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الأربعاء، 14 ديسمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Ghana: Missing toddler found dead after ‘witchcraft murder’
Powerful earthquake strikes near towns in Papua New Guinea
Donald Trump pulls out of debate as he hints at presidential run
Indian police arrest two alleged Pakistani spies
UN says Canada’s withdrawal from Kyoto Protocol ‘regrettable’

Ghana: Missing toddler found dead after ‘witchcraft murder’

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 03:16 AM PST

KUMASI, GHANA (BNO NEWS) -- Police in south-central Ghana have discovered the body of a toddler who went missing late last week while visiting a hairdresser, local media reported on Wednesday. She was apparently the victim of a brutal witchcraft murder.

The three-year-old girl, only identified as Akosua, went missing in the town of Abrepo in the Ashanti region on Saturday after her aunt took her to a salon to braid her hair. Her aunt left her alone with the hairdresser but the toddler disappeared when she went outside to urinate.

According to the Daily Guide newspaper, Akosua's body was found by joggers near a building under construction on early Sunday morning. The victim was found in a pool of blood with her legs spread open and her vagina as well as parts of her mouth completely removed.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the brutal murder, but police suspect the killing was part of a witchcraft ritual known locally as 'juju.' Police have made no arrests as of Wednesday, according to the newspaper.

Juju is still practiced among some groups in West Africa.

Powerful earthquake strikes near towns in Papua New Guinea

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 02:44 AM PST

WAU, PAPUA NEW GUINEA (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake rocked the Oceanian country of Papua New Guinea on late Wednesday afternoon, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake at 3.04 p.m. local time (0504 GMT) was centered about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south-southeast of Wau, a small town in the province of Morobe on the eastern part of the country's New Guinea island. It struck about 121.2 kilometers (75.3 miles) deep, making it a fairly deep earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The agency estimated that some 506,000 people near the epicenter may have felt strong shaking, while up to 3 million others may have felt light to moderate shaking. However, earthquakes in the mountainous nation of New Papua Guinea do rarely cause damage or casualties as most structures in the region are light and flexible. This allows them to bend, rather than snap when a major earthquake happens.

Residents in Port Moresby, which is located about 221 kilometers (137 miles) south-southeast of Wednesday's epicenter, reported feeling the earthquake and said it continued for about a minute. Officials said they had no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Because the earthquake struck fairly deep and on land, no tsunami warnings were issued. "A destructive tsunami was not generated based on earthquake and historical tsunami data," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin.

Papua New Guinea, close to Indonesia, 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. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently.

In July 1998, a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck just off the north coast of the country's island of New Guinea, causing a landslide which resulted in a local tsunami. The disaster left at least 2,183 people killed and thousands more injured.

Donald Trump pulls out of debate as he hints at presidential run

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 02:10 AM PST

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Real estate mogul and television personality Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon announced he has decided not to host the Newsmax presidential debate because he is unwilling to give up his right to run himself.

Conservative website Newsmax announced earlier this month that Trump, who is the CEO of The Trump Organization which owns the Miss Universe and similar franchises, would host a presidential debate on December 27 in Des Moines, Iowa. The debate would have aired online and on broadcast network ION.

But, as Trump went on television networks to criticize presidential candidates about their policies and personalities, all but two of them decided not to take part in the Newsmax debate as many observers believed it would turn into a circus.

"The Republican Party candidates are very concerned that sometime after the final episode of The Apprentice, on May 20th, when the equal time provisions are no longer applicable to me, I will announce my candidacy for President of the United States as an Independent and that, unless I conclusively agree not to run as an Independent, they will not agree to attend or be a part of the Newsmax debate scheduled for December 27," Trump said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Trump added: "It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen to defeat the failed and very destructive Obama Administration, but if that Republican, in my opinion, is not the right candidate, I am not willing to give up my right to run as an Independent candidate. Therefore, so that there is no conflict of interest within the Republican Party, I have decided not to be the moderator of the Newsmax debate."

The businessman made headlines earlier this year when he said he was considering to run for president himself, but he decided in mid-May to not do so amid polls in which a majority indicated they would not vote for him. It followed similar statements in 1988 and 1999 when he also said he would consider to run for the White House, but in both cases declined to do so at the last moment.

"The American people are embarrassed by the gridlock currently taking place in Washington," Trump said in Tuesday's statement, which keeps the door open for a presidential run as an independent. "I must leave all of my options open because, above all else, we must make America great again!"

Trump thanked presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, who is leading the polls, and Rick Santorum for having the 'courage, conviction, and confidence' to immediately accept being part of the Newsmax debate. "I believe this would not only have been the most watched debate, but also the most substantive and interesting debate," he added.

It was not immediately clear if Newsmax would still go forward with the debate.

Indian police arrest two alleged Pakistani spies

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:46 AM PST

NEW DELHI (BNO NEWS) -- Indian police arrested two Pakistani nationals earlier this month on suspicion of spying for the Pakistani intelligence services, local media reported on Wednesday.

The two Pakistanis, one man and one woman, were arrested on December 5 at the New Delhi Railway Station after arriving there from the town of Gorakhpur on the India-Nepal border. The suspects were identified as Imran, 40, and Soofia Kanwal, 38, both from Karachi.

"The two were arrested on a tip-off. They said they had entered India through the Indo-Nepal border," deputy police commissioner Ashok Chand told the Hindustan Times.

Imran reportedly told police that he was born in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, but had migrated to Pakistan in 1988 where he acquired citizenship. After his company incurred huge losses in 2007-2008, Pakistani intelligence agencies approached him and said they would pay him if he worked for them, according to Chand.

"In March 2011, they told him that he would have to go to India and settle a woman as a resident agent there," Chand told the newspaper.

Police sources said Imran was looking for a safe hideout in Agra and was in touch with someone. "They have a marriage certificate, which would have helped them get a rented accommodation. We are looking for their third associate, who is in Agra," a senior officer said on the condition of anonymity.

The two were remanded in custody for at least 14 days as an investigation continues.

UN says Canada’s withdrawal from Kyoto Protocol ‘regrettable’

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:46 AM PST

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations has expressed its regret after the Canadian government decided to withdraw from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol agreement on climate change, officials said.

"I regret that Canada has announced it will withdraw and am surprised over its timing," Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said. Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent announced the decision on Monday, saying the protocol does not represent the path forward for Canada.

"Whether or not Canada is a Party to the Kyoto Protocol, it has a legal obligation under the Convention to reduce its emissions, and a moral obligation to itself and future generations to lead in the global effort," Figueres said. "Industrialized countries, whose emissions have risen significantly since 1990, as is the case for Canada, remain in a weaker position to call on developing countries to limit their emissions."

Canada announced the decision just after the UN Climate Change Conference wrapped up in Durban, South Africa, on Sunday. During the weekend, the 194 parties to the UNFCCC agreed on a package of decisions, which includes a legal instrument that would apply to all members, a second commitment period for the existing Kyoto Protocol and the launch of the Green Climate Fund which will assist developing countries to fight climate change.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the new set of decisions, saying they represent a significant agreement that will define how the international community will address climate change in the coming years.

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الأربعاء، 14 ديسمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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