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Showing posts from May 11, 2014

Syria documentary, Mali Jihad feature make Cannes current

CANNES France (Reuters) - An old man's white hair suddenly changes to red in "Eau Argentee, Syrie autoportrait" (Silvered Water, Syria self-portrait) by exiled Syrian filmmaker Ossama Mohammed, shown at the Cannes film festival on Thursday. The amateur video may be shaky, grainy and lacking peripheral view, but the viewer instantly knows the man has just been shot in the head, another victim of the civil war in Syria that has already claimed more than 150,000 victims. This and countless other images of the conflict are woven together in the documentary by Mohammed, who left his country in May 2011 for Paris over fears for his safety. The film is brutal, visceral and hard to watch. "Since I left Syria, I've become a coward," Mohammed says in a voiceover. But his film is a courageous and must-be-seen living document about the destruction of a country, a people under siege and the power of reporting. Plagued by guilt for having left his countrymen a

Five Terrorist Suspects Arrested In Klaten

Jakarta (Antara news) - Police anti-terrorist squad Densus 88 arrested five terrorist suspects in the sub-district of Trucuk, Klaten, in the Central Java province on Thursday. "We have arrested Arif alias Tomy, Selamet, Rofiq, Arifin and Yusuf. They were arrested following investigation on Rifki and Yahya alias Salim," the head of the public relations division of the National Police Command, Inspector General Frangky Sompie, told Antara here on Thursday. He said Densus 88 had also confiscated dozens of firearms and sharp weapons at a repair shop in Trucuk, including 15 caliber 7mm gas rifles, two caliber 7mm gas handguns, a crossbow, an arrow, five long swords, six medium swords, 25 throw knives and bomb-making manuals. "We are taking preventive measures against the development of terrorism in different regions in Indonesia, by following the activities of members of terrorism syndicates who have been arrested before," he added.  Rommy said Densus 88 had also arrest

BIFF militiaman nabbed over drugs in Maguindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Security forces arrested a suspected member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter in Maguindanao after a surveillance operation turned into a gunbattle, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency  (PDEA) said on Tuesday. Belated reports said that combined elements of the PDEA, Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army shot it out with some 10 militiamen of the BIFF under the Commander Marrox Group at the vicinity of Brgy. Sapakan, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao on  May 9. "The encounter lasted for 30 minutes with the rebels withdrawing towards the northeast direction," PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said, adding that the operation is under case operation plan "Uphold Kauranon". Authorities managed to repulse the gunmen and arrested Datu Naut Sailila, of Pidsandawan, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao. Seized from him were a plastic sachet of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, weighing 10 grams, several drug paraphernalia, fi

Communications Ministry Backpedals, Says Vimeo Ban ‘Not Permanent’

Jakarta.  The Ministry of Communications and Information said on Friday that it did not expect its  controversial ban  on video-sharing site  Vimeo  to last for long. “It’s not permanent,” acting ministry spokesman Ismail Cawidu said, as quoted by the state-run  Antara News Agency . “We’re only waiting to see a minimum effort to remove the pornographic content.” The ministry’s statement came after the ban was widely criticized online. Some called the decision a  threat to freedom  while others said it would have a detrimental effect on Indonesia’s creative industries — the site, a pioneer in high-definition playback, has long been favored as a platform and forum by independent filmmakers. The ministry decided to issue the ban over what it said was pornographic content, although the site bans pornography in its terms of use. The ban was rolled out sporadically, with some Internet service providers enforcing it from the beginning and others not, perhaps because they had not yet 

WHO rejects Pakistan CIA fake vaccination claim

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The World Health Organisation has rejected Pakistan's claim UN agencies were involved in a CIA fake vaccination programme to trace Osama Bin Laden. A doctor accused of running the 2011 programme to help confirm the al-Qaeda leader lived in Pakistan is in jail. Last week the foreign ministry alleged that UN agencies were involved in the campaign, claiming it led the public to doubt genuine polio vaccination drives. The WHO says Pakistani officials now accept the statement was made in error. The global health agency recently warned that polio has re-emerged as a public health crisis. Pakistan is particularly badly affected as one of three countries where the virus is endemic. But Pakistan has also struggled to prevent attacks against polio workers administering the campaign and the Taliban - who view the immunisation programme as a cover for Western spying - have banned vaccinations in the tribal region of North Waziristan. 'Incorrect statement' Dr Shakil Afri

13 killed in rebel strike on Aleppo

Syrian government launches offensive in Daraa Damascus: Rebel rocket fire killed 13 people in the northern city of Aleppo on Friday, as troops launched an offensive on rebels in the Daraa province of southern Syria, state media said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the bloodshed in Aleppo and said a large-scale army operation was underway in Daraa for control of hills held by rebels. The Britain-based monitoring group said five rebel fighters and an unspecified number of soldiers were killed in Daraa, where clashes raged into the evening. State television said rocket fire by rebels on the government-held Ashrafiyeh district of Aleppo killed 13 people, including women and children, and wounded 17. The Observatory said at least 16 people were killed, including six children, and 60 wounded in the Aleppo rocket attack by rebels. Aleppo has been split into areas held by the regime and opposition since shortly after fighting broke out in Syria’s former economic hub in 2

Gunfire rattles east Ukraine with European-brokered talks to resolve crisis underway

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Source http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/17/gunfire-rattles-east-ukraine-with-european-brokered-talks-to-resolve-crisis-underway/ KYIV, Ukraine — Lawmakers and officials from eastern Ukraine on Saturday poured criticism on the fledging central government for ignoring the grievances of the regions, which have been overrun for pro-Russian protesters. The criticism came in the second round of the European-brokered talks intended to resolve the country’s worst crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union. Politicians from the east implored the government to believe that — apart from the pro-Russia gunmen — a large portion of population are desperate for the government to listen. Separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions held hastily arranged referenda last weekend and declared independence following the vote that favoured the region’s sovereignty. The round-table talks in the eastern city of Kharkiv did not feature any of the insurgents, whom Kyiv describes as terrorists. The insurgen

Pregnant doctor to be hanged for not being a Muslim

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St. Matthew's Catholic Cathedral near the Sudanese capital Khartoum. A Sudanese judge sentenced a Christian woman to hang for apostasy, despite appeals by Western embassies for compassion and respect for religious freedom Lucy Kinder  – Published 16 May 2014 02:30 AM A heavily pregnant Christian doctor in  Sudan  has been sentenced to hang for not being raised as a Muslim. Meriam Yehya Ibrahim (27) was convicted on charges of apostasy, or the abandonment of religion, by a court in  Khartoum . Following her conviction on Sunday, she was given three days to recant her faith. "We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam. I sentence you to be hanged," Judge Abbas Mohammed Al-Khalifa told the woman. Mrs Ibrahim also faces a sentence of 100 lashes for adultery on the grounds that her marriage to a Christian man from  South Sudan  is considered void under Sharia law. She was brought up as a Christian by her mother. However, because her father was Mu

Terror threats: US signals staff cut at Nairobi embassy

NAIROBI -  The United States signalled Saturday that it could cut staff levels at its Nairobi embassy because of the mounting threat of attacks in Kenya by Islamist militants. A statement from the US ambassador to Kenya, Robert F. Godec, said the embassy was "continuously reviewing and updating its security measures, and expects to take additional steps in coming days, to include on US staffing." "Unfortunately, the US government continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at both Kenyans and the international community," Godec said. "The most important responsibility of every US ambassador and embassy is to protect American citizens and to keep them informed." The statement comes amid a wave of bomb attacks in Kenya's capital Nairobi and port city of Mombasa that authorities have blamed on militants connected to Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab rebels. On Friday a double bomb attack in a Nairobi market left 10 dead and

Colombia and Farc rebels agree on drug trade plan

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Colombia's government and the Farc, the country's largest rebel group, have agreed on a plan to deal with the illegal drug trade. Both parties agreed to eliminate all illicit drug production in Colombia should a final deal be reached. The Farc, which controls large patches of rural Colombia, is believed to be partly funded by money generated by the illegal drug trade. This was the third on a six-point peace agenda being negotiated in Cuba. The civil war in Colombia has killed an estimated 220,000 people in the last five decades. Last year, government officials and the left-wing Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) agreed on land reform and political participation. As with previous agreements, details of the programme to combat the drug trade will need to be discussed further by special commissions. Friday's agreement marked the end of the last round of the talks initiated by President Juan Manuel Santos, who is seeking a second mandate in next week

New attacks as France hosts summit on Boko Haram threat

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17 May 2014   A video emerged on Monday showing about 130 of the girls wearing hijabs and reciting Koranic verses West African leaders are meeting in Paris to discuss the threat posed by Nigeria's Boko Haram militants. French President Francois Hollande, who is hosting the summit, said the group threatened the whole region and had "proven links" with al-Qaeda. Thousands of people have been killed by Boko Haram in recent years. Last month it abducted 223 schoolgirls in north-eastern Nigeria, where it is based. As Saturday's summit began, news of fresh violence emerged. In the far north of Cameroon, near the Nigerian border, attackers targeted a camp run by a Chinese engineering company. Ten Chinese workers are missing and one person was injured. There are reports that one person was killed. In Nigeria itself, 11 people were reported killed in a separate attack in village a few hours' drive from the Cameroonian border. A relative of one of the victims said a woman a

Argentina finds liquid cocaine inside transformers' oil

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Argentina says it has foiled a plan to produce and ship liquid cocaine to the United States and Europe. At least eight people are suspected of having sent two tonnes of the drug, mixed with insulating oil inside large transformers, to Mexico. A Mexican chemist and several Argentine police officers are among the arrested, Argentine Security Minister Sergio Berni told reporters. It was the second seizure of liquid cocaine in Argentina this year. Police suspect this type of trafficking is on the rise, the Argentine media reported. In February, liquid cocaine was found hidden in a tanker lorry. The authorities say they have been investigating the gang since 2012 The Argentine authorities also seized guns and ammunition 'Not afraid' The transformers made it through customs controls in Argentina and in Mexico, Mr Berni said. But on closer inspection, a team of Argentine investigators who had been on the gang's trail since 2012 found the drugs. The shipment

500 UK tourists flee Mombasa after advisories

MORE than 500 foreign tourists have been evacuated from the hotels they were staying in on the Kenyan Coastline following the travel advisories issued by the US, the UK and France. Mombasa’s Moi International Airport manager Yatich Kagungo yesterday said some 336 tourists left on Thursday night and another batch of 256 was to leave by yesterday evening. He said Britain sent two Thompson Airline flights, a Dreamliner and a Boeing 77 to Mombasa to carry out the evacuation orders. The Dreamliner left with 336 passengers at 11.15pm on Thursday night while the Boeing 77 was to leave at 4:00pm yesterday. Addressing the press at the airport, Kagungo said it was unfortunate that UK issued out an advisory to Kenya, which he said, is still a safe tourism destination. “We are saddened by the turn of events but we are hoping that they will soon rescind the decision before the start of the high season in July,” he said. He said TUI Travel, a British leisure travel group listed on the L

Ten dead, more than 70 wounded in Nairobi blasts

Nairobi: Ten people were killed and over 70 wounded on Friday in two bomb attacks at a busy market in Nairobi, the latest in a wave of unrest blamed on Kenya’s militants. The twin bombings came as hundreds of British tourists were being evacuated from beach resorts near the port city of Mombasa after Britain’s Foreign Office and other nations issued new travel warnings. The National Disaster Operation Centre (NDOC) said the first blast in the capital occurred next to a 14-seater matatu, or public minibus, and the second was inside a shop in Gikomba Market close to Nairobi’s central business district. A spokesman at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi’s main hospital, said eight bodies had brought in and “more than 70” people admitted for treatment, many of them in a serious condition. The NDOC then revised the death toll up to 10, while another hospital said it had received around 14 patients. “Many of the injured are bleeding profusely. We need a lot of blood