health: Lincoln Tribune

الثلاثاء، 13 ديسمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

EU foreign policy chief urges Israel to probe death of Palestinian protester
Gunmen attack NATO tankers in southern Pakistan, killing driver
Inmates release hostages after five-hour standoff at Greece’s top prison
UN: ‘Significant irregularities’ in DR Congo elections
Sarah J. Epley

EU foreign policy chief urges Israel to probe death of Palestinian protester

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:14 AM PST

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday called on the Israeli government to thoroughly investigate the death of a Palestinian protester last week.

Mustafa Tamimi, 27, died at an Israeli hospital in Ramallah on Friday after being hit in the face with a tear gas canister which was fired by an Israeli soldier during a weekly protest in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. The villagers were protesting the alleged seizure of several water springs by Israeli settlers in 2008.

"The High Representative deeply regrets the tragic death of Mustafa Tamimi from the village of Nabi Saleh," a spokesperson for Ashton said in a statement. "Mr. Tamimi was protesting against the systematic expropriation of the village's land and water springs by the inhabitants of the settlement of Halamish."

The spokesperson said Ashton regrets the 'disproportionate use of force' under any circumstances. "She urges the Israeli authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident," the spokesperson said in the brief statement.

The 'Stop the Wall Campaign', a coalition of Palestinian nongovernmental organizations, on Saturday also alleged that an ambulance carrying Tamimi, who had lost a large amount of blood, had been stopped at the Nabi Saleh checkpoint by Israeli forces for 30 minutes before he was airlifted to a hospital in Ramallah, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) away.

According to a statement released by the coalition on Saturday, six other people also suffered injuries as a result of rubber bullets and tear gas canisters fired by Israeli soldiers. Dozens of other people suffered from the tear gas as Israeli forces tried to disperse the crowd.

Friday's protest took place while the UN Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Assembly was visiting the village, which is located near the Israeli settlement of Halamish and has a population of approximately 500 people. The Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported that Palestinian protesters attacked an Israeli military tower in response to the incident, causing no casualties.

Nabi Saleh residents claim that in 2008, Halamish settlers seized control of several water springs which were located on their land. In December 2009, residents began weekly demonstrations in opposition to the annexing of the fresh water springs and village land.

Gunmen attack NATO tankers in southern Pakistan, killing driver

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:48 AM PST

KARACHI, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A group of gunmen launched an attack on NATO tankers in southern Pakistan on early Monday morning, destroying a number of them and killing one driver, officials said on Tuesday.

Senior Pakistani police official Inayat Bugti told Geo TV that a group of at least eight gunmen attacked a NATO convoy in the Dadar town of Bolan district, which is located about 90 kilometers (55.9 miles) southwest of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.

The attack took place as the convoy of tankers returned to the port city of Karachi after being unable to enter Afghanistan. NATO supply convoys were barred from using the Pakistan-Afghanistan border last month after NATO forces crossed the border from Afghanistan and carried out several airstrikes in the Mohmand Agency of Pakistan's tribal areas, killing 24 Pakistani troops.

During Monday's attack, Bugti said, a driver of one of the supply tankers suffered a gunshot wound to the head, killing him. The gunmen then went on to set the tanker and seven others on fire, but the other drivers managed to escape safely.

Foreign troops in Afghanistan commonly receive supplies and equipment through Pakistan, and Taliban and al-Qaeda attacks against NATO trucks and tankers are not uncommon. On Thursday, insurgents attacked a temporary NATO trucking terminal in Quetta, destroying at least 34 oil tankers and containers.

Inmates release hostages after five-hour standoff at Greece’s top prison

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:32 AM PST

ATHENS, GREECE (BNO NEWS) -- Several inmates took a group of prison guards and visitors hostage at a top security prison in Greece on early Monday evening, officials said. They were released unharmed after about five hours.

The crisis began just after 6 p.m. local time at the Korydallos Prison when four inmates attempted to escape through the prison's visitors area but were stopped when prison guards closed the gates before they reached an outside courtyard. The inmates then returned to the visitors area where they took hostages.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the inmates took three prison guards and 29 relatives of other inmates hostage. Four elderly women who were visiting relatives at the jail were released unharmed a few hours after the hostage crisis began.

Panayiotis Vlastos, who is a convicted racketeer and murderer, and Michalis Nikolopoulos, a member of the anarchist group 'Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire', were identified as two of the hostage takers. The two other hostage takers, whose names were not immediately released, are also members of the anarchist group.

The standoff came to an end about five hours after it began when the inmates released their hostages and handed over their weapons. There were conflicting reports whether the inmates found their weapons inside the prison or if they were smuggled inside during visiting hours.

Vlastos, who is currently serving a murder and racketeering sentence, has previously broken out of a prison on two occasions. He is also being accused of ordering the kidnapping of cruise ship and shipping tycoon Pericles Panagopoulos. In 2009, Panagopoulos was kidnapped and released eight days later after a €30 million ($40.2 million) ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

UN: ‘Significant irregularities’ in DR Congo elections

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:52 AM PST

KINSHASA (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday said that last month's presidential and parliamentary elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were marred by 'significant irregularities.'

The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) strongly urged the DRC's Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to undertake "a timely and rigorous review" of the issues raised, particularly regarding the counting and tabulation of votes.

The mission also said the review of the polls should have the full participation of witnesses and observers, including foreign observer groups, who may offer to provide technical advice.

The DRC held its presidential and parliamentary elections on November 28 in what was only the country's second multi-party vote since its independence from Belgium in 1960. Eleven candidates ran for the presidency and 18,864 candidates competed for seats in the National Assembly, double the number that ran in 2006. There are an estimated 32 million registered voters in the DRC.

On Friday, communications minister Menda Omalanga declared incumbent President Joseph Kabila the winner of the presidential elections. Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, obtained 48.9 percent of the vote while 32 percent of the vote went to veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, according to results read on national television by Daniel Ngoy Mulunda, president of the country's election commission.

"We consider that Mr. Kabila is the president-elect while we are waiting for the final decision from the Supreme Court," said Menda Omalanga, the communications minister in the DRC. "We hope that anybody that contests these results will do so to the Supreme Court."

The Carter Center International Election Observation Mission in the DRC and other observer missions have all issued statements to voice their concern about the management process. In addition, the opposition leader rejected the results and declared himself president.

MONUSCO also called on CENI to ensure that all counting, compilation and verification operations under way to determine the results of National Assembly elections are conducted in a fully transparent manner, and to undertake corrective measures for future elections.

The UN mission also reiterated its call for all parties to settle election disputes peacefully and through the country's established institutions. In response to the threat of election-related violence, MONUSCO called upon all members of the political establishment to refrain from inciting confrontation against opponents and urged law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint when dealing with public demonstrations.

Since November 26, more than 10 people have allegedly been killed by security forces and supporters of political parties, and many more wounded through the use of live ammunition in the capital of Kinshasa. There are also reports of security forces detaining people at random. The UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) in DRC, which has been monitoring election-related violence, is investigating these reports.

Sarah J. Epley

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 09:00 PM PST

Vale – Sarah J. Epley, age 77, of Vale passed away December 11, 2011 at Hospice & Palliative Care of Catawba. She was born May 4, 1934 in Rutherford County to the late Thomas Edward Wright and Bessie Mae Hughes Wright.

She is survived one sister, Edna B. Moore of Lincolnton, five daughters, Brenda Green and her husband J. R. of Vale, Patsy Collins and her husband Gary of Connelly Springs, Patricia Hughes and her husband Ralph of Vale, Melinda Trader of Bellwood, Gwen Epley of Iron Station, fourteen grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren, and ten great-great grandchildren, one niece, Gwen Lowery and one nephew, Gene Davis, both of Shelby.

Services will be held Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 11:00 AM at E. F. Drum Funeral Home. The family will receive friends Tuesday, December 13, 2011 from 7:00-9:00 PM at E. F. Drum Funeral Home.

The interment will be at Shiloh Baptist Church in Rutherfordton at 2:00 PM Wednesday, December 14, 2011. Reverends Archie Brown, Tony Lowery and Leon Davis will officiate.

E. F. Drum Funeral Home is serving the Epley family

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الثلاثاء، 13 ديسمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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