Malaysian police kill sword-wielding man in PM's compound
Malaysian police shot dead a sword-wielding man who entered Prime Minister Najib Razak's compound on Monday. The man and a female companion, both carrying swords, tried to pass through a security post in the administrative capital Putrajaya mid-afternoon, police said, as cited by Reuters. Police opened fire on the couple as they were acting aggressively. The woman was wounded and is being treated in hospital. The motive for the couple’s action is unknown.
Egypt's highest court says ruling to dissolve parliament ‘final’
Egypt's highest court said on Monday its ruling to dissolve parliament is final and binding, state TV reports. The constitutional court said the speaker’s decision to resume the parliament’s work contradicts that verdict, AP said. The speaker of Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament, Saad el-Katatni, earlier on Monday called for the legislature to meet the following day. Newly-elected Islamist President Mohammed Morsi issued a surprise decree two days ago in which he ordered the legislature to reconvene. The dispute may plunge Egypt into a new round of instability. The parliament building was guarded by police on Monday.
Mladic trial resumes with first witness despite lawyers motion
The war crimes trial of Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic will resume to hear its first witness. Elvedin Pasic is expected to describe an attack by Serb forces on the Bosnian village of Grabovica, where about 150 people were killed in 1992. Mladic has denied charges of war crimes during the 1992-95 Bosnian war. Defense attorneys for Mladic asked judges on Monday to adjourn the case for six months. The lawyers say recently changed rules by the trial judges would now allow prosecutors to file significantly more evidence than previously allowed.
More than 100 killed in Nigeria violence
Raids blamed on the Fulani, a Muslim ethnic group, and reprisal attacks have left more than 100 people dead in the central Nigerian Plateau state, AFP reports. The attacks were reportedly launched early on Saturday. At least 80 died when Fulani herdsmen raided several villages, the spokesman for the state's governor, Pam Ayuba, told AFP. On Sunday, they stormed a graveyard roughly 90 kilometers from the state capital, where at least 20 others were killed.
Ukraine, US start Sea Breeze 2012 exercises
The Ukrainian-US Sea Breeze 2012 exercises have started in Odessa, Ukraine. The maneuvers are being conducted under the program of bilateral cooperation between the two countries’ ministries of defense. This year’s main theme is the international maritime security operations. The common standards of the multinational forces and headquarters will be worked out. The marine component includes six ships of various classes, while the coast element involves the Marine Corps combat tactical group total of 300 individuals and 36 units of armored vehicles. Several planes and helicopters will also participate. The exercise will continue until July 21.
Krymsk mayor, local admin. head dismissed over Russia flooding
The Krasnodar Regional Governor Aleksandr Tkachev has dismissed the Krymsk mayor and the chief of the Krymsk regional administration. The move follows devastating flooding that caused mass fatalities and property damage. The Krymsk regional government was slow to alert citizens against the danger of flooding, the governor said, as cited by Interfax. “It has been proven that the regional government received a flood warning at least three hours before the flooding began,” he said. Many people said they had not been warned of the impending floods. As of Monday morning, 171 people were killed in the disaster.
Bahraini rights activist Rajab sentenced to three months
Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has been sentenced to three months in jail on charges linked to his online comments. His lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi says he expects Rajab to be taken into custody soon following Monday's ruling, AP reports. The activist has already served three weeks in detention. Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was on trial for anti-government comments made on Twitter. Prosecutors alleged they defamed residents of the Bahraini town of Muharraq.
Palestinian president Abbas approves Arafat autopsy
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly given his permission to exhume the remains of his predecessor, Yasser Arafat. Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said on Monday that the Palestinian leader has now given final approval and is inviting the Swiss experts to test the remains. “We are on the way to an autopsy,” Erekat said, as cited by AP. A Swiss institute last week reportedly found elevated traces of a radioactive agent on Arafat's belongings.
17 missing in southern Russia flood
The Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said on Monday that 17 people are missing in the country's worst flood in a decade. The death toll has risen to 171, according to Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov. A total of over 22,000 people were affected by the flood in the Krasnodar territory in southern Russia. Skvortsova said 584 people asked for medical assistance, and 210 people were hospitalized.
Dozens killed in US by heat wave
The heat that blanketed much of the US has been blamed for more than 60 deaths over the past two weeks. Temperatures eased up on Sunday, bringing down some temperatures by 15 or more degrees from Saturday's highs. In St. Louis, the high Saturday was a record 106, AP said. Temperatures in Philadelphia, Washington, and Indianapolis will fall to the low 90s or upper 80s on Sunday after crossing the 100 mark on Saturday. Washington, D.C., endured the hottest July 8 on record. Across the US, more than 2,000 record highs were set in July.
Four killed in clashes in eastern Turkey
Three Kurdish rebels and one soldier have been killed in eastern Turkey, state-run television says. The rebels died in a clash with Turkish troops close to Mount Tendurek on the Iranian border. The Friday clash came after the rebels burned down about a dozen trucks at a roadblock in eastern Agri province. One Turkish soldier was killed and another one was wounded in a mine blast in Tunceli province, further west, early on Monday, AP reports.
Taiwan stages live-fire missile exercise
Taiwan's military conducted a joint-forces live-fire missile exercise in southern Pingtung County on Monday. The exercise included the launch of various types of missiles, AP reports. The missiles hit their targets with “about 96 per cent accuracy,” said Ma Ze-yong, Deputy Major General of Taiwan Air Combat Command. He added 26 missiles were launched, and 25 missiles successfully hit their targets. On Thursday, soldiers fired thousands of cannon and artillery shots under the cover of tanks and helicopters in a separate exercise in Pingtung County.
Moscow appeals verdict of two Russians convicted in Libya
Moscow could “take political steps” to get its citizens convicted in Libya released, Russian Ambassador to Libya Ivan Molotkov told Interfax. “We think the verdict is unjustifiably severe. We have appealed and we are waiting for our appeal to be heard,” he said on Monday. Molotkov added that if the situation does not change, “we will in any case take political steps to get them freed.” Several military contractors from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have been convicted in Libya for repairing and modernizing military equipment for the Gaddafi regime’s armed forces. A Libyan court sentenced Russian citizen Alksandr Shadrov to life and Vladimir Dolgov to 10 years for assisting the former regime.
Detention facility official where Magnitsky was held ‘to be sent to dock’
Former deputy head of the Butyrka detention center in Moscow will be sent to dock, the Russian Investigative Committee’s spokesman Vladimir Markin said on Monday. Investment lawyer Sergey Magnitsky died in the detention facility in 2009. Investigators think that Dmitry Kratov, Butyrka’s deputy head, “improperly fulfilled his administrative duties to secure medical assistance to citizens held in the detention center.” His negligence led to Magnitsky’s death, Markin said. Kratov’s case was separated from the criminal case over Magnitsky’s death, which is currently being investigated.
Two Shiites killed in clashes with Saudi police
Two Shiites were killed in overnight clashes with police in the eastern Saudi province of Qatif, activists said on Monday. The protests followed the arrest of a prominent Shiite cleric and government critic. Activists say Akhbar Shakuri and Mohammed Filfel died and several others were injured as police tried to disperse a protest over Sunday’s arrest of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Security authorities say four individuals were brought to a medical center and “two of them were dead,” Reuters reports. Major General Mansour Turki, the spokesman, said police would investigate the incident.
Gunmen storm Pakistani army camp, kill 7
Gunmen in a car and on motorcycles have attacked a Pakistani army camp, killing six soldiers and a policeman, security officials say. The attack occurred early on Monday in Gujrat, a city in eastern Pakistan, AP reports. Thousands of hardline Islamists spent the night in the city while on their way to Islamabad to protest the reopening of the NATO supply routes to Afghanistan. It is not known if the attackers were linked with the Islamists staying in the city. The military had set up the camp that was attacked as a base to search for the debris of a helicopter that recently crashed.
Piranha attacks two people in South China
A piranha has attacked two residents of Liuzhou, in the southeast Chinese province of Guangxi. One of the men was attacked while bathing his dog in the Liujiang River. The piranha reportedly bit into his hand and only let go when he slammed it on the ground. The fish survived, however, and attacked his friend, who started teasing it. The original victim then took the piranha home and discovered, through Internet research, that the species was native to the Amazon and Paraguay Rivers in South America.
Syrian President rejects comparisons with Gaddafi and Mubarak
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the situation in his country was different to what happened in neighboring Libya and Egypt, and rejected comparisons between himself and Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak, the respective long-term leaders of those countries. In an interview with German TV channel ARD, Assad called Gaddafi’s murder a savage crime. He apparently condoned the judicial process over Mubarak in Egypt, saying it would show others not to act like a leader standing trial. Assad also noted that he was not scared for his and his family’s life, as he was acting in the interests of his country and protecting his people.
I still have public support – Assad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stated that he still has public support in his country, though he declined to give the exact numbers. In an interview with German TV channel ARD, the Syrian President stressed that only Syrians could decide whether he should stay or go. He also noted that he would not have been able to stay in power if he did not have public support, especially given that the West and many neighboring countries have an overt anti-Syrian government stance.
Outside support of terrorists is main obstacle to Annan plan - Assad
Kofi Annan is doing a difficult but good job, and the main obstacle to its success is the outside political and financial support provided to “terrorists in Syria” by countries hoping the plan will fail, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview on Sunday. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are providing armaments and “announce publicly that they support those terrorists,” he told a German TV channel. Turkey is offering logistic support for smuggling, he said, while the US is providing political support to the rebels. Assad added, though, that he could not provide any concrete evidence of weapons smuggling in the country.
Congo rebels capture four cities, pledge to hand gains to UN peacekeepers
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo captured four more towns from the national army in the country's troubled eastern region on Sunday. "We have seized Rubare, Rutshuru, Kalengera, and Kako," said March 23 rebel movement (M23) leader Colonel Sultani Makenga as cited by AFP. Makenga added that the towns would be handed over to Congolese police and UN peacekeepers. On Friday the rebels captured the town of Bunagana, which they plan to keep as a base for their operations. The M23 movement is comprised of defected national army soldiers and is close to General Jean Bosco Ntaganda, who since 2006 has been sought by the ICC for alleged war crimes including recruiting child soldiers.
Detroit woman accidentally shot while hugging police officer
A woman was fatally shot when she hugged an off-duty police officer during a dance at a party in Detroit. Twenty-five-year-old Adaisha Miller "embraced the officer from behind, causing the holstered weapon to accidently discharge," local police said. The shooting happened at an outdoor social gathering at around midday on Sunday. The bullet punctured the woman’s lung and hit her heart, and she died in hospital. The officer's name was not released, but he will remain on administrative duties while authorities investigate the accident.
Greek coalition government wins parliamentary confidence vote
Greece's conservative-led government has won a confidence vote after outlining plans to speed up privatization and push through reforms to save the state’s economy. With a majority of 179 deputies in the 300-seat parliament, a three-party coalition government had been expected to easily take the vote. Earlier on Sunday, the main opposition party accused the government of wanting to sell Greece's resources and public companies on the cheap through massive privatizations.
58 killed in central Nigeria
Fifty-eight people have been killed in a series of assaults and reprisal attacks in Christian villages in Nigeria’s Plateau state, a spokesperson for a special security taskforce said. Two victims were prominent politicians, killed in an ambush. It is unclear who carried out the attacks, though local Christian advocacy groups have accused Muslim Fulani herdsmen. However, these allegations were denied by Nurudeen Abdulahi, Plateau State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Fulani Herdsmen Association, who in turn accused Christians for attacking Muslim villages and stealing cows.
Two killed as Saudis crack down on protesters
Two people have been killed and at least 20 injured after Saudi Arabian security forces cracked down on a massive demonstration in the eastern city of Quatif, Al-Jazeera reports. Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets after authorities arrested a radical Shiite cleric, Sheik Nimr al-Nimr. The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Al-Nimr was wounded in the arrest after he and followers exchanged fire with security forces.
Security officer killed in attack on Libyan military facility
A security guard has been killed in an attack on the Security Department of the National Army in the Libyan city Benghazi on Sunday. The building was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, according to security officials. Local TV showed the façade of the building covered in bullet holes. The incident comes a day after Libyans voted in the country’s first elections since ousting Muammar Gaddafi from power. Preliminary poll results are expected on Monday or Tuesday, but the coalition of liberal political groups have already claimed the lead on Sunday.
LulzSec releases NASA employees' personal info – Anonymous
Hacker group LulzSec has released the personal information of a “fraction” of NASA employees, including names, addresses and phone numbers, Anonymous tweeted. This is the first LulzSec hack in almost a year. The leak comes as part of the so-called Operation AntiSec that began in June 2011. The operation involves DDoS attacks on government and corporate websites, as well as releases of sensitive data pertaining to the employees. The operation was originally conducted by both LulzSec and Anonymous, but LulzSec announced it was disbanding on June 25. It seized its operation with the exception of an attack against newspapers owned by News Corp. in July. Since then, police around the world made a number of arrests of people who in one way or another took part in LulzSec’s attacks. The man purported to be LulzSec leader Sabu entered a plea bargain with prosecutors, who agreed to drop most charges against him in exchange for cooperation.
Saudi authorities arrest radical Shiite cleric
Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested a radical Shiite cleric, Sheik Nimr al-Nimr, after he and followers exchanged fire with security forces and crashed into a patrol vehicle Sunday. Al-Nimr was wounded in the leg during the car chase, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. He faces charges of instigating unrest in the oil-rich but tense Eastern Province, home to most of Saudi Arabia's Shiite population. Local security forces repeatedly clashed with protesters demanding greater rights from Saudi's Sunni monarchy.
No comments:
Post a Comment