decision: Poll
AFP, London
For the first time since Britain voted to leave the European Union, more people now believe that the decision was a mistake, an opinion poll released Thursday said.
Asked “in hindsight, was Britain right or wrong to vote to leave the EU?”, the YouGov poll in The Times newspaper found that 45 percent said wrong (up two), while 43 percent said right (down three).
“This is the first time that more people have said the referendum came out with the wrong result, and suggests that the issue still divides the country,” The Times said.
Iraq forces retake another Mosul town
AFP, Hatra (Iraq)
Iraqi forces on Thursday retook the town of Hatra, southwest of Mosul, on the third day of an operation that saw them wrest back a nearby UNESCO-listed ancient city, a statement said.
Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) paramilitary forces said they had flushed the Islamic State group out of Hatra, which lies 120 kilometres (80 miles) from Mosul.
The top army commander coordinating the six-month-old offensive to retake the Mosul area from the jihadists, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah, said the “Hashed al-Shaabi forces fully liberated Hatra town in record time.”
He was quoted in a statement from the Joint Operations Command as saying that the Iraqi flag was raised above key buildings in the town following a battle during which “heavy losses” were inflicted on the jihadists.
3 Indian soldiers, 2 rebels killed in Kashmir attack
AP, Srinagar
The Indian army says at least three soldiers and two suspected rebels have been killed in India-held Kashmir after militants stormed a military camp close to the Line of Control (LoC) dividing the disputed region between India and Pakistan.
Army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the militants on Thursday used guns and grenades to target soldiers northwest of Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar.
There was no independent confirmation of the incident and no rebel group fighting against Indian rule since 1989 immediately issued any statement.
9 more democracy activists held in Hong Kong
AFP, Hong Kong
Nine democracy protesters were arrested in Hong Kong Thursday over an anti-Beijing rally in the latest swoop by police as activists say they are being persecuted.
Concerns are growing that the semi-autonomous city’s freedoms are under threat from Beijing, fuelling calls from some groups for greater autonomy or even a complete split from China.
Pro-independence activists Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung were arrested and charged Wednesday over causing chaos in the legislature after being barred from taking up their seats as lawmakers last year.
And last month nine pro-democracy activists-including student protesters and lawmakers-were charged for their roles in mass 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement rallies.
