Hong Kong protests: Leader CY Leung urges crowds to leave

Ali Moore: Protesters are taking time to clean up after themselves

Hong Kong leader CY Leung has urged pro-democracy protesters to "immediately" stop their campaign, as huge crowds continue to bring parts of the territory to a standstill.

On Monday night, tens of thousands blocked streets, singing and chanting.

The protesters want Beijing to give Hong Kong a free vote for its next leader, something Beijing has rejected.

By Tuesday streets were relatively quiet but crowds are expected to swell for the eve of Chinese National Day.

Over the weekend police used tear gas and pepper spray, but riot police have since been withdrawn and protesters remain calm.

However, key parts of the city are being blocked by protesters, with some schools and banks closed.

The protesters want Mr Leung, the chief executive, to step down. But he appeared to reject this, saying such a move would represent a step backwards.

"Any personnel change before the implementation of universal suffrage is achieved would only allow Hong Kong to continue to pick its leader under the Election Committee model," he said.

He also called on the protesters - a mix of students, supporters of the pro-democracy Occupy Central group and others - to go home.

"Occupy Central founders had said repeatedly that if the movement is getting out of control, they would call for it to stop," Mr Leung said.

"I'm now asking them to fulfil the promise they made to society, and stop this campaign immediately."

Many protesters slept in the streets overnight, as police looked on

CY Leung has appealed to protesters to go home - but many say they are there for the long haul

At the scene: Saira Asher, BBC News, Hong Kong

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters spent the night on the street near Admiralty in Hong Kong's Central district. Some were propped up against barricades, others stretched out in the middle of a major road.

After a strong show last night the crowds have trickled out this morning as people go to work or home to take care of household chores. But they say they will be back tonight when numbers are expected to swell. This has been the routine now for two days. The crowds diminish in the day but return in full force in the evening and stay the night.

The morning is being spent mostly removing rubbish left over from last night's huge crowd. Students are picking up cigarette butts and plastic bottles, others are distributing breakfast buns. That is why those on the street are being called "the politest protesters" by some on social media.

But they are on edge. At one point in the middle of the night everyone suddenly stood up and started pulling on masks. It turned out to be just a changing of the guard for the handful of police scattered around here, but the sudden fear was palpable.

'Condemned by history'

Beijing ruled last month that Hong Kong people can elect their next leader in 2017, compared to 2012 when he was chosen by a committee.

But the choice of candidates will be restricted to two or three people who must be approved by the majority of a pro-Beijing committee - meaning Beijing can effectively screen candidates.

In Hong Kong, further consultations had been due to take place on the ruling but on Monday a senior official said these would be postponed until a "better time".

In its latest statement, Occupy Central accused the government of "delay tactics", saying it believed the government was "just hoping people's desire for genuine universal suffrage to fade out over time".

Occupy also repeated calls for Mr Leung's resignation, saying he would be "condemned by the history of democratic development in Hong Kong".

At the moment protesters have been blocking roads in at least three parts of the territory.

On Tuesday morning numbers had dwindled as some headed for work or school. But Wednesday marks Chinese National Day - a holiday that marks the founding of Communist China - and most expect more crowds out on Hong Kong's streets on Tuesday evening.

In other developments:

• A man was arrested after he drove his car at protesters in Mong Kok in the early hours of Tuesday. No reason was given for the incident
• In the US, a White House spokesman urged Hong Kong authorities to "exercise restraint" and protesters to "express their views peacefully"
• On Monday, the British government called for the right to protest to be protected and for protesters to exercise their right within the law

Not everyone in Hong Kong backs the protests, however. Some fear the ongoing demonstrations could affect Hong Kong's relationship with Beijing or hit the economy of the financial hub.

China has described the demonstrations as illegal and urged the Hong Kong government to bring them under control.

News of the protests is being heavily censored in mainland China. Media have blamed "radical opposition forces" for stirring up trouble.

Analysts say Communist Party leaders in Beijing are worried that calls for democracy could spread to cities on the mainland, putting them in a very difficult position.

Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees liberties not seen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and the right to protest.

Hong Kong democracy timeline

• 1997: Hong Kong, a former British colony, is handed back to China under an 1984 agreement giving it "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years
• 2004: China rules that its approval must be sought for changes to Hong Kong's election laws
• June-July 2014: Pro-democracy activists hold an unofficial referendum on political reform and a large rally. This is followed by protests by pro-Beijing activists
• 31 August 2014: China says it will allow direct elections in 2017, but voters will only be able to choose from a list of pre-approved candidates. Activists stage protests
• 22 September 2014: Student groups launch a week-long boycott of classes in protest
• 2017: Direct elections for chief executive due to take place
• 2047: Expiry of current agreements

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Microsoft pips Sony to launch Xbox One in China

Limited edition Xbox One consoles were available

By Dave LeeTechnology reporter, BBC News

Microsoft has launched the Xbox One in China - becoming the first major console maker to enter what could be a massively lucrative market.

The first consoles were sold in Shanghai, priced at 4,299 yuan ($699, £430). Sony and Nintendo are yet to launch their respective products.

In January, the Chinese government lifted a 14-year ban on consoles, made because of worries over content.

However, many popular titles, such as Call of Duty, will still be banned.

Only 10 games were available to buy on the Xbox One's release - but Microsoft has said 70 titles are in the pipeline.

Beating its rivals to the market may give Microsoft a much-needed sales boost. Its console is currently being outsold by Sony's PlayStation 4 in all major markets.

But Piers Harding-Rolls, a games analyst from IHS, told the BBC: "There's advantages and disadvantages in being first.

"There's obviously potential. Overcoming the issues of piracy, overcoming the issues of pricing, having the right content to connect with the local audience - those are all big issues."

Sony has set up business partnerships to launch the PS4 in China, but a date has not yet been set.

Both companies will compete with a thriving black market in illegally imported consoles playing pirated versions of games.

The firms will also come up against mobile games, which are not banned in China and are extremely popular.

Ticking the boxes

The Xbox One launch was originally set to happen last week but was delayed - Microsoft did not give a reason why.

The US firm is currently the focus of an anti-monopoly investigation relating to its Office software.

The company's chief executive Satya Nadella visited the country last week, and pledged to help the government with its investigation.

Minecraft could be a major draw in China

Getting games to market is likely to require negotiation with regulators, who favour educational games over those with violent themes.

But that could play well for Microsoft thanks to its recent acquisition of Minecraft - a block-building online game that is massively popular in the Western world, particularly with young children.

"I don't think Minecraft has been heavily exposed to the Chinese market," Mr Harding-Rolls said.

"It ticks all the boxes for regulatory requirements in China. It's educational, it's not heavily violent.

"I would suspect that they're thinking very seriously about bringing it to China. It sits well with the regulatory demands."

Microsoft bought Minecraft's Swedish developer Mojang earlier this month for $2.5bn (£1.5bn).

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Hong Kong: Protesters defiant amid stand-off

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters are blocking Hong Kong's streets, shutting down its business hub and ignoring appeals to leave.

The demonstrations have spread to other areas including a shopping district and a residential area.

Riot police withdrew on Monday after overnight clashes in which they used batons and fired volleys of tear gas to try to disperse the crowds.

China has warned other countries not to support the "illegal rallies".

Its foreign ministry said it opposed any interference in China's internal affairs.

Meanwhile the British government called for the right to protest to be protected.

"It is important for Hong Kong to preserve these rights and for Hong Kong people to exercise them within the law," the UK foreign office said in a statement.

Protesters - a mix of students and supporters of the Occupy Central pro-democracy movement - are angry at Beijing's plans to vet candidates for Hong Kong's 2017 leadership elections.

They want a free choice of candidates when they cast their ballots for the chief executive - something Beijing says is out of the question.

Sunday saw angry scenes and dozens of arrests on Hong Kong's streets as tens of thousands of protesters faced riot police in the heart of the city.

In a news conference on Monday, Cheung Tak-keung, assistant commissioner of police for operations, said police had used the "bare minimum force".

He said 41 people had been injured in the past three days, including 12 police officers.

The Hong Kong government urged protesters to stay calm and leave peacefully but crowds remained camped out around the government complex on Monday night.

About 3,000 people have also blocked a major road across the bay in Mongkok, on the Kowloon peninsula, while a crowd of about 1,000 faced police in the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay, east of central Hong Kong.

Protesters remained on the streets on Monday evening, with many camped outside government buildings

About 3,000 protesters blocked a major road across the bay in Mongkok, on the Kowloon peninsula

Some protesters covered their faces with plastic wrap and goggles as an anti-tear-gas measure

Earlier, police clashed with protesters attempting to block roads in central Hong Kong

Schools in the Wan Chai, Central and Western districts were closed on Monday and will remain shut on Tuesday, according to the Hong Kong Education Bureau.

The city remains heavily disrupted, with several major thoroughfares blocked.

One man said protesters were growing more confident. "Police don't have enough officers to close down the districts where there are protests," Ivan Yeung, 27, told AFP news agency.

Hong Kong's chief executive reassured the public that rumours the Chinese army might intervene were untrue.

"I hope the public will keep calm. Don't be misled by the rumours," CY Leung said.

China, which stations a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong, said it was confident the city's administration could handle the protests.

In other developments:

• Police said they used tear gas 87 times in clashes with protesters on Sunday
• More than 200 bus routes have been cancelled or diverted; some subway exits in protest areas have been blocked
• Several banks have suspended operations in affected areas
• Police said they arrested 78 people on Sunday, after 70 arrests on Saturday.
• In the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, protesters gathered outside the Hong Kong cultural office in a show of support
• President Ma Ying-jeou said Taiwan was closely watching the situation in Hong Kong
• In mainland China, reports say Instagram has been blocked, it is thought due to the protests

'Sorrow over chaos'

Tensions escalated on Sunday when the broader Occupy Central protest movement threw its weight behind student-led protests, bringing forward a mass civil disobedience campaign due to start on Wednesday.

In a statement on Monday, the movement called on Mr Leung to step down, saying "only this will make it possible to re-launch the political reform process and create a space in which the crisis can be defused".

Celia Hatton: The view from Beijing

China's leaders must be sitting uncomfortably in Beijing.

As long as the protests continue, there is a chance they will spread to the mainland, where many are unhappy with one-party rule. The Chinese government is taking clear steps to limit information about events in Hong Kong by censoring internet search terms and forums discussions.

But if the protesters hold their ground, how far will Beijing allow events to spiral before getting directly involved?

The sight of Chinese troops confronting Hong Kong protesters, particularly students, would be a disaster for Beijing, leading to an international outcry. Beijing could revisit the dark days following its violent response to 1989's Tiananmen protests.

So, for now, Chinese leaders face an unusual set of political constraints. The Communist Party is unwilling to cede political control to the people of Hong Kong by refusing to allow direct elections in 2017. As a result, the party is putting its faith in the abilities of the Hong Kong police to deal with the fall-out from that decision.

A spokesman for China's Hong Kong and Macau affairs office said that Beijing firmly opposed "all illegal activities that could undermine rule of law and jeopardise 'social tranquillity,'" Xinhua news agency reports.

Mainland newspapers have blamed "radical opposition forces" for stirring up trouble.

Analysts say Communist Party leaders in Beijing are worried that calls for democracy could spread to cities on the mainland.

Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees liberties not seen on the mainland, including freedom of speech and the right to protest.

Hong Kong democracy timeline

• 1997: Hong Kong, a former British colony, is handed back to China under an 1984 agreement giving it "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years
• 2004: China rules that its approval must be sought for changes to Hong Kong's election laws
• June-July 2014: Pro-democracy activists hold an unofficial referendum on political reform and a large rally. This is followed by protests by pro-Beijing activists
• 31 August 2014: China says it will allow direct elections in 2017, but voters will only be able to choose from a list of pre-approved candidates. Activists stage protests
• 22 September 2014: Student groups launch a week-long boycott of classes in protest
• 2017: Direct elections for chief executive due to take place
• 2047: Expiry of current agreements

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MP Mark Reckless's defection to UKIP senseless, says David Cameron

David Cameron called the defection by Tory MP Mark Reckless to UKIP ''counter-productive and rather senseless''

David Cameron has dismissed the defection of Conservative MP Mark Reckless to UKIP as "senseless and counter-productive".

Mr Reckless's move was followed by the resignation of a minister over a newspaper allegation, in a double blow for the PM at the start of the Tory conference.

Mr Cameron told the BBC's Andrew Marr show Mr Reckless's defection was "frustrating".

And only a Tory government could deliver an EU referendum.

In an echo of the statement he made when another of his backbenchers, Douglas Carswell, defected to UKIP earlier this month, Mr Cameron said the choice facing voters at the next election was between a Conservative and Labour government.

"So to act in a way that makes the Conservative government less likely is senseless and counter-productive."

'More defections'

The Conservative leader said he had not been aware of Mr Reckless's plans to quit but suggested the backbencher - who has triggered a by-election in his Rochester and Strood constituency - would not be much of a loss to the party because he "rarely voted with the government".

Mark Reckless and Brooks Newmark hit Mr Cameron with a double blow

David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrived in Birmingham on Saturday night

UKIP leader Nigel Farage told Andrew Marr it "wouldn't surprise" him to see more defections, and that "Labour backbenchers are thinking about this as well".

Meanwhile, former civil society minister Brooks Newmark, who has quit over reports that he sent an explicit image of himself to an undercover reporter, told the BBC he had been a "complete fool"

Benefit cap plan

Mr Cameron wants to use his week in Birmingham to unveil a series of eye-catching policies aimed at winning the party an overall majority in May's election.

Chancellor George Osborne has said a Conservative government would cut the maximum level of benefits a household can claim from £26,000 a year to £23,000.

At the same time, unemployed young people aged 18 to 21 would be given six months to find work or training - after which their jobseeker's allowance payments would be withdrawn unless they agreed to take part in "community projects" such as cleaning up local parks.

Most unemployed 18 to 21-year-olds would also be prevented from claiming housing benefit in order to leave home under the Tory proposals.

Mr Cameron also promised help for young people to get on the housing ladder, saying a Tory government would build 100,000 homes exclusively available to under-40s in England at 20% below market rate.

The conference is taking place in Birmingham until Wednesday

But the Conservative leader has begun his final conference before the general election by defending his position on Europe amid ongoing unease among right wingers.

In his Andrew Marr interview, he promised to focus on tightening immigration rules when he attempted to renegotiate Britain's relationship with Brussels before the referendum promised by the end of 2017.

He stopped short of saying he would recommend Britain leave the EU - and vote no in the referendum - if he failed to get the concessions he wants from the other EU nations - something his Eurosceptic MPs have been demanding.

"If I don't achieve that it will be for the British public to decide whether to stay in or get out," he said.

But he added: "I have said this all my political life: if I thought that it wasn't in Britain's interest to be in the European Union, I wouldn't argue for us to be in it."

On Saturday, Culture Secretary Sajid Javid told the Daily Mail the UK could still prosper if it chose to exit the EU.

"I think it would open up opportunities. I am not afraid of that at all," he added.

Undecided voters

Mr Reckless told rapturous delegates at UKIP's conference in Doncaster on Saturday: "People feel ignored, taken for granted, over-taxed, over-regulated, ripped off and lied to."

Meanwhile, Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft called on the prime minister to do more to win over undecided voters.

Mark Reckless announces he is joining UKIP

"Starting today in Birmingham, Cameron must help them resolve their quandary in his party's favour," he wrote in the Sunday Times.

"Cameron must show that his purpose is not merely a matter of dry economics but the creation of a country where everyone can share in the prosperity that the Tories are accused of wanting to preserve for the few."

The prime minister is due to deliver his set-piece speech on Wednesday as he closes the conference.

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Serbia Gay Pride march returns after four years

The sign reads "For all the victims of violence in Serbia"

Serbia's first Gay Pride march for four years has been held in the capital Belgrade, amid massive security, including special forces and tanks.

Waving rainbow flags, hundreds took the short march through empty streets.

Authorities had cancelled the event every year since marchers were attacked in 2010 - nine years after Gay Pride was first held in Belgrade.

Serbia is keen to show increasing tolerance as it seeks to join the EU, the BBC's Guy De Launey says.

Keeping Brussels happy is undoubtedly the motivation for allowing the Gay Pride march to go ahead, our correspondent in Belgrade says.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic had announced he would not attend the event due to prior engagements - but also made it clear he would not have gone even if he had been free.

Our correspondent says that reflects widespread feelings in Serbia.

Gay rights activists have waited four years for the right to march

On Saturday night anti-gay demonstrators held a rally in Belgrade to protest against the Gay Pride march

Belgrade's first Gay Pride parade in four years is seen as a key test of Serbia's tolerance as it applies to join the EU

Riot police this weekend: the last march, in 2010, was halted after disturbances between police and far-right anti-gay groups

The patriarch of the influential Orthodox Church has condemned the event.

Two-thirds of respondents to a survey four years ago said they viewed homosexuality as a disease.

But Sunday's march took place without incident, with marchers blowing whistles as a police helicopter flew over them.

Participants marched through the centre of the city to the National Assembly, where ambassadors from numerous European countries addressed the crowd.

"I feel phenomenal. Our efforts of the past three years have borne fruit," organiser Boban Stojanovic told Reuters news agency.

On Saturday evening, anti-gay rights campaigners demonstrated in the capital in anticipation of the Gay Pride march on Sunday.

But the influence of the far right has declined in recent years, our correspondent says, and several government ministers have spoken in favour of the march.

Earlier in September a German LGBT ( lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) rights speaker was treated in hospital after being beaten in Belgrade.

In response to the attack, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said: "We will not allow this kind of thing to remain unpunished."

The march in 2010 was the only gay pride parade to go ahead in the Serbian capital since 2001.

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Rosneft and Exxon discover Arctic oil

Russian energy giant Rosneft says it has discovered oil with its US project partner Exxon Mobil at a controversial well in the Arctic.

Drilling was completed in record time, it said, but questions remain about how quickly the well can be developed.

Exxon has said it will "wind down" the project following US sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

Environmentalists have campaigned hard against drilling for oil in the pristine region.

"Rosneft successfully completed the drilling of the northernmost well in the world - the Universitetskaya-1 well in the Arctic," the company said in a statement.

Rosneft boss Igor Sechin, himself a target of US sanctions, said the well had produced "an astonishing sample of light oil".

He estimated the well could access 100 million tonnes of oil and 338 billion cubic metres of gas.

"This is an outstanding result of the first exploratory drilling on a completely new offshore field," he continued.

"This is our united victory - it was achieved thanks to our friends and partners from Exxon Mobil, Nord Atlantic Drilling, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford, Baker, Trendsetter, FMC."

Experts said more testing would need to be carried out before an accurate picture of recoverable reserves in the region could be established.

They said it was unclear how the project would develop given US sanctions that prohibit US companies from participating in joint ventures with Russian energy companies.

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Sudan apostasy woman Mariam Ibrahim 'to campaign'

Mariam Ibrahim said she believed her imprisonment in Sudan was ''a test''

Mariam Ibrahim, the Sudan woman who escaped a death sentence imposed for renouncing her faith, says she wants to campaign for others who face religious persecution.

Speaking to the BBC in the US, where she is seeking asylum, Ms Ibrahim said she hopes to return to Sudan one day.

Ms Ibrahim earlier received an award from a US Christian foundation.

Her sentencing - by a Sudanese court that did not recognise her Christian faith - sparked outrage this year.

Born to a Muslim father, she was raised a Christian by her mother and married a Christian man.

Under Sudan's version of Islamic law, however, her father's religion meant that she too was still technically a Muslim. A court found her guilty of apostasy, or renouncing one's faith.

Sentenced to hang, she gave birth to her daughter while shackled in prison. Under intense international pressure, her conviction was quashed and she was freed in June.

She told the BBC that she had been threatened by the guards while she was in court.

"The judge told me that I needed to convert to Islam," she said. "And so these warnings made me anticipate I would be sentenced to death."

Mrs Ibrahim's daughter Maya was born in prison in May

"It wasn't easy, I can't describe it," she said, of her time in prison. "But there are others who are in worse conditions in Sudan than those I was in."

"Sadly, this was all under the guise of the law. So instead of protecting people, the law is harming them."

On Saturday night, Ms Ibrahim received an award from a gathering of evangelical Christian conservatives in Washington, who see her treatment in Sudan as an assault on their values.

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Islamic State crisis: Al-Nusra threat over air strikes

Supporters of al-Nusra Front held a rally against the coalition and Syrian government in Aleppo

Syrian militant group al-Nusra Front has denounced US-led air strikes as "a war against Islam".

In an online statement, the al-Qaeda-linked group called on jihadists around the world to target Western and Arab countries involved.

It comes as the US and other nations widened air strikes against Islamic State (IS) fighters in Iraq and Syria.

A Syrian activist group said overnight strikes hit three local oilfields near the Syrian IS stronghold of Raqqa.

The group, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also said one civilian was killed in a strike on a plastics factory on the outskirts of Raqqa.

Previously, the Pentagon confirmed that jets hit Raqqa on Saturday as well as IS positions near the Turkish border.

Kurdish fighters have been defending the Kurdish town of Kobane on the Syrian side of the border since an IS advance sent about 140,000 civilians fleeing to Turkey.

The US-led coalition of about 40 countries, including Arab states, has vowed to destroy IS, which controls large parts of north-eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

The group's brutal tactics, including mass killings, beheadings, and abductions of members of religious and ethnic minorities, triggered the international intervention.

Despite sharing radical Islamist beliefs, IS and al-Nusra Front have been rivals, recently clashing with each other in Syria.

Fighting near Kobane has sent thousands of Syrian Kurds fleeing to the Turkish border

Paul Wood's exclusive report from Kobane: ''The battle is far from over''

But on Saturday al-Nusra spokesman Abu Firas al-Suri threatened the coalition nations.

"These states have committed a horrible act that is going to put them on the list of jihadist targets throughout the world," he said.

"This is not a war against al-Nusra, but a war against Islam."

Both IS and al-Nusra form part of the complex network of rebel forces fighting in Syria. The US has not said al-Nusra is also being targeted but its planes have attacked a new group it terms Khorasan, which some analysts suspect is part of al-Nusra Front.

IS has also called on jihadists to launch attacks on coalition countries.

On Saturday, a spokesman for the moderate opposition Free Syrian Army said it supported air strikes against IS but opposed any action that caused civilian casualties.

Hussam al-Marie told the BBC that Western countries should also carry out strikes against the government in Damascus.

"(The) so-called Islamic State is our enemy as much as (President) Assad's regime is our enemy," he said.

British warplanes are carrying out missions over Iraq from their base at Akrotiri, Cyprus

"We want Syria free from dictatorship and from terrorism. We need the support of the free world to continue this battle against the regime and Isis (IS). We are fighting on two fronts."

Meanwhile on the ground, IS shelled Kobane on Saturday and several people were killed, the BBC's Paul Wood reports from the scene.

The US Central Command announced that an IS-occupied building and two armed vehicles were destroyed near the Kobane border crossing.

Several thousand Kurdish refugees, along with their sheep and cattle, are camped out at the railway line which marks the border with Turkey.

Other strikes hit IS targets elsewhere in Syria and in northern Iraq on Saturday.

On Friday the UK became the latest nation to join the air campaign against IS after MPs voted in favour of strikes in Iraq, but not in Syria.

Two of six RAF Tornados based in Cyprus carried out their first combat mission on Saturday but returned without carrying out any strikes.

On Saturday evening, local time, two RAF planes took part in a further flight and later returned safely.

French fighter jets are already taking part in strikes in Iraq with Belgium and the Netherlands each pledging six F-16s planes and Denmark deploying seven.

European countries have so far only agreed to strike targets in Iraq where the government has asked for help.

What does Islamic State want?

• Formed out of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in 2013, IS first captured Raqqa in eastern Syria
• It captured broad swathes of Iraq in June, including Mosul, and declared a "caliphate" in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq
• Pursuing an extreme form of Sunni Islam, IS has persecuted non-Muslims such as Yazidis and Christians, as well as Shia Muslims, whom it regards as heretics
• Known for its brutal tactics, including beheadings of soldiers, Western journalists and aid workers
• The CIA says the group could have as many as 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria

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