The European Parliament on Thursday urged the Ukrainian authorities to free people “sent to prison for political motives.” The parliament reiterated its concern about the trials over former and current high-ranking officials in a resolution passed on Thursday, Interfax reports. The trials failed to meet Europe's standards of “fairness, impartiality, transparency and independence,” the document says. European MPs also urged Kiev to observe the rights of Yulia Tymoshenko, Yury Lutsenko and Valery Ivashchenko and others and to secure necessary medical treatment for them.
Russian diplomats working to free bikers in Iraq – Kremlin
The Russian Foreign Ministry is taking every measure through diplomatic channels to free Russian bikers being held in Baghdad, the president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. The bikers - Oleg Kapkayev, Aleksandr Vardanyants, Oleg Maksimov and Maksim Ignatyev - were accused of espionage by the local authorities. The Russian embassy is working to secure their release, and the ambassador has discussed the issue with Iraqi leadership, the diplomatic mission’s press officer Sergey Cherkasov told Interfax on Thursday.
Tymoshenko to continue treatment abroad if law allows – president
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has said former PM Yulia Tymoshenko could be allowed to continue medical treatment abroad if the necessary amendments are adopted. The president said he would have permitted Tymoshenko to go abroad long ago “if that depended on him.” The legislation should be amended to make it possible, RIA Novosti quoted Yanukovich as saying. Tymoshenko was sent to a penal colony for seven years late last year for abusing power while signing gas contracts with Russia in 2009. She said the charges against her were politically motivated.
Ukrainian reporter apologizes for kissing Will Smith
The Ukrainian reporter, who was slapped in the face by Will Smith for trying to kiss the actor, has said the attempt “was too much.” Vitaly Serdyuk told Hip Hollywood he simply “wanted to do something to impress” Smith on the red carpet at the recent Moscow premiere of Men in Black 3. Serdyuk said he tried to kiss the actor on the cheek “and he moved his face too fast, then it turned out as if I wanted to kiss him on the lips.” The reporter said he deeply respects Smith as an actor.
Syrian forces, opposition continue to violate human rights - UN panel
Syrian forces and opposition rebels continue to commit gross human rights violations in an “increasingly militarized context,” UN investigators said in a report on Thursday. It blamed Syrian army and security services for most of the crimes documented since March and committed during military or search operations, Reuters reports. Armed rebels executed or tortured captured soldiers, pro-government supporters and abducted civilians, the report said.
Minorities at risk after Arab Spring revolutions - rights group
Minorities in the Arab world face increasing risks to their lives following last year’s revolutions, Minority Rights Group has said. “If 2011 will be remembered as the year of the Arab Spring, then 2012 could become the year the revolutions soured,” Reuters quoted MRG Executive Director Mark Lattimera saying. Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria have all risen up the table since last year, according to an annual Peoples under Threat survey. The most dangerous countries for minorities are Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Iran, the survey said.
US embassy demands release of Lebanese kidnapped by Syrian rebels
The US Embassy in Beirut has condemned the kidnapping of Lebanese citizens by Syrian rebels in Aleppo. The embassy called for their immediate release, saying on Twitter that “kidnapping of people – particularly targeting along sectarian lines – is unacceptable.” Lebanese officials confirmed the kidnapping of 11 Lebanese Shiites in northern Syria on Tuesday by rebels. The pilgrims were on their way home from Iran when rebels approached them and abducted the men.
Police arrest 400 in new Montreal student rally
Canada police detained some 400 people at a demo in Montreal early on Thursday. Police moved in when some of the demonstrators threw rocks at them, AFP reports, citing officials. Protests have raged in Montreal since mid-February over a plan by provincial government to raise tuition fees at Quebec universities by 82 percent.
US officials flew to Pyongyang before rocket launch – reports
Senior US officials reportedly made a secret visit to North Korea last month in an attempt to persuade it to cancel a long-range rocket launch, South Korean sources say. A US Air Force Boeing 737 flew from Guam to Pyongyang on April 7, six days before the launch went ahead, Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing diplomats. According to the report, the aircraft carried Sydney Seiler, a National Security Council adviser to President Barack Obama, and Joseph DeTrani, director of the National Counter-Proliferation Center, AFP said. South Korean government officials and the US State Department have refused to comment.
Norwegian state workers go on strike for first time in decades
State workers in Norway went on strike for the first time in decades on Thursday. Schools, child care centers and other public institutions are closed, Reuters reports. After pay talks broke down overnight, the indefinite strike initially affected around 25,000-30,000 of the 600,000 staff employed by central and local government. This is the first strike in 28 years involving central government employees.
US drone strike kills 10 in Pakistan
A US drone strike on suspected militants in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan region has killed ten people, Pakistani intelligence officials say. The attack followed another drone strike Wednesday, in which four suspected militants were killed. The strikes are likely to jeopardize the already-tense relations between the two countries, which regressed further following Pakistan’s sentencing of a doctor that helped the CIA locate Osama bin Laden last year on charges of treason. Washington has also been trying to persuade Pakistan to reopen the supply route to NATO troops in Afghanistan, which was shut down following a NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last November.
Four injured in nuclear sub fire off Maine coast
Four firefighters have been injured in a fire on the USS Miami SSN 755, a nuclear-powered submarine, which was docked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the US state of Maine. Shipyard officials say the fire started in the front compartment of the submarine and that the nuclear reactor was not operating at the time, and was unaffected. Nonessential personnel were evacuated from the vessel as black smoke billowed over the waters. The cause of the fire has not been established.
European Council president says austerity and growth not contradictory
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy asserted that balancing budgets and promoting growth were not contradictory, but rather “two sides of the same medal.” Speaking to reporters at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Van Rompuy also said European leaders had agreed to promote growth by stimulating investment, mobilizing EU policies and facilitating job creation. He also said the leaders wanted Greece to remain within the eurozone while respecting its commitments. European leaders have been meeting in Brussels to discuss ways to contain the sovereign debt crisis, with particular attention devoted to Greece, where recent elections showed an upsurge in support for parties opposed to austerity. The leaders also set the agenda for a later EU summit in June.
Syrian National Council chief resigns
Burhan Ghalioun, the president of the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), has resigned, a report published by the SNC reads. The SNC has asked Ghalioun to continue exercising his presidential duties until a new president is elected in June. Ghalioun has been threatening to resign in response to criticism as well as internal divisions within the organization. Ghalioun became the chairman of the SNC, widely seen as an umbrella group for the Syrian opposition, last August, when the council was established. Despite claims that he is too close to the Muslim Brotherhood, Ghalioun was re-elected on a number of occasions, as opposing factions within the SNC failed to back a single candidate. The SNC has been recognized as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people by the United States and several other NATO countries and is headquartered in Turkey. However, the council has also been criticized for failing to establish control over the armed opposition within Syria.
Guantanamo defense lawyers request Bush, Obama testimony
Defense lawyers for three of the five men on trial at Guantanamo Bay for charges of masterminding the September 11 attacks filed a motion seeking the testimony of former US President George W. Bush and incumbent President Barack Obama. The lawyers accused Bush, Obama and other high-ranking officials of unlawful influence over the case due to statements calling the defendants “terrorists” and saying that they must be brought to justice. The lawyers argue that such statements could influence the military tribunal set to decide the defendants' fates. The five men, including the self-proclaimed mastermind of the attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, were arraigned at Guantanamo on May 5 on charges that include terrorism and murder. If found guilty, they may face the death penalty.
Euro sinks to two-year low
The euro’s value plunged to $1.2573, the lowest since July 6, 2010. The fall was largely prompted by investors' lack of confidence that European leaders would be able to prevent Greece from quitting the eurozone or contain the sovereign debt crisis. European officials have been meeting in Brussels to discuss how to stop the crisis from spiraling out of control. However, not much has been resolved in the meetings, as new French President Francois Hollande has been arguing in favor of stimulating growth despite German Chancellor Angela Merkel insistence on austerity. The euro has been falling sharply against the US dollar since last fall, when it was worth $1.45.RT
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