Oil spill in Siberian river contained
An oil spill in the Angara River has been contained and now poses no threat to the environment. The spill, some 4 meters wide, spread along just 500 meters, not four kilometers, as had initially been reported, say local officials. They estimate around 100 liters of diesel were spilt as a barge gathering gravel on the river was being fueled in early May. But the responsible party is yet to be determined.
Two hurt in attack on football coach's home in Greece
Armed robbers have attacked the Athens home of PAOK Thessaloniki team coach Giorgos Donis, briefly holding his father-in-law hostage, say police. A police officer was shot in the leg and one of the robbers was also wounded. The two gunmen were arrested following a large police operation involving a helicopter and dozens of officers. One of the attackers was identified as a 25-year-old Albanian man, while the second man was not immediately identified.
Kosovo policemen injured in clashes with Serbs
Dozens of Kosovo policemen have been injured in clashes with Serbs, police officials report. According to police the clashes erupted on Kosovo`s border as Serb hardliners were on their way to mark the anniversary of a medieval battle. Some twenty Serbs have been injured in the incident including one hit by a bullet, the Belgrade media reported.
Two terror suspects detained in London
Two Muslim converts have been arrested in London on suspicion of terror offenses, a British security official said on Thursday. It is not clear if the arrests were related to the upcoming Olympic Games, the anonymous official told AP. Security is tight in the UK ahead of the London Games, which begin on July 27. Britain’s media earlier quoted intelligence officials as saying that the biggest threat to the Olympic Games comes from British Muslim extremists.
Six hospitalized in North Caucasus’ Dagestan with suspected anthrax
Six residents of the Avakh district of Dagestan have been admitted to local hospitals with suspected skin anthrax, Russian officials said on Thursday. One of those hospitalized is a pregnant woman, Interfax reports. The first suspected anthrax case was registered on June 15. A preliminary investigation traced the source of the infection to meat from a sick animal, bought by the patients at the market. Experts are waiting for the results of laboratory tests.
Uzbekistan suspends CSTO membership
Uzbekistan has notified the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretariat that the Central Asian country is suspending its membership. Tashkent has officially announced its intention “to withdraw from the CSTO and notified the CSTO Secretariat by a note,” a diplomatic source in Moscow told Interfax on Thursday without giving details. Uzbekistan has demonstratively abstained from CSTO events in the past. The organization comprises post-Soviet Union states - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Iran condemns US backing of UAE over Gulf islands
Tehran has condemned the US for backing the United Arab Emirates in its dispute with Iran over three Gulf islands. The islands will always “be an inseparable part of Iranian soil,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolahian said on Thursday. “Interference by a third country is aimed sowing division and tension in the region,” AFP quoted the diplomat as saying. On Wednesday, US President Barack Obama and UAE deputy armed forces commander Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan issued a joint call for a peaceful resolution of the status of the three islands.
Greek socialists to block neo-Nazis from parliament posts
Greece's socialist Pasok party has called on its lawmakers to block neo-Nazis from a senior parliament post in a vote on Friday. Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos said the Golden Dawn group should not be allowed to elect one of the chamber's seven deputy speakers. “We will vote for the candidates put forward by parties, as parliamentary ethics and tradition demand, with the exception of a possible candidate put forward by Golden Dawn,” Venizelos said, as cited by AFP. Golden Dawn has 18 seats in the 300-seat parliament after taking nearly 7.0 per cent of the vote in the June 17 election.
Thousands displaced by US wildfire
More than 30,000 Colorado residents have been forced from their homes by an out-of-control wildfire. The blaze also destroyed structures and prompted evacuations in Montana and Utah, AP said. President Barack Obama is expected to tour fire-stricken areas of Colorado on Friday. The full scope of the blaze remains unknown and the FBI is investigating the cause.
Syrian National Council won’t join interim government until Assad quits
The opposition Syrian National Council said on Thursday that it will not join any interim government until President Bashar al-Assad quits. Peace envoy Kofi Annan is pushing the idea, but the main opposition group “has not yet received the details of the Annan proposal and cannot reply to it,” SNC spokesman George Sabra told AFP. The opposition will not participate in any political project “unless Bashar al-Assad is removed from power,” he stressed. The opposition will meet in Cairo on July 2 to “develop a common vision for the interim period and the future of Syria,” Sabra said.
UN war crimes tribunal acquits Karadzic of one genocide count
The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has acquitted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of one of the two genocide charges he faces. Judges say prosecutors did not present enough evidence to support the genocide count covering mass killings and persecution by Serb forces of Muslims and Croats in Bosnia early in the 1992-95 war. Judges refused on Thursday to dismiss 10 more charges, AP reports. They include a genocide count covering Karadzic's alleged involvement in the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
Tantawi to remain defense minister in new Egypt government – military
Egypt's armed forces chief will keep his post as Defence Minister in the new cabinet, a member of the Military Council has said. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, 76, served as Defence Minister for two decades under ousted leader Hosni Mubarak. The new government “will have a defence minister who is head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces,” Major-General Mohammed Assar said. He noted on television on Wednesday that the new president, Mohammed Morsi, would have full presidential prerogatives, apart from a limit on his right to decide on war or peace.
Iran, Britain formalize embassy closures
Iran has agreed with Britain to formalize the closure of diplomatic offices in each other's capitals. The two countries shut down their diplomatic missions after Iranian hardliners stormed Britain's embassy in Tehran last year. Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Thursday the Omani embassy in London would now handle Iran's interests. In Tehran, the Swedish embassy will represent Britain’s interests.
Russia grounds Su-27 fighters after crash
The flights of all Su-27 fighters in Russia have been suspended until the causes of a Thursday crash in the northern Republic of Karelia are determined. An Su-27UB fighter crashed near the Besovets airfield outside Petrozavodsk. The plane was approaching for landing during a planned weather reconnaissance flight. The two pilots sustained minor scratches after they ejected. Neither casualties nor damage were reported. Flight data recorders from the fighter were found immediately following the accident.
No coordinated draft resolutions for Syria conference – Russian FM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said there are no coordinated draft resolutions for the Geneva conference on Syria. He said on Thursday that external players must not impose their settlement plans to the Syrian people. Only Syria should make a decision on the essence of the transitional period and the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, the minister stressed. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council were invited by international envoy Kofi Annan to Saturday's conference in Geneva. Syria will also be at the center of the talks between Lavrov and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in St. Petersburg on Friday.
Serb ultranationalist Seselj sentenced to 2 years for contempt
The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has sentenced Serb ultranationalist Vojislav Seselj to two years imprisonment for contempt. He was accused of refusing to remove information from his website that revealed the identities of witnesses who had been granted anonymity by the court, AP said. Seselj had already been convicted twice of contempt since turning himself in to the UN court in 2003. Prosecutors have demanded a 28-year sentence for Seselj in the main case against him. He is facing charges of allegedly inciting Serb atrocities in the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
Russia completes shipment of helicopters to Afghanistan
Russia has completed a contract to provide 21 Mi-17 helicopters to the Afghan army. “The last three helicopters were shipped to the client last week,” Aleksandr Mikheyev, a deputy general director of the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, said on Thursday. Another contract to send helicopters to Afghanistan could be concluded in the future, he told Interfax. A $900 million contract with the US Department of Defense to ship 21 Mi-17V5 helicopters for use by the Afghan armed forces was signed in May 2011.
Bombings kill 9 in Iraqi capital
A series of bomb attacks around Baghdad have killed nine people and wounded more than 40, Iraqi police say. Two cars blew up outside a government office at dawn on Thursday in the Sunni city of Taji, killing five people and wounding 18, AP said. A police patrol later hit a roadside bomb in a Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad. One person was reportedly killed and six wounded. Another car bomb exploded outside a market in a Shiite area in western Baghdad where authorities say three people were killed and 17 injured.
Turkey deploying anti-aircraft guns on Syrian border
Turkey deployed several anti-aircraft guns along the Syrian border on Thursday, Turkish state television said. The move follows the downing of a Turkish military jet by Syrian forces last Friday. Ankara had warned it would not tolerate any violation of the border by Syria. Dogan news agency also showed footage of a military convoy, including one multiple rocket launcher, heading toward the Syrian border.
Su-27 fighter crashes in northern Russia
An Su-27UB fighter crashed while approaching for landing in the Petrozavodsk district of Karelia on Thursday. “The plane was on a planned weather reconnaissance flight,” Col. Vladimir Drik, a spokesman for the Russian Air Force, told Interfax. Two pilots ejected over a forested area, and contact has been established with them. The plane was not carrying any weapons, Drik said.
Italy parliament approves labor reform ahead of EU summit
The Italian parliament has approved a landmark labor law to overhaul employment rules. The law was supported on Wednesday by 393 members of the Chamber of Deputies while 74 opposed it. The voting is considered a victory for Prime Minister Mario Monti who goes to the EU summit on Thursday. The legislation aims to ease firing procedures, broaden unemployment benefits from 2017 and end abuses to temporary hiring schemes, Reuters said. Both trade unions and employers had criticized the law.
Mubarak’s condition worsens – officials
Egyptian medical officials say the health of the toppled President Hosni Mubarak has worsened since Sunday’s announcement of the presidential elections results, which saw the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi, AP reports. The officials say Mubarak slipped in and out of consciousness. He is also suffering from depression. The 84-year-old former leader was sentenced to life in prison over the deaths of some 900 protesters during Egypt’s 2011 revolution.
Over 100 people perish in heavy rains in Bangladesh
More than 100 people have been killed by landslides and floods caused by days of heavy rains in southern Bangladesh. Officials claim 250,000 people are still stranded in the disaster zone, with road, rail and air links disrupted. Forecasts warn the bad weather is set to continue, leading to more destruction.
Ousted Paraguayan leader speaks out against sanctions
The former president of Paraguay has spoken out against possible international sanctions against the country over his ouster by a parliamentary vote last week. Fernando Lugo said on Wednesday that he “does not support any action to economically punish our country,” adding that sanctions “end up hurting Paraguayans,” AP reports. Regional powers like Brazil and Argentina have condemned Lugo’s dismissal and refused to recognize the new government. Paraguay’s Senate found Lugo guilty of malfeasance over his handling of a miners’ protest and swiftly removed the leftist president from power in a vote on Friday.
Bomb kills 10 in Pakistan
At least 10 people have been killed after a bomb rocked a railroad station in south-western Pakistan, Press TV reports. Several people have been reported injured after the incident, which occurred on Wednesday in the city of Sibi in Baluchistan province. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Madoff's brother to plead guilty
Peter Madoff, the brother of Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff and the former chief compliance officer at the private investment arm of his business, will plead guilty on Friday to conspiracy and falsifying records, AP reports. He admits his role in the multibillion-dollar fraud that destroyed the savings of thousands of investors. Madoff agrees to serve a 10-year prison term and has also agreed to the forfeiture of US$143 billion, including all of his real estate and personal property.
Top US commander meets Pakistani counterpart to try renewing co-operation
The US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, has met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, to urge Islamabad to crack down on militants operating across the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Wednesday’s meeting they also reportedly focused on re-opening key military supply lines which were closed to NATO convoys in November after an air strike by the military alliance killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. No progress has been made on the issue since then. Ahead of the meeting, another US drone attack killed four suspected militants in the country.
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