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Shark Attack: 'Hero' Teacher Saves Tourist

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 17 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

A PE teacher has been hailed a hero after rescuing a German holidaymaker who lost her arm in a shark attack in Hawaii.

Rick Moore, 57, jumped into the water and swam to help the 20-year-old woman moments after she was attacked while snorkelling off Palauea Beach on Maui island.

"As soon as we stand on the beach, we hear this blood-curdling scream," said Mr Moore, who teaches at Creekside High School in Irvine, California.

"We look out and there was blood everywhere in the white water around her.

"About 10ft from her, I saw her floating on her back, with no arm. It was completely severed from her body."

He pulled her remaining arm around his neck and swam 100 yards through strong currents to get her to the beach.

"It dawned on me, I was in danger now," he added.

"The shark is around me and she's bleeding. I start praying out loud, 'God, God protect us.' She said, 'I'm dying. I know I'm going to die.'"

Emergency services at scene of Hawaii shark attack The beach was closed for 24 hours while lifeguards searched for the shark

The US teacher, who is also a pastor, went on: "I started crying out to God and I got this burst of strength. I swam toward the shore."

The woman was starting to lose consciousness, as Mr Moore's friend Nicholas Grisaffi, 61, helped him pull her from the water.

They lay her limp body on a kayak and used it as a stretcher to carry her from the beach.

The woman's three friends stood watching in shock as Mr Moore performed CPR.

"Pretty much everybody was out of control except me and Rick," said Mr Grisaffi, a teacher from Laguna Beach, California.

"If we're not there, she's not saved. Nobody did a thing. They just stood there in shock, watching the blood and everything."

Emergency services arrived and the woman was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Joshua Craddock, a 23-year-old from London, praised Mr Moore's bravery.

German tourist was attacked off Palauea Beach on Maui island The woman was attacked while snorkelling in murky water on Maui island

"He was pretty heroic and selfless to dive in the water when by this stage she was surrounded by a pool of blood which we could see from the shore," he added.

The two teachers have visited the woman in hospital and said she was in a stable condition.

"I just can't get the screaming out of my head," Mr Grisaffi said. "I won't take risks of going too far out any more."

The beach was closed for 24 hours while lifeguards searched for the shark.

It was not clear what type of shark attacked the woman, whose name has not been released.

It was the seventh shark attack in Hawaiian waters this year, and the fourth on Maui, according to the US state's official figures.

There were 11 shark attacks in Hawaii last year. The last fatal attack was in 2004.


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Philippines: 200 Feared Dead After Ferry Crash

A ferry with more than 800 passengers and crew on board has sunk after colliding with a cargo ship near the Philippine city of Cebu.

The coastguard said the MV Thomas Aquinas listed after hitting the Sulpicio Express Seven Cargo vessel and the captain gave the order to abandon ship.

Philippines ferry accident Life rafts around the cargo ship that collided with the ferry

At least 31 people, including some children, were confirmed dead, 629 were rescued and 171 were still unaccounted for, the coastguard said.

Rear Admiral Luis Tuason, vice commandant of the coastguard, warned that the number of dead would inevitably rise.

Philippines ferry accident A man is pulled to safety by Navy rescuerers

He said: "The captain managed to declare abandon ship and they distributed life jackets but, because of the speed by which it went down, there is a big chance that there are people trapped inside."

He added that the ferry sank within 10 minutes of the collision on Friday night at a narrow point near the port of Cebu.

Philippines ferry accident Life rafts deployed by the ferry after the collision

Hundreds of passengers jumped into the ocean as the ship began sinking, said survivors. Many of the 831 on board were asleep at the time of the collision.

Jerwin Agudong said he and other passengers leapt overboard after the ferry began taking on water and the crew distributed life jackets.

He told radio station DZBB that some people were trapped and he saw bodies in the water.

Philippines ferry accident An injured survivor is taken to hospital

"It seems some were not able to get out. I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued," he said.

"One of the persons who jumped with us hit his head on metal. He is shaking and he is bloodied."

According to news reports, an 11-month-old baby was among those saved.

Ferry Carrying 700 Crashes Into Cargo Ship Some of the rescued passengers

Danny Palmero, a former fisherman, said he was with friends who responded to the ferry's distress call and rescued seven people on their motorized outrigger canoe.

"I saw many flares being shot," he said. "As a former nautical student, I knew it was a distress signal."

Accidents at sea are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.

Ferry sinks after hitting cargo ship near Cebu, Philippines The ferry sank after hitting the cargo ship near Cebu

In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the Philippines, killing 4,341 people in the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster.

In 2008, the ferry MV Princess of the Stars capsized during a typhoon, killing nearly 800 people.


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Egypt: Army Surrounds Protesters' Mosque Refuge

Key Events In Egypt Since 2011

Updated: 12:32pm UK, Thursday 15 August 2013

January 25 - February 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against nearly 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

February 11 - Mubarak steps down and the military takes over. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

November 28, 2011 - February 15, 2012 - Egypt holds multistage, weeks-long parliamentary elections.

In the lawmaking lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter.

The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90% of the seats.

May 23 - 24, 2012 - The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates.

The Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 - The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16 - 17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7% of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his oath of office.

November 19 - Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt's churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

November 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

November 30  - Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a December 15 date for a referendum.

December 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead.

December 15, December 22 - In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8% voting in favour. Turnout is low.

January 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

February - March 2013 - Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 - A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shi'ites in a village on the outskirts of Cairo.

June 30 - Millions of Egyptians demonstrate on Morsi's first anniversary in office, calling on him to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

July 1 - Huge demonstrations continue, and Egypt's powerful military gives the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - Military officials disclose main details of the army's plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. Morsi delivers a late-night speech in which he pledges to defend his legitimacy and vows not to step down.

July 3 - Egypt's military chief announces that Morsi has been deposed, to be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court until new presidential elections. No time frame is given.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested. Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters remain camped out in two mass sit-ins in Cairo's streets.

July 4 - Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 5 - Mansour dissolves the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament as Morsi's supporters stage mass protests demanding his return. Clashes between pro and anti-Morsi groups in Cairo and Alexandria, and violence elsewhere leave at least 36 dead. A Brotherhood strongman, deputy head Khairat el-Shater, is arrested.

July 8 - Egyptian soldiers open fire on pro-Morsi demonstrators in front of a military base in Cairo, killing more than 50. Each side blames the other for starting the clash near the larger of the two sit-ins, near east Cairo's Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque.

Mansour puts forward a time line for amending the constitution and electing a new president and parliament by mid-February. The Brotherhood refuses to participate in the process.

July 9 - Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26 - Millions pour onto the streets of Egypt after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi. Five people are killed in clashes.

Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27  - Security forces and armed men in civilian clothes clash with Morsi supporters outside the larger of the two major sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 80 people.

July 30 - The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton holds a two-hour meeting with detained Morsi at an undisclosed location. She is one of a number of international envoys, including US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, to visit Egypt to attempt to resolve the crisis.

August 7  - Egypt's presidency says that diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff between the country's military-backed interim leadership and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed.

August 11 - Egyptian security forces announce that they will besiege the two sit-ins within 24 hours to bar people from entering.

August 12 - Authorities postpone plans to take action against the camps, saying they want to avoid bloodshed after Morsi supporters reinforce the sit-ins with thousands more protesters.

August 14 - Riot police clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, sparking running street battles that kill hundreds of people.

The presidency declares a month-long state of emergency across the nation as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.


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Marikana Miners Massacre Policeman: No Regrets

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 16 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

A policeman who took part in the killings of 34 striking platinum miners in South Africa has insisted he did nothing wrong.

Speaking on the one-year anniversary of the so-called Marikana Massacre, the officer told Sky News that he and his colleagues were merely protecting themselves.

The officer, who asked not to be identified due to the anger that remains over the deaths, said he had been badly affected by his role in the bloodiest security incident since the end of apartheid in 1994.

"It was not easy, because it was my first experience ever since I joined the police," he said.

"It was not easy to see people dying ... like the way they were dying, falling like cows ... when you shoot cows in the kraal (cattle enclosure) and they fall down."

He said some of the protesters were armed with guns or traditional weapons.

"What we did was not wrong," he said.

"We were protecting our lives and we were trying to effect arrest because those people were illegally gathered and they were instructed to get away, go to their homes.

"I am not feeling sorry for what I did but I feel sorry for those people who passed away. My overall feeling is that I think we were right because these people, they were dangerous, also to our lives."

No police were ever suspended, but the officer Sky News spoke to was among many who needed counselling for flashbacks and nightmares. One officer involved killed himself following the massacre.

The widow of one miner killed, Zameka Nungu, told Sky News she felt abandoned by the government since his death.

"If I worked for you and I asked you for extra money, would you kill me?" she said.

"They just asked for extra money and they got killed for it."

South Africa's government and ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said they were staying away from one-year anniversary commemorations to mark the killings.

Explaining the decision, an ANC spokesman accused a grouping that includes the anti-ANC AMCU miners' union of "hijacking" the memorial event planned at the Lonmin Marikana mine site, which was expected to draw several thousand.


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Egypt: Call For 'March Of Anger' As UN Meets

Key Events In Egypt Since 2011

Updated: 12:32pm UK, Thursday 15 August 2013

January 25 - February 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against nearly 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

February 11 - Mubarak steps down and the military takes over. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

November 28, 2011 - February 15, 2012 - Egypt holds multistage, weeks-long parliamentary elections.

In the lawmaking lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter.

The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90% of the seats.

May 23 - 24, 2012 - The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates.

The Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 - The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16 - 17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7% of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his oath of office.

November 19 - Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt's churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

November 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

November 30  - Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a December 15 date for a referendum.

December 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead.

December 15, December 22 - In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8% voting in favour. Turnout is low.

January 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

February - March 2013 - Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 - A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shi'ites in a village on the outskirts of Cairo.

June 30 - Millions of Egyptians demonstrate on Morsi's first anniversary in office, calling on him to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

July 1 - Huge demonstrations continue, and Egypt's powerful military gives the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - Military officials disclose main details of the army's plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. Morsi delivers a late-night speech in which he pledges to defend his legitimacy and vows not to step down.

July 3 - Egypt's military chief announces that Morsi has been deposed, to be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court until new presidential elections. No time frame is given.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested. Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters remain camped out in two mass sit-ins in Cairo's streets.

July 4 - Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 5 - Mansour dissolves the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament as Morsi's supporters stage mass protests demanding his return. Clashes between pro and anti-Morsi groups in Cairo and Alexandria, and violence elsewhere leave at least 36 dead. A Brotherhood strongman, deputy head Khairat el-Shater, is arrested.

July 8 - Egyptian soldiers open fire on pro-Morsi demonstrators in front of a military base in Cairo, killing more than 50. Each side blames the other for starting the clash near the larger of the two sit-ins, near east Cairo's Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque.

Mansour puts forward a time line for amending the constitution and electing a new president and parliament by mid-February. The Brotherhood refuses to participate in the process.

July 9 - Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26 - Millions pour onto the streets of Egypt after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi. Five people are killed in clashes.

Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27  - Security forces and armed men in civilian clothes clash with Morsi supporters outside the larger of the two major sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 80 people.

July 30 - The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton holds a two-hour meeting with detained Morsi at an undisclosed location. She is one of a number of international envoys, including US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, to visit Egypt to attempt to resolve the crisis.

August 7  - Egypt's presidency says that diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff between the country's military-backed interim leadership and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed.

August 11 - Egyptian security forces announce that they will besiege the two sit-ins within 24 hours to bar people from entering.

August 12 - Authorities postpone plans to take action against the camps, saying they want to avoid bloodshed after Morsi supporters reinforce the sit-ins with thousands more protesters.

August 14 - Riot police clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, sparking running street battles that kill hundreds of people.

The presidency declares a month-long state of emergency across the nation as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.


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Brazil Gang Rape Of US Student: Trio Jailed

Three men have been jailed for almost 120 years for brutally raping an American student on a bus in Rio.

The six-hour ordeal began after midnight on March 30 when the victim and her French boyfriend caught a public minibus in the Copacabana beach area.

They were on their way to the popular nightlife district of Lapa.

Two men who boarded the bus at the same time robbed the rest of the passengers and ordered them to get off.

They then handcuffed the couple, beating the Frenchman with a metal bar and raping the 21-year-old American as they drove around the city, according to police.

The driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Jonathan de Souza, and Walace de Souza Silva, 21, were each jailed for 49 years and three months for robbery, rape, extortion and corruption of minors.

Copacabana The victims boarded the minibus at the famous Copacabana beach

Under Brazilian law, they will serve a maximum of 30 years.

Another defendant, 21-year-old Carlos Armando Costa dos Santos, who was not present at the start of the assault, was sentenced to 21 years for rape and extortion.

A minor detained in connection with the rape has yet to be tried.

The attackers also went on a shopping spree with the couple's credit cards, forcing the woman to return to the apartment where she was staying to fetch another card, the police officer overseeing the investigation has said.

They were arrested a few days later.

In his ruling in Rio, judge Guilherme Schilling Pollo said the young American woman "had been humiliated in a cowardly manner and the brutal act of her assailants had caused disgust and indignation".

The chief of Rio de Janeiro's Tourist Police Station, Alexandre Braga Rio's Tourist Police Station chief Alexandre Braga

A court statement said the attacks "in many instances were laced with sadism and complete disdain for the victim".

After the ordeal, the pair was dumped in a "favela" slum in the poor Rio suburb of Sao Goncalo.

Brazilian news reports have said the couple was in the country to study Portuguese.

News of the case sparked widespread outrage, particularly after it emerged that the gang was suspected of previous attacks on Brazilian women that were largely ignored by authorities.

The case led to a ban on public minibuses from Rio's upscale South Zone.

But the minibuses, seen as a faster alternative to the buses used as Rio's primary form of public transport, still operate in impoverished suburbs ringing the city of 6 million.


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Egypt's Brotherhood Defiant After '525 Killed'

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 15 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

Key Events In Egypt Since 2011

Updated: 12:32pm UK, Thursday 15 August 2013

January 25 - February 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against nearly 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

February 11 - Mubarak steps down and the military takes over. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

November 28, 2011 - February 15, 2012 - Egypt holds multistage, weeks-long parliamentary elections.

In the lawmaking lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter.

The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90% of the seats.

May 23 - 24, 2012 - The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates.

The Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 - The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16 - 17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7% of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his oath of office.

November 19 - Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt's churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

November 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

November 30  - Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a December 15 date for a referendum.

December 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead.

December 15, December 22 - In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8% voting in favour. Turnout is low.

January 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

February - March 2013 - Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 - A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shi'ites in a village on the outskirts of Cairo.

June 30 - Millions of Egyptians demonstrate on Morsi's first anniversary in office, calling on him to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

July 1 - Huge demonstrations continue, and Egypt's powerful military gives the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - Military officials disclose main details of the army's plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. Morsi delivers a late-night speech in which he pledges to defend his legitimacy and vows not to step down.

July 3 - Egypt's military chief announces that Morsi has been deposed, to be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court until new presidential elections. No time frame is given.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested. Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters remain camped out in two mass sit-ins in Cairo's streets.

July 4 - Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 5 - Mansour dissolves the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament as Morsi's supporters stage mass protests demanding his return. Clashes between pro and anti-Morsi groups in Cairo and Alexandria, and violence elsewhere leave at least 36 dead. A Brotherhood strongman, deputy head Khairat el-Shater, is arrested.

July 8 - Egyptian soldiers open fire on pro-Morsi demonstrators in front of a military base in Cairo, killing more than 50. Each side blames the other for starting the clash near the larger of the two sit-ins, near east Cairo's Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque.

Mansour puts forward a time line for amending the constitution and electing a new president and parliament by mid-February. The Brotherhood refuses to participate in the process.

July 9 - Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26 - Millions pour onto the streets of Egypt after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi. Five people are killed in clashes.

Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27  - Security forces and armed men in civilian clothes clash with Morsi supporters outside the larger of the two major sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 80 people.

July 30 - The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton holds a two-hour meeting with detained Morsi at an undisclosed location. She is one of a number of international envoys, including US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, to visit Egypt to attempt to resolve the crisis.

August 7  - Egypt's presidency says that diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff between the country's military-backed interim leadership and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed.

August 11 - Egyptian security forces announce that they will besiege the two sit-ins within 24 hours to bar people from entering.

August 12 - Authorities postpone plans to take action against the camps, saying they want to avoid bloodshed after Morsi supporters reinforce the sit-ins with thousands more protesters.

August 14 - Riot police clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, sparking running street battles that kill hundreds of people.

The presidency declares a month-long state of emergency across the nation as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.


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Tributes For Sky Cameraman Killed In Cairo

The Chief Executive of BSkyB has paid tribute to Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, who was shot dead while covering unrest on the streets of Egypt.

Jeremy Darroch expressed his "deepest sympathy" to the 61-year-old's family, adding that the cameraman's death is a reminder of "the bravery and commitment that journalists often show each and every day."

"Like everyone at Sky I was extremely saddened to hear that our colleague Mick Deane had been killed covering the unrest in Cairo," Mr Darroch said.

"Our deepest sympathy and thoughts go to Mick's family in obviously what is a very, very difficult time. We'll be doing whatever we can to help them and Mick's colleagues in the Sky News team.

"Sky News and other news organisations throughout the world play a vital role in bringing information and insight to us all, and in showing the truth in events that occur throughout the world.

"But the tragic events and Mick's death I think also remind us that this is often dangerous work, and of the bravery and commitment that journalists show often each and every day in their search for the truth."

Tributes Mick Dean has been described as an inspiring mentor

The married father of two was part of a Sky News team covering the ongoing violence in Cairo. The rest of the news team was unhurt.

Mr Deane had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem.

The Head of Sky News, John Ryley, described Mr Deane as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many.

"Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy. He was great fun to work with; he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures.

"But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas. He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mr Deane "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart... what a human being".

He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with.

"Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades."

 Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I want to say how sorry I am about the death of Mick Deane.

"It is an incredibly brave and important job he was doing. It is essential that cameramen are in places like Egypt because otherwise none of us would know what is happening.

"But obviously our thoughts should be with his family and friends at this very, very difficult time for them."


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Peru Drugs: Women 'Exasperated' At Treatment

The two women accused of trying to smuggling cocaine out of Peru are "exasperated" and "frustrated" at the way Peruvian authorities are dealing with their case.

Melissa Reid, 19, and Michaella McCollum, 20, are being held after 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine with an estimated street value of £1.5m was found in their luggage.

Reid, from Scotland, and McCollum, from Northern Ireland, have not yet had a formal interview or a chance to properly give their version of events, said Daily Mirror journalist Christopher Bucktin.

Despite the situation, he said the women were still "very strong".

He told Sky News: "They're becoming exasperated and increasingly frustrated over the lack of guidance from the Peruvian authorities.

"They have not had a full interview yet, they've not had an interpreter.

An official weighs and tests the drugs allegedly carried by the two women The cocaine allegedly carried by the two women was in food bags

"They were supposed to be in court today but it has been put back at the eleventh hour. They are in court now next Tuesday, they hope."

The two women reportedly said that Colombian gangsters forced them at gunpoint to carry the drugs.

Bucktin, who has been allowed to speak to the two women, said they seem "very strong still but they have moments where they get very despondent".

Melissa Reid's father has arrived in Lima and should be reunited with her soon, said the reporter.

However, he added that Michaella McCollum had spoken to her parents but the 20-year-old did not know whether they would travel to Peru.

Melissa Reid Melissa Reid's father has now reportedly arrived in Peru

The women could be moved to Peru's "notorious" Santa Monica prison after next week's court appearance, Bucktin told Sky News.

The prison holds more than double its intended capacity, according to a US State Department document, which says jails in Peru are violent and unhygienic with "near epidemic levels" of HIV and tuberculosis.

The women were arrested last week and in police footage Reid told officers: "I was forced to take these bags in my luggage."

Asked if she knew the bags contained drugs, Reid replied: "I did not know that."

The airport at Lima wihere the two tourists were arrested The women were detained at Lima airport.

Police video also shows an officer examining a row of food bags, in which the drug was allegedly hidden.

Reid's father told Sky News Scotland Correspondent Jane Chilton that his family was devastated by the arrest.

William Reid said his daughter was a beautiful and intelligent young woman who would never do anything like this of her own free will.

The two women had been living in Ibiza before travelling to Peru and said they were planning to fly on to Majorca when they were arrested.

They could face a jail term of up 25 years if convicted.


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Peru Drugs Bust: Pair's 'Families Threatened'

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 14 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

Two women who say they were ordered at gunpoint to smuggle £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru claim their families were threatened too.

Melissa Reid, 19, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, are being held in Lima after 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine was found in their luggage.

The pair, who deny drug trafficking allegations, were arrested while trying to board a flight from the Peruvian capital to Spain last week.

They were due to appear in court later, but the hearing has been put back until next week because they have still not seen an interpreter.

Michaella McCollum Connolly McCollum Connolly is a former nightclub hostess

They claim they were forced to carry the bags at gunpoint by Colombian gangsters and were unaware they contained narcotics.

Reid has insisted they were not smuggling for financial gain but to save their lives.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We were given no option. If we didn't do as we were told we would be dead. We were not smuggling for money, we were smuggling for our lives.

"We have no doubt they would have killed us both without hesitation if we didn't do as we were told.

"Ever since I was arrested I have played out what has happened in my mind over and over again, asking myself how could we have gotten out of it. But each time I think it wasn't even an option.

"We both had loaded guns put to our heads. They were more than prepared to use them. If we didn't do it we were told we would die."

An official weighs and tests the drugs allegedly carried by the two women An official weighs and tests the drugs hidden inside food packets

The paper's US editor Chris Buckton told Sky News: "They also said that the safety of their families was in jeopardy as well, threats were made to them.

"Melissa was actually told details of her own family, she says, given names of her parents and also their friends. They made it clear they knew where their parents lived."

The women say they were befriended by a man in London, who put them in the hands of South Americans before they were taken to safe houses in Madrid, Ibiza and Majorca.

Reid was the first to be sent to Lima, on August 1, where she was joined by photography student and former nightclub hostess McCollum Connolly a day later.

They are said to be frustrated at the way the investigation is being carried out.

"They have cried themselves to sleep several times," said Mr Buckton.

Melissa Reid Reid is due to spend her 20th birthday on Friday in prison

Both are being held at the same jail but in separate cells, McCollum Connolly by herself and Reid in a shared cell where she will mark her 20th birthday on Friday.

"They are very resolute - determined to get themselves back to the UK ... but they are also very aware of what they could face," added Mr Buckton.

Relatives of both women have spoken of the anguish of their ordeal.

McCollum Connolly's lawyer said her family were confident she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The family are making arrangements to travel to Peru and are also arranging legal representation.

Reid's father William has said he believes his daughter was "groomed".

If convicted the women could face lengthy sentences in an overcrowded Peruvian prison where they will have to pay for everything including food and bedding.


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India Submarine: Navy Says 'No Life Detected'

Hopes of rescuing 18 sailors trapped on an Indian navy submarine appear to be fading.

The INS Sindhurakshak sunk at its Mumbai base after a fire and several large explosions.

A man watches Indian Navy submarine INS Sindhurakshak on fire in Mumbai The fire was followed by several explosions

Divers have been trying to rescue any survivors but the navy has now told the AFP news agency that no signs of life have been detected.

The submarine is submerged at its berth in the naval dockyard with only a portion visible above the surface.

It is understood the fire was followed by three large explosions which lit up the south Mumbai sky.

India's defence minister A.K. Antony earlier confirmed "navy personnel" had died in the incident but gave no more details.

"The cause of the explosion is not known. We are searching for the 18 personnel," added navy spokesman Narendra Kumar Vispute.

Indian Submarine INS Sindhurakshak The Indian navy has launched an investigation

Sky's Neville Lazarus, reporting from Delhi, said Navy divers had been trying to rescue the trapped sailors.

There are also unconfirmed reports of missile parts being found on the dockyard, said Lazarus.

He added: "Analysts have been talking about there might have been a fire because of the battery in the submarine which might have caused the missiles (to explode)."

Many sailors managed to jump off the vessel and some of those are now in a military hospital.

The blaze was put out after two hours, with more than a dozen fire engines at the scene.

Map of Mumbai in India

The 16-year-old Russian-made sub is reported to have been completely loaded, either ready for a patrol or just back from one.

In February 2010, it also suffered a fire while docked in Visakhapatnam city in southern India, killing a 24-year-old sailor and leaving two others with burns.

Later that year, the Indian Defence Ministry and Russia's Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract for an upgrade programme worth $80m (£52m), including a complete overhaul and upgrading of its weaponry.

The diesel-powered submarine - one of 14 owned by India - was handed back to the navy in early 2013.

It is still covered by a Russian warranty and eight Zvezdochka employees were at the Mumbai port when it sank.


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Egypt: 'Hundreds Die' In Raids On Morsi Camps

Hundreds of people have reportedly been shot dead by Egyptian security forces who tried to clear two protest camps loyal to deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting from inside the Rabaa al Adawiya camp in Cairo, said it was "under very heavy gunfire" and was a "massive military assault on largely unarmed civilians in very large numbers".

He said government forces were using machine guns, snipers, M16s, AK-47s and were firing into the crowd.

Kiley added: "There are machine gun rounds, and snipers on the roof, that are preventing people from getting any closer to the field hospital (in the camp).

"I haven't seen any evidence yet of any weapons on the side of the pro-Morsi camp. The camp is very full of women and children."

He said it was a scene of "extreme chaos and bloodshed" and "many hundreds of troops and interior ministry police and special forces are involved".

"The dead and dying are on the steps of an improvised field hospital. The scenes here are absolutely graphic.

"I have covered many wars and this is as severe a battlefield as I have witnessed, with the exception of scenes in Rwanda. There are dozens and dozens of people who have been shot in the head, neck and upper body."

EGYPT-UNREST-POLITICS Security forces and a bulldozer at one of the camps in Cairo

He also said the violence was not a crowd-clearing operation.

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities have released video footage taken from a helicopter which it said showed gunmen in the camp firing at security forces.

The unrest spread beyond the capital, as pro-Morsi supporters clashed with police in the Nile Delta cities of Minya and Assiut.

Earlier, riot police in Cairo backed by armoured vehicles and bulldozers also fired tear gas at the demonstrators who are demanding Mr Morsi be reinstated as the country's leader.

The interior ministry, which is in charge of police, warned its security forces would deal firmly with protesters acting "irresponsibly" and said it would guarantee safe passage to those who want to leave the two sites.

The larger is the Rabaa al Adawiya camp described as a 'mini town' in Nasr City, while the other is in Al Nahda Square outside the main campus of Cairo University in Giza.

Egypt clashes A medic tends to a child at the scene

The interior ministry later said security forces had "total control" over the smaller camp and police have managed to remove most of the tents in the square.

The Muslim Brotherhood that backs ousted Islamist president Mr Morsi claimed over 250 people had been killed and 5,000 hurt in the crackdown, which is almost certain to deepen political turmoil in Egypt.

It urged Egyptians to take to the streets in their thousands to denounce the "massacre".

"This is not an attempt to disperse, but a bloody attempt to crush all voices of opposition to the military coup," Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al Haddad said on Twitter.

The Rabaa al Adawiya protest camp, where several Brotherhood leaders are staying, "is calling on Egyptians to take to the streets to stop the massacre," Haddad said.

At least three members of the security forces were confirmed to have died in the crackdown, while the health ministry said nine protesters were killed and over 80 were injured.

Cairo Squares Raids on the Rabaa al Adawiya and Nahda Square camp

The raids came after international efforts failed to mediate an end to a six-week political standoff between Morsi's supporters and the army-backed government which took power after he was ousted on July 3.

Regional television networks showed images of collapsed tents and burning tyres at both sites, as well as protesters being arrested and led away by troops.

A television feed by a pro-Morsi TV station showed thousands of protesters gathered at the centre of the Nasr City site, with many covering their faces to fend off the tear gas.

It said most of the protesters at the other camp fled to the nearby Orman botanical gardens and inside the sprawling university campus.

The Foreign Office said: "We are deeply concerned by reports from Cairo... and urge for dialogue and a peaceful resolution.

"As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement on 27 July, now is the time for dialogue, not confrontation.

"We have updated our travel advice advising people to stay away from demonstrations and large gatherings of people."


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Gibraltar Row: Spain 'Creating A Diversion'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 13 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

The Chief Minister of Gibraltar has accused the Spanish government of "banging the nationalistic drum" to divert the people's attention from the country's domestic problems.

Tensions between London and Madrid have deepened, with Downing Street announcing it was drawing up plans for legal action over the continued imposition of "politically motivated" checks at the Gibraltar border.

Fabian Picardo told Sky News that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was trying to make peoplelose focus on problems at home in the same way that the head of Argentina's military junta, Leopoldo Galtieri, did in 1982 in the Falkland Islands.

"What is happening in the background is that the Spanish government has been engulfed in allegations of corruption which affect Mr Rajoy himself," Mr Picardo said.

Gibraltar chief minister Fabian Picardo Fabian Picardo is Gibraltar's top politician

"I think what we are seeing is a little bit like what Mr Galtieri deployed in Argentina in 1982, which is an attempt to bang the nationalistic drum to make people look away from the national problems that Spain is suffering and the PM himself is labouring under."

The Chief Minister was referring to a corruption scandal that has engulfed Mr Rajoy's People Party, forcing the prime minister to deny he or his party have accepted illegal payments. 

Mr Rajoy has rejected opposition calls to step down, but Mr Picardo said a British Prime Minister facing the same allegations "wouldn't last five minutes".

"And yet in Spain Mr Rajoy remains comfortable in his post trying to create diversions like this one," he said.

Mr Picardo also called Jose Garcia-Margallo "the least diplomatic of the Spanish foreign ministers in history".

Spain accused over Gibraltar Stance The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht gave The Rock to the British

Downing Street said it was looking at the "unprecedented step" of taking legal action after the Spanish government failed to lift the additional border checks over the weekend. The measures have caused tailbacks of several hours.

Madrid has remained defiant, saying it would not abandon what it called "legal and proportionate" checks.

Mr Picardo claimed that in a fair international court Gibraltar would win "game, set and match".

The European Commission plans to send a team of investigators to the border in the next couple of weeks to observe the controls following complaints from several MEPs and EU citizens about long waits there.

Adding to the tensions, three Royal Navy warships set sail for the Mediterranean in what defence officials stressed was a long-scheduled deployment. The vessels included the flagship HMS Bulwark, helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious and frigate HMS Montrose.

People are seen leaving and entering the British territory of Gibraltar at its border with Spain, in La Linea de la Concepcion Spain insists the border checks are legitimate

The diplomatic spat between the UK and Spain was sparked by the creation of an artificial reef by the Gibraltarian authorities, which the Spanish say will destroy fishing in the area.

Madrid responded by beefing up border controls, leading to lengthy queues, and suggesting that a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving the Rock through the fenced border with Spain.

Mr Picardo said that while Spain is still "playing games" the queues aren't typically longer than one hour, and said the people of Gibraltar do not worry about the spat "because we've lived through so many".


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Dalai Lama's Website Hacked In 'Spying Attack'

The Chinese-language website of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader has been attacked with a virus that gives hackers control over visitors' computers.

Kurt Baumgartner, a researcher at security firm Kapersky, said people should stay away from the Chinese version of the Central Tibetan Administration site until the bug is fixed.

On his blog, he said the so-called "water holing"technique had been used where hackers infect a site that is frequently visited by people whose computers they want to control.

That compromised site automatically seeks to infect the PCs of all visitors, downloading malicious software that the hackers can use to take control of their computers in what may be an attempt to spy on human rights' activists.

Tibet.net is the official site of the exiled government and it covers the parliament, cabinet, administrative departments, and public offices.

Tashi Phuntsok, a spokesman for the exiled Tibetan government, said: "Our office cannot access the website and we are trying to figure out what kind of virus is responsible for the problem."

"We are a prominent target for attacks by Chinese hackers."

Tibetan Spiritual Leader The Dalai Lama (C) gestures as he addresses devotees during a teaching session at a Buddhist Temple in Dharamshala on March 19, 2011. The Dalai Lama's plan to retire and the Tibetan Parliament election is scheduled for March 20, when an estimated 85,000 Tibetans in exile in 13 countries select a new leader from a trio of candidates who are all secular, non-religious figures for the first time. AFP PHOTO/RAVEENDRAN (Photo credit should read RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images The Dalai Lama addresses devotees in Dharamshala

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the latest attack, but Mr Baumgartner said there was evidence to suggest the same hackers were responsible for previous breaches on the site, as well as attacks on other groups that focus on human rights in Asia.

"They have been trying repeatedly to find vulnerabilities in the site," said the security expert, who believes the malicious code works by exploiting a bug in Oracle's Java software.

Oracle has not yet commented on the claims.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He later founded the government-in-exile in Dharamshala after being offered refuge by India.

China sees the spiritual leader as a "separatist" who incites violence in Tibet, while the Dalai Lama insists his focus is a peaceful campaign for greater autonomy for his homeland.

The cyber attack is the latest to involve human rights groups in greater China.

Human rights groups and other NGOs focused on China were hit by denial of service attacks that disrupted their websites during a spate of attacks blamed on China in 2010 and 2011.


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Pakistan Urges India 'Friendship' Over Kashmir

Pakistan has called for a fresh start with India amid high tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir.

Indian BSF soldiers patrol next to a stream near LoC, a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan at Sabjiyan sector of Poonch district Indian soldiers patrol near the so-called Line of Control

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said there should be a "new beginning" after renewed clashes in the mountainous area.

Violence in recent weeks across the heavily-militarised Line of Control (LOC), which divides the Himalayan territory between India and Pakistan, have raised the temperature between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Indian army soldiers patrol near the Line of Control, a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in Poonch Troops from India in the disputed Kashmir region

Mr Sharif said it was vital India and Pakistan became "good friends".

His remarks were published on Tuesday by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the state news agency.

A Kashmir woman covers her face as she walks past Indian army on patrol during a search operation on the outskirts of Srinagar A Kashmiri woman covers her face as she walks past troops

"Let us make a new beginning," he said.

"Let us sit together to resolve all outstanding issues in a friendly manner and in a peaceful atmosphere."

APP said Mr Sharif made the comments on Monday.

Map of Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan claim ownership of the area

On Tuesday, India's army accused Pakistan of firing across the LOC in the latest confrontation between the two countries.

Tensions have flared in the Kashmir valley since the killing last week of five Indian soldiers, which India blamed on the Pakistani army.

KASHMIR INDIA BOAT Kashmir is noted for its beautiful lakes and mountainous areas

Pakistan accused India of killing a civilian during firing on Monday and summoned its envoy in the capital Islamabad to register a protest.

The picturesque Himalayan territory is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored LOC, but both countries claim it in full and have fought two of their three wars over it.


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Haiti: Gay Briton's Engagement Party Attacked

Written By Unknown on Senin, 12 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

A British man and his Haitian partner had petrol bombs and rocks thrown at them by dozens of locals during their engagement ceremony in Port-au-Prince.

Several people were injured, two cars were set ablaze and windows were smashed at the home in the Haitian capital where the ceremony took place, police said.

Officers arrived just in time to prevent people being killed, inspector Patrick Rosarion said.

Campaigners said the attack on the British man, identified only as a member of the Red Cross named Max, and his partner, was a clear example of homophobia.

Charlot Jeudy from Haitian gay rights group Kouraj said: "This is a criminal act and homophobic.

"There is no justification for this kind of attack on people in a private residence. Hopefully the justice authorities will react to the perpetrators of this act."

HAITI-POLITICS-DEMONSTATION More than 1,000 Haitians attended an anti-gay marriage protest in July

The British victim has reportedly said he is fine but does not wish to discuss the matter for fear of identifying his partner and making him more vulnerable to attack.

More than 1,000 members of religious groups took to the streets of Port-au-Prince last month to protest against a proposal to legalise gay marriage in Haiti.

Haiti's gay and lesbian community is small and tends to keep a low-profile because of a strong social stigma that sparks fears of physical violence and loss of employment.

In a separate attack in June, a group of men threw rocks and broke down the door of a house where a group of homosexual friends were meeting, according to the Kouraj rights group.

Two men were reportedly injured after being attacked with broken bottles, stones and punches.


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Neil Heywood's Wife Seeks China Murder Payout

The family of a British businessman murdered by the wife of a senior Communist Party official in China are seeking compensation for his death.

Neil Heywood was killed in November 2011 by Gu Kailai, the wife of the head of the communist party in Chongqing, Bo Xilai. Gu was found guilty after a trial in September last year.

During her trial, Gu admitted to poisoning Mr Heywood, claiming that she had acted after he threatened her son, Bo Guagua, after a business deal turned sour.

Before he was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room in November 2011, Mr Heywood had been a long-time friend of Bo and his wife and helped their son settle into Britain, where he went to two private schools.

Mr Heywood's Chinese wife and British mother have now said compensation that would have been due to his family after a normal murder trial should be paid.

A source told Reuters, Mr Heywood's widow Lulu wants to sue Mrs Gu to get compensation for herself and their two young children

Mrs Heywood and the children are believed to be still living in Beijing.

Gu Kailai, was sentenced to life in jail for killing Mr Heywood in a case that also led to a corruption probe into Bo.

It is customary for a murderer to be ordered to pay court-sanctioned compensation to the victim's family.

Gu Kailai was given a suspended death sentence Gu Kailai was given a suspended death sentence for Neil Heywood's murder

It follows a statement from Mr Heywood's mother, Ann Heywood, who told the Wall Street Journal the family had seen no progress in seeking compensation from the authorities.

"Given the circumstances of Neil's murder, I have been surprised and disappointed that, despite repeated discreet approaches to the Chinese authorities, there has been no substantive or practical response," she said.

She urged China to show "decisiveness and compassion" to ease the effects of his death on the family, especially the children.

Bo, once a candidate for China's top leadership team, was sacked as Communist Party chief of the southwestern city of Chongqing last year when his wife was named as an official suspect in the murder.

He is now awaiting trial on charges of corruption, taking bribes and of bending the law.

The government originally implicated Bo in helping to cover up Mr Heywood's murder, but a legal indictment listing charges against him issued last month made no mention of that.

The British Embassy in Beijing said it had passed on the family's concerns about a lack of progress on the compensation request to the Chinese government.

"We've made the Chinese authorities, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aware of the family's concerns on several occasions since the trial, most recently twice during July," said an embassy spokesman, who did not elaborate.

China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.


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Gibraltar: UK Mulls Legal Action Against Spain

The diplomatic row between Britain and Spain over extra checks at the border with Gibraltar has intensified after the UK government said it was considering taking legal action.

Downing Street said it was looking at the "unprecedented step" after the Spanish government failed to lift the additional controls over the weekend.

It comes as three Royal Navy warships set sail for the Mediterranean in what defence officials stressed was a long-scheduled deployment.

The vessels included the country's flagship HMS Bulwark, helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious and frigate HMS Montrose.

As part of the operation, a fourth warship, the frigate HMS Westminster, will dock in the UK overseas territory of Gibraltar for a routine visit for three days this month, while other ships in the task group are expected to go to Spanish ports.

A No 10 spokesman said: "Clearly the prime minister is disappointed by the failure of Spain to remove the additional border checks this weekend. We are now considering what legal action is open to us."

The diplomatic spat between the UK and Spain was sparked by the creation of an artificial reef by the Gibraltarian authorities which the Spanish claim will destroy fishing in the area.

HMS Westminster HMS Westminster will visit Gibraltar for three days

Madrid responded by beefing up border controls, leading to lengthy queues, and suggesting that a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving the Rock through the fenced border with Spain.

The Royal Gibraltar Police tweeted on Sunday that Guardia Civil checks had caused queues of up to two hours at the border, with Spanish officers checking "every car" going into the Rock.

Reports in the Spanish media suggested that the diplomatic row could escalate to the United Nations, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government receiving support from Argentina.

Spanish foreign minister Jose Garcia-Margallo is expected to propose that both countries present a "united front" over Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, the El Pais newspaper reported.

Mr Garcia-Margallo will sound out his Argentinian counterpart, Hector Timerman, during a meeting in Buenos Aires next month as he prepares for a "180-degree turn in policy towards the colony", the newspaper said.

A man rides his scooter past buses carrying tourists as they enter to the British territory of Gibraltar at its border with Spain in front of the Rock of Gibraltar in La Linea de la Concepcion There have been border delays amid the Gibraltar diplomatic row

Meanwhile, Spanish defence minister Pedro Morenes has said it is "totally normal" for British warships to dock in Gibraltar in what is a "routine visit", according to reports.

Mr Morenes reportedly told the Europa Press news agency: "Neither the British nor the Spanish government have an interest in there being bad relations."

He also said that aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious had requested and been granted permission to stop off at the southern Spanish naval base of Rota on August 18, proving that there was no military escalation between the two countries.

The MOD's operation codenamed Cougar 13 in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Gulf is due to last around four months and will include a series of exercises as well as escort duties and counter-piracy operations.

Four Royal Navy warships, the lead commando group from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and elements of naval air squadrons will be supported by five vessels from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.


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Syria Airstrikes Leave More Than 30 Dead

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 11 Agustus 2013 | 18.46

More than 30 people have reportedly been killed in Syrian government air strikes in Latakia province and the northern city of Raqa.

Seven children were among at least 13 civilians who died in an air raid on Raqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

It said the raid was apparently aimed at positions of the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) which largely controls the city.

ISIS has been the dominant force in the city since its capture by rebels in March.

Residents have held several protests against the policies of ISIS which follows an extremist line of Islam, according to the Observatory.

Syria Government forces attack Raqa, the only provincial capital in rebel hands

An Italian Jesuit priest and activist, Paolo Dall'Oglio, who hoped to negotiate with ISIS in Raqa, went missing in the city at the start of August.

In the coastal Latakia province of northwest Syria, at least 20 people were killed in several air strikes on the Sunni rebel town of Salma, the Observatory said.

At least six of those killed were Syrian rebel fighters while four were foreign volunteers, said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Observatory.

Latakia province is a stronghold of the Alawite minority of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, apart from rebel-held pockets.

Islamist rebel forces have captured about 10 Alawite villages in Jabal al-Akrad, a mountainous area of the province.

The army has hit back, sparking fierce fighting that has left dozens dead on both sides.

Syria Smoke rises in the town of Salma

Rebels have kidnapped a leading Alawite cleric, Sheikh Badreddine Ghazal, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists on the ground and medics for its information.

In Damascus, a car bomb ripped through the Shaghur district of the capital late on Saturday, wounding several people, three of them children.

In Aleppo province, further east, government troops stormed a village overnight, killing 12 people, the Observatory said.

Al-Nusra Front jihadists and other rebel fighters in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor seized control of the offices of Syria's ruling Baath party in the Howeika district, sparking regime bombardment, the Observatory said.

More than 100,000 people have been killed in the past 29 months of conflict.


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Idaho: Teenager Rescued After Suspect Killed

US Abductor 'May Have Explosives'

Updated: 5:28pm UK, Saturday 10 August 2013

The car of a man suspected of killing a woman and her son, and then abducting her 16-year-old daughter, has been found in Idaho.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said horseback riders reported seeing two people matching the description of the suspect and girl in the Cascade area 70 miles northeast of Boise on Wednesday.

Investigators have said an "unusual infatuation" with the teenager might have driven suspect James Lee DiMaggio, 40, to flee with Hannah Anderson from his burned-out home on the California-Mexico border.

"That is kind of a working theory, that it may be something of a motivator," San Diego County Sheriff's Captain Duncan Fraser said. "It's definitely something that we're looking at."

Evidence found in the rubble of the home lead police to believe DiMaggio may have explosives and might abandon his blue Nissan Versa after rigging it to explode.

"In the event that someone comes across the car, they need to use caution," Captain Fraser warned.

On Sunday night, authorities found the body of 44-year-old Christina Anderson when they extinguished flames at DiMaggio's rural home. A child's body was also discovered as they sifted through rubble in Boulevard, a tiny town 65 miles east of San Diego.

The body was identified several days later as eight-year-old Ethan Anderson.

DiMaggio allegedly told Hannah a couple of months ago he had a crush on her and would date her if they were the same age. 

A 15-year-old friend, Marissa Chavez, witnessed the remarks when DiMaggio was driving them home from a gymnastics competition.

"She was a little creeped out by it. She didn't want to be alone with him," she said.

DiMaggio is wanted on suspicion of murder and arson in a search that began in California and quickly spread to Oregon, Washington, Nevada, British Columbia and Mexico's Baja California state.

A possible sighting was reported in northeast California near Alturas on Wednesday afternoon, followed by another about 50 miles along the same road near Lakeview, in south-central Oregon.

Captain Fraser, whose office has had hundreds of leads on DiMaggio's whereabouts, said the Oregon tip appeared "very credible". "We're taking it very seriously," he said.

DiMaggio, a telecommunications technician, was said to have been like an uncle to Hannah and Ethan Anderson and had been close to both of their parents for years.


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India: Child Slaves Rescued After Police Raids

By Neville Lazarus, Sky News Asia Producer

India has the dubious distinction of having the largest number of child labourers under the age of 14.

These children are trafficked from the poorest parts of the country. All promised a better life in the bright lights of growing cities.

Some parents are paid just 3,000 Indian Rupees (less than £35 ) and a promise of more money later to part with their children. Traffickers quickly move them to the bigger cities and sell them to contractors. 

Child slaves, India Mr Satyarthi: 'The products come from the sweat and blood of the children'

Once in the clutches of a contractor, these children are put to work in almost inhuman conditions. They neither get their promised wages nor see their parents for years on end.

Kailash Satyarthi, of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a child campaign group, estimates the number of child labourers in India could be around 50 million; close to 80 % of Britain's population. Though the government maintains the figures are far less.

"Children are largely employed in the garment industry and a large number make products that are exported to the western world," he said.

"The cheap products are sold on the high streets of London, Paris and New York, and when people buy these cheap products they in turn are responsible for the perpetuation of slavery. These cheap products are made from the sweat and blood of these child slaves"

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Delhi is a hub and transit point for child trafficking. Sweatshops dot the capital.

Campaigners tell us it is very difficult to stop this practice unless there is a sustained and concerted effort from not only the authorities, but consumers themselves.

Police raids are not the solution and raids are complicated to initiate. It involves multiple departments of the government and also the police. In a number of instances the employers are tipped off before an impending raid because of corruption.

Child slaves, India Employers say they prefer hiring children as they're easier to deal with

In this particular raid Sky News went on, activists had information of over 100 children employed in a three-storey building, but only found 31. The owner had been tipped-off and the children were made to disappear.

One of the children rescued is Rehman, who is just 13-years-old. He was brought to Delhi by a relative three months ago from his impoverished village in Bihar.

For the last three months he has been working from nine in the morning till after midnight, with breaks only for meals. He told me he worked with 30 children doing embroidery in one of the rooms in the building.

It is where they eat, sleep and work - it was their world. He was only allowed out on a Saturday for a few hours which he spent playing cricket in in the street.

He tells me he was too afraid to run away.

Indian child slaves The children get a medical check before being returned to their parents

"Where would I run and who would I run to?" he said. "I have no money since I never got paid." Now he just wants to return to his mother.

Child labour is very real in many parts of India. The campaign groups say contractors prefer children as it is easier to deal with them. Once they are away from their guardians they eventually become bonded labourers and become almost free for their employers.

Rehman and his 30 friends are free now. They undergo a medical check and will be comforted by activists. The Government is responsible for uniting them with their families and enrolling them in schools. 

But in many cases poverty drives them back into the clutches of contractors. 

The raided sweatshop is sealed by the authorities and the employer is charged.

As for the traffickers, they have enough of a supply chain in the poverty-stricken villages of India. The cheap work force in sweatshops is soon replaced.

Products need to be manufactured for the insatiable demand of customers and for profits. It's win-win for everyone - except the children.


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