Gazette 04-14-14

Monday April 14th 2014

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Deadly Virus's Spread Raises Alarms in Mideast

Saudi Arabia on Sunday confirmed a surge of cases of a deadly virus in the kingdom over the past two weeks, even as it tried to counter criticism that it wasn't doing enough to contain the outbreak.

The United Arab Emirates over the weekend separately announced six confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, among paramedics there, one of whom died of the illness. The high number of cases among medical workers raised questions about how effective Arab Gulf governments have been in controlling the 1½-year-old outbreak.

"I'm not pretty sure that they are actually seeing how big this thing is," a Saudi doctor said on Sunday at King Fahd General Hospital, the large public hospital in Jeddah that has been hardest hit by a spike in the city this month.

The hospital reopened its emergency room on Friday after shutting it briefly for what authorities said was disinfection measures against MERS. But patients were avoiding the hospital, and health workers were "very worried" after the MERS death of one colleague and sickness in another, the doctor said. "What I really wish for is to shut the whole hospital down" until the spread subsides, she said.

Last week marked the biggest number of cases since the outbreak began, Dr. Ian M. Mackay, an Australian epidemiologist who has tracked the outbreak, wrote on Sunday. About 50 of the overall cases have been in health-care workers, he said, a strong warning sign about measures being taken to control the outbreak, he and others have said. "As far as we know, MERS-CoV does not spread easily from person-to-person, so these clusters suggest a breakdown in infection prevention and control."

Syrian Opposition Says It Has Evidence Of Chlorine Gas Attack In Kfar Zeita

BEIRUT, April 14 (Reuters) - Syrian opposition activists have posted photographs and video that they say shows an improvised chlorine bomb to back up claims that President Bashar al-Assad's forces used chemical weapons in two attacks last week.

Rebels and the government have blamed each other for the alleged poison gas attacks on Friday and Saturday on rebel-held Kfar Zeita village in the central province of Hama, 125 miles(201 km) north of Damascus.

Both sides said chlorine gas - a deadly agent widely used in World War I - had been used. The gas, which has industrial uses, is not on a list of chemical weapons that Assad declared to the global chemical weapons watchdog last year for destruction.

It is a so-called dual-use chemical, which would have to be declared to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a spokesman said.

State-run television on Saturday accused the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front of carrying out the attacks, which it said wounded dozens.

On Sunday, activists from the "Syrian Revolution in Kfar Zeita" posted video footage and pictures of an unexploded canister with the chemical symbol for chlorine, Cl2, on its side which they said was found in the village.

Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the video or pictures.

Eliot Higgins, a respected UK-based researcher who trawls daily through online videos of Syria's civil war to verify weapons in them, could not verify the opposition's claims but said the videos did appear to show an industrial chlorine cylinder.

"It looks like they (the government) have taken an industrial chlorine cylinder, put it in a improvised barrel bomb and dropped it out of a helicopter," he told Reuters.

The yellow paint on the cylinder complies with international standards on industrial gas color codes indicating it contains chlorine, he said.

Fresh pro-Russian attack in Ukraine

Pro-Russian activists have attacked another official building in east Ukraine, ignoring a deadline to leave or face eviction by Ukrainian forces.

A crowd stormed a police station in the town of Horlivka, near Donetsk, taking control of the building.
Ukraine's interim president hit out at "aggression" from Russia, but signalled support for a national referendum.
Olexander Turchynov said Kiev was "not against" a vote on the future of the country, a key demand from protesters.
Mr Turchynov also said Ukraine was preparing an "anti-terrorist operation" against gunmen occupying government buildings in Sloviansk and a number of other towns and cities.
His office said that he had suggested the UN could assist in any such operation. This would be highly unlikely as Russia has a veto on the Security Council, which would have to authorise any such action.
Correspondents say people in eastern Ukraine are anxiously waiting to see if Mr Turchynov carries through on his threat to use the army against the pro-Russian groups.

At least 71 killed in massive explosion at bus station in Nigerian capital 

ABUJA, Nigeria –  A massive explosion ripped through a bus station during the morning rush hour in Nigeria's capital, killing at least 71 people and wounding 124 in a bombing that marked the bloodiest terrorist attack ever in Abuja.
President Goodluck Jonathan visited the scene and blamed Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group which operates in the northeast of Nigeria and which has been threatening to attack Nigeria's capital. One official said he believed the bomb buried in the earth while the emergency management agency said the explosives were apparently hidden in a vehicle.
The blast destroyed 16 luxury buses and 24 minibuses and cars, said police spokesman Frank Mba, who gave the death toll.
Survivors screamed in anguish and the stench of burning fuel and flesh hung over the site where billows of black smoke rose as firefighters worked to put out the fires. Reporters saw rescue workers and police gathering body parts as ambulances rushed the wounded to the hospitals. State television has broadcast calls for blood donations.
Security personnel battled to belatedly cordon off the area as a bomb detonation team was combing it for secondary explosives, a common occurrence here. Thousands of bystanders gathered, ignoring warnings to stay away. While violence has torn the northeast where Boko Haram has killed thousands, the capital in the middle of Africa's most populous country has been relatively peaceful.

Gaddafi sons' war crimes trial begins in Libya amid security fears

The war crimes trial of two sons of Libya's former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, begins amid tight security in Tripoli on Monday, in a case causing sensation at home and controversy among rights groups.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and his younger brother, Saadi, are accused of orchestrating a campaign of murder, torture and bombardment of civilians during Libya's eight-month civil war in 2011.
Appearing with them are Gaddafi's former spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi, two former prime ministers and 34 senior officials: much of the dictatorship's surviving elite.
The trial is going ahead despite much of the country being gripped by violence and the blockading of oil production by rebel militias. Libya's interim prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni resigned on Sunday saying he had faced threats and could not continue, just weeks after he was appointed to the post.
The prime minister said he resigned because of a cowardly attack on his family that had made his position untenable, underlining the chaos of Libya and its domination by militias. It is unclear how congress, opposed by regions in the east and west of the country, can find enough MPs to elect a new prime minister, with only 76 of 200 attending and elections unlikely before August.
Security fears mean that the Gadaffi trial has moved to the capital's maximum security al-Hadba prison, which has been ringed with armoured cars, barbed wire and machine-gun nests.
In a sign of the power of the militias, units holding Saif al-Islam in the mountain town of Zintan have refused to hand him over to the authorities. Instead, he will stand trial over a video link.

Suspected terrorist attack near Hebron kills 1, injures 2 others

40-year-old man pronounced dead in shooting; the victims are reportedly family members who were shot while in their car at the Tarkumia checkpoint.

An Israeli family was the target of a shooting attack on Route 35 near the Tarkumia checkpoint outside of Hebron that left one dead and two others injured, according to MDA.
A 40-year-old man was pronounced dead after attempts at resuscitation, while a 28-year-old woman was in moderate condition after suffering injuries to her upper body, according to MDA. She was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for further treatment.
A nine-year-old boy suffered light injuries from shrapnel in his chest. He was taken to Hadassah University Medical Center at Ein Kerem.
The victims were in their vehicle at the time of the shooting. The shooters fired at three different vehicles on Route 35, according to MDA.
IDF security forces, police, and Border Police were carrying out a search for the shooters. According to various media reports, shots were initially fired at an army post before they were fired at civilians. No injuries were reported to the IDF soldiers.

Chile fire: 12 dead, 2,000 homes destroyed

VALPARAISO: Firefighters struggled for a second night early Monday to contain blazes that have killed 12 people, injured 500, destroyed 2,000 homes and forced 10,000 people to flee the densely populated hills that gave this Chilean port city its unique beauty.

Fires they thought were contained 24 hours after they started Saturday kicked up again with Sunday afternoon's winds and raged out of control, threatening more neighborhoods.

With no municipal water or fire hydrants to use, routes to the blazes blocked by narrow streets jammed with abandoned vehicles and countless embers being stoked, fire crews could do little but watch some neighborhoods burn.

From the sky, 20 helicopters and planes were mobilized to drop water on hotspots, but Chile's national emergency office said the battle was far from won.

"This won't be extinguished, not today nor tomorrow," the office tweeted after issuing a new alert when fires kicked up again Sunday afternoon.

The blaze began in a forested ravine next to ramshackle housing on one of Valparaiso's 42 hilltops, and spread quickly. Hot ash rained down over wooden houses and narrow streets. Electricity failed as the fire grew, turning the night sky orange and reducing neighborhoods on six hilltops to ashes.

Schools were closed Monday in the city, since some were damaged and others were overflowing with evacuees.
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Trojan Horse: 25 schools probed over alleged takeover plot

An investigation into an alleged hard-line Islamist takeover plot of Birmingham schools has widened, with 25 schools now under the spotlight.

Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry.
It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor.
Anonymous claims hard-line Muslims were trying to take over the running of some city schools were made in a letter sent to local authorities last year.
The 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies. 

The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors.

The leader of Birmingham City Council, Sir Albert Bore, said he did not know the full range of issues raised and said it would be wrong to comment on them.
"It is about the general specifics, the behaviour of the schools, what happens within the schools, the school day, the assembly," he said.
The council's investigation, running in parallel to a separate inquiry by the Department for Education (DfE), is due to initially report back in May.
Mr Kershaw, who is managing director of Northern Education, will report to a newly-formed review group made up of MPs, councillors, national teaching and governors groups, the police and faith leaders.
They will also oversee the work of the operational committee, which is coordinating the investigation of the allegations.
A follow-up report containing recommendations for schools locally, and for the DfE to look at nationally, is to be published by July.

US Navy's stealthy new destroyer Zumwalt christened in Maine with bottles of Champagne

BATH, Maine - The U.S. Navy on Saturday christened the first ship of its newest class of destroyers, a more than $3 billion, 610-foot-long warship sporting advanced technology and a stealthy shape designed to minimize its visibility on enemy radar and reduce the size of its crew.

Named after the late Adm. Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt, the newest destroyer's massive size and angular profile make it stand apart from other U.S. warships. And like its namesake, a reformer who spearheaded changes that helped shape the Navy by offering new opportunities to women and minorities, the Zumwalt will shepherd the fleet into a new era, officials said.
"This ship is a modern marvel, and it's going to take smart and creative and hardworking sailors like Bud Zumwalt to operate it," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus told the crowd of thousands at Bath Iron Works, where the ship has been under construction since 2009.
Mouzetta Zumwalt-Weathers and Ann Zumwalt, the former admiral's daughters, each christened the ship by smashing a bottle of Champagne near its bow, followed by cheers and bursts of red, white and blue streamers. They were joined at the ceremony by Zumwalt's son, retired Marine Lt. Col. Jim Zumwalt, who recalled 55 years ago, as a young boy, attending the christening of the USS Dewey, which his father commanded.
Bud Zumwalt, who became the youngest chief of naval operations in 1970, promoted the first female and African-American officers to admirals and opened the door for women to become naval aviators and serve on warships.
"He strove for a Navy that was supportive, encouraging and compassionate toward all sailors, especially minorities and women," his daughter Ann said. "A Navy that not only fought wars but also fought discrimination in its ranks. He dreamt of a Navy that allowed its sailors a better quality of life."

Among the 15,000-ton warship's cutting-edge features are a composite deckhouse with hidden radar and sensors and an angular shape that officials say will allow it to be confused for a small fishing boat on radars. It also sports wave-piercing hull designed to reduce the ship's wake. It's the first U.S. ship to use electric propulsion and produces enough power to one day support the futuristic electromagnetic rail gun, which will be tested at sea in 2016.

Inside, sailors will have more space to work and live because the Zumwalt will only require about half the crew of the current generation of destroyers. Meanwhile, fewer sailors will need to stand watch because of cameras and video monitors that show what's going on outside.
That will allow the Navy to "carry out its crucial mission at a time of budget constraints," said Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

Aldon Smith held after 'airport bomb threat'

An American professional football player was arrested at Los Angeles International airport after making a bomb threat, officials have said.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, 24, made the threat after a dispute during a security screening on Sunday, police said.
The 49ers said they were "disappointed" but would not comment further.
Mr Smith took a five-game leave of absence from the team last season to attend treatment for substance abuse.
He rejoined the team on 5 November, saying he was on the path to lifelong sobriety.
On Sunday, Mr Smith was randomly selected for additional screening at the airport and "became belligerent and unco-operative", according to airport police Sgt Karla Ortiz.
Mr Smith told an airport security agent that he had a bomb before walking to the gate, she said.
When airport police officers caught up with him, Mr Smith was taken into custody.
A video of the arrest posted on gossip website TMZ.com shows Mr Smith arguing and swearing at airport police before being handcuffed.
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Russian jet passes at close range over US warship in Black Sea

A Russian warplane made several close-range passes by an American warship in the Black Sea over the weekend, in what the Pentagon is calling a "provocative" move amid escalating tensions in the region. 
The jet, a Russian Su-24, made numerous low-altitude passes on Saturday over the USS Donald Cook, a guided-missile Navy destroyer in the western Black Sea, the Pentagon confirmed. 
According to officials, the jet made a total of 12 passes over the course of 90 minutes. It did not once respond to multiple contacts and warnings from the USS Donald Cook, despite the fact that the U.S. Navy ship was able to reach the cockpit directly. 
The Pentagon says that the jet had no visible missiles attached to its wings and that the incident ended without any exchange of fire. 
"This provocative and unprofessional Russian action is inconsistent with international protocols and previous agreements of a professional interaction between our militaries," Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said. 
The low altitude of the jet varied at times from "virtual sea level to several thousand feet," Warren said.  The jet did not "buzz" the Cook, but "flew too close," he said. 
A second Russian Su-24 was in the area the entire time, but did not make any similarly provocative maneuvers.

For Hillary Clinton and Boeing, a beneficial relationship

On a trip to Moscow early in her tenure as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton played the role of international saleswoman, pressing Russian government officials to sign a multibillion-dollar deal to buy dozens of aircraft from Boeing.

A month later, Clinton was in China, where she jubilantly announced that the aerospace giant would be writing a generous check to help resuscitate floundering U.S. efforts to host a pavilion at the upcoming World’s Fair.
Boeing, she said, “has just agreed to double its contribution to $2 million.”
Clinton did not point out that, to secure the donation, the State Department had set aside ethics guidelines that first prohibited solicitations of Boeing and then later permitted only a $1 million gift from the company. Boeing had been included on a list of firms to be avoided because of its frequent reliance on the government for help negotiating overseas business and concern that a donation could be seen as an attempt to curry favor with U.S. officials.
The November 2009 episode was an indicator of a mutually beneficial relationship between one of the world’s major corporations and a potential future president. Clinton functioned as a powerful ally for Boeing’s business interests at home and abroad, while Boeing has invested resources in causes beneficial to Clinton’s public and political image.
Boeing’s largesse on behalf of the U.S. pavilion at the Shanghai expo was helpful to Clinton at a critical moment as she made it her priority to woo support from corporations to revive the American presence at the event.
She was widely credited with orchestrating a turnaround, and the can-do image she cultivated as secretary of state has contributed to her status as a Democratic front-runner ahead of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Hillary Clinton's State Department reportedly let Boeing skirt ethics guidelines

During Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State, the State Department allowed aircraft manufacturer Boeing to skirt ethics guidelines that first prohibited solicitations of the company by the department and later capped gifts at $1 million, according to a published report. 
The Washington Post reported Monday that in November 2009, Clinton announced that Boeing would donate $2 million to support the U.S. pavilion at the 2010 World's Fair in Shanghai, China on the same day she visited a Boeing hangar in Shanghai to address executives about the importance of the project.
However, State Department officials had originally prohibited the nonprofit tasked with building the pavilion from asking Boeing for a donation, claiming that the State Department's overseas lobbying on behalf of the company could present a conflict of interest. After an appeal from the non-profit, however, the department decided to cap a potential donation at $1 million, with the goal of ensuring that Boeing didn't dominate the exhibition. 
A month earlier, the Post reports, Clinton had pressed Russian government officials to sign a multi-billion dollar deal to buy dozens of Boeing aircraft for use by a new state-owned airline.
"This is a shameless pitch for Rosavia . . . to buy Boeing aircraft," the Post reports Clinton said while touring a Boeing facility in Moscow. 
In May 2010, Boeing signed a deal worth $3.7 billion to supply planes for the new airline, Two months later, the Clinton Foundation received a $900,000 donation from the company, ostensibly to rebuild schools in Haiti.

Native Americans say US violated human rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Native American group is asking the international community to charge the United States with human rights violations in hopes of getting help with a land claim.
The Onondaga Indian Nation says it plans to file a petition at the Organization of American States on Tuesday. It wants a declaration that the U.S. government's refusal to hear their lawsuit asking for the return of 2.5 million acres in upstate New York violates international human rights agreements. The Supreme Court turned away a final petition from the Onondaga Nation in October.
The nation contends that about 4,000 square miles in upstate New York was taken illegally through bogus treaties. More than 875,000 people live in the area, which includes Syracuse and other cities.
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Prime Minister Harper could trigger early election after 2015 budget

The next election is supposed to take place on Oct. 19, 2015, but some Tory insiders and opposition parties say Prime Minister Stephen Harper could decide to trigger it earlier to take advantage of momentum generated from next year’s expected balanced federal budget with billions of dollars of surplus.
“If he’s got a budget and it’s balanced and he wants to sprinkle some goodies, this is a good opportunity to do it [call an election] and then go, and rather than sit there and lose all that momentum that the budget will give you,” said Keith Beardsley, former deputy chief of staff to Prime Minister Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) who now is a partner at True North Public Affairs. 
Next year’s budget is also likely to announce a number of tax breaks for Canadians, including income-splitting. 
According to fixed election date law passed by Parliament in May 2007, federal elections are to be held on “the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year following the previous general election.”
The last federal election took place on May 2, 2011 and the next election date is supposed to happen on Oct. 19, 2015. Even with this fixed elections date law in place, the Canada Elections Act “does not prevent a general election from being called at another date.”  The act requires that the election campaign period must last a minimum of 36 days, but it does not specify a maximum. 
A year after the fixed election date law came into effect in 2007, Prime Minister Harper at the time convinced the then-governor general Michaëlle Jean that Parliament had become “dysfunctional,” and therefore should be dissolved, triggering the 2008 federal election.
Annual federal budgets are usually tabled in February or March. Next year’s budget is likely to run a $6-billion surplus and the Harper government is expected to announce a number of tax breaks for Canadians including income-splitting, a controversial tax measure that would mainly be beneficial to couples with one high-income spouse. Conservatives are banking on gaining wide popularity and momentum after this budget. 
If the next budget is tabled in February or March, Canadians could go to the polls as early as the spring 2015, and not the fall of 2015.
In interviews with The Hill Times, some Conservative insiders, opposition MPs, and party officials who have responsibilities for overseeing the election readiness of their parties said that the next budget could force Prime Minister Harper to call an early spring 2015 election and they’re getting ready for that possible scenario.
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