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Showing posts from December 22, 2013

Prominent PKK Leader Leaves Group

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Gabar was born in 1971 in the city of Sanandaj in Iran’s Kurdistan province. He joined the ranks of the PKK in 1999 and was elected member of KCK’s leadership council in 2010. ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Bryar Gabar, a prominent member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and one of the founders of its Iranian affiliate the Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), has left the party and taken up residence in Erbil. An informed source from the PKK’s Qandil Mountain base in the Kurdistan Region told Rudaw that Gabar left the guerrillas in mid-October and has been living in Erbil ever since. Gabar was one of the delegates of the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK) and took part for the past several months in the preparatory meetings for the Kurdish National Congress, an official date for which has still not been announced. KCK is the supreme authority body of the PKK that supervises the group’s political, ideological, military, socio-economic activities, as w

Colombia Plans Raid to Seize FARC Rebels’ Tungsten Mine

The Colombian government says it will seize and close a mine run by FARC guerrillas that has supplied tungsten to some of world’s leading multinational companies. Colombian security forces are in the advanced stages of preparing an assault on Tiger Hill, the mine in a remote part of the Amazon jungle run by FARC, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, said National Police Col. Jose Gerardo Acevedo. “We are planning and organizing an operation to shut it down,” said Acevedo, who commands Colombia’s rural police, which are responsible for fighting illegal mining. “We are closing in on that region to be able to get to the mine.” Video: Tungsten From Colombia Taints Phone-to-Car Sales The government action was triggered by a Bloomberg Markets magazine report in September, Acevedo said. The article showed how tungsten mined for the profit of FARC makes its way into the supply lines of the makers of BMWs, Ferraris, Porsches and Volkswagens, computers and BIC pe

Film posters withdrawn over race bias

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  Unofficial posters in Italy promoted Fassbender (left) over the film's protagonist Ejiofor (right) An Italian film distributor has apologised after releasing unauthorised posters which promoted white actors over black actors in 12 Years A Slave. Unofficial posters for the film gave prominence to white stars Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt over the film's leading man, Chiwetel Ejiofor. BiM Distribuzione apologised for the "inappropriate" promotional material. "We are very proud of the film and regret any distraction this incident may have caused," a statement said. "We apologise for creating and releasing unauthorised posters for 12 Years A Slave in Italy featuring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender in a manner inconsistent with approved advertising materials," said BiM on Friday. "All inappropriate materials have now been withdrawn." The film tells the true story of

Marxist Guerrilla FARC's Christmas Greeting: Peace Does Not Mean The End Of War

During a Christmas season that saw  every public figure  regardless of authority release a holiday statement, even the terrorist guerrilla Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) got into the spirit of the season, releasing a Christmas message warning that peace negotiations do not mean a "dissolution" of the militia. The FARC, a guerrilla group that has seized the lives of an estimated six million in Colombia in its 50 years of existing, released a Christmas statement yesterday recognizing the holiday and sending greetings to the "oppressed classes." Beginning much like the office wide email from a corporate CEO to his employees, FARC leaders who call themselves "Gabino" and "Timochenko" extend "a fraternal greeting, warm and revolutionary to all the warriors, militiamen, clandestine political organizations and to the insurgent family generally." It is, for the most part, a call for unity among various vi

Colombian military kills 10 Farc rebels in bombing raid

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The Colombian military says it has killed at least 10 members of the left-wing Farc rebel group in an operation in central Meta province. Among the dead was a regional commander of the rebels, known as Jhon 26. Defence Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said the attack had dealt a significant blow to the guerrilla group. Government and Farc negotiators are holding peace talks in an effort to end 50 years of conflict but the government has refused to enter into a ceasefire. The rebels declared a one-month unilateral ceasefire from 15 December but Mr Pinzon said the security forces would continue to target the rebels until a peace deal had been signed. Extorting cattle ranchers He said locals had tipped off the security forces about a rebel camp in a remote mountainous area of central Meta province. Colombian air force planes found the camp and "neutralised" it, the defence minister said. Army units have since sear

Best Movies of 2013: Patriotism, not Polemics, Lifts Year's Finest Films

Hollywood's attempts at Oscar-worthy filmmaking occasionally stumble over good intentions and overheated messages. This year, the film industry buckled down to focus on smart storytelling, patriotism and the delicacies of romance in a way that made 2013 a banner year for films. 1. American Hustle : The Fighter. Silver Linings Playbook . And now American Hustle . Director David O’Russell, once best known for his spat with Lily Tomlin on the set of I Heart Huckabees , is on a streak unlike any in recent memory. Pinpoint period recreations are just the beginning of this Abscam-based tale, one that doesn’t bury itself in partisanship but sticks to grand storytelling and bravura turns across the board. 2. Captain Phillips : Tom Hanks reminds us he’s both the best Everyman Hollywood can offer and knows how to align himself with the industry’s best directors. It helps that this ripped from reality thriller doesn’t chart a politically correct course that minimizes the barb

Singapore man deported from US in LTTE arms plot

SINGAPORE: An Indian-origin Singaporean has been deported home from the US, after he had completed a jail term for offences related to trying to buy arms worth USD 900,000 for Sri Lanka's outlawed separatist group LTTE . Balraj Naidu Ragavan , 51, returned to Singapore on December 16 after serving almost four years in a US prison, The Straits Times reported. "As a convicted felon, Naidu is prohibited from re- entering the United States," US Cusotms Enforcement and Removal Field Office director Simona L Flores, said in a statement. The businessman was extradited four years ago to face several charges in the US, including conspiring to export arms to the Tamil Tigers. In April 2006, on being introduced to a US undercover agent, Naidu negotiated to buy weapons worth USD 900,000, including grenade launchers, sniper rifles and machine guns. One of his co-conspirators, Haniffa Osman, test fired several of the weapons in the summer of 2006 in Baltimore. About

Hundreds of S.Sudanese flee to Sudan: UN source

The source at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Khartoum did not have an exact figure for the number of refugees. Hundreds of South Sudanese have fled across the border into neighbouring Sudan, a source at the UN refugee agency said on Saturday, after fierce fighting in the world’s newest state. “According to information received by the UNHCR that has not been confirmed, hundreds of citizens of South Sudan have crossed the border into Sudanese territory from several border areas,” the source said on condition of anonymity. The source at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Khartoum did not have an exact figure for the number of refugees, but said the agency was investigating the reports. The official SUNA news agency cited the governor of

Sri Lanka deports Indian reporter covering ex-warzone

The 24-year-old was arrested on Christmas Day for photographing military installations in Sri Lanka’s north. Sri Lanka on Saturday deported an Indian journalist arrested on a charge of working in the island’s former war zone without media credentials, police said. The 24-year-old, who was working for a magazine based in the Indian city of Chennai, was arrested on Christmas Day for photographing military installations in Sri Lanka’s north, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. “We deported him this evening without pressing charges,” Rohana said. “But, we deleted all the pictures he had taken in the north.” Rohana said they suspected the reporter, identified as Tamil Prabhakaran, was trying to produce a documentary and write articles tarnishing the image of Sri Lanka. Police said he had come in

Gunmen kill anti-polio health worker in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Pakistani police say gunmen attacked an anti-polio vaccination center in the country's northwest and killed a medic on duty, then fled the scene. Police official Raheem Khan says another technician was also wounded in Saturday's attack on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The health facility is run by the party of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and authorities are using it to vaccinate children against polio. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants have killed several polio workers and police protecting them in recent months. Pakistan is one of only three countries where the polio virus is still endemic. Militants oppose vaccination against polio and consider such campaigns a cover for spying. They also claim the vaccine is intended to make Muslim boys sterile.   Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Gunmen-kill-anti-polio-health-worker-in-Pakis

South Sudan: Will It Turn Into Another Somalia?

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Two and a half million people died before South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, became independent in July 2011. But in just one week, fighting spread among former liberation leaders, thrusting the country into the cusp of a civil war. President Salva Kiir, from South Sudan's Dinka ethnic group, the largest, has accused former Vice President Riek Machar, a Nuer and a long-time political rival, whom he dismissed in July, of trying to launch a coup. Presidential guards loyal to Machar clashed with a group loyal to Kiir last week and the conflict spread quickly. No one is sure how many hundreds have died but the United Nations reported that 100,000 people fled their homes with 45,000 of them seeking refuge at UN bases around the country. The fighting, the worst in a decade, began as a power struggle but then sunk into ethnic cleansing. The two rival groups had fought each other in the 1990s as part of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) and t

Gulf States Line Up As Targets of Trade Unions and Human Rights Groups

Gulf states are lining up as targets for criticism by international trade unions and human rights groups for their treatment of foreign workers. Qatar, long in the firing line following its winning three years ago of the right to host a World Cup, was joined this week by Abu Dhabi as a result of projects to build world-class museums, luxury hotels and a campus for New York University. Dubai is likely next in line after its winning bid earlier this month to host the 2020 World Expo that is expected to generate $7 billion in construction projects. A comparison of the fallout of media coverage and campaigning by trade unions and human rights groups of Qatar and Abu Dhabi highlights the power of the World Cup and soccer and puts the onus of responsibility for ensuring that hosts meet international standards of human rights as well as their own lofty ideals on international sports associations like world soccer body FIFA. As a matter of principle, there is little news in

Human Trafficking: Muslim Women Vulnerable in Myanmar

Amid continued communal strife in Myanmar, Muslim women and children are increasingly finding themselves in vulnerable situations that have yet to be adequately recognized and addressed. This post glimpses the related issue of human trafficking. By way of background, Burma's record on human trafficking has prompted the United States to place it on a Tier 2 Watch List for the past two years. The Watch List is reserved for countries that fail to comply with minimum standards -- from preventing trafficking to investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of the crime to protecting victims -- as set forth in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). In Myanmar, security forces have subjected both Muslim men and women to forced labor. Women, however, have been reportedly forced into prostitution and other forms of slavery as well. In fact, according to a U.S. Department of State 2012 human rights report , Burmese officials have reportedly kidnapped Rohingya wom

Can Democrats and Jihadists Coexist in Tunisia?

This month's news that Mehdi Jomaa will serve as Prime Minister of a caretaker government bodes well for Tunisia's democratic transition that had been derailed by six months of political brinksmanship. While Tunisia has been spared the large-scale human rights abuses and chaotic turmoil of the other post-Arab Spring states, a growing al Qaeda presence threatens to destabilize the country and undermine the democratic aspirations that fueled the Jasmine Revolution. At this juncture it appears that both democrats and al Qaeda affiliated jihadists have similar potential to shape post-revolutionary Tunisia's future, given the risk that the Mount Chaambi area (situated along the Algerian border) will continue to serve as a hub for international jihadist forces. Under the authoritarian and staunchly secular regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia's Islamists and members of the Tunisian Muslim Brotherhood branch, Ennahda (Tunisia's current ruling party),

Maoists torch four construction company vehicles

GAYA: An unspecified number of heavily armed Maoists, said to be members of the PLGA, the armed wing of the CPI(Maoist), the most dreaded Naxalite outfit, raided the makeshift premises of a road construction company around Thursday midnight near Nepa village under Tekari police station area of the district. According to reports reaching the district headquarters, the Maoists announced their arrival with several rounds of deafening fire that tore through the deadly silence of the nearby villages. The Maoists ordered the construction workers sleeping at the site to move to safer positions and torched the vehicles including dumpers and pay loaders. The Red rebels also raised revolutionary slogans and warned the construction company owners against future violation of the 'levy' (protection money) demand made by the Maoists. No harm was done to any of the construction company workers present at the site. According to SSP Nishant Tiwari, the local police and th

A Letter to Imran Khan From a Bangladeshi Searching for Truth and Reconciliation

Dear Mr.Imran Khan, I am writing to you on the birthday of Mohammad Ali Jinnah to share my sincere thanks to you for protesting the judicial murder of Abdul Quader Mollah before the Pakistan National Assembly . I was heartened by your speech which showed moral courage and linked 1971 with present-day politics problems. More than two years ago, you stated that Pakistan should apologize to Bangladesh , and I wrote to you about reconciliation between the peoples of Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is with this in mind that I seek you, the Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI), and a broader audience again. It is time to challenge prevailing wrong attitudes in Pakistan, and the "war crimes industry" that continues to plague Bangladesh's internal politics and regional relations, to establish an accurate historical record, and break the culture of exaggeration, blood capitalism and silencing of dissenting views, by asserting the right to the truth. The judicial murd

Mohamad Chatah's killing threatens to make Syrian war explode into Lebanon

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Regional crisis: Mohamad Chatah's employer, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, blamed Syria and Hezbollah for his killing. Photo: Reuters Beirut: The bomb that killed a former Lebanese finance minister and critic of the Syrian government has unleashed a storm of political recriminations that threaten the fragile entente keeping the Syrian war from spilling outright into Lebanon. The former minister, Mohamad B. Chatah, was one of the closest advisers to Saad Hariri, son of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, another opponent of the Syrian leadership whose assassination in a 2005 bombing touched off the March 14 protest movement that helped end Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon. After the killing of Mr Chatah on Friday, Saad Hariri, himself a former prime minister, and his March 14 political allies quickly issued statements implying that the Syrian government or its a

Car bomb kills three in southern Russia

A car bomb has killed three people in southern Russia, according to officials. It is seen as a worrying development six weeks before the country hosts the Winter Olympics. The blast happened at Pyatigorsk in the Russian Caucasus, some 270 kilometres from Sochi where the Games are to take place. The city lies just north of a region which is host to a long-running Islamist insurgency, and where one Chechen warlord urged militants to stop the Olympics. The blast badly damaged a traffic police building. The three victims were reportedly outside; it is not clear whether or not they were police officers. A state of emergency has been declared in the city. Source  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/car-bomb-kills-three-southern-214325668.html

South Sudan offers olive branch to rebels, releases prisoners

JUBA/NAIROBI (Reuters) - South Sudan said on Friday it was ready for a ceasefire and would release eight of 11 senior politicians arrested over an alleged coup plot, raising hopes it was edging towards a deal to end ethnic-based fighting ravaging the world's newest nation. There was no immediate reaction from Riek Machar, the former vice president who the government accuses of starting the conflict that has spread quickly over the landlocked state, threatening its vital oil industry. "We have agreed in principle to a ceasefire to begin immediately, but our forces are prepared to defend themselves if attacked," the government said on its Twitter feed. Fighting between rival groups of soldiers erupted in the capital Juba on December 15, then triggered clashes in half of South Sudan's 10 states - often along ethnic lines, between Machar's group, the Nuer, and President Salva Kiir's Dinka. The U.N. Security Council approved plans on Tuesday to almost double the nu

Riots erupt in Turkey over corruption scandal

Turkish riot police have blasted opposition protesters with water cannons, tear gas and plastic bullets in Istanbul in scenes reminiscent of the summer's mass anti-government demonstrations. Some of the protesters on Friday evening threw rocks and firecrackers at police, shouting, "Catch the thief!" in reference to a widening corruption scandal gripping Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. Similar protests were held in the city of Izmir, and in Ankara where police also fired water cannons to disperse the crowds. Police blocked hundreds of protesters from gathering in Istanbul's central Taksim Square and pushed them away to the nearby streets. At least 31 people, including three lawyers, have been detained in Istanbul, according to the Istanbul Bar Association. Thousands of Erdogan backers, meanwhile, gathered at other spots showing their support for the embattled Erdogan. Twenty-four people, including the sons of two former government ministers and th