At least 12 police officers have been wounded in Turkey as militants associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) detonated a roadside bomb in the east of the country. The attack took place outside a police shooting range in the province of Van, which borders Iran. Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched an armed conflict against Ankara in 1984 with the aim of creating a separate state in the mainly Kurdish south-east Turkey.
Iran reiterates threat to close Hormuz if Iran’s security is endangered
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) naval force, General Ali Fadavi, has said that Iran will use its capability to block the shipment of “even a single drop of oil” through the Strait of Hormuz if Iran’s security comes under threat, the Fars news agency reports. He also said that the IRGC and the country’s navy would be increasing their military presence in international waters. Iran has been threatening to close down the Strait, a key transit route for tankers transporting oil from the oil-rich countries surrounding the Persian Gulf to consumers worldwide. The US and the EU have adopted a number of sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to end its nuclear enrichment program, which the West suspects has military purposes. Some of the sanctions have curbed Iranian oil sales, a key source of income for the Islamic Republic. Iran maintains that the nuclear program has strictly peaceful purposes.
Turkish police uses tear-gas to disperse Kurdish protesters
Police have used tear-gas and water cannon on Kurdish demonstrators in south-east Turkey on Saturday. Clashes broke out after the provincial governor refused the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) permission to hold a rally in the city of Diyarbakir. One of the proposed rally’s goals was to call for the release of jailed PKK militant leader Abdullah Ocalan. The demonstration coincided with the first anniversary of a declaration of “democratic autonomy” by Kurdish politicians.
158 cholera cases reported in Cuba
Cuba’s Health Ministry has reported 158 cases of cholera, three times more than in its previous report. The ministry also said that the number of cases of water-spread infections had dropped, largely thanks to its intensive efforts to quarantine those infected, hand out chlorine tablets and educate the population. Almost all of the cases originated from the city of Manzilla in the eastern Granma province. In its previous report on July 3, the Health Ministry stated that three people had died and 53 were infected with cholera. This is the first incidence of cholera in Cuba in decades.
Russia to conduct first S-400 anti-aircraft system training in August
Russia will be conducting its first training exercise involving two S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft weapon system batteries on the Ashluk military polygon in the Astrakhan Region from August 10 to August 16, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said. Apart from the two S-400 batteries, the training will also include Pantsir-S anti-aircraft weapons systems. The S-400 anti-aircraft system is capable of hitting airborne targets at ranges of up to 250 miles (400 kilometers). Russia currently deploys four S-400 batteries, with two stationed in the Moscow Region, and one each on the Baltic and Far East coastlines. A new battery is set for deployment in 2012.
Russian LGBT activists file complaint to European Human Rights Court
Members of the Russian LGBT activist group Equal Rights has filed a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, protesting a decision by St. Petersburg authorities to ban them from holding a gay pride march last year. The activists argue that the ban was a covert form of discrimination “prohibited by international law.” They also plan to lodge a complaint against the city’s authorities for preventing them from holding a similar rally on July 7 this year. LGBT activists were planning to stage a demonstration on June 25, 2011, but could not agree on the route of the rally with St. Petersburg authorities. Nevertheless, several people gathered for an unsanctioned meeting, and 14 were arrested and later charged with administrative violations. A similar demonstration this year was banned by city authorities, who argued that it violated the recently-adopted law prohibiting homosexual propaganda. Three people staged a protest despite the ban and were detained by the police.
Thirty-eight people hospitalized in Pamplona bull runs
A total of 38 people have been taken to hospital in the eight days of the San Fermin bull-running festivities in the Spanish city of Pamplona. Four of those injured were gored. On Saturday, four people were harmed in the runs, but their injuries were not caused by a bull. Two men suffered head injuries after falling; one man bruised his shoulder, while another person damaged his knee. Each day, hundreds of runners sprinted along a 2,800 foot (850 meter) route through the narrow streets of the city with six bulls chasing them. This year’s event was calm compared to other years. The same number of people was gored last year, down from nine people in 2010. In 2009, a 27-year-old Spanish man was gored to death, the 15th fatality at the Pamplona run since records began in 1924. The San Fermin festival, which dates back to 1591, honors Pamplona’s patron saint and is also celebrated with fireworks, folk dancing, religious processions and non-stop alcohol drinking.
Syrian suicide bomb targets military HQ, kills 3
A suicide bomb has struck the town of Muhrada in the flashpoint province of Hama in Syria, killing three people, reports Syrian state news. One security officer was killed in the blast as well as a woman and child. Opposition group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bomb was targeting a military security installation nearby. The bombing of military buildings has become more prevalent in Syria over recent months. President Assad has branded the attacks as terrorist insurgency on the part of rebel groups, while opposition groups claim the government orchestrates them to discredit Assad’s rivals.
Surfer killed by shark in Australia
A surfer has been killed in a savage shark attack near Wedge Island, off Australia's west coast on Saturday morning, officials said. It is the fifth such fatality in the region in less than a year. A large-scale air, coast and sea search is underway for the remains of the victim, who was reported to be in his early 20s.
Japanese flash floods kill 22, thousands displaced
Torrential rains in southwestern Japan have sparked flash floods and landslides, killing 22 and forces almost a quarter of million from their homes. A record 50.75 centimeters of rain struck the southern island of Kyushu, inundating the cities of Aso and Hita. At least 246,000 people on the island have been given the order to evacuate.
Afghan wedding blast kills 20
A suicide bomber blew himself up at a wedding hall in northern Afghanistan province of Samangan, killing at least 20, report local officials. Among the dead was well-known military commander and Member of Parliament Ahmad Khan Samangani. Local sources say that more than 40 others were also injured by the suicide blast.
500 penguins found dead on Brazil beaches
More than 500 Magellanic penguins, which are native to southern South America, have been found dead on southern Brazilian beaches, the country’s authorities said on Friday according to AFP. Veterinarians are investigating the deaths of the 512 marine birds which beached on the coast between the towns of Tramandai and Cidreira, some 100 kilometers from the state capital, Porto Alegre. The results of laboratory tests are expected to be ready within a month.
Lemurs found to be 'most threatened mammals'
More than 90 out of 103 known species of lemurs - a group of primates unique to the island of Madagascar - are under threat. The northern sportive lemur, for example, has only 18 known individuals left. The conclusion was made on Friday at a workshop by the Primate Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Some 60 conservationists from all over the globe have met this week in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo to discuss conservation measures aimed at the protection of what now appears to be the world’s most threatened mammals.
Hundreds clash with riot police in Madrid over austerity measures
Hundreds of protesters have clashed with riot police in Madrid on Friday evening over new austerity measures, AP reports. The protesters demonstrated outside the People's Party offices of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy before clashing with riot police, who used batons to prevent the crowds from getting too close to the Socialist Workers' Party headquarters. One person reportedly suffered a broken nose and three people were arrested. The latest package of Spain’s counter-crisis measures includes wage cuts and tax increases, while the country’s population struggles against the recession and an unemployment rate of almost 25 per cent.
Visa, MasterCard, banks reach $7.25 billion settlement with retailers
Visa, MasterCard and banks issuing their credit cards have agreed to pay up to US $7.25 billion and to allow stores to encourage their customers to use cheaper forms of payment. The settlement papers were filed Friday in a lawsuit in Brooklyn federal court, Reuters reports. Many retailers accused the companies of fixing fees for processing credit and debit card payments and prohibiting merchants from steering their customers to cheaper forms of payment. In 2005, their displeasure resulted in dozens of lawsuits which can now be resolved if the settlement is approved by a judge.
Suicide bomber kills five in Nigeria
A suicide bomber has tried to assassinate Umar Garbai el-Kanemi, a key Islamic leader in northern Nigeria, outside his mosque. However, the bomber missed his target and killed five others, AFP reports. Police are inclined to put the blame on Islamist group Boko Haram, who have been responsible for a wave of other such attacks in Nigeria. The radical group is known for their loathing for Kanemi, who is very popular in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north.
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