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Showing posts from November 10, 2013

Somali pirates jailed in US over American deaths

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15 November 2013   Last updated at 16:04 Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar (front, left), Abukar Osman Beyle (back, centre) and Ahmed Muse Salad (front, right) were all convicted of murder and piracy this week A US court has sentenced two Somali pirates to life in prison without parole for their role in the killing of four Americans aboard a yacht off the Horn of Africa in February 2011. Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar were convicted of murder, kidnapping, hostage-taking and piracy. Prosecutors say 19 Somalis, 14 of whom have now been sentenced, boarded the yacht to take the Americans for ransom. The hostages died after negotiations with the US Navy broke down. The victims were the yacht's owners, Jean Adam, 66, and her husband Scott Adam, 70 - a former producer who worked on classic TV show The Love Boat - and their two friends Phyllis Patricia Macay, 59, and Robert Riggle, 67. They had been sailing round the world distributing Bibles when their yacht was boarded by pirat

UN rejects Africa bid to halt Kenya leaders' ICC trials

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15 November 2013   Last updated at 19:15 Both men deny involvement in post-election violence in 2007 The UN Security Council has rejected an attempt to suspend the trials of Kenya's president and vice-president at the International Criminal Court (ICC). A resolution had been proposed by African states to suspend the trial of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto for a year. Eight of the 15 council members abstained and the motion did not pass. Both men face charges over violence following the disputed 2007 election, which left some 1,200 people dead. The resolution was proposed by Rwanda and seven members of the Security Council - including Russia and China - voted in favour. However, nine votes are needed for a resolution to be successful at the council. The resolution had been widely expected to fail, the BBC's Nick Bryant reports from the UN in New York. Western countries on the council had opposed a delay, characterising their support for the ICC trials going

Burma announces release of 69 political prisoners

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15 November 2013   Last updated at 12:11 Burma has freed many political prisoners since reforms in 2010 Burmese officials have said they are releasing 69 political prisoners, including the grandchildren of a former leader of the country. The release is part of President Thein Sein's promise to free all prisoners of conscience by the end of the year. The move comes amid a visit by high-profile guests, including officials from the European Union. Burma, also known as Myanmar, has freed scores of political prisoners since steps towards democracy began in 2010. Campaigners said before this release that there were 133 political prisoners still in jail. Among the freed detainees were former leader General Ne Win's grandchildren, who were sentenced to death 11 years ago for allegedly trying to stage a coup. Naw Ohn Hla, a prominent female activist sentenced to two years in jail in August for opposing a controversial Chinese-backed copper mine, was also to be freed. The release is a ta

Jailed Argentine ex-army officer Alejandro Lawless escapes

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13 November 2013   Last updated at 10:50 Lawless handed himself in to police in 2009 after a reward for his capture had been offered A former Argentine army officer jailed for crimes against humanity committed under military rule has escaped while in transit to a court in Buenos Aires. Alejandro Lawless, 66, absconded from a police van outside the court building. Lawless was sentenced for involvement in kidnapping, torturing and killing political opponents of the government between 1976 and 1983. He is the third convicted military officer to escape from custody this year. Two ex-army officers, Jorge Olivera and Gustavo De Marchi, broke out of a military hospital in July and are still on the run. Seven members of staff were relieved of their duties following their escape. 'Distracted' Lawless was being taken to a court in central Buenos Aires at midday on Tuesday along with other prisoners. The security guards said he took advantage of their momentary distraction while other pri

UK faces mass 'ransomware' email attack from cybercriminal gangs

British computer users are being warned of a mass spamming attack that aims to encrypt their computer and extort a £540 ransom – in Bitcoins - to unscramble it. The UK's National Crime Agency  put out an alert on Friday afternoon warning that emails masquerading as communications from banks and financial institutions are being targeted at small and medium businesses, as well as millions of bank customers. The emails have an attachment which appears to be a voicemail, fax, invoice or details of a suspicious transaction that is being queried. But instead it is a malicious program that, if opened, will encrypt the user's hard drive and then begin displaying a countdown timer, while demanding the payment of 2 Bitcoins - an almost untraceable online currency. At present exchange rates, 2 Bitcoins costs about £540 - but the price has jumped in the past few weeks. The NCA warned that the scam is "a significant risk". Lee Miles, deputy head of the national cybercrime unit, sa

Pope Francis becomes 'mafia target' after campaigning against corruption

London, Nov. 14 (ANI):   Pope Francis has brought on himself the wrath of mafia after campaigning against corruption, a leading anti-mob prosecutor has warned. Nicola Gratteri warned that Francis' attempt to bring transparency to the Vatican  was making the white collar mobsters who do business with corrupt prelates 'nervous and agitated'. Gratteri further said that the pope is dismantling centres of economic power in the Vatican adding that organized criminals could be thinking about attacking him, the Guardian reports. According to the report, Francis, who has called for 'a poor church', has backed reform at the Vatican's bank, which has been suspected for years of being a channel for the laundering of mob profits. Gratteri said that the mafia that invests, launders money, has the real power, and has got rich for years from its connivance with the church, and with Pope's efforts they are now getting nervous. The prosecutor further criticized priests and bi

Al Qaeda jihadists 'red-faced' after mistakenly beheading own cadre Syrian rebel

Washington, Nov. 16 (ANI): Al Qaeda-linked jihadists have admitted beheading a Syrian rebel fighter after mistakenly assuming him as an Iraqi Shiite fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a video was posted on the internet showing two members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) holding up a bearded man's head before a crowd in central Aleppo, Sky News reports. The UK-based watchdog's chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that the man was identified as Mohammed Marroush, a fighter with rebel group, Ahrar al Sham, which is an ISIL ally. According to the report, he was wounded in fighting at a regime military base east of Aleppo and was taken to hospital for treatment.  While in his drugged state, he repeated names of two honored Shiite imams, Ali and Hussein, when the two ISIL men presumed him to be a Shiite fighter and captivated him. ISIL later announced that one of its men, a Tunisian, had been arr

Nine Boko Haram killed in military offensive in Nigeria

Lagos, Nov 16 (IANS) Nine Boko Haram insurgents were killed in an offensive on a camp in the Nigeria northeast Borno State, military authorities said Friday. Spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col Muhammad Dole said the troops launched an offensive on the sect camp along Rimanti Allagarno road in Damboa Local Government Thursday, reported Xinhua. "Nine of the sect members died while others fled with various degrees of injuries," Dole said in a statement. He disclosed that large number of arms and ammunition were recovered with two pickup vehicles and two motorcycles during the encounter. The army spokesman said military troops were intensifying patrol and surveillance in the forest around Damboa and Gwoza Local Governments "to reach remote and isolated towns and villages with a view to preventing further incessant attacks by the insurgents". He described the insurgents as "desperate and frustrated elements", insisting that insurgents cam

LAX shooting: paramedics were delayed 33 minutes by police – official

An airport security officer lay helplessly bleeding after a gunman opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport as paramedics waited 150 yards away because police had not declared the terminal safe to enter, according to two law enforcement officials. It would be 33 minutes before Transportation Security Administration officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was about 20 feet from an exit, would be wheeled out by airport police to an ambulance, said the officials, who were briefed on the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe was still ongoing into the November 1 shooting. For all but five of those minutes, there was no threat from the suspected gunman — he had been shot and was in custody, they said. While it's not known when Hernandez died or if immediate medical attention could have saved his life, officials are examining what conversations took place between police and fire commanders to determine when it was safe enough to enter and whether paramedics c

Militants attack army convoy in Kashmir

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Militants ambushed a convoy of the Indian Army in Kupwara, Kashmir on Saturday morning. Militants opened fire at the convoy near Dragmulla village of Kupwara district, said a senior police officer. One army trooper was injured in the attack and he has been rushed to the hospital for treatment. The area has been cordoned off and security personnel have launched searches to flush out militants. Mukhtar Ahmad Source http://rediff.com/news/report/militants-attack-army-convoy-in-kashmir/20131116.htm

10 killed, 80 injured in sectarian violence in Rawalpindi

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At least 10 people, including some students of a Sunni seminary, were killed and over 80 others injured in sectarian violence that erupted in Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday after a clash during a Muharram procession, following which a curfew was  imposed. Army soldiers were called out and all mobile services were suspended to control the situation. At least 10 people were killed in sectarian violence,  Dunya News  channel reported. Around 80 others, including several policemen, were injured in the violence. The Punjab government decided to impose the indefinite curfew in Rawalpindi on the advice of the Commissioner and Inspector General of police after the deadly clashes, in which a market and several vehicles and petrol pumps were burnt, spiralled out of control. Government and police officials said that the clashes started when a Shia procession was passing through Raja Bazar area of Rawalpindi. "Initial investigations suggest that some miscreants raised slogans

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron puts Sri Lanka on notice over war crimes

Colombo:  Britain's David Cameron put Sri Lanka on notice Saturday to address allegations of war crimes within months or else he would lead a push for action at the United Nations. Speaking at a troubled Commonwealth summit in Colombo, the British premier warned his hosts that pressure over alleged abuses at the end of Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict was not about to go away. He also told of how he had "frank" exchanges with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse after he returned from a historic visit to the war-torn Jaffna region. "The Sri Lankan government needs to go further and faster on human rights and reconciliation," Cameron told a press conference. "I accept it takes time but I think the important thing is to get on the right track. "This issue is not going to go away, it's an issue of international concern." The UN and rights group say as many as 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final stages of the civil war in May 2009

Britain's Cameron faces protests in former Sri Lanka war zone

Sat Nov 16, 2013 2:58am IST By Shihar Aneez and Frank Jack Daniel COLOMBO/JAFFNA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Crowds of protesters met British Prime Minister David Cameron in the north of Sri Lanka on Friday, some surging towards his vehicle brandishing photos of relatives lost in the country's long civil war that ended four years ago. Cameron visited the city of Jaffna in the ethnic Tamil- dominated region of the island after attending the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth summit in the capital Colombo. The biennial meeting of mainly former British colonies has this year brought intense scrutiny of Sri Lanka's human rights record. "I think it's important to shine a spotlight on what's happened in this country and to speak up against abuses that have taken place," he said in a muddy shanty town of people pushed off their own land by the military 23 years ago. Rival protesters met Cameron on his tour of the town, including Tamils seeking his support in locating mi

Nepal disillusioned by top Maoists' taste for luxury

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When Nepal ousted the monarchy and voted in a Maoist-led government in 2008, few anticipated that, five years on, the former guerrillas would come under fire for living like kings. Commentators and former rebels say the party's leadership has swapped its revolutionary ideals for corruption-fuelled luxury, with the strongest criticism reserved for chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by the nom-de-guerre Prachanda. The Maoists came to power promising social change, economic growth and lasting peace for a country devastated by a decade-long civil war. Since then, Nepal has seen several coalition governments come and go, with none able to agree on a constitution to finalise the peace process. Meanwhile, the Maoists have witnessed a mutiny, with a splinter group threatening to disrupt next week's national elections. Former guerrilla Bishnu Pariyar took up arms aged 14. By the time he was 22, he had survived gunshot wounds to become one of Prachanda's personal aides. "

Jharkhand: 3 IEDs with 15 kg explosives seized

New Delhi:  The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have recovered 15 kg of explosives in Jharkhand on Wednesday morning, the CRPF said. The explosives were fitted into three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The recovery was made during a special search operation from a Maoist camp in Sonua of the West Singhbhum district. "The CRPF men also recovered a combat dress and three pamphlets used by Maoists to spread their message," said a CRPF official. Source  http://ndtv.com/article/cities/jharkhand-3-ieds-with-15-kg-explosives-seized-442393

CRPF officer arrested for allegedly leaking information to Maoists

Gaya, Bihar:  An officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been arrested in Bihar on charges of leaking vital information to Maoists. Sanjay Yadav, a CRPF assistant commandant posted in the Maoist-affected area of Barachatti in Gaya, was arrested last evening. The Bihar police say the officer's phone had been under surveillance for the past three months, and he had been caught sharing information on the movement of security forces, especially the anti-Maoist CoBRA commandos, with Maoist leaders.  "He had been providing information related to the anti-Naxal operations of the CRPF and the Special Task Force, as well as the activities of the CRPF's CoBRA unit. The leaks endangered our forces," said a senior Bihar police officer. Sanjay Yadav's alleged role as an informer was reportedly confirmed after the arrest of another man from the same area, Pradeep Yadav, suspected to be a Maoist. The CRPF is also investigating the extent to which the officer had h

Jihadists say Syria rebel beheaded in error: Report

BEIRUT: Al-Qaida-linked jihadists in Syria have admitted beheading a fellow rebel by mistake after believing him to be an Iraqi Shia fighting alongside regime forces, a watchdog said on Friday.   A video posted on the internet on Wednesday showed two members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) holding up a bearded man's head before a crowd in Aleppo in northern Syria.  They said he was an Iraqi Shia who had been fighting among the ranks of President Bashar al-Assad's forces.  "Some minutes after the video was posted, the man was identified as Mohammed Marroush, a fighter with rebel group Ahrar al-Sham," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.  The Islamist Ahrar al-Sham is an ISIL ally. "ISIL later admitted the rebel had been killed by mistake and said it had arrested one of its men, a Tunisian, for decapitating him. He was referred to their Islamic court."  The second man, also a foreign fighter and from the Gulf, ha

Who is Mahinda Rajapaksa? Hero or war criminal?

LONDON: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was once a human rights activist, campaigning with the mothers of the "disappeared". Now, he is accused of presiding over war crimes and crimes against humanity, and his government actively prevents the families of the "disappeared" from protesting.   To his supporters, Rajapaksa is still a Sinhala Buddhist hero. Larger than life-sized posters that appeared after the government's victory in the civil war in 2009 consciously play on ancient historical heroes.  Frequent comparisons are made between the triumphant President and Dutugemunu, the ancient Sinhala king who defeated "invading Tamils" more than 2,000 years ago. "It took 13 years for Dutugemunu to regain lost territory and establish total sovereignty over Sri Lanka. But it took less than three years for Rajapaksa to achieve the same goal," boasts Sri Lanka's ministry of defence website, adding rather ruefully that kings were "not r

Europe Racism: Outrage in France as magazine calls black minister ‘monkey’

PARIS: A weekly newspaper with a front page comparing a black government minister to a monkey hit newsstands in France, despite legal objections and a nationwide outcry over the racist slur. Amid mounting concern over similar recent incidents, the far-right satirical publication 'Minute' went on sale with a cover featuring a picture of justice minister Christiane Taubira and headlines which read, "Crafty as a monkey" and "Taubira gets her banana back" on Wednesday. The text is deliberately ambiguous — the term "crafty as a monkey" in French can be used as praise while getting your banana back is roughly the equivalent of recovering the spring in your step. Taubira herself described the newspaper's words as "extremely violent" and "denying she belonged to the human race". The provocative cover page was also an obvious reference to two other recent cases of Taubira being publicly likened to a monkey, incidents which have trigg

Insight - Russia fears return of fighters waging jihad in Syria

 Nov 14, 2013 6:33am GMT By Alissa de Carbonnel NOVOSASITLI, Russia (Reuters) - A scrawny 15-year-old this summer became the first from his deeply religious Muslim village in Russia's southern Dagestan province to die fighting alongside rebels in Syria. Some regard him as a martyr for joining the rebels in the fight against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is supported by Russia. Moscow now fears that hundreds of Russian-born militants it says are fighting in Syria will return experienced in warfare to join an insurgency in Dagestan and its other North Caucasus provinces by militants fighting for an Islamic state. Violence in the region claims lives almost daily. Fifteen men from Novosasitli alone have died in shootouts with Russian forces in the last four years, locals say. Analysts say fighters could also try to strike during the 2014 Winter Olympics in February in nearby Sochi. President Vladimir Putin, who has staked his reputation on the Games, has said militants returning