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Showing posts from April 24, 2011

Lanka killings could be 'war crimes': UN panel

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Source: IBNLIVE United Nation: A UN panel has said killing of tens of thousands of people in the final stages of the Sri Lankan civil strife could amount to "war crimes", but Secretary General Ban Ki-moon insisted he would only launch an international investigation if Colombo agrees or member states call for it. A UN statement publicly releasing a report by a world body panel said that Secretary General has been advised that he needs Sri Lankan government consent or a decision by member states in an international forum to go ahead to order an international investigation into allegations of possible war crime. The statement did not specify the forum and whether it meant that an international probe had to be ratified by the UN Security Council, General Assembly or Human Rights Council. Ban's statement came as the panel called on the Secretary General to immediately set up "an independent international mechanism" to investigate "credible"

Tight security in London for royal wedding

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Source: IBNLIVE London: The Metropolitan police will deply nearly 5,000 officers on Friday, and promised a robust response to anyone or group seeking to disrupt the royal wedding's proceedings. Commander Christine Jones of the Metropolitan police said the force will ensure that the event is a 'safe, secure and happy event', and added that there was no specific threat so far. She said, "We would be wrong not to consider spontaneous protest as part of our contingency planning. But let us make it absolutely clear - this is a day of celebration, joy and pageantry. It is a fantastic day for Britain." Jones added: "Any criminals attempting to disrupt it, be that in the guise of protest or otherwise, will be met by a robust, decisive, flexible and proportionate policing response." Police authorities are reportedly negotiating with radical Islamist group Muslims against Crusades over proposed protests, after its application for an event at Westm

Wikileaks provide new insight on Osama and Al-Qaeda

9/11 mastermind Khaled Sheikh Mohammed reportedly told interrogators Al Qaeda has hidden a N-device in Europe

Al-Qaeda was against killing Pearl: WikiLeaks

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Source: Ibnlive Boston: 9/11 attacks mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was warned by a senior Al-Qaeda military commander not to kill Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 and that he should be "freed" but the American was killed anyway, according to leaked WikiLeaks documents. 38-year-old Pearl, who was the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, was beheaded by his Pakistani captors in February 2002 after being abducted. "A senior Al Qaeda military commander strongly warned Khalid Shaikh Mohammed not to kill Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002, cautioning him 'it would not be wise to murder Pearl' and that he (Pearl) should 'be returned back to one of the previous groups who held him, or freed,'" a report in the Los Angeles Times said. Quoting US military documents posted by WikiLeaks, the report said Mohammed told his US interrogators at Guantanamo Bay that he cut off Pearl's head anyway

Egypt gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan exploded

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source: bbc news The flames shot into the air as dawn broke Continue reading the main story Related Stories Egypt lifts ban on gas to Israel Egypt 'must halt' Israel gas deal Country profile: Egypt A pipeline carrying gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan has exploded after an attack by an armed gang in the north Sinai area of Egypt. A tower of flames shot into the air and forced the pipeline to be shut down, Egyptian security officials say. It is the second such attack in a month on the pipeline, south of the town of El-Arish, just 30 miles (50km) from the border with Israel. On that occasion, when gunmen planted explosives, they failed to detonate. "An unknown armed gang attacked the gas pipeline," an unnamed security source told Reuters, adding that the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan had been hit. Neighbouring Jordan depends on Egyptian gas to generate 80% of its electricity while Israel gets 40% of its natural gas from the country. Syria also imports gas from

France and Italy in call to close EU borders in wake of Arab protests

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Source: gaurdian  Sarkozy and Berlusconi want passport-free travel within the EU suspended as north African migrants flee north Ian Traynor  in Brussels and  John Hooper  in Rome The Guardian , Wednesday 27 April 2011 Article history Sarkozy and Berlusconi are demanding European deportation pacts with the countries of revolutionary north Africa to send migrants home. Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/EPA France and Italy have thrown down the gauntlet over Europe's system of passport-free travel, saying a crisis of immigration sparked by the Arab spring was calling into question the borderless regime enjoyed by more than 400 million people in 25 countries. Challenging one of the biggest achievements of European integration of recent decades, Nicolas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi also launched a joint effort to stem immigration and demanded European deportation pacts with the countries of revolutionary north Africa to send new arrivals packing. The French president and the Italian

Libya: Gaddafi on the 'back foot', says Liam Fox

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Source: BBC News Liam Fox (R) spoke of 'significant progress' in Misrata Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is "on the back foot", Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said, citing new momentum in Nato's air campaign. He said there had been "significant progress" in the past 72 hours against Col Gaddafi's forces in Misrata. He was speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon after meeting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates. Foreign Secretary William Hague has said "diplomatic, economic and military pressure" will be stepped up on Libya. Nato is enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians in Libya amid a two-month revolt inspired by other uprisings in the Arab world. 'Regime desperate' But the city of Misrata in the west of the country continues to come under attack by Libyan government forces attempting to retake it. Three people were reportedly killed on Tuesday as missiles slammed into the city's port, a lifeline for those seeking

Witness: 6 dead from sniper fire in Daraa as fear in Syria grows

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Source: CNN April 27, 2011 -- Updated 0849 GMT (1649 HKT) Demonstrations in support of Syria's anti-government activists have been held around the world, including New York (pictured). STORY HIGHLIGHTS The U.N. Security Council will be briefed Wednesday on the chaos in Syria The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. calls acts by the Syrian regime "abhorrent and deplorable" Human rights group: More than 400 have died since March 18 amid a government crackdown The Syrian ambassador to the U.N. rejects a call for an independent investigation (CNN)  -- Terror reigned in the Syrian city of Daraa on Wednesday as intermittent gunfire rang out overnight and snipers held their positions on rooftops, a witness there said. He said the situation "is worsening day after day" where the country's recent anti-government protests started. Five people were killed by sniper fire on Tuesday, including a 6-year-old girl, said the witness, who is not being identified for security re