One killed, nine injured in Kenya suicide attack
At least nine people have been wounded in what is suspected to be a suicide bombing near a military air base in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The attacker, who detonated a device police suggest was a grenade, is said to be the only one killed in the explosion. Police believe the bomber intended to blow up a group of soldiers, though all those injured were civilians.
US soldiers brought prostitutes to Colombia hotel - report
Up to 12 American servicemen brought women to their hotel rooms in Colombia just hours before President Barack Obama arrived in the country for an April summit, according to revelations obtained by the Associated Press. The investigation says the hotel's staff complained to US officials that the soldiers had violated hotel policy by bringing women, who were most likely sex workers, to their rooms after 6:00 am. Nine servicemen have been punished in the scandal.
UN General Assembly passes Syria resolution
The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution on the Syrian crisis, with 133 votes in favor. Twelve countries, Russia among them, voted against, while 31 abstained. The document includes criticism of the Security Council for not facilitating an end to the violence in the country. The resolution also condemns Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using heavy artillery, helicopters and planes for a crackdown in Damascus. The draft of the document was submitted by Arab countries.
Iraq protests Turkey FM's visit to disputed city of Kirkuk
The Iraqi leadership has summoned the Turkish envoy in Baghdad after the country’s foreign minister visited the city of Kirkuk, which is claimed by both the central government and the autonomous region of Kurdistan. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry accused Ahmet Davutoglu of breaching the country’s constitution with the visit, saying Turkey’s foreign minister never asked for permission to enter Kirkuk. It comes amid worsening relations between Iraq, a neighbor of both to Shi’ite Iran and Sunni Turkey, with the countries also being at odds over the conflict in Syria.
Syrian army storms rebels’ last Damascus stronghold – reports
Syrian troops stormed Damascus' southern district of Tadamon with dozens of tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers, Reuters reports. The escalations came as rebels attempted to win back control of their last stronghold in the Syrian capital. Activists said most of the district was under the control of government forces by early evening.
Belarus denies expelling Swedish envoy
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has denied that Minsk expelled the Swedish ambassador. “The decision has been made not to prolong his accreditation,” ministry’s spokesperson Andrey Savinykh said on Friday. Stefan Eriksson has been the ambassador since 2008, and is reported to have left Minsk. Eriksson’s activity “was directed at destroying Belarusian-Swedish relations rather than strengthening them,” RIA-Novosti quoted Savinykh as saying. The ambassador was expelled from Belarus “for being too supportive of human rights,” Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said earlier on Friday.
Attacks on Christians on rise in Egypt - Coptic bishop
A senior Egyptian Coptic bishop said on Friday that attacks on Christians are on the rise in the country. The general climate “is turning against Christians,” Bishop Morcos told AFP, adding that there has been an uptick in assaults on members of the faith. The bishop also criticized the inclusion of only one Copt in President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood-led government. Dozens of Copts have died in sectarian clashes since ex-president Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year. Muslims attacked a church and Christian homes in a village outside Cairo on Wednesday, leading to clashes.
Belarus, Sweden expel ambassadors
Sweden's ambassador has been expelled from Belarus, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said. The country will not welcome the incoming Belarusian ambassador, Bildt said on Friday. Two Belarusian diplomats have also been asked to leave the Nordic country, the AP reports. Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko was reportedly angered by meetings between the Swedish ambassador and opposition activists in Minsk, Belarus, Bildt said. The expulsion comes in the wake of a recent incident where two Swedish activists used a small plane to drop hundreds of teddy bears into Belarusian territory. The stuffed animals carried messages supportive of freedom of speech and human rights.
India to launch Mars-bound satellite
India plans to launch a satellite into Mars’ orbit next year, an Indian scientist said on Friday. A rocket will blast off from the country’s southeastern coast and deploy the satellite, which will end its journey by settling into orbit around Mars, Reuters quoted the unnamed scientist as saying. Devisprasad Karnik, spokesperson for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in Bangalore, did not confirm the existence of the mission. “After the Moon, worldwide attention is now focused on finding out if there (are) habitable spots on Mars,” Karnik said.
Seychelles to bid for UN Security Council seat
Seychelles President James Michel announced on Friday that his country is seeking a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2017-2018 term. Michel said the nation of 90,000 has shown it is ready for a seat through its role in combatting Somali piracy. The president also referred to the country’s recent mediation efforts in helping resolve a political crisis in Madagascar. The five permanent members of the council are the US, China, Russia, France and the UK. The council also has 10 non-permanent seats which are occupied for two-year periods.
Pakistan's top court strikes down contempt law protecting PM
Pakistan's Supreme Court struck down a recently passed law on Friday aimed at protecting Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf from being charged with contempt of court and ousted from office. Ashraf’s predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was convicted of contempt of court and forced to step down. Gilani had refused to reopen a corruption case against Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Ashraf was ordered by the count to write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen the case. The court struck down the contempt law because it “violated the basic principle of equality” among the country’s citizens.
Moody's downgrades Slovenia’s bond rating
Moody's rating agency has downgraded Slovenia’s government bond rating by three notches due to concerns over troubled banks and rising borrowing costs in the country. The rating was reduced from A2 to Baa2 due to funding challenges the government faces and substantial risks to the country's financial system. The deteriorating macroeconomic environment “opens the possibility that external assistance may be required,” Moody's said. Slovenia was the first ex-Communist nation to adopt the Euro.
President Truman's grandson meets with A-bomb survivors in Tokyo
A grandson of former US president Harry Truman, who authorized the use of two atomic bombs on Japan during World War II, met with survivors of the bombings on Friday in Tokyo. Talking with a handful of survivors, Clifton Truman Daniel defended his grandfather, saying “there is no right decision in war,” AFP reports. Daniel, 55, attended ceremonies for the 67th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. None of Truman’s relatives had previously attended the annual event. The atomic bombings on August 6 and 9 in 1945 are estimated to have killed more than 200,000 people, either instantaneously or from burns and radiation sickness following the blast.
UK pledges more support for Syrian rebels
The UK promised more non-military support for Syrian rebels Friday after the resignation of peace mission envoy Kofi Annan. “That doesn’t mean... that we give up on diplomacy,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said. “We don't give up on the diplomacy with Russia and with China. But we will have to do other things as well,” he told BBC Radio 4. He promised his country would increase “practical but non-lethal support to the opposition” in the coming weeks. The UK has already supplied rebels with communication equipment. “Diplomacy has not worked so far,” Hague said.
Police arrest 130 in Hong Kong Triad raids
Hong Kong police have arrested 84 men and 46 women on suspicion of crimes including money laundering and running illegal gambling dens. The detained Triad members laundered roughly $38.7 million earned from their illegal activities over the course of two years, police said. More than 20 locations were raided over two days, AFP reports. The raids were part of a special operation conducted by police in Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese mainland.
Four Iraqi soldiers killed by roadside bomb
A roadside bomb killed four Iraqi soldiers north of Baghdad on Friday, officials said. The bomb targeted an army patrol east of Dhuluiyah, killing four soldiers and wounding four others, AFP said. At least 43 people have been killed in attacks across the country in August, including 30 members of the Iraqi security forces.
Malaysian activists urge release of 42 detained under expired law
Malaysian activists have welcomed the release of three men held without trial for two years under a now-revoked security law. A Malaysian, a Sri Lankan and a Pakistani detained for alleged human trafficking were released from detention two weeks ago, the AP reports. But another 42 people from eight nations were still being detained under the law, the Abolish ISA Movement said on Friday. The decades-old Internal Security Act, which allowed indefinite detention without trial, was abolished recently as part of government reforms.
Clinton urges Sudanese reconciliation on Juba visit
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in South Sudan's capital of Juba on Friday for a brief diplomatic visit. She is expected to press the new nation’s leaders, and their counterparts in the north, to resolve differences that threaten to reignite a civil war. A UN Security Council deadline for Sudan and South Sudan to reconcile or face sanctions expired on Thursday, the AP said. The Security Council has deferred action until Wednesday at the earliest.
Kurdish rebels attack Turkish soldiers, killing one and wounding ten
Kurdish rebels have killed one soldier and wounded ten others in an attack in Turkey’s southeast, the country’s state television reported. The rebels attacked a military outpost near the town of Eruh in Sirt province. Ankara recently said that Turkish rebels are likely to use the crisis in Syria to establish bases in the country.
Vietnam protests US religious freedom report
The Vietnamese government is protesting a US State Department report that accused the country of denying some citizens' right to religious freedom. The State Department this week released its annual assessment of religious freedom around the world, which said that Vietnam has generally respected freedom of worship but continues to harass some denominations, particularly Christians, the AP reports. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi claimed on Thursday that the report contains erroneous information. Vietnam ensures “full religious freedom for all,” he said.
Former president of Mongolia hit with four year sentence for corruption
A Mongolian district court has charged former president Nambaryn Enkhbayar with graft and sentenced him to a four-year prison term. The court ordered the confiscation of more than $22,200 of the former leader’s assets. Enkhbayar denied the charges, and has 14 days to appeal his sentence. The politician and his supporters say his trial is politically motivated, and was aimed at barring him from running in June’s parliamentary elections.
400 firefighters battle California wildfire threatening homes
More than 400 firefighters are struggling to contain a wildfire that threatens more than 40 buildings, including 25 trailer park homes, in northern California’s Plumas National Forest. Only 5 percent of the fire was contained by Thursday evening, with full containment not expected until August 15. The blaze began on July 29 and has been fueled by high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.
Canadian policewomen's sexual harassment suit opens
Over 200 current and former Canadian policewomen have filed a class action suit against the country's federal police over alleged sexual harassment on the job. Hearings opened in British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on Thursday. The suit was filed in March by a 19-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Janet Merlo. It transformed into a class action suit after more women who suffered abuse and harassment on the job came forward.
Vermont man crushes seven police vehicles
Farmer Roger Pion has been arrested after driving his tractor over five police cruisers, as well as two other police vehicles, in Newport, Vermont, near the Canadian border, local media report. The farmer was apparently expressing anger at an earlier arrest for marijuana possession and resisting arrest. Authorities estimate the damage at $250,000. Pion is now facing 11 charges, including grossly negligent operation and aggravated assault on a police officer. His arraignment has been set for Friday.
US approves $12 mln more aid for Syrians
US President Barack Obama has approved another $12 million in emergency aid to Syrians, the White House said on Thursday. The new aid package brings the total provided by the US to Syria to some $76 million. This figure includes emergency supplies such as medical gear, clothing and hygiene kits. In the statement, the White House also repeated that President Bashar al-Assad must leave power in order to stop the bloodshed in Syria. The statement did not mention, however, the decision of UN special envoy for Syria Kofi Annan to leave his post.
Double-decker bus crash kills one, shuts down US interstate
One person died after a double-decker Megabus crashed into the concrete support pillar of a bridge along Interstate 55 near the city of Litchfield, Illinois, roughly halfway between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri, a local trooper said.. The highway was shut down in both directions following the crash. Officials said two dozen people were injured. Television helicopter footage from the scene showed numerous emergency vehicles surrounding the wrecked bus, with rescue crews using ladders to climb into the smashed front end. At least one person was seen being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance, while others were being tended to along the curbside.
Senate blocks cybersecurity act
The Senate has voted against moving forward on cybersecurity legislation, ending the bill’s chances of passage. The bill failed to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary for cloture. The White House and Senate Democrats blamed Republicans for blocking what they called the only comprehensive piece of cybersecurity legislation that would have allowed the federal government and businesses to properly deal with vulnerabilities in the nation's critical infrastructure systems. Both Republicans and Democrats said they were committed to approving a final bill when they return in September from a month-long recess.
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