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الأربعاء، 11 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Powerful earthquake off Indonesia triggers brief tsunami alert
13 dead, 20 missing after mudslide in southeast Brazil
Turkey to prosecute leaders of 1980 coup
Stampede at South African university kills one, injures 22
Car bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan kills 26

Powerful earthquake off Indonesia triggers brief tsunami alert

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 07:09 PM PST

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on early Wednesday morning, seismologists said, prompting a brief tsunami alert but causing no damage.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake at 12.37 a.m. local time (1837 GMT Tuesday) was centered about 423 kilometers (262 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to Indonesia's seismological agency (BMKG).

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the strength of the earthquake at 7.3 on the regional moment magnitude (Mw) scale with a depth of 29.1 kilometers (18.1 miles). BMKG initially measured the quake at 7.6 on the Richter scale but later revised it downwards.

Tremors could be felt in Banda Aceh where residents fled from buildings and rushed to higher ground as BMKG issued a tsunami warning for local coastlines. The warning was canceled about two hours later when no unusual waves were observed.

Provincial officials said there were no immediate reports of damage, and most people returned to their homes when the tsunami warning was canceled. The USGS estimated that approximately 882,000 people in the region may have felt light to moderate shaking.

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 the region.

On December 26, 2004, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. The 9.1-magnitude earthquake unleashed a deadly tsunami, striking scores of countries in the region. In all, at least 227,898 people were killed.

Most recently, on October 25, 2010, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck just off the Mentawai Islands off the western coast of Sumatra. As a result, a wall of water killed at least 435 people on the islands and impacted more than 20 villages.

13 dead, 20 missing after mudslide in southeast Brazil

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 06:53 PM PST

RIO DE JANEIRO (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll as a result of a mudslide in the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has reached at least 13, officials said on Tuesday. Around 20 others remain missing.

The incident happened on Monday in the town of Sapucaia and followed days of continuous rains. The bodies of five people, aged between 22 and 72, were recovered on early Tuesday morning, raising the death toll to at least 13.

Among the other casualties are at least two children, although three victims had not yet been identified by Tuesday evening. At least 20 people are believed to remain missing as heavy rain continues to hamper rescue efforts.

At least 100 people have been evacuated from the area following the mudslide, which buried eight homes. Authorities in the region have warned residents to be on alert for further mudslides as the severe weather continues.

A second landslide in the area was also reported on Monday, but there were no reports of casualties. The region has been affected by floods and mudslides since the beginning of the rainy season in October.

In January 2011, about 900 people were killed as a result of severe floods and landslides in the southeastern mountainous region of Brazil.

Turkey to prosecute leaders of 1980 coup

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 06:45 PM PST

ANKARA (BNO NEWS) -- A Turkish court has accepted indictments against former President Kenan Evren and another retired general for their role in the country's military coup in 1980, local media reported on Tuesday.

A prosecutor has asked for life sentences for Evren, the country's seventh president, and General Tahsin Şahinkaya. The pair will be put on trial for "attempting to dissolve the Parliament of the Turkish Republic through use of force" and "attempting to overthrow the government through use of force," the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Evren and Sahinkaya are the only survivors among the five army generals who took power in 1980 after the coup. Evren, who served as president from 1982 to 1989, previously said he would rather commit suicide than go on trial.

Turkey has endured three military coups -- in 1960, 1971 and 1980 -- but the military's political influence has waned since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took office in 2002.

Last week, a former head of the Turkish armed forces was remanded in custody on charges of heading a terrorist organization plotting to overthrow the government. He is accused of being involved in the Ergenekon network, a nationalist group that allegedly created dozens of websites in an attempt to bring down the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2003.

Stampede at South African university kills one, injures 22

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 06:42 PM PST

JOHANNESBURG (BNO NEWS) -- A woman was killed on early Tuesday morning and nearly two dozen others were injured during a stampede at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, emergency officials said.

The woman was crushed when approximately 5,000 prospective students attempted to enter the university's Bunting Road Campus. The woman, identified as the mother of a prospective student, sustained severe head and chest trauma, a Netcare 911 spokesman said.

"She was intubated and placed on a manual ventilator at the scene and transported by ambulance to the specialist hospital for further care," Netcare 911 spokesman Jeffrey Wicks said. Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar later confirmed the woman, believed to be in her early 30s, had died.

In addition to the fatality, 22 others were treated for injuries, including seven people who were seriously injured. "They were also be transported by ambulance to area hospitals," Wicks said, adding that the cause of the stampede was not immediately known.

University of Johannesburg Vice Chancellor Ihron Rensburg was also unable to reveal full details about the incident during a media briefing. "We will announce the outcomes of the investigation at a later stage," he said. Minaar said dozens of officers were at the institution to control traffic at the university.

The stampede happened as students were queuing for last-minute registrations at the university. Rensburg said the volume of applications for the current academic year is 85,000, significantly higher than the 67,000 of last year.

The University of Johannesburg is one of few universities in the country which accepts last-minute applications from prospective students who achieved unexpected university entrance passes. Tens of thousands of high school graduates are expected to be turned away this year.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) condemned the incident, saying it highlights a fundamental problem in the country. "South Africa desperately needs more qualified and skilled graduates, if we are to transform our economy and bring down the levels of unemployment and poverty. Yet students have to battle to gain admission to universities and then to pay the fees that are demanded," a statement said.

According to COSATU, the University of Johannesburg received 85,000 applications for 11,000 first-year places. The University of the Witwatersrand received 30,000 applications for 5,500 spaces, the University of KwaZulu-Natal 61,500 applications for 9,000 places and the University of the Free State 13,000 applications for 4,000 places.

Car bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan kills 26

Posted: 10 Jan 2012 06:07 PM PST

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least 26 people were killed on Tuesday when a car bomb exploded at a local bazaar in northwestern Pakistan, officials said on Wednesday. Dozens more were injured.

Police said the attack happened when a pickup van exploded at the Zakhakhel bus stand in Jamrud, a town located in Khyber Agency, about 17 kilometers (10.2 miles) west of the city of Peshawar. The powerful explosion destroyed several nearby vehicles.

At least 26 people were killed as a result of the explosion while 52 others were injured, some seriously, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). Emergency teams rushed the wounded to several hospitals in Peshawar, where an emergency was declared.

Among those killed were several women and children, according to Jamrud Assistant Political Agent Muhammad Jamil Khan. He said three Khasadar tribal police force members were also among the casualties and noted the death toll could still rise.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani both condemned the attack and expressed their sadness over the loss of human life. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to continue 'relentless efforts' to defeat terrorism and extremism.

Abroad, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack, for which no group immediately claimed responsibility. "[Ban] extends his heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and reiterates the continued solidarity of the United Nations with the people and Government of Pakistan in their continuing efforts to confront terrorism and extremism," his spokesman said.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also condemned the attack. "By callously targeting innocent people, the extremists who planned and perpetrated this attack are just showing their contempt for the value of human life," she said. "We offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims, and we remain deeply committed to working with Pakistan to address these kinds of terrorist threats and the results of violent extremism."

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الأربعاء، 11 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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