More South African miners released after murder charges dropped
More than 100 mine workers have been released from custody in South Africa, after controversial murder charges against them were dropped, AP reports. The men were held at a local prison for several weeks, after a strike at the Marikana mine turned violent last month. Thirty-four workers were shot and killed by police during the demonstration on August 16. One union has refused to sign a “peace accord” with the government, although another has already signed the deal.
Russian Mig-29 fighter jet crashes in Siberia, pilot found dead
A Russian Mig-29 fighter jet has crashed near the city of Chita, Eastern Siberia. The pilot has been found dead. Following the incident, Russia’s Defense Ministry has suspended all Mig-29 flights. In 2008 another Mig-29 fighter, belonged to Russia’s Air Force, crashed in the same area due to a malfunction. Another Mig-29 crashed in Bulgaria in April this year.
Colombia’s FARC rebels to ask for ceasefire on Oct. 8
Colombia’s leftist rebel group FARC has confirmed its plans to ask for a ceasefire during peace talks with the country’s government, due to begin on October 8. The talks, aimed at ending a half-century-old conflict which claimed the lives of thousands of people, will begin in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, and later move to Cuba. The last peace talks held between FARC and the Colombian government ended in disaster in 2002. The rebels never agreed to a ceasefire, nor did they stop kidnappings for ransom or trafficking in cocaine.
US urges Iraq to stop Iranian transport flights over its territory
US officials are questioning the Iraqi authorities on suspicion that they are allowing Iran to use its airspace to supply ally Syria with weapons. Three senators who are in Baghdad this week, including former presidential candidate John McCain, have asked Iraqi authorities to force any Iranian planes to land and undergo an inspection to find if they are carrying illegal cargo. Iraq says that it does not have sufficient air power to impose control over its own airspace, but says it has seen no evidence of Iranian planes over its skies.
Stockpiles of 750,000 cluster bombs have been destroyed – Cluster Munition Coalition
The third annual report of the Cluster Munition Coalition released on Thursday says the countries that are signatory parties to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions are destroying their stockpiles faster than predicted, well ahead of the eight-year deadline set by the convention. To date, nearly 750,000 cluster munitions containing 85 million submunitions have been destroyed, more than 60 per cent of all stockpiles. The convention has 111 members, 75 of which have acceded to or ratified it.
Russian woman declared insane after throwing her children off balcony
Twenty-seven-year-old Galina Ryabkova has been declared insane, according to a psychological assessment. In June the woman threw her four- and seven-year-old sons out the window from the 15th floor in the Moscow Region. Both boys died before an ambulance arrived. Ryabkova explained that she was “fed up with the children.” If convicted of murder, Ryabkova will serve her sentence in a specialized medical institution.
20 refugees drown as boat sinks in Turkish waters
At least 20 people drowned as refugee boat sunk off the coast of Western Turkey, AP quotes Turkish media as saying. Fifty refugees survived, while 20 dead bodies were recovered and unknown numbers of people remain missing. Immigrants are reportedly from Iraq and Syria. The Hurriyet website stated that more than 100 people were on board.
Four Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike
At least four Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza, AP reported. Israeli authorities claim they targeted Palestinian militants who were about to fire rockets toward a Jewish community. The Central Gaza area was hit by the airstrike, stated a Palestinian official.
Russian airline official charged over hockey plane crash
Russia’s investigative committee has charged a former airline official with a violation of safety instructions, leading to the crash of an aircraft which killed 44 people, including the entire Yaroslavl Lokomotiv hockey team in September 2011. Vadim Timofeev was in charge of flight operations and pilot training at Yak Service, the company which owned the crashed Yak-42. Investigators say Timofeev allowed the crew to take control of the aircraft despite their lack of proper experience with that model.
Peace deal reached with striking S. Africa miners
Lonmin has signed a peace accord with some of the unions representing the South African miners who have been striking for four weeks. However, the head of the labor union told local media that the militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union was not part of the deal. The crackdown on the miners’ protests turned into a bloody massacre on August 16. Thirty-six people were killed and 78 wounded in the violence.
Twenty-five soldiers killed in blast at ammunition depot in Turkey
An explosion at an ammunition store in the western Turkish city of Afyon has killed 25 soldiers and wounded four others, Reuters quotes the Turkish military as saying on Thursday. The cause of the blast was not immediately known, the military said in a statement.
Opposition leader warns of ‘spontaneous event’, unless rally permitted
One of Russia’s main opposition figures, Sergey Udaltsov, said that there may be some “spontaneous” events in Moscow if city authorities refuse permission for the next “March of Millions”. The opposition reapplied for a rally permit on Wednesday. Their previous application failed due to one of the organizers having a record of administrative offenses. If approved, the demonstration will take place on September 15.
Obama officially nominated US Democratic Party presidential candidate
Barack Obama has officially been nominated as the presidential candidate by the US Democratic Party. This time around, Obama was the only Democrat on the ballot in every state. Former President Bill Clinton put forward Obama's name for nomination. Four years ago, Obama prevailed in a primary fight against Hillary Rodham Clinton to become the first black presidential candidate to lead his party. Democrats are expected to nominate Joe Biden for a second term as vice president later Thursday.
Palestinians slipping deeper into poverty – UN
A United Nations agency says tougher Israeli policies are pushing the Palestinians into deeper poverty. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released a report on Wednesday stating a gloomy outlook for the Palestinian economy. "[Israeli] restrictions on movement, faltering aid flows, a paralyzed private sector and a chronic fiscal crisis cloud the horizons," UNCTAD declared. Amid persistent high unemployment, it added, "one in two Palestinians is classified as poor." A sharp drop in foreign aid in 2011 aggravated the humanitarian situation.
Turkish jets target Kurdish positions near Syrian border – report
Turkish fighter jets and attack helicopters have hit suspected Kurdish militant positions near the southeastern border with Syria and Iraq, Reuters reports, citing security sources. "Around 2,000 soldiers are involved in the operation. Cobra helicopters... are bombing targets on the Kato mountain," a security source told the news agency. Around 10 F-16 fighter planes took part in the operation in Turkey's southeastern Sirnak province, the sources added.
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