Iraq: Peshmerga, Other Kurdish Forces Coordinate To Counter Islamic State Iraqi Kurdistans Peshmerga coordinated a counteroffensive against the Islamic State with Kurdish forces from Syria and Turkey, a political leader said Aug. 6, Yahoo News reported. Fighters affiliated with Turkeys Kurdistan Workers Party and Syrias Democratic Union Party are reportedly leading operations in the Sinjar area while Iraqi Peshmerga forces focus on securing areas around Mosul. Baghdad and the United States have recently vowed to support Peshmerga efforts against Islamic State militants. Lebanon: Saudi Arabia Extends Financial Support For Fight Against Militants Saudi Arabia has given Lebanons military $1 billion to aid in Beiruts efforts to fight jihadists along the Syrian border, AFP reported Aug. 6. Lebanese troops have been fighting militants in the countrys east since Aug. 2. The Islamic State, which declared the re-establishment of the caliphate in its controlled areas in Syria and Iraq, has emerged as a major threat to Saudi Arabia. Only 31 Voter Fraud Incidents Since 2000 A study published by The Washington Post found only 31 different incidents of voter fraud since 2000 that an ID law could fix. During that same time, more than a billion ballots have been cast in general and primary elections alone. The study by Justin Levitt, an expert in constitutional law, found those 31 incidents also represent claims, and some have not even been investigated or prosecuted (and could therefore be debunked). Those 31 potential incidents stack up against the 3,000 votes in the four states with strict ID laws that have been rejected for lack of ID. Chinese Earthquake Toll Hits 589 After search and rescue teams pulled even more bodies from debris, the death toll in southern China from an earthquake rose to 589. Over 2,400 people have been injured as well since the 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Yunnan province on Sunday. The new figure represented a huge jump from the 410 reported on Tuesday. Authorities said the numbers could go even higher. The region has a history of earthquakes. In 1970, 15,000 people were killed after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. Sprint No Longer Wants T-Mobile Reuters is reporting that Sprint has given up its bid to acquire T-Mobile U.S. due to resistance from regulators. Sprint, which is No. 3 in the U.S. behind AT&T and Verizon, has not ruled out a future deal. Sprint is owned by Japan’s SoftBank Corp., and one of its executives told Reuters, “We didn’t think the opposition would be this strong.” Sprint will also reportedly appoint a new CEO after the deal fell through. The end of Sprint’s pursuit may open up room for a new buyer such as French firm Iliad. Iliad was rejected earlier after making a lower bid than Sprint.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 13:29:29 +0000
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