5.4 quake hits Indonesia
A moderate 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the South Indonesian coast early on Saturday. The epicenter of the tremor was at sea, 25.3 km south of the Java Island. There have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The area sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire where seismic activity is frequent.
Lufthansa meets one of strikers’ demands
Lufthansa's management has met one of the requests made by striking staff, granting permanent contracts to some temporary cabin crew. The concession comes after both sides negotiated. The Independent Flight Organization (UFO), who called the strike, have given no comment. The action caused the cancellation of over 1,000 flights and cost the German airline over 10 million euros.
Berlin’s new airport opening delayed till October 2013
The opening of a new Berlin-Brandenburg international airport in the German capital, has been postponed for the fourth time. Authorities announced it will be ready for operation in October 2013. Supervisors say they need more time to readjust planning and construction of the airport. The hub was originally scheduled to open on October 30, 2011, but the opening was delayed till June of this year and later to March 2013.
UK urges EU to enact more sanctions against Iran
Great Britain has called on the EU to beef up sanctions against Iran. "It is necessary to increase the pressure on Iran, to intensify sanctions, to add further to the EU sanctions," Foreign Secretary William Hague. EU sanctions should target Iran’s energy and trade sectors to force Tehran to end its nuclear energy program. He said the previous round of sanctions had “a serious impact”.
Canada closes embassy in Iran, expels Iranian diplomats
Canada has closed its embassy in Iran and will expel all remaining Iranian diplomats in Canada within five days, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said in a statement. He called the Iranian government “the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today,” citing Tehran’s nuclear program and Iranian military assistance to Syria. All Canadian diplomatic staff have already left Iran.
Norway’s Labor Party to return to site of Breivik massacre
The youth wing of the Norwegian Labor Party will once again stage its summer camps at the location where Anders Breivik shot 69 people last summer. The Workers Youth League will spend over $100 million rebuilding its facilities on the island of Utoya, outside the capital, Oslo, before opening the site in the summer of 2013. The organization admits that many of the surviving witnesses of the shooting are against the site being used ever again for political gatherings and celebrations.
Top Pakistani policeman assassinated
A senior security officer investigating sectarian violence in the turbulent Pakistani province of Balochistan has been shot dead by unknown gunmen on motorbikes. Superintendent Jamil Kakar was killed as he was leaving his home, with the officer’s bodyguard injured. Police are investigating the killing. Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and is of strategic significance.
Red Cross head calls talks with Syria’s President Assad ‘positive’
The chief of the International Red Cross Peter Maurer, who has returned from Syria after talks with the country’s President Bashar al-Assad, reports that their meeting was “positive”. The Syrian leadership has agreed to let the Red Cross access the detainees, as well as to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country. Maurer also told reporters he visited rural areas around Damascus and heard "horrific accounts of armed attacks" from locals.
Prince Harry deployed to Afghanistan
The UK Ministry of Defense says Prince Harry has been deployed to Afghanistan for four months. The 27-year-old prince is to take part in combat against the Taliban. Prince Harry will serve as an Apache attack helicopter pilot. It’s his second deployment: he went to the country in 2007, but was sent back to Britain after the media disclosed his deployment, which was supposed to be secret.
Death toll from China quakes rises to 50
The number of those killed in a series of earthquakes in southwestern China has soared to at least 50 people. One hundred and fifty others were injured in the quake. Twenty thousand buildings have been damaged in the tremors, the largest of which measured 5.7 at a depth of 14 kilometers. At least 16 aftershocks have also been reported.
Twelve deaths in renewed Kenya tribal clashes
Violence between two communities in the southern coastal region has left 12 people killed and several injured. Tana Delta District Commissioner David Kiprop said the armed raiders came into a village in the small hours and shot at locals. It comes just over a fortnight after the village of Orma came under attack, with at least 48 people killed in the tribal clashes.
Pakistan court grants bail for ‘blasphemy girl’
A Pakistani court has granted bail to a 14-year-old Christian girl accused of blasphemy. Rimsha, who reportedly has Down syndrome, was arrested on August 16 because neighbors reportedly saw her burning pages of Koran. Pakistan is known for its harsh legislation on blasphemy, with life sentences issued for setting on fire the pages containing the holy text.
54 migrants rescued off Lampedusa, 100 missing
One hundred migrants are feared drowned off the coast of the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, with 54 others saved by the Italian coast guard and NATO units. The migrants sailed from Lampedusa during the night on a wooden fishing boat, which sank, causing a massive rescue operation. Those who survived say the vessel was crowded, with about 150 people on board.
China’s southwest rocked by quakes, at least 20 dead
Southwestern China has been rocked by a series of earthquakes, the largest measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, Xinhua news agency reports. At least 20 people have been killed in the tremors, and 20,000 buildings have been damaged. The biggest tremor struck the area at 03:00 GMT at a depth of 14 kilometers.
South Korea starts military drills near disputed islands
South Korea’s military has begun the exercises near the isles also claimed by Japan. The country’s army, navy, and air force are all participating in the drills. Tensions between South Korea and Japan have been running high since the South Korean leader’s trip to the disputed territories. Japan wants the two islands to be controlled internationally, which South Korea refuses to accept.
Obama slams Republicans for calling Russia enemy
US President Barack Obama has criticized his Republican rival Mitt Romney for insulting America's closest ally and calling Russia its number one enemy. “You don't call Russia, not Al Qaeda, our number one enemy, unless you're stuck in a Cold War time warp,” Obama said during his speech at Democratic National Convention on Thursday, after accepting his party’s nomination for presidency
Obama accepts nomination for president
Incumbent US President Barack Obama has accepted his party’s nomination for the presidency at a Democratic National Convention in North Carolina. During his speech on Thursday, Obama said America is facing the clearest election choice in a generation and dispensed the hard truth that solving the country's ills will take years. "On every issue, the choice you face won't be just between two candidates or two parties," Obama said. "It will be a choice between two different paths for America." On Thursday Vice President Joe Biden also accepted the Democrat Party’s nomination for vice-president
Colombian president rejects FARC call for ceasefire
Colombia’s president Manuel Santos has rejected a proposal made by rebel group, FARC, to observe a ceasefire during peace talks which are scheduled to start next month in Oslo. “We will not give anything until we get the final agreement, and I want to make that very clear,” the president told reporters at a military base in central Colombia on Thursday. Santos earlier said the talks - the first in a decade - would be different from previous negotiations with FARC because they have "a realistic agenda" that includes the rebels agreeing to eventually lay down its arms and become integrated in the country’s political life.
UN chief urges Libya to cooperate with ICC
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has called on Libyan authorities to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the fate of Muammar Gaddafi’s spy chief. The man in question, Abdullah al-Senoussi, was handed over to Libya by Mauritania on Wednesday. The ICC , who'd issued a warrant for his arrest, will have to decide whether he can be tried at home for crimes against humanity connected with last year’s popular uprising. UN spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said Thursday that “we would encourage the Libyan authorities to cooperate with the International Criminal Court.” Senoussi was arrested in Mauritania in March. Libya's Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib, said he will be tried in Libya for his alleged role in aircraft bombings and atrocities.
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