Recently in International News Category

Hundreds arrested at climate talks
by Dallas Johnson

Hundreds of activists were detained Saturday in Copenhagen outside a climate conference among industrial members of the United Nations, MSNBC reported.

Police arrested 968 people who had gathered at the rear of the rally, part of a worldwide "Day of Action."

The protesters were demanding a resolution on climate-change that would reduce gas emissions and aid developing countries hurt by pollution.

Four cars had been set on fire during the evening, police said.  One of the protesters was injured by fireworks, and one police officer reported minor injuries after being hit with a rock thrown by one of the protesters. 

Most of the detained protesters were released.  Five were charged, however, and are scheduled in court on Sunday.

The rally centered around the Bella Center where the summit was taking place, CNN reported.

Police spokesman Rasmus Bernt Skovsgaard said that "there was some cobblestone-throwing and at the same time people were putting on masks. We decided to go for preventive detentions to give the peaceful demonstration the possibility to move on."

Some demonstrators argued police abuse, after police detained 400 protesters by typing their hands behind their backs and forcing them to sit on the street in freezing temperatures.

The countries are expected to reach an agreement by Friday, which is the end of the two-week summit.

More than 100 killed in Russian nightclub fire
by Dallas Johnson

Pyrotechnics caused an explosion in Russian nightclub Friday, killing 109 and injuring 133 others, CNN reported.

Most of the victims either died of smoke inhalation or were trampled by panic customers attempting to exit the fire and smoke-filled nightclub, MSNBC reported.

Eighty-eight of the injured were in critical condition Saturday morning, officials said.

Police are questioning the owner and manager of the Lame Horse nightclub in the central Russian city of Perm after reports said the nightclub may have misused the fireworks.

Initial reports are saying the cause of the blast is "unsanctioned use of pyrotechnical devices," the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said.

"The fire spread very quickly," Marina Zabbarova, chief investigator for the local prosecutor's office said.  "Panic arose which led to a mass death of people."

Customers in the nightclub said three fireworks started spewing sparks, which ignited the plastic ceiling.  The fire only took seconds to spread, as did the panic in the crowd.

The owner and manager of the nightclub were arrested in connection with the incident.  Russian officials say it was not a terrorist act, but an unfortunate misuse of fireworks in the nightclub.

The problem was compounded by the fact that the nightclub only had one exit.

President Dmitry Medvedev demanded that those responsible receive the harshest possible punishment.

Dozens killed in mine accident in China

by Dallas Johnson

 

An explosion at a mine in China killed at least 42 workers Saturday, CNN reported.

The gas explosion left at least 66 others trapped around 500 meters below ground in the state-run coal mine in northern China, MSNBC reported.  Rescue efforts are underway.

Rescue efforts have been difficult because the explosion cut power, ventilation and communication links.

Around 530 workers were at the mine around 2:30 a.m. Saturday when the explosion occured at the Heilongjiang Longmei's Xinxing mine which is operated by the Hegang company.

The mines in China are the world's deadliest and he incident shows the difficulty the Chinese government has trying to make mines safer.

The incident is troublesome to the Chinese government because generally larger, state-run mines are considered safer than smaller, private ones.  China now faces a difficult task of boosting the industry's safety.

China has been tracking down on unregulated mines, which accounts for almost 80 percent of the 16,000 mines in the country.

China closed about 1,000 small mines last year, halfing the number of miners killed.

The government faces a difficult balance, however, as the country depends heavily on coal mines to power three-quarters of the country's electricity needs.

 

Suicide car bomb kills 11
by Dallas Johnson

A suicide car bomber killed 11 people and injured 25 at a police checkpoint in Pakistan Saturday, CNN reported.

The bomb went off after authorities stopped the bomber at the checkpoint in Peshawar, making it the second straight day with major violence in the area, MSNBC reported.

The blast killed three women, three children, a policeman and four other men, said Shafi Ullah, a deputy superintendent of police said.

This bombing is the most recent of several attacks on the city of Peshawar in the last few days,

The attacks are most likely retaliation against the army for their efforts to rout militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, intelligence officials said.

Police forces were increased at all checkpoints after a dual attack Friday that killed 17 people.

While the Taliban took responsibility for the attacks on Friday, no one has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the Saturday attack.

Qari Hussein, senior commander of the Taliban, said that the attacks will continue but their intensity will grow.

Hussein, is angry at the Pakistani government for its un-Islamic ways and alliance with the United States, says it plans to target political parties who have taken an anti-Taliban position.

He added that the illusion that their government will protect them is incorrect.  "We will be able to take them out," he said.

The government responded, saying that the attacks would not stop them from carrying out their operation.

Typhoon kills at least 14 in the Philipines
by Dallas Johnson

At least 14 people were killed and four others are missing after Typhoon Mirinae struck the Philipines Saturday, CNN reported.

The typhoon left more than three inches of rain on the island of Manila, leaving some places, such as Daet, with almost six inches of rain.

The flooding from Mirinae comes at a bad time for the Philipines, which has now been hit by four typhoons in the last month.  The first of the typhoons, Ketsana, left 80 percent of Manila under water.

The flooding from Ketsana lasted well into October, when Typhoon Parma made landfall.  Typhoon Lupit followed, narrowly missing making landfall, but still delivering heavy rains to the Philipines. 

Tens of thousands of residents are still residing in evacuation centers from the previous typhoons.

The government closed schools, grounded ferries and mobilized an army battalion for rescue operations prior to Mirinae making landfall, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.  Trucks filled with food and other supplies were also dispatched to the areas expected to be hit by the typhoon.

The previous storms killed 929 people in floods and landslides.

After making landfall, Mirinae, which had winds of over 90 miles per hour, quickly dissipated and is now classified as a tropical storm, forecasters said.

It is expected to weaken even more before making landfall in Vietnam on Monday.

Eight Afghans arrested in U.N. attack

by Dallas Johnson

 

Eight people were arrested in Afghanistan Saturday in connection with last week's attack that killed five on a guest house used by United Nations employees, MSNBC reported. 

CNN reported that the three assailants involved in the attack were Pakistani, based on statements by the arrested.

Afghan intelligence told reporters that were expecting an attack sometime around rush hour.  Instead the suicide bombing took place just before dawn Wednesday.

Sayed Ansari, Afghanistan's chief of national security, said that among the arrested was Mulla Qari Aminullah, a religious teacher at a mosque in Kabul.

Aminullah was arrested at Medina's airport in Saudi Arabia on his way to the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Ansari said.

Aminullah is accused of hiding the three attackers in his home.

U.N. security guards who were staying in the guest house held off the attackers for nearly an hour before Afghani security forces showed up.

The U.N. is demanding an explanation from the Afghani government for the delay.

The Afghani government has not released a statement on the issue.

Trains collide in Egypt, killing 20
by Dallas Johnson

One passenger train ran into the back of another near Cairo Saturday, killing at least 25 people, MSNBC reported.

At least 50 other people were injured when the first train, traveling from Cairo to Asyut, hit the second train, traveling from Giza to Fayyoum, CNN reported.

The wreck occurred next to a canal in the Girzah 6th district of October, giving emergency responders problems, Deputy to the Health Ministry Mohammed Sarhan said.  Tree trunks and branches were used to make a temporary bridge to the injured and dead.

People were trapped beneath the wreckage late into Saturday night, Sarhan said.  Some of the dead were discovered buried beneath the wreckage.

In order to transport the injured to local hospitals, 80 ambulances were sent to the wreckage, Ahmed Rady, a government spokesman, said.

The Transporation Ministry and Egyptian National Railways have both launched investigations regarding the collision.

Egypt has a poor safety record with railways.  There are several deadly accidents every year typically due to poorly maintained equipment.

Saudi journalist sentenced to 60 lashes
by Dallas Johnson

A Saudi journalist was sentenced to 80 lashes Saturday, after her work on an Arabic-language television show featured a man talking about his sex life, CNN reported.

Rozanna al-Yami was sentenced Saturday on charges that includedw involvement in preparation of the program and advertising it on the Internet, according to MSNBC.  It is believed that she is the first female journalist to recieve such a punishment.

In addition to the 60 lashes, the court of Jeddah also placed a two-year ravel ban on al-Yami, a Saudi Information Ministry official said.  The ban will no allow al-Yami to travel outside of Saudi Arabia.

The segment involved was part of a show known as "The Thick Red Line," which airs on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. and is known for showing social taboos.

The man in the segment, Mazen Abdul Jawad, bragged about his sex life, showing several sex toys, which were blurred by the network.

Abdul Jawad was sentenced to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes for his role in the episode, said Suleiman Al-Jumeii, an attorney representing Abdubl Jawad.

Al-Jumeii also confirmed the sentences against al-Yami.  Al-Jumeii is not representing al-Yami but is keeping tabs on all aspects of the case as he is planning to appeal Abdul Jawad's case to a court that deals only in media matters, because he claims that his client was not aware he was being recorded.

The Lebanese Broadcasting Corp.'s offices were shut down shortly after the episode aired in July, Saudi authorities said.

Iran frees journalist

by Dallas Johnson

 

A Newsweek journalist was released from an Evin prison in Iran Saturday after he was arrested for making false accusations against the Iranian government in June, CNN reported.

Maziar Bahari, a correspondent in Tehran, was released on almost $300,000 in bail after nearly four months in jail.

Bahari, 42, was put on mass trial in August with more than 100 other journalist, reformists and former government ministers after President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election in June, MSNBC reported.

The election commission of Iran declared Ahmadinejad the winner, causing thousands of citizens to fill the streets of Tehran, saying the election had been fraudulent.

Bahari was accused by the Iranian government of being one of those post-election demonstrators, propagandizing against Iran, favoring opposition groups, sending false reports through the foreign media, and possessing classified documents, Iranian officials said.

Newsweek rejected all of these allegations.  Officials did not specify why Bahari was released.

"Humanitarian considerations were presumed to have played a role in the decision," a Newsweek article said.

Iranian officials said Bahari confessed at a news conference shortly after his arrest, but human rights groups have accused prison guards of coercing false confessions from prisoners.

 

 

Turkey and Armenia sign an agreement
by Dallas Johnson

Turkey and Armenia signed an agreement Saturday opening diplomatic relations, CNN reported.

The Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers signed the agreement in Zurich, Switzerland after almost a century of animosity, MSNBC said.

The agreement will open the border between the two countries, which has been closed since 1993, after both country's parliaments ratify the agreement.

The agreement, however, needed help from U.S. and other national diplomats to be finalized.

There was some debate on the wording of the final statement in the agreement that almost derailed discussions.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton communicated several times with both the Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers to help resolve the problem.

The agreement ended up being signed three hours behind schedule.

Nationalists in both countries are hoping that the agreement will not be ratified.  The disagreements over the countries shared bloody history has not been forgotten by many nationalists.

"The success of Turkey in pressuring Armenia into accepting these humiliating, one-sided protocols proves, sadly, that genocide pays," said Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America.

Turkey strongly rejects any allegations of genocide and sighted Armenian presence in neighboring Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian area of Azerbaijan, as its main reason for not making an agreement sooner.