Putin vows to strengthen Russian nuclear navy
In a push to modernize the country’s fighting forces, President Vladimir Putin on Monday vowed he would increase Russia’s nuclear naval forces to maintain the country’s place as a leading sea power. His comments came as he oversaw the start of the construction of one of Russia’s latest generation submarines. Putin hopes to make missile-equipped nuclear submarines the heart of the Russian Navy. After two decades of chronic underfunding, the Russian Navy is expected to receive some $620 billion dollars for modernization by the end of the decade.
Indonesian police arrest 62 over bar attack
Authorities in Indonesia have arrested 62 people, most of them minors, for taking part in an attack on a bar in the south of the country’s capital, Jakarta. A group of around 150 youths armed with Samurai swords, sickles and golf clubs participated in the raid on Saturday, Hermawan, a local chief detective said. The group, calling itself the Prophet’s Defenders Council, shattered windows, broke doors and smashed bottles, saying they wanted to ensure that all bars were shut during the month of Ramadan. Habib Bahar, the group’s leader also detained in the arrests, was quoted by local media as saying that he regularly raids “sinful places” during the month of Ramadan. Although Indonesian authorities have ordered bars and nightclubs to close during the month of Ramadan, the ban has not been strictly implemented.
Iran sentences four to death for bank fraud
The Iranian Revolutionary Court has sentenced four people to death and two to life in prison following their convictions related to a $2.6 billion bank fraud, the country’s state prosecutor was quoted by the IRNA news agency as saying. Thirty-three other defendants linked to the scam also received sentences of up to 25 years in prison. Only general information has been released about the case, described as the country’s biggest financial scam, and the names of the defendants have not been released. The linchpin defendant, nicknamed Amir Mansour Aria, is described as the head of a company which prosecutors say paid bribes to bank staff and managers, and used “incorrect connections with executive and political elements” to accumulate wealth. Aria is also said to have forged documents to obtain credit from one of Iran’s top banks.
UN team to visit North Korea to assess flood damage
A United Nations inter-agency team will visit the two most affected counties of North Korea on Tuesday to assess the damage from the recent floods, a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official has told Reuters. The team will then determine what measures need to be taken to mitigate the consequences of the flooding for the population. North Korea has been hit by massive floods caused by torrential rainfall since July 18. Eighty-eight people have died in the disaster and thousands made homeless, North Korean media report. Many rice paddies and other farmland have been destroyed, driving grain prices up, according to defectors in neighboring South Korea. The torrential rain came after a severe dry spell that also caused a poor harvest.
Greek political leaders carry on with austerity talks
Leaders from the three Greek political parties that collectively form the country’s coalition government said they would continue talks on further austerity measures to salvage the country’s bailout program following a two-hour meeting on Monday, Reuters reports. Those aligned with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras are hoping to delay the unpopular cuts by another two years despite objections from lenders. The parties have agreed to most of the $14.7 billion in cuts demanded by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, though implementation of those cuts remains a point of contention.
Hundreds of thousands flee Aleppo amid fighting - UN
Some 200,000 Syrians have fled the city of Aleppo because of the recent fighting, UN reports. Valerie Amos, the top UN official for humanitarian affairs also said it is not known how many people remain trapped in the places where fighting continues. On Monday intense clashes between the government forces and the rebels erupted again.
Colorado shootings suspect charged with 12 first-degree murders
Colorado shootings suspect James Holmes has been officially charged with 12 counts of first-degree murder and 12 counts of murder with extreme indifference following the shootings at the Aurora movie theater. Holmes has also been charged with 116 counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of explosives. Twelve people were killed and 58 people were injured on July 20 as former doctorate student Holmes opened fire in a movie theater in Aurora during a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.
Greece dispatching 1,800 more troops to Turkey border over Syrian refugee crisis
Athens is to quadruple the number of guards at the border with Turkey, says Greek Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias. Some 1,800 more officers will be sent to the posts and 26 floating barriers will be placed along the Evros River that divides the two countries, partly because of an expected influx of Syrian refugees. Turkey is hosting thousands of Syrian refugees who fled the 17-months of violence in their country. Greece is known as the busiest entry point for illegal immigrants trying to reach the EU.
Sappers defuse bomb on Dagestan beach in North Caucasus
A bomb has been defused on Monday evening in Makhachkala, the capital of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. After the bomb was found on the city’s Caspian beach, the area was cordoned off and people were evacuated. A bag with wires sticking out had caught the attention of vigilant citizens, police said, as cited by Interfax. The explosive device equivalent to 300-500 grams of TNT was defused at the scene.
Syria's charge d'affaires in UK resigns - Foreign Office
Syria’s charge d’affaires in London has resigned in protest over “oppressive acts” by the Syrian regime, the British Foreign Office has said. Khaled al-Ayoubi informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Monday that he has left his post in the Syrian embassy in London, a Foreign Office spokesperson said. Ayoubi allegedly said he was no longer willing to represent a regime that “has committed such violent and oppressive acts.” He was the most senior Syrian diplomat serving in London.
Ethiopia ethnic clashes kill 18, displace thousands
At least 18 people have been killed in fighting between two communities over land in southern Ethiopia, the Kenya Red Cross Society said on Monday. About 20,000 refugees have fled to Kenya, Reuters reports. A dispute over the Ethiopian government's decision to settle the Garri community on land which the Borana claim to own prompted the fighting. Thousands of refugees are camped out in schools and a mosque around the Kenyan town of Moyale. Local Kenyan residents have given refuge to others.
Tajikistan blocks foreign websites, YouTube
The Tajik government's Communication Service has ordered internet providers to block access to several foreign websites, including YouTube. Among those blocked are Russian websites, including vesti.ru and lenta.ru and Tajikistan’s Ozadagon, media reports say. The blocking of the BBC website has not been confirmed, and an Interfax correspondent in Dushanbe freely entered the BBC English, Russian, Tajik and Persian websites. The current blocking of access to news websites follows a police operation in the eastern Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region after the murder of a security service general on July 21. One civilian and 17 law enforcement officers reportedly died, and 40 policemen were injured. Police say they killed 30 militants and detained 41 in Khorog, the regional center.
Turkey sends new convoy to Syrian border – reports
Ankara has reportedly sent a convoy of about 20 vehicles carrying troops, missile batteries and armored vehicles to the border with Syria. The convoy left a base in Gaziantep province to head south to Kilis province, where the troops will stay, the Anatolian news agency said on Monday. The troops and vehicles had left a major highway and were now stationed along a fenced-off section on the frontier, Reuters said, citing witnesses. The deployment may be strictly precautionary as violence in Syria is continuing. Ankara last week warned the Kurdistan Workers Party against setting up camps inside northern Syria.
Namibia judge says 3 women sterilized without ‘informed consent’
A judge in Namibia has ruled that three women were sterilized without their informed consent. Judge Elton Hoff also said there was no evidence this was because they were HIV-positive. The three women had opted to have Caesarean deliveries to reduce the risk of passing AIDS to their babies, the BBC reports. Health officials had denied that the women were forcibly sterilized. Hoff announced that the damages would be decided at a later date. Lawyers say similar cases have been reported in nearby countries.
Torrential rain hits N. Korea as flooding continues
Torrential rain has drenched North Korea, adding to the country’s widespread flooding. The floods follow a period of drought, lifting food prices, Reuters said. A heavy downpour on Sunday worsened the flood situation, the UN North Korea office said. It added the government had requested assistance from resident UN agencies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Locog sells 3,000 tickets after empty Olympic seats scandal
The organizing committee for the Olympic Games in London has confirmed that an additional 3,000 tickets were sold last night. Empty seats at venues across the London Games over the opening weekend prompted London Mayor Boris Johnson to urge that more tickets be sold to the public. The extra tickets were reportedly sold after a host of sports federations returned their tickets. Some 1,000 of those tickets were for the gymnastics event.
Moscow court refuses to return Pussy Riot case to prosecution
The Khamovnichesky Court in Moscow on Monday refused to return the case of the group Pussy Riot’s members to prosecutors. The three women’s lawyers demanded the return, citing mistakes in the indictment, RIA Novosti reports. The court started considering the Pussy Riot case on its merits on Monday. The defendants are accused of hooliganism as they staged a guerilla performance in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior earlier this year.
Russia ratifies adoption agreement with US
President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on the ratification of the agreement with the US on adoption of children. The document was signed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on July 13, 2011. Russia had wanted such an agreement following a number of scandals involving Russian children adopted by US citizens. The document determines the adoption procedure and introduces control over the conditions in which adopted children live. Putin also signed a law on the ratification of a treaty on cooperation with France in adoption.
Putin signs bill criminalizing slander
President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill that returns slander to the criminal code. Criminal liability for defamation was abrogated in December, 2011. The move by the United Russia party in the State Duma provoked criticism from the public and journalists. The three other parties in the parliament voted against the bill. Under the new law, the maximum fine for a libelous accusation is 5 million rubles (about $152,000) or 480 hours of compulsory work.
No comments:
Post a Comment