European court: Swiss Muslim girls must swim with boys

Rex Features

Switzerland has won a case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) obliging Muslim guardians to send their kids to blended swimming lessons. 

It said authorities were legitimized in offering priority to upholding "the full school curriculum" and the children's "successful integration" into society. 

The ECHR recognized that religious freedom was being meddled with. 

However, judges said it didn't add up to an infringement.

More on this story:

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Russia says has begun drawdown of forces in Syria

Samah, 11, and her brother, Ibrahim, transport their salvaged belongings from their damaged house in Doudyan village in northern Aleppo Governorate, Syria, January 2, 2017. (REUTERS)

Russia has begun a drawdown of its military forces in Syria, news agencies quoted the head of the Russian General Staff as saying on Friday.

"In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, (President) Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry is beginning to reduce its armed forces deployment in Syria," TASS news agency quoted Valery Gerasimov as saying.

Gerasimov said Russia's naval fleet led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which has been operating in the Mediterranean off the Syrian coast, would be the first to return from Syria.

Putin said in December Russia had agreed to reduce its military deployment in Syria under the terms of a ceasefire deal between Syrian opposition groups and the Syrian government.

Reuters contributed to this report.

UK's EU ambassador tells colleagues to challenge 'muddled thinking'

Sir Ivan said negotiating experience was "in short supply in Whitehall" (Reuters)

The UK's ambassador to the EU urged British colleagues in Brussels to challenge "muddled thinking and... speak truth to power" as he quit ahead of Brexit talks, the BBC has learnt.

Writing to staff, Sir Ivan Rogers said ministers needed to hear "unvarnished" and "uncomfortable" views from Europe.

Earlier it emerged Sir Ivan would be leaving his post several months early.

The government said he had quit so a successor could be in place before Brexit negotiations started.

Sir Ivan's note to staff, obtained by the BBC, confirmed this but also warned the "government will only achieve the best for the country if it harnesses the best experience we have".

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale said the clear implication of Sir Ivan's resignation note to his staff in Brussels was that he resigned because some of his advice was being ignored by his political masters in London.

Sir Ivan, who had sparked criticism from some MPs by warning ministers a UK-EU trade agreement might take 10 years to finalise, was due to leave his post in October.

His early departure was welcomed by Brexit campaigners while pro-EU politicians said it was a blow to the government's negotiations.

In his note, Sir Ivan said: "I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.

"I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them."

On the UK's Brexit negotiations with the EU, which are due to begin by the end of March, he said "serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall", adding this was not the case in the European Commission or in the European Council.

He said the government would only succeed if it "negotiates resolutely", adding, in a reference to the remaining 27 EU states: "Senior ministers, who will decide on our positions, issue by issue, also need from you detailed, unvarnished - even where this is uncomfortable - and nuanced understanding of the views, interests and incentives of the other 27."

The nature of the UK's trading relationship with the EU has been much debated ahead of the formal talks.

Sir Ivan said that "contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen when it is not thwarted by authorities", adding that market access would depend on the terms of the deals struck.

The diplomat also made clear that the timing of his resignation was designed to avoid disruption by leaving later this year when his term of office was expected to expire.

"It would obviously make no sense for my role to change hands later this year," he said.

A government spokeswoman said: "Sir Ivan Rogers has resigned a few months early as UK permanent representative to the European Union.

"Sir Ivan has taken this decision now to enable a successor to be appointed before the UK invokes Article 50 by the end of March. We are grateful for his work and commitment over the last three years."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said Prime Minister Theresa May was "marching ahead without a plan or even a clue".

"We need our top people around the table if we are going to avoid wrecking the country with Brexit," he said. "It is shameful that vital, talented people like Ivan Rogers are instead being driven away."

BBC contributed to this report.

UK's ambassador to the EU Sir Ivan Rogers resigns

Sir Ivan Rogers (right) was appointed by former Prime Minister David Cameron (Reuters)

The UK's ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, has resigned.

Sir Ivan, appointed to the job by David Cameron in 2013, had been expected to play a key role in Brexit talks expected to start within months.

The government said Sir Ivan had quit early so a successor could be in place before negotiations start.

Last month the BBC revealed he had privately told ministers a UK-EU trade deal might take 10 years to finalise, sparking criticism from some MPs.

He told them this was also the view of the EU's other 27 member states. READ MORE...

Islamic State claims Istanbul attack, gunman remains at large

Men lay flowers outisde the Reina nightclub by the Bosphorus, which was attacked by a gunman, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 1, 2017. (REUTERS)

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Monday for a New Year's Day mass shooting in a packed Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people, an attack carried out by a lone gunman who remains at large.

It described the Reina nightclub, where many foreigners as well as Turks were killed, as a gathering point for Christians celebrating their "apostate holiday". The attack, it said, was revenge for Turkish military involvement in Syria.

"The apostate Turkish government should know that the blood of Muslims shed with airplanes and artillery fire will, with God's permission, ignite a fire in their own land," the Islamic State declaration said.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials.

The jihadist group has been blamed for at least half a dozen attacks on civilian targets in Turkey over the past 18 months but, other than targeted assassinations, this is the first time it has directly claimed any of them. It made the statement on one of its Telegram channels, a method used after attacks elsewhere.

NATO member Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State and launched an incursion into neighboring Syria in August to drive the radical Sunni militants from its borders, sending in tanks and special forces backed by fighter jets.

Nationals of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon, Libya, Israel, India, a Turkish-Belgian dual citizen and a Franco-Tunisian woman were among those killed at the exclusive nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus waterway. Twenty-five of the dead were foreigners, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Police distributed a hazy black-and-white photo of the alleged gunman taken from security footage. State broadcaster TRT Haber said eight people had been detained in Istanbul.

The authorities believe the attacker may be from a Central Asian nation and suspect he had links to Islamic State, the Hurriyet newspaper said. It said he may be from the same cell responsible for a gun-and-bomb attack on Istanbul's main airport in June, in which 45 people were killed and hundreds wounded.

The attack at Reina, popular with Turkish celebrities and wealthy visitors, shook Turkey as it tries to recover from a failed July coup and a series of deadly bombings in Istanbul and elsewhere, some blamed on Islamic State, others claimed by Kurdish militants.

Around 600 people were thought to be inside when the gunman shot dead a policeman and civilian at the door, forcing his way in then opening fire with an automatic assault rifle. Witnesses said he shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest).

Some at the club jumped into the Bosphorus after the attacker began shooting at random just over an hour into the new year. Witnesses described diving under tables as he walked around spraying bullets.

KALASHNIKOV IN SUITCASE

The attacker was believed to have taken a taxi from the southern Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul and, because of the busy traffic, got out and walked the last four minutes to the entrance of the nightclub, newspaper Haberturk said.

He pulled his Kalashnikov rifle from a suitcase at the side of the road, opened fire on those at the door, then threw two hand grenades after entering, Haberturk said, without citing its sources. It said six empty magazines were found at the scene and that he was estimated to have fired at least 180 bullets.

Security services had been on alert across Europe for new year celebrations following an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin that killed 12 people. Only days ago, an online message from a pro-Islamic State group called for attacks by "lone wolves" on "celebrations, gatherings and clubs".

In a statement hours after the shooting, President Tayyip Erdogan said such attacks aimed to create chaos and destabilize the country.

Four months into its operation in Syria, the Turkish army and the rebels it backs are besieging the Islamic State-held town of al-Bab. Erdogan has said he wants them to continue to Raqqa, the jihadists' Syrian stronghold.

Turkey has also been cracking down on Islamic State networks at home. In counter-terrorism operations between Dec 26-Jan 2, Turkish police detained 147 people over links to the group and formally arrested 25 of them, the interior ministry said.

The New Year's Day attack came five months after a failed military coup, in which more than 240 people were killed, many of them in Istanbul, as rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets in a bid to seize power.

More than 100,000 people, including soldiers and police officers, have been sacked or suspended in a subsequent crackdown ordered by Erdogan, raising concern both about civic rights and the effectiveness of Turkey's security apparatus.

The government says the purges will make the military, police and other institutions more disciplined and effective.

Turkey has seen repeated attacks in recent weeks. On Dec. 10, two bombs claimed by Kurdish militants exploded outside a soccer stadium in Istanbul, killing 44 people. A security guard who survived that attack was killed at Reina.

A car bomb killed at least 13 soldiers and wounded 56 when it ripped through a bus carrying off-duty military personnel in the central city of Kayseri a week later, an attack Erdogan also blamed on Kurdish militants.

Islamic State's Amaq website said the group was behind a car bomb attack that killed 11 people and wounded 100 in the city of Diyarbakir in November, but Turkish authorities denied this and said Kurdish militants carried out the attack.

The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot dead as he gave a speech in Ankara on Dec. 19 by an off-duty police officer who shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar".

Reuters contributed to this reports.

Manhunt after dozens killed in Istanbul Nightclub attack

The sisters of Elias Wardini, a Lebanese man confirmed killed, mourn his death (AP)

Police in Istanbul are hunting for a gunman who opened fire at a well-known nightclub, killing at least 39 people.

The attack happened at Reina nightclub early on Sunday, as hundreds of revellers marked the new year.

Officials say some 15 foreigners were killed, including citizens from Israel, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Belgium, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

The attacker left his gun before "taking advantage of the chaos" and fleeing the scene, Turkey's PM said.

Binali Yildirim also confirmed the gunman was not dressed as Santa Claus, contradicting earlier reports.

The attack unfolded some 75 minutes into the new year as around 700 people gathered in the waterside Reina club, one of Istanbul's most upmarket venues.

The attacker shot dead a policeman and a security guard at the entrance before heading into the club, which is popular with celebrities and foreigners.

Eyewitnesses described seeing dozens of bodies lying on the floor. Some revellers reportedly threw themselves into the Bosphorus to escape the carnage.

"Gunshots rang out. When those sounds were heard, many girls fainted," professional footballer Sefa Boydas told AFP news agency.

He said people appeared to be crushed as they ran away. "They say 35 to 40 died but it's probably more because when I was walking, people were walking on top of people."

Relatives of the victims gathered outside Istanbul's forensic medical centre waiting for news (AP)

At least 69 people are being treated in hospital, officials said, with three in a serious condition.

The motive for the attack is not clear, but suspicion has fallen on the Islamic State group.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed terror groups "trying to create chaos". "They are trying to... demoralise our people and destabilise our country," he said.

The banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said it was not the work of Kurdish groups. They would "never target innocent civilians", the PKK's Murat Karayilan was quoted as saying.

Details of those who died are starting to emerge.

The security guard at the entrance to the club has been identified as Fatih Cakmak.

His brother said he narrowly escaped a double bombing three weeks ago, having been on duty when Kurdish militants launched an attack near a football stadium, killing at least 44 people, mostly police.

Here is what we know of the other deaths:

• Israel has confirmed Leanne Nasser, 19, was killed while out celebrating with three friends
• Three Jordanians are among the dead, Jordan's foreign ministry says
• The family of Lebanese national Elias Wardini say they have been informed of his death. At least one more Lebanese citizen has reportedly died
• A French-Tunisian dual national has died, the French foreign ministry confirms
• Tunisia's foreign ministry said on Facebook that two Tunisians died. It is not clear if one of those includes the French-Tunisian dual national
• Belgium's foreign ministry confirms a Belgian-Turkish dual national has died
• India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj tweets confirmation of the death of two nationals

US President Barack Obama, who is on holiday in Hawaii, offered condolences "for the innocent lives lost" and offered "appropriate assistance".

Reina nightclub, seen here in a file picture, is one of the most exclusive in Istanbul (Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the "cynical" murder of civilians. "Our shared duty is to decisively rebuff terrorist aggression," he said.

Turkey and Russia are working together on efforts to end the fighting in Syria, though they support different sides in the conflict.

Istanbul was already on high alert with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city, following a string of terror attacks in recent months.

BBC contributed to this report

Istanbul Reina nightclub attack 'leaves 35 dead'

At least 40 people were injured in the attack (Reuters)

At least 35 people have lost their lives in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul, the city's governor has said.

Among the dead is one police officer, Vasip Sahin stated, adding that it was a terror attack.

At least another 40 were injured in the attack which took place in the Reina nightclub, in the Ortakoy area, at about 01:30 local time (22:30 GMT).

One attacker was involved, the governor said, while CNN Turk reported he was dressed in a Santa Claus costume.

"A terrorist with a long-range weapon ... brutally and savagely carried out this incident by firing bullets on innocent people who were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun," Mr Sahin told reporters at the scene of the upmarket Reina nightclub, which sits on the banks of Bosphorus in the city's European side.

There were reportedly as many as 700 people in the nightclub at the time of the attack, some of whom are believed to have jumped into the river to escape.

Dogan news agency reported that some witnesses claimed the attackers were "speaking Arabic" while Turkish television channel NTV said special force police officers were searching the nightclub.

Istanbul was already on high alert with some 17,000 police officers on duty in the city, following a string of terror attacks in recent months.

Ambulances queue up outside the nightclub (AP)

Many were carried out by so-called Islamic State (IS) or Kurdish militants.

Less than a fortnight ago, the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was shot dead by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas as he gave a speech in the capital Ankara in December.

After the shooting, the killer shouted the murder was in revenge for Russian involvement in the conflict in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

BBC contributed to this reports

Islamist terror is 'greatest threat' to Germany - Merkel

Mrs Merkel said 2016 had been a year of "severe tests" (EPA)

Islamist terrorism is the biggest challenge facing Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said in her New Year message.

Referring to the deadly truck attack in Berlin by a Tunisian asylum seeker, she said it was "sickening" when acts of terror were carried out by people who had sought protection.

She said 2016 had been a year of "severe tests".

But she also said she was confident Germany could overcome them.

"As we go about our lives and our work, we are saying to the terrorists: 'You are hate-filled murderers, but you do not determine how we live and want to live. We are free, considerate and open'," Mrs Merkel said.

Twelve people were killed when Anis Amri drove a truck at crowds at a Berlin Christmas market two weeks ago.

Earlier in the year, a teenage Afghan refugee wounded five people in an axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg and a Syrian whose asylum application had been refused blew himself up outside a bar in Ansbach, wounding 15 other people.

The attacks have led to some criticism of Mrs Merkel's policy of admitting more than a million refugees and migrants in 2015.

Christmas tree remains caught in the front of the lorry that struck a busy Christmas market in Berlin (AFP)

But in her New Year message the chancellor said images of the devastation in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Syrian government forces have forced out rebels after months of fighting, showed how "important and right" it was for Germany to take in those fleeing the conflict.

"All this is reflected in our democracy, rule of law and values. They are the opposite of the hate-filled world of terrorism and will prove stronger than it. Together we are stronger. Our state is stronger," she said.

Mrs Merkel also denounced "distortions" that were leading people to believe that the EU and even parliamentary democracy were no longer working.

The EU was "slow and difficult", had suffered a blow with the United Kingdom's vote to leave and should focus on the things it "really can do better than the nation state", she said.

"But no - we Germans should never be deceived into thinking that a happy future could ever lie in going it alone nationally," she added.

Mrs Merkel is seeking a fourth term as chancellor in an election expected in September and has already said that she expects her toughest campaign yet.

BBC contributed to this report

Russia retaliates to Obama's sanctions, CNN reports

The sanctions mark a new low in the relationship between Presidents Putin and Obama (Getty Image)

Russia isn't expected to waste any time in retaliating to fresh sanctions imposed by President Obama's administration, potentially resulting in a quid pro quo game of diplomatic punishment.

Moscow appears to have already taken action. CNN reported late on Thursday that Russian authorities ordered the shutdown of the Anglo-American School of Moscow, which primarily serves children of Western embassy personnel, as well as the closure of a U.S. embassy vacation house in Serebryany Bor, near Moscow.

The Russian embassy in Singapore told CNBC that it was not placed to comment on the CNN report.

The closure of an international school would be unusual for Moscow, but not impossible, Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told CNBC on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova already warned of payback after the White House penalized Moscow for alleged interference in the U.S. 2016 election.

"We can only add that if Washington takes new hostile steps, it will receive an answer. This applies to any actions against Russian diplomatic missions in the United States, which will immediately backfire at U.S. diplomats in Russia. The Obama administration probably does not care at all about the future of bilateral relations, but history will hardly forgive it for this après-nous-le-deluge attitude," she said in an official statement.

Washington sanctioned two Russian intelligence agencies, four officers of its largest intelligence agency, GRU, and three companies that supported GRU's operations on Thursday. Obama also expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

Going forward, Paal expects the U.S.-Russian conflict to play out in a more subtle fashion.

"The U.S. is going to mete out sanctions quietly without publicity and Russia will be watching closely how to react. So we may not necessarily see the exchange in the headlines, it's going to be more of a 'Spy vs. Spy' situation."

Russia vows response to diplomat expulsion from US

Dozens of Russian diplomats in the US have until Sunday to leave (AFP)

Russia has promised to respond to the expulsion of 35 of its diplomats from Washington, amid a bitter dispute over alleged Russian interference in the recent US presidential election.

A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin's reaction would cause the US "significant discomfort".

However, he hinted that Russia may wait until Donald Trump, who has played down the hacking claims, becomes president.

Russia has denied any involvement and called the US sanctions "ungrounded".

On Thursday, the US state department declared the 35 Russian diplomats from the Washington embassy and the consulate in San Francisco "persona non grata", and gave them and their families 72 hours to leave the US.

The sanctions mark a new low in the relationship between Presidents Putin and Obama (Getty Image)

Sanctions have also been announced against nine entities and individuals including two Russian intelligence agencies, the GRU and the FSB.

And the US will close two compounds - in New York and Maryland - used by Russian intelligence services.

President Barack Obama had vowed action against Russia amid US accusations that it directed cyber-attacks against the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Reacting to the announcement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Undoubtedly, commensurate reaction based on the principle of reciprocity will cause significant discomfort to the American side in the same areas."

But he added that Russia would not act "in haste" and alluded to the upcoming change at the helm of the US.

"These decisions were taken by President Obama, but Trump will become the head of state in three weeks' time," Mr Peskov said. "Of course, this factor will certainly be taken into account one way or another."

'A decade-long campaign'

Separately, the Russian embassy to the UK tweeted a visual gag calling the Obama presidency a lame duck.

President Obama expels 35 🇷🇺 diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl 🇺🇸 people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D

— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016

President-elect Trump has dismissed the hacking claims as "ridiculous" and said Americans should "get on with our lives" when asked about the possibility of sanctions before the announcement.

Emails stolen from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and from the servers of the Democratic National Committee - some containing embarrassing information for Democrats - were released during the election campaign through the Wikileaks website.

US intelligence agencies, including the FBI and CIA, have concluded that the aim of the hack was to cause damage to Mrs Clinton and the Democrats and favour Mr Trump.

Berlin truck attack: Tunisian 'linked to Anis Amri' held

Twelve people died in the lorry attack (AFP)

A 40-year-old Tunisian man has been detained in Berlin in connection with last week's attack on a Christmas market, German state prosecutors say.

They say his number was found on the phone of Anis Amri, who killed 12 people by hijacking a lorry and ramming it through the stalls.

Police raided the home and workplace of the man in the Tempelhof area of Berlin, German media report.

Officials have until Thursday to decide whether to formally arrest him.

Amri was shot dead by police in Milan early last Friday, four days on from the attack, after the 24-year-old Tunisian opened fire and injured an officer during a routine check.

Meanwhile, police in the Netherlands say it was highly likely Amri was spotted on CCTV in Nijmegen station.

They are investigating whether he travelled there immediately after the market attack, following the discovery of an unused Dutch Sim card in his backpack.

Amri pledged allegiance in a video to so-called Islamic State  (AFP)

They believe he was probably handed the Sim card in Nijmegen station.

From Nijmegen, it is thought he took a six-hour bus trip to Lyon Party-Dieu station in France - from where he apparently got a train to Milan via Chambery and Turin.

The Sim card found in his backpack was issued between 20 and 22 December in one of three possible Dutch cities - Breda, Zwolle and Nijmegen, Italian media reported.

It was widely reported after the attack that German police had searched a refugee centre in Emmerich, just across the border at Nijmegen.

That Amri was able to travel from Berlin while subject to a European arrest warrant has raised security questions.

Flight recorder 'reveals faulty wing flaps to blame' in Russia plane crash

Flowers have been laid outside the Alexandrov Ensemble building in Moscow (EPA)

The main flight recorder from the Russian jet that crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday has revealed that faulty flaps were to blame, Russian media say.

The flaps, panels on the wings that help lift an aircraft, were not moving together, a source close to the probe told the private Interfax news agency.

The pro-Kremlin Life news website says this led the pilots to lose control as the plane was at a "critical angle".

It also quoted the crew's last words, including: "The flaps, hell... !"

The ageing Tu-154 airliner came down off the Russian coast with the loss of all 92 passengers and crew.

On board were 64 members of the famed Alexandrov military music ensemble, as well as one of Russia's best-known humanitarian figures, Yelizaveta Glinka.

The plane was heading to Russia's air force base in Syria where the choir was due to perform at a New Year's concert.

The military airliner was commanded by experienced pilot Maj Roman Volkov and his co-pilot was Capt Alexander Rovensky, who had 10 years of aviation service.

An earlier audio recording, played on Russian media, said to be of the final conversation between air traffic controllers and the plane's crew, revealed no sign of difficulties.

But Life, a new site which is close to the Russian security agencies, issued a transcript of the cockpit recording taken from the "black box", indicating the two pilots were taken by surprise.

• Pilots' last words:
• "Speed 300 (inaudible)."
• "(Inaudible)."
• "I've pulled in the landing gear, commander."
• "(Inaudible)."
• "Oh bloody hell!"
• Piercing alarm sounds
• "The flaps, hell, what a…!"
• "The altimeter [altitude meter]!"
• "We're in… (inaudible)."
• Alarm sounds about dangerous proximity to the ground
• "(Inaudible)."
• "Commander we're falling!"

The plane crashed soon after take-off from an airport near the city of Sochi, where it had landed for refuelling.

It disappeared from radar two minutes after taking off from Adler airport at 05:23 (02:23 GMT) on Sunday.

A second flight recorder has been found in a good condition and was raised from the seabed on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.

According to the authorities, so far 15 bodies have been recovered from the crash site.

The Tupolev airliner involved in the crash was an old model no longer flown by airlines in Russia but still used by the military. It was 33 years old.

The investigators have so far ruled out terrorism as a possibility, instead concentrating on human error, a technical fault or a combination of factors as being responsible.