Page 10 - aruba-today-20190430

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 30 april 2019

IS leader appears in video for first time in 5 years

By ZEINA KARAM in the eastern Syrian village
BASSEM MROUE of Baghouz, the group's last
Associated Press sliver of territory, which was
BEIRUT (AP) — The shadowy captured last month by the
leader of the Islamic State U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syr-
group claimed to appear ian Democratic Forces. The
for the first time in five years fall of Baghouz marked the
in a video released by the militants' territorial defeat
extremist group's propa- and the end of their self-
ganda arm on Monday, declared Islamic caliphate
acknowledging defeat in over parts of Syria and Iraq.
the group's last stronghold Al-Baghdadi said that the
in Syria but vowing a "long battle for Baghouz demon-
battle" ahead. strated the "barbarism and
The man said to be Abu brutality" of the West and
Bakr al-Baghdadi in the the "courage, steadfast-
video also claimed the ness and resilience of the
Easter Day bombings in Sri nation of Islam."
Lanka which killed over 250 "This steadfastness shocked
people were "part of the the hearts of the Crusad-
revenge" that awaits the This image made from video posted on a militant website on Monday, April 29, 2019, purports ers in what increased their
West. to show the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, being interviewed by his rage," he added.
The video released Mon- group's Al-Furqan media outlet. Referring to the setbacks in
day by a media outlet Associated Press battle, he said the "broth-
run by the extremists, Al- ers" of the many fallen
Furqan, shows al-Baghdadi three men seated opposite he appeared as a black- him as its leader. fighters "will avenge that,
with a bushy grey and red him whose faces were cov- robed figure with a trimmed Since then, he has only re- as they will not forget as
beard, wearing a black ered and blotted out. black beard to deliver a leased audio messages long as they have blood in
robe with a beige vest and It is his first video appear- sermon from the pulpit of through the group's media their veins, and there will be
seated on the floor with ance since he delivered the mosque in which he outlets. a battle after this one."
what appears to be an a sermon at the al-Nuri urged Muslims around the In the video released Mon- Al-Baghdadi called specifi-
AK47 rifle propped up next mosque in the Iraqi city of world to swear allegiance day, al-Baghdadi acknowl- cally on his followers to in-
to him. He is speaking with Mosul in 2014. In that video, to the caliphate and obey edged that IS lost the war tensify attacks on France.q
Abandon Jakarta: Indonesia again mulls plan for new capital

Associated Press The other alternatives were Prone to flooding and
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — moving to a location near rapidly sinking due to un-
Indonesia's decades-long Jakarta or staying put and controlled ground water
discussion about building a relocating all government extraction, Jakarta is the
new capital has inched for- buildings to a special zone archetypical Asian mega-
ward after President Joko around the presidential city creaking under the
Widodo on Monday ap- palace. weight of its dysfunction.
proved a long-term plan for The site for a possible new Only 4% of Jakarta's waste
the government to aban- capital hasn't been an- water is treated, according
don overcrowded, sinking nounced, but Palangkara- to the government, caus-
and polluted Jakarta. ya on the island of Borneo ing massive pollution to riv-
Widodo decided at a spe- has often been rumored ers and contaminating the
cial Cabinet meeting to as the location. Brodjone- ground water that supplies
move the capital outside goro, however, said east- the city. Congestion is esti-
of Indonesia's most popu- ern Indonesia is favored. mated to cost the econo-
lous island, Java, said Plan- "This is a big job, impossible my $6.5 billion a year.
The central business district skyline is seen during the dusk in
Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, April 29, 2019. ning Minister Bambang to take just one year, it "The idea to move the
Associated Press Brodjonegoro. It was one could take up to 10 years," capital city appeared long
of three options discussed. he said. ago," he said. q