad years for us but you will see that whosoever takes up arms against Pakistan will suffer a bad fate.”
On Saturday, the Pakistani interior minister visited the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington where he spoke to a delegation of the US-Pakistan Business Council.
Naqvi invited American investors to invest in Pakistan’s priority sectors, particularly in IT and minerals, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
“Talking to a delegation of the US-Pakistan Business Council during his visit to United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington, he highlighted Pakistan’s mining and IT sectors have emerged as investors’ ultimate destination,” it added.
Citing Pakistan’s recent economic gains, Naqvi said the country is heading toward economic stability “rapidly,” adding that all economic indicators have improved.
WHO chief urges end to attacks on Sudan health care after 70 killed in drone strike
- WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: ‘We continue to call for a cessation of all attacks on health care in Sudan’
The head of the World Health Organization called on Saturday for an end to attacks on health care workers and facilities in Sudan after a drone attack on a hospital in Sudan’s North Darfur region killed more than 70 people and wounded dozens.
“As the only functional hospital in El Fasher, the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital provides services which include gyn-obstetrics, internal medicine, surgery and pediatrics, along with a nutrition stabilization center,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X after the Friday strike.
“We continue to call for a cessation of all attacks on health care in Sudan, and to allow full access for the swift restoration of the facilities that have been damaged,” Tedros said.
The war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke out in April 2023 due to disputes over the integration of the two forces, has killed tens of thousands, driven millions from their homes and plunged half of the population into hunger.
The conflict has produced waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF, creating a humanitarian crisis.
Darfur Governor Mini Minnawi said on X that an RSF drone had struck the emergency department of the hospital in the capital of North Darfur, killing patients, including women and children.
Fierce clashes have erupted in El Fasher between the RSF and the Sudanese joint forces, including the army, armed resistance groups, police, and local defense units.
Harris English holds off Sam Stevens to win Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines
- English finished his first tour win since 2021 at 8-under 280
- Andrew Novak was third at 6 under, missing out on his first tour victory with a disappointing 74 after briefly taking the lead
SAN DIEGO: Harris English held off hard-charging Sam Stevens to win the Farmers Insurance Open by one shot Saturday, securing his fifth career PGA Tour victory with a 1-over 73 in challenging weather at Torrey Pines.
English finished his first tour win since 2021 at 8-under 280. Stevens began the day six shots off the lead, but surged into contention with a 4-under 68 for the best final round in this edition of a tournament with a tradition of furious final-day rallies.
His impressive number didn’t rattle the 35-year-old English, who made two early bogeys in a round that began in strong wind. English steadied his game and calmly finished with 12 consecutive pars.
English was businesslike to the end: He put his tee shot on the 18th into the rough, but got back into the fairway before putting his 115-yard approach shot squarely on the green. He two-putted for the victory, rolling his 25-footer to 7 inches for a tap-in and a subdued celebration.
Andrew Novak was third at 6 under, missing out on his first tour victory with a disappointing 74 after briefly taking the lead.
Sungjae Im and Kris Ventura tied for fourth at 5 -under.
English hadn’t won since surviving an eight-hole playoff with Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championships in 2021, although he still had nine top-10 finishes in the previous two seasons after missing five months in early 2022 while recovering from hip surgery. English already had a strong history at Torrey Pines, where he lost a four-way playoff to Jason Day in 2015 and then finished third at the US Open in 2021.
English surged into the lead Friday with three straight birdies to close his third-round 66, capitalizing on the mildest day of weather to make his move at the gorgeous coastal course.
The wind that forced an 86-minute delay in the second round Thursday returned in intermittent force early Saturday on the oceanside holes, but calmed somewhat in the afternoon. Lanto Griffin wore a wooly white beanie with a pompom on top, while many fans broke out winter jackets that don’t normally get much use in San Diego.
Novak and English, who live on the same island in coastal Georgia, played together in the final group — and while English overcame his early hiccups, Novak was up and down.
Novak opened with two bogeys, but then surged into the lead with three straight birdies. He rolled in an astonishing 54-foot putt on the fifth, reading the drop from the green’s top tier perfectly. Novak put both hands to his head in disbelief.
But Novak made three bogeys and a birdie around the turn, while English began his string of pars, repeatedly getting up and down with minimal fuss.
Stevens finished his round several groups before Novak and English, keeping pressure on the leaders. Novak couldn’t apply his own pressure to English, making no birdies on the back nine.
Stevens turned pro in 2018 and joined the tour in 2023. The Oklahoma State product matched his best previous result in his runner-up finish to Corey Connors at the Valero Texas Open in April 2023.
He charged up the leaderboard at Torrey Pines despite the wind, making four birdies on the front nine. Stevens even saved par on the 18th after putting his second shot in the water while trying to reach the green in two.
World No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama finished at 1 over. He’ll be back in San Diego in three weeks to defend his title at the Genesis Invitational, which has been moved from Riviera to Torrey Pines.
Ludvig Aberg, who led after each of the first two rounds, finished at 3 over after battling through illness in his final two rounds.
