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The moderate Islamist Renaissance Party officially wins the Tunisian Constituent Assembly election, gaining more than 41% of the vote and securing 90 of the 217 parliamentary seats being contested. | Tunisia's moderate Islamist Ennahda party has won the country's first democratic elections after the Arab Spring uprisings, officials say.
Official results show Ennahda won more than 41% of the vote, securing 90 seats in the 217-member parliament. Ennahda has already said it wants to form a new government within a month.
Violent protests broke out in the central town of Sidi Bouzid after the election results were announced, witnesses say.
Reports say police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of people. They were protesting against the cancellation of seats won by the Popular List party in six electoral districts because of "financial irregularities".
The Popular List party, led by a businessman, had won a number of seats in Sidi Bouzid. The town is the birthplace of the uprising that erupted nine months ago, after a young unemployed man set himself on fire. The uprising led to President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali being thrown out of office. Tunisia's election chief Kamel Jandoubi presented the results of last Sunday's poll at a news conference in Tunis on Thursday night. Mr Jandoubi said that the Congress for the Republic (CPR) - the country's biggest secularist party - was the runner-up in the elections with nearly 14%, winning 30 seats in parliament.
The leftist Ettakatol party came third with almost 10%, giving them 21 seats. Ennahda, which was banned under the former regime, says it has modelled itself on the governing AK party in Turkey, another Muslim-majority country which has remained a secular state.
Party leader Rachid Ghannouchi pledged on Thursday the rights of every Tunisian would be protected by the new authorities. "We will continue this revolution to realise its aims of a Tunisia that is free, independent, developing and prosperous, in which the rights of God, the Prophet, women, men, the religious and the non-religious are assured because Tunisia is for everyone," Mr Ghannouchi told a crowd of supporters, Reuters reports. Ennahda has sought to reassure secularists and investors, nervous about the prospect of Islamists holding power in one of the Arab world's most liberal countries, by saying it would not ban alcohol, stop tourists wearing bikinis on the beaches or impose Islamic banking. Foreign tourism is a major source of revenue for Tunisia.
But despite the reassurances, Ennahda's victory is causing concern in some parts of Tunisia, who fear the party could later change their policies, the BBC's Chloe Arnold reports.
Ennahda has put forward its number two, Secretary General Hamadi Jebali, as the next prime minister. Coalition talks with the CPR and Ettakatol parties have already begun.
Mr Jebali, 62, is an engineer by training and a former journalist. He was a co-founder of Ennahda. The polls were Tunisia's first democratic elections, and followed the fall of President Ben Ali, who was overthrown in January after mass demonstrations. He had been in power for 23 years.
Unlike its eastern neighbour Libya, Tunisia's transition from authoritarian rule has been largely peaceful.
| Government Job change - Election | October 2011 | ['(Nahda)', '(BBC)'] |
Netflix acknowledges it's been slowing its video transmission on wireless mobile carriers around the world, including Verizon and AT&T, for five years to "protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps." Last week, these carriers were accused of this. The company told The Wall Street Journal that TMobile or Sprint users weren't affected because, "historically those two companies have had more consumerfriendly policies." In May, Netflix plans to shift some of that control to viewers themselves. (C|net) | T-Mobile and Sprint are exempt, because they're less likely to hit their subscribers up for more money when they exceed their monthly data plans.
If you use Netflix on a mobile device, you're probably burning through your monthly data plan just to watch your favorite showsunless you only use the app when connected to your home or work Wi-Fi networks. And while you'll still eat up a lot of data with your Netflix binging on Verizon or AT&T's networks, the question of just how much, and what kind of stream quality you're getting, has been at the heart of a fairly big controversy over the past week.
Last week, T-Mobile accused Verizon and AT&T of throttling its customers' Netflix streaming and therefore reducing the streaming qualitysince T-Mobile, after all, has added Netflix to its "Binge On" service, which allows you to stream as much programming as you want at a 480p resolution.
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"Did you know that when you watch Netflix on T-Mobile you get it at 480p? And the duopoly is actually delivering your Netflix content at 360p. I'll bet you didn't know that. Go check; it's true," said T-Mobile CEO John Legere in a video posted last week.
Verizon and AT&T denied doing any throttling of their own. A Verizon spokesman told FierceWireless that T-Mobile's claims were "dopey," and an AT&T spokesman said that "customers on 4G LTE can get much higher resolution than T-Mobile's optimized 480p limit."
Netflix has since come out with a bit of a mea culpa of its own: It's to blame for the throttling claims, because it's doing exactly that for most mobile networks.
"We believe restrictive data caps are bad for consumers and the Internet in general, creating a dilemma for those who increasingly rely on their mobile devices for entertainment, work and more. So in an effort to protect our members from overage charges when they exceed mobile data caps, our default bitrate for viewing over mobile networks has been capped globally at 600 kilobits per second. It's about striking a balance that ensures a good streaming experience while avoiding unplanned fines from mobile providers," reads a recent blog post from Netflix.
It's not doing any throttling for T-Mobile or Sprint users because "historically those two companies have had more consumer-friendly policies," a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal. In other words, the carriers will limit the speeds at which a person can connect, rather than charge them excessive fees, when they exceed their data caps or use way too much "unlimited" data.
Going forward, Netflix will be introducing a new data saver feature that will allow subscribers to customize the video quality (and bandwidth used) for their mobile streaming. They'll be able to get more streaming at a lower quality if they don't have big data plans, or higher-quality content if they have a data plan that can handle it.
"Our research and testing indicates that many members worry about exceeding their mobile data cap, and don't need the same resolution on their mobile phone as on a large screen TV to enjoy shows and movies. However, we recognize some members may be less sensitive to data caps or subscribe to mobile data plans from carriers that don't levy penalties for exceeding caps. As we develop new technologies, we want to give all our members the choice to adjust their data consumption settings based on their video preferences and sensitivity to their ISPs data overage charges," reads Netflix' blog post. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | March 2016 | ['(PC Magazine)'] |
Two boats carrying migrants capsize off of the coast of Zuwarah, Libya, with hundreds feared dead. | Hundreds of people are feared dead after two boats carrying about 500 migrants sank off Libya, officials say.
The first boat, which capsized early on Thursday, had nearly 100 people on board. The second, which sank later, was carrying about 400 passengers.
Rescuers have pulled 82 bodies from the water and saved 198 people, according to Red Crescent official Ibrahim al-Attoushi. About 200 people are reported to be still missing.
The boats sank on Thursday after leaving Zuwara, a major launch pad on the Libyan coast for migrants hoping to reach Italy.
The Bangladeshi embassy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, has told the BBC that 31 of their nationals were on board one of the vessels. According to witness testimony, the embassy said two children had died and four others were missing.
The UN says about 2,400 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year. More than 300,000 have attempted the crossing, it says - an increase of nearly 40% on the whole of 2014. More than 100,000 migrants have landed in Italy, whilst another 160,000 have crossed to Greece.
The Libyan coast guard worked overnight on Thursday to search for survivors from the latest tragedy. But Libya is poorly equipped to carry out rescue operations as the ships available to its coastguard are small, BBC North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad reports from Tunis.
At least 100 bodies were taken to a hospital in Zuwara, west of Tripoli, a resident told the BBC.
The victims included migrants from Syria, Bangladesh and several sub-Saharan African countries, the resident said, but the information could not be independently verified.
A detention facility for illegal migrants in Sabratha, west of Tripoli, received 147 people, an official told Reuters. On Wednesday, the bodies of at least 51 people were found in the hold of a stricken ship off Libya's coast.
They were picked up by a Swedish coastguard ship that also rescued more than 400 survivors - among at least 3,000 migrants saved that day.
The Swedish ship, Poseidon, docked in the port of Palermo, Sicily, on Thursday.
Italian police have been detained 10 people in connection with the case, a prosecutor's office source said, quoted by Reuters.
On Saturday, about 4,400 migrants were rescued from boats off the coast of Libya, in one of the biggest single-day operations mounted to date.
Many of those who attempt the journey are fleeing conflict or persecution, and set off from Libya in unseaworthy boats organised by smugglers. Libya has had two competing governments for the past year and is largely ruled by rival militias. Meanwhile, in Austria, police have said the number of people who died in a parked lorry near the Hungarian border is now confirmed as 71. Four people have been arrested. | Shipwreck | August 2015 | ['(BBC)'] |
U.S. President George W. Bush commutes Scooter Libby's prison sentence with a Grant of Executive Clemency for his role in the Plame Affair. |
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 2, 2007
Grant of Executive Clemency
Statement by the President On Executive Clemency for Lewis Libby
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
WHEREAS Lewis Libby was convicted in the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia in the case United States v. Libby,
Crim. No. 05-394 (RBW), for which a sentence of 30 months' imprisonment,
2 years' supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and a special
assessment of $400 was imposed on June 22, 2007;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, pursuant to my powers under Article II, Section 2, of the
Constitution, do hereby commute the prison terms imposed by the sentence
upon the said Lewis Libby to expire immediately, leaving intact and in
effect the two-year term of supervised release, with all its conditions,
and all other components of the sentence.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of
July, in the year of our Lord two thousand and seven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH
# # # | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | July 2007 | ['(Reuters)', '(Whitehouse.gov)'] |
Bahrain bans the independent Al-Wasat newspaper on grounds that it "sows division" in the Shia-majority kingdom. | Dubai (AFP) - The government in Sunni-ruled Bahrain announced Sunday an indefinite ban on the independent Al-Wasat newspaper on accusations that it publishes "what sows division" in the Shiite-majority Gulf kingdom.
The ministry of information affairs said it had decided to bar the publication and stop its circulation "until further notice", according BNA state news agency, without specifying if the ban affects the electronic edition.
The order was due to Al-Wasat's "violation of the law and repeatedly publishing what sows division in the society and affects Bahrain's relations with other states," BNA said.
The decision came after the paper published an article on Sunday that was "offensive to a sisterly Arab state," BNA said, in an apparent reference to an article that praised protests in Morocco.
The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy criticised the decision, saying it was "the latest in an escalated crackdown on independent civil society".
"They are trying to silence the only independent paper," BIRD's advocacy chief Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei said in a statement.
"Bahrain feels it can get away with any action because its key international allies the US and UK have shown they don't prioritise human rights. This attack on the press must be condemned by London and Washington," he added.
BIRD said an unnamed source at the newspaper said Al-Wasat was suspended due to the publication of an "opinion article" about widespread protests in Morocco.
Demonstrations and a strike have rocked the northern port of Al-Hoceima, in Morocco's neglected Rif region, where authorities arrested the leader of a popular protest movement and others on May 26.
The protesters have been demanding more development and railing against corruption, repression and unemployment.
Al-Hoceima has been shaken by social unrest since the death in October of a fishmonger who was crushed in a rubbish truck as he protested against the seizure of swordfish caught out of season.
- Authorities intensify crackdown -
Authorities in Bahrain had suspended the electronic edition of Al-Wasat for few days in January over accusations of sowing sedition and harming national unity.
The newspaper was also suspended for two days in August 2015 on similar charges.
Bahrain has been rocked by sporadic unrest since March 2011 when security forces brutally crushed an Arab Spring-inspired uprising.
At the height of the 2011 uprising, Al-Wasat was suspended and its chief editor Mansoor al-Jamri tried and fined for publishing false information.
The latest ban comes as authorities intensify a crackdown on the opposition, with police shooting dead five demonstrators last month as security forces dismantled a months-long sit-in.
And last week a Bahrain court dissolved the secular opposition party Waed, months after the main party representing the kingdom's Shiite majority, Al-Wefaq, was also banned.
Tiny but strategic Bahrain, which lies just across the Gulf from Iran, is a key regional ally of the United States and home to its Fifth Fleet.
It has come under frequent criticism from international human rights groups and the administration of Barack Obama often criticised the Manama authorities for not doing more to reconcile with the opposition.
However President Donald Trump made a clear break from that policy during a visit to the region earlier this month, telling Bahrain's King Hamad in neighbouring Saudi Arabia "there won't be strain with this administration".
About 84 million years ago, Earth's crust and the mantle below it rotated around the planet's inner core - causing the Earth to tip over.
Hart said in an interview with Romper that his children are aware of the "gift and a curse" that celebrity brings.
In an interview with McClatchy, Anthony Fauci discusses the Delta variant and his plans to eventually return to research.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may possibly relocate or euthanize a female grizzly bear and her cubs if 10-14 days of hazing does not work.
Rumours abounded on Friday night that China's top spycatcher had defected to the US, amid a growing focus in Washington on the theory that Covid-19 escaped from a Wuhan laboratory. Dong Jingwei, vice minister of state security, was reported to have flown from Hong Kong to the US in February with his daughter. There was no confirmation of the rumoured development from either the US or China. Dr Han Lianchao, a former Chinese foreign ministry official who is now a pro-democracy activist in the US,
The urine test could help detect brain cancer earlier than traditional scans, improving patient survival.
The group of tubers passed over the approximately eight-foot-high Duke Energy dam along the Dan river while on a floating trip in North Carolina.
A Tory MP is facing trial accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008, it can now be revealed. Imran Ahmad Khan, 47, the Conservative MP for Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is alleged to have groped the teenager in Staffordshire. Mr Ahmad Khan, who was elected at the 2019 general election, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday by video-link from his lawyers' office. He was named on Friday after reporting restrictions were lifted. Mr Ahmad Khan has had the Tory whip suspe
Teachers should drop the terms boys and girls in favour of “learners”, and mix up the sexes in PE classes, Stonewall has told schools. The controversial LGBT charity is urging teachers to ditch all gendered language and gendered uniforms and suggests that children should compete against the opposite sex in sport. A series of guidance documents state that uniform policies should "give the option to wear a skirt as well as the option to wear trousers". One of Stonewall’s guides said that its work
Daredevil Alex Harvill, 28, crashed his motorcycle while practicing to perform a 351-foot jump at an airshow in Washington state on June 17.
Former White House doctor Rep. Ronny Jackson and 13 other Republicans want President Joe Biden to take a mental cognition test and share the results.
The "Daily Show" correspondent Jordan Klepper confronted Mike Lindell about his conspiracy theories during the Frank Free Speech Rally in Wisconsin.
While working her job at Starbucks, the daughter of Miami Gardens’ police chief was allegedly threatened with a gun over an order mix-up — the gunman was given his bagel without cream cheese, police say.
It wasn’t the Emancipation Proclamation, but rather “General Order No. 3”
Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence was booed at what should've been a friendly crowd at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Orlando.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have lifted rules about crowds and distancing. Fireworks are coming back. But some changes will stick.
Stepp and his wife spent 19 days in the hospital with Alli.
Much to the surprise of a puzzled pundit corps, history may well conclude that, while President Joe Biden and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin produced no big-deal breaking news headline, their summit may prove to be one of the 21st century’s pivotal events. | Organization Closed | June 2017 | ['(AFP via Yahoo!)'] |
The death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 300,000 worldwide. | New Delhi: The global death toll from the coronavirus infection has reached 300,000, mark with over 4.42 million cases of infections.
According to Johns Hopkins University, some 1.58 million people have also been cured of the illness and
The United States has the highest 1,416,528 case count in the world including 85,581 fatalities.
Earlier on Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) official, Michael J Ryan said the coronavirus may become another just another endemic like HIV infection, and may never go away.
"This virus just may become another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away. HIV has not gone away,"?Dr Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program was quoted as saying by CNN.
"I think it's important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away," said Ryan adding that it is?important that everyone is realistic as no one can predict when or if this disease will disappear.
Amid the struggle to deal with COVID-19 which has destroyed economies, countries and institutions are trying to create a vaccine to treat the deadly contagion which has created an unprecedented level of social and economic fallout globally.
Meanwhile, Indias coronavirus cases count crossed 78,000 on Thursday with 3,722 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
The total number of cases stood at 78,003 of which 26,235 persons have been cured and 2,549 people have died. There are 49,219 active cases in the country.
The European Unions medicines agency has suggested that a vaccine for the coronavirus could be ready in a year and most of the world leaders have insisted that any vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus infection should be made available to everyone free of charge. | Disease Outbreaks | May 2020 | ['(TimesnowNews)'] |
At least one person is killed and two others are wounded in an Israeli artillery attack in the northern Gaza Strip. | Artillery attack targets fighters trying to launch rockets into Israel, hours after bomb attack wounded Israeli soldier.
At least one person has been killed and two others wounded in an Israeli artillery attack in the northern Gaza Strip, according to local medical sources.
The men were fighters hit while they were trying to fire rockets at Israeli towns, a Hamas-affiliated radio station reported.
The Israeli shelling followed a bomb attack earlieron Tuesdaywhich wounded an Israeli army officer on patrol along the strip. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for that attack.
The violence comes as the emir of Qatar visited the occupied territory, the first head of state to visitGaza since an international blockade was imposed in 2007.
Fightersalso fired four rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on Tuesday, but they landed without causing any casualties or damage.
Two Palestinian fighters were killed in Israeli air strikes on Sunday. | Armed Conflict | October 2012 | ['(Al Jazeera)'] |
Polish protesters block the parliament in order to prevent the possibility of legalizing restrictions on press freedom. | Poland is gripped by its most severe constitutional crisis since the Communist regime declared martial law in 1981, with protesters — both inside parliament and outside in the freezing streets — accusing the ruling party of threatening democracy.
Law and Justice (PiS), the party in power, has roots in the dissident trade union Solidarity, which helped bring down the Communist regime. But it has this in common with the authoritarian Communist PZPR, which ruled Poland between 1948 and 1989: It occupies an absolute majority of seats in the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Unlike the PZPR, it was elected in free and fair elections.
Here’s what you need to know about the protests and what they say about PiS’s rule in Poland.
1. What happened Friday night that set off the protests?
Since 8 p.m. on Dec. 16, major protests have been held around the Sejm and Senat, the Polish parliament, after the ruling party excluded an opposition MP from parliamentary proceedings.
Here’s the background. PiS had announced that it will ban the news media from the Sejm building, beginning in January, with the exception of specially accredited journalists. Objecting that this was an infringement on the freedom of the press, journalists gathered in front of the Sejm on Thursday afternoon.
All broadcast coverage from the Sejm since then has included a chyron saying, “You will not be able to see this clip after January 1, 2017.”
The opposition MP in question, Michal Szczerba of Civic Platform (PO), showed up to speak at the lectern with a note that read, “Free media in the Sejm.” He placed the note in front of him so that it would be visible in the TV broadcast.
The speaker of the house then dismissed Szczerba from the parliamentary proceedings. A larger group of opposition MPs from several parties blocked the lectern. The speaker promptly concluded the proceedings, and moved them to a smaller location in the Sejm out of view of the news media. There, a subset of parliamentarians, overwhelmingly from PiS, voted on one of the most important bills of the year: the budget.
The vote was irregular in several ways. There is no record that a quorum was present, because the room to which the speaker moved the proceedings is not equipped for recording electronic roll calls. Without a quorum, the vote is unconstitutional. Moreover, instead of following parliamentary rules and voting on each amendment in turn, all amendments were rolled into one agenda item and hastily passed in one vote. Finally, no roll call was taken — a custom followed in the Polish parliament since 1993.
2. This latest move is one of a series of PiS’s controversial decisions since it overwhelmingly won the 2015 elections. These events are typical of the PiS government. Shortly after coming to power, the government did not recognize Constitutional Tribunal justices approved in the previous Sejm term. Instead, PiS nominated its own justices and limited the court’s constitutional review powers in ways that the European Union criticized. PiS has also moved to take over the state news media, targeted state employees it considered unloyal and politicized local governments.
Will the E.U. suspend Poland? That’s unlikely for these 3 reasons.
Further, the government also loosened ties to the European Union and refused to accept refugees from Syria. Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has dismissed critics of these moves as a “worse sort of Poles.”
3. Civic society has mobilized dramatically in response.
After the decisions regarding the court, protests spanned the entire country. Some protesters created the Committee for Defense of Democracy, a grass-roots organization, unaffiliated with any of the opposition parties. Its acronym (KOD) was designed to be reminiscent of KOR, the Workers’ Defense Committee, created in the 1970s to protest the Communist Party’s treatment of workers in Poland.
KOD’s leader Mateusz Kijowski is not affiliated with any political party and the movement has currently a network of branches at home and abroad, including in the United States.
Next, PiS admitted to the agenda and put to a vote a dramatically restrictive abortion bill. In a country where reproductive rights are almost nonexistent, the move provoked women across Poland and abroad to march in April and again in October. The protesters were dressed in black and held wire hangers. (The protests were accordingly dubbed “black marches”). PiS backed down, but not before announcing it would propose to eliminate abortion in cases of fetal defects “shortly.”
Why would Poland make its already strict abortion law draconian?
4. A single party now controls the executive and legislative branches, for the first time in Polish post-communist history. Given Poland’s proportional electoral system, it is very difficult for any political party to lead a cabinet on its own, without any coalition partners. In the government before this one, the PO had to govern in a coalition with PSL, which was quite unlike it ideologically. In Poland’s parliamentary system, as in many others, the prime minister’s party is only “checked” by members of its junior coalition partner.
It’s not just Trump. Authoritarian populism is rising across the West. Here’s why
This is different from the U.S. and other presidential systems. In a parliamentary system, the same party serves as both the executive and the legislative branch. If the coalition is cohesive and parties are disciplined, the cabinet can use the legislature to extend its powers. If successful at this maneuver, all bills proposed by the cabinet will be passed by the legislature; no bills that the ruling majority didn’t want would ever be placed on the legislative agenda.
So why didn’t previous Polish governments abuse this majoritarian advantage? Because none of PiS’s predecessors had the opportunity to rule as the sole governing party, unchecked by a coalition partner. Nor were previous ruling parties as cohesive and disciplined as PiS.
5. The PiS government is not going anywhere for now, but its authority has been undermined. We do not expect the protests to dislodge PiS from power, any more than previous demonstrations have.
However, the budget was approved in unclear circumstances. Even commentators from the same ideological camp worry that this may lower financial ratings and increase investor anxiety, hurting Poland’s economy. Thousands have taken to the streets to protest the party’s announced policies and the surprise moves against the media and the courts.
Despite its autocratic behavior and the intense opposition and criticism it provoked, the party has remained cohesive, and committed to its program.
Anna Grzymala-Busse is the Kevin and Michelle Douglas professor in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University.
Monika Nalepa is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago.
The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. | Protest_Online Condemnation | December 2016 | ['(The Washington Post)'] |
Delegates from Libya's warring factions sign a U.N.-brokered agreement to form a national unity government. Some of Libya's armed brigades are closely allied with political leaders who oppose this agreement. | Members of Libya’s rival parliaments on Thursday signed a landmark, U.N.-sponsored deal on forming a unity government that will strive to bring peace to the war-ravaged country.
Supporters of the agreement hope that rival political factions and militias will embrace the deal and agree on a cease-fire, so that they can fend off the Islamic State extremist group, which is expanding its gains in the North African country.
The document was signed in Morocco by Emhemed Shoaib, the deputy speaker of the internationally recognized Libyan parliament, and Salah al-Makhzoum, the second deputy of the Islamist-backed parliament based in the capital, Tripoli, among others.
Libya slid into chaos following the 2011 toppling and killing of dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Over a year ago, it was further torn - in addition to having two parliaments - between the internationally recognized government, based in the country's east, and the Islamist-backed government in Tripoli.
“This is just the beginning of a long journey for Libya,” said U.N. envoy Martin Kobler, who attended the Morocco ceremony.
“Four challenges in particular will immediately test the abilities of the new government,” he said. “First, to face immediately the dire humanitarian situation in the country. Second, an inclusive national security dialogue.
Third, the fight against Daesh (the Islamic State group) and other terrorist groups, and fourth, a particular attention to Benghazi and other areas.”
The agreement has detractors on both sides who seek a separate deal without U.N. involvement.
“We know well that the document of political accord in its current form is not the perfect thing that everyone wants, but at the same time, this political accord is a stage on the path to rescue Libya from collapsing and to ensure its unity,” al-Makhzoum said.
Shoaib said the deal is meant to say “goodbye to weapons” that Libya is awash in. The agreement also established a nine-member named presidential council that will be tasked with choosing the Cabinet.
The speakers of the two parliaments - Tripoli-based Nuri A.M. Abusahmain and Aguila Saleh Issa from the east - were not at the Morocco ceremony. The two, who are seen by analysts as hard-liners, held talks on Tuesday in Malta to forge a separate deal without U.N. involvement.
Afterward, they issued a statement saying the representatives who travelled to Morocco were not mandated to represent the parliaments in the talks.
Before the start of Thursday’s ceremony, Al-Makhzoum and Faraj Abu-Hashem, the spokesman for the east-based parliament, told The Associated Press that 88 lawmakers from the two parliaments were present at the signing.
The eastern parliament has 156 known members, while the rival parliament in Tripoli has 135.
The foreign ministers of Turkey, Italy, Spain, Qatar, Tunisia, and Morocco also spoke at the ceremony in support of the deal.
Among the first to welcome the deal was French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who praised the accord and promised to support efforts by a new unity government.
“The priority should now go toward creating a national unity government,” he said in a statement. “That’s the condition for tackling terrorism and trafficking that threaten the security of the region and Europe.”
Members of Libya’s rival parliaments on Thursday signed a landmark, U.N.-sponsored deal on forming a unity government that will strive to bring peace to the war-ravaged country.
Supporters of the agreement hope that rival political factions and militias will embrace the deal and agree on a cease-fire, so that they can fend off the Islamic State extremist group, which is expanding its gains in the North African country.
The document was signed in Morocco by Emhemed Shoaib, the deputy speaker of the internationally recognized Libyan parliament, and Salah al-Makhzoum, the second deputy of the Islamist-backed parliament based in the capital, Tripoli, among others.
Libya slid into chaos following the 2011 toppling and killing of dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Over a year ago, it was further torn - in addition to having two parliaments - between the internationally recognized government, based in the country's east, and the Islamist-backed government in Tripoli.
“This is just the beginning of a long journey for Libya,” said U.N. envoy Martin Kobler, who attended the Morocco ceremony.
“Four challenges in particular will immediately test the abilities of the new government,” he said. “First, to face immediately the dire humanitarian situation in the country. Second, an inclusive national security dialogue.
Third, the fight against Daesh (the Islamic State group) and other terrorist groups, and fourth, a particular attention to Benghazi and other areas.”
The agreement has detractors on both sides who seek a separate deal without U.N. involvement.
“We know well that the document of political accord in its current form is not the perfect thing that everyone wants, but at the same time, this political accord is a stage on the path to rescue Libya from collapsing and to ensure its unity,” al-Makhzoum said.
Shoaib said the deal is meant to say “goodbye to weapons” that Libya is awash in. The agreement also established a nine-member named presidential council that will be tasked with choosing the Cabinet.
The speakers of the two parliaments - Tripoli-based Nuri A.M. Abusahmain and Aguila Saleh Issa from the east - were not at the Morocco ceremony. The two, who are seen by analysts as hard-liners, held talks on Tuesday in Malta to forge a separate deal without U.N. involvement.
Afterward, they issued a statement saying the representatives who travelled to Morocco were not mandated to represent the parliaments in the talks.
Before the start of Thursday’s ceremony, Al-Makhzoum and Faraj Abu-Hashem, the spokesman for the east-based parliament, told The Associated Press that 88 lawmakers from the two parliaments were present at the signing.
The eastern parliament has 156 known members, while the rival parliament in Tripoli has 135.
The foreign ministers of Turkey, Italy, Spain, Qatar, Tunisia, and Morocco also spoke at the ceremony in support of the deal.
Among the first to welcome the deal was French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who praised the accord and promised to support efforts by a new unity government.
“The priority should now go toward creating a national unity government,” he said in a statement. “That’s the condition for tackling terrorism and trafficking that threaten the security of the region and Europe.” | Sign Agreement | December 2015 | ['(Reuters)', '(Al Arabiya)'] |
Manmohan Singh is inaugurated for his second term as Prime Minister of India. | NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was sworn in on Friday for a second five-year term with expectations his strengthened left-of-center coalition could both reform a slowing economy and help millions of poor.
India's Prime Minister-elect Manmohan Singh addresses the media after meeting with President Pratibha Patil at the presidential palace in New Delhi May 20, 2009. REUTERS/B Mathur
Singh’s Congress party-led coalition has a stronger parliamentary majority than his first administration, meaning the government could last its full five-year term in a region otherwise beset by instability from Pakistan to Sri Lanka.
Unfettered by its former leftist allies, Congress is likely to push reforms such as raising the foreign investment limit in insurance and opening up the pension sector to spur growth in Asia’s third-largest economy.
With the fiscal deficit running at the highest since the early 1990s, the coalition will have to decide whether to spend more on social programs that helped Congress win the election.
India face challenges to upgrade its creaky infrastructure, including crowded airports and backlogged ports, to help the trillion-dollar economy compete with the likes of China.
Singh will also have to deal with nuclear rival Pakistan after tense relations following the militant attacks on the country’s financial capital, Mumbai, last year.
President Pratibha Patil administered the oath of office to Singh, 76, at the red sandstone presidential palace, watched by relatives and leaders of his party and its allies.
Nineteen other members of Singh’s cabinet, including Congress stalwart Pranab Mukherjee, a party old-timer who is tipped to be the new finance minister, were sworn in. Portfolios of the ministers have not yet been allocated.
The average age of the ministers is 66, signaling that the government will be run by an old guard with less appetite for a radical re-think of policy.
Rahul Gandhi, the fourth generation member of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, was not among the ministers sworn in, despite reports that the heir apparent, seen as the architect of the party’s resurgence, could be given a ministerial job.
The soft-spoken Singh, who wore his trademark light -blue turban, is only the second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected for a second full term.
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Unlike Singh’s first term, the new coalition is assured of the support of more than 300 members of the lower house of parliament, well above the halfway mark of 272 required to rule.
The DMK party, a southern ally of Congress, has said it will not join the government because of differences over ministerial positions, a sign that it will not all be political plain-sailing for the now-confident ruling party.
Stocks surged earlier this week as investors welcomed Singh’s strong mandate, which raised expectations for aggressive economic reforms at a time when growth has slowed to 6.5 percent.
“There is an opportunity for change with this mandate. If in the first 100 days I don’t see any signs of reforms being done or a timeline I will feel very concerned,” Amit Mitra, head of India’s industry lobby group, told Reuters.
Singh’s immediate foreign policy challenge will be to manage ties with Pakistan.
While there may not be any major peace moves, Singh could make a limited opening to Pakistan now he no longer needs to worry about a weakened Hindu nationalist opposition criticizing him as being soft on India’s nuclear rival, analysts say.
Singh has previously ruled out holding talks unless Pakistan takes action against the Lashkar-e-Taiba militants accused of involvement in the Mumbai attack.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said his country was ready to work with India to resolve all outstanding issues.
“The outcome (of the elections) is a manifestation of the trust reposed by the people of India in your wise and inspiring leadership,” Zardari said in a message of congratulation to Sonia Gandhi, the head of the Congress party.
Additional reporting by Matthias Williams; Editing by John Chalmers and Alistair Scrutton
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. | Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | May 2009 | ['(Reuters)'] |
In the United States, Suffolk County police ask the FBI for more help in their investigation of a possible serial killer who preyed on prostitutes and left their bodies strewn along a Long Island beach in New York. Ten bodies were found along an isolated stretch of the South Shore's Gilgo Beach between December 2010 and April 2011. | (Reuters) - Police in New York have asked the FBI for help investigating a possible serial killer who preyed on prostitutes and left their bodies strewn along a Long Island beach, nearly five years after the first remains were discovered, officials said on Thursday.
Ten sets of human remains have been found spread over an isolated stretch of Gilgo Beach, about 40 miles east of New York City, since Suffolk County police began their investigation in December 2010.
Some of the bodies were wrapped in burlap sacks and five of the victims were identified as missing prostitutes who had advertised for clients on the Internet, including Craigslist, police have said.
The remains were linked to eight women, one man and a toddler girl.
There have been no arrests and police have speculated that one person might be responsible for all the murders.
Suffolk County authorities said on Thursday they were dedicated to solving the case and had asked the FBI to play a more prominent role in the investigation.
“Rest assured this case remains active,” Suffolk County Deputy Police Commissioner Tim Sini told a news conference.
The investigation into a possible serial killer was prompted by the search for Shannan Gilbert, a New Jersey prostitute who went missing on Long Island in May 2010. Police found her body more than a year later.
As authorities searched for the missing woman in December 2010, they found human remains of several women clustered within 500 feet near the waterfront.
Police have said the victims were killed at another location and their bodies were transported to Gilgo Beach.
Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Robert Birsel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Investigate | December 2015 | ['(Reuters)', '(New York Daily News)'] |
Haruo Nakajima, who portrayed the monster Godzilla from 1954 to 1972, dies at the age of 88. | By Dailymail.com Reporter Published: 03:56 BST, 8 August 2017 | Updated: 20:27 BST, 8 August 2017 24
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Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played movie monster Godzilla over two decades of Japanese cinema, died at 88.
The Yamagata, Japan native first wore the famed bodysuit of the movie monster in the 1954 film Godzilla, which was released stateside as Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
Nakajima was featured in movies such as Eagle of the Pacific and Seven Samurai prior to landing the career-defining part, for which he had to don a 100-plus pound suit that was made of concrete.
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Gone but not forgotten: Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played movie monster Godzilla over two decades of Japanese cinema, died Monday at 88
Speaking with Great Big Story in March, he revealed that the reason the heavy concrete was used instead of rubber was because of a shortage of the latter stemming from World War II.
'It was so heavy and hot, and with the lighting, it was even hot to touch it,' he told Great Big Story. 'I was sweating all over my face, but I did the best I could.'
He said he visited the zoo in Tokyo to get a feel for how to move around like the monster by observing 'big animals, like elephants and gorillas.'
Memories: The venerated performer was snapped at a 2014 convention in San Francisco
Historical treasure: Nakajima was snapped next to the heavy outfit he wore in 1965
Nakajima subsequently went on to play Godzilla a series of sequels, including 1955's Godzilla Raids Again, 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla, 1954's Mothra vs. Godzilla, 1969's All Monsters Attack and 1972's Godzilla vs. Gigan, his last film in the role. He also worked as a stunt choreographer on many of the franchise films.
In addition to his efforts in the role of Godzilla, Nakajima was featured as King Kong in 1967's King Kong Escapes. Nakajima, a regular on the monster convention circuit, released his memoirs, Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, the Original Godzilla Actor, in 2010.
'In the end, the Godzilla I played remains on film forever,' he told Great Big Story. 'It remains in people's memory and for that I feel really grateful.'
Launching pad: Godzilla, King of the Monsters was the first film in the famed Japanese series
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The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. | Famous Person - Death | August 2017 | ['(Daily Mail)'] |
Russia's Finance Ministry sues Ukraine in London's High Court of Justice over a $3 billion debt. Payment was due December 21, 2015. Negotiations between Kiev and Moscow have not reached an agreement. Over the last 6 months Ukrainian government officials repeatedly stated they refuse to pay the debt. | MOSCOW, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Russia's Finance Ministry on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Ukraine at the High Court in London seeking recovery of a $3 billion debt obligation.
Ukraine had until Dec. 21, 2015, to pay back the investment, but it missed that deadline and negotiations between Kiev and Moscow hit a roadblock as the two countries could not agree on new terms, the Russian government broadcaster First Channel reported.
The bond was originaly issued in late 2013 during the final months of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych's term. Two days before its maturity date, Ukraine's Prime Minister at the time, Arseny Yatsenyuk, said the country had created a moratorium on the repayment. Ukraine and Russia have struggled to find common ground on many issues since the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
"We have repeatedly stated our readiness to discuss the possibility of a bilateral settlement of the matter out of court, but Ukraine was not ready to negotiate in a spirit of 'goodwill,' neither with us or the IMF," Anton Siluanov, head of the Ministry of Finance for Russia, told Russian media outlet RBC, referring to the International Monetary Fund.
Siluanov said Moscow and Kiev failed to agree that Eurobonds are owned by Russian official creditors and demand for them should be settled on terms better than the ones proposed by Ukraine to its private creditors.
"The trial at the English court will be open and transparent, and the protection of rights of the Russian Federation as a creditor will be carried out by an independent, authoritative court, which impartially considers the dispute between the two sovereigns, regarding debt default on Eurobonds," Siluanov said.
Original issue terms said that Russia could apply to Ukraine in the English national court or to initiate arbitration at the London Court of International Arbitration. The arbitration process, according to the LCIA, would allow Russia to rely on the confidentiality of the hearings, materials and even the decision itself, but Russia has made a choice in favor of "open and transparent" process in the English Court.
The countries started fueding over disputes in gas supplies and commerce following Ukraine's decision to ratify an EU free trade agreement in 2010. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | February 2016 | ['(UPI)'] |
Microsoft founder Bill Gates is awarded the title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II (which will entitle him to suffix the letters "KBE" to his name but not use the title of "Sir") for his contribution to enterprise in the United Kingdom and his efforts in poverty reduction around the world. | Mr Gates, 48, the world's wealthiest man, said it was "a great honour" to be recognised for his business skills and for his work on poverty reduction.
The Queen had spoken to him about using computers, he said after a private audience with her.
As an American citizen he cannot use the title "Sir" but will be entitled to put the letters KBE after his name.
'Travel talk'
The entrepreneur was handed an insignia to make him a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
He was joined at Buckingham Palace by wife Melinda.
"It's not as natural [using computers] for the Queen as it is for young people," he said.
"She was very nice.
"We talked about using computers, and the foundation, and about her travels and ours."
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is currently working on a global health programme in the developing world.
Mrs Gates said: "We talked a lot about the developing world - it was very engaging."
Research laboratory
Before the private audience, Mr Gates met the Duke of Edinburgh, who is chancellor of Cambridge University, to talk about Microsoft Research Cambridge.
The research laboratory is the first of its kind outside the US.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation tackles global health
Honorary awards to foreign nationals are conferred by the Queen on the advice of the foreign secretary.
Jack Straw said he was "delighted" Mr Gates had been honoured.
He added: "He is one of the most important global business leaders of this age."
Aids vaccine
Mr Gates set up Microsoft in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen, and by last year was worth an estimated £28bn.
| Awards ceremony | March 2005 | ['(BBC)'] |
Former CIA director and U.S. Army officer David Petraeus pleads guilty in federal court to a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information. |
WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - Former CIA Director David Petraeus has agreed to plead guilty to mishandling classified information, with the retired four-star general admitting to giving eight "black books" full of such data to a military mistress who was writing his biography.
Petraeus, 62, will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material under the deal, according to documents filed on Tuesday in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The plea agreement announced by the Justice Department marks the latest chapter in an astonishing fall from grace for Petraeus, an intellectual with a Princeton University doctorate and a counter-insurgency expert widely considered one of America's most important military leaders of recent decades.
He served stints as the top U.S. commander in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and then as CIA director and was lauded by senior U.S. lawmakers. But his career came crashing down thanks to an extramarital affair with his biographer, former Army Reserve officer Paula Broadwell.
Former CIA director and U.S. Army General David Petraeus has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.
Petraeus faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison. But under the deal prosecutors and his lawyers are recommending a $40,000 fine and two years of probation.
Petraeus had previously said he did not provide classified information to Broadwell, who was writing his biography, titled "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus," along with another author at the time of the affair.
But court papers filed with the plea deal stated Petraeus in 2011 unlawfully gave Broadwell the black books of classified information including identities of covert officers, code word information, war strategy, intelligence capabilities, diplomatic talks and information from high-level White House National Security Council meetings.
Petraeus then lied to the FBI about it, the court papers said.
Petraeus holds a senior post at private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), which said he will stay in his role of chairman of the KKR Global Institute, its economic and geopolitical think tank.
Petraeus quit as CIA director under President Barack Obama in November 2012 after the affair was discovered.
The plea deal enables Petraeus to avoid a potentially embarrassing criminal trial in which details of his affair promised to figure prominently.
One of Petraeus' leading supporters, Republican Arizona Senator John McCain, said with the plea deal, "I believe it is time to consider this matter closed." McCain praised Petraeus for his distinguished career and said he has apologized and expressed deep regret.
Another former CIA director, John Deutch, was accused of mishandling classified material and agreed to plead guilty, but President Bill Clinton stepped in and pardoned him in 2001.
Court documents detailing the plea agreement said that while serving as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Petraeus maintained the eight 5-by-8 inch (13-by-20 cm) notebooks with black covers.
Petraeus kept the black books after retiring from the military in 2011, the documents stated. In August 2011, Petraeus agreed to provide the black books to Broadwell, referred in the documents not by name but as his biographer, and delivered them to a private residence in Washington where she was staying as source material for the book.
The documents said Petraeus left the books with Broadwell for about four days before taking them back to his home in Arlington, Virginia.
After resigning from the CIA that November, Petraeus signed a security form assuring that he did not possess any classified information even though the notebooks were still at his home, the documents stated. With a search warrant, the FBI in April 2013 went to his home and seized the black books from an unlocked drawer in his first-floor study, the documents said.
The court documents also said Petraeus lied to FBI investigators in October 2012, shortly before he quit the CIA, by saying he had never given classified information to his mistress. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | March 2015 | ['(Reuters vis MSN)'] |
Viktor Yanukovych is sworn in as the 4th President of Ukraine. | Viktor Yanukovych is sworn in as new Ukraine president
Viktor Yanukovych, the opposition leader who won Ukraine's recent election, has been inaugurated as the country's new president.
His electoral opponent, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, says Mr Yanukovych won through fraud and refuses to recognise his victory. Both Mrs Tymoshenko and the outgoing President, Viktor Yushchenko, did not attend the ceremony in Kiev. International observers have said the February poll was conducted fairly. Mr Yanukovych beat Mrs Tymoshenko in the run-off by 3.5%. He won the support of only about a third of Ukraine's 37 million eligible voters. He is the first Ukrainian president to have been backed by fewer than 50% of those who voted. Despite this, his victory marked a comeback from humiliation five years ago when mass street protests - known as the Orange Revolution - overturned a presidential election that had been rigged in his favour. The protests swept to power Mr Yushchenko and Mrs Tymoshenko. 'Non-aligned state'
On Thursday, Mr Yanukovych swore the oath of office in parliament in front of deputies and visiting foreign heads of state and representatives. "I vow to defend through my actions the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and the rights and freedoms of its citizens," he said. There was a block of empty seats in the chamber where deputies belonging to Mrs Tymoshenko's bloc would have sat. After taking the oath, Mr Yanukovych acknowledged the divisions in parliament and Ukraine's economic difficulties, including "colossal debts, poverty and economic collapse". But he that he knew how to lead the country out of the crisis, urging the government and parliament to co-operate with him. Ukrainian politics has been dominated by the rivalries between Mr Yanukovych, Mrs Tymoshenko and Mr Yushchenko since the Orange Revolution. Mr Yanukovych has said he now wants to form a new coalition and oust Mrs Tymoshenko as prime minister. She has refused to step down and has called on her parliamentary coalition to oppose him. Last weekend, she withdrew a legal challenge against her rival's victory in the election. She said the court was not interested in giving her justice in her case against Mr Yanukovych. There have been concerns that he would steer Ukraine's foreign policy away from the West-leaning course that Mr Yushchenko had charted, in favour of closer ties with Moscow. His power base is in the Russian-speaking east and south of the country. In the Ukrainian-speaking west and centre, he lost every region to Mrs Tymoshenko. But in his speech, Mr Yanukovych said Ukraine was "a bridge between the East and the West, integral part of both Europe and the former USSR". Describing Ukraine as a "European, non-aligned state", he pledged to develop a foreign policy that would allow Kiev to "reap maximum rewards by developing mutually beneficial ties with Russia, the EU, US and other states". In a signal that he may not move away from closer ties with the EU, some of his advisers have said his first foreign visit as president will be to the EU headquarters in Brussels, not Moscow. What are these? | Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | February 2010 | ['(Kyiv Post)', '(The Moscow Times)', '(BBC Europe)', '(CNN)'] |
Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber announces criminal proceedings are underway against an unnamed Islamic Central Council of Switzerland board member for spreading jihadist propaganda. ICCS reports the individual is their head of multimedia, Naim Cherni, who released a videotape of his trip to Syria which included interviews with Islamist leaders. | ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss attorney general has opened a criminal investigation of a leading member in a Swiss Muslim organisation accused of violating a ban on jihadist groups, the attorney general’s office said on Saturday.
Switzerland is on high alert after Islamist militants killed 130 people in Paris in November. A week ago, two Syrians were arrested near the French border on suspicion of having links to Islamic State. Traces of explosives were found in their car.
The attorney general’s office did not name the accused, but the Islamic Central Council, which says it is the largest Muslim organisation in Switzerland, identified him as the German head of its multimedia department, Naim Cherni. He was either 23 or 24 years old, the spokeswoman said.
According to State Attorney Michael Lauber, the accused traveled to Syria in October and interviewed the leader of a jihadist umbrella group as well as the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, which is affiliated with al Qaeda.
He subsequently released a roughly 40-minute video, in Arabic with German subtitles, documenting their exchange.
Lauber said he “presented his journey to embattled regions of Syria in a video for propaganda purposes, without having explicitly distanced himself from al Qaeda activities in Syria.”
The Islamic Central Council says on its website it seeks to promote the recognition of Islam in Switzerland and that it had more than 2,500 members at the end of 2012.
A spokesman for the council said earlier on Saturday that its leaders were unable to make a statement immediately but would respond at the press conference with Cherni on Monday morning in Berne.
The Swiss government on Friday announced it had added 86 employees to what it called its “terror fighting” activities within the federal police, intelligence service and border patrol agencies.
Lauber recently opened a criminal inquiry on the basis of a “terrorist threat in Geneva” against unknown persons suspected of belonging to a criminal organisation and of violating the ban on al Qaeda or Islamic State. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | December 2015 | ['(ICCS)', '(Reuters)', '(Deutsche Welle)', '(Blick)', '(de)'] |
More than 850 people are injured after a train collision in Soweto, South Africa. | Hundreds of people were injured when a commuter express smashed into a stationary train in Johannesburg's Soweto township.
Two people were in a critical condition after the crash, which happened during rush hour yesterday as people made their way home from work, rail operator Metrorail said. No-one was killed.
‘We have around 857 people that were injured,’ Metrorail acting regional manager Douglas Chauke told AFP.
‘Only two were critically injured, the rest were minor injuries.’
The coaches remained on the tracks and most of the injured had already been discharged from hospital, he said.‘The train didn't derail. There were actually minor damages to the infrastructure and also the train itself was damaged but not seriously.’
The cause of the accident is being investigated by the Railway Safety Regulator which said the passenger train was travelling toward Orlando when it hit a stationary Soweto Business Express train.
‘The injured were assisted by emergency services at scene and taken to nearby hospitals,’ the regulator said in a statement.
The number of people onboard the train was unknown but Metorail's carrying capacity estimates the number at between 2,000 and 2,500 people. | Train collisions | May 2011 | ['(RTE)'] |
Australia agrees to pay AUS$70 million in compensation to 1,905 people who have been detained on Manus Island since 2012, so avoiding a public trial against the government and the Transfield and G4S private companies for the detainees' degrading and cruel treatment. | Detainees at an Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won millions of dollars in compensation for "degrading and cruel" treatment Wednesday, in a decision hailed as an important human rights victory.
Abuse, self-harm and mental health problems are reportedly rife in offshore processing centres, with detainees resorting to desperate protests like sewing their own lips together to raise awareness of their plight.
Wednesday's AUS$70 million (£41.6 million) conditional settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people who have been held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.
A class action had sought damages for what claimants said was suffering due to the harsh conditions in which they were held.
It also called for a payout for false imprisonment after the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled last year that holding asylum-seekers on Manus Island was unconstitutional and illegal.
Law firm Slater and Gordon said they believed it was the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian history, with the defendants also agreeing to pay more than A$20 million in costs.
"The people detained on Manus Island have endured extremely hostile conditions, but they will no longer suffer in silence," said the firm's Andrew Baker.
"While no amount of money could fully recognise the terrible conditions the detainees endured, we hope today's settlement can begin to provide them with an opportunity to help put this dark chapter of their lives behind them."
The Manus detention facility opened in 2012 to hold people trying to enter Australia by boat, under a tough immigration policy that sends them offshore to be processed.
They are blocked from resettling in Australia even if found to be refugees.
Conditions in the camp, and another one on Nauru in the Pacific, have been widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals, with reports of maltreatment and neglect, leading to serious health problems.
Amnesty International called the decision "historic" and "a major crack in the Australian government's crumbling system of abuse".
"It must be a turning point towards a better solution for refugees - one that is grounded in protection, not abuse," said Amnesty Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the payout was not an admission of liability, but to avoid a costly six-month trial.
"In such circumstances a settlement was considered a prudent outcome for Australian taxpayers," he said in a statement.
"The Commonwealth strongly refutes and denies the claims made in these proceedings. Settlement is not an admission of liability in any regard."
Slater and Gordon lawyer Rory Walsh said the government and its contractor's defence "was that it was the PNG authorities doing the imprisoning and detaining and not them".
"The denial of liability allows the Commonwealth and the defendants to run those positions in any other cases and maintain that position," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Lead plaintiff Majid Kamasaee, an Iranian, welcomed the settlement as an overdue acknowledgement of the suffering he and others endured.
"This case is not just about me, it is about every person who has been trapped on Manus Island," said Kamasaee, who was held there for 11 months
"I left my home in Iran in 2013 because of religious persecution and I came to Australia seeking peace, but I was sent to Manus, which was hell.
"The way we were treated at the Manus Island detention centre was degrading and cruel."
While the Manus camp needs to close following the PNG court decision, Dutton has made clear those housed there would not be moved to Australia but instead relocated to third countries such as the United States and Cambodia, or resettled in PNG.
The government has not revealed any plans to shut down the Nauru facility.
| Organization Fine | June 2017 | ['(The Telegraph)'] |
Four people are killed and thirty injured in grenade attacks in Burundi. , | Four people have been killed and 30 wounded in a wave of grenade attacks overnight in Burundi, police say, a week before parliamentary elections.
A single attack on a bar in Ngozi, the hometown of President Pierre Nkurunziza, accounted for the majority of the victims. Police blamed the attacks on opposition supporters and said three suspects had been arrested. Violent protests began in April against the president's third-term bid. In two grenade attacks overnight, one police officer was injured in the capital Bujumbura, and two people injured after an explosion near a bank in the northern town of Kirundo, police said. Rights groups say at least 70 people have been killed and 500 wounded since the protests began in April. More than 100,000 people have fled Burundi since the start of the crisis, the UN says. In a separate development, the European Union has threatened to impose sanctions against those responsible for the violence in Burundi.
On Friday night 11 police officers were wounded in simultaneous grenade attacks in the capital Bujumbura. "It is clear that all these grenade attacks are related to each other, this is a terror campaign organised by opponents of... President Pierre Nkurunziza," a senior police officer is quoted as saying by AFP news agency. But opposition and civil society groups rejected that interpretation:
"Our movement is and will remain peaceful," Jeremiah Minani, spokesman of the Arusha Movement, a coalition of different groups opposing the president's controversial bid for a third term, told AFP. Opponents of Mr Nkurunziza say the attacks are aimed at creating instability, which would provide the security services with a pretext for a crackdown, the BBC's Karen Allen reports from Nairobi. BBC Africa Live: Updates through the day
What’s behind the coup bid?
Burundi's President Nkurunziza in profile
The president's critics say his bid for a third term contravenes the constitution, which requires him to step down after two terms.
But Burundi's Constitutional Court ruled that Mr Nkurunziza's first term does not count because he was elected by parliament and not voters.
In May, the president survived a coup attempt. The election was due in June but was put back to 15 July following pressure from regional leaders. | Armed Conflict | June 2015 | ['(AFP via Twitter)', '(BBC)'] |
The Afghan army, together with its international partners, launch a series of counterterrorism airstrikes in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul, killing 58, including a Taliban governor. Ten mines are also destroyed. | Afghan army’s airstrike in Afghanistan’s Zabul province on Tuesday killed at least 47 Taliban terrorists and injured 15 others.
According to an army spokesperson, foreign troops aimed at the terrorist hideouts in Shinki and Nawbahar districts killing the district governor designated by the Taliban, reported Sputnik. Additionally, the strikes in Arghandab and Shah Wali Kot districts of Kandahar lead to the destruction of 10 mines. Meanwhile, in another strike launched on Taliban bases in Gizab district of the Uruzgan province, 11 terrorists were killed. Get our daily newsletter | Armed Conflict | October 2019 | ['(Hindustan Times)'] |
The European Union calls an emergency two-day meeting about the planned EU-Canada free trade agreement, approved by all 28 EU member governments but held up by the "non" vote in Walloonia, one of Belgium's five sub-federal administrations. , , | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Belgian region of Wallonia rejected new amendments to a planned EU-Canada free trade agreement on Thursday, reaffirming its opposition and so threatening the entire deal, a flagship of European Union trade policy.
All 28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), but Belgium cannot give assent without backing from five sub-federal administrations and French-speaking Wallonia has steadfastly opposed it.
Failure to strike a deal with such a like-minded country as Canada would call into question the EU’s ability to forge other deals and damage credibility already battered by Britain’s vote to leave the bloc and disputes over the migration crisis.
The moves came as leaders began a two-day EU summit in Brussels with trade policy the main topic set for Friday. European Council President Donald Tusk, chairing the summit, said in a tweet that the Europe’s credibility was at stake.
Wallonia is home to some 3.5 million people, less than 1 percent of the 507 million Europeans CETA would affect.
The European Commission, which negotiates trade deals for the bloc, offered new concessions in the form of changes to an EU declaration to be appended to the treaty. One EU diplomat said these sought to answer Walloon concerns about farming and how trade disputes with Canadian companies would be settled.
Walloon premier Paul Magnette called an emergency session of his government and was due to address the Walloon parliament on Friday. The government recognized improvements, but believed they did not go far enough, an official said, adding it needed time to reflect.
“At this stage, for us, the document is not sufficient,” Magnette told reporters in the regional capital Namur.
Magnette said he hoped to meet Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland again on Friday. The two met on Wednesday.
Related Coverage
“We’ll see how we can modify the text that we were given,” he added.
At the summit in Brussels, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “I am still hopeful that we will come to a good result in the course of the night and tomorrow morning.”
In Ottawa, an official confirmed Freeland would meet Magnette on Friday and said she was in constant contact with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.
“This is now a question for the Europeans to decide,” said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Canada’s Liberal government has shown increasing signs of impatience with the EU over challenges to a deal that supporters say will increase bilateral trade by 20 percent.
CETA is set to be signed at an EU-Canada summit next Thursday in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Tusk said the issue was greater than just a trade deal with Canada, the EU’s 12th largest trading partner. CETA would be the EU’s first agreement with a G7 country.
He told reporters there would be no public support for free trade if people could not be convinced that trade agreements were in their interests, adding: “Which means, I am afraid, that CETA could be our last free trade agreement.”
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, whose liberal-led coalition wants the deal, spoke of a looming “moment of truth”.
Wallonia’s lawmakers share concerns voiced by many on the European left that CETA, and a stalled plan for a similar deal with the United States, risk watering down consumer, labor and environmental protections.
| Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | October 2016 | ['(NASDAQ)', '(Reuters)', '(The New York Times)'] |
At least 23 Somalis are killed and over 50 are wounded in Mogadishu as government soldiers retaliate to mortars fired at the presidential palace by insurgents. | MOGADISHU, July 4 (Reuters) - At least 23 Somalis, mostly civilians, were killed and more than fifty wounded in Mogadishu on Saturday in the latest clash between government troops and insurgents, medics said.
"As of now, I can tell you that 23 died and more then fifty injuries were dropped at the hospital," Ali Muse, a paramedic told Reuters.
The attack brings the death toll to over 70 killed since Wednesday as government troops try to drive insurgents out of their Mogadishu bases.
African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) have warned hardline Islamist insurgents who have been advancing on Somali government positions to back down or face retaliation.
"There is a limit, when they (insurgents) cross that line we shall engage them immediately," Major-General Francis Okello, AMISOM's commander, told Reuters.
"That is in our mandate, and we are carefully watching them."
The 4,300 Ugandan and Burundian troops have been confined to their bases and are limited to protecting key sites such as the presidential palace, airport and seaport.
African leaders meeting at an AU summit in the Libyan city of Sirte this week did not adopt a much anticipated proposed resolution to give AMISOM troops a mandate to do more then just defend themselves from rebel attacks.
Instead, the 53-member AU summit adopted a resolution condemning insurgent attacks in Somalia and backing the government. They also accused Eritrea of supporting the rebels and called for sanctions on the tiny country.
The government of former hardliner turned moderate President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, has been pushing for the AMISOM mandate to be beefed up so it can help the government take on the rebels.
But the al Shabaab group had warned that a stronger AMISOM would have made the situation worse.
Al Qaeda-linked fighters in al Shabaab control much of southern and central Somalia and all but a few blocks of the capital.
"They (government) started the new offensive and they were defeated and remain in an area of only 2 kilometres (1.2 miles), they have suffered a major setback," Sheikh Muse Abdi Arale, spokesman for Hizbul Islam, an insurgent group told Reuters.
Residents say al Shabaab fighters were closing in on the presidential palace.
On Saturday, a local radio journalist who was shot in the stomach during Friday's battles died. Somalia is one of the world's most dangerous places for reporters to work.
Neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa region and western governments fear if the Somali government is overthrown, the lawless nation will become a safe haven for al Qaeda training camps and militants will destabilise the region.
The AU plan has always been to send 8,000 soldiers but pledges of more troops have so far failed to materialise. (
| Armed Conflict | July 2009 | ['(Al Jazeera)', '(BBC)', '(France 24)', '(Reuters)'] |
CIA Director David Petraeus submits his resignation to President Barack Obama, citing an extramarital affair he had. | WASHINGTON—CIA Director David Petraeus announced Friday afternoon that he has resigned from his post, acknowledging that he had shown "extremely poor judgement by engaging in an extramarital affair."
A federal law enforcement official said the relationship was discovered by the FBI during the course of an unrelated security investigation. Subsequently, a number of e-mails concerning the relationship were discovered, said the official who is not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.
The bulk of the e-mails were believed to be from Petraeus to Paula Broadwell, a writer and military analyst who wrote a glowing biography of the CIA director, the official said. Aspects of the FBI investigation were continuing, but the official declined to comment on possible targets of the inquiry.
In a letter to CIA personnel, Petraeus, 60, said he met with President Obama on Thursday and asked to resign because of personal reasons. Obama accepted his resignation Friday, Petraeus said.
"Yesterday afternoon, I went to the White House and asked the President to be allowed, for personal reasons, to resign from my position as D/CIA," Petraeus wrote. "After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the President graciously accepted my resignation."
Petraeus' wife, Holly, is an assistant director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, charged with advocating on behalf of military service members and their families.
Obama praised Petraeus in a statement Friday and said Michael Morell, Petraeus' deputy, will step in as acting director.
PROFILE:Who is Holly Petraeus?
MILITARY RESIGNATIONS:Petraeus not first with messy exit
"David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades. By any measure, he was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end," Obama said. "As Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, he has continued to serve with characteristic intellectual rigor, dedication, and patriotism. By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger.
"Today, I accepted his resignation as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe. Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time."
Morell is a career CIA officer and began his career at the agency as an analyst tracking international energy issues, then worked for 14 years as an analyst and manager on East Asia. He has held several leadership positions at the agency. Two administration officials said it was too early to say who might be in line to replace Petraeus, and that Morrell could serve as acting director for several months.
Petraeus, a retired four-star general who previously served as top commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, was arguably the most vaunted military officer of a generation.
"From his long, illustrious Army career to his leadership at the helm of CIA, Dave has redefined what it means to serve and sacrifice for one's country," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a statement.
The resignation comes at a difficult time for the agency and Obama administration, which has been under intense scrutiny from Republican lawmakers for the September attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans -- including the Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two CIA contractors -- dead. Petraeus and other top U.S. intelligence officials were scheduled to speak next week at a closed-door session of the Senate Intelligence Committee about the Benghazi incident.
Petraeus took over as head of the CIA in September of 2011 following his tour as head of allied forces in Afghanistan.
The CIA director's bombshell took former military colleagues by surprise.
Peter Mansoor, a retired Army colonel who served as Petraeus' executive officer in 2007 and 2008 during the surge strategy, said, "It just goes to show were all human."
Gen. Jack Keane, a retired Army general and longtime mentor to Petraeus, said he learned about Petraeus' resignation from news reports this afternoon. Keane helped formulate the surge strategy in Iraq, which Petraeus carried out.
Keane said he was saddened by the news and considers Petraeus "the most accomplished general of ourgeneration" and compared his legacy to that of the legendary battle leaders of World War II. Petraeus is responsible for "turning around two wars," Keane said, referring to Iraq and Afghanistan. "Only Gen.MacArthur had that opportunity and he only succeeded at one," he said. MacArthur was relieved during the Korean War.
Keane said Petraeus would have wanted Obama to accept his resignation. "Knowing Gen. Petraeus he would not want the president to do anything but accept the resignation," Keane said. "He would not want to put the president in an awkward situation."
Keane predicted that Petraeus may emerge later in a prominent role, though he is not interested in elected office. "He's absolutely adamant about never desiring to seek political office."
"The world has not seen the last of Dave Petraeus," Keane said. "He has far too much to offer."
Steve Boylan, a retired Army colonel who served as Petraeus' chief spokesman for three years, said he "never would have expected" him to resign under these circumstances.
"A lot of people have put him on a very high pedestal," Boylan said. "People tend to forget that he is human and people do make mistakes….I can only suspect that in his own mind he felt he was doing the honorable thing by resigning."
Several lawmakers praised Petraeus following the announcement he was stepping down.
"General David Petraeus will stand in the ranks of America's greatest military heroes," said Sen. John McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "His inspirational leadership and his genius were directly responsible – after years of failure – for the success of the surge in Iraq. General Petraeus has devoted his life to serving the country he loves, and America is so much the better for it."
In addition to Petraeus, two other top-level administration officials, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, are also expected to soon leave the Obama administration.
Attorney General Eric Holder said on Thursday he's also weighing whether he will remain for Obama's second term. | Government Job change - Resignation_Dismissal | November 2012 | ['(NBC News)', '(NBC News via USA Today)'] |
India's health ministry orders government agencies to enforce a new rule for larger health warnings that cover 85 percent of a cigarette pack's surface, up from 20 percent now. India's biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd., part–owned by British American Tobacco, and Godfrey Phillips India Ltd., a partner of U.S.–based Philip Morris International, shut factories on Friday in protest. | NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India’s health ministry has ordered government agencies to enforce a new rule for bigger health warnings on cigarette packs, stepping up a fight against the country’s $10 billion cigarette industry that has shut down its factories in protest.
The health ministry’s action highlights a growing conflict between the tobacco industry and the federal government which wants manufacturers to cover 85 percent of a cigarette pack’s surface in health warnings, up from 20 percent.
India’s biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd, part-owned by British American Tobacco, has not implemented the government order, saying it contradicts a parliamentary committee’s recommendation for warnings to cover half a cigarette pack.
K.C. Samria, a joint secretary in the health ministry, wrote to government departments on Monday to ensure strict implementation of the new rules, letters seen by Reuters showed.
“The implementation of the rules requires strong support,” Samria said, adding bigger warnings would create awareness about the ill effects of tobacco use.
Smoking kills about 1 million people in India each year, according to researchers at BMJ Global Health.
The rules will also apply to imported cigarette packets, as well as those being sold at duty-free shops at Indian airports.
“DRASTIC” RULES
The tobacco industry has said the new rules are impractical and create ambiguity as the parliamentary panel’s report had called for warnings to cover half the packs’ surface area.
The panel’s report is not binding on the government.
ITC and its rival Godfrey Phillips India Ltd, which is a partner of U.S.-based Philip Morris International, shut factories on Friday in protest.
The Tobacco Institute of India estimated the production halt costs the industry $53 million a day.
ITC has said it is currently not ready to print bigger warnings on its packs. Godfrey has said it has started preparatory work to print new warnings.
ITC said it did not have any immediate comment on Tuesday. Godfrey could not immediately be reached for a comment.
A health ministry official said the directives on health warnings were clear and it would not bow down to the industry’s “pressure tactic” of shutting the factories.
“The ministry has handled industry pressure well, it is a commendable step,” said Amit Yadav, director, southeast Asia region at Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control, a group of more than 350 organizations | Government Policy Changes | April 2016 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Two trains collide near the city of Bilecik in northwestern Turkey, killing one and injuring at least four others. (Hürriyet) | Two trains collided on Sunday in northwestern Turkey, killing one of the engine drivers and injuring at least four others, according to news reports.
The Anatolia news agency said Sunday rescuers were working to remove some passengers trapped inside the wreck of one of the cars.
The Transportation Ministry said the accident occurred near the city of Bilecik, some 400 kilometers south of Istanbul, after one of the drivers failed to stop at a signal and rammed into the other train, which was stationary, according the Associated Press.
The injured included two rail personnel and at least two passengers.
The trains were traveling between Istanbul and the city of Eskisehir, according to the Agence-France Presse.
Train accidents have been frequent on Turkey's ageing railway network.
Nine people died when a passenger train derailed in western Turkey in January 2008.
In July 2004, 37 people were killed when a newly inaugurated high-speed train derailed in the northwest, while another collision some three weeks later led to eight deaths. | Train collisions | January 2010 | ['(CNN)'] |
Tornados hit the midwestern and southern United States two days after the 2012 Leap Day tornado outbreak. | A series of powerful storms and tornadoes have killed at least 28 people in the US states of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, officials say.
Local police confirmed that at least 13 people died as tornadoes swept across three counties in Indiana.
Twelve more died in Kentucky, with two fatalities in Ohio. Earlier, tornadoes hit Alabama, killing one person.
"We are no match for Mother Nature at her worst," said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.
There are fears the death toll may rise as the scale of the devastation and the breadth of the storms made immediate assessments of the destruction difficult.
The storms - stretched across a vast part of the US Midwest - came days after another system killed 13 people.
The first deaths on Friday were reported in Indiana, where the small town of Henryville was badly damaged.
Reports of extreme damage includeda roof torn off a high school.
An official from Clark County sheriff's department described the nearby town of Marysville, Indiana - located close to Henryville - as "completely gone".
Jenn Helvering, 24, told the BBC she saw a storm cell cross the highway as she drove towards Henryville. She then came across wreckage, including an overturned tractor-trailer, alongside the road near the town.
Ms Helvering, who posteda series of imagesonline said she saw "what seemed to be a funnel", when driving between two storm cells.
"The weather was terrible. I suddenly saw a tornado coming towards me, I could see it swirling, then I saw one behind me. I was stuck in between two tornadoes - my dad directed me while I was driving between the two tornadoes. It was truly terrifying."
In Salem, Indiana, a toddler was found injured in a field after tornadoes passed through, reports said before being taken to a children's hospital, where she was later identified.
A family of four were found dead in Washington County, Indiana, Sheriff Claude Combs told the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Meanwhile, in Henryville, authorities found a man dead inside his vehicle. It was the first confirmed death in Clark County.
"We've got total devastation in the north-central part of the county [and] widespread damage from the west to the east," Clark County Sheriff Clark Adam told CNN.
Neighbouring Marysville was totally destroyed.
"Marysville is completely gone,'' said Chuck Adams of Clark County Sheriff's Department.
As Friday's storms grew in intensity, the National Weather Serviceissued severe tornado warningsfor a host of states.
By 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT on Saturday) tornado warnings were in effect across swathes of Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana, with parts of West Virginia and Florida also under advisory.
In a strongly worded warning, the NWS said residents in the path of the Indiana storm were facing an "extremely dangerous and life threatening situation".
"If you are in the path of this tornado... take cover immediately!" the NWS said.
Additional tornadoes were reported near Mumfordville, Kentucky and Memphis, Indiana, as well in southern Ohio.
Local TV broadcaster WHAS in Kentucky showed a storm-tracking team driving through Mumfordville, speeding away from a potential tornado as golf-ball sized hailstones fell from the sky.
As the evening progressed more details of the scale of destruction began to emerge, with officials in Kentucky and Ohio confirmed fatalities there.
Earlier this week, 13 people died after twisters swept through Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Tennessee.
On Friday morning five people were taken to hospital and 11 houses were flattened in the town of Athens, Alabama by an apparent tornado in the Huntsville area.
More than 20 school networks in Alabama closed early on Friday because of the weather warning.
Local media reported that about 9,000 people lost power in the area around Huntsville.
A possible twister also hit a maximum security jail near Huntsville, although officials said inmates remained secure.
The severe weather warning was to remain in place until about midnight on Friday.
The town of Harrisburg, Illinois, was particularly badly damaged on Wednesday by the storm system.
Six residents died there, while three deaths were reported in Missouri, three in Tennessee and another in Kansas.
In pictures: US tornadoes
| Hurricanes_Tornado_Storm_Blizzard | March 2012 | ['(BBC)', '(MSNBC)', '[permanent dead link]', '(USA Today)'] |
Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to win a race in any top–flight American motor racing series with her victory in IndyCar's 2008 Indy Japan 300. | MOTEGI, Japan -- Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel in the final laps.
Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves on the 1.5-mile Twin Ring Motegi oval after leader Scott Dixon pitted with five laps left and Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan came in a lap later.
"It's a long time coming. Finally," Patrick said. "It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous."
The 26-year-old Patrick won in her 50th career IndyCar start, taking the lead from Castroneves on 198th lap in the 200-lap race.
"I think Danica is such a fantastic person and I'm thrilled for her that the monkey is finally off of her back," said Michael Andretti, co-owner of Andretti Green Racing. "We have all believed in her and she proved today that she is a winner. Frankly, I think this is the first of many."
Dixon took the lead from Castroneves on the 93rd lap in the race rescheduled for Sunday because of wet track conditions Saturday, but gave up the spot to pit for fuel.
"We led for a lot of laps but came up short," Dixon said. "But congratulations to Danica for her first victory."
Patrick, who started from the third row and made her final pit stop on lap 148, stayed close to the leaders throughout the race.
Patrick went from fourth to second place on lap 197 after Wheldon and Kanaan went into the pit on lap 196. She was as low as eighth place on the 189th lap.
"I knew there was a good reason for coming to Japan," Patrick said. "I want to thank my team, the fans and everyone who supported me."
Dixon was third, 10.0559 seconds behind Patrick. Wheldon was fourth, and Kanaan finished fifth.
Castroneves, awarded pole position after qualifying was rained out Friday, said Patrick ran a great race.
"With five laps to go, I was saving fuel," Castroneves said. "When Danica passed me, I realized she was the leader. She did a great job, passed me fair and square and that shows you how competitive our series is."
Patrick finished a career-best seventh in the season standings last year, and was second in the race at Detroit's Belle Isle.
At the 2005 Indy 500, she nearly won the pole and became the first female driver to lead the race en route to a fourth-place finish. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take rookie of the year honors. | Sports Competition | April 2008 | ['(ESPN)'] |
Joshua Komisarjevsky, found guilty of the Cheshire, Connecticut home invasion murders, is sentenced to death by lethal injection. | Dec. 9, 2011— -- Dr. William Petit said today he feels a sense of peace now that a jury has condemned to death Joshua Komisarjevsky, the man he believes led the attack on his home that killed his wife and two daughters.
"There is never complete closure when you lose your wife and family…but the first part is over and we think justice has been served," said Petit after the jury delivered its verdict in a Connecticut courtroom.
Komisarjevsky, 31, was handed a death sentence for each of the six capital offenses of which he was convicted.
He was convicted in October in the murders of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and their two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. The mother and younger girl were sexually assaulted. The mother was strangled while girls, tied to their beds, died when the house was set ablaze during the 2007 home invasion.
Petit's sister Johanna Petit Chapman, who has been a constant presence by the side of Dr. Petit during the grisly trial, thanked the jury for their service.
"I think they delivered the right verdict. It's not blood lust or revenge as some have said... From the very beginning we thought Mr. Komisarjveksy was the leader," Chapman said.
Komisarjevsky's accomplice, Steven Hayes, was sentenced to death last year. He is currently on Connecticut's death row.
It took the Komisarjevsky jury just over four days to come to their unanimous decision to execute him.
Komisarjevsky's defense team condemned the verdict.
"Given the outrage over this horrendous crime, we couldn't get a fair trial," Walter Bansley III said and indicated that would be part of their appeal.
He said condemning a person to die is "so barbaric it puts us the (categories) of countries like Yemen, Iraq, Iran and Texas."
Defense lawyer Jeremiah Donovan said the "appropriate sentence in this case is to send Joshua to state prison for the rest of his life."
Komisarjevsky's uncle Chris Komisarjevsky praised the Petit and Hawke families for their "dignity in the face of their sorrow and we are eternally grateful for the kindness those families have shown us."
Petit for the first time in the four year ordeal seemed to be looking to the future.
"We want to go forward with the Petit Family Foundation and create good out of evil," he said.
"I will relax some and try to enjoy the holidays as best we can," Petit said.
He said he could even see a time when he might return to the practice of medicine, a practice that had been put on hold after the horrific events of July 23, 2007.
Petit, the lone survivor of the 2007 attack, was sitting in the courtroom's front row where he has been throughout the grisly trial. He displayed no emotion other than to put his arm around his sister as the killer of his wife and two daughters repeatedly heard the sentence of death for each of their murders.
For six weeks, in the penalty phase of his trial, Komisarjevsky's defense lawyers argued that Komisarjevsky was "doomed from birth" and that his difficult childhood was marred by sexual abuse, addiction and a series of head injuries that created a "perfect storm" of psychological issues that caused Komisarjevsky to turn to a life of crime.
According to Donovan, Komisarjevsky was adopted and raised in a strict religious household with parents who were unwilling to seek professional psychiatric help for their increasingly troubled son.
A parade of witnesses including Komisarjevsky's sister and his parents Jude and Benedict Komisarjevsky took the stand in his defense. Jude Komisarjevsky told the jury that her son seemed to change "overnight" when he was 14 and became angry and unreachable. "He wasn't who he used to be," said Jude Komisarjevsky as she broke down on the stand. Komisarjevsky's sister testified that he molested her as a young girl.
In an unusual and controversial move, Komisarjevsky's 9-year-old daughter was also called by the defense to testify and after some legal maneuvering eventually ended up answering a series of questions while being videotaped. The tape was later shown to the jury. It is unclear if that videotape played a role in the jury's decision.
The 12-member jury began their deliberations on Monday afternoon with a lengthy charge from Judge Jon C. Blue, who has presided over both the Komisarjevsky and Hayes trials. Blue told the jury, "You must now decide whether he lives or dies. This simple statement is enough to suggest the solemnity of the occasion which brings us together."
Prosecutors argued that there were aggravating factors in the Komisarjevsky case that should require a sentence of death. "Each murder was committed in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner" and he "inflicted extreme physical or psychological pain, suffering, or torture" on his victims, prosecutors argued.
The emotional trial began on Sept. 19. Komisarjevsky's defense attorneys argued that their client was a man who was "confused" and easily led but who never meant to kill anyone. Komisarjevsky's attorneys blamed Hayes for the killings and said Hayes was the criminal mastermind July 23, 2007 when the two men broke into the Petit family home.
At the beginning of the trial, Bansley warned the jury that they would likely hear testimony that would "break your hearts." And the testimony was heartbreaking.
In gruesome detail, the jury heard how Komisarjevsky and Hayes beat Dr. Petit about the head with a baseball bat and then tied him up bloodied and bruised. The jury learned how the two daughters Hayley and Michaela were tied to their beds for hours and terrorized. Komisarjevsky admitted to sexually molesting Michaela and taking half-naked pictures of the child as she was tied up.
There was also testimony about how Hayes raped and strangled the girls' mother. And then how gasoline was poured in the Petit family home, including on the girl's beds as they lay tied up before setting the house on fire. A medical examiner testified that because of the extent of the fire damage, dental records had to be used to identify Hawke-Petit's body. Experts described how the young girls likely survived for agonizing minutes only to succumb to the poison of smoke inhalation.
Only the father survived. Brutally beaten and left bound in the basement he managed to escape to a neighbor's house. As he did in Hayes' trial, Petit sat in the first row every day and endured the often difficult testimony.
As the horrific events of that night spiraled out of control, Bansley said Komisarjevsky was helpless to stop them because his decision-making skills had been impaired by his years of abuse and neglect.
Ironically, during Hayes' trial last year, defense attorney Thomas Ullmann claimed that Komisarjevsky was the true mastermind behind the home invasion.
Komisarjevsky will now head to the Northern Correctional Institution in Somers, Connecticut. This level five maximum security institution houses Connecticut's death row.
Only one individual has been executed in Connecticut since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. That execution occurred in 2005 and was of serial killer Michael Ross, also known as the Roadside Strangler. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | December 2011 | ['(ABC News)'] |
Two people are killed and two others are injured in attacks by a man wearing military camouflage near a synagogue and at a kebab shop in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Shots are also reported in nearby Landsberg. A suspect, 27-year old Stephan Billiet, is arrested. The attack had been livestreamed on Twitch for 35 minutes citing anti-Semitic and racist motivations. | A gunman has killed two people in eastern Germany after attempting to enter a synagogue where dozens were observing a Jewish holiday.
The suspect broadcast the attack on a popular live-streaming platform before being arrested. The video, which has now been removed, showed him making anti-Semitic comments to camera before driving to a synagogue in Halle and shooting at its door. After failing to get in, the gunman shot dead two people nearby.
The suspect is a 27-year-old German who acted alone, according to local media. "According to the federal prosecutor there are sufficient indications for a possible right-wing extremist motive," German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said.
Videos from the scene appear to show the suspect wearing military-type clothing and using several weapons in the attack.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a memorial vigil for the victims at Berlin's main synagogue.
The attack happened in the city of Halle at about 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
The attempted attack on the synagogue was captured on a surveillance camera, said Max Privorotzki, leader of the local Jewish community. "We saw via the camera system at our synagogue that a heavily armed perpetrator with a steel helmet and a gun tried to shoot open our doors," he told the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper.
"The man looked as though he was from the special forces... But our doors held."
Mr Privorotzki said about 70 or 80 people were inside at the time.
After apparently becoming frustrated at failing to get in, the suspect then allegedly shot into the street and killed a woman close to the synagogue, before killing a man in a local kebab shop. A witness at the shop told German N-tv news the gunman had been wearing camouflage when he opened fire on the venue. "The man came up to the doner shop, he threw something like a grenade, it didn't explode, and he opened fire with an assault rifle. I hid in the toilet," the witness said. Two people with gun wounds have had surgery at the city's university hospital, a spokesman told AFP news agency.
Police say the man was arrested after fleeing the scene. He has not been officially named but local media suggest he is a 27-year-old German. Initial reports suggested other people may have been involved, but a local police lockdown has now been lifted. Streaming platform Twitch, which is owned by Amazon and is popular among game streamers, has confirmed the suspect broadcast the attack on their website. "We worked with urgency to remove this content and will permanently suspend any accounts found to be posting or reposting content of this abhorrent act," a spokeswoman told Reuters news agency.
The video the suspect posted showed him making misogynistic and anti-Semitic statements to the camera - including denying the Holocaust. The attack came as Jews observed Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day.
"That on the Day of Atonement a synagogue was shot at hits us in the heart," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas posted on Twitter. "We must all act against anti-Semitism in our country."
Security was boosted at other German synagogues following news of the attack and vigils were held on Wednesday evening. A spokesman said Angela Merkel condemned the shooting and offered her solidarity "for all Jews on the holy day of Yom Kippur".
A minute's silence was earlier held for the victims in the European Parliament in Brussels. The EU's President, Jean Claude Juncker, has also condemned the attack.
"I am shocked by the brutal attacks in Halle - on this day, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism," he posted on Twitter. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the shooting as a "terror attack" and warned anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe. "I urge German authorities to continue to act resolutely against the phenomenon of anti-Semitism," Mr Netanyahu tweeted.
| Armed Conflict | October 2019 | ['(BBC)', '(DW)', '(The Guardian)'] |
The All Blacks defeat Australia to win the 2008 Tri Nations Series at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. | A drought-breaking Tri-Nations title slipped through the Wallabies' fingers as the All Blacks pulled off a 28-24 comeback victory at a heaving Suncorp Stadium.
Australia wasted a 10-point second-half lead in the pulsating clash through costly turnovers which were duly punished by the ruthless New Zealanders who retained the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup with the win.
The All Blacks scored three straight converted tries after trailing 17-7 early in the second-half to have the decider seemingly wrapped up at 28-17.
But a bustling Ryan Cross try and a last-minute attack had the Wallabies inside the visitors quarter on the last play of the game but couldn't produce the dream finish most of the 52,328-strong crowd wished.
The All Blacks' comeback not only denied Australia their first Tri-Nations title since 2001 but snuffed out hopes of a Bledisloe Cup win with NZ taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
"I'm speechless, we ran ourselves ragged," said Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock.
"The build up tonight was for a colossal match and I think we gave that.
"I'm incredibly proud. Unfortunately we didn't get the result we want ... but the growth of the group has been fantastic and I think the boys can hold their heads high."
Two outstanding Matt Giteau-inspired tries within five minutes either side of halftime took the Wallabies from out-of-sorts 7-3 trailers to confident 17-7 leaders.
But a comedy of Australian errors from an ill-conceived Dan Carter chip that led to a counter-attacking try finished by prop Tony Woodcock opened the door for the visitors.
They waltzed right in midway through the second half when another Australian turnover on halfway allowed a Rodney So'oialo breakout.
A Sitiveni Sivivatu dummy then fooled Cross before he put reserve half Piri Weepu over for a 21-17 lead.
The All Blacks continued to carve up the Wallabies defence, a sustained attack allowing Carter to run around Mortlock and then bounce off an attempted shoulder charge by Cross to score the clincher with 12 minutes left.
The All Blacks led for the majority of the first half following a 13th minute try to Mils Muliaina and looked the more damaging team but Australia made the most of a Giteau cross-field kick in the final play of the 40 minutes.
Hynes skilfully took the ball in the air over Sivivatu and off-loaded to Ashley-Cooper to score.
Giteau slotted the conversion for the three-point lead.
But Australia were guilty of needlessly kicking when looking dangerous in space out wide, handing possession back to the visitors.
Wycliff Palu limped off in the 34th minute with a medial ligament injury which may cost him his place in the end-of-season tour. | Sports Competition | September 2008 | ['(28–24)', '(The Age)'] |
Tropical Storm Fay makes landfall in New Jersey, US, causing tropical storm force winds over Delaware, New Jersey, and Coastal New York. Flooding closed several roads. |
Tropical Storm Fay flooded streets, closed roads and knocked down trees Friday in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.
The storm made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, at around 4:45 p.m. EST Friday and was downgraded overnight as it moved over land.
A New York City police officer was injured while helping clear a tree that fell on a cab, WLNY-TV reported. The police officer was taken to the hospital after she was hit by a limb and briefly lost consciousness.
Firefighters helped people out from stranded cars in some areas where streets were covered with water.
Several roads were closed or lanes blocked late Friday afternoon across the region, including a portion of Interstate 295 on the Throgs Neck Bridge in New York City and an eastbound ramp onto Interstate 80 near Ridgefield Park.
A flash flood warning that was in effect for the city expired at 5:30 p.m. EST.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier urged residents to stay vigilant.
“We expect some pretty heavy winds, and we need people to be ready for that, and some flash flooding in certain parts of the city,” de Blasio said during a briefing Friday morning.
Major impacts weren't expected for the city, but officials urged residents to stay home if possible.
Winds up to 49 mph were reported along the Delaware coast.
The storm also caused President Donald Trump to cancel a rally he had planned for Saturday in New Hampshire.
The police department in Ocean City, Maryland, reported street flooding in the southern end of town.
Maryland Highway 90 was closed between Old Ocean City Boulevard and U.S. Highway 113 for about half an hour because of flooding, the state Highway Administration said. High water also closed all lanes of Maryland Highway 528 at Somerset Street.
A fallen tree briefly blocked U.S. Highway 50 East at state Highway 346.
The Delaware State Police reported a number of road closures, and portions of Route 1 along Delaware's coast were flooded.
Substantial street flooding also was reported in Bethany Beach, Delaware.
The National Weather Service said there was a high risk of rip currents Delaware and New Jersey beaches through Friday evening. Lifeguards in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach temporarily closed the beaches to swimming, according to delaware online. In New Jersey, flash flood warnings were issued for Villas and Cape May to Atlantic City.
The George Redding Bridge closed in both directions for more than an hour because of flooding, the Wildwood Police Department reported.
WPVI reported flooded streets in Wildwood, North Wildwood and Sea Isle City. Social media posts showed flooding in Stone Harbor and Avalon
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden warned people to stay inside and prepare for high winds.
“That high tide is hitting Sandy Hook in Monmouth County around 12:44, about the same time we are going to see the height of the storm here. So, I want everyone to be careful,” Golden told WPVI.
President Trump was scheduled to appear outdoors on the tarmac at Portsmouth International Airport on Saturday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Friday the rally will be delayed by a week or two, Fox News reported.
| Hurricanes_Tornado_Storm_Blizzard | July 2020 | ['(Weather Channel)'] |
At least 34 people are killed and 29 are injured when a bus falls into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh. | NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- At least 29 passengers were killed and 20 others injured as a bus fell into a gorge in northern India Friday, police said.
The wreck occurred in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh state, said Atul Fulzele, the district police chief. Authorities were investigating the cause of the accident, he added.
More than 105,000 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2006, according to World Health Organization report released this year. About half a million people are injured by traffic crashes that year, the report said.
The India government said this year it has launched a campaign to reduce road-crash deaths by 50 per cent by 2012. | Road Crash | November 2009 | ['(The Times of India)', '(RIA Novosti)', '(BBC)', '(Reuters)', '(CNN)'] |
Authorities in the Maldives arrest three opposition leaders and nearly 200 citizens following violent protests yesterday calling for the resignation of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. | Sheikh Imran Abdulla detained and accused of attempting to overthrow regime amid clashes with police, as thousands march on capital Last modified on Sat 2 May 2015 20.06 BST
Authorities in the Maldives arrested three opposition leaders and nearly 200 other people after clashes erupted between police and protesters demanding the resignation of the country’s president and the release of a jailed ex-leader.
With the arrests, nearly the entire opposition leadership behind Friday’s anti-government protests were detained, opposition lawmaker Eva Abdulla said on Saturday.
Police arrested Sheik Imran Abdulla, leader of the Islamic conservative Adhaalath, or Justice party; Ali Waheed, chairman of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic party; and Ameen Ibrahim, deputy leader of Jumhooree, or the Republican party.
The arrests could exacerbate an acrimonious political climate in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation, which is still in its early years of democracy.
The Maldives government accused Abdulla of inciting violence among the protesters with the aim of overthrowing the government. The government, however, did not comment on the arrests of the other opposition leaders.
Thousands of people marched in the capital on Friday, accusing president Yameen Abdul Gayoom of jailing former president Mohamed Nasheed and others he sees as political threats.
The opposition activists ran through a cordon of shield-carrying police protecting the military headquarters in Malé and clashed with police officers.
Police fired teargas and arrested 192 protesters. They later declared the demonstration was not peaceful, saying they will break up any gathering without warning.
Police told reporters that Imran “incited violence amongst protesters with the aim of toppling the government and called for clashes with the police if necessary”.
However, Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic party said police officers charged the protesters without provocation.
The protesters also beat up two policemen, who were flown to neighbouring Sri Lanka for treatment.
Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison in March for ordering the arrest of a senior judge when he was president three years ago. He was sentenced under the country’s terrorism laws after the court declared the arrest was akin to kidnapping.
Nasheed’s imprisonment after a rushed trial sparked widespread international condemnation.
In a statement after a fact-finding mission to the Maldives, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva said Nasheed’s trial was “vastly unfair and his conviction was arbitrary and disproportionate”.
The statement, which noted that the delegation met with Nasheed in addition to government officials and members of civil society, also said the country’s legal system is “perceived as politicised, inadequate and subject to external influence”.
The statement added: “In the absence of an adequate criminal code, evidence law, and criminal procedures, the prosecutor general and the judges have excessive discretionary powers that worked in this case against Mr Nasheed.”
Gayoom’s former defence minister, Mohamed Nazim, has been jailed for 10 years for importing and possessing a firearm, which is forbidden for private individuals.
Known for its luxury island resorts, the Maldives became a multiparty democracy in 2008, when Nasheed was elected president, ending the autocratic 30-year rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Nasheed resigned in 2012 after weeks of public protests against the arrest of the judge, whom Nasheed’s government had accused of being corrupt and politically biased. | Protest_Online Condemnation | May 2015 | ['(The Guardian)'] |
Unnamed U.S. officials say they have received intelligence that Hamza bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden and a wanted al-Qaeda terrorist, has been killed. The time, location and cause of death has not been disclosed. | US reported to have had a hand in death of heir to al-Qaida ‘sometime in past two years’
Last modified on Thu 1 Aug 2019 10.07 BST
Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza, who was trying to lead an al-Qaida resurgence, is believed dead, according to US reports.
NBC News reported the US had received intelligence that he had died, citing three American officials. The New York Times, quoting two unnamed officials, also reported Hamza bin Laden had been killed sometime over the past two years, and it had taken time to confirm the death.
The report said the US had a hand in the death of the al-Qaida heir, thought to have been aged about 30.
Hamza bin Laden had been seeking to stage attacks on western targets with the aim of restoring al-Qaida’s status at the vanguard of extreme jihadist groups, after many years of decline and eclipse by Islamic State. He was thought to have been based in Pakistan’s tribal areas, along the border with Afghanistan.
“They were clearly grooming him to be a next generation successor,” said Peter Bergen, an al-Qaida expert and director of international security programme at the New America foundation. “Ayman al-Zawahiri [al-Qaida’s official leader] hasn’t been a particularly effective leader. He’s got a sort of charisma deficit. And they were trying to put this guy forward.”
Although Hamza bin Laden had made public statements in recent years, Bergen raised questions over whether he was an operational leader. While al-Qaida affiliates have been active in Syria, Yemen and Africa, central al-Qaida, which was behind the 9/11 attacks, has not carried out significant operations.
“Had he really done anything? Had he overseen any operation of any significance? It is an interesting question,” Bergen said.
Donald Trump was asked by reporters on Wednesday if the US had intelligence that Hamza bin Laden was dead, to which the US president replied: “I don’t want to comment on that.”
Separately, the White House declined to comment on whether any announcement was imminent.
In his last known public statement, made through al-Qaida’s media outlet in March 2018, Hamza bin Laden had threatened Saudi Arabia and called on the people of the Arabian peninsula to revolt.
In March of this year, Saudi Arabia had revoked his citizenship after the US offered a $1m (£800,000) reward for help locating him as part of its “rewards for justice” programme.
Ten days before the Manchester bombing in 2017, Hamza’s voice was heard on an audio recording released by al-Qaida that called for its supporters to strike against “Jews” and “Crusaders”. However, investigators established no link between the attack in the UK and al-Qaida.
In May 2016, he urged fighters in Syria to unite and “liberate Palestine”, while he also warned Americans they would be targeted.
He also called for attacks against US, French and Israeli interests in 2015, as well as acts of terrorism in western capitals on behalf of al-Qaida, according to the UN security council.
Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces who raided his compound in Pakistan in 2011. Hamza was thought to be under house arrest in Iran at the time, and documents recovered from the compound indicated that aides had been trying to reunite him with his father.
Hamza was at his father’s side in Afghanistan before the September 11 attacks on the US, and spent time with him in Pakistan after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan pushed much of al-Qaida’s senior leadership there, according to the Brookings Institution.
A notice on the UN security council website said: “Hamza bin Laden has been given a more prominent role within al-Qaida, and is considered to have the capability to follow through with his threats. Hamza’s popularity is increasing among followers of al-Qaida, and he has become the most probable successor of a new version of al-Qaida.
“Hamza seeks to grow al-Qaida’s network and use a new phase of terrorist attacks in major western cities to raise his profile and announce the return of al-Qaida with himself as a new leader.”
Additional reporting by Mattha Busby
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A cargo plane crashes shortly after takeoff from Juba International Airport in Juba, South Sudan. 41 people have reportedly died. The five Armenian crew members were killed. | CRASH SITE. People gather at the site where a cargo plane crashed into a small farming community on a small island in the White Nile river, close to Juba airport in the Hai Gabat residential area on November 4
Photo by Charles Lomodong/AFP
(2nd UPDATE) The Russian-built Antonov An-12 cargo plan smashes into a farming community on an island in the White Nile river. Rescue workers continue search for more bodies
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JUBA, South Sudan (2nd UPDATE) – At least 36 people were killed on Wednesday when a plane crashed shortly after taking off from South Sudan's capital Juba, rescue workers said.
Police and rescue workers pulled bodies of men, women and children out of the wreckage of the Russian-built Antonov An-12 cargo plane, which smashed into a farming community on an island on the White Nile river, seconds after taking off.
"So far 36 bodies have been collected and brought to hospitals," South Sudan Red Cross official Majju Hillary told AFP, adding that all the victims were on board the ill-fated aircraft.
Two survivors were pulled out of the twisted metal hulk of the plane but one of those later died, with a young boy the only survivor, the Red Cross said, adding the number of dead may still rise.
"We can't assess this is the final toll, as some debris is too heavy to be lifted and needs some heavy machinery," Hillary added.
The 5-member Armenian crew were all killed, the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement.
'Landed near my door'
Farmer Ibrahim Mohamed said the plane crashed near to his home, with debris scattered around the hut where his four children were inside, but all were safe.
"The sound was so loud... the plane started descending and landed near my door," Mohamed told AFP.
"One of the tyres broke off and ran into the house – but thank God it did not injure anyone."
Cargo planes to remote parts of South Sudan often carry passengers as well as goods, and are commonly overloaded.
The main fuselage of the plane ploughed into thick woodland, with debris scattered in a wide area around the riverbank, according to an AFP reporter at the site.
Radio Miraya, a United Nations-backed station, said the plane had been heading to the northern Upper Nile state, crashing some "just 800 metres from Juba International Airport runway."
Police said they did not know how many had been on board the plane when it crashed – nor if anyone had been killed or injured on the ground – and so were unable to give an official death toll.
Large chunks of metal were scattered across the island, which is home to several small farming communities.
The UN peacekeeping mission, which is based close to the airport, said it was aiding the search and recovery operation, and had provided ambulances and troops to help.
Juba's airport is the busiest in the war-torn country, which is the size of Spain and Portugal combined but has only a few tarmacked roads.
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The airport hosts regular commercial flights, as well as a constant string of military aircraft and cargo planes delivering aid to remote regions cut off by road.
Civil war broke out in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that has split the poverty-stricken, landlocked country along ethnic lines.
Fighting continues despite an August peace deal, but battles today are far from the capital.
Tens of thousands have been killed, and UN-backed experts have warned of the "concrete risk of famine" before the end of the year, if fighting continues and aid does not reach the hardest-hit areas. – Rappler.com
| Air crash | November 2015 | ['(Reuters Africa)', '(RT)', '(Al Jazeera English)', '(AFP via Rappler)', '(Daily Mail)'] |
At least twelve people die when gunmen try to rob jewellery shops in Baghdad, Iraq and get into a gunfight with security, police and military. | At least 12 people died when gunmen swooped on a row of goldsmiths' shops in a brazen robbery in the Iraqi capital and ended up in a gunfight with security forces, police and military sources said.
The gunmen used hand grenades and small arms to kill three gold shop owners in a market in the Mansour district of western Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.
When the attackers emerged from the shops they were met by soldiers and police.
Two gunmen, two police officers, a soldier and four civilians died in the shootout, two security sources said.
Security officials say some of the insurgent groups that took up arms after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein have turned to crime to finance their operations, attacking banks, gold markets and jewellery shops.
Authorities said they did not yet know whether the Mansour suspects were insurgents or a criminal gang.
Iraq has seen a big drop in violence since Washington sent thousands of extra troops and built alliances with tribal leaders to battle a stubborn insurgency, but attacks are still common in Baghdad and ethnically and religiously mixed areas north of the capital | Armed Conflict | October 2010 | ['(Reuters via ABC News Australia)'] |
Team Canada wins the 2007 IIHF World Hockey Championship after a 4–2 win over Finland in the gold medal game in Moscow, Russia. | MOSCOW – The tears in coach Andy Murray's eyes as he addressed his Canadian team for the final time said just as much as the words coming out of his mouth.
His players stood around the dressing room in red Canadian jerseys draped with gold medals from the IIHF World Hockey Championship on Sunday, moments after watching Rick Nash score a breathtaking breakaway goal to secure a 4-2 win over Finland.
Murray had spent much of the past month explaining systems and strategies to the team, but his final message was about something much more important.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
"Life is all about making a difference," he said. "You guys made a difference in Canada today. . . .
"We've got the deepest emotional well in the world for the game of hockey. I'll tell you, when Rick Nash was going in on that breakaway in the last minute or so, 31 million Canadians were carrying our emotions with him."
The elation on the faces of the players as they doused each other with champagne soon afterwards suggested that they understood.
The Canadians travelled a long way to play this tournament at a time when each of them could have been relaxing and playing golf. Nothing was more important than the gold medal to the guys who volunteered almost a month of their time to come to Russia and play for Canada.
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"We do the best we can not to let our country down," said forward Justin Williams. "Every single guy worked his tail off to get what he deserved here. And we deserved this gold medal."
It was a textbook example of the formula needed to win international hockey tournaments.
Canada got goals from skilled players and grinders, timely saves from goaltenders Cam Ward and Dwayne Roloson and learned from its early mistakes. It all added up to a third world championship title in five years.
The play of Nash in particular also helped seal it. He was considered the most talented player who agreed to join the Canadian team before the tournament and his performance here matched that reputation.
His two goals in the gold medal game were the difference and helped earn him the tournament's most valuable player award and a spot on its all-star team.
"I don't have to tell you that Rick Nash probably took over this tournament for us," said forward Mike Cammalleri. "He stepped up and he was huge.
"That was some of the best hockey I've ever seen played."
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Said GM Steve Yzerman: "He was spectacular. He was head and shoulders above everyone."
In the end, so were the Canadians.
This run to gold was stunning in its sheer efficiency. Canada outscored its opposition 13-4 during the playoff round games and seemed to get better each time out. The Canadians were bigger, stronger, faster and more disciplined than their opponents when the games counted most.
"It was really weird, we really grew together quickly," said 18-year-old Jordan Staal, who is now the youngest Canadian ever to win a gold medal at this tournament. "We weren't here for a very long time, but we really had a lot of fun.
"That's the chemistry of winning."
Colby Armstrong and Eric Staal also scored in the gold medal game for Canada while Petri Kontiola and Antti Miettinen replied with third-period goals for the Finns.
Miettinen's goal with 2:16 to play got the Finns back to 3-2 and gave them the some hope after Canada had dominated the game. Nash ended that with a splendid one-handed deke of goalie Kari Lehtonen while defenceman Pekka Saravo tried to haul him down.
"He's a hell of a hockey player," said forward Jason Chimera, Nash's teammate in Columbus. "The guy was draped all over him. I couldn't score in an empty net with a guy draped on me like that and he scored it against a goalie."
It marked the end of the final test for Canada.
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Murray had given this team the theme of "Digging in for Canada" – a message he drove home with T-shirts and inspirational videos. Before the semifinal win over Sweden on Saturday night, he showed the team some clips of trench warfare from the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
It was all in preparation for the type of adversity they faced at the end of the gold medal game.
"We were digging in pretty deep at the end there," said Murray.
Canada entered this event completely under the radar because many thought it didn't have enough skill to compete with the Swedes or Russians or Czechs. Even Yzerman was worried that his team would have trouble scoring.
Those thoughts were quickly put to rest when energy line player Jamal Mayers had two goals in an opening win over Germany. Canada proceeded to get consistent offensive contribution from three of its forward lines.
The top unit of captain Shane Doan, Matthew Lombardi and Nash was its most reliable. The trio led the way offensively.
"People were questioning whether we were old enough and whether we had enough experience and star power," said Doan, proudly displaying his gold medal with Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral printed on it. "You always love that kind of answer to those questions."
The 29-year-old admitted that this victory felt a little more special than others he's been part of because of the controversy that broke out on Parliament Hill over his captaincy early in the tournament. Doan handled that situation with class and it earned him the respect of his teammates.
Ultimately, Canada's biggest strength at this tournament was the way it played together. Players were subbed in and out of roles, Ward and Roloson split the goaltending duties and everyone seemed willing to do whatever Murray asked.
"I think we were so balanced just all the way through the lineup," said forward Eric Staal. "Both on the back end and up front. That's how you win championships, that's how you win tournaments like this."
The Canadians were also helped by a little luck as they avoided a final against powerful Russia when Finland knocked off the host country in the semifinal. Russia won the bronze medal on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Sweden.
The Canadian team drew inspiration from all over the place while preparing for the gold medal game. Cammalleri read some of Bill Gaston's book "Midnight Hockey" before heading to Khodynka Arena and started to get emotional while thinking about what was to come.
"It kind of hit an emotional chord," he said. "You really realize what you're doing and how lucky we are to be in this position and the responsibility that comes with it."
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free) | Sports Competition | May 2007 | ['(Toronto Star)'] |
The Government of Japan approves a $60 billion economic stimulus package. | The Japanese cabinet has approved a plan to pump more than $60bn (£38bn) into the country's struggling economy. The aim of the plan - which still needs approval from parliament - is to boost growth, jobs and spending. The Japanese economy is suffering from deflation and a strong currency; prices keep falling, but consumers hold off spending in hope of lower prices. Analysts said the key problem is that the yen is at a 15-year high, making exports more expensive. Earlier this week, the Bank of Japan set interest rates at just above zero.
Japan's Nikkei newspaper said the plan could boost GDP growth by up to 0.6% and help to save jobs.
An extra budget is needed from parliament to fund the stimulus plan. This is expected to be submitted to parliament for debate later this month.
A previous stimulus package, announced last month, was intended to create about 200,000 jobs and shift GDP into positive territory, but was criticised as not going far enough.
At the heart of Japan's woes is the strong yen, which has gained almost 50% in value against the dollar since mid-2007.
Japan has been stuck for the last 20 years in what economists call a "liquidity trap" - falling prices, interest rates stuck at zero, but savings rates remaining stubbornly high.
Much of the recent yen strength is actually to do with dollar weakness - the US has also cut rates virtually to zero and faces the risk of sinking into a liquidity trap just like Japan.
Despite the additional spending measures in the supplementary budget, Mr Kan has made clear that Japan must cut its budget deficit in the medium term.
Japanese government debt has risen to about twice the size of its economy during the last two decades of poor growth. | Government Policy Changes | October 2010 | ['(BBC)'] |
Russian investigators say the flight crew received indications of a failure in the heating for the pitot-static system, which measures parameters including airspeed. The crew received mismatching airspeed information prior to the crash near Moscow. All 71 on board died. | Crash: Saratov A148 at Moscow on Feb 11th 2018, lost height after departure, pitot heatings off
A Saratov Airlines Antonov AN-148-100, registration RA-61704 performing flight 6W-703 from Moscow Domodedovo to Orsk (Russia) with 65 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of Moscow's runway 14R when the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 6000 feet then descended again and disappeared from radar at about 14:28L (11:28Z). The aircraft was subsequently found crashed in an open field about 18nm southeast of the aerodrome near the village Stepanovskoye in Dergayevo in the Ramensky District, coordinates approximately N55.3 E38.41, no survivors were found, about 50 bodies were recovered. The wreckage was distributed over a distance of about 1000m, no fire occurred.Russian News Agencies Lenta and Interfax reported initially but later retracted the remains of a second aircraft, a helicopter, were found near the crash site, the two aircraft collided in midair.Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed flight 6W-703 crashed and was found near the village of Stepanovskoye in Ramensky district. Rescue forces including helicopters have been dispatched on site. The Ministry reported no other aircraft was found near the crash site. In the evening the Ministry reported one of the black boxes has been found and was recovered.Russia's Post Office reported there was a bag of about 20kg mail on board of the AN-148. The bag may have triggered the agency reports of a midair collision with a post office helicopter, however Russia's Post Office does not operate helicopters in the Moscow region.Russia's Interregional Transport Prosecution Office opened a criminal investigation into the crash verifying compliance with legislation, in particular technical maintenance and dispatch of the aircraft.The Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) reported the Saratov Airlines AN-148 registration RA-61704 from Moscow Domodedovo to Orsk departed Domodedovo Airport at 14:21L. Communication with the aircraft was lost at 14:28L, the radar target disappeared about the same time. The aircraft was found in the village Argunovo in Ramensky district. An accident investigation commission has been dispatched on site, an investigation was opened.According to ATC recordings communication with the aircraft was normal until 11:28Z, when the crew no longer responded to calls from ATC and other stations.On Feb 12th 2018 the MAK reported, that one flight data recorder has been recovered and has been sent to the laboratory for read out and decoding. Ukraine's Accident Investigation representing the state of aircraft developer has been informed and assigned an accredited representative to the investigation. Later the day the MAK reported that both flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been received by the MAK and are being opened for determination of the status of the recording media.On Feb 12th 2018 the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (Sledcom) reported that the aircraft was intact until impact with the ground, an explosion occurred upon impact with the ground (editorial note: compare the video of the moment of impact below which immediately suggested this conclusion). Both black boxes have been found. The aerial video released by Sledcom suggests the wreckage is located at position about N55.3 E38.41, the point of first impact appears to be at N55.2994 E38.4052.On Feb 13th 2018 the MAK reported that the flight data recorder needed to be torn down, the memory modules were removed from the FDR and inserted in a new electronics. Thereafter it was possible to read out all data which consist of 16 flights including the accident flight. The work to decode the data has started. The media of the voice recorder are currently being prepared for download.In the afternoon of Feb 13th 2018 the MAK reported, that decoding of the FDR data has been completed. Preliminary analysis shows, that the pitot heatings for all three pitot probes were off while the pitot heatings had been turned on prior to departure on the previous 15 flights. About 2:30 minutes after becoming airborne a special situation developed at about 1300 meters of height and a speed of 465-470 kph (250 KIAS) when a disagreement between the speed readings #1 and #3 developed with the speed reading #2 not registering, #1 was showing about 30kph (15 knots) more than #3, an according message was issued. No significant altitude deviations between the pitot systems were noticed. At about 2000 meters height speed reading #1 began to reduce while #3 increased, another speed disagree message was issued. The crew disconnected the autopilot and continued in manual control. Speed readings from #3 reached 540-560 kph (290-300 KIAS), #1 speed readings continued to decrease. 50 seconds after the autopilot was disconnected the aircraft experienced vertical loads between 0.5 and 1.5G, the #1 speed reading reached 0, the #3 began to decrease reaching 200 kph (108 KIAS), the aircraft pitched down to about 30-35 degrees below horizont, the vertical load was 0G. Before collision with the ground #3 speed readings began to rapidly increase reaching 800 kph (432 KIAS) just before impact, #1 speed readings remained at 0. The pitch angle remained at 30 degrees below horizont until impact, 5 seconds prior to impact a right bank of 25 degrees developed. The MAK wrote: "A preliminary analysis of the recorded information, as well as an analysis of similar cases that occurred in the past, suggest that the development of a special situation in the flight could be caused by incorrect data on the flight speed on the pilots indicators, which in turn was apparently due to icing of the pitot probes when the heating systems are off."On Feb 13th 2018 Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that all 30 hectares of the crash site have been surveyed, the recovered body parts have been sent for DNA identification, more than 500 fragments of the aircraft have been found in the survey. DNA samples from 66 relatives of the victims have been collected. More than 1000 people and 200 pieces of equipment participated in the search so far. In the afternoon the Ministry reported the search area has been expanded, 663 fragments of the aircraft have been found so far.On Feb 15th 2018 (effectively only Feb 16h 2018 due to a crash of the MAK website) the MAK announced that the data carriers of the cockpit voice recorder were installed on a new device, the data were successfully downloaded. The recording of the accident flight is available and confirms the information recorded by the FDR. The data are now being analysed.On Feb 18th 2018 Russia's Ministry of Emergency services reported that the survey of 50 hectares at the crash has been completed, more than 4700 pieces of wreckage were recovered. The MAK also have completed their on site work. The recovery personnel are now being withdrawn from the crash site.On Feb 22nd 2018 Rosaviatsia recommended based on preliminary findings (without disclosing those findings) to pay attention to following points:- preparation of aircraft for flight and decision making about conducting a flight with delayed failures and malfunctions in accordance with minimum equipment list requirements- interaction between crew members, in particular to continue running the relevant checklists after being interrupted or when a checklist section has not been completed (e.g. turn on heating of pitot probes)- performance of standard operating procedures in standard, non-normal and emergency operation - crew actions in case of aircraft system failures (flight and navigation systems, control systems)On Mar 20th 2018 Russia's Ministry of Transport (Rostransnadzor) issued a directive to suspend all flights on any aircraft type operated by Saratov Airlines as result of violations having been found. An assessment of risks and corrective actions to maintain an acceptable level of safety and to eliminate identified violations of air legistlation, is to be undertaken. Based on the results of the checks of the AN-148s of Saratov Airlines Rostransnadzor is going to undertake also unscheduled inspections of AN-148s operated by other airlines to ensure compliance with airworthiness requirements. Based on the results of those inspections further decisions may be taken.Following Rostransnadzor's instructions Russia's Civil Aviation Authority (Rosaviatsia) instructed Saratov Airlines to suspend all flights with AN-148s and limited the validity of the air operator's certificate until April 27th 2018, until which date all pending violations as well as inconsistencies with respect to aviation legislation were to be elimated. Based on the work performed by the operator Rosaviatsia is going to take further decisions about the operator's future activities. The operations of AN-148s operated by other airlines are not affected.On Apr 18th 2018 Rosaviatsia released additional information stating that throughout the taxi and flight the crew were shown indications "Pitot 1: No Heating", "Pitot 2: No Heating" and "Pitot 3: No Heating" amongst other messages. The operator had moved the items to activate the Pitot Heatings to the pre-takeoff checklist. The crew taxied the aircraft out and were cleared for takeoff, the "pre-takeoff" checklist was not read. At a height of 1300 meters (4265 feet) the airspeeds began to differ (as described earlier already). | Air crash | April 2018 | ['(The Aviation Herald)'] |
Voters in the Dominican Republic go to the polls for a presidential election with early results showing Danilo Medina as the winner. | A former president whose single term ended with the deepest economic crisis in the modern history of the Dominican Republic is seeking redemption Sunday as he faces an old rival in what is expected to be a close election to lead the Caribbean's top tourist destination.
Former President Hipolito Mejia, a gaffe-prone populist, trounced rival Danilo Medina when they last faced off in 2000. But Mejia's four-year presidential term ended in disaster, with a banking crisis that sunk the economy and caused so much misery and scarcity that tens of thousands of people fled the country and voters cast him out of office.
The pair face off again in Sunday's election and several polls show ruling party-candidate Medina could win with slightly more than 50 percent of the vote, thus avoiding a runoff.
After eight years under President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party, or PLD, the question is whether enough time has gone by for crucial swing voters to give Mejia another chance, said Rosario Espinal, director of the Latin American Studies Center at Temple University in Philadelphia.
"The country is not in a crisis like it was in 2003 and 2004. It's a very different situation," said Espinal. "But there is a lot of disenchantment with the government, especially with the high cost of living."
Espinal, a leading political analyst of the country, said the election will turn on the narrow slice of the electorate who are not affiliated with either the PLD or Mejia's opposition Dominican Revolutionary Party.
"The question is whether they are more tired of the current government or more fearful of what might happen under Mejia," she said.
Fernandez is not running for a third consecutive term. Medina, 60, is a party stalwart who has promised to improve upon but not make any major changes to the policies of the outgoing president, who has embarked on a massive public works campaign that included a subway system modeled after the one in New York.
Ramona Hernandez, director of the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York, said it will be in part a generational struggle between those who remember the crisis, which was set off by the failure of three banks and resulted in a nearly 20 percent drop in GDP, and those who never lived through it.
"People between 40 and 60 years old, they haven't forgotten. He has a history," Hernandez said of Mejia. "But he has a chance with younger people."
In addition to president, Dominicans are electing a vice president from a field that includes the heavily favored First Lady, Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, and seven members of the Chamber of Deputies who will represent people who have settled overseas. Tens of thousands are expected to cast ballots in places with large numbers of Dominicans, including New York, New Jersey, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Politics in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, largely revolves around the PLD and Mejia's Dominican Revolutionary Party, or PRD. Both were founded as Marxist parties by Juan Bosch, president for a year in 1963 until he was ousted in a coup. The two have come to embrace free trade, generally pro-business policies and close ties to the U.S. The PLD is considered "center right," largely because it's in power, and the PRD is said to be center-left but the differences largely turn on personality, loyalty and patronage. | Government Job change - Election | May 2012 | ['(AP via ABC America)', '(Reuters via Yahoo News)'] |
Two rockets strike the Lebanese capital of Beirut in the predominantly Shiite southern suburbs, which also serves as the stronghold of Hezbollah. | Rockets have slammed into two southern Beirut neighbourhoods that are strongholds of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, wounding four people and raising fears that Syria's civil war is increasingly moving to Lebanon.
Lebanon's sectarian divide mirrors that of Syria, and Lebanese armed factions have taken sides in their neighbour's civil war. One leader of Syria's overwhelmingly Sunni rebels had threatened to strike Hezbollah strongholds to retaliate against the Iranian-backed Shiite group for sending fighters to assist Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Replay
Street fighting between rival Lebanese groups has been relatively common since the end of the country's 1975-1990 civil war, but rocket or artillery attacks on Beirut neighbourhoods are rare.
The rockets were launched hours after the militant group's leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, vowed to help propel Assad to victory in Syria's civil war and warned that his overthrow would give rise to extremists.
Rocket strike: There are fears that Syria's civil war is increasingly moving to Lebanon.Credit:Reuters
One rocket fired Sunday landed in the Mar Mikhael district on the southern edge of the capital, striking a car exhibit near a church on the street and causing all four casualties, a Lebanese army statement said. Another struck the second floor of an apartment in a building in Chiyah district south of Beirut, about two kilometres away from Mar Mikhael. The apartment's balcony appeared peppered with shrapnel, but no one was wounded.
The state-run National News Agency said among the wounded in the Mar Mikhael blast were three Syrians.
A security official said rocket launchers were found in woods in a predominantly Christian and Druse area in suburbs southeast of Beirut. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
An ongoing battle in the Syrian town of Qusair on the Lebanese border, which government troops backed by Hezbollah pounded with artillery on Saturday, has laid bare the Shiite group's growing role in the Syrian conflict. Hezbollah initially tried to play down its involvement, but could no longer do so after dozens of its fighters were killed in the town and buried in large funerals in Lebanon.
Col. Abdul-Jabbar al-Aqidi, commander of the Syrian rebels' Military Council in Aleppo, appeared in a video this week while apparently en route to Qusair, in which he threatened to strike Beirut's southern suburbs in retaliation for Hezbollah's involvement in Syria.
"We used to say before, 'We are coming Bashar.' Now we say, 'We are coming Bashar and we are coming Hassan Nasrallah,"' he said, in reference to Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
"We will strike at your strongholds in Dahiyeh, God willing," he said, using the Lebanese name for Hezbollah's power centre in southern Beirut. The video was still online on Youtube on Sunday.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar said the incident targeted coexistence between the Lebanese and said the US and Israel want to return Lebanon to the years of civil war. "They want to throw Lebanon backwards into the traps of civil wars that we left behind," he told reporters. "We will not go backwards."
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel blamed "saboteurs" and said: "We hope what is happening in Syria does not move to Lebanon."
Nasrallah's Saturday speech offered the clearest public confirmation yet that the Iranian-backed group is directly involved in Syria's war. They also were Nasrallah's first remarks since Hezbollah fighters have pushed to the front lines of the battle for Qusair.
Lebanese Sunnis sympathetic to the Syrian opposition have also been fighting in Syria alongside the rebels. Nasrallah urged both sides to fight for their side in Syria "and leave Lebanon out of it." | Armed Conflict | May 2013 | ['(AP via Sydney Morning Herald)'] |
A US drone attack kills at least 15 suspected militants in Pakistan's North Waziristan region. High ranked alQaeda official Abu Yahya alLibi is killed in the attack. | Al-Qaida's second in command was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan this week, US officials have said, hours after Pakistan officially reprimanded a top US diplomat, declaring such attacks to be against international law and in violation of its sovereignty.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the death of Abu Yahya al-Libi was a major blow to al-Qaida, and that it would be hard for the group to find someone of similar stature to replace him.
"His death is part of the degradation that has been taking place to core al-Qaida during the past several years and that degradation has depleted the ranks to such an extent that there's no clear successor," Carney said.
"He was among al-Qaida's most experienced and versatile leaders," another US official said.
Letters captured during the US raid in which the former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed last year show Libi to have been one of a handful of al-Qaida officials Bin Laden relied on to argue al-Qaida's case to a worldwide audience of militants, particularly the young.
A Pakistani intelligence official also said Libi was dead, but declined to say how authorities knew this or whether they had seen his body.
A Pakistani Taliban leader confirmed Libi's death to Reuters, saying it was a "big loss". Asking not to be named, he said: "After Doctor sahib [al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri], he was the main al-Qaida leader."
Earlier Richard Hoagland, the US chargé d'affaires in Islamabad, was called into the foreign ministry on Tuesday after a recent increase in missile attacks by remotely controlled aircraft. He was told"drone strikes represented a clear red-line for Pakistan", a government statement said. The diplomatic step comes with Islamabad looking ever more isolated in the region as the US seeks to reduce its dependence on Pakistan.
The timing of Pakistan's stand has highlighted the immense stresses the drone campaign is putting on efforts by Washington and Islamabad to repair their deeply distrustfulrelationship.
Pakistani officials had said Libi, who once escaped from a top security US military prison, might have been killed by a drone strike on Monday on Hasokhel, a village in North Waziristan, where Taliban and al-Qaida militancy thrives. The attack was reported to have claimed up to 18 lives.
Libi enjoyed legendary status within the movement. His death underlines the importance the Obama administration places on drones in its fight against terrorists.
Al-Qaida can often wait weeks or even months to admit to the deaths of its senior commanders.
Syed Amid, a tribal elder from the area, said he was not aware whether Libi was killed, but said up to 18 militants had been killed and "some foreigners were among the dead", including Arabs.
A Pakistani intelligence official said he believed Libi was in the house that was targeted by missiles and that one of his vehicles was also destroyed.
Although drone strikes are extremely unpopular within Pakistan, some people living in the semi-autonomous tribal areas where the strikes are concentrated say they support them.
Nazim Dawar, a social worker from the town of Mir Ali, said there were never any popular demonstrations in his area against drones. "It is only the people in the cities like Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar that agitate against them," he said.
"Yes, some ordinary people do get killed, but it is mostly the Taliban who get killed in these attacks."
But Mohammad Iqbal, a labourer from North Waziristan, said the strikes were "pulling apart the social and economic fabric" of the tribal areas.
"About half the people have had to move to other areas to escape the drones," he said. "Anyone who stays lives in terror they will be killed." In Pakistan's view, the attacks have to stop. As the country's foreign ministry pointed out to Hoagland, the country's parliament had "emphatically stated [drone strikes] were unacceptable".
"He was informed that the drone strikes were unlawful, against international law and a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty," a government statement said.
Earlier this year Pakistan's parliament unanimously decided on a set of demands the government should make of the US. They included an end to drone attacks, higher tariffs for Nato supply trucks crossing Pakistani territory and a public apology for a disastrous incident in November when US troops killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The accident prompted Pakistan to close its borders to trucks carrying vital military supplies to US and Nato forces in Afghanistan. The closure has still not been overturned, despite several false hopes.
US diplomats are adamant there will be no ending of the drone campaign. The best Pakistan can hope for, they say, is some sharing of intelligence and inclusion in target selection. And they are furious with Pakistan's behaviour, not least during the recent Nato conference in Chicago, where it had been hoped Islamabad would announce it would restart co-operation on supply lines and counter terrorism.
Drone strikes, which had been in abeyance, restarted with a vengeance after the failure of the Chicago summit, with three attacks in three days starting on Saturday, that have been reported to have killed up to 29 people.
Many in Pakistan's security establishment believed the US-led war in Afghanistan would grind to a halt without the vital supply lines from the port of Karachi and then overland to Kabul and Kandahar.
But that has not come to pass, with the US and its allies instead switching to the far longer and more costly route through Russia and central Asia into northern Afghanistan.On Monday, Nato announced that the former Soviet republics had agreed that in addition to bringing vital supplies into Afghanistan, the alliance would be permitted to move a decade's worth of equipment out through their territory as well.
It had been thought Pakistan's co-operation would be vital for the safe withdrawal of Nato kit.
The Pakistani reprimand came as the US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, was in Delhi to encourage India Pakistan's arch enemy to become moremilitarily involved in Afghanistan, including doing more to train Afghan soldiers.
For decades much of Pakistan's foreign policy has been geared to reducing Indian influence in Afghanistan out of fear it would face a two-flank struggle if it ever got into another military confrontation with a traditional rival it has already fought three wars against.
"Before the US saw Pakistan as the best partner to stabilise Afghanistan and India was being told by the US 'don't do too much' [in Afghanistan], don't upset the Pakistanis'. Now that has changed," said Dr C Raja Mohan, at Delhi's Observer Research Foundation. The local Times of India newspaper reported on Tuesday that India is now close to signing huge deals for artillery and helicopter gunships worth more than $2bn from the US. | Armed Conflict | June 2012 | ['(AFP via NineMSN)', '(The Guardian)'] |
Guatemalan general elections are held to elect a new president. | Guatemalans go to the polls on Sunday to elect their sixth consecutive civilian president since the military withdrew from formal power in 1986.
Something to cheer, one would think. But the country's timid steps towards democratic rule mask a series of deep-seated problems.
Top of the list are organised crime, grim levels of public insecurity and deeply entrenched social divisions.
"'Guatemala is the saddest country in Latin America," writes a long-time observer of the region, Michael Reid, in his new book, Forgotten Continent.
He points to the "dark shadow" cast by Latin America's most brutal civil war in recent times, which left 200,000 people dead, most of them Mayan Indians. The real power in the country, Mr Reid writes, consists in many ways of "shadowy networks linking corrupt former army officers and organised criminal gangs of drugs traffickers and money launderers". It is a view shared by Amnesty International, who in an open letter to the presidential candidates said: "These clandestine groups openly flout the rule of law and have a knock-on effect on the administration of justice, as their freedom to act with impunity is unchallenged."
Youth gangs
Outgoing Vice-President Eduardo Stein has warned that unless something drastic is done, Guatemala runs the risk of becoming a "narco-state". He is particularly concerned about criminal groups taking advantage of youth gangs known as "maras". Alvaro Colom is making his third bid for the presidency "We have more and more evidence that organised crime is using the gangs as instruments for their dirty work on the streets," he told the BBC. Alvaro Colom of the centre-left National Unity of Hope (UNE) party has had to spend much of the campaign denying his party's alleged links with drugs traffickers and organised crime. In a campaign marked by mudslinging and insults, Mr Colom has accused his rival, retired Gen Otto Perez Molina, of the right-wing Patriotic Party, of sending him death threats. Opinion polls suggest the contest is too close to call. Curbing crime Top of the electors' concerns is social violence. While Mr Colom tends to focus on social spending to reduce the murder rate of about 5,000 to 6,000 a year, Mr Perez Molina favours hard-line security measures known as "mano dura".
"Neither candidate has got a policy plan that is likely to make a substantial positive contribution," says Corinne Caumartin from the CRISE research centre at Oxford University. "There's no evidence that a 'mano dura' approach has had a positive effect in other Central American countries." Guatemala's challenges
Last Latin American country on UN human development index
Tax income as percentage of GDP among lowest in the world
Murder rate of about 5,000 to 6,000 a year
More than 30 political parties have disappeared since 1985
$3.6bn remittances in 2006, roughly equal to all exports
Analysts say one of the many causes of the lack of progress on curbing crime is widespread poverty and income inequality. The UN's 2006 Human Development Index placed Guatemala last in Spanish-speaking Latin America, below Honduras, Bolivia and Nicaragua. International financial institutions like the IMF have consistently warned that Guatemala must increase its tax base to allow the state to sustain minimum levels of social spending. But the country's tax income as a percentage of GDP remains at around 10% - one of the lowest in the world.
Guatemala's rich, mainly white, elite is not short of resources. According to the US Department of Commerce, Guatemala has the highest per capita use of private aircraft and helicopters in Central America. But the wealthy families who control much of the economy have been reluctant to pay more taxes, arguing the money will get lost in corruption. Hundreds of thousands of poor Guatemalans have joined the Central American exodus to the US. Remittances sent back to their families provide a crucial bulwark to the economy. The country would suffer a serious balance of payments problem if it were not for the $3.6bn (£1.74bn) that came from workers abroad in 2006, approximately the same value as all Guatemala's exports that year. Otto Perez Molina has promised a "strong fist" against crime Yet another problem is the country's weak and volatile system of party politics. Parties come and go at an alarming rate. More than 30 political parties have disappeared since 1985. Three of the successful parties of the 1980s and 1990s, the Christian Democrats, the MAS (Solidarity Action Movement) and the UCN (National Union of the Centre), have virtually disappeared. Party loyalty is often short-lived. More than 40% of the 158 deputies in Congress changed their affiliation in the life of the current parliament. Successful presidential candidates tend to be well-financed and dependent on slick media campaigns, but short on policies. Shortage of funds was one of the reasons why the UN Nobel peace laureate and indigenous candidate Rigoberta Menchu was the surprise big loser in the first round of the elections, winning only 3% of the vote. Silver lining?
However, there is one bright spark on the horizon.
After months of wrangling, in August the Guatemalan Congress voted to allow the establishment of a UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, known as CICIG.
Vice-president Eduardo Stein has been one of those most in favour of the new body. "CICIG will not just bring to justice certain individuals," he told the BBC, "but it will also dismantle the parallel groups which have taken over Guatemalan institutions since the civil war." He expects CICIG's investigations to start with the National Police, the prison service, and the General Migration Service, all of which he says have been penetrated by organised crime. "'CICIG is a step in the right direction," says researcher Corinne Caumartin. "But one of the main obstacles remains the continuing presence of these shadowy networks within the security forces, including the army." | Government Job change - Election | November 2007 | ['(BBC)'] |
An IED injures 5 IDF soldiers, causing clashes that leave 2 Hamas militiamen dead and 2 wounded. | Mortar shells were fired into southern Israel Thursday night after two Palestinians were killed in an encounter with the IDF near the Kissufim checkpoint between Israel and Gaza.
Two other Palestinians were wounded in the incident, which took place east of Khan Younis, sources in Gaza said.
According to Israeli media, the Palestinians were killed by shells fired from an Israeli tank sent into Gaza to target the military wing of Hamas, theIzz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas sources confirmed that the dead were operatives in the organization.
Earlier Thursday, residents of Israeli communities along the Gaza borderbade a reluctant farewell to IDF troops who were pulled out of guard duty there.
Soldiers will no longer man guard posts in 13 communities that abut the border, with security duties henceforth to fall on the residents themselves. Local residents said that the constant presence of soldiers had been reassuring with the Gaza Strip so close to their homes. | Armed Conflict | October 2013 | ['(The Times of Israel)'] |
Wells Fargo bank is fined US$1 billion by the United States government for mishandling of mortgages and automobile loans. Wells Fargo is also ordered to reimburse customers who were overcharged. | The penalty was announced Friday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. It is the harshest action taken by the Trump administration against a Wall Street bank. Wells Fargo (WFC) apologized last year for charging as many as 570,000 clients for car insurance they didn't need. An internal review by Wells Fargo found that about 20,000 of those customers may have defaulted on their car loans and had their vehicles repossessed in part because of those unnecessary insurance costs. In October, the bank revealed that some mortgage borrowers were inappropriately charged for missing a deadline to lock in promised interest rates, even though the delays were Wells Fargo's fault. The two regulators provided a roadmap for Wells to fix practices that led to consumer abuses, including the creation of a compliance committee to oversee the process. The bank will now be required to update regulators on its progress. Wells must also show how it plans to identify customers hurt by its misconduct and explain plans to compensate them. Regulators said the bank had already begun to take steps to fix the wrongdoing. CEO Timothy Sloan said the scandal-plagued bank has made progress toward "delivering on our promise to review all of our practices and make things right for our customers." "Our customers deserve only the best from Wells Fargo, and we are committed to delivering that," he said following the penalty announcement. Wells Fargo was fined $500 million by each agency. It will need to pay its penalty to the consumer watchdog within 10 days. The OCC did not specify a payment deadline. Such a large fine is noteworthy for the CFPB under Mick Mulvaney, the acting director appointed by President Trump. As a congressman, he called for the bureau's destruction. And under his leadership, the bureau has delayed payday-loan rules, dropped lawsuits against payday lenders and stripped a fair-lending division of its enforcement powers. He told a House hearing this week that the bureau has not launched any enforcement actions since he took over last fall. Related: The Fed drops the hammer on Wells Fargo Other regulators have come down hard on Wells, too. In February, the Federal Reserve handed down unprecedented punishment against Wells Fargo for what it called "widespread consumer abuses," including its creation of as many as 3.5 million fake customer accounts. Under that penalty, Wells Fargo won't be allowed to get any bigger than it was at the end of last year | Organization Fine | April 2018 | ['(CNN)'] |
The death toll rises to at least 32, as flooding continues to inundate North Carolina. | As flooding continues to inundate North Carolina, the death toll from Florence has risen to at least 32, with 25 deaths confirmed in North Carolina.
The state's governor, Roy Cooper, said on Monday that the "epic storm" was still an immediate danger as rivers reach major flood levels.
The coastal city of Wilmington became an island amid heavy floods following the storm.
Officials have warned evacuated residents to stay away. At a news conference on Monday, Gov Cooper said "catastrophic flooding and tornados are still claiming lives and property" across the state.
"For many parts of North Carolina the danger is still immediate," he said. "Some areas have not seen the worst flooding yet. This is a monumental disaster for our state."
An initial estimate from Moody's Analytics puts the cost of Florence between $17bn (£13bn) and $22bn, making the storm one of the 10 costliest hurricanes in US history, according to NPR.
Most of the monetary damage is due to property loss, and the company said these figures could rise as inland flooding continues.
In Wilmington, with its population of about 120,000, some 400 people have had to be rescued from flood waters, and most of the city remains without power. The governor said that 23 truckloads of supplies were able to make it into Wilmington this morning, though officials are uncertain whether the single road into the city will remain functional as rivers continue to flood.
The National Weather Service has warned of at least two further days of possible flash flooding in the area before conditions are forecast to improve.
"Do not come here," New Hanover County Commission Chairman Woody White said. "We want you home, but you can't come yet."
A city-wide curfew has been extended after five people were arrested on suspicion of looting from a store on Saturday.
The area is usually best known as a filming location for US dramas One Tree Hill and Dawson's Creek, and as the childhood home of US basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Florence has now weakened to a tropical depression with winds of 30mph (45km/h), according to the National Hurricane Centre.
Some parts of the Carolinas have seen up to 40in (100cm) of rain since Thursday.
On Monday, the National Weather Service announced that the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, North Carolina, is expected to reach the major flood stage - levels over 60ft (18m) - by this evening.
The Cape Fear at #Fayetteville #NCwx continues to rise, and is expected to enter into the major flood this afternoon/evening. At this stage, numerous structures and roadways are flooded, and lives are put at risk. Follow all local evacuation orders. https://t.co/KbSBxyk7DR pic.twitter.com/PcsDexokXz
What a difference a 24 hour period has made to the Cape Fear River. A comparison photo from the Person St Bridge from yesterday to today. #Florence #ReadyNC #ReadyFay #NCWX pic.twitter.com/2BgWAUmuUx
There were several tornado warnings across North Carolina on Monday morning.
One twister touched down in Elm City, causing some damage to buildings and power lines, according to local media reports.
In Richmond, Virginia, one person died in a tornado on Monday afternoon as Florence began making its way north.
Officials in North Carolina say some 900 people have been rescued from floodwaters by the US Coast Guard and volunteers, and about 14,000 people are still in emergency shelters. Awful. This is Hwy 145 north of Chesterfield. Bridge gave out. Sheriff says Truck driver is ok. pic.twitter.com/ijnzQCckuA
US President Donald Trump - who may visit North Carolina in the coming days - has declared a disaster in several North Carolina counties, freeing up federal funding for recovery efforts.
FEMA, First Responders and Law Enforcement are working really hard on hurricane Florence. As the storm begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional!
Gov Cooper said he has been in touch with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who visited North Carolina on Monday. "We know that we're going to need significant federal resources, and they have promised them across the board," Gov Cooper said on Monday of Fema and DHS. Power companies are working to restore power to the nearly half a million homes and businesses in both states that are still without electricity. The storm has begun to move into Virginia and West Virginia, and is expected to turn toward New England on Tuesday. On Monday, police in Union County, North Carolina, recovered the body of a one-year-old boy who had been swept away by floodwaters.
The boy's mother had driven around a barricade in the road and ended up stalled in rushing water. As she tried to leave the car, she lost grip of the boy and he was carried off in the floods, the News & Observer reported.
An 88-year-old man was also found dead in Union County on Monday, next to a car that had been submerged in the floods.
Among the other fatalities were two men in their 70s who died in Lenoir County - one had been connecting extension cords and another was blown by high winds when checking on his dogs. Four road deaths in South Carolina have been blamed on the storm, and two people died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a generator inside their home.
A guide to the world's deadliest storms
Hurricanes are violent storms that can bring devastation to coastal areas, threatening lives, homes and businesses.
Hurricanes develop from thunderstorms, fuelled by warm, moist air as they cross sub-tropical waters. Warm air rises into the storm.
Air swirls in to fill the low pressure in the storm, sucking air in and upwards, reinforcing the low pressure.
The storm rotates due to the spin of the earth and energy from the warm ocean increases wind speeds as it builds.
When winds reach 119km/h (74mph), it is known as a hurricane - in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific - or a typhoon in the Western Pacific.
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. Well, we're about to get punched in the face." Florida Mayor Bob Buckhorn, ahead of Hurricane Irma (2017)
The central eye of calmer weather is surrounded by a wall of rainstorms.This eyewall has the fastest winds below it and violent currents of air rising through it.
A mound of water piles up below the eye which is unleashed as the storm reaches land. These storm surges can cause more damage from flooding than the winds.
"Urgent warning about the rapid rise of water on the SW FL coast with the passage of #Irma's eye. MOVE AWAY FROM THE WATER!"Tweet from the National Hurricane Center
The size of hurricanes is mainly measured by the Saffir-Simpson scale - other scales are used in Asia Pacific and Australia.
Winds 119-153km/hSome minor flooding, little structural damage. Storm surge +1.2m-1.5m
Winds 154-177km/hRoofs and trees could be damaged. Storm surge +1.8m-2.4m
Winds 178-208km/hHouses suffer damage, severe flooding Storm surge +2.7m-3.7m
Hurricane Sandy (2012) caused $71bn damage in the Caribbean and New York
Winds 209-251km/hSome roofs destroyed and major structural damage to houses. Storm surge +4m-5.5m
Hurricane Ike (2008) hit Caribbean islands and Louisiana and was blamed for at least 195 deaths
Winds 252km/h+Serious damage to buildings, severe flooding further inland. Storm surge +5.5m
Hurricane Irma (2017) caused devastation in Caribbean islands, leaving thousands homeless
"For everyone thinking they can ride this storm out, I have news for you: that will be one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your life." Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin ahead of Hurricane Gustav, 2008 | Floods | September 2018 | ['(BBC)'] |
Thailand's National Reform Council rejects a controversial new constitution, 135 to 105, with 7 abstentions. This result dissolves the NRC, continues military rule for at least 7 months, and delays the scheduled January 2016 referendum to early 2017 or later. | A council appointed by Thailand's military rulers has rejected a controversial new constitution drafted after last year's coup.
A new committee must now be appointed to write another draft, further setting back elections.
The draft has been widely criticised, in particular a clause which enables a 23-member panel to take over government during a "national crisis".
The army ousted the elected government last year after months of unrest.
The 247-member National Reform Council on Sunday rejected the draft charter by 135 votes to 105, with seven abstentions.
Correspondents say that it met strong opposition on practically all sides of the political divide. Another committee will have 180 days to write a new one, which will later be put to a nationwide referendum. | Government Policy Changes | September 2015 | ['(NRC)', '(AsiaOne)', '[permanent dead link]', '(BBC)'] |
John Demjanjuk is convicted by a German court of killing over 28,000 Jews in Nazi Germany. | A Munich court has found Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk guilty of helping in the murder of 27,900 Jews during World War II. However, the 91-year-old was released from his five-year prison term based on his advanced age.
Demjanjuk complained of ill-health during the trial
Judges in Munich found Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk guilty of assisting in the murders of thousands of Jews during World War II, but ordered his release from incarceration based on his advanced age.
Demjanjuk was given a five-year prison sentence after what was believed to be one of the last trials of its kind; however, Judge Ralf Alt told the court soon after that the 91-year-old was to be freed because he was unable to travel due to his age, and because the verdict against him was not final.
The court also took into consideration the two years he spent in prison ahead of the lengthy trial, and added that he no longer posed a risk to society.
'No reaction'
Demjanjuk rejected the opportunity to make a final statement in the state court after judges had denied requests by the defense to seek more evidence. He sat in a wheelchair wearing dark glasses as the verdict was announced to him through a translator. He showed no reaction. His defense team had said earlier that it would appeal any guilty verdict.
Prosecutors had called for Demjanjuk to serve six years for his role in the killings of 27,900 Jews at the Sobibor death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943. They said this would take into account the time that he has already served in jail in the United States, Israel and Germany. The prosecution said the defendant had participated willingly in transporting death camp victims to the gas chambers. Much of the case focused on the authenticity of a Nazi identity card
Demjanjuk's attorney, Ulrich Busch, on Wednesday said there was no evidence to show that his client had ever worked as one of the SS helpers known as Trawniki guards, recruited from among Soviet prisoners. A member of the Red Army, Demjanjuk became a German prisoner of war in 1942.
At the end of four days of summing up by the defense, Busch added that many Soviet prisoners who had worked for the Nazis had done so under pain of death, rather than willingly. A large part of the case hinged on the authenticity of an identity card purportedly issued by the SS, which showed that Demjanjuk served as a death camp guard.
New life in the States
After the war, Demjanjuk emigrated to the United States where he began a new life as a car mechanic. However, he faced trial before an Israeli court in the 1980s on charges of serving as a guard at the Treblinka death camp - where he was alleged to have been known as Ivan the Terrible. Although he was found guilty and sentenced to death, the verdict was overturned in 1993 by Israel's supreme court after fresh evidence that appeared to exonerate him.
Demjanjuk was extradited to Germany in May 2009 and was stripped of his US citizenship over irregularities in his immigration application. His 18-month-long trial was delayed a number of times due to Demjanjuk's complaints of ill-health. Author: Darren Mara, Richard Connor (AFP, dpa, Reuters)Editor: Nancy Isenson
John Demjanjuk has been released from his prison sentence on account of his advancing years. DW's Cornelia Rabitz says the verdict was part compromise and part atonement for past failures to prosecute. (12.05.2011)
Germany awaits a verdict in the trial against John Demjanjuk, accused of being an accomplice in the murder of thousands. The trial against him - one of the last major Nazi trials - was fraught with emotion and spectacle. (11.05.2011)
John Demjanjuk, accused of helping to murder 27,900 Jews as a Nazi death camp guard, has said he will go on a hunger strike if the Munich court trying him does not admit evidence he says will clear his name. (22.02.2011) | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | May 2011 | ['(BBC)', '(Deutsche Welle)'] |
Former California state senator Leland Yee is sentenced to five years imprisonment in a U.S. Federal prison after being convicted of corruption. | Shrimp Boy boasted that he was offered $3 million for a book and movie deal based on his life. He rejected it on the grounds he wanted full creative control over the project. Because Shrimp Boy is an artist with integrity, thank you very much.
Former state Sen. Leland Yee, a powerhouse in Bay Area politics for a quarter century and now a convicted felon for taking bribes from undercover agents, stood before a federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday, the day of his sentencing, and asked for leniency.
He may have gotten his wish. Although U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer told Yee he wasn’t entitled to leniency, his sentence — five years in prison and a $20,000 fine — was near the bottom of the federal sentencing guidelines, and well below the eight-year term sought by prosecutors.
Yee, dressed immaculately in a dark suit, addressed the judge in a courtroom filled to overflowing.
“Look at my entire life and not just the crimes I have committed,” he said. “In the 67 years of my life, I have devoted much of it to work with communities and the people here in San Francisco and in California.”
The pain he inflicted on his family, friends and constituents, he added, “will always haunt me for the rest of my life.”
Breyer seemed unpersuaded, telling Yee his public service was outweighed by his willingness to trade votes for campaign contributions. His crimes, the judge said, amounted to an “attack on democratic institutions” and a betrayal of the public. “I don’t feel I should be lenient,” he said.
Yee’s circumstances
But later in the three-hour hearing, which included sentencing for three other defendants, Breyer indicated that he had taken into account Yee’s age, his overall career, and the health of his wife, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Breyer was tougher with Keith Jackson, 51, a former San Francisco school board president who raised funds for Yee, set up the bribery scheme and admitted taking his own payoffs from agents to traffic in guns and drugs and arrange a supposed murder for hire. Describing Jackson as a “one-person crime wave,” Breyer sentenced him to nine years in prison, one year less than prosecutors had sought.
He then sentenced Jackson’s son, Brandon, to 41/2 years in prison, and sports agent Marlon Sullivan to 51/2 years, for separate racketeering charges. Both men admitted plotting with undercover agents, who posed as criminals, to deal drugs and firearms and take part in the murder-for-hire scheme.
As he sentenced both Keith and Brandon Jackson, Breyer said he was appalled that the father had enlisted his son in a life of crime. In one recorded conversation, the judge said, an undercover agent had asked Keith Jackson whether he wanted to involve Brandon in illegal acts, and the father replied that his son was old enough to make his own decisions.
Parent to parent
“As a parent, I just don’t get it,” Breyer said. “It’s a complete abdication of responsibility to the family.”
Brandon Jackson, 29, and Sullivan, 31, have been in jail since their arrests in March 2014 and remained in custody after sentencing. Yee and Keith Jackson have been free on bail and were given 30 days to turn themselves in. The sentences of each man can be reduced by up to 54 days a year for good behavior in prison.
The prosecution arose from a five-year undercover investigation that targeted a Chinatown community organization, the Ghee Kung Tong, and its leader, Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow, and yielded charges against 29 defendants.
Chow, the first to go to trial, was convicted last month of running the organization as a racketeering enterprise and murdering its former leader, Allen Leung, in 2006. He awaits sentencing in March and faces a mandatory life term. Federal agents said they encountered Yee through Keith Jackson, who also worked for Chow.
Yee, a child psychologist by training, was first elected to the San Francisco Board of Education in 1988 and served as its president during the second of his two terms, when Jackson was also on the board. Yee won election to the Board of Supervisors from the Sunset District in 1996 and left in the middle of his second term to run successfully for the Assembly, where he became part of the Democratic leadership.
He won the first of his two state Senate terms in 2006, representing parts of San Francisco and San Mateo counties. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of San Francisco in 2011 and was running for secretary of state, California’s top elections officer, when he was arrested in April 2014. He suspended his campaign but still finished third in the primary election, with more than 9 percent of the vote.
Gun-control advocate
One of Yee’s causes as a legislator was gun control. But in his guilty plea, Yee admitted agreeing in a March 2014 meeting with Jackson, an undercover agent and the now-deceased Wilson Lim, a Daly City dentist and Yee supporter, to illegally import weapons, including automatic firearms, from the Philippines. Yee said the agent paid him $6,800 in cash.
Breyer told Yee on Wednesday that his willingness to traffic in guns, while publicly trumpeting his support for gun control, was “inexplicable ... hypocritical ... the most venal thing and the most dangerous thing you’ve done.”
Pay to play
Yee also acknowledged that over a period of nearly three years, in exchange for purported campaign contributions, he arranged a meeting between a donor and another state senator to discuss marijuana legislation; agreed to recommend another campaign contributor’s software company for a state contract; promised to vote for legislation restricting workers’ compensation payments to injured National Football League players; and agreed to sponsor a state Senate resolution honoring Chow’s Ghee Kung Tong.
The racketeering charge was punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but judges usually follow the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s guidelines. In arguing for an above-guideline sentence of eight years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Badger told Breyer that Yee had “abused (public) faith and trust, and in the worst possible way. It was to retain power.”
But the judge agreed with defense lawyer James Lassart that prosecutors had failed to show that Yee had accepted more than $60,000 in bribes — he admitted accepting $44,000 — or had agreed to smuggle more than 200 firearms. Failing to exceed those thresholds reduced the sentencing guideline range to 57 to 71 months in prison, and Yee’s five-year term falls within that range. Sobbing could be heard from members of Jackson’s family as he was sentenced.
“I take full responsibility for my actions,” Jackson, who wore a light brown suit, said in a brief statement to the judge. “I know I could have walked away, and I should have walked away, but I didn’t.”
“You are an intelligent person who rose out of a difficult situation to become a leader in your community, so your conduct after that was perplexing,” Breyer replied, referring to Jackson’s upbringing in the Western Addition neighborhood. “You were willing to do anything, assuming there was some compensation.” Jackson’s lawyers had argued for a six-year sentence and said he had been manipulated by federal agents. Speaking to reporters afterward, Jackson seemed willing to accept some of the blame but not all of it.
“It’s tough. I’m going to serve my time and come out a better person,” Jackson said as he waited for friends and family to leave the courthouse. “I did some things, and the government did some things. There’s responsibility on both sides.”
San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Steve Rubenstein contributed to this report.
Bob Egelko and Kale Williams are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Twitter: @egelko @sfkale
Bob Egelko has been a reporter since June 1970. He spent 30 years with the Associated Press, covering news, politics and occasionally sports in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento, and legal affairs in San Francisco from 1984 onward. He worked for the San Francisco Examiner for five months in 2000, then joined The Chronicle in November 2000.
His beat includes state and federal courts in California, the Supreme Court and the State Bar. He has a law degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and is a member of the bar. Coverage has included the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the appointment of Rose Bird to the state Supreme Court and her removal by the voters, the death penalty in California and the battles over gay rights and same-sex marriage.
Kale Williams is an Oakland native who writes about crime, catastrophes and cat videos, among other things. He joined The Chronicle as a general assignment reporter in 2013 after serving as the editor-in-chief of the Golden Gate Xpress, the student newspaper at San Francisco State University, where he got his journalism degree. His coverage of the feline community once prompted the Marin Humane Society to name a cat after him. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | February 2016 | ['(San Francisco Chronicle)'] |
A suicide bomber kills two policemen and a civilian, the second attack in four days for which the Taliban claims responsibility, while separately, three policemen are killed in a 'friendly fire' incident as US Vice President Joe Biden arrives for a visit in Afghanistan. | KABUL, Afghanistan A NATO airstrike killed three Afghan police officers in central Afghanistan on Sunday in what Afghan officials said was friendly fire. Two more police officers died Monday in a suicide car bomb attack in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar Province. Also on Monday, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan to assess progress toward the transfer of military authority to the country and to meet with President Hamid Karzai.
Sharifullah Sahak and Sangar Rahimi contributed reporting.
| Armed Conflict | January 2011 | ['(Los Angeles Times)', '(The New York Times)'] |
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announces the arrest of Kevin Seefried, a Delaware man who was seen carrying the Confederate flag during the storming of the United States Capitol. His son, Hunter Seefried, is also arrested. | Updated on: January 14, 2021 / 3:37 PM
/ CBS News
Two Delaware men, one of whom was seen in a viral photograph holding a Confederate flag inside the U.S. Capitol during last week's riot, have been arrested on federal charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
Kevin Seefried and Hunter Seefried were charged with unlawful entry into a restricted area, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and depredation of government property, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia. CBS station WDEL reports the men are father and son.
The U.S. Attorney's statement says both are alleged to have entered the Capitol through a broken window, which video footage allegedly shows Hunter Seefried punching out with a two-by-four. Kevin Seefried, whom WDEL reports is the elder Seefried, was photographed a short time later with the Confederate flag, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. According to court documents, Kevin Seefried said he brought the flag from his home in Delaware, where it is usually displayed outside.
A co-worker of Hunter Seefried's told the FBI he "bragged about being in the Capitol with his father on January 6, 2021."
The pair participated in voluntary separate interviews with the FBI on Tuesday, and Kevin Seefried told "law enforcement that he had traveled with his family from Delaware to the District of Columbia to hear President Trump speak and that he and Hunter Seefried participated in a march from the White House to the Capitol led by an individual with a bull horn," according to court documents.
WDEL reports Kevin Seefried, of Laurel, is expected to appear at a virtual court appearance Thursday. Tips to federal authorities led to his arrest, according to the station.
Federal authorities are investigating more than 170 people — more than 30 of whom now face federal charges — in the January 6 Capitol assault that left five dead. Hundreds more charges are expected as federal investigators comb tips, video and social media to identify and arrest suspects across the country.
Those already charged face a variety of counts including unlawful entry, disorderly conduct, theft, assault and weapons violations. A team of senior federal prosecutors are investigating more serious charges including sedition and conspiracy related to the "most heinous" acts at the Capitol, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin said Tuesday.
Clare Hymes contributed to this report.
First published on January 14, 2021 / 2:08 PM
© 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Erin Donaghue reports and writes for CBSNews.com on topics including criminal justice, social justice and culture. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Arrest | January 2021 | ['(CBS News)'] |
U.S. President Donald Trump signs legislation and an executive order that will "hold China accountable" for recent "oppressive actions" in Hong Kong by ending its preferential economic status with the United States. | WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed legislation and an executive order on Tuesday that he said will hold China accountable for its oppressive actions against the people of Hong Kong, then quickly shifted his policy speech into a political one, hurling broadsides against Democratic rival Joe Biden.
The legislation and order are part of the Trump administration’s stepped-up offensive against China for what he calls the rising Asian superpower’s exploitation of America and its effort to conceal details about the human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus from the world. The almost daily administration attacks on Beijing come as Trump defends his own response to the virus, with cases surging in parts of the United States, and as he works ahead of the election to portray Biden as soft on China. “So Joe Biden and President Obama freely allowed China to pillage our factories, plunder our communities and steal our most precious secrets,” Trump said, adding, “I’ve stopped it largely.”
Trump said that as vice president, Biden advocated for the Paris Agreement addressing climate change; Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord. “It would have crushed American manufacturers while allowing China to pollute the atmosphere with impunity, yet one more gift from Biden to the Chinese Communist Party,” Trump said.
Trump talked up his own tough approach to Beijing, though he spent the early weeks of the pandemic praising Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two nations signed phase one of a trade deal, but since then, relations have soured and Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden that he has no interest in talking to Xi.
The legislation Trump signed into law targets police units that have cracked down on Hong Kong protesters as well as Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for imposing a new, strict national security law widely seen as chipping away at Hong Kong’s autonomy. The mandatory sanctions are also required to be imposed on banks that conduct business with the officials. While he signed the bill into law, Trump issued a statement saying the administration would not view as binding certain sections of the law that the White House believes limit a president’s powers to conduct foreign policy. Lawmakers from both parties have urged Trump to take strong action in response to China’s new national security law that erodes the “one country, two systems” framework under which Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997. Hong Kong is considered a special administrative region within China and has its own governing and economic systems.
“This law gives my administration powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom,” Trump said. “Their freedom has been taken away. Their rights have been taken away, and with it goes Hong Kong in my opinion because it will no longer be able to compete with free markets. A lot of people will be leaving Hong Kong, I suspect.”
The executive order he signed did not appear to go beyond his administration’s previous determinations that Hong Kong is no longer eligible for preferential treatment from the United States. Trump said the order strikes those privileges but, in fact, the administration already has been in the process of eliminating them for nearly two months. China called the legislation gross interference in its internal affairs and warned it would respond by imposing sanctions on related American individuals and entities.
“The American side’s attempts to obstruct the implementation of Hong Kong’s national security law will never succeed,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said the law would ensure the long-term stability and prosperity of the semi-autonomous territory.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo first made the determination in late May that China’s decision to impose a new national security law in Hong Kong meant the former British territory was no longer a democracy and so was no longer eligible for trade, commercial and other U.S. perks it had enjoyed. Just three days later, when Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the World Health Organization because of Chinese influence, he echoed Pompeo’s determination and instructed his administration to immediately begin eliminating the preferences, which it did.
In late June, the administration barred Hong Kong from importing U.S. weapons, saying its purchase of items that have both civilian and military applications would be subject to the same licensing requirements as mainland China. Other actions in the works include suspending an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, something Australia has already done, as well as ending legal cooperation agreements, taxation accords and financial understandings that cover accounting rules for Chinese businesses that work in the U.S.
At the same time, the administration has pressed ahead with travel bans for Chinese, Hong Kong and communist party officials the U.S. believes are responsible for curtailing democracy in Hong Kong. The administration also also gone after China by imposing travel bans on officials for repressing minorities in western China and hindering foreigners’ access to Tibet. On Monday, Pompeo announced that the U.S. had decided to reject outright virtually all Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, a determination that could lead to increased tensions in disputed, critical international shipping lanes. ___
Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in Washington and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report. | Government Policy Changes | July 2020 | ['(AP)', '(Reuters)'] |
President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh frees prisoners as part of its support for the cease–fire. | Updated: Apr 7, 2010 04:22
SANAA: Yemen has freed scores of prisoners in a bid to cement a fragile truce with northern rebels, officials said on Tuesday.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared an end to the government's long-running war with rebels in the north last month and the prisoner release is seen as an important step toward supporting the cease-fire.
Sanaa, which is also battling a secessionist movement in the south, has come under heavy international pressure to end the northern war and focus on fighting a resurgent Al-Qaeda, which the West fears is exploiting instability in Yemen to launch attacks in the region and beyond.
Previous truces to end the northern war, which has displaced 250,000 people, have not held and analysts are skeptical about latest cease-fire.
"(Some) 236 rebels have been freed in two batches, carrying out a cease-fire signed between the two sides in February," a security source said.
The rebels welcomed the move but said only a few dozen prisoners had been released so far and that hundreds more remained in Yemeni jails.
"The decision is a positive step, and we welcome it. But we were not officially informed and until now the (full) release has not been finished," a rebel official said. "There are a large number of prisoners. The number is around 600." The prisoner release appeared to be a reciprocal move after rebels freed at least 170 government soldiers and tribal fighters last month, shortly after Sanaa accused them of dragging their feet in implementing the truce.
The Yemen defense ministry's online newspaper said the rebel prisoners had been freed in two batches, including 161 on Monday and another 75 two weeks earlier.
Government sources said many of the freed rebels had been held without charge and that Sanaa continued to hold others whose trials were pending. Those prisoners could be released at a later date if exonerated or pardoned.
.
******
[
| Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release | April 2010 | ['(Arab News)'] |
Israel's parliament passes a bill requiring a special parliamentary majority or a referendum before Israel could relinquish the Golan Heights or east Jerusalem for a peace deal. | Israel's parliament has passed a bill setting stringent new conditions before any withdrawal from the Golan Heights or East Jerusalem. The bill requires a two-thirds majority in the Knesset before any withdrawal could be approved. Failing that, the proposal would be subject to a national referendum. Analysts say the move could complicate peace efforts by making it more difficult for any Israeli government to make territorial withdrawals.
The bill - passed by a 65-33 majority - was backed of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said it would prevent "irresponsible agreements".
Likud Party MP Yariv Levin, who proposed the bill, said it was of "the utmost national importance for retaining the unity of the people".
Unlike the occupied West Bank, which Israel has never formally annexed, the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem are considered by the Israeli government to be under its sovereignty.
The international community considers both the Golan and East Jerusalem to be occupied territory. Syria requires the return of all of the Golan Heights as the primary condition for a peace treaty with Israel. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank condemned the move.
"With the passage of this bill, the Israeli leadership, yet again, is making a mockery of international law," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. "Ending the occupation of our land is not and cannot be dependent on any sort of referendum."
There was no immediate comment from Syria, which lost the Golan Heights to Israel in the 1967 war.
Damascus wants the land back in return for peace but many Israelis regard the heights - which overlook northern Israel - as a strategic asset.
Israel has occupied the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - since 1967, settling nearly 500,000 Jews in more than 100 settlements. They are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
.
| Government Policy Changes | November 2010 | ['(BBC)', '(The Jerusalem Post)'] |
Finland defeats Canada to win gold medal at Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia. | Finland won the ice hockey world championship in Slovakia on Sunday evening, making it the third world title for the Lions (or Leijonat), following previous championship wins in 1995 and 2011.
Captain Marko Anttila, who scored the only goal of the team’s semi-final win over Russia, delivered once again with two goals. Harri Pesonen secured the conquest with a third goal late in the final period.
Canada had a very strong start to the game and aimed a number of early attempts on Kevin Laskinen's goal. Finland looked to be in real danger of conceding the first goal when Anttila was sent to the sin bin for a heavy tackle.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Finland defended resolutely and it was the Lions who created the game's first big goal-scoring opportunity. Jere Sallinen broke away on a counterattack but before he was able to get a shot away, he was tripped by a retreating Canadian defender and Finland were awarded a penalty shot. However, Oliwer Kaski's effort went wide of the Canadian goal.
Five minutes later, Canada punished Finland’s defence for their inattention as Shea Theodore cut through the back line and dispatched a rising shot past Lankinen to give Canada the lead. Finland were fortunate not to fall even further behind when Philipe Myers' shot came back off the post, and were just one goal down at the end of the first period.
Finland began the second period much stronger, and were immediately rewarded. Anttila latched onto a pass from Sakari Manninen to drill a shot through the legs of Canadian goaltender Matt Murray and into the net. The Lions capitalised on the momentum and dominated the second period, peppering the Canadian goal with a total of 22 shots, but without adding a second goal. The game was finely balanced at 1-1 at the end of the second period.
The third period began exactly as the second had, with an Anttila goal. The captain was once again in the right place at the right time, arriving to meet Veli-Matti Savinaien's pull back from behind the Canadian goal to give Finland the lead for the first time in the final.
Canada exerted huge pressure on the Finnish goal for the remainder of the third period, but were unable to find a way past the well-organised Finnish defence or the tenacious Lankinen.
With just four minutes left on the clock, Finland broke out of defence and Harri Pesonen secured the championship with a third definitive goal. As the buzzer sounded to end the game, the Finnish players swarmed goaltender Lankinen to celebrate their hard-won victory.
Organisers say the initiative aims to lower the threshold for reporting incidents motivated by hostility or prejudice.
Demonstrators say they will continue to exercise civil disobedience until the government responds to their demands.
The climate demonstration that has blocked Helsinki’s main thoroughfare since Thursday continued into a second day. | Sports Competition | May 2019 | ['(Yle News)'] |
23 people are killed and 50 others are injured after two trains collide head-on near Andria in the province of Apulia, in southern Italy. | Twenty-three people have been killed and dozens hurt in a head-on collision involving two passenger trains in southern Italy, officials say.
The two trains were on a single-track line at the time of the crash, between the coastal towns of Bari and Barletta.
The emergency services have been trying to free passengers from the shattered carriages, near the town of Andria.
One of those pulled from the wreckage was a small child, who was airlifted to hospital.
The local authorities have appealed for blood donors to come forward.
It was unclear what led to the collision, which happened in good weather at 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) in the southern region of Puglia.
A local prosecutor in nearby Trani said it was too early to speculate on the cause, although human error was likely to have been a factor.
Italian reports said one of the trains had come from Andria, and the other from Corato, a short distance to the south-east. Both were travelling at high speed.
"Surely one of the two trains shouldn't have been there. And surely there was an error. We need to determine the cause of the error," Commander Giancarlo Conticchio from the railway police said.
Both trains had four carriages and images from the fire service showed wreckage strewn across a large area. Some of the carriages were so badly damaged there was little left but debris.
Corato Mayor Massimo Mazzilli said the damage was so extensive it was as if a plane had crashed.
"I saw dead people, others who were begging for help, people crying. The worst scene of my life," one policeman told journalists.
Rescuers set up a field hospital at the scene to help care for the large number of wounded passengers.
"The situation is dramatic," Antonio Nunziante, from the local civil defence, told Ansa news agency.
In total, about 200 were involved in the rescue operation, working in temperatures up to 40C (104F).
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi interrupted a trip to Milan and returned to Rome, after ordering an investigation into the crash.
"I want to express my condolences to the families and I have ordered, with no holding-back, [an inquiry] to find who is responsible," he said. "I think we must have absolute clarity on this. We will not stop until we understand what happened."
Pope Francis has also sent condolences. In a telegram to the archbishop of Bari, Monsignor Fracnesco Cacucci, he said he was mourning those who died and praying for the injured to recover quickly.
was at the scene with ministry inspectors and local prosecutors to survey the wreckage.
The line, managed by Ferrotramviaria, is used by thousands of people daily on about 200 trains. Work is under way to make it a double-track line.
| Train collisions | July 2016 | ['(BBC)'] |
Protests break out in London, New York City, and other cities across the world expressing solidarity with Palestine. In Manhattan, pro-Palestinian protesters gather at the Israeli consulate on East 42nd Street. Additionally, U.S. Reps Rashida Tlaib and André Carson participate in a protest at the State Department in Washington, D.C. | Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.) joined a pro-Palestinian protest that took place outside the State Department in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
Tlaib and Carson both spoke at the event amid the escalating conflict pitting the Israeli military against Hamas and other militant groups. At least 35 Palestinians, including 10 children, have died following Israeli airstrikes, while hundreds of rockets targeting Israel have killed at least three people. The conflict was ignited days after clashes between Israelis and Palestinians began in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
"Today, I was honored to join @RepRashida and a diverse crowd of people at the State Department to demand justice for Palestinians," Carson tweeted after taking part in the protest. "Americans of all backgrounds have a moral obligation to protect human rights wherever they are threatened — in #SheikhJarrah, and around the world!"
The protest was organized by Muslim advocacy groups the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and American Muslims for Palestine. CAIR said in a statement that the goal of the demonstration was to "call on the Biden administration to condemn and oppose the Israeli government's campaign to expel Palestinian families from Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood."
On Monday, Tlaib accused State Department spokesperson Ned Price of "refusing to condemn the killing of Palestinian children" by Israeli airstrikes while sharing a video of him telling reporters at a press conference that Hamas had been responsible for an "unacceptable escalation" of hostilities.
Price also echoed the sentiments of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who on the same day said that Israel "has a right to defend its people and its territory" from Hamas attacks while not addressing whether he believed Palestinians have the same right.
Progressive lawmakers in addition to Tlaib and Carson were quick to point out the Biden administration's perceived aversion to answering questions regarding self-defense for Palestinians, while demanding that the administration speak out on the deaths of children.
"This unsurprising response is devoid of empathy and concern for human suffering," Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted in response to Price's press conference. "He can't even condemn the killing of children."
Omar joined forces with Tlaib and Carson to issue a statement on the same day, condemning the Israeli airstrikes and "the violent assault by Israeli forces on the Al Aqsa mosque." The representatives, who are the only three Muslims in Congress, said that it was "long past time we finally take action to protect Palestinian human rights and save lives."
On Tuesday, Omar tweeted that "Palestinian children deserve advocates for their humanity, safety and security," prompting Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) to add that it "should not be this difficult to condemn the murder of Palestinian children."
Blinken urged peace between Israelis and Palestinians and called on "all parties to deescalate tensions and bring a halt to the violence, which has claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children" during a phone call with Israel's Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi on Tuesday, according to Price.
| Protest_Online Condemnation | May 2021 | ['(Arab News)', '(Gothamist)', '(Newsweek)'] |
Around 20 people, including civilians and Islamic State militants, are killed in airstrikes on Mosul in northern Iraq. | BAGHDAD (Reuters) - About 20 people, including at least 12 civilians, were killed on Monday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, in two air strikes that destroyed houses believed to be used by Islamic State militants, six eyewitnesses and a medical source said.
Nearby buildings were also damaged, they said.
The two strikes happened within a 10-minute gap at about 3 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), targeting the houses of a local Islamic State commander and his son in the July 17 district of western Mosul, said the witnesses, contacted from Baghdad.
Government officials were not immediately available for comment.
Islamic State captured Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, in 2014. The United States and its allies have been carrying out air strikes against Islamist militants in Iraq since August 2014.
| Armed Conflict | December 2015 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Ashraf Ghani is sworn in as new president of Afghanistan. | Ashraf Ghani has been sworn in as Afghanistan's new president, replacing Hamid Karzai in the country's first democratic transfer of power.
The Kabul ceremony followed six months of deadlock amid a bitter dispute over electoral fraud and a recount of votes.
Under a US-brokered unity deal Mr Ghani shares power with runner-up Abdullah Abdullah who becomes chief executive.
Two bombs killed at least 15 people as Mr Ghani was sworn in. The Taliban call the deal a "US-orchestrated sham". One blast near Kabul airport killed at least seven people. A second attack in eastern Paktia province left another eight dead, officials said.
The Taliban said they carried out both attacks.
At the swearing-in ceremony attended by up to 100 dignitaries at the presidential palace in Kabul, Mr Ghani took an oath to abide by the constitution.
He said he would work for long-term peace, promised to tackle corruption and said constitutional changes were needed.
"Security is a main demand of our people, and we are tired of this war," Mr Ghani said. "We ask opponents of the government, especially the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami [another militant group], to enter political talks." | Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | September 2014 | ['(BBC)'] |
According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, casualties are estimated to be around 106 protestors and rising. | International condemnation of the Islamic regime's use of military force against peaceful demonstrators continue as based informed estimates Amnesty International said Tuesday 106 protesters have been killed.
The United States, the UN, Germany and France have condemned Tehran for its violence against those taking part in anti-government demonstrations that has left also thousands injured as a result of widespread use of live ammunition against protestors.
In the meantime, reports say protests continued overnight and on Tuesday morning government-backed vigilante groups reportedly torched banks and government offices giving the government a pretext to blame protestors for violence.
Fragmented reports reaching international media, despite government clampdown on information and the Internet, indicate that the most violent attacks on demonstrators have taken place in Southern Iran in Behbahan, Mahshahr, Bushehr, and Shiraz as well as the Kurdish towns of Javanroud and Marivan in the West, and southwestern suburbs of Tehran, particularly in Shahryar.
Several reports and individuals phoning in on foreign-based satellite radio and TV stations say IRGC and Basij militia have been shooting directly at the demonstrators aiming at their heads.
A video showing the protests at Shiraz University show IRGC gunmen opening fire at demonstrators with machine guns. Elsewhere, other videos show Basij militia's snipers shooting the protestors from government building rooftops.
The United States has denounced the use of force against protesters in Iran and the near total communications blackout imposed since Saturday.
Although the government tries to strictly control news about the protests, citizen and activist reports speak of tens of people killed. The government Sunday acknowledged the death of only three people.
ادامه #اعتراضها در ایران؛ صباشهر، ویدیو از مخاطبان pic.twitter.com/QrjNLxE9fJ
An article published Tuesday in the hard-line Kayhan newspaper suggested executions loomed for those who led violent protests. Though the state-owned newspaper has a small circulation, its managing editor Hossein Shariatmadari was personally appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Some reports say that the judiciary considers execution by hanging for the riot leaders a definite punishment,” Kahyan said, without elaborating.
A White House statement on November 17 expressed "support" for "the Iranian people in their peaceful protests."
Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had voiced support for the Iranian people, tweeting that "The United States is with you".
Meanwhile, authorities in Iran, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli and several officials inked to the IRGC or Khamenei's household have warned of a harsh response to the massive protests that have spread to 100 towns and cities across the country.
In another development, UN Chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday that he is watching the protest in Iran with grave concern and said that he is saddened and upset about people being killed on the streets of Iran, a spokesman told the press.
In a more recent development, a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on the Islamic Republic to respect the people's right to protest and show interest in interaction with demonstrators. She also called on Tehran to respect the people's freedom of expression and assembly in Iran.
The French Foreign Ministry also issued a statement calling on Iranian authorities to respect the people's right to protest and their freedom of expression. Although Iranian protestors have been calling for international support for their peaceful demonstrations, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has dismissed statements by the U.S., France and Germany as intervention in Iran's internal affairs.
International human rights watchdog Amnesty International said in a November 18 statement "We're horrified at reports that the security forces have killed dozens of protesters in Iran, hundreds injured & over 1,000 arrested since Friday (November 14)," adding that "We're alarmed that authorities have shut down the internet to create an information blackout of their brutal crackdown. We're investigating."
"The authorities have shut down the internet to create an information blackout of their brutal crackdown," Amnesty International reiterated in a tweet.
Meanwhile, several citizen reports say IRGC and Basij militia and the "5000 thugs" they have officially said they have employed, have been torching banks and government offices in various places particularly in Pirouzi area in Tehran, and the suburb towns around Karaj West of Tehran. | Protest_Online Condemnation | November 2019 | ['(Radiofarda)'] |
Indian women's rights activists are barred by angry villagers and local authorities from entering Shani Shingnapur temple despite a court ruling guaranteeing access. Breaking with a centuries–old tradition, the high court in Mumbai ruled women have a fundamental right to enter Hindu temples across the state of Maharashtra, and the government has the responsibility to protect their rights. Bhumata Ranragini Brigade leader Trupti Desai and 25 other supporters were detained by police. All India Mahila Congress President Shobha Oza and Delhi Commission for Women chairwoman Swati Maliwal called the actions of locals and authorities "completely shameful." | NEW DELHI, April 2 (UPI) -- Angry villagers and local authorities stopped women's-rights activists from entering Shani Shingnapur temple on Saturday, despite a Bombay high court ruling defending women's rights to enter.
Bhumata Ranragini Brigade leader Trupti Desai and 25 other supporters were detained by police to avoid conflict with the villagers, authorities said.
On Friday, the high court in Mumbai ruled women have a fundamental right to enter Hindu temples across the state of Maharashtra, breaking with a centuries-old tradition. The court also found the government has the responsibility to protect women's rights.
The activists tried to enter the temple on Saturday but were met by a wall of angry villagers -- both women and men -- and authorities who oversee the temple.
"If chief minister Devendra Fadnavis does not order police to allow us to worship at the restricted Shani platform area inside the temple in keeping with the HC order, I will file an FIR against him for violating it (the ruling)," Desai told Times of India.
Desai and about 25 other activists set out to enter the sacred chauthara, or platform, inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, citing the high court's ruling.
The group was told that no one was allowed inside the sanctum regardless of gender. Desai said the policy change was made in response to her efforts to enter the temple.
"In case of Shani Shinganapur, the temple trust used to allow men at chauthara and only after our agitation started, they had put restrictions on males. So we should not be restricted," she said.
All India Mahila Congress President Shobha Oza and Delhi Commission for Women chairwoman Swati Maliwal called the actions of locals and authorities "completely shameful" and criticized their dismissal of the court ruling.
"What is happening right now in Maharashtra is a contempt of court, which needs to be completely stopped," she said. "It is the responsibility of the government to actually intervene and ensure that these women get access to the temple, which is their right and had been denied to them for so many years." | Government Policy Changes | April 2016 | ['(UPI)'] |
Philippines President Benigno Aquino III asks Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare the life of Mary Jane Veloso, a migrant domestic worker sentenced to death for drug trafficking. | A Northern Territory barrister believes a Filipino mother on death row in Indonesia is a victim of human trafficking, and has made a last-ditch effort to help save her life.
Mary Jane Veloso is set to be executed on the Indonesian prison island of Nusakambangan at the same time as Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Indonesia gave the group 72 hours' notice of their executions, meaning they could be taken to face the firing squad any time after Tuesday night.
Veloso, 30, was sentenced to death in October 2010 for attempting to smuggle heroin into Indonesia from Malaysia.
She was arrested at Java's Adisucipto International Airport in April 2010 with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her luggage.
Veloso said she was tricked into carrying the luggage containing drugs.
Felicity Gerry QC is a barrister who works in the NT and London. She said there was credible evidence Veloso was a victim of human trafficking, as defined by Indonesian law.
"The evidence in Mary Jane's case appears to be credible that she was not acting voluntarily, she was acting on behalf of other people who were exploiting her," Ms Gerry said.
"As a victim of human trafficking under Indonesian law, there is mandatory protection. Indonesia actually has very progressive law to protect victims of human trafficking."
Supplied: Kate Freestone/CDU
Ms Gerry says she has written a legal brief for Veloso's lawyers, called an amicus curiae, to help them appeal against the execution because she is a human trafficking victim.
The barrister said the legal issues had not been addressed properly by the Indonesian courts.
She said in Veloso's case, Indonesian authorities had not reconciled their mandatory protection for human trafficking victims and mandatory drug trafficking laws.
"I think what's happened, in many ways, is the idea of mandatory, strict drug trafficking laws has sort of overwhelmed all of that good work that Indonesia was doing in relation to human trafficking," Ms Gerry said.
"And Mary Jane's case, in many ways, is an opportunity to redress the balance.
"So it's really important that those in the law and politics address this issue before an exploited person is executed."
Veloso is the only woman among nine others, including Australians Chan and Sukumaran, due to face the firing squad for drug offences.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo said he would consult with the attorney-general on legal issues surrounding Veloso's case, the Philippines presidential spokesman said on Monday.
The statement came after Philippine president Benigno Aquino met Mr Widodo at the Association of South East Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur and appealed for "humanitarian consideration" in the case.
Mr Widodo was sympathetic and was consulting with the Indonesian attorney-general on the legal issues, the Philippines presidential spokesman said. "President Widodo promised to resume the conversation with president Aquino later today," he said.
ABC/Reuters
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This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | April 2015 | ['(Australian Broadcasting Corporation)'] |
Boko Haram kills 60 people in an arson attack in the town Rann. | ABUJA (Reuters) - The Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed at least 60 people in the northeast Nigerian town of Rann on Monday, a day after it was abandoned by the military, Amnesty International and security sources said on Friday.
The attack on Rann, home to a camp housing tens of thousands of people displaced by the Islamist insurgency, was one of the group’s bloodiest.
It came two weeks after Boko Haram had overrun the same town, driving out Nigerian soldiers and signaling its re-emergence as a force capable of capturing army bases.
The bloodshed is a challenge for President Muhammadu Buhari in particular as he seeks a second successive four-year term in an election on Feb. 16, having been elected in 2015 partly on a promise to restore security.
A Nigerian army spokesman denied that troops had left the town and that Boko Haram had killed the people.
The two attacks have driven some 40,000 people to flee, 30,000 of them into nearby Cameroon, according to aid agencies.
“This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to possible war crimes,” Osai Ojigho, Amnesty’s Nigeria director, said in a statement.
“Witnesses told us that Nigerian soldiers abandoned their posts the day before the attack, demonstrating the authorities’ utter failure to protect civilians.”
Two security sources told Reuters that Nigerian troops had returned to Rann along with Cameroonian troops from a multinational task force after the first attack on Jan. 14.
After the Cameroonians went back across the border, the Nigerian soldiers left because they did not have enough troops, weapons or equipment, the sources said.
The next day, Boko Haram came. The militants set the town ablaze and executed its elders and traditional leaders, leaving one alive as a witness, one of the security sources said.
A video of the attack reviewed by Reuters showed people gathering belongings and fleeing, screaming, as the town burned.
Nigerian army soldiers came back to Rann and helped bury some of the dead after Boko Haram had left, Amnesty International and security sources said.
A surge in attacks in the northeast by Boko Haram and its now more powerful offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province is throwing preparations for the presidential election into disarray.
Despite the violence, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Tuesday “the current rate of return of these IDPs (internally displaced people) and refugees is encouraging, and this is due to improving security in many areas that were once completely out of bounds”.
Reporting by Paul Carsten, additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos and Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Editing by Kevin Liffey
| Armed Conflict | January 2019 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Macedonian voters elect a new parliament. | SKOPJE (Reuters) - Macedonia’s nationalist VMRO-DPMNE and opposition Social Democrats were virtually tied in a Sunday election aimed at ending a two-year-long crisis that brought down the previous government, state election commission preliminary results showed.
The center-right VMRO-DPMNE of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski won 37.96 percent of the vote, while the Social Democrats, or SDSM, of Zoran Zaev won 36.65 percent, the commission showed on its website. Results were based on the counting of nearly 98 percent of the votes.
A final result is expected around midday on Monday.
The Association Most election monitor said the race was too close to estimate each party’s number of seats in parliament, based on a representative sample it had identified.
“The two leading parties according to the number of votes won are too close to each other, and this difference in the number of votes won influences the deployment of the seats, depending on the margin of error,” Most said in a statement early on Monday.
The parliamentary elections came almost a year after Gruevski stepped down as prime minister in a European Union-brokered deal to end a crisis over a corruption scandal in the landlocked nation of 2.1 million people.
Gruevski’s main challenger, Zaev, accused the government last year of wiretapping tens of thousands of citizens and released recordings appearing to implicate the government in corruption. Gruevski has denied any wrongdoing.
The VMRO-DPMNE party had ruled on its own or as the major coalition party since 2006 until the installation of a caretaker government and the calling of early elections last January.
The SDSM was celebrating what it said was its victory in bigger cities on Sunday night.
“The regime fell. The entire world should understand that we wrote history today,” Zaev told supporters in front of the government building in Skopje.
Gruevski claimed victory for his party.
“VMRO-DPMNE is the winner of these elections. Today, VMRO-DPMNE won, but also Macedonia won,” he told supporters in Skopje.
Whoever forms the government will have to seek a coalition partner among parties representing ethnic Albanians, who account for one-third of the population.
In Romania, the leftist Social Democrats, also seeking re-election after stepping down a year ago amid street protests over its failure to address corruption, were in position to form a coalition government again on Sunday.
Early elections were postponed twice in Macedonia after the opposition boycotted them, demanding measures to ensure voting would be free and fair.
“I am hoping that this madness will stop after the election. I hope a better party will win,” said unemployed 52-year-old Orde Serafimovski, casting his vote earlier in the day.
The European Union had long criticized Gruevski’s record on democracy and the rule of law, but also needs Macedonia’s cooperation to help contain the bloc’s migration crisis. The country sits on a major migration route into the bloc.
Macedonia is a candidate to join the European Union but has never begun accession talks, partly because of criticism of its reform record and an entrenched dispute with neighboring EU member Greece over the name Macedonia, which also belongs to a northern Greek province.
Eleven parties and coalitions ran for election, including four representing the ethnic Albanian community. Traditionally, an Albanian party joins a coalition government as junior partner. | Government Job change - Election | December 2016 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Authorities vow to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Wistron iPhone factory near Bangalore, India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation. Over 100 people have been arrested. Videos of the violence show glass panels smashed with rods and cars flipped on their side. | A security guard at the entrance of the Taiwan-run iPhone factory at Narsapura, near Bangalore, India.
BANGALORE, INDIA -- Authorities vowed to crack down on workers who went on a violent rampage at a Taiwanese-run iPhone factory in southern India over allegations of unpaid wages and exploitation, with 100 people arrested so far.
The workers rioted Saturday at Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing's facility on the outskirts of Bangalore, India's IT hub, with videos of the violence showing glass panels smashed with rods and cars flipped on their side.
CCTV cameras, fans and lights were torn down, while a car was set on fire, footage shared on social media showed.
Local media reported workers saying they had not been paid for up to four months and were being forced to do extra shifts.
"The situation is under control now. We have formed special teams to investigate the incident," local police told AFP on Sunday, adding no-one was injured.
The deputy chief minister of Karnataka state, C.N. Ashwathnarayan, called the violence "wanton" and said his government would ensure that the situation is "resolved expeditiously".
"We will ensure that all workers' rights are duly protected and all their dues are cleared," he tweeted Saturday.
Wistron in Taiwan told AFP that "the incident was caused by people of unknown identities from outside who intruded into and damaged its facility with unclear intentions".
The company added in the statement in Chinese that it "pledged to follow local labour (laws) and other related regulations" to resume operations as soon as possible.
A local trade union leader alleged that there was "brutal exploitation" of factory workers in sweatshop conditions at the iPhone manufacturing plant.
"The state government has allowed the company to flout the basic rights," Satyanand, who uses one name, told The Hindu newspaper.
The factory employs some 15,000 workers, although a majority of them are contracted via staffing firms, according to local media.
Labour unrest is not uncommon in India, with workers paid poorly and given few or no social security benefits.
A sizeable number of manufacturing plants are part of the informal sector, which employs 90 percent of the vast nation's workforce.
Parliament in September passed updated labour laws that the national government said would strengthen their rights, but labour activists say the new legislation makes it harder for workers to strike.
| Riot | December 2020 | ['(CTV)'] |
The Sentencing Council for England and Wales issues new guidelines increasing the penalties for terrorist offences. , , | Comprehensive sentencing guidelines for terrorism offences have been published for the first time to assist judges across England and Wales.
The Sentencing Council began working on guidelines last year but fast-tracked production following the Manchester Arena, Westminster and London Bridge attacks.
The guidelines cover terrorist attack preparation, causing or attempting to cause an explosion, collecting or sharing extremist material, raising funds for terrorism, glorifying terrorist attacks, failing to disclose information about terrorist attacks, and joining or supporting a banned organisation. Up until now courts have had limited guidance. The council said offending is extremely varied but low in volume relative to other offences.
Justice Treacy
The council confirmed that several changes were made to the guidelines following a six-week public consultation. Many respondents suggested that the guidelines should include non-custodial sentencing options at the lower end of seriousness, as community-based interventions may better rehabilitate offenders. The 'deliberate use of encrypted communications or similar technologies to facilitate the commission of the offence and/or avoid or impede detection' was added as an aggravating factor.
Lord Justice Treacy, Sentencing Council chair, said: 'Terrorist offences are among the most serious that come before the courts. Offending can include an extremist cell plotting a deadly attack on the public, someone trying to make a bomb or another recruiting for a terrorist organisation. As well as threats to people's lives, terrorist activity threatens the way our society operates. These threats have evolved and we are ensuring that courts have comprehensive guidance to help them sentence offenders appropriately so they are properly punished and their activities are disrupted.'
The guidelines will come into force on 27 April. | Government Policy Changes | March 2018 | ['(The Financial Times)', '(The Law Gazette)', '(Sentencing Council for England and Wales)', '(The Times of India)'] |
The government of Angola and the Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda sign a peace agreement ending the Independence War in Cabinda. AngolaPress | On a document, the Command of the separatist movement FLEC, under FCD`s authority, considers as fundamental, the observation of a total and lasting cease fire, as well as the firm determination to scrupulously fulfil the statement`s content, meant to secure peace and national reconciliation in Cabinda.
On its turn, FAA reiterates that it will observe with rigour this cease-fire that resulted from reconciliation and peace for Cabinda, after the Congo Brazzaville´s Understanding.
Under the accords, FAA commits itself to adjusting its military presence in
the province, by reducing its forces in the region without losing its defence capacity, having into account the missions in this part on of the country.
Presented the statements the deputy chief of FAA staff, General Geraldo
Sachipengo "Nunda" and Cabinda Forum for Dialogue Secretary for Defence and
Security, General Mauricio Amado Nzulo.
The act was witnessed by the heads of the respective delegations, namely the Territory Administration minister, Virgilio Fontes Pereira, and Antonio Bento Bembe, chairman of the mentioned Cabinda forum, as well as representatives of political parties working in this province. | Sign Agreement | July 2006 | [] |
The Afghan Army Special Operations Division reportedly says that 110 Taliban members have been killed in the last 24 hours in Afghanistan. | TEHRAN, Apr. 05 (MNA) In continuation of Afghanistan’s army operations in various parts of the country, 110 Taliban members were killed.
In the past 24 hours, 110 members of Taliban were killed and 81 others wounded in various parts of Afghanistan, Afghan Army Special Operations Division said in a statement, TOLO News reported.
These individuals were killed or wounded in Ghazni, Nangarhar, Zabul, Herat, Kunduz, Baghlan and Kandahar provinces in Afghanistan, the statement added.
During the operation, a large number of Taliban weapons and ammunition were destroyed and about 90 of their motorcycles were seized by the army.
Clashes continue in different parts of Afghanistan as the two sides prepare themselves for a Turkish Peace Summit and each side is drawing up a plan for Afghanistan's political future.
In this regard, according to a document provided to Reuters, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a three-stage plan as a "peace roadmap" at the next Turkish summit.
According to the document, Ashraf Ghani intends to reach an agreement with Taliban before the elections in Afghanistan and achieve a permanent ceasefire. | Armed Conflict | April 2021 | ['(Mehr News Agency)'] |
Police forcibly break up a protest in Malé, Maldives, with tear gas and pepper spray and detain multiple journalists. The demonstration was against government moves to introduce a new law to criminalize defamation. | Maldives police have used pepper spray to break up a protest about freedom of speech, officials say.
At least 16 of the protesters, who were mostly journalists, were arrested.
The demonstration was against government moves to introduce a new law to criminalise defamation. Observers says it is the latest sign of tension in the Maldives between those calling for greater democratic freedoms and a government increasingly unwilling to allow critics.
A week ago, senior journalists in the Indian Ocean archipelago said in a joint statement the bill would "prevent journalists and citizens from speaking out over serious accusations of corruption and the integrity of state officials".
Demonstrators had gathered outside the office of President Abdulla Yameen in the capital Male on Sunday. They fear that if enacted, the bill would be used against private media and political opponents of the government. Protesters were also angry about:
Officials said the protest was broken up by police because demonstrators had gathered in a protected area. Those detained were reported to be from Haveeru, The Maldives Independent and private TV stations. The Maldives Independent said its editor Zaheena Rasheed and Sangu TV Managing Director Ibrahim Waheed were among those arrested. It said some journalists were injured and taken to hospital. | Protest_Online Condemnation | April 2016 | ['(BBC)'] |
Bono is released from hospital in Munich following his spinal surgery as U2 confirm the postponement of the North America leg of the U2 360° Tour and cancel their headlining slot at the Glastonbury Festival 2010. | (CNN) -- U2 lead singer Bono has been discharged from a German hospital where he was treated for a back injury, concert promoter Live Nation said Tuesday.
The band's North American shows have been postponed until next year, Live Nation said.
And the group has canceled a planned headline appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in England next month, organizers said on their website.
Bono suffered a serious back injury Friday while preparing for the resumption of the band's U.S. tour, the band said, and had emergency surgery.
"Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve," Dr. Muller Wohlfahrt said in a statement provided by the concert promoter. "On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery with Professor (Joerg Christian) Tonn at Munich's LMU University Hospital on Friday."
Tonn said Bono was in severe pain and had already suffered partial paralysis in his lower leg when he was referred.
"The ligament surrounding the disc had an 8-millimeter tear, and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had traveled into the spinal canal," Tonn said in the statement. "This surgery was the only course of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis."
Tonn said Bono is now "much better" and has regained all movement. "The prognosis is excellent, but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation," Tonn said.
Eight weeks of rehabilitation is considered a minimum, Wohlfahrt said.
U2 Manager Paul McGuinness said the band is working with Live Nation to reschedule the tour dates.
"Our biggest and I believe best tour has been interrupted and we're all devastated," McGuinness said in the statement. "For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which is of course nonsense.
"His concerns about more than a million ticket buyers whose plans have been turned upside down we all share, but the most important thing right now is that Bono make a full recovery." | Famous Person - Recovered | May 2010 | ['(The Irish Times)', '(CNN)', '(The Sydney Morning Herald)'] |
Voters in Turkey go to the polls for a general election with the ruling AKP seeking enough votes to enable them to change the constitution. However, early projections show that they will lose their majority in the new parliament. , | Turkey's governing AK party has lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 13 years, near-complete election results show.
The surprise outcome also sees the pro-Kurdish HDP crossing the 10% threshold, securing seats for the first time.
With 99% of the vote counted, the AKP has 41% of the vote, state-run TRT television reports.
The result is a blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's plans to boost his office's powers.
President Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, had been seeking a two-thirds majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appeared to have accepted the results. "The people's decision is the most correct decision," he said while preparing to fly from his hometown of Konya to the capital, Ankara. The AKP has polled worse than it ever feared and lost its majority. President Erdogan will be unable to change the constitution and extend his powers. It's a stark contrast with the HDP, which gambled to run as a single party for the first time, hoping to cross the 10% threshold. It paid off, gaining a significant voice for the Kurdish minority on the national stage. It succeeded by appealing beyond the Kurds, drawing in leftists and staunch Erdogan opponents with its message of equality, gay rights and environmental concerns. This could be the start of a new political era here; a major setback for a president who has polarised this nation. In a volatile Middle East, Turkey matters greatly - and so the path it takes, the nature of its democracy and the leaders it produces, all have implications far beyond its borders. Sunday's election has produced an extraordinary result and represents a major change in Turkish politics, the BBC's Mark Lowen says.
The party that once seemed unstoppable for 13 years under Mr Erdogan may now struggle to form a government.
The AKP looks likely to win 258 seats in parliament, 18 fewer than it requires for a majority, forcing it to form a minority government or enter into a coalition.
Our correspondent says that there is now a subdued and glum atmosphere at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters in contrast to a sense of jubilation among HDP supporters at news that their party had won around 13% of the vote and would enter parliament for the first time.
"This was a victory of democracy over political corruption... of peace over war," HDP deputy Sirri Sureyya Onder said.
The HDP's leader ruled out a coalition with the AKP on Sunday, pointing out that the election results had put an end to discussions about a presidential system.
"The discussion of executive presidency and dictatorship have come to an end in Turkey with these elections," Selahattin Demirtas told a news conference in Istanbul.
The HDP is projected to get between 75 to 80 seats after successfully attracting votes beyond its Kurdish support base.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) is set to be the second largest party, as in the previous parliament, with around 25% of the vote.
CHP Istanbul Chairman Murat Karayalcin said that results show a clear rejection by voters of Mr Erdogan's drive for greater powers. | Government Job change - Election | June 2015 | ['(BBC)', '(New York Times)'] |
Burmese security forces raid several Buddhist monasteries arresting hundreds of the Buddhist monks who have led the protests. | Police are reported to have fired shots at demonstrators. Witnesses said at least one person collapsed. Witnesses said soldiers stormed six monasteries overnight, smashing windows and doors and beat the sleeping monks. About 200 Buddhist monks were reported to have been detained during raids on two monasteries in Rangoon.
As protests resumed, only a small number of monks could be seen among the crowd. Many of the protesters were heard chanting nationalist songs.
Key locations of Rangoon democracy protests
Enlarge Map
Two members of the National League for Democracy, the party led by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were also arrested overnight.
There were also reports of raids in the north-east of the country.
The arrests come a day after five people were reported to have been killed when police broke up protests by monks and civilians. The military government has confirmed one death.
Barricades
In Rangoon, security forces have set up barbed wire barricades around Shwedagon Pagoda and Rangoon city hall, two of the focal points for the demonstrations.
The junta are using dirty tactics - they don't fire guns but beat people with rifle butts | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Arrest | September 2007 | ['(BBC)', '(AP and Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald)'] |
The Chaparrastique volcano in El Salvador erupts, forcing 5,000 people to leave their homes. | Thousands of people in eastern El Salvador are leaving their homes after a volcano erupted on Sunday morning. Residents in the coffee-producing region said they had heard a powerful explosion before the Chaparrastique volcano began spewing hot ash and smoke into the air. No one has been hurt, say the authorities. Anyone living in a 3km (2 mile) radius will be evacuated. Temporary shelters are being set up in the area. Civil protection authorities say that some 5,000 people live in the area, in San Miguel province.
The eruption began at 10:30 local time (16:30 GMT).
The Salvadoran government says it had been monitoring the situation since 13 December, when they detected increased activity inside the volcano.
There are more than 20 volcanoes in the small Central American nation.
At 2,129 metres (7,000 ft) above sea level, Chaparrastique is the third highest volcano in the country.
It spewed lava in 1976 and caused a strong tremor in the area in 2010.
| Volcano Eruption | December 2013 | ['(BBC)'] |
A car plows into New Year's celebrators in Tokyo, Japan, injuring eight. A ninth person was assaulted by the driver after he got out of the vehicle. Police believe the incident to be intentional. | TOKYO – Police said a car slammed into pedestrians on a street where people had gathered for New Year’s festivities in downtown Tokyo, injuring eight people.
Police took into custody a man in his 20s but did not further identify him. They say he is suspected of intentionally trying to kill people by driving the car through the street.
| Road Crash | January 2019 | ['(Global News)', '(ChannelNewsAsia)'] |
Nine activists are killed in police raids in the northern Philippines two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered government forces to kill communists in the country. | At least nine activists have been killed following simultaneous police raids in the northern Philippines that came just two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered government forces to “kill” and “finish off” all communist rebels in the country.
According to the police, six people were also arrested during the raids in three provinces surrounding Metro Manila on Sunday, while at least six others “escaped”.
Police also said they had arrest warrants against 18 individuals, adding that some resisted arrest, resulting in their deaths.
Rights groups Karapatan and the Kabataan (Youth) Party contested the government’s claim, saying the slain individuals had been “executed”.
Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion, a labour leader in the province of Cavite, just outside Manila, was among those killed, fishermen’s federation Pamalakaya said in a statement.
UPLB Perspective, a student publication at the University of the Philippines, reported that two labour organisers, a husband and wife, were killed in Batangas province, which borders the Philippine capital.
Chai and Ariel Evangelista, along with their 10-year-old son, had gone missing just hours before their death. The whereabouts of their son remains unknown.
Karapatan said the family was “taken into custody” during a pre-dawn raid but did not specify who detained them.
In Rizal province, Karapatan also confirmed the death of two activists following a shooting incident.
While it was the police that carried out the raids on Sunday, Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said the military is “obediently heeding the president’s kill, kill, kill orders”.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) also raised concerns about the deadly raids, saying that, based on reports, the operation appears to be a “coordinated plan” by authorities.
“These incidents are clearly part of the government’s increasingly brutal counterinsurgency campaign aimed at eliminating” the communist rebellion, Phil Robertson, HRW deputy Asia director, said in a statement.
On Friday, President Duterte launched a “counterinsurgency” operation on communist rebels in Mindanao.
His threat against the communists osparked fears of a new wave of bloodshed similar to his “war on drugs” which killed thousands of people, including children.
Rights groups have warned that the threat no longer makes any distinction between armed rebels, rights defenders, and critics of the Duterte administration.
“I’ve told the military and the police that if they find themselves in an armed encounter with the communist rebels, kill them, make sure you really kill them and finish them off if they are alive,” Duterte said.
“Just make sure to return their bodies to their respective families. Forget about human rights. That’s my order. I’m willing to go to jail, that’s not a problem. I do not have any qualms about doing the things that I have to do.”
The communist rebels have been fighting the government since 1968 one of the longest-running Maoist uprisings in the world.
According to the military, the rebellion has already killed more than 30,000 people.
Several presidents unsuccessfully attempted to reach an agreement with the rebels, whose leader Jose Maria Sison is now in self-exile in the Netherlands.
When he ran for president in 2016, Duterte promised to finally put an end to the rebellion through peace talks, highlighting his ties with rebel commanders when he was the mayor of Davao City in Mindanao, where the communist rebellion is still active.
After taking office, Duterte ordered direct talks with the communists, only to find the military and the rebels in frequent armed encounters.
Following fierce clashes between government forces and rebels in 2017, Duterte called off the peace process and later signed a proclamation labelling the communist fighters “terrorists”.
He also goaded government forces to shoot female rebels in their genitals as punishment and offered a bounty for every rebel killed.
In 2018, a special task force was formed by the president to target the rebels and their supporters.
Critics and human rights activists said the special body is also being deployed against mainstream left-leaning politicians and other critics of Duterte.
Several Duterte administration officials have also been accused of “indiscriminately” labelling anyone critical of the president including members of the academe, journalists and activists as “communists”.
In recent months, a number of activists, lawyers and doctors have been shot dead after they were tagged in public and on social media as communist sympathisers and active communist rebels.
Latest threat by Philippine president ignites fears of a new wave of violence similar to deadly drug war.
Amid national outcry over murder of mother and son, President Duterte says suspect cannot escape prosecution.
21 Lumad students taken from a Catholic university shelter in an operation described by police as a ‘rescue’ mission.
| Armed Conflict | March 2021 | ['(Al Jazeera English)'] |
U.S. President Donald Trump says he may cancel his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during this week's 2018 G20 Buenos Aires summit because of Russia's maritime clash with Ukraine. | President Trump threatened Tuesday to cancel his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a global summit later this week because of Russia’s maritime clash with Ukraine, saying, “I don’t like that aggression.”
Russia captured three Ukrainian naval ships and their crews in the Black Sea on Sunday, an act that drew condemnation from the West and led to Ukraine preparing to impose martial law in 10 of the country’s 27 regions.
Asked during an interview Monday with The Washington Post whether he thinks Putin was within his rights to seize the Ukrainian ships, Trump said he was considering canceling his bilateral meeting with Putin scheduled for later this week.
“I am getting a report on that tonight and that will determine what happens at the meeting,” Trump said. “I’m getting a full report on that tonight. That will be very determinative. Maybe I won’t have the meeting. Maybe I won’t even have the meeting. We’re going to see, depending on what comes out tonight.”
The session is planned on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about Trump’s comments on Wednesday, told reporters that the Trump-Putin meeting was still on.
“The meeting has been finalized,” Peskov said. “We have no other information from our U.S. counterparts.”
Asked whether Russia’s aggression is a cause for concern to the American people, Trump said it is.
“I don’t like that aggression,” Trump said. “I don’t want that aggression at all. Absolutely. And by the way, Europe shouldn’t like that aggression. And Germany shouldn’t like that aggression.”
Trump went on to criticize Germany for not spending enough on its defenses as part of NATO.
“They’re absolutely not doing enough,” Trump said. “Germany. Absolutely not! Many of those countries are not doing enough toward NATO. They should be spending much more money.”
The Trump administration has also been critical of Germany for a planned gas pipeline deal with Russia.
White House national security adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that Trump’s meeting with Putin would cover arms control and “security issues,” but he did not say whether Trump planned to challenge Putin over the naval incident. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley spoke for the administration when she condemned the incident Monday, Bolton said.
The Russian action appears to fit a pattern in which the Kremlin takes provocative action and then gauges international reaction before moving further. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine four years ago after a series of smaller steps that the West called provocations.
Trump has been under pressure to back out of the Putin meeting so as not to appear to endorse the latest action, which Haley had called unacceptable aggression.
James Jay Carafano, a conservative foreign policy adviser at the Heritage Foundation with close ties to the White House, was among those calling Monday for Trump to cancel the session in protest.
The meeting, if it happens, would come on the heels of Trump’s decision not to impose further punishment on Saudi Arabia or directly hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to account for the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month.
Trump did not rule out a meeting with the crown prince at the Argentina session, although White House officials said there is nothing scheduled.
| Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | November 2018 | ['(The Washington Post)'] |
Thai police arrest a student leader over an anti-government protest last month. The student was arrested in the outskirts of Bangkok while traveling to a protest. Human Rights Watch reports that he will be charged with breaching multiple laws. Police declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. | BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai authorities arrested a student leader on Friday over an anti-government protest last month, police said, just a few days before a big demonstration scheduled for Sunday.
Student groups have rallied almost daily around the country since July 18, calling for an end to military influence over Thai politics after a disputed election last year kept junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister five years after he first took power in a 2014 army coup.
Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, 22, was arrested on the outskirts of Bangkok while traveling to a protest, a video posted on his Facebook page showed.
“I would like to invite you to go to the investigating officers responsible for this case,” said a man who identified himself as a member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police in the video, citing a court’s arrest warrant before at least four other men physically carried Parit into a car.
The video was apparently shot by a friend of Parit’s and posted to his page.
“We can hold him for 48 hours for questioning,” Police Major General Somprasong Yentuam, deputy Bangkok police chief, told reporters.
“Once we are done, we will take him to a court to request for pre-trial detention,” he said.
Somprasong said Parit will be charged for breaching internal security by “raising unrest and disaffection,” as well as for breaching coronavirus regulations banning public gatherings by helping organise a demonstration on July 18.
Human Rights Watch said the charges should be dropped and he should be immediately released.
Police on Friday also asked a court to revoke the bail for human rights lawyer Anon Nampa, 35 and student activist Panupong Jadnok, 23, whom they arrested on the same charges as Parit last week, Human Rights Watch said.
Prime Minister Prayuth has appealed for unity in light of the student-led protests, and said the government has been restrained with the protesters.
The student protest groups plan to stage a large protest on Sunday to intensify their demand to reform the military-backed constitution and call for new elections.
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Frances Kerry
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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| Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | August 2020 | ['(Reuters)'] |
The Armed Forces kill more than 50 Taliban militants while capturing Daggar, Buner Valley. | BUNER, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani troops took the main town in strategically important Buner Valley on Wednesday after dropping by helicopter behind Taliban lines, killing more than 50 militants in two days, the military said.
A U.S. drone meanwhile fired a missile into another region, the major al Qaeda sanctuary of South Waziristan, killing six militants in the latest such attack by U.S. forces in Pakistan’s border areas with Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s advance earlier this month into Buner, just 100 km (60 miles) northwest of the capital had sent shivers through Pakistan and heightened fears in the United States that the nuclear-armed Muslim state was becoming more unstable.
“We assure the nation that armed forces have the capability to ward off any kind of threat,” military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas told a news conference in Rawalpindi, the garrison town close to the capital, Islamabad.
Pakistan had used jet fighters at the start of the operation on Tuesday then deployed helicopter gunships which inflicted more than 50 casualties, Abbas said. One soldier was killed.
The Islamabd government’s demonstration of military resolve will probably reassure U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai when they meet Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Washington on May 6-7 to discuss strategy.
Obama, speaking in Missouri, said Al Qaeda and the Taliban were the “single most direct threat” to U.S. national security.
“In Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan we do have real problems with the Taliban and al Qaeda,” Obama said at a town hall meeting.
The strike by the pilotless U.S. drone which killed six targeted a vehicle. Two of the militants were foreigners, an intelligence official told Reuters from the region.
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Unlike South Waziristan, Buner is not on the Afghan border but militants’ growing clout deep into Pakistan’s northwest has raised alarm bells across Pakistan and the United States.
Pakistani stocks lost more than 2 percent due to worries over mounting insecurity.
Taliban fighters had held the entrances to the valley, but they risked being caught between security forces at their front and rear after the successful airdrop.
“The airborne forces have linked up to police and Frontier Constabulary in Daggar,” the military spokesman said earlier. “A link up with ground forces is in progress.”
Residents saw troops descend from helicopters outside Daggar, the main town in Buner.
The military spokesman said the soldiers had freed 18 of some 70 police and militiamen abducted by militants on Tuesday.
Three members of an al Jazeera television crew were wounded when they came under fire while reporting from Buner, the network’s website said.
The military estimated some 500 militants were in the Buner valley of the North West Frontier Province, about 140 km (80 miles) southeast of the Afghan border, and that it might take a week to clear them out.
The military has said a few hundred militants holed up in the mountains never represented a real threat to the capital.
But, Ikram Seghal, a retired army officer turned analyst, said the Taliban could have used Buner to advance on Tarbela, a dam regarded as critical for water and electricity supplies, before reaching Islamabad.
“It is very important psychologically, tactically and strategically to make sure that Buner is cleared of these Taliban,” said Seghal.
A top U.S. general said Pakistani action against militants was key to stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan, where the United States is adding tens of thousands more troops this year in an effort to crack down on a resurgent Taliban.
“For any gains in Afghanistan, there must be corresponding advances across the border in Pakistan,” said General James Conway, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
“We can and will eventually run up the victory pennant in Afghanistan. But without eliminating sanctuary across the border, the bad guys will simply come back, as they did in 2003 and 2004,” he told reporters at the Pentagon.
Pakistan is desperate for military and economic aid to fight an insurgency that has spilled over from Afghanistan.
Allies had feared Zardari’s government was too ready to appease militants after he signed off on a regulation to introduce Islamic sharia courts in the Malakand division of North West Frontier Province.
| Armed Conflict | April 2009 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Nine die in floods in central Vietnam. Four people have been killed in Hà Tĩnh Province, one in Quảng Bình Province and one in Quảng Trị Province, while two individuals were injured in [à Tĩnh and Quảng Bình Provinces. | VietNamNet Bridge – Prolonged rains in the central region has caused serious flooding, which had killed at least nine people and isolated hundreds of villages.
Almost 100 people dead or missing in typhoon Durian
Provinces focus on flood prevention
Committee asks to prevent floods in Red River Delta
In Nghe An province, the downpour started on September 29 and has not stopped yet. At least three people have died and two are missing in the flood.
Heavy rain and whirlwinds has damaged more than 60 houses and flooded National Highway 48. Hundreds of hectares of crops have been submerged.
In the early morning hours of October 3, a boat carrying 850 tons of cement sank in Cua Lo. Eight sailors were rescued.
In Ha Tinh province, more than 5,000 households in Huong Khe and Vu Quang districts in Ha Tinh province have been submerged due to the recent heavy rains.
Floods swept away 7 people and injured one, including 1 soldier, 5 people in Huong Khe and 2 people in Huong Son district. A boat sank on October 3 and six sailors were rescued.
On October 3, the Ha Tinh provincial Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control directed localities to evacuate people from the flooded areas. The provincial Military Headquarters and Border Guard Headquarters sent 200 soldiers to help evacuate around 4,000 households.
By 9am on October 3, the flood water had overflowed the Ho Ho hydroelectric dam by 0.4m and swept away 1 generator and destroyed another. The province had to mobilise 100 people to deal with the problem.
Bui Le Bac, chief of the provincial Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, maintained that the province was using machinery and all resources available to clear the front of the dam in order to prevent water from overflowing. They also continued to evacuate residents from dangerous areas. By the afternoon of October 4, 16 communes were isolated by the floods. The water level at Ho Ho reservoir was 1m over the peak and could crest at anytime. Over 2,000 households have been evacuated.
In Quang Binh province, the water level of Gianh River is very high, flooding nearly 4,000 households. Many roads have been damaged and flooded. Two mountain districts of Tuyen Hoa and Minh Hoa are also isolated.
In Quang Tri province, Thach Han and O Lau-Thac Ma Rivers have overflowed their banks. More than 2,000 families in Hai Lang district are isolated because of the floods, which has killed one child.
Many areas in Thua Thien-Hue, including Hue city, are flooded.
Experts said that the central region will suffer more rain today, October 4. | Floods | October 2010 | ['(Vietnam News)', '(Vietnamnet)'] |
In Kuwait, around 7000 Bengali workers storm the embassy of Bangladesh in Kuwait City to protest against unpaid wages. | More than 700 Bangladeshi workers stormed their embassy in Kuwait on Sunday, protesting against not being paid by their Kuwaiti employer, police and embassy officials said. The rioters, who work for a Kuwaiti cleaning company, which employs up to 5,000 Bangladeshis, attacked the building, breaking its windows, and damaging the embassy cars and as well as the furniture and office equipment, security officer at the scene told reporters.
They were demanding the embassy to intervene to ensure they are paid the past six months’ salaries, according to police sources. It has been reported that a spokesman for the protesters have complained that they had not been paid for the last five months. However, Bangladesh ambassador to Kuwait, Nazrul Islam Khan, says that the embassy had helped some of the workers to receive unpaid salaries, and that there had been no complaints during the past 2 1/2 months. The embassy immediately called the police who managed to restore order and arrested up to 150 of the attackers, while others fled, the police said. Khan said diplomats and staff at the embassy, located in Surrah, 10km (six miles) south of Kuwait City, weren’t hurt in the attack, but two Bangladeshi civilians, visiting the mission, were slightly wounded. "They came to the embassy, walked in and started breaking the glass and damaging furniture and some equipment like office computers," he added. About 200,000 Bangladeshis are working in the wealthy Gulf state, which controls nearly a tenth of global oil reserves.
The United Nations estimates that around half Bangladesh’s 130 million population earns about a dollar a day. | Protest_Online Condemnation | April 2005 | ['(Bangladesh Journal)', '(Al–Jazeera)', '(Reuters)'] |
Voters in Romania go to the polls for parliamentary elections with the governing Social Liberal Union led by Prime Minister Victor Ponta winning by a landslide majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. | The centre-left coalition of Prime Minister Victor Ponta has swept to victory in Romania's general election.
The Social Liberal Union (USL) won nearly 60% of the vote, with four-fifths of ballots counted.
The Right Romania Alliance (ARD) of centre-right President Traian Basescu came a distant second with about 17%.
The result could open the door to a constitutional crisis, as the president has previously hinted he may refuse to reappoint his arch-rival Mr Ponta.
Mr Ponta said: "This is a clear victory with an absolute majority." But, if he resumes as prime minister, he will have to share power with Mr Basescu, whose term runs until 2014.
The pair have been locked in a power struggle since Mr Ponta came to power in April following the collapse of the previous centre-right government.
The two men have argued over control of state television and the Romanian Cultural Institute and attempts to draw up a new electoral law.
But, says the BBC's correspondent in the region Nick Thorpe, the political feud often seems to have more to do with the vanity of the main players than with genuine differences in policy. Their antagonism has meant political decision-making has at times been paralysed.
In July, Mr Ponta suspended Mr Basescu and tried to impeach him. But a referendum failed to meet the required turnout.
Mr Basescu hinted before the election that he might refuse to re-appoint Mr Ponta as prime minister. He has described him as a "mythomaniac".
Mr Basescu's popularity has plummeted since he introduced stringent austerity measures and a 25% cut in public sector pay.
Romania is the second poorest member of the European Union, which it joined in 2007 with Bulgaria. The country, together with neighbour Bulgaria, are under special EU monitoring because of concerns about judicial independence, corruption and political influence in state institutions.
Romania is trying to negotiate a new loan from the IMF to replace the existing one which expires early next year. | Government Job change - Election | December 2012 | ['(BBC)', '(Reuters)'] |
Palestinians fire three rockets from Gaza, landing in Israel's Ashkelon region, shortly after IDF soldiers kill a 65 year old farmer for unknown reasons, and bomb two sites in the Gaza Strip. | Rocket attacks mark continuation of escalating violence along the Gaza border in recent weeks; earlier on Monday the IAF bombed two 'terrorist sites' in Gaza.
Three rockets fired from the Gaza Strip exploded in open areas in the Ashkelon region onMonday.
Two of the rockets landed in in Ashkelon's southern industrial zone and a third landed in the Ashkelon Beach regional council.
Earlier on Monday, the Israel Air Force bombed two sites in the Gaza Strip in what was described as retaliation against a rise in rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinian militants from the coastal enclave.
| Armed Conflict | January 2011 | ['(Haaretz)', '(Ynet)', '(The Jerusalem Post)'] |
Former Zimbabwe finance minister Ignatius Chombo, who was arrested during Operation Restore Legacy, is charged in Harare Magistrate’s Court with three counts of fraud, abuse of power, and corruption. | HARARE (Reuters) - Former Zimbabwe finance minister Ignatius Chombo, among those detained by the military before Robert Mugabe resigned as president, was charged on Saturday with corruption, including trying to defraud the central bank in 2004.
Ousted Zimbabwe finance minister Chombo in court over corruption charges
01:24
The court appearance was the first time Chombo had been seen in public since being detained after the military seized power in “Operation Restore Legacy”, which it said was meant to remove the “criminals” around Mugabe.
Chombo, a Mugabe ally who had been promoted to finance minister in October, told the court that he was kept blindfolded for nine days after being arrested at his home on Nov. 15.
His lawyer has said he was beaten in detention, although Chombo made no mention of that and had no injuries visible as he stood before magistrates in Harare.
Several members of a group allied to Mugabe and his wife Grace were detained and expelled from the ruling party, including Chombo, the ousted head of the influential ZANU-PF youth league Kudzanai Chipanga and a deposed leader in the party’s youth wing, Innocent Hamandishe.
Some supporters of the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, have been calling for unspecified action against the so-called G40 group that backed Mugabe and his wife. Chombo, Chipanga and Hamandishe were allied to the G40.
Before his inauguration, Mnangagwa on Thursday urged citizens not to undertake any form of “vengeful retribution”.
The state prosecutor said Chombo was charged three counts of corruption, including attempting to defraud the Zimbabwean central bank in 2004, when he was local government minister.
He was not asked to enter a plea by the state. Chombo showed no emotion while the charges were read. The court ordered Chombo detained until Monday when his bail application will be heard.
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Describing his arrest, when his wife had also been present, Chombo told the court: “While we stood in the room, there rushed in between five and six people wearing masks and all of them had guns. The guns were pointing at us.”
He said he suffered lacerations on his left side when he fell as the soldiers led him out of his house to a car.
Chombo’s lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, said on Friday Chombo was admitted to hospital with injuries sustained from beatings he received in military custody.
Chombo had no visible injuries and appeared calm, chatting with the police guarding him when the court took a break.
Chombo was handed over to the police by the military. The police said they had no information on Chombo’s injuries when asked to comment.
A former university lecturer and Mugabe’s ally, Chombo was promoted in an October cabinet reshuffle from the interior ministry to the finance portfolio, against the backdrop of a severe shortage of the U.S. dollar used by Zimbabwe.
In his main act as new finance minister, Chombo told parliament on Nov. 9 that Zimbabwe’s budget deficit would soar to $1.82 billion or 11.2 percent of gross domestic product this year from an initial target of $400 million.
In the same court, Chipanga faced charges of making statements aimed at undermining public confidence in the defence forces and was also detained until Monday when his bail application will be heard. Hamandishe faced six counts of kidnapping and one of publishing falsehoods and was detained in custody until Dec. 8.
Mugabe’s fall after 37 years in power was triggered by a battle to succeed him that pitted Mnangagwa against Mugabe’s much younger wife Grace, who is 52.
Mnangagwa, 75, the former vice president sacked by Mugabe this month, was sworn in as president on Friday.
The 93-year-old Mugabe, who had led Zimbabwe from independence in 1980, stepped down on Tuesday after the army seized power and the ruling party turned against him.
On Friday, Zimbabwe’s Judge President George Chiweshe nullified Mugabe’s decision to fire Mnangagwa as his deputy - a move that triggered the military intervention.
In his inauguration speech, Mnangagwa laid out a grand vision to revitalise Zimbabwe’s ravaged economy and vowed to rule on behalf of all the country’s citizens.
The main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said Mnangagwa’s speech “sounded like he was reading from the MDC policy documents”, it said in a statement.
“As a party, we are flattered to note that President Mnangagwa seems to have radically departed from the usual ZANU-PF drivel such as hate-filled language, empty sloganeering and the rabid promotion of racism and retribution against perceived political foes, both domestically and internationally,” it said.
The MDC demanded concrete action to investigate human rights abuses, steps to tackle corruption, plans for free and fair elections next year and assurances that the military would return to their barracks and stay out of politics.
In the early hours of Saturday, armoured vehicles and soldiers that had been stationed outside government buildings, parliament and the courts returned to Inkomo Barracks outside Harare, one of the soldiers manning the vehicles said.
| Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | November 2017 | ['(Reuters)', '(The Citizen)'] |
Former Philippine First Lady and Ilocos Norte Representative Imelda Marcos has been convicted on seven counts of graft for transferring funds to private foundations in Switzerland and is sentenced to at least six years and one month imprisonment for each count. | GUILTY. Former first lady Imelda Marcos is found guilty of 7 counts of graft for creating private organizations in Switzerland while she was a government official from 1968 to 1986
File photo by Rob Reyes/Rappler
(3rd UPDATE) Imelda Marcos can obtain provisional liberty while appealing the conviction, the court says
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MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan convicted Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Imelda Marcos of 7 counts of graft related to private organizations created in Switzerland while she was a government official from 1968 to 1986.
"Wherefore, premises considered, this Court finds the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt...," said the 5th Division Clerk of Court while reading the verdict on Friday, November 9.
Neither Marcos nor any of her lawyers were present during the promulgation of decision.
The 89-year-old Marcos was sentenced to prison for 6 years and 1 month to 11 years for each case. She is also perpetually disqualified from holding public office.
By the end of the hearing, 5th Division Chairman Associate Justice Rafael Lagos also ordered the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Marcos.
But the Ombudsman lead prosecutor, as well as the 5th Division, clarified that because graft is a bailable case, she can have provisional liberty while she is appealing the conviction. Upon payment of bonds, the warrants of arrest will be lifted.
Lead prosecutor Rey Quilala said the ballpark figure of the public money involved in the private organizations amounts to US$200 million.
"It involves 7 Swiss foundations, tapos kinu-close 'yung ibang foundation, ita-transfer sa ibang foundation, and then close it again, transfer sa ibang foundation, na-trace po yung flow ng pera," said Quilala.
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(It involves 7 Swiss foundations, then they close the foundations, then they transfer it to another foundation, and then close it again, transfer to another foundation, so we traced the flow of the money.)
Marcos was acquitted for the remaining 3 counts involving local corporations based in the Philippines. The charges were filed way back 1991.
The 3 counts where she was acquitted involved foundations based in the Philippines.
"Sa local corporation kasi may isang corporation na gina-guarantee ng Pilipinas 'yung loan ng $25 million and then hindi na pinabayaran. Pilipinas ang nag-guarantee. 'Yung local corporations po 'yun," Quilala said.
(There was one local coporation which guaranteed a loan of $25 million, and they were not asked to pay. The Philippines guaranteed it. Those are for the local corporations.)
"Victory pa rin po ito (This is still a victory)," said Quilala.
The justices who decided the case are Associate Justices Rafael Lagos, Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega and Maryann Corpus-Mañalac.
The guilty verdict gives a clear picture of the “entrepreneurial” scheme of the former first family.
This is Marcos' 2nd Sandiganbayan conviction. In 1993, the Court's First Division convicted her of two counts of graft over anomalous contracts involving a lease between the Light Rail Transit Authority and the Philippine General Hospital Foundation, Inc. But in 1998, the Supreme Court acquitted her.
According to the latest list of the Sandiganbayan's docket section, there is no remaining criminal case against Marcos. She was charged for 28 criminal cases – the last 10 of which were the ones decided on Friday, where she was convicted of 7 counts, and acquitted of 3.
There remain, however, civil cases mainly involving forfeiture. Quilala was not able to immediately confirm if the money involved in the Swiss foundations is also being recovered by the government in those civil cases. – Rappler.com
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Lian Buan covers justice and corruption for Rappler. She is interested in decisions, pleadings, audits, contracts, and other documents that establish a trail. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | November 2018 | ['(Rappler)', '(South China Morning Post)'] |
A gunman is arrested for one count of murder after killing a woman then taking dozens of people hostage at a Trader Joe's in Los Angeles, California. | A gunman who got into a deadly shootout with police, then took dozens of people hostage at a Trader Joe's supermarket in Los Angeles' Silver Lake has been arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said Sunday. Gene Evin Atkins, 28, was being held Sunday morning on $2 million bail, police said. It wasn't clear if he had an attorney. A message left at a number listed for Atkins in public records wasn't immediately returned.
A woman was shot and killed when Atkins ran into the supermarket on Saturday, but no hostages were seriously hurt before the man handcuffed himself and surrendered about three hours later, police said.
Coroner's officials identified the woman Sunday as 27-year-old Melyda Corado. Her brother, Albert Corado, said on Twitter that she worked at Trader Joe's.
"I'm sad to say she didn't make it. My baby sister. My world," he tweeted.
Atkins' grandmother was hospitalized in critical condition after the shooting and police had no update on her condition Sunday.
Authorities said Atkins shot his grandmother seven times and wounded another woman, whom he forced into a car, at a South Los Angeles home around 1:30 p.m., police said. Officers tracked the car, gave chase and exchanged gunfire with the man, who crashed into a pole outside the supermarket and then ran inside, they said. The unidentified woman, who suffered a graze wound earlier, was taken out of the car by police.
Frightened customers and workers dove for cover as police bullets fired at the man shattered the store's glass doors.
Some people inside the supermarket climbed out windows, and others barricaded themselves in rooms as scores of police officers and firefighters and 18 ambulances converged on the scene and prepared for mass casualties.
Heavily armed officers in riot gear stood along the side of the store and used mirrors to look inside as hostage negotiators tried to coax the man into freeing his 40 to 50 hostages and surrendering.
At around 6:30 p.m., Atkins agreed to handcuff himself and walked out the front door, surrounded by four of the hostages. He was immediately taken into custody.
Mayor Eric Garcetti congratulated police and firefighters for their work and mourned the loss of life at the Trader Joe's, where he and his wife regularly shopped when they lived in the neighborhood.
"The heroism that was shown today was second to none, and the teams that were able to respond, secure the perimeter and engage in conversation with the suspect no doubt saved lives today," he said.
Among those who survived the harrowing afternoon was 91-year-old Don Kohles, who lives in the neighborhood and was walking into the supermarket when he saw "two police cars coming like a bat out of hell" and the man crashed into the pole.
The driver got out, and police started firing at him as he ran toward the supermarket. Kohles hurried inside, and he and others took cover as the man ran in. "Those bullets went right over the back of me as he was running right down the main aisle," Kohles said.
Christian Dunlop, a real estate agent and actor who lives nearby and frequents Trader Joe's, was on a corner near the store when he saw four people run out. One person, an employee, was dragging an injured woman by the hands. "She appeared lifeless," Dunlop said.
He then saw five employees hang out a second-floor window and drop to the ground and around 15 others run to safety from the back of the store. Among them was a police officer carrying a small child, he said.
President Trump tweeted Saturday that he was watching the situation "very closely," but later deleted the tweet.
Police Chief Michel Moore said the gunman made a "series of demands" during the standoff but crisis negotiators believed they could persuade him to surrender peacefully.
Officers had tracked the car using a stolen-vehicle tracking system and tried to stop the man in Hollywood, but he refused to pull over, Moore said. During the chase, the man fired at officers, shooting out the back window of his car.
Outside the store, the man exchanged gunfire with police again and that's when Corado was shot and killed, Moore said. It was unclear if she died from police gunfire or was killed by the gunman.
Fire officials said six people, ranging in age from 12 to 81, were taken to the hospital. None had been shot, and all were in fair condition.
| Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | July 2018 | ['(CBS News)'] |
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake hits Cataingan, Masbate, Philippines, with at least one person reported to have been killed. | Epicentre located close to seaside town of Cataingan, where homes were flattened and roads and bridges cracked
At least one person has died after a 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook a central Philippine region on Tuesday, damaging houses and sending residents fleeing from their homes.
The Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology said the quake, which struck at 8.03am local time (12.03am GMT), hit southeast of Masbate province at a depth of 21km.
The seaside town of Cataingan, which sits several kilometres west of the epicentre in the Samar Sea, was left particularly battered.
“There are a lot of damaged houses,” said staff sergeant Antonio Clemente in Cataingan, home to about 50,000 people. “It was really strong,” he added. Roads and bridges in the coastal town were also left cracked. Isagani Libatan, a Cataingan resident, said he was on his way to his aunt’s house for breakfast when his motorcycle suddenly swayed from left to right as the ground jolted.
“I thought it was my tyre but people suddenly streamed out in panic from swaying houses then we lost power,” Mr Libatan told the AP by telephone, pausing briefly as he felt another fairly strong aftershock.
Police colonel Joriz Cantoria of the Masbate provincial police said in an initial report that a retired police officer had died after being hit by a collapsed wall in his home.
Mr Cantoria also reported damage to Cataingan’s port and the public market.
“Masbate is conducting search and retrieval operations,” Mr Cantoria confirmed. So far at least 14 aftershocks have been recorded by the Philippine seismology office, with the strongest registering at a magnitude of 3.5.
The Philippines lies in the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. It’s also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990. | Earthquakes | August 2020 | ['(The Independent)'] |
"Israeli commandos fired 308 live bullets at the MV Mavi Marmara to repel passengers who attacked them with lethal weapons",says Israel's top general as he testifies before a stateappointed inquest into May's Gaza flotilla raid. | Israeli commandos fired 308 live bullets aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship last May to repel passengers who attacked them with lethal weapons including a snatched Uzi machine pistol, Israel's top general said today.
In a sometimes testy second round of testimony before a state-appointed inquest, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi insisted the navy's killing of nine pro-Palestinian Turks on the converted cruise ship Mavi Marmara had been unavoidable.
Marine commandos were equipped with riot-dispersal gear but quickly switched to live fire to confront armed passengers because "if they had not done this, there would have been more casualties," Mr Ashkenazi told the six-member Turkel Commission.
Ankara, which wants compensation and an apology from Israel, has dismissed the Turkel panel as lacking in scope.
But the commission has invited testimony from Mavi Marmara passengers, many of whom insist the commandos' onslaught was unprovoked, and signalled it may probe Israel's navy deeper.
Mr Ashkenazi said 308 live rounds were fired by the troops. A top aide to the general told reporters 70 of these were aimed to cause injury, while the rest were warning shots.
That appeared consistent with Turkish forensic findings that the nine dead activists were shot a total of 30 times, and there were gunshot wounds among another 24 passengers who were hurt.
"Those who are asking questions (about tactics) should propose an alternative solution," Mr Ashkenazi said.
The Mavi Marmara and five other ships were trying to run an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, territory controlled by Hamas Islamists. | Armed Conflict | October 2010 | ['(The Irish Times)'] |
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrest two suspects after they allegedly made online death threats to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau had to wear a bulletproof vest during a visit to Mississauga, Ontario, due to the threats made during his electoral campaign. | The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have arrested two suspects in connection with alleged online threats made against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the federal election campaign, a spokesperson has confirmed.
The RCMP executed a search warrant and arrested the two suspects in Quebec Friday, the spokesperson said. Electronic devices were seized.
The individuals' identities have not yet been made public as the investigation continues.
RCMP Cpl. Melanie Cappiello-Stebenne told CBC News that the RCMP monitors the web for threatening statements and that the force investigates whenever they believe a statement could "lead to violence."
Both suspects have been released and charges may be laid once the investigation is complete.
"We're going to be analyzing what was found in the search," said Cappiello-Stebenne.
In a statement to CBC News, the Prime Minister's Office said it would not comment on the prime minister's security.
In October, a Trudeau campaign event was delayed due to a security threat, Liberal sources told CBC News at the time.
When he eventually appeared at the event in in Mississauga, Ont., Trudeau could be seen wearing a bulletproof vest under his shirt and was accompanied by a heavy security detail.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated at a press conference on Friday that Canada is working on a proof of vaccination for Canadians who wish to travel, with the initial phase set to come into effect for summer travel.
When Gwenny Farrell booked her second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on the first day it became available, she said she believed she was doing the right thing. The resident of White Rock, B.C., said she has tried to follow every health protocol and recommendation strictly, so her confidence has been shaken by a new recommendation from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization on mixing the vaccines. On June 1, NACI had said AstraZeneca recipients "could" get Pfizer-BioNTec
A Guatemalan migrant worker quarantining in the Sarnia area has died, CBC News has learned. According to Justice for Migrant Workers, an advocacy group that raises awareness of the rights of temporary foreign workers, the father of two had worked in the Sarnia area for the last few years. "His coworkers and his family are devastated," said Chris Ramsaroop, an organizer with Justice for Migrant Workers. The worker was found in his quarantine hotel room on Monday, Ramsaroop said. "Lambton Public H
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Friday, June 18, 2021. Some provinces and territories do not report daily case numbers. There are 1,406,253 confirmed cases in Canada. Canada: 1,406,253 confirmed cases (13,444 active, 1,366,797 resolved, 26,012 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 1,114 new cases reported Thursday. The rate of active cases is 35.37 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven d
BERLIN (AP) — Germany has now given at least one coronavirus vaccine shot to more than half its population but officials urged people Friday to remain cautious and slow the spread of the more contagious delta variant. COVID-19 infections have declined sharply in Germany over the past few weeks, on some days dropping below 1,000 per day for the first time since September. On Friday, the national disease control center said 1,076 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, and there were only 10
A coal company that was denied an application to build an open-pit mine in Alberta's Rocky Mountains says it's considering its legal options. On Thursday, a joint federal-provincial review panel denied the permits needed by the proposed Grassy Mountain mine after ruling the environmental consequences would likely outweigh the economic benefits. The company that owns the mine said Friday it's considering the 680-page report to better understand its conclusion. Riversdale Resources said in a state
EDMONTON — A man police were searching for near a provincial park in northern Alberta died shortly after he was arrested, RCMP said. Lionel Grey, who allegedly shot and killed a service dog during a police pursuit, had serious injuries when he was apprehended Friday, Mounties in High Prairie, Alta., said. "Alberta RCMP Tactical Medics and AHS EMS immediately provided medical assistance, though he succumbed to his injuries a short time later," police said in a statement. Investigators did not say
NEW YORK (AP) — As COVID-19 restrictions lift in the U.S., many are reacquainting with friends and loved ones, attending parties, booking vacations and celebrating a return to normal. But for Amanda Kloots, 39, a fitness instructor and TV personality, it's not a return to the life she had before the pandemic, and it never will be. Her husband, Nick Cordero, died from complications of the virus after more than 90 days in the hospital. He was 41 and had no prior health problems. Cordero was an act
WHITEHORSE — Yukon's top doctor says the territory has recorded nine new cases of COVID-19 and a group of graduating teens who attended a prom event will need to self-isolate. Dr. Brendan Hanley says one of the nine new cases is a student at F.H. Collins in Whitehorse. He says the Grade 12 student attended a prom event on June 11, and anyone who attended will need to self-isolate until June 26. In addition, students in four Grade 9 classes at Porter Creek Senior Secondary will also need to self-
OTTAWA — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases attributed to the highly contagious Delta variant jumped 66 per cent in Canada this week. Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said as of Friday there are just over 2,000 confirmed cases of the variant. Just three days ago, the Public Health Agency told The Canadian Press there were 1,187 confirmed cases. "The Delta variant is now in all provinces and at least one of our territories," Tam said at the House of Commons health committe
The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 4:00 a.m. ET on Friday, June 18, 2021. In Canada, the provinces are reporting 490,061 new vaccinations administered for a total of 30,867,925 doses given. Nationwide, 6,004,387 people or 16 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 81,447.266 per 100,000. There were 607,230 new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 33,870,614 doses delivered so f
LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson will keep fighting recent court orders in Nevada that he owes at least $60 million in judgments stemming from the 1994 killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, his lawyer said Friday. Attorney Malcolm LaVergne said he intends to ask the Nevada Supreme Court to overturn one judge’s order to pay the slain man’s father, Fred Goldman, and another judge’s order in favor of Paul Dorsey, a Connecticut man holding rights to collect the wrong
MUNICH (AP) — Portugal has the European Championship’s all-time leading scorer in Cristiano Ronaldo. Germany has a team full of players who have never even scored once at the continental tournament. They will come up against each other on Friday. Ronaldo scored two late goals in a 3-0 victory over Hungary on Tuesday to become the tournament’s record holder with 11 career goals. Germany, meanwhile, tried and tried but failed break through France’s defense in a 1-0 loss. With no goals scored and n
Ahead of the Summer Games in Tokyo, past Canadian Olympic medalist Brent Hayden is speaking out for fellow athletes' rights and better pay as a founding board member of the new International Swimmers' Alliance.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's Democratic agriculture commissioner, whose office polices charities, alleged Friday that a group run by one of former President Donald Trump's most prominent election conspiracy adherents is illegally seeking donations in the state. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said her office has filed an administrative complaint against attorney Sidney Powell's Defending the Republic group demanding that it obey state law or cease Florida operations. The group rec
WINNIPEG — Some Manitoba doctors are urging the provincial government to back off its plan to reopen the economy July 1 until COVID-19 numbers drop much further. A group of 11 physicians specializing in public health, infectious disease and other areas has written to the Progressive Conservative government. Their letter says the province has yet to factor in the Delta variant, one of the variants first identified in India which has shown to be highly transmissible. Dr. Dan Roberts, who specializ
MONTREAL — Quebec Premier François Legault says the Canadian government is looking at a plan to reopen the United States border to people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Legault, who had a telephone meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the other premiers on Thursday, told reporters today it could happen when current border restrictions expire on July 21. However, he says that Quebec isn't planning to allow the use of proof of vaccination for people to access private activiti
National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now recommending that individuals who received a single dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine be given an mRNA vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, for their second dose.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia’s leaders in closed-door talks with a European Union special envoy earlier this year said “they are going to wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years,” the envoy said this week, warning that such an aim “looks for us like ethnic cleansing.” The remarks by Pekka Haavisto, Finland's foreign minister, describing his talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other ministers in February are some of the most critical yet of the Ethiopian government's conduct of the
U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved the drafting of a “teaching document” that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden, for receiving Communion despite their support for abortion rights. The result of the vote — 168 in favor and 55 against — was announced Friday near the end of a three-day meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that was held virtually. The bishops had cast their votes privately on Thursday after nearly three hours o | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Arrest | December 2019 | ['(Yahoo! News Canada)'] |
Voters in Tunisia go to the polls to elect a new president. Conservative academic Kais Saied wins more than 70% of the votes. | Tunis, Tunisia – Polls have closed in Tunisia’s runoff presidential contest which saw media magnate Nabil Karoui take on conservative lawyer Kais Saied.
The two self-styled “outsider” candidates delivered a shock to the Tunisian political establishment when they came in a the top two of 26 candidates during the first round of the election held on September 15.
A first exit poll is expected to be published at 8pm local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday.
The turnout was at 39.2 percent at 15:30 local time, according to Isie (Independent High Authority for Elections).
Earlier, at a cafe near a polling station in the Tunis suburb of Ariana, the seats were filled with men chatting and playing cards.
Everyone here said they had already voted or were planning to vote. Barista Mounir Ahazri did not want to give away who he will choose after finishing his shift.
“He is a statesman. I know him well, from 1999 when I was a student in the law department,” he said, without mentioning his candidate by name.
The cafe clients were less cryptic. Two friends, Aymen Fougali and Ahmed Miled, were voting for Kais Saied.
“He is very intelligent and the other one doesn’t pay taxes,” said Fougali, 33, whose mother voted for Karoui.
“The majority of old people here are voting for Nabil Karoui because they think he is a good person that gives people pasta.”
Overhearing the conversation, Moaz Askri, a 50-year-old factory owner who voted for Karoui, joins the table. Karoui “is going to bring investment and reduce tax rates. He has an economic programme – the other one just says he is going to let people decide!”
While they both present themselves as anti-establishment figures, the two candidates present vastly different alternatives for president. Karoui has sought to win votes among Tunisia’s poor, the business class and secular voters. Saied is popular among social conservatives while his no-frills campaign has appealed to young people.
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Weeks before the first round of the presidential election, Karoui was arrested and held for alleged money laundering and tax evasion. He denies the charges and said they were politically motivated.
Amid growing pressure to release him in order to allow for a fair election campaign, he was freed last week, although his detention could provide grounds to reject the result.
Saied, meanwhile, said that he would not campaign on “ethical” grounds given that his opponent was in jail.
Even before this, Saied ran a minimalist campaign, which in itself appealed to voters who see him as “clean”.
He proposes reorganising the political system by giving power to local councils and holds socially conservative views, opposing the decriminalisation of homosexuality and legislation that ensures equal inheritance for men and women.
Karoui’s Qalb Tounes party emerged as the second-strongest in last week’s parliamentary election.
The 56-year-old businessman based his campaign on ending poverty and says he wants to increase presidential powers by expanding the definition of national security to include social and economic issues.
He has also says he wants to liberalise Tunisia‘s economy.
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Whoever wins, a political newcomer will be in charge of foreign affairs and national security, and will need to work with a fragmented parliament that is struggling to form a government.
“The biggest issue that we are facing is that we will have a weak government backed by a tiny majority, [if] they will be able to form a government at all,” said Youssef Cherif, head of Columbia Global Centers, adding that if Saied wins he may end up being isolated by the government.
“This is in a period where Tunisia needs to tackle important reforms to alleviate poverty and fight security problems.”
Despite the uncertainty, observers see this as a good sign for the country’s nascent democracy.
“It is a testament to Tunisia [that outsiders] could emerge,” says Charles Tripp, professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
“You look at Algeria, Egypt and Iraq – there is frustration that is being expressed against corruption and lack of services, but it is on the street. In Tunisia, they have the chance to say something like this at the ballot box.”
Political newcomers Kais Saied and Nabil Karoui offer vision of employment, education and improved infrastructure.
Without a party or much funding, Saied has emerged as a frontrunner to lead Tunisia thanks to his ‘utopist’ programme.
| Government Job change - Election | October 2019 | ['(Al Jazeera)', '(The Guardian)'] |
Blues legend B.B. King dies at the age of 89. | King, known for his hits My Lucille, Sweet Little Angel and Rock Me Baby, died in his sleep in Las Vegas.
Born in Mississippi, King began performing in the 1940s, going on to influence a generation of musicians and work with Eric Clapton and U2. Once ranked as the third greatest guitarist of all time, he had been suffering ill health in recent months.
He was recently taken to hospital with a diabetes-related illness.
Fellow musicians paid tribute to King including blues guitarist Buddy Guy, who often played with him.
"BB King was the greatest guy I ever met," he wrote on Instagram.
"The tone he got out of that guitar, the way he shook his left wrist, the way he squeezed the strings… man, he came out with that and it was all new to whole guitar playin' world. "He could play so smooth, he didn't have to put on a show. The way BB did it is the way we all do it now. He was my best friend and father to us all."
Clapton posted a video tribute on Facebook to express his sadness at the death of his "dear friend".
"I want to thank him for all the inspiration and encouragement he gave me as a player over the years, and for the friendship that we enjoyed," he said.
"There's not a lot left to say because this music is almost a thing of the past now, and there are not many left who play it in the pure way that BB did. He was a beacon for all of us who love this kind of music."
Lenny Kravitz tweeted: "BB, anyone could play a thousand notes and never say what you said in one."
Former Beatle Ringo Starr said: "God bless BB King, peace and love to his family."
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora added: "My friend and legend BB King passed. I'm so so sad, he was so great to me. We've lost the King. My love and prayers to his family."
Guns N Roses guitarist Slash tweeted: "Devastated by the passing of BB King. My favourite blues guitarist and a truly wonderful man."
Actor Hugh Laurie said: "Oh God. BB King. Let the sad times roll."
And singer Will Young added: "BB King- the most wonderful blues singer and guitarist. I suggest everyone gets one of his records to hear true soul and spirit."
A former farmhand, King was awarded his 15th Grammy award in 2009 for his album One Kind Favor.
He was also inducted into both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Rolling Stone magazine placed him behind only Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Until recently, King performed in at least 100 concerts a year.
He fused together both jazz and blues on his beloved guitar, a Gibson ES-355 he lovingly dubbed "Lucille".
In the early part of his career, he played to exclusively black audiences, but his heartfelt vocals and undeniable talent saw him embraced by a much broader fanbase as time went on - touring Europe and topping the charts.
Younger musicians such as Clapton and Steve Miller, who admired his work, introduced him to a new generation of fans in the late '60s with hits like The Thrill is Gone.
Albums such as Live at County Cook Jail and BB King in London followed.
His career was reignited in the late 1980s when he duetted with U2 on When Love Comes To Town.
At the turn of the millennium, aged 75, he once again achieved major commercial success with the Eric Clapton collaboration Riding With the King.
"King's is now the name most synonymous with the blues, much as Louis Armstrong's once was with jazz," critic Francis Davis wrote in his 1995 book The History of the Blues. "You don't have to be a blues fan to have heard of King."
Obituary: BB King
In pictures: A life in music
'I can't retire, I need money'
A look back at BB King's life
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Philippines finish in 5th place in the medal tally for the 2005 ASEAN Para Games in the Philippines. Thailand finishes with 84 golds, followed by Malaysia. (The Nation, Bangkok) | [ASEAN PARA GAMES] Thai athletes ruled the roost on the fourth day of the Asean Para Games in the Philippines yesterday, with the swimmers making a big splash. A total of 40 gold medals were up for grabs in the pool yesterday and Thai swimmers performed superbly to win 18 medals, including 11 gold. In the track and field events where a total of 34 gold medals were on offer, Thai athletes also fared well to win nine more gold yesterday. One-handed Sa-ngad Chaikheenee made a good run in the men’s 800m to win the gold medal.
Team-mates Vinai Saenghuachang, also a one-handed athlete, crossed the finish line first in the men’s 100m, while the wheelchair-bound Saichol Khonjen won the other 100m gold.
In the tennis competition, Thai players won three gold medals with three of the finals all-Thai affairs. Samrerng Kruamai beat Vittaya Phimmee 6-3 6-1 to win the men’s singles, while Sakhon Khanthasit crushed Rattana Techamaneewat 6-1 6-1 to take home the women’s singles crown.
The remaining gold was won in the men’s doubles by Samrerng and Vittaya, who outclassed Suthee Klongrua and Suvitchai Muangprom 6-3 6-4.
In the judo competition, Kampol Jittreesong and Manop Takiankam took the men’s 60kg and 66kg classes respectively, while Anusorn Nakhamrak teamed up with Vittaya Vichaiwattana to win the men’s doubles gold in table tennis.
Five gold medals were at stake in weightlifting yesterday and Thai lifters won the majority with three gold medals, all in the men’s classes.
Chuchart Sukcharoen lifted 150kg to win the 48kg title, with Narong Kaesanan and Thongsa Marasi, a silver medallist at last year’s Athens Paralympic Games, capturing the 52kg and 56kg crowns after lifting 145kg and 165kg respectively. | Sports Competition | December 2005 | [] |
U.S. President Donald Trump names Florida International University College of Law Dean and former National Labor Relations Board member Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor. The President's initial nominee, Andy Puzder, withdrew his nomination yesterday. |
R. Alexander Acosta, seen in 2007, is President Trump's new pick for labor secretary.
R. Alexander Acosta, seen in 2007, is President Trump's new pick for labor secretary.
President Trump has named R. Alexander Acosta as his replacement for labor secretary nominee. Trump's earlier pick, fast-food executive Andrew Puzder, withdrew his nomination on Wednesday afternoon after losing support on both sides of the aisle.
Acosta has been dean of the law school at Florida International University since 2009. He has been a member of the National Labor Relations Board and was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to that, he was an assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division during the George W. Bush administration.
His tenure there was not without controversy. Acosta filed a brief defending an Ohio law that allowed people to challenge the legitimacy of a voter at a polling place, even though the Justice Department was not involved in the case, as the Los Angeles Times reported in 2004.
While Acosta was U.S. attorney, his office was reprimanded by a federal judge after it was revealed that prosecutors there had illegally recorded conversations with the attorney of a doctor accused of illegally prescribing painkillers. Acosta said he had instructed his employees to not do that again.
If confirmed, Acosta will be the first Hispanic member of the president's Cabinet.
Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants — including Hardee's and Carl's Jr., had been scheduled for a confirmation hearing on Thursday after multiple delays. He faced criticism for his management of the company and for more personal issues, including a since-retracted domestic abuse allegation from his wife and hiring a housekeeper who came to the U.S. illegally. | Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | February 2017 | ['(Politico)', '(CNN)', '(NPR)'] |
10 people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. | At least 10 people have been killed and scores more injured in a twin bombing in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
Police said two improvised explosive devices had been detonated in the sprawling Gikomba market.
Meanwhile hundreds of UK tourists were evacuated from the coastal resort area of Mombasa amid warnings of an attack.
In recent years, Kenya has been hit by a spate of attacks, mostly been blamed on the al-Shabab militant Islamist group from neighbouring Somalia.
British tour companies have suspended flights to Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city.
The Kenyan National Disaster Operation Centre said the first explosion occurred in a minibus, the second in the large open-air Gikomba market. Two people were reportedly arrested near the scene of the explosions.
Pictures from the scene showed clothing blown onto telephone wires above. Fire engines and the Red Cross were at the scene tending the injured. Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi said at least 70 people had been wounded.
"Many of the injured are bleeding profusely. We need a lot of blood," a spokesman said.
President Kenyatta vowed to fight "evil" terrorism following the attacks.
"All of us around the world must be united to ensure that we are able to fight this particular terror," he said at a news conference.
Earlier this week, authorities tightened security at bus stations. They also ordered all vehicles to have clear glass windows. Friday's bombings took place two days after the UK, France and the US warned there was a high threat of attacks in Kenya.
Kenya had criticised the warnings, saying the tourism industry would be affected.
Correspondents say many Kenyans are expressing their frustration at the worsening insecurity. The government recently rounded up refugees of Somali origin in an attempt to rid Nairobi of militants they believe to be hiding among refugees. The al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab has launched a series of attacks against Kenyan targets in recent years, claiming to be retaliating for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia since 2011.
Last September, at least 67 people were killed when al-Shabab fighters seized the upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi for four days.
Earlier this year, there were riots in Mombasa after a radical Muslim cleric accused of recruiting youngsters for al-Shabab was shot dead.
Kenya pledges to fight terror battle
Tourists leaving Kenya 'over the top'
Who are al-Shabab?
Travel firms halt Kenya coast tours
Nairobi buses hit by deadly blasts
| Armed Conflict | May 2014 | ['(BBC)'] |
Switzerland's UBS AG appoints former Credit Suisse CEO Oswald Grübel as its new Group CEO. | Swiss bank UBS has appointed Oswald Gruebel, the former head of Credit Suisse, as its new chief executive.
Mr Gruebel will replace Marcel Rohner, who has overseen a difficult time at the company.
UBS has made more write-downs than any other European bank during the credit crisis and it has been criticised for its handling of a US tax fraud probe.
Mr Gruebel worked at Credit Suisse for 40 years and was co-chief executive and chief executive between 2003 and 2007.
UBS said Mr Rohner had informed the board in January he intended to retire after plans to reposition its investment bank had been concluded.
"Oswald Gruebel brings the ideal skill set to recreate value, together with our management team, for our shareholders and clients," said UBS chairman Peter Kurer in a statement.
Last week, UBS agreed to pay a $780m (£549m) fine and disclose client names to settle US criminal charges in a tax fraud investigation. This sparked fears that privacy surrounding Switzerland's wealth management industry would be destroyed.
It also led to UBS's shares plummeting. The shares hit record lows of below 10 francs this week.
Speculation about a reshuffle in the higher echelons of at the bank have centred on Swiss National Bank board member Philipp Hildebrand and Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne. | Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | February 2009 | ['(BBC)'] |
In rugby union, the South African Rugby Union confirms that the Cheetahs and Kings will be dropped from the Super Rugby competition effective at the end of the current season. (ESPN ) | South African Rugby have confirmed that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings will be dropped from Super Rugby in 2018, opening the door for them to join the European PRO12 competition, played between clubs from Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales.
Both unions have reached settlement agreements with SA Rugby to end their participation in Super Rugby, and have stated their excitement at exploring "other international competition opportunities", without naming the PRO12 specifically.
SA Rugby's General Council will meet on Friday to ratify the decision, but it is a mere formality.
"The board of the Cheetahs has reviewed the team's future and is extremely positive about the prospect of appearing in alternative international competitions," Harold Verster, CEO of the Cheetahs, said in a media release from SA Rugby on Friday.
Although he did not name the PRO12, the competition heavily assumed to be the next move for the sides, Verster suggested that the future of the Cheetahs was already secure.
"It will be an exciting challenge for our players, supporters and commercial partners, and will be the start of a new chapter for rugby both in our region and in South Africa," he said.
"Also, it will allow the Cheetahs to carve out a new and prominent place on the rugby map in South Africa as well as internationally."
Andre Rademan, president of the Eastern Province Rugby Union that provides a home base for the Kings, also did not provide details of the team's future, but also suggested they would join a new competition soon.
"It has been a roller coaster ride for the franchise for a number of seasons but there is now a clear and viable way forward for rugby in the Eastern Cape to build on the foundations that have been laid - particularly in the past season," he said in a statement from SA Rugby.
"We have enjoyed Super Rugby but the chance to test ourselves against different opposition in different conditions is a mouth-watering one. We are therefore not opposed to joining new competitions." | Withdraw from an Organization | July 2017 | ['(UK)'] |
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, addresses the Muslim world in Cairo, Egypt. | CAIRO, June 4 -- President Obama delivered a direct appeal to the Islamic world Thursday for a "new beginning" with the United States, acknowledging historical mistakes made over centuries in the name of culture and religion that he said are now overshadowed by shared interests.
The 55-minute address electrified many Muslims in the Arab Middle East. The president celebrated the cultural, scientific and intellectual achievements of Islam to the delight of the audience inside the domed hall at Cairo University where he spoke -- and beyond.
Using spare language and a measured explanatory tone, the country's first African American president, whose Kenyan family has deep Islamic roots, drew on history, biography, moral principles and mutual interests to dispel cultural stereotypes that divide Christians from Muslims, Arabs from Jews, and the United States from many in the Islamic faith. Seemingly small but symbolically important gestures by Obama drew warm applause, including his use of the phrase "May peace be upon him" after a reference to the prophet Muhammad. Speaking in Arabic, he offered the traditional greeting of "May peace be upon you" on behalf of the American people, again to applause.
As he urged leaders in the Muslim world to "place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party," a man shouted, "Barack Obama, we love you!" The president responded simply, "Thank you," and moved quickly back into his remarks. At the end of the speech he received a standing ovation, and some in the crowd chanted, "O-bam-a, O-bam-a."
"Egypt also has suffered from terrorism," said Ahmed el-Shoura, a 21-year-old political science student at Cairo University who attended the speech. "The question is, how do you deal with it -- through the military or something else? Obama showed today that he understands this difference and how to manage it."
Obama quoted John Adams, the Koran, the Bible and the Talmud to argue that "as long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity."
"This cycle of suspicion and discord must end," Obama said. "I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition."
The highly anticipated speech drew about 3,000 invited guests, including 500 journalists, to Cairo University and an audience of tens of millions more looking in over national television networks, social-networking Web sites, and instant-messaging services set up by the administration in a variety of languages. Obama pledged during his presidential campaign to reach out directly to America's rivals if elected, and the speech Thursday marked his most high-profile attempt to change the direction of U.S. relations with Islamic nations, ties that traced a steady downward arc through the Bush administration.
The president was at times intimate and at times scolding, criticizing Islamic countries and his own for allowing differences to be exploited to violent ends "by a small but potent minority of Muslims." In a flat, angry phrase, he told the audience that the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were "not opinions to be debated" but "facts to be dealt with."
As he spoke, the Arab satellite network al-Jazeera aired a new message from Osama bin Laden, urging Muslims to "brace yourselves for a long war against the world's infidels and their agents."
Drawing at times on his father's Islamic heritage and his childhood in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation, Obama made his own biography the starting point for a new U.S. relationship with Islam. He nostalgically recalled hearing the call to prayer "at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk" as a boy in Indonesia, biographical details he rarely mentioned during the campaign, when his Muslim family tree was seen as suspect by some voters. He declared his Christian faith Thursday near the start of his remarks.
At the same time, Obama spoke to Muslims about their most heartfelt sources of anger in words and phrases they would use, such as the term "occupation" to describe Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories. He used similar language in his remarks on the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the legacy of harsh American interrogation methods and the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. | Famous Person - Give a speech | June 2009 | ['(BBC)', '(Washington Post)'] |
Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will become the representative of the 2nd district of Pampanga. |
OUTGOING EXECS President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leads the last Cabinet meeting held at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room in Malacañang on Tuesday.
MANILA, Philippines—On her last full day on the job, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Tuesday kept a schedule so hectic, moving from one appointment to the next with no time for small talk, that she admitted having no idea what to wear when she steps down from power at noon Wednesday.
“I haven’t thought about that yet,” Ms Arroyo told reporters who popped the wardrobe question while trailing her in Malacañang as she wrapped up nine years of governance, the longest Philippine presidency since the Marcos dictatorship.
Starting the day dressed in a pink suit and matching pink shoes, Ms Arroyo presided over at least four Palace events, among them the conferment of presidential awards to officials of the Commission on Elections led by its chair, Jose Melo.
She appeared to be in no mood to chitchat with reporters trying to get one last interview before she turns over power to President-elect Benigno Aquino III. She either gave them mere one-liners or simply ignored their questions.
But her disposition visibly changed—and so did her attire—later in the day, when she convened her last Cabinet meeting.
This time in a red suit and red shoes, Ms Arroyo warmly acknowledged and conferred presidential awards to members of her official family led by Vice President Noli de Castro.
At one point, she broke into laughter with Cabinet members when the blue sash she was ceremonially putting on Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza got placed the wrong way.
But amid the loud banter, observers could not help but notice the absence of one prominent Cabinet member.
Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, one of the longest-serving members of the Arroyo Cabinet, did not attend the meeting.
Hours earlier, Romulo was seen at the news conference held by Aquino to introduce his own Cabinet. Romulo is keeping the top post at the Department of Foreign Affairs in the new administration.
“Business as usual” was how Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano described the mood of the last Cabinet meeting.
Fellowship night
Durano said Cabinet members presented their final transition report to Ms Arroyo, basically an assurance that their respective departments were “ready” for the next administration.
After the conferment of awards, Ms Arroyo and her official family were scheduled to have their final fellowship night at the nearby Bahay Pangarap. “Doon ang iyakan (This is where you expect tearful goodbyes),” the tourism secretary said.
Mendoza noted that until the “very last moment,” Ms Arroyo kept a busy day Tuesday.
Mendoza said he received up to three calls from her before noon, which was nothing compared to the number of calls he would normally get from his boss, who he said was the type who kept odd hours and “(did) not have a mañana habit.”
Earlier in a press briefing, Mendoza and the President’s spokespersons, also for the last time, defended Ms Arroyo and her track record.
“We just have an abundance of critics in this country,” he said in Filipino. “The good things done by a person often go unrecognized and minor mistakes get so much attention.”
In defense of her temper
The Palace officials also defended Ms Arroyo’s infamous temper.
For Presidential Management Staff chief Elena Bautista-Horn, Ms Arroyo was just being human whenever she lost her cool, given her huge responsibilities.
She also thanked Ms Arroyo for exposing her to “real life,” referring to her stint as chief of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and later of the Maritime Industry Authority.
For Press Secretary Jun Icban, a veteran newspaperman before he took on the Palace job, joining the Arroyo Cabinet made him “a little more sympathetic with the problems of government.”
Icban back to Bulletin
“I will be a more sympathetic newspaperman,” said Icban, who is returning to Manila Bulletin as its editor in chief.
Presidential spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said Ms Arroyo’s “focus” on her programs drove the Cabinet and the government to do a better job.
“It is this focus that sometimes leads the President to express displeasure in so many ways and in so many words—to people in the Cabinet or other people. And I will have to say, this is not the displeasure of the President. I would like to think this is the displeasure of the nation expressed by the President,” Saludo said.
A reporter asked whether it was true that Ms Arroyo, in a fit of anger, once hurled a laptop at a Cabinet member during a meeting.
Mendoza dismissed it as nothing but an urban legend.
‘Thank you, Cebu’
In Cebu on Monday, Ms Arroyo marked her last trip as President to the province by inaugurating several projects and thanking the Cebuanos for their support in past elections.
“I thank all of you for the landslide (win) that you have given me since I ran for senator, then for Vice President and for President,” Ms Arroyo said at the inauguration of the Macapagal-Gullas fish port at Barangay Tangke in Talisay City.
The P136.4-million fish port houses an ice plant and storage facility, an administration building and public toilets.
At the Cebu International Convention Center, Ms Arroyo also administered the oath of office to elected officials, among them Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas and Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Two other members of the Garcia clan took their oath before Ms Arroyo—patriarch Pablo Garcia as congressman of Cebu’s second district and son Pablo John Garcia as congressman of the third district.
Ms Arroyo proceeded to Danao City to inaugurate a project named after her father and late President—the Diosdado Macapagal Park and Boardwalk.
Governor Garcia heaped praises on Ms Arroyo, who six years ago chose to take her presidential oath in Cebu to thank the province for her victory in 2004.
“Nothing can erase that proud memory, nothing can dilute the honor of that moment,” Garcia said. “Not the passage of time, not the shifting political tides, not the march of generations to come.” | Government Job change - Resignation_Dismissal | June 2010 | ['(Philippine Daily Inquirer)'] |
Israel suspends peace talks with the Palestinian Authority following an announcement of a unity agreement between the ruling Palestinian faction Fatah and the militant Hamas rulers of Gaza. | Israel has hit back hard following an agreement on Palestinian unity by suspending already faltering peace negotiations just days before the expiry of a deadline for the US-brokered process.
The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, accused the western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, of forming an alliance with Hamas, which he called "a terrorist organisation that calls for the destruction of Israel" – and hinted at further retaliatory measures.
Netanyahu's comments followed Wednesday's announcement of a unity agreement between Abbas' Fatah movement – the dominant group in the PLO and which governs parts of the West Bank – and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The US and EU also classify Hamas – whose name means the Islamic Resistance Movement – as a terrorist group, but may review their policies in the light of the unity deal.
"What has happened is a great reverse for peace, because we had hoped the Palestinian Authority [PA] president Abbas would embrace the Jewish state, the idea of two nation states, Palestinian one and a Jewish one," Netanyahu told NBC. "But instead, he took a giant leap backward."
But there was confusion about whether the decision to suspend talks was taken by Netanyahu or the Israeli security cabinet.
According to a senior Israeli official, the meeting of senior ministers ended without a clear decision to suspend talks until the Hamas-backed unity government was formed. But some ministers were surprised by Netanyahu's announcement.
A source close to his office, while refusing to discuss details of the meeting, was clear that peace talks had been suspended by Netanyahu, but added that day-to -day contacts on issues like security would continue.
Palestinian officials said they would now be considering "all options".
On the face of it, the decision to suspend talks is a blow to the US secretary of state, John Kerry, who has spent almost nine months trying to coax Israelis and Palestinians into an agreement about the conflict's most contentious issues. In recent weeks, however, the two sides had moved further apart over prisoner releases, PA moves to join UN bodies and Israeli settlement expansion.
The US has rejected criticism that it helped provide Israel with an exit route from ailing Palestinian peace talks, insisting there is still a slim chance of bringing the two sides back to negotiations.
Kerry phoned Abbas to express US "disappointment" in his alliance with Hamas.
The peace negotiations had been scheduled to expire next Tuesday, with scant hope of an extension. "The idea that the Palestinian unity deal sets anything back on the peace process is not credible because nothing was happening and it was clear to everyone that nothing was going to," said Daniel Levy of the European Council on Foreign Relations thinktank. "Let's not lie to ourselves that things would have changed if the talks had continued."
Israeli anger at the Fatah-Hamas deal was predictable. But some observers suggested the situation suited Israel's prime minister. "With the deal, Netanyahu had a perfect alibi," wrote Noam Sheizaf. "After all, if Abbas is back to doing business with an organisation that refuses to recognise Israel and believes in armed resistance, one cannot blame the Israeli government for abandoning the peace process."
If it holds – three previous attempts have not – the unity deal will end a debilitating seven-year split in Palestinian ranks that has played into Israel's hands and cut off Gaza and its 1.7 million people from the West Bank and from negotiating efforts.
But important differences still separate the two sides: the PLO/PA has recognised Israel and seeks a two-state solution to the conflict. It co-operates on security with Israel – arresting Hamas activists. Hamas refuses to recognise Israel though it is prepared for a long-term truce. It has observed a ceasefire in Gaza. It is hostile to the idea of a two-state solution though sometimes ambiguous about it.
The reconciliation has grown out of the failure of the peace talks. It has advantages for Abbas, who faces a crisis of legitimacy and has nothing to show for his moderation – enemies call it "collaboration" –except more Israeli settlements. Moves toward unity and the promise of elections within six months will be popular. Hamas, the weaker party, has suffered from stagnation in Gaza and the loss of support from Egypt after the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood. "Hamas," said a veteran observer of the Palestinian scene, "has got nowhere else to go, nothing better to do."
Abbas, who succeeded Yasser Arafat as PLO leader but has none of his charisma, has insisted that any reconciliation with Hamas will be on his terms and that he will remain in charge of negotiations policy. Western diplomats insist that it will have to be so if the US and EU, which bankroll the PA and fear the consequences of its collapse, are to continue paying.
The EU said it welcomed the Palestinian unity agreement but said the priority remains peace talks with Israel. The US state department said: "Any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations between the parties. If a new Palestinian government is formed, we will assess it based on its adherence to the stipulations above, its policies and actions, and will determine any implications for our assistance based on US law." | Government Policy Changes | April 2014 | ['(The Guardian)', '(The Times of Israel)'] |
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte accuses the opposition Liberal Party of trying to oust him and install the current vice president Leni Robredo to the presidency. | MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte suspects the Liberal Party still wants to oust him because they “cannot accept defeat.”
“Yung mga Yellow diyan, nagdedemonstrate kayo (You Yellow, you are demonstrating)…You want me out because you cannot accept defeat,” said Duterte on Wednesday night, December 7, during the United Nations Convention Against Corruption event at the Palace.
“Pulitika ito eh (This is politics). They wanted me out, syempre yung (of course the) Vice President – kayo, you had your chance,” added Duterte, mentioning Vice President Leni Robredo, the Liberal Party member with the highest position in government.
Days ago, Duterte had told Robredo, through a text from Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr, that she should stop attending Cabinet meetings starting December 5. The move convinced Robredo to resign from her post as housing czar.
The Palace said Duterte’s decision to bar Robredo from Cabinet meetings was due to their “irreconcilable differences.”
Robredo previously denied any Liberal Party plans to oust Duterte.
In the midst of his rant about the Liberal Party, Duterte contrasted the political party with Leftists who he claims support him.
“Pero pag sabi mong Left, they would never even allow me to step down two steps to the ground. ‘Yang mga komunsita, ‘yang NPA (New People’s Army), puro Duterte ‘yan,” he said.
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(But when you say Left, they would never even allow me to step down two steps to the ground. The communists, the NPA, they are all for Duterte.)
Duterte’s Cabinet counts among its members individuals affiliated with the Left, including Cabinet Secretary Evasco, a former NPA rebel; Agrarian Secretary Rafael Mariano; Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo; and National Anti-Poverty Commission chairperson Liza Maza.
The Duterte administration is also pursuing peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines in Oslo, Norway. – Rappler.com
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Pia Ranada covers the Office of the President and Bangsamoro regional issues for Rappler. While helping out with desk duties, she also watches the environment sector and the local government of Quezon City. For tips or story suggestions, you can reach her at [email protected]. | Famous Person - Give a speech | December 2016 | ['(Rappler)'] |
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