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Shark Attack: 'Hero' Teacher Saves Tourist

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 17 Agustus 2013 | 20.18

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.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

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."

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

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

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.

Philippines ferry accident Life rafts deployed by the ferry after 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.

"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.

Philippines ferry accident An injured survivor is taken to hospital

"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.

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.

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

"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.

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.

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

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


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Michael Jackson Glove: US Fights Dictator's Son

The US government is embroiled in a legal battle to stop a gem-encrusted glove worn by Michael Jackson falling into the hands of an African dictator's son.

The late singer's glove was bought with dirty money by Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the US claims.

The latest hearing in the 28-month-old case - "United States of America v One White Crystal-Covered 'Bad Tour' Glove and Other Michael Jackson Memorabilia" - will be heard in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday.

In April 2011, US authorities seized assets worth some $71m (£45m) from Obiang Jr, who owns a collection of Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, a $38m (£25m) private jet, and a $30m (£20m) mansion in Malibu, California.

More than 70% of Equatorial Guinea's population lives in poverty, but President Obiang and his cohorts have amassed huge fortunes through corruption, the US claims.

According to Washington's lawsuit, Obiang Jr, who was appointed forestry minister by his father, has "amassed over $300m in net worth, all while earning an income of less than $100,000 per year as an unelected public official appointed by his father."

Obiang Jr, 42, who first moved to America in 1991, is alleged to have laundered stolen public funds in banks across the globe.

US singer Michael Jackson performs at the World Music Awards in Earls Court, London in 2006 The Thriller singer died in Los Angeles in 2009 from an overdose

Three years ago, the aspiring rap music mogul bought a number of items from Michael Jackson's estate, including the glove.

Last year, the French government seized a £68m mansion in Paris belonging to Obiang Jr, where they found millions more in luxury goods and cars, according to The Independent.

However, in April 2012, a California judge threw out the US government's case, saying it had failed to prove that Obiang Jr had amassed his fortune by illegal means in Equatorial Guinea, where he had never been charged with any crime.

The US has now been allowed to file an amended version of its complaint.

Obiang Jr's lawyers argued in a brief filed last month that the US still has no grounds to retain his pop souvenirs.

"The government still has not identified a single victim of extortion or bribery," the papers said.

"In short, all that the government has is evidence that [the] Claimant spent money. Where the money came from is a matter of pure speculation."

The Thriller singer died in Los Angeles in 2009 from an overdose of the surgical anaesthetic propofol.


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Egypt: Gun Fire Exchanged At Besieged Mosque

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.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brazil Gang Rape Of US Student: Trio Jailed

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 16 Agustus 2013 | 20.18

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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Zara Co-Founder Rosalia Mera Dies From Stroke

The co-founder of fashion chain Zara, Rosalia Mera, one of the richest women in the world, has died after suffering a stroke on holiday.

Ms Mera, 69, fell ill while on holiday in the Balearic island of Menorca.

She was transferred to the private San Rafael hospital in Coruna, northern Spain, where she died Thursday evening, a hospital source said.

She had been on holiday in Menorca with her daughter Sandra.

Zara co-founder Rosalia Mera Rosalia Mera quit school at 11

Ms Mera was listed by Forbes this year as the world's 195th richest billionaire with a fortune of £3.9bn.

She was the highest-placed among Spanish women and was also described as the richest self-made woman in the world.

Ms Mera quit school at the age of 11 and started work as a seamstress at 13 before going on to found the Inditex textile giant alongside her husband Amancio Ortega.

The pair later divorced. Mr Ortega is listed by Forbes as the world's third-richest man with £36bn.

Inditex released a statement expressing the group's sadness over her death.

"The group wishes to send its sincere condolences to her loved ones and friends at this extremely difficult time, after the loss of a person who contributed so much to the origins and development of the company," it said.

Besides Zara, the Inditex group owns a number of successful international brands including Massimo Dutti and Pull and Bear.

Ms Mera had left the Inditex board in 2004 but kept a 5.05% stake in the firm, according to Spanish news reports.

She also held 30.6% of hotel chain Room Mate, it said.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: Deaths Reported In Fresh Cairo Clashes

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

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 at the Lonmin mine, 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.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of Lonmin told the families of 34 miners killed that the firm was sorry.

"We will never replace your loved ones, and I say we are truly sorry for that," Ben Magara told thousands gathered to mark one year since the bloodbath.

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.


20.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt's Brotherhood Storms Government Building

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 15 Agustus 2013 | 20.18

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 smuggle 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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Hawaii: Shark Bites Off German Tourist's Arm

A shark has bitten off a German tourist's right arm as she snorkelled just yards from a beach in Hawaii.

The woman in her 20s is said to be in a critical condition at Maui Medical Center, with an additional severe bite to her foot.

She was attacked around 50 yards (metres) offshore at Palauea Beach, also known as White Rock in Makena, on Wednesday afternoon.

"We heard screaming from the water and it was this unbelievable scream like I've never heard before," local resident Andree Conley-Kapoi told MauiNow.com.

"The only time anybody would scream like that is if they are being attacked by a shark," she added.

Other swimmers waded out with a kayak and managed to bring the woman back to shore.

County officials closed a two-mile stretch of shoreline while Maui Fire Department scoured the area by helicopter looking for the shark.

The beach remained closed to the public on Thursday morning, as officials assessed if it was safe for people to go back into the water.

The shark attack is the fourth in Maui and seventh in Hawaii this year. Two attacks were reported on the same day in February in Maui, while the third came in late July.


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Peru Drugs Bust: Pair's 'Families Threatened'

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 14 Agustus 2013 | 20.18

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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Egypt: 'Hundreds Die' In Raids On Morsi Camps

Dozens of people have been confirmed killed after Egyptian security forces tried to clear two protest camps loyal to deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

The country's health ministry put the number of dead at 56, with hundreds injured. But the Muslim Brotherhood claimed hundreds had been killed.

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, AK-47 and M16 rifles 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.

A media crew is seen next to riot police during clashes with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in Giza Security forces at one of the camps in Cairo

"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."

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, as police stations, government buildings and churches were attacked or set ablaze.

Earlier, riot officers in Cairo backed by armoured vehicles and bulldozers also fired tear gas in the camps 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.

Riot police fire tear gas at members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo Riot police fire tear gas at members of the Muslim Brotherhood

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.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned at the escalating violence in Egypt, and regret the loss of life on all sides".

He added: "I condemn the use of force in clearing protests and call on the security forces to act with restraint."

Egypt clashes A medic tends to a child at the scene

Qatar, Turkey and Iran were among the other countries criticising the deadly crackdown.


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Sky News Cameraman Killed In Egypt

Sky News cameraman Mick Deane has been shot and killed in Egypt this morning.

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

He was part of our team covering the violence in Cairo. The rest of the team are unhurt.

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

Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall called Mick "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart… what a human being", adding he was "humorous and wise".

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "I am saddened to hear of the death of cameraman Mick Deane, covering Egyptian violence.

"My thoughts are with his family and the Sky News team."

A major assault by Egypt's security forces on supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi killed dozens of people.

The police opened fire as they tried to clear protest camps in Cairo.

Egyptian authorities have released video footage taken from a helicopter which it said showed gunmen in one of the two camps firing at security forces.

More follows...


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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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Haiti: Gay Briton's Engagement Party Attacked

Written By Unknown on Senin, 12 Agustus 2013 | 20.18

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.

Spain later said it would not abandon the checks, saying they were "legal and proportionate".

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

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 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.

HMS Westminster HMS Westminster will visit Gibraltar for three days

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.

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.

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 queues of up to two hours at the border

Spanish foreign minister Jose Garcia-Margallo is expected to propose that the two 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.

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 in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Gulf - codenamed Cougar 13 - 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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Sinkhole Near Disney World Topples Building

A sinkhole has caused a building in a Florida resort near Disney World to partially collapse, with another section of the building also slowly dropping.

About a third of the three-storey structure collapsed at around 3am on Monday, according to Lake County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Tony Cuellar.

The villa at the Summer Bay Resort in Clermont had already been evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Emergency teams had arrived at the scene about 10 miles west of Disney World late on Sunday night to find the the building was making popping sounds and windows were breaking.

Florida sinkhole Homes around the damaged building were also evacuated

The sinkhole, which is in the middle of the villa, is said to be about 40 to 50ft (12m to 15m) in diameter. 

The authorities think it may be getting deeper, but it is not clear if it is also growing outward.

The building houses 24 units and about 20 people were staying in it at the time. A nearby villa was also evacuated as a precaution.

Luis Perez, who was staying at a villa near the sinking one, said he was in his room when the lights went off at around 11.30pm. He said he was on his way to the front desk to report the power cut when he saw firefighters and police outside.

"I started walking toward where they were at and you could see the building leaning and you could see a big crack at the base of the building," he said.

Florida sinkhole. Pic: Lake County Fire Rescue Cracks first appeared on Sunday night. Pics: Lake County Fire Rescue

Florida has a well-documented problem with large sinkholes. Last February, a giant pit opened underneath a house in a suburb of Tampa, swallowing up 36-year-old Jeff Bush who was in bed at the time. His body was never recovered.

But such fatalities and injuries are rare, and most sinkholes are small. They can develop quickly or slowly over time.

The state sits on limestone, a porous rock that easily dissolves in water, with a layer of clay on top. The clay is thicker in some locations, making them even more prone to sinkholes.


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Idaho: Teenager Rescued After Suspect Killed

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 11 Agustus 2013 | 20.18

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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Python Death Brothers' Funeral Is Held

Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of two brothers killed by a python as they slept above a pet store.

Noah Barthe, four, and his six-year-old brother Connor were buried together in a single coffin after the service in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada.

They were found dead last Monday after a 100-pound (45kg) African rock python escaped from its enclosure in a shop beneath the apartment where they were staying.

Police say it slithered through the ventilation system above its tank and fell through the ceiling into the living room where the boys were asleep.

Preliminary autopsy results showed they died from asphyxiation.

(L-R) Connor Barthe and Noah Barthe Connor (left) and Noah (right) were asleep above the pet shop

Reverend Maurice Frenette said the lives of the boys' parents, Mandy Trecartin and Andrew Barthe, had been changed forever in ways no one else could imagine.

"We all try to understand the best we can, but you know, no one here can feel what you feel. But I am sure that everyone here feels for you, for what you are going through," he said.               

Questions still surround the circumstances of the boys' deaths, but before the service Mr Frenette said the funeral was a time to help the family.

"We're not here today to make any judgment or to try to find an answer to the inquiry, but we are here to take a pause and to be with the family," he said.

"Today we want to basically be there for them and tell them of all the love we will try to share with them during this time of sorrow."

The Reptile Ocean shop front in New Brunswick The Reptile Ocean shop front in New Brunswick

A photo of the two boys, their heads leaning against each other as they smiled broadly, was put in front of the altar at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church.

The congregation was told of their love of video games, playing outdoors and how Connor was loud and Noah quiet.

Family friend Melissa Ellis said they had shared a special bond and "needed to be near each other".                

"If people all over the world are feeling even a fraction of what we felt over the almost seven years of knowing the boys - inspired, lucky, blessed, hopeful - then our hearts are full," she said.

"The boys are continuing to change people, help people and heal people's hearts, including ours."            

African rock python African rock pythons are dangerous but do not usually attack humans

The shop and apartment where the boys died are owned by Jean-Claude Savoie, a family friend. They had been on a sleepover with his son.

Mr Savoie found the dead children on Monday morning and alerted the authorities. Vets then located and killed the snake.    

Provincial officials have said he did not have a permit for the python. 

On Friday, 23 reptiles that were banned without a permit in the area were seized from the shop and four large American alligators were put down.

Animal experts have been surprised by the tragedy because, although African rock pythons are dangerous and can kill large prey, they do not usually attack humans.


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Zanzibar Acid Attack: Suspect Preacher On Run

Police are hunting a radical Muslim preacher wanted in connection with an acid attack on two British teenagers in Zanzibar.

Sheikh Issa Ponda Issa was cornered by officers near Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, but managed to escape and is now on the run.

He was hit in the shoulder with a tear-gas canister during the altercation, according to local police in Morogoro - the scene of the clash.

Police commander Faustine Shilogile said: "He has not been arrested. He has been shot at. We have been looking for him in all corners of the country."

He added: "We are no closer to finding who was responsible for this. But this is a serious police investigation, and we are doing everything we can."

Five men are also being questioned by officers, according to the authorities.

Kirstie Trup (L) and Katie Gee Kirstie Trup (L) and Katie Gee are being treated in London

Victims Katie Gee, and Kirstie Trup, both 18 and from London, are still being treated for burns at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after arriving home on Friday.

They are said to be "well rested and comfortable".

A hospital spokesman said: "They have been with their families all day. Doctors are continuing to assess treatment options for both patients."

The pair were attacked by men on a motorbike as they walked across a road on Wednesday night.

They had been nearing the end of a trip working as volunteer teachers on Zanzibar, a predominantly Muslim island in the Indian Ocean.

Witnesses have spoken of their desperate attempts to wash the acid off the two girls before they were rushed to hospital.

A picture released by the teenagers' families shows one appears to have extensive acid burns on her chin, neck and upper chest.

The street in Stone Town where the attack took place The street on the island where the attack took place

It is thought one of the girls is not as badly injured as the other because she was helped into the sea immediately after the attack.

They had apparently been due to return to the UK to collect their A-level results next week.

Miss Trup is hoping to study history at the University of Bristol and Miss Gee is considering the University of Leeds, according to reports.

Meanwhile, Tory MP Bill Cash, who sits on the all-party parliamentary group for Tanzania, has urged the Foreign Office to further upgrade its travel warning for tourists visiting both Zanzibar and Tanzania because it was "more than just an ordinary criminal event".

The Foreign Office updated its Tanzania travel advice page on Friday with details of the attack and warns British nationals to "take care" and read its travel advice.

Mr Cash said: "People need to be extra vigilant and the Foreign Office and High Commission need to make a very thorough evaluation of the threat, as these latest attacks would seem to be on religious grounds.

"The threat to tourists going to Tanzania and Zanzibar needs to be upgraded without doubt."


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