Two of the notorious British ISIL fighters who alongside their compatriot Mohammed Emwazi – who was known as Jihadi John – were known as the ‘Beatles’ have reportedly been detained by Syrian Kurdish militia who have been engaged in the mopping up operation along the Euphrates River south to the border with Iraq.
According to the New York Times, the pair, who have been identified as Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were picked up in mid-January, which was when American officials were informed about their capture.
A source at the foreign office in London unofficially confirmed to The National that the men had been detained although the department has yet to issue a statement
In Washington, a state department spokesperson did not deny the arrests. The US official told The National that the fate of any detainees with SDF will be decided in US interagency discussions with the anti-ISIS coalition partners which include the United Kingdom.
“Where appropriate, our interagency partners are working closely with our coalition partner nations on the disposition of detainees in SDF detention,” he said, while insisting that “these diplomatic discussions are private.”
The men – including a fourth Briton called Aine Davis who is currently being held in a Turkish jail on terrorism charges – were known to fellow ISIL fighters and their captives as the ‘Beatles’ because of their English accents. They were involved in the torture and killing of Western hostages such as American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, plus the British charity worker Alan Henning.
They were infamous for their cruelty – Emwazi appeared in ISIL videos in which it appeared that he personally beheaded hostages. He was killed by an airstrike in Syria in 2015.
All four men were originally from London and travelled to the Middle East in the early 2010s. The pair who appear to have been captured have lengthy crime sheets behind them.
The state department says that Kotey “likely engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding. Kotey has also acted as an ISIL recruiter and is responsible for recruiting several UK nationals to join the terrorist organisation.”
Elsheikh, according to the state department, “was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer.”
The pair were captured by Syrian Democratic Forces who, suspecting their identities, allowed American Special Operations forces access to them. Their identities were confirmed using fingerprints and biometric measures.
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RESULTS: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPE
Albania 0 Italy 1
Finland 2 Turkey 2
Macedonia 4 Liechtenstein
Iceland 2 Kosovo 0
Israel 0 Spain 1
Moldova 0 Austria 1
Serbia 1 Georgia 0
Ukraine 0 Croatia 2
Wales 0 Ireland 1
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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The five pillars of Islam
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
