International newsline

Posted on April 8, 2014

UN cuts Syria food parcels due to lack of funds

The United Nations has been forced to cut the size of food parcels in Syria by one-fifth due to a shortage of funds from donors, a senior official said Monday, Reuters reported. Donor countries pledged US$2.3 billion for aid agencies in Syria at a conference in Kuwait in January, but only $1.1 billion has been received thus far. But despite the shortages, the UN’s World Food program managed to deliver food to a record 4.1 million people inside Syria last month. Syria’s neighbors are also suffering due to high numbers of Syrian refugees, now totaling around three million. It is estimated that about half of Syria’s population is now displaced.

Egypt: Four gay men sentenced to up to eight years in prison

A court in Egypt has sent four men to prison for practicing homosexuality, according to a judicial official, AFP reports. Three men were sent down for eight years for what prosecutors called “deviant practices” and dressing in women’s clothes; the fourth was sentenced to three years behind bars. Homosexuality is not tolerated in the Middle East and much of Africa.

19 militants killed in Iraq in pre-election violence

Iraqi security forces have killed 19 militants, while three others were killed in violence across the country on Monday, as unrest spreads ahead of parliamentary elections on April 30. Iraqi police and soldiers killed 19 militants in clashes south of Baghdad as well as in the conflict hit western cities of Ramadi and Fallujah. Authorities also found the corpses of two men in different areas of Baghdad and a policeman was gunned down north of the capital. The polls on April 30 are the first since 2010 and come amid the worst sustained period of violence since 2008. The bloodletting is driven by a brutal Sunni-Shia sectarian war that has already killed more than 2,400 people this year.

NATO to limit access of Russian diplomats to its HQ

NATO announced on Monday it would limit Russian diplomats’ access to alliance headquarters in Brussels, following the decision to stop cooperation with Moscow, Reuters reported. “The formerly extensive access to NATO headquarters will be denied to all representatives of the Russian Mission [to NATO], except the Russian ambassador, his deputy head of mission, and two support staff,” NATO said. Any other staff from the Russian mission “will have to be announced, registered and escorted during their visits.”

2 top Taliban leaders killed in drone strike in eastern Afghanistan

Two top leaders were reportedly killed following a drone strike in eastern Kunar in Afghanistan on Monday. Taliban’s shadow provincial governor, Qasim Sabri was killed along with shadow district governor Qari Osman, Khaama Press reported, citing local officials. The airstrike was carried out around 3:00pm local time, while the Taliban militants were looking to cross the border and enter Pakistan. Several other Taliban militants were also reportedly killed following the drone strike in Shegal district.

Progress M-22M cargo ship un-docks from International Space Station

The Russian transport ship Progress M-22M undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, to be dumped in the ocean on April 18, ITAR-TASS reported, citing Mission Control. The undocking went off smoothly at 13:58 GMT. A Radar-Progress experiment will be conducted during the ship’s autonomous flight to study the space-time dependence of the density, temperature and ion composition in the ionosphere caused by the cargo ship’s engines. Progress docked with the ISS on April 5. The next transport ship, Progress M-23M, is expected to travel to the ISS on April 9 from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Roadside bomb kills at least 13 civilians in Afghanistan

At least 13 civilians were killed in a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan on Monday, two days after the presidential election, Reuters reported. The home-made bomb exploded underneath a civilian van, killing all 13 on board, said Dawa Khan Minapal, a spokesman for the Kandahar governor. Foreign troops had blocked the main road after a separate car bomb explosion earlier, prompting the van to use a dirt road where the bomb was planted.

12-yo girl dies of virus in Ghana, tests negative for Ebola

Blood tests have shown that a 12-year-old girl in Ghana who died of viral fever did not have Ebola, the Health Ministry has said. “The report from the Noguchi Memorial Institute says categorically that the samples of the blood they analyzed is negative [for] ID Ebola virus and also negative of any common viral fever,” Reuters quoted minister Sherry Ayittey as saying on Monday. The girl was the first suspected case in Ghana of Ebola. It has killed more than 90 people in Guinea and Liberia.

Israel, Palestinian negotiators to hold new meeting Monday – US official

After “serious and constructive” talks on Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators asked the US to convene another meeting on Monday, a US State Department official said. “Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met last night to discuss ways to overcome the crisis in the talks,” Reuters quoted State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, as saying. “Both sides requested that the US convene another meeting today to continue the effort,” the spokeswoman said.

Pakistan security forces kill 30 militants in Baluchistan offensive

Pakistani security forces killed 30 separatist militants on Monday in an offensive in Baluchistan, according to a senior official. Provincial interior minister, Sarfraz Bugti, said security forces also seized a large quantity of weapons during the raids, Reuters reported. Ten members of a government paramilitary force were wounded in the fighting, Bugti said.

No explosion on Polish presidential plane in 2010 – prosecutors

The main military prosecutor’s office in Poland has officially rejected theories of an explosion on the Polish presidential plane that crashed in Russia’s Smolensk on April 10, 2010. The analysis of all experts’ opinions based on chemical examinations has shown that there was no blast of explosive materials on the plane, RIA Novosti quoted Ireneusz Szelag, the head of the Warsaw military prosecutor’s office, as saying on Monday. He added that Russia had not prevented Polish experts from studying fragments of the plane.

US to deploy F-16 fighter jets to Romania

The US will deploy F-16 fighter jets to Romania this month as part of planned joint exercises, Reuters reported. “American F-16 jets will be in Romania… because we have planned joint exercises in Romania’s airspace during this time, and they will stay for a pretty long period,” Romania’s Defense Minister Mircea Dusa was quoted by Mediafax news agency as saying. Last week, the Pentagon said it would send 175 new troops to a Romanian base near the Black Sea to bolster the size of its Europe-based Africa crisis response force.

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2 UN workers killed in Somalia

Two male expatriate consultants working for the UN in Somalia were shot dead on Monday at Galkayo Airport in north central Somalia, according to a UN spokesman. Aleem Siddique from the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) said the UN would not release the names and nationalities of the two workers until their families had been notified, Reuters reported.

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Pope rules troubled Vatican bank to stay operational

Pope Francis has decided that the troubled Vatican bank will remain operational and he has approved recommendations for its future, the Vatican said on Monday. The bank “will continue to serve with prudence and provide specialized financial services to the Catholic Church worldwide,” Reuters reported, citing a Vatican statement. Until now the Pope had not ruled out closing the bank.

Center-left candidate Solis wins Costa Rica presidential run-off with 78% of votes

A center-left academic Luis Guillermo Solis easily won Costa Rica’s presidential election on Sunday. The former diplomat representing the Citizen Action Party (PAC) won with around 78 percent of votes by tapping in to public anger at rising inequality and government corruption scandals, Reuters said. The win dislodges a two-party dynasty that has governed the coffee-producing country for decades. His rival Johnny Araya of the ruling National Liberation Party (PLN) last month halted his campaign as polls showed him with little or no chance of catching Solis.

Tehran expects draft of accord to follow nuclear talks

Iran hopes progress will be made at talks with major powers this week to enable negotiators to start drafting an accord on Tehran’s nuclear program, Reuters reported. A fresh round of talks between Iran and six world powers will start in Vienna on Tuesday and Wednesday. They are intended to reach a comprehensive agreement by July 20 on how to resolve the nuclear dispute. “We hope that in the upcoming talks, we would be able to… narrow the differences regarding major issues, so we could… start writing the text,” Press TV quoted deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, a top negotiator, as saying on Sunday.

 

29 Syrian rebels killed in explosion

At least 29 rebels, including two field commanders, were killed in a car blast in the central Syrian city of Homs on Sunday, Reuters cited a monitoring group as saying. Two people were also killed at the Damascus Opera House after being hit by rebel mortar fire. “Two citizens were martyred and eight others wounded…by mortars fired by terrorists at the opera house,” state news agency SANA reported.

Small explosion heard in Bahrain

A minor explosion was heard in the Bahrain capital of Manama on Sunday, according to three Reuters witnesses. The source of the blast was not immediately identifiable and no deaths or injuries were officially reported. However, the road which was the site of the incident was cordoned off and a car was reportedly damaged by fire. The road is near a government security building. The blast occurred as Bahrain hosted the Formula One Grand Prix some 30 km south of the capital.

11-year-old Philadelphia girl killed by gunshot from two-year-old brother

An 11-year-old girl was shot and killed by her two-year-old brother, according to Philadelphia police. The girl was rushed to hospital after the shooting but died shortly after. Police concluded that the child had procured the gun by accident after a male friend brought it to the house, resulting in the girl being shot through the shoulder, with the bullet then going through her chest. An investigation is underway to determine whether charges will be filed.

Libyan rebels free two key oil ports –  spokesman

Libyan rebels and the government have reached an agreement to reopen the Zueitina and Hariga ports in the east, a rebel spokesman said. Neither official confirmation nor further details have been disclosed. Authorities have scheduled a news conference for Sunday night, Reuters reported. Rebels have been occupying three key eastern oil ports since last summer. They are demanding a referendum on restoring the autonomy that the eastern Cyrenaica region enjoyed for the first 12 years after Libyan independence in 1951.

100 arrested, 44 hospitalized after California party descends into street brawl

One hundred people have been arrested and 44 others injured after a California college spring break party descended into a brawl. Clashes broke out at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday at the 15,000-strong party known as ‘Deltopia,’ the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office told AP. The situation became violent after a University of California Santa Barbara police officer was struck in the head with a bag full of alcohol bottles. As the situation intensified, the crowd began throwing rocks, starting fires, and vandalizing police vehicles. Tear gas was reportedly used, and five of the injured are thought to have been officers. Clashes diffused by Sunday morning

1 killed, 24 injured in series of blasts in Thailand

One person was killed and 24 others injured as suspected Muslim insurgents launched a wave of attacks in southern Thailand, AP reported. At least four explosions took place in the city of Yala, according to local police. The most serious of the attacks was a car bomb that detonated in front a furniture store, triggering a blaze that burned nearby homes and caused numerous casualties. More than 5,000 people have been killed in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces since an Islamic insurgency began in 2004.

Turkish diplomat admits Syrian rebels carried out Reyhanli bombings

The bloody attack on the border town of Reyhanlı was carried out by Syrian elements of Al-Qaeda, and not by groups connected to the government of Bashar Assad, Tacan Ildem, Turkey’s representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), told the OSCE Permanent Council on March 27. The report, published in Sunday’s Zaman, is the first time a Turkish official has contradicted the longstanding Turkish assertion that Damascus was behind the attack. On May 11, 2013, twin car bombings left 53 people dead and 140 wounded. It is the single deadliest terrorist act in the history of Turkey.

​Mass polio vaccine campaign starts in Iraq, Syria, Egypt

A large five-day vaccination campaign against polio has been launched in Iraq, Syria and Egypt after health officials reported a suspected polio case in Baghdad. According to UNICEF, the program aims to vaccinate more than 20 million children, including 5.6 million in Iraq alone. “Polio eradication is a global priority,” said UNICEF’s representative in Iraq, Marzio Babille. The contagious, crippling disease which affects children under 5 years, cannot be cured but it can be prevented.

Iran, Pakistan navies to hold joint drill

Iran and Pakistan’s navies have made plans to conduct joint naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to Iran’s state news agency. The drills will include a warship and a submarine, according to IRNA. “The most important activity of the Pakistani fleet during its stay in Bandar Abbas is to launch joint maneuvers with selected units of Iran’s Navy in eastern waters of the Hormuz Strait,” Iranian Rear Admiral Shahram Irani told the agency. IRNA added that the drills were being launched with the intention of bolstering military cooperation between the two nations.

​Militants blow up election truck in Afghanistan, 3 killed

At least three people have been killed in Afghan’s northern Kunduz Province, when a blast destroyed a truck carrying ballots cast in Saturday’s presidential election. The vehicle was demolished by a roadside bomb, local authorities said. The Taliban militant movement pledged to derail the election and carried out a number of attacks on polling stations and officials before and on the election day, but failed to prevent the vote from going ahead.

​US defense chief warns China over its territorial disputes

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urged China not to abuse its “great power” while resolving the territorial disputes with Japan over the islands in the East China Sea. “All nations deserve respect, no matter how large or how small,” said Hagel. The US defense minister drew a parallel to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. “I think we’re seeing some clear evidence of a lack of respect, and coercion and intimidation with … what the Russians have done in Ukraine,” he said.

​Two killed in Syrian rebels’ increasing campaign of mortar attacks

Two have lost their lives in a mortar attack near the Syrian capital’s Opera House on Sunday, while two other shells exploded in areas close by, according to the local agency Sana, who also reported 22 people injured in the previous day’s mortar attacks. The tactic of pummeling central Damascus with mortar shells has been increasingly used by the opposition seeking to oust President Bashar Assad in a bloody war whose death toll is now well over 100,000 people. And the fighting has intensified in recent weeks, as government forces surrounded crucial rebel hideouts in Damascus and near the border with Lebanon. Assad has said he will not give up the fight, but the opposition, although segmented, has been receiving help and weapons from different outside sources, making it a harder battle to win for the Syrian government.

20 worshipers shot dead by Nigerian extremists

Some 20 people have been shot dead by a group suspected to be the insurgent Islamists Boko Haram. No responsibility has yet been claimed for the shooting that took place in a mosque situated in a village about 100km from the capital of Yobe, a north-eastern state, but it is one of three states suffering at the hands of the group, which has killed more than 1000 people since January. Spokesman for the state’s governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, told the local Anadolu Agency that “up to 20 innocent lives were lost.” The attack took place shortly before the dawn prayer, with multiple gunmen shooting at worshippers, then setting nearby buildings on fire. A thorough search for suspects is underway. “Once again, we appeal to those behind these senseless killings to desist. Enough of shedding the blood of the innocent,” the spokesman added. Locals believe that Boko Haram is an extremist organization who uses Islam to its own advantage. Despite the brutal tactics, it started out as a non-violent anti-corruption group, but turned violent in 2009, after the murder of its leader.

​S. Korea reports finding third North drone

South Korean soldiers found a small crashed drone in the middle of a mountain in Samcheok, 290 kilometers east of Seoul, officials said on Sunday. They were searching the area on a tip from local residents, who reported seeing an aircraft crash in the vicinity in October. The new drone is identical to two others found in South Korea, which it believes were operated by the North Korean military, Yonhap news agency reported. Two other drone crash sites have been discovered in recent weeks in the city of Paju in the west of the country, and in Baengnyeong Island near the maritime border between the two Koreas.

Five killed in gas explosion in western Siberia

At least five people have been killed in an overnight gas explosion in Omsk, a city in southwest Siberia, emergency officials reported. Among the victims are two women, a man and an elderly couple. The explosion at a two-story building also injured nine people, including three children. Three of those injured remain in critical condition.

​16 killed in Pakistan truck crash

At least 16 people were killed and 49 injured in a traffic incident in Pakistan’s central province of Punjab. An overloaded truck carrying 56 passengers plunged into a ravine near the town of Kalar Kahar, local officials said. A local rural health center was overloaded with an unexpected rush of casualties, with police trying to send some of the injured to other hospitals in the district.

​Jordan police use tear gas to clamp down Syrian refugee camp protest

At least 22 Jordanian police were injured in clashes with Syrian refugees at the Zaatari camp, authorities reported. No verified report on the number of injured among the protesters was immediately available. The camp is the second-largest in the world and houses some 106,000 refugees, who fled the violence in Syria across the border. The rioting crowd burned down six tents and two caravans before trying to attack police stations, Jordanian police said. There are conflicting reports on what triggered the unrest. Jordan said it was caused by the detention of three people trying to leave the camp illegally, while the refugees said the riot started after police ran over a Syrian child.

Anti-deportation activists march on White House (VIDEO)

Several hundred activists marched through the streets of Washington, DC on Saturday, demanding an end to immigrant deportations, Ruptly reports. The marchers chanted slogans such as “Up education, down deportation” as they made their way along a route which ended outside the White House. The protest, organized by NotOneMoreDeportation.com, aims to tackle what it believes is an unreasonably harsh US deportation policy, which has seen over two million people removed from the United States under the Obama administration. Thousands of immigrants and their supporters also rallied in more than 80 other cities across the US.

20 Iraqi soldiers killed in blasts near Baghdad

At least 20 Iraqi soldiers have been killed in explosions near the country’s capital of Baghdad, according to Reuters. Most of the troops were killed upon entering a house in Garma. The home was previously controlled by militants who retreated earlier but managed to rig the house with explosives. The home previously served as an army post, according to officials. The identity of the perpetrators is not known. Two government-backed Sunni militia fighters also died in Garma when their post came under mortar fire, security officials said. Three soldiers were also killed when a roadside bomb exploded in Mishahda. An army colonel and three other soldiers died when their patrol was attacked in Mahmoudiya. Al-Qaeda-linked militants frequently target security personnel as insurgents aim to destabilize the Shiite-led government. Sectarian violence has spiked since April 2013, with the numbers of dead jumping to the highest levels since the worst of the country’s bloodshed in 2006-2008. According to UN statistics, nearly 8,868 people were killed in 2013, and over 1,400 people died in January and February 2014.

US should change role in Mideast peace talks – Israeli negotiator

The US should change its role in the Middle East peace process, allowing for more direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel’s chief negotiator Tzipi Livni said. “Part of what happened in the past few months was more negotiations between us and the United States and less with the Palestinians,” Livni told Channel Two’s Meet the Press. The US-brokered peace talks veered toward collapse this week, with Secretary of State John Kerry warning that Washington may give up its role in the negotiations. The talks were sent into crisis when Israel refused to act on a previously agreed release of Palestinian prisoners unless it had assurances that the Palestinians would continue negotiations beyond an initial late April deadline.

Japanese fighter jets scramble to intercept Russian warplanes

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces scrambled Saturday to intercept Russian military planes which approached the country’s airspace from the side of the Sea of Japan, said the Japanese Ministry of Defense. Two Russian anti-submarine warfare IL- 38 aircrafts were detected flying between the islands of Takeshima and Oki, authorities said. At first, the planes were heading to the eastern part of the Korean Peninsula, and then north alongside the western shore of the Japanese archipelago. A crossing of the air border was not established by Japan. According to the ministry, Russian aircrafts have already carried out seven flights along the same route since March 26, when North Korea launched two medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles into the sea. The missiles, which had the capability to hit Japan, were the first firing of mid-range ordnance in four years.

23 dead in south Egypt family feud

At least 23 people have been killed in clashes between families in Aswan, southern Egypt, according to Reuters. Gunfire and petrol bombs were used in the conflict, leaving several houses burnt down, security officials said. Army reinforcements were called in to stop the fighting, which took place between family members from the Nubian ethnic group and counterparts from the Arab Beni Helal clan. The fighting had finished by Saturday morning. Thirty-one people were hospitalized as a result of the clashes.

Flooding in Solomon Islands kills 14, devastates homes

Floods have swept through the Solomon Islands, killing 14 people and causing thousands of others to lose their homes. Several people remain missing and it is thought that the death toll could rise further. Government spokesman George Herming told AP that 15,000 people have had their houses destroyed or left uninhabitable in the South Pacific island nation, which is home to 60,000 people. The flooding began when the Mataniko River in Honiara, the capital city, burst its banks after heavy rain on Thursday.

​Four injured in polling station blast as Afghanistan elects president

A blast in the southeastern Afghan province of Logar injured four voters, one of them critically, local officials said. The explosion happened hours after the station was opened for Saturday’s presidential election. So far, it is the worst incident of violence in the election, which the Taliban have pledged to derail. Incidents of gunfire were reported near at least three other polling stations.

​Italian priests, Canadian nun kidnapped in Cameroon

Two priests from Italy’s northern Vicenza region and a nun from Canada have been captured by unidentified gunmen in the north of Cameroon, West Africa, according to Italy’s foreign ministry and media. The attack took place late on Friday night. Earlier in November, a French priest was kidnapped in Cameroon, who was then set free in December.

​Afghanistan’s Karzai orders investigation into AP journalists shooting

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered “a full investigation” into the shooting of two AP journalists, which took place in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, according to the presidential palace. “Karzai was grieved” by the incident, adds the statement. Earlier on Friday, a gunman dressed as a police officer shot two female AP journalists, killing German war photographer, Anja Niedringhaus and seriously injuring Canadian journalist Kathy Gannon.

​US finalizing plan to increase support for Syrian rebels

US authorities are finalizing a plan to boost the training of Syrian rebels and will send shipments to moderate rebel factions mostly based in Jordan, along Syria’s southern border, according to two US security sources, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The additional supplies will not include surface-to-air missiles, the officials said. Earlier in March, President Barack Obama considered authorizing a shipment of new air defense systems to rebels. As RT reported last month, the Obama administration is interested in finding new ways to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad and boost the opposing rebels, who have lost ground in the conflict over the last few months.

​Three killed in NYC as car goes into creek

A car crashed and submerged in the Steinway Creek in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens in New York, killing 3 people and injuring 2, said a New York Fire Department spokesman. Three people suffered from cardiac arrest and were pronounced dead at the local hospital, one person is in a critical condition and the fifth, allegedly the driver, is in a stable condition. It is not immediately clear what caused the accident.

​5.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Greece’s coast

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake has struck 28 kilometers southeast of Hydra, one of the Saronic Islands in south-eastern Greece about 78 kilometers south of Athens, the USGS reports. Earlier, The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.7, but according to the Athens Observatory, the earthquake measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. The tremor struck at approximately 20:08:07 GMT at a depth of 110.8km. There were no immediate reports of casualties or serious damage. Greece lies in a very seismically active area. In February, a 6.1 earthquake struck off western Greece.

​Malaysia bans Noah film for depicting Islamic prophet

Malaysian authorities have banned the Hollywood movie “Noah,” slamming it for depicting a prophet, which is forbidden in Islamic countries. “I can confirm that it has been banned by the board, the movie could cause quite a lot of anger and distress if it is shown in Malaysia,” said the Malaysian home ministry’s Film Censorship Board unit chairman Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid, according to The Malay Mail Online. Muslims make up 60 percent of Malaysia’s population. Numerous Muslim groups worldwide have already condemned the film, while Christian authorities also slammed the movie’s main protagonist Noah, played by Russell Crowe, saying that he was too unconventional. Noah is regarded as an important figure in both Christianity and Islam.

​Drafting of Iran nuclear deal may start in May – US official

Iran and six world powers are making progress on Tehran’s nuclear program, and a comprehensive agreement will be drafted in May, according to a senior US administration official, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. The official’s statement comes ahead of the third round of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear deal on April 8-9 in Vienna. Earlier on Thursday, nuclear experts from Iran and world powers started talks in Vienna as part of efforts to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program. Their goal is to agree a long-term deal by July 20.

Japan orders military to intercept any of N. Korea’s missiles

Japan Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera ordered the military to intercept and destroy any of North Korea’s missiles in case any of them threaten Japan’s territory, the country’s Kyodo News reported. North Korea launched two medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles into the sea in late March. The missiles, which had the capability to hit Japan, were the first firing of mid-range ordnance in four years. Pyongyang has launched a series of short-range rockets in recent months, as well. Earlier on Friday, North Korea balked at offering details of a “new form” of nuclear test it threatened to launch following a United Nations Security Council condemnation of Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile exercise.