Astana, (IINA) - The fifth round of Syrian peace talks may begin in Kazakhstan's capital Astana next week, Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on Monday."Russia informed us that they are going to invite guarantor countries to meet in Astana on Ju...

LONDON � British police have named two of the three men who carried out Saturday's terror attack in London.

Khuram Shazad Butt, 27, was married with two children and lived in east London for a number of years, they said. Butt was a British citizen who was born in Pakistan, moving with his parents to Britain as a toddler. Police admitted he was known to counterterror officers and the intelligence services, but officials insist there was no sign he was planning an attack.

The other named attacker was Rachid Redouane, 30. He claimed he was a Moroccan-Libyan and lived for several years in Ireland.

Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said an investigation into Butt began two years ago, but "there was no intelligence to suggest that this attack was being planned and the investigation had been prioritized accordingly."

The two men's names were released as Britain's security services are facing awkward questions about their surveillance policies.

Butt was a recognized Islamic State follower in the streets around his home in the Barking district, where he tried to recruit children and proselytized openly in a nearby park, sparking a complaint to police by a local resident.

Butt also appeared in a television documentary last year in which he was pictured unfurling an Islamic State banner and later arguing with police during a London protest organized by radical preacher Anjem Choudary, a convicted IS recruiter.

Insufficient response

Last month, community and mosque leaders in Manchester and neighbors of Salman Abedi, the British-Libyan who carried out the May 22 concert bombing in the city, accused the security services of missing several opportunities to identify him as a high-risk militant. At least five times, locals warned the police of their fears about the 22-year-old suicide bomber. One community worker said he contacted authorities after Abedi said being a suicide bomber was OK.

Neither Britain's domestic intelligence service MI5 nor the Manchester police responded to the claims, but lawmakers have demanded to know why Abedi was seen just as a peripheral figure and one not requiring surveillance and investigation.

Similar questions are being raised again in the wake of the van-and-knife attack in the London Bridge district of Britain's capital.

Butt's parents are reported to have been asylum seekers from Pakistan. According to local media, the man, nicknamed Abz, worked at various times for a fast-food outlet, a clothing store and the London Underground system.

A onetime friend of the alleged ringleader also told the BBC that he had warned police, alerting them to comments made about previous terrorist attacks in Britain and of his alarm at the man's increasingly extremist beliefs. The former friend said Butt was a keen follower of American radical preacher Ahmad Musa Jibril and would watch YouTube videos of the cleric.

"He used to listen to a lot of Musa Jibril," the ex-friend told the BBC. "I phoned the anti-terror hotline. I spoke to the gentleman. I told him about our conversation and why I think he was radicalized ... I did my bit, I know a lot of other people did their bit, but the authorities did not do their bit."

Security strategy review

A senior Conservative official told VOA that there is deep frustration in Downing Street about Saturday's attack and the fact that at least one of the assailants was known to the authorities. Prime Minister Theresa May promised to review Britain's counterterrorism strategy, holding out the prospects of enhanced powers for the security services and longer jail sentences for extremists. She said she wants to take a tougher line with internet providers and social media businesses that allow extremist material on their sites.

Among the measures being recommended by security chiefs, according to government officials, is the power to require those on terror watch lists to wear electronic tags, a ban on the sale of unregistered SIM cards, and a ban on immediate vehicle rentals, requiring renters to wait two hours and for rental firms to run checks on them with the police.

Police and counterterror officers launched further raids early Monday in east London. A police spokesman said "a number" of people had been detained. Local residents reported hearing bangs and gunshots during the raids. On Sunday, police arrested 12 people � seven women and five men � in connection with Saturday's terror attack. One of the men has since been released from custody.

Source: Voice of America

Rabat (IINA) � Morocco is one of the most peaceful countries in the Arab world, according to the Global Peace Index 2017, recently published by the international think tank Economics & Peace.

Ranked 75th on a total of 163 countries with a 2.004 score, Morocco has gained 15 places since 2016 and currently occupies the sixth position in the MENA region.

The GPI ranks Tunisia and Algeria respectively 69th and 109th, with an average level of peace, Morocco World News reported.

In the MENA region, Qatar comes in the first position with the 30th place in the world level, followed by Kuwait (58th), United Arab Emirates (65th), Tunisia, Oman (70th) and Morocco. Algeria is in the 8th position, while Syria ranks last worldwide.

Morocco continues to benefit from a broader degree of political and social stability than most of its neighbors in North Africa, and recorded the highest improvement, driven by lower levels of militarization, said the think tank.

The report also ranks Morocco fourth amid the five countries showing significant improvements in the militarization domain, with a 0.192 score change, pitching the Kingdom 27 places ahead compared to 2016.

According to the report, the greatest regional deterioration of this index occurred in North America, followed by sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA).

Source: International Islamic News Agency

ISLAMABAD � Officials in Pakistan say counterterrorism forces have destroyed a major suspected Islamic State stronghold in the country's southwest, killing 12 hardcore terrorists.

A military statement Sunday said the intelligence-led raid targeted the militant hideout in the hilly Mastung district in Baluchistan province and the ensuing gunfight that lasted for two days also injured five security forces, including two officers.

Terrorists were hiding inside a cave for planning, coordination and execution of terrorist activities in Baluchistan. It added that the successful operation foiled attempts to undertake terrorist activities in the province, particularly in its capital city of Quetta.

Mostly members of a banned Sunni militant organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi or LeJ, were occupying the base, a provincial government official told VOA. He requested anonymity because the military alone is authorized to publicly share details of such security operations.

Pakistani authorities believe LeJ operatives have aligned themselves with the Syrian-based terrorist group to help it establish a foothold in the country.

It was one of the biggest operations in last many years in a single [Pakistani] district, killing hardcore mid-level and senior leadership of the terrorist outfit, the official explained. He added that the militants were somehow related to all major terrorist attacks that have struck Baluchistan recently, he added.

IS has claimed responsibly for major suicide bombings in recent months that killed scores of people in the province and elsewhere in Pakistan. The latest such attack took place near Quetta last month when an IS suicide bomber killed 25 people and wounded dozens of others.

Local media said that the counterterrorism operation in Mastung was launched after intelligence reports suggested two Chinese nationals kidnapped from Quetta last week were being held in the area, though officials declined to comment on the reports.

The abductees, a man and a woman, were Chinese-language instructors based in the provincial capital.

Pakistan officials maintain that IS does not have an organized presence in the country, but acknowledge the group's recruiters have been approaching people, particularly university and students through social media.

Baluchistan is at the center of a massive mega project of constructing road and rail links, as well as power plants, in Pakistan with Chinese financial assistance of more than $50 billion.

The largest Pakistani province is rich with minerals and other natural resources, but it is also allegedly host to a number of militant groups, including members of the Afghan Taliban. Additionally, ethnic Baluch separatists have also been waging a low-level insurgency in Baluchistan for decades.

Brahumdagh Bugit, one of the key insurgent leaders living in exile abroad, dismissed Sunday's official claims security forces targeted religious extremists in his native province. Pakistan Army is attacking civilians in Mastung & Kalat with gunship helicopters for past several days. Celebrating [the holy Islamic month of] Ramadan by killing Baloch, Bugti alleged in a statement posted on his Twitter account.

Source: Voice of America

WASHINGTON � The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is under way, and many of the world's nearly 1.5 billion believers are taking part in this time of fasting and reflection, which constitutes one of the five pillars of Islam � the basic acts required of every member of the faith.

Some non-Muslims express curiosity about one part of the observance: fasting.

Some people always say, 'Oh, you don't eat for an entire month?' No, you eat during the month but you eat at nighttime, not in the daytime. And that means no food, no water, no smoking, which is sometimes most difficult for the smokers, even more so than the eating, Ibrahim Hooper, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, told VOA.

Aside from the not eating and drinking, he adds, there is a spiritual benefit in fasting.

Muslims see it as recharging spiritual batteries that get depleted throughout the year. ... It teaches compassion for those who are less fortunate, those who can't eat or drink through no choice of their own," Hooper said. "When you come upon a situation where you can help someone in that situation, you are far more likely to help them if you've experienced that.

The young and elderly, pregnant or nursing women, the sick, and travelers have the right not to fast, although they have a duty to observe Ramadan as soon as they are able to.

Breaking fast with iftar

Every day during the holy month, as the sun goes down, the faithful break their fast with iftar, a ritual meal, often with friends and family.

In Sudan's capital, Khartoum, Fatma Mohamed prepares assida, a porridgelike food served with stews.

Assida is the main meal of the iftar during the month of Ramadan. It is eaten just after breaking the fast, because it is good and useful for the stomach. It is made from corn flour, she said.

Food prices up

The focus on iftar can drive up food prices sharply.

In Pakistan's Swat Valley, shopkeeper Khair Ul Bashar told VOA that goods cost him more during Ramadan, so he has to pass those higher costs on to his customers.

Compared to last year, prices of edibles have increased by roughly 50 percent this year, he said. With the arrival of Ramadan, prices go up and that considerably affects our business.

A Pakistani shopper who spoke with a VOA reporter said: We see that in other communities when there is such a major event � Christmas, for example � then prices are lowered. But every year during Ramadan, we face price hikes in the commodities we buy daily.

Many residents of the predominantly Kurdish city of Qamislo, in northern Syria, also complain about high prices.

Not everybody is rich here. Fruits and vegetables are too expensive. Tomatoes, cucumbers are expensive. There is no control over prices, a passing shopper told VOA at a busy market. There should be controls over the market, especially on tea, coffee and sugar.

Charitable neighbors

Yet despite the hardships, and often with the help of charitable neighbors, most are able to enjoy the community and spirituality of these holy days.

The first day of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. The monthlong observance ends with a three-day festival, the feast of Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam's major holidays and celebrations.

Source: Voice of America

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said Sanghar-Mirpurkhas road will be completed by June next year.He was speaking after inspecting the under-construction road at Sindhri on Friday.He said the road will reduce travel time between Sanghar, Mirpur...

EVERETT, WASHINGTON � Earthquakes are a fact of life in Pacific Rim countries, but most are small shocks that don't do much damage. But a major quake - one registering more than 6.0 on the open-ended Richter scale - can devastate communities, even those that have prepared for disaster. In many urban centers around the Pacific Rim, it could be weeks or a month - or more - before water service gets restored after a major earthquake - not to mention electricity, sewage and fuel supplies too. So leaders on both sides of the Pacific are being forced to make cost-benefit choices.

Japan has a deserved reputation as one of the best prepared countries in the world for earthquakes. But even there, quakes can causes massive and lasting damage.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Kobe in 1995 knocked out water and electricity, collapsed a main highway and railway and killed more than 6,000 people. Fires consumed entire neighborhood blocks as firefighters were stymied by the failure of the water supply

Kobe is now in the process of replacing nearly 4,800 kilometers of cast-iron water distribution lines with flexible pipe to make its system earthquake resistant.

Hitoshi Araike, an assistant manager at the city's Waterworks Bureau, explained "The damage we have received in the earthquake kind of determined that we will do that, replace the pipes."

Araike and an interpreter led foreign journalists deep underground to see a new large transmission main that can double as emergency water storage. It cost more than $300 million.

Automatic shutoff valves have been installed at reservoirs to keep water from draining away after a quake. Flexible pipes and new-style connectors with reinforced sleeves resist breakage. They're being deployed at both the waterworks and a rebuilt sewage treatment plant, and once the new technology is in place, Araike expects zero disruption of Kobe's water service after the next great earthquake.

Earthquake resilience elsewhere

Other Pacific Rim countries with memories of great earthquakes are investing in seismic strengthening, notably Chile, Taiwan, China and New Zealand. In any case, it takes a long time and a lot of money to make a difference, at a city or regional level. Lack of resources or building code enforcement can be a barrier in less developed countries such as Pakistan or Cambodia.

A big public utility on the U.S. West Coast also has an ambitious earthquake resilience goal.

"We'd like to get back up and be operating within three to four days, says Jim Miller, engineering superintendent for Everett Public Works in western Washington state. That's our goal from a level of service standpoint."

Miller says his utility assessed its earthquake vulnerability and has prioritized a list of improvements. First, contractors are reinforcing walls and ceilings to earthquake-proof the operations building at Everett's drinking water treatment plant, which serves 600,000 people north of Seattle.

Next, the Public Works Department wants to install flexible joints at some pipeline water crossings. Everett's full list of seismic upgrades could take 20 years - and many millions of dollars - to complete. City residents would have to cover that cost with higher water bills, but Miller says that the price of resilience.

"If we did nothing, that's more business as usual and you could keep rates lower. But we've found people for the most part expect a reliable system," he said. "Once they understand what it's for, they seem -- In fact our wholesale customers have actually encouraged us to make our system more resilient."

Other utilities in the region are taking similar steps. Seattle Public Utilities aims to finish a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of its own by the end of this year. It has already invested $60 million in seismic upgrades to existing water infrastructure to date - such as switching from above-ground to buried reservoirs.

In Oregon, a state resilience plan set a goal for water supply systems to be mostly operational within two weeks after a Cascadia mega-quake.

"We're nowhere close to that," admts Theresa Elliott, Portland Water Bureau chief engineer at a conference earlier this year.

Be prepared for a long wait

Earthquake resilience experts in both Pacific Coast states delivered nearly identical recommendations a few years ago. They said Oregon and Washington should require utilities to do vulnerability assessments and make plans to mitigate the deficiencies. But that remains largely a suggestion, not a requirement, and that could limit the effectiveness of efforts to increase resiliency.

A regional water supply group for the greater Seattle area recently estimated outage times for a big offshore earthquake and close-by shallow ones. Their analysis found it currently could take up to 60 days to restore service to most customers.

Those projections for long outages of vital services mean residents need to prepare to survive on their own. State and federal emergency managers used to recommend to stockpile food, water and medicines for three days. Now Oregon and Washington state suggest people in earthquake country prepare a kit with two weeks' worth of disaster supplies.

Source: Voice of America