Global Reviews

21092013

N.Korea puts off reunion of divided families

The North Korean government has postponed the reunion of the families divided since the 1950-53 Korean war, accusing Seoul of confrontation. Six weeks of meetings between the family members separated for decades were set to start on Wednesday, Reuters reported. “The reunions of separated families and relatives between the North and the South will be postponed until there can be a normal atmosphere where dialogue and negotiations can be held,” said a North Korean spokesman for the committee, which oversees ties with South Korea. The South Korea government didn’t immediately comment on the situation.

China issues storm warning as ‘super typhoon’ approaches

The Chinese National Observatory has issued its highest level storm warning for super typhoon Usagi. According to data from the Observatory’s storm tracker Usagi is now heading straight for the city of Hong Kong. Experts say it is likely to be the strongest typhoon to hit the city this year.

Chemical weapons watchdog starts examining Syria’s record

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague has begun examining the file on Syria’s chemical weapons presented by Damascus. The OPCW received the Syrian declaration on Thursday and according to an unspecified UN diplomat the record is “quite lengthy”. As the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW is examining the file, the UN Security Council is preparing a resolution to ensure Syria’s chemical weapons are destroyed.

Mexico confirms 101 dead in wake of storms Ingrid and Manuel

Mexico’s Secretary of the Interior, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, has confirmed 101 people dead as a result of rains caused by Hurricane Ingrid and Tropical Storm Manuel, as well as 68 missing in La Pintada after Thursday’s massive landslide. Osorio Chong said that 24 Mexican states were impacted by the large storms and that significant rains were expected in the coming week. The official added that 58 thousand people remain in shelters throughout Mexico. Meanwhile, Guerrero state Governor Ángel Aguirre said the storms left 22,000 homes damaged there, which the country’s president has cited as being the worst impacted state. More than 20,000 Mexicans remain in shelters in Guerrero alone.

Two Republicans quit ‘Gang of Seven’ immigration reform group

Republicans John Carter and Sam Johnson, both of whom represent Texas in the House of Representatives, have left the House committee that is meant to draft immigration reform. According to a joint statement, the two congressmen departed the so-called ‘Gang of Seven’ over the Obama administration’s disregard for the Constitution in regards to Obamacare. The House group was set to deliver a plan in the fall, which was expected to lack the path to success of its Senate bill counterpart. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, cited by ABC News as a key player in the negotiations, said that the group was unlikely to produce a bill anytime soon. “The bipartisan group just wasn’t getting support from Republican House leadership,” said Gutierrez. “It’s just not gonna happen now.”

US ready to strike Syria if UN deal falls through

The US has not abandoned a military strike option against Syria if Damascus does not fulfill its obligations under the US-Russian plan to surrender its chemical weapons, a White House official stated Friday ahead of UN Security Council talks in the disarmament program. “We are not forsaking the option of the United States and our allies taking military action,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters. Deep divides are expected between Moscow and Washington as the UN General Assembly debates the terms of the resolution that would ensure Syria’s compliance.

China’s FM urges nuclear talks with N. Korea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the restart of international talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, stressing that Pyongyang is willing to recommit to denuclearization. The FM made the comments on Friday in a speech titled, ‘A New Model for Major Country Relations between China and the United States’ during the Statesman’s Forum at Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. Wang insisted that North Korea recently stated that it is ready to return to a 2005 commitment to give up nuclear weapons and freeze its nuclear program in return for food aid. North Korea withdrew from aid-for-disarmament talks in 2009.

NASA’s Deep Impact probe lost in space

NASA pronounced its Deep Impact spacecraft dead on Friday, six weeks after scientists last made contact with it. Deep Impact, launched in January 2005, studied and photographed multiple notable comets before sending the first images of Comet ISON, which is expected to be visible in daylight when it passes Earth this year, home to the space agency. Deep Impact also confirmed the orbit path of six separate stars and traveled 4.7 billion miles through deep space. The exact reason why NASA lost contact remains unknown, but experts have speculated that a problem with Deep Impact’s time-tagging technology eventually rendered it useless to mission control.

North Korean warship fires at Russian fishing boat

A North Korean military ship opened fire on a Russian fishing boat in neutral waters of the Japanese Sea on Friday, according to Russia’s Rosrybolovstvo fishing agency. There were no injuries or damage to the vessel. The ‘Altay’ fishing boat heaved as “armed men” from the North Korean vessel came on board, the agency said. After searching the Russian boat and questioning the captain for about 10 minutes, the North Koreans allowed the boat to proceed. “As the Russian fishing boat ‘Altay’ was carrying a cargo of crabs from the port of Zarubino to the port of Donghae [Republic of Korea], automatic fire and signal rockets were fired from a North Korean military ship,” the Rosrybolovstvo statement said.

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Hundreds of rebels in Syria pledge loyalty to Al-Qaeda groups – report

Radical groups operating within Syria have seen their numbers rise as hundreds of rebels have pledged allegiance to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated wing of the rebel movement, according to activists cited by Reuters. The Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been joined in recent days by individual fighters as well as entire units of rebels. Sources told Reuters that at least two rebel brigades joined the Nusra Front in the province of Raqqa bordering Turkey, while another group, the God’s Victory Brigade, recently published a statement online that all of its leaders and fighters had pledged their loyalty to the Nusra Front. ”This is a sign the radical groups are still growing in power. This region could fall to the jihadists,” said an activist in Raqqa.

Obama to hold talks with Abbas at UN

US President Barack Obama will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to discuss the Middle East peace process, the White House said on Friday. “This is the President’s first opportunity to meet personally and at length with President Abbas since the launch of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians,” spokesman Ben Rhodes said. “The President will have an opportunity to hear firsthand from President Abbas about the progress of those negotiations,” he added.

EPA announces tougher emissions limits on new US power plants

New power plants now must adhere to tougher carbon emissions standards, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday. Under the new Clean Air Act requirements, new large natural gas-fired turbines will be limited to 1,000 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour, and new small natural gas-fired turbines and coal-fired units would need to meet a limit of 1,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt hour. “By taking commonsense action to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, we can slow the effects of climate change and fulfill our obligation to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our children,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement.

Death toll from Nigerian militant attack rises to 143

The death toll from an Islamist militant attack on travelers along a road in northeast Nigeria has risen to 143, Reuters reported on Friday. “We have been picking corpses off the roadsides all day; there are more in the bush. They are all travellers shot at or slaughtered by Boko Haram gunmen who attacked on Tuesday night. We have so far picked up 143 corpses,” Abdulazeez Kolomi, an official from the Environmental Protection Agency, was quoted as saying. Heavily armed insurgents disguised in military uniforms stopped traffic on a highway between the cities of Maiduguri and Damaturu, dragging people out of their cars and killing them. Boko Haram launched an uprising against the government back in 2009, and has been blamed for thousands of deaths since then. The militant group aims to impose a strict form of Islamic law on Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north.

Obama urges congress to lift US debt ceiling

President Barak Obama challenged the US Congress on Friday to approve an increase in US debt levels or else the United States will be unable to pay its bills and then “we’re deadbeats” he said. He also blasted Republicans for attempting to get funding for his ‘Obamacare’ health bill in exchange for a debt limit increase. The President vowed he would not be pressured into negotiating with “the full faith and credit of the United States.”

Injuries reported amid new clashes in Egypt

In Egypt, several people have been wounded as a result of sporadic clashes which erupted after Friday prayers as supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi rallied in a number of cities across the country, reports AFP, citing local media and witnesses. In Cairo’s Dokki district, two people were wounded when a pro-Morsi march came under attack. Clashes also broke out in the seaport city of Suez, with pro-Morsi demonstrators and their opponents hurling rocks and flares at each other, the Egyptian MENA agency says. Eyewitnesses said that unrest began after one of the demonstrators attacked a person raising a portrait of army chief Abdel Fattah Sisi who ousted Morsi. Clashes were also reported in Bahaira in northern Egypt.

Road for evacuation of Acapulco tourists reopened

Mexican authorities have partially reopened the motorway connecting the resort city of Acapulco to the capital, Mexico City, providing a new escape route for thousands of tourists who were trapped by floods for about a week, reports AFP. “Traffic resumes on the Acapulco Mexico City highway,” the transport ministry said on Twitter. The popular holidaymakers’ destination on the Pacific coast was left isolated after tropical storms wrecked roads, washed out bridges and triggered landslides that ruined homes. Mexican officials said that by Thursday evening over 15,000 people had been flown out of the city on more than 100 flights. This was out of up to 60,000 tourists estimated to be stranded in the city, AP reported. Meanwhile, the search for landslide victims continues.

Californian judge dismisses human trafficking case against Saudi princess

A judge in Santa Ana California has dismissed a human trafficking case against 42-year old Meshael Alayban, a Saudi princess who was accused of holding a Kenyan servant as a virtual prisoner in her Californian home. The judge made the decision after prosecutors were unable to corroborate the allegation, handing back Alayban’s passports and ordering that an electronic monitoring device be removed from her person.

Greenpeace activists on Arctic Sunrise vessel may face piracy charges

Greenpeace activists who tried to climb upon the Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the Barents Sea on September 18 may face charges of piracy, the Russian Investigative Committee said. The activists were traveling on the organization’s Arctic Sunrise vessel, which was stopped by the Russian Coast Guard. The vessel is now being escorted to the port city of Murmansk, where investigators will determine if there were elements of crime in the actions of the environmentalists. The Greenpeace activists were protesting offshore drilling in Arctic, claiming that Russia is unable to guarantee the safety of the process.

Pakistan to release former Afghan Taliban second-in-command

The man who is widely seen as the de facto leader of the Afghan Taliban is to be released from prison, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar helped organize the terrorist movement and fought against NATO forces after the 2001 invasion. Baradar was captured in Pakistan in 2010. He reportedly was a proponent of peace talks between the Taliban and the government. He is regarded as a figure who could help to persuade his former comrades to lay down their weapons.

House of Representatives votes to derail ‘Obamacare’

The US House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation to fund federal agencies from Oct 1 to Dec 15, but at the same time put Barack Obama’s new healthcare package into the sidings. The bill preserves spending cuts at an annual rate of $986.3 billion and permanently defunds the Affordable Care Act. The Republican dominated House sent the measure to the Democrat controlled Senate by 230-189 votes. There, it is expected to pass without defunding the Obamacare law. If the bill gets to the White House with the stripped healthcare provision, Obama would veto it. Should the president and the lawmakers fail to agree on the stopgap funding, most operations would come to a halt in less than two weeks. The Senate is set to consider the bill by Sept 26. They could have a simple majority vote that would strip the health-care defunding language once they end debate on the House measure. The Affordable Care Act is a health care reform, which seeks to ensure that all American citizens are covered by health insurance.

Surkov returns as Putin’s aide in charge of cooperation with CIS, Abkhazia, S.Ossetia

Top Russian politician, Vladislav Surkov, has been appointed presidential aide and will deal with social and economic cooperation issues with Russia’s allies, specifically in the South Caucasus. He resigned as deputy prime minister in early May. While in government, Surkov was in charge of priority national programs. His new appointment was announced on Friday evening, hours after the State Duma approved another presidential aide, Tatyana Golikova, as the head of the Audit Chamber. Surkov will be in charge of the same issues Golikova was responsible for, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

Georgian MPs cut PM’s powers

The Georgian parliament has unanimously voted to cut some of the prime minister’s powers in a new constitutional model. It was adopted in 2010 and will come into effect after the presidential election set for October 27. This model significantly widens the PM’s powers, and cuts the president’s. Parliamentarians on Friday passed a constitutional amendment curtailing the PM’s powers when changing cabinet members. The clause, which allowed the premier to ask for a confidence vote if his draft bill is not endorsed, was also amended.

Cote d’Ivoire to try ICC-wanted former first lady

Cote d’Ivoire will try former first lady Simone Gbagbo in a domestic court, the government said after a cabinet meeting on Friday. She is being sought by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, Reuters reported. The cabinet’s decision aims to judge Gbagbo “under Ivorian jurisdiction, which is today rehabilitated and able to offer her a fair and balanced trial,” government spokesman Bruno Kone said.

5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Myanmar

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck close to Myanmar’s second-biggest city on Friday evening, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck at 6:54pm (1224 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers, and 110km north of the city of Mandalay, AFP reported. The quake caused strong shaking and issued a yellow alert, suggesting a mid-level risk of fatalities.

18 police killed in northeastern Afghanistan ambush

Militants in northeast Afghanistan killed 18 police in an ambush, the Interior Ministry said Friday. The police convoy was caught in a firefight in the remote province of Badakhshan on Wednesday when officers were returning from an anti-insurgent operation, AFP reported. The ministry said 13 others were wounded in a “terrorist attack in Warduj district of Badakhshan.”

 11th person to die of bird flu in Cambodia

A two-year-old girl has become the 11th person to die of bird flu in Cambodia this year, according to the Health Ministry. The girl from the southern province of Kampot died from the H5N1 bird flu virus on Tuesday after suffering from fever, breathing difficulties, diarrhea and other symptoms, the ministry said Friday. The girl and other villagers had shared a meal of chickens that had died. A five-year-old girl from the southern Takeo province, who was also diagnosed with bird flu, is reportedly recovering.

Greek police to check far-right party phone calls over rapper death

Greek police have asked a prosecutor for permission to check Golden Dawn lawmakers’ phone records, Reuters reported. The move is part of an investigation into the killing of an anti-racism rapper by a supporter of the far-right party, police and court sources said on Friday. The government has already asked judges to investigate the country’s third-biggest party for evidence that might link it to the death of Pavlos Fissas, who was stabbed to death on Tuesday night after being ambushed by about 30 unknown assailants.

Colorado farmers face widespread damage after floodwaters

Colorado farmers and ranchers are bracing for widespread damage to the agriculture industry from floodwaters that have caused property losses estimated at nearly $2 billion. The main concern is for the state’s No. 1 cash crop, corn, which yields between 140 million and 180 million bushels annually, Reuters reported. Agriculture pumps $41 billion a year into the state’s economy and employs 173,000 people.

22 injured after Barcelona commuter train crash

Two commuter trains crashed in Barcelona’s main train station on Friday, wounding 22 people. Ten of the injured needed medical attention, Bloomberg quoted Antonio Carmona, a spokesman for rail operator Renfe, as saying. One train crashed into the other, stationary, train, as it came into Barcelona Sants station at 10:05am. Trains continued to operate with a 30 minute delay.

At least 11 killed as explosion hits Sunni mosque north of Baghdad

An explosion has struck inside a Sunni mosque north of Baghdad, killing at least 11 people, an Iraqi official said. The blast went off around midday, during Friday prayers, said Mizhar Fleih, the deputy head of the municipal council in the city of Samarra. At least eight people were injured in the attack. Samarra, 95km north of the Iraqi capital is a largely Sunni Muslim city, a home to a revered Shiite shrine.

Egyptian forces hunt militants after taking control of town near Cairo

Egyptian security forces were hunting for supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood on Friday after retaking control of the town of Kerdasa near Cairo. Army and police forces stormed Kerdasa on Thursday, Reuters reported. Security sources said the area had not yet been stabilized.

8 arrested for alleged $2mn hacking of Barclays Bank

British police have arrested eight men on suspicion of stealing 1.3 million pounds ($2 million) from a Barclays Bank branch by tapping into its computers. The men, aged between 24 and 47, are accused of installing a device on the bank’s computer system. They are being questioned about conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to defraud UK banks, police said Friday. Cash, jewels and thousands of credit cards have been found in searches at addresses in the greater London area. The arrests came after the group’s failed attempt to use similar technology to rob the Santander bank last week.

Death toll in Mexico tropical storm reaches 97

The number of people killed by violent storms in Mexico has reached 97, officials said, adding that 69 people are missing after a landslide partially buried the remote mountain village of La Pintada near the country’s Pacific coast. Twin weekend storms struck Mexico, creating floods and landslides across the nation. Nearly 400 members of the village survived after the deadly wave struck on Monday afternoon, Mexico’s Independence Day.

Greece sentences Turkish citizen to 50 years for human trafficking

A Turkish citizen, who was captured in April on Greece’s Farmakonisi Island in a boat with 20 Syrian refugees, has been sentenced by a Greek appeals court to 50 years in jail, on charges of human trafficking. The man, identified as AK, was also fined 115,000 euro, Anadolu news agency reported. He was captured by a Greek coastguard on April 13 on the shore of Farmakonisi, after landing in an inflatable boat that was carrying the refugees.

New Zealand registers 80 gay marriages since new law took effect month ago

More than 80 same-sex couples, including 24 from overseas, have registered their marriages in New Zealand since a law legalizing them came into force a month ago. Officials expect the number to accelerate as New Zealand moves to the wedding months of spring and summer, AFP reported. There have been 82 gay marriages since August 19, when New Zealand became the 14th nation in the world, and the first in the Asia-Pacific, to legalize same-sex marriage.

Fukushima operator apologizes for Japan PM name gaffe

Officials at Fukushima operator TEPCO issued an apology to Japan’s prime minister on Friday after spelling his name wrong during a tour of the nuclear plant on Thursday. Shinzo Abe was given a specially-printed suit to protect him from radiation. However, TEPCO used the wrong Chinese character for part of the PM’s name, AFP reported. The first three of the four characters used to write his name were correct, but the final one represented the same sound but had a different meaning. “It was a typing error,” said a TEPCO spokesman, adding that the company was very sorry for the mistake.

Same company background-checked both Navy Yard shooter & Snowden

The company that scrutinized former intelligence agency contractor Edward Snowden for US government security clearance has said it had also checked the background of the Navy Yard shooter. USIS, working as a contractor for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), conducted a background review of Aaron Alexis, Reuters reported. He was identified by law enforcement authorities as the shooter who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard before he was shot dead on September 16. Earlier this year, USIS became the focus of congressional scrutiny because the company handled the most recent background investigation of Snowden.

Coastal villages evacuated in Philippines as super typhoon approaches

The Philippines evacuated northern coastal villages and suspended ferry services on Friday as an approaching category-five storm gained strength on a path set for southern China. With center winds of 205kph and gusts of up to 240kph, Typhoon Usagi is the strongest storm to hit the Western Pacific this year. It was moving northwest at 19kph between the Philippines and Taiwan and headed for Hong Kong and south China, Reuters reported. In China, preparations were being made for an emergency response in southern coastal areas.

87 dead after militant attack in Nigeria

Boko Haram insurgents killed at least 87 people during an ambush in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State, according to local officials, AFP reports. “Eighty-seven bodies were recovered in the bush and our people are still searching for more,” Saidu Yakubu from the Environmental Protection Agency said. Islamists disguised in military uniforms set up checkpoints and killed those who tried to flee. Boko Haram militants have carried out insurgencies since 2009, attempting to create an Islamic state across Nigeria.

Nearly one-fifth of Americans expect to die before retirement

An estimated 18 percent of US citizens do not expect to ever retire, according to a new study of 16,000 people conducted by HSBC bank. The number, representing nearly one-fifth of Americans, is significantly higher than the 12 percent of people worldwide who do not anticipate reaching retirement. The number of Americans who expect to be financially secure enough to retire is at an all-time low. Only 13 percent of US workers told CNN they “feel very confident” that they will be able to retire comfortably – less than half the number of people who responded with the same answer in 2007. Almost 90 percent of Americans said that some kind of “derailer” – an unexpected event that significantly lowered their savings – hurt their retirement funds.

Obama nominates top campaign contributor Ambassador to Canada

US President Barack Obama has nominated one of his top campaign contributors to be the next US ambassador to Canada, making 20 top donors Obama has tapped for ambassadorships in his second term, the Center for Public Integrity reported. Goldman Sachs & Co. executive Bruce Heyman was nominated Thursday. He raised more than $750,000 for Obama’s two presidential campaigns. The 20 bundlers — named such for collecting money from various sources and delivering them in one sum — raised at least $13.8mn for Obama’s political committees since 2007. The two top bundlers raised at least $1.2mn each for Obama over the years, landing them ambassador posts in Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Media agencies