A Turkish F-16 fighter jet takes off from Incirlik airbase in the southern city of Adana, Turkey, July 27, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

By Humeyra Pamuk and Nick Tattersall

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish jets launched their heaviest assault on Kurdish militants in northern Iraq overnight since air strikes began last week, hours after President Tayyip Erdogan said a peace process had become impossible.

The strikes hit Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets including shelters, depots and caves in six areas, a statement from Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's office said. A senior official told Reuters it was the biggest assault since the campaign started.

Iraq condemned the air strikes as a "dangerous escalation and an assault on Iraqi sovereignty", saying it was committed to ensuring militant attacks on Turkey were not carried out from within its territory.

Turkey launched near-simultaneous strikes against PKK camps in Iraq and Islamic State fighters in Syria last Friday, in what Davutoglu has called a "synchronized fight against terror".

Engaging in conflicts on two fronts is a high-risk strategy for the NATO member, leaving it exposed to the threat of reprisals by jihadists and Kurdish militants. Germany warned on Wednesday about possible attacks on Istanbul's underground rail network and bus stops.

Turkey has also opened its air bases to the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, joining the front-line in the battle against the jihadists after years of reluctance. NATO gave Turkey full political support on Tuesday.

But Turkey's assaults on the PKK have so far been much heavier than its strikes against Islamic State, fuelling suspicions that its real agenda is keeping Kurdish political and territorial ambitions in check, something the government denies.

Of the 1,302 people arrested in what officials have described as a "full-fledged battle against terrorist groups" in recent days, 847 are accused of links to the PKK and just 137 to Islamic State, government spokesman Bulent Arinc said.

Turkey has also made clear that its operations against Islamic State in Syria will not include air cover for Syrian Kurdish fighters also battling the jihadists.

The chairman of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition HDP party, Selahattin Demirtas, whose lawmakers Erdogan wants to see prosecuted for alleged links to the PKK, called for an immediate halt to violence on both sides.

"We have to establish democratic pressure that will help silence the guns immediately. We are ready to work with all politicians who want to achieve this," he told reporters.

"AUTHORITARIAN SYSTEM"

Turkish officials have said the strikes against the PKK are a response to increased militant violence in recent weeks, including a series of targeted killings of police officers and soldiers blamed on the Kurdish militant group.

Another soldier was killed on Wednesday and three seriously wounded in the eastern province of Agri in what appeared to be a PKK attack, the Dogan news agency reported. At least nine members of the security forces have been killed over the past week by suspected Kurdish militants.

The PKK has said the air strikes are an attempt to "crush" the Kurdish political movement and create an "authoritarian, hegemonic system" in Turkey.

It has stopped short of explicitly pulling out of a peace process, although it said on July 11 that Turkey's construction of military outposts, dams and roads for the armed forces' use had violated a ceasefire and that it planned to resume attacks.

Erdogan initiated negotiations in 2012 to try to end the PKK insurgency, largely fought in the predominantly-Kurdish southeast and which has killed 40,000 people since 1984. The ceasefire, though fragile, had been holding since March 2013.

Western allies have said they recognize Turkey's right to self-defense but have urged it not to allow years of peace efforts with the PKK to collapse. While deeming the group a terrorist organization, Washington also depends heavily on allied Syrian Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State.

On Tuesday, Erdogan said the process had become impossible and urged parliament to strip politicians with links to the militants of immunity from prosecution, a move seen as aimed squarely at the HDP.

TRUST DESTROYED

Parliament began discussing the military operations in Iraq and Syria, as well as Erdogan's call for the lifting of immunity, in a heated session on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan, who has overseen the government side of peace efforts, accused the HDP of sacrificing the process in the name of its own political ambition, saying it had been more interested in winning enough votes to enter parliament than in working to resolve the conflict.

The HDP won 13 percent of the vote in a June 7 election, helping to deprive the AK Party which Erdogan founded of its majority in parliament for the first time since 2002 and forcing it to seek a junior coalition partner or face a fresh election.

"The HDP has destroyed the trust, has betrayed the peace process," Akdogan told the state-run Anadolu news agency, but stopped short of declaring it definitively over.

"It is unclear how the process will continue. First the PKK should put down weapons. If there's anything to be discussed, we can discuss it after that," he said.

Many Kurds believe that by reviving conflict with the PKK, Erdogan is trying to undermine support for the HDP before a possible fresh election. He has made no secret of his desire to change the constitution and amass stronger powers, virtually impossible without a strong single-party AKP government.

The AKP has been holding coalition talks, but the leader of the largest opposition party, the CHP, said last week he saw an early election as the most likely outcome.

"The president does not want a coalition to be formed. He knows that if a coalition is formed whatever remains from his executive presidency dream will completely be destroyed," said Idris Baluken, a senior HDP lawmaker.

"He wants Turkey to have a snap election quickly."

(Additional reporting by Stephen Kalin in Baghdad, Michelle Martin in Berlin, Nevzat Devranoglu in Istanbul, Orhan Coskun, Ercan Gurses, Gulsen Solaker, Ece Toksabay and Dasha Afanasieva in Ankara; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Giles Elgood and Anna Willard)

Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Wednesday the "immediate" construction of 300 settler homes in the occupied West Bank as his government came under pressure from right-wing Jewish groups.

A senior Palestine Liberation Organisation official denounced the plans to build new homes as "war crimes" and accused Israel of sabotaging peace efforts.

West Bank settlements are major impediments to peace negotiations with the Palestinians, who see the land as part of a future independent state, and Western nations have called on Israel to halt such projects.

The decision comes amid already strained relations between Israel and the United States, particularly over the recent nuclear deal with Iran, but Netanyahu is also under pressure to hold on to his one-seat majority in parliament.

"After consultations in the prime minister's office, the immediate construction of 300 homes in Beit El has been authorised," Netanyahu's office said, adding that planning for another 504 homes in annexed east Jerusalem had also been approved.

- 'Zionist response' -

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure to hold together his one-seat parliament …

According to the statement, the 300 units had been promised three years ago following the demolition of other homes in the Beit El settlement.

The approval came after the Israeli High Court upheld earlier Wednesday a demolition order for two structures being built illegally in Beit El. The planned demolition had drawn protests from settler groups, who clashed with police at the site on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Netanyahu had said he opposed the demolition, which began Wednesday.

Right-wing members of his government also spoke out strongly against the demolition, and Education Minister Naftali Bennett addressed protesters at the site.

On Wednesday, he immediately hailed the decision on new construction announced by Netanyahu's office.

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An Israeli settler is arrested by security forces as authorities begin demolishing the so-called Dre …

"This decision is a Zionist response," Bennett, of the right-wing Jewish Home party, said in a statement. "This is the way in which we will build our country."

The prime minister holds only a one-seat majority in parliament following March elections and settler groups wield significant influence in his government.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law, though not by the Israeli government.

They are seen as further complicating peace negotiations aimed at leading to an independent Palestinian state. Talks have been stalled since last year.

"These settlement measures and war crimes are part of a plan by Israeli leaders to impose a 'Greater Israel' on historic Palestine and destroy the two-state solution and the chance for peace," senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi said in a statement.

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Israeli bulldozers start the demolition of the so-called Dreinoff buildings in the West Bank settlem …

The two buildings being demolished in Beit El were reportedly on private Palestinian land that was seized by the army in the 1970s.

Several hundred protesters clashed with police Tuesday as authorities took control of the buildings, then again Wednesday as demolition started.

Police used water cannon to push back protesters and detained a number of people, an AFP photographer reported.

In a separate incident Tuesday, several hundred people illegally entered the former Sa-Nur settlement in the northern West Bank, which Israel had evacuated in 2005.

Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War and nearly 400,000 Jewish settlers currently live there.

Tribune
University of Cincinnati Officer Indicted For Murder Of Samuel DuBose

CINCINNATI (AP) — A University of Cincinnati officer who shot a motorist during a traffic stop over a missing front license plate was indicted Wednesday on a murder charge, with a prosecutor saying the officer "purposely killed him" and "should never have been a police officer."

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced the grand jury indictment at a news conference to discuss developments in the investigation into the July 19 shooting of 43-year-old motorist Samuel DuBose by Officer Ray Tensing.

Authorities have said Tensing spotted a car driven by DuBose and missing the front license plate, which is required by Ohio law. They say Tensing stopped the car and a struggle ensued after DuBose refused to provide a driver's license and get out of the car.

Tensing, 25, has said he was dragged by the car and forced to shoot at DuBose. He fired once, striking DuBose in the head.

But Deters dismissed Tensing's claim that he was dragged by the car and suggested that he shouldn't have pulled DuBose over to begin with.

"He fell backward after he shot (DuBose) in the head," Deters said, adding that it was a "chicken crap" traffic stop.

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Mourners Shanicca Soloman cries in the embrace of friend Terrell Whitney outside funeral services fo …

On footage released from the body-camera video Wednesday, the officer could be heard asking for DuBose's driver's license several times with DuBose at one point saying he had one. Later, DuBose said, "But I don't think I have it on me."

Tensing asks DuBose to unbuckle his seat belt. About that time Tensing pulls on the door handle, and DuBose puts his hand on the door to keep it closed. Then the video becomes shaky, but a gunshot can be heard and DuBose appears to be slumped in the seat before the car rolls away, coming to stop at a nearby corner.

The University of Cincinnati said it fired Tensing after his indictment. Tensing turned himself in Wednesday afternoon at the Hamilton County Justice Center and was processed on charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter.

Tensing's attorney, Stewart Mathews, didn't return phone messages seeking comment after the indictment announcement.

Mathews said earlier Wednesday that he thought an indictment was likely "given the political climate" and comments made by city officials. But Mathews said given the evidence he's seen, he doesn't believe there should be an indictment.

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Audrey Dubose, mother of Samuel Dubose, speaks to the media following funeral services at the Church …

DuBose's death comes amid months of national scrutiny of police dealings with African-Americans, especially those killed by officers. DuBose was black. Tensing is white. Authorities haven't indicated whether race was a part of the investigation.

Body-camera video of the shooting was also released Wednesday. DuBose's family had been pressing for its release, and news organizations including The Associated Press had sued Deters to get it released under Ohio open records law, but Deters released it before any ruling had been made.

Deters called the shooting "senseless" and "asinine."

"He purposely killed him," Deters said. "He should never have been a police officer."

The prosecutor also said he thought it was time to reconsider the UC police department's role.

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The casket of Samuel Dubose is transported to a hearse during his funeral at the Church of the Livin …

"I don't think a university should be in the policing business," Deters said.

A message for comment was left Wednesday with the police department. The university said earlier this week it plans an independent review of its police department's policies.

The UC officer made the traffic stop near the university's main campus, and UC police have said the intersection was within the campus police's jurisdiction.

The University of Cincinnati on Wednesday closed its main campus in anticipation of grand jury action in the case.

Mark O'Mara, attorney for DuBose's family, called for a "peaceful and nonaggressive" response from the community after the officer's indictment. O'Mara said the family wanted a peaceful reaction because "Sam was a peaceful person."

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Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell stands outside after leaving funeral services for Samuel D …

Tensing has more than five years of experience in law enforcement and has worked as a University of Cincinnati police officer since April 2014, said Jason Goodrich, UC police chief. His annual performance review this April noted that he was extremely strong in the traffic area and maintains control of his weapons and of "situations he is involved in."

Tensing formerly worked as an officer in the small Cincinnati suburban village of Greenhills.

Deters said when he saw the video of the shooting, he was shocked.

"I feel so sorry for this family and what they lost," Deters said. "And I feel sorry for the community, too."

If convicted, Tensing could face up to life in prison.

___

Associated Press writers Dan Sewell in Cincinnati and Kantele Franko and Mitch Stacy in Columbus contributed to this report.

Beirut (AFP) - An Israeli air strike on a government-held village on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights ceasefire line killed five pro-regime forces on Wednesday, a monitoring group said.

"An Israeli plane hit a car inside the town of Hader, killing two men from (Lebanese Shiite group) Hezbollah, and three men from the pro-regime popular committees in the town," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Hader is a Druze village that lies along the ceasefire line, with the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights plateau to the west, and the border with Damascus province to the northeast.

An Israeli army spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident.

According to Hezbollah's official television station Al-Manar, "two members of Syria's (pro-regime militia) National Defence Forces were killed when an Israeli drone targeted their car at the entrance of Hader, in Quneitra province."

The National Defence Forces has fighters operating throughout Syria.

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An Israeli soldier monitors the Druze village of Hader, in the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, on …

Lebanon's Hezbollah is a close ally of the Syrian government and has dispatched fighters to bolster the army against the uprising that began in March 2011.

Rebel fighters, including Islamists, surrounded the village of Hader on June 17 after fierce clashes with loyalist militia in the area.

Israel's own significant Druze minority has expressed concern that their brethren in Syria would be targeted by rebels there.

The Druze are a secretive offshoot of Shiite Islam. Officials say there are 110,000 of them in northern Israel and another 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from neighbouring Syria in the 1967 Six Day War.

The Minnesota dentist who killed “Cecil the Lion” in Zimbabwe wrote a letter of apology to his patients Tuesday as a media firestorm continued to grow and his online business and social profiles were assailed with threats and hate messages.

Walter James Palmer, who paid about $50,000 to hunt the lion, used bait to lure the 13-year-old black-maned big cat out of Hwange National Park in early July so he could shoot it with a bow and arrow, authorities said.

In the letter to his patients at River Bluff Dental in Bloomington, Palmer again said he did not know Cecil was a well-known lion who had been collared for a study until he had finished the hunt. He made the same claim in a statement to the media eariler Tuesday.

“To my valued patients: As you may have already heard, I have been in the news over the last few days for reasons that have nothing to do with my profession or the care I provide for you,” he said in the message, obtained by local Fox affiliate KMSP.

“I don’t often talk about hunting with my patients because it can be a divisive and emotionally charged topic. I understand and respect that not everyone shares the same views on hunting,” he wrote.

The letter repeats many lines from his Tuesday statement to the press, which was printedin The Star Tribune.

Four Things to Know About Cecil the LionPlay video

Palmer said he hired local professional guides, acquired all the necessary permits for a legal big-game hunting trip and promised to assist Zimbabwean or American authorities with any questions, should he be asked.

“The media interest in this matter — along with a substantial number of comments and calls from people who are angered by this situation and by the practice of hunting in general — has disrupted our business and our ability to see our patients,” Palmer said. “For that disruption, I apologize profoundly for this inconvenience and promise you that we will do our best to resume normal operations as soon as possible.”

River Bluff Dental’s official website and Facebook page have been taken down. The business’ phone line has also been disconnected.

Thousands of outraged citizens have flooded the office’s Yelp page with angry messages shaming Palmer for killing Cecil.

Charity Charamba, a spokeswoman for Zimbabwean police, told The Associated Press that the two Zimbabwean men who allegedly helped lure Cecil out of its protected area will appear in court. The police are searching for Palmer, she added.

On Tuesday, a “We the People” petition was launched on the official White House website in hopes of extraditng Palmer to Zimbabwe so he can face justice. It already has more than 66,000 signatures.

“Two of Palmer’s local accomplices are already in custody. Zimbabwe authorities now actively seeking Palmer in connection with this incident,” the petition reads in part. “We urge the Secretary Of State John Kerry and the Attorney General Loretta Lynch to fully cooperate with the Zimbabwe authorities and to extradite Walter Palmer promptly at the Zimbabwe government’s request.”

Jimmy Kimmel Gets Emotional Discussing Cecil the Lion (video)