 Sideways News | Report: 22 dead in Russia train derailment The Associated Press MOSCOW — A Russian news agency has reported that 22 people have been killed and dozens injured in the derailment of a passenger train headed from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The state-run railway company, meanwhile, says the derailment Friday could have ... Ten Feared Dead in Russia Railway CrashNew York Times Nine dead, 55 hurt in Russia train crash: reportsAFP Dozens feared dead in Russian train derailmentTelegraph.co.uk Aljazeera.net -Reuters -RIA Novosti all 309 news articles » |
Friday, November 27, 2009
Report: 22 dead in Russia train derailment - The Associated Press
Report: 22 dead in Russia train derailment - The Associated Press: "
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Germany's Afghan future in doubt
Germany's Afghan future in doubt: "
Dilemma for Merkel over extra troops as cover-up of civilian deaths claims third high-profile figure
The future of Germany's mission in Afghanistan was thrown into doubt today after a government minister resigned under growing pressure to admit his involvement in a campaign of misinformation over an air raid in which civilians were killed.
Franz Josef Jung, defence minister at the time, quit as labour minister a day after the army's chief of staff, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, resigned over the incident with the deputy defence minister, Peter Wichert.
Jung said his decision followed 'detailed consideration' and that he accepted 'political responsibility for the internal information policy' in his ministry.
With an estimated two-thirds of the German public already against involvement, the defence ministry's admission that it effectively lied by initially denying there were civilian casualties when two petrol tankers were bombed in September has left Angela Merkel's recently re-elected centre-right government in a state of uncertainty over how to proceed in the region.
Merkel had largely kept out of the row but received Jung in the chancellery this morning when both were said to have agreed his resignation was necessary.
Video footage emerged yesterdayof the botched air raid ordered by the German commander, Colonel Georg Klein, on the basis of a single piece of intelligence from an Afghan informant who was unable to see the vehicles. The video, leaked to the tabloid Bild, possibly in an attempt to influence a parliamentary decision on extending the German troop presence, prompted Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the new defence minister, to admit his ministry had at best withheld information and at worst lied about the deaths.
The German government is coming under American pressure to increase its presence in the region – it has 4,500 troops there – and to prove it means to stay the course, without aggravating an already very negative public mood. Barrack Obama is expected to announce an increase in US troop numbers next week on the understanding that his allies will do the same.
According to Nico Fried, a commentator with the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify the mission. 'The reason for dispatching several thousand people to Afghanistan, which has to be based on trust in the political and military leadership, is crumbling.'
The strike in Kunduz, in which Nato says 142 insurgents and an unknown number of civilians were killed after the Taliban seized the two tankers, reinforced the German public belief that their troops have been waging war, and not, as their politicians argue, working as a stabilising force.
The €785 million a year (£712m) mission is Germany's biggest overseas deployment since the second world war. The fallout over the Kunduz incident could prove to be hugely damaging, said Ulrich Kirsch, the chairman of the German army association, saying that attempts to mislead the public and politicians had 'returned to the government benches like a boomerang'. He called for more transparency,
The mission is repeatedly referred to as 'the German engagement at the Hindu Kush', a phrase that critics say is deliberately meant to convey the impression of adventure, an impression that is dissipating fast thanks to the Kunduz incident.
'Lies and deception are now overshadowing a mission that has always been difficult and is getting more so,' said Fried. Questions were now being asked more forcefully than ever before as to 'why Germany should continue its involvement in Afghanistan after eight years'.
Despite this week's resignations the row is far from over. The state prosecutor has started an investigation and if it is decided that the airstrike broke international law it could be tried in a German court as a war crime.
Tanker hijack: Why air strike was ordered
It was shortly after midnight on 4 September that a commander ordered what would turn out to be the most significant military action involving Germany since the second world war. Militants had seized two tankers delivering jet fuel to Nato forces in the northern province of Kunduz, where international military operations are led by Germany. Fearing the fuel could be used in attacks, German officers called in an air strike, even though the trucks were surrounded by civilians at the time. 'Based on information available at the scene, the commanders believed they were insurgents,' a Nato spokesman said. It soon became clear this was not the case. The Taliban said after one of the trucks became stuck in mud the militants emptied them, and many of those nearby had been local people seeking to get some of the fuel. Whatever the truth, the final death toll remains unclear. According to an Afghan government inquiry, 30 of 100 casualties were civilians. The independent Afghanistan Rights Monitor group said 70 civilians died.
For several days after the attack Franz Josef Jung, the then-defence minister, said there was no evidence of civilian deaths, despite apparently having access to military reports saying precisely the contrary.
Peter Walker
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Jordanian Commandos Support Saudi Troops in Fight Against Houthis
Jordanian Commandos Support Saudi Troops in Fight Against Houthis:Jordanian Commandos Support Saudi Troops in Fight Against Houthis
Fierce clashes between Yemeni and Saudi forces on one side, and Houthi supporters on the other, continue in various Saada districts.
Saudi media sources revealed on Saturday that Jordanian commandos are backing the Saudi army in its operations against Houthis at the Dukhan Mountain.
The Eco of Najd and Hijaznewspaper said that the Jordanian commandos arrived at Saudi camps in the northern city of Tabuk a few days ago, and were then transported by planes to the southern part of the Kingdom. The newspaper revealed that those forces suffered great losses as a result of Houthi assaults against them.
According to local sources, more bloody clashes between both warring parties lasted up to three hours in Saada City after Houthis attempted to take control of the Republican Palace. Dozens were killed or injured on both sides.
Houthis denied that they targeted the Republican Palace, adding they targeted military positions surrounding the palace.
The Yemeni Defense Ministry-affiliated 26sep.net reported that the army killed several Houthis and seized their equipment in Sabkhana, Maarasa, Jarahih and Jabal Khazzan , and thwarted a Houthi attempt to sneak into a strategic military position near Sa'ada City. The same source added that the army thwarted another Houthi attempt to sneak into the Maqash and camp areas.
In the Harf Sufyan district of the governorate of Amran, fierce confrontations between both warring parties have been continuing since Friday morning, particularly in mountains nearby the Marbaa, Majzaa, Saifan, Shabireq, and Abla, where several were killed or injured on both sides.
From its side, the Media Office of Houthi field leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said that their fighters hindered advancement of government troops in Harf Sufyan.
According to a recent statement issued by the office, Saudi jets resumed Saturday air raids on the Dukhan Mountain and neighboring villages, as well as Malahidh and Shadha districts. The statement added that the Saudi jets struck the education office of Razih district and burnt trade stores in the Malahidh and Hasama markets.
Circulated by email, the statement continued that Houthis took over 134 military positions and eight Sa'ada districts since the sixth Sa'ada war broke out in mid-August. It accused the Saudi army of using phosphorus bombs in its aerial shelling on Jabal Dukhan, Hasama and Dhahr Al-Himar areas.
Six Saudi soldiers were killed in a Houthi assault on Thursday, Saudi media sources said, adding that Saudi Marines are taking control of the 64km-long coastline between Jaizan and Mausem towns to prevent potential infiltration of militants into Saudi territory. They confirmed that Saudi fighter jets destroyed two Kaytusha launch-pads, belonging to anonymous militants.
The Saudi sources said that strategic positions belonging to Saudi troops were hit by anonymous groups, killing six soldiers and injuring another eight as they were patrolling areas near the Yemeni border to clear them of Houthi gunmen.
The Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that the Saudi army launched extensive airstrikes on Thursday against Houthi strongholds while ground forces used heavy mortars to attack trenches where Houthis are believed to be hiding.
According to the newspaper, the Saudi fighter jets hit over the past three days several buildings in Saudi villages in the southern part of the kingdom, suspected to be used by Houthis in attacking Saudi troops.
Africans' involvement
The newspaper quoted Yemeni sources as saying that "Houthis received further support over the past time period...They use elements from the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, in digging trenches on mountains, which they use for storing ammunition and implanting ambushes against the army."
According to sources, advanced engineering methods are used in digging trenches that provide good protection for Houthi fighters during their clashes with troops.
Saudi military sources confirmed that Houthis resorted to concentrating their efforts on fighting with Saudi troops near the Yemeni border. The sources added that the Saudi army received further sophisticated equipment that helps in controlling the spread of Houthis.
Saudi Arabia announced two weeks ago that it began a series of military operations to clear its areas near the border with Yemen of Houthis, whom it accuses of sneaking into its territory, and killing several officers and soldiers.
In Sana'a, a Yemeni security source said that security authorities obtained accurate information from detained Somalis uncovering involvement of foreign parties in providing support for Houthis, including training their fighters and teaching them how to handle heavy and medium arms and set up ambushes.
During last Friday's sermon, Kadhim Sadiqi, an Iranian mosque preacher, accused the Yemeni government of killing its own people by Saudi rockets.
The Iranian news agency (IRNA) quoted Sadiqi as saying that tragic catastrophes are occurring in Yemen with Saudi rockets being used to annihilate innocent citizens in north Yemen. He urged the Organization of Islamic Conference and other international organizations to demonstrate a good position about the conflict. Sadiqi also criticized the Yemeni government for allowing foreigners to intervene in its domestic issues and kill its citizens.
Mohammed Bin Sallam
Yemen Times
Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:27 EST
Yemen Times
Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:27 EST
© Unknown
Saudi media sources revealed on Saturday that Jordanian commandos are backing the Saudi army in its operations against Houthis at the Dukhan Mountain.
The Eco of Najd and Hijaznewspaper said that the Jordanian commandos arrived at Saudi camps in the northern city of Tabuk a few days ago, and were then transported by planes to the southern part of the Kingdom. The newspaper revealed that those forces suffered great losses as a result of Houthi assaults against them.
According to local sources, more bloody clashes between both warring parties lasted up to three hours in Saada City after Houthis attempted to take control of the Republican Palace. Dozens were killed or injured on both sides.
Houthis denied that they targeted the Republican Palace, adding they targeted military positions surrounding the palace.
The Yemeni Defense Ministry-affiliated 26sep.net reported that the army killed several Houthis and seized their equipment in Sabkhana, Maarasa, Jarahih and Jabal Khazzan , and thwarted a Houthi attempt to sneak into a strategic military position near Sa'ada City. The same source added that the army thwarted another Houthi attempt to sneak into the Maqash and camp areas.
In the Harf Sufyan district of the governorate of Amran, fierce confrontations between both warring parties have been continuing since Friday morning, particularly in mountains nearby the Marbaa, Majzaa, Saifan, Shabireq, and Abla, where several were killed or injured on both sides.
From its side, the Media Office of Houthi field leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said that their fighters hindered advancement of government troops in Harf Sufyan.
According to a recent statement issued by the office, Saudi jets resumed Saturday air raids on the Dukhan Mountain and neighboring villages, as well as Malahidh and Shadha districts. The statement added that the Saudi jets struck the education office of Razih district and burnt trade stores in the Malahidh and Hasama markets.
Circulated by email, the statement continued that Houthis took over 134 military positions and eight Sa'ada districts since the sixth Sa'ada war broke out in mid-August. It accused the Saudi army of using phosphorus bombs in its aerial shelling on Jabal Dukhan, Hasama and Dhahr Al-Himar areas.
Six Saudi soldiers were killed in a Houthi assault on Thursday, Saudi media sources said, adding that Saudi Marines are taking control of the 64km-long coastline between Jaizan and Mausem towns to prevent potential infiltration of militants into Saudi territory. They confirmed that Saudi fighter jets destroyed two Kaytusha launch-pads, belonging to anonymous militants.
The Saudi sources said that strategic positions belonging to Saudi troops were hit by anonymous groups, killing six soldiers and injuring another eight as they were patrolling areas near the Yemeni border to clear them of Houthi gunmen.
The Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that the Saudi army launched extensive airstrikes on Thursday against Houthi strongholds while ground forces used heavy mortars to attack trenches where Houthis are believed to be hiding.
According to the newspaper, the Saudi fighter jets hit over the past three days several buildings in Saudi villages in the southern part of the kingdom, suspected to be used by Houthis in attacking Saudi troops.
Africans' involvement
The newspaper quoted Yemeni sources as saying that "Houthis received further support over the past time period...They use elements from the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, in digging trenches on mountains, which they use for storing ammunition and implanting ambushes against the army."
According to sources, advanced engineering methods are used in digging trenches that provide good protection for Houthi fighters during their clashes with troops.
Saudi military sources confirmed that Houthis resorted to concentrating their efforts on fighting with Saudi troops near the Yemeni border. The sources added that the Saudi army received further sophisticated equipment that helps in controlling the spread of Houthis.
Saudi Arabia announced two weeks ago that it began a series of military operations to clear its areas near the border with Yemen of Houthis, whom it accuses of sneaking into its territory, and killing several officers and soldiers.
In Sana'a, a Yemeni security source said that security authorities obtained accurate information from detained Somalis uncovering involvement of foreign parties in providing support for Houthis, including training their fighters and teaching them how to handle heavy and medium arms and set up ambushes.
During last Friday's sermon, Kadhim Sadiqi, an Iranian mosque preacher, accused the Yemeni government of killing its own people by Saudi rockets.
The Iranian news agency (IRNA) quoted Sadiqi as saying that tragic catastrophes are occurring in Yemen with Saudi rockets being used to annihilate innocent citizens in north Yemen. He urged the Organization of Islamic Conference and other international organizations to demonstrate a good position about the conflict. Sadiqi also criticized the Yemeni government for allowing foreigners to intervene in its domestic issues and kill its citizens.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Pulp Fiction writer tweets from jail
Pulp Fiction writer tweets from jail: "
In 140-character takes, Roger Avary has built up a vivid portrait of life in Ventura county jail where he is being held
When Roger Avary, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Pulp Fiction, was last month sentenced to a year behind bars for his role in a fatal car crash, it seemed that a promising writing career had come to an abrupt end.
But a string of posts on social networking site Twitter has revealed that he is apparently still chronicling the underbelly of American culture.
In a series of 140-character takes, Avary has built up a vivid portrait of life in Ventura county jail where he is currently being held. 'Sickness spreads throughout the facility like brush fires,' he writes in his latest tweet from November 22, 'and #34 [his identification number in prison] is helpless to avoid the outbreak and inevitable infection.'
Though there has been no official confirmation that the Twitter feed is Avary's, there are various clues to its authenticity, including the fact that his professional website avary.com links to it.
The film-maker was sentenced in September to a year in jail and five years probation after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in a fatal crash in January. Prosecutors said he had driven while drunk at speeds over 100mph, eventually hitting a telephone pole.
Andreas Zini, 34, who was visiting California on his honeymoon, was killed, and Avary's wife was seriously injured.
The crash appeared to have put an end to Avary's Hollywood career. In 1995 he won an Oscar with Tarantino for the script they wrote for Pulp Fiction. He also directed Killing Zoe and The Rules of Adaptation, and co-wrote and produced Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf (2007).
His time inside has been hard, judging from his tweets. He admits to having been 'so afraid' at the start, and intimidated by the guards. 'Nightly, every few hours like clockwork, a guard's flashlight beam strikes #34's face, perhaps to ensure lack of proper rest and exhaustion.'
The 'clean' sheets reek of the sweat of a thousand men, breakfast porridge is made with oats from sacks with a picture of a horse on them labeled 'Not intended for human consumption', the windows let in little light and he is subjected to random strip-down and cavity searches by a 'leering, rotund officer'.
On the upside, there is the kindness of his cellmates, occasional books to read and lessons from other inmates in how to slimjim and hotwire a car.
Night is the worst. 'Night falls, and the only real activity is an endless recounting of the terrible and pointless events that brought us all to this sad place.'
The puzzle is how Avary is managing to update his Twitter feed from jail. The Los Angeles Times points out that most of the entries are through a Web browser, suggesting he may have regular computer access, while others are through Twitterific, an iPhone app.
Another theory is that he is reading out his 140 characters down the phone to a friend, who is updating Twitter for him.
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Monday, November 23, 2009
U.S. to Propose CO2 Cut at Talks
U.S. to Propose CO2 Cut at Talks: "WASHINGTON - The United States will propose a near-term emissions reduction target at the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen next month, a senior administration official said on Monday. The Obama administration has so far resisted demands that it commit to a specific goal for reducing emissions, saying that it could not preempt Congress, where climate-change legislation has stalled. The aide, in a White House briefing whose ground rules did not allow him to be identified, said that President Obama will present a 'meaningful submission' in advance of the Copenhagen meeting in mid-December, taking the current legislative stalemate into account. Thus the announcement might..."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Powell to Obama: ‘Take your time’ on Afghanistan
Powell to Obama: ‘Take your time’ on Afghanistan: "
"
'This one is the decision that will have consequences for years to come,' Powell said he'd told the president. 'If you decide to send more troops ... make sure you have good understanding of what those troops are going to be doing and some assurance that the additional troops will be successful.'
'You've got to make sure that you are putting this commitment on a solid base,' continued Powell, 'and the base is a little soft right now. ... Karzai's been told he's got to do something about this [corruption], and he's got to do something about the drug problem, and he's got to start pulling the Afghan people together.'
'So Mr. President, don't get pressed by the left to do nothing, don't get pushed by the right to do everything,' Powell concluded. :You take your time and you figure it out. You're the commander in chief and this is what you're elected for.'
A new CNN poll shows that Americans are almost evenly divided over whether Obama is taking too long to reach a decision on Afghanistan, with men agreeing that he is and women saying he should be given more time. A majority of those polled, however, oppose a buildup and even more are against the war itself.
Story continues below...
Despite some recent claims that President Obama has already decided on a substantial troop increase, the White House insists that no such decision has been made. When British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, for example, stated that he expected Obama 'to announce in a few days what his numbers for Afghanistan will be,' a White House spokesman responded that the decision was still weeks away.
An article in Tuesday's New York Times indicates that Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen have all been pressing for a substantial troop increase, but Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel 'remained skeptical of the value of a buildup.' The president himself was described by the Times as being 'unsatisfied' with answers he has received on 'how vigorously the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan would help execute a new strategy.'
(Via blackamericaweb.com)
The following audio is Tom Joyner Morning Show, broadcast on Nov. 11, 2009.
"
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Doctors sold baby after telling mother it was dead
Doctors sold baby after telling mother it was dead: "Mexico City: Three doctors and a nurse have been arrested for allegedly selling newborns after telling their mothers they had died.
Police uncovered the scheme after one of the women learnt her baby was alive and had been sold to a woman for 15,000 pesos ($1240), said Mexico City's deputy attorney general, Luis Genaro.
The woman gave birth to a girl through caesarean section at the private Central West Hospital in a working-class district in October 2008, Mr Genaro said.
She had told authorities she heard her baby cry but when she asked to see the child, doctors told her she had to wait until the effects of the anaesthetic wore off. Later they told her the baby had been taken to another hospital.
A day later, the woman was told her baby died and had been cremated, Mr Genaro said. The woman learnt the truth in an email from a man believed to be the son of the hospital director."
Police uncovered the scheme after one of the women learnt her baby was alive and had been sold to a woman for 15,000 pesos ($1240), said Mexico City's deputy attorney general, Luis Genaro.
The woman gave birth to a girl through caesarean section at the private Central West Hospital in a working-class district in October 2008, Mr Genaro said.
She had told authorities she heard her baby cry but when she asked to see the child, doctors told her she had to wait until the effects of the anaesthetic wore off. Later they told her the baby had been taken to another hospital.
A day later, the woman was told her baby died and had been cremated, Mr Genaro said. The woman learnt the truth in an email from a man believed to be the son of the hospital director."
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