International News Synopsis
7
02
2014
Syria govt to participate in second round of Geneva peace talks
Syria’s government will participate in the second round of peace talks in the Swiss city of Geneva, state television reported.
“The participation of the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic in the
Geneva conference in the second round of talks next Monday has been
decided,” Reuters quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad as saying on Friday.
6.7 magnitude quake strikes off Vanuatu
An earthquake of 6.7 magnitude struck off the Pacific island nation
of Vanuatu on Friday, Reuters reported, citing the US Geological Survey
(USGS). The depth of the earthquake was 101km. No casualties or damage
were reported, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake was
too deep to generate a tsunami.
Two explosions rock Giza district near Cairo
Two explosive devices detonated on Friday in a Cairo suburb,
according to state television. The explosions occurred near a police
station in Giza, a large district on the outskirts of Cairo, Reuters
reported. Three people were injured, a security source said.
Operations stopped at S. Africa’s Harmony Gold after rock-fall, fire
South Africa’s Harmony Gold stopped all its operations for a 24-hour
safety shift on Friday after at least eight workers were killed in a
rock-fall and fire at the Doornkop mine near Johannesburg, Reuters
reported. The country’s third-largest bullion producer also said two
other workers had died in separate incidents at different mines on
Thursday. The incidents showed that companies had to do more to improve
safety in South Africa’s mines, Mining Minister Susan Shabangu said.
Taliban and Pakistan govt launch peace talks
The Taliban insurgency and the government of Pakistan have engaged in
the much-awaited first round of talks in Islamabad on Thursday, Reuters
reports. The militant’s ambitions of overpowering the government and
instituting a strict version of Islamic rule in Pakistan date back to
2007, but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed optimism for the
first time about the prospect of negotiations between the two,
especially as both have openly declared their commitment.
“Both
committees concluded that all sides should refrain from any act that
could damage the talks…both condemn recent acts of violence in Pakistan,
saying such efforts should not sabotage the talks,” a statement from a recent meeting read. A top Pakistani official has already commented on the talks as
“cordial and friendly” in a text message sent from the Islamabad government building where the talks are being held.
Homs evacuation deal reached between Syrian govt, rebels
An agreement securing the evacuation of civilians stranded in the
Syrian city of Homs and the delivery of aid has been secured. The UN,
although not party to the deal, has welcomed the agreement between the
government of Bashar Assad and the rebels, and is standing by with aid,
Reuters reports. UN spokesman Farhan Haq gave a statement that
“the
United Nations and humanitarian partners had pre-positioned food,
medical and other basic supplies on the outskirts of Homs ready for
immediate delivery as soon as the green light was given by the parties
for safe passage.” These are seen as welcome developments after the stalemate that took hold earlier in the week at the Geneva peace talks.
Rio protests over public transportation
Demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro’s primary train station turned ugly
Thursday when Brazilians protesting against a ten cent fare hike
violently clashed with police. Activists threw stones and petrol bombs
at police dressed in full riot gear as the chaos spilled from inside the
station onto the surrounding street. A cameraman for Band TV was
hospitalized in serious condition after he was struck by either a stun
grenade fired by police or an explosive thrown by demonstrators.
Thousands of commuters were trapped inside when police shut down the
transit system, and many became ill because of the tear gas. Thais
Jorao, 22, told The Washington Post that the outrage was about more than
the fare increase. “
If it was a public transportation fare hike
when we had good health services and education, you wouldn’t have this
many people on the street,” he said. “
On top of this you see
spending with the world Cup, things that we really don’t need. We want
health, education, decent public transportation.”
TSA forbids carry-on liquids on flights to Russia
The US Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that
airline passengers flying from the US to Russia will not be allowed to
bring any liquids in their carry-on luggage. The prohibition comes after
the Homeland Security Department, which oversees TSA, warned that
terrorists may try to disguise explosives in toothpaste tubes. Delta
Airlines, the only airline that carries Americans on nonstop flights to
Russia, posted the advisory on its website Thursday. Homeland Security
officials maintain there are no current terror threats against the US.
However Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich, said
on Thursday that media reports that explosives could be smuggled into
Russia ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics in toothpaste tubes might
emerge because of a “
misunderstanding.”
Boehner says immigration reform ‘difficult’ due to Obamacare
Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner said Thursday that meaningful immigration reform “would be difficult to pass this year” because more conservative members of the Republican Party have a “lack of trust”
in President Obama. Immigration reform has vexed Washington for years,
but as pressure has increased for lawmakers to provide undocumented
immigrants with a viable path to citizenship, positive steps seemed to
be taken when Boehner assembled influential GOP leaders for private
meetings last week. Yet Boehner’s announcement Thursday could be another
step back, with the Speaker blaming the party’s reluctance on how
President Obama’s healthcare reform was implemented. Referencing
Obamacare, Boehner said “it’s going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes.”
3 rockets hit Israel from Gaza, no injuries or damage
Three rockets have been fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip in the
last 24 hours, according to the Israeli Defense Force spokesman’s
office. The latest rocket hit an empty area in the Eshkol region in
Israel on Thursday. No injuries or damages were reported, The Times of
Israel said. The other two rockets – fired into the Ashkelon region –
also hit open areas and caused no injuries.
Gunmen attempt attack on Libyan army HQtrs
Unidentified gunmen attacked the Libyan army command headquarters in
Tripoli on Thursday, leading to a limited clash with soldiers that
resulted in no casualties, according to military sources, Reuters
reported. Details on the attempted raid are still unclear, though the
gunmen did steal a few Kalashnikov rifles and at least four vehicles
before fleeing the army chief of staff headquarters in south Tripoli,
sources said.
“We clashed with them when they tried to enter, but they left,”
said Ali Al-Sheikhi, an army spokesman. The confrontation occurred at
the gate of the command building. One senior army officer who requested
anonymity said he believed the dispute was between guards at the
military base.
7 dead, 1,000 rescued in attempts to swim to Europe
Seven people have drowned as part of a collective of 200 migrants
trying to swim from Morocco’s mainland to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave
attached to Morocco’s northern coast, according to the Spanish daily, El
Pais. Potential migrants make frequent attempts to cross the border
separating the two, often risking their lives to access the territory
which lies just 15 km over the sea from Spain. Meanwhile, over 1,000
people were rescued from rafts near the Italian island of Lampedusa by
Italy’s navy. The country is another major migrant point of entry into
Europe and over 200 died in October last year alone, only a kilometer
from the coast. Sea crossings tripled last year, thought to be prompted
by regional instability, including civil war in Syria.
Georgia won’t meet Putin during Sochi Olympics
Georgia’s president, Georgy Margvelashvili, will not be traveling to
the Sochi Olympic Games according to a statement released on Thursday.
“The Georgian official delegation will not attend the Olympic Games in Sochi,” Vano Machavariani, Margvelashvili’s foreign policy adviser, told Reuters.
“Georgia will be represented in Sochi by our sportsmen and representatives of the Georgian Olympic Committee,”
he said. The Kremlin previously said that Margvelashvili could meet
with Russian President Vladimir Putin there in what would have been
their first meeting since the five-day war in 2008, when Mikhail
Saakashvili was president. Margvelashvili was elected late last year.
Pakistan-Taliban landmark peace talks kick off
Delegates from both the Pakistani government and the Taliban met for
over three hours on Thursday in the first round of peace talks targeted
at putting an end to the militant group’s insurgent activities. The
meeting took place in Islamabad after Tuesday’s talks failed to take
place after the Pakistani government expressed doubts about the Taliban
negotiators. During the successfully rescheduled meeting on Thursday,
the two groups charted a ‘roadmap’ for future discussions, with Irfan
Siddiqui, the government’s chief negotiator saying the Taliban had
“responded to us beyond our expectations,” according to media agency reports.
Syria chemical weapons deadline cooperation vital
Sigrid Kaag, head of the joint mission of the United Nations and the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), told the UN
Security Council on Thursday that it was essential that Syria persists
in cooperating with the deadline for the destruction of their chemical
weapons arsenal.
“With [the] deadline on the horizon, it is essential that Syria accelerates [the shipments out of the country],” Kaag told a closed-door briefing, according to an anonymous diplomat who spoke to Reuters.
“Time for action is now,” added Kaag.
Syria rebels seize most of central jail in Aleppo
Syrian rebels on Thursday seized control of most of Aleppo’s central
prison, freeing hundreds of detainees, according to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights.
“Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Nusra Front
[brigades] have taken control of 80 percent of Aleppo central prison and
freed hundreds of prisoners,” Observatory director, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. Fighting was reportedly ongoing in the prison.
Moscow sees misunderstanding in reports on ‘toothpaste danger’ for Russia flights
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich, has said
media reports that explosives could be smuggled into Russia ahead of the
Sochi Winter Olympics in toothpaste tubes might emerge because of a
“misunderstanding.” Earlier reports were allegedly based on a US
Homeland Security Department warning. It might be due to
“misunderstanding or wrong translation,” Lukashevich said on Thursday,
as cited by Interfax.
Blast confirmed at Trade Union HQ seized by opposition in Kiev
The Ukraine’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Thursday that a blast
happened at the Trade Union Headquarters in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
The victim was hospitalized in serious condition. His identity has not
been established, Itar-Tass said. The man was wounded in an explosion
after he allegedly opened a suspicious box at the Trade Union House,
seized earlier by opposition forces.
UN chief condemns attacks on the LGBT community ahead of Olympics
The UN chief, Ban Ki-moon, has used a speech ahead of the Winter
Olympics in Sochi to condemn attacks on the LGBT community, the Guardian
reported. Addressing the IOC, the UN secretary-general highlighted the
fact that the theme of the UN’s human rights day last December was
“sport comes out against homophobia.” Speaking to reporters after his
address, Ban said he appreciated the assurances of President Vladimir
Putin that
“there will be no discrimination and that people with
different sexual orientation are welcome to compete and enjoy this
Olympic Games.”
Putin could meet with Georgian counterpart at Sochi Olympics
President Vladimir Putin may meet his Georgian counterpart, Georgy
Margvelashvili, in Sochi during the Olympic Games, Reuters quoted a
senior Kremlin official as saying on Thursday. This would be the first
meeting between the two leaders since a brief military conflict in 2008
that followed Tbilisi’s aggression against South Ossetia.
Deal reached with UN to evacuate civilians from old city Homs
A deal was reached with the UN on Thursday to evacuate civilians from
the besieged old city of Homs, Syrian state media quoted the city
governor as saying on Thursday. Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces
are surrounding rebel-held areas in the city, media reported. Moscow
said earlier on Thursday that an agreement to allow in humanitarian aid
was also under discussion.
Pakistan, Taliban start talks
Negotiators for Pakistan’s government and Taliban met Thursday for a
first round of talks aimed at ending the militants’ seven-year
insurgency, AFP reported, citing sources. The two sides met in Islamabad
for a preliminary meeting likely to chart a ‘roadmap’ for future
discussions. An official close to Irfan Siddiqui, the chief government
negotiator, said the talks had begun on Thursday afternoon, amid deep
skepticism over the outcome of dialogue.
Rival Syria sides appear to agree over aid to Homs – Moscow
The Syrian government and rebels appear to have reached an agreement
on allowing humanitarian aid to reach the besieged city of Homs, the
Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
“The issue of humanitarian access to the old city of Homs is being discussed,” Reuters quoted ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich as saying.
“Judging by the latest information, it appears that such an agreement
between the opposition and the government has already been reached,” he said.
France ready to extend mission in C. African Republic
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday the UN
would probably have to renew a mandate for French troops to restore
order in the Central African Republic when it expires in May. France
deployed 1,600 troops there in December to try to stem violence between
Christian militias and largely Muslim Seleka rebels, who ousted
President Francois Bozize last March. Catherine Samba-Panza, the interim
president, hopes to restore order within a month.
Tehran may modify Arak heavy-water reactor
An Iranian official said for the first time that Iran may modify a heavy-water reactor near Arak.
“We can do some design change… in order to produce less plutonium in
this reactor, and in this way allay the worries and mitigate the
concerns,” Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization
of Iran, told Press TV. The statement signals a willingness to
compromise as the uncompleted Arak heavy water reactor was a stumbling
block that almost derailed nuclear talks last November, Bloomberg
reported.
Russia can guarantee Sochi Olympics safety
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Thursday that the Russian
government can guarantee safety at the Winter Olympics. He stressed that
the level of danger in Sochi is no greater than in many other cities
and is “like in Boston, in London,” RIA Novosti reported. The Russian
security services are working with colleagues from Europe and North
America, Kozak told reporters in Sochi on the eve of the Games’ start.
Russia can guarantee the safety of people during any mass event
“as well as any other government,” he said.
Italian navy rescues 1,100 migrants in rafts south of Sicily
The Italian navy has rescued more than 1,100 migrants from nine large
rafts in the waters south of Sicily. Patrol helicopters identified the
overcrowded rafts with the latest arrivals from North Africa on
Wednesday and four navy vessels participated in the rescue which ended
early on Thursday, Reuters reported. The navy gave no details about the
nationalities of the migrants.
Russia calls on participants in all armed conflicts to declare ‘Olympic truce’
Russia, as organizer and host of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi,
has called on participants in all in armed conflicts “to proclaim an
Olympic truce” for this period, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on
Thursday, as cited by Interfax.
“Our message is primarily addressed
to the sides in Syria’s bloody conflict, which is exerting a serious
destabilizing impact both on the situation in that country and the
region as a whole,” the ministry said.
Blogger convinces Subway to remove asthma-causing chemical from bread
The Subway fast food chain, one of the largest bread bakers in the
world, announced Wednesday that it will remove a chemical in its bread
that drew the attention of a health blogger. Azodiacarbonamide is a
chemical that is used to increase elasticity in bread, and can also be
found in products such as shoe rubber and yoga mats. The chemical has
been linked to asthma and other maladies and is banned from human
consumption in Europe. Vani Hari, the blogger behind FoodBabe.com, began
her campaign against azodiacarbonamide after US First Lady Michelle
Obama praised Subway’s kids’ menu. “
We are already in the process of
removing Azodiacarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts
despite the fact that it is USDA and FDA approved ingredient,” Subway said in a statement. “
The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon.”
US warns of explosives in toothpaste tubes on Russia flights ahead of Olympics
Days ahead of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the US Department of
Homeland Security has warned airlines with direct flights to Russia
that explosives hidden in toothpaste tubes could be smuggled on board.
An anonymous law enforcement official told AP the explosives could be
assembled in flight or upon arrival in Russia. The department said in a
statement that it
“isn’t aware of a specific threat to the homeland at this time,” and that the department
“regularly
shares information with domestic and international partners, including
those associated with international events such as the Sochi Olympics.”
Delta Airlines is the only US carrier with direct flights to Moscow
from the US; Russian airlines Aeroflot and Transaero also have nonstop
flights from the US.
Moody’s raises Mexico’s credit rating
Moody’s credit agency raised Mexico’s credit rating to A3, making it
the second nation in Latin America to receive an A level rating. The
reason for the lift was the country’s acclaimed economic reforms.
Moody’s believes the reforms
“will strengthen the country’s potential growth prospects and fiscal fundamentals,” the
agency’s statement said. The higher rating lifted Mexico’s peso and the
leading share index. Chile is the only other Latin American country
with an A rating.
US disrespects Germany’s sovereignty
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder responded to reports of
the National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropping on him by stating that
the US has
“no respect” for Germany’s sovereignty.
“The United States has no respect for a loyal ally and for the sovereignty of our country,” Bild daily quoted Schroeder as saying.
“That
countries spy on each other is certainly not a new experience. But to
spy on the telephone of a chancellor is clearly a step too far.” Schroeder was added to the NSA espionage targets
list as number 388 by 2002, Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and NDR revealed in their reports on Tuesday.
2 injured, 3 missing after French shopping center roof collapse
At least two people received minor injuries and three others are
unaccounted for after a 200 square meter roof at Carrefour shopping
center collapsed in Lingostiere, Nice, French media reported. Dozens of
firefighters and rescuers have been working at the scene, searching for
people who may still be trapped under the rubble. The cause of the
accident was not immediately clear. According to ITAR-TASS, the shopping
center is the largest in France’s southeastern Alpes-Maritimes
department, which has been experiencing pouring rains and strong winds
for several days in a row.
Ukraine’s anti-rally laws lose effect
Ukraine’s controversial anti-protest laws – passed on January 16 and
later repealed by parliament – have become invalid, the Justice Ministry
confirmed. The laws, which were adopted amid ongoing anti-government
rallies, sparked outrage among society and drew criticism from abroad.
As a concession to the opposition, authorities canceled nine of the 12
laws on January 28. The ministry’s confirmation follows an article in
Kommersant Ukraine newspaper which said that despite the cancellation,
the laws remained in force. The daily cited the parliamentary database.
EU to help investigate clashes in Ukraine – EU Foreign policy chief
The EU is ready to participate in the investigation of clashes
between security forces and radicals in Ukraine, EU Foreign Policy Chief
Catherine Ashton told reporters in Kiev. The opposition and the
protesters in Ukraine have to split from radical elements, said the EU
Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Stefan
Fule, as cited by Itar-Tass. An advisory panel proposed by the EU
Council should be promptly formed, he said, adding that this would be a
step forward to solving the ongoing political crisis. EU officials have
arrived in Kiev this week to meet with the government and the opposition
to resolve the political crisis in the country.
Russian Progress M-22M launches with goldfish on board
The Russian Progress M-22M resupply ship was launched by a Soyuz-U
launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday
at 4:23pm GMT. The resupply ship is heading to the International space
station and is expected to dock in around six hours time.
“The space
shuttle will deliver more than 2.5 tons of cargo to the station,
including a container with goldfish for a Russian-Japanese experiment
Aquarium-AQH,” a source from Russian federal Space agency told RIA
Novosti. Among other biological objects sent to the station were
mosquito larvae and flat earthworms.
Aston Martin recalls over 17,000 cars
Aston Martin has recalled 17,590 cars after discovering a Chinese
sub-supplier was using counterfeit plastic material in a part supplied
to the UK-based luxury car manufacturer, Reuters reported. The vehicles
being recalled include all left-hand drive models built since November
2007 and all right-hand drive models built since May 2012. The recall
affects about 75 percent of all the cars made in that period, a
spokeswoman said. The Vanquish is not affected. Aston Martin said there
have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue, and
that the financial impact to the automaker is small.
Kremlin concerned about Ukraine’s growing gas debt
Moscow is worried about Ukraine’s increasing gas debt, but it is not
going to reconsider its financial agreements with the neighbor,
presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said in an interview with
Kommersant FM radio. “
We hope that our Ukrainian partners will comply with all terms of the existing agreement,”
he said. Speaking about the financial aid, Peskov said that Russia will
not revise its agreements since this aid was intended for the Ukrainian
people. Still, Moscow would like to understand how this money will be
used, the spokesman added. Ukraine has seen mass anti-government
protests since November, when President Viktor Yanukovich refused to
sign an association agreement with the EU.
Four members of US Congress ask North Korea to release Kenneth Bae
Four US members of Congress – the last surviving members of Congress
to have served in the Korean War – have sent a letter to the North
Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, urging him to release Kenneth Bae, an
imprisoned American missionary. Bae has been held in captivity for more
than a year after being sentenced to 15 years hard labor on a charge of
trying to overthrow the state, Reuter’s reports.“You have done the right
thing by releasing a fellow Korean War veteran, Merrill E. Newman. You
would be making further progress on the humanitarian front by freeing
Kenneth Bae,” the letter read.
US designates 3 Haqqani figures as ‘global terrorists’
The United States Treasury added three members of Pakistan’s Haqqani
network to its list of global terrorists on Wednesday. The US Treasury
named Saidullah Jan, Yahya Haqqani and Muhammad Omar Zadran as key
figures in the organization. Jan was named as a Haqqani commander in
Afghanistan and a logistical coordinator between the group and Al-Qaeda.
Yahya Haqqani and Zadran were also said to have served with Al-Qaeda
and the Taliban. Designating the three as global terrorists means that
any assets they have in a US jurisdiction must be frozen, and bans any
Americans from doing business with them.
France raises pollution alert as empty Spanish cargo ship split
An empty Spanish cargo ship split in half on a breakwater near
Bayonne on the Atlantic coast, and France has raised a maritime
pollution alert, the BBC reported. Drifting after its engine failed, the
Luno crashed into the breakwater at Anglet. All 12 crew members were
winched to safety by helicopter. The wreck leaked fuel oil, the report
said.
7 killed in fire as Argentine bank archives destroyed
Seven first-responders were killed on Wednesday battling a fire that
destroyed an archive of bank documents, AP quoted Argentina’s security
secretary, Sergio Berni, as saying. The dead include five firefighters
and two civil defense workers who were killed when a wall of the
building collapsed on top of them. The fire at the Iron Mountain
warehouse took hours to bring under control, and the sprawling building
is reported to be ruined. Buenos Aires civil defense director, Guillermo
Montenegro, said the archives contained banking documents.
UN agency starts polio vaccination in Syria’s besieged Yarmouk camp
Polio vaccination has begun in Syria’s besieged Yarmouk camp, the UN
agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on Wednesday. The once
residential and commercial district south of Damascus, home to both
Syrians and Palestinians, has largely been sealed off by an army siege
for months, AFP said.
“UNRWA has secured the formal authorization for the transfer of 10,000 polio vaccines to Yarmouk,” UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said. The agency earlier began moving food parcels and medicine into Yarmouk.
Israel approves over 550 settler homes in east Jerusalem
Israel has approved a plan to build 558 new homes in the settlement
neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, sought by the Palestinians, reports
Associated Press. The Jerusalem municipality said 386 new homes and
apartments will be built in the settlements of Har Homa, 136 in Neve
Yaakov and 36 in Pisgat Zeev. These settlements are in the part of the
West Bank that Israel annexed to Jerusalem after capturing the territory
in the 1967 Middle East war. Most of the international community
considers them illegal. The Palestinians have said that expansion of
Israeli settlements could derail US-sponsored peace talks, which resumed
last summer after a three-year break.
Syria govt misses interim chemical weapons deadline
Syria’s government has missed another deadline for destroying its
chemical weapons stockpile, saying that the final deadline of June 30
will still be met, AP reported. Damascus was to have given up its entire
stockpile of chemical weapons by Wednesday, under a timetable set up by
the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. A US diplomat
said last week Syria had only removed 4 percent of its most toxic
chemicals so far, while all of them should have been removed by December
31 under the framework. Moscow said Tuesday that Syria is preparing a
new schedule and will make further shipments soon.
6 children injured in explosion at school in Libya’s Benghazi
A blast rocked a primary school in Libya’s second city Benghazi
during playtime on Wednesday, wounding six children, AFP reported. It
was caused by an explosive device thrown over the exterior wall of the
school as the children were playing, according to Fadia al-Barghathi,
spokeswoman for Benghazi’s Al-Jala hospital. The injuries of the
children
“range between light and moderate,” she said. A
security official described the force of the explosion as “weak.”
Witnesses saw an individual throw an explosive device over the school
wall during recess, he said.
At least 22 killed in Baghdad bombings
Multiple bombings rocked central Baghdad on Wednesday, striking
mainly near the heavily fortified Green Zone and killing at least 22
people, AP reported, citing Iraqi officials. Sky News Arabia said 25
people were killed and dozens were injured. The deadliest of the attacks
took place across the street from the Foreign Ministry building, when
two parked car bombs went off simultaneously in two different parking
lots. At least 12 people were killed in those explosions. There was no
immediate claim of responsibility for the bombings.
Travel chaos in London due to tube strike
Millions of commuters in the British capital faced travel chaos on
Wednesday during the first full day of a 48-hour tube strike by London
Underground staff, media reported. The strike was organized by the two
main unions over planned job cuts and the closure of ticket offices.
Staff went on the first of two planned 48-hour strikes late Tuesday
evening. By rush hour on Wednesday, commuters faced long waiting times
for over-crowded buses and trains. The world’s oldest underground rail
network will run very limited services until Thursday evening.
4 car bombs explode near Baghdad’s Green Zone, 13 killed
Four car bombs exploded near Baghdad’s heavily-fortified ‘Green
Zone’, killing at least 13 people early on Wednesday, media reported,
citing security sources. Two of the bombs were parked opposite the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and killed five people, according to the
sources. A suicide bomber blew himself and the vehicle up outside a
restaurant close to a checkpoint one street away from the Green Zone,
killing four people. Another explosion near Khullani Square in central
Baghdad left four others killed. The explosions came a day after two
rockets were fired into the Green Zone.
Israeli pilots punished for storing operational maps on smartphones
Two Israeli combat pilots were jailed for five days and 12 others
were disciplined for storing operational maps on their smartphones,
Israeli Army Radio said Wednesday. The security breach was discovered
after one of the pilots reported he had lost his cellphone and that it
contained sensitive data, Reuters reported. It was recovered and
investigators found he had loaded maps and other classified documents.
Other pilots had done the same, so they could have the information
readily at hand.
North, South Korea agree to families holding brief reunions
North and South Korea agreed on Wednesday to allow some families
separated by the 1950-53 Korean War to hold brief reunions, Reuters
reported. The reunions will take place on February 20 to 25 in Mount
Kumgang, just north of the border, according to South Korea’s
Unification Ministry. At previous reunions, about 100 families have been
allowed to meet. The rare agreement between the two states came as
Pyongyang did not link the reunions with its demand for the cancelation
of the annual military exercises by the US and South Korean militaries
scheduled for this month.
Fire localized as train derails in Russia’s Kirov, more than 400 evacuated
A train derailed early morning on Wednesday at the station of Pozdino
in Novovyatsky District of Kirov, a city in the north-east of the
European part of Russia. Twelve cars of the train were ablaze after the
leak of condensate, but the fire was later localized, media reports say.
Some 400 people from neighboring buildings were evacuated. No injuries
were reported.
Power outages impact 3 million across Brazil
Several Brazilian states reported power outages Tuesday, as high
demand coupled with worries over energy supplies during a time of low
rainfall led national grid operator ONS to warn of
“disruption”
in the north, southeast and south of the country. Media reports suggest
around three million people across 11 states, including Rio de Janeiro,
have seen supplies cut, according to AFP. ONS reported the cut lasted
about 40 minutes before a gradual return to normal levels. High
temperatures in the south contributed to a record-high day of demand on
Monday. Low rainfall, though, has
“nothing to do with the demands of the system,” mines
and energy ministry executive secretary Marcio Zimmermann insisted. The
power outage concerns some in Brazil given the nation is set to host
World Cup action in June.
Scotland parliament votes to allow same-sex marriages
Scotland voted Tuesday to allow same-sex marriages, making it the
17th country to approve gay marriage. The Scottish government called the
bill – which was passed overwhelmingly by parliament – a major step for
equal rights. Same-sex wedding ceremonies will begin later this year,
Reuters reported. The bill faced opposition from the Scottish Catholic
Church and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, though the law will not
require either to wed same-sex couples on their premises. Media agencies
