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Showing posts from January, 2011

The US agents tracking down sex tourists in Cambodia

By David Henshaw Producer, The Paedophile Hunters US agents rely on locals to provide information about suspect Americans As part of an initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas, special US agents operating in South East Asia have brought more than 80 alleged child sex tourists back to America to face justice. Sihanoukville looks like paradise, or at least a decent, low-rent version. Golden beaches, swaying palm trees, cheap alcohol and shimmering sea. Retired American pharmacist Ronald Adams had come here for the good life - setting up a beachside cafe. But one morning last February Adams' personal vision of paradise was shattered, when officers from the Cambodian National Police raided his apartment. They found a collection of sex aids, child pornography on DVDs and a variety of illegal drugs. Adams was accused of drugging and raping a 12-year-old girl. Under t

Kandahar deputy governor killed in suicide attack

The deputy governor was on his way to his office when a suicide bomber struck Continue reading the main story Taliban Conflict Make-or-break year ahead Despair as Nato eyes endgame Can Afghan forces step up? Who are the Taliban? The deputy governor of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province has been killed in a suicide attack, officials have said. Abdul Latif Ashna's convoy was attacked as he was being driven to work in Kandahar city. His spokesman said a suicide bomber on a motorcycle slammed into his car. Three of his bodyguards were wounded in the attack, the spokesman added. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack. Thousands of US-led forces are fighting insurgents in the province. US condemnation "Deputy governor Abdul Latif Ashna had just left his home and was on his way to his office when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up near

Lahore deaths accused 'is diplomat, must be freed' - US

Raymond Davis says the men had been trying to hijack his vehicle at gunpoint Continue reading the main story Related stories US man on Pakistan murder charges US official kills two Pakistanis Pakistan's very unhappy new year The US embassy in Pakistan has called for "the immediate release" of an American charged with murdering two Pakistanis in the city of Lahore. The embassy said the man had US diplomatic status and therefore was immune from prosecution. "The diplomat acted in self-defence when confronted by two armed men on motorcycles" on 27 January, it added. The man - identified in Pakistan as Raymond Davis - was charged with the murder of the two men on Friday. He told the court in Lahore that he had fired his gun in self-defence. Another person was run over and killed by a vehicle carrying Mr Davis' colleagues as they came to his aid, police and witnesses have said. Magistrates have remanded Mr Davis in custody until nex

Somalis accused of piracy are flown to South Korea

The five young suspected pirates reportedly say they were only following orders from their boss Continue reading the main story PIRACY CRISIS Growing risk Q&A: Prosecuting pirates Spotlight on 'guns for hire' Somali piracy: Global map A group of Somalis suspected of piracy have been flown to South Korea to face possible criminal charges. Five men were seized when South Korean special forces stormed the Samho Jewelry, a cargo ship which had been hijacked in the Arabian Sea. South Korean officials say eight of the 13 pirates on board at the time were killed during the rescue mission. The five young men, who reportedly deny involvement in the kidnapping, were flown to Seoul and then taken to Busan. Officials say they will face charges of maritime robbery and attempted murder. The captain of the South Korean-owned cargo ship Samho Jewelry was shot in the stomach during the raid o

Egypt protests: Hosni Mubarak under world pressure

Click to play Click to play Jeremy Bowen reports on a day of fear and anger on Cairo's streets Continue reading the main story Egypt Unrest Saturday: Events and reaction What might come next? Your stories: Day five Egyptians losing fear of regime Leaders from the US, UK, France and Germany have urged Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak to avoid violence and enact reforms as protests continue. In Cairo, thousands of demonstrators have ignored a curfew. The army is standing by and not intervening. Mr Mubarak has appointed his first ever vice-president and a new prime minis

Kabul Finest supermarket hit by deadly bomb attack

There was chaos at the store, which is popular with foreigners Continue reading the main story Taliban Conflict Make-or-break year ahead Despair as Nato eyes endgame Can Afghan forces step up? Who are the Taliban? At least eight people have been killed in a suicide attack at a supermarket popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials say. The bomber opened fire in the store before detonating his explosives, said police and witnesses. Afghans and foreigners, including two women and a child, were among the dead, say reports. The Taliban told the BBC they had c

Yemen: Tens of thousands call on president to leave

Demonstrations were led by opposition members and youth activists Continue reading the main story Related stories Mid-East: Will there be a domino effect? Security and the collapsing state Yemen country profile Tens of thousands of Yemenis have demonstrated in the capital Sanaa, calling on Ali Abdullah Saleh, president for 30 years, to step down. This comes after mass protests in Egypt and a popular uprising in Tunisia that ousted its long-time leader. Yemeni opposition members and youth activists gathered in four parts of the city, including Sanaa University, chanting anti-government slogans. They also called for economic reforms and an end to corruption. Yemenis complain of mounting poverty among a growing young population and frustration with a lack of political freedoms. The country has also been plagued by a range of security issues, including a separatist movement in the south and an uprising of Shia Houthi rebels in the north. There are fears that

North Korea's Kim Jong-il 'opposed succession'

North Korea's ailing leader Kim Jong-il appears to be preparing his youngest son as his successor Continue reading the main story Inside North Korea Q&A: Inter-Korean crisis Q&A: North Korea nuclear talks Why border hot-spot is war relic Rare peek into China-N Korea ties North Korean leader Kim Jong-il never wanted a dynastic succession but had no other option to stabilise the troubled regime, his eldest son has said. Kim Jong-nam, who has lived abroad for years, made his comments in a rare interview with a Japanese newspaper. Kim Jong-il is apparently preparing his youngest son as his successor. Succession fears have fuelled tensions on the Korean peninsula. The current stand-off follows the North's shelling of a South Korean island in November. On Friday, North Korea called for parliamentary talks on how "to settle the grave situation prevailing between the North

Burma upholds dissolution of Suu Kyi's NLD party

NLD lawyers said all that matters is public support for Aung San Suu Kyi Continue reading the main story Burma: Battle for Democracy Burma's evolving opposition Burma election: Q&A Burma election: The parties Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi Burma's highest court has upheld the dissolution of the pro-democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The court ruled the NLD would remain an unlawful association because it refused to register for the recent election. A lawyer for the NLD said the party could mount no further legal challenge. The court's decision leaves Aung San Suu Kyi and her party outside formal politics in Burma. A new parliament, with substantial military presence, convenes for the first time next week. The NLD won a resounding victory in Burma's last elections in 1990, but was kept from power by the military junta. The party refused to re-register in order to take

Egypt protests escalate in Cairo, Suez and other cities

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, who responded by throwing stones Continue reading the main story Egypt Unrest Egypt unrest Live Can Mubarak be toppled? Mardell blog: Obama's dilemma Egypt quits net to stifle protest Anti-government protests are intensifying across Egypt, as police clash with demonstrators in several cities demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. A protester in Suez was killed in clashes with police, witnesses said. In Cairo, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, who responded by throwing stones. The government has warned of "decisive measures". There has been disruption to internet and mobile phone services. Live television pictures from Cairo showed what appeared to be armoured personnel carriers on the streets. In one location, an army vehicle appeared to g

Renren in the “my dad is Li Gang” incident fuss

(In Chongqing, an art work named “Car accident is more fierce than the South China Tiger, my dad is Li Gang” appeared on the Foreigner Street in Nanan District. ) On an October night in Hebei University in northern city of Baoding two college girls were struck by a black Volkswagen sedan. The driver, who is a recent college graduate and a Baoding local, tried to escape but was stopped by security guard. Confronting by the guard, he said the line to be the phrase of year 2010 “ My dad is Li Gang ” who is a deputy police chief. This case is widely discussed and even received international attention. The international herald tribute reported on Nov 17 this case under the unsurprising title of “ China’s Censors Misfire in Abuse-of-Power Case ”. It mainly reported how state propaganda machine tried to press the information and how that “is sometimes hamstrung in the age of the Internet”. The power of the Internet, as the report covered, includes blogging, online activists,

Hillary Clinton backs Mexico drug war

BBC NEWS Mrs Clinton is urging Mexico to stay the course in the fight against drug gangs Continue reading the main story MEXICO'S DRUGS WAR Analysing the murder figures Q&A: Drug violence Battling the cartels 'Family values' of drug gang US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit to Mexico, has reiterated her support for President Felipe Calderon's fight against drugs gangs. Mrs Clinton said there was "no alternative" to confronting the cartels, despite rising violence that left more than 15,000 dead last year. She said the US recognised the need to stop the flow of money and guns from the US to the cartels. Mrs Clinton later met Mr Calderon and discussed security and economic issues. Earlier she met her Mexican counterpart, Patricia Espinoza, in the city of Guanajuato. Mrs Clinton said Mexico's policy of fighting the drugs gangs was "absolut

Ivory Coast cocoa: US backs ban, Cargill stops trade

Ivory Coast's farmers provide a third of the world's supply of cocoa Continue reading the main story Ivory Coast crisis No rush for military intervention Guide to key players Tensions simmer along buffer zone Q&A: Ivory Coast election crisis The US has said it supports a call by internationally recognised Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara for a month-long ban on cocoa exports. US cocoa firm Cargill has said it is "temporarily suspending" bean purchases in the world's largest cocoa producer. The call is intended to increase financial pressure on Laurent Gbagbo to admit defeat in November's poll and cede power. Cocoa prices - already up 14% since the poll - rose about 4% on Monday. Separately, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has said the UN should not have recognised Mr Ouattara so quickly. "There should be investigations, not just declaring w

Aarushi Talwar's father attacked outside court

Dr Rajesh Talwar was attacked by a man carrying a sharp weapon Continue reading the main story Related stories Father cleared in India murders The father of schoolgirl Aarushi Talwar, whose murder in 2008 shocked India, has been attacked outside a court near the capital, Delhi. Witnesses said Dr Rajesh Talwar was set upon by a man brandishing a sharp-edged weapon in Ghaziabad. The attacker was arrested. Dr Talwar has been treated for his injuries. The court has been hearing a case by investigators to close the inquiry into the murder of Dr Talwar's 14-year-old daughter, blaming a lack of evidence. Dr Talwar, a well-known dentist, was in court on Tuesday to challenge the Central Bureau of Investigation's closure of the murder case, and to demand a fresh investigation. TV pictures showed Dr Talwar bleeding as a man was restrained. 'No motive' Senior local police officer, Raghubir Lal, said the attacker was being questioned.

Lebanon: 'Day of rage' in Tripoli over Hezbollah move

Click to play Click to play Protesters accuse Hezbollah of mounting a coup but the Islamist group says it has used only democratic means Continue reading the main story Hariri's Murder Tribunal Fears grow over UN Hariri indictment Q&A: Hariri Tribunal Lebanon's political deadlock Who was Rafik Hariri? Thousands of protesters have descended on the Lebanese city of Tripoli to take part in a "day of rage" over the likely appointment of a Hezbollah-backed candidate as prime minister. Angry demonstrators set upon a vehicle used by Arab TV station al-Jazeera.

Three charged over Christmas Island shipwreck

The report found the boat was only spotted shortly before it went down Continue reading the main story Related stories The human face of asylum debate In pictures: Christmas Island sinking How Australia deals with 'boat people' Australia has charged three Indonesian men with people-smuggling offences, following the death of nearly 50 people in a shipwreck off Christmas Island. The three men were among up to 100 people on board the flimsy boat when it smashed into rocks on 15 December. The passengers were mostly Iranian, Iraqi and Kurdish asylum seekers making their way to Australia via Indonesia. Coastguards rescued 42 survivors but the bodies of at least 18 people have not been found. The three men - aged 22, 60 and 32 - were charged with "facilitating the bringing to Australia of a group of five or more persons", police said. They have appeared in court in Perth and face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and a fine of up to A$220,