title
stringlengths 1
7.43k
| text
stringlengths 111
32.3k
| event_type
stringlengths 4
57
| date
stringlengths 8
14
⌀ | metadata
stringlengths 2
205
⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Celebrity chef Mario Batali gives up his stake in his restaurants more than a year after being accused of sexual misconduct. | Partnership between Batali and the Bastianich family was formally dissolved a year after he was accused of sexual misconduct
Last modified on Wed 10 Jul 2019 11.04 BST
Celebrity chef Mario Batali has given up his stake in his restaurants more than a year after being accused of sexual misconduct.
The partnership between Batali and the Bastianich family was formally dissolved on Wednesday, Tanya Bastianich Manuali told the New York Times.
Batali “will no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form”, she said.
The renowned chef and restaurateur was accused of sexual assault or harassment by several women, including accusations he drugged and sexually assaulted an employee in 2005.
He stepped away from day-to-day operations at his restaurant empire after the accusations, but had not formally divested from them until now.
Tanya Bastianich Manuali and her brother Joe Bastianich have bought Batali’s shares in all the restaurants, the Times reported. They would not discuss the terms of the purchase.
A new company, not yet named, will replace the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, which runs 16 restaurants including Babbo and Del Posto.
Some of the group’s restaurants, including three on the Las Vegas strip, closed in the aftermath of the misconduct allegations.
“I have reached an agreement with Joe and no longer have any stake in the restaurants we built together. I wish him the best of luck in the future,” Batali said in a statement to the Times.
The NYPD closed criminal investigations into Batali in January without filing charges.
Batali, 58, has been one of America’s best known personalities in the restaurant industry, a bestselling cookbook author and star of TV cooking shows.
His career took off after he opened Po in New York City in the early 1990s, and some of his restaurants have had months-long waiting lists for reservations.
Batali gained fame as the host of Molto Mario on the Food Network, and has appeared on shows such as Iron Chef America and ABC’s The Chew, where he was forced out after the sexual misconduct allegations. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | March 2019 | ['(The Guardian)'] |
Gravity and American Hustle lead the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards. | Director David O. Russell seems to have the golden touch. His con-man comedy “American Hustle” is not only a box office hit, but it earned 10 Academy Award nominations Thursday morning including best picture and director and nominations in all four acting categories.
He did the same thing last year with his quirky romantic comedy “Silver Linings Playbook,” which received eight nominations and a lead actress Oscar for Jennifer Lawrence. (Still not convinced? This all comes on the heels of 2010’s “The Fighter,” which nabbed seven nominations, including picture and director as well as Oscar wins for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.)
It all makes him one of the hottest directors to work for in Hollywood, but he has yet to bring home a trophy of his own. That could change when the 86th Academy Awards take place March 2.
OSCARS: Live blog | Full coverage
“American Hustle” heads into the ceremony as a bona fide front-runner along with Alfonso Cuaron’s lost-in-space thriller “Gravity,” which also earned 10 nominations, and Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” which followed with nine. Both “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave,” a harrowing depiction of slavery in America, are also vying for best picture and director.
The three top nominees have all performed well this awards season, earning critics honors as well as taking home the marquee trophies at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday.
Best picture nominees “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Nebraska” each earned six nominations. “Her,” “Philomena” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” rounded out the roster of nine best picture nominees.
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 snubs and surprises
It is a Cinderella story of sorts for “Dallas Buyers Club.” Hollywood passed on the film -- an intimate and poignant look at the AIDS crisis in the 1980s -- again and again. But the project was vindicated with Thursday’s strong showing. Besides a best picture nomination, it earned nominations for original screenplay and a first-time nomination for Matthew McConaughey in the lead actor category and Jared Leto in the supporting actor category.
In addition to McConaughey, the lead actor nominees are Bale for “American Hustle,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Bruce Dern for “Nebraska” and Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave.”
Lead actress contenders include Amy Adams for “American Hustle,” Cate Blanchett for “Blue Jasmine,” Sandra Bullock for “Gravity,” Judi Dench for “Philomena” and Meryl Streep for “August: Osage County.”
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 top nominees
Filling out the directing category are Martin Scorsese for “The Wolf of Wall Street” and Alexander Payne for “Nebraska.” McQueen is in a position to make Oscar history. If the British filmmaker wins in this category, he will be the first black director to do so.
Nominated along with Leto in the supporting actor category are: Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips,” Bradley Cooper for “American Hustle,” Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave” and Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The supporting actress nominees are Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine,” Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle,” Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave,” Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County” and June Squibb in “Nebraska.”
PHOTOS: Oscars 2014 nominee reactions
If Squibb, 84, goes on to win, she’ll be the oldest performer ever to take home Oscar gold.
But if the 23-year-old Lawrence wins, she’ll make history as well as the youngest woman to have two Academy Awards. A win for Lawrence would also make her the first actress to win back-to-back Oscars since the legendary Katharine Hepburn accomplished that feat in the late 1960s.
Notably missing from the nominations list were lead actor contenders Tom Hanks for “Captain Phillips” and Robert Redford for “All Is Lost.” Also overlooked were Emma Thompson for lead actress in “Saving Mr. Banks,” Oprah Winfrey for her supporting role in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and Paul Greengrass for directing “Captain Phillips.”
Oscars 2014: Play-at-home ballot
Ellen DeGeneres, who hosted the Oscars in 2007, returns this year as the emcee of the ceremony, which will be telecast live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland.
Susan.King@latimes.com, Rene.Lynch@latimes.com
ALSO:
FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2014
VIDEO: Envelope Screening Series
Oscars 2014: Complete list of nominees
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Susan King is a former entertainment writer at the Los Angeles Times who specialized in Classic Hollywood stories. She also wrote about independent, foreign and studio movies and occasionally TV and theater stories. Born in East Orange, N.J., she received her master’s degree in film history and criticism at USC. She worked for 10 years at the L.A. Herald Examiner and came to work at The Times in January 1990. She left in 2016.
Follow Us
Rene Lynch is a writer and editor with the Saturday section in features. She works across a variety of coverage areas, including wellness, design and food, and edits the weekly L.A. Affairs column.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Movies
‘Black Widow’s’ David Harbour is game for a Red Guardian-vs.-Captain America movie
Movies
‘Black Widow’s’ David Harbour is game for a Red Guardian-vs.-Captain America movie
The stars of ‘Black Widow’ assembled Friday to discuss the thrice-postponed film — and wound up pitching another Marvel movie concept entirely.
June 18, 2021
Movies
How the ‘F9' team sought justice for Han and shaped the franchise’s future
Movies
How the ‘F9' team sought justice for Han and shaped the franchise’s future
“F9" star Vin Diesel, director Justin Lin, a returning Sung Kang and more stars on the “Fast & Furious’ family reunion and what’s next for the franchise.
2 hours ago
Company Town
How is reopening affecting Hollywood film and TV sets? 5 key takeaways
Company Town
How is reopening affecting Hollywood film and TV sets? 5 key takeaways
As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, how will safety rules and protocols change for crews working on film and TV sets?
June 18, 2021
Entertainment & Arts
Nipsey Hussle and Carrie Fisher will get posthumous stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Entertainment & Arts
Nipsey Hussle and Carrie Fisher will get posthumous stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Los Angeles rapper-entrepreneur-community activist Nipsey Hussle and actress-author-screenwriter Carrie Fisher will get stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
June 18, 2021
Subscribers Are Reading
Travel
The 40 best California outdoor experiences. Period.
Travel
The 40 best California outdoor experiences. Period.
These trips will take you to priceless places, and our pro tips will help you dig deeper. May 20, 2021
California
Decades of allegations of sexual abuse, misconduct rock exclusive Ojai boarding school
California
Decades of allegations of sexual abuse, misconduct rock exclusive Ojai boarding school
The allegations of misconduct and inappropriate “boundary crossing” at the Thacher School date to the 1980s.
June 17, 2021
California
California unveils system to provide digital COVID-19 vaccine records
California
California unveils system to provide digital COVID-19 vaccine records
Californians can now access a digital copy of their COVID-19 vaccination record as part of a new system unveiled by the state, officials said.
1 hour ago
More Coverage
Technology
Ring tapped a network of influencers to promote its cameras. They were LAPD officers
Technology
Ring tapped a network of influencers to promote its cameras. They were LAPD officers
Ring provided at least 100 LAPD officers with free devices or discounts and encouraged them to endorse and recommend its doorbell and security cameras to police and members of the public. June 17, 2021
Business
Disneyland reveals which COVID-era changes will stay, which will go
Business
Disneyland reveals which COVID-era changes will stay, which will go
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have lifted rules about crowds and distancing. Fireworks are coming back. But some changes will stick. June 18, 2021
Latest Movies
Company Town
Free popcorn. Cheap booze. Private ‘Black Widow’ screenings. How movie theaters are luring fans back
Company Town
Free popcorn. Cheap booze. Private ‘Black Widow’ screenings. How movie theaters are luring fans back
After a long road out of their COVID-19 funk, theaters are offering deals and special screenings of “Summer of Soul” and “Black Widow” to bring people back to the movies. June 18, 2021
More Coverage
Movies
Review: Simmering doc ‘A Crime on the Bayou’ illustrates the cyclical ills of systemic racism
Movies
Review: Simmering doc ‘A Crime on the Bayou’ illustrates the cyclical ills of systemic racism
Nancy Buirski’s documentary ‘A Crime on the Bayou’ recounts the systemic racism in a landmark 1960s Louisiana court case and its courageous defense.
June 18, 2021
Movies
AMC celebrates Juneteenth with $5 screenings of iconic Black-led films
Movies
AMC celebrates Juneteenth with $5 screenings of iconic Black-led films
Theater chain AMC is observing Juneteenth by showing movies (“Moonlight,” “Do the Right Thing”) directed by Black filmmakers for $5 at select theaters.
June 18, 2021
Entertainment & Arts
‘Black Panther,’ ‘Hedwig,’ ‘Raiders’: Classic movies in L.A. this week
Entertainment & Arts
‘Black Panther,’ ‘Hedwig,’ ‘Raiders’: Classic movies in L.A. this week
‘Black Panther,’ ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and the first three films in the ‘Raiders’ franchise lead our curated list of classic flicks playing in L.A. this week.
June 18, 2021
Movies
Review: Documentary sheds light on Rita Moreno’s career — and recent ‘In the Heights’ remarks
Movies
Review: Documentary sheds light on Rita Moreno’s career — and recent ‘In the Heights’ remarks
‘Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It’ unabashedly hails the performer, and illuminates her recent defense of ‘In the Heights’ casting. | Awards ceremony | January 2014 | ['(Los Angeles Times)'] |
Alastair Cook becomes the leading run scorer of all time in test cricket for England playing against New Zealand in the second test at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds. | Cricket
Alastair Cook has passed Graham Gooch to become England's leading Test run scorer.
In reaching 32 on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley, he overtook Gooch's mark of 8,900, which has stood since 1995.
England captain Cook, 30, is playing his 114th Test, having made his debut in 2006.
"It was an amazing moment, a personal one," the left-hander told BBC's Test Match Special.
Cook stands 13th on the all-time list of Test run scorers,external-link and only one current Test player - Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara - is ahead of him on a chart led by India great Sachin Tendulkar with 15,921 runs.
Although Cook took lunch on 27, he scored only two runs in the first seven overs after the interval.
A half-volley from Tim Southee gave him the chance to drive through point for four as he claimed the record held by batting coach and long-time mentor Gooch.
Cook celebrated with a smile, a modest raise of the bat and a hug with opening partner Adam Lyth as the crowd gave him a lengthy standing ovation.
He eventually fell for 75 midway through the evening session, lbw sweeping off-spinner Mark Craig, having added 177 with Lyth.
"I haven't been nervous in the 20s before - I didn't want to fall four short," Cook told Test Match Special.
"I've not heard from Goochie yet. I'm sure he's somewhere in Essex enjoying a glass of red wine but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."
Cook told Sky Sports: "I probably don't deserve to be there.
"It is a huge battle to have longevity as a Test cricketer; it is an amazing journey. I'm delighted that today was a special day.
"The last 18 months has been tough for me personally - that's part and parcel of being a batter. When you are in a bit of form, you have to make it count."
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said: "It is a massive achievement for Alastair Cook to become England's all-time leading Test run scorer. He is only 30 and could play for four or five more years, notching another 40 or 50 Test matches and probably passing 11,000 runs."
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said: "I've always had admiration for Alastair Cook's batting. If you asked me who is the best opening batsman in the world today, no contest: Alastair Cook."
"I don't think it's a big milestone in his life. What's more important to him is the hundreds he's got, the matches he's won, and the fact that he's now back in his best form."
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan said: "The most amazing thing about Alastair Cook's record is that he's only 30 years of age.
"I don't think we talk enough in English sport about what Cook's talent really is: stubbornness, concentration, the ability to have a real strong game plan. What's he got in abundance is that inward talent - strength, character - more so than anyone else I played with."
Former England batsman and team-mate Kevin Pietersen tweeted: "I was quoted a few years back saying he could break Sachin's record. At the age of 30, he still has a chance! Quite brilliant batsman! Well done, AC!"
England bowler Steven Finn tweeted: "Exceptional effort from Cookie to break that record. Many many more to come too. Compliments to the chef!"
The International Cricket Council also paid tribute to Cook, although it managed to spell his name wrong...
2006, Nagpur: Flown out to India from the West Indies as a late addition to the England Test squad, Cook scored 60 and 104 not out on his debut.
2010, The Oval: Facing calls to be dropped after scoring only 106 runs in eight innings, he hit 110 against Pakistan to book his place on the flight to Australia for the winter Ashes.
2010, Brisbane: Batted for 10 and a half hours in making 235 not out to help England save the first Ashes Test, a series in which he scored a record 766 runs at an average of 127.66.
2011, Edgbaston: Amassed 294, his highest first-class score as England beat India by an innings and 242 runs.
2012, Kolkata: Hit 190, his third century in successive Tests after taking over as permanent captain, to set England on their way to a historic 2-1 series win in India. | Sports Competition | May 2015 | ['(BBC)'] |
China announces its intent to increase tariffs from 10% to 25% on $60 billion worth of imports from the United States effective June 1, 2019. | China will raise tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods in retaliation for the U.S. decision to hike duties on Chinese goods, the Chinese Finance Ministry said Monday.
Beijing will increase tariffs on more than 5,000 products to as high as 25%. Duties on some other goods will increase to 20%. Those rates will rise from either 10% or 5% previously.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s decision to raise duties on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10%. The world’s two largest economies have struggled to sign a trade deal and end a widening conflict that threatens to damage the global economy.
The latest shot in the trade war rattled investors. Major U.S. stock indexes dove more than 2% Monday amid the escalation.
The duties in large part target U.S. farmers, who largely supported Trump in 2016 but suffered from previous shots in the Trump administration’s trade war with China. The thousands of products include peanuts, sugar, wheat, chicken and turkey.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that the sides are still involved in negotiations. He said the administration is working on dates to travel to Beijing to continue talks.
Neither the White House nor the Treasury Department immediately responded to CNBC’s requests to comment on the tariff increase.
In increasing duties on Chinese goods on Friday, the White House said Beijing backed out of major parts of a developing trade agreement. While Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Chinese negotiators last week in talks Mnuchin called “constructive,” the sides could not strike a deal.
Trump, who wants to address grievances such as intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers and trade deficits, pushed China to make a deal ahead of its retaliation on Monday morning. In a string of tweets, the president argued the tariffs are “very bad for China.” He said “China should not retaliate” as it “will only get worse!”
“You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!” he wrote of China and its President Xi Jinping.
Trump tweet: I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don’t make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries. Too expensive to buy in China. You had a great deal, almost completed, & you backed out!
The U.S. may not be done retaliating. Trump has threatened to put 25% tariffs on $325 billion in Chinese goods that remain untaxed. The president has signaled he is content leaving the duties in place, arguing they will damage China more than the U.S.
The president has repeatedly claimed China bears the brunt of the costs from the tariffs. But the burden falls largely on U.S. businesses and consumers.
Pressed Sunday during a Fox News interview about Americans paying the tariffs, Trump’s top economic advisor Larry Kudlow responded, “Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay.”
Despite this, Trump claimed in a tweet Monday that “there is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs.” He also said the tariffs “can be completely avoided if you by (sic) from a non-Tariffed Country, or you buy the product inside the USA (the best idea).”
The U.S. hopes to revive discussions as it tries to reach a deal. On Sunday, Kudlow said there is a “strong possibility” Trump will meet with Xi during the G-20 summit in Japan next month. | Government Policy Changes | May 2019 | ['(CNBC)'] |
A roadside bomb detonates near Jandol, Lower Dir District, Pakistan, killing 14 and seriously wounding 7. | At least 14 people have been killed by a roadside bomb in the Lower Dir area of northwest Pakistan, police say.
Seven others were wounded, some seriously, in the explosion which took place early on Sunday.
The bomb reportedly hit a van carrying villagers heading towards a marketplace near the border with Afghanistan.
Lower Dir borders the Swat valley from where the Pakistani army ousted Taliban forces in 2009, and has seen many militant attacks in the past.
Taliban fighters chased out of Swat and Dir regions are reported to have set up bases in Afghanistan, just across the border from Lower Dir.
A senior police officer told AP that the bomb had been planted on a dirt road near Jandol and exploded at around 7am local time.
One survivor described a huge blast and passengers suddenly diving to the ground.
"I was listening to people's cries but unable to see anything as dust and smoke engulfed the air. Then I found myself in the hospital with my leg and hand bandaged," Dilawar Khan told AP.
Several children are reported to be among the dead.
One man whose wife was killed in the blast told Reuters he was taking her to get treatment for toothache when the van exploded.
Another said he had been escorting people to a funeral.
| Armed Conflict | September 2012 | ['(BBC)'] |
British fashion designer Alexander McQueen is found dead at his home in London at the age of 40, on the eve of his mother's funeral, in an apparent suicide. | On the go and no time to finish that story right now? Your News is the place for you to save content to read later from any device. Register with us and content you save will appear here so you can access them to read later.
Fashion blogger Isaac Hindin Miller on the death of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen. A tragedy for the fashion industry - British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his Central London flat at 10am yesterday morning (11pm last night NZST), on the eve of his mother's funeral. The timesonline is reporting that the designer hanged himself. The news comes as a huge shock to the fashion world, which, at this moment, has just completed day one of New York Fashion Week. Many received word via Twitter during the BCBG Max Azria show, and Anna Wintour is said to have simply stood up and walked out while the show was still running.
McQueen's diffusion line McQ was to be presented in New York today, but this has since been cancelled. Press statements, condolences and tributes have flooded the internet from celebrities, editors, models and other designers, with Twitter being the platform of choice for many. This from Anna Wintour: "We are devastated to learn of the death of Alexander McQueen, one of the greatest talents of his generation. He brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen's influence was astonishing - from street style, to music culture and the world's museums. His passing marks an insurmountable loss." And from Twitter: @TyraBanks - "RIP Alexander McQueen. so so sad. such a huge loss. He was one of my favorite designers. He will be missed." @MrJoeZee - "R.I.P. Alexander McQueen, a kind soul and brillant creative genius. Sad and shocking. You've touched us all." @RzRachelZoe - "I cant describe the tragic loss of such a brilliant man and designer Alexander McQueen..R.I.P xoRZ" @DitaVonTeese - "Rest in peace, Mr. McQueen." The news comes just one month before McQueen was to present his follow-up collection to possibly his most well-received show to date last October, which included the highest possible reptillian heels. The collection was famously worn by Lady Gaga in her Bad Romance video clip. Hours before word of his death circulated, Lady Gaga had this to say about McQueen: "He is so, he is on his own planet, he doesn't need to respond to trends, or what anyone else is doing. He is so pure and from within and I, he just generally inspires me ... and I love when I can wear his clothes and sort of synthesise for my fans what it means to me, because I want them to escape through his clothes the way that I do," she told CNN. Born to an East End taxi driver in 1969, Alexander McQueen began his tailor's apprenticeship on Savile Row at the age of 16. A notorious bad-boy, it is said that he once sewed profanities into the jacket of HRH Prince Charles, a regular client. McQueen's graduate collection was bought in its entirety by stylist Isabella Blow, who became a close friend and mentor to the designer. She later took her own life in 2007. After replacing John Galliano in the top spot at Givenchy in 1996, McQueen's eponymous line was bought by the Gucci Group in 2000, and he quit Givenchy just three months later. The designer was well known for his theatrics and showmanship, and his final womenswear show at Paris Fashion Week last October was one of the first fashion shows to be live streamed online - now, seemingly, the biggest trend in fashion. At New York Fashion Week, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Rodarte and Alexander Wang (among others) will live stream their shows online.
New Zealand model Stella Maxwell was the face of McQueen's last lookbook which showcased his Autumn-Winter 2009-2010 collection. After his mother's death just 10 days ago on February 2, McQueen took to his Twitter account: "i'm letting my followers know the my mother passed away yesterday if it she had not me nor would you RIP mumx." He later added, "but life must go on!" Then, "sunday evening been a f****** awful week but my friends have been great but now i have to some how pull myself together..." Rumours are currently circulating that the Alexander McQueen show will go ahead on schedule at Paris Fashion Week, on Tuesday, March 9. No doubt, the most fitting send-off to a man whose best work was done in a 10- to 15-minute presentation on the catwalk.
Fellow designer Karl Lagerfeld's sobering tribute read thus: "In [McQueen's] work, he always flirted with death. We don't know the reasons but it's proof that success and talent alone are not enough to make someone happy. But there was always a little dehumanised side in his work, I found. Like a sort of detachment from the world and reality. "Fashion is like that... If you don't have a solid stomach and your head screwed on, you are exposed to anxieties, to things like that." | Famous Person - Death | February 2010 | ['(BBC News)', '(The Sydney Morning Herald)', '(The New York Times)', '(Irish Independent)', '(The New Zealand Herald)'] |
Voters in Pakistan go to the polls to elect the members of the National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies of Pakistan. | ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistanis began voting on Wednesday in a knife-edge general election between former cricketer Imran Khan against the party of jailed ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Reuters witnesses and national media reported.
Most forecasters are predicting a hung parliament that will require a coalition government as the razor thin polling lead by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party over Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is unlikely to result in a majority from the 272 elected seats in the National Assembly.
| Government Job change - Election | July 2018 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Day's 20-under-par is the lowest score in relation to par at a major championship, beating Tiger Woods' previous record of 19-under at the 2000 Open Championship. | Updated 17 Aug 2015, 11:43amMon 17 Aug 2015, 11:43am
Australian Jason Day has won the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Look back on how the final day's play unfolded.
See the full scoreboard
Jason Day of Australia throws his club on the 13th hole during the final round of the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits on August 16, 2015 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. (AFP/Getty Images: Richard Heathcote) | Sports Competition | August 2015 | ['(ABC News Australia)'] |
Gunmen in vehicles open fire on protesters in Baghdad, killing over 19 and injuring around 70 others. Three of the dead were Iraqi police. The victims were either stabbed or shot. | Gunmen in cars opened fire on Friday in Baghdad's Khilani Square leaving at least 15 people dead and 60 wounded, Iraqi security and medical officials said. At least two of the dead were policemen.
Protesters fearing for their lives ran from the plaza to nearby Tahrir Square and mosques to take cover. It wasn't immediately clear who did the shooting.
The attack came as anti-government demonstrators occupied parts of Jumhuriya, Sinak and Ahar bridges in a standoff with security forces. All the bridges lead to or near the heavily-fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government.
"We are under live fire now with electric power cut, the wounded and martyrs are here and the bullets were fired in Sinak Bridge," said one protester, who did not give their name for fear of retaliation.
The attack came a day after a string of suspicious stabbing incidents targeting demonstrators left at least 13 wounded in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of Iraq's leaderless protest movement.
Those attacks by unknown perpetrators occurred as demonstrators supporting political parties and Iran-backed militias withdrew from the Square . The incidents on Thursday fueled paranoia among protesters, who immediately implemented self security measures to uncover saboteurs within the square.
At least 400 people have died since the leaderless uprising shook Iraq on October 1, with thousands of Iraqis taking to the streets in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite southern Iraq decrying corruption, poor services, lack of jobs and calling for an end to the political system that was imposed after the 2003 U.S. invasion.
Security forces dispersed crowds with live fire, tear gas and sonic bombs, leading to fatalities. Pressure from the protests, now in its third month, lead to the resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi last week following Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's calls for parliament to withdraw its support for his government.
Earlier on Friday, Iraq's highest Shiite religious authority called for the formation of a new government within the allotted deadline, and without foreign interference, as the clock ticks down on lawmakers to select a new premier.
Thousands of anti-government protesters from across southern Iraq had joined demonstrators in Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the protest movement in the capital, hours after the sermon, according to security officials.
"We hope the head of the new government and it's members are chosen within the constitutional deadline and according to the aspirations of the people and away from outside influence," the Grand Ayatollah said in his weekly Friday sermon in the holy city of Najaf. The sermon is always delivered by a representative.
He added that the Shiite religious establishment would not take part in the government formation process.
Parliament had 15 days since his stepping down was formally recognized by lawmakers last Sunday to name a new nominee, per the constitution.
Since the US invasion of 2003, government formation in Iraq has been based on brokering consensus among political factions and their foreign allies, primarily the U.S. and Iran. President Barham Salih launched talks immediately after Abdul-Mahdi's resignation by making rounds with different political blocs. Iranian General Qassim Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force and the architect of its regional security apparatus, also came to Baghdad to meet with key officials.
Lawmakers made headway in passing a key reform bill to change the membership of Iraq's controversial Independent High Electoral Commission, the body tasked with overseeing polls, in a session Thursday night. Anti-government protesters consider IHEC a corrupt and partisan institution and its commissioners working in favor of political parties. The new law seeks to select commissioners primarily from the judiciary.
Protesters are also calling for early elections and reforms to have a greater influence in electing their representatives.
Al-Sistani, Iraq's most powerful religious figure whose opinion holds sway over Iraqis, also said peaceful protesters should increase their ranks and push out saboteurs, while respecting the role of the "indispensable" security forces.
Following the sermon, thousands of protesters traveled to Baghdad from across southern Iraqi provinces and marched on Tahrir Square, including from Dhi Qar, Diwanieh, Karbala, Najaf, Babylon and Missan, security officials said, chanting the slogan "Sistani, we are his soldiers."
Security officials requested anonymity in line with regulations.
. | Riot | December 2019 | ['(AP)', '(Telegraph)', '(Al Jazeera)'] |
Protests against the Bakiyev administration in Kyrgyzstan become violent as protesters fight with government security forces. | April 20, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Alatoo Square in downtown Bishkek was deserted and mostly cleaned up this morning, with little sign of nearly two weeks of daily opposition rallies.
But Kyrgyz authorities have opened a criminal investigation into violence that broke out at antigovernment demonstrations in the capital.
Riot police late on April 19 used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The Interior Ministry says 34 protesters were arrested overnight, when rallies turned violent and demonstrators threw bottles and stones at police and even tried to storm the government building. Riot police eventually pushed them back, firing tear-gas canisters and rubber bullets.
.
The detainees were released early today, according to an opposition spokesman.
Government Closes Down The Rally
Security forces have removed dozens of protesters' tents from the square and announced that the owners can reclaim their yurts at the ministry building.
The Prosecutor-General's Office has also announced that a "criminal investigation has been opened into the mass demonstrations."
Speaking to journalists during a break in today's parliament session, Prosecutor-General Elmurad Satyboldiev said some people could face prison terms of up to seven years. The prosecutor was asked about the possibility of launching criminal cases against lawmakers who participated in the rallies.
"If we ascertain the facts and prove their guilt, I do have the right to ask the [parliament] to allow us to open a criminal probe against them," Satyboldiev said.
Moves Against The Opposition
Earlier today, security forces raided the offices of Ar-Namys, the party formed by former Prime Minister Feliks Kulov. Kulov heads the recently formed opposition umbrella group United Front For A Worthy Future For Kyrgyzstan and was a driving force behind the recent protests.
Opposition demonstrators in Bishkek late on April 19 (RFE/RL)
Authorities accuse opposition leaders of failing to control their supporters. But some opposition supporters have accused authorities of being behind provocateurs that ignited last night's violence.
News agencies quoted one protester saying: "A large number of people suddenly appeared among the peaceful demonstrators and provoked the police."
Speaking to journalists today, opposition parliamentarian Omurbek Tekebaev warned that despite the suspension of the demonstration, authorities "should not deny the effectiveness of such demonstrations" or "citizens' right to peaceful protests."
Tekebaev also hinted at an effort to institutionalize some of the opposition alliances behind the recent rallies in the aisles of the parliament.
"The Front was a temporary arrangement," Tekebaev said. "I think we are going to work within the framework of the For Reforms movement. It is possible that we will create a parliamentary coalition called Reforms."
The launch of the daily Bishkek protests came on April 11, with thousands gathering to call for the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiev and constitutional reform. His critics have accused Bakiev of stalling long-promised reforms and reneging on compromises that followed similar street protests in November.
Opposition protests in Bishkek on April 11 (TASS) TAKING TO THE STREETS. Edil Baisalov, president of the largest grassroots network in Kyrgyzstan, discussed the political turmoil in Kyrgyzstan at an RFE/RL briefing in Washington. He addressed the question of whether the unrest is a healthy democratic process or a bid to derail the country's fragile democratic transition. | Riot | April 2007 | ['(RFE/RL)'] |
Tropical Storm Krovanh makes landfall in the Philippines, resulting in the deaths of at least eight people and forcing the evacuation of nearly 10,000 others. | MANILA: Nearly 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the northeastern Philippines as heavy rain across the country left at least eight people dead, authorities said on Sunday.
The storm – which has inundated villages and destroyed scores of houses in recent days – is the latest to batter the disaster-prone archipelago. Floodwaters reached waist-deep in 14 towns in the Cagayan Valley in the northeast of the main island of Luzon – which saw the worst flooding in decades last month – regional civil defence officer Francis Joseph Reyes said.
That forced nearly 10,000 people to seek shelter in emergency centres. The rain, which was intensified by the northeast monsoon, has filled Magat dam near to its critical level and the release of water threatens to aggravate the flooding, Reyes said.
Authorities said at least six people drowned in two provinces on the major southern island of Mindanao, which was also hit by torrential rain in recent days. Two elderly women were also killed in a rain-induced landslide on Saturday in the central province of Leyte.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year, which typically wipe out harvests, homes and infrastructure in already impoverished areas.
At least 148 people were killed in a succession of typhoons in recent months that destroyed hundreds of thousands of houses. - AFP | Hurricanes_Tornado_Storm_Blizzard | December 2020 | ['(Vicky)', '(AFP via New Straits Times)'] |
Terminix, in the U.S. District Court in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, admits it "knowingly" applied fumigants including methyl bromide, which the EPA banned for residential use in 1984, at a resort in St. John that seriously sickened a family of four, and agrees to pay $10 million in fines and restitution. (NBC News²) | Follow NBC News A year after a family of four was seriously sickened following a fumigation at a U.S. Virgin Islands resort, Terminix agreed Tuesday to pay $10 million in fines and restitution for using a pesticide that's been banned for more than 30 years, federal authorities said.
Stephen Esmond, Theresa Devine and their two teenage sons were exposed to methyl bromide in March 2015 when a local Terminix office fumigated the unit below theirs while they were on vacation on the Virgin Islands resort of St. John. The Environmental Protection Agency banned methyl bromide — a highly poisonous, odorless gas — for residential use in 1984.
According to documents filed in U.S. District Court in St. Thomas, Terminix "knowingly" applied fumigants including methyl bromide at the Sirenusa resort in St. John in October 2014 and in March 2015, when the Esmond family was visiting.
The gas made its way to the Esmonds' unit, seriously injuring all four members of the Delaware family, the documents say.
Terminix was also charged with using the banned pesticide in 12 residential units in St. Croix and another in St. Thomas from September 2012 to February 2015.
Terminix and its local subsidiary pleaded guilty to four counts of violating the federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and agreed to pay $8 million in fines, $1 million in restitution to the EPA for clean-up costs and $1 million to fund community service projects in the Virgin Islands, according to the plea agreement, which must still be approved by a federal judge.
"When you break a law that protects public health, there are real victims and real consequences, as this case tragically shows," Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a statement Tuesday.
A representative of the Esmond family said neither the family nor their attorney would have any comment. | Organization Fine | March 2016 | ['(NBC News)'] |
Mount Iō in northern Japan erupts for the first time in 250 years, together with nearby Mount Kirishima | TOKYO – A volcano in southern Japan has erupted for the first time in 250 years, and authorities set up a no-go zone around the mountain.
Mount Io spewed smoke and ash high into the sky Thursday in its first eruption since 1768. Japan’s Meteorological Agency on Friday expanded a no-go zone to the entire mountain from previously just around the volcano’s crater.
Explosions have briefly subsided Friday, but officials cautioned residents in nearby towns against falling volcanic rocks and ash.
The volcano is part of the Kirishima mountain range on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu. The area is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) southwest of Tokyo. | Volcano Eruption | April 2018 | ['(USA Today)', '(Click Lancashire)'] |
Indian National Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleges that police murdered farmers and raped women during recent protests against a new road in Uttar Pradesh. | A row has broken out in India after Congress party MP Rahul Gandhi accused police of killing farmers during recent protests against a new road.
Mr Gandhi said the remains of many murdered farmers had been found in Uttar Pradesh state. Local women had also been raped, he alleged.
The state's governing Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) has rejected the charges, saying they are politically motivated.
Farmers say they are being forced to give up land for industry projects.
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says many see this is as a political row between the two parties ahead of local elections due next year. But acquisition of land for industry is a raging issue in India as it tries to balance the demands of a growing economy with the interests of its rural poor, our correspondent adds. The government says it will introduce a new law in parliament which will address the issue.
Mr Gandhi, a rising political star seen by many as a future prime minister, led a delegation of villagers from Uttar Pradesh to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday night.
Afterwards, Mr Gandhi alleged that "quite severe atrocities" had taken place in the adjoining villages of Bhatta and Parsaul near Greater Noida, not far from the Indian capital, Delhi.
He said there was a "heap of ash there with dead bodies inside". "Everybody in the village knows it. We can give you pictures. Women have been raped, people have been thrashed. Houses have been destroyed."
Mr Gandhi's office circulated photographs purportedly showing the burnt remains of people killed in the protests. It is impossible to authenticate the pictures and Mr Gandhi has not said how many people he believes were killed.
A team of forensic experts is visiting the villages to collect samples.
At a news conference later on Tuesday, the state police commissioner and inspector general of police both denied allegations of mass murder, burning human bodies and rape.
The BBC's Ram Dutt Tripathi in Lucknow says land protests broke out in the villages on 7 May, and police sealed off the area. Many villagers are still unaccounted for, locals say.
At least two policemen and a farmer are known to have been killed during the protests near Greater Noida. Farmers there say they have been forced to give up land for an expressway project linking Delhi with Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located.
Mr Gandhi joined protesters last week and was briefly detained.
The demonstrations in the Greater Noida area are the latest in a series of protests over attempts to acquire land for industry or infrastructure development in India. The issue of land acquisition is highly sensitive - about 65% of the population rely on farming.
According to law, the government can requisition any private land for a "public purpose".
The Uttar Pradesh government says farmers have been given generous compensation - farmers disagree. It accuses Mr Gandhi of playing politics and has questioned the authenticity of the photographs.
| Protest_Online Condemnation | May 2011 | ['(BBC)'] |
The Philippines Department of Health declares a measles outbreak attributed to the drop in trust in vaccines due to the Dengvaxia controversy. | MANILA, Philippines The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday declared an outbreak of highly contagious measles in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Central Luzon.
We are declaring an outbreak as cases have increased in the past weeks and to strengthen surveillance of new cases and alert mothers and caregivers to be more vigilant, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
In an interview, Duque reiterated his agencys call for parents to submit their children to anti-measles vaccination to contain the spread of the disease.
He warned that bronchopneumonia from measles complication can be lethal, so parents should not be complacent about it.
Parents have to absolutely bring their children to the health centers for immunization. There is no other way but back to bakuna or vaccination. Parents should not wait for complications to set in because it might be too late, he said.
Based on data presented by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, the number of measles cases in Metro Manila from Jan. 1 to 19 had reached 196, as compared to 20 cases reported in the region in the same period last year.
At the San Lazaro Hospital, one of the DOHs referral centers for infectious diseases, an average of 48 measles cases are registered every day.
As of Feb. 5, San Lazaro has seen 1,355 cases. Of these, 1,240 patients were admitted in January, including 1,114 pediatric patients.?Forty-seven of the children died.
This month, San Lazaro has admitted at least 264 cases, including 241 children, eight of whom have died.
Last year, the NCR registered 3,646 measles cases compared to 351 cases in 2017.
The NCR is composed of the 16 cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Makati, Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasay, Para?aque, Las Pi?as and Muntinlupa and the lone municipality of Pateros.
Related to this health bulletin, other regions under tight watch by the DOH include Regions 1, 2, 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13 and Cordillera Administrative Region.
The regions need to scale up their response against measles and have all children vaccinated, the DOH said.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It is transferred from person to person through sneezing, coughing and close personal contact.
Its signs and symptoms include cough, runny nose, red eyes/conjunctivitis, fever and skin rashes lasting for more than three days.
Aside from bronchopneumonia, other complications include diarrhea, middle ear infection, encephalitis?or swelling of the brain, malnutrition and blindness, which may lead to death.
?Nutritional support and oral rehydration are important measures to increase body resistance and replace lost body fluid caused by coughing, diarrhea and perspiration, Duque said in a statement.
He added that immunization and vitamin A supplementation of nine-month-old children are the best defenses against measles.
Physician Jesse Fantone, chief of the DOHs Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit in Central Luzon, confirmed the outbreak.
Yes, its an outbreak, Fantone said.
Vice President Leni Robredo urged yesterday the Duterte administration to take immediate actions to help bring back the publics trust in the governments immunization program to prevent another measles outbreak this year.
Robredo said the rise in measles cases could have been avoided if there were no irresponsible comments and accusations made that eroded the publics trust in the governments immunization program.
The Vice President was apparently referring to the controversy involving the Dengvaxia vaccine, which some groups blamed for the deaths of some Filipino children.
She said because of the Dengvaxia scare, many parents are afraid to have their children vaccinated.
I hope concerns like this should not be politicized because the lives of the children are at stake here, she said.
Ruby Constantino, director of the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, earlier warned that another measles outbreak is expected this year, with 2.4 million unvaccinated children.
Robredo said the countrys program against measles has been effective, noting that the Philippines is close to eradicating the infectious disease.
Lets avoid finger pointing. Instead lets find solutions on how we can recover from this, she said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) yesterday expressed alarm over the rising cases of measles, saying even babies are now getting infected.
In an interview, PFV executive director Lulu Bravo noted there were reports of children below nine years old who have contracted measles.
We are bothered by so many deaths now from measles and even young babies less than the age recommended for vaccination, meaning nine months old, are getting measles, Bravo said.
Bravo maintained that babies should have measles protection from their mothers up to about nine years old.
But she warned that the babies of mothers who are not vaccinated or not adequately vaccinated would be susceptible to measles as early as one month old.
In 2005 to 2010 and up to 2013, we were having zero deaths with only a few cases.?We are now looking at big outbreak and hundreds, even thousands, are expected to die every year if this trend continues, Bravo said.
Bravo cautioned that the tourism industry will likely be affected if the rise in measles cases will not be?curbed soon because it is always a potential scare for people not to come.
When infectious disease outbreak happens, visitors will not come. Remember the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil? When Zika was reported to have increased there, some athletes opted not to participate, she added.
The expert urged parents to have their children vaccinated to protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases like measles.
The DOH is targeting a vaccination rate of 90 percent. In 2016 and 2017, it achieved 70 to 80 percent of the target. | Disease Outbreaks | February 2019 | ['(The Philippine Star)'] |
Authorities confirm that a wing part found in Mauritius in May is part of the aircraft from Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. | A piece of an aircraft wing found on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has been identified as belonging to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Malaysian and Australian officials said Friday.
The piece of wing flap was found in May and subsequently analyzed by experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane in a remote stretch of ocean off Australia's west coast. Investigators used a part number found on the debris to link it to the missing Boeing 777, the agency said in a statement. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai also confirmed the identification.
It is the sixth piece of wreckage investigators have said either definitely or almost certainly came from Flight 370.
The pieces have washed ashore on coastlines around the Indian Ocean since the aircraft vanished with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing on March 8, 2014.
So far, none of the debris has helped narrow down the precise location of the main underwater wreckage. Investigators need to find that in order to locate the flight data recorders that could help explain why the plane veered so far off course.
Search crews are expected to finish their sweep of the 120,000-square kilometer (46,000-square mile) search zone in the Indian Ocean by December.
Oceanographers have been analyzing wing flaps found in Tanzania and on the French island of La Reunion to see if they might be able to identify a potential new search area through drift modeling. But any new search would require more funding. Malaysia, Australia and China said in July that the $160 million hunt will be suspended once the current stretch of ocean is exhausted unless new evidence emerges that would pinpoint a specific location of the aircraft. | Air crash | October 2016 | ['(AP via The Miami Herald)'] |
Because of the risk of Zika virus infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pregnant women consider not traveling to Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympics in August, and/or for the 2016 Summer Paralympics the following month. | (Reuters) - Pregnant women should consider not traveling to the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil due to the risk of Zika virus infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.
CDC also said women considering becoming pregnant, and their male partners, should exercise caution if they travel to the Olympics or Paralympic Games, scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro in August and September.
CDC Recommends that pregnant women consider not traveling to the Olympics, the advisory says. If you have a male partner who goes to the Olympics, you may be at risk for sexual transmission.
CDCs statement is the agencys first explicit warning for some travelers to stay away from the Games in Rio de Janeiro, which has been expecting to draw as many as 400,000 tourists from around the world. Although the Olympics are still five months away, Brazilian authorities have been drawing up robust mosquito-control plans to minimize the risks to spectators and tourists alike.
Still, a Zika outbreak in the Americas has caused concern among some people considering attending the Games, and CDCs advisory could increase pressure on organizers who have so far downplayed any threat that health concerns could hurt attendance.
Late on Friday, the Federal Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for a new CDC laboratory test for the Zika virus that detects antibodies the body makes to fight infection. The CDC said it will distribute the test to qualified laboratories in the United States during the next two weeks.
Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus causes microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems.
Brazil said it has confirmed more than 580 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating an additional 4,100 suspected cases of microcephaly.
Though Zika is usually transmitted by mosquitoes, women who are pregnant may also be at risk for sexual transmission and should use condoms or refrain from sex during pregnancy if they are concerned, CDC said.
Those considering becoming pregnant should talk to their health care providers before traveling to the Olympics, the agency said.
A growing number of international athletes in recent weeks have said they are concerned about Zika, though few have said it would deter them from competing. Among those who have expressed reluctance is famed U.S. soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo, who said Thursday she may not join her teammates in Brazil due to concerns about Zika.
The CDCs recommendations for travel to the Olympics are in line with its current guidance to travelers considering a trip to the myriad countries where Zika is present.
Organizers have said transmission risks should be low during the Olympics, which are scheduled to take place during Brazils winter months when transmission of mosquito-borne illnesses is less frequent and the weather is cooler and drier. Rio de Janeiro has pledged to undertake broad mosquito control efforts.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international health emergency on Feb. 1, citing a likely strong relationship between Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly.
Earlier on Friday, the CDC said that a recent study of nine pregnant travelers from the U.S. to Zika-affected regions raised new concerns about the virus, showing a greater-than-expected number of fetal infections and brain abnormalities. One of the nine women gave birth to a child with severe microcephaly, it said.
| Disease Outbreaks | February 2016 | ['(CDC)', '(Reuters)', '(CDC)'] |
David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, cuts short a tour of Africa due to the News of the World phone hacking affair inquiry. | David Cameron begins a two-day visit to Africa which has been curtailed to allow the prime minister to fly home early to finalise the terms and membership of Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into the media.
In his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as prime minister, Cameron will fly into South Africa with a message that an African free trade area could increase GDP across the continent by more than it currently receives in aid.
He will praise his generation for marching against African debt and for holding concerts to raise funds for aid to the continent.
But in article in the South African Business Day he will call for a change of approach. "They have never once had a march or a concert to call for what will in the long term save far more lives and do far more good – an African free trade area," he writes.
But Cameron's free trade message is likely to be overshadowed by events back home following the arrest of Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, who entertained the prime minister at her Oxfordshire home over the Christmas period.
Downing Street aides, who had at one point considered cancelling the trip altogether at the height of the phone-hacking crisis last week, instead decided to cut it back from four days to two. Cameron will now just visit South Africa and Nigeriaon Tuesday. Plans to visit Rwanda and Sudan have been scrapped.
Time has been found in the diary to allow No 10 aides – and possibly the prime minister – to watch the appearance by Rupert and James Murdoch.
The prime minister will fly home late on Tuesday to allow him to finalise the arrangements for Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry in four areas
The first area will look at the terms of reference for the two elements of the inquiry – the first one focusing on media regulation and the second, presided over by Leveson, that will examine the alleged wrong doing and relations between the police and the media. The second part will not begin its work until after the criminal investigation.
The remaining three areas are the membership of the panel, which will examine media regulation over the next 12 months; the start date for Lord Leveson, and the size and location of the secretariat that will assist Leveson.
One No 10 aide said: "Of course events have intervened to curtail the trip to Africa. We really need to get the arrangements for the inquiry done and dusted by the end of this week because civil servants head off on their holidays by the end of July. But there were other good reasons to visit Africa for slightly less time. Just look at the state of the eurozone."
Cameron will try to use his visit to the two largest economies in sub-Saharan Africa to highlight the importance of creating a free trade area in Africa. Accompanied by a 25-strong business delegation including the Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond, he will say that such an area could boost GDP by $62bn (£38.4bn) a year – $20bn more than the world gives sub-Saharan Africa in aid every year.
In an article in the South Africa Business Day, the prime minister writes: "In the past, there were marches in the west to drop the debt. There were concerts to increase aid. And it was right that the world responded.
"But they have never once had a march or a concert to call for what will in the long term save far more lives and do far more good — an African free trade area. The key to Africa's progress is not just aid. It is time for some fresh thinking.
"Consider these facts. An African free trade area could increase GDP across the continent by an estimated $62bn a year. That's $20bn more than the world gives sub-Saharan Africa in aid. Backed by investment in people and infrastructure, sound government and effective tax systems, imagine what this would mean: businesses growing, new jobs on offer, families on the up, living standards transformed."
Britain supported the decision last month at the tripartite summit in South Africa to launch negotiations on a free trade area covering 26 member states. This came 20 years after the signing of the Abuja treaty which agreed to establish the African Economic Community by 2028.
Britain is providing assistance through the Africa Free Trade Initiative in three ways: helping to reduce tariff barriers, reducing bureaucracy, and advising on infrastructure bottlenecks.
Britain is also investing more than £160m between now and 2015 to help ease trade by halving delays at 10 key border crossings.
One factor which persuaded the prime minister to press ahead with visiting Africa's two economic powerhouses is the challenge of keeping up with China which dominates trade across the continent.
Cameron will meet Nigeria's newly elected president Goodluck Jonathan who has taken personal charge of improving power supplies in Africa's largest oil producing country which has little refining capacity.
Nigeria, with a population of 155 million, is the world's seventh largest country and seventh biggest oil exporter. But it has the same amount of grid power as Bradford, according to the Economist. | Diplomatic Visit | July 2011 | ['(The Guardian)'] |
The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army captures Al-Bab from ISIL after months of fighting. | BEIRUT Turkish-backed rebels seized the Syrian town of al-Bab from Islamic State militants Thursday, endingagrinding offensive to push the extremist group from one of its final strongholds.
Launched in August, the operation has proved unexpectedly long and bloody, forcing Turkey to triple its original deployment amid dozens of combat deaths and hundreds of civilian casualties.
It has also driven a wedge between Turkey and the United States, which initially backed a Kurdish-led force to retake the northern border town.
Ankara views thoseKurdish fighters as terrorists. Its operation also aims to thwart Kurdish hopes of establishing an autonomous zone along the Syria-Turkey border by preventing the Kurds from linking up territory east and west of al-Bab.
The FreeSyrian Army (FSA), a loose coalition ofSyrian Arabs and Turkmen, has been attacking al-Bab since early December, aided by Turkish warplanes, tanks and special forces.
On Thursday evening, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring network said therebels had full control of thetown.
“Al-Bab is freeand under Free Syrian Army control after intensive operations against Daesh that lasted for months,” saidCol. Abu Firas, a spokesman for the FSA, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.“Many gave their lives to return al-Bab to its people again.”
[New anti-ISIS plan could change U.S. strategy in Syria] Victory in the Islamic State’s final stronghold along the Turkish border would deepen Ankara’s influence in an area ofSyria where it has effectively created a buffer zone.
It would also allow Turkish-backed forces to press on toward Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital inSyria, complicating an earlier U.S. plan to back Kurdish fighters in that effort.
Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said the rebels were now combing al-Babfor mines.“We will be able to say that al-Bab is fully cleared of Daesh once the sweeping activity is concluded,” he told Turkey’s state news agency.
Under pressure across Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State has lost more than a quarter of its territory to U.S.-backed forces over the past year. Theareasit leaves behind are often badly damaged in the fighting, and the militants routinelybooby-trap buildings before retreating.
In a video published by the opposition-linked Step News Agency, a rebel commander stood in front of a car rigged with explosives. “We have defeated the Islamic State, and now we are on al-Bab’s northern highway,” he said. “This was one of their car bombs.”
[On the road to Raqqa: A rare visit to Syria’s front lines] Although the commander appeared to pose unarmed for the cameras, another man clutched a weapon tightly, scanning the horizon for threats as gunfire crackled in the distance.
The Islamic State-affiliated Amaq News Agency on Thursday highlighted the al-Bab offensive’s “heavy human and material losses,” claiming that more than 400 Turkish soldiers and Syrian rebel fighters have been killed and at least 41 tanks destroyed.
Turkish officials have attributed the duration of the operation to their forces’ attempts to avoid civilian casualties. However, the Syrian Observatory said Thursday that Turkish shelling in the offensive has killed 444 civilians, including 96 children.
An estimated 100,000 people lived in al-Bab in 2011 when Syria’s nationwide uprising against President Bashar al-Assad morphed into all-out war. Today, that figure is believed to stand in the low thousands.
Mustafa Sejari, an official with the al-Mutasim rebel group,said Islamic State fighters had used the area’s remaining residents as human shields by preventing them from leaving their homes.
[Syria peace talks resume, but Assad is in the driver’s seat] Meanwhile, representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition gathered in Geneva for the resumption of long-stalled peace talks aimed at resolving the other war raging in Syria a six-year-old conflict between forces loyal to Assad and the rebels. The battle against the Islamic State is not an issue in the Geneva talks.
Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations’ Syria envoy, set expectations low as he greeted the rival delegations at an opening ceremony at U.N. headquarters. “I’m not expecting miracles,” he said. “It is an uphill task.”
De Mistura urged the sides to take advantage of a cease-fire brokered by Russia with help from Turkey and Iran. Though it has reduced the level of violence, fighting continues in many parts of the country.
But with Assad’s government now secure after defeating the rebels in Aleppo in December, diplomats and analysts said he is unlikely to compromise.
| Armed Conflict | February 2017 | ['(The Washington Post)'] |
John Mark Karr is arrested in Bangkok for the 1996 murder of U.S. child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey. | The suspect was identified as John Mark Karr, 42, by Ann Hurst, Homeland Security attach?at the U.S. Embassy, during a televised news conference from Bangkok just before 3 a.m. ET today. Karr has been charged in the state of Colorado with murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of a child, Hurst said.
Lt. Gen. Suwat Tumrongsiskul, head of Thailand's immigration police, told reporters Karr confessed to the killing after his arrest.
"He told police while under arrest that he did kill the girl but so far he has not pleaded guilty in writing," Suwat said.
Lin Wood, the Ramsey family attorney, said Karr is a schoolteacher who once lived in Conyers, Ga., outside Atlanta. The Ramseys lived in the Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody for several years before moving to Colorado in 1991.
Thai police said Karr had recently applied for a teacher's position at an international school in Thailand.
Karr's brother, Nate, told Fox News' On the Record with Greta Van Susteren that he does not believe his brother killed JonBen?. JonBen? was found beaten and strangled in the basement of the family's home in Boulder, Colo., on Dec. 26, 1996. Her mother, Patsy Ramsey, reported finding a ransom note demanding $118,000 for her daughter. Ramsey and her husband, John, struggled for years under what a former Boulder police chief said was "an umbrella of suspicion" in the case. Patsy Ramsey died in June of ovarian cancer.
On Wednesday, John Ramsey expressed gratitude for the arrest. "Patsy was aware that authorities were close to making an arrest in this case, and had she lived to see this day, would no doubt have been as pleased as I am with today's development almost 10 years after our daughter's murder," he said in a statement released by Wood. The Ramseys had always insisted that JonBen? was killed by an intruder who broke into their expensive home on Christmas night.
Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy officially announced the arrest of an unnamed suspect in a statement Wednesday. She said no details would be discussed until today.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers assisted Boulder County authorities and the Royal Thai Police in locating the suspect, the federal agency said.
Wood credited Lacy with doggedly pursuing the case after others had concluded it might never be solved. "The public mind was so poisoned against this family" that few took "an objective look at the evidence," Wood told MSNBC.
The case thwarted the efforts of police, private investigators, and amateur sleuths for nearly 10 years. JonBen?'s killing became a public obsession that spawned a flood of books, documentaries and lawsuits.
Pictures and videos of the pretty blonde posing coquettishly in her beauty contest costumes were widely printed in newspapers and broadcast on television.
An autopsy report revealed she had suffered severe head injuries and may have been sexually assaulted. For years, suspicion focused on her parents, a wealthy businessman and his homemaker wife. The parents had initially refused to submit to police interviews, and in 1997, Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said the family was under an "umbrella of suspicion." In September 1998, a Boulder County grand jury began a new probe into the case after many months of inconclusive investigation by Boulder police. Thirteen months later, Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter announced that no indictments would be issued. Hunter said there was insufficient evidence to indict anyone. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | August 2006 | ['(Denver Post)', '(USA Today)', '(MSNBC)'] |
German Chancellor Angela Merkel invites the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and France to meet tomorrow in Berlin to discuss peace efforts in eastern Ukraine. , | BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said “no wonders” should be expected at talks on a stalled peace plan for eastern Ukraine which she will host on Wednesday with the leaders of Russia, France and Ukraine.
Other top officials, including Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, also dampened expectations of any breakthrough at the talks in Berlin on ending a conflict in which more than 9,600 people have been killed since 2014.
“One musn’t expect any wonders from tomorrow’s meeting but it is worth every endeavour on this issue to take efforts forward,” Merkel told a news conference on Tuesday.
Merkel said she and French President Francois Hollande would also discuss what she called the worsening humanitarian disaster in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Given this situation, I believe no option - including that of sanctions - can be taken off the table,” Merkel said, adding that the first priority was to alleviate human suffering in Syria.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said it was important to maintain pressure on Russia over Syria, a theme echoed by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.
“Yes, we want better relations, but not at the price that (the Russians) don’t stick to the rules,” Schaeuble said in a speech in which he called for European Union states to pool their defence budgets to better counter the Russian military.
“We don’t want to fall back into the old insanity of reacting to every provocation, but that doesn’t mean we will accept the shifting of borders and power with violence.”
Ayrault said the meeting would aim to establish a timetable for elections in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine and discuss further military disengagement along the line of conflict.
Poroshenko, speaking in Oslo, cautioned against setting “very high expectations” for the meeting. The Kremlin has criticized Ukraine for not respecting its obligations under the Minsk ceasefire deal.
A ceasefire agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk in February 2015 stemmed heavy fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed rebels, but violence routinely flares along a demarcation line.
“Am I very optimistic? Yes. I am very optimistic about the future of Ukraine but unfortunately not so much about tomorrow’s meeting, but I would be very happy to be surprised,” Poroshenko said.
The talks will take place just over a year after the four leaders last met in the so-called “Normandy Format,” and against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Russia, Europe and the United States about Moscow’s military role in Syria.
Ayrault, speaking in Paris, said there was no alternative to continuing to work on the Minsk agreement.
“I told the Ukrainians there was no plan B to the Minsk accords. Some think there is a plan B, which is confronting Russia, which we don’t want.”
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it made sense to “compare notes” about implementation of the Minsk accord, but it was not possible to talk about any concrete agreements.
| Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | October 2016 | ['(AP)', '(Reuters)'] |
Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, holds talks with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia over energy security issues. | German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Russia to improve communications with the EU following the latest crisis over energy supplies.
Mrs Merkel was speaking after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea city of Sochi.
Earlier this month Moscow stopped pumping oil along a pipeline through Belarus in a dispute with Minsk. Last year gas supplies were stopped for several days in a dispute with another transit country, Ukraine.
Mrs Merkel, whose country holds the six-month EU presidency, did not pull her punches when it came to the vital issue of energy security. Europe depends on Russia for a significant proportion of its energy supplies, particularly gas.
The German chancellor had earlier said it was unacceptable that Moscow had failed to inform any of its European customers that it was about to shut down the oil pipeline, a point publicly reinforced during a news conference following her latest meeting with Mr Putin on Sunday. She said it was critical to find ways to communicate to avoid problems in the future. In response Mr Putin said Russia was now doing everything possible to develop the means to deliver oil and gas directly to customers in Europe and Asia - in other words avoiding transit countries such as Belarus and Ukraine. | Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | January 2007 | ['(BBC)'] |
In the Louisville community of St. Matthews, Kentucky, US, disruptive behavior by a crowd of up to 2,000 teenagers and young adults, including numerous fights and unconfirmed reports of gunshots fired, causes Mall St. Matthews, one of the largest shopping malls in the state, to close early. Despite the unrest, no arrests were made and only minor injuries were reported. | Follow NBC News Chain-reaction brawls involving up to 2,000 people erupted in one of Kentucky's largest malls Saturday night, forcing the entire mall and businesses in the surrounding area to shut down, police said.
The hours-long chaos at Mall St. Matthews began about 7 p.m. ET when the six St. Matthews police officers assigned to the mall for the holiday season began responding to "disturbances," said Officer Dennis McDonald, a police spokesman.
"As they were responding to those disturbances, others were breaking out. ... Disturbances started to feed on themselves." McDonald said. "They were just overwhelmed with a number of calls for service and reports of disorder."
The officers on duty at the mall called for backup, and 50 officers from five different agencies responded, according to police.
"It was a series of brawls" involving 1,000 to 2,000 people ages 13 to their early 20s, McDonald said, adding that "the entire mall" was affected.
About 8 p.m., authorities started to advise stores in the mall to close their doors, but those involved in the brawls were refusing to leave. "Businesses were in the process of closing their doors, steel grates, and you had juveniles that were not allowing businesses to close up — [they were] climbing on the grates," McDonald said.
"This was a riot," McDonald added. "It was crazy."
Police received reports of shots fired within and outside the mall, but investigators haven't confirmed those reports, McDonald said.
Restaurants and shops surrounding the mall also closed their doors as the teens and young adults flooded out, McDonald said.
"It took about an hour and a half, close to two hours, before things were calm," McDonald said. Officers "maintained a presence" until 1 a.m., McDonald said, adding: "We're all tired."
But no one was arrested, and only minor injuries were reported, McDonald said. No officers were injured.
"Our officers, they showed great restraint," McDonald said. "Officers were focused on dispersing crowds and keeping them moving."
McDonald said investigators haven't determined what sparked the outbreak of violence, but they don't believe it was planned.
Mall St. Matthews didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. The mall returned to normal business hours and reopened at 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the mall’s security office.
St. Matthews, a suburb of about 18,000 people outside of Louisville, is a normally quiet city that sees no more than two murders a year, McDonald said. "I've been a police officer 33 years, and I haven't ever seen anything like this before," he said. "We always plan for worst-case scenario, but this exceeded that." | Riot | December 2015 | ['(NBC News)'] |
A large methane explosion at a coal mine in the self–proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine leaves 17 miners dead. | 2 years ago Sat 27th April 2019 | 06:02 PM Methane exploded at the mine on Thursday. On Friday, rescue teams from the Rostov Region in Russia arrived in the LPR in order to take part in the rescue operation.
"The tragedy at the Skhidkarbon mine has taken the lives of 17 miners. Their bodies have already been recovered. I am sure that today the entire Donbas and the entire Russia empathizes with the relatives and the close people of the victims," Pasechnik wrote on Twitter.
Pasechnik declared Monday the day of mourning over the tragedy. On the day of mourning, national flags will be lowered on the LPR territory, and all entertainment programs and events will be cancelled.
Pasechnik thanked local services and the Russian rescue team for participating in the disaster management operation.
"I want to thank the headquarters and the rescue services that are taking part in the liquidation of disaster consequences for their coordinated and quick work. A special thanks to brotherly Russia for its help and support," Pasechnik added.
The Skhidkarbon mine is located in the town of Yuriyevka, around 11 miles from the center of the republic's capital, Luhansk. The production on the site was halted during years of Kiev's crackdown on the region. The operations were resumed in January 2018.
| Gas explosion | April 2019 | ['(UrduPoint)'] |
President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro issues a decree to place the responsibility for "identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people" on the Ministry of Agriculture, instead of the indigenous peoples affairs agency, FUNAI. The management of public forests also goes to the agriculture ministry. The move is seen as a big win for the industrial agribusiness lobby. | RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - New Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued an executive order on Wednesday making the Agriculture Ministry responsible for deciding on lands claimed by indigenous peoples, in a victory for agribusiness that will likely enrage environmentalists.
The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, strips power over land claim decisions from indigenous affairs agency FUNAI.
It says the Agriculture Ministry will now be responsible for “identification, delimitation, demarcation and registration of lands traditionally occupied by indigenous people.”
The move stoked concern among environmentalists and rights groups that the far-right president, who took office on Tuesday, will open up the vast Amazon rainforest and other ecologically sensitive areas of Brazil to greater commercial exploitation.
The executive order also moves the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Environment Ministry, under Agriculture Ministry control.
Additionally, the decree states that the Agriculture Ministry will be in charge of the management of public forests.
Bolsonaro, who enjoys strong support from Brazil’s powerful agribusiness sector, said during his campaign he was considering such a move, arguing that protected lands should be opened to commercial activities.
Brazil’s 900,000 indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of the population, but live on lands that stretch for 106.7 million hectares (264 million acres), or 12.5 pct of the national territory.
“Less than a million people live in these isolated places in Brazil, where they are exploited and manipulated by NGOs,” Bolsonaro tweeted, referring to non-profit groups. “Let us together integrate these citizens and value all Brazilians.”
Critics say Bolsonaro’s plan to open indigenous reservations to commercial activity will destroy native cultures and languages by integrating the tribes into Brazilian society.
Environmentalists say the native peoples are the last custodians of the Amazon, which is the world’s largest rainforest and is vital for climate stability.
Adding to the gloom for NGOs, Bolsonaro also signed an executive order to give his government potentially far-reaching and restrictive powers over non-governmental organizations working in Brazil.
The temporary decree mandates that the office of the Government Secretary, Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz, “supervise, coordinate, monitor and accompany the activities and actions of international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the national territory.”
After she was sworn in on Wednesday, new Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias defended the farm sector from accusations it has grown at the expense of the environment, adding that the strength of Brazil’s farmers had generated “unfounded accusations” from unnamed international groups.
Dias used to be the head of the farm caucus in Brazil’s Congress, which has long pushed for an end to land measures that it argues hold back the agricultural sector.
“Brazil is a country with extremely advanced environmental legislation and is more than able to preserve its native forests,” Dias said. “Our country is a model to be followed, never a transgressor to be punished.”
In comments to reporters after her speech, she said that decisions over land rights disputes were a new responsibility for the Agriculture Ministry. However, she indicated that in practice, the demarcation of land limits would fall to a council of ministries, without giving further details.
Bartolomeu Braz, the president of the national chapter of Aprosoja, a major grain growers association, cheered Wednesday’s move to transfer indigenous land demarcation to the Agriculture Ministry.
“The new rules will be interesting to the farmers and the Indians, some of whom are already producing soybeans. The Indians want to be productive too,” he added.
Three-time presidential candidate and former Environment Minister Marina Silva, who was beaten by Bolsonaro in October’s election, reacted with horror to the move.
“Bolsonaro has begun his government in the worst possible way,” she wrote on Twitter.
Dinamã Tuxá, a member of Brazil’s Association of Indigenous Peoples, said many isolated communities viewed Bolsonaro’s administration with fear.
“We are very afraid because Bolsonaro is attacking indigenous policies, rolling back environmental protections, authorizing the invasion of indigenous territories and endorsing violence against indigenous peoples,” said Tuxá.
Under the new plan, the indigenous affairs agency FUNAI will be moved into a new ministry for family, women and human rights.
A former army captain and longtime member of Congress, Bolsonaro said at his inauguration on Tuesday that he had freed the country from “socialism and political correctness.”
An admirer of Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has suggested he will follow the U.S. president’s lead and pull out of the Paris climate change accord.
In addition to the indigenous lands decree, the new administration issued decrees affecting the economy and society on Wednesday, while forging closer ties with the United States.
| Government Policy Changes | January 2019 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Floods in the Filipino province of Maguindanao affect 16,000 families. | MANILA, Philippines — Incessant heavy rains the past few days have flooded eight municipalities in Maguindanao and have affected 16,758 families, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council said.
In its latest report released on Friday, Mangundadatu had the most families affected with 4,401, while Paglat comes next with 3,500, Buluan wth 3,253, Sultan sa Barongis with 2,865, and Pandag wth 2,739.
Meanwhile, affected families in Pagalungan, Montawal and Mother Kabuntalan are still undetermined, the NDRRMC said.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development in Buluan has started conducting assessments and coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development- Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for assistance to the victims, while the Office of Civil Defense-ARMM is continuously monitoring the situation is collaborating with other agencies “to further obtain reports on the extent on the flood,” the NDRRMC said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the whole country would experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms amid an Intertropical Convergence Zone.
Light to moderate winds blowing from southwest to south will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and coming from the southwest to west over the rest of the country, it said.
| Floods | September 2011 | ['(Inquirer)'] |
Michelle Bachelet takes the honor of being in office as the first female president in Chile. | Ms Bachelet, 54, who claimed a convincing poll win in January, smiled broadly and waved after taking her oath in the coastal city of Valparaiso.
Bolivian President Evo Morales, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and US Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice were among those at the ceremony.
Ms Bachelet is taking over with the economy booming, correspondents say.
Ms Bachelet embraced her predecessor, Ricardo Lagos, as she took office amid applause and cheers in the congressional building in Valparaiso.
More than two dozen heads of state attended the ceremony.
Correspondents say the event may have helped efforts to iron out some regional difficulties, for example testy relations with Bolivia over territorial disputes and gas supplies.
Ms Bachelet was pictured laughing as she received a gift of a charango guitar from Mr Morales on the eve of the inauguration, and the two exchanged compliments.
At the ceremony, Ms Rice offered congratulations to Chile's first female president, and also warmly greeted Mr Morales, despite the anti-US platform on which he was recently elected.
Latin America's third directly-elected woman president takes over for a four-year term from Mr Lagos, who remains extremely popular.
He urged Chileans to support their new leader, calling her "a symbol of a country that has advanced toward new challenges, a society that has changed deeply for the better toward liberty, pluralism, equality".
Tortured
Ms Bachelet takes over at the helm of the centre-left coalition which has governed Chile for the past 16 years, since the fall of General Augusto Pinochet's military regime.
A doctor and a single mother, she was seen as an unusual candidate in a country considered one of the most socially conservative in South America. Ms Bachelet, who was jailed and tortured by Chile's former military junta, has promised to build a more equitable and tolerant society. She has said she is keen to bridge the gap between rich and poor and to give a greater voice to women and indigenous people. Half the members of her new cabinet are women. However, she has said she will not bring radical change to the country, which has become one of the region's strongest economies. | Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | March 2006 | ['(BBC)', '(CBC)', '(VOA)', '[permanent dead link]', '(CNN)'] |
A collision between a tour bus and a tractor–trailer kills at least 13 people, and injures 31 others in Desert Hot Springs, California, United States. | “In almost 35 years, I’ve never been to a crash where there’s been 13 confirmed fatals,” said California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele. “It’s tough … you never get used to this.” (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
They had spent the night at a casino near the Salton Sea, so many of the passengers had fallen asleep as the USA Holiday tour bus rumbled west on the 10 Freeway on the way home to Los Angeles. Before dawn, they were jolted awake by screams and a grinding cacophony of metal on metal. Thirteen people were killed and 31 others injured Sunday morning when the bus crashed into a big rig truck near Palm Springs, officials said. Federal and local investigators are probing the cause of the crash, the deadliest in California in several decades. The bus slammed into the back of the truck’s trailer, crushing the front third of the cabin. Most of those who died appeared to have been sitting toward the front of the bus. “I was awakened by the sounds of people screaming for help,” said passenger Ana Car, 61. “I noticed a heavyset woman lying in the center aisle to my right yelling, ‘My legs! My legs!’”
The crash occurred at 5:17 a.m. Sunday in Desert Hot Springs as the bus headed back to Los Angeles from a casino in Thermal near the Salton Sea. CHP officers in marked patrol cars had been periodically slowing and stopping traffic along that stretch of the 10 Freeway overnight for a Southern California Edison crew that was working on electrical wires that crossed over the roadway. Traffic had begun to move again before the collision, Sgt. Daniel Hesser said, but speeds were much slower than the typical freeway flow. The front of the white tour bus was crumpled and largely destroyed, suggesting the bus was traveling much faster than the truck, officials said. They cautioned that it was too early to say whether the bus driver, who died in the crash, was speeding. Police and rescuers came across a horrific scene of destruction. “In almost 35 years, I’ve never been to a crash where there’s been 13 confirmed fatals,” said California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele. “It’s tough … you never get used to this.”
By noon, the remains of the bus had been towed away. Carpeted seats and passengers’ purses and backpacks had been cleared from the road. Bodies that had lined the side of the road in white bags were removed, two at a time, in a slow procession of coroner’s vans. Officials said the bus did not have seat belts. As a result, some of the victims suffered facial injuries involving soft tissue and bones and may require plastic surgery, said Dr. Ricard Townsend at Desert Regional Medical Center. Investigators will look at whether the driver fell asleep, had a heart attack or was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Abele said. They will also investigate the possibility of a mechanical failure. Authorities hope to recover a data recorder that would reveal how fast the bus was traveling and whether the driver braked before impact. The bus, manufactured in 1996, may not have one on board, officials said. “Essentially, we just don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle,” Abele said. “We may not be able to determine exactly why the accident occurred because the driver has been killed.”
Passengers said they boarded the USA Holiday bus Saturday night at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Vermont Avenue for a trip to the Red Earth Casino in Thermal. In the past, the bus company had used Facebook and Instagram to advertise such trips, saying a $20 ticket covered round-trip travel and 4½ hours of gambling. The company has advertised similar trips from the San Fernando Valley and Southeast Los Angeles to Las Vegas and casinos across Southern California. Identifying the victims and some survivors could take days, Abele said, because some were not carrying identification cards or were separated from their belongings when they were taken to the hospital. The family of Rosalba Ruiz emerged from the Riverside County coroner’s office in tears. The 53-year-old mother of three and grandmother of five from Los Angeles was killed in the crash, said Claudio Fernandez, who said Ruiz was married to his uncle. Ruiz enjoyed going to casinos and did so often, sometimes weekly, Fernandez said. “She used to love to go to the casinos, that was part of her hobby,” he said. “You don’t believe that will happen,” he added. “We went to three hospitals and couldn’t find her and we couldn’t get answers.”
Then, they were told to go to the coroner’s office. Other families also made the grim journey to Perris. Lester Pelaez of Lancaster and his family arrived in search of news about his brother-in-law’s mother, who he believes was on the tour bus. The family has been calling and visiting hospitals but have not been able to find her, he said. But a passenger at one hospital had told a family member that someone matching her description was on the bus. Jennifer Ruiz, 26, attends a vigil in Los Angeles for her mother, Rosa “Rosalba” Ruiz, who was one of 13 people killed in the tour bus crash in Desert Hot Springs. Felipa Martinez leaves her condolences while attending a Los Angeles vigil for the victims of the tour bus crash in Desert Hot Springs. Friends and neighbors attend a vigil for the victims of the tour bus crash at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Koreatown, where the bus was supposed to return. Rita Roden, left and fiance Darryal Molett, wait to board a QH Express bus headed for Pala Casinoas a vigil for the crash victims is held nearby. Jennifer Ruiz, 26, attends a vigil for her mother, Rosa “Rosalba” Ruiz, a victim of the crash. Jennifer Ruiz, 26, hugs a supporter at a vigil for her mother, Rosa “Rosalba” Ruiz, and the other victims of the bus crash. California Highway Patrol and National Transportation Safety Board officials at a news conference Monday about the crash investigation. California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Jim Abele, right, and Earl Weener of the National Transportation Safety Board speak at a news conference Monday. Jose Ramirez, who said he had planned to go to the casino on the USA Holiday tour bus but changed his mind, visits a memorial for the crash victims. Rosa Cabello crosses her heart as she says a blessing at a memorial for the crash victims. Gabriel Urano, who drives an 18-passenger van to the casinos, places a St. Christopher medal on a memorial for the victims of the tour bus crash. The bus struck the rear of a tractor trailer in Desert Hot Springs. The front of the bus was crumpled and the first few rows of seats were completely crushed, a witness said. A tow truck driver drags a broken bus seat away. Shortly after the wreck, which occurred just after 5 a.m., firefighters used ladders to climb into the bus to search for bodies and survivors. A CHP officer packs purses and backpacks into brown paper bags. Bodies of victims are removed from the scene. Officials received calls Sunday from Mexican, Australian and Japanese consulates. The majority of the victims were Latino, Abele said. “We’re assuming many of them are from Los Angeles because that’s where the bus originated,” he said. Ten of the victims were women and three were men, the Riverside County coroner’s office said. Staff at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs brought in nurses and technicians to translate for injured patients who spoke only Spanish. The hospital, the Coachella Valley’s only trauma center, received 14 adult patients, including five who were in critical condition, said public information officer Richard Ramhoff. Two other hospitals received 16 adult patients with minor injuries, including neck pain, cuts and abrasions, employees there said. Employees from the National Transportation Safety Board will arrive in Southern California on Monday to assist with the investigation, officials said. USA Holiday is an Alhambra-based company that owns one bus and employs one driver, according to federal records. The company was last inspected by federal transportation officials in April of last year and received a satisfactory rating, according to FreightConnect, a private data provider. No issues with the coach or driver were reported. The company drove 68,780 miles in 2015, the most recent data available, federal records indicate. Officials have not identified the bus driver, but his neighbors in Alhambra said his name was Elias Vides. For years, Vides drove buses filled with older passengers to casinos across the Southland, said Sonia Anderson, Vides’ next-door neighbor. At night, he parked the tour bus on the street near his apartment. “I hope he survived,” Anderson said, examining a photo of the wreck. “I feel for his family.” Sunday’s crash is among the deadliest in California history. In Chualar in 1963, 32 Mexican farm workers who were in the Central Valley as part of a work visa program were killed when a freight train struck the flatbed truck they were riding on. In 1976, a bus carrying the Yuba City high school choir plunged off a freeway ramp in Martinez and crashed more than 30 feet below, killing 28 students and one teacher. And in Northern California in 2014, 10 people were killed when a FedEx truck veered across Interstate 5 near Orland and crashed into a bus carrying high school students from Los Angeles. After that crash, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that requires buses manufactured after 2020 that carry more than 39 people to be equipped with emergency lighting that would automatically illuminate after a collision, to aid with evacuation. The law also requires bus drivers to provide instructions to all passengers on how to use safety equipment and emergency exits before departing. A separate bill signed into law was drafted following a tour bus crash in San Francisco’s Union Square that injured 19 people. The law requires the CHP to develop protocols for working with cities and counties to increase the number of tour bus inspections within their jurisdictions.
| Road Crash | October 2016 | ['(The Los Angeles Times)'] |
Clashes between protesters and security forces continue in Bahrain after Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone announces that the Grand Prix will be held there next week. | Police and protesters have clashed in Bahrain at the funeral of the activist who was killed during the Grand Prix weekend. Protesters threw firebombs and riot police fired tear gas in Bahrain today, after Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone announced the F1 Grand Prix will be held there next week. Clashes broke out after the funeral of activist Ahmed Ismail, who authorities say was killed last month during a protest. His mother, Makyia Ahmed, said he had been a volunteer at previous F1 races. She said: No F1, no F1. ... They killed my son in cold blood
Demonstrators hurled petrol bombs during nightly clashes with the police who responded by firing teargas and rubber bullets.
Crowds of protesters hurled petrol bombs at police who fired tear gas back in Bahrain on Saturday on the eve of the Grand Prix.
Protesters have clashed with police in Bahrain as F1 bosses remained defiant and the country's leaders refused to "empower extremists." | Protest_Online Condemnation | April 2012 | ['(ITV)'] |
A suicide bomber detonates inside the office of Mogadishu's mayor Abdirahman Abdi Osman, killing six government officials. Osman is seriously injured in the attack and his condition is critical. | A suicide bomber has seriously injured the mayor of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing at least six other people, officials told the BBC. The female bomber blew herself up inside the office of Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman during a security meeting. Militant Islamist group al-Shabab says it carried out the attack, hoping to target the new UN special envoy to Somalia, James Swan, a US citizen.
But he had met the mayor earlier, leaving before the blast occurred. It is unclear how the bomber managed to enter the heavily guarded building.
The victims, five men and one woman, were all government officials, the BBC was told.
Al-Shabab seeks to overthrow Somalia's central government and has been carrying out regular attacks in Mogadishu, despite the heavy presence of African Union peacekeepers and US-trained Somali troops.
The group is affiliated with al-Qaeda and remains a powerful presence in rural Somalia. Somalia profile
Who are Somalia's al-Shabab?
| Armed Conflict | July 2019 | ['(BBC)'] |
Nigeria's acting president Goodluck Jonathan dissolves the country's cabinet. |
Nigeria's acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, has dissolved the country's cabinet.
Mr Jonathan became acting president in February amid the continuing illness of President Umaru Yar'Adua. Mr Yar'Adua went to Saudi Arabia for treatment in November last year and, despite returning to Nigeria recently, has not been seen in public. One outgoing cabinet minister denied there was any power vacuum, saying civil servants would take over. The cabinet was picked by Mr Yar'Adua and correspondents say Mr Jonathan is now trying to stamp his own authority. Observers see Wednesday's move as an attempt to consolidate power at the expense of Mr Yar'Adua. 'No reason'
Information Minister Dora Akunyili said after a cabinet meeting: "Today, the acting president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, dissolved the Federal Executive Council [cabinet]. Not all ministers will lose their jobs - some will be reappointed, but this kind of sweeping change makes it clear the acting president is trying to assert his control over the cabinet made up largely of President Yar'Adua's appointees.
The president is still too ill to return to his job, but the prospect that he might has prompted some commentators to argue that Goodluck Jonathan has overstepped his constitutional powers. But others say it was the only way the acting president could get a grip on the country's mounting social, economic and political problems.
"He did not give us any reason and so I cannot give any reason. "There is no vacuum in the government as permanent secretaries will take charge." Ms Akunyili said that Mr Jonathan would issue a statement soon on the future make-up of the cabinet. Mr Jonathan will have to submit the list of new ministers to the National Assembly. It was only on 9 February that the assembly appointed Mr Jonathan as acting president, allowing him to sign legislation, chair cabinet meetings, reshuffle ministers and release oil funds. Since he assumed power he has been faced with serious communal violence between Muslim and Christian groups near the city of Jos that has left hundreds dead. On Wednesday, at least 10 people were killed in an attack on a mainly Christian village near Jos. Armed groups who say they are fighting for a fairer share of oil wealth have also continued their campaign in the Niger Delta. On Monday two car bombs exploded in the oil city of Warri, where officials were in talks over an amnesty for militants. Election candidate
President Yar'Adua was treated in Saudi Arabia for what his doctor described as acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart. There are no details of his current condition. Amid the continuing uncertainty over Mr Yar'Adua, it was announced on Tuesday that next year's presidential election could be brought forward by three months. Mr Yar'Adua's term of office expires in May 2011 but he is not expected to stand again. The ruling People's Democratic Party, to which both Mr Yar'Adua and Mr Jonathan belong, has a policy of alternating between presidential candidates from the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south, allowing each to serve two four-year terms. Mr Yar'Adua, a northern Muslim, was elected in 2007 after Olusegun Obasanjo, a southern Christian, had governed for eight years. The People's Democratic Party this month confirmed that a northerner would be the candidate next year to continue this policy, ruling out Mr Jonathan, a southerner. Nigeria's Nobel Prize-winning writer, Wole Soyinka, a long-time critic of the state of politics in Nigeria, said Goodluck Jonathan's decision to dissolve the cabinet was long overdue. "I think he's been as delicate as anybody who's in charge of country like Nigeria can be," he told BBC World Service. "In fact, I think he's erred on the over-cautious side. This should have happened a very long time ago." "He has to compel those who have been behind this macabre charade to come out in the open," Mr Soyinka added. What are these? | Government Job change - Resignation_Dismissal | March 2010 | ['(The Punch)', '(BBC)', '(Xinhua)'] |
A powerful, magnitude 7.2 earthquake has shaken Tajikistan. It was felt as far away as India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. No damage or casualties have been reported as the epicenter lies within the vast Badakhshan national park. The US Geological Survey describes the area as one of the “most seismically hazardous regions on Earth” because of tectonic activity along shifting fault lines. | It struck at 7.50am today with an epicentre in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, around 70 miles west of the city of Murghob, seismologists said.
Tremors were felt in Delhi, as well as in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and across northern India. Hundreds of people ran out of shaking buildings and stayed out on the streets fearing aftershocks, NDTV reported.
A spokesman for Tajikistan's Emergencies Committee said it had no information so far on any casualties or damage from the quake, while Russia's defence ministry said its bases in the country were unaffected.
In Dushanbe, the Tajikistani capital around 400 miles from the earthquake's epicentre, the tremors felt "moderate" according to a resident speaking to Reuters by telephone.
The US Geological Survey describes the area as one of the “most seismically hazardous regions on Earth” because of tectonic activity along shifting fault lines.
The Main Pamir Thrust, beneath mountains in Tajikistan, produces numerous earthquakes as the Indian and Eurasian plates collide.
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake in the Central Pamir Mountains killed almost 100 people in 1911 and triggered a massive landslide that blocked the Murghab River.
| Earthquakes | December 2015 | ['(AP)', '(USGS)', '(The Independent)'] |
The Supreme Court of Kenya annuls the results of the recent presidential election, that indicated President Uhuru Kenyatta was reelected, due to irregularities, and orders a new election. | Kenya's Supreme Court has annulled the result of last month's presidential election, citing irregularities, and ordered a new one within 60 days.
The election commission had declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by a margin of 1.4 million votes.
Raila Odinga, Mr Kenyatta's opponent, said the commission was "rotten" and demanded resignations and prosecutions.
President Kenyatta said he would respect the court's decision but also branded the judges "crooks".
Other elections in Africa have been annulled or cancelled but this appears to be the first time on the continent that an opposition court challenge against a presidential poll result has been successful.
Chief Justice David Maraga said the 8 August election had not been "conducted in accordance with the constitution" and declared it "invalid, null and void".
He said the verdict was backed by four of the six Supreme Court judges.
The announcement drew cheers from opposition supporters both inside and outside the courtroom.
The court ruling did not attribute any blame to President Kenyatta's party or campaign.
Justice Maraga said the election commission had failed "to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution".
He said the commission had committed irregularities "in the transmission of results", adding that the court would provide details in a full judgment within 21 days.
Dissenting judges said that the Nasa opposition alliance - which had petitioned the Supreme Court - failed to prove claims that the polls had been rigged.
The election sparked days of sporadic protests, in which at least 28 people were killed. The vote had raised fears of major political violence - as was the case after a disputed poll in 2007.
Mr Odinga, 72, said the ruling marked "a historic day for the people of Kenya and by extension for the people of the continent of Africa".
He said: "It is now clear that the entire [electoral commission] is rotten.
"It is clear that the real election results were never shared with Kenyans. Someone must take responsibility."
Mr Odinga added: "We won the elections and we are going to win them again."
President Kenyatta, in a televised address, said that it was "important to respect the rule of law even if you disagree with the Supreme Court ruling".
He called for calm, saying: "Your neighbour will still be your neighbour, regardless of what has happened... My primary message today to every single Kenyan is peace. Let us be people of peace."
Mr Kenyatta, 55, added: "We are ready to go back again to the people with the same agenda that we delivered to the people."
The president was more combative later at a rally of supporters in a market in Nairobi.
He referred to Justice Maraga and his fellow judges as wakora (crooks in Swahili), saying they had "decided to cancel the election". He warned the chief justice that as the poll had been annulled he was now the president again, not president-elect.
"Do you understand me? Maraga should know that he is now dealing with the serving president," Mr Kenyatta said.
"We are keeping a close eye on them. But let us deal with the election first. We are not afraid."
Chairman Wafula Chebukati noted the ruling and said there would be "changes to personnel" ahead of the new election.
He invited the director of public prosecutions "to prosecute any of our staff that may have been involved in violations".
But he ruled out resigning, saying he had not been accused of wrongdoing.
After the election, international monitors from the EU, the African Union and the US had said there was no major fraud on polling day and urged Mr Odinga to concede.
On Friday, Marietje Schaake, the head of the EU Observer Mission, said the court ruling represented "a historic day for Kenya and we have always said that people who feel aggrieved should seek the path of the courts".
She said the monitors had at the time pointed to irregularities and encouraged the Kenyan authorities to deal with them. | Government Job change - Election | September 2017 | ['(BBC)'] |
ISRO launches communications satellite GSAT-17 from French Guiana. | Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s latest communication satellite GSAT-17 was Thursday successfully launched around 2.00 am by a heavy duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana. Configured around I-3K extended bus, the 3,477 kg GSAT-17 carries payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services. The satellite also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites.
According to a PTI report, the European launcher Arianespace Flight VA238 blasted off from Ariane Launch Complex No 3 (ELA 3) at Kourou, a French territory located in the northeastern coast of South America, couple of minutes delayed than the scheduled time of 2:29 hours IST.
“GSAT-17 was injected shortly after orbiting co-passenger Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN in a flawless flight lasting about 41 minutes,” the report said.
After the successful launch of the mission, the space agency said, “GSAT-17 successfully launched by Ariane-5 VA-238 from Kourou, French Guiana. GSAT-17 that will strengthen ISRO’s current fleet of 17 telecommunications satellites was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).”
The launch of GSAT-17 will be the third satellite launch by ISRO this month, the other two being the first developmental flight of GSLV MkIII and PSLV C-38 missions, both from Sriharikota spaceport. The recent launches by the space agency were GSAT-19 satellite on June 5 and the PSLV-C38 that orbited Cartosat-2 Series satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites on June 23 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Announcing the successful launch of the satellite, Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel tweeted, “Confirmed: GSAT-17 has successfully separated from its #Ariane5 launcher #VA238 @ISRO.”
Confirmed: GSAT-17 has successfully separated from its #Ariane5 launcher #VA238 @ISRO pic.twitter.com/rGwEkWQV8j
— Stéphane Israël (@arianespaceceo) June 28, 2017
ISRO, which has been dependent on Ariane-5 rocket for carrying its heavier satellites, is developing GSLV Mk III for this purpose.
The director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Dr K Sivan who watched the launch from the mission control centre thanked Arianespace and called it a ‘text book mission’.”GSAT-17 is a need of the hour for ISRO and India as it provides the continuity in services of ageing two satellites, as well as augmenting our transponder capability, and widening our horizon to mobile satellite services as well as to Antarctica areas,” he said.
“GSAT-17’s co-passenger Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN is a two-payload “condosat” produced by Thales Alenia Space for Hellas Sat and Inmarsat. Once in orbit, the Hellas Sat 3 component will deliver direct-to-home and telecom services to maintain and expand Hellas Sat’s business reach, while the Inmarsat S EAN component provides the satellite portion of Inmarsat’s new European Aviation Network,” the PTI report said.
Hellas Sat (member of the Arabsat Group) is a premium satellite operator, offering services in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa from the orbital position of 39 East. Inmarsat is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services. The total payload carried on Flight VA238 is approximately 10,177 kg.
WATCH VIDEO: ISRO’s GSAT-17 launched successfully from French Guiana
GSAT-17’s launch will be the 21st satellite from ISRO by Arianespace, and it’s designed in-orbit operational life is about 15 years. After its injection into GTO, ISRO’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT-17 and performs the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite, placing it in circular Geostationary Orbit, the Indian space agency has said. | New achievements in aerospace | June 2017 | ['(The Indian Express)'] |
Turkish security forces begin mass arrests of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party MPs, including co-leaders Selahattin Demirta and Figen Yüksekda. Internet access is reportedly blocked across southeastern Turkey. |
The two joint leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP) have been detained along with at least 10 MPs because of their reluctance to give testimony for crimes linked to “terrorist propaganda”.
Police raided the Ankara home of co-leader Selahattin Demirta and the house of co-leader Figen Yüksekda in Diyarbakr, the largest city in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish south-east, early on Friday.
Demirta a charismatic leader known as the “Kurdish Obama” by some admirers and Yüksekda had been targeted by several separate investigations over the past few months but this is the first time that either has been detained.
At least 10 other HDP parliamentarians were also held, lawyers said, in a major escalation of the government’s crackdown on its opponents in the wake of the failed coup on 15 July. Raids also took place in the south-eastern cities of Van and Bingl.
The raids took place against a backdrop of rising criticism over the government’s purge, which earlier this week also saw the issuing of arrest warrants against editors and staff of Cumhuriyet, the main opposition newspaper in the country, and a fresh round of dismissals in the gendarmerie.
Ankara accuses the HDP’s politicians of harbouring sympathies for, and acting to further the interests of the Kurdistan Workers, party (PKK), a separatist group engaged in an insurgency against the government. Peace talks collapsed last year amid accusations that the PKK was rearming and as the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) drifted towards allying with the nationalist bloc in parliament.
The purges of the police and media institutions are part of a crackdown on what the authorities say are individuals and organisations with alleged links to Fethullah Gülen, a US-based preacher that Turkey accuses of masterminding the coup.
The prime minister, Binali Yldrm, told reporters that elected officials who incite and encourage terrorism must face legal proceedings and that the MPs were detained because they had refused to give testimony.
But Turkey’s allies are likely to perceive the latest arrests as a further attempt by President Recep Tayyip Erdoan to consolidate his power ahead of a parliamentary vote and referendum expected as early as next spring to revise the Turkish constitution and transform the country from a parliamentary democracy into a presidential system.
The leader of the nationalist bloc, Devlet Baheli, recently backed a referendum, making a vote on the issue more likely. A widespread difficulty in reaching social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as messaging app WhatsApp was also reported across Turkey after the detentions started at midnight.
Big things happening in #Turkey - internet totally off in southeast & HDP officials being detained.+ Rumor of imminent invasion of #Iraq.
Hours after the detentions began, Diyarbakr was rocked by car bomb outside a police building that was blamed by authorities on PKK militants. Eight people were killed. The Turkish justice minister, Bekir Bozda, said on Friday that the detention of the HDP MPs was in line with the law in comments broadcast on state television.
Others detained included the prominent MP, Srr Süreyya nder, who in the past has been a pointman for contacts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah calan. The head of the HDP’s delegation in the Turkish parliament, dris Baluken, was also held.
HDP is the third largest party in the 550-seat Turkish parliament, with 59 seats. Parliamentarians in Turkey normally enjoy immunity from prosecution, but the pro-Kurdish party’s immunity was lifted this year. Turkey accuses the HDP of links to the PKK, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by the US, the EU and Turkey.
Police also raided the party’s head office in central Ankara. Television images showed party officials quarrelling with police during the raid, and a witness said police cars and armed vehicles had closed off the entrances to the street of the HDP headquarters.
“HDP call international community to react against Erdoan regime’s coup,” the party said on Twitter, referring to President Erdoan.
A group of protesters chanting slogans tried to reach the party offices, but were stopped by police before they could enter the street, a witness said.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the arrests compromised Turkey’s parliamentary democracy.
“We expect Turkey to safeguard its parliamentary democracy, including respect for human rights and the rule of law, and we are conveying these expectations directly to the Turkish authorities,” Mogherini said in a statement with the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn. Relations with the EU are delicate. Officials in Ankara accuse their European counterparts of not showing enough support for Turkey in the aftermath of the failed coup, and bristle at criticism of the crackdown. Meanwhile, a deal to limit the flight of migrants from Turkey to Europe in exchange for visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in the EU may fail in the coming weeks because Europe has not kept its end of the bargain.
A measure to reintroduce the death penalty is also likely to be debated in the coming weeks in parliament, a likely death blow to Turkey’s EU accession talks.
The raids come as Turkey remains under a state of emergency imposed after the coup, which critics say has gone well beyond targeting the plotters. Thirteen staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, including the editor-in-chief, were detained on Monday, further heightening strains in Turkish society.
Tensions have surged in the Kurdish-dominated south-east of Turkey since a fragile ceasefire declared by the PKK collapsed in 2015. The HDP seeks to promote the cause of Turkey’s Kurdish minority and defend the rights of Kurds as well as those of women, gays and workers.
But the authorities accuse the party of being a front for the PKK and failing to distance itself from terror, claims it has always vehemently denied.
Erdoan has launched repeated personal attacks on Demirta, who analysts have seen as the sole politician in Turkey who comes anywhere near to rivalling his charisma. Demirta has made it a personal crusade to oppose Erdoan’s plan for a presidential system in Turkey, which the HDP says would lead to dictatorship. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | November 2016 | ['(HDP)', '(The Guardian)', '(BBC)'] |
The western Canadian province of Alberta declares a state of emergency as devastating wildfires, fed by unseasonably hot temperatures and dry conditions, grow to five times their initial size. The mandatory evacuation order expands to include the communities of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, and Fort McMurray First Nation, forcing thousands who had just resettled to move again. | Thousands of people trapped in isolated oilfield work camps north of Fort McMurray, Alta., were airlifted to major cities on Thursday, and the province is planning to allow police-escorted convoys of vehicles to pass southbound through the fire-gutted city, starting on Friday morning.
“Since this morning, we’ve been able to have roughly 4,000 people evacuated from the north of the city down to either Edmonton or Calgary,” Premier Rachel Notley told reporters at a briefing Thursday night. “This has been done primarily through the work of industry, bringing in WestJet flights,” she said. Notley added that she hoped 8,000 in total would be evacuated to the cities by the end of the day, with more expected to be flown out Friday.
Fort McMurray: Residents return home
About two-thirds of Fort McMurray’s 80,000 residents fled south after the mandatory evacuation orders were issued earlier this week. However, about 25,000 went north to oilfield camps, where there is limited food and gasoline.
The only road out of the camps, Highway 63, runs right through Fort McMurray. It remains closed.
Just hours before Notley spoke, RCMP Sgt. Jack Poitras told reporters that the fire was once again jumping the highway, as flames moved south from Fort McMurray toward the community of Anzac.
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Fire Chief Darby Allen issued a video on social media late Thursday night to reassure residents of the work being done to save their homes and property.
"We're still here, we're still battling," he said. "Things have calmed down in the city a little bit, but guys are out as we speak, fighting fires, trying to protect your property.
"The beast is still up, it's surrounding the city, and we're here doing our very best for you."
Chad Morrison, a manager with Alberta Wildfire Prevention and Enforcement, told reporters Thursday evening that the fires around Fort McMurray had burned through an area of about 850 square kilometres. That’s roughly the size of the city of Calgary. He said there were roughly 40 fires still burning, including one that was about three kilometres from Anzac, which was evacuated late Wednesday, along with Gregoire Lake Estates and Fort McMurray First Nation.
Morrison said that flame-spreading winds are expected to “calm down” Friday, but “with a few more hot dry days ahead of us … we’re not out of the woods yet.”
There isn’t any rain in the weather forecast until Sunday.
Notley said she could not offer an update on the number of houses that had been destroyed. She did, however, say that the fire’s “rate of growth” had “slowed,” with firefighters making progress in protecting the Thickwood and Timberlea neighbourhoods, along with the downtown.
A day earlier, she had said an estimated 1,600 structures had been affected.
‘Not a matter of days’ Premier Notley said that it is not possible to offer a timeline on when residents will be able to return home. However she said: “Unfortunately, we do know that it will not be a matter of days.”
Notley said evacuated residents will be given opportunities to visit their homes to assess damage and collect valuables “once it is safe to do so.” She warned residents that they must not return now, adding “The city is not safe.”
“I understand that the Albertans who are affected by this tragedy are scared, and very tired, and very worried about their homes, and what the future holds for them and their families,” she added. “Trust us, that we will have your back.”
Notley said “additional financial supports will be made available to ensure that affected Albertans have the resources and income supports that they need,” and that a “cash card option” is being discussed.
The premier encouraged Fort McMurray residents to re-locate to Edmonton or Calgary, where she said there are more services in place and schools available that can make room for displaced students immediately.
Notley stressed that those who have been evacuated should notify the provincial government by visiting Emergency.Alberta.ca or by contacting the Red Cross, even if they are not planning to use emergency shelters.
“We need more information about who has been evacuated, where they are and what supports you require,” she said.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson told CTV’s Power Play that about 20,000 people had arrived in the provincial capital already, with about 6,000 more expected by the end of the day.
Only a few thousand had registered with the city’s emergency reception centre, he said. Most are staying with friends, relatives or in hotels, he added. Many others are in the communities of Lac La Biche and Calgary.
‘A few stragglers’
Sgt. Poitras told reporters that RCMP officers had stayed in the nearly-abandoned city to make sure everyone had heeded the mandatory evacuation order.
He said police continued to find “stragglers” as late as 10 or 11 p.m. on Wednesday, and they were escorted out of town.
There were no reports of looting, he said.
Province-wide fire ban in place
Environment Minister Shannon Phillips announced Thursday that a province-wide ban on fires had been put in place, noting “extreme" risk and fears that strained resources could be pulled away from the fight in Fort McMurray.
Phillips also said she wants Albertans to avoid off-highway vehicle use, noting that recreational vehicles have sparked fires in the past. She also asked residents to reconsider their plans for the weekend, and to be extra cautious if they choose to use camping stoves.
Federal Response
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday morning that the federal government will match all individual donations to Red Cross relief efforts for Fort McMurray. "We will make it through this most difficult time together," Trudeau said in the House of Commons.
Alberta had said Wednesday that it too would match donations.
Looking visibly distraught, interim Official Opposition leader Rona Ambrose thanked Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale for their efforts to help her home province.
"It's a tough day for Albertans but we will persevere," said Ambrose, who represents the riding of Sturgeon River-Parkland. She vowed that the Conservatives will support Trudeau "every step of the way" in taking practical steps to help Fort McMurray. She also urged the government to make Fort McMurray a priority in its infrastructure spending plans, as the city will need to rebuild its streets and community centres after the flames are put out.
Ambrose started to choke up as she spoke, prompting Trudeau to cross the floor and to give her a hug.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair urged the federal government to move quickly in providing employment insurance for Fort McMurray evacuees. He also hailed the evacuees for their "stoic, strong and poised response" to the crisis.
On Wednesday, Minister Goodale said that Service Canada is looking into “the necessity for income supports as people try to restore their lives and get back to some semblance of normalcy.”
He told CTV’s Power Play Thursday that the federal government had given Alberta “everything it had asked for,” including military planes, cots and bedding, and geomatics support.
Wildrose leader’s home burned
Alberta Opposition Leader Brian Jean, who represents Fort McMurray-Athabasca, is among the many whose homes have been destroyed.
“My home is burnt to the ground but it’s just stuff,” a teary-eyed Jean told reporters on Wednesday. “All my stuff, all my memories. I lost a son last year…” he said.
He added that the "best news" about the fire is there have been no lives lost. "That's what we've got to concentrate on now," he said.
Jean, who leads the Wildrose Party, later told CTV’s Power Play he is optimistic that the community will be rebuilt better than ever. “We will come back stronger and continue to provide the great economic generation that we do for the rest of the country,” he said.
Worst-affected neighbourhoods
In an update sent out on Wednesday afternoon, officials said 90 per cent of Fort McMurray's Waterways neighbourhood has been destroyed, while 70 per cent of Beacon Hill has burned and 50 per cent of the homes in the Abasand neighbourhood are gone.
| Fire | May 2016 | ['(CTV)', '(USA Today)', '(Reuters)'] |
Sahaj International opens in Kochi in the South Indian state of Kerala. The country's first school for transgender pupils, it caters for adults who left school early. | A residential school for transgender people has been opened in the Indian city of Kochi, to help adults who dropped out of school finish their education. Transgender people can face judgement and hostility in India, and around half of them fail to complete their schooling as a result.
Sahaj International is the first school of its kind in India.
It will welcome 10 pupils, aged 25-50.
The students will be prepared for India's Class 10 and 12 board exams, normally sat when students are aged 15-16 or 17-18 respectively. The curriculum will also include some vocational skills.
Transgender activist Vijayraja Mallika, who heads the school, told the BBC: "The school aims at making transgenders eligible for taking decent jobs and living a dignified life." "We have admitted six candidates so far, all male-to-female persons, from 14 applicants. Of the 10 seats, we have reserved one for female-to-male and one for the disabled."
The school is in Kerala, which is the first Indian state to adopt a transgender policy against discrimination. It promotes inclusive education, and offers free gender reassignment surgery at government hospitals.
The centre's organisers said they had arranged sponsors for all the students, to pay for their food, accommodation and studies. The teachers also belong to the transgender community - a measure designed to protect and encourage the pupils.
The decision comes after India's first transgender college principal, Manabi Bandopadhyay, resigned from her post claiming that some of her students and fellow teachers had agitated against her because of her sexual identity. India has an estimated two million transgender people, and in 2014 the country's Supreme Court ruled that they have equal rights under the law.
As well as the right to marry and inherit property, they are also eligible for quotas in jobs and educational institutions.
But abuse and exploitation are still common. Many transgender people are thrown out of home by their families, denied jobs, and forced into sex work, begging, or dancing at weddings to make ends meet. Even finding a venue for the school was a challenge, as nobody was willing to rent the founders their premises. "We approached some 700 people and 51 households, and all of them turned us away. They seemed to think that we were looking for space for prostitution," Ms Mallika said.
Finally, a suitable site was found.
All of the school's first students come from Kerala, but Ms Mallika hopes to gather more from beyond the state. "This is a model centre. Once proved successful, we will expand the facilities and admit more people, from across India," she said.
"Kerala has some 25,000 transgenders, and 57% of them were forced to drop out of school due to stigma. They all should get a decent accommodation the policy initiatives envisaged."
The school was opened by activist Kalki Subramaniam, who is a transgender woman herself.
"This day is historic for me," she said.
Reporting by Ashraf Padanna in Trivandrum, Kerala
| Organization Established | December 2016 | ['(BBC)'] |
Ukrainians went to the polls for the third time in three years to vote in parliamentary election. | KIEV (AFP) — Ukraine's pro-Western parties appeared set for a tight victory Monday in parliamentary elections, but faced tough coalition talks and a warning from their Moscow-backed rival not to celebrate too soon.
Preliminary results in the ex-Soviet republic's snap election Sunday indicated a win for the combined forces of President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.
Yushchenko and Tymoshenko, joint leaders of the 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution, were ahead of arch adversary Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who is seen as closer to Ukraine's former ruler Russia.
Tymoshenko, a firebrand leader famous for her golden braided hairdo, is gunning to replace Yanukovych, but the premier sounded a defiant note.
"Nothing confirms the Orange forces' victory," he said on Channel Five television. "There aren't official results yet and to draw conclusions on exit polls is irresponsible."
About 3,000 flag-waving supporters of Yanukovych's Regions Party gathered on Kiev's main Independence Square for what was billed as a victory rally.
The election was called early to put an end to a debilitating power struggle between Yushchenko and Yanukovych, who secured the premier's post after a strong performance in parliamentary elections staged just 18 months ago.
Preliminary results based on 77.45 percent of ballots cast gave Yanukovych's Region's Party 32.2 percent, followed by the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc with 32.1 percent, and Yushchenko's Our Ukraine with 15.08.
The combined total for Orange parties was over 47 percent. Even if Yanukovych formed a coalition with all remaining parties in the parliament he would only reach 45 percent.
Yushchenko and Tymoshenko were at the heart of the Orange Revolution alliance, which overturned a rigged presidential election win by Yanukovych. Yushchenko triumphed in the rerun but the alliance was swiftly undone by infighting.
Its return would mark a sensational comeback.
"The Orange Revolution has been saved by Tymoshenko's election results. She saved it from oblivion," said Taras Kuzio, a Ukraine specialist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Tymoshenko said she wanted to form a new government with Yushchenko within 48 hours.
But they had yet to set up a formal coalition and analysts cautioned that almost any twist is possible in Ukraine's turbulent politics.
Ukraine, which has held three national polls in as many years and suffered months of constitutional paralysis, is notorious for the complexity and rancour of political deal-making.
The glamorous Tymoshenko briefly held the premier's post during the post-Orange Revolution period, before falling out with Yushchenko.
Nico Lange, at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Kiev, warned that Yanukovych's Regions Party might challenge the results.
"They will go to court and they will try to mobilise protests against the election," said
However, the main Western monitoring group, the OSCE, gave Sunday's election a clean bill of health.
"The elections met levels of well-accepted European standards," said Adrian Severin, a European Parliament member in the observer team.
Washington, the European Union and an increasingly assertive Kremlin are all vying for influence in this strategically placed country, which has expressed interest in joining both the European Union and NATO.
Ukraine straddles key Russian gas export routes to energy-hungry EU clients.
It is also a testing ground for Western-style economic and political reforms in the former Soviet Union, where many countries are now headed by authoritarian governments.
Russia had strongly backed Yanukovych and saw the pro-Western Orange Revolution as a crushing foreign policy defeat.
In Moscow's first reaction, Russian Ambassador Viktor Chernomyrdin told AFP late Sunday that "we will work with any government" in Kiev.
But Russia's state newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta cast doubt on the viability of an Orange victory.
"Serious political battles are only beginning," the newspaper wrote, predicting "a flood of information about violations." | Government Job change - Election | September 2007 | ['(AFP)'] |
The Guard wins The Guardian's annual First Film award. | The Guard, a dark Irish comedy starring Brendan Gleeson as an unorthodox Galway policeman, has been named the winner of the Guardian's annual First Film award.
John Michael McDonagh's debut film received the honour ahead of Submarine, Tyrannosaur and seven other contenders.
McDonagh, who also wrote the film, said he was "surprised and very pleased" to be recognised by the broadsheet.
The older brother of playwright Martin is up for a Bafta award on Sunday in the original screenplay category.
Other films to have been considered for the Guardian accolade included The Inbetweeners Movie, Attack the Block, Sleeping Beauty and Snowtown.
The paper has also bestowed its annual First Album award, given this year to Glass Swords by electronic musician Rustie.
Now in their fourth year, the awards - decided by Guardian writers - "aim to throw a spotlight on emerging talent that may not have received the recognition it deserves".
Uniform role for Potter's Gleeson
Setback for EU in legal fight with AstraZeneca
But the drug-maker faces hefty fines if it fails to supply doses of Covid-19 vaccine over the summer. | Awards ceremony | February 2012 | ['(BBC)'] |
2011 Spanish protests: The Anonymous group is reported to have successfully knocked the website of the Spanish national police force offline. | The website of Spain's national police force has been briefly knocked offline by hacker collective Anonymous.
The attack on the site was carried out in retaliation for the arrest of three Spanish men the police claimed were 'core' members of the group.
The hackers managed to keep www.policia.es offline for about an hour from 2130 GMT on 12 June.
Spanish authorities would not confirm that Anonymous was behind the attack, saying only that the site was offline.
However, a statement was posted on a website linked to Anonymous, claimed responsibility for the hack, which it called #OpPolicia.
The group said it had used a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) which bombards a target website with so much data that it becomes overwhelmed. A spokesman for the Spanish police said the cause of the outage had not yet been established.
"A website can collapse if too many people try to access it at once. I cannot confirm the link with the Anonymous group," said the spokesman.
In its statement, Anonymous said the DDoS attack was a "direct response to the Friday arrests of three individuals alleged to be associated with acts of cyber civil disobedience attributed to Anonymous."
The group said DDoS attacks were a legitimate form of peaceful protest. Some of its members are thought to have carried out similar attacks on Turkish government websites to protest against net censorship.
Anonymous also denied that the men arrested were part of the "core" of Spanish members of the group. "They did not arrest any core group, because we don't have a core group," said Anonymous in its statement. | Protest_Online Condemnation | June 2011 | ['(BBC)', '(The Guardian)'] |
More than 160 people are killed in flash floods across Afghanistan and Pakistan. | Authorities are struggling to deliver aid because of Taliban controlled roads
Flash flooding across Afghanistan and Pakistan has left more than 160 dead and dozens stranded in one of South Asia's worst natural disasters this year, say officials.
The flooding, caused by unusually heavy rain, has left villagers stuck in remote areas without shelter, food or power.
Mountainous Afghanistan was the worst hit, with 61 people killed and approximately 500 traditional mud-brick homes washed away in more than a dozen villages in Sarobi, a rural district less than an hour from Kabul, officials said.
Floods left a village devastated in the remote eastern Afghan province of Nuristan. At least 60 homes were destroyed across three districts, said provincial spokesman Mohammad Yusufi. No one was killed.
Authorities have been unable to deliver aid to some badly affected villages by land as roads in the area are controlled by the Taliban, Yusufi added.
“We have asked the national government for help as have an overwhelming number of locals asking for assistance, but this is a Taliban-ridden area,” Yusufi said.
At least 24 people were also died in two other eastern border provinces, Khost and Nangarhar, according to local officials. More than fifty homes and shops were destroyed and thousands of acres of farmland flooded.
In Pakistan monsoon rains claimed more than 80 lives, local media reported. Houses collapsing, drowning and electrocution all pushed up the death toll, said Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
In Karachi, the commercial capital and a southern port city that is home to 18 million people, poor neighborhoods were submerged waist-deep in water and many precincts suffered long power outages. Deaths were also reported in the north and west of the country.
Additional reporting by Reuters
| Floods | August 2013 | ['(The Independent)'] |
Severe flooding on the Japanese island of Kyushu has caused seven deaths with twenty people unaccounted for. | Severe flooding in the southern Japanese island of Kyushu has claimed seven lives, with rescuers still working to get food and medical supplies to more than 1,000 people left stranded.
More than 12,000 personnel have been conscripted to help with the relief effort, digging through piles of splintered wood and mud in the wake of freak rains that forced nearly 80,000 from their homes.
This number was down from more than 400,000 at the peak of the rains, with tens of thousands more advised to leave their homes.
The Government said seven people had died and more than 20 remained unaccounted for as rain continued to fall over northern Kyushu on Friday, amid warnings of further landslides.
Parts of Fukuoka, on the south-western island of Kyushu, were hit by 593 millimetres of rain in the 48 hours to 9:00am on Friday (local time), well over the rainfall of a usual July, the meteorological agency said.
Reuters/Kyodo
"At first, it wasn't raining that much," said Sumie Umeyo, a resident of Asakura in south-central Fukuoka.
"But they spoke of record-breaking rain and it started raining heavily, then they began closing the roads. "We looked outside and the roads were like rivers."
About 500 people were rescued yesterday when rivers across the region broke their banks and landslides cut off roads.
They said 1,100 people were still isolated on Friday and that Japan's military was transporting food and medical supplies wherever they could. Heavy rain continued to fall, shifting to the northern part of Kyushu, although emergency rain warnings were lifted.
AP/Kyodo: Ryosuke Ozawa
Large boulders and uprooted trees littered the landscape as thousands of soldiers, police officers and firefighters waded through debris and mud to reach several hundred people cut off by landslides.
Fukuoka and neighbouring Oita, the hardest hit by the rain, are both largely rural prefectures but rivers were also rising in the city of Kitakyushu, which has a population of some 950,000, and issued evacuation orders for several districts.
The rain was caused by a low pressure area over the Pacific that fed warm, moist air into Japan's seasonal rainy front. | Floods | July 2017 | ['(Reuters via ABC)'] |
Opposition candidate Peter Mutharika is declared the winner of the disputed presidential election. | The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party obtained 36.4% of the vote, the electoral commission announced.
A protester died earlier after police dispersed an angry crowd demanding a recount of last week's ballot.
Outgoing president Joyce Banda has alleged the vote was rigged.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) had asked for a 30-day extension to declare the results so that a recount could be carried out.
However, the High Court refused to delay the release of results and ordered the commission to make its announcement on Friday.
"The law is clear, there is no extension," judge Kenyatta Nyirenda said.
Mr Mutharika is the brother of the late President Bingu wa Mutharika, and had served as his foreign minister.
Former preacher Lazarus Chakwera came second with 27.8% of the vote. He represented the Malawi Congress Party, which governed from independence in 1964 until the first multi-party poll in 1994.
Mrs Banda, who came to power after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika two years ago, was third with 20.2% of the vote.
Her administration had been hit by a corruption scandal dubbed "cashgate", which led donors to cut aid.
Malawi is one the poorest nations in the world and is heavily dependent on aid, which provides 40% of the country's budget.
About 7.5 million people were eligible to vote in the elections, which was described as Malawi's closest-fought poll in 20 years.
The election was chaotic, with many polling stations opening up hours late and frustrated voters setting one polling station alight.
The electoral commission said that in 58 of more than 4,000 polling centres the official number of votes cast was more than that of registered voters.
Last week, Mrs Banda accused a party, which she did not name, of infiltrating and hacking the electronic system that transmits the results to the MEC's headquarters.
The MEC's chairman denied that its system had been hacked.
Malawi's competitive elections
Behind the cashgate scandal
Malawi country profile
| Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | May 2014 | ['(BBC)'] |
Fiji's Health Department confirms that eleven people have died and over 10,000 people have been infected in an outbreak of the type three strain of dengue fever. | Fiji's Health Department has confirmed 11 people have died and over 10,000 others have been infected during an outbreak of dengue fever.
The department's launched a major campaign to get rid of possible breeding areas for mosquitoes which carry the disease.
The Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma says the outbreak involves the type-3 strain of dengue fever which has never been seen before in the country.
"The outbreak was detected in mid December, this is a dengue type-3 outbreak and this is new for Fiji," he said.
"But we know we are endemic for dengue infections periodically, every five years we tend to have a surge."
There are also fears the number of people infected may be actually closer to 15,000 with under reporting a major concern.
Dr Sharma says current testing procedures need to be strengthened.
"We had well over 10,000 already and this is probably an underestimate as the reporting system needs to be strengthened a lot more," he said.
"And of cause some patients have a higher pain threshold and remain at home for mild illnesses, they don't get tested.
"When the testing does take place in patients they miss that window where the test would be positive, so they come back negative."
As part of the Fijian Health Department's campaign people are being encouraged to report their neighbours, if they suspect them of not cleaning up their properties correctly.
Dr Sharma says communities need to work together otherwise this latest outbreak has the potential to go on for many more months to come.
"We are looking at the previous outbreaks in 1979 and we are looking at trends and patterns," he said.
"If the rainfall subsides and our active intervention advocacy programs of spraying and clearing domestic and commercial areas continues, then we hope we can stop it much earlier.
"However, if it gets delayed because of increased rainfall, stagnant water and if we don't do anything until the weather changes than we could be here in strife until July."
| Disease Outbreaks | March 2014 | ['(ABC Online)'] |
Alberta Health Services confirms first avian flu death in Alberta. A person admitted to hospital on January 1, 2014, died on January 3 in Calgary. | An Alberta resident has died after contracting H5N1 bird flu, the first such case in North America, Canadas health minister said Wednesday.
Health Minister Rona Ambrose says the case was an isolated one and that the risk to the general public is very low. The individual had recently?returned from a trip to China.
Officials have not released the identity or gender of the person, but a Chinese website based in the Toronto area is reporting that the victim was a 20-year-old woman.
The health system did everything it could for this individual, and our thoughts are with the family at this time,?Ambrose told reporters on a conference call.
Ambrose stressed that the risk of H5N1 to Canadians is very low. There is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.
H5N1, or avian flu, is not part of the seasonal flu that circulates in Canada each year.
Ambrose said the?Public Health Agency of Canada?has notified China and the World Health Organization about the case, and is working closely with Chinese authorities to follow up on the source and circumstances of this infection.
The World Health Organization says that as of mid-December, there had been 648 laboratory-confirmed human cases of H5N1 flu, reported in 15 countries. Of that total, 384 infections have been fatal.
Dr. Gregory Taylor, deputy chief public health officer for Canada, said this is the first and only confirmed case of H5N1 in North America.
H5N1 is an avian form of influenza that circulates in birds, mainly poultry.
The illness it causes in humans is severe and kills about 60 per cent of those who are infected, he said. No other illnesses of this type have been identified in Canada since the traveller returned from China.
The unidentified woman began to fall ill on a flight from Beijing to Vancouver, on Air Canada flight number 030, and Vancouver to Edmonton, Air Canada flight 244, on Dec. 27.
The woman went to hospital with symptoms of fever, headache and malaise. She was admitted to hospital on Jan. 1 and died on Jan.3.
Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.'s provincial health officer, said the woman spent 2.5 hours in Vancouver airport on Dec. 27 between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., awaiting a connecting flight.
"From what we know about H5N1, human-to-human transmission is very rare and, if it occurs, is confined to close family contacts. It is, therefore, extremely unlikely that any passengers or casual contacts would have been at risk. Furthermore, the average incubation period for H5N1 infection is between three and four days, so anyone who might have been exposed to this patient would, by now, have developed recognizable signs and symptoms."
Canadas national microbiology lab in Winnipeg received specimens on Tuesday. Last night lab results confirmed this was H5N1, Taylor said.
The patients family is not showing any signs of illness, he said.
Officials are contacting passengers on the two Air Canada flights to reassure them that the risk to the public is low.
Dr. James Talbot, Albertas chief medical officer of health, said all close contacts have been identified and offered the anti-viral Tamiflu.
We continue to monitor all of them and there are no symptoms and illnesses. I am confident that the chance of transmission is extremely low, he said.
Dr. Theresa Tam, director general of the centre for emergency preparedness and response at the Public Health Agency of Canada echoed that sentiment.
This is not a disease that is transmitted between humans, so unless you were in the affected area and in contact with an infected bird youre not going to get this illness, said Tam.
The person is believed to have spent a couple of hours in the Vancouver airport before boarding the flight to Edmonton.
We do not feel there is a risk to either the individuals on the airplane or any of the people at the airport, Taylor said.
What is H5N1 influenza?
H5N1 is a specific strain of the flu that spreads quickly in domestic poultry flocks as well as wild birds.
To contract H5N1 a person has to come into direct contact with dead or infected birds or bird feces, usually during butchering, defeathering or food preparation.
You cannot catch the virus by eating infected poultry or eggs if the food is properly cooked.
The virus does not easily spread between humans.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says one of the greatest risks for humans to contract H5N1 in Canada comes from backyard chicken flocks, if the flocks are infected with the virus.
Between September 2013 and Christmas (latest figures available) there were poultry-based outbreaks in Nepal, Vietnam, Mexico, Italy and Australia.
Since 2003, there have been 641 cases of H5N1 worldwide, causing 380 deaths. Most of the fatalities have been in Indonesia, Egypt and Vietnam. | Disease Outbreaks | January 2014 | ['(Calgary Herald)'] |
Six people die as a result of storms in the midwestern United States and Washington state. | Rescue workers prepare to remove the body of one of two people from Locke Township that died near Williamston, Mich., Friday, Oct. 19, 2007. The couple, Duane Bentley and Susan Bentley died when their home was knocked off its foundation into a pond.
By TIM MARTIN – 4 days ago WILLIAMSTON, Mich. (AP) — A couple spending their first night in a new house were among at least six people killed as unusually severe October storms destroyed homes, downed trees and knocked out power in several states, authorities said Friday.
The thunderstorms, some spawning tornadoes and high winds, destroyed homes in Michigan and Indiana and collapsed a trailer in Kentucky as they struck Thursday and early Friday.
In Washington state, where one person died, a floating bridge buffeted by powerful wind was closed, and tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost electricity.
The bodies of Duane Bentley and Susan Bentley, both in their 50s, were recovered Friday morning, hours after tornadoes, strong winds and oversized hail pushed through much of Michigan, overturning vehicles and destroying homes.
The Bentleys' home was ripped off its foundation and sent into a nearby pond in Ingham County's Locke Township, near Lansing, police said.
A 29-year-old man was killed when strong wind collapsed his home around him in Kalkaska County.
In Millington Township, a 14-month-old boy in a crib escaped injury after apparently being tossed about 40 feet by a tornado that destroyed a home early Friday, fire officials said.
A neighbor found the baby under a pile of debris, still in the crib.
"Sometimes miracles happen," firefighter Dan Detgen said.
National Weather Service officials in Gaylord believe as many as four tornadoes, plus a water spout over an area lake, may have touched down in Kalkaska, Cheboygan, Alpena and Mio. Tornadoes were confirmed in eight Michigan counties, and weather service crews were still evaluating the damage in some areas.
"This is extremely rare," said David Lawrence, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Gaylord. "When you're this deep into the month of October, it's a very rare event."
A line of thunderstorms that rumbled through Kentucky produced several tornadoes, smashing mobile homes and injuring at least 11 people in Owensboro. The most serious injury was a broken leg, said Richard Payne, Daviess County director of emergency management.
The storms forced officials to briefly close the Glover Cary Bridge, which carries traffic across the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet inspector was called to check the structure following an apparent tornado, but no damage was found, cabinet spokesman Keith Todd said.
In Indiana, authorities declared a state of emergency after a tornado hit Nappanee, about 20 miles southeast of South Bend. Police said five people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries and 200 to 250 buildings were damaged, half of them severely. Among the businesses damaged there were three recreation vehicle plants that are among the city's largest employers.
In rural northeastern Missouri, the state Highway Patrol said Kent Ensor, 44, and Kristy Secrease, 25, had sought refuge in Secrease's mobile home in Monroe County as a tornado approached. Their bodies were found about 400 feet from where the home had been.
The mobile home's frame was found three-quarters of a mile away, with debris as far as two miles away. The National Weather Service said the storm traveled a mile and had winds as high as 135 mph.
A tornado in Pensacola, Fla., sent mall shoppers and children at the Greater Little Rock Baptist Church's daycare center running for safety just before the twister hit Thursday morning, said Escambia County sheriff's spokesman Glenn Austin.
In western Washington, where wind gusts reached 66 mph Thursday, a woman was injured when the top of a tree hit her in the head in Kent, fire officials said. A Seattle police patrol boat, responding to an emergency call of a kite boarder being dragged north on Lake Washington, found a 44-year-old man floating face down off Kirkland on the east side of the lake, police said.
The wind resulted in a three-hour precautionary closure of State Route 104 across Hood Canal, which separates the Kitsap and Olympia peninsulas.
| Hurricanes_Tornado_Storm_Blizzard | October 2007 | ['(AP via Google)'] |
In separate referendums, the voters of Switzerland decide to ratify the Schengen treaty, abolishing all its normal land border controls by 2007, and also approve the legalizing of civil unions for gay couples, for tax and inheritance purposes, but not for child adoption. The Swiss Government had urged approval of both measures and the Swiss Parliament had previously passed legislation approving them. | Official results from all 26 cantons showed 58% backed the same-sex move and 54.6% supported joining the Schengen group of European nations.
The Swiss government had urged a yes in both votes.
Backing Schengen will also allow the Swiss police to share information with EU states on crime.
First vote
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, but is surrounded by countries which are.
Joining the Schengen zone means that it will scrap border checks with its neighbours by 2007.
Both votes were forced by signature campaigns
The same-sex vote gives gay couples the same inheritance and tax rights as married heterosexual couples. However, they will not be allowed to adopt or to undergo fertility treatment. It was the first time a country had held a nationwide referendum on this issue.
Legislators had approved the move, but a coalition of religious and conservative groups had gathered 50,000 signatures to force the referendum.
Critics of Schengen had also forced the referendum vote with 50,000 signatures.
Schengen will allow Swiss police to share information with their EU colleagues about all sorts of crimes, from money-laundering to suspected terrorist organisations. The Dublin accord, which has also been backed in the referendum, will give Switzerland access to Eurodac, the database which is supposed to prevent asylum-seekers making applications to more than one European country. The Swiss "yes" vote on Schengen and Dublin comes in the wake of "no" votes in France and the Netherlands on approving the EU constitution. | Government Policy Changes | June 2005 | ['(BBC News)'] |
Twenty-two civilians are killed by Islamist militants in machete attacks in the town of Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo. | GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist militiamen killed at least 22 people overnight in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Sunday, as the rebels kept up attacks on civilians despite government claims to have them on the defensive.
Similar attacks have killed at least 179 civilians, researchers say, since the Congolese army launched an offensive on Oct. 30 against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group active in eastern Congo.
In his State of the Nation address on Friday, Congo President Felix Tshisekedi said the campaign had “dismantled” nearly all of the ADF’s sanctuaries and that the rebels were turning to guerrilla tactics out of desperation.
But the government has blamed the ADF for similar attacks going back years, including dozens of night-time massacres since 2014 that have killed hundreds of civilians. Repeated military operations have failed to fully eradicate the group.
Richard Kivanzanga, the deputy administrator of Beni territory, told Reuters he had counted 22 bodies on Sunday in the villages of Baoba and Ntombi.
“The assailants killed women, men and children,” he said. “It wasn’t possible to evacuate all the bodies today because we had to wait for an escort from the army.”
The surge in violence has lead to deadly protests against the army and U.N. peacekeepers for failing to protect them.
It has also complicated efforts to stamp out an Ebola outbreak in the area. Infections have started to rise in areas health workers have been unable to access because of insecurity.
The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Tuesday on six members of the ADF, including its leader Musa Baluku. Islamic State has claimed some ADF attacks this year, but researchers say there is a lack of hard evidence linking the two groups.
Reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Aaron Ross and Gareth Jones
| Armed Conflict | December 2019 | ['(Reuters)', '(DW News)'] |
Cuba releases 52 political prisoners in its aim to improve its human rights record, the largest number the country has released for decades. | Cuba has agreed to free 52 political detainees in the largest prisoner release by the communist authorities for decades.
The move follows talks in Havana with officials from Spain and the Roman Catholic Church. Five prisoners are expected to leave jail soon, while the rest will be freed in the next few months.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, in Havana, said the move "opens a new era in Cuba".
Mr Moratinos, who took part in the talks, also expressed hopes that it could help to put "aside differences once and for all on matters of prisoners". The minister said that Spain was willing to take in all 52 prisoners, who were arrested in a major government crackdown in 2003. The Cuban government has been under pressure to free dissidents since a prisoner on hunger strike, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, died in February.
His death prompted another dissident, Guillermo Farinas, to launch a hunger strike that has lasted more than 130 days.
Cuba has always denied that it has political prisoners, calling them mercenaries paid by the United States to undermine Havana's rule, says the BBC's Michael Voss in the capital.
But President Raul Castro has been stung by the strength of international criticism following the death of Mr Tamayo in February, our correspondent adds.
Agreement to release the prisoners came after talks between Mr Castro and Havana's Roman Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal Jaime Ortega.
The accord was announced by Church officials in Havana. Mr Moratinos and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, were also present at the meeting in Havana.
Cardinal Ortega said five detainees - whose names were not released - would be freed soon and allowed to depart for Spain, accompanied by their relatives.
The releases will leave 110 political prisoners in Cuban jails, according to a count by the island's leading human rights group, the Cuban Commission on Human Rights.
Commission spokesman Elizardo Sanchez said he was surprised that the government was releasing so many detainees but he added that the move did "not mean a significant improvement in the terrible situation of human rights that exists in Cuba".
He argued that "forced exile in Spain" was not the same as unconditional freedom. Laura Pollan, leader of the dissident group Ladies in White and wife of jailed dissident Hector Maceda, said her group sensed that Cuba was "at the doors of a... significant change".
She told the Associated Press news agency that she hoped it would be "a true change, the first steps of a true freedom, of a true democracy".
But she added that she thought the government might not follow through with its promise: "I don't think they will let everyone go; I think only some will be."
A spokesman for Human Rights Watch, a US-based campaign group, welcomed the news but said: "The government makes a show of releasing prisoners but then it does nothing to dismantle the repressive machinery it has in place to imprison people and it continues arresting them."
The last time Cuba released a significant number of political prisoners was after Pope John Paul II visited in 1998, when 101 were set free.
Twenty years before that, Fidel Castro freed 3,600 political prisoners after meeting Cuban exiles.
There was no immediate word from Mr Farinas, 48, who has said that he will only end his hunger strike when all political prisoners in Cuba are released.
Recent news of his condition was reported in Cuban state media, which usually ignore dissident protests. The official communist party newspaper Granma published an interview with the doctor leading his treatment, Armando Caballero. Dr Caballero said the patient had gained weight due to intravenous feeding since being moved to hospital on 11 March after collapsing at his home in Santa Clara.
But a blood clot had formed in his neck and he was also suffering from an infection that could make further intravenous feeding impossible, the doctor said on Saturday.
Cuba moves to come in from the cold
Cuba: | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release | July 2010 | ['(BBC)', '(Aljazeera)'] |
Taliban insurgents kill 13 and injure 55 people in an attack on a police headquarters in Puli Khumri, Afghanistan, using guns and suicide vests. The Taliban's high command recently rejected a ceasefire offer from the Afghan government. | At least 13 people have been killed and dozens wounded after Taliban fighters attacked a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Sunday. A suicide bomber driving a Humvee loaded with explosives started the assault in the city of Pul-e-Khumri. Clashes between gunmen and security services followed.
The attack came days after the Taliban rejected a ceasefire offered by the country's government and backed by the US. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said eight Taliban fighters were shot dead. More than 50 people were wounded, 20 of them civilians. Children were among the dead, an Afghan health official said.
The Taliban, which wants strict Islamic rule in the country, said it was behind the bloodshed.
The group carries out frequent attacks on Afghan forces and now controls more territory than at any point since it was toppled from power in 2001.
Officials say armed Taliban fighters entered the police headquarters after an explosion at its gate before firing on Afghan security services inside. The group is known to use armoured vehicles laden with explosives to target military and police facilities. The militants have been holding peace talks with a US envoy in Qatar since October with the goal of ending the long-running war in Afghanistan.
Last week, the Taliban turned down a ceasefire agreement proposed by President Ashraf Ghani and Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy for peace in the country. Afghan civilian deaths 'at record high'
.
| Armed Conflict | May 2019 | ['(BBC)'] |
At least 600 shops are destroyed as a fire sweeps through a market and money exchange in Kabul, Afghanistan. | At least 600 shops have been destroyed by a fire which swept through a market in the Afghan capital, Kabul. No-one was injured in the blaze but the fire destroyed much of the goods on sale and forced traders to flee, says the BBC's Bilal Sarwary in the city.
Kabul's main money exchange, which is located within the market, was evacuated before the fire reached it.
The blaze was tackled by Afghan firefighters and police, as well as Nato forces.
The market is located less than a kilometre from the presidential office and several key Afghan ministries and is normally crowded during the day, says our correspondent.
As the fire approached the money market, traders moved hundreds of thousands of dollars to safety in waiting police vans. Shopkeepers also removed their stocks of gold from the nearby gold market.
There was no indication the fire had been caused by a bomb attack.
Kabul's police chief said the watchman who had been guarding the market had disappeared.
Gen Ayub Salangi told the BBC his officers were looking for the man.
The emergency services say it is possible the fire may reignite, and so they are keeping a close watch, our correspondent reports.
. | Fire | December 2012 | ['(BBC)'] |
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot of Kenya wins the 2010 Boston Marathon, setting a new course record. ESPN | BOSTON -- Let him be known from Copley Square to Kenya as "Robert the Younger" -- the second man named Robert K. Cheruiyot to win the Boston Marathon and the first person ever to run the legendary course in under 2 hours, 6 minutes.
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot won the 114th Boston race Monday, finishing in 2:05:52 to shatter by 82 seconds the course record set by unrelated four-time winner Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot. American Ryan Hall, who finished third last year, missed another spot on the podium by 2 seconds, but his time of 2:08:41 was the fastest ever for U.S. runner in Boston.
"Today was a breakthrough day," said Hall, who was 6 seconds faster than Bob Kempainen was in 1994. "Guys are paving new territory, and that's good for us, too."
Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia took the women's title in 2:26:11, sprinting to the tape to win by 3 seconds in the event's third-closest women's finish. Russia's Tatyana Pushkareva smiled and waved at the TV cameras as she closed what had been a 90-second gap, but she could not quite catch Erkesso on Boylston Street.
Cheruiyot, 21, surpassed the time of 2:07:14 set in 2006 by his namesake, who is 10 years older. The younger Cheruiyot, who owns a farm back home, earned a bonus of $25,000 for the course record on top of the $150,000 -- and a golden olive wreath from the city of Marathon, Greece -- that goes the men's and women's winners.
"I am going to buy some cows," Cheruiyot said.
The Cheruiyots are not the first namesakes to win in Boston.
When John J. Kelley won in 1957, he was destined to be confused with 1935 and '45 champion John A. Kelley, a beloved patriarch of the Boston Marathon who continued to run the race each year until 1992, when he was 84. When he could no longer complete the distance, "Johnny the Elder" would serenade the competitors at the starting line with "Young at Heart"; a statue of him in his younger and older days greets the runners at the base of Heartbreak Hill in Newton.
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won his first Boston in 2003 and three more times from 2006-08 to cement his place among the Boston Marathon greats. On Monday, acting on the advice his elder gave him in a meeting two months ago, "Robert the Younger" produced a blistering pace to join them.
"Most of the people already confuse me with Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot," said the 2010 champion, who finished fifth in Boston last year after winning in Frankfurt in his marathon debut. "With me and Robert, we talk the same language, but in different stripes. I think people can see me and they can see him and compare."
Cheruiyot finished 91 seconds ahead of Ethiopian Tekeste Kebede to give Kenya its 18th men's victory in 20 years. Defending champion Deriba Merga was third, followed by Hall and fellow Californian Meb Keflezighi, the reigning New York City Marathon winner; no U.S. man has won the race since Greg Meyer in 1983.
"We are training hard, but that doesn't mean we're going to hit a home run every time," said Keflezighi, who was trying to be the first American to win in New York and Boston back-to-back since Alberto Salazar in 1982. "We take big pride in being among the favorites. We put it on the line. We don't go for second. I think the crowd appreciated it, because they were shouting 'U-S-A! U-S-A!'"
A temperature of 49 degrees and a 13 mph headwind greeted more than 26,000 runners at the start in Hopkinton, including an unprecedented 71 competitors who came from Greece to help celebrate the 2,500th anniversary the Battle of Marathon. It was there, in 490 B.C., that a messenger named Pheidippides was dispatched the roughly 26 miles to Athens to deliver news of a victory over Persia -- and then dropped dead.
This year's edition of the world's oldest annual marathon was decided, like so many before it, at Heartbreak Hill.
Merga surged ahead at the firehouse that marks the start of the Newton hills, drawing Cheruiyot along with him, while the rest of the lead pack -- including Keflezighi and Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri -- fell off the pace. Goumri, the fastest man in the field, dropped out of the race around Mile 18.
Merga and Cheruiyot ran shoulder-to-shoulder through parts of Newton and into Brookline, before the Kenyan inched ahead at Coolidge Corner with about 2.5 miles left and pulled away.
Hall, who led most of the way last year, led early again before falling to 17th in Natick and then retaking the lead in Wellesley. He lost ground at the halfway point but with a sprint through the final mile was almost able to catch Merga on Boylston Street.
"I always thought I had a shot to get back in it," said Hall, who is neighbors with Keflezighi in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. "If you're trying to be the big elephant -- the guy who gets to sit wherever -- you've got to be confident."
Erkesso opened a lead of more than 90 seconds and held on, grabbing her side as she ran along Beacon Street in the last four miles. Defending champion Salina Kosgei was third, and Paige Higgins of Flagstaff, Ariz., was the top American woman, in 13th.
The men's wheelchair race was also close, with South African Ernst Van Dyk finishing 4 seconds ahead of Krige Schabort for his ninth win -- an all-divisions record in Boston. Van Dyk has won three in a row, and he also won six consecutive years from 2000-06; Jean Driscoll won eight Boston women's wheelchair races. | Break historical records | April 2010 | [] |
At an annual meeting of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in Hobart, Australia, twenty–four countries and the European Union agree to create the world's largest marine park in Antarctica's Ross Sea. The marine park will cover more than 12 percent of the Southern Ocean, and will be protected from commercial fishing for 35 years. | - Twenty-four countries and the European Union agreed on Friday to create the world’s largest marine park in the Antarctic Ocean, covering a massive 1.55 million square km (600,000 square miles) of ocean.
Deal reached on Antarctic sanctuary
01:19
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, meeting in Hobart, Australia, said the Ross Sea marine park would be protected from commercial fishing for 35 years.
The Ross Sea is seen as one of the world’s most ecologically important oceans.
The sanctuary will cover more than 12 percent of the Southern Ocean, which is home to more than 10,000 species including most of the world’s penguins, whales, seabirds, colossal squid and Antarctic tooth fish.
Fishing will be banned completely in 1.1 million square km (425,000 square miles) of the Ross Sea, while areas designated as research zones will allow for some fishing for krill and sawfish.
Scientists and activists described the agreement as a historic milestone in global efforts to protect marine diversity.
“The Ross Sea Region MPA will safeguard one of the last unspoiled ocean wilderness areas on the planet – home to unparalleled marine biodiversity and thriving communities of penguins, seals, whales, seabirds, and fish,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement, referring to the marine park authority.
Scientists said the marine park would also allow a greater understanding of the impact of climate change.
Russia agreed to the proposal, after blocking conservation proposals on five previous occasions.
The 25-member commission, which includes Russia, China, the United States and the European Union, requires unanimous support for decisions.
“They all have diverse economic, political interests and to get them all to align - especially in the context of there are divergent economic interests - is quite a challenge,” Evan Bloom, director at the U.S. Department of State and leader of the U.S. delegation, told Reuters.
| Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | October 2016 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Fereidoun Jahani, an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped in Iraq in early August, is freed; he was held by a militant group that also claims to be holding two French journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot. | He was abducted as he travelled from Baghdad to the Shia Muslim holy city of Karbala, in central Iraq, where he had been due to start work as the consul.
Meanwhile, Paul Bigley, the brother of British hostage Ken Bigley says he has new information to say his brother is still alive. Talks
Iran's foreign ministry said Mr Jahani was released after persistent diplomatic efforts and with the help of the Iraqi interim government. Through talks with my kidnappers, they were convinced it was not Iran's intention to interfere in their state matters
Fereidoun Jahani
Hostages facts and figures "Through talks with my kidnappers, they were convinced it was not Iran's intention to interfere in their state matters... therefore they released me," Mr Jahani was quoted as saying by Iran's state television who interviewed him in Baghdad.
Officials said Mr Jahani was in good health.
"Let him rest a little and we can answer all your questions," said one official, who declined to be named.
Mr Jahani was the second foreign diplomat to be taken hostage in Iraq. In July, an Egyptian embassy official was held for three days by a group calling itself the Lions of Allah Brigade.
The release follows a period of tension between Baghdad and Tehran.
Some members of the Iraqi interim government have accused Iran of interfering in Iraqi affairs and of causing trouble in Najaf.
Iran denies all the charges and has always stated it is striving for a stable and secure Iraq.
A high-ranking Iraqi political delegation visited Iran at the end of August in what was seen as a fence-mending exercise designed to pave the way for a later visit by Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Foreigners targeted
Mr Jahani was kidnapped on 4 August. Days later, a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq released a video showing Mr Jahani's passport and business card.
The group accused Iran of interfering in Iraq's affairs, but it did not make any demands or threats.
More recently, the BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the group threatened to kill Mr Jahani if Iran did not release 500 prisoners it said had been held since the Iran-Iraq war, which ended 16 years ago.
Iran denied it was still holding the prisoners.
The same militant group has said it is holding two French journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot.
Two Italian aid workers are still being held in Iraq
More than 100 foreigners have been seized since March 2003. Most have been freed but at least 27 have been killed, including two American engineers abducted with Mr Bigley on 16 September.
A much greater number of Iraqis have also been kidnapped - in most cases for ransom. Foreign hostages still being held include two female Italian aid workers and six Egyptian civilians working for a mobile phone company.
On Monday, Jordan's King Abdullah told an Italian newspaper he believed Italians Simona Torretta and Simona Pari were alive.
The king, who is scheduled to visit Italy on Tuesday, told Corriere della Sera that Jordan was working with Italy to secure their release.
"The information that I have, at this moment, is that both the hostages are alive," King Abdullah told the newspaper.
"With the help of intelligence, we are trying to trying to locate them, and we are using all our contacts with leaders and groups within Iraq to obtain their release." | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Release | September 2004 | ['(BBC)', '(Reuters)'] |
The Nobel Prize committee awards Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos the Nobel Peace Prize for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220 thousand Colombians and displaced close to six million people. , | Well, that it’s for our live coverage of the Nobel peace prize. To recap, the award was given to the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, for his efforts to negotiate peace in his country with the Farc guerrillas. It was a surprise win, given the peace deal he struck with Farc leader Timochenko was rejected by the Colombian people in a referendum less than a week ago. Santos said he was deeply honoured by the prize and accepted the prize on behalf of the Colombian people and in particular of the victims of the decades-long conflict. For more on Santos’ peace prize victory and any breaking developments, read our story here:
Thanks to Sibylla Brodzinsky, who has been reporting this from Bogota since about 4am local time. She’ll be following developments in Colombia over the coming weeks and months, as the country approaches the end of its period of ceasefire without a peace deal, so keep checking in to the Guardian for coverage of developments in that country. We’re almost at the end of Nobel season, there’s just one left, the prize for economics, which is announced on Monday morning. Join us then as we cover that announcement. Thanks and goodbye! Updated
at 3.09pm BST
7 Oct 2016
13:48
Reaction in Colombia so far has been largely positive, with many seeing the prize as a sign of support for the country and faith in the peace process. The former president Álvaro Uribe, who campaigned vehemently against the peace deal with the Farc and has been a constant critic of Santos, has congratulated the president but indicated he will still insist on changes to the deal with the Farc. “I celebrate the Nobel for President Santos, I hope it will lead to changing the accord that is harmful for democracy,” he tweeted. Ivan Marquez, chief negotiator for Farc, also congratulated the president. “We hope that the Nobel peace prize gives President Santos strength to give life to the final agreement and dignity for all Colombians.”
Esperamos que el Nobel de paz le de al Presidente Santos fuerza para darle vida al Acuerdo Final y dignidad a todos los colombianos
The Farc leader, Rodrigo Londoño, who was expected to have been a joint recipient if the peace prize was awarded for Colombian peace efforts, has also tweeted his congratulations. Felicito al presidente Juan Manuel Santos, a garantes Cuba y Noruega, acompañantes Venezuela y Chile sin los cuales seria imposible la Paz
Others have warned that though positive, the prize comes at a critical time for the country, as tensions resurface after the referendum result. The peace Nobel for @JuanManSantos is an amazing sign of support. Peace is not dead. We must keep working. The Nobel Committee's decision is more important now than it would've been had "Yes" won the plebiscite—https://t.co/G6xYIqdFb5
#Nobel prize comes as #Colombia edged to chaos. Thursday, army told troops to be on "maximum readiness for combat" https://t.co/ejDSNp5ZNo
Updated
at 2.27pm BST
7 Oct 2016
13:35
Sibylla Brodzinsky is in Bogotá where President Juan Manuel Santos, the newest Nobel peace prize laureate, has just addressed the nation from the presidential palace, with his wife by his side. She reports that he spoke of his gratitude at winning and his hopes for peace in Colombia. Here’s the text of his speech:
Early this morning my son Martin woke me with the news to tell me about the decision of the Norwegian committee to grant me the Nobel peace prize. I am infinitely grateful for this honourable distinction with all my heart. I accept it not on my behalf but on behalf of all Colombians, especially the millions of victims of this conflict which we have suffered for more than 50 years. It is for the victims and so that there not be a single new victim, not a single new casualty, that we must reconcile and unite to culminate this process and begin to construct a stable and durable peace. This distinguished prize is also a tribute to all those who have contributed so much to us being close to achieve the peace we have hoped for, to the negotiators on both sides and to so many other people and institutions that have supported us in this process. I receive this recognition with great humility and as a mandate to continue to work without rest for peace for all Colombians. I will dedicate all my efforts to this cause for the rest of my days. Thank god, peace is close. Peace is possible. It is time for peace. Together as a nation we will build it. I invite everyone to unite our efforts, our minds and our hearts in this great national goal so that we all win the most important prize: peace for Colombia. Updated
at 2.48pm BST
7 Oct 2016
13:15
The Nobel prize committee have released audio of their phone call congratulating President Santos on being awarded the Nobel peace prize. Listen to the full audio here:
Responding to the prize, Santos said it was an award he received on behalf of the Colombian people, and particularly the victims of the conflict that has ravaged his country for more than 50 years. “I receive this with great emotion and this is something that will forever be important for my country for the people who have suffered with this war, especially the victims,” said Santos. “This is something that is a great recognition for my country and with all humbleness I receive it and I’m eternally grateful.”
Santos added that the award was very important for the peace process in Colombia, saying it would act as motivation to the various parties involved in talks to finally achieve peace. “The message is we have to persevere until we reach the end of this war, we are very very close, we just need to push a bit further, to persevere, and this is going to be a great stimulus to reach that end, to start the construction of peace in Colombia. “This is something all the people of Colombia will receive with emotion, especially the victims, they will be very very happy because it’s in their name that this is given.”
When asked what gave him strength to continue to fight for peace, especially given the recent setback of the rejection of the peace deal in last week’s referendum, Santos said it was a matter of “believing in a cause”. “There’s no better cause for any country, any society than living in peace, something Colombians have not been able to have for three generations. I think this is the moment, conditions are ripe, and we just have to persevere and this has been what has given me stimulus to persevere. This is the best cause that any person can try to achieve – peace for his country.”
Updated
at 2.17pm BST
7 Oct 2016
12:10
Rodrigo Londoño, leader of the Farc rebels, and the main negotiating partner with Santos for the peace accord in Colombia, has responded to the Nobel peace prize announcement on Twitter, where he goes by the name Timoleón Jiménez, saying:
“The only award we want is peace with social justice for Colombia without paramilitarism, without retaliation or lies.”
El único premio al que aspiramos es de la #PazConJusticiaSocial para #Colombia sin pamilitarismo, sin retaliaciones ni mentiras #PazALaCalle
Before the announcement of the prize, it was believed that if it was awarded for the negotiations that have sought to end the 50-year conflict in Colombia, it would be awarded jointly to Santos and Londoño, who is also known as Timochenko. Journalists present at the announcement of the award expressed surprise that Timochenko was not included as a joint recipient and asked whether this was because the Norwegian Nobel committee thought it would be difficult to award a prize for peace to a guerrilla leader. Kaci Kullmann Five, chair of the committee, repeatedly avoided questions on this subject, saying: “We never comment on those who do not receive the award.”
Updated
at 1.19pm BST
7 Oct 2016
11:40
Sibylla Brodzinsky
Colombia is just waking up to the news of the Nobel peace prize for President Juan Manuel Santos. It comes as a surprise for many Colombians who believed his chances had been scuttled by the rejection of the peace deal his government had hammered out with Farc rebels after four years of talks in a referendum on 2 October. According to Kristian Herbolzheimer, of peace consultancy Conciliation Resources, given the “toxic dynamic” of local politics after the referendum, the prize’s consequences domestically are “unpredictable”. Critics of Santos had derided the president for allegedly being motivated by winning the Nobel prize in his search for peace in Colombia. Last night someone who voted no in the plebiscite told me she was happy because the result of the vote meant Santos wouldn’t get the prize. Carlos Holmes Trujillo, a member of the opposition Democratic Centre party and the committee designated to search for a way out of the crisis, told local radio that the prize is “a well-deserved recognition by the international community of the efforts he has been making for peace”. The former president Álvaro Uribe, who campaigned vehemently against the peace deal with the Farc and has been a constant critic of Santos, has been tweeting since 5am (11am UK time) but has made no mention of the peace prize for his arch-rival. Also no reaction yet from Farc leadership who are in Havana. César Rodriguez Garavito, the director of Dejusticia, a Colombian thinktank, says the Nobel prize will boost efforts to reach a new peace deal. Those who led the campaign for rejecting the peace accord in last week’s referendum are in talks with the government to make changes to the agreement that will make it more palatable to the half of Colombian voters who rejected it. “It doesn’t change the results of the plebiscite, but it reminds the parties that what is at stake is the end of the war, not political calculations,” said Garavito. “It’s a recognition of the titanic efforts to reach peace.”
Updated
at 1.23pm BST
7 Oct 2016
11:24
Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá reports that Santos has spoken to the Nobel committee by phone and will address the media at 7am local time (1pm UK time). We’ll cover that speech when it happens. 7 Oct 2016
11:16
Mark Rice-Oxley
Is this year’s award yet another example of the prize being used as a tool to encourage people to finish the job as it has been many times over the years, including 1993, 2007, 2009 and 2015? The Nobel committee has a long track record of rewarding people when the job is half done, to encourage them to finish. From nuclear inspectors in 2005 and the UN climate panel to the Tunisians last year, the tactic often seems to be to use recognition to reanimate flagging processes. In the case of Barack Obama (2009) the prize was awarded on the basis of little more than a few fine speeches, before he’d really even got started. In his case, it’s arguable that it made little difference. Updated
at 11.19am BST
7 Oct 2016
11:04
Kaci Kullmann Five, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, on its reasons for choosing Santos as the winner of this year’s peace prize:
The award should also be seen as a tribute to the Colombian people who, despite great hardships and abuses, have not given up hope of a just peace, and to all the parties who have contributed to this peace process. This tribute is paid not least to the representatives of the countless victims of the civil war. President Santos initiated the negotiations that culminated in the peace accord between the Colombian government and the Farc guerrillas, and he has consistently sought to move the peace process forward, well knowing that the accord was controversial. He was instrumental in ensuring that Colombian voters were able to voice their opinion concerning the accord in a referendum. The outcome of the vote was not what President Santos wanted. A narrow majority of the over 13 million Colombians who cast their ballots said no to the accord. This result has created great uncertainty as to the future of Colombia. There is a real danger that the peace process will come to a halt and that civil war will flare up again. This makes it even more important that the parties headed by President Santos and Farc guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londoño continue to respect the ceasefire. Updated
at 12.09pm BST
7 Oct 2016
10:52
There is a fair amount of consternation from some quarters that Santos won despite the fact the peace deal he negotiated was rejected by the Colombian people (albeit by an extremely narrow margin) in a referendum. Some of you have expressed surprise at this in the comments below, with ClubberLang suggesting that if losing a referendum is grounds to win a Nobel prize, David Cameron better get his acceptance speech ready. Santos? For holding a referendum that went against him? Cameron did that. According to Dave, the only reason we're not bombing Benidorm was because of the EU. The man's a hero. History will look back kindly on that man. More seriously, for those of you who want more on the Colombian peace deal and the referendum that undid it, here’s an excellent article from my colleague Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá. Updated
at 11.10am BST
7 Oct 2016
10:44
Apparently Santos still hasn’t heard the news of his win. The Norwegian television station NRK TV has tried to get in touch with him, but he is sleeping and his staff refuse to wake him up. Fair enough, it is 4.45am in Colombia right now. Ha! NRK TV has tried to contact #NobelPeacePrize laureate President Santos, but his night guard refuses to wake him up... Updated
at 11.04am BST
7 Oct 2016
10:28
In case you missed the announcement, here’s Kaci Kullmann Five, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee announcing Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, as the surprise winner of the 2016 peace prize. Santos, and the leader of the Farc rebel group, Rodrigo Londoño, known as Timochenko, were considered leading contenders for the award after signing a peace deal last month to end 52 years of war. However, it was believed their chances had been scuppered on Sunday when a referendum saw Colombians narrowly reject the peace deal by 50.2% to 49.8%. However, it seems the committee was not deterred by this result and they say they hope the prize will encourage all parties to continue working towards peace. Updated
at 11.05am BST
7 Oct 2016
10:20
A tweet reveals the reaction at the headquarters of the Syrian White Helmets, considered a favourite to win the prize:
Quiet disappointment at #WhiteHelmets HQ. They're a brilliant, inspiring group, saving lives on daily basis. #Nobel pic.twitter.com/LsktcbMg0Y
Indeed there seems to be significant disappointment on social media that the White Helmets haven’t taken the prize – it seems they were a popular favourite. Congrats for the Syrian @SyriaCivilDef heroes for winning our hearts and losing a stone prize. You are our #NobelPeacePrize heroes
Way to wake up this morning...bless them #WhiteHelmets #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/rYjJ0Oj9zP
The White Helmets, meanwhile, have tweeted their congratulations to the president of Colombia and wished the people of that country peace. Congratulations to the people and President of Columbia. We sincerely wish them peace. @NobelPrize
Updated
at 10.35am BST
7 Oct 2016
10:16
Reporters at the press conference in Oslo are clearly surprised by the announcement of Santos as peace prize winner. They are also wanting to know more about how the decision was reached. One reporter asks if Santos has been notified of the award, and “if he will be as surprised by it as we are”. Santos has not yet been notified, says Kaci Kullmann Five, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, but they are attempting to make contact with him at this moment. He was not notified in advance because “in this modern world” advance notification can so often lead to leaks and the Nobel peace prize is nothing if not a heavily guarded secret. Kullmann Five is asked whether awarding the prize to a president who negotiated a peace deal that was then rejected by the people of Colombia was disrespectful to Colombian democracy. She says no, she thinks the Colombians rejected the specifics of the peace deal, not peace itself, and is hopeful that this award will encourage the country’s leaders to continue to strive for peace and not let tensions reemerge. Kullmann Five is being pressed again on whether they considered including the leader of the Farc rebel group in the award, but is refusing to be drawn – “we never comment on the process”, she says. Updated
at 11.42am BST
7 Oct 2016
10:11
Kaci Kullmann Five, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, is asked why the award was not split between the parties involved in the peace negotiations – including the Farc leader, Timochenko. She says Santos’s role as president, as “keeper of the process”, was very important and that while other attempts have been made to achieve peace in the country in the past, Santos went “all in”. When pressed about whether it was also to do with the fact that it is difficult to award a peace prize to a guerrilla leader, Kullmann Five replied: “We never comment on those who do not receive the award.”
Updated
at 11.06am BST
7 Oct 2016
10:08
The Nobel committee spokeswoman, Kaci Kullmann Five, applauded Santos for saying he would fight for peace until his last day in office. “The committee hopes that the peace prize will give him strength to succeed in this demanding task. Further, it is the committee’s hope that in the years to come, the Colombian people will reap the fruits of the reconciliation process.” Kullmann Five said although the peace accord was rejected in the referendum, the negotiations have “brought the bloody conflict significantly closer to a peaceful solution” and Santos’s “endeavours to promote peace demonstrate the spirit of Alfred Nobel’s will”. Updated
at 11.06am BST
| Awards ceremony | October 2016 | ['(Nobel Prize)', '(The Guardian)'] |
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rules that Julian Assange is being arbitrarily detained. | LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called on Britain and Sweden on Friday to let him freely leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London after a U.N. panel ruled he had been arbitrarily detained and should be awarded compensation.
Assange, a computer hacker who enraged the United States by publishing hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, has been holed up in the embassy since June 2012 to avoid a rape investigation in Sweden.
Both Britain and Sweden denied that Assange was being deprived of freedom, noting he had entered the embassy voluntarily. Britain said it could contest the decision and that Assange would be arrested if he left the embassy.
Assange, an Australian, appealed to the U.N. panel, whose decision is not binding, saying he was a political refugee whose rights had been infringed by being unable to take up asylum in Ecuador.
It ruled in his favour, although the decision was not unanimous. Three of the five members on the panel supported a decision in Assange’s favour, with one dissenter and one recusing herself.
Brandishing a copy of the U.N. panel’s decision from the balcony of the embassy in the Knightsbridge area of London, Assange called on Britain and Sweden to implement the ruling.
“How sweet it is. This a victory that cannot be denied,” said Assange, wearing a loosened gold tie with the top button of his shirt undone
Related Coverage
See more stories
“What right does this government, or the U.S. government, or the Swedish government have to deny my children their father?” he said below the yellow, blue and red Ecuadorian flag.
When a heckler persistently asked whether he planned to stay for five more years in the embassy, Assange quipped: “Can someone close that person up.”
Assange, 44, denies allegations of a 2010 rape in Sweden, saying the accusation is a ploy that would eventually take him to the United States where a criminal investigation into the activities of WikiLeaks is still open.
“The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considers that the various forms of deprivation of liberty to which Julian Assange has been subjected constitute a form of arbitrary detention,” the group’s head, Seong-Phil Hong, said in a statement.
“(It) maintains that the arbitrary detention of Mr Assange should be brought to an end, that his physical integrity and freedom of movement be respected, and that he should be entitled to an enforceable right to compensation.”
Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, said Assange must be allowed to go free. “What more do they want to be accused of before they start to rectify their error?” he told South American broadcaster Telesur, in reference to Britain and Sweden. Patino said Ecuador was analysing its next steps.
The decision in his favour marks the latest twist in a tumultuous journey for Assange since he incensed Washington with leaks that laid bare often highly critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders from Vladimir Putin to the Saudi royal family.
In 2010, the group released over 90,000 secret documents on the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, followed by almost 400,000 U.S. military reports detailing operations in Iraq. Those disclosures were followed by release of millions of diplomatic cables dating back to 1973.
The U.N. Working Group does not have the authority to order the release of a detainee - and Friday’s ruling in unlikely to change the legal issues facing Assange - but it has considered many high-profile cases and its backing carries a moral weight that puts pressure on governments.
| Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | February 2016 | ['(BBC)', '(Reuters)', '(The Guardian)'] |
A special investigatory committee from the Missouri House of Representatives releases a report on Governor Eric Greitens's alleged invasion of privacy and sexual misconduct. , | JEFFERSON CITY, MO. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens initiated a physically aggressive unwanted sexual encounter with his hairdresser and threatened to distribute a partially nude photo of her if she spoke about it, according to testimony from the woman released Wednesday by a House investigatory committee.
Thegraphic reportdetails multiple instances in which the woman said Greitens spanked, slapped, grabbed, shoved and called her derogatory names during a series of sexual encounters as he was preparing to run for office in 2015. The testimony contradicts Greitens' previous assertions that "there was no violence" and "no threat of violence" in what he has described as a consensual extramarital affair.
The report, signed by all five Republicans and two Democrats on the committee, describes the woman's testimony as credible and notes that Greitens has so far declined to testify or provide documents to the panel. But it outlines some of the Republican governor's public comments that appear to run counter to her allegations.
Flanked by other top Republican legislative leaders, House Speaker Todd Richardson announced that the special committee will expand its mission and make recommendations after the May 18 end of the regular legislative session on whether to pursue impeachment proceedings seeking to remove Greitens from office.
The special House investigation was initiated shortly after Greitens was indicted in February on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge for taking a nonconsensual photo of the partially nude woman and transmitting it in a way that could be accessed by a computer. The woman told the committee that Greitens took the photo after manipulating her into a compromising position during an unwanted sexual encounter and that he told her "everyone will know what a little whore you are" if she told anyone about him.
Greitens, 44, has refused to directly answer media questions about whether he took the photo, but he has steadfastly denied any criminal wrongdoing. He said he expects to be proven innocent during this trial, which is scheduled for May 14.
Greitens said in a statement Wednesday night that "this was an entirely consensual relationship, and any allegation of violence or sexual assault is false."
Earlier in the day, Greitens told reporters: "This is a political witch hunt," invoking one of President Donald Trump's favored criticisms of unwanted investigations. He added: "This is exactly like what's happening with the witch hunts in Washington, D.C."
Richardson called the women's testimony "beyond disturbing" and defended the integrity of the investigation. He said: "Let me be very clear about this: This is not a witch hunt, and the committee had no political agenda."
If the House were to impeach Greitens, the Senate then would choose seven jurists to conduct a trial on whether Greitens should be ousted. The impeachment process can occur independently of a criminal case.
The report prompted Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley to call for Greitens' resignation. Hawley, the state's attorney general, said the report contains "shocking, substantial, and corroborated evidence of wrongdoing by Governor Greitens."
Hawley is seeking Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's seat, and she and Democratic state legislative leaders also called for Greitens' resignation. Democrats have been running TV ads linking Greitens to Hawley.
According to the report, the woman testified that she met Greitens in 2013 as a customer of her hair salon. She said she had a crush on Greitens but was shocked when he ran his hand up her leg and touched her crotch without her consent during a March 2015 hair appointment. He later invited her to his St. Louis home while his wife was out of town.
After she arrived through the back door, the report said that the woman testified Greitens searched her purse and "patted her down from head-to-toe." He then asked if she had exercised and had her change into a white T-shirt with a slit on the top and pajama pants.
"I thought, oh, this is going to be some sort of sexy workout," the woman testified.
But once in his basement, Greitens taped her hands to pull-up rings, blindfolded her, started kissing her, ripped open the shirt and pulled down her pants, the woman testified. She didn't give consent to be disrobed or kissed, the report said. The woman testified that she then heard a click, like of a cellphone picture, and saw a flash.
The woman testified that Greitens told her: "Don't even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I'm going to take these pictures, and I'm going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere, and then everyone will know what a little whore you are."
When she remained silent, the woman said Greitens "spanked me and said, 'Are you going to mention my name?' And I said, I just gritted through my teeth, and I said, 'No.' And he's like, 'Good, now that's a good girl.'"
"I was definitely fearful," the woman testified to the legislative committee.
After telling Greitens, "I don't want this," the woman testified that Greitens unbound her hands. She said she started "uncontrollably crying." She said Greitens then grabbed her in a hug and laid her down. She said he put his penis near her face and she gave him oral sex. Asked by the committee whether the oral sex was coerced, she responded: "Coerced, maybe. I felt as though that would allow me to leave."
The woman testified that she confronted him later that day about the photo and he responded: "You have to understand, I'm running for office, and people will get me, and I have to have some sort of thing to protect myself." Then she said Greitens added: "I felt bad, so I erased it."
The House committee report said it doesn't possess any physical or electronic evidence of the photo. Prosecutors in his criminal case previously acknowledged that they don't have the photo, though they could be trying to obtain it.
The woman's name never has been officially released; it is redacted from the legislative documents and she is identified only by her initials in court filings. Her attorney has repeatedly sought anonymity on her behalf.
The woman testified to the committee that she had several additional sexual encounters with Greitens, including one in June 2015 when "he slapped me across my face" after she acknowledged having slept with her husband. She said she "felt like he was trying to claim me."
In another subsequent sexual encounter, the woman testified that Greitens "out of nowhere just, like kind of smacked me and grabbed me and shoved me down on the ground, and I instantly just started bawling."
It "actually hurt, and I know that I actually was really scared and sad when that happened," she testified.
The woman's account contradicts statements Greitens made previously. Asked in a January interview with The Associated Press if he had ever slapped the woman, Greitens responded: "Absolutely not."
Greitens, a Rhodes Scholar and former Navy SEAL officer who was once considered a rising GOP star, first acknowledged having an extramarital affair on Jan. 10, when St. Louis TV station KMOV ran a story revealing that the woman's ex-husband had released a secret audio recording of a 2015 conversation in which she told him about the photo Greitens took at his home.
The woman testified to the House committee that her husband had said: "I'm going to ruin this guy."
Greitens on Wednesday criticized the House report as "one-sided tabloid, trash gossip that was produced in a secret room."
He also referenced a comment the woman made during a lengthy deposition in his criminal case when she was asked if she saw what she believed to be a phone. A court filing from Greitens' attorneys quoted her as saying, "I haven't talked about it because I don't know if it's because I'm remembering it through a dream or I I'm not sure, but yes, I feel like I saw it after that happened."
Greitens and his defense team have seized on the "dream" comment to attack the credibility of her testimony. But the prosecutor in the case says the defense "cherry picked bits and pieces" of her nine-hour deposition and the woman's attorney says the comment referred to one particular instance concerning the photo.
In addition to the legislative investigation and the criminal case, Hawley is investigating The Mission Continues, the veterans charity founded by Greitens, as it relates to the state's consumer protection and charitable registration and reporting laws. That probe came after media reports that Greitens' campaign had obtained and used a charity donor list in 2015 as it ramped up fundraising for his gubernatorial bid.
Associated Press reporters Blake Nelson in Jefferson City, Jim Salter in St. Louis and John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., contributed to this report. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | April 2018 | ['(Chicago Tribune)', '(FOX2Now)'] |
Venezuelan police arrest at least 400 people in the city of Cumaná after food riots and looting broke out yesterday. | CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan security forces have arrested at least 400 people after the latest bout of looting and food riots in the crisis-hit OPEC member country, local officials said on Wednesday.
Mass arrests after Venezuela looting
00:44
Another death was also reported in the state of Merida from unrest which is breaking out sporadically across the South American OPEC nation.
On Tuesday, violence engulfed the eastern Caribbean coastal town of Cumana as looters swarmed through dozens of shops and security forces struggled to maintain control.
There were unconfirmed reports on social media of several deaths in Cumana, which is the capital of Sucre state. But regional governor Luis Acuna from the ruling Socialist Party said those reported deaths were unrelated to the looting.
“There were only 400 people arrested and the deaths were not linked to the looting,” he told a local TV station, calling the looters vandals encouraged by right-wing politicians.
“I have no doubt they paid them, this was planned.”
Nelson Moreno, governor of Anzoategui state, which neighbors Sucre, said eight people were also arrested on Tuesday in “irregular” situations, a term that usually refers to looting.
With desperate crowds of people chanting “We want food!,” protests and melees at shops have spread across Venezuela in recent weeks, fueled by severe shortages.
Three people were shot dead in separate incidents last week, with a policeman and a soldier arrested in two cases. [L1N19600W]
The Merida state prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday it was investigating the death of a 17-year-old youth, shot late on Tuesday during an “irregular” situation in the western Andean state. Local media reported food protests and an attack on a Socialist Party office there.
According to a local monitoring group, the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, more than 10 incidents of looting are occurring daily across the nation of 30 million people that is suffering a brutal recession and the world’s highest rate of inflation.
Venezuela’s political opposition says President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez are to blame for failed socialist economic policies. The opposition is pursuing a recall referendum this year in an effort to remove him from office.
But Maduro, 53, says his foes are waging an “economic war” against him and seeking to foment a coup. Government officials say there is not enough time this year to organize a referendum.
Should there be such a vote in 2017 and Maduro loses, his vice president would take over - rather than a new presidential election being held - meaning the ruling “Chavismo” movement would still be in power.
| Riot | June 2016 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah begin peace deliberations in Cairo, Egypt. | CAIRO Leaders of the rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah declared Thursday a “historic day” at the conclusion of a meeting here aimed at healing a 20-month schism. The long-awaited Cairo talks added another twist to an already complex political situation as President Obama’s Middle East envoy arrived in Israel for discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
At a joint news conference in the Egyptian capital, Ahmed Qurei of Fatah and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas announced the establishment of committees to find formulas for a Palestinian unity government and new elections, among other things. The committees aim to finish their work by the end of March.
Given the bitter divisions between Fatah and Hamas, it remained unclear what kind of unity government might emerge, and whether it would receive international acceptance if it was formed. Still, representatives of the parties in Cairo said there seemed to be political will on both sides to resolve their differences.
The reconciliation talks, held under Egyptian auspices, were the first since Hamas, the Islamic militant group, took control of Gaza in June 2007, routing the Palestinian Authority forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of the mainstream, secularist Fatah. Hamas took over after a brief but brutal factional war in Gaza in which scores of Palestinians were killed. The American envoy, George J. Mitchell, is on his second trip to the region in a month, part of “ongoing efforts” to “actively and aggressively” advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, American officials said. But Israeli politics were also in flux after elections this month, leaving the future of the peace process unclear. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister-designate and the leader of the conservative Likud Party, has been holding coalition talks with right-wing and religious parties as the prospect of a more centrist coalition has dimmed. A narrow, hawkish government would be unlikely to subscribe to the same peacemaking principles as the Obama administration and the departing Israeli government, which favor a process based on establishing a Palestinian state. Earlier Thursday, Mr. Mitchell held talks in the Turkish capital of Ankara with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr. Mitchell said he was there because President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton “appreciate Turkey’s continuing commitment to a comprehensive peace and a two-state solution.” In Israel, Mr. Mitchell met with leaders of the departing government and with Mr. Netanyahu. He planned to meet with leaders of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority on Friday in the West Bank.
In Cairo, 13 Palestinian groups, some of them tiny, attended the reconciliation talks mediated by the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman. The main purpose was to find some means of power-sharing between Fatah and Hamas. Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and formed a unity government that included representatives of Fatah. But Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, and that government was boycotted by Israel and the West. Mr. Abbas dissolved it after the Gaza takeover by Hamas in 2007, which he described as a coup.
Mr. Abbas’s authority has since been limited to Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank. For more than a year, Israel engaged in peace negotiations with Mr. Abbas aimed at laying the foundations of a Palestinian state. At the same time, Israel imposed a strict economic embargo on Hamas-run Gaza, and it carried out a devastating 22-day military offensive against Hamas that ended last month. The joint committees are expected to deal with the main issues in dispute: the basis for a unity government, elections, the makeup of the Palestinian security forces and reform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian umbrella group that has so far not included Hamas. President Abbas has been pressing in recent months for a government made up of independent technocrats, but Hamas insists on playing a role. | Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | February 2009 | ['(New York Times)'] |
At least 15 people are killed in Indonesia after flooding and multiple landslides ravage the North Sulawesi province. | Flooding and landslides in the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi have left at least 15 people dead, officials say.
On Sunday thousands of people fled their homes in the provincial capital Manado and surrounding areas to escape the floods.
The water was up to 2m (6ft 6in) deep in some places, a government official told Reuters news agency.
Rescue teams and residents are digging through debris to search for survivors.
Bulldozers and other equipment are being sent to affected areas.
The bodies pulled from the mud on Sunday included those of three children, North Sulawesi police chief Brig-Gen Dicky Atotoy told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.
Residents say they were cleaning debris from a previous landslide when mud and rocks fell down the hills.
"It was horrible. We were immediately fleeing, but some failed and (were) buried in the ground," local official Lucky Sumakud told AP.
| Floods | February 2013 | ['(AP via USA Today)', '(BBC)'] |
Conflict in Russia : Russian President Vladimir Putin's government offers 300 million rubles for information leading to the arrest of Chechen rebel leaders Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov. Maskhadov was the last democratically elected leader of Chechnya. | Russia's security service, the FSB, today promised a reward of up to 5.8m for information that could help to "neutralise" Chechen rebel leaders.
Moscow has accused Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov of masterminding the school hostage crisis in the North Ossetian town of Beslan last week that left more than 350 people dead.
The FSB, a successor of the KGB, today blamed the rebel leaders for causing "inhuman terrorist acts".
Meanwhile, the president of North Ossetia, Alexander Dzasokhov, said that the regional government would step down in the next two days.
He said: "We are doing this because many problems have piled up that need to be solved better."
Addressing an angry crowd of around 1,000 demonstrators at regional government headquarters, Mr Dzasokhov also pledged to resign himself if he could not fulfil their demands.
The protesters were demanding the resignation of regional government and security officials and the formation of independent regional and national commissions to investigate the atrocity.
Speaking from a balcony, Mr Dzasokhov repeated his appeal for time. "I won't flee anywhere, and you also won't leave," he said, according to the Interfax news agency.
But the crowd was implacable, shouting "Resign! Resign!"
Some demanded to know why he had not met the hostage-takers demand to enter negotiations with them. "I was ready to go but, you understand, we were dealing with bandits," Mr Dzasokhov shouted hoarsely.
In another development, the chief of the Russian general staff, Colonel General Yuri Baluyevsky, reasserted Russia's right to mount "preventive strikes" against terrorists abroad. "We will take all measures to liquidate terrorist bases in any region of the world," the senior military official said.
Also today Russia criticised the US for having in the past held talks with Chechens pressing for independence and suggested that the issue could harm bilateral relations, Interfax reported.
"We solve our internal problems ourselves, and there's no need to search for an American route to political normalisation in Chechnya," the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said.
While joining in condemnation of last week's atrocity, the US state department said yesterday that Russia ultimately had to hold political talks with Chechen leaders and reach a settlement.
A US state department spokesman said US officials had met with Chechens with a variety of views in the past, but said: "We do not meet with terrorists." The spokesman said that there could be additional meetings in future, although none were currently planned.
The Russian foreign ministry announced that it would take new steps to seek the extradition of people it claims are linked to terrorism, including Chechen rebel political representatives Akhmed Zakayev and Ilyas Akhmadov.
Mr Zakayev, an envoy for Mr Maskhadov, the separatist leader and former Chechen president, has been granted refugee status in the UK, while Mr Akhmadov is in the US.
The ministry said the hostage-taking, and other recent attacks, would "help many in the west, where Zakayev and Akhmadov have found political asylum, to see the true face of terror and understand the measure of their delusion".
Speaking in the UK, Mr Zakayev, who has called the school siege "a monstrous act", said any renewed attempt to have him extradited would be a smoke screen. A judge at Bow Street magistrates court ruled last November that there was a "substantial risk" that Mr Zakayev would be tortured if he returned to Russia.
Mr Zakayev said today: "We have a British court decision that is clear ... we think Russia is doing this because they want to take away attention from the murders in Beslan."
The Itar-Tass news agency reported that two suspected bombers were detained in Chechnya yesterday.
The two women, residents of the Chechen town of Shali, were suspected of taking part in terrorist activities, the agency, citing the Chechen regional branch of the FSB, said.
Russians last night got a horrific glimpse of conditions inside the school seized by militants last week when a television station broadcast images of the heavily armed and hooded assailants amid the crowd of women, children and men. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | September 2004 | ['(Chechnya)', '(USD 10 million)', '(BBC)', '(Guardian)'] |
Lieutenant General David Hurley of the Australian Army is announced as the successor to Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston as the Chief of the Australian Defence Force. | Prime Minister Julia Gillard has unveiled a complete reshuffle at the top of the Australian Defence Force.
The current Vice Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General David Hurley, will succeed Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston as Chief of the Defence Force from July 4.
The news comes as the ADF mourns the loss of two soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan on Monday.
Announcing the change in Canberra today, Ms Gillard said the change was coming at a "very testing time for the Australian Defence Force, a time of sorrow, of loss".
"I'm absolutely confident the new leadership team will meet these challenges," she added.
Air Marshal Mark Binskin will take over as the new Vice Chief.
Rear Admiral Ray Griggs will be the new Chief of Navy, taking over from Vice Admiral Russ Crane.
Major General David Morrison will be Chief of Army. He replaces the retiring Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie.
Air Vice Marshal Geoff Brown will be Chief of the RAAF, taking over from Air Marshal Binskin.
Air Chief Marshal Houston has been Chief of Defence for the past six years.
Lieutenant General Hurley, 57, has held a number of senior positions in the ADF, including Land Commander Australia and Chief of Operations, and was appointed as Vice Chief in 2008.
Ms Gillard paid tribute to Air Chief Marshal Houston, 63, describing his service as "remarkable".
Saying he was only 13 days short of being Australia's longest-serving CDF, Ms Gillard said he led Defence during the most intense operational period since the Vietnam War.
"He was there when we recommenced our operations in Afghanistan in September 2005 and when we expanded our early operations to include the training we are now doing with the Afghan Fourth Brigade.
"He was there to oversee the deployments to Iraq, to East Timor and the Solomons.
"He's been there to lead his people as they've helped Australians through natural disasters; Cyclone Larry, the Victorian bushfires and most recently through the summer of devastation, particularly in Queensland."
Alluding to the evidence Air Chief Marshal Houston gave casting doubt on the Howard Government's "children overboard" claim, Ms Gillard painted him as a man of honesty.
"He is better known now to Australians as a man of courage and compassion and I really want to congratulate him on his service to the nation - and I'm looking forward to the Festival of Angus," Ms Gillard said.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith, who denies reports his relationship with Air Chief Marshal Houston soured over the handling of the Australian Defence Force Academy Skype sex scandal, said he would be a "big loss".
"He has faithfully and effectively served five ministers for Defence. He was respected and held in high regard by the Australian community before he became Chief of the Defence Force, and that regard and respect has only enhanced."
Mr Smith said the new team would "hit the ground running", with Lieutenant General Hurley scheduled for trips to Singapore and Brussels in the next week for defence talks.
He said Lieutenant General Hurley was a man of "thoughtfulness, decency and integrity".
"The men who have been appointed today have the responsibility of putting our men and women into the field in danger, in pursuit of our national interest. The responsibility and the burden is great."
Lieutenant General Hurley told reporters the appointments had been overshadowed by the deaths of three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan during the past week.
"That will serve as a powerful and constant reminder to this new leadership team of the enormous responsibilities that are being transferred to us," he said.
He promised to give full and frank advice to his minister, Mr Smith, saying "robust interaction" was something that should be expected.
"I don't think at times that should be taken as dissent or a war between the minister and the generals. We're doing our job, and we'll continue to do so."
Air Chief Marshal Houston said he was "uplifted" by the troops in Afghanistan who had performed "superbly".
And he said the low points came when Defence had lost people.
"When we've brought brave, courageous people home after they've been killed on operations, most normally in Afghanistan. That's the low point."
| Government Job change - Appoint_Inauguration | June 2011 | ['(ABC News Australia)'] |
Western romance Brokeback Mountain wins awards for best film and best director for Ang Lee at the BAFTA awards. | Jake Gyllenhaal also won an award - as best supporting actor - for his role in it playing a gay rodeo cowboy.
There was disappointment for The Constant Gardener, which took only one of the 10 awards it was nominated for. Philip Seymour Hoffman won best actor for Capote, while Reese Witherspoon won the actress award for Walk the Line.
The UK's Rachel Weisz had been nominated in the best actress category for The Constant Gardener, alongside Charlize Theron for North Country and Dame Judi Dench for Mrs Henderson Presents.
HAVE YOUR SAY
They all deserve one. This is the first time that Bafta nominated films have actually interested me Andrew, Devon
Send us your comments
In all Brokeback Mountain won four awards, including best adapted screenplay. It is widely tipped to win many of the same awards at the Oscars in March.
Speaking backstage, director Lee said: "When we started making the movie we thought it was going to be a small precious film, now it's a big precious film. "I'm not saying the British are smarter but I feel very committed to them."
'Just a pleasure'
But Heath Ledger and his real-life partner Michelle Williams missed out on the actor and supporting actress titles. Speaking after receiving his supporting actor award, Gyllenhaal said: "It's just a pleasure to be a part of this movie and I can't even believe I've got this for it."
George Clooney also walked away empty handed, having been nominated for four awards, including two supporting ones for Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck and best director for Good Night, and Good Luck.
Full list of Bafta winners
The best British film on the night went to Nick Park's animated feature Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit. Accepting his award, Park said: "This is just amazing. I was just so delighted to be nominated alongside all the proper films tonight, I never thought I'd be up here."
The special achievement of a British director or producer in their first film went to director Joe Wright for his adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Wright said: "I'm just delighted. I really thought that because it was a panel vote it might go to people who had gone to war-torn places.
"I'm very surprised and delighted. It's going to go on top of my bookshelf and I'm going to look at it when I'm feeling a bit down."
Thandie Newton won for her role in Crash
He also said he was surprised Keira Knightley had not been nominated for her role in the film as Elizabeth Bennett.
"Thank you to Keira, my star who brought so much light and love to this film," said Wright in his acceptance speech. "I do not know why she is not here tonight but I'm sure you will all join with me in wishing her all the luck at the Oscars."
Race drama
Memoirs of a Geisha, based on Arthur Golden's best-selling novel, won three awards including best soundtrack, composed by John Williams, and costume design.
Ensemble drama Crash won two awards, including best supporting actress for Thandie Newton, who is part British and part Zimbabwean.
Paul Haggis won the best original screenplay for the film, which centres around 24 hours in a racially volatile Los Angeles.
The make-up and hair award went to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, while Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire won best production design.
George Clooney left empty-handed
British film producer Lord Puttnam was given a Bafta fellowship in recognition of his body of work, which includes Chariots of Fire and The Killing Fields.
Lord Puttnam, who received a standing ovation when he collected his award, said he was disappointed Clooney had not won any awards.
"He puts his career on the line. He's been politically committed and has taken big cuts in his salary to make these kinds of films," he said.
"My hope is that other film-makers will do that too. "I'm sorry that Clooney didn't win best director because of what he put himself through." | Awards ceremony | February 2006 | ['(BBC)'] |
The South African Police Service issues a red alert at the country's borders to prevent First Lady of Zimbabwe Grace Mugabe from leaving the country. She is wanted on charges of "assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm" on a 20-year-old woman in a hotel room in Johannesburg. | South African police have issued a "red alert" at the country's borders for Zimbabwe's First Lady Grace Mugabe, the police minister has said.
She is accused of hitting a 20-year-old woman over the head with an extension cord in a hotel room near Johannesburg.
Police expected Mrs Mugabe, 52, to turn herself in on Tuesday, but she failed to show up.
The first lady's whereabouts are not known but she is believed to still be in South Africa.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is now also in the country ahead of a southern African heads of state meeting due to start on Friday.
Mrs Mugabe has not commented on the allegation.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said: "We, in terms of South African police, [have] already put tabs on the borders in relation to her leaving the country, so there is no question about that.
"So tabs have been put, a red alert has been put, so she is not somebody who has been running away."
On Wednesday, South Africa's police ministry said Zimbabwe's government had sought diplomatic immunity for Mrs Mugabe.
Meanwhile, South African lawyer Gerrie Nel, who successfully prosecuted Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, is supporting the woman making the allegation, Gabriella Engels.
Mr Nel is now working with the Afriforum group, which mainly lobbies for the rights of Afrikaners in South Africa.
Afriforum said if the police failed to act in the case then it would take up a private prosecution. It also said that it would fight any move to grant Mrs Mugabe diplomatic immunity.
Ms Engels told the BBC that she was attacked by Mrs Mugabe who believed she knew the whereabouts of her son, Bellarmine.
"We kept telling her 'we do not know where he is... we haven't seen him for the night'... She cornered me… and started beating the hell out of me. "That's when she hit me with the plug and the extension cord. And I just remember being curled down on the floor with blood rushing down my face and down my neck.
"She hit us with so much hate."
Ms Engels has now laid an assault charge and added that she wants Grace Mugabe to "go to jail".
Farouk Chothia, BBC Africa
South Africa's government risks a public backlash if it lets Mrs Mugabe go scot-free. This happened in 2015, when it failed to execute an international arrest warrant for Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir who was wanted by the International Criminal Court. The government argued that he qualified for diplomatic immunity, but the country's judges disagreed. The government was then strongly criticised for undermining the rule of law. It seems that ministers want to avoid a similar backlash and are therefore insisting that Mrs Mugabe must appear in court. But by taking such an approach it risks a diplomatic row with Zimbabwe's government - a staunch ally whom it has resolutely defended over the years, despite international criticism of President Mugabe's human rights record. So the two governments, including Mr Mugabe and his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, are bound to be in talks to resolve the crisis over the first lady. One option being mentioned in the South African media is that Mrs Mugabe should plead guilty during a short court appearance, and pay a fine. But it is unclear whether Mr and Mrs Mugabe - known for their uncompromising nature - will agree to this, especially after Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party said in a tweet on Tuesday that the first lady had been "attacked", contradicting her accuser's version of events. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | August 2017 | ['(BBC)'] |
At least eleven people are killed in Pakistan in fighting between rival parties as voters go to the polls for local elections in Sindh province. | Lahore, Pakistan: Eleven people were killed when rival political parties fired on each other on Saturday as Pakistanis voted in local elections seen as a referendum on the national government halfway through its term.
The violence occurred in the Khairpur district of the southern province of Sindh, which held the polls along with the central Punjab province. It was not immediately clear which parties were responsible.
Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan is hoping the polls will help build a national coalition that could challenge Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.
"Eleven people were killed when two groups opened fire," police deputy inspector general Kamran Fazal told Reuters.
The opposition, led by international cricket star turned politician Imran Khan, is hoping the polls will help build a national coalition that could challenge Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) party at the next general election.
Pakistan's other two provinces held their local elections months ago. Khan won in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest and Sharif's party and its coalition partners won in the sparsely populated western province of Baluchistan.
Observers are closely watching the polls in Punjab, Pakistan's richest and most populous province and the power base of Sharif, who swept to national power in a landslide election in 2013.
"PMLN has the upper hand in Punjab but it will be a strongly challenged by PTI," said political analyst Wajahat Masood, referring to Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf party.
Security and the economy have improved under Sharif but the government has failed to tackle corruption or tax dodging by the wealthy, two problems that are starving social services such as schools and hospitals of cash.
Over 20 million people are registered to vote in Punjab and 4.6 million in Sindh. Pakistan has a population of 190 million.
Local bodies, in which voters elect councillors directly, devolve administrative and financial powers to lower tiers of electoral bodies.
Local government elections were last held in 2005 under General Pervez Musharraf, who came to power in a bloodless coup.
National and provincial political parties dislike the system, saying the military has previously used it to undermine parliamentary democracy.
In March this year, the Supreme Court called the absence of the local government system for over a decade unconstitutional and ordered the election commission to arrange for polls to be held as soon as possible. Reuters | Government Job change - Election | October 2015 | ['(Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald)'] |
Ecuador reports its first cases in Guayaquil. | GUAYAQUIL (Reuters) - Ecuador has confirmed five cases of the new coronavirus in patients who all had direct contact with an elderly woman who brought the virus to the Andean country from Spain, health minister Catalina said on Sunday.
The woman, an Ecuadorean citizen who resides in Spain, arrived in Ecuador on a direct flight from Madrid on Feb. 14 without presenting symptoms, but soon began to feel ill and was admitted to one of the public hospitals the government equipped to deal with the new virus.
The announcement brought the total number of confirmed cases in the country to six. The five new cases are all relatives of the woman who had direct contact with her since she arrived, said, adding that they were all quarantined at their homes.
They are presenting mild symptoms, told reporters in the southern city of Guayaquil. We are monitoring them, we are controlling them.
Authorities are also monitoring some 177 people who could have come into contact with the initial patient, including passengers on her flight, other relatives, and health care workers.
The new coronavirus, which originated in China, is spreading rapidly across the globe. Other countries in Latin America reporting cases include Brazil, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
Ecuadors health ministry earlier on Sunday said it had increased medical checks at ports of entry for travelers from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain and Mexico. Authorities have also suspended public evens in the Guayas and Los Ros provinces, where the cases have been reported.
| Disease Outbreaks | March 2020 | ['(Reuters)'] |
Roger Louis Schutz–Marsauche, better known as Brother Roger, is murdered by a mentally–ill woman during an afternoon prayer service. Brother Roger is best known for founding the Taizé Community in 1940. His death saddened many officials and leaders across Europe, including Pope Benedict XVI. | Police detained a woman after the assault on Swiss-born Roger Schutz, who was known as Brother Roger.
Around 2,500 young people were at the Reconciliation church in Burgundy at the time of the attack.
Brother Roger founded the community during World War II to provide refuge to people of all Christian churches.
Brother Alois, 51, nominated by Brother Roger as his successor, was returning from the World Youth Day jamboree in Cologne to take his place, a community spokesman said.
Taize unites members of several Christian denominations from some 30 countries and attracts tens of thousands of young people each year for prayers and meditation.
Shock and confusion
Some of those at evening prayers on Tuesday are reported to have overpowered a Romanian woman after Brother Roger was stabbed.
Brother Roger was one of the best loved Christian leaders of our time
Dr Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury
The public prosecutor in nearby Macon, Jean-Louis Cost, said there seemed little doubt that the attack was premeditated. He said the woman had bought a knife the day before and "the intention to kill was obvious".
Mr Cost said her explanation was not clear at this stage, but she said she had tried for several months to contact Brother Roger - who was no longer granting private meetings.
He added that he had ordered that a psychiatric examination of the woman be carried out.
Pope Benedict XVI, due to travel to Cologne on Thursday for World Youth Day, said he was particularly dismayed at news of Brother Roger's death as he had received "a moving letter from him" only this week
Brother Roger had written to say he was sorry that he could not attend the celebrations himself because of his ill-health.
The death has horrified Christians around the world
The news of the horrific death sent shockwaves through the Christian world:
Your comments:
Brother Roger was a great man of God, full of compassion, joy and life. I have visited Taize twice as an adult in the 1990's. It is a truly loving, truly ecumenical place where Christians of all denominations can find love, acceptance and joy. I am deeply saddened that this wonderful, loving man has had his earthly life ended in such horrific circumstances. The world has lost one of it most inspirational Christian servants. Chris Brock, Kings Lynn, England
Brother Roger has had an enormously positive effect on the life of the church, influencing countless others on the path of reconciliation. I first visited Taize 21 years ago at the age of 16 and found there a vision of community way beyond what I was experiencing in my local church. The international buzz and gently reflective worship, held together in a spirit of real simplicity contributed to one of the most profound stage posts on my spiritual journey, and I will always be grateful for the man we now mourn, who made this possible. Father Matthew Catterick, Wembley Park
From first hearing the music of Taize when I was a teenager - to spending time in the community and making good friends there; Brother Roger has helped me to walk closer to Jesus. Thank you for him, and my prayers for Taize this time.Stu Miller, Bournemouth
Another holy man is struck down in madness. Brother Roger in his words and actions express only love, hope and peace. He has changed the face of Christianity. The Taize prayer community in Victoria which brings together people of many faith communities will be ever grateful for his vision. Harry, Victoria, Canada
I met Brother Roger last July. I'm shocked. Is this the end of the world. He was the Saint. Why?Anniina Iivonen, Hameenlinna, Finland
Brother Roger's death is tragic. He spent his life living and preaching reconciliation between people of all nationalities and creeds, beginning in the aftermath of the Second World War - and he has to die like this. The community he founded and the music and distinctive chants associated with it have touched the lives of millions. May he rest in peace.Ed Hone, Edinburgh
Our thoughts are very much with you at this time. We have been greatly influenced and blessed by Brother Roger's example and prayerful life. We first met each other at Taize. Love and prayers to you all. Julian and Marie Raffay, Sheffield, UK
I'm shocked beyond words. I'm angry and confused and very sad. What was going on inside this woman's heart? What was she thinking? How deep could her confusion haven been? I have been to Taize several times when I was younger and although my belief system is somewhat non-institutionalised I always enjoyed being part of the Taize community for a few days. I always wanted to return there and I will; but it will not be the same.Astrid, Cardiff, Wales
I am deeply saddened by brother Roger's death. I am in an Episcopalian church community in Seattle, where many people I know have been to visit Taize in France. I currently am involved in holding Taize services at our church. The music and meditative services have had a deep impact on me. I do not understand what took place, why he was murdered, much less during a service. I don't know what to make of it all. But I hope that the worldwide Taize community can, through time, gain some peace through this. I also hope that the music will become stronger, and that Brother Roger's legacy will continue into the distant future. Theresa La Rue Seattle, WATheresa, Seattle, WA, USA | Famous Person - Death | August 2005 | ['(BBC)', '(Bloomberg)'] |
Germany and the Republic of Ireland name their squads for UEFA Euro 2012. | Joachim Löw has named the 27 players who will travel with the German national soccer team to training camp ahead of the European Championship, which starts next month in Poland and Ukraine.
With just over a month to go until Germany's debut at the Euro 2012 on June 9 against Portugal in Lviv, Ukraine, head coach Joachim Löw announced the 27 men that will initially make the trip to the team's training camp, which gets underway on Friday in Sardinia.
The final squad that actually makes the trip to the Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine will have 23 players. That list of names has to be submitted by May 29.
At the press conference from the Mercedes Benz customer center in Rastatt on Monday, the provisional team was shown on a screen before Löw took questions about the nominations. Goalkeepers:
Manuel Neuer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Tim Wiese, Ron-Robert Zieler
Defense:
Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Höwedes, Mats Hummels, Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Marcel Schmelzer
Midfield:
Lars Bender, Sven Bender, Julian Draxler, Mario Götze, Ilkay Gündogan, Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Lukas Podolski, Marco Reus, Andre Schürrle, Bastian Schweinsteiger
Strikers:
Cacau, Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose
Not many of the nominations came as much of a surprise, but ter Stegen and Draxler have never played a game in a Germany jersey.
Stefan Kiessling, Patrick Helmes, and Simon Rolfes, who had been nominated in the past and participated in matches in the Euro 2012 qualification, were left out of the nominations.
Not all of the players will be at the training camp in Sardinia starting Friday. The players from Borussia Dortmund, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, Mario Götze, and Ilkay Gündogan, will arrive at the camp following their German Cup final matchup with Bayern Munich.
Bayern players will be missing for another week as they play in the Champions League final against Chelsea on May 19. Manuel Neuer, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gomez all play for Bayern.
Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil, both players for Spanish champions Real Madrid, will join the camp shortly after the Dortmund players on May 16.
Politics and soccer
Before the list of nominated players was released, Löw made a few comments regarding the political situation in Ukraine that has many European politicians threatening to boycott the games played in Ukraine.
"If you're asking me as the head coach of Germany," Löw said, "I say that here in Germany we've always tried to present an image of football that stands for fun, happiness and integration, and that it brings people together. All the players are allowed to give their opinions. But we're not going to Ukraine as the world police. We're focusing on the sporting task at hand."
"As a person," Löw said, "I identify myself with values like press freedom, freedom of opinion, protection of minorities and humanitarian treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko."
In an interview with news magazine Der Spiegel released on Monday, German captain Philipp Lahm said "when I see how the regime is treating Yulia Tymoshenko, then that has nothing to do with my understanding of democracy."
Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison last October on charges of signing oil deals with Russia that disadvantaged Ukraine during her time as prime minister. She says she has been beaten in prison, is suffering from back problems and recently launched a hunger strike in protest. | Sports Competition | May 2012 | ['(Deutsche Welle)', '(Irish Examiner)'] |
The High Negotiations Committee, Syria's main opposition group, will attend Monday's U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, a day shy of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict, and two-plus weeks into the ceasefire agreement. Although fighting continues, a significant drop in violence has been seen during the truce. The first round of Geneva talks collapsed on Feb. 3 during a government offensive against rebels in Aleppo. | The main, Western-backed Syrian opposition groups say they'll attend U.N.-sponsored peace talks with the Damascus government in Geneva starting on Monday.
The groups, assembled under an umbrella known as the High Negotiations Committee, said in a statement Friday that their participation comes in response to "sincere" international efforts to end Syria's five-year civil war. An ongoing, tentative but more-successful-than-expected cease-fire has seen a significant drop in violence across the country for almost two weeks.
The HNC says its team in Geneva will press for a transitional governing body with full executive powers and a pluralist regime in which President Bashar Assad and his associates will have no role. The statement also insisted on Syria's unity and the restructuring of the country's security agencies.
HNC coordinator Riad Hijab was cautious, however, in confirming the group's participation, accusing Bashar Assad's government of "committing crimes" during the cease-fire and telling the Reuters news agency the regime was "preparing an air and ground escalation in the coming period." Hijab did not explain in any detail the HNC's suspicion that Assad, who has been lent vital support since September from Russia's military, has been using the relative quiet of the truce to prepare for a new offensive.
The first round of Geneva talks collapsed on Feb. 3 during a wide government offensive, backed by Russia, against insurgents.
Syria's civil war has killed 250,000 people, displaced half the country's population and decimated towns and villages.
The partial truce, negotiated by the U.S. and Russia, came into effect on Feb. 27 and has reduced overall violence across the devastated country by a staggering 90 percent, according to the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Because the cease-fire excludes areas held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al Qaeda's Syria affiliate, the Nusra Front, some of the continuing violence is not technically a breach. | Diplomatic Talks _ Diplomatic_Negotiation_ Summit Meeting | March 2016 | ['(CBS News)', '(Reuters)', '(Deutsche Welle)'] |
Tibetans demonstrate near the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, India, following recent self-immolations by Tibetan monks and nuns protesting the Chinese government's repressive policies in Tibet. | Around 600 Tibetans and Tibet activists held demonstration near the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday to raise awareness of the recent self-immolation by Tibetan monks and nuns in Tibet. 600 Tibet Activists Hold Solidarity Rally in Delhi
Prominent Indian figures such as social activist Swami Agnivesh and journalist Surender Kumar joined the demonstration at the Tinmurti Chowk.
Swami Agnivesh said he came to show solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet who want to preserve their cultural and religious identity.
“Here is my solidarity with the people of Tibet who want to preserve their identity, cultural, social and linguistic and spiritual identity,” said Swami Agnivesh.
Tibetan activists carried Tibetan flags and chanted slogans against China.
Organizers of the rally say this is the first of the series of weekly demonstrations to be held every Wednesday to show solidarity with the Tibetan people inside Tibet.
In eastern Tibet, 11 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March, demanding greater religious freedom and return of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. A Tibetan exile also took part in a self-immolation protest in the Indian capital last week. At least five monks and two nuns have died in the self-immolations, Tibetan rights groups say.
A Tibetan exile set himself on fire outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Friday | Protest_Online Condemnation | November 2011 | ['(VoA)', '(San Francisco Chronicle)'] |
Hosts Germany fought back from 3–1 down to beat Olympic champions Australia 4–3 and retain their World Cup title in the 11. edition of the field hockey World Cup. | Christopher Zeller put the Germans ahead only for Mark Knowles and Matthew Taylor to give Australia a 2-1 half-time lead in Moenchengladbach.
Troy Elder put the Australians further ahead but the Germans responded through Moritz Fuerste and Bjoern Emmerling.
Zeller's second put the Germans ahead and their win was secured when Luke Doerner's shot rebounded off the post.
Germany trainer Bernhard Peters, in his last match in charge before starting a job with a regional German football team, had been sceptical before the tournament whether his young team could triumph.
"It was amazing the way the boys turned the match around in the second half," Peters said. "The team showed incredible will power and I am very, very proud."
Australia lost Jamie Dwyer, who was voted player of the tournament, before the start when he withdrew injured but Australia captain Brent Livermore still felt his side should have won.
"If you score three goals in a World Cup final you expect to win but to Germany's credit they just kept on coming," he said.
"We felt like we had our hands on the cup at 3-1 but it just slipped away."
Spain beat South Korea 3-2 in the third-place play-off thanks to Pol Amat's 71st-minute golden goal. | Sports Competition | September 2006 | ['(BBC)'] |
Pope Francis begins a five day visit to South Korea. (AFP, Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald) | Seoul: Pope Francis has arrived in Seoul looking to fuel a new era of Catholic growth in Asia - a mission fraught with complex political challenges but huge potential rewards.
His five-day visit to South Korea is recognition for one of Asia's fastest-growing, most devoted and most influential Roman Catholic communities, and will feature a special "reconciliation" Mass with a message for isolated North Korea.
The Pope greets South Korean children at Seoul Air Base as Park Geun-hye (left) looks on.Credit:Reuters
But the real goal is longer-term and much wider-ranging.
The Pope will bring a message about the "future of Asia", and will use his trip to "speak to all the countries on the continent", the Vatican's number two, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said in a television interview.
Pope Francis waves upon his arrival at Seoul Air Base as South Korean President Park Geun-hye (left) looks on.Credit:AP
The last papal visit to Asia was by John Paul II to India in 1999, a glaring 15-year gap for a region where the Church is making some spectacular gains but where Catholics still only account for 3.2 per cent of the population.
The Pope's flight to South Korea took him over China - potentially the greatest prize of all, but also the hardest to claim. Beijing maintains a state-controlled Catholic Church, which rejects the Vatican's authority.
China "is a great cultural challenge, very great," Francis said in a recent interview with the Italian daily Il Messaggero.
The flight path offered Francis a rare opportunity to speak directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping, since the Pope always sends a message to leaders of those countries he travels over.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye escorts Pope Francis following his arrival in Seongnam.Credit:AFP
"Upon entering Chinese air space, I extend best wishes to your excellency and your fellow citizens, and I invoke the divine blessings of peace and wellbeing on the nation," the message said.
China's Communist regime broke ties with the Vatican in 1951, and they remain firmly at odds over which side has the authority to ordain priests.
Francis received a 21-gun salute as he disembarked from his plane at Incheon airport on Thursday where he was welcomed by President Park Geun-hye. The two will hold formal talks later in the day.
Francis will have a chance to address believers across the region on Friday when he meets several thousand young Catholics gathered in South Korea for Asian Youth Day.
"The Pope's presence is a powerful symbol of the Vatican's recognition that it is in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa that the Church is growing most prominently," said Lionel Jensen, an expert on religion in Asia at the University of Notre Dame.
The Pope has already announced visits to the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2015, underscoring, Jensen said, "the new and very significant orientation toward Asia".
It is the first papal visit for 25 years to South Korea, which provides a model that the Vatican can only hope other Asian countries might follow.
The economic "miracle" that turned it from a war-devastated backwater to an export powerhouse and Asia's fourth largest economy in a little over five decades, was accompanied by an equally dramatic boom in Christianity.
Christians now comprise the largest religious bloc. While Protestants make up the majority, Catholics are growing faster - accounting for more than 10 per cent of the 50 million population, with tens of thousands of new baptisms every year.
About 1 million people are expected to descend on downturn Seoul for the centrepiece of the papal visit - an open-air Mass on Saturday that will see Francis beatify 124 martyrs persecuted during the early days of the Korean Catholic Church in the 18th and 19th centuries.
And, on the final day, Francis will conduct a special reconciliation Mass in Seoul to send a message to North Korea, where religion is subject to the tightest state control and unauthorised worship is considered criminal.
The Pope will hold a brief private audiences with survivors of April's ferry disaster, while some elderly "comfort women" - forced to work in wartime Japanese military brothels - will attend the reconciliation mass.
Blamed on regulatory failures and official incompetence, the ferry tragedy in which about 300 people died rocked South Korea and left many questioning whether too much had been sacrificed in the name of development.
The Pope is expected to address that particular issue, warning of a "moral and spiritual crisis" threatening hyper-competitive, consumer-obsessed societies.
North Korea fired three short-range rockets off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's Ministry of Defence said, shortly before the Pope's arrival. The rockets were fired from multiple launchers in the North Korean port city of Wonsan and travelled 220 kilometres before landing in waters east of the Korean peninsula, a defence ministry official said.
The last rocket was fired 35 minutes before Pope Francis was due to arrive at an air base in Seoul, where the pontiff started a five-day visit to South Korea.
The launches came ahead of US-South Korean military exercises scheduled to start on Monday. Seoul and Washington say the exercises are defensive in nature but North Korea regularly protests against the drills, which it sees as a rehearsal for war. | Diplomatic Visit | August 2014 | [] |
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes Pawnee, Oklahoma, tying the record for the strongest in state history. At least one person was injured. | The Pawnee Nation has declared a state of emergency after an earthquake shook the area Saturday.
Six of the nation's buildings were damaged, and two of those buildings suffered significant damage.
[ RELATED: Gov. Fallin declares state of emergency in Pawnee County following earthquake ]
Officials with the Pawnee County Emergency Management say buildings there suffered significant damage as the result of the earthquake.
The 5.6 magnitude quake was centered near Pawnee.
SEE MORE: Massive earthquake shakes Green Country
It is tied with a 2011 earthquake for the strongest in Oklahoma history. Multiple aftershocks followed.
At least one man was injured.
Joe Alley said he was trying to protect his child when bricks fell and hit his head.
SEE MORE: How to stay safe during an earthquake
He was later released from the hospital.
Buildings near Sixth and Harrison suffered significant damage.
Though emergency officials at first said a building collapsed, they later said the damage did not result in a full collapse.
Three buildings were deemed unsafe.
Officials said other structural damage was reported.
SEE MORE: Pictures of earthquake damage
Officials said part of main street in Pawnee was blocked off due to damage.
The Northeast Junior Rodeo Association of Oklahoma confirmed the rodeo there is canceled.
Governor Mary Fallin said emergency management is going to assist in Pawnee after the earthquake.
ODOT confirmed that bridges and roads only received very minor damage.
SEE MORE: FOX23 Earthquakes Page
Fallin said the Oklahoma Corporation Commission staff is at the office reviewing disposal wells in the vicinity of the earthquake.
Local businesses in Pawnee suffered damages as well.
White's Foodliner estimates the store lost thousands of dollars in damages.
A local liquor store also reported hundreds in damages.
"When a disaster like this happens on a holiday weekend, there's a sense that we're disconnected, that's not true. We're still connected, and I want everyone to be able to see it here." Senator James Lankford said. | Earthquakes | September 2016 | ['(CNN)', '(KOKI-TV)'] |
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers deploys the National Guard to maintain "public safety" after police shot Jacob Blake on Sunday. Hundreds of people marched on police headquarters that night to demonstrate against the shooting. Up to 200 members of the National Guard will be deployed. | There have been clashes for a second night in Wisconsin, with buildings and cars set alight, following the police shooting of a black man on Sunday.
Jacob Blake, 29, is in a stable condition after he was shot several times as he went to a car and opened its door in the city of Kenosha.
Governor Tony Evers has called up the National Guard to aid local police.
The killing of black man George Floyd in Minnesota in May led to protests against racism and police brutality.
Demonstrations across the US and in many cities internationally put a spotlight on the treatment of African-Americans by US law enforcement and prompted a wider reflection on racism in society. Video footage of the Kenosha shooting, taken from across the street and shared on social media, shows Mr Blake leaning into the car and an officer grabbing his shirt, with seven shots heard.
A curfew has been in effect in Kenosha from 20:00 local time (01:00 GMT) until 07:00 on Tuesday - but has been defied by some protesters.
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Kenosha
It had started out as an evening reminiscent of so many in towns and cities across the US after the killing of George Floyd, with hundreds of young people in Kenosha breaking a curfew to confront police lined up outside the courthouse.
The demonstrators, here this time to call for justice for Jacob Blake, were initially pushed back and dispersed with strong tear gas and the use of sound bombs, but kept returning. Even now in the early hours of the morning they still face the officers in their riot shields. "We're not leaving", they chant.
In the surrounding streets we saw vehicles set on fire, buildings vandalised and whole rows of streetlights pulled down. "It is a breath of fresh air," one young protester told me. "I am tired of being scared of the police killing me. Tonight they are going to listen."
In a press release, Governor Evers said the "limited mobilisation" of the National Guard - made at the request of local officials - was to help law enforcement "protect critical infrastructure" and make sure people could demonstrate safely.
He said he was deploying 125 members of the National Guard on Monday night.
Earlier in the day some protesters tried to force their way into Kenosha's public safety building, demanding that the officers involved in the shooting be arrested. A door was broken off its hinges before officers in riot gear used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
At least one officer was injured in the neck by a firework, the New York Times reported.
Hundreds of people had also marched on police headquarters on Sunday night to demonstrate against the shooting. Governor Evers has condemned the shooting, saying Mr Blake was "not the first black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country."
But the Democratic governor has faced criticism for this response.
Pete Deates, head of Kenosha's police union, said Mr Evers' statement was "wholly irresponsible" and said people should wait until all facts were known.
Mr Evers has also said there will be a special session of the state legislature on 31 August to discuss a package of laws announced earlier this year on accountability and transparency of the police following the police killing of George Floyd.
Lawmakers had "failed to act" in the two months since he announced the "commonsense policies", the governor tweeted.
Demonstrations have also spread to other parts of the country, with disturbances reported as protesters marched through Madison, Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon.
"This is now a RIOT. Leave the area now," Portland Police tweeted as fires were being lit near the police building. Kenosha Police Department said the "officer involved shooting" happened shortly after 17:00 on Sunday. It added that officers had provided "immediate aid" to Mr Blake, who was taken to a hospital in Milwaukee in serious condition.
The person who shot the video, Raysean White, said that before he began taking it, he saw police wrestle with Mr Blake. He said police punched and Tasered Mr Blake.
"Jacob kind of leaned on the car and they proceeded to wrestle him toward the back of the car and he went to the other side," Mr White told CNN.
It was then he started recording. Mr Blake is shown walking around the front of the SUV. The two officers closest to Mr Blake at this point on the video are white males.
As he opens the door and leans into the car, one officer can be seen grabbing his shirt and opening fire. Seven shots can be heard in the video, as witnesses shout and scream. The police said officers had been responding to a "domestic incident" but gave no details about what led to the shooting. They have not said how many officers were involved and no names have been given.
Police in Kenosha do not have body cameras, although they do have microphones.
Mr Blake's partner, Laquisha Booker, told a local NBC channel that the couple's three children were in the back of the vehicle at the time and saw the shooting.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents the families of George Floyd and others pursuing actions against the police, has announced he is representing Mr Blake's family.
In a statement released on Twitter he said the 29-year-old father "was helping to de-escalate a domestic incident" at the time.
Mr Crump said the officers' "irresponsible, reckless and inhumane actions nearly cost the life of a man who was simply trying to do the right thing".
Mr Blake, who works as a security guard, is now out of surgery and improving. Wisconsin's Department of Justice is investigating the incident in Kenosha, a city of about 100,000 on the south-western shore of Lake Michigan.
The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave and a petition calling for them to be charged has garnered tens of thousands of signatures.
The Kenosha County district attorney said his office would work as quickly as possible but "these kinds of huge decisions... are not decisions that can be made in haste".
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Monday released a statement calling for a "full and transparent investigation" of the shooting. Protests erupt as Wisconsin police shoot black man
| Protest_Online Condemnation | August 2020 | ['(BBC)'] |
Underdogs Iceland defeat England 2-1 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship. | Last updated on 28 June 201628 June 2016.From the section Football
England suffered their worst humiliation since they were knocked out of the 1950 World Cup by USA in Brazil as Iceland shocked them in the last 16 of Euro 2016.
Manager Roy Hodgson resigned after the abject embarrassment of losing to a nation ranked 34th in the world - and with a population of just 330,000 - despite taking the lead through Wayne Rooney's fourth-minute penalty.
Iceland equalised within a minute as England failed to deal with a trademark long throw and Ragnar Sigurdsson bundled home from close range.
England's shameful performance was summed up by Iceland's 18th-minute winner when goalkeeper Joe Hart was badly at fault - just as in the win over Wales - as he let Kolbeinn Sigthorsson's shot through his hand.
Hodgson made changes as Iceland dug in, but the underdogs had as many chances as England before the final whistle blew on their Euro 2016 hopes and his four-year tenure as manager.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the manager but, make no mistake, he was badly let down by players capable of so much better - not just on this black night for English sport but throughout Euro 2016.
Hart has had a nightmare tournament, young hopes such as Harry Kane and Dele Alli failed to live up to their performances last season, and captain Rooney, who had been England's best player up until this game, chose this night to give one of his worst performances in an international.
England were shown up by the work-rate, desire and sheer physical commitment of their counterparts. Yes, Hodgson will take the blame and has paid the price but these highly paid Premier League players should not escape criticism.
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke had flagged up a quarter-final place as a minimum requirement, but Hodgson's England could not even achieve that.
Hodgson's thinking had been muddled even before England arrived in France, with constant changes of personnel and approach exemplified by the sudden re-introduction - and subsequent substitution - of Raheem Sterling, although the Manchester City forward did win the penalty from which Rooney scored.
As the game went on, Hodgson cut a detached figure, seemingly powerless to influence the game - and he waited too long to introduce the fearless pace and direct running of Marcus Rashford, who posed more problems in four minutes than most of those who had gone before.
Hodgson has never given off any sort of assurance during Euro 2016, unsure of his best team and strategy.
England have won one game out of four, with a last-minute winner from Daniel Sturridge against Wales - and this defeat will be a scar forever on Hodgson's record and reputation.
England's players slumped to the ground in despair and embarrassment when one final corner was wasted and Iceland had completed their landmark win.
It left them within range of the fury of England's travelling support, who had gathered in their thousands as usual in Nice in the expectation of seeing them reach the last 16 of Euro 2016.
And they wasted no time in letting England's players feel their full fury, frustration that had built up throughout the game exploding in anger directed at those who had failed to perform.
Goalkeeper Joe Hart held his hands up in apology to no avail as some supporters hurled England shirts and flags in the team's direction.
When England left Brazil after their failure there in 2014, they were actually applauded at the end of a 0-0 draw in a dead rubber against Costa Rica - there was no such escape here as the supporters came to terms with one of the most embarrassing, painful nights in the history of English sport.
While England will begin to pick apart a wretched tournament, Iceland will go on to the quarter-finals and undoubtedly the biggest game in their history when they face hosts France at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Wales' quarter-final against Belgium on Friday will be broadcast live on BBC One, with build-up starting at 19:30 BST.
The quarter-finals in full (all games start at 20:00 BST):
England goalkeeper Joe Hart: "As a group it is down to us. All the plans are put in place, we knew everything about Iceland - but ultimately we didn't perform. Personally I didn't perform.
"It's not a question of wanting it, there's nothing we want more - they are just words though. We were in a good place but we haven't done it.
"We will get a lot of flak and we deserve it. We will learn from this and try and bring English football back to where it belongs. We have put it in a low place.
"We just couldn't find a way back into the game. The next manager has a tough job on his hands. We worked hard but with no success. That is how this team will be remembered."
England captain Wayne Rooney: "It's a sad day for us.
"Sometimes not always the best team win. Once they got in the lead we knew it would be difficult to get the goal back because they are well organised.
"Going into the last 16 facing Iceland we were confident we could win the game. It's disappointing but we have to move on.
"It's tough. There are always upsets in football - it's not tactics, it's just unfortunate. We know we're a good team.
"I can't stand here and say exactly why it's happened. Roy Hodgson will look back and think what he could have done differently.
"I'm still available to play. It'll be interesting to see who comes in."
Formation 4-3-3
Formation 4-4-2
Match ends, England 1, Iceland 2.
Second Half ends, England 1, Iceland 2.
Attempt missed. Dele Alli (England) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Harry Kane with a cross following a corner.
Corner, England. Conceded by Kári Arnason.
Attempt blocked. Jamie Vardy (England) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Sturridge with a cross.
Hand ball by Teddy Bjarnason (Iceland).
Corner, England. Conceded by Birkir Saevarsson.
Foul by Gary Cahill (England).
Ari Freyr Skúlason (Iceland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Iceland. Arnor Ingvi Traustason replaces Jón Dadi Bödvarsson.
Danny Rose (England) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Aron Gunnarsson (Iceland).
Substitution, England. Marcus Rashford replaces Wayne Rooney.
Foul by Harry Kane (England).
Ragnar Sigurdsson (Iceland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, England. Harry Kane tries a through ball, but Daniel Sturridge is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Kári Arnason (Iceland) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Iceland. Conceded by Joe Hart.
Attempt saved. Aron Gunnarsson (Iceland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson.
Gary Cahill (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Listen to the Euro 96 mixtape to soundtrack your Saturday
Crouchy, Maya Jama and Alex Horne give their own unique take on England v Scotland
Get latest scores and headlines sent straight to your phone, sign-up to our newsletter and learn where to find us on online.
The latest rumours and stories from around the world of football.
Analysis and opinion from our chief football writer.
How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. | Sports Competition | June 2016 | ['(BBC)'] |
More than 26,000 people in Moscow participate in the largest demonstration so far against Russian president Vladimir Putin and the War in Donbass. | Thousands of people marched in Moscow on September 21 to protest against the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the Kremlin's support for pro-Russian separatists. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "No to war," "Don't shoot your brothers," and "Ukraine, we are with you." Peace marches were also taking place in St. Petersburg and in cities in Ukraine.
Moscow has seen its largest opposition protest since President Vladimir Putin's inauguration to a third presidential term in May 2012.
Thousands also demonstrated in St. Petersburg and other Russian cities on September 21 against what they say is a covert Russian war in eastern Ukraine.
According to SONAR, an independent monitoring group that counted protesters passing through security checkpoints, more than 26,000 gathered for the Moscow march.
Putin and his government have repeatedly denied sending Russian troops or weapons into eastern Ukraine to support pro-Russian separatists.
But those claims are increasingly met with skepticism within and outside of Russia.
Aleksandr Ryklin of the opposition Solidarity movement said the slogan for all of the September 21 marches across Russia was: "Putin, enough lying and making war!"
Yelena Volkova, a protester in Moscow, said the Russian authorities should "stop this outrageous covert war that they don't admit" waging.
Banners at the Moscow rally said: "Putin, I'm sick of your lies," "Don't shoot our brothers," and "I don't want a war with Ukraine."
Nikolayeva told RFE/RL's correspondent in Moscow that a precedent was set by Russia's deployment of military forces across Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March and Russia's speedy annexation of Crimea through an illegal referendum.
She said she was "not only against us sending our troops to Ukraine, but also against us interfering whatsoever in the matters of other sovereign states."
The Moscow march was formally approved by city officials.
It began in the early evening at Pushkin Square in the city center, with protesters walking along nearly 4 kilometers of roadway.
The Moscow protest passed off peacefully, despite the presence of pro-Russian separatist supporters along the route – some of whom threw raw eggs at the demonstrators.
There were minor scuffles, but no reports of serious violence and no immediate reports of arrests.
In St. Petersburg, more than 1,000 people gathered outside the Kazan Cathedral to participate in a rally, which was not sanctioned by the authorities.
About 100 antiwar protesters who gathered in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg were jeered by hecklers who support eastern Ukraine's pro-Russian separatists.
In the Siberian city of Barnaul, at a small unsanctioned demonstration, local activist Artyom Kosaretsky reportedly was assaulted and detained by authorities after holding up a sign saying "Siberia against war."
The protests coincided with the United Nations' annual International Peace Day.
RFE/RL's Russian Service is a multi-platform alternative to Russian state-controlled media, providing audiences in the Russian Federation with informed and accurate news, analysis, and opinion. | Protest_Online Condemnation | September 2014 | ['(Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)', '(BBC)'] |
A special investigatory committee from the Missouri House of Representatives releases a report on Governor Eric Greitens's alleged invasion of privacy and sexual misconduct. , | JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. A special Missouri House committeeinvestigating an invasion of privacy charge against Missouri Governor Eric Greitens released its findings Wednesday afternoon.
The House Special Investigative Committee on Oversight met behind closed doors Tuesday at the capitol, then met again Wednesday in closed session before the report was released. Democrats caucused in a basement meeting room, while Republicans met elsewhere.
The much-anticipated report was public at 5 p.m.State representatives must now decide whether to impeach the governor.
The committee began its investigation after the governor was indicted in February. Greitens is accused of taking a nude photo of a woman with whom he was having an affair in 2015, without that woman’s consent.
The woman, identified as Gov. Greitens’ former hairdresser, testified that the governor was physically aggressive toward her on more than one occasion over the course of the affair.
She said Greitens spanked, slapped, and shoved her in separate get-togethers.
After reviewing the report, House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty (D-Kansas City) said the governor must resign.
“For the good of the state, Eric Greitens must immediately resign. If he doesn’t, it will be the duty of the House of Representatives to restore integrity to the executive branch of state government,” Beatty said. “This duty must be conducted with careful deliberation following a thorough review of the evidence gathered to date. Once House members have had the opportunity to digest the special committee’s report and accompanying documentation, it is our hope that leadership in both parties can agree on the appropriate next step.”
Lt. Governor Mike Parson released a statement Wednesday calling for unity and correcting the state’s lingering problems.
“With the recent events that have distracted our great state, I want to say with all sincerity that it is time to unite and put aside our differences. Over the course of several months, it has been a trying time for many people. My heart goes out to the families involved. However, all Missourians must continue to stay focused on the task at hand moving Missouri forward. We owe it to ourselves and generations to come.”
Gov. Greitens held a news conference prior to the release of the report. He called the report an outlandish “political witch hunt” and said people had turned his personal mistake into a spectacle. The governor said no standards of evidence were used in the committee investigation and that said investigation was conducted in secret, adding that no member of his defense team was allowed to see any evidence presented.
Greitens said he expects the report to be filled with more falsehoods.
The governor said he will continue to serve in office and believes he’ll be vindicated in a court of law.
| Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | April 2018 | ['(Chicago Tribune)', '(FOX2Now)'] |
Flooding in Gujarat, Western India, kills at least 213 people with the death toll expected to rise as receding flood waters reveal additional victims. Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani says heavy rain had triggered "the worst flood of the century" in the state. | Authorities race to identify bodies as rescue workers reach new areas and fear monsoon death toll will rise further
First published on Mon 31 Jul 2017 05.57 BST
Severe monsoon flooding has killed 213 people in western India with officials fearing the death toll would rise as receding waters revealed additional victims.
Nearly 130,000 people have been relocated to safer ground in Gujarat state after hundreds of cities and villages were devastated by weeks of torrential rain.
Helicopters and boats are combing areas including the deluged Banaskantha district where 25 bodies, including 17 members of one family, were discovered in two submerged villages last week. On Sunday, surviving members of the family met the Gujarat chief minister, Vijay Rupani, who said the rainfall had triggered “the worst flood of the century” in parts of the state.
Nearly 700 people have died across India in recent weeks as monsoon rain has submerged roads, damaged electricity networks and triggered lethal lightning storms.
Overwhelmed authorities in Gujarat said the state’s death toll, which jumped by 90 in the past day, was likely to increase as new victims were discovered. “Only after a postmortem is conducted we can officially confirm death of a person,” an official at the Gujarat emergency control room told Agence France-Presse. “Since many bodies were found, postmortems took time, hence the sudden jump in numbers.”
The flooding has paralysed Gujarat, with flights diverted from the airport in its largest city, Ahmedabad, more than 150 factories shut down, and an estimated 50,000 cotton farms waterlogged. More than 4,000 animals were thought to have been killed so far, local reports said.
The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, who surveyed the devastation from an aircraft last week, has already pledged at least £60m in funding for interim relief efforts. In his monthly radio address on Sunday he said “maximum possible efforts” were being made to assist residents of the state he led as chief minister for 12 years and several others affected by heavy rain in the past week.
Modi said the floods had wreaked havoc on a massive scale, adding that altered weather cycles linked to climate change were having a big negative impact. He announced 200,000 rupees’ compensation (£2,374) to the families of those killed in the deluge and 50,000 rupees to those seriously injured.
As well as Gujarat, the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have been hit by monsoon flooding, as have pockets of Odisha and Bihar in the country’s east. Lightning storms in Odisha and another state, Jharkhand, killed 21 people on Monday with more inclement weather expected throughout this week.
Most of the victims were working in fields when lightning struck them, disaster management authority officials said. Thousands of Indians are killed by lightning each year, most of them working in fields during the June to October monsoon season.
Bihar has reported nearly 140 lightning deaths since May.
Suresh Kumar, West Bengal’s top disaster management official, said 31 deaths had also been reported in a week of flooding in the state. “Heavy rains have caused massive damage in several districts,” Kumar told AFP.
In Assam at least 77 people have been killed and a state-wide emergency relief operation has been under way since April. Tens of thousands of hectares of crops have been destroyed and at least 91 animals, including seven rhinoceros, were killed in flooding at the state’s Kaziranaga national park.
The national park, which rangers said was about 90% underwater, is one of the few remaining habitats of the rare one-horned rhino. The species’ numbers – about 3,300, according to the last count four years ago – have been dented in past years by poachers and flooding in 2016 that killed more than 20, nearly half of them calves.
Meteorologists said the rainfall in Gujarat, close to the heaviest in 112 years, was the result of low-pressure systems developing simultaneously over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea. Flooding kills thousands of people each year in India, the damage exacerbated by weak enforcement of building standards, high rates of poverty and unplanned communities springing up in high-risk areas. Research in 2016 found that flooding was the most significant risk to communities and businesses in south Asia and that about 113 million people in India – nearly 10% of the population – were acutely exposed to flood hazard. | Floods | July 2017 | ['(The Guardian)'] |
A prominent journalist in Somalia, Sheikh Nur Abkey, is kidnapped and then killed in Mogadishu. | MOGADISHU, May 5 (Reuters) - Islamist gunmen have shot dead a prominent journalist in Mogadishu, the first reporter to be killed in Somalia this year, one of his colleagues said on Wednesday.
Sheikh Nur Abkey, who worked for the state-run Radio Mogadishu, was killed in the capital’s Wardhigley neighbourhood while he was on his way home late on Tuesday.
“Al Shabaab men have killed Sheikh Nur Abkey ... after they killed him, they called us and told us they killed him,” Abdirahman Yusuf, the editor of Radio Mogadishu, told Reuters.
The capital has been a battleground as the UN-backed government has tried to quell a three-year insurgency waged by Islamist groups, including al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab.
Yusuf said Abkey was in his sixties and had been working in Somali media circles since 1988.
Somalia is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Last year nine were killed and some foreign journalists have been kidnapped by militants and held for ransom. (Reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed; Writing by Abdi Guled; Editing by Jeremy Clarke and Giles Elgood)
| Armed Conflict | May 2010 | ['(Press TV)', '(Reuters India)', '(BBC)'] |
A bus travelling from Germany to Italy crashes in southern Switzerland, leaving one dead and 14 injured. | BERLIN (AP) — A German bus crashed into a metal post on a highway in southern Switzerland Sunday, leaving one woman dead and another 14 people injured, police said.
The bus was heading south with 25 people on board when the accident happened on the A2 highway at Sigirino, near Lugano — along a major route across the Alps from northern Europe to Italy.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the bus to plow into the post, wrecking the front of the vehicle.
The bus had set off from the German city of Cologne on Saturday evening and was headed for Assisi in Italy, Johannes Huebner of bus travel group RDA, who was coordinating emergency plans for the company involved, told the German news agency dpa.
A group of young people and two drivers were on board, according to Ticino canton (state) police.
A police statement late Sunday said a 27-year-old German woman died of injuries sustained in the crash.
The statement said two people had serious but not life-threatening injuries, eight more had “medium” injuries and another four were lightly hurt. | Road Crash | October 2018 | ['(AP)'] |
A convoy accident involving British Prime Minister Theresa May and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel interrupts an Armistice Day trip after two police motorbikes were knocked over. | BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Two Belgian police motorcyclists were hurt on Friday when a motorist disrupted a convoy carrying British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Belgian counterpart, an official said.
There was no question of it being an attack, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel’s spokesman told Reuters, after the incident following a wreath-laying ceremony at a British cemetery to mark Sunday’s centenary of the end of World War One.
“It was an inattentive driver,” the spokesman said.
The motorist began to overtake the speeding convoy on the motorway near Mons but then tried to pull into the convoy’s lane before reaching the front, causing the two escorts guarding the middle of the caravan of vehicles to lose control. As they toppled, their bikes nearly struck the car carrying Michel.
May, in a car traveling in the front of the motorcade, would not have seen the incident, the spokesman said. No one other than police officers was hurt.
While May traveled on toward her next memorial engagement, in France, Michel stopped the remainder of the convoy and waited while medical crews arrived to treat the injured motorcyclists.
Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Alison Williams
| Road Crash | November 2018 | ['(Sky News)', '(Reuters)'] |
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hits the southern state of Chiapas in Mexico. | MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A forceful 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook two poor southern Mexican farming states on Thursday, scaring residents but apparently causing no injuries or damage, authorities said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 24 miles from Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of the coffee-growing state of Chiapas, and just over the border from the state of Oaxaca. Both states are largely rural regions with strong indigenous populations.
The Mexican government said shockwaves from the quake were felt hundreds of miles away.
Emergency services said people were panicked by the temblor, which knocked out power and mobile telephone services for about 10 minutes when it hit just after 8 p.m local time
“We felt it hard here,” said ambulance worker Hernan Meza in the Chiapas town of Cintalapa, close to the epicenter. “It’s something I hadn’t felt for a long time.”
Cintalapa has a population of about 74,000 people and is surrounded by coffee and corn plantations.
The civil protection agency in Chiapas said it was sweeping the area to look for material damage around the epicenter, close to the border with Oaxaca.
Emergency services in both states said no injuries were initially reported after the 78-mile (125-km) deep quake.
In Oaxaca, the earthquake shook hardest in the hot and windy low-lying Isthmus region, dominated by the Zapotec Indians and known for long, raucous street parties and parades.
“Some people were alarmed, it was very strong,” said Oaxacan emergency worker Gilberto Lopez.
The small oil port of Salina Cruz is located on the Isthmus’ Pacific coast.
Chiapas is home to a large population of ethnic Mayas and was thrust into the international spotlight when the Zapatista guerrilla army launched a short but bloody uprising in 1994.
Large areas are still under partial guerrilla control.
The state, Mexico’s main coffee growing region, was badly hit by landslides and flooding following Hurricane Stan in 2005.
| Earthquakes | July 2007 | ['(Reuters)'] |
70 protesters, including television actress Piper Perabo, are arrested at the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination. | U.S. Capitol Police said they arrested 70 people Tuesday during the the first day of hearings on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
In a statement, Capitol Police said 61 people were removed from the hearing room in the Hart Senate Office building and charged with disorderly conduct. The arrested protesters included a Hollywood star, Piper Perabo of the former USA show "Covert Affairs."
Another nine people were removed from the second floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building for "unlawful demonstration activities" and charged with "crowding, obstructing or incommoding."
Protesters repeatedly interrupted the proceedings Tuesday while members of the Senate Judiciary Committee gave their opening remarks.
Many of the protesters urged senators to adjourn the hearings and vote no on Kavanaugh.
The hearings are slated to pick back up at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for what is expected to be a marathon 12-hour day of questioning.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck GrassleyChuck GrassleyFive takeaways on the Supreme Court's Obamacare decision On The Money: Yellen, Powell brush off inflation fears | Fed keeps rates steady, upgrades growth projections Overnight Health Care: US buying additional 200M Moderna vaccine doses | CureVac's COVID-19 vaccine failed in preliminary trial results | Grassley meets with House Dems on drug prices MORE (R-Iowa) said each of the senators on the committee will get 30 minutes to question the nominee. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Arrest | September 2018 | ['(People)', '(The Hill)'] |
20 people died and 14 others are injured when a truck carrying mourners returning from a funeral ritual plunged around 400 metres (1,300 feet) onto a river bank in central Nepal. | Kathmandu: At least 20 people died when a truck carrying mourners returning from a funeral ritual plunged around 400 metres (1,300 feet) onto a river bank in central Nepal, police said Saturday. Fourteen others were injured as the vehicle veered off an unpaved narrow road in a hilly area around 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of the capital Kathmandu on Friday.
Police retrieved 18 bodies at the site. One person died while being taken to hospital and another during treatment, police official Bhimlal Bhattarai said. "Bodies were found scattered on the river bank and slope and we are still searching the incident site because the total number of people on board is still not known," said Bhattarai.
Authorities were yet to confirm the cause of the crash, but the police said excessive speed on the narrow road could be one of the reasons. Deadly crashes are relatively common in the impoverished Himalayan nation because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. | Road Crash | December 2018 | ['(Times Now)'] |
Somali government and African Union troops oust al-Shabab Islamic militants from a southern town of Bulo Marer. | Somali government troops fighting alongside African Union troops ousted Islamic militants from a southern town they have been controlling, an official said Saturday.
Abdiqadir Mohamed Nor, the governor of Somalia's Lower Shabelle region where the fighting is taking place, said the al-Shabab stronghold of Bulomarer was seized from militants after hours of battle.
"We have finally liberated the town. The enemy elements fled," he said. "The residents have welcomed our troops because we freed them after years of oppression by the terrorists."
He gave no details about causalities.
Bulomarer is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Bulomarer resident Abdullahi Ali said militants fled under heavy gunfire and that the town is now quiet as government troops set up bases on its outskirts.
Military officials say the al-Qaeda-linked militants used Bulomarer to stage deadly attacks across Somalia, including in Mogadishu, and hope the military offensive dubbed "Indian Ocean" can oust al-Shabab from its last major hideouts in the southern parts of the Horn of Africa nation.
The loss of Bulomarer would leave al-Shabab's current key base of the coastal town of Barawe vulnerable to attacks. | Armed Conflict | August 2014 | ['(ABC News)'] |
The UN calls for action to prevent what it suspects may become a massacre in the northern Iraqi town of Amirli, which has been besieged by IS forces since June. | The UN has called for action to prevent what it says may be a possible massacre in the northern Iraqi town of Amerli.
Special representative Nickolay Mladenov says he is "seriously alarmed" by reports regarding the conditions in which the town's residents live. Amerli, under siege by Islamic State (IS) for two months, has no electricity or drinking water, and is running out of food and medical supplies.
IS has seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria in recent months. Since 8 August, the US has carried out 94 air strikes to support Iraqi and Kurdish troops tackling the insurgents. The majority of Amerli's residents are Turkmen Shia, seen as apostates by IS.
The town's inhabitants say they have had to organise their own resistance to the militants and no foreign aid has reached the town since the siege began. "The situation of the people in Amerli is desperate and demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens," Mr Mladenov said in a statement. "I urge the Iraqi government to do all it can to relieve the siege and to ensure that the residents receive life-saving humanitarian assistance or are evacuated in a dignified manner."
Mr Mladenov's deputy, Gyorgy Busztin, told the BBC that the UN had no contact with IS representatives.
"We are not talking to terrorists and this is a matter of principle," he said.
"There is no way anybody can have any positive effect on these people. We have contacts with moderate Sunnis connected to the... areas which [IS] has overrun."
On Friday, the most influential Shia cleric in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, expressed concern over the plight of Amerli's inhabitants. The rise of IS has sparked widespread violence. Who are Islamic State (IS)?
On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel described IS as an imminent threat to the US.
Gen Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said IS was "an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated".
He said that IS fighters' bases in Syria also had to be attacked.
The Shia-dominated Iraqi government has been trying to secure backing from Sunni groups in its battle against IS jihadists.
Prime Minister designate Haider al-Abadi, a moderate Shia, is trying to form a more inclusive government - following international criticism of outgoing PM Nouri Maliki, who was widely seen as a divisive figure.
The IS campaign has displaced an estimated 1.2 million people in Iraq, many of them minority Christians and Yazidis.
Refugees say the hardline Islamists have demanded that Christians and Yazidis convert to Islam, threatening them with death if they refuse.
| Armed Conflict | August 2014 | ['(BBC)'] |
Two hours before the end of a 72-hour ceasefire, rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel. One rocket landed in Egypt and one child died and several were injured. Despite the violations, the cease-fire has been extended. | By Mark Duell and Jennifer Newton for MailOnline Published: 12:29 BST, 13 August 2014 | Updated: 23:37 BST, 13 August 2014 310
View comments
One child was killed and two others were wounded when a rocket landed on their home in an Egyptian town near the border with Gaza, security and medical sources said tonight.
Sara Salama, 13, died in el-Mattallah, south of Rafah, while her eight-year-old brother Khaled and two-year-old sister Rahaf sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital.
The rocket impact is the third to hit the area in recent weeks, security sources said, adding that Egyptian authorities were investigating the incident.
Also tonight, a Hamas official said the group had agreed to extend its temporary truce with Israel for another 72 hours. A temporary truce between Israel and Hamas was set to expire at midnight (10pm BST). The sides have been negotiating a deal in Egypt to end the month-long war in Gaza. Scroll down for video
In the sky: Light streaks and trails are seen following reports of rockets being launched from Gaza towards Israel before a 72-hour cease fire was due to expire today
Israeli reserve soldiers on a Merkava tank at a location near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip today
War-torn area: An Israeli tank patrols just outside the border with the northern Gaza Strip yesterday
Anger: A Palestinian hurls stones toward Israeli soldiers during a protest against the Israeli offensive in Gaza, at Qalandia checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah today
A Palestinian places a poster of late leader Yasser Arafat at a tent outside houses, which witnesses said were destroyed in an Israeli offensive, during a 72-hour truce in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, Israeli police said a rocket fired from Gaza landed in Israel this evening. Gaza's ruling Hamas denied any had been fired from the territory.
Egyptian security forces have been struggling to quell an Islamist insurgency in Sinai that has killed scores of soldiers and policemen.
The violence surged after the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Mursi last year and the militants extended their reach to Egypt's mainland with a series of bombings, prompting the army to intensify its attacks on them in Sinai. Egyptian mediators had been racing to pin down a long-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to prevent more fighting in the Gaza war when the current truce expires at midnight.
The two sides considered an Egyptian proposal that partially addresses their demands, but deep differences had earlier kept the deal in doubt.
During the temporary truce, Israel halted military operations in the war-battered coastal territory and Gaza militants stopped firing rockets. News of the rocket comes after it was revealed that an Italian journalist has been killed alongside his translator and three Palestinian bomb disposal experts as they attempted to defuse an unexploded Israeli missile in Gaza. Journalist Simone Camilli pictured on Monday in Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip before he was killed
Associated Press photographer Hatem Mousa is wheeled to an ambulance on his way to receive treatment in Israel
AP photographer Hatem Mousa receiving treatment at al-Shifa hospital, Gaza, Palestinian Territories
Video journalist Simone Camilli, who worked for the Associated Press and translator Ali Shehda Abu Afash died when ordnance left over from fighting between Israel and Hamas blew up as Gazan police engineers were working to neutralise it in the town of Beit Lahiya.
Police said three police engineers were also killed, while four people, including AP photographer Hatem Moussa, were badly injured.
Mr Camilli, a 35-year-old Italian national, had worked for the Associated Press since being hired as a freelancer in Rome in 2005. He relocated to Jerusalem in 2006, and often covered assignments in Gaza.
He is the first foreign journalist killed in the Gaza and leaves behind his long-time partner and a three-year-old daughter.
Mr Abu Afash, a 36-year-old Gaza resident, leaves behind a wife and two daughters, aged five and six. He often worked with the international media as a translator and news assistant.
Najib Jobain, the AP's chief producer in Gaza, said Mr Camilli was a welcome face in Gaza who had recently turned down an assignment in Iraq to come to the strip.
Mr Camilli, a 35-year-old Italian national, had worked for the Associated Press since being hired as a freelancer in Rome in 2005 Najib Jobain, the AP's chief producer in Gaza, said Mr Camilli was a welcome face in Gaza who had recently turned down an assignment in Iraq to come to the strip
Palestinian translator Ali Shehda Abu Afash, who also died when the missile exploded in Gaza
Associated Press photographer Hatem Moussa, who was seriously injured in the blast on Wednesday
People in Gaza have strewn graffiti on the walls of buildings expressing their views on the current conflict
The graffiti appeared during a 72-hour truce between Israel and Hamas, which comes to an end at midnight
An Israeli army reservist officer with his back to the camera, wears a T-shirt referring to the Israeli forces' operations in Gaza
'He was my brother. I have known him for almost 10 years. He was so happy to be with me working in Gaza,' Mr Jobain said. 'He was asked, "Do you want to go to Irbil or Gaza?" He said, "I'll go to Gaza".'
In a statement, the Gaza police force said it also mourned the deaths of three of its men, identifying them as the head of the local bomb squad, his deputy and another officer. During a 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which started on Monday, Palestinian bomb disposal experts have taken the opportunity to search for unexploded munitions.
Since the latest truce went into effect on Monday, Israel has halted military operations in the coastal territory and Gaza militants have stopped firing rockets. The ceasefire was meant to give the two sides time to negotiate a more sustainable truce and a roadmap for the coastal territory. Since the latest truce went into effect Sunday, Israel has halted military operations in the coastal territory and Gaza militants have stopped firing rockets Two Palestinian brothers walk among the rubble of what was their home in Gaza as a 72-hour ceasefire comes to an end
Egyptian mediators have been ferrying between the Palestinians and their Israeli counterparts in an attempt overcome the differences between the sides. The Egyptian proposal calls for easing parts of the Israeli blockade of Gaza, bringing some relief to the territory, according to Palestinian officials in the talks. But it was leaving the key areas of disagreement, including Hamas' demand for a full lifting of the blockade and Israeli calls for Hamas to disarm, to later negotiations. Earlier, the Palestinian negotiator said he had some reservations about the proposal and would try to improve it. Locals put up a makeshift tent on houses that were destroyed in Gaza during the temporary ceasefire A Palestinian boy carries a bullet belt around his body as he plays in the rubble in Gaza A boy hides inside a hole created in the ground after his family's house was destroyed in Gaza
'We would like to see more cross-border freedom, and also to have the question of a Gaza seaport and airport discussed,' he said. The Palestinian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss negotiations with the media. An Israeli government spokesman had no comment on the negotiations. The talks come as pictures emerged of Palestinian men vying with each other and handing over their IDs so that they can receive food aid at a UN centre in Gaza City.
The UN have distributed food assistance to 1.1million Gazans even before the latest conflict.
Palestinian men wait for their names to be called so they can receive food aid rations at a UN compound in Gaza The UN say they have distributed food assistance to 1.1million Gazans even before the latest conflict
| Armed Conflict | August 2014 | ['(The Daily Mail)'] |
The Taliban claims responsibility for an attack on Sunday on an Afghan military centre in southern Helmand where they say that "dozens were killed or wounded". | KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban on Monday claimed responsibility for an attack at a military centre in southern Helmand province in Afghanistan where at least 150 members of the Afghan army and intelligence wing were stationed.
The bombing occurred on Sunday night, government officials and the Taliban said.
“Dozens of members belonging to the enemy forces have been killed and wounded in the attack,” Qari Yousuf Ahmedi, a spokesman for the hardline Islamist group, said in a statement.
The defence ministry confirmed the blast, and said one member of the army was injured.
The Afghan forces in the last two months have suffered heavy casualties across the country. The violence poses an immediate threat to a fragile peace deal between the United States and the Taliban, signed in February, as the Afghan military is forced to fight an emboldened Taliban with less U.S. support.
An intelligence officer who survived the attack at the military centre told Reuters that militants detonated a truck bomb near the facility for National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Army forces.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, the official said he helped pull out at least 18 bodies from the blast site on Sunday night.
In a separate incident, police in south eastern Paktika province said at least 20 people were injured when Taliban fighters threw a hand grenade into a mosque in Khayerkot district on Sunday evening.
The U.S. recorded an increase in Taliban attacks against Afghan forces in March after signing a peace deal with the insurgent group, a government watchdog office said in a report last week, contrary to hopes that the peace deal would lead to less violence in the war-torn country.
| Armed Conflict | May 2020 | ['(Reuters)'] |
World leaders convene virtually to coordinate a response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. | Leaders of the world's most powerful economies have convened virtually to coordinate a response to the fast-spreading coronavirus
Country preparing for the worst in handling coronavirus cases
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Leaders of the world's most powerful economies convened virtually on Thursday with the aim of coordinating a global response to the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has shuttered businesses and forced well over a quarter of the world's population into home isolation.
The unusual video call in lieu of a physical gathering comes as governments around the world stress the importance of social distancing to curb the spread of the highly infectious virus.
The meeting comes amid criticism that the world's wealthiest countries have not taken enough action to combat the virus or its economic impact globally as people lose their incomes due to closures, curfews and lockdowns.
Saudi Arabia, which is presiding over the G20 this year, opened the meeting with an urgent appeal by King Salman for the world's most powerful nations to finance the research and development of a vaccine for the virus, which causes an illness known as COVID-19, and to ensure the availability of vital medical supplies and equipment.
This human crisis requires a global response. The world counts on us to come together and cooperate in order to face this challenge," the Saudi monarch said during the virtual summit.
The meeting was not open to the media to observe. The Saudi government distributed the king's remarks to the press.
Images from the video conference were shared on social media by some of the participants. World leaders like India's Narendra Modi, Japan's Shinzo Abe and Canada's Justin Trudeau, whose wife contracted the virus, could be seen in little boxes on a screen seated at desks in photos from European Council President Charles Michel. U.S. President Donald Trump was shown seated at the end of a long conference table in Washington with other American officials in photos shared by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
The meeting was also expected to include Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was taking part in the summit from her apartment in Berlin where she is in quarantine after a doctor who gave her a pneumonia vaccine had tested positive for the virus. Two tests on Merkel have come back negative, but she'll still need more tests.
The virtual summit also included leaders from the World Health Organization, the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, International Labor Organization and others.
The global death toll from the virus has climbed past 22,000 and the number of infections has surpassed 480,000, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Disagreement between the countries erupted this week among the Group of 7 leading industrialized democracies, which sparred over whether to call out China as the source of the coronavirus. The foreign ministers were unable to agree on a U.S. push to identify it as the Wuhan virus," in reference to the city in China where it first appeared. As a result, the group opted against releasing a statement after the call.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which organized Thursday's broader G20 summit, has been criticized for rocking oil markets by ramping up production next month and slashing prices to gain market share after Russia, another major oil producer, refused to extend production cuts. The U.S. has pressed Saudi Arabia to reconsider it's current strategy.
Also on the global call were leaders from Spain, Jordan, Singapore and Switzerland, as well as chairs of regional bodies like the African Union, the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The International Labor Organization says nearly 40% of the worlds population has no health insurance or access to national health services and that 55% or 4 billion people do not benefit from any form of social protection whatsoever. It said the current health crisis makes clear that not nearly enough progress has been made by governments in the years since the 2008 financial crisis to expand access to health services, sickness benefits, and unemployment protection.
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank issued a call on G20 countries ahead of the virtual leaders' summit, warning of severe economic and social consequences for developing countries, home to a quarter of the world's population and where most of the world's poorest people reside.
The lenders called for a suspension of debt payments from these countries and asked G20 leaders to task the World Bank and IMF with making the needed assessments on which countries have unsustainable debt situations and immediate financing requirements.
It is imperative at this moment to provide a global sense of relief for developing countries as well as a strong signal to financial markets, the lenders said in a joint statement.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has said the lender stands ready to deploy all of its $1 trillion lending capacity. She said earlier this week the IMF expects a recession at least as bad as the 2008 global financial crisis or worse. Nearly 80 countries are requesting IMF help.
Ethiopia's government told G20 finance ministers and Central Bank chiefs in a call ahead of Thursday's summit that Africa needs a $150 billion emergency financing package due to the impact of the virus.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged G20 leaders to adopt a wartime plan including a stimulus package in the trillions of dollars for businesses, workers and households in developing countries trying to tackle the pandemic.
| Disease Outbreaks | March 2020 | ['(ABC News)'] |
According to the Israeli army, a Palestinian female suicide bomber was caught in the Erez Crossing, carrying explosives and a detonator in her underwear. Israeli media added that she planned to carry out a suicide bombing attack in the Soroka hospital, where she received medical treatment and was scheduled for a doctor's appointment The woman was identified as Wafa Samir Ibrahim Bass and said she was sent by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades decline to comment. , | Gaza resident Wafa Samir Ibraim Bas, 21 was carrying more than 10 kilograms (more than 22 pounds) of explosives and was picked up thanks to electronic anti-terror means utilized at the crossing.
Army officials said the woman surrendered only after attempting to detonate the charge at the crossing itself.
The woman was scheduled to arrive at Soroka hospital in the Southern town of Be’er Sheva for some tests Monday, and was hoping to take advantage of the medical appointment to carry out a suicide attack.
During her interrogation, the would-be bomber said she was sent by the Fatah’s al-Aqsa Brigades. The group sought to utilize the humanitarian permits issued to the woman and instructed her to carry out the attack at the hospital, she said.
Erez crossing reopens
Sappers later blew up the explosives in a controlled detonation and authorities later reopened the crossing.
IDF official Avi Levy told Ynet that despite the incident, the army is "making a distinction between terror groups who want to carry attacks and Palestinian civilians who want to make a living."
Explosives blown up in a controlled detonation
Meanwhile, security forces have foiled 45 terror plots involving women during the more than four years of the intifada, while eight attacks were carried out. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Accuse | June 2005 | ['(the army has not confirmed this.)', '(Haaretz NewsFlash)', '(Ynet)', '(BBC)', '(Al-Jazeera)'] |
In Egypt, referendum favours constitutional changes for presidential elections with 83% in favour | According to official results 83% voted "Yes" to the changes, with 54% of registered voters going to the polls.
Six opposition parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood, called for a boycott of the referendum. They say the amendments contain too many constraints for anyone to challenge President Hosni Mubarak and his ruling National Democratic Party.
Voting on Wednesday was marred by clashes, including the beating of opposition protesters by government agents and supporters.
Official and pro-government newspapers hailed Wednesday's referendum as a defeat for the boycott. Elections in Egypt generally suffer voter apathy bred by decades of authoritarian rule and ballot rigging, analysts say.
President Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for almost 25 years, is widely expected to seek another term in office in elections due later this year. | Government Job change - Election | May 2005 | ['(Al–Jazeera)', '(BBC)'] |
The current French President François Hollande vows to respond to the Macron hack attack. | French President François Hollande has promised to "respond" after a hacking attack targeted presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron.
He gave no further details but said he knew of the risks of such attacks because they had "happened elsewhere".
The French media and public have been warned that spreading details of the attack would breach strict election rules and could bring criminal charges.
Mr Hollande told Agence France-Presse on a visit to a cultural centre in Paris: "We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere. Nothing will go without a response."
He did not elaborate, but Mr Macron's team has already been the victim of attacks which it blames on groups based in Russia and Ukraine, and last year's US election campaign was also the subject of hacking attacks targeting the Democratic Party.
Mr Hollande added that he could not say whether the attack was an attempt to destabilise the election.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says the impact of the hacking attack on the vote is unlikely to be significant, as Mr Macron enjoyed a wide lead in opinion polls that were taken before campaigning ended.
It is part of the restrictions that came into force at midnight local time on Friday. No campaigning or media coverage of it that could sway the election is allowed until polls close at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Sunday. Some overseas French territories have already begun voting.
The election commission warned it could be a criminal offence to republish the leaked data.
Politicians and media are forbidden from giving details of, or commenting on, the leak.
The election commission said in a statement on Saturday: "On the eve of the most important election for our institutions, the commission calls on everyone present on internet sites and social networks, primarily the media, but also all citizens, to show responsibility and not to pass on this content, so as not to distort the sincerity of the ballot."
Analysts say that, given the open flow of social media content, policing this could be impossible.
The French daily Liberation covered the leak by publishing a general Q&A with a journalist. Le Monde said it would "not publish the contents before the second round". It said it would vet and publish relevant material but "respecting our journalistic and ethical rules". It also carried a general Q&A of the leaks.
Florian Philippot, deputy leader of Ms Le Pen's National Front party, got a tweet in before the rules came in, saying: "Will Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately kept silent?"
The documents were leaked on a file sharing website late on Friday. About nine gigabytes of data were posted by an anonymous user.
Mr Macron's En Marche movement said internal campaign documents, including emails and financial data, had been taken in an "act of massive, co-ordinated hacking".
"The leaked files were obtained several weeks ago by hacking personal and professional email accounts of several officials of the movement," it said in a statement.
The hashtag #MacronLeaks appeared on Twitter on an account used by a US alt-right figure on Friday afternoon - and was reportedly retweeted 87 times in the first five minutes, suggesting the use of automated bots to spread the information faster.
Within 90 minutes, the information had caught the attention of prominent supporters of Marine Le Pen and was further spread by bots.
Some three-and-a-half hours after the initial tweet, #MacronLeaks had been used some 47,000 times and the prominent Wikileaks account played a key role in publicising the hashtag.
Unclear. The Macron camp has not blamed any specific party but said the hack clearly aimed to damage it and undermine French democracy,
It compared it to the leak of Democratic Party emails in last year's US presidential election that was blamed on Russian hackers.
Wikileaks, which published those emails, posted a link to the Macron documents on Twitter but implied it was not responsible.
| Famous Person - Give a speech | May 2017 | ['(BBC)'] |
Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan cricket coach, dies in a Kingston, Jamaica hospital following his team's shock loss to Ireland and consequent early elimination from the 2007 Cricket World Cup. | The 58-year-old former South Africa coach, who played for England between 1975 and 1981, was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness.
"It is very shocking news to all of the team and the team management," said Pakistan team manager Pervez Mir.
Woolmer died less than 24 hours after Pakistan exited the World Cup.
Mir revealed that Woolmer suffered from a medical condition - but said it was too early to say whether it played a part in his death.
"We saw him last night but having not seen him early today two of our officers went to his room and with the help of hotel staff entered. He was found unconscious there.
606: TRIBUTES
A wonderful cricketing mind and a pioneering coach MP
"It is too early to say whether he has suffered a heart attack. We are awaiting medical reports."
Woolmer's South-Africa based wife has been notified. He also leaves two children. Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup on Saturday after losing by three wickets to minnows Ireland.
Their preparations for the tournament had been far from ideal.
Following the infamous forfeited Test against England at The Oval last summer, two of their leading fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, were suspended after failing doping tests.
The pair later saw those bans rescinded but missed the World Cup because of injury, something Woolmer admitted had hindered the team.
"There are a number of extenuating circumstances in the last six months that have made coaching Pakistan slightly different to normal sides," he said after the defeat by Ireland.
The Pakistan team are scheduled to play their third match of the World Cup against Zimbabwe on Wednesday in Jamaica.
Spokesman Mir revealed that the match would take place and said: "The Pakistan team will continue its participation in the tournament. We are due to play Zimbabwe and we will.
"Obviously the boys are extremely sad, they are very disturbed, they are shocked, it's a very shocking happening. But the boys have to play the match and they will."
Woolmer took charge of Pakistan for 10 Test series, four of which were won, with three lost and three drawn.
His overall Test record in 28 matches as Pakistan coach was 10 wins, 11 defeats and seven draws.
In the one-day game, he took charge of 69 Pakistan internationals, winning 37, and losing 29, with three non-results.
Previously he coached South Africa between 1994 and 1999, guiding them to the World Cup semi-finals. | Famous Person - Death | March 2007 | ['(BBC)'] |
An academic report from the United States finds that American drone attacks "terrorize" the civilian population of northern Pakistan, further stating that the benefits of drone attacks for the U.S. are "ambiguous at best". | Civilians are being "terrorised" 24 hours a day by CIA drone attacks that target mainly low-level militants in north-west Pakistan, a US report says.
Rescuers treating the casualties are also being killed and wounded by follow-up strikes, says the report by Stanford and New York Universities.
Drone attacks are thought to have killed hundreds of militants in Yemen and Afghanistan as well as Pakistan.
US President Obama has said the targets are "on a list of active terrorists".
Senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan.
But the scale of civilian casualties has been difficult to assess because independent media and researchers are denied access by the authorities to the tribal areas near the Afghan border.
Hours before the report was released, another drone strike hit the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan. The Pakistani Taliban said nine fighters were killed.
In one of the most notorious attacks of recent years, tribal elders and local traders were among more than 40 people killed when two drones attacked a car carrying at least four militants at Datta Khel in North Waziristan in March 2011.
In June this year, a senior al-Qaeda leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi, was killed in a drone strike.
That attack prompted UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay to question the legality of a practice that was "outside the military chain of command".
A controversial aspect of the US policy is that drone attacks are carried out not by the military but by the Central Intelligence Agency. Pakistan is not a zone of armed conflict, unlike neighbouring Afghanistan.
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has defended the policy, saying that the US will continue to defend itself.
Earlier this year President Barack Obama insisted the strategy was "kept on a very tight leash" and that without the drones, the US would have had to resort to "more intrusive military action".
An Associated Press investigation on the ground in Pakistan found that a significant majority of those killed by the drones were combatants. The report, by Stanford University and New York University's School of Law, upholds that conclusion, adding that the vast majority of those targeted were low-level militants and not senior commanders. It says top commanders only account for an estimated 2% of drone victims. The report also details hundreds of civilian casualties and the effects of drone strikes on the local population. It cites data from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimating that between 474 and 881 civilians have been killed in strikes between 2004 and 2012. "In the United States, the dominant narrative about the use of drones in Pakistan is of a surgically precise and effective tool that makes the US safer by enabling 'targeted killings' of terrorists, with minimal downsides or collateral impacts. This narrative is false," according to the report, Living Under Drones.
"Publicly available evidence that the strikes have made the US safer overall is ambiguous at best," it says, adding that targeted killings and drone attacks undermine respect for international law. The report says that the US government rarely acknowledges civilian casualties, though there is significant evidence that civilians are being injured and killed. The report highlights the impact of drone attacks on civilians in Pakistan's tribal regions. Citing "extensive interviews with the local population", the authors say:
One humanitarian worker - previously based in the US - compared the levels of fear in Waziristan to those in New York after the 9/11 attacks.
London-based human rights group Reprieve, which commissioned the report, said it was taking legal action in an attempt to force the UK government to clarify its policy of sharing intelligence in support of the CIA's drone-strikes.
Reprieve said it was acting on behalf of Noor Khan, whose father was one of the victims of the March 2011 attack at Datta Khel.
| Armed Conflict | September 2012 | ['(BBC)'] |
Arseniy Yatsenyuk resigns as Ukraine's Prime minister after the ruling coalition in parliament collapsed, accusing lawmakers of imperiling the nation by putting politics above urgent needs during wartime. | KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his resignation Thursday, creating new uncertainty in his nation at a crucial moment in its military offensive against pro-Russian rebels in the east.
The move was sure to distract Ukrainian politicians even as leaders from around the world push for unfettered access to the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down deep inside rebel-held territory. A week after the attack on the Boeing 777-200, investigators still have not been able to examine the site in a systematic manner, partly because of heavy fighting nearby.
As fighting continued in eastern Ukraine, the Obama administration said that it had new intelligence information that Russia is preparing to deliver heavier,more powerful ground-to-groundmultiple-rocket launchers to separatist forces, and that Russian forces on their own side of the border are firing artillery at Ukrainian military positions.
Dutch military aircraft continued flying the remains of victims of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 from Ukraine to the Netherlands on Thursday. The Dutch and Australian governments were discussing the formation of an international protection force of military and police from countries with victims of the crash, to protect investigators who are still waiting for full access to the separatist-controlled crash site.
Yatsenyuk’s surprise resignation came after two major parties said they were withdrawing from the governing coalition. President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the coalition’s collapse, saying it bows to Ukrainian society’s desire for “a complete reload of state power.” Poroshenko later said he hoped the “entire” cabinet, presumably including Yatsenyuk, would stay on.
Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman was appointed acting prime minister following Yatsenyuk’s resignation. Groysman, 36, has been minister of regional development, and head of a commission to investigate the cause of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
The political rearrangement seemed intended to pave the way for elections this fall, two years early. Poroshenko pledged wide government and electoral reforms when sworn into office last month, but many members of parliament are a holdover from the era of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych and are considered resistant to reforms and the loss of influence.
Nevertheless, Yatsenyuk’s resignation threw the government into disarray at a critical juncture. Finance Minister Oleksandr Shlapak warned parliament Thursday that the military was swiftly running out of money to pay for its offensive in the east, where troops are seeking to regain control of rebel-held territory around Donetsk and Luhansk.
“As of Aug. 1, we’ll have nothing to pay the military,” Shlapak said, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, as he urged parliament to increase tax revenue.
The immediate trigger for Yatsenyuk’s resignation was the decision by the Svoboda and Udar parties earlier Thursday to pull out of the coalition government, which took over five months ago after Yanukovych was driven out of office by sustained protests. Party leaders said their intention was to force early elections.
But the collapse of the coalition, Yatsenyuk said, means that parliament would be politically hobbled as it tries to pass crucial laws on matters such as the military budget and uncertain energy supplies.
“Who wants to go to elections and simultaneously vote for unpopular laws?” he said in announcing his resignation. “Putting narrow political interests above the future of the nation is impermissible. It is a moral and ethical crime.”
Yegor Firsov, a lawmaker from the Udar party, said that it was prepared to support government initiatives and that he was surprised that Yatsenyuk attributed his resignation to the threat of government paralysis.
“Now, it’s a kind of a vacuum,” Firsov said.
But Yatsenyuk’s resignation does not take effect immediately, and some say it is of little practical consequence.
“The government will continue to fulfill its duty before the new parliament will be elected,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Center of Applied Political Studies in Kiev, the capital.
Others said the move weakens the government’s ability to make forceful decisions.
“It’s not a welcome development,” said John Herbst, director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. “There is a lot to be concerned about. Government unity is important for dealing with the current security dangers, but this is something for Ukrainians to work out.”
In the combat zones in the east, military officials said they are working to restore infrastructure and order in the towns they have liberated from the rebels and are finding a disturbing degree of destruction.
Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, said schoolyards have been mined, water supplies disrupted and jails emptied of prisoners — sowing fear in the local population.
There was intense fighting in and around Donetsk on Thursday, with explosions and gunfire audible from various parts of the city.
The fiercest clashes appeared to be occurring near the airport. Early in the morning, a column of five armored rebel vehicles could be seen speeding by a hotel where many journalists are staying. Some of the vehicles bore World War II markings and appeared to have been reconditioned.
At the Pentagon, spokesman Col. Steven H. Warren said that “we now know that the Russians have been firing artillery from Russia — Russian troops on Russian soil firing Russian artillery into Ukraine . . . they’ve been doing it for several days.” The artillery is located “close to the border,” Warren said. U.S. officials have previously alleged movement of Russian multiple-rocket launchers in and out of Ukraine, and “we have new evidence that the Russians intend to deliver heavier and more powerful” launchers, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.
Meanwhile, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the Russian government, probably for the first time since 1939, “has made the conscious decision to use its military force inside of another sovereign nation to achieve its objectives.”
“I think it does change the situation,” he said.
Speaking at a national security conference in Colorado, Dempsey said that he had not spoken with his Russian counterpart in two months but that lines of communication remained open between the two countries’ militaries. He said he believes that senior Russian military officials “are probably reluctant participants” in Russian operations against Ukraine that he described as “proximate coercion and subversion.”
“My fear,” Dempsey said, “is that Putin may actually light a fire that he loses control of.”
. | Government Job change - Resignation_Dismissal | July 2014 | ['(Washington Post)'] |
One person is dead and another injured after Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo explodes and crashes in California's Mojave Desert during a test flight of the spaceplane. | A pilot was killed and another injured as Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo space tourism craft crashed in the California desert.
The craft was flying a manned test when it experienced what the company described as "a serious anomaly".
It was undergoing its first powered test flight since January over the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said he was "shocked and saddened" by the "tragic loss".
In a blog post, he said everyone involved in the project was "deeply saddened". "All our thoughts are with the families of everyone affected by this tragic event," he wrote.
He said that he was flying to California immediately, describing it as "one of the most difficult trips I have ever had to make".
"Space is hard - but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together," he added.
Both pilots were employed by Scaled Composites, the company that designed the craft. One was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition. Television images shot from a helicopter showed wreckage bearing the Virgin logo. Officials have said the debris is strewn over a large area.
In a statement, Virgin Galactic said the "vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of SpaceShipTwo". The aircraft that the spacecraft was launched from, known as White Knight 2, landed safely, Virgin Galactic said.
It was the second accident this week involving a commercial space company in the US. On Tuesday, an unmanned supply rocket called Antares exploded shortly after its launch from Virginia. It was carrying cargo to the International Space Station.
Ken Brown, a photographer who witnessed the SpaceShipTwo crash, said the craft had exploded after it was released from the plane that carried it to a high altitude.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board will begin their work on Saturday morning to investigate the cause of the accident, which will probably take several days.
"We are going to be supporting the investigation as we figure out what happened today," said George Whitesides, chief executive of Virgin Galactic.
"The future rests in many ways on hard days like this but we believe we owe it to the folks who were flying these vehicles as well as the folks working so hard on this to understand this and move forward."
Analysis: David Shukman, BBC science editor
Even as details emerge of what went wrong, this is clearly a massive setback to a company hoping to pioneer a new industry of space tourism. Confidence is everything and this will not encourage the long list of celebrity and millionaire customers waiting for their first flight. An innovative design for a spacecraft combined with a new type of rocket motor make the development challenge exceptionally hard. Despite an endless series of delays to its spacecraft, Virgin Galactic has over the years managed to maintain some very optimistic public relations and positive media coverage. I interviewed Sir Richard Branson when he first announced the venture and his enthusiasm and determination were undoubted. But his most recent promises of launching the first passenger trip by the end of this year had already started to look unrealistic some months ago. Today's accident will delay plans even further. Space is never easy, and making it routine is even harder. Will crash set back space tourism?
Virgin Galactic has been a frontrunner in the nascent space tourism industry, and Sir Richard said earlier in October he expected to see the craft make it to sub-orbital space within a few months.
More than 800 people have already paid or put down deposits for a trip on SpaceShipTwo, at a cost of about $200,000 (£125,000) per person. Will crash set back space tourism? | Air crash | October 2014 | ['(The Bakersfield Californian)', '(ABC News)', '(BBC)'] |
Sindh Government officials declare a health emergency in Malir, Karachi, as thousands of patients have been affected by the mysterious Chikungunya virus. The government states the aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for spreading the Chikungunya virus in Pakistan's largest city. | Officially, the disease hasnt been diagnosed as yet but the experts believe it could be Chikungunya virus, considering the symptoms, Sindh Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro said during a visit to Saudabad Hospital on Monday. The identification of virus would take time; however, blood samples have been dispatched to the?laboratory, the minister added.
Dr. Mandhro further informed the media that health officers have also collected the samples of water in the residential colony near Sindh Government Hospital.
While the provincial minister issued directives to appoint four to five doctors from other towns in Malirs government hospitals, patients complained of inadequate facilities in the Saudabad hospital.
Chikungunya, a mysterious disease is spreading like an endemic among the residents of Karachi and adjoining areas.
According to WHO, Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.
It is a mosquito-borne viral disease first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952. It is an RNA virus that belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae. The name chikungunya derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, meaning to become contorted, and describes the stooped appearance of sufferers with joint pain (arthralgia).
The disease occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In recent decades mosquito vectors of chikungunya have spread to Europe and the Americas. In 2007, disease transmission was reported for the first time in a localized outbreak in north-eastern Italy. Outbreaks have since been recorded in France and Croatia.
Characterised by paralysis in the joints in the hands and feet, this disease has currently affected as many as 70 doctors and paramedical staff, resulting in scores of patients being rushed to hospitals, each day. The disease seems to the most prevalent in Karachis Malir area is being widely affected by it.
Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. Joint pain is often debilitating and can vary in duration. The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common.
Doctors say the disease spreads with mosquito bite so all measures should be taken to keep safe from mosquitoes.
Dengue prevention and control programme manager in Tharparkar, Dr Masood Solangi confirmed that the disease was rarely fatal. If cases were found positive, they will be the first cases of Chikungunya in the country, he said.
Chikungunya has been identified in over 60 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The virus is transmitted from human to human by the bites of infected female mosquitoes. Most commonly, the mosquitoes involved are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, two species which can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue.
These mosquitoes can be found biting throughout daylight hours, though there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon. Both species are found biting outdoors, but Ae. aegypti will also readily feed indoors.
After the bite of an infected mosquito, onset of illness occurs usually between 4 and 8 days but can range from 2 to 12 days.
Several methods can be used for diagnosis. Serological tests, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), may confirm the presence of IgM and IgG anti-chikungunya antibodies. IgM antibody levels are highest 3 to 5 weeks after the onset of illness and persist for about 2 months. Samples collected during the first week after the onset of symptoms should be tested by both serological and virological methods (RT-PCR).
The virus may be isolated from the blood during the first few days of infection. Various reverse transcriptaseCpolymerase chain reaction (RTCPCR) methods are available but are of variable sensitivity.
Some are suited to clinical diagnosis. RTCPCR products from clinical samples may also be used for genotyping of the virus, allowing comparisons with virus samples from various geographical sources.
There is no specific antiviral drug treatment for chikungunya. Treatment is directed primarily at relieving the symptoms, including the joint pain using anti-pyretics, optimal analgesics and fluids. There is no commercial chikungunya vaccine.
The proximity of mosquito vector breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for chikungunya as well as for other diseases that these species transmit. Prevention and control relies heavily on reducing the number of natural and artificial water-filled container habitats that support breeding of the mosquitoes.
This requires mobilization of affected communities. During outbreaks, insecticides may be sprayed to kill flying mosquitoes, applied to surfaces in and around containers where the mosquitoes land, and used to treat water in containers to kill the immature larvae.
For protection during outbreaks of chikungunya, clothing which minimizes skin exposure to the day-biting vectors is advised. Repellents can be applied to exposed skin or to clothing in strict accordance with product label instructions.
Repellents should contain DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), IR3535 (3-[N-acetyl-N-butyl]-aminopropionic acid ethyl ester) or icaridin (1-piperidinecarboxylic acid, 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-methylpropylester).
For those who sleep during the daytime, particularly young children, or sick or older people, insecticide-treated mosquito nets afford good protection. Mosquito coils or other insecticide vaporizers may also reduce indoor biting.
Basic precautions should be taken by people travelling to risk areas and these include use of repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants and ensuring rooms are fitted with screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering.
| Disease Outbreaks | December 2016 | ['(Geo tv)', '(Daily Pakistan)', '(Dunya News tv)'] |
The second trial of U.S. citizen Nicholas Slatten, the former Blackwater employee who was found guilty in 2013 of first-degree murder in connection to the killing in 2007 of fourteen unarmed civilians on Baghdad's Nisour Square and sentenced to life in prison, ends in a mistrial. | Former Blackwater Worldwide guard Nicholas Slatten leaves federal court in Washington, D.C., in June 2014. Slatten was found guilty for his role in a deadly Baghdad shooting, but his conviction was overturned. On Wednesday, his retrial ended with a hung jury.
Former Blackwater Worldwide guard Nicholas Slatten leaves federal court in Washington, D.C., in June 2014. Slatten was found guilty for his role in a deadly Baghdad shooting, but his conviction was overturned. On Wednesday, his retrial ended with a hung jury.
The second murder trial of Nicholas Slatten, the former Blackwater contractor accused of firing the first shots in a shooting that killed more than a dozen unarmed civilians, has ended in a mistrial.
After weeks of deliberations, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, and U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth declared a mistrial on Wednesday.
The future of the case is unclear; attorneys for both sides will meet Sept. 14 to discuss the options, including the possibility of a third trial.
Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., told NPR via email that the office "is reviewing the matter and has no further comment at this time."
Blackwater USA, a now-notorious private security contractor, was hired by the U.S. State Department to protect diplomats during the Iraq War. In September 2007, Blackwater guards opened fire on Baghdad's Nisour Square, killing and injuring unarmed civilians.
Slatten was one of four guards who were found guilty in connection to that shooting. They were first charged in 2008, but that case was thrown out. The case was revived in 2013, and the next year, the men were convicted after marathon jury deliberations. Slatten was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, while the three other guards were convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.
But last year, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out Slatten's conviction and said he should get a new trial.
NPR's Scott Neuman reported at the time:
"The judges said that Slatten, who was the only defendant charged with murder, should have been tried separately and that a new trial would allow him to introduce evidence that he wasn't the first to open fire.
"Separately, the judges also ordered the resentencing of Slatten's former Blackwater colleagues Paul Slough, Dustin Heard and Evan Liberty, who had each been serving 30 years on manslaughter and weapons charges. In a split ruling, the judges found the length of those sentences constituted "cruel and unusual punishment."
The resentencing of the other three Blackwater guards had been postponed until after Slatten's case was resolved.
Blackwater, which was founded by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' brother Erik Prince, was sold after its name became synonymous with military atrocities and misconduct in Iraq. | Famous Person - Commit Crime - Sentence | September 2018 | ['(now Academi)', '(NPR)'] |
Former Russian Premier and founder of Gazprom Viktor Chernomyrdin dies at 72. | MOSCOW Viktor S. Chernomyrdin, who served as Russia’s prime minister during the turbulent transition to a free-market economy in the 1990s and who founded the state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom, died Wednesday morning, the Russian government announced. He was 72. No cause was released.
President Boris N. Yeltsin appointed Mr. Chernomyrdin prime minister in 1992, and he remained in that post through the most painful years of economic turmoil. Initially a champion of market reform, he later let it be known that he thought Western economic theory had done “more harm than good.” Andrew Kramer contributed reporting.
Advertisement
Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.nytimes.com/subscription
BASIC SUBSCRIPTION
Get unlimited access for $0.50 a week. Limited time offer.
$2.00 $0.50/week
Billed as $8.00 $2.00 every 4 weeks for one year
SUBSCRIBE NOW
You can cancel anytime.
By buying your subscription with Apple Pay, you consent to our Terms of Service and our Terms of Sale, including the Cancellation and Refund Policy, and you acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You will be automatically charged the introductory rate every four weeks for one year, then the standard rate every four weeks thereafter. Sales tax may apply. You will be charged in advance. Your subscription will continue until you cancel. You may cancel at anytime. Cancellations take effect at the end of your current billing period.
No commitment required. Cancel anytime.
Limited time offer. This is an offer for a Basic Digital Access Subscription. Your payment method will automatically be charged in advance every four weeks. You will be charged the introductory offer rate every four weeks for the introductory period of one year, and thereafter will be charged the standard rate every four weeks until you cancel. Your subscription will continue until you cancel. You can cancel anytime. Cancellations take effect at the end of your current billing period. The Basic Digital Access Subscription does not include e-reader editions (Kindle, Nook, etc.), NYT Games (the Crossword) or NYT Cooking. Mobile apps are not supported on all devices. These offers are not available for current subscribers. Other restrictions and taxes may apply. Offers and pricing are subject to change without notice.
This is an offer for a Basic Digital Access Subscription. The Basic Digital Access Subscription does not include e-reader editions (Kindle, Nook, etc.), NYT Games (the Crossword) or NYT Cooking. Mobile apps are not supported on all devices. These offers are not available for current subscribers. Other restrictions and taxes may apply. Offers and pricing are subject to change without notice. | Famous Person - Death | November 2010 | ['(RT)', '(The Guardian)', '(Wall Street Journal)', '(BBC)', '(AFP)', '(The New York Times)'] |
In its second season, Atlanta United FC wins the MLS Cup, defeating the Portland Timbers 2–0 in front of a record crowd of 73,019 at Mercedes–Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Atlanta United’s extraordinary opening chapter came to the ideal conclusion for hometown fans on Saturday night, as an MLS record 73,019 crowd saw them defeat Portland 2-0 to win MLS Cup, in only their second year of existence.
Josef Martinez eased any local memories of infamous Atlanta sporting collapses with a typical poacher’s goal just before half-time, and then with a keen but limited Portland team pushing for a comeback, Franco Escobar finished off a 54th minute set piece at the back post, to tilt the mood in the stadium into decidedly celebratory mode.
MVP! MVP! MVP!Cool. Calm. Collected. @JosefMartinez17 opens the scoring in #MLSCup https://t.co/ZWD8CQVRC8
With coach Tata Martino leaving to take the Mexico job, and inspirational playmaker Miguel Almiron parlaying his own extraordinary tenure in MLS into a likely move to the Premier League, the coming off-season was always likely to represent an inflection point for an Atlanta project that has steamrollered into the league as both a competitive and cultural force.
At times, even as they have dominated opponents with their high-speed attack, and racked up more points than any other team playing during their short history, that competitive aspect has almost been taken for granted amid the focus on the sheer spectacle of the Atlanta United phenomenon. But make no mistake, in a town without a major sporting championship since 1995, it mattered that the end of the beginning came with a win.
Yet this was also an extraordinary spectacle for the league. Grateful MLS executives may wonder what they have done to deserve this. The last time Portland Timbers appeared in an MLS Cup final, in 2015, they won the title in front of 21,747 fans in Columbus. Now the Timbers found themselves competing in front of a crowd larger than any of the last four Super Bowls, in a state of the art stadium, against a team who didn’t exist three short years ago.
Atlanta fans are not shy about reminding the rest of the league about the benchmarks they have set. Before the game kicked off, a giant tifo banner of a steam train was hoisted in the main supporters’ section. Barreling at full speed, it was emblazoned with the legend “MLS 3.0”.
Presumably we were to imagine this train rumbling over flattened timbers, and in truth, the Timbers could do little to derail Atlanta, on a night when their usual plan of well-drilled containment and countering looked inadequate.
Both teams started cautiously, befitting the stakes of a final, and Portland perhaps saw a little more of the ball than they may have anticipated early in the game. But Atlanta were the clear aggressors, pushing their overlapping wide players forward trying to pull Portland out of shape, and not shy about sending long balls over the top to test the honesty of Larrys Mabiala and Liam Ridgewell at the heart of the Portland defense.
Still, clear chances were at a premium for both sides, until Atlanta forced a breakthrough from nothing in the 39th minute. Michael Parkhust, the Atlanta captain had lost all four MLS Cups he had played in – the last one in Portland’s 2015 win over his Columbus Crew SC team. Now he had the decisive touch in bringing the Cup to Atlanta. With Portland trying to play the ball out of the back in risky fashion, Parkhurst pounced on a loose touch from Jeremy Ebobisse. His lunging tackle touched the ball towards Josef Martinez on the edge of the box. The Venezuelan’s quick touch and thought left a flailing Ridgewell stranded, before Martinez neatly stepped around Jeff Attinella to place the ball into an empty net.
Portland have made something of a habit of second-half comebacks in this playoff run, not least when Sebastian Blanco’s gut punch of a golazo turned around the Western Conference final. For a brief flash in the early moments of the second half they looked like they might be about to play themselves into this game as well, but then Almiron’s free kick was flicked on by Martinez to meet Escobar’s sprint to the back post, and when the defender placed the ball across Attinella for 2-0, the result rarely looked in doubt.
Portland kept working, but their attacks increasingly looked like backdrops for the curtain calls Atlanta’s stars were taking as the minutes ran down. Man of the match Martinez was subbed out for Hector Villalba in the 86th minute, to an ovation that was perhaps only exceeded by the one for Almiron, in the 90th minute.
It looks likely to be the last minute Almiron plays as an Atlanta player – bigger stages await. Though on the evidence of tonight, not much bigger. | Sports Competition | December 2018 | ['(The Guardian)'] |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.