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Showing posts from November 24, 2013

Colombian FARC rebels say they taxed coca growers

Havana (AFP) - Colombia's FARC rebels acknowledged Friday that they collected taxes from coca cultivators but rejected accusations of "narco-terrorism." "We saw ourselves forced to set up a system of fiscal contributions and transaction regulations with the farmers, taking into consideration their rights and protecting them from abuse from intermediaries and drug traffickers," they said in a statement. The remarks by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia came on the second day of a renewed round of peace talks with the government aimed at ending their near 50-year conflict. Considered Latin America's longest-running insurgency, it has left hundreds of thousands of dead and displaced more than 4.5 million people. Currently on the agenda at the talks, which began more than a year ago and are being held in the Cuban capital Havana, is ending drug trafficking in the country. The discussions resumed Thursday after a three week break amid differen

Sri Lanka starts counting civil war dead

Government sends 15,000 officials house-to-house to count those who were killed during the country's 26-year conflict. Sri Lanka's government has started counting the dead, wounded and missing in its quarter-century civil war amid international pressure to conduct a credible investigation into allegations of war crimes.   The move on Thursday comes two years after a local war commission recommended a census to determine the number of civilian deaths in the civil war which ended in 2009.   Tens of thousands are said to have perished in just the last few months of the fighting. Government census official, A.J. Satharasinghe, said some 15,000 workers will go house-to-house asking about war victims for the count, which is to be completed on December 20. D.C.A. Gunawardena, director general of the Department of Census and Statistics, said the country-wide survey would assess the death toll and damage to property since 1982. But he conceded that the census could not giv

Tribesmen blow up Yemen oil export pipeline

Attackers strike one of the country's main sources of foreign currency, according to state news agency Saba Tribesmen blew up Yemen's main oil export pipeline, officials and tribal sources said, in the latest attack on one of the country's main sources of foreign currency. The attackers struck east of the capital Sanaa on Friday, state news agency Saba said in a text message, without saying whether it stopped oil flows. The pipeline carries crude from the Maarib fields in central Yemen to the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea. Tribal sources said they carried out the attack to force the government to pay them compensation, without going into further details. Tribesmen often carry out such attacks to pressure the government to free relatives from prison or in land disputes. Yemen relies on crude exports to finance up to 70 percent of its budget spending. It has suffered frequent bombings since an anti-government uprising broke out in 2011. Source: http://

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'uses child soldiers'

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Human Rights watch says some of the fighters for the Nigerian armed group are as young as 12-years-old. Human Rights Watch has accused Nigerian armed group Boko Haram of abducting scores of women and girls and of using children as young as 12 in its combat operations. In a   statement    published on its website on Friday, the New York-based group also accused the Nigerian government of failing to account for hundreds of men and boys rounded up during the armed group's four-year insurgency. The report comes weeks after the government extended the state of emergency it imposed in May in the northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to try to crush the rebellion. Citing its Africa director, Daniel Bekele, Human Rights Watch said: "For a group that claims to be religious, Boko Haram’s tactics are the most profane acts we can imagine." "The killing and mutilation of ordinary Nigerians, the abduction and rape of women and girls, and the use of children f

Keep yourself safe on Cyber Monday

US consumers are expected to spend over $2 billion online on Monday as the nation takes to the web to source the best deals on holiday gifts. However, in all of the excitement it could be very easy to fall prey to spammers, scammers and malware. Indeed, two thirds of retailers claim to have seen an increase in internet fraud or other types of attacks on websites during high-volume days such as Cyber Monday and as consumers are focused more on looking for a good deal than for suspicious activity, it's easy to understand why the cyberattacking fraternity pick the Monday after Thanksgiving for trying to snare web users. Tunnel vision A common tactic is to take advantage of what security software firm   Hotspotshield.com   calls ‘Cyber Monday Tunnel Vision' by offering ‘too good to be true' deals that when clicked upon either launch malware or are a front for harvesting personal data. To make sure you don't get caught out, always make sure the padlock emblem is

Yemen president rules out southern split, separatists call rallies

SANAA (Reuters) - Yemen's president ruled out ever allowing the partition of the country, challenging southern separatists who called for demonstrations across their territory to press for independence. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi spoke on the eve of southern celebrations marking the anniversary of the end of British rule, underlined a hardening standoff between his government and the separatists. "Those seeking division ... are seeking only an illusive mirage and self interest and not public or national interests," Hadi said on Friday in a speech carried by state news agency Saba. "I will not accept any ... bargaining on the case of the south from any party, just as I would not accept any bargaining on the Yemeni unity," he added. He spoke two days after a south Yemeni separatist leader and supporters walked out of national reconciliation talks meant to chart a new constitution for the U.S.-allied country, that is also facing a northern reb

Sri Lanka detains 3 for paying tribute to LTTE rebels

Three persons arrested in northeast Sri Lanka for commemorating the achievements of LTTE rebels were produced in a court today. Police said they were arrested at Murukkandi in Mannar district on November 26. They were presented before a local magistrate. "It is illegal to celebrate a banned terrorist organisation," police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. November 26 was celebrated annually by the LTTE as "Heroes' Day" to commemorate those who died in the fight to carve out a separate Tamil homeland. The day was also the birthday of the slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran. He used the occasion to make the annual policy speech of the organisation. LTTE was defeated in 2009 after a three-decade civil war and Prabakaran was killed in the final days of the conflict. MA Sumanthiran, a legislator of the country's main Tamil party TNA, said there was nothing wrong in commemorating the dead. "This is done in civilised societies s

Two policemen killed in gun battle with Maoists in Odisha

Two policemen have been killed in a gun battle with Maoists in Odisha's Nuapada district, an official said Saturday. The gun battle took place when the rebels ambushed a team of policemen Friday in Sunabeda sanctuary area, about 550 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. The policemen, who were returning home after routine patrol, retaliated. "A district voluntary force personnel and a special police officer were killed," Inspector General of Police (Operation) Soumendra Priyadarshi told IANS. The Sunabeda sanctuary is located close to the Chhattisgarh border. Maoists have allegedly created a base inside the deep forest for the past several years. The forces often face difficulties in operations as they need to trek seven to eight km to reach the interior areas. The latest Maoist attack comes less than a week after a large number of tribals of the area held a meeting and announced to help police and wage war against left-wing extremists in the region. Maoists are

Two shot dead in new Bangladesh clashes

Two people were shot dead as officers opened fire during clashes with thousands of Bangladeshi opposition supporters amid escalating protests against elections slated for January, police said Saturday. One demonstrator was shot dead by officers Saturday and another died late Friday as police used live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters. Police announced the latest deaths as the 18-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) launched a new nationwide blockade of roads, rail and waterways. Anti-poll violence has killed 20 people since Monday, bringing the death toll to 50 since late October when the government announced that the general elections would be held January 5. Clashes erupted in the western town of Kotchandpur at the start of the opposition's new transport blockade Saturday. Four police vans came under attacks from at least 1,000 supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, a key BNP ally, police said.

Malian separatist rebels end ceasefire after clashes

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Separatist Tuareg rebels said on Friday they were ending a five-month-old ceasefire with Mali's government and taking up arms following violence in the northern city of Kidal. The declaration came a day after Malian troops clashed with stone-throwing protesters who blocked a visit by the prime minister to the city, a northern rebel stronghold. Several demonstrators were wounded but there were conflicting accounts of how the incident started. "The political and military wings of the Azawad (MNLA, MAA and HCUA) declare the lifting of the ceasefire with the central government in Bamako," said a statement by Attaye Ag Mohamed, one of the founders of the MNLA groups. "All our military positions are on alert," he added. The west African country is in the process of returning to civilian rule after a Tuareg uprising that led to a coup last year and the occupation of the north of the country by al Qaeda-linked militants. A French-led mil

Police forcefully break up demonstration in Kiev

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Police in Ukraine's capital have forcefully broken up a large protest gathering in the central city, beating some demonstrators with truncheons. Police moved in on the hundreds of demonstrators about 4:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Saturday, swinging clubs and using tear gas, according to a protest organizer, Sergei Milnichenko. The demonstrators were the remains of a Friday protest that gathered some 10,000 people to call for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych in the wake of his refusal to sign a long-anticipated association agreement with the European Union. Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-forcefully-break-demonstration-kiev-032852387.html

Broadcaster shot dead in latest Philippine media murder

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The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists ranks the Philippines as the third worst in its "impunity index" of countries that fail to fight violence against the press. Davao:   Gunmen shot dead an outspoken radio broadcaster in the Philippines, worsening the country's record as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, press and human rights groups said on Saturday. Joas Dignos, who commented on local issues in his weekday show, 'Bombardier' on DXGT radio, was shot in the head by motorcycle-riding men in Valencia City in the southern island of Mindanao late Friday, police said. Law enforcement officials would not comment on suspects or possible motives. Dignos, 48, was known for his fiery comments regarding city officials, the radio station personnel said. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said that Dignos had previously received death threats and had even stopped his live broadcasts, using recorded commentar

The Afghan villages where the Taliban rule at night

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Only four or five of Nangarhar's 22 districts are considered safe with the others controlled or strongly influenced by the Taliban Sirja Ali Khan, Afghanistan:   Jahanzeb says he can no longer live in his home village in eastern Afghanistan where, when night falls, fear rules in "the kingdom of the Taliban". The terrified 30-year-old has fled to the nearby major city of Jalalabad and spends his days tediously filling sacks of flour for a pittance, separated from his family. "I would prefer to be in my home district," he told AFP, studiously pouring 49 kilograms of flour into a bag for which he will be paid the equivalent of five European cents. "But I am here because there is always fighting there. In the fields, houses, everywhere." Jahanzeb's village, Pacher, is an hour's drive away from Jalalabad, in the southeast of Nangarhar Province. "I miss it," Jahanzeb said mournfully. Only four or five of Nangarhar's 22 districts are con

Coca trade in spotlight as Colombia peace talks resume

Havana (AFP) - The Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels resumed peace talks Thursday amid differences over coca cultivation, blamed by political leaders for drug-linked violence and killings. As the negotiations got under way in Cuba after a three week break, the delegation chief for the guerrillas questioned the eradication of a plant he said has benefits for mankind. "If we agree that coca and cocaine are not the same thing, it seems illogical that to put an end to drug trafficking we should eradicate a plant that can be beneficial to humanity," Ivan Marquez said. "The coca leaf has been used for centuries to relieve hunger, thirst and fatigue, as a digestive aid and relaxant, and it has been proven by science to have nutritional and medicinal properties," he added. Marquez is the second in command at the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has been in talks with the government for more than a year, aiming to end their ne

Malian army and protesters clash in northern rebel stronghold

(Reuters) - Malian soldiers clashed with stone-throwing protesters who blocked a visit by the prime minister to the northern rebel stronghold of Kidal on Thursday. Several demonstrators were wounded but there were conflicting accounts of who was to blame. The west African country is in the process of restoring democracy after a coup last year led to al Qaeda-linked Islamists taking control of the north. A French-led military offensive routed the Islamists, but tension remains between the central government and Tuareg separatists demanding an independent homeland they call Azawad. The two sides are due to open negotiations over the status of the restive desert region. Pro-independence protesters marched to the airport in Kidal, which is home to the MNLA separatist rebel group, in the late morning ahead of the planned arrival of Prime Minister Oumar Tatam Ly. "The demonstrators at the airport attacked the soldiers who were there to welcome the prime minister, first by