Russia slams Georgia for ‘recoup plans’ for South Ossetia
Georgia’s reaction to President Putin’s comments on the South Ossetian War amount to “hysteria,” says Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that the Georgian attack in 2008 did not catch Russian troops by surprise. Tbilisi called the words “an acknowledgment” that Russia had been preparing a strike against Georgia. Moscow reminded Georgia that Tbilisi had been violating peacekeeping agreements long before the conflict. The Foreign Ministry also says the comments prove Georgia “has not resigned itself to the failure” and “has recoup plans for the long-suffering peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.”
Iran offers to mediate in Syrian conflict
Tehran says it is ready to be a mediator in the Syrian conflict and host delegations from both the government and the opposition. The announcement was made at a conference on solutions for ending the Syrian conflict that took place in Tehran. Iran says the conference is an attempt to start an alternative political process, separate from Western-led initiatives. Some 30 countries attended the meeting, including Russia and China, as well as Pakistan, Iraq, Algeria and Venezuela.
Express-MD2 and Telkom 3 satellites to fall to Earth in 6 months - expert
The Briz-M upper stage and the Express-MD2 and Telkom-3 satellites will fall to Earth in winter or spring 2013, a leading researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute said. The satellites were put into the incorrect orbit during Russia’s August 6 launch. Natan Eismont told Interfax on Thursday the objects will not fall to earth “for quite a long time, at least this will not happen earlier than six to eight months from now.” The satellites and the upper stage's debris will not fall until their apogee altitude lowers to below 300 kilometers. If the angle at which they enter the atmosphere is steep, it would be easier to calculate the area where they could touch down. If it is low, it will be difficult to predict it accurately enough.
Philippine troops attack Muslim rebel strongholds
Hundreds of Philippine troops, backed by assault helicopters, launched offensives on two strongholds of a breakaway Muslim guerrilla group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, in the south, officials said Thursday. The operation followed militants’ attacks on at least 14 military camps and outposts since Sunday, which left at least four soldiers dead, AP said. The rebel group broke off last year from the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, involved in peace talks with the government.
Turkey accuses Assad of supplying arms to Kurd militants
Turkey's foreign minister has accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of arming Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants. Ahmet Davutoglu told Turkish media while traveling to Myanmar overnight that Assad had given weapons to the PKK, which has established a presence in the towns of Kobani and Afrin in northern Syria. “Assad gave them weapons support. Yes - this is not a fantasy. It is true. We have taken necessary measures against this threat,” Reuters quoted Davutoglu as saying. In early July, Assad denied that Syria had allowed the PKK to operate on Syrian territory close to the Turkish frontier. On Thursday suspected PKK militants ambushed a Turkish military bus in the western province of Izmir, killing a soldier and wounding at least 11 people.
Iran urges talks between Syria govt, opposition
Tehran calls for “serious and inclusive” talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Thursday. Iran believes that the Syrian crisis can only be resolved through such talks, Salehi said at the start of a conference in Tehran to discuss the crisis in Syria. Salehi also warned that Iran “rejects any foreign and military intervention in Syria.” Tehran supports UN efforts to resolve the crisis, he said.
Uruguay lawmakers debate legalizing marijuana
Uruguay’s parliament will debate full legalization of marijuana, with state control over its production and distribution. Social Development Minister Daniel Olesker said the bill still could be amended, local paper El Pais said on Thursday. “It is designed to legalize this market,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying. “It will allow us to battle illegal drug trafficking.” The government announced an initiative for the draft law last week. Cultivation of marijuana is an offense in Uruguay.
Ex-UK PM Blair “worried” Britain may leave EU
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he is “deeply worried” Britain might leave the European Union in a referendum. The eurozone crisis could lead to a “powerful political change of the EU,” Blair told German newspaper Die Zeit on Thursday. “And on this point, I am deeply worried that Britain could decide by referendum to leave the whole process,” he added. “If more competences are transferred to the EU, then its democratic legitimacy must be built up too,” the former premier warned. “We need a balance between European institutions and the nation states,” Blair stressed.
Tunisia police fire warning shots to disperse protesters in Sidi Bouzid
Police fired warning shots and teargas to disperse a demonstration in Sidi Bouzid. The central Tunisian town is the birthplace of last year's revolution in the country. One person was wounded by a rubber bullet and four others affected by the teargas were taken to the town's hospital, AFP reports. The protesters were demanding the resignation of the Islamist-led government. The security forces began firing into the air when the demonstrators tried to force their way into the provincial government headquarters. A similar incident took place at the end of June.
Kurds attack military bus in Western Turkey
Alleged Kurdish militants have ambushed a bus with Turkish servicemen in western part of the country near a city of Foca 05:00 GMT. One serviceman was killed and at least 11 were wounded. Before shelling the bus the militants detonated an explosive device on the road. The attack became as a complete surprise since the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) militants usually attack military vehicles in south-east Turkey, where they plan to create their state of Kurdistan. The nearly three-decade conflict between Turks and Kurds has claimed 40,000 lives.
Assad appoints al-Halki new Syria prime minister
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Health Minister Wael Nader al-Halki as new prime minister, Syria TV reported on Thursday. The president signed a decree days after the defection of the previous premier, Riyad Hijab. Halki, born in 1964, replaces caretaker premier Omar Ghalawanji. The new PM reportedly comes from the southern province of Deraa, where the uprising against Assad erupted.
Egyptian journalists protest parliament editorial appointments
Several Egyptian journalists left their columns blank in daily papers on Thursday. They protested against the appointments by the upper house of parliament of 50 new editors for state-owned publications. Many of the newly-appointed editors are known for their Islamist views, AP said. The columnists denounced in short notes what they describe as the Brotherhood's attempt to control the state-owned media. The upper house, the Shura Council, is formally the owner of the state press. It includes flagship dailies Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar.
Number of Syrian refugees in Turkey tops 50,000 – officials
More than 2,000 Syrians have fled violence and crossed the border with neighboring Turkey in the past two days, Turkish officials said on Thursday. This brings the total number of Syrians who have sought refuge in Turkey to 50,227, according to Turkish Disaster and Emergency Administration.
Afghan soldier killed while attacking NATO troops
An Afghan soldier tried to gun down a group of international troops in the country’s east, but was killed as NATO forces fired back, the alliance has said. Thursday's attack happened outside a coordination center for Afghan and international forces in Laghman province, according to a coalition spokesman. No Western service personnel were killed in the incident, German Lt. Col. Hagen Messer said, as cited by AP. The incident is the latest in attacks in which Afghan soldiers or police have turned on their international colleagues.
Murder trial for wife of Chinese politician Bo Xilai ends in 1 day
The closed murder trial of the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has ended after one day in the Hefei Intermediate People’s Court in eastern China. Tang Yigan, the deputy director of the court in Anhui province, said the trial has ended, but would not say when a verdict was expected, AP said. Gu Kailai and a household aide face charges of murdering Neil Heywood. The British businessman had close ties to the Bo family. Two British diplomats were allowed into the court under an agreement with China, but international media were excluded.
Egyptian police clash again with gunmen in Sinai
Egyptian police and gunmen clashed again in the Sinai town of al-Arish on Thursday, the state Nile News television reported. “Clashes resumed between armed men and police forces in front of Police Station Number Two in al-Arish,” it said. The Egyptian military earlier launched an offensive against suspected Islamist militants in the region after the killing of 16 border guards on Sunday. The Egyptian president fired intelligence chief and the province's governor on Wednesday.
Problems of fuel delivery cable seen behind Proton-M failure – report
The failure of the main fuel delivery cable could have prevented a Russian rocket from putting Express MD2 and Telkom-3 communications satellites into target orbits on Tuesday, a newspaper reports says. The Proton-M was launched before midnight Monday. The booster's first stages worked fine, but the upper stage intended to give the final push to the satellites switched off prematurely. Kommersant daily said on Thursday, citing experts investigating the incident, that the pressure in the fuel tank had fallen and the nominal traction was not reached. Then electronic sensing elements allegedly sent a signal to stop the engine, and the third switching on did not happen, the paper reports. The incident could have been caused by foreign objects in the fuel tank or mechanical failure of the main cable, the sources in the space industry say.
Tehran says all kidnapped Iranians alive in Syria
All the Iranians kidnapped by Syrian rebels last week are alive and well, the Iranian Foreign Ministry says. This contradicts statements by rebels holding them that three of the captives had been killed in an air attack. There is no indication that some of the kidnapped “were martyred,” Mojtaba Ferdowsipour, head of the Iranian foreign ministry's Middle East office, told Iran's Al-Alam television. Rebels seized 48 Iranians in Damascus on August 4 on suspicion of being military personnel. Tehran insists they are religious pilgrims.
Safety inspection suspends Belgian nuclear plant Doel 3
Belgian regulator FANC will close nuclear power station Doel 3 at least until the end of August after an investigation into possible cracks in the core tank. The government adopted a plan in July to close 1,006 MW Doel 3 reactor, operated by GDF Suez unit Electrabel, in 10 years. The FANC said it will only give a permit for further operation if convincing arguments can be made, Reuters reports. The regulator will also close the 1,008 MW Tihange 2 reactor in the south for inspection in September. The country's other reactors will be inspected in 2013.
Athens unlikely to get bailout before October
International auditors will remain in Athens all of September, AFP said, citing sources in the EU. The move means Greece is unlikely to get its next installment of bailout funds before October. A favorable report from the auditors of the troika of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank is key to paying its part of Greece’s next installment of 31.5 billion euro in rescue funds. The disbursement, previously expected in September, was delayed due to a two-month political deadlock in Greece.
Swiss lab wants guarantees before exhuming Arafat’s remains
A Swiss laboratory wants guarantees that investigative findings into the 2004 death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will not be used for political purposes. Experts from the Swiss Institute of Radiation Physics have been invited to the West Bank to test Yasser Arafat's remains for possible polonium-210 poisoning. Last month, the institute said it had detected elevated levels of radioactive material in stains on Arafat's clothing.
Libya's NTC hand over power
Libya's National Transitional Council has successfully handed over power to the country's first elected assembly. The executive body is composed of 120 independent seats and 80 party seats. The 200-member congress must now name a new chairman and steer Libya to full parliamentary elections after a new constitution is drafted.
Australian doctors off to Antarctica to rescue American
An Australian rescue team has left Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island for Antarctica in order to evacuate an American citizen experiencing a medical emergency at a US scientific base, AP reports. The team from the Australian Antarctic Division set off on Thursday morning and will attempt to land on an ice runway near the McMurdo research station by early afternoon. The patient is reportedly in a stable condition, but may need "immediate corrective surgery."
First man on the moon undergoes heart surgery
Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, has undergone heart surgery, AP reports, citing a NASA spokesman. It was not clear where the surgery had been carried out or where the 82-year-old former astronaut was recuperating. "Neil's pioneering spirit will surely serve him well in this challenging time and the entire NASA family is holding the Armstrong family in our thoughts and prayers," the statement from NASA administrator Charles Bolden read. Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Death toll from Philippines floods rises to 73
The death toll from monsoon rains in the Philippines has risen to at least 73. Widespread flooding and landslides have caused chaos across the country, leaving more than a million people without shelter. An estimated 80 per cent of the capital Manila is now engulfed by water. Forecasters say still more rain is on the way.
Buses torched and dozens arrested as thousands of students protest in Chile
Police have arrested dozens of rioters as thousands of Chilean students took to the streets of Chile's capital, Santiago, on Wednesday, raging against the government's policy on education. Hooded vandals set three city buses ablaze amid violence that left dozens injured. Police used water cannons to break up the protest. Students say their demonstration was motivated by a lack of response to their demands to make public education accessible to all. Authorities have vowed to stamp out what they have called the "radicalizing demonstrations", but the message has so far only fueled further anger.
Gaza warns of potential health disaster after Rafah crossing closure
Egypt’s decision to close the Rafah crossing may cause a health crisis in the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s health officials say. "The decision to close the Rafah crossing to patients and humanitarian cases will add to their suffering and harm their health and could lead to a serious health disaster," Gaza’s Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said on Wednesday. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade since Hamas took power in the territory in 2007. Since then, the Rafah crossing has been Gazans’ only connection with the outside world. However, Egypt decided to close the crossing after 16 Egyptian border guards were killed in an attack on a security checkpoint in Sinai.
Al-Qaeda plot foiled in Yemen, 40 explosive belts seized
Yemeni authorities say they have foiled a plot by an Al-Qaeda-linked organization to carry out attacks in the capital Sanaa, Reuters reports. According to Yemen’s Defense Ministry, 40 explosive belts were seized and seven militants were detained in the southern town of Jaar, where 45 tribal fighters were killed in a suicide attack earlier this week. The militants belong to the group Ansar al-Sharia, which US officials have described as the most dangerous offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
Russia to deploy Borei nuclear subs in Pacific
Russia will deploy two Borei class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines with the country’s Pacific fleet, First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov said on Wednesday. Yury Dolgoruky – the lead vessel – and the Alexander Nevsky are currently undergoing test runs but and are likely to be commissioned by year’s end. Sukhorukov maintained that while the two subs will initially be placed with the Northern Fleet, he remains positive that they will ultimately be redeployed to the Pacific fleet.
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