http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/ Raw content from the BNO News Wire Service en-us PHP/5.2.9 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1089 This website has moved to www.bnowire.com/inbox/ and will no longer be updated. Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:34:45 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1086 SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON ATTACKS AGAINST DIPLOMATIC PREMISES 14 September 2012 The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the series of violent attacks against embassies and consular premises of member states in multiple locations on September 13 and 14. The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern at these attacks recalling that the very nature of diplomatic premises is peaceful and that diplomats have among their core functions the promotion of better understanding across countries and cultures. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that such acts are unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever committed. The members of the Security Council recalled the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and the obligations on host Governments, including under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity. In this context, the members of the Security Council called on all authorities to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel, and to respect fully their international obligations in this regard. Fri, 14 Sep 2012 19:36:23 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1085 Their Royal Highnesses have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner. The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to The Duke and Duchess for being so. Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them. Officials acting on behalf of Their Royal Highnesses are consulting with lawyers to consider what options may be available to The Duke and Duchess. Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:40:46 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1084 [As released by the White House] Readout of the President’s Call with Yemeni President Hadi This afternoon, President Obama called Yemeni President Hadi to discuss the assault on the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a and express concern about the security of American personnel and diplomatic facilities in Yemen. President Obama thanked President Hadi for his swift condemnation of today’s violence, and welcomed the announcement that an investigation into the incident is already underway. President Obama expressed appreciation for the cooperation we have received from the Yemeni government and underscored the importance of working together to ensure the security of U.S. personnel going forward. President Hadi committed to doing everything possible to protect American citizens in Yemen, and said he had deployed additional security forces around the U.S. Embassy. President Obama reiterated his rejection of any efforts to denigrate Islam, and emphasized that there is never any justification for the violence we are seeing. President Obama concluded the call by expressing his appreciation for the strong partnership between our two nations and reaffirming our commitment to supporting the Yemeni government and people during their historic transition. ### Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:58:28 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1083 E-mailed statement from Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemns with the strongest of words insult towards the great Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (SAW), perpetrated in a screening in an American cinema with the authorization of its government. Since America declared its open war on Islam eleven years ago, it has repeatedly and on various intervals insulted the inviolable sanctums of Islam. Such revolting actions are not acts of individuals but rather are activities done with the approval or even directly by the government. We, as the staunch defenders of Islam, make it very clear to the American regime as well as its rebellious transgressing individuals that such actions will not bring you any closer to your malicious goals but vice-versa; it shall further unveil the true satanic face of your government especially to the Muslims and will drive the Muslim world to communally respond with an appropriate reaction. The bestial natured America has violated the religious, ideological, national and cultural sanctums of various countries and nations in its dark history and has allowed such irresponsible acts to flourish in its country therefore the international community and specifically the Muslim nations and countries should join hands and create an unbreakable alliance against this common enemy in order quickly respond to these evil elements with an appropriate and stern reaction and to contain these gross offences. The Islamic Emirate also calls on all its Mujahideen to stand firm against all the violations against our heavenly book (Quran), Prophet and other sanctums perpetrated by the invading America. The Mujahideen in Afghanistan should avenge these actions of the American government by dealing a heavy blow to its invading troops on the battlefield. Similarly, the Islamic Emirate calls on all of the religious scholars of the country to fully inform the masses about such barbaric acts of America in their sermons and to prepare them for a lengthy struggle. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:12:49 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1082 It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the death of four American personnel in Benghazi, Libya yesterday. Among them were United States Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith. We are still making next of kin notifications for the other two individuals. Our hearts go out to all their families and colleagues. A 21 year veteran of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Stevens died last night from injuries he sustained in the attack on our office in Benghazi. I had the privilege of swearing in Chris for his post in Libya only a few months ago. He spoke eloquently about his passion for service, for diplomacy and for the Libyan people. This assignment was only the latest in his more than two decades of dedication to advancing closer ties with the people of the Middle East and North Africa which began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. As the conflict in Libya unfolded, Chris was one of the first Americans on the ground in Benghazi. He risked his own life to lend the Libyan people a helping hand to build the foundation for a new, free nation. He spent every day since helping to finish the work that he started. Chris was committed to advancing America’s values and interests, even when that meant putting himself in danger. Sean Smith was a husband and a father of two, who joined the Department ten years ago. Like Chris, Sean was one of our best. Prior to arriving in Benghazi, he served in Baghdad, Pretoria, Montreal, and most recently The Hague. All the Americans we lost in yesterday’s attacks made the ultimate sacrifice. We condemn this vicious and violent attack that took their lives, which they had committed to helping the Libyan people reach for a better future. America’s diplomats and development experts stand on the front lines every day for our country. We are honored by the service of each and every one of them. Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:44:41 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1081 I strongly condemn the attack on the US mission in Benghazi which led to the tragic loss of four Americans, including the Ambassador. Such violence can never be justified. I offer my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives and my thoughts are with those who are injured. I welcome the Libyan President’s condemnation and condolences and his pledge of his government’s full cooperation. It is important that the new Libya continues to move towards a peaceful, secure and democratic future. Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:42:41 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1080 Statement by the President on the Attack in Benghazi I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America's commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives. I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants. On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya's transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss. The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward. Wed, 12 Sep 2012 06:21:25 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1079 BENGHAZI, LIBYA (BNO NEWS) -- Protesters angry about an online video considered offensive to Islam attacked U.S. diplomatic compounds in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday, killing U.S. Ambassador John Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, Libyan officials said on Wednesday. Libyan Deputy Interior Minister Wanis al-Sharif said during a news conference that Stevens died in a local hospital after being attacked by protesters at the U.S. consulate in the Libyan port city of Benghazi, which served as the country's rebel capital until they captured Tripoli last year. Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur strongly condemned the attack in messages on his official Twitter account. "Amb. Stevens was a friend of Libya and we are shocked at the attacks on the US consulate in Benghazi," he wrote. "I condemn these barbaric acts in the strongest possible terms. This is an attack on America, Libya and free people everywhere." (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g59037 Wed, 12 Sep 2012 05:45:28 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1078 ANCHOR OF THE RUSSIA TODAY TV CHANNEL KEVIN OWEN: Hello. We're very pleased to say today that we're joined by the president of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin's agreed to speak to us here in his country house on the outskirts of Moscow to give us his latest thoughts about a number of domestic and world issues. Now, we're very pleased because this is his first major interview since his inauguration and he's granted it to us. So, Mr. President, thank you very much for making the time to talk to us. What I want to talk about first of all is the ongoing at the moment APEC summit. You'll be going there very shortly - in Vladivostok because it's the first time that Russia has held it, a prestigious event. But it always begs the question - what's actually achieved at these events, events like that, like the G8, G20? Now, though APEC is primarily an economic vessel, there's a lot of politics involved as well. And of course a lot of the key players including you, including America, a lot of key players disagree on some very key issues. I'm thinking about Syria, I'm thinking about missile defense, I'm thinking about Iran. Is there a danger that the politics may stifle, get in the way of the big economic deals that the very same key players are hoping to sign at this summit or at least talk about signing? PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: That is true. But in fact – and you’ve just said it yourself – APEC was originally conceived as a forum for discussing economic issues. And as this year’s host country, we also intend to focus on economic and socioeconomic challenges. APEC was originally established with the overall objective seen as liberalizing the global economy. And we intend to make this a key issue on the agenda in Vladivostok. When I was inviting our counterparts, five years ago, to meet for this forum particularly in the Russian Federation, my rationale was exactly the fact that this area is extremely important for Russia, considering that two thirds of Russia’s territory are located in Asia, and yet the bulk of our foreign trade – more than 50 percent – comes from Europe, whereas Asia only accounts for 24 percent of our trade. Meanwhile, Asia is a rapidly and intensively developing region. You and I know it, and everybody knows it. Therefore, we are planning to focus primarily on economic challenges, transport, global food security and the task of liberalizing the global economy. It’s a well-known fact that the past year has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people affected by starvation, which has grown by 200 million. This means that 1 billion people worldwide are currently suffering from food shortages or famine. I believe this is the kind of issue that will be the focus of attention, along with a number of other challenges that are highly sensitive and significant for millions of people. As far as Syria and other hot spots are concerned – issues that are currently in the limelight – we will certainly address them in our deliberations at the forum, in bilateral discussions or otherwise. They won’t be overlooked. KEVIN OWEN: Do you think there should be more practical outcomes though? Is it too much of a talking show - events like APEC? VLADIMIR PUTIN: You know, I attended the G20 meeting in Mexico just recently. As a rule, such meetings are pre-arranged and pre-discussed by our aides and ministers and high-ranking experts, and still there are certain issues that eventually come into focus for the heads of states that are attending. And in fact, that’s how it was in Mexico. I was very interested to follow discussions and look at conflicting opinions, and I participated in some of those discussions. I think the coming forum will see just as many debates. But it’s only through this kind of meticulous, hard work – year after year and quarter after quarter, if not day by day, if you excuse my officialese – that we can eventually arrive at acceptable solutions on some sensitive issues such as, say, liberalizing trade, since this is an issue that affects millions of people. You know the issues debated within the framework of the World Trade Organisation, and the coming APEC summit is so immensely important for us, partly because Russia in now a full member of the WTO. We have also established a Customs Union and a Common Economic Space in the post-Soviet territory jointly with Belarus and Kazakhstan. And dialogue is very important for us, so that we could explain to our partners and help them realize how this kind of association in the post-Soviet area could be beneficial and helpful for purposes of our cooperation with them. Especially since the vehicles I’ve mentioned have been established based on WTO principles. KEVIN OWEN: Ok, thanks for explaining that. We're going to come back to APEC a little bit later if we may, but you touched on another big subject in headlines, the horrendous events that have been unfolding in Syria over the last 18 months now. Russia' position has been steadfast all the way along the line. Here you've said there should be no foreign intervention and it should be the Syrian people who do the deciding and it should be done through diplomacy. However, that's a great idea, but day in day out innocent lives are being lost on both sides. Is it time for something more than talking? Should Russia be reassessing its position maybe now? VLADIMIR PUTIN: How come Russia is the only one who’s expected to revise its stance? Don’t you think our counterparts in negotiations ought to revise theirs as well? Because if we look back at the events in the past few years, we’ll see that quite a few initiatives of our counterparts have not played out the way they were intended to. Take the examples of the numerous countries ridden with escalating internal conflicts. The US and then its allies went into Afghanistan, and now they’re all looking forward to getting out of there. If there’s anything on the table, it’s the issue of assisting them in withdrawing their troops and hardware from Afghanistan through our transit routes. Now, are you sure that country has been stabilized for decades to come? So far, no one is confident about it. And look at what’s going on in Arab countries. There have been notable developments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen. Would you say that order and prosperity have been totally ensured for these nations? And what’s going on in Iraq? In Libya, there are in fact armed clashes still raging among the country’s various tribes. I won’t even mention the way the country had its regime changed: this is a separate topic. What concerns us, and I want to emphasize this once again, is the current hostilities in Syria. But at the same time, we are just as concerned about the possible consequences of certain decisions, should they be taken. In our opinion, the most important task today is ending the violence. We must urge all the warring parties, including the government and the so-called rebels, the armed opposition, to sit down at the negotiating table and decide on a future that would guarantee security for all of the stakeholders within Syria. Only then should they get down to any practical measures regarding the country’s future system of governance. We realize that this country needs a change, but this doesn’t mean that change should come with bloodshed. KEVIN OWEN: OK, well, given the facts regarding Syria that you see on the table now, what is the next step? What do you realistically think is going to happen next? VLADIMIR PUTIN: We told our partners we would like to sit down together at the negotiating table in Geneva. And when we did, together we charted a roadmap for further action that would help bring peace to Syria and channel the developments into a more constructive path. We received almost unanimous support and shared the results of the talks with the Syrian government. But then the rebels actually refused to recognize those decisions; and many of the negotiating parties have also quietly backed down. I believe that the first thing to do is to finally stop shipping arms into the warzone. We should stop trying to impose unacceptable solutions on either side, because it is a dead-end. That’s what we should do. It is that simple. Luckily, we generally enjoy friendly relations with the Arab world, but we would like to stay away from sectarian conflicts in Islam, or interfere in a showdown involving the Sunnis, the Shia, the Alawis and so on. We treat everyone with equal respect. We also get on well with Saudi Arabia and other countries; I have cultivated a warm personal relationship with the guardian of two Islamic shrines. The only underlying motive behind our stance is the desire to create a favorable environment for the situation to develop positively in years to come. KEVIN OWEN: What are your thoughts about the United Nations and the way the United Nations has reacted particularly in Syria. There's been criticism that it's failed to deliver a unified front if you like and has become more of a figurehead organization. Do you share that view? VLADIMIR PUTIN: Quite the contrary, I would say. My take on the issue is the absolute opposite of what you have just said. If the United Nations and the Security Council had indeed turned into a mere rubberstamping tool for any one of the member states, it would have ceased to exist, just like the League of Nations has. But the reality is that the Security Council and the UN are meant to be a tool for compromise. Seeking to achieve it is a long and complex process, but only this hard and tedious work can yield us fruit. KEVIN OWEN: Understood. Mr. President, another question I'd like to ask you - a number of Western and Arab nations have been covertly ... with supporting the FSA, the Free Syrian Army - indeed, some of them are doing it openly now. Of course the catch here is that the FSA is suspected of hiring known Al-Qaeda fighters amongst their ranks. So the twist in this tale is that a lot of those countries are actually sponsoring terrorism, if you like, in Syria, countries that have suffered from terrible terrorism themselves. Is that a fair assessment? VLADIMIR PUTIN: You know, whenever someone aspires to attain a much-desired end, any means will do. As a rule, they will try and do that by hook or by crook – and hardly ever think of the consequences that will follow. That was the case during the Afghan war after the Soviet Union in 1979 sent its troops to Afghanistan. At that time, our current partners supported a rebel movement there and basically gave rise to Al Qaeda, a United States pet project that later targeted its creator. Today some people want to use militants from Al Qaeda or some other organisations with equally radical views to accomplish their goals in Syria. This policy is dangerous and very short-sighted. But in that case, one should unlock Guantanamo, arm all of its inmates and bring them to Syria to do the fighting – it's practically the same kind of people. But bear in mind that one day these people will get back at their patrons and eventually end up in a new prison, one that will very much resemble the camp off the Cuban shore. I would like to emphasize that this policy is very short-sighted and is fraught with dire consequences. KEVIN OWEN: I'd like to broaden that a little bit now, a little bit wider from Syria. You touched upon Syria. Syria is in the middle of a civil war, we're seeing conflicts in Bahrain and in Saudi Arabia. Ok, things are a bit calmer in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, you mentioned it just now. But standing back from it overall, all the troubles that we've seen in the Middle East, all the turmoil there - has it been at all for the good or for the bad, where does it put that region now? VLADIMIR PUTIN: You know, we can discuss this into the small hours and still run out of time. For me, it’s a clear fact that these events are historically logical and follow from these states’ development. The leaders of these countries have obviously overlooked the need for change and missed the ongoing trends at home and abroad, so they failed to produce the reforms which would have saved the day in due time. All these events simply logically stem from this background. Whether this is a blessing or a curse with many negative implications, is now too early to say. In any case, the lack of a civilized approach, the high level of violence has so far stood in the way of building any sustainable political structures which would help solve economic and social problems in societies hit by those events. This is what causes a lot of concern over the future situation, because the people in these countries, who have had enough of their previous regimes, clearly expect the new governments to begin with tackling their social and economic problems in a competent way. But with no political stability, these problems cannot be solved. KEVIN OWEN: Let's turn now to the United States, the upcoming election there, which we are all looking forward to very much. Of course now the re-set button with Russia was firmly pushed by Barack Obama over the last 4 years, but its saw its ups and downs, and there's still that missile defense shield that's a headache for Russia in the East of Europe. If Obama does win a second term, what's going to define the next chapter of Russia and America's relations and is it chapter you can do business with? VLADIMIR PUTIN: I believe that over the last four years Presidents Obama and Medvedev have made a lot of progress on the way to strengthening Russia-US relations. We have signed the new START treaty. Backed by the US, Russia has become a full-fledged member of the World Trade Organisation. There have been more reasons to be optimistic about our bilateral relations: our strengthened cooperation in combating terrorism and organized crime, in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass-destruction and others. In other words, we have accumulated quite a lot of positive experience. Nevertheless, the issue you mentioned – the US missile defense system – is surely one of the key issues on today’s agenda because it involves Russia’s vital interests. Scholars and experts understand that a unilateral solution will not benefit stability in the world. In essence, the ambition is to upset the strategic balance, which is a very dangerous thing to do, as any involved party will always strive to maintain its defensive capabilities, and the entire thing could simply trigger off an arms race. Is it possible to find a solution to the problem, if current president Obama is re-elected for a second term? Theoretically, yes. But this isn’t just about president Obama. For all I know, his desire to work out a solution is quite sincere. I met him recently on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico where we had a chance to talk. And though we talked mostly about Syria, I could still take stock of my counterpart. My feeling is that he is a very honest man and that he sincerely wants to make many good changes. But can he do it, will they let him do it? I mean that there is also the military lobby, and the Department of State, which is quite conservative. By the way it is fairly similar to Russia’s Foreign Ministry. They are run by a number of professional clans who have been working there for decades. The thing is that in order to solve the missile defense issue, we both need to accept as an axiom that ‘yes, we are reliable partners and allies for each other’. Let’s imagine for a second we have the solution – that means that from now on we jointly do missile threat assessments and control this defense system together. This is a highly sensitive area of national defense. I am not sure that our partners are ready for this kind of cooperation. KEVIN OWEN: Is there anything that Russia can do to try and meet in the middle, to give a better ground? VLADIMIR PUTIN: We did what we could do. We said, let’s do it together. Our partners are so far refusing to go along. What else can we do? We can maintain the dialogue. That’s exactly what we will be doing, but naturally, as our American partners proceed with developing their own missile defense we shall have to think of how we can defend ourselves and preserve the strategic balance. By the way, America’s European allies (who also happen to be Russia’s partners) have nothing to do with it. I believe you as a European must understand it. This is a purely American missile defense system, and a strategic one at that, with its outposts deployed along the European borders. You see, Europe, just like Russia, is not allowed to take part in either assessing missile threats or controlling the system. Our original proposal was to develop it as a three-party solution, but our partners have not yet come to agree to it. KEVIN OWEN: Ok. So, we think you can work with Barack Obama if he gets in. What about if Mitt Romney gets in? Look, I've got some quotes here from just a month or two ago. This is the man that if he makes it to the White House said, "Russia is without question our number one geopolitical foe. They fight every cause for the world's worst" and he went on to say "Russia is not a friendly character on the world stage." Could you work with him, Sir? VLADIMIR PUTIN: Yes, we can. We'll work with whichever president gets elected by the American people. But our effort will only be as efficient as our partners will want it to be. As for Mr Romney’s position, we understand that this is to a certain extent motivated by the election race and election rhetoric, but I also think that he was obviously wrong, because such behavior on the international arena is the same as using nationalism and segregation as tools of US domestic policy. It has the same effect on the international arena when a politician, a person who aspires to lead a nation, especially a super-power like the US, proclaims someone to be an enemy. And by the way, this brings something else to mind. When we talk about the missile defense system, our American partners keep telling us, “This is not directed against you”. But what happens if Mr Romney, who believes us to be America’s number one foe, gets elected as president of the United States? In that case, the system will definitely be directed against Russia as its infrastructure looks to be configured exactly for this purpose. And you also have to think about its strategic character, it’s built not for a year or even a decade, and the chances that a man with Romney’s views could come to power are quite high. So what are we supposed to do to ensure our security? KEVIN OWEN: I’d like to talk about the latest developments in the Magnitski case for a moment now, both the US and Britain, Britain most recently are working on this list of Russian officials, Russian citizens that they say are responsible for his death. He was a high ranking finance lawyer who died in a Russian jail, I’ll just explain for our viewers. Why is there still such a perception abroad that this wasn’t dealt with here in Russia, that the people responsible hadn’t been dealt with properly. Why does this keep rumbling on? VLADIMIR PUTIN: You see… there are people who need an enemy, they are looking for an opponent to fight against. Do you know how many people die while in prison in those countries which have condemned Russia? The numbers are huge! Look at the US that came up with the so-called Magnitsky list. As you know, there is no death penalty in Russia while the US still keeps it on the books. Anyone, including women can be executed. At the same time, all civilized societies know that judicial errors can occur in capital punishment cases, even when people plead guilty. It turns out later on that the convict did not commit the crime. That’s one thing. More importantly, I think it’s only God that has power over life and death. But I don’t want to go too much into it right now – there’s a lot of philosophy in it. With that in mind, we could have come up with our own black list, and more than one, of the people who use the death penalty in other countries. However, we choose not to do it. As for Mr Magnitsky, it is certainly a great tragedy that he died in prison. And there certainly must be a thorough investigation. If it is someone’s fault, they must be punished. But what I want to emphasize is that there is absolutely no political context to this case. It is a tragedy, but it only has to do with crime and legal procedure, not politics. No more than that. Still, someone’s looking to spoil relations with Russia. They have banned some of Russian officials that are allegedly involved in the death of Mr Magnitsky from entering their country. Of course, I do regret his death and offer my condolences to his family. But what should Russia do in such cases? Take appropriate steps and put together a similar list of the officials of the country that introduces such measures against Russia. KEVIN OWEN: And to make it perfectly clear, this case won’t be re-examined by Russia? VLADIMIR PUTIN: Which case? What needs to be re-tried? We must only find out whether someone’s guilty of his death or not. And if someone’s guilty and responsible for the death in some way, that person should be held accountable for that. That’s it. Again, there is no politics behind it. It’s the job of the law enforcement professionals to look into it. Of course, the Russian authorities are going to do that. The General Prosecutor’s Office is working on it now. KEVIN OWEN: Ok and now I’d like to talk about the trial and jailing of Pussy Riot, that punk group band. There’s been much criticism that the sentence handed down was too strong, too much and that the whole case was too big a deal off and that it actually back fired and has brought more people to their cause with the publicity. With hind sight, always a beautiful thing, but with hindsight do you think the case could have been handled differently? VLADIMIR PUTIN: You’ve been working in Russia for a while now and maybe know some Russian. Could you please translate the name of the band into Russian? KEVIN OWEN: Pussy Riot the punk band, I don’t know what you would call them in Russian, Sir, but may be you could tell me! VLADIMIR PUTIN: Can you translate the first word into Russian? Or maybe it would sound too obscene? Yes, I think you wouldn’t do it because it sounds too obscene, even in English. KEVIN OWEN: I actually thought it was referring to a cat, but I’m getting your point here. Do you think the case was handled wrongly in any way, could some lesson have been learned? VLADIMIR PUTIN: I know you understand it perfectly well, you don’t need to pretend you don’t get it. It’s just because these people made all of you say their band’s name out loud too many times. It’s obscene – but forget it. Here’s what I would like to say. I have always felt that punishment should be proportionate to the offence. I am not in a position now and would not like, anyway, to comment on the decision of a Russian court, but I would rather talk about the moral side of the story. First, in case you never heard of it, a couple of years ago one of the band’s members put up three effigies in one of Moscow’s big supermarkets, with a sign saying that Jews, gays and migrant workers should be driven out of Moscow. I think local authorities should have looked into their activities right from that moment. After that, they staged an orgy in a public place. Of course, people are allowed to do whatever they want to do, as long as it’s legal, but not in a public place. Again, the authorities should have looked into that. Then they uploaded the video of that orgy on the Internet. You know some fans of group sex say it’s better than one-on-one because, like in any teamwork, you don’t need to hit the ball all the time. Again, it’s okay if you do what you like privately, but I wouldn’t be that certain about uploading your acts on the Internet. It could be the subject of legal assessment, too. Then they got inside Yelokhovo Cathedral, here in Moscow, and caused mayhem there, and then they went to another cathedral and caused mayhem there, too. You know, Russians still have painful memories of the early years of Soviet rule, when thousands of Orthodox priests and the clergy of other religions were persecuted. Soviet authorities brutally repressed the clergy. Many churches were destroyed. The attacks had a devastating effect on all our traditional religions. And so in general I think the state has to protect the feelings of believers. I will not comment on whether the verdict is well-grounded and the sentence proportionate to the offence. These girls have lawyers who must defend their interests in court. They have the right to file an appeal and demand a new hearing. But it’s up to them, it’s just a legal issue. KEVIN OWEN: Is it realistic at all they will get some sort of early release? VLADIMIR PUTIN: I don’t know whether their lawyers have filed an appeal or not. I don’t follow the case. If they did, a higher court is empowered to take any decision. To be honest, I try to stay as far away from the case as possible. I know the details but I do not want to get into it. KEVIN OWEN: There’s concern here and abroad that Russia has been suffering a clamp down on the opposition since you returned as President. There’s tighter defamation law, upping the fines for defamation, internet censorship laws brought into protect children. All these introduced under your watch. What’s the balance do you think between a healthy opposition and maintaining law and order? what’s your view? VLADIMIR PUTIN: So is it true then that other countries don’t have laws that ban child pornography, including that on the Internet? KEVIN OWEN: Indeed they do. VLADIMIR PUTIN: So they do? Well, we didn’t, until recently. And if we began to protect our society and our children from these offences… KEVIN OWEN: May be it was the timing of the introduction? It may have seemed a bit heavy handed as you came back to power again. VLADIMIR PUTIN: You know, I try not to think about it. I just do what I think is right for this country and for its people. And that’s how I will work in the future. Of course, I am aware of how my steps resonate in the world, but this response cannot dictate my policies. Any steps we take are in the interests of the Russian people, and our children need this kind of protection. No-one is going to use this as a tool to restrict the Internet or the freedom of speech on the Internet, but we have the right to protect our children. Talking of what some call a crackdown… We have to get the definition of this word right first. What is a crackdown? As we see it, it’s only a simple rule that everyone, including the opposition, must comply with Russian law, and this rule will be consistently enforced. You might also remember the mass riots that shocked the UK some two years ago. A lot of people were injured and lots of businesses damaged. Do we really need to stand idly by until it turns into a mess and then spend a year tracking down and locking them up? I think it’s best not to let things go this far. That’s my first point. Now to my second point. Let me now get down to the hard facts. You must know that a year ago I backed the reform that will see Russian governors elected, and not appointed, as previously, through a secret ballot. But I also made the next step. After I stepped into office, I introduced a new bill on the elections to the Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament. These specific steps will pave the way for a more democratic Russia, and it’s true both for its people and its state. There have been other proposals initiated too, including changes in the law-making process. The State Duma is now considering the possibility of using public initiatives on major national issues submitted via the Internet as a source of new legislation. If a draft bill is supported by 100,000 web votes, it will then be discussed in the State Duma. Right now we are looking into how to put this idea into practice. There are other major proposals as well. We seek to make our society more advanced and more democratic and we intend to be consistent in following this path. KEVIN OWEN: We started off our talk by talking about the forthcoming APEC summit which you are off to very shortly. When you are there you’ll be meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. You won’t be meeting Barak Obama because he’s not there, Hilary Clinton will be. Is that a sign of how he regards APEC? We know he’s busy but is it a sign of how he regards it? And is it a sign that China is increasingly becoming a bigger geopolitical and commercial partner for you? VLADIMIR PUTIN: China is indeed becoming a major hub of world economy and politics. This is part of the global trend, with new centers emerging on the political and economic landscape. This is an obvious fact for everyone; the question is how fast this change is happening. China has taken up this new leading role not only in Russia’s eyes, but also in the eyes of the whole world. What makes us rather special, however, is that Russia and China are neighbors, and our special relations took thousands of years to evolve to where we are now. We have been through times of sunshine which were very beneficial for both countries. We have also been through periods of gloom and conflict. Presently, the Russia-Chinese relations are at an unprecedented high level, and we have a lot of mutual trust both in politics and economy. Over the coming years we are bound to achieve a 100 bln dollar turnover rate. To put this in perspective, currently Europe makes up 51% of Russia’s foreign trade, which amounts to over 200 bln dollars. That will be a serious push forward. Our American partners told us long ago that Barack Obama will not attend the summit. The reason is the election race in the US, we think it’s okay. The US will still be represented at a high level. So, yes, we’ve known that for several months now, and we fully understand the reasons. Anyway, this will be a great summit, with top officials coming from twenty countries – heads of states and governments. Of course, it’s a pity that the US president cannot come this time. I think if he really had the opportunity, he would not miss it, because it’s a good event for the US to talk not only with us but also with other partners in the Asia-Pacific region. Anyway, we did meet with Barack Obama earlier, as I said, in Mexico, and had a chance to discuss our bilateral ties and exchange opinions on the world’s major issues. So we do continue our dialogue. KEVIN OWEN: Domestically again, I’d like to talk about corruption. It’s a word that comes up time and time again here in Russia. You have talked about it before but most notably the previous president was really putting it at the top of his list of thing to sort out. However when Dmitry Medvedev left office as president he reported modest success at tackling it. How serious a problem do you think corruption is here in Russia in 2012 and what are you going to do about it? VLADIMIR PUTIN: Corruption is a problem for any country. And by the way you will find it in any country, be it in Europe or in the United States. They have legalized many things. Let’s take the lobby for private corporations – what is it, is it corruption or not? It’s legalized and so formally is okay, within the law. But that depends on how you look at it. Therefore I will repeat that this problem is an issue for many countries. More important is the level and scope of corruption. In our case, they are quite high. But this is typical of transition economies. The reason is that while new economic models are evolving many things are not yet adjusted or aligned, and the state is not always in control. There are also value issues, especially when we move from the socialist mindset and planned economy values to universal values. This is a complicated process, especially if the new market development brings about rapid acquisition of wealth to some particular circles or group of people. This is something that is perceived painfully and with reprehension. The average person then starts thinking: if it is okay for those people to earn billions in a couple of years, why is it not okay for me to do this or that even if it isn’t exactly in sync with the law and moral values? All this undermines the very foundation of the campaign against corruption. This is a very difficult process, but undoubtedly this is an essential part of our agenda, and we shall continue our efforts in this area. KEVIN OWEN: There are a big list of causes you have cited where do you begin to go about tackling it, and when is there going to be some sort of sea change, when will it get better if you like? VLADIMIR PUTIN: What we need to start with is to make our entire society detest the very notion of corruption. Corruption is a two-way process, with two sides to it, the bribe-giver and the bribe-taker, and it often happens that bribe-givers are even more active than the bribe-takers. Therefore it is a matter of boosting morale; it is also a matter of making our law enforcement agencies more efficient and developing a legal framework that would minimize the opportunities for corruption. This is a comprehensive task, which is very sensitive and difficult. And we shall work on every aspect of it. KEVIN OWEN: One of the practical ways you are going about it is the new draft law that prevents government officials from opening bank accounts and holding property abroad. I don’t know what you think about that law, but isn’t it possible for someone to used someone else’s account. How are you going to enforce it? VLADIMIR PUTIN: Of course you could. This bill has not been passed yet, it’s being reviewed by the State Duma. This naturally implies certain limitations for officials, because our current legislation allows any Russian citizen to have a foreign bank account or property. Yet, limitations may be introduced for some officials, especially for high-level officials. I don’t see anything extraordinary about this, especially in view of today’s life and situation. But the State Duma will have to provide rationale for their proposal and develop it into a detailed draft law. Overall, I believe this law could work and to a certain extent would help in the fight against corruption. Of course it will, because those people who are willing to commit themselves to serving their country and their people should be willing to agree to such terms that if they want to have a bank account, it’ll have to be a Russian bank account, or a Russian branch of a bank. Why not? Many overseas banks have branches in Russia. One can keep their accounts here. Why go to Austria or the United States to open an account? If it is your decision to serve this country, be so kind as to keep your interests here, including financial interests, do not hide your money anywhere. KEVIN OWEN: While we’ve got you with us Sir, I’d like to get your thoughts on the ongoing Julian Assange case in Britain, his legal battle with Britain and with a number of other countries as well but equally his attempts to get asylum in Equador which he’s now got and he’s holed-up in the Ecuadorean embassy. What’s your opinion on Britain’s stance, at one point they were talking about revoking the embassies diplomatic immunity so they could actually go in and get him. That sounds a bit odd when you think that Russia has a number of suspects it would like to talk to there, it’s a kind of topsy turvy situation, but they are given safe harbor in Britain. VLADIMIR PUTIN: This certainly is an unsettling factor in our relations with the UK. I used to tell my previous counterparts and friends in the British government – not the ones holding office at the moment – that Britain happens to be harboring certain individuals who have blood on their hands from having waged a real war on Russian territory and slaughtered people. I told them, “Just imagine what it would be like if Russia were to harbor militants from, say, the Irish Republican Army – not the ones that are negotiating and pursuing a compromise with the government these days (those are perfectly sane and sensible people), but the ones with a radical agenda”. You know what I was told in response? “But that’s exactly what the Soviet Union used to do, aiding people like that”. First of all, I’m a former operative of the Soviet secret service myself. I don’t know whether the USSR used to aid this sort of people or not, simply because I never had anything to do with it. But even if we assume that it did, that was back in the Cold War era. There has been a cardinal change in the settings, the Soviet Union is history, and what we have today is a new Russia. How can we allow ourselves to be dominated by our old phobias and outdated perceptions of international relations and the kind of relations between our nations? Let them go at last. We are constantly lectured on how independent Britain’s judiciary is. It makes its own decisions, and no one can influence that. What about Julian Assange? They have ruled to have him extradited. What is it if not an evident example of a double standard? I won’t make a definitive statement, but as far as I know, Ecuador has requested guarantees from the Swedish government that Sweden wouldn’t hand over Assange to the United States. No guarantees have so far been provided. At the very least, this suggests that we are looking at a politically motivated trial. KEVIN OWEN: Ok we’ll be following the developments there… We talked about some of the problems Russia faces, one of the long term problems Russia has been facing is the drugs trade, the import of drugs from Afghanistan. It’s increased many fold since NATO went in a decade ago, now the troops are due out in 2014 what then. Does Russia have any hope you can curb this huge drugs problem? VLADIMIR PUTIN: So far, it is not being solved. We are constantly engaged in dialogue with our partners, including the nations who have their troops deployed in Afghanistan. And yet the situation has not improved – instead, it has deteriorated. The amount of drugs produced in Afghanistan has increased by 60 percent in the past year. By the way, I’m not sure about the exact figures, but some 90 percent of heroin peddled in the UK comes from Afghanistan. This is a common challenge and a common threat for us. For Russia, this is a very serious threat to our national security that cannot be overstated. More than 20 percent of the overall drug traffic coming from Afghanistan is marketed inside Russia. That makes up 70 tons of heroin and roughly 56 tons of crude opium as of last year, which is an immense amount, and it definitely qualifies as a threat to our national security. KEVIN OWEN: Could you explain to our viewers what the correlation was, why did this problem increase when NATO troops were there? Was there any connection? Why was that happening? VLADIMIR PUTIN: There is an apparent link. I won’t bring up any criminal schemes right now, but none of the nations who are currently committing their troops to Afghanistan want to make matters worse for themselves by combatting drugs in Afghanistan, because drugs are Afghanistan’s way of making a living. Nine percent of that country’s GDP come from drug trafficking. If you want to substitute these 9 percent, you’ll have to pay for that – but no one wants to pay. And you cannot get anywhere with mere statements about how you are planning to make up for those drug revenues with some other kinds of income. Talk is not enough – what you need is substantive economic policies and financial assistance. Nobody seems willing to provide that, to begin with. And no one wants to complicate matters for themselves by taking on drug trafficking, because if you take away drug revenues from those people, you effectively compel them to starvation, and that means getting yourself even more enemies inside Afghanistan: if you go after drugs, people will go after you. That’s all there is to it. Drugs are closely related to terrorism and organized crime, but that is something everybody is aware of already. Everyone knows that drug revenues are partly used to finance terrorist activities. But even this awareness and the realization that Europe is being flooded with Afghan-made drugs are not enough to encourage our partners to seriously tackle this issue. And this is very sad. KEVIN OWEN: Final thought from you Mr President. While you’ll be talking money and finances at the forthcoming APEC summit that you are going to. Looking at the world economy from where you are generally. Do you think we are heading for a second global slump and if we do is Russia as well prepared to bat it off as it did last time. It did pretty well last time but is it as well prepared this time? VLADIMIR PUTIN: I believe we are even better prepared this time, because we’ve already experienced the first wave of the crisis, and we have an understanding of what’s to be done about it and how we should do it. We have the instruments for crisis management. Moreover, I’ve tasked Russia’s previous Cabinet as early as last year with upgrading these instruments we had already tried and tested, drafting new laws and adjusting our regulations. We requested the parliament to assign 200 bln rubles as a government reserve fund – and the parliament agreed. Therefore, we are generally equipped for managing a crisis. On top of that, as you know, we have enjoyed fairly strong economic growth, with a growth rate of 4.2 percent, which is the highest rate among the world’s largest economies next to China and India. The Eurozone’s average growth rate has been 3.9 percent, while ours was 4.2. By the way, both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are predicting negative growth at minus 0.3 percent for the Eurozone next year. This year, we are still counting on positive growth ranging between 4 and 5 percent. This is an essential feature that tells us that, even if Russia should face economic difficulties, it will still have plenty of instruments at hand to deal with such a challenge. We have reinforced our gold and currency reserves, almost bringing them back up to pre-crisis levels. With upwards of $500 bln in gold and currency reserves, we presently rate third worldwide next to China and Japan. In parallel to that, the government is rebuilding its own reserves. We have two government reserve funds: the $80-billion National Welfare Fund, and the Reserve Fund with roughly $60 bln, which serves to finance a budget deficit, should we suffer one. But so far, we don’t have a deficit: our next year’s budget registers a surplus, slight as it may be. Our unemployment rates are the lowest possible. While unemployment averages 11.2 percent in the Eurozone and reaches 25—26 percent in economies such as Spain, topping 70 percent among youth, we maintain an unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, which is even below pre-crisis indices. But this doesn’t make us careless and complacent. We are fully aware that the tricky part about the global economy is how unpredictable these kind of developments are, and you can almost never be sure as to where the greatest challenges and threats will emerge next. That is why we closely follow everything that’s going on in neighboring economies and our partner economies. We wish them success, and we are honestly willing to assist them as good partners. Because any kind of economic mishap in the Eurozone, for instance, is bound to have painful ramifications for our own economy. The Eurozone is our major sales market. Should they shrink, our own production will immediately go down. Therefore, we are interested in seeing the Eurozone survive and our main partner economies get back on track. We need Europe’s leading economies such as Germany, France and Britain to be in good shape. This is something that we’ll always keep an eye on. And this will be a primary topic for discussion at the Vladivostok APEC Summit. KEVIN OWEN: Well we wish you all the very best. President Vladimir Putin, thank you for talking to RT. VLADIMIR PUTIN: Thank you very much. Thu, 06 Sep 2012 03:29:20 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1077 HOJANCHA, COSTA RICA (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck the coast of Costa Rica on early Wednesday evening, causing at least some damage and prompting tsunami warnings which were later canceled, seismologists said. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake at 8:42 p.m. local time (1442 GMT) was centered about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast of Hojancha, a town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It struck about 40.8 kilometers (25.4 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) placed the epicenter of the earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, about 22 kilometers (13.6 miles) south of Samara. The agency said it was still evaluating data to determine the exact magnitude but acknowledged it exceeded magnitude 7. Residents in large parts of Costa Rico reported feeling the powerful earthquake, prompting scores of people to flee their homes or to higher ground in coastal areas. "The Costa Rican Red Cross recommends that people around the country remain calm after the earthquake which was felt a few minutes ago," a Red Cross spokesperson said. There were reports that buildings near the epicenter were damaged and power outages were affecting some areas, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. Photos posted on the social networking website Facebook showed a bridge had collapsed in Sarapiqui, but witnesses said everyone was able to get off in time. USGS computer models estimated some 55,000 people along the coast may have felt very strong shaking, which could potentially result in moderate to heavy damage. It said 805,000 people may have felt strong shaking, 2.9 million people may have felt moderate shaking, and nearly 6 million others may have felt weak to light shaking. Costa Rican officials quickly ruled out the possibility of a tsunami, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center maintained tsunami warnings for nearly 2.5 hours as it awaited sea level readings. The tsunami warnings for Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua were canceled at 11:02 p.m. local time. "Although sea level readings do not indicate that a tsunami was generated, there may have been destructive waves along coasts near the earthquake epicenter," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin, adding that local authorities can assume there is no longer a tsunami threat. Tsunami warnings were earlier also issued for El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru but were canceled when seismologists downgraded the magnitude from a preliminary 7.9 to 7.6. A tsunami watch which had been issued for Chile was also canceled. In the first few minutes after the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also accidentally issued a Caribbean-wide tsunami watch. "The tsunami watch for the Caribbean is canceled because it was meant for the Pacific and was inadvertently sent to the Caribbean by mistake. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused," the center said. Costa Rica is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. An earthquake of unknown magnitude struck about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) southeast of San Jose in April 1910, killing at least 1,750 people in what remains the country's worst ever disaster. Wednesday's earthquake comes just 1.5 week after a powerful earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador. The 7.3-magnitude earthquake, centered 131 kilometers (81 miles) south of the city of Puerto El Triunfo in the country's Usulután Department, generated a very small tsunami but caused no damage or casualties. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g59008 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:43:38 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1076 LIBERIA, COSTA RICA (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck the coast of Costa Rica on early Wednesday evening, prompting a tsunami warning for a number of countries in the region, seismologists said. It was not immediately known if a tsunami had been generated. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake at 8:42 p.m. local time (1442 GMT) was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of Hojancha, a town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It struck about 40.8 kilometers (25.4 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center immediately issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru. A tsunami watch has also been issued for Chile, and experts in the U.S. state of Hawaii are discussing whether a tsunami watch or warning should be issued there. "It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours." In the minutes after the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also briefly issued a Caribbean-wide tsunami watch by mistake. "The tsunami watch for the Caribbean is canceled because it was meant for the Pacific and was inadvertently sent to the Caribbean by mistake. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused," the center said. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g59006 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:13:26 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1075 E-mailed statement from publicist Joy Fehily on the death of "Green Mile" actor Michael Clarke Duncan: "Michael Clarke Duncan passed away this morning in Los Angeles, said his fiancée, Reverend Omarosa Manigault. The Oscar-nominated actor suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered. Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date." Mon, 03 Sep 2012 17:05:30 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1074 GUIUAN, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of the Philippines on Friday evening, killing at least one person in a landslide and generating a small tsunami which caused no damage, emergency officials said on Saturday. The 7.6-magnitude earthquake at 8:47 p.m. local time (1247 GMT) was centered about 112 kilometers (69 miles) east of Guiuan, a municipality in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. It struck about 45 kilometers (27.9 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). Shaking was felt widely through large parts of the Philippines, including the capital Manila which is nearly 750 kilometers (466 miles) northwest of the epicenter, but the intensity was mostly light to moderate. Few damage was immediately reported, but more detailed reports are expected later on Saturday. Benito Ramos, the Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said one fatality was reported as of 2 a.m. local time on Saturday. He said national emergency services and other organizations were placed on heightened alert to assist with evacuations and possible rescue operations. The casualty was reported in Cagayan de Oro, the provincial capital of Misamis Oriental, where an earthquake-triggered landslide buried a house owned by 48-year-old Danilo Ubalde. Ramos said the man's wife, 44-year-old Elenita Ubalde, and grandson, 5-year-old Adrian Rosales, were inside. "The victims were brought to the Capitol University Hospital but Elenita Ubalde was declared dead on arrival while Adrian Rosales is still undergoing treatment for injuries," Ramos said. He said five houses in the city were also damaged by flash floods which were caused by the tremors. In Bunawan, a municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, a house caught fire when a gas lamp fell during the earthquake. Minor damage was reported in Davao City, the largest city on the island of Mindanao, where the Abreeza Mall of Bajada suffered minor cracks on its floor. Two bridges were damaged in Eastern Samar province where authorities also reported a large power outage. Philippines President Benigno Aquino III instructed officials to ensure that emergency evacuations in the affected areas be peaceful and orderly, his spokesperson said in a statement. Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman also said its offices in the region are ready to deliver food packages if needed. Catastrophe modeling company EQECAT, in a preliminary assessment, estimated that insured losses are expected to be little to none because strong shaking was limited to remote and rural islands in the eastern part of the Philippines. "Limited damage can be expected to vulnerable buildings on the islands closest to the epicenter, which experienced moderate to strong shaking," the company said. EQECAT said the earthquake occurred on a segment of the Philippine Sea Trench which has no historic record of major earthquakes, although the segment to the north of it experienced an 8.1-magnitude earthquake in 1897 and earthquakes with magnitudes up to 8.3 in 1991, 1989, 1929, and 1924. "This indicates that today's earthquake occurred in a potential seismic gap," the company said. The powerful earthquake, initially reported as having a magnitude of 7.9, triggered widespread tsunami warnings for the Philippines and other countries in the Pacific Ocean. PHIVOLCS issued a level 3 tsunami alert for coastal areas in several provinces, warning residents of high tsunami waves and urging them to move to higher ground. The evacuation of coastal areas was ordered in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. "People in threatened coastal areas are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds. Coastal areas in the [named] provinces are expected to be affected by high tsunami waves," the agency said in a bulletin. But only small tsunami waves were recorded by gauges, although reports indicate waves may have reached a height of up to 0.5 meter (19.6 feet) when they reached coastal areas in Pilar municipality on the island of Siargao. The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) reported a small tsunami wave of 19 centimeters (7.4 inches) in Surigao City. "Waves not higher than half meter were also reportedly observed in Pilar, Surigao del Norte in Siargao Island about 10 minutes after the earthquake," Ramos said. "No bigger tsunami associated with this earthquake is expected to follow after this cancellation. All tsunami alerts are now lifted." The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had also issued tsunami warnings for Indonesia, the Pacific island nation of Palau, Yap, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Papua New Guinea. A watch was also in effect for Chuuk, the Japanese coral atoll Marcus Island, Kosrae, Pohnpei, the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, the Solomon Islands, Russia, Nauru and the U.S. state of Hawaii. The Philippines is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin which is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region, where economic development has expanded rapidly in recent decades, although mostly in urban areas. A strong and shallow 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck about 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) northwest of Tayasan, a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, on February 6. The quake destroyed more than 6,300 houses, killing at least 51 people and leaving 62 others missing. Other earthquakes in recent history in the Philippines include a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake which struck the densely populated island of Luzon in July 1990, killing at least 2,412 people and injuring thousands more. It was one of the most deadliest earthquakes in the Philippines in recent history. Only more deadly was an enormous 8.1-magnitude earthquake in August 1976 which shook Mindanao island and had its epicenter in the Moro Gulf. It caused a destructive tsunami in the Celebes Sea, causing devastation in settlements along the coast of the Moro Gulf on Mindanao island and on the nearby Sulu Islands. The earthquake in August 1976 was felt on all of the central islands of the Philippines Archipelago and in the southern part of Luzon. As a result of the earthquake and tsunami, more than 8,000 people were killed or left missing, 10,000 were injured, and 90,000 were left homeless. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58975 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:01:29 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1073 (Eds: Adds details from the Philippines government.) GUIUAN, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck off the eastern coast of the Philippines on Friday evening, prompting a tsunami warning for several countries, seismologists and officials said. It was not immediately known if it caused damage or casualties, or if a tsunami was generated. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 8:47 p.m. local time (1247 GMT) was centered about 112 kilometers (69 miles) east of Guiuan, a municipality in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). PHIVOLCS issued a level 3 tsunami alert for coastal areas in several provinces, warning residents of high tsunami waves and urging them to move to higher ground. The evacuation of coastal areas was ordered in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. "People in threatened coastal areas are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds," PHIVOLCS said in a bulletin. "Coastal areas in the [named] provinces are expected to be affected by high tsunami waves. Boats at sea are advised to stay in the deeper parts of the open seas until the threat has passed. If there is sufficient time, boats in harbors and enclosed bays are advised to go to the deeper parts of the open seas until the threat has passed." While it was not immediately known if a destructive tsunami was generated, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also issued a regional tsunami warning. A tsunami warning is in effect for Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Pacific island nation of Palau, but tsunami warnings earlier issued for Yap, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Papua New Guinea have since been canceled. "It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours." A tsunami watch was initially also issued for islands and countries in the region, including Chuuk, the Japanese coral atoll Marcus Island, Kosrae, Pohnpei, the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, the Solomon Islands, Russia, Nauru and the U.S. state of Hawaii. They were later canceled based on new information from seismologists. "Based on all available data there is no destructive tsunami threat to the state of Hawaii. Therefore the tsunami watch for Hawaii is canceled," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a message to the state's Civil Defense. "However, some coastal areas in Hawaii could experience small non-destructive sea level changes and strong or unusual currents lasting up to several hours." The United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.9, but the magnitude was later revised down to 7.6. The agency estimated the depth of the earthquake to be approximately 39.9 kilometers (21.7 miles), making it a shallow earthquake. USGS computer models estimated some 117,000 people living in coastal areas near the epicenter may have experienced strong shaking, which could potentially result in light to moderate damage. More than 18.5 million people may have felt light to moderate tremors, the agency said. The Philippines is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin which is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region. In July 1990, a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the densely populated island of Luzon, killing at least 2,412 people and injuring thousands more. It was one of the most deadliest earthquakes in the Philippines in recent history. Only more deadly was an enormous 8.1-magnitude earthquake in August 1976 which shook Mindanao island and had its epicenter in the Moro Gulf. It caused a destructive tsunami in the Celebes Sea, causing devastation in settlements along the coast of the Moro Gulf on Mindanao island and on the nearby Sulu Islands. The 1976 earthquake was felt on all of the central islands of the Philippines Archipelago and in the southern part of Luzon. As a result of the earthquake and tsunami, more than 8,000 people were killed or left missing, 10,000 were injured, and 90,000 were left homeless. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58971 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:06:34 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1072 (Eds: Adds tsunami watch for Hawaii.) GUIUAN, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- A major earthquake struck off the Philippines on Friday evening, prompting a tsunami warning for several countries, seismologists and officials said. It was not immediately known if there were damage or casualties, or if a tsunami was generated. The 7.9-magnitude earthquake at 8:47 p.m. local time (1247 GMT) was centered about 106 kilometers (66 miles) east-southeast of Guiuan, a municipality in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. It struck about 34.9 kilometers (21.7 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center immediately issued a regional tsunami warning, although it was not immediately known if a destructive tsunami was generated. A tsunami warning is in effect for Indonesia, the Philippines, Belau, Yap, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Papua New Guinea. "It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours." It added: "Authorities should take appropriate action in response to this possibility. This center will monitor sea level data from gauges near the earthquake to determine if a tsunami was generated and estimate the severity of the threat." A tsunami watch has also been issued for islands and countries in the region, including Chuuk, the Japanese coral atoll Marcus Island, Kosrae, Pohnpei, the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, the Solomon Islands, Russia and Nauru. A tsunami watch has also been issued for the U.S. state of Hawaii. "Based on all available data, a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a message to the state's Civil Defense. "An investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii." (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58968 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:26:48 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1071 GUIUAN, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- A major earthquake struck off the Philippines on Friday evening, prompting a tsunami warning for several countries, seismologists said. It was not immediately known if there were damage or casualties, or if a tsunami was generated. The 7.9-magnitude earthquake at 8:47 p.m. local time (1247 GMT) was centered about 106 kilometers (66 miles) east-southeast of Guiuan, a municipality in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. It struck about 34.9 kilometers (21.7 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center immediately issued a regional tsunami warning, although it was not immediately known if a destructive tsunami was generated. A tsunami warning is in effect for Indonesia, the Philippines, Belau, Yap, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Papua New Guinea. "It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. "An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours." It added: "Authorities should take appropriate action in response to this possibility. This center will monitor sea level data from gauges near the earthquake to determine if a tsunami was generated and estimate the severity of the threat." A tsunami watch was also issued for Chuuk, the Japanese coral atoll Marcus Island, Kosrae, Pohnpei, the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, the Solomon Islands, Russia and Nauru. "Bulletins will be issued hourly or sooner if conditions warrant," the center said. "The tsunami warning and watch will remain in effect until further notice." (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58967 Fri, 31 Aug 2012 08:16:42 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1070 Boston, MA – Ann Romney today delivered remarks to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. The following remarks were prepared for delivery: Luce, thank you for that kind introduction. I want to talk to you tonight not about politics and not about party. And while there are many important issues we'll hear discussed in this convention and throughout this campaign, tonight I want to talk to you from my heart about our hearts. I want to talk not about what divides us, but what holds us together as an American family. I want to talk to you tonight about that one great thing that unites us, that one thing that brings us our greatest joy when times are good, and the deepest solace in our dark hours. Tonight I want to talk to you about love. I want to talk to you about the deep and abiding love I have for a man I met at a dance many years ago. And the profound love I have, and I know we share, for this country. I want to talk to you about that love so deep only a mother can fathom it -- the love we have for our children and our children's children. And I want us to think tonight about the love we all share for those Americans, our brothers and sisters, who are going through difficult times, whose days are never easy, nights are always long, and whose work never seems done. They are here among us tonight in this hall; they are here in neighborhoods across Tampa and all across America. The parents who lie awake at night side by side, wondering how they'll be able to pay the mortgage or make the rent; the single dad who's working extra hours tonight, so that his kids can buy some new clothes to go back to school, can take a school trip or play a sport, so his kids can feel… like the other kids. And the working moms who love their jobs but would like to work just a little less to spend more time with the kids, but that's just out of the question with this economy. Or that couple who would like to have another child, but wonder how will they afford it. I've been all across this country for the past year and a half and heard these stories of how hard it is to get ahead now. I've heard your voices: “I'm running in place,” “we just can't get ahead.” Sometimes I think that late at night, if we were all silent for just a few moments and listened carefully, we could hear a great collective sigh from the moms and dads across America who made it through another day, and know that they'll make it through another one tomorrow. But in that end of the day moment, they just aren't sure how. And if you listen carefully, you'll hear the women sighing a little bit more than the men. It's how it is, isn't it? It's the moms who always have to work a little harder, to make everything right. It's the moms of this nation -- single, married, widowed -- who really hold this country together. We're the mothers, we're the wives, we're the grandmothers, we're the big sisters, we're the little sisters, we're the daughters. You know it's true, don't you? You're the ones who always have to do a little more. You know what it's like to work a little harder during the day to earn the respect you deserve at work and then come home to help with that book report which just has to be done. You know what those late night phone calls with an elderly parent are like and the long weekend drives just to see how they're doing. You know the fastest route to the local emergency room and which doctors actually answer the phone when you call at night. You know what it’s like to sit in that graduation ceremony and wonder how it was that so many long days turned into years that went by so quickly. You are the best of America. You are the hope of America. There would not be an America without you. Tonight, we salute you and sing your praises. I'm not sure if men really understand this, but I don't think there's a woman in America who really expects her life to be easy. In our own ways, we all know better! And that's fine. We don't want easy. But these last few years have been harder than they needed to be. It's all the little things -- that price at the pump you just can't believe, the grocery bills that just get bigger; all those things that used to be free, like school sports, are now one more bill to pay. It's all the little things that pile up to become big things. And the big things -- the good jobs, the chance at college, that home you want to buy, just get harder. Everything has become harder. We're too smart to know there aren't easy answers. But we're not dumb enough to accept that there aren't better answers. And that is where this boy I met at a high school dance comes in. His name is Mitt Romney and you really should get to know him. I could tell you why I fell in love with him -- he was tall, laughed a lot, was nervous -- girls like that, it shows the guy's a little intimidated -- and he was nice to my parents but he was really glad when my parents weren't around. That's a good thing. And he made me laugh. I am the granddaughter of a Welsh coal miner who was determined that his kids get out of the mines. My dad got his first job when he was six years old, in a little village in Wales called Nantyffyllon, cleaning bottles at the Colliers Arms. When he was 15, dad came to America. In our country, he saw hope and an opportunity to escape from poverty. He moved to a small town in the great state of Michigan. There, he started a business -- one he built himself, by the way. He raised a family. And he became mayor of our town. My dad would often remind my brothers and me how fortunate we were to grow up in a place like America. He wanted us to have every opportunity that came with life in this country -- and so he pushed us to be our best and give our all. Inside the houses that lined the streets of our town, there were a lot of good fathers teaching their sons and daughters those same values. I didn't know it at the time, but one of those dads was my future father-in-law, George Romney. Mitt's dad never graduated from college. Instead, he became a carpenter. He worked hard, and he became the head of a car company, and then the governor of Michigan. When Mitt and I met and fell in love, we were determined not to let anything stand in the way of our life together. I was an Episcopalian. He was a Mormon. We were very young. Both still in college. There were many reasons to delay marriage, and you know? We just didn't care. We got married and moved into a basement apartment. We walked to class together, shared the housekeeping, and ate a lot of pasta and tuna fish. Our desk was a door propped up on sawhorses. Our dining room table was a fold down ironing board in the kitchen. Those were very special days. Then our first son came along. All at once I'm 22 years old, with a baby and a husband who's going to business school and law school at the same time, and I can tell you, probably like every other girl who finds herself in a new life far from family and friends, with a new baby and a new husband, that it dawned on me that I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. That was 42 years ago. Now we have five sons and 18 grandchildren and I'm still in love with that boy I met at a high school dance. I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a “storybook marriage.” Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once. And those storybooks never seemed to have chapters called MS or Breast Cancer. A storybook marriage? No, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage. I know this good and decent man for what he is -- warm and loving and patient. He has tried to live his life with a set of values centered on family, faith, and love of one's fellow man. From the time we were first married, I've seen him spend countless hours helping others. I've seen him drop everything to help a friend in trouble, and been there when late-night calls of panic came from a member of our church whose child had been taken to the hospital. You may not agree with Mitt's positions on issues or his politics. Massachusetts is only 13% Republican, so it's not like that's a shock. But let me say this to every American who is thinking about who should be our next President: No one will work harder. No one will care more. No one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live! It's true that Mitt has been successful at each new challenge he has taken on. It amazes me to see his history of success actually being attacked. Are those really the values that made our country great? As a mom of five boys, do we want to raise our children to be afraid of success? Do we send our children out in the world with the advice, “Try to do... okay?” And let's be honest. If the last four years had been more successful, do we really think there would be this attack on Mitt Romney's success? Of course not. Mitt will be the first to tell you that he is the most fortunate man in the world. He had two loving parents who gave him strong values and taught him the value of work. He had the chance to get the education his father never had. But as his partner on this amazing journey, I can tell you Mitt Romney was not handed success. He built it. He stayed in Massachusetts after graduate school and got a job. I saw the long hours that started with that first job. I was there when he and a small group of friends talked about starting a new company. I was there when they struggled and wondered if the whole idea just wasn't going to work. Mitt's reaction was to work harder and press on. Today that company has become another great American success story. Has it made those who started the company successful beyond their dreams? Yes, it has. It allowed us to give our sons the chance at good educations and made all those long hours of book reports and homework worth every minute. It's given us the deep satisfaction of being able to help others in ways that we could never have imagined. Mitt doesn't like to talk about how he has helped others because he sees it as a privilege, not a political talking point. And we're no different than the millions of Americans who quietly help their neighbors, their churches and their communities. They don't do it so that others will think more of them. They do it because there IS no greater joy. “Give and it shall be given unto you.” But because this is America, that small company which grew has helped so many others lead better lives. The jobs that grew from the risks they took have become college educations, first homes. That success has helped fund scholarships, pensions, and retirement funds. This is the genius of America: dreams fulfilled help others launch new dreams. At every turn in his life, this man I met at a high school dance, has helped lift up others. He did it with the Olympics, when many wanted to give up. He did it in Massachusetts, where he guided a state from economic crisis to unemployment of just 4.7%. Under Mitt, Massachusetts's schools were the best in the nation. The best. He started the John and Abigail Adams scholarships, which give the top 25% of high school graduates a four-year tuition-free scholarship. This is the man America needs. This is the man who will wake up every day with the determination to solve the problems that others say can't be solved, to fix what others say is beyond repair. This is the man who will work harder than anyone so that we can work a little less hard. I can't tell you what will happen over the next four years. But I can only stand here tonight, as a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an American, and make you this solemn commitment: This man will not fail. This man will not let us down. This man will lift up America! It has been 47 years since that tall, kind of charming young man brought me home from our first dance. Not every day since has been easy. But he still makes me laugh. And never once did I have a single reason to doubt that I was the luckiest woman in the world. I said tonight I wanted to talk to you about love. Look into your hearts. This is our country. This is our future. These are our children and grandchildren. You can trust Mitt. He loves America. He will take us to a better place, just as he took me home safely from that dance. Give him that chance. Give America that chance. God bless each of you and God Bless the United States of America. Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:11:31 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1069 DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- A father and daughter in New Zealand who say they are in love with each other have been told by a judge to end their incestuous relationship, warning that future incest could land them in prison, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday. The father, 32, and his daughter, 18, appeared in Dunedin District Court on Tuesday and admitted to having an incestuous relationship which began in August 2010 when the woman was 16 years old. The incest continued until May this year and resulted in the couple having a baby girl which was born last year. "This must stop. These sort of relationships do not last and are fraught with difficulties," Judge Stephen O'Driscoll told the couple when they appeared in court, the Otago Daily Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. The names of both the father and daughter have not been released. The teenager told the court that she is in love with her father and that they had been living as 'husband and wife'. Her counsel, Bernadette Farnham, argued that both offenders have a mutual background of abuse and neglect and that, while outside society's norms, the relationship was between consenting adults. According to the report, the 18-year-old woman was conceived from a sexual relationship between the male offender and his foster mother. The incestuous relationship took place when the foster mother was 30 and he was 13, with their daughter being born when he was 14. The male offender was told that he was the father but had little contact with his daughter until she was about 16, the Otago Daily Times reported. A visit between the father and daughter was arranged in 2010 and, after several visits, the father moved into his daughter's family's home. The relationship then became sexual. Psychiatric and psychological reports have indicated that the father and daughter are being affected by a phenomenon known as genetic sexual attraction (GSA), which sometimes occurs when close relatives first meet as adults. The best known case is of a brother and sister couple in Germany who have four children and have fought against the country's anti-incest laws. Judge O'Driscoll said a rehabilitative sentence is more appropriate for the teenager because of her young age and because she now has a child to care for. He convicted her of one count of incest and sentenced her to 12 months of supervision with the conditions she undertake counselling or treatment as directed. The judge sentenced the father to 300 hours of community work and 12 months of supervision, saying the man's offending was "at the higher end of the scale of wrongdoing," the newspaper reported. The judge said the man will have to complete a domestic violence program and will not be allowed to be in the company of his daughter unless another approved adult is present. "As a father, you have a duty to your children and this offending was a gross breach of duty towards your daughter," Judge O'Driscoll said, as quoted by the Otago Daily Times newspaper. "Everyone has choices about the relationships and sexual relationships they enter into. This relationship was wrong, and I fail to see how you can justify it." The judge also warned the couple that it is "highly likely" they would be sentenced to imprisonment if they appear again on similar charges. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58953 Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:47:56 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1068 MITT ROMNEY: NEIL ARMSTRONG TODAY TAKES HIS PLACE IN THE HALL OF HEROES Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today made the following statement on the death of Neil Armstrong: “Neil Armstrong today takes his place in the hall of heroes. With courage unmeasured and unbounded love for his country, he walked where man had never walked before. The moon will miss its first son of earth. “I met and spoke with Neil Armstrong just a few weeks ago--his passion for space, science and discovery, and his devotion to America will inspire me through my lifetime.” ### Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:54:58 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1067 Statement by the President on the Passing of Neil Armstrong Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Neil Armstrong. Neil was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time. When he and his fellow crew members lifted off aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation. They set out to show the world that the American spirit can see beyond what seems unimaginable - that with enough drive and ingenuity, anything is possible. And when Neil stepped foot on the surface of the moon for the first time, he delivered a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten. Today, Neil's spirit of discovery lives on in all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploring the unknown - including those who are ensuring that we reach higher and go further in space. That legacy will endure - sparked by a man who taught us the enormous power of one small step. ### Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:47:22 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1066 PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA (BNO NEWS) -- Torrential rains in the southern region of North Korea have killed at least six people and destroyed hundreds of houses and other buildings, state-run media reported on Wednesday, just a month after floods killed more than 169 people. Approximately 499 millimeters (19.6 inches) of rain was recorded in Phyongsan County of North Hwanghae between late Friday and early Monday, making it the worst-hit area. Extreme rainfall with similar amounts was also recorded in Kangwon province and South Hwanghae Province, and heavy rainfall also affected the capital Pyongyang. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said at least six people were killed and more than 530 houses and other buildings have been destroyed. The death toll is expected to rise as an unspecified number of casualties have been reported in South Hwanghae Province, but is uncertain if the reclusive state will release further updates. KCNA said three people were killed in North Hwanghae Province, where floods destroyed more than 170 houses, 30 public buildings and six bridges. The flooding in the province also inundated 2,740 hectares (6,770 acre) of cropland, caused 38 mudslides and destroyed more than 1,160 meters (3,805 feet) of railroad. Three people were killed in neighboring South Phyongan Province, where floods destroyed more than 300 houses and some 30 other buildings, including public buildings and factory buildings. KCNA also reported at least six bridges were damaged and mudslides covered some 140 sections of roads in the province. Additionally, a railway bridge was destroyed and there have been a number of casualties in South Hwanghae Province, though KCNA has given no specific number. An unknown number of houses and public buildings were also flooded in Kangwon Province, but state-run media reported no casualties there. Earlier this week, state-run media said a number of houses and public buildings were destroyed in Pyongyang, but no other details were given. No images or video has so far been released from the disaster-hit area, although two images released by KCNA showed a street in Pyongyang which was flooded. Last month, at least 169 people were killed and around 400 others went missing when severe weather hit North Korea on two occasions. At least 88 people were killed by tropical storm Khanun and torrential rains hit the impoverished nation again just days later, killing dozens more. The North estimated some 8,600 houses were destroyed while nearly 44,000 houses were flooded, leaving more than 212,200 people homeless and forcing the government to request international assistance. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58933 Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:55:43 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1065 TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un, will attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in the Iranian capital of Tehran next week, a spokesman for the organization told an Iranian news website on Wednesday. It would be Kim's first foreign visit as leader. The Sixteenth Summit of the NAM member states will be held from August 26 through August 31 in Tehran under the chairmanship of the Iranian government. NAM has 120 members and its objective is to promote and accelerate development in developing countries so they become equal partners in international relations. Mohammad Reza Forqani, a spokesman for the summit, told the Tabnak news website that Kim will attend. "North Korea will participate in the summit meeting and the North Korean leader will travel to Tehran," Forqani told the news website. "There has always been an excellent level of relations between Iran and North Korea. (Kim Jong-un's) presence in Tehran shows the two countries' willingness to strengthen their bilateral relations and cooperation." NAM officials were not immediately available for comment and North Korea's state-run media has not yet reported on the visit, which would be Kim's first foreign visit as North Korea's leader. Kim Jong-un was promoted to Supreme Leader in December 2011 to lead the impoverished and secretive country. It came days after his father, Kim Jong-il, died on December 17 after suffering an 'advanced, acute myocardial infarction, complicated with a heart shock,' while on a train for a 'field guidance tour'. Little is known about Kim Jong-un, who was educated in Switzerland and is believed to be in his late 20s, making him the youngest head of state in the world. He reportedly resembles his father the most and has always been the favorite among his three sons, but the sudden death of Kim Jong-il left the North Korean government with little time to prepare him. Last month, a report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) mentioned Kim Jong-un has married Ri Sol-ju. Other details about Ri or the marriage were not released, but South Korean lawmakers sad the couple is believed to have married in 2009. They also said Ri is 23-years-old and attended Geumsung's Second Middle School before going to China to study singing. Speculation about a possible wife had begun several weeks earlier when state-run media showed footage of a young woman accompanying Kim, but it did not identify her. One video showed the couple walking in front of nearly two dozen senior military officials while a photograph showed Ri sitting next to Kim at a musical concert. Kim and Ri were seen touring the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground in video and photos released by KCNA last month. Some of the photos showed Ri holding Kim's hand while others showed the leader greeting enthusiastic-looking visitors at the amusement park. Two photos and videos also showed Kim trying out one of the park's rides. Analysts said the footage shows Kim as a benevolent leader who cares about his people in a more affectionate and direct manner, different from his father Kim Jong-il who appeared very reserved and somewhat disconnected in public. The young Kim also appears much more communicative and exudes confidence despite his young age and inexperience, something which is likely to impress North Koreans and have positive effects over time, analysts at the International Crisis Group think-thank said last month. The announcement of the marriage came just days after a brief government statement said North Korean military chief Ri Yong Ho had been relieved of his official posts during a meeting in Pyongyang. It said Ri, 69, was relieved of his duties due to an unspecified illness, although the reclusive state has previously used illnesses and accidents as a pretext to get rid of high-ranking officials. Others have simply vanished unannounced. Ri was appointed chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in 2009 and had since been one of the most senior officials in North Korea. He frequently accompanied the new Supreme Leader leader, Kim Jong-un, and previously leader Kim Jong-il until he died in December 2011. Ri's last known public appearance was on July 8 when he attended a remembrance concert commemorating the 18th death anniversary of Kim Il-sung, who ruled the country from December 1972 until July 1994 and was later named Eternal President of the Republic. Kim Il-sung was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il, who in turn was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un. Ri appeared to be healthy in recent public appearances, raising questions among analysts who believe Kim Jong-un may be purging the ruling elite as he attempts to put his own mark on the impoverished nation he inherited when his father died. On July 17, the military named little-known Hyon Yong Chol as the army's new vice marshal. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58931 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:11:27 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1064 KINSHASA, DR CONGO (BNO NEWS) -- Three health care workers in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are believed to have died from Ebola, raising the number of fatalities from the outbreak to at least nine, local and international health authorities said on Tuesday. The Congolese Ministry of Health said it is aware of at least fifteen suspected Ebola cases, including nine fatal cases. The initial death toll given on Friday was risen to nine after three health care workers died in the town of Isiro, located in the province of Orientale which borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north and Uganda to the east. In addition to the nine deaths in Isiro, three other suspected Ebola cases have also been reported in the town. Two suspected cases have further been reported in Pawa, about 42 kilometers (26 miles) south of Isiro, and one fatal case has been reported in Dungu, some 139 kilometers (86 miles) northeast of Isiro. Last week, three samples from two of the victims were taken to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in the Ugandan city of Entebbe where they tested positive for the Bundibugyo species of the deadly Ebola virus. The first case was reported on August 1 and some experts have expressed concern that the disease may spread because the towns are remote but busy and the country's health system is poor. The Congolese Ministry of Health (MoH) has convened a national task force to coordinate the response to the outbreak and is working with international health agencies. A joint MoH, WHO and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) emergency response team is already in the area to conduct a detailed epidemiological investigation and case management. An international team comprised of epidemiologists, logisticians, anthropologists and social mobilization officers has also been mobilized and deployed to the area. "Control activities that are being carried out include active case finding and contact tracing, enhanced surveillance, case management, public information and social mobilization and reinforcing infection control practices," a WHO spokesperson said on Friday. The outbreak in DR Congo is unrelated to an outbreak in Uganda last month, where a different strain of Ebola killed sixteen people and infected up to eight others. Ugandan health authorities have said the outbreak there is under control, with no new confirmed cases since August 4. Ebola is a highly infectious disease and kills its victims in a very short time, but the virus can easily be confused with many other diseases. The signs and symptoms include high grade fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, measles-like rash, red eyes, and in some cases bleeding from body openings. The virus, for which there is no cure or vaccine, can spread through direct contact with body fluids such as saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine and sweat, but also through soiled linen used by an infected person. It can also spread by using skin piercing instruments previously used by an infected person or by touching the dead body of a person who died of Ebola. Before the outbreaks in DR Congo and Uganda, the last known case of Ebola was reported in May 2011 when a 12-year-old girl died in a town near the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Despite initial fears of an epidemic, and the Kenyan Ministry of Health issuing an alert to people living near the Ugandan border, no other cases were recorded. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58930 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:14:30 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1063 KINSHASA, DR CONGO (BNO NEWS) -- A serious outbreak of Ebola is believed to be responsible for at least six deaths in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local and international health authorities said on Friday. It is unrelated to a deadly outbreak in neighboring Uganda last month. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was notified by the Congolese Ministry of Health of a suspected Ebola outbreak in the towns of Isiro and Dungu, both located in the province of Orientale which borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north and Uganda to the east. Three samples taken from two patients were taken to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in the Ugandan city of Entebbe where they tested positive for the Bundibugyo species of the deadly Ebola virus. Authorities in the region have so far reported 10 suspected cases, including six deaths, of which nine were in Isiro and one in Dungu. Details about the suspected and confirmed Ebola cases were not immediately released, but the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the first case was reported on August 1, and additional cases have been reported since. But the country's poor health system and the remote but busy towns have worried some experts that the disease may spread. The Congolese Ministry of Health (MoH) has convened a national task force to coordinate the response to the outbreak and is working with international health agencies. A joint MoH, WHO and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) emergency response team is already in the area to conduct a detailed epidemiological investigation and case management. An international team comprised of epidemiologists, logisticians, anthropologists and social mobilization officers is also being mobilized for possible deployment to the area. "Control activities that are being carried out include active case finding and contact tracing, enhanced surveillance, case management, public information and social mobilization and reinforcing infection control practices," a WHO spokesperson said. The outbreak in DR Congo is unrelated to an outbreak in Uganda last month, where a different strain of Ebola killed sixteen people and infected up to eight others. Ugandan health authorities have said the outbreak there is under control, with no new confirmed cases since August 4. Ebola is a highly infectious disease and kills its victims in a very short time, but the virus can easily be confused with many other diseases. The signs and symptoms include high grade fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, measles-like rash, red eyes, and in some cases bleeding from body openings. The virus, for which there is no cure or vaccine, can spread through direct contact with body fluids such as saliva, blood, stool, vomit, urine and sweat, but also through soiled linen used by an infected person. It can also spread by using skin piercing instruments previously used by an infected person or by touching the dead body of a person who died of Ebola. Before the outbreaks in DR Congo and Uganda, the last known case of Ebola was reported in May 2011 when a 12-year-old girl died in a town near the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Despite initial fears of an epidemic, and the Kenyan Ministry of Health issuing an alert to people living near the Ugandan border, no other cases were recorded. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58917 Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:40:24 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1062 UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “We are disappointed by the statement by Ecuador’s Foreign Minister today that Ecuador has offered political asylum to Julian Assange. “Under our law, with Mr Assange having exhausted all options of appeal, the British authorities are under a binding obligation to extradite him to Sweden. We must carry out that obligation and of course we fully intend to do so. The Ecuadorian Government's decision this afternoon does not change that in any way. Nor does it change the current circumstances in any way. We remain committed to a diplomatic solution that allows us to carry out our obligations as a nation under the Extradition Act. “It is important to understand that this is not about Mr Assange’s activities at Wikileaks or the attitude of the United States of America. He is wanted in Sweden to answer allegations of serious sexual offences. “His case has been heard in our Courts. Following the court decision of 30 May this year, he exhausted all legal options available to him in the UK to prevent his extradition to Sweden. He then entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on 19 June. And since then we have worked patiently with the Ecuadorian authorities, both in London and Quito, in private discussions to seek a mutually acceptable resolution to this situation. We have held seven formal discussions as well as many other conversations. “Given our need to fulfil our obligations under international law to deliver a suspect for questioning on serious offences, we have ensured that the Ecuadorian authorities have a complete understanding of the full legal context in this country. “It is a matter of regret that instead of continuing these discussions they have instead decided to make today’s announcement. It does not change the fundamentals of the case. We will not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the UK, nor is there any legal basis for us to do so. The UK does not accept the principle of diplomatic asylum. It is far from a universally accepted concept: the United Kingdom is not a party to any legal instruments which require us to recognise the grant of diplomatic asylum by a foreign embassy in this country. Moreover, it is well established that, even for those countries which do recognise diplomatic asylum, it should not be used for the purposes of escaping the regular processes of the courts. And in this case that is clearly what is happening. “Ecuador has expressed its concerns about the human rights of Mr Assange and sought guarantees from us in that area regarding his extradition to Sweden and indeed about any onward extradition and we have painstakingly explained the extensive human rights safeguards built into our law. “No-one, least of all the Government of Ecuador, should be in any doubt that we are determined to carry out our legal obligation to see Mr Assange extradited to Sweden. He faces serious charges in a country with the highest standards of law and where his rights are guaranteed. We believe that should be assurance enough for Ecuador and any supporters of Mr Assange. “We will remain fully committed to seeking a legal and binding bilateral solution to this with the Government of Ecuador but it is important that everyone understands that as a nation under law, believing in the rule of law, we must ensure that our laws are respected and followed.” Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:40:16 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1061 QUITO, ECUADOR (BNO NEWS) -- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Tuesday said no decision has been made yet whether the South American country will grant political asylum to Julian Assange, the founder of the controversial whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks who has sought refuge at the country's embassy in London. Earlier on Tuesday, the British newspaper The Guardian quoted an unnamed official within the Ecuadorian government as saying that it has been decided to give Assange asylum. "Ecuador will grant asylum to Julian Assange," the official told the newspaper, giving no other details. But Ecuadorian officials moved quickly to reject the report, saying the asylum request is still being considered. "The government of Ecuador has not yet made a decision regarding the asylum request of Julian Assange," government official Marco Antonio Bravo said. "What is now circulating in the media are rumors." Correa also dismissed the report on his official Twitter account, saying he is still awaiting a report from the foreign ministry. "Rumors about asylum for Assange are false. There is still no decision about the matter," he said. "I have not yet received a report from the foreign ministry." On Monday evening, Correa said a decision about the asylum request is expected later this week. "Hopefully on Wednesday there will be a meeting in which they give me all the reports, and this must be taken with great responsibility," he said during an interview on state television. "Hopefully this week we can make an announcement in respect to this matter." Assange entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on June 19 to request political asylum from the Ecuadorian government, claiming the government of Australia - where he was born - has abandoned him and that he is being persecuted politically. He also fears being extradited to the United States, where he believes he could be sentenced to death if he is indicted. "Such statements make it impossible for me to return to my home country and puts me in a state of helplessness by being requested to be interrogated by the Kingdom of Sweden, where its top officials have openly attacked me, and investigated me for political crimes in the United States of America, a country where the death penalty for such offenses is still in force," Assange said in his request on June 19. Assange's choice to seek asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy surprised many, especially because of Ecuador's bad record when it comes to press freedom and accusations that President Rafael Correa is leading a relentless campaign against free speech, but senior government officials have previously welcomed WikiLeaks. In November 2010, then-deputy foreign minister Kintto Lucas invited Assange to visit Ecuador and offered him residency. "We are open to giving him residency in Ecuador, without any problem and without any conditions," he said at the time, although the Ecuadorian government later said Lucas was speaking on his personal behalf. Nonetheless, Correa voiced his support for WikiLeaks in a recent interview with Assange for his TV series 'World Tomorrow.' "We have nothing to hide. If anything, the WikiLeaks have made us stronger, as the main accusations made by the (U.S.) embassy were due to our excessive nationalism and defense of the sovereignty of the Ecuadorian government," he said. Correa added: "On the other hand, many WikiLeaks cables spoke about the interests in the national media about the power groups who go to seek help, to foster relationships with foreign embassies, and benefit from the embassy's contacts. Here we fear absolutely nothing, let them publish everything they have about the Ecuadorian Government." After Assange entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Scotland Yard said Assange has breached one of his bail conditions and will be arrested once he leaves the embassy compound. "As Mr Assange is in the Ecuadorean embassy he is in diplomatic territory and beyond the reach of the police," Britain's foreign office said in a statement. Police officers have since been stationed outside the embassy compound. Assange has been fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual molestation, unlawful coercion and rape. A London court dismissed Assange's appeal in November 2011 and the UK Supreme Court in June rejected his bid to reopen the case. The accusations are unrelated to Assange's work for the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks which brought diplomatic earthquakes to the United States when it began releasing classified documents it had obtained. Assange has claimed the cases have been politically-linked, arguing that the sexual encounters with the two women in Sweden were consensual. Wikileaks' first big scoop was on April 5, 2010, when it released a classified video which showed a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack in Iraq which left several civilians killed, including two unarmed Reuters journalists. Assange previously said he had been told to expect 'dirty tricks' from the Pentagon, including 'sex traps' to ruin his reputation. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58900 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:37:04 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1060 ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. evangelist Billy Graham was released from a hospital in North Carolina Tuesday after being hospitalized for several days for treatment of a bronchial infection, his spokesman said, adding that he is in good health and good spirits. The well-known 93-year-old evangelist was admitted to Mission Hospital in Asheville on early Sunday morning and administered antibiotics after developing a pulmonary infection which turned out to be bronchitis. He returned to his home in Montreat on Tuesday afternoon after responding well to treatment. "His treatment for bronchial infection was prompt and successful and he is feeling much better today," the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) said in a statement. "Mr. Graham will require some days of rest and recuperation at home before returning completely to his usual routine." Graham's spokesman, A. Larry Ross, said the evangelist kept his routine while at Mission Hospital and interacted with family and medical staff. "Billy Graham's pulmonologist said he had a quick recovery and responded well to treatment and, despite the illness, is a remarkably healthy 93-year-old," Ross said. As he departed Mission Hospital, Graham commended the doctors and nurses at the facility for their care during his stay. "Mission Hospital's dedicated professionals administered prompt treatment to restore my health and allow me to return home quickly," Graham said. He also expressed gratitude for the prayers and letters he received from people around the world. Graham was previously hospitalized for successful treatment of pneumonia in November 2011. His staff said he has been in overall good health since his release, though he mostly remains at his home in Montreat due to his old age. Nonetheless, he is still actively involved in his ministry and is working on a new book summarizing his Gospel message over the past seven decades of public ministry. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58899 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:49:31 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1059 PEACHLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA (BNO NEWS) -- A small plane carrying four people crashed in a heavily wooded area in British Columbia on Monday afternoon, killing one and critically injuring three others, police said on Tuesday. It took rescue workers several hours to reach the scene. The accident happened at around 3 p.m. local time when the Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche crashed near Brenda Mines in the district municipality of Peachland, located on the west side of Okanagan Lake in the southern interior of British Columbia. The plane was carrying a total of four people. "A man and a woman were airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital and a second woman was airlifted to Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital last night from the crash site," said Const. Kris Clark of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). "All three sustained life-threatening injuries and remain in critical condition. Efforts continue to notify their family members." Clark earlier confirmed that the fourth person was killed in the crash, which took place in a heavily wooded area and made it difficult for rescue workers to reach the scene. "Police remain on scene at this time with Transportation Safety Board investigators and the BC Coroner Service is expected to attend later today," she added. Authorities said the small aircraft was flying from Penticton Regional Airport in Penticton to Boundary Bay Airport in Delta but had veered off course. The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but investigators said they hope the survivors will be able to say why the aircraft went off course and what caused it to crash. Monday's accident happened exactly three months after a single-engine de Havilland Beaver float plane crashed in the same area near the Brenda Mines, killing all three people on board. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58898 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:49:24 -0500 http://www.bnonews.com/inbox/?id=1058 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (BNO NEWS) -- A boat carrying nearly 70 asylum seekers which left Indonesia for Australia in late June has not been heard from since, Australian home affairs minister Jason Clare said on Tuesday, adding that the government holds "very grave fears" for their safety. Clare said the Australian government received reports over the last few days that a boat carrying 67 asylum seekers is believed to have left Indonesia en-route to Australia at the end of June or early July. They have not been heard from since, and authorities fear their boat may have sunk. "We've been given a list by people in Australia of some of the people on the boat. We've checked that against immigration records here in Australia and unfortunately they've not found any evidence that those people have arrived in Australia," Clare said. "We're checking with Indonesian officials as well but, unfortunately, at the moment there's no evidence that those people have arrived in Australia, so sixty-seven people for whom we hold very grave fears at the moment." The news comes as the Australian government is nearing an agreement to transfer asylum seekers to Nauru and Papua New Guinea, where they could spend years before being resettled. The practice of offshore processing was abandoned by the Labor party in 2007, but the Australian government hopes it will make asylum seekers think twice about coming to Australia. "The sooner we're able to implement this, the sooner we can stop people risking their lives and coming to Australia by boat," Clare said on Tuesday. "If we can pass legislation through the Parliament this week, we can take action with the support of Australian authorities to set up facilities in Nauru and in Manus as quickly as possible." So far this year, the Australian Navy has intercepted 6,281 irregular maritime arrivals (IMAs), most of them coming from Afghanistan and Iran who use Indonesia as a transit region. As of March 31, a total of 4,197 people are being held in immigration facilities while 1,712 people have been approved for a residence determination to live in the community. Australia's Migration Act 1958 currently requires people who are not Australian citizens and who are unlawfully in Australia to be detained. This law has been heavily criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations as many asylum seekers are in detention for months. In 2010, a total of 4,612 irregular maritime arrivals were intercepted by the Australian Navy. However, the boat journeys made by asylum seekers are not without risk, as demonstrated by the latest incident. In December 2010, at least 30 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 90 asylum seekers sank off the coast of Christmas Island. Forty-two people were rescued, while an unknown number of people remain missing. (Copyright 2012 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.) http://wire.bnonews.com/#g58897 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:49:15 -0500