Bosnian court convicts 4 elite soldiers over Srebrenica killings
A Bosnian court on Friday convicted four former elite soldiers of crimes against humanity. They were sentenced to up to 43 years for executing some 800 Bosnian Muslims during the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, AFP said. The men, three Bosnian Serbs and a Slovene, were members of an elite Bosnian Serb unit at the time. They were acquitted of genocide charges.
European Council bans exports of caviar, luxury cars to Syria
The European Council said on Friday it had authorized a ban on exporting to Syria some luxury or "dual use" items. The list to be published on Saturday will include caviar, shoes and garments costing more than $750, pearls, and cars costing more than $31,400, AP said. Gas masks, certain chemicals and toxins were also banned. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the sanctions had been designed to avoid harming ordinary Syrians.
Police suppress riots in Indonesia's Papua
Hundreds of security forces restored order in Indonesia's restive Papua province on Friday following riots over the killing of an independence activist by police. Rioters killed one person, injured four others and burned five shops, AP reports. Police detained three people and seized several handmade bombs, machetes and separatist flags during a raid in a student dormitory in Jayapura. Riots began after police on Thursday shot and killed Mako Tabuni, the deputy chairman of the National Committee for West Papua.
Three dead after university shooting in Edmonton
Three employees of an armored vehicle company – two men and one woman – were shot and killed at the University of Alberta early Friday morning, Edmonton police said. A fourth victim is reportedly in hospital with critical injuries. Police had been called to reports of gunshots at the University of Alberta’s HUB Mall after midnight following what they believe was a robbery attempt.
Yemen army recaptures third Al-Qaeda stronghold in south
Yemen's army recaptured the third Al-Qaeda stronghold in Abyan province on Friday, officials and residents said. At least 17 militants were killed during Friday's clashes as fighters who occupied the southern town of Shaqra fled, Reuters reports. This is the latest major success for a US-backed offensive to drive Islamist militants from towns they seized a year ago. The fleeing militants reportedly included Jalal al-Baleidi, also known as Abu Hamza al-Zinjibari, the leader of Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in Abyan.
Chinese dairy maker recalls batches of baby formula over mercury scare
Chinese dairy maker Yili has started recalling batches of baby formula after authorities found they contained high levels of mercury. The recall that covers baby formula produced from November 2011 to May 2012 was started earlier this week after a national food safety monitoring system detected "abnormal" levels of mercury, state-owned Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group said. The firm did not state how much baby formula was affected, AFP said. China's quality watchdog carried out an "urgent monitoring" of 715 samples of baby formula by various producers following the Yili case. No other products have been found to be unsafe so far.
French court convicts 4 Somalis in piracy trial
A court in Paris has convicted four Somalis and acquitted two others over a 2008 attack on a French luxury vessel. Sentences handed down late Thursday for the attack on the Ponant in the Gulf of Aden ranged from four to 10 years, AP said. The 10-year prison term went to the only man, Ismael Ali Samatar, 31, who admitted he was a pirate. The 30 people on the Ponant were freed after its owner paid a ransom of $2.15 million. The group of six suspected of piracy was arrested by French army on Somali territory.
Colombian lawmakers approve law on peace talks with guerrillas
Colombia's Congress has passed a law that could pave the way for peace talks with leftist guerrillas. The document approved late Thursday raises hopes for an end to the war. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has stepped up attacks in recent months despite being at their weakest in decades. The so-called Legal Framework for Peace, which calls for soft sentences for FARC leaders if a peace deal is reached, Reuters reports. Only members of the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN) could benefit from the law as it excludes criminals involved with drug cartels or former paramilitary groups. President Juan Manuel Santos supported the approval of the law.
China preparing to send its first woman into space
China is preparing to launch three astronauts to live and work on a space station. The group, which includes a 34-year-old mother, is expected to be launched on Saturday on the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft. It will dock with the Tiangong 1 space module, orbiting 300 kilometers above earth, AP said. The mission will last about 10 days before the capsule is expected to land on the western Chinese grasslands. If completed, the flight will put China alongside Russia and the US as the only states to have independently maintained space stations.
Japan police arrests last suspect in Aum Shinrikyo attack
Japanese police on Friday arrested the last fugitive suspected in a doomsday cult's deadly nerve gas attack on Tokyo subways 17 years ago. Katsuya Takahashi, 54, a former member of Aum Shinrikyo and the cult leader's former bodyguard, was arrested on suspicion of murder, Tokyo police said. An employee at a downtown Tokyo cafe had recognized him and called police, AP reports. Takahashi was on Japan's most wanted list for his suspected role in the sarin gas attack on Tokyo subways, which killed 13 people and injured more than 6,000.
Over 30,000 displaced by Myanmar sectarian clashes
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced and 29 killed after clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in Northern Myanmar. Over 2,000 homes have been burnt, with many victims being housed in temporary camps. Neighboring Bangladesh is guarding its border to stop more refugees from fleeing in. The violence was sparked after the murder of a Buddhist woman, which led to nearly a dozen Muslims being beaten to death.
Five dead, hundreds displaced as torrential rains rage in China
Torrential rains have swamped large areas of central China, triggering mudslides and forcing hundreds from their homes. Officials have set up shelters to house those displaced by flooding. Emergency repairs are underway, as several highways have been destroyed by landslides and cave-ins. Heavy rains have also wrecked China's southern regions over the past weekend, leaving five dead and two missing.
Argentina takes Falklands claim to UN
Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has pressed her country’s claim to the Falkland Islands, taking the case to the United Nations on Thursday. On the thirtieth anniversary of the Falklands War, Fernandez appeared at the annual meeting of the UN Decolonization Committee, reiterating Argentina’s criticism of Britain’s actions in the area and slamming a British PM’s decision to mark the day by flying the Falklands flag over his official residence. While accusing the UK of acting like a "bully,” Fernandez also said she came to the UN “without rancor.” “We're not asking for much,” she said. “We're just asking to talk. ... We're not asking anyone to say, `yes, the Malvinas are Argentina's.'” Meanwhile, in London, UK Prime Minister David Cameron stressed that Britain is “ready and willing” to defend the Falklands and accused the Argentine government of “aggression,” saying there will be “absolutely no negotiation” over the sovereignty of the archipelago.
UK PM Cameron testifies in media inquiry
British Prime Minister David Cameron has been testifying in front of a UK media ethics inquiry, saying press regulations need to improve. Cameron has come under fire following the phone hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World tabloid. British officials were accused of helping the media giant avoid investigation. Cameron has also been criticized for the way he handled Murdoch's bid to take over British Sky Broadcasting.
No comments:
Post a Comment