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الاثنين، 28 نوفمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Death toll rises to 12 after bridge collapses on Indonesia’s Borneo island
Pakistan outraged over NATO helicopter attack which killed troops
Venezuela Charges 8 Suspects in Ramos Kidnapping
Bomb blast kills British soldier in southern Afghanistan
Officials cancel final day of campaigning in DR Congo after clashes

Death toll rises to 12 after bridge collapses on Indonesia’s Borneo island

Posted: 28 Nov 2011 02:27 AM PST

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll after a bridge collapsed on the Indonesian island of Borneo during the weekend has risen to at least twelve, officials said on Monday. More than 30 others are still believed to be missing.

The accident happened at around 4.20 p.m. local time on Saturday when around 25 cars and motorcycles were crossing the 720-meters (2,362 feet) long Mahakam II Bridge, which is also known as the Kutai Kertanegara bridge and was built to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States.

As of Monday afternoon, a national police spokesman confirmed at least twelve bodies have so far been recovered. The death toll is expected to more than triple as 33 people are still believed to be missing. A total of 37 people were injured.

Although it remains unknown what may have caused the collapse, officials from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) suspect the construction was riddled with corruption. "For example, the amount of certain building materials such as iron or cement may have been reduced, which means the bridge's lifespan would not be as designed," KPK deputy chairman M. Jasin told local media.

Corruption investigators have been sent to the scene to investigate the accident, but the KPK won't be able to investigate the tragedy because the bridge was built prior to the KPK's formation. However, if corruption is found in the use and maintenance of the bridge, the KPK will be able to investigate.

The Mahakam II Bridge was one of the longest bridges in Indonesia.

Pakistan outraged over NATO helicopter attack which killed troops

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 03:05 PM PST

ISLAMABAD (BNO NEWS) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Sunday expressed 'the deep sense of rage' felt across the country over Saturday's NATO attack which left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets to protest.

Khar spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the incident and the decisions made during an emergency meeting of the cabinet's defense committee on Saturday evening. "Foreign Minister Khar stressed that such attacks are totally unacceptable," a spokesperson for the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said following the telephone call.

The incident happened on early Saturday morning when NATO helicopters and fighter aircraft crossed the border from Afghanistan and carried out several airstrikes in the Mohmand Agency of Pakistan's tribal areas, killing 24 Pakistani troops and injuring 13 others. NATO and U.S. officials claim they were returning fire after being fired upon from across the border.

The incident has further crippled the already fragile relationship between the United States and Pakistan, which has been accused of helping terrorists. U.S.-Pakistani relationships also deteriorated earlier this year after the U.S. launched a secret military operation inside Pakistan to kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Khar told Clinton that Saturday's border incident demonstrates the "complete disregard for international law and human life, and is in stark violation of Pakistani sovereignty." The minister said the deadly incident negates the progress made by the two countries on improving relations.

Khar also informed Clinton about the government's decision to stop NATO's vital supply routes into Afghanistan and that the United States should vacate the Shamsi military base in Pakistan's Balochistan province within 15 days. The base is used by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out controversial drone strikes against militants in Pakistan.

Also on Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets of Karachi and other cities to show their anger over the border incident. Protesters shouted 'Down with America' and burned American flags as they waved Pakistani flags.

Venezuela Charges 8 Suspects in Ramos Kidnapping

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 01:31 PM PST

Venezuelan officials say eight suspects have been charged in the kidnapping of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos in his native country, less than a week after he was rescued.

Officials say six suspects directly involved in Ramos kidnapping face weapons charges after he was taken at gunpoint outside his parents' house in Valencia last Wednesday.

Prosecutors are charging two other suspects as accomplices for providing Ramos' alleged kidnappers with food.

Two days after his kidnapping, Venezuelan security forces rescued Ramos in the mountainous region of Montalban.

Ramos told the media the forces who freed him in an exchange of gunfire did a great job.

The baseball star told Venezuela's Globovision television that his abductors had not harmed him physically, but had greatly hurt him "psychologically." He said he would start playing baseball again as soon as he felt better.

Ramos had recently returned to his homeland to play with his winter league team, the Aragua Tigers.

Relatives of U.S. major league players have been kidnapped in Venezuela in recent years, but not players themselves.

Bomb blast kills British soldier in southern Afghanistan

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 11:39 AM PST

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- A British soldier was killed on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his foot patrol in southern Afghanistan, the British Ministry of Defense confirmed. It takes the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 390.

The attack happened in the Babaji area of the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a British patrol, killing one soldier. The Ministry did not say whether other soldiers were injured in the blast.

"I have the sad duty to inform you that a soldier from the 5th Battalion The Rifles was killed earlier today after an explosion while on a foot patrol to disrupt insurgent activity in the Babaji area of Nahr-e Saraj district in Helmand Province," said Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Mackenzie, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand.

Mackenzie said the soldier's family have been informed and have asked for a customary period of grace before more details are released to the media. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very difficult time," he added.

Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years with a total coalition death toll of 711 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

There are currently more than 130,000 ISAF troops in Afghanistan, including some 90,000 U.S. troops and more than 9,500 British soldiers. U.S. President Barack Obama previously ordered a drawdown of 10,000 American troops later this year, with another 23,000 U.S. troops to return home next year.

So far this year, at least 536 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan, including 41 British soldiers. Most of the casualties are American and are killed in the country's restive south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.

Officials cancel final day of campaigning in DR Congo after clashes

Posted: 27 Nov 2011 11:21 AM PST

KINSHASA (BNO NEWS) -- Kinshasa Governor Andre Kimbuta on Saturday canceled all rallies marking the end of the presidential campaign in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo after violence erupted.

President Joseph Kabila and opposition candidates had planned to hold their final rallies in Kinshasa on Saturday before Monday's presidential and parliamentary elections. But clashes erupted between members of rival political parties near the Kingasani district in eastern Kinshasa.

Officials said one person was killed and several others were wounded. Police fired into the air to separate the two camps and arrested several people, Radio Okapi reported.

The spokesman for the provincial government of Kinshasa, Therese Olenga, said the decision was made in consultation with the provincial committee for security and is intended to "preserve public order and social peace." She said the governor's decision was motivated by the escalation of violence in the city, including on the road leading to Ndjili airport, where all three candidates were due to arrive before their rallies.

Earlier this month, the United Nations (UN) expressed alarm after receiving reports of several human rights violations during the pre-electoral period in the DRC. The organization warned that such incidents could threaten the democratic process and result in further post-electoral violence.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUSCO) released a detailed report that documented 188 violations apparently linked to the electoral process that occurred between November 1, 2010 and September 30 of this year.

According to the report, the violations most frequently infringed individuals' freedom of expression, the right to physical integrity and the right to liberty and security of the person, as well as the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

"Taking into account the violent events following the 2006 poll, the 2011 elections will constitute an important challenge for human rights, security and the consolidation of democracy in the country," the report stated.

The UN report also urged the Congolese Government, political parties, and the international community to intensify cooperation with civil society, to issue public messages calling for state agents and promote peaceful participation in the electoral process. It also called on supporters, particularly the youth, to refrain from violence and to respect national laws and the public order.

The November 28 elections will mark the country's second democratic elections since its independence in 1960.

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الاثنين، 28 نوفمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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