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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 May 2022
U.S., others say Africa has become main target of IS group

Associated Press have stepped up attacks
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — on the country’s new rulers,
A senior U.S. official said the Taliban, as well as reli-
Wednesday the world must gious and ethnic minorities.
remain vigilant about the The group has claimed
continued threat posed several attacks in Israel re-
by the Islamic State group cently, and an Islamic State
around the globe espe- affiliate in Egypt on Sunday
cially in Africa a reminder claimed an attack that
of an unfinished war de- targeted a water pump-
spite the overwhelming ing station east of the Suez
preoccupation with the Canal, killing at least 11 sol-
conflict in Ukraine. diers.
Victoria Nuland, the U.S. “We remain clear on the
undersecretary of state for state of the (IS) threat,
political affairs, said the which has not diminished,”
threat from IS was particu- said Bourita, warning that
larly high on the African Africa has become the
continent, which she said group’s main target, suf-
saw nearly 500 IS terrorist fering 41% of all IS attacks
incidents in 2021 resulting worldwide.
in the deaths of more than Militants pledging alle-
2,900 people. giance to the Islamic State
“At the same time as we A motorist passes by a flag of the Islamic State group in central Rawah, 175 miles (281 kilometers) group remain active in
are preventing the resur- northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, July 22, 2014. Mali, Niger and Burkina
gence of (IS) in Iraq and Associated Press Faso, where they have
Syria, we need to remain been blamed for scores
vigilant to the continued Foreign Minister Nasser Bou- stretching from Syria to Iraq forces in Iraq and Syria. of attacks on villages that
threat it poses elsewhere in rita. The gathering aims to and ruled over 8 million In recent months, the have killed hundreds of ci-
the world, especially here reaffirm attendees’ shared people. It lost its last patch group has exploited eco- vilians. Islamic extremists
on the African continent,” determination to continue of territory in eastern Syria nomic collapse, lack of in Nigeria also have car-
she said. fighting IS. in March 2019 following governance and grow- ried out violence under
Nuland spoke at the open- Nuland, the third highest- a years-long global fight ing ethnic tensions in the the banner of a group they
ing session in the Moroc- ranking U.S. diplomat, re- against the group. impoverished region to call the Islamic State West
can city of Marrakech of placed Secretary of State Since that time, it has large- reverse counter-IS gains. Africa Province. More re-
the annual gathering of Antony Blinken who tested ly gone underground and Its attacks in the region in- cently, IS-affiliated militants
members of the global positive for COVID-19. waged a low-level insur- cluded a major assault ear- have claimed responsibility
anti-IS coalition. She is co- IS at the height of its gency, including roadside lier this year to seize a prison for deadly violence target-
chairing this year’s meeting power controlled more bombings, assassinations in northeast Syria holding ing Congolese soldiers and
of the 8-year-old, 83-mem- than 40,000 square miles and hit-and-run attacks at least 3,000 IS detainees. bars in the country’s em-
ber bloc with Moroccan (103,600 square kilometers) mostly targeting security In Afghanistan, IS militants battled east.q

Thailand providing free cannabis plants for home cultivation

cially dropping cannabis, more than 0.2% of the psy- make cannabis products,
best known in the form of choactive ingredient that which are seen as being
marijuana, from a list of produces a “high” tetrahy- used mainly for medicines
controlled drugs. Closely drocannabinol, or THC. and food additives.
regulated use of cannabis Anutin declared Sunday The Food and Drug Admin-
was legalized in 2018, with on his Facebook page that istration received about
several restrictions gradu- individuals will no longer 4,700 applications by late
ally eased since then. need to acquire a permit to last month for licenses to
Thai officials hope that a grow cannabis at home, as import, possess, grow and
major new cannabis indus- long as it is declared to be produce cannabis and
try will blossom, not only for medicinal purposes and hemp, the Bangkok Post
generating hundreds of mil- does not have THC content newspaper reported. It
lions of dollars directly each above the legal maximum. quoted an FDA official
year, but also attracting Thai officials have not ex- as saying the products
foreign tourists, who have plained how the conditions planned for production
Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaks at only recently begun return- can be enforced. Anutin include hemp seed oil, di-
a news conference at the Public Health Ministry in Nonthaburi,
Thailand, Feb. 8, 2022, after signing a measure that drops ing in large numbers after said with little elaboration etary supplements, bever-
cannabis from his ministry’s list of controlled drugs. being largely absent during that 1 million cannabis ages, seasoning sauce, jel-
Associated Press the coronavirus pandemic. plants would be handed ly candy and instant food.
When the measure be- out beginning in June, and Anutin’s Bhumjai Thai Party,
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai- free when most legal re- comes effective on June that people would be able a major partner in the co-
land’s public health minis- strictions on production 9, possessing and using all to grow as many as they alition government, cam-
ter, who has spearheaded and possession of the drug parts of cannabis plants, in- like at their homes. paigned in the 2019 gen-
the country’s drive to de- are lifted next month. cluding flowers and seeds, Large-scale enterprises will eral election for the legal-
criminalize cannabis, says Public Health Minister Anu- will be allowed. However, still need permission from ization of cannabis produc-
the government will distrib- tin Charnvirakul signed a extracted content will re- the country’s Food and tion, saying it would aid the
ute 1 million of the plants measure in February offi- main illegal if it contains Drug Administration to country’s farmers.q