Global Synopsis

14092013

Bomb blast in NE India kills 9

A large bomb blast in India’s restive northeast has killed nine people and injured 21 others, AFP reports, citing police sources. Two of the injured are reportedly in critical condition. The explosion occurred late Friday on the outskirts of Imphal, capital of the state of Manipur, which borders Myanmar. The remote state has been plagued by separatist violence for decades, as dozens of tribal groups and small guerilla arms fight New Delhi’s rule.

Hostage standoff in Philippines goes into 6th day

Muslim rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front rebel faction continue to hold about 100 hostages in the city of Zamboanga for a sixth day. Despite efforts by Filipino Vice President Jejomar Binay to broker a ceasefire, about 200 rebels are shooting at the police and troops surrounding them. The military reports that there are 22 victims of the conflict, including 15 rebels, who died in sporadic clashes. The MNLF is a relatively new group, demanding autonomy for the Muslim minority in the Philippines.

Four killed in Colorado flooding

Four people are known to have died with another 172 unaccounted for as a result of the floods that have devastated large areas of Colorado. Governor John Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency in 14 counties and authorized $6 million to pay for flood response and recovery, according to the Denver Post. Rivers were flowing 10 times higher than their normal height and rushing water clogged major roadways throughout Northern Colorado. Military helicopters have spent days evacuating people stranded in their homes and hospitals swelled with those injured in the sudden conditions.

Senator John McCain plans column for Russian newspaper

A spokesman for Senator John McCain has indicated that the Republican legislator is to pen a response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s op-ed which appeared in the New York Times on Thursday. Dmitry Sudakov, the English editor of the Pravda newspaper, responded that the Senator was “welcome” to submit a story in an exchange initiated by Foreign Policy Magazine with McCain’s staff, while noting that McCain “has been an active anti-Russian politician for many years already.” The news came on the same day that Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced that the Russian daily Kommersant intended to run his response to President Putin’s recent op-ed.

US troops overwhelmingly disapprove of Syria strikes – poll

US servicemembers oppose military strikes in Syria by a three-to-one margin, according to a poll by Military Times. An online survey of more than 750 active-duty troops found 75 percent of respondents were not in favor of airstrikes against the Assad regime. A slight percentage more said it is not in the US national interest to get involved in the country’s civil war. Military Times said money and a war-weary isolationist streak were top reasons for the soldiers’ disapproval.

One dead in nationwide clashes in Egypt

At least one person has died and 6 others wounded in Alexandria as Egypt endured further nationwide protests, Egyptian health ministry said. One man was shot dead during scuffles between supporters and opponents of ousted president Morsi. The injured were transferred to a nearby hospital. Clashes also erupted in a number of other cities including Cairo and Mahallah where tear gas was used by police to disperse the crowds. Meanwhile, in the Sinai, helicopter gunships targeted suspected Islamic militant hideouts. In gun battles three soldiers were killed in the region.

California poised to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers’ licenses

The California Legislature approved Thursday night a measure to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses. The legislation, which took years to finally pass, was okayed in the state Assembly by a vote of 55-19. The state Senate previously passed the bill 28-8. Gov. Jerry Brown has indicated he supports the proposal. “This bill will enable millions of people to get to work safely and legally. Hopefully, it will send a message to Washington that immigration reform is long past due,” said Brown. The bill would reportedly allow some two million people in California to apply for a license with proper identification.

Sequester having ‘huge impact’ on FBI’s ability to fight crime

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that it will close its headquarters and all offices on 10 weekdays over the next fiscal year, a result of the budget cuts known as sequestration. The policy will require the FBI to cut roughly $700 million from its $8 billion budget, with the mandatory furloughs for the 36,000 employees expected to begin next month. FBI Director James Comey said the budget issues are having a “huge impact” on the FBI’s ability to accomplish its mission. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller told NPR he expects the cuts to push the FBI’s priorities toward cyber-security and away from violent crime and white-collar business fraud.

Gunmen scorch NATO oil tanker convoy, kill one driver

Attackers fired rockets and bullets at a convoy of 15 NATO oil tankers in the Kalat district of Pakistan Friday, killing a driver and destroying eight vehicles, local officials reported. “The gunmen attacked the convoy at a rest stop in Soorab town of Kalat district. They fired rockets and bullets on the convoy from both sides of the road,”police official Yousaf Reiki told The Express Tribune, while confirming the destruction and death of the driver.The convoy was headed to Afghanistan from Karachi. Officials have yet to confirm who was responsible for the attack.

Two friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect plead not guilty

Two college friends of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the alleged Boston Marathon bomber, have pleaded not guilty to charges that they helped cover their classmate’s tracks when the FBI was trying to find the people behind the April terrorist attack, Reuters reports. Dias Kadyrbayev pled not guilty in federal court in Boston to the charge of obstruction of justice, and Robel Phillipos pled not guilty to charges of lying to investigators. The third man charged in the same case, Azamat Tazhayakov – who earlier pleaded not guilty to obstruction charges – will appear before the court later Friday. The three are accused ofremoving a laptop and a backpack containing empty fireworks shells from Tsarnaev’s dormitory three days after receiving a text message from him telling them to “go to my room and take what’s there,” according to court papers.

Syria’s chemical weapons treaty application incomplete – UN

The UN has asked Syria for more information before it can join the chemical weapons convention, holding off the country’s accession to the treaty. Syria applied to join the convention Thursday as part of a Russian led diplomatic effort to avert Western military action against the Assad government. The US accuses Assad of using chemical weapons on August 21 in a Damascus suburb where hundreds of people died. The Syrian government and Russia blame the rebels for the attack. Damascus had hitherto refused to sign up to the 1993 convention banning the production and stockpiling of chemical weapons.

Paris: Femen activists in court over Notre Dame protest

Nine women from the Femen feminist movement were in a Paris court Friday on charges of damaging Notre Dame Cathedral during a demonstration on Feb. 12, local media say. The protest coincided with a debate in the French National Assembly on a law allowing same-sex marriage, which passed. The case was adjourned until Feb. 19, 2014.

60 dead in Yemen tribal clashes

At least 60 people were killed in weeks of tribal clashes in northern Yemen, security officials said Friday. The clashes erupted north of Sanaa over land disputes between two tribes. The conflict intensified when Shiite Houthis rebels backed one tribe and the al-Ahmar tribe, one of Yemen’s most powerful groups, backed the other.

500 people evacuated in Ukraine’s Odessa Region after dam breaks

Heavy rains caused a dam to break in Ukraine’s Odessa Region on Friday. Authorities have started evacuating about 500 people near the Kogilnik River in Artsizsky District. No one was injured, but emergency services predict the situation could worsen as rains are continuing. Floods destroyed the railroad between Berezino and Artsiz in three places, and road and gas pipeline in the region were damaged.

EU blasts Yemen after 8-year-old girl’s death in forced marriage

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Friday demanded Yemen ban the forced marriage of children. Ashton said in a statement she was “appalled” by the death of an eight-year-old girl on her wedding night from serious injuries including internal bleeding, AFP reported. “I call on the Yemeni government… to immediately reinstate legislation setting a minimum age for marriage, in line with international norms,” Ashton said.

UK’s Birmingham Metropolitan College drops ban on Muslim veils

Britain’s Birmingham Metropolitan College on Friday dropped a ban on Muslim face veils after thousands of people signed a petition against the rule. The college said it would change its policy to allow “individuals to wear specific items of personal clothing to reflect their cultural values,” AFP reported. Earlier the college said it would require “the removal of hoodies, hats, caps and veils so that faces are visible.”

Islamist protesters march against Egypt ‘coup’

Islamist marches in support of deposed president Mohamed Morsi were held after afternoon prayers in Cairo and other Egypt’s cities Friday. The demonstrators once again called for a restoration of “legitimacy” in the face of a “coup,” Ahram reported. The protests come after leading Muslim Brotherhood figure Essam El-Erian called for supporters to hit the streets on Friday, Saturday and beyond in order to “continue the revolution.” A number of squares and major streets have been closed to prevent protesters from occupying public spaces to stage sit-ins.

​ Iraq bomb attacks kill 30 during Friday prayers

Twin bomb attacks have killed 30 people and injured 33 outside a mosque just north of the Iraqi capital following Friday prayers, say local police. Two booby-trapped explosives are thought to have been detonated as worshippers filed out of a Friday prayer service in the Sunni mosque of Al-Salam. Insurgent attacks have killed over 4,000 people this year in Iraq’s worst violence since 2008.

UK police detain 12 over ‘cyber plot’ to steal from Santander bank

British police have arrested 12 men over a plot to remotely take control of a computer at a branch of Spain’s Santander bank. Police found a device fitted to a computer in a branch of the bank in London, AFP reported. Twelve men were detained, aged between 23 and 50, in London on suspicion of conspiracy to steal. The plot targeted a bank branch in Surrey Quays in the Canary Wharf financial district. London’s Metropolitan Police said its action prevented the Spanish bank suffering “multi-million-pound losses.”

Georgia protests Russia, S. Ossetia plans to sign agreement on border

The Georgian Foreign Ministry has reportedly sent a note of protest to Russia over Moscow’s plans to sign an agreement on a border with the Caucasus Republic of South Ossetia. The note was sent via the Swiss embassy, the ministry said. President Vladimir Putin on Thursday tasked the Russian Foreign Ministry with discussing and signing of an agreement on the common border with South Ossetia. Russia recognized the independence of that republic and Abkhazia after Tbilisi’s aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008.

Compensation talks over Bangladesh factory disasters fail

A meeting of high street clothing brands and pressure groups aimed at reaching a compensation deal for victims of two Bangladesh factory disasters has ended in failure, AFP reported. The two-day Geneva talks came after a building housing garment factories collapsed in Bangladesh in April, killing more than 1,100 people. The negotiations were aimed at agreeing on compensation for the families of those victims and those of other factory disasters. Only around a third of the firms invited had even turned up, with key names including Walmart, Benetton and Mango staying away.

Armstrong returns Olympic bronze cycling medal

Lance Armstrong has returned his Olympic bronze cycling medal which he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, following his confession to using performance-enhancing drugs. He tweeted on Thursday that he had given it back. A US Olympic Committee spokesman confirmed the medal’s return. The IOC has said it will not reallocate Armstrong’s bronze medal. Cycling’s ruling body decided either not to declare any winners for the Tour de France titles once held by the American.

Iran ready to guarantees peaceful nature of nuclear program – Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that the peaceful nature of the country’s nuclear program “can be guaranteed upon the availability of political will, mutual respect and provision of items of common interest and only in the case of that the rights of Iranian people are protected.” This guarantee “can be attained shortly through the building up of mutual confidence,” he said, speaking at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Chiefs of State in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He added that Iran adheres to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and reiterates the “indisputable right of all participants to the peaceful use of nuclear technology,”Interfax reported.

China calls for exchange of representative offices with Taiwan

China on Friday renewed calls for its longtime rival Taiwan to set up representative offices in each other’s capitals. Negotiators from the two sides managed to resolve some technical language issues late last month, the spokesman for the government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Yang Yi, said. “The two sides should start with easy things… avoid sensitive issues, and reach a consensus on issues that can be solved at the present stage,” Yang said. Taiwan and China were split during the civil war in 1949.

S. Korean man abducted by Pyongyang escapes after 41 years – officials

A South Korean man abducted by North Korea has escaped and returned home after 41 years, officials and activists said Friday. Jeon Wook-pyo, 68, was one of 25 crewmen on board two boats captured by North Korea in the Yellow Sea in 1972, said Choi Sung-yung of the Abductees’ Family Union. Jeon, who fled North Korea in early August, is the only one of the crewmen to have escaped. Kim Hyung-suk, a spokesman with South Korea’s Unification Ministry confirmed that the Jeon had safely returned to the South. He reportedly underwent two weeks of investigation before being reunited with his family this month.

Ex-CIA chief pleads for pardon from Italy in rendition case

A former CIA station chief convicted in absentia for kidnapping an Egyptian Muslim cleric in Milan has asked Italy for a pardon, BBC reported. Robert Seldon Lady was sentenced to nine years in jail for helping abduct Abu Omar in 2003. Omar was tortured in Egypt before being released. Lady was briefly detained in Panama in July due to an international arrest warning after his sentencing, though he was released before Italy could process an extradition request. Lady asked Italian President Giorgio Napolitano for “personal forgiveness and legal pardon” in a letter, saying he did not mean to violate Italian sovereignty nor strain US-Italy relations. Lady wrote the abduction plot had been “vetted by very high officials,” and that he was advised his team of 23 was following US, Italian and international law. Lady is believed to be in the US.

NYC says surveillance of Muslims legitimate

The New York Police Department had justified reasons to spy on targeted mosques and certain Muslim worshipers based on counterterrorism efforts, a city lawyer said Thursday. The argument was part of the first court date centering around a civil rights lawsuit over whether NYPD engaged in religious profiling. The city said it has evidence that six plaintiffs were legitimate police targets for surveillance, and that if the judge agrees, the“case is over.” An American Civil Liberties Union lawyer said her clients had standing to sue the NYPD and the department should begin turning over documents detailing its alleged spying on Muslims. The suit was filed in June based on AP reports detailing NYPD surveillance of Muslims. The judge will rule at a later date.

Israeli negotiations to enter EU’s 2020 Horizon ‘very difficult’ thus far

Israeli officials met with representatives from the European Union Thursday to discuss Israel’s involvement in the EU’s 80 million euro Horizon 2020 R&D project. It was the second meeting in three days, with Israeli officials saying afterward they did not expect any major breakthroughs and that the discussions over the nation’s participation may go on until November. Israel has said that it would not join under the current guidelines, which stipulate that any future agreement would need to include a clause in which Israel essentially acknowledges that the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights are not part of Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. While officials acknowledged that talks so far have been “very difficult,” Israel is expected to invest 600 million euros over the next seven years into the EU’s flagship research program.

00:27

Fire erupts in psychiatric hospital in Russia

A fire has started in a psychiatric hospital in Russia’s Novgorod Region, the Emergencies Ministry reports. The local fire department has dispatched units to deal with the reported blaze that broke out at 22:52 GMT. The firemen have managed to localize the fire that engulfed 670 square meters of the building. Twenty two people have been evacuated with no injuries.