Turkey’s President Gul, Abdullah has signed a controversial bill boosting the government’s control over the judiciary. The move follows a parliament decision to approve restrictions to the Internet. The new law, signed by Turkey’s President Gul on Wednesday, will give the justice ministry greater control over the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), an independent body responsible for appointing members of the judiciary. Opposition parties claim the reform is a bid by the government to […]
International
Alarm in Ukraine as Putin puts Russian troops on alert
(Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin put Russian combat troops on high alert for war games near Ukraine on Wednesday, the Kremlin’s most powerful gesture yet after days of sabre rattling since its ally Viktor Yanukovich was toppled as president in Kiev. Thousands of ethnic Russians, who form the majority in Ukraine’s Crimea region, demonstrated for independence for the peninsula that hosts part of Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet. They scuffled with rival demonstrators, mainly from the […]
China Blames Philippines For Latest South China Sea Incident
(Reuters) — China said on Wednesday (February 26) that the Philippines was to blame for an incident in disputed waters in the South China Sea in which Manila said Chinese ships used a water cannon on Filipino fishermen. The Philippines on Tuesday (February 25) lodged a protest with China over the matter, saying the Chinese were trying to prevent the fishermen from fishing in Philippine waters around Scarborough Shoal. China’s Foreign Ministry, which has already rejected the complaint, said its boats had every right to respond to […]
Couple in California stumbles upon $10 million “buried treasure” while walking their dog
(Reuters) — A trove of rare Gold Rush-era coins unearthed in California last year by a couple as they walked their dog may be the greatest buried treasure ever found in the United States, worth more than $10 million, a currency firm representing the pair said on Tuesday (February 25). The 1,400 gold pieces, dating to the mid- to late 1800s and still in nearly mint condition, were discovered buried in eight decaying metal cans on the couple’s land last […]
Islamist group kills 59 pupils in Nigeria
(Reuters) — Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram shot or burned to death 59 pupils in a boarding school in northeast Nigeria overnight, a hospital official and security forces said on Tuesday. “Some of the students’ bodies were burned to ashes,” Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai said of the attack on the Federal Government college of Buni Yadi, a secondary school in Yobe state, near the state’s capital city of Damaturu. Bala Ajiya, an official at the Specialist Hospital Damaturu, told Reuters by phone […]
Half Filipina Ann Makosinski Invented Flashlight That Is Powered Solely From Hand Heat
Ann Makosinski was just another teenager with another science project when she joined her local science fair in Victoria, Canada, last year. Her invention, a flashlight that is powered solely from hand heat, took second place at the competition. Ann, 16, and her parents, both of whom are HAM radio operators and like to fiddle with electronics, were satisfied with that result. “It’s a very simple project,” said Arthur Makosinski, Ann’s father. “It has four […]
Russia and West seek to soothe Ukraine tension
Russian and Western diplomats have signaled a desire for calm as the dust settles from the fall of ex-President Viktor Yanukoych’s government. Efforts are also underway to help the country stave off imminent bankruptcy. As Ukraine’s interim government sought to grapple with the threat of economic collapse on Tuesday, weeks of disagreement between major powers gave way to a more conciliatory tone. EU and US diplomats visited the country, while Russia appeared to soften its […]
Pakistan launches new strikes near Afghan border; warns militants
By Jibran Ahmed and David Brunnstrom PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:16pm EST (Reuters) – The Pakistani military launched new air strikes targeting militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal region on Tuesday, killing at least 30 people, and a senior government official warned of a big offensive unless the Taliban showed they were serious about negotiations. Pakistani fighter jets have been pounding targets in the region since the government’s efforts to engage Taliban […]
Ukraine wants fugitive president to face Hague court
By Timothy Heritage and Natalia Zinets KIEV Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:35pm EST (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament voted on Tuesday to send fugitive President Viktor Yanukovich to the International Criminal Court, while his acting successor expressed concern about “signs of separatism” in Russian-speaking Crimea. A resolution, overwhelmingly supported by parliament, linked Yanukovich, who was ousted by the legislature on Saturday and is now on the run, to police violence against protesters which it said had […]
White House: U.S. Planning Possible Withdrawal Of All Troops From Afghanistan
(Reuters) — U.S. President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year in case the long-delayed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) remains unsigned. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama conveyed the message to his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, in a phone call Tuesday (February 25). Carney says Obama told Karzai that Washington will leave open the possibility of concluding a BSA with Afghanistan later this year, but that the longer it is delayed, […]
US expels 3 Venezuelan diplomats in response to expulsion of 3 US embassy staff in Venezuela
(Reuters) –United States Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki addressed the expulsion of three Venezuelan diplomats from Washington, DC, on Tuesday (February 25). The U.S. government decision was in reprisal for President Nicolas Maduro’s expulsion of three American embassy staff accused of fomenting unrest that has killed at least 13 people. “They have been allowed 48 hours to leave the United States,” said Psaki. “We have indicated, and have indicated for months, our openness to develop a more constructive relationship with Venezuela, but again, recent […]
Death Toll Rises To Nine After Landslide In Indonesia
(Reuters) — Indonesian search and rescue team pulled a body from the rubble on Tuesday (February 25) after a landslide in Indonesia’s Papua swept through some areas raising the death toll to nine, officials said. The landslides, which hit on Monday (February 24) were caused by heavy rain that started on Saturday (February 22) which caused flooding, authorities said. The two areas affected by landslides were Abepura district and the southern district of Jayapura. “The total number of victims […]
