Police in France have arrested nine people and seized guns and ammunition in anti-terrorism raids in the south of the country, officials say. The arrests were made in the port city of Marseille and the nearby town of Avignon, AFP news agency reported.
Posts Tagged ‘afp news agency’
“ICJ must tread carefully”
July 20th, 2010 |
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The top UN court’s advisory opinion in the Kosovo case will be carefully formulated, international law experts have said. French AFP news agency said in an article published today that despite this, both the government in Belgrade and the one in PriÅ¡tina have predicted legal victory.
Fighters kill Afghan police chief
August 12th, 2009 |
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Taliban militants have killed a district police chief in an attack on a government base in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz, officials say.
At least one other person was killed when the militants attacked the compound in Archi district.
Reports say the attackers struck before dawn with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
There have been increasing levels of violence in the province of Kunduz over the past few months.
After militants launched their attack on the government compound, the police chief came out to provide assistance, district governor Shaikh Dabi told the AFP news agency.
"The Taliban ambushed him and killed him," he said.
Eyewitnesses spoke of a lengthy gun battle after the attack began.
Provincial targets
The incident comes as US and Afghan forces intensify their operations against Taliban militants in the south of the country ahead of nationwide elections next week.
On Monday, Taliban militants attacked official buildings in the city of Pul-i-Alam in eastern Afghanistan, killing five people and injuring many others.
It was the latest in a series of similar co-ordinated attacks on provincial cities in recent months.
The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the elections and have stepped up attacks in recent weeks.
But the BBC’s Martin Patience in Kabul says it is likely that violence across the country would have escalated despite next week’s elections.
Such attacks on provincial government compounds are designed to weaken the authority of the Afghan government, our correspondent says.
The Taliban target provincial headquarters because they are not guarded as closely as institutions in Kabul.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Niger opposition leader abducted
August 11th, 2009 |
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An opposition leader in Niger, Marou Amadou, has been abducted, hours after he was freed by a court on charges of breaching state security.
Mr Amadou’s lawyer, Marc Le Bihan, told the BBC that men in uniform took him to an unknown destination.
He was arrested on Monday after calling for protests against a new constitution extending the president’s term.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition, the CFDR, has vowed to fight President Mamadou Tandja’s rule.
The CFDR says it will restore the parliament, which the president dissolved in his attempt to hold onto power.
‘Kidnapped’
MAMADOU TANDJA- Former army colonel, part of 1974 coup
- First elected in 1999
- First Niger leader to be re-elected – in 2004
- Says he must stay in office to continue economic projects
- Critics say the referendum was the same as a coup
A spokesman for Mr Amadou’s party – the United Front for the Protection of Democracy (Fusad) – said he had been kidnapped by the authorities as he prepared to leave a prison in Niamey.
"Marou Amadou has just been kidnapped aboard two 4×4 vehicles by members of the Republican Guard," Ali Idrissa told the AFP news agency.
"We conclude from this that the authorities are not willing to respect the court decision," he added.
The new constitution, which was approved in a referendum on 4 August, extends President Tandja’s mandate by three years.
It also allows him to run in subsequent elections, potentially giving him the opportunity to stay in power for life.
The EU and France have criticised the referendum and called on Niger to restore a democratic framework.
France says it will watch closely when Niger holds a parliamentary election on 20 August.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
‘Dog lard sale’ probed in Poland
August 6th, 2009 |
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Polish police are questioning a woman suspected of fattening up dogs and slaughtering them to sell the lard as a health supplement, reports say.
The police said 28 well-fed dogs, including St Bernards and puppies, were found in cages on a farm, along with bottles of lard, AFP news agency said.
An animal welfare group tipped off the police after buying some lard at the farm near Czestochowa, southern Poland.
It said some dogs "were overfed to the point of no longer being able to walk".
New homes
The For Animals group’s undercover inspector, Renata Mizera, said the farmer had stressed the health benefits of the lard and told her that she herself added a spoonful to her daughter’s evening meal, Agence France-Presse reported.
"Half a litre of fat was being sold for 37 euros ($53, £31)," said Ms Mizera.
The police are checking whether the lard – which was found in bottles in a refrigerator at the woman’s farm – comes from dogs.
The 37-year-old farmer could face up to two years in jail for animal cruelty and distributing an unsafe substance, Poland’s TVN24 reported.
The dogs are being cared for by the For Animals group, which is looking for new homes for them.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Canada on alert as BC fires burn
August 4th, 2009 |
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Much of British Columbia in western Canada remains on high alert as high temperatures and winds continue to stoke widespread forest fires.
Some 5,300 people have fled the latest fires as thousands of firefighters try to tackle the flames.
Some 800 extra personnel have been brought in from other parts of Canada to help exhausted fire crews.
Since April, more than 2,000 fires have burned 63,000 hectares (155,700 acres) in British Columbia, officials say.
"We’re crossing our fingers for rain but it looks like it will continue to be warm and dry," British Columbia Fire Service spokeswoman Alyson Couch told the AFP news agency.
Ms Couch said the combination of hot weather and lightning had produced extreme conditions.
See where the worst fires are"This is one of our most challenging years ever and it’s not over," she said. August is traditionally a fire-prone month.
Some 2,300 people had to leave the town of Lillooet, some 213km (132 miles) north-east of Vancouver, as a fire burned on nearby Mount McLean.
Officials said on Monday there had been little progress in tackling a fire on Terrace Mountain near West Kelowna, AFP reported.
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Niger troops vote on third term
August 3rd, 2009 |
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Niger’s military is set to vote in a referendum on President Mamadou Tandja’s bid to serve a third term.
The government says the soldiers are voting early so they can ensure the safety of the rest of the people, who will go to the polls on Tuesday.
Earlier, opposition groups reiterated they would boycott the vote, which they have described a coup d’etat.
Mr Tandja has recently dissolved parliament and the constitutional court to push through his referendum plan.
He says the people of Niger want him to stay in power, and his actions reflect their will.
But his efforts have caused widespread protests in Niger and sparked international condemnation.
‘Illegal referendum’
Reports from the country said huge posters of Mr Tandja were plastered throughout the capital, Niamey, and other main cities.
State media has been calling on voters to say "yes" to changing the constitution so the 71-year-old president can stay in office.
The move would allow him an initial three-year term, and then he would be able to run for re-election with no term limits.
The AFP news agency reported that opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou launched a final appeal on Sunday for "mobilisation to cause the illegal referendum to fail".
Speaking for the blanket group Co-ordination of Democratic Forces for the Republic (CFDR), he said: "Our duty as citizens is to defend the current constitution."
Mr Tandja was first elected in 1999, and then again five years later.
He had previously promised to quit in December this year, a month after presidential elections are due to be held.
But the president’s supporters argue he should be allowed a third term, saying he has improved living standards in one of the world’s poorest countries in the country in the 10 years he has been in power.
Will you be voting in the referendum Send us your views using the postform below.
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Bomb blast hits west Afghan city
August 3rd, 2009 |
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A bomb attack in the western Afghan city of Herat has killed at least 12 people and injured many others, officials say.
They said the attack had targeted a police convoy, killing and wounding both police and civilians.
Insurgent attacks on security forces have mounted in the run-up to the presidential election on 20 August.
However, attacks came mainly in the south where Taliban rebels have their strongest presence.
Police spokesman Raouf Ahmedi said the explosion on Monday in Herat was detonated by remote control, AP reported.
Another police official, Esmatullah Alizai, told journalists that the bomb had been left in a roadside rubbish bin.
"It exploded as the convoy of district police passed by," he said.
He was also cited as saying that two police officials, a woman and child were among those killed, and that the district police chief had been seriously injured.
A reporter for the AFP news agency saw several police vehicles and private taxis damaged by the blast.
Motorcycles and bicycles were strewn over the site, while children’s shoes and a woman’s veil had been abandoned there, he said.
Are you in the area of the attack Did you see what happened Send us your story using the form below.
<p
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Torture claim against Iran trial
August 2nd, 2009 |
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Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has criticised the trial of people accused of violence after June’s disputed presidential election.
Mr Khatami’s website said the trial would damage confidence in Iran’s Islamic establishment, AP reports.
More than 100 people went on trial on Saturday, including several leading reformists, on charges including rioting, vandalism, and conspiracy.
The poll was won by incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.
But opposition groups alleged widespread vote-rigging. Post-election protests saw the largest mass demonstrations in Iran since the 1979 revolution, which brought about the current Islamic system of government.
At least 30 people were killed in confrontations between demonstrators and security forces.
Many protesters insisted that the main opposition candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, was the real winner of the 12 June election.
‘Against constitution’
On Mr Khatami’s website he expressed hope that Saturday’s trial would not "lead to ignorance of the real crimes", the Associated Press reports.
IRAN UNREST- 12 June Presidential election saw incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected with 63% of vote
- Main challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi called for result to be annulled, alleging poll fraud
- Mass street protests saw at least 30 people killed and foreign media restricted
The BBC’s Kasra Naji says the timing and scale of the trial came as a surprise and suggests Iran’s leadership wants to send a message to stop any more protests.
The AFP news agency quotes Mr Khatami as making more outspoken criticism of the trial.
"What was done yesterday is against the constitution, regular laws and rights of the citizens," his office quoted him as saying.
"The most important problem with the trial procedure is that it was not held in an open session. The lawyers and the defendants were not informed of the contents of the cases ahead of the trial."
Some of the defendants told the court their earlier claims of fraud during the 12 June poll were baseless, official media said.
But Iran’s largest reformist party, Mosharekat, dismissed the court appearance as a "show trial and said the confessions had been forced.
The defendants included supporters of opposition leaders Mr Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi – both defeated in the election – and aides of Mr Khatami. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
French president leaves hospital
July 27th, 2009 |
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has left the Val-de-Grace military hospital in Paris, having spent the night there after collapsing while jogging.
Mr Sarkozy underwent a series of tests at the facility, but doctors found nothing untoward and said he would make full recovery, the Elysee Palace said.
The 54-year-old leader would now take a few days off to rest, it added.
He was flown to hospital after suffering a "minor" nerve complaint in the park of the Palace of Versailles.
The president, said to be on a punishing new diet and exercise regime, had gone for a run in hot weather and collapsed at around 1330 (1130 GMT), after 45 minutes of "intense physical activity".
The Elysee Palace denied he had lost consciousness, as suggested by earlier statements, saying he merely had to "lie down with the help of an aide".
A doctor who is with Mr Sarkozy at all times administered initial treatment and requested a helicopter to take him to hospital.
‘Little incident’
Doctors at Val-de-Grace conducted neurological, blood and cardiological tests on Mr Sarkozy on Sunday afternoon, but found nothing untoward and predicted a full recovery, officials said.
"It’s not in his nature to hold himself back. He puts it like this: ‘Sometimes people criticise me, saying I do too much. Me, I think I don’t do enough’"
Patrick Devedjian
Minister for Economic Recovery
Mr Sarkozy had suffered vasovagal syncope, a nerve condition in which exhaustion and dehydration can lead to a loss of blood pressure, the AFP news agency reported.
Patrick Devedjian, France’s minister for economic recovery and a close friend of the president, said Mr Sarkozy was "doing well" on Monday morning, shortly before he was discharged.
"We get the feeling it’s a little incident that could happen to anyone at some point in their life, above all when they are in tiring periods that can happen… to anyone who works a lot," he told RTL radio.
"It’s not in his nature to hold himself back. He puts it like this: ‘Sometimes people criticise me, saying I do too much. Me, I think I don’t do enough’," he added. "He takes a lot onto himself. He’s hyperactive, everyone can see that."
The president is regularly seen running and is a keen cyclist.
The Elysee Palace said earlier this month that his last medical examination – on 3 July – showed "normal" results for cardiovascular and blood tests.
Shortly after his election, his first medical bulletin showed him to be in "good" health.
He campaigned for greater transparency of presidential health bulletins during his presidential campaign, yet a brief hospital stay in late 2007 for an operation on a throat abscess was not revealed until three months after it happened.
Several French presidents have been accused of glossing over health problems, notably Georges Pompidou, who died of cancer while in office in 1974, and Francois Mitterrand, who concealed that he was diagnosed with cancer in 1981, only months after first being elected.
Mr Sarkozy’s predecessor, Jacques Chirac, insisted his medical and health details were private. In 2005, he was hospitalised for a week after a mini-stroke which doctors said was not serious.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Guinea-Bissau holds run-off vote
July 27th, 2009 |
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Guinea-Bissau is holding a run-off vote to replace President Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was assassinated in March.
The poll pits two former heads of state against each other – Malam Bacai Sanha, seen as the favourite, and Kumba Yala.
Guinea-Bissau has a history of coups and its people say they are tired of broken promises and violence, a BBC correspondent reports.
President Vieira was killed in March in apparent revenge for the death of the head of the army in a bomb blast.
Mr Vieira led Guinea-Bissau for most of the period after independence from Portugal in 1974 – serving as president for a total of 23 years between 1980 and 2009.
‘Time has come’
About 600,000 of the country’s 1.3 million residents are eligible to vote on Sunday.
Hoping for change in Guinea-Bissau
The first round of polling on 28 June saw Mr Sanha win nearly 40% of ballots, 10% more than Mr Yala, the AFP news agency reports.
When the two faced off in 2000, Mr Yala emerged as the winner.
In their final campaign rallies, both men repeated promises to bring peace and stability to the country.
Mr Sanha, who served as interim president from 1999-2000, is the candidate of the ruling PAIGC, the party of the 1970s struggle against Portuguese colonial rule.
This is the third time he has stood for president, having been defeated once by Koumba Yala and in 2005 by Mr Vieira.
His motto is "Hora Tchica" – meaning "the time has come".
Mr Yala, who was overthrown in a 2003 coup, is the leader of the opposition PRS.
Many Bissau-Guineans hold him responsible for changing the political and economic course of the country for the worse, the BBC’s Luis Cardador says.
During Mr Yala’s presidency, the IMF and the World Bank suspended aid to the country after accusations of mismanagement and a string of sackings in the government.
But he is believed to have wide support within the military.
Our correspondent says in past elections, voting has largely gone along ethnic or religious lines, but many people are now so fed up with the situation that this seems to be changing.
Guinea-Bissau is cash-starved and heavily dependent on just one product – the cashew nut.
In recent years it has become a major transit point in drug smuggling between South America and Europe.</p
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Wildfires rage in southern Europe
July 24th, 2009 |
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Thousands of firefighters are battling to bring under control summer wildfires that are spreading across parts of southern Europe.
At least seven people have died in the blazes that have struck Spain, France, Greece and the Italian island of Sardinia in the past few days.
Prisoners in Sardinia were reportedly moved to a beach when their penitentiary was threatened by fire.
Strong winds have fanned the flames during the hot dry weather.
Spain has suffered the heaviest death toll, losing five firefighters in the last four days.
Four were killed in Catalonia on Tuesday, and the driver of a firefighters’ truck lost his life in Teruel province on Thursday.
Parts of the Mojacar region in south-east Spain were being evacuated on Friday as fires continued to rage. Community halls were being used as makeshift shelters for residents at risk.
A series of bush fires across Sardinia claimed two lives there, including that of a shepherd who was trying to rescue his flock.
Helicopters and civil protection boats were used to rescue more than 120 people trapped on a beach at Capo Pecora in the south-west of the island.
The penitentiary complex of Is Arenas had to be evacuated, and the inmates temporarily transferred to the beach, Ansa news agency reports.
French inquiry
In Greece, firefighters continue to tackle blazes that have hit the southern Peloponnese region and the island of Evia.
Strong winds coupled with high temperatures had caused the fire to spread rapidly, fire officials in Evia said.
Five French firemen were injured battling flames from three fires on the island of Corsica, the AFP news agency reports.
The fires, which have destroyed some 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of forest and bush, are believed to have been started deliberately, the regional government said.
Meanwhile, an inquiry is under way in France after a military exercise sparked a major wildfire on the outskirts of Marseille.
The fire, which threatened homes and destroyed 1,300 hectares (3,211 acres) of brush, provoked an angry reaction from both officials and residents.
Prime Minister Francois Fillon called it a "professional mistake" and local prefect Michel Sappin accused the military of "imbecilic" actions.
The officer in charge when soldiers fired tracer bullets during a training exercise has been suspended.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Ivorian jailed for match stampede
July 24th, 2009 |
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An Ivorian football official has been sentenced to six months in jail for his role in a deadly stadium stampede.
Albert Kacou Anzouan, head of Ivorian Football Federation’s match organising committee, was also fined $1,000 for manslaughter, AFP news agency reports.
Twenty people died and more than 130 were injured when a wall collapsed at an Abidjan stadium shortly before a World Cup qualifier match in March.
Another man responsible for ticketing at the match was also sentenced. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Storms kill eight people in Poland
July 24th, 2009 |
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Heavy storms have killed eight people in Poland, uprooted trees in many areas and brought down power lines, Polish media report.
The TVN24 news channel said central and south-western areas of Poland had been worst hit by the overnight storms, which also injured dozens of people.
The Czech Republic and a wide swathe of Germany also suffered from falling trees and local flooding.
The storms disrupted road and rail traffic in many areas.
Seventeen people suffered electrical burns when a power line came down in Krotoszyn, western Poland, the AFP news agency reports.</p
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Deadly clashes hit southern Yemen
July 24th, 2009 |
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At least eight people have been killed in clashes between armed separatists and government forces in southern Yemen, officials and witnesses say.
The protesters in the town of Zinjibar, in Abyan province, were demanding the release of detainees held during earlier disturbances.
Eyewitnesses said the security forces opened fire to disperse the crowds.
Many in southern Yemen complain of discrimination, while officials accuse the protesters of seeking secession.
Witnesses told the AFP news agency the demonstration was called by Tarek al-Fadhli, a local figure who supports independence for south Yemen from the north.
Analysts say there has been rising tension throughout the south in the past two years, as the southern independence movement gains strength.
It began two years ago when former southern military officials, forced into compulsory retirement, demanded higher pension payments.
The protesters have been accusing President Ali Abdullah Saleh of corruption and openly calling for independence from his government in the northern mountain capital, Sanaa.
Mr Fadhli – a prominent ally of President Saleh and a veteran of the jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan – switched sides and joined the southern independence movement in April.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Clinic of Jackson doctor raided
July 22nd, 2009 |
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The Houston clinic of Michael Jackson’s physician, Dr Conrad Murray, has been raided by officers from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Dr Murray’s spokeswoman told the BBC the raid "was a surprise to us and it was a surprise to the attorneys".
The doctor was at the singer’s mansion and tried to revive him before he died on 25 June.
DEA spokeswoman Violet Szeleczky confirmed a search was carried out but said it was not technically a raid.
Officers "did not raid" the clinic, she told the AFP news agency.
"What this is is the Los Angeles police department have an investigation and they came to the Drug Enforcement Agency, and they asked us to help them effect a state search warrant here," she added.
Dr Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, said earlier his client had been helping police with their inquiries.
Mr Chernoff said investigators had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided by Murray.
"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death; we share that goal," said Mr Chernoff in a statement on his law firm’s website on Tuesday.
Painkiller denial
Speaking a few days after Jackson’s death, Mr Chernoff denied Dr Murray administered painkilling drugs that could have contributed to the singer’s death.
"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard"
Dr Conrad Murray
Any drugs his client may have given to Jackson were in response to a specific health complaint, the lawyer added.
He said the star still had a faint pulse and was warm when Dr Murray found him in bed.
Mr Chernoff said: "He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn’t breathing."
Paramedics were called to Jackson’s Los Angeles mansion while Dr Murray was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.
Mr Chernoff said in Tuesday’s statement that Dr Murray had since received unwelcome attention from those angry over the singer’s untimely death.
"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Mr Chernoff said.
He added: "Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard.
"He can’t operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Jackson doctor’s clinic raided
July 22nd, 2009 |
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The Houston clinic of Michael Jackson’s physician, Dr Conrad Murray, has been raided by officers from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Dr Murray’s spokeswoman told the BBC the raid "was a surprise to us and it was a surprise to the attorneys".
The doctor was at the singer’s mansion and tried to revive him before he died on 25 June.
DEA spokeswoman Violet Szeleczky confirmed a search was carried out but said it was not technically a raid.
Officers "did not raid" the clinic, she told the AFP news agency.
"What this is is the Los Angeles police department have an investigation and they came to the Drug Enforcement Agency, and they asked us to help them effect a state search warrant here," she added.
Dr Murray’s lawyer, Edward Chernoff, said earlier his client had been helping police with their inquiries.
Mr Chernoff said investigators had asked for medical records in addition to those already provided by Murray.
"The coroner wants to clear up the cause of death; we share that goal," said Mr Chernoff in a statement on his law firm’s website on Tuesday.
Painkiller denial
Speaking a few days after Jackson’s death, Mr Chernoff denied Dr Murray administered painkilling drugs that could have contributed to the singer’s death.
"Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard"
Dr Conrad Murray
Any drugs his client may have given to Jackson were in response to a specific health complaint, the lawyer added.
He said the star still had a faint pulse and was warm when Dr Murray found him in bed.
Mr Chernoff said: "He just happened to find him in his bed, and he wasn’t breathing."
Paramedics were called to Jackson’s Los Angeles mansion while Dr Murray was performing CPR, according to a recording of the 911 call.
Mr Chernoff said in Tuesday’s statement that Dr Murray had since received unwelcome attention from those angry over the singer’s untimely death.
"Dr Murray was the last doctor standing when Michael Jackson died and it seems all the fury is directed toward him," Mr Chernoff said.
He added: "Dr Murray is frustrated by negative and often erroneous media reports – he has to walk around 24/7 with a bodyguard.
"He can’t operate his practice. He can’t go to work because he is harassed no matter where he goes."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Israel to use Hitler shot for PR
July 22nd, 2009 |
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Israeli embassies are being instructed to use for public relations purposes an infamous photograph of Adolf Hitler meeting a top Palestinian cleric.
Far-right Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has personally requested that the photo be sent to missions around the world, a senior official said.
The 1941 shot shows the Nazi leader meeting the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
The US is pressuring Israel to end a Jewish building project at a hotel once owned by the cleric, Amin al-Husseini.
AFP news agency quoted an Israeli official as saying the move by Mr Lieberman was linked to the row over the Shepherd Hotel.
"It is important that the world know the facts," a spokesperson for Mr Lieberman told the BBC, without giving further detail.
Obstacles to peace: Jerusalem
Haj Amin al-Husseini was a Palestinian nationalist leader who led violent campaigns against Jewish immigrants and the British authorities in what was then British-ruled Palestine in the 1920s and 1930s.
He fled the territory in 1937, but continued his campaign to oppose British plans to set up a Jewish State in Palestine, allying himself with the Nazis during World War II.
The meeting with Hitler took place in November 1941 in Berlin, during which Husseini asked Hitler unsuccessfully to back Arab independence and public oppose the future creation of Israel.
Last week US officials reportedly summoned Israel’s ambassador to Washington and requested a stop to the project to build 20 apartments at the Shepherd Hotel site in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
It was bought in 1985 by American Jewish millionaire Irving Moskowitz.
The site is in East Jerusalem, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
It has annexed the occupied territory and declared all Jerusalem Israel’s eternal capital in a move that has not been recognised by the international community.
Palestinians hope to establish their capital in East Jerusalem, as part of a two-state peace deal with the Israelis.
They say Israel uses settlement and demolition orders to try to force them from the area.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Chinese directors shun festival
July 22nd, 2009 |
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Two Chinese directors have boycotted Australia’s biggest film festival over the screening of a documentary about political activist Rebiya Kadeer.
Richard Moore, head of the Melbourne International Film Festival, said their films were pulled after he ignored political pressure from Beijing.
He told the AFP news agency "It’s hard to draw any other conclusion."
Chinese authorities blame Kadeer – leader of the World Uighur Congress – for inciting ethnic unrest in Xinjiang.
Earlier this month, at least 197 people died and more than 1,600 were injured during fighting in the region between the mostly Muslim Uighurs and a growing number of settlers from China’s Han majority.
Kadeer, 62, spent six years in a Chinese prison before she was released into exile in the US in 2005.
In 2004, she won the Rafto Prize for human rights.
She is expected to attend the screening of Ten Conditions of Love, by Australian documentary-maker Jeff Daniels.
‘Annoyed and irritated’
In a statement, Mr Moore said Jia Zhangke, director of the short film Cry Me A River, and Emily Tang, the director of Perfect Life, "have decided to withdraw their films from this year’s festival".
He added that Ms Tang had cancelled her trip to Melbourne as a guest of the festival.
Mr Moore said the screening of Ten Conditions of Love, which has sold out at the event, was the subject of a phone call from a Chinese consular official last week.
But he said the festival would stand firm by its decision to include the documentary in the programme.
He told AFP: "It makes me feel angry, annoyed and irritated all at the same time, that they would try to interfere with our programme for blatantly political ends."
China has not commented on the films being withdrawn.
A third Chinese film-maker, Zhao Liang, has also asked the festival to drop his film Petition, a controversial documentary examining injustices in China’s court system. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Corsica police station car-bombed
July 22nd, 2009 |
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A car bomb has exploded outside a police station on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.
"It’s a miracle there was only material damage. People could have been killed," a Corsican government spokesman told the AFP news agency.
He said attackers had rigged up a gas bottle in the car and detonated it at around 0600 local time (0400 GMT).
The car was blown to pieces by the force of the blast, which also knocked the son of a gendarme off his bicycle.
Corsica suffers infrequent small-scale attacks by separatists opposed to French rule.
Wednesday’s attack in the northern town of Vescovato was the first car bomb on the island since 2006, AFP said.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, which French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux called a "totally irresponsible act."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.