The NEWS Agglomerated
15 08 2013The NEWS Agglomerated
August 15, 2013 by sagarmedia.Anti-government protests rock Bahrain
Despite a ban on public demonstrations, throngs walked through capital Manama shouting “Democracy! Democracy!”, as police erected barriers and checkpoints through many of the main streets.
California high court refuses to halt same-sex weddings
California’s state supreme court refused to stop same-sex weddings on Wednesday in a one-sentence order. The court’s response was prompted by supporters of a 2008 gay marriage ban known as Proposition 8, who had appealed after the US Supreme Court ruled back in June against an appeal following the law’s repeal by a San Francisco federal judge. The legal wrangling has been ongoing since the gay marriage legislation was passed by voters in California, later ruled unconstitutional. Two days after the US Supreme Court ruling in June, a federal appeals court allowed gay marriages to resume in California, and a wave of ceremonies began immediately. Andy Pugno, an attorney for a pro-Proposition 8 group called ProtectMarriage.com, said the state Supreme Court’s ruling “leaves grave doubts about the future of the initiative process in our state.”14 killed in twin road blasts in Iraq
Twin roadside bombs in Baquba, Iraq have killed at least 14 people and injured 26, police announced. The first bomb exploded near a café while the second one hit an ice cream shop, both in the centre of Baquba, 65km north of Baghdad. The blasts follow a series of attacks across the country during the holy month of Ramadan. Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past week.Navy chief DK Joshi briefing media on INS Sindhurakshak submarine
The blast happened on the INS Sindhurakshak around midnight and was shortly followed by a massive fire. The sailors on board the submarine reportedly managed to jump off to safety, but more than a dozen are feared trapped inside the hull. The vessel partially submerged after the fire. Several people have reportedly been rushed to hospital following the incident.Fire brigades were battling the blaze for almost three hours to prevent the fire spreading to other vessels docked nearby. There was no immediate comment on the status of the sunken submarine’s torpedoes and other weapons.
“Lot of things are in very close proximity, there is fuel, there is hydrogen, there is oxygen, there are weapons with high explosives on board,” retired Indian navy chief Arun Prakashs said. “So a slightest mistake or slightest accident can trigger off a huge accident.”The INS Sindhuratna, which was docked close to the Sindhurakshak, was pulled away to safety.
Although it’s believed that the explosion onboard the Indian submarine was likely an accident, an investigation was launched to establish the exact cause, the navy said.INS Sindhurakshak submarine,on 4 June 2010, the Indian Defence Ministry and Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract worth US$80 million to upgrade and overhaul the submarine. After the overhaul, it returned to India from Russia between May and June 2013. A fire broke out aboard Sindhurakshak while the vessel was in Visakhapatnam in February 2010. One sailor was killed and two others were injured. Navy officials reported that the fire had been caused by an explosion in the submarine’s battery compartment, which occurred due to a faulty battery valve that leaked hydrogen gas.After the fire damage in 2010, Sindhurakshak was sent to Russia for a two and a half year refit, overhaul and upgrade. In August 2010, Sindhurakshak arrived at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Russia. The submarine was modernised, repaired and retrofitted under Project 08773, and after the upgrade the sea trials started in October 2012. The upgrades included improved electronic warfare systems, an integrated weapon control system and a new cooling system, and were expected to extend the service life of the submarine by ten years.The Club-S (3M54E1 anti-ship and 3M14E land attack) missiles, USHUS sonar, СCS-MK-2 radio communication systems and Porpoise radio-locating radar, and other safety-enhancing features were incorporated. The submarine was handed back to the Indian Navy on 27 January 2013, after which it sailed back to India, under Commander Rajesh Ramkumar. This was the first time an Indian submarine had navigated under ice condition.
A day of crisis,14 August 2013, the Sindhurakshak sank after series of explosions caused by a fire onboard when the submarine was berthed at Mumbai. The fire, followed by a series of ordnance blasts on the armed submarine, occurred shortly after midnight. The fire was put out within two hours. It is unclear exactly what caused the fire. Due to damage from the explosions, the submarine sank at its berth with only a portion visible above the water surface. Sailors on board reportedly jumped off to safety. Navy divers were also brought in as there was a possibility that 18 personnel were trapped inside. Defence Minister A. K. Antony confirmed that there were fatalities.
Due to the explosion, the front section of the submarine was twisted, bent and crumpled, and water had entered the forward compartment. Another submarine, INS Sindhuratna, also sustained minor damage when the fire on Sindhurakshak caused its torpedoes to explode. Official sources said it was “highly unlikely” the submarine could be returned to service.INS Sindhurakshak incident as a “catastrophe”, Navy chief Admiral D K Joshi on Wednesday indicated there was little hope of survival of 18 personnel on board the submarine, which exploded and sank at the naval dockyard.
“We hope for the best and are prepared for the worst,” he told reporters at the Western Naval Command headquarters. He, however, said three other sailors, who were on the “upper casing” of the submarine when the tragedy occurred, survived, sustaining “only minor injuries”.“They have been discharged (from the hospital),” he added. “Miracles do happen… There may be some air pocket or some may have got access to breathing sack,” he said when asked if there could be survivors among the 18 including three officers.
Responding to a query, the Navy chief did not rule out the possibility of a sabotage but said indications at this time do not support such a theory.
“A board of inquiry has been ordered which will bring out all the details,” he said. The inquiry is expected to be completed in four weeks.
“We do not have answers to what caused the fire,” he said, adding “There are several ingredients (on a naval vessel) that contribute to or cause fire, including explosives, fuel, oxygen bottles. “We hope to determine what caused this catastrophe,” Joshi, who accompanied Defence Minister A K Antony to the naval dockyard, said.
“So far, the Navy divers have been able to open the main hatch,” Joshi said when asked about the rescue efforts, but added “there has been no communication with the staff inside, regrettably.”
Of the 18, two officers and six sailors were married, the Navy chief said.
The submarine had undergone extensive refurbishing in Russia last year and had over 1000 hours of diving after that, he said.
To a query about the submarine being involved in a similar accident when it was docked in Visakhapatnam in February 2010, the Navy chief said, “there is no connection between the two incidents.”
“We are unable to point out our fingers at what could have gone wrong,” he said. The fire was preceded by a a smaller intensity explosion, he said.
“We are gathering forensic evidence,” he added. Joshi said three other personnel who were on board the vessel but not inside, were too shocked to make a statement.
Divers were looking for the missing personnel, but without any success so far, he said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who accompanied Antony, said the state government has kept the J J hospital here on standby to treat the injured.
He expressed “deep sympathy” to the Chief of Naval Staff and families of the affected personnel on behalf of the Maharashtra government “in this hour of tragedy”.
(PT-15/08)
Submarine sinks after serial blasts, 18 navymen still missing
In one of the worst disasters to have struck the Indian Navy, a series of explosions rocked its submarine INS Sindhurakshak at the dockyard in Mumbai around midnight, sinking it partially in the shallow sea, in which 18 personnel including three officers are feared killed.
A smaller intensity explosion was followed by two massive blasts, causing a major fire in the Russian-made submarine, Admiral D K Joshi, Chief of Naval Staff told reporters after visiting the dockyard in Colaba.
Joshi, who accompanied Defence Minister A K Antony, did not rule out the possibility of a sabotage but said, “Indications so far do not support such a theory.”
The diesel-electric submarine was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1997 at a cost of around Rs 400 crore and had gone through a Rs 450-crore extensive upgrade in Russia under a contract signed in 2010.
The warship rejoined the navy on 29th April, this year. It was fully armed at the time of the mishap, navy sources said.
With the 18 navy personnel still missing nearly 17 hours after the mishap, Joshi said, “While we can hope for the best, we have to be prepared for the worst.
“Miracles do happen. There might be air-pockets (to aid their survival). We know that so much time has gone by,” he said.
Joshi said three other personnel who were on board the vessel but not inside, jumped to safety but were too shocked to make a statement.
A board of inquiry has been constituted to probe the reason behind the blasts and it is expected to submit its report within four weeks, he said.
Divers from the navy, Joshi said, have been able to cut through the vessel, as all hatches had fused due to the fire, and were looking for the missing personnel, but without any success so far.
Hezbollah claims responsibility for Israeli army blast
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said his organization was behind the blast that wounded four Israeli Special Forces soldiers on the Lebanese border last week. Nasrallah told Al-Mayadeen television that one pre-planted device was triggered when Israeli troops crossed several hundred meters into Lebanon, and a second explosion was set off when reinforcements arrived. Nasrallah said Hezbollah “will not accept these territorial violations” into LebanonDoctors Without Borders leaves Somalia after 22 years due to ‘extreme attacks’
Leading international medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has ceased all operations in Somalia, closing 11 separate sites, following persistent hostile actions from radicals. “The closure of our activities is a direct result of extreme attacks on our staff, in an environment where armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly support, tolerate, or condone the killing, assaulting, and abducting of humanitarian aid workers,” said MSF president Unni Karunakara. The president said that 300,000 people had been treated by MSF staff this year alone. Upon the release of the news the Islamist Shebab group stormed one of the organization’s compounds and took all property belonging to the MSF.Talks re-start between Israel and Palestinians
Officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority have begun peace talks in Jerusalem, following concessions on both sides. PA president Mahmoud Abbas dropped a demand to freeze construction of all Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory ahead of the talks, while Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners. The two sides went through relatively fruitless US-backed negotiations in Washington last month.Ex-congressman Jessie Jackson Jr. gets 30-month behind bars
A Washington court has sentenced former Illinois congressman, Jesse Jackson Jr., to 30 months in prison for misuse of campaign funds. The 48-year-old has previously pleaded guilty of spending about $750,000 in campaign funds on luxuries such as fur capes, celebrity memorabilia, mounted elk heads and a Rolex watch. “I misled the American people,” he said at the hearing. Jackson’s wife, Sandi, a former Chicago city council member, will also spend a year behind bars for falsifying tax returns that failed to report the campaign money as income.New York Times website inexplicably down
The New York Times website is presently inaccessible after going down late on Wednesday, providing viewers with a “Http/1.1 Service Unavailable” message. Additionally, emails sent to New York Times email addresses are being returned, marked as ‘undeliverable.’ Spokeswoman Danielle Rhodes Ha told AP that the newspaper was examining possible causes, but did not offer any further details. “The New York Times Web site is experiencing technical difficulties. We expect to be back up shortly,” the newspaper tweeted just before 12pm local time on Wednesday. An internal email, which could apparently be accessed, stated that the outage was the result of an “internal issue, which we expect to be resolved soon.”UK opposition leader Ed Miliband pelted with eggs
Britain’s Labor party leader Ed Miliband has been pelted with eggs during a campaign visit to a street market. A man, who had been following Miliband and journalists with him, suddenly began throwing a volley of eggs at his back. At least one egg hit Miliband on his head and jacket, the Telegraph reported. The opposition leader, who was campaigning in East Street market in Walworth, south London, sought to make light of the incident.Egypt declares month-long state of emergency
The Egyptian presidency has declared a month-long state of emergency across the country and has ordered the armed forces to help enforce security. The move, announced on state TV, follows clashes that erupted Wednesday as security forces moved in with tear gas to dismantle protest camps of supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo, amid reports of dozens of protesters killed.New Proton rocket launch planned for Sept 15
Russia’s Federal Space Agency is planning its next launch of a Proton space rocket with the Astra 2E satellite for September 15 – just over two months after the previous launch failed in July. The International Launch Services’ Failure Review Oversight Board concluded its review of the July 2 incident, in which three GLONASS navigational satellites were lost, on August 13.Syria denies reports of firing on Assad’s home, Russian, Iranian diplomatic missions
The Syrian government has denied reports that President Bashar Assad’s home in Damascus, as well as the diplomatic missions of Russia and Iran, have come under fire. Officials at the Russian Embassy did not confirm that the building of the Russian trade mission was fired upon, Itar-Tass reported Wednesday. The building is in the city’s Malki district, a secure neighborhood where Assad used to live before the conflict began.Russia’s ‘Breivik’ pleads guilty to killing 6 office co-workers
Pharmaceutical company lawyer Dmitry Vinogradov has pleaded guilty to murdering six of his office co-workers in Moscow last November, but added that he wasn’t fully accountable for his actions during the shooting. Experts have previously assessed Vinogradov as mentally competent to stand trial, but say that he was suffering from a mental disorder that clouded his judgment while committing the crime. The 29-year-old, who is on trial for murder and public calls for extremist activity, is facing life in prison.Libya repeals sentence on 2 Russians, pending new trial
A Libyan military court’s sentence on Russian citizens Aleksandr Shadrov and Vladimir Dolgov, convicted for alleged collaboration with the former government of Muammar Gaddafi, has been repealed. Now a civilian court will take up their case, a source in the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Tripoli told Interfax. During the appeal hearing held Wednesday, the court changed the status of the Russian citizens from “convicted” to “detained,” the source said.Pilot, co-pilot killed in UPS cargo plane crash in Alabama
The pilot and co-pilot of a large UPS cargo plane were killed in a crash Wednesday morning near the airport in Birmingham, Alabama, city mayor William Bell said. They were the only occupants of UPS flight 1354, which was en route from Louisville, Kentucky, to Birmingham when it crashed on approach about 6 am (10:00 GMT), Reuters quoted Bell as saying. No bystanders were hurt in the incident, which took place near Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.China: 10 people attempt to commit mass suicide over Railway Ministry’s abolition
A group of 10 people in China on Wednesday attempted to commit suicide together by drinking pesticide. They were reportedly protesting against the government’s decision to abolish the Railway Ministry, which is under investigation as its former minister goes on trial on corruption charges. The people were rushed to nearby hospitals after a passerby noticed them lying on the floor with froth coming out of their mouths in a street near Beijing West Railway Station. Some of the people wore T-shirts bearing the logo “Harbin Railway Bureau.” The Railway Ministry was merged with the Transport Ministry, sparking fears of job cuts.North, South Korea agree to reopen industrial park
North and South Korea reached a five-point agreement Wednesday to reopen a shuttered joint industrial park, the South Korean government in Seoul said. “The agreement was signed by Kim Ki-woong, Seoul’s chief delegate, and his North Korean counterpart Park Chol-su,” Yonhap quoted a Unification Ministry official as saying. The deal was reached after day-long negotiations in the North’s border city of Kaesong. The joint complex has been closed since early April when the North pulled out all of its 53,000 workers from 123 South Korean factories, amid rising tensions.Crew saved as cargo ship sinks in typhoon off Hong Kong
Helicopter teams helped to save all 21 crewmembers from a cargo ship that sank off Hong Kong on Wednesday in a typhoon that generated waves of up to 15 meters. The crew abandoned the 190-meter-long ship as the bulk carrier Trans Summer tipped on its side and sank 80 kilometers southwest of Hong Kong, AFP reported. Two helicopter teams were dispatched after an emergency distress call at 02:39 GMT and found some crewmembers on life rafts, while others were floating in the water.1 killed, 20 hurt in Bangladesh protests
Clashes between Bangladeshi police and supporters of an Islamic opposition party left one man dead and about 20 injured Wednesday as a nationwide general strike continued for a second day. Protesters belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami party tried to stage a march in Dhaka’s southern Jatrabari suburb. The party called the strike to denounce a court decision that its registration with the Election Commission was invalid.Manning likely to break silence as WikiLeaks trial nears end
Bradley Manning, the US Army soldier convicted of providing secret files to WikiLeaks, could break his long-held silence on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Manning has said almost nothing since the trial began on June 3. Chief defense attorney David Coombs is expected to conclude his case for a lenient sentence on Wednesday after calling a dozen witnesses. Judge Colonel Denise Lind could sentence Manning immediately after the defense finishes at Fort Meade, Maryland.Japanese minister to visit Russia’s Kuril Islands
Ichita Yamamoto, Japan’s state minister in charge of territorial issues, will visit Russia’s Southern Kuril islands on September 19-23. Yamamoto will hold discussions with local officials and inspect infrastructure, Kyodo reported, citing a government source as saying Wednesday. He will travel to the islands, known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and as the Northern Territories in Japan, along with former Japanese residents under a visa-free program aimed at promoting exchanges with Russian islanders.1 killed, 32 wounded after gunfire on Pakistan’s Independence Day
At least one person was killed and more than 30 wounded in Karachi on Wednesday as hundreds of people fired guns in the air to celebrate the 66th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day. Officials say at least 33 people were brought to Jinnah Hospital in Karachi after being wounded by stray bullets, AFP reported. Flag-raising ceremonies were held in Islamabad and all four provincial capitals as well as in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.North, South Korea restart talks on reopening industrial park
Officials from North and South Korea resumed talks Wednesday about reopening a shuttered factory complex the two countries jointly ran until April. Six rounds of unsuccessful talks on restarting operations in the industrial park in North Korea’s third-largest city, Kaesong, have been held so far. The factory lies just across the heavily armed border from Paju, South Korea and combines South Korean finance and technology with cheap North Korean labor. Seoul has been pushing for Pyongyang to provide guarantees that it won’t unilaterally shut down Kaesong if tensions flare up again.Director of ‘Innocence of Muslims’ film released to halfway house
The man behind “The Innocence of Muslims” film that stoked anti-US protests has been moved from prison to a halfway house, federal officials say. Egyptian-born Coptic Christian Mark Basseley Youssef, 56, will serve the remaining weeks of his sentence for probation violations stemming from his role in making the video. He previously served time for a 2010 bank fraud conviction and was sent back to prison last year after admitting to breaching the terms of his probation, Reuters reported. Youssef is due to be freed on September 26 but will remain under the supervision of probation officials for the next four years, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Ed Ross said.IDF claims to hit terrorist sites in Gaza
Israel has carried out air strikes against alleged concealed rocket launchers sites in Gaza, the IDF said. No civilian casualties were reported as direct hits were confirmed. The strikes were initiated in response to the rocket launched by Hamas militants at the Sha’ar HaNegev regional council on Tuesday evening. The IDF also promised to “safeguard Israel’s civilians, and combat terror and its infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.”BP files lawsuit against US government for enacting ban on new business
BP has filed a lawsuit against the US government following a ban on new federal contracts for the oil company, enacted after the company plead guilty to charges stemming from its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest spill in American history. In November of 2012 the US Environmental Protection Agency cited BP’s “lack of business integrity” in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon incident that left 11 workers dead, and millions of barrels of oil spread into coastal waters. Though the suspension only impacts new contracts and not existing ones, BP has argued in its suit that the ban causes the company “irreparable harm.” BP has incurred about $42.4 billion in charges related to the April 20, 2010 oil spill, reports Reuters. “We believe that the EPA’s action here is inappropriate and unjustified as a matter of law and policy, and we are pursuing our right to seek relief in federal court,” said Geoff Morrell, BP’s head of U.S. communications.Media agencies
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Hundreds killed in Egypt violence emergency proclaimed
15 08 2013
- Hundreds killed in Egypt violence, month long state of emergency proclaimed
- A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday after Egyptian
security forces violently broke up sit-in camps of Muslim Brotherhood
supporters in Cairo. Officials say at least 281 have been killed
nationwide.Four journalists have been killed in violent clashes which
swept Egypt on Wednesday, with a number of the press core suffering
serious injuries in the clashes. At least 238 civilians died in total as
security forces brutally broke up pro-Morsi rallies.
Egypt has been swept by horrific street violence, showers of gunfire,
blazing fires and tear gas as relentless clashes have shaken cities in
government attempts to break up the demonstrations.
Among the 238 protesters killed were children, including the 17-year old daughter of a Muslim Brotherhood official. Police stations were torched or stormed by pro-Morsi groups amid the ruthless government suppression.
The violence also took the lives of Sky News cameraman Mick Deane and Dubai-based XPRESS journalist Habeeba Abdelaziz. Both had been covering the pro-Morsi protests in Egypt’s capital which security forces began to ‘disperse’ earlier in the day.
Deane, 61, was shot as he was documenting the turmoil in Cairo. Despite receiving medical treatment for his injuries he died shortly afterwards, according to a statement from Sky.
An undated handout picture taken at an undisclosed location and released by Sky News on August 14, 2013 shows Mick Deane, TV cameraman for Britain’s Sky News who was shot and killed while covering violence in Egypt on August 14, 2013.
“He was an astonishingly good cameraman, took some brilliant pictures,” said John Ryley, head of Sky News.
Habeeba Abdelaziz was a 26 year old Egyptian reporter from Dubai, who worked for XPRESS – a ‘sister’ publication to the country’s Gulf News.
“It’s hard to believe she’s gone. She was passionate about her work and had a promising career ahead,” XPRESS Deputy Editor Mazhar Farooqui told Gulf News, commenting that the entire team was in a state of shock.
Abdelaziz had been covering protests near Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque, which has been the site of one of the largest protests for over a month, and a subsequently heavy-handed crackdown by governmental security forces. They reclaimed the area late on Wednesday.
The third journalist killed was Egyptian Ahmed Abdel Gawad of Al Akhbar newspaper. He died while covering the clashes at Rabaah al-Adawiya. The Egyptian Press Syndicate, a journalist union, confirmed Gawad’s death, but did not provide any details.
The fourth reporter to have been confirmed killed is photojournalist Mosab El-Shami Rassd of the news website (RNN), an alternative pro-Islamist media network, Ahram online reports. The agency wrote that he “was killed by the hand of betrayal while covering the Rabaa massacre at the hands of those who executed the coup,” wrote the network on its Facebook page.
Reuters photojournalist Asmaa Waguih also suffered serious injuries after being shot in the leg during protests. Shortly afterwards, she was moved to the international medical center to receive treatment. The Committee to Protect Journalists has released a statement on the issue, saying that the group condemned the killing of Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, prior to hearing of the second death.
“We call on Egyptian authorities to issue clear orders to security forces to respect the right of journalists to work freely and safely while covering events in Cairo and the rest of the country,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney.
“The killing of Mick Deane underscores the urgent need for such action and for all sides to show restraint and allow the media to do their job. The authorities must investigate all attacks on journalists and hold those responsible to account,” he said.
Other journalist were also treated for wounds. An AP photographer was hit in the back of the neck by two birdshot pellets, while Al Jazeera claims its cameraman Mohammed al-Zaki was shot in the arm. In addition, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders says that Tarek Abbas — a reporter for local Al-Watan newspaper sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and eye; and photographer Ahmad Najjar was wounded in the arm.
Approximately a dozen other journalists were arrested or threatened as they tried to document the mayhem: Reuters’ Tom Finn tweeted his own arrest. Daily Beast reporter Mike Giglio also said on Twitter he was arrested alongside two photographers named Mahmoud Abou Zeid and Louis Jammes, stating they had been beaten too.
A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday after Egyptian security forces violently broke up the sit-in camps of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Cairo. Health Ministry officials say that over 2000 were injured in the nationwide violence, alongside the 278 who were killed including policemen.
“The dead are both from police and civilians,” said the ministry’s spokesman, Hamdi Abdel Kari.
Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad claimed that as many as 2,000 people had been killed and 10,000 injured in the police operation.
Security forces succeeded in gaining control of the protest camps by the end of the day after turning the capital into what journalists called “a war zone”. A state of emergency has been declared and curfew imposed in major cities including Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. The curfew is set to last for the next month – or until further notice.
The dawn of Wednesday , Egyptian police sent in armored bulldozers to break up the protest outside Rabaa al-Adawiya in eastern Cairo, where one of the Muslim Brotherhood camps is located. Police broke up a second protest site outside the Cairo University campus in Giza in the city’s west.
Helicopters were circling over the protest sites, using loudspeakers to call on the demonstrators to leave. Security troops used tear gas against protesters, and there were also reports of intensive gunfire in the area.
Protesters are also accusing the military of ordering snipers to shoot at them from the rooftops of buildings surrounding the sit-in camps.
“It is nasty inside, they are destroying our tents. We can’t breathe inside and many people are in hospital,” protester Murad Ahmed described the camp crackdown.
Police and military forces had previously cordoned off the camps with barbed wire, leaving corridors for protesters to leave.
@Beltrew
They’ve got every road blocked off and are firing at anyone trying to get in: tear gas, birdshot bullets and what sounds like live ammo.
The army soldiers shot pro-Morsi activists in the legs who tried to join the Rabaa protest camp. Some of the supporters of the ousted president threw stones and petrol bombs at the troops, the news agency said.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that Morsi supporters who attempted to remain in the protest camps would face prosecution.
Police cleared the smaller camp in Giza in about two hours. Media agencies
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ARS 2013 to kick off in Delhi on Aug 17
15 08 2013New Delhi, August 14, 2013: The Airtel Rising Stars 2013 season, IndiaⳠlargest Under-16 soccer talent hunt, will kick off in Delhi on August 17, with 80 of the cityⳠleading soccer playing schools vying for the honour of lifting the Airtel Cup, the symbol of supremacy in the city. Besides Delhi, the Airtel Rising Stars talent hunt will be held in six other cities, namely Mumbai, Kolkata, Goa, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Guwahati and will involve around 450 schools in total.
The opening matches of the tournament will be played at the Ganga International School Ground and will feature G.I.S. versus Richmond Public School, followed by Venkateshwar, Rohini versus St. Margret.
The tournament will also be the platform to pick the best three players, who will go on to represent Delhi in the final selection trials to be held in Goa. The best goalkeeper from each city will also be picked and put through their paces, following which two will be shortlisted for the final selection trials, which will be held in Goa.
Besides players from the top soccer playing schools, individual players also stand a chance of being picked for the final selection trials. Those aspiring of the opportunity can upload videos of their soccer playing skills and the top 50 videos from each city will be shortlisted for a live audition. From these, the most talented player will get an opportunity to be a part of the final selection trials.
The 30 players in the final selection trials will train for five days under coaches of the Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in Goa and will be tested on all parameters (including physical attributes, individual skills, match situations and their performances in actual matches) before 11 of the best players are chosen to travel to Manchester for a week and train alongside the Manchester United – Under 21 team.
The Airtel Rising Stars 2013 was flagged off in Delhi previous month in the presence of Manchester United football legend Gary Pallister and Mohit Beotra (Chief Brand Officer Bharti Airtel, India).
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Himmat Singh Rai emerges triumphant at Jamega Tour event in England
15 08 2013
Bristol, England, August 14, 2013: IndiaⳊHimmat Singh Rai
emerged triumphant at a Jamega Tour event at The Players Club near
Bristol in England on Tuesday. Rai shot scores of 66 and 71 to end up
with a total of three-under-137 at the par-70 course. James Ruth (66-72)
of England finished one stroke behind Rai in second place.
The strong field at the 36-hole event included players from the European Tour, Challenge Tour and Asian Tour. The victory gave Himmat his fourth professional title. He also has an Asian Tourtitle to his credit.
Himmat posted a four-under-66 to be the joint leader in round one along with the English duo of James Ruth and Dan Osbaldeston. RaiⳠopening round included seven birdies and three bogeys.
The 26-year-old Himmat showed the patience that was required on a difficult and windy second day as he reeled off nine straight pars on the front nine to remain at four-under for the tournament and lead by one.
Ruth then snatched a great birdie from the difficult, short 10th hole to once again get on level terms with Rai, who then counterpunched with birdie on the 12th to once again move one shot ahead.
Rai tripped and stumbled after his birdie on the 12th and proceeded to bogey the 13th and 15th but fortunately for him Ruth also bogeyed the par-5 15th and so the pair were still tied with two holes to play.
The turning point came on the 17th hole when Rai hit a super second into a tight pin to birdie whilst Ruth dropped a bogey-5 to fall two shots back with one to play.
A little drama ensued up the eighteenth when Rai could only reach the front of the green in three shots while Ruth had a very makeable birdie putt from around 10 feet.
Rai putted up stone dead and marked, leaving Ruth to try and hole his to force a playoff but his effort looked into the hole but refused to drop and so Rai tapped his in to be a worthy winner.
The strong field at the 36-hole event included players from the European Tour, Challenge Tour and Asian Tour. The victory gave Himmat his fourth professional title. He also has an Asian Tourtitle to his credit.
Himmat posted a four-under-66 to be the joint leader in round one along with the English duo of James Ruth and Dan Osbaldeston. RaiⳠopening round included seven birdies and three bogeys.
The 26-year-old Himmat showed the patience that was required on a difficult and windy second day as he reeled off nine straight pars on the front nine to remain at four-under for the tournament and lead by one.
Ruth then snatched a great birdie from the difficult, short 10th hole to once again get on level terms with Rai, who then counterpunched with birdie on the 12th to once again move one shot ahead.
Rai tripped and stumbled after his birdie on the 12th and proceeded to bogey the 13th and 15th but fortunately for him Ruth also bogeyed the par-5 15th and so the pair were still tied with two holes to play.
The turning point came on the 17th hole when Rai hit a super second into a tight pin to birdie whilst Ruth dropped a bogey-5 to fall two shots back with one to play.
A little drama ensued up the eighteenth when Rai could only reach the front of the green in three shots while Ruth had a very makeable birdie putt from around 10 feet.
Rai putted up stone dead and marked, leaving Ruth to try and hole his to force a playoff but his effort looked into the hole but refused to drop and so Rai tapped his in to be a worthy winner.
Posted just now by Naresh Kumar Sagar
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Egyptian security forces crack down on Morsi supporters,
15 08 2013 Naresh:As Egyptian security forces crack down on Morsi supporters, Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley is in Cairo meeting with human rights activists. With Brian’s help, we’re posting updates on the situation in Cairo on Twitter @humanrights1st and we’ve provided recommendations to the United States government on how to better promote human rights in Egypt.
Here’s the latest from Brian:
It’s 8:00 PM here. Egyptian security forces have cleared the smaller sit-in at Nahda but there is still fighting at the larger encampment at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque. Casualty estimates vary wildly. Morsi supporters are claiming 1,000 dead and 10,000 wounded, including many women and children. International media outlets report more than 100 fatalities, mostly (not all) men.Human Rights First has been working to make sure that human rights promotion is at the center of American policy toward Egypt. Read our Blueprint on how the U.S. government can promote human rights in Egypt and follow us on Twitter @humanrights1st for the latest news from Cairo.
Getting around much of the city is now dangerous. Downtown Cairo is very quiet with few people on the streets, but many neighborhoods are unsafe and there has been shooting between security forces and gunmen. Trains and main arteries into Cairo have been stopped to prevent protestors from the rest of the country from entering the city.
The military is solidifying its coup by installing governors across the country and has declared a month-long State of Emergency, which is all too reminiscent of Mubarak’s three decades of authoritarian rule. Curfew begins at 9pm and will last until 6am.
Churches and police stations are being attacked in various locations across the country by Islamist militants in revenge, and there has been a fresh wave of attacks on Coptic Christians.
Here’s what the Egyptian human rights activists I’ve been talking with tell me:
U.S. government aid to the military should be suspended after today’s violence. The resumption of military aid should be conditioned on the implementation of a credible program of national reconciliation in Egypt, and the empowerment of an inclusive, civilian led government with control over the military and security forces.
- Along with the security forces, the Muslim Brotherhood has a responsibility to do what it can to quell the violence. Amnesty International’s report of torture within the camps and reports of protestors firing at security forces show that the sit-ins weren’t entirely peaceful. Still, the security forces’ assaults on them are collective punishment.
- Today, the U.S. State Department could help provide clarity about what’s actually happening on the ground by releasing information on casualties and the scope of the violence gathered by the Embassy in Cairo.
Sincerely,
Sharon Kelly McBride
Human Rights First
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