What's in the headlines?

Iran’s “real Iron Dome” air defence system

Iran has deployed its new national missile defence system. Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabifard, Vice Speaker of Iran’s Parliament dubbed the system the “real Iron Dome,” in reference to the joint US-Israeli Iron Dome missile shield, which demonstrated its capabilities in the recent conflict between Hamas fighters and the Israeli Defence force. Aboutorabifard went on to say “Today Iran's Air Defence System has provided our country with an Iron Dome in its real sense and Iran's airspace is the safest in the region,"

Iran first announced plans to create a mid-range and long-range national missile defence system back in August. However, Tehran has so far provided no footage that would prove the effectiveness of the air defence system. Aboutorabifard insisted that Iran's air defence system has “the highest deterrence power in the region.”

Iran’s military personnel and its scientists have been busy developing technology to further advance their strategic capabilities. Fars news agency reported that a UAV with abilities to evade missiles is in development, as well as testing a number of suicide drones (a type of cruise missile). Iranian Air Force spokesman General Hossein Chitforoush announced that Iran has started mass production of

Saeqeh (Thunder) fighter jets

What's in the Headlines?

Clashes erupt on Turkey’s streets, at least 31 people killed

At least 31 people have been killed and 360 others wounded in four days of violent protests in Turkey by Kurdish demonstrators. The demonstrators are frustrated by the government's lack of action to save the Syrian town of Kobane from a jihadist militant takeover.

Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons against a students in Ankara, namely those protesting in support of Syrian Kurds in Kobani at the Middle Eastern Technical University (ODTÜ) campus and at Ankara University. At least 25 people have been detained. Turkish troops and tanks were deployed to restore order. Curfews were imposed in five provinces.

However, the curfew was broken in the southeastern province of Gaziantep on Thursday night when clashes broke out between pro-Kurdish activists and their opponents. The rival groups attacked each other with pistols, rifles and axes, leaving at least 20 people injured.

Kurdish forces say they have stalled the advance of Islamic State (IS) militants in the town after more American airstrikes overnight.

Turkish forces are standing by near Kobane but the government in Ankara has refused to send them into action, or to establish a safe corridor to ferry fighters and supplies to the besieged Kurdish fighters. Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on the situation "It is not realistic to expect Turkey to conduct a ground operation on its own,"

Washington has suggested that Ankara is not pulling it’s own weight, but the Turkish government resents this. Cavusoglu went on to say that "We are holding talks ... Once there is a common decision, Turkey will not hold back from playing its part."

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Peace agreement reached in conflict-stricken Yemen 

Yemeni government officials and Shia rebels signed a peace agreement on Sunday which included plans for an immediate ceasefire and the formation of a technocratic government within a month. Jamal Benomar, the UN's envoy to Yemen, said Saturday that the peace deal "will lay the foundations for national partnership and for security and stability in the country." Benomar struggled to broker a last-minute peace deal between Houthi rebels, a militant Shia movement, and the government.

Violence has raged for several days leaving more than 140 people dead and thousands displaced from their homes. The Houthi rebels seized numerous strategically important installations in Sana'a, including the defence ministry, the central bank, a key military base and Iman University. The Houthi leader, Abdelmalek al-Houthi, is calling for the transitional government in place since 2011 to be dissolved and replaced with a more effective and representative body;  for fuel subsidies cut in July to be reinstated; and for agreements made during peace talks that drew to a close in January to be implemented. The president, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has largely agreed to his demands.

After the 2012 Arab Spring protests saw the removal of leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen has witnessed a very instable transition to democracy including Houthi rebel groups and the spread of al Qaeda. 

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Monsoon floods hit India and Pakistan

A state of emergency has been declared in Pakistan as the annual monsoon season hits much harder than expected. The torrential monsoon rains have caused flash floods and landslides killing at least 120 people in India and 160 in Pakistan. The disaster has been reported as the worst weather crisis the region has witnessed in six decades.

In Pakistan at least 4,000 homes have been destroyed. Rescue workers and the army are using helicopters and boats to evacuate locals and have set up close to 50 camps to provide temporary shelter.

In India the heavy rains set off landslides, and Dozens of bridges have been damaged or washed away. At least 300 federal rescue workers have joined thousands of state police and soldiers to rescue tens of thousands of people stranded across the region. 

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Saboteur arrested at Iranian nuclear power plant 

Iranian authorities have arrested a Ukrainian national suspected of sabotage at the country's sole nuclear power plant. An Iranian newspaper, Hamshahri daily, said the "Ukrainian expert" was affiliated with a Russian contractor that works in the power plant. The report did not elaborate on the timing or nature of the alleged sabotage. Iran suspects Western countries of being involved in this plot. In 2010 Iran held Israel and the west responsible for cyber virus attacks which disrupted thousands of centrifuges, which are used in the production of fuel. The west and their allies suspect that Iran is using its power plant as a guise for a nuclear weapons programme.

UN inspectors have gained rare access to an Iranian nuclear facility, giving them a "better understanding" of Tehran's disputed programme. Despite the visit Iran continues to refuse an inspection headed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Inspectors visited a research and development centre for centrifuges on 30 August. Iran says it will use it’s refined uranium to fuel a proposed series of power plants. If enriched to a high concentration of the U-235 isotope of uranium can also be turned into the explosive core of an atomic bomb. There is no evidence that Iran is planning to weaponise the uranium, but western countries continue to impose sanctions on Iran. 

NATO Summit 2014

Newport, the third-biggest city in Wales, is this year’s home for the annual NATO summit. Barack Obama, David Cameron and 59 other world leaders will convene in Newport’s Celtic Manor Hotel.

Anti-war protesters were welcomed by the police and were appreciated for carrying out mostly peaceful demonstrations. Memories of violence from previous NATO summits meant police were not taking any chances. Metal barriers were used to prevent protesters from reaching the Celtic Manor resort, and police greatly outnumbered protesters.

An armoured personnel carrier, a tank and an F-35 life-sized model were on display in the Celtic Manor golf resort. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said that the displays were intended to showcase British defence capability as well as the country's defence industry.

Eastern European NATO members, including Poland, have appealed to NATO to permanently station troops on their territory to deter possible Russian attack. But not all NATO members agreed with the idea. This is thought to be because of expenses involved and this move would likely breach a 1997 agreement with Russia under which NATO committed to not permanently station large combat forces close to the Russian border. Leaders have agree instead to provide caches of military equipment and resources, in eastern NATO countries with bases ready to receive the rapid reaction force in times needed.

NATO's top official accused Moscow on Thursday of attacking Ukraine, and escalating the conflict. France is to suspend delivery of a state-of-the-art Mistral warship to Russia in protest at Moscow's continued role in unrest in eastern Ukraine. Speaking on the side lines of a NATO summit in Wales, Poroshenko said the ceasefire would be conditional on a planned meeting going ahead in Minsk on Friday of envoys from Ukraine, Russia and Europe's OSCE security watchdog. Poroshenko "At 1400 local time (12:00 noon BST on Friday), provided the (Minsk) meeting takes place, I will call on the General Staff to set up a bilateral ceasefire and we hope that the implementation of the peace plan will begin tomorrow," he told reporters. Oleg Tsaryov, a senior rebel official “in the past we had some ceasefire agreements Poroshenko didn't honour"

Prime Minister David Cameron has warned fellow NATO leaders that they must not pay the requested ransoms to terrorist kidnappers. It comes after he said Britain will not pay a ransom for the UK hostage who Islamic State extremists (IS) are threatening to kill. IS are threatening the life of British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines who has been taken hostage. Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "I do believe the international community as a whole has an obligation to stop the Islamic State from advancing further."

How to stabilize Afghanistan when NATO forces leave at the year's end will also be up for discussion at the summit. Officials have commented that NATO leaders will set up a "spearhead" rapid reaction force, potentially including several thousand troops, that could be sent to a hotspot in as little as two days. 

What's in the Headlines?

ISIS chemical and biological weapon documents found

A laptop containing plans for the production and distribution of chemical and biological weapons has been linked to a member of ISIS. The laptop and its more than 35,000 files providing valuable insight into the Islamist State's inner workings. Within these files contained a 19-page document on how to develop biological weapons, including the bubonic plague. "Use small grenades with the virus, and throw them in closed areas like metros, soccer stadiums, or entertainment centers," the document says, reported Foreign Policy. "Best to do it next to the air-conditioning. It also can be used during suicide operations." US officials said the presence of documents on building biological weapons does not necessarily add up to an actual capability to use them.

What's in the Headlines?

Western action against the Islamic State continues

Shia Turkomans living in the Iraqi city of Amirli have been cut off from food and water for nearly two months by Islamic State militants. The city has fortified its position and has been fighting off Islamic State forces since June. The US delivered aid to Amirli and conducted air strikes in the surrounding area hitting three Humvee patrol vehicles, a tank and an armed vehicle held by militants in addition to a checkpoint held by IS. The air strikes cleared a route in which Iraqi troops rescued 12,000 residents of the city.

Tony Abbott, the Prime Minister of Australia, has agreed to assist the US in delivering weapons and humanitarian aid to Kurdish fighters in Iraq. Australia will join Canada, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom in a multinational effort to curb the advance of Islamic State fighters in the region. The Australian government is not providing weapons itself but will be delivering the equipment supplied by other nations.

What's in the Headlines?

Unidentified air strikes kill 15 fighters in Libya

15 fighters have been killed and 30 others have been wounded by air strikes carried out by unidentified fighter jets. The air strikes targeted several militia positions in Tripoli, including the Interior ministry. The Libyan government has directed the military to investigate the source of the unknown air strikes. The air strikes came hours after forces from the city of Misrata said they had seized the main airport.

Most of Libya's neighbours met in Cairo today to discuss responses to the latest Libyan crisis. Fighting has greatly intensified in recent weeks as General Khalifa Haftar has declared war on Islamist militant forces in the war torn country. The General’s forces have been carrying out attacks on a group called Operation Dawn, which is the group who claimed to have captured the airport in Misrata.

The recent fighting has been reported as the worst seen since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

What's in the Headlines?

The Islamic State has set it's sights on expansion 

The Islamic state has pushed to secure the border between Turkey and Syria to act as a gateway for its recruits to enter the Caliphate. The Turkish government is being pressured by British politicians to put a stop to crossing of new Islamic State recruits. Islamic state fighters have begun to move up from Syria towards the Turkish border. They advance in columns of armoured trucks that were looted from abandoned Iraqi military bases. 

Dr Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi expert on Isis said "If [the Turkish border] is closed, it will cut three things: funding, an entrance for the foreign fighters and links to Europe which they are trying to open. If those plans are destroyed, they will aim for another gate to Lebanon." Islamic State fighters withdrew from areas north of Homs and have travelled east after a battle between themselves and Nusra Front, Syria’s branch of al Qaeda. The Islamic state has found opposition with western backed fighters in Syria and Iraq and also other Islamic militants like Nusra Front.

The paramilitary wing of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) - which was once declared a terrorist organisation by the U.S. - is now fighting alongside soldiers from Iraqi Kurdistan known as the Peshmega. The two forces along with U.S. air support have been successful in slowing the advance of Islamic State forces in some areas in Iraq. 

What's in the Headlines?

Iraqi civilians will remain on Mount Sinjar

U.S. called off their military mission to extract Iraqi civilians from Mount Sinjar. Further analysis has revealed there are less civilians on Mount Sinjar than first estimated. The air strikes carried out on the Islamic State militants has been successful in drawing forces away from the civilian population. Air drops will continue to provide the Iraqi civilians with food water and medicine.  

David Cameron approves British military presence in the area “So what you need to do is have plans that are flexible enough to respond to that situation . . . That is why the Chinooks are there. That's why our Tornados are there.” Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg have agreed on plans to join France in supplying arms to Kurdish fighters. Nadhim Zahawi, a Conservative MP said “The Kurdish president has made it very clear to western allies that he doesn't need their boys and girls on the ground. He just said give us the weapons and the wherewithal and the air cover and they will take this fight to Isis.” Britain and U.S. will maintain a military presence in Northern Iraq for the foreseeable future.

Up to two million civilians who have been displaced by the Islamic State’s activities still remain in the Kurdistan region. The United Nations declared the situation a Level 3 emergency, which is its highest level of assessment.

What's in the Headlines?

Iraq

Obama has announced that the US is committed to intervention efforts in Iraq, favouring tactical air strikes over troop deployment. The US have felt it necessary to halt the activities of Islamic State fighters who have gained a reputation for killing civilians. Reports on Saturday suggested that forces from the Islamic State crossed into Lebanon from Syria.

The US have also taken a leadership role in delivering relief to civilians fleeing Islamic State fighters. 72 bundles of supplies, including more than 3,800 gallons of water and more than 16,000 packaged meals have been supplied so far. British military have so far stuck to a humanitarian role by providing airships to deliver relief to civilians. 

The Kurds of northern Iraq have taken in up to 1.2 million refugees since June. They have shown their support of the US intervention and have urged Obama not to let up in air strikes. The Guardian is following the story as there have been reports the US is planning to arm the Kurdish fighters. 

What's in the Headlines?

Israel - Gaza

Egypt proposed another 72 hour ceasefire between Gaza and Israel on Sunday night. A previous three day ceasefire ended on Friday as negotiations in Cairo failed. Hamas has demanded the lifting of the Israel-Egypt blockade on Gaza and the release of around 100 political prisoners held by Israel. Israel demands that Hamas disarm. Hamas has threatened escalation of rocket attacks if demands are not met and in response Israel have said that they will not negotiate while under fire. 

Earlier this week Israel pulled its ground troops from Gaza as their operation to demolish Hamas’s underground tunnel network was ‘accomplished'. 

20,000 people protested Israel’s military action in London on Saturday 9th August. Demonstrations also took place in Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin. 

Death toll: approximately 1900 Palestinians, 67 Israelis (3 of which are civilians). Over 220,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict.

The situation unfolding in Gaza and Ukraine

Irish Senator David Norris shares his views on the situation currently unfolding in Gaza and Ukraine