Israel Admits 'Prisoner X' Secret Jailing

Israel has admitted for the first time that it secretly jailed an Australian - who apparently killed himself in his prison cell.

The man, who came to be known as "Prisoner X", is believed to have been Ben Zygier, 34, a national of both Israel and Australia who allegedly worked for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad.

Prisoner X had been arrested on serious, but unspecified charges, in 2010.

Israel's justice ministry broke its silence after an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report into the case sparked an outcry over media gagging orders.

"For security reasons the man was held under a false identity although his family was immediately informed of his arrest," a statement said.

The man was found dead in his cell and a judicial inquiry ruled he took his own life, the ministry added, although it did not reveal his identity or the charges against him.

"Following an extensive investigation it was ruled six weeks ago that it was suicide," said the ministry. "The prisoner was held in jail under a warrant issued by a court."

But other details of the case remained under a gagging order, leaving local media obliged to quote foreign reports.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr initially said he only became aware of the man's incarceration after his death, but has now admitted the government knew of his detention at the time.

He told a parliamentary committee the information had been gathered through Australian intelligence channels.

"They provided the name of the citizen, in relation to serious offences under Israeli national security legislation," he said, adding that Canberra had sought assurances that he was not being mistreated.

The story first emerged in June 2010 when Israel's Ynet news website briefly ran a report about a prisoner being held in top secret conditions whose identity and alleged crime were not even known to his jailers.

The story was quickly taken offline and a complete media blackout imposed, but it resurfaced on Tuesday through Australia's public broadcaster.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an urgent meeting with top editors to ask them to withhold publication of information "pertaining to an incident that is very embarrassing to a certain government agency", the Haaretz newspaper said, in a clear allusion to Mossad.

Shortly afterwards, three MPs raised questions over the issue in parliament, effectively sidestepping the censor in a move that forced a slight easing of the reporting restrictions.

While Israel has not revealed the charges, The Australian newspaper suggested he had been detained for treason.

It cited Israeli Army Radio as saying: "Why was he interned? The suspicion is because of treason against Israel."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Zygier was being investigated by Australia's overseas espionage agency ASIS, which suspected him of using his Australian passport to spy for Israel.

The Herald said he was one of at least three dual Australian-Israeli citizens who emigrated to Israel in the past decade whose cases were probed.

It said that in each case the men used the passports to travel to Iran, Syria and Lebanon - countries that do not allow Israelis to enter.

When the newspaper confronted Zygier in early 2010, he angrily denied he worked for Mossad.

"I have never been to any of those countries that you say I have been to," he said at the time.

"I am not involved in any kind of spying."

Tensions between Australia and Israel were high in 2010 following the alleged assassination of the senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh by a Mossad team at a Dubai hotel.

The team was said to have used four forged Australian passports, and Canberra expelled the Israeli Mossad station chief over the affair.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius: Reeva Steenkamp Remembered

In the days leading up to her death Reeva Steenkamp's excitement about Valentine's Day was clear.

"What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited," the girlfriend of South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius tweeted.

She then received a series of replies, one of which was from a mother who said that her children would be making a card for their father. 

Miss Steenkamp replied: "That sounds amazing! Wow that's what it's all about! It should be a day of love for everyone :) may it be blessed."

But February 14 ended up going terribly wrong for the 30-year-old. She was shot dead after Pistorius allegedly mistook her for an intruder.

Now Twitter and other social media is flooded with tributes to the model and law graduate.

Fellow model Melinda Bam said: "Heartbroken for #ReevaSteenkamp's family & for #OscarPistorius.This highlights how unsafe most South Africans feel because of crime#RIPReeva."

Roxy Robinson said: "My precious @reevasteenkamp in utter shock :( :( :( you a true angel now in Heaven much love for you !!!"

Sammy Lambrechts said: "A woman with rare beauty... A classy and sophisticated young socialite with a heart of gold. A true lady."

On Facebook, her cousin Deon Steenkamp said: "RIP cuz this is tragic we will always remember you for your stuning smile brighting up everyone world."

Miss Steenkamp had most recently been a celebrity contestant on South African reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure 5. 

The first episode of the show, which was filmed in Jamaica, was due to air this weekend.

She grew up in Port Elizabeth, where she studied law, but later moved to Johannesburg after signing a deal with cosmetics company Avon. She went on to model for FHM and feature in various advertising campaigns.

The Cape Town-born model described herself as someone who has "a passion for cars and cooking and prefers to read a book on her off days and spend quality time with friends and family".

She was from a family of horse trainers, who she said she was very proud of. Her father was well-known horse trainer Barry Steenkamp and the family is related to famous South African trainers the Amos brothers.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius Held For Shooting Girlfriend

Paralympic and Olympic star Oscar Pistorius has allegedly shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

A body was discovered at the athlete's home in the Silver Woods country estate in eastern Pretoria, South African police said.

Pistorius reached the 400m semi-finals at the London 2012 Olympics

A journalist in South Africa has told Sky News that Pistorius' girlfriend was allegedly shot as she woke him, trying to surprise him on Valentine's Day.

Pistorius was arrested on Thursday morning following the shooting and is expected in court later.

The 26-year-old is alleged to have shot his 30-year-old model girlfriend from Port Elizabeth in the head and upper body.

Paramedics were called to his home between 4am and 5am local time by a third person at the house.

Police arrived shortly afterwards and a 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene. They have launched a murder investigation.

"The deceased was shot four times and died on the scene. It is believed that she was the girlfriend of the accused," said police spokesman Katlego Mogale.

Pistorius and Miss Steenkamp are believed to have been seeing each other since November.

South African journalist Kalay Maistry told Sky News: "It is alleged that he thought his girlfriend, who'd come in to try to surprise him for Valentines Day, was an intruder. It's alleged that he shot her at least twice in the arm and head.

"I think what this actually highlights is the level of fear ordinary South Africans have.

"This is a man who has gone to bed, it's an innocent surprise from a girlfriend … and the moment he thinks someone is trying to break in he grabs his gun.

"This has come as a complete surprise for a man who's considered a national hero," she added.

The shooting was at Pistorius' Pretoria home in Silver Woods country estate

Miss Steenkamp, a top South African model and law graduate, was active on Twitter just 14 hours ago.

She said: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay"

In response to someone else's plans, she said: "That sounds amazing! Wow that's what it's all about! It should be a day of love for everyone :) may it be blessed!"

Her publicist Sarit Tomlinson said the family was "shocked" and "devastated" by the news.

She described Miss Steenkamp as "the sweetest human being" and "a talented and bright young girl", adding that the couple had a "healthy, fabulous relationship".

Reporting from South Africa, Sky's Emma Hurd, said: "It does appear that this was a tragedy - a Valentine's Day surprise which went horrifically wrong."

The Johannesburg-born athlete, known as the "Blade Runner", made history in 2012 when he became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.

He won gold in the 4x400m relay at the Paralympic Games.

The athlete had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, because of a congenital condition, and runs on carbon fibre blades.

Last year Time Magazine named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Silver Woods, situated in the country's capital, is understood to be a high security gated complex with electrified walls, a guarded entrance and regular patrols.

South Africa has some of the world's highest rates of violent crime with an average of nearly 50 people murdered each day.

Some home-owners carry weapons to defend themselves against intruders. According to statistics, nearly 13 in every 100 people in the country own a gun, and it is estimated there are almost six million civilian firearms.

Runner's World magazine editor Mike Finch, speaking from South Africa, told Sky News: "If anybody can overcome this sort of thing it's probably Oscar.

"He's had to deal with a lot in his life. He had a mother that died when he was very young, he obviously has his disability, but yet he's been amazing from a South African perspective as an ambassador.

"There is a certain school of people that don't particularly like him, but I think today everybody has kind of rallied round him."

More follows...

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea Nuclear Test 'Strongly Condemned'

The UN Security Council has criticised North Korea's third nuclear test, describing it as a "clear threat" to world peace.

Speaking after an emergency meeting, South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, whose country is president of the council this month, said its 15 members "strongly condemned" the test, which he described as a "grave violation of Security Council resolutions".

He said the council, which last month warned North Korea that it faced "significant action" in the event of a new nuclear test or missile launch, would now consider "appropriate measures".

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama described the test as a "highly provocative act" that would leave North Korea "increasingly isolated".

He said: "The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community."

North Korea confirmed it had carried out a third nuclear test after monitoring agencies reported an "unusual seismic event".

The test, just north of a site where Pyongyang carried out experiments in 2006 and 2009, triggered an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9.

"The nuclear test was conducted as part of measures to protect our national security and sovereignty against the reckless hostility of the United States," the state-run Korean Central News agency said.

The South Korean defence ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said the blast had an explosive yield of between six and seven kilotons (kt) and was of "enormous destructive power".

In comparison, the nuclear weapons detonated above Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 carried estimated yields of 15kt and 22kt respectively.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

LA Manhunt: Dorner Shootout Ends In Cabin Fire

A gun battle between Christopher Dorner and police has ended after fire ripped through the remote cabin where the murder suspect was thought to have been hiding.

TV footage showed flames rising from the property in California's Big Bear Lake area, which also had thick black smoke billowing from it.

The Sheriff's spokeswoman said charred human remains had been found in the rubble of the burned cabin.

Jodi Miller said the remains were found late on Tuesday, and forensic tests to be carried out to determine if the remains are Dorner's.

A law enforcement official said a gunshot was heard before the fire broke out, and the suspect did not come out of the cabin as it was engulfed in flames.

Police had urged the fugitive to turn himself in as authorities surrounded the cabin where he was reportedly holed up with an arsenal of weapons.

Dorner had earlier exchanged gunfire with federal authorities.

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told a news conference that a sheriff's deputy had died of wounds he suffered during the shootout. Another deputy was also injured in the exchange.

Authorities have focused their hunt for Dorner in the mountainous area since they said he launched a campaign to exact revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for sacking him.

LAPD Commander Andrew Smith had urged Dorner to surrender, telling him: "Enough is enough."

It is believed the 33-year-old - who is suspected of three other killings - may have held a couple hostage in a holiday home before police tracked him down.

Commander Smith said: "It's time for you to turn yourself in. It's time to end the bloodshed."

Another police officer told the Associated Press that Dorner robbed the cabin and tied up the holidaymakers, but one was able to get away and make a phone call.

Dorner reportedly fled in a stolen white Dodge pickup truck and a California Fish and Game ranger fired on the vehicle.

He then abandoned the truck and ran into the forest.

The noise of the gun battle was broadcast by KCAL-TV, whose reporter suddenly found himself near the shooting. Someone could be heard yelling at the reporter to get out of the area.

The manhunt has centred on the San Bernardino mountains since Dorner's pickup truck was found in the area last Thursday.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said a stolen vehicle report from a residence was received at 12.20pm on Tuesday and the owners of the car described the suspect as looking similar to Dorner.

Police had been following up hundreds of new leads prompted by a $1m (£640,000) reward for information.

Dorner, a naval reservist, is suspected of killing a couple on February 3 and then ambushing two policemen early on Thursday, killing one.

An angry Facebook rant with threats against the LAPD led officials to assign officers to protect officers and their families.

Within hours of the release of photos of Dorner, described as armed and "extremely dangerous," the suspect then ambushed police in Riverside County, shooting three and killing one police officer.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Women And Children Killed In Nato Air Strike

A Nato air strike on a Taliban hideout in Afghanistan has killed nine women and children, local officials say.

"Five children, four women and a man were killed in the raid," said Kunar provincial governor, Sayed Fazulullah Wahidi.

A spokesman for Nato forces said they were investigating the allegations.

Three Taliban commanders, including a notorious al Qaeda-linked militant leader called Shahpoor, were also killed in the raid, district governor Abdul Zahir said.

The air raid was in support of a ground operation by US-led coalition and Afghan forces in a Taliban-controlled valley in the insurgency-plagued region, Mr Zahir said.

"The civilians were killed in the air raid," he said.

It is not clear if the owner of the targeted house was a member of the Taliban or a civilian, but the Taliban were visiting when the home was attacked, Mr Zahir added.

Four other children were wounded in the raid, Mr Wahidi said.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Deaths After Turkish Border Blast

A car has exploded at a border crossing between Turkey and Syria, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more.

The mayor of Reyhanli, the nearest town to the border checkpoint, told CNN Turk that four of those killed were Turkish and that the car which exploded had Syrian licence plates.

Witnesses said they saw it drive up to the border post, one of the main crossing points for Syrian refugees into Turkey, shortly before the explosion.

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said the government was investigating all possible causes for the blast, including a suicide attack, but it was wrong to jump to hasty conclusions.

"The information that we have for now is that a minibus with Syrian number plates coming from the other side exploded. It was a powerful explosion," Arinc, who is also the government spokesman, told reporters after a regular cabinet meeting.

Cars at the border crossing were badly-damaged in the blast

"But whether this was a vehicle laden with explosives or another type of explosion, I think, at the latest, will become clear tomorrow," he said.

Turkey's interior, justice and customs ministers are due to fly to the area to be briefed on the exposion.

Arinc said the death toll from the blast had risen to 12, including three Turks and nine Syrians. At least 28 people were wounded, 13 of them seriously.

Television footage and photographs showed severe damage to a series of cars at the border, where a gate was blown open and part of the roof collapsed.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan interrupted a cabinet meeting to be briefed on the explosion, Turkish media reported.

Turkey is a staunch supporter of the almost two-year-old uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has harboured both Syrian refugees and rebels.

Five Turkish civilians were killed in October 2012 when a mortar shell hit a house in the Turkish border town of Akcakale.

Turkey has also responded in kind to gunfire and mortar rounds hitting its territory along the 910km (565 mile) border and is hosting six NATO Patriot missile batteries meant to defend it against attacks from Syria.

Tensions have increased in recent weeks after NATO said it had detected launches of short-range ballistic missiles inside Syria, several of which have landed close to the Turkish border.

Turkey has scrambled warplanes along the frontier, fanning fears the war could spread and further destabilise the region.

Speaking from scene of the explosion, Syrian opposition campaigner Osama Semaan said he believed the explosion was an attack by Assad loyalists in response to an offer of talks from opposition Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib.

"It seems it is a deadly message from the Syrian regime after Sheikh Moaz offered it to talk in northern Syria," Mr Semaan said.

The Cilvegozu border gate, several kilometres outside the town of Reyhanli, sits opposite the Syrian gate of Bab al-Hawa, which the rebels captured last July.

Refugees cross back and forth and Turkish trucks also deliver goods into no-man's land between the two gates, where they are picked up by Syrians.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ex-LAPD Cop Hunt: Dorner Charged With Murder

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

Fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner has been charged with the murder of a police officer under special circumstances that could bring the death penalty.

Dorner, who is suspected of killing three people and wounding two others last week, also faces an attempted murder charge over the shooting of another Riverside police officer.

The former LAPD cop, who remains on the run for a fifth day, declared "war" on his former colleagues in a threatening online manifesto.

Police say they are following up hundreds of new leads prompted by a $1m (£632,000) reward.

Police have battled snow in their search in the San Bernardino mountains

A spokesman for the Los Angeles police says they are investigating more than 600 new clues resulting from tips from members of the public.

The reward - made up of donations from local authorities, council officials, police organisations and anonymous donors - was offered at the weekend with the trail having seemingly gone cold.

Police have been searching for Dorner since last week and are protecting the families of 50 officers who are considered targets.

Dorner seen on surveillance clip at an Orange County hotel in January

The 33-year-old made clear in a Facebook rant that he holds many of his former colleagues responsible for his being sacked by the LAPD in 2009.

The search has sparked numerous false alarms. Police raced to a home improvement store at the weekend only to discover the reported sighting of Dorner was in fact a couple having an argument in the car park.

Officers also continue to scour the Big Bear area of the San Bernardino Mountains where Dorner's burned-out pick-up truck was found torched. There has been no confirmed sighting of him there.

Dorner's pick-up truck was found torched

The search - believed to the largest manhunt in Los Angeles history - has stretched the resources of city's police force. The department is on "tactical alert", meaning officers are staying on duty beyond their shifts.

Meanwhile, a lawyer representing a man whose pick-up was mistakenly peppered with bullets by police hunting Dorner says the officers were reckless.

Surfer Dan Perdue was driving to the beach in Torrance on Thursday when he was stopped by officers guarding the home of a law enforcement official targeted by Dorner.

Police mistakenly shot Mr Perdue's truck in Torrance

After driving away, his vehicle was hit by a squad car and, when it spun round, officers began shooting. Mr Perdue was not injured.

It happened just blocks away from another mistaken identity shooting. A mother and daughter delivering newspapers in a pick-up truck were wounded when police opened fire on them.

It has all added to the impression of a region on edge with no sign of Dorner and police convinced he has every intention of carrying out his threat to kill.

The LA police chief has said he will re-open the investigation into Dorner's dismissal from the force. He was fired after being found guilty of making false allegations against a colleague.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Korea Confirms 'Successful' Nuclear Test

North Korea has confirmed it has carried out a third nuclear test after monitoring agencies reported an "unusual seismic event".

"A third nuclear test has been successfully staged," the North's state-run Korean Central News agency said.

Protesters in Seoul voiced their anger and condemned leader Kim Jong-un

"The nuclear test was conducted as part of measures to protect our national security and sovereignty against the reckless hostility of the United States that violated our republic's right for a peaceful satellite launch."

A 4.9 magnitude earthquake was detected just north of a site where Pyongyang conducted nuclear tests in 2009.

The South Korean defence ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said the blast had an explosive yield of between six and seven kilotons (6-7kt) and was of "enormous destructive power".

In comparison, the nuclear weapons detonated above Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 carried a yield of around 20kt each.

A spokesperson for the UN boss Ban Ki-moon said: "The Secretary-General condemns the underground nuclear weapon test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea today.

A Japanese seismic official shows where the blast occurred

"It is a clear and grave violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions."

Tibor Toth, the executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), said the event's location was "roughly congruent with" nuclear tests carried out by North Korea in 2006 and 2009.

"This act would constitute a clear threat to international peace and security, and challenge efforts made to strengthen global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, in particular by ending nuclear testing," he added.

China expressed its "firm opposition" to North Korea's nuclear test, saying its wayward ally had gone ahead with the blast "despite widespread opposition from the international community".

"We strongly urge the DPRK to honour its commitment to denuclearisation, and not to take any actions which might worsen the situation," the foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

A North Korean soldier stands guard after the test

The UN Security Council will hold urgent talks on the blast at 2pm GMT and US President Barack Obama said the test posed a threat to international peace and security.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "The UK will begin urgent consultations with Security Council partners calling for a robust response to this latest development."

Mr Obama said the US will "continue to take steps necessary to defend ourselves and our allies" and it will work with other nations "to pursue firm action".

He added that North Korea's action "warrants further swift and credible action by the international community".

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "North Korea's development of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities poses a threat to international and regional security.

South Korean troops march along the demilitarised zone at the 38th parallel

"Its repeated provocations only serve to increase regional tension, and hinder the prospects for lasting peace on the Korean peninsula."

Japan said the North Korean nuclear test was a "grave threat", according to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"(The test) is a grave threat to the safety of our country and a serious challenge against the global framework of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation," Mr Abe said in a statement, adding it "cannot be tolerated".

After the blast took place a North Korean newsreader urged the Korean People's Army (KPA) to prepare for combat against its foes.

She stressed that If an order was given "the KPA should blow up the stronghold of aggression at a strike".

"And wipe out the brigandish US imperialists and South Korea puppet army to the last man and thus accomplish the historic cause of national reunification."

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Royal Hoax Call: Australian DJ Back On Air

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

One of the Australian DJs at the centre of the royal prank call controversy in which a nurse was found hanged has quietly returned to the airwaves.

Michael Christian is back on the air presenting the mid-morning show on Melbourne's Fox FM radio station.

The show he presented with co-host Mel Grieg was suspended and eventually cancelled after the pair made the prank call to King Edward VII's Hospital in London in December.

They pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles and asked about the health of Prince William's pregnant wife Kate, who was being treated at the hospital at the time.

Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who transferred the call to a colleague, was found hanged three days later, sparking a backlash against the DJs.

Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha and her husband Ben Barboza

Rhys Holleran, CEO of Austereo, said: "We are happy to have Michael back on air.

"We have always supported our talent returning to work when appropriate and today marks that occasion for Michael.

"We look forward to welcoming Mel Greig back when the time is right."

According to Australian media news website Mumbrella, Christian did not identify himself to listeners during on-air links.

His name was also missing from the station's listings on its website.

Neither Mr Christian nor Ms Greig will be prosecuted over the hoax call, during which details of the Duchess of Cambridge's rare form of morning sickness were revealed.

Both presenters appeared on national television in Australia to apologise for the stunt.

"If we played any involvement in (Ms Saldanha's) death then we're very sorry for that," Mr Christian said during the interview.

An inquest found no suspicious circumstances over the death of Ms Saldanha, a mother of two who was born in India.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indian Festival Stampede: Dozens Killed

At least 36 people, mostly women, have been killed in a stampede at a railway station near India's Kumbh Mela festival.

Amit Malviya, a spokesman for the northern and central railway, confirmed that 20 bodies had been identified, with authorities waiting for relatives to come forward to claim 16 others.

Of those identified, 14 are female and six are men, with the youngest victim being an eight-year-old girl. The oldest victim was a 75-year-old man.

"Twenty persons have been identified (and) we are trying to ascertain the identities of the remaining persons," he said.

Dozens more were injured in the stampede.

The stampede occurred at Allahabad station when pilgrims were heading home from the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, which drew 30 million people to the banks of the River Ganges.

Hindus believe a swim in the sacred waters of the river cleanses them of their sins.

Local officials said the railings on a bridge at the station had given way under the pressure of the mass of people, while witnesses said that police had baton-charged the crowd, triggering panic.

Injured people were taken away in ambulances from Allahabad station, but relatives said emergency services took hours to reach the scene.

"My sister is lying here unattended to for the last two hours. Why is no-one coming?" a woman from the state of Bihar told the NDTV channel from the platform.

After the stampede, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement saying that he was "deeply shocked to learn of the unfortunate incident".

Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal headed to Allahabad to investigate what happened.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nine Killed In Northern Russia Mine Explosion

Nine people have been killed and eight are feared trapped after a mine explosion in northern Russia.

The Russian Interior Ministry said the blast, at a mine owned by a division of one of the country's largest steel producers Severstal, was caused by a buildup of methane gas.

Workers were feared trapped under rubble at the pit in the northern Komi region.

More follows...

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

US Blizzard: Warnings Of Flash Flooding

A major clear-up is under way after a blizzard battered the northeast US.

People in New England began the job of digging out from as much as a metre of snow, while emergency crews used snowmobiles to reach shivering motorists stranded overnight in New York's Long Island.

Many now fear heavy flooding when the snow begins to melt, and some residents in Massachusetts are being told to evacuate their homes. In the town of Hull, a mandatory evacuation order for coastal areas was issued.

At least eight deaths were blamed on the storm, including three in Canada.

About 475,000 homes and businesses were still without power late on Saturday night, down from a peak of about 650,000.

Roads across the New York to Boston corridor of roughly 25 million people were impassable, while many cars remain stuck in drifts.

The snow was so deep that some people could not get their doors open.

"It's like lifting cement," said Michael Levesque, from Quincy, Massachusetts. "They say it's two feet, but I think it's more like three feet."

One of the reported deaths was of an 11-year-old boy in Boston, who was overcome by carbon monoxide as he sat in a running car to keep warm while his father shovelled snow.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee said that while the snow had stopped, the danger had not passed.

"People need to take this storm seriously, even after it's over. If you have any kind of heart condition, be careful with the shoveling."

However, the storm was not as bad as some of the forecasts led many to fear.

In New York, around 30cm of snow was recorded in Central Park, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city "dodged a bullet".

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

China Ushers In Year Of The Snake

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

Across Asia and beyond, well over one billion people have welcomed in the Lunar New Year, this year represented by the snake.

In China, the traditional heart of what is also known as Chinese New Year, one fifth of the world's population marked the close of the Year of the Dragon and the dawn of a new year with all the traditional fanfare.

In the capital Beijing, fireworks have been echoing in the skies for hours. Traditionally set off to ward off evil spirits, they are sold and lit on almost every main street corner.

Beijing's Temple of the Earth Park has been transformed into a sea of red lanterns. Crowds are gathered around traditional dance performances.

Police officers march as part of a re-enactment of an ancient ceremony

Hundreds of stalls sell food, drinks, toys, souvenirs and snake-themed items of an apparently infinite variety.

Food and family are the two dominant themes for Chinese New Year.

In the park we met An Ying and her parents. She lives in Beijing but is originally from Inner Mongolia.

Her parents have travelled to Beijing to be with her; a break with tradition which usually dictates that younger generations travel back to their family home.

"I will celebrate with my family here in Beijing and we will gather to watch the gala on television," she told me.

A woman and a child pose for photo next to a snake sculpture

The New Year gala is a long-standing institution in China. Broadcast on state television it is a celebration of the year with performances from comedians, singers and musicians.

This year Celine Dion became the first non-Chinese person to perform at the gala singing her Titanic hit "My Heart Will Go On".

Through the day families have been absorbing the atmosphere, the colour and the sounds in the frozen temperatures.

Some carry inflatable or stuffed toy snakes and the more superstitious will be wondering what the coming year will bring. There is significantly less affection for the snake than there was for last year's rather more auspicious dragon.

Fearful that the Year of the Snake might bring with it all that the slithering reptile represents, there has been a rush of weddings and attempts at carefully planned births to ensure they fell within the last year and not the coming one.

In an attempt to overcome people's suspicions, the toy snakes produced for the new year all seem to sport unusually happy or smiley faces.

The less superstitious insist that the snake does have its value. Some refer to the snake as the little dragon. It is said that children born in the year of the snake will be rational, organised and intelligent.

The lunar calendar follows a 12-year cycle with 12 animals representing each year.

As dusk falls on Chinese New Years Eve, the tradition is to gather at the family home and watch the gala before eating a meal together at midnight.

For a country that has changed beyond recognition over the past three decades, the desire to stick to tradition is still remarkably strong though there are increasing signs of strains every year.

As the Chinese middle class grows with more money to spend, many are opting to travel abroad for the break rather than to spend it with families.

But for the traditionalists who have stayed at home and travelled to see families, the festivities will draw to a close at the end of the week with the traditional Lantern Festival.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tunisia: Protests As PM Threatens To Resign

The Tunisian Prime Minister has threatened to resign if he fails to form a new government within next few days sparking protests from ruling party supporters.

Hamadi Jebali has offered to form a new nonpolitical government in the wake of the assassination of the opposition leader Chokri Belaid.

It would be a key concession to the opposition who have been protesting against the Islamist government since the murder of Mr Belaid outside his home in broad daylight on Wednesday.

However, some in the ruling Ennahda party are fiercely opposed to the proposal and pro-government supporters who have rallied in the capital are protesting against his proposals.

Mr Jebali said: "I will present the team no later than the middle of next week.

"If it is accepted … I will continue to carry out my duties as head of the government. Otherwise, I will ask the president of the republic to find another candidate to form a new government."

Thousands gathered for pro-government demonstrations

He said that key ministries held by fellow Islamists would be assigned to independents in his planned new government and said: "All the ministries will be independent, including the interior, justice and foreign affairs ministries."

Several thousand supporters of the moderate Ennahda party rallied in the capital in support of the government and against the Prime Minister's plan.

The supporters also hurled insults at France accusing the country's former colonial ruler of interfering in North African politics after the French Interior minister branded the assassination of Mr Belaid as an attack on "the values of Tunisia's Jasmine revolution".

Hamadi Jebali has threatened to go unless he can form a new government

Demonstrators gathered in front of the National Theatre in Tunis, waving flags of the Ennahda party and shouting "Get out, France."

Mr Valls had said on Europe 1 radio on Thursday that Mr Belaid was "one of the democrats and we must support these democrats so that the values of the Jasmine Revolution are not betrayed. There is an Islamic facism rising everywhere, but this obscurantism must, of course, be condemned because it denies the democracy for which the Libyan, Tunisian and Egyptian people have fought."

Mr Valls was clearly pointing the finger at Salafists, with their strict interpretation of Islam, who have come to the fore, and smeared Ennahda's moderate image. 

Demonstrators were seen with black Salafist flags

At least one black Salafi flag was spotted in the sea of white Ennahda flags at the demonstration, which took place several hundred metres from the French Embassy.

The rally came the day after 50,000 gathered on Friday in the capital of Tunis for the funeral of Mr Belaid following days of increasingly violent protests in the country following his killing.

Chokri Belaid had been a staunch critic of the Tunisian government

A general strike in protests was also called by the biggest labour union, which saw Tunis shutdown and flights in and out of the country halted.

It has been the worst violence since the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, which was the trigger for the Arab Spring.

Mr Jebali said he was confident he could get Ennahda's support for his proposals for a new government, however it has exposed its own divisions between moderates and hardliners.

But the coalition's failure to stem the country's economic crisis and stop the often-violent rise of hardline Salafi Muslims have drawn fierce criticism, especially from staunch secularists such as Mr Belaid.

He had also accused Ennahda of backing some of the political violence through its own goon squads.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More