WikiLeaks to use new funding channel in France
WikiLeaks has said it could now accept donations through a French non-profit. The plan would see money intended for the group routed through France's Fund for the Defense of Net Neutrality, AP reports. Half a dozen US payment firms earlier pulled the plug on WikiLeaks after the group began publishing some 250,000 secret State Department cables in December 2010. WikiLeaks is in the process of taking Visa, MasterCard, and their local European partners to court over the blockade, recently winning a case in Iceland against payment processor Valitor. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange remains holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he is seeking asylum.
Russian Federation Council approves bill on ‘foreign agent’ NGOs
The Russian Federation Council on Wednesday approved a bill classifying Russian nongovernmental organizations involved in politics and funded from abroad as foreign agents. Such NGOs will have to be registered at the Justice Ministry in a separate roster. They will be assigned the status of an organization “performing the functions of a foreign agent.” The upper house of the parliament at its last session before the summer recess also approved a bill on black-listed websites. It would limit access to banned online information, including material deemed dangerous for children. Both bills were earlier adopted by the lower house or State Duma.
Forest fires force 2,000 to be evacuated on Spanish islands
Raging forest fires have led to the evacuation of some 2,000 people from a town in Spain's popular tourist island of Tenerife, officials say. Residents were evacuated from Vilaflor on the fringe of the Teide National Park on Tuesday night, emergency services spokeswoman Carmina Lorenzo said, as cited by AP. The park itself was not threatened, and the fires are not close to the main coastal tourist resort areas. Smaller fires are also raging on the nearby islands of La Palma and La Gomera, which are part of the Canary Islands archipelago.
Nine Afghan soldiers killed in checkpoint attack
Insurgents have attacked a checkpoint in southern Afghanistan, killing nine Afghan soldiers and wounding seven others, according to Afghan officials. Armed militants attacked an Afghan National Army checkpoint in Washer district on Tuesday night, the Helmand provincial officials said. Seven insurgents were killed in the attack, AP reports. Militants clashed in the same province on Tuesday night with Afghan police in Nad Ali district. An insurgent commander was reportedly killed and six other militants were captured.
UAE permits construction of first nuclear plant
The government of the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday gave the green light to the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant. The decision opens the way for a consortium of South Korean companies led by Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO), Reuters reports. The 2009 contract envisages the construction of four nuclear reactors at the Barakah site to meet surging electricity demands. The consortium will build and operate four 1,400 megawatt reactors in the UAE. The first is expected to start operating in 2017, while the other will go online by 2020.
Suicide bomber targets security building in Syrian capital – reports
A suicide bomber has reportedly targeted a national security building in Damascus. Syrian TV gave no immediate details on casualties, reporting the attack on Wednesday. Opposition activists claim that fighting is continuing in the capital, saying that the “battle for Damascus” has begun. The Syrian government denies claims of an all-out rebel offensive in the city.
Syria activists say 60 troops killed in Damascus clashes
Opposition groups in Syria claimed on Wednesday that more than 60 soldiers were reported killed as rebels pressed their offensive to capture Damascus. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 20 government soldiers died on Tuesday in Damascus clashes with the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), AFP reports. Between 40 and 50 were reportedly killed the previous day. Rebel forces said on Tuesday the battle to “liberate” Damascus had begun, as heavy fighting raged across the city. “We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital,” FSA spokesman Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said. “We only have light weapons, but it’s enough.”
Russian parliament’s upper house ratifies WTO accession protocol
The upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, has ratified Russia's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession protocol. At a session on Wednesday, 144 MPs supported the law “On the Ratification of the Protocol of Russia's Accession to the Marrakesh Agreement on the Establishment of the World Trade Organization of April 15, 1994.” Three senators voted against the ratification. The State Duma or lower house ratified the Protocol by 238 votes to 208 with one abstention on July 10.
Magnetic bomb destroys 22 NATO supply trucks in Afghanistan
A magnetic bomb placed on a truck exploded and destroyed 22 NATO supply vehicles in northern Afghanistan, Afghan officials say. Many of the fuel tankers and semi-trailers caught fire after the bomb went off around 2 am on Wednesday, Ghulam Sakhi Baghlani, deputy governor of Samangan province, said, as cited by AP. The trucks were parked in the Rabatak area of the province where the drivers had stopped to rest. The convoy was transporting fuel from neighboring Uzbekistan. Militants destroyed three NATO supply trucks earlier this week in Sayd Abad district of Wardak province, south of Kabul.
Thai, Cambodian troops abandon disputed border area
Cambodia and Thailand have withdrawn their troops from a disputed border area in compliance with a ruling by the International Court of Justice. Nearly 500 Cambodian troops and an undisclosed number of Thai forces withdrew Wednesday from a demilitarized zone near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple, AP reports. The court awarded the territory to Cambodia in 1962. While Thailand accepts the ruling, both countries have laid claim to the land around it. The two countries will withdraw troops from the 17.3-square-kilometer demilitarized zone around the temple and will deploy police forces there.
Twelve Shiites killed by roadside bomb in Pakistan
A roadside bomb hit a minibus carrying minority Shiite Muslims in northwest Pakistan, killing 12 people, an official said on Wednesday. The incident took place shortly after the victims left Spai village in the Orakzai tribal area, AP reports. The bus was headed for the nearby district of Kohat. Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim state. In recent times, sectarian attacks by Sunnis on Shiites have become increasingly common.
Fukushima operator takes out two nuke fuel rods
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in Japan has taken two fuel rods out of a spent-fuel pool. All of the 1,535 rods next to reactor No. 4 at the plant must eventually be removed from the pool to a safer storage area, AP reports. Tokyo Electric Power Co. started work on Wednesday by removing two rods to inspect their condition. Japanese television showed giant cranes removing the 4-meter rods. The pool's building was destroyed by explosions from multiple meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Many fear massive quantities of radioactive material is stored in the damaged building.
Cambodia releases Frenchman linked to disgraced Chinese politician
After a month of detention Cambodia has released Patrick Devillers, a French citizen who was taken into custody following a June 13 request from Beijing. Deviller was detained for possible links to the death of a British businessman in China last November. Devillers is also a known associate of Bo Xilai, a Chinese politician whose downfall was the biggest political scandal in the country in years. Devillers first met Bo while the later was the mayor of Dalian in the 1990s, aiding him in the reconstruction of the northern city.
Kim Jong-Un named marshal of North's army
New North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been named Marshal of the National Army, the country's state radio reports. The announcement comes after Kim reshuffled the North Korean military leadership, ousting Senior General Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho. Ri is regarded as close to Kim, and is believed to have helped the young leader in the transition following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
Fugitive pilot steals plane, commits suicide
A fugitive pilot suspected of murder has stolen a passenger plane, taxied it into a parking lot, then shot himself dead. Forty-year-old SkyWest captain Brian Hedglin, wanted by Colorado Springs law enforcement in connection with the death of his girlfriend, scaled an airport fence in Utah and hijacked a passenger liner. After failing to get the plane airborne, Hedglin crashed into a parking lot and took his own life.
"There were no passengers onboard the CRJ200 as it was not in service at the time,"
SkyWest released in a statement.
"The aircraft did sustain damage; the extent of the damage is currently being inspected by our maintenance and safety professionals."
80 explosives devices discovered in Canadian suburb
Around 80 explosive devices have been discovered during a search of a house, after the owner turned himself in to police last week. In addition to pipe bombs, officers combing the house in Barrie, Ontario found three rifles, two shotguns and "thousands of rounds of ammunition," local press reports. The residents of the nearby houses were evacuated last Thursday and local police cannot confirm when they may be able to return home. Police are planning to clear the house before turning their attention to the bunker underneath it. The house belongs to Donald Feldhoff, who faced first-degree murder charges back in 1978.
Congress pushes Afghani-Pakistani group's inclusion on terror list
The US House of Representatives wants the Pakistan-based Haqqani Network to be placed on the State Department's foreign terrorist list. Lawmakers say the cell is "the most dangerous of Afghan insurgent groups battling U.S.-led forces in eastern Afghanistan." The group is accused of carrying high-profile strikes, including an attack on the US Embassy in Kabul in September. If it is included on the list, those involved with or aiding the group would face criminal charges.
Obama nominates ambassadors to Pakistan, Afghanistan
US President Barack Obama chose two veteran US diplomats from the embassy in Kabul to be ambassadors to Afghanistan and Pakistan on Tuesday. Former Deputy Ambassador in Kabul James Cunningham will be the new Ambassador to Afghanistan. Richard Olson, an economic development chief in Kabul, will become Ambassador to Pakistan. Before taking his post in Kabul, Cunningham served as Ambassador to Israel from 2008 to 2011. Olson served as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2008 to 2011.
Liberal alliance wins Libyan elections
Former interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril's National Forces Alliance has won 39 seats, while the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction party came in second with 17 seats among those 80 allocated for parties, the Libyan election commission says. The remaining 120 seats are allocated for independent candidates, making the overall balance of power still unclear. On July 7, about 62 percent of Libya's registered voters took part in the first election after the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi last year.
British billionaire charged with preventing wife's 'lawful and decent burial'
Billionaire Hans Kristian Rausing has been charged with preventing the 'lawful and decent burial' of his wife, British police say. The husband of Eva Rausing, one of Britain's richest women, was arrested on suspicion of murder in her death last Fraday. The body of 48-year-old Eva was found last Monday at the couple's London home. The Metropolitan Police said detectives were treating the death as "unexplained."
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