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| Tuesday July 22md 2014 |
MH17 bodies leave Ukraine rebel area and reach Kharkiv
A train carrying the
remains of victims of the Malaysian airliner which crashed in Ukraine
has arrived in the city of Kharkiv, outside rebel territory.
Flight MH17 crashed in an area held by pro-Russia rebels last Thursday, killing all 298 people on board. Meanwhile, international monitors say parts of the wreckage were changed and cut into since they first saw them.
Western nations say there is growing evidence the rebels shot down the plane using a missile supplied by Russia.
Russia has suggested Ukrainian government forces are to blame.
The remains will now be flown from Kharkiv to the Dutch city of Eindhoven, arriving on Wednesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.
Most of those who died in the crash of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 were Dutch.
The bodies will then go to a facility in the Dutch city of Hilversum for identification - a process which could take months, Mr Rutte warned.
Related:
Putin Vows To Strengthen Russia's Capabilities To Counter NATO
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Russia would use its influence with separatists in east Ukraine to allow a full investigation into the downing of a Malaysian airliner, but said the West must put pressure on Kiev to end hostilities.
Putin also called on Western powers not to meddle in Russia's domestic affairs and said steps were needed to strengthen the country's military capabilities because of moves by NATO and to protect the economy from "external threats".
"We are being called on to use our influence with the separatists in southeastern Ukraine. We of course will do everything in our power but that is not nearly enough," Putin said at the start of a meeting with defense and security chiefs.
"Ultimately, there is a need to call on the authorities in Kiev to respect basic norms of decency, and at least for a short time implement a ceasefire," he said.
Putin's comments were his first detailed response in public to Western criticism of Russia's role in Ukraine since the Malaysian airliner was brought down on Thursday, killing 298 people.
Reading from notes at the head of a long table with officials seated on each side, Putin spoke much more forcefully than during brief televised remarks on the plane's downing first released in the early hours of Monday, when he had seemed less assured than usual.
Israeli Aircraft Hits Dozens Of Targets In Gaza
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli soldier is missing following a deadly battle in the Gaza Strip, a defense official said Tuesday, as Israeli airstrikes pummeled a wide range of targets along the coastal area. Diplomatic efforts intensified to end the two week war that has killed more than 600 Palestinians and 29 Israelis.It was not immediately known if the missing soldier was alive or dead, the Israeli defense official told The Associated Press. The disappearance raised the possibility that he had been captured by Hamas — a nightmare scenario for Israel. In the past, Israel has paid a heavy price in lopsided prisoner swaps to retrieve captured soldiers or remains held by its enemies.
Military officials said the soldier, identified as Sgt. Oron Shaul, was among seven soldiers in a vehicle that was hit by an anti-tank missile in a battle in Gaza over the weekend. The other six have been confirmed as dead, but no remains have been identified as Shaul, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident with media.
Hamas' claimed earlier this week that it had captured an Israeli soldier. Israel's U.N. ambassador initially denied the claim but the military neither confirmed nor denied it.
WATCH: IDF surveillance video captures Gaza terrorists escaping in ambulance
The IDF released video images on Tuesday of what the military said were Gaza terrorists leaving a home and boarding an ambulance.The video, taken from an aerial surveillance platform, contains the recordings of Air Force officials monitoring the situation.
"Two are leaving our home and going into an alley, in the direction of where you carried it [unknown] out," says one intelligence scout.
"And now they are boarding and ambulance," he adds."
"Another one just entered. And he's even dressed in white," a voice says over the communications network. "It's the driver."
Seconds later, a broadcast over the network says, "Pay attention, we have two suspects who entered an ambulance. And they are now escaping in the ambulance, southbound."
'Foreigners' killed in Kabul airport suicide attack
A suicide bomber has killed four people, including at least three foreign security guards, in an attack outside Kabul airport, officials say.The Taliban said they carried out the bombing, which targeted a key counter-narcotics building.
Four insurgents were also died, officials say. There is no word on the nationalities of the foreigners killed.
The attack comes days after security forces repelled an attack on Kabul airport by the Taliban.
In a separate attack on Tuesday, a roadside bomb injured a civilian close to the Afghan meteorology department near the civilian entrance of the airport. 'Invader forces'
Heavily armed militants attacked the counter-narcotics building with grenades and automatic weapons.
Police say the bomber rode a motorcycle and detonated his explosives outside the main entrance, located close to a foreign military base 2km (1.2 miles) from the main runway.
In addition to the security guards and insurgents killed in the exchange, at least six other guards were wounded.
Isis militants 'seize Iraq monastery and expel monks'
Islamist militants in Iraq are reported to have seized an ancient monastery near Mosul and expelled the monks.
Local residents said monks at the Mar Behnam monastery were allowed to take only the clothes they were wearing.The monastery, which dates from the 4th Century, is a major Christian landmark and a place of pilgrimage.
Christians have fled Mosul after the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) told them to convert to Islam, pay a tax or face death.
Isis has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq and said last month it was creating an Islamic caliphate.
Mosul itself is now said to be empty of Christians.
The Mar Behnam monastery is run by the Syriac Catholic Church and is near the predominantly Christian town of Qaraqosh, to the south-east of Mosul.
Iraq Attacks Kill At Least 16 As Authorities Struggle To Stop Sunni Militants' Offensive
Attacks overnight in two Iraqi cities killed at least 16 people, officials said Monday as authorities struggle to stop the Sunni militants' offensive that has left huge areas in northern and western Iraq outside of government control.In one of the attacks, mortar rounds rained down on Shiite neighborhoods in the town of Mahmoudiya on Sunday night, killing 11 civilians and wounding 31, a police official said. The mixed Shiite-Sunni town is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Baghdad.
And in Baghdad's western suburb of Abu Ghraib, a roadside bomb struck an army patrol, killing two soldiers and three volunteers who took up arms following the Sunni militant push across Iraq in recent weeks. Eighth people were wounded in that attack, said the police official.
Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to media.
15,000 Nigerians Flee After Boko Haram Attacks
More than 15,000 people have fled an area around the northeast Nigerian town of Damboa after a spate of lethal assaults by Islamist Boko Haram fighters during the weekend, the emergency services said on Monday.Suspected Islamists raided Damboa on Friday and Saturday, shooting dead more than 40 residents and burning houses, part of a pattern of killing that has forced tens of thousands to flee this year. They also attacked six nearby villages.
Boko Haram, which is fighting for an Islamic state in Nigeria, has ceaselessly targeted civilians this year in rural parts of Borno state, where its fighters fled after a military offensive dislodged them from the cities.
Abdulkair Ibrahim, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Borno, said the agency had records of 15,204 people who had fled Damboa and the six villages -- Kimba, Madaragrau, Mandafuma, Chikwar Kir, Bomburatai and Sabon Kwatta.
Addressing press in the capital Abuja on Monday, Defense spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade appeared to deny that Boko Haram had taken over Damboa and the surrounding areas, when asked about reports that the military had fled and the insurgents had hoisted their black flags in the town.
"We are not conceding any portion of this country to any terrorist group," he said. "Our patrols are active and they are stepping up their activities to reverse any insecurity there."
Al-Qaida vows to sever hands of 'corrupt' Yemen officials
ADEN: Al-Qaida has threatened to sever the hands of "corrupt" officials in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, where the jihadists have been trying to impose their strict version of Islamic sharia law.
"After we eliminated agents of the United States in Hadramawt and after we fought witchcraft and sorcery, we warn all corrupt officials in Hadramawt... that we will apply Allah's law by kidnapping them and severing their hands," said a statement signed by Ansar al-Sharia, the name under which al-Qaida in Yemen sometimes operates.
The statement was printed on leaflets distributed in the province, residents said.
Earlier this week, members of the network distributed similar leaflets forbidding women to leave their homes without a male guardian — known as "mahram" — and threatening to punish those who fail to comply with sharia.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian peninsula, or AQAP, is active across several parts of Yemen, taking advantage of a collapse of central authority during a 2011 uprising that ousted veteran president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
AQAP is considered by Washington as the most dangerous affiliate of the jihadist network because of its role in failed attacks against the United States.
Chinese city sealed off after bubonic plague death
30,000 residents of Yumen are not being allowed to leave and 151 people have been placed in quarantine after man's death
A Chinese city has been sealed off and 151 people have been placed in quarantine since last week after a man died of bubonic plague, state media said.The 30,000 residents of Yumen, in the north-western province of Gansu, are not being allowed to leave, and police at roadblocks on the perimeter of the city are telling motorists to find alternative routes, China Central Television (CCTV) said.
A 38-year-old man died last Wednesday, the report said, after he had been in contact with a dead marmot, a small furry animal related to the squirrel. No further plague cases have been reported.
CCTV said officials were not allowing anyone to leave. The China Daily newspaper said four quarantine sectors had been set up in the city.
"The city has enough rice, flour and oil to supply all its residents for up to one month," CCTV added. "Local residents and those in quarantine are all in stable condition." No further cases have been reported.
Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection best known for the Black Death, a virulent epidemic that killed tens of millions of people in 14th-century Europe. Primarily an animal illness, it is extremely rare in humans.
The US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) says modern antibiotics are effective in treating plague, but that without prompt treatment the disease can cause serious illness or death.
Craigslist Killings: Pregnant Teen Strangled, Man Decapitated After Connecting With Stranger In Michigan
A pregnant Michigan teenager was strangled and her boyfriend was decapitated after apparently connecting with a stranger through the online service Craigslist for a sexual encounter,
Texas Governor Rick Perry to deploy troops to US border
The governor of Texas has
ordered 1,000 National Guard troops to the US border with Mexico to
protect against what he described as criminals, human traffickers and
drug cartels.
Rick Perry, a Republican, said he had to act because the federal government had failed to secure the border.Mr Perry said the troops would work alongside law enforcement.
The move comes after a surge of unaccompanied Central American children crossed the border illegally.
More than 57,000 children, many fleeing gang violence and extreme poverty at home, have crossed the border since October.
In a news conference, Mr Perry said criminals would see the influx of children as an opportunity to be exploited. And he said that more than 203,000 "criminal aliens" had been held in Texas jails since 2008.
"There can be no national security without border security, and Texans have paid too high a price for the federal government's failure to secure our border," said Mr Perry, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and has been named as a possible contender in 2016.
"The action I am ordering today will tackle this crisis head-on by multiplying our efforts to combat the cartel activity, human traffickers and individual criminals who threaten the safety of people across Texas and America."
The Texas National Guard deployment will cost the state of Texas as much as $12m (£7m) per month.
Detroit city workers, retirees vote in favor of pension cuts in bankruptcy plan
DETROIT – Workers and retirees approved pension cuts in Detroit's bankruptcy by a landslide, the city reported Monday, a crucial step to emerging from the largest municipal insolvency in U.S. history.The city disclosed results from two months of balloting, which ended July 11. Judge Steven Rhodes still must hold a trial in August to determine if Detroit's overall bankruptcy plan is fair and feasible to all creditors, from Wall Street to Main Street, but support from retirees is vital.
General retirees would get a 4.5 percent pension cut and lose annual inflation adjustments. They accepted the changes with 73 percent of ballots in favor. Retired police officers and firefighters would lose only a portion of their annual cost-of-living raise. More than 80 percent in that class voted "yes."
The counting was done by a private company.
Judge Dismisses Republican Lawsuit Over Obamacare Subsidy For Congress
A federal judge has thrown out a U.S. Senator's legal challenge to a part of President Barack Obama's healthcare law that grants health insurance subsidies for members of Congress and their staffs.U.S. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin had challenged the right of the federal government to continue making employer contributions to Congressional health insurance plans even when lawmakers and their staff purchase coverage through new Obamacare online exchanges.
U.S. District Judge William Griesbach, in Green Bay, dismissed the lawsuit on Monday, saying Johnson had failed to show he had been harmed by the regulation.
"There is nothing in the Constitution stipulating that all wrongs must have remedies, much less that the remedy must lie in federal court," Griesbach, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, said in his decision.
The 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, has been the subject of years of political and legal attacks by Republicans, including unsuccessful bids to repeal it.
Monday's ruling comes less than four months before elections in which Republicans seek to expand their House majority and win control of the Senate from Obama's fellow Democrats.
After the ruling, Johnson said he still believed the Obama administration was exceeding its legal authority.
"(It) violated its own signature healthcare law by giving special treatment to members of Congress and their staffs," he said in a statement.
"I believe that this executive action by the Obama administration is unlawful and unfair, and that it is only one of many examples of this president's abuse of his constitutional duty."
Boston Marathon bombing: Tsarnaev friend found guilty
A friend of one of the
men suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing has been
convicted of hindering the investigation into the attack.
Azamat Tazhayakov discarded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's laptop and backpack in the days after the 15 April 2013 attack.Tazhayakov, a Kazakh national who faces up to 20 years in prison, said another man threw out the potential evidence.
Three people died and more than 260 were injured in the blasts.
Death penalty Lawyers for Tazhayakov argued another friend of Mr Tsarnaev's, Dias Kadyrbayev, was responsible for removing the items from a dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, where Tazhayakov and Mr Tsarnaev were students.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued both men, who hail from Kazakhstan, were responsible for the decision to destroy the items, including altered fireworks, to protect Mr Tsarnaev.
NCIS investigating shooting that injured 4 troops on Okinawa
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is probing a shooting that injured four U.S. servicemembers at Camp Schwab in northeast Okinawa, officials said.No major injuries were reported, and all four are in stable condition, Marine Corps officials said in a statement.
The incident was reported to the Marine Corps Provost Marshal’s Office around 10:45 a.m. Thursday, the statement said. The incident, which involved a 9 mm pistol, appears to have been caused by negligence.
The Marines said they could provide no other details while the situation is under investigation.
“The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is currently investigating the incident,” the statement said. “There exists no evidence at this time to indicate this was an intentional shooting, or a result of anything other than negligence.”
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Mike Duffy charged Senate to attend personal funerals, RCMP say
RCMP charge sheet lists 31 offences spanning more than 4 years
The RCMP served Mike Duffy’s lawyer with the official charge sheet early Monday, outlining the 31 criminal code violations the suspended former Conservative senator is accused of committing.The charges relate to living and travel expenses the RCMP allege Duffy fraudulently claimed, disbursing funds to three people for “illegitimate expenses,” as well as allegedly accepting a bribe from Nigel Wright, the then chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The charges state some of the travel expenses reimbursed by the Senate were for “personal and partisan activity.” There are also five expense claims for “personal attendance at funerals and related ceremonies.”
Duffy is accused of fraudulently awarding a $65,000 contract to his friend Gerald Donohue, who RCMP say directed some of that money to three other individuals, including a personal trainer and a hair stylist.
Duffy denies any wrongdoing. His first court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 16.
If convicted, Duffy could face up to 14 years in prison on the more serious charges.
Canada A Big Part Of NASA Mission To Bring Back Part Of Asteroid Bennu
Canada will be a crucial player in a NASA-led mission to bring back pieces of an asteroid that is on a possible collision course towards Earth.Almost $9 million in government funding was announced Thursday to build the mapping system, called the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter, which will create 3D maps of the asteroid. The unmanned mission will leave earth for the asteroid in 2016.
Check out the video above to find out why Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield thinks this project is so important.
Canadian Passport Fraud Charges Laid On Ex-Government Staffer
TORONTO - A former Citizenship and Immigration Canada employee has been charged with breach of trust after she allegedly helped 22 people fraudulently obtain Canadian passports, the RCMP said Friday.Aline Zeitoune, 50, of Toronto worked for Passport Canada, a division of CIC.
Zeitoune, who was arrested Thursday, also faces 96 additional charges, the Mounties said.
Four of the 22 people have also been charged with passport offences.
The RCMP said the investigation began in March 2013, when the force was contacted by CIC investigators who suspected one of their employees of processing fraudulent applications.
"We suspect the accused may have been involved in the scheme for financial gain," said Sgt. Richard Rollings, spokesman for the RCMP in Ontario.
"However, this is a very much an ongoing investigation and the exact motivation behind the scheme is still to be determined."
Opposition parties fear Liberals are planning to sell LCBO, Hydro One or Ontario Power Generation
TORONTO — Ontario’s opposition parties said Wednesday the Liberal government is not being honest with people about its plans to “maximize” the value of provincial assets like the Liquor Control Board, Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One.This week’s provincial budget talked about “unlocking” value from government assets, while the Liberal re-election platform stated they would generate $3.15 billion through “asset optimization.”
Both the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats said they wanted to know what the buzz words really mean, and what exactly the Liberals plan to do to raise that amount.
“They certainly are not being straight up with the people of this province about which of the people’s assets are going to get sold off to come up with this sum,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
“It’s a pretty specific sum, and they had to get that number from somewhere.”
The Tories said they aren’t opposed to trying to squeeze more value out of provincial assets, as long as they stay in public hands.
Interim PC Leader Jim Wilson asked Premier Kathleen Wynne during question period how many jobs would be lost as the government looks for efficiencies at the LCBO and its electricity agencies.
“Here’s a chance to tell employees at the LCBO, OPG and OPA just how many of their jobs are on the line,” said Wilson.
Baldev Singh Kalsi charged with murder in death of wife Narinder
Narinder Kaur Kalsi was found badly beaten in Surrey family home more than a week ago
The attempted murder charge against Baldev Singh Kalsi, the former leader of a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., was upgraded today to second-degree murder after his wife, Narinder Kaur Kalsi, was taken off life support, police said.The woman died after her family agreed to have her taken off life support on Sunday afternoon, police have confirmed.
On July 13, she was taken to hospital in critical condition after she was found in severe medical distress at her family home in South Surrey.
On Monday, police confirmed charges against her husband had been upgraded.
Baldev Singh Kalsi was arrested at the scene and originally charged with aggravated assault, and then attempted murder.
Last week, police confirmed he was attacked by another inmate at the pretrial facilities in Surrey.
He was president of the Brookside Sikh Temple in Surrey at the time of his arrest, but has since been removed from that position.
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