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Tunisia elections 2014: Presidential run-off winner to be country’s first freely elected leader

Diane A. Wade
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Tunisia elections 2014: Presidential run-off winner to be country’s first freely elected leader

Tunisia is choosing its first freely elected president in a run-off election seen as a landmark in the country’s move to democracy.

Secular-leaning Nidaa Tounes party’s candidate Beji Caid Essebsi, who won the first round with 39% of the vote, is challenging interim leader Moncef Marzouki.

Tunisia was the first country to depose its leader in the Arab Spring and inspired other uprisings in the region.

Beji Caid Essebsi, who turned 88 this week, held office under both deposed President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali and Tunisia’s first post-independence leader, Habib Bourguiba.

He is popular in the wealthy, coastal regions, and has based his appeal to voters on stability and experience.Tunisia elections 2014

Beji Caid Essebsi’s opponent, Moncef Marzouki, is a 67-year-old human rights activists forced into exile by the Ben Ali government.

He has been interim president since 2011 and is more popular in the conservative, poorer south.

Moncef Marzouki is likely to attract support from the Islamist Ennahda party, which has paid a key role in Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring but has not fielded a candidate.

Whoever wins faces restricted powers under a constitution passed earlier this year.

The president will be commander-in-chief of the armed forces but can appoint or sack senior officers only in consultation with the prime minister.

The president will also set foreign policy in consultation with the prime minister, represent the state and ratify treaties.

Tunisia has boosted security for the elections and closed border posts with Libya, which has been plagued by unrest.

In the build-up to the vote, a video emerged of Islamic State militants claiming responsibility for the 2013 killings of two Tunisian politicians.

The men in the video also condemned the election and threatened more killings.

About 5.2 million Tunisians are eligible to vote in the run-off poll. At least 88,000 observers are overseeing the election, according to Tunisian state media.

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The Interview: US insists North Korea is behind Sony attack

Sonia Pantiss
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The Interview: US insists North Korea is behind Sony attack

The US insists to reject North Korea’s claim that it was not responsible for Sony Pictures cyber-attack.

North Korea strongly denies carrying out the attack and invited the US to take part in a joint investigation.

A senior US security official said North Korea should instead “admit culpability and compensate Sony”.

North Korea strongly objects to Sony Pictures’ satirical film, The Interview, which portrays the fictional killing of Kim Jong-Un.

After the attack and threats, Sony cancelled the Christmas Day release of The Interview.

Responding to anonymous threats against cinemas, Sony Pictures Entertainment said it was considering releasing it “on a different platform”.The Interview Sony attack

The FBI said on December 19 that North Korea had carried out last month’s cyber-attack, in which script details and private emails were leaked.

The US defended its findings on December 20, with US National Security spokesman Mark Stroh saying: “We are confident the North Korean government is responsible for this destructive attack.”

“If the North Korean government wants to help, they can admit their culpability and compensate Sony for the damages this attack caused,” he said.

On December 20, the North Korean foreign ministry said: “As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident.”

“We have means to prove that this incident has nothing to do with us.”

The statement said there would be “grave consequences” if the Americans rejected their inquiry proposal.

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Muhammad Ali hospitalized with pneumonia

Clyde K. Valle
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Muhammad Ali hospitalized with pneumonia

Muhammad Ali has been hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia, his spokesman says.

The 72-year-old former three-time heavyweight champion boxer, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is in a stable condition, Bob Gunnell told media.

“The prognosis is good,” Bob Gunnell added, saying Muhammad Ali’s stay in hospital was likely to be brief.

He gave no other details and asked that the privacy of Muhammad Ali’s family be respected.Muhammad Ali pneumonia

Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984, three years after his retirement from boxing.

The boxing legend appeared in public at a ceremony in September in his hometown of Louisville for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards.

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Mersane Warria: Cairns mother charged with 8 murders

Nancy Clayson
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Mersane Warria: Cairns mother charged with 8 murders

Mersane Warria have been charged with the murder of seven of her children and her niece in the Australian city of Cairns.

Mersane Warria, 37, was charged while in hospital where she is being treated under guard for self-inflicted knife wounds, police say.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out to determine the exact cause of the eight victims’ deaths.

The four boys and four girls were aged between 18 months and 14 years.

Police found a number of weapons at the scene, including knives, which are being examined.Cairns murders Australia

Officers said they were looking at various possibilities for the deaths, including suffocation.

The bodies were reportedly discovered by the mother’s 20-year-old son arriving at the home on December 19.

Police have dismissed reports the family had been investigated by social services saying it was “not a problem house”.

Memorials have sprung up outside the home in the Manoora district of Cairns.

A church service was held on Sunday morning to remember the children.

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Brooklyn shooting: Two NYPD officers shot dead inside patrol car

Nancy Clayson
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Brooklyn shooting: Two NYPD officers shot dead inside patrol car

An armed opened fire and shot dead two police officers sitting inside a patrol car in New York City before killing himself.

Two New York City police officers have died after being shot inside a patrol car Saturday afternoon, according to police. Authorities say the gunman then killed himself.

The shooting took place in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Both officers were rushed to Woodhull hospital, where one was pronounced dead, police said. The second officer was later pronounced dead at the hospital.Brooklyn shooting 2014

Police say the suspect fatally shot himself inside a subway station. His motive wasn’t immediately clear.

The shooting comes at a tense time. Police in New York are being criticized for their tactics following the chokehold death of Eric Garner, who was stopped by police on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.

Demonstrators around the country have staged die-ins and other protests since a grand jury decided December 3 not to indict the officer in Eric Garner’s death, a decision that closely followed a Missouri grand jury’s refusal to indict a white officer in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old.

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Ebola 2014: Liberia holds postponed elections

Diane A. Wade
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Ebola 2014: Liberia holds postponed elections

Liberia is voting in an election that was postponed in October because of the Ebola outbreak.

Liberians are choosing representatives to the country’s senate.

Among the 139 candidates vying for 15 seats are former football star George Weah and Robert Sirleaf, the son of Liberia’s president.

Ebola has infected about 19,000 people in West Africa, killing more than 7,373 – with 3,346 deaths in Liberia, according to the latest UN figures.

The senate elections were postponed in October in a bid to stop campaigners and voters spreading the virus.

The election is being held just days after neighboring Sierra Leone clamped down on public gatherings.

It has banned Sunday trading, restricted travel between districts and prohibited public celebrations over Christmas and the New Year.

One of Sierra Leone’s top doctors, Victor Willoughby, died from Ebola on Thursday, just hours after the arrival of experimental drug ZMab which could have been used to treat him.

Healthcare workers are among those most at risk of catching Ebola which is spread by bodily fluids and requires close contact with victims.Liberia elections 2014

In November, Liberia’s election commission chairman, Jerome Korkoya, urged candidates and supporters to follow public health regulations in the run-up to the senate elections.

“For instance, the transportation of large groups of electorates by candidates clustered in vehicles and the congregation of huge number of people will be regulated,” he said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was in Liberia on Friday at the start of a two-day visit to countries affected by Ebola in West Africa. He continued on to Guinea on Saturday.

After stepping off the plane, he washed his hands and had his temperature taken – two important practices to help stop the spread of the disease.

Ban Ki-moon urged people to follow strict health regulations until the epidemic was over.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf lifted a state of emergency last month that was imposed in August to control the outbreak.

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Raul Castro: Cuba will stay on communist path, despite thaw with US

Diane A. Wade
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Raul Castro: Cuba will stay on communist path, despite thaw with US

Cuba’s President Raul Castro has stressed that Havana will not change its political system after recent US move to normalize bilateral relations.

Raul Castro also warned that Cuba faced a “long and difficult struggle” before the US removed its economic embargo.

On December 17, President Barack Obama announced a “new chapter” in US ties with communist-run Cuba.

He said the changes were the “most significant” in US policy towards Cuba in 50 years.

US-Cuba relations have remained frozen since the early 1960s, when the US broke off diplomatic relations and imposed a trade embargo after Cuba’s revolution.

Speaking in the National Assembly in Havana, President Raul Castro said this week’s announcement by Barack Obama removed an “obstacle” in bilateral relations.Raul Castro Cuba US ties

Raul Castro, the brother of former leader Fidel Castro, said he was open to discussing a wide range of issues with Washington, but stressed that Cuba would not give up its socialist principles.

“In the same way that we have never demanded that the United States change its political system, we will demand respect for ours.”

Raul Castro added that Cuba had to go through a “long and difficult struggle” before the decades-old US economic embargo would be lifted.

Announcing the normalization of diplomatic and economic ties, President Barack Obama said Washington’s approach towards Cuba was “outdated”.

As part of the deal, US contractor Alan Gross and an unnamed intelligence officer loyal to the US were released from Cuban prison in return for three Cubans held in the US.

Barack Obama also said he wanted to reopen a US embassy in Havana in the coming months.

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Afghan detainees released from Guantanamo Bay prison

Roy Siemens
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Afghan detainees released from Guantanamo Bay prison

Four Afghan inmates have been released from the Guantanamo Bay prison and sent back to their home country, the Pentagon announces.

Shawali Khan, Khi Ali Gul, Abdul Ghani and Mohammed Zahir were repatriated after a thorough review of their cases.

Eight Afghans are believed to be among the 132 detainees remaining at the US prison in Cuba.

President Barack Obama has pledged to close the facility, opened in 2002 to hold “enemy combatants” in what the US termed its war on terror.

“As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force,” a Pentagon statement said on December 20.

The four Afghans were flown to Afghanistan’s capital Kabul aboard a US military plane and handed over to the local authorities, a US official was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.Afghan detainees released from Guantanamo Bay prison

The Pentagon provided no further details.

The repatriation is the latest in a series of transfers from the Guantanamo Bay, as President Barack Obama seeks to eventually shut the facility.

Earlier this month, six prisoners were flown to Uruguay, which said they would enjoy complete freedom in the South American nation.

About half of the remaining detainees at the Guantanamo Bay have been cleared for transfer – but have nowhere to go because their countries of origin are unstable or unsafe.

The Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba was opened in 2002, a year after the 9/11 attacks in the US.

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SXSW organizers sued by car crash victims’ families

Sonia Pantiss
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SXSW organizers sued by car crash victims’ families

The organizers of South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, are being sued by the families of the victims of a fatal crash at this year’s festival.

The lawsuits accuse them of serious safety lapses, AP reported.

Rashad Charjuan Owens has been in jail on murder charges since March after four people died when his car broke through a barrier at the music, film and interactive festival.

The crash, which happened outside the Mohawk venue, also injured 23 people.

Among several wrongful deaths lawsuits was one from the family of Steven Craenmehr, a Dutch music executive, who was knocked off his bike.

His widow and mother claim that SXSW organizers didn’t put enough traffic safeguards on the roads for pedestrians during the event, which sees thousands of bands performing at venues across Austin.

“A festival organizer or traffic design consultant of ordinary intelligence would have anticipated the danger,” the lawsuit says.

Lawyers for SXSW released a statement which read: “What happened on Red River was a terrible tragedy, caused by Rashad Owen’s utter disregard of human life.

“Our hearts continue to ache for those injured and the families of those who lost their lives.

“We look forward to his prosecution for his awful crimes.” SXSW 2014 car crash

Authorities say that Rashad Charjuan Owens drove his grey Honda Civic through a barricade after an officer on a drink-drive patrol tried stopping the car.

According to police, his blood alcohol level was .114, above Texas’ legal driving limit of .08.

In September, a SXSW safety report found that alcohol consumption and overcrowded venues during the event had left Austin facing a “critical point where public safety could be compromised” if changes are not made.

Organizers called the report incomplete and said it failed to address root issues.

SXSW is known as one of the world’s best platforms for rising music talent.

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The Interview: Sony seeks different channels to release North Korea movie

Sonia Pantiss
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The Interview: Sony seeks different channels to release North Korea movie

Sony Pictures Entertainment is looking at different channels to release The Interview after scrapping its opening following a cyber-attack blamed on North Korea.

The studio said it had only canceled the film’s Christmas Day release after cinemas pulled out.

Sony said it was considering releasing it “on a different platform”.

President Barack Obama called the cancelation “a mistake”.

North Korea denied involvement and has now urged a joint inquiry with the US.

The FBI said on December 19 that the Pyongyang government was responsible.

The Interview depicts the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Responding to the president’s comments, Sony Pictures chief executive and chairman Michael Lynton said the studio had not made an error in canceling the release.The Interview North Korea

“We have not given in, we have persevered,” he told CNN.

A Sony statement said the decision had been based on “the majority of the nation’s theatre owners choosing not to screen the film”.

“Without theatres, we could not release it in the theatres on Christmas Day. We had no choice,” the statement added.

“It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so.”

Script details, salary data and private email correspondence were leaked in the wake of November’s huge cyber attack.

Hackers then issued a warning referring to the 9/11 terror attacks, saying “the world will be full of fear” if The Interview was screened.

North Korea earlier this month denied allegations that it was responsible for the hack. An article in the state-run KCNA news agency, quoting the country’s top military body, called the suggestions “wild rumor”.

The Interview features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Kim Jong-un.

The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him.

The Interview‘s canceled release drew criticism in Hollywood, with some calling it an attack on the freedom of expression.

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The Interview: North Korea offers to hold joint inquiry with US into Sony cyber-attack

Sonia Pantiss
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The Interview: North Korea offers to hold joint inquiry with US into Sony cyber-attack

North Korea wants to hold a joint inquiry with the US into a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures after it strongly denied US claims that it is behind it.

The North Korean foreign ministry accused the US government of “spreading groundless allegations” and said a probe would refute the allegations.

The attack and subsequent threats against cinemas led Sony to cancel the release of The Interview, a satire including the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The film had been due to open on Christmas Day.

However, Sony Pictures said it was considering releasing it “on a different platform”.

The FBI said on December 19 that the Pyongyang government was responsible.

On December 20, the North Korean foreign ministry said: “As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident.”North Korea Sony attack

“Without resorting to such tortures as were used by the US CIA, we have means to prove that this incident has nothing to do with us.”

Yesterday, President Barack Obama criticized the film’s cancelation, saying he wished Sony executives had spoken to him before cancelling the release.

“We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship,” he said, vowing to “respond” to the cyber-attack in a “manner that we choose”.

Responding to the president’s comments, Sony Pictures chief executive and chairman Michael Lynton said the studio had not made an error in canceling the release.

“We have not given in, we have persevered,” he told CNN.

A Sony statement said the decision had been based on “the majority of the nation’s theatre owners choosing not to screen the film”.

“Without theatres, we could not release it in the theatres on Christmas Day. We had no choice,” the statement added.

“It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so.”

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Barack Obama blocks export of goods, technology and services to Crimea

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama blocks export of goods, technology and services to Crimea

President Barack Obama has signed an executive order banning the export of goods, technology and services to Crimea.

The executive order also imposes new sanctions on certain Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies.

The West has imposed various sanctions on Russia since it annexed Crimea after the removal of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in February.

Barack Obama said his latest decision was to show that the US would not accept Russia’s annexation.

The annexation was followed in April by pro-Russian separatists taking control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine and declaring independence.

Some 4,700 people have died and another million have been displaced by fighting since then, the UN says.

On December 19, five Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting – the highest death toll since the latest attempt at a ceasefire began on 9 December.

Barack Obama said in a statement: “The executive order is intended to provide clarity to US corporations doing business in the region and reaffirm that the United States will not accept Russia’s occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea.”

Photo AP
Photo AP

In addition to the goods, technology and services ban, US individuals or companies cannot now buy any real estate or businesses in Crimea or fund Crimean firms.

The new measures also include sanctions on 24 Ukrainian and Russian individuals and on a number of companies deemed to be destabilizing Ukraine.

They include the Russian equity investment group, Marshall Capital Partners, and the Night Wolves biker group, over its involvement in Crimean military action.

Meanwhile, the EU imposed its own new sanctions against the Crimea region.

Like the EU, Barack Obama said he would not yet impose new sanctions on Russia, urging it again to de-escalate the tension in eastern Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that “threatening new sanctions against Russia could undermine the possibility of normal cooperation between our countries for a long time”.

Barack Obama said: “I again call on Russia to end its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, cease its support to separatists in eastern Ukraine, and fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreement.”

The agreement signed by Ukraine and the rebels in Minsk, in Belarus, in September, put in place a ceasefire and set out the terms for a peace process.

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Michael Phelps sentenced to one-year suspended prison for DUI

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Phelps sentenced to one-year suspended prison for DUI

Michael Phelps has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to DUI.

The 29-year-old swimmer is the most decorated Olympian of all-time.

The 18-time Olympic gold medalist was also sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation.

During that time Michael Phelps must totally abstain from drinking alcohol.

Michael Phelps tested at nearly twice the legal alcohol limit when he was arrested in Baltimore in September.

He was initially stopped for speeding after being caught going at 84mph in a 45mph zone.Michael Phelps DUI

The swimmer said he had also spent time at the Meadows addiction treatment centre in Arizona.

“During my 45-day program, I was able to find out a lot about myself that I never knew,” Michael Phelps told reporters.

“I’m looking at a much brighter future than I have had in the past,” he added.

Michael Phelps retired after winning his 22nd Olympic medal at the London Games in 2012 but came out of retirement earlier this year.

He was given a six-month ban from swimming after his arrest in September, but continues to train.

Michael Phelps, who is from Baltimore County, was previously charged for DUI in Maryland in 2004. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in exchange for 18 months’ probation.

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Cairns children’s mother arrested on suspicion of murder

Nancy Clayson
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Cairns children’s mother arrested on suspicion of murder

The mother of 7 of 8 Australian children stabbed to death in a home in Cairns has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The 37-year-old mother was lucid and talking to investigators, police said. She has not been charged.

The woman was found at the property, suffering stab wounds, alongside the bodies of the eight children.

They were aged 18 months to 15 years. Police have not said how they died. The eighth child was her niece.

Confirming the arrest, Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said: “The 37-year-old mother of several of the children involved in this incident has been arrested for murder overnight and is currently under police guard at the Cairns Base Hospital.”Cairns children mother arrested

“At this stage we’re not looking for anybody else – we’re comfortable that the community at large is safe,” he added.

A coroner is due to conduct autopsies on the children to determine the cause of death.

Police found a number of weapons at the scene which are being examined as part of investigations.

The woman’s name has not been released. Her age was first given as 34 but has since been corrected to 37.

A candlelight vigil and church service was held on Friday evening for the children.

Australia’s PM Tony Abbott said in a statement it was an “unspeakable crime”.

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Fethullah Gulen: Turkish court issues arrest warrant for exiled cleric

Diane A. Wade
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Fethullah Gulen: Turkish court issues arrest warrant for exiled cleric

An arrest warrant has been issued by a Turkish court for the influential exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Fethullah Gulen, who is based in the US, is accused of establishing and running an “armed terrorist group”.

He was once an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but has now been accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government – a claim the cleric strongly denies.

The US is thought to be unlikely to act on any extradition request.

The move comes amid a national crackdown on perceived supporters of the cleric.

Over 20 journalists working for media outlets thought to be sympathetic to the Gulen movement were arrested last weekend.Fethullah Gulen arrest warrant issued in Turkey

Eight of them were freed on December 19 on the orders of a court in Istanbul. Those released include Ekrem Dumanli, editor-in-chief of Zaman newspaper.

Four others, including a TV station boss, remain in custody.

While the US and Turkey have an extradition agreement, the warrant is considered to be largely symbolic – and unlikely to be acted upon.

The relationship between Washington and Ankara has grown fractious, though they remain allies.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced criticism from international leaders and his opponents, who accuse him of authoritarianism and undermining free press.

Many abroad believe that the charges against Fethullah Gulen are politically motivated.

The wealthy cleric, who operates an international network of schools and businesses, has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

According to media reports, the prosecutor filing the arrest warrant accused Fethullah Gulen of leading an armed terrorist group – a charge that carries up to 15 years in prison.

The Interview: Barack Obama confirms North Korea cyber attack on Sony Pictures

Sonia Pantiss
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The Interview: Barack Obama confirms North Korea cyber attack on Sony Pictures

President Barack Obama has promised a strong response after North Korea’s alleged cyber-attack on Sony Pictures.

The president also said the studio “made a mistake” in refusing to release The Interview, a controversial satire depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

On December 19 US authorities linked North Korea to the hack, which saw sensitive studio information publicly released.

Sony withdrew The Interview following continued threats.

“We will respond,” Barack Obama told reporters on December 19, declining to offer specifics.

“We will respond proportionately and in a space, time and manner that we choose.”

He added: “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship in the United States.”

Barack Obama said it was important to protect both public and private cyber-systems from attack which could have significant economic and social impacts.

He also noted he believed Sony Pictures was mistaken in failing to go ahead with the release.

“Americans cannot change their patterns of behavior due to the possibility of a terrorist attack,” he said.Barack Obama confirms North Korea attack on Sony

“That’s not who we are, that’s not what America is about.”

Earlier on Friday, FBI officially tied North Korea to the cyber-attack, linking the country to malware used in the incident.

Sony cancelled the holiday release of The Interview after national theatre chains refused to show it.

Hackers had earlier issued a warning referring to the 9/11 terror attacks, saying “the world will be full of fear” if the film was screened.

The movie features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with Kim Jong-un.

The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him. The film was due to have been released over Christmas.

The film’s canceled release drew criticism in Hollywood, with some calling it an attack on the freedom of expression.

In November, a cyber-attack crippled computers at Sony and led to upcoming films and workers’ personal data being leaked online.

The hackers also released salary details and social security numbers for thousands of Sony employees – including celebrities.

North Korea earlier this month denied involvement in the hack – but praised the attack itself as a “righteous deed”.

However, the communist country warned the US that “there are a great number of supporters and sympathizers” of North Korea “all over the world” who may have carried out the attack.

In the article, Sony Pictures was accused of “abetting a terrorist act” and “hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership” of North Korea by producing the movie.

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FIFA to release Michael Garcia’s World Cup corruption report

Clyde K. Valle
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FIFA to release Michael Garcia’s World Cup corruption report

World football’s governing body, Federation Internationale de Fooball Association (FIFA), agreed to publish a “legally appropriate version” of a report into allegations of World Cup bidding corruption.

However, FIFA insisted Russia and Qatar will stay as hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments respectively.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he asked the executive committee to vote in favor of publishing the report.

“We have always been determined the truth should be known,” he said.

“That is, after all, why we set up an independent ethics committee with an investigatory chamber that has all necessary means to undertake investigations on its own initiative.”

Only a disputed summary of Michael Garcia’s 430-page report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has so far been published.

Releasing the full report, which is likely be heavily redacted to preserve witness confidentiality, is a change in FIFA policy.

However, it will only be published once ongoing investigations into five individuals are completed.

“We need to ensure that we respect the rules of our organization and that we do not breach confidentiality in a way that will prevent people from speaking out in the future,” added Sepp Blatter.

The 78-year-old Swiss, seeking a fifth term as president, insisted later that there was no reason for Russia and Qatar to lose their rights to stage future World Cups.

“At the current time, there is no reason to go back on our decisions,” he told a news conference, speaking in German.

“The two World Cups are in the calendar, the only thing missing is the precise dates for 2022, but these two World Cups will take place.”

Addressing Qatar specifically, Sepp Blatter added that only an “earthquake” could change FIFA’s decision to hold the 2022 tournament in the Gulf state.

“It would really need an earthquake, extremely important new elements to go back on this World Cup in Qatar,” he said.

The Ameican lawyer, Michael Garcia, was appointed FIFA’s independent ethics investigator in 2012 and spent two years investigating all nine bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups following claims of corruption and collusion.

Michael Garcia travelled the world speaking to bid officials and appealing for evidence of wrongdoing.

He eventually submitted a report to FIFA in September 2014.

FIFA subsequently released a 42-page summary that cleared Russia and Qatar of corruption.

However, Michael Garcia was unhappy with it, claiming it was “incomplete and erroneous”.

Earlier this week, Michael Garcia resigned, citing “lack of leadership” at FIFA.

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World’s deepest living fish discovered in Mariana Trench

James J. Williams
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World’s deepest living fish discovered in Mariana Trench

A new record has been set for the world’s deepest fish, British researchers have announced.

The bizarre-looking creature, which is new to science, was filmed 8,143m beneath the waves, beating the previous depth record by nearly 500m.

Several other new species of fish were also caught on camera, as well as huge crustaceans called supergiants.

The animals were discovered during an international expedition to the Mariana Trench, which lies almost 11,000 meters down in the Pacific Ocean.

The 30-day voyage took place from the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel, Falkor, and is the most comprehensive survey of world’s deepest place ever undertaken.

The Hadal Ecosystem Studies (Hades) team deployed unmanned landers more than 90 times to depths that ranged between 5,000m and 10,600m. They studied both steep walls of the undersea canyon.World's deepest living fish Mariana Trench

The University of Aberdeen’s Hadal Lander – the UK’s deepest diving vehicle – recorded more than 100 hours of deep-sea footage.

Until this expedition, the deepest fish had been found in the Japan Trench, also in the Pacific Ocean. A 17-strong shoal of pink, gelatinous snailfish (Pseudoliparis amblystomopsis) were recorded 7,700m down.

The team thought they had broken the deepest-fish record, but then another pale pink species came to feed at the lander, which is loaded with bait, even further down at 8,143m.

Without catching the fish and bringing it back to the surface, the team is unable to confirm that it is a new species.

The new record-breaking creature is close to the depth-limit at which scientists believe fish can survive.

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Australia: Eight children found dead in Cairns home

Nancy Clayson
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Australia: Eight children found dead in Cairns home

The bodies of 8 children have been found in a Cairns home, northern Queensland, say Australian police.

Police said a 34-year-old woman who was the mother of at least seven of the children had been taken to hospital with stab wounds but was stable.

Police have not confirmed Australian reports that the children, aged between 18 months and 15 years, were stabbed.

Australian PM Tony Abbott said in a statement it was an “unspeakable crime”.

He said all parents would feel “gut-wrenching sadness at what has happened”.

The house in the Manoora suburb has been cordoned off and detectives are searching the yard.

Police have said it was a “tragic event” but there was no cause for public concern.

They have not made any arrests, but said the injured woman was assisting with their investigations.

Cairns Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar confirmed to reporters that the woman was the mother of at least seven of the children, but that formal identification of the bodies had not yet taken place.Australian children found dead in Cairns

“We believe the other child is a family member but that is being followed up,” he said.

He said police could not confirm how the children died until coroners’ reports were carried out.

Police are speaking to a range of people, he said, including a man seen near the house earlier in the day, but there are as yet no formal suspects.

Specialist police officers were being brought in from Brisbane, he said, including child trauma experts.

Queensland Police said in a statement earlier that they were called to a residence in Murray Street at 11.20AM local time following reports of a woman with serious injuries.

“During an examination of the residence police located the bodies of the children, all aged between 18 months and 15 years,” said the statement.

Local people have told reporters that the children were found by their elder sibling, a 20-year-old man, when he returned to the house, but police have not confirmed this.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said he was “deeply saddened and shocked” by the events.

The deaths come with Australia still reeling from the siege of a cafe in Sydney which ended on Tuesday morning, with the gunman and two hostages dead.

PM Tony Abbott said in his statement that these were “trying days for our country”.

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South Korea dissolves pro-North Korea political party

Diane A. Wade
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South Korea dissolves pro-North Korea political party

For the first time in decades, South Korea has banned a political party with a court ordering the organization accused of supporting North Korea to disband.

The government had petitioned the constitutional court last year to ban the leftist Unified Progressive Party (UPP), which has five members in parliament.

Some UPP members were previously arrested for plotting a rebellion.

The move has sparked concern about freedom of expression and association in South Korea.

The decision was closely watched by political groups, with hundreds gathered near the constitutional court in Seoul amid a tight security presence of about 1,000 riot police.

Both UPP supporters and its opponents held demonstrations, shouting slogans and waving signs, reports said.

It is the first time South Korea’s constitutional court has banned a political party since it was established in 1988, said AP news agency.

Eight out of nine judges agreed on December 19 to accept the government’s petition to disband the UPP, order it to forfeit its seats in parliament and ban an equivalent party from forming.South Korea bans leftist party

Chief Judge Park Han-chul said: “There was an urgent need to remove the threat posed by the party to the basic order of democracy.”

Justice Minister Hwan Kyo-ahn, making the government’s final argument before the court last month, said the UPP has attempted to “establish a pro-communist government and unification to realize North Korean-style socialism”.

However, the UPP has said it only wants greater reconciliation with North Korea.

The government’s petition was prompted by the arrest of several UPP members in 2013.

Seven members were eventually convicted of plotting to overthrow the South Korean government in the event war broke out with North Korea.

UPP’s leader Lee Jung-hee told reporters on December 19 that the decision “opened a dark age with an authoritarian decision” and had turned South Korea into a “dictatorial country”.

Amnesty International’s East Asia research director Roseann Rife said the ban “raises serious questions as to the authorities’ commitment to freedom of expression and association.”

“Security concerns must never be used as an excuse to deny people the right to express different political views,” she said.

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Oklahoma and Nebraska sue Colorado over legalization of marijuana

Diane A. Wade
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Oklahoma and Nebraska sue Colorado over legalization of marijuana

Oklahoma and Nebraska have asked the US Supreme Court to nullify a 2012 law that made marijuana legal in Colorado.

The two states allege that Colorado’s law is in violation of federal law.

They say that they are suing just Colorado, and not Washington state where marijuana is also legal, because they do not share a border with Washington.

Colorado’s attorney general said their suit was without merit.

“Federal law undisputedly prohibits the production and sale of marijuana,” said Nebraska attorney general Jon Bruning in a press release.

“Colorado has undermined the United States Constitution, and I hope the US Supreme Court will uphold our constitutional principles.”

Colorado’s attorney general John Suthers said in a statement that the state had been expecting legal action after Nebraska and Oklahoma complained about marijuana grown in Colorado coming into their states.Nebraska and Oklahoma sue Colorado over marijuana legalization

He said he would vigorously defend Colorado’s law as “it appears the plaintiffs’ primary grievance stems from non-enforcement of federal laws regarding marijuana, as opposed to choices made by the voters of Colorado”.

Colorado’s citizens voted to legalize marijuana in 2012, and earlier this year the state became the first in the US to offer marijuana for sale for recreational use.

Already, Colorado has collected $7 million in taxes from marijuana sales, adding a valuable revenue stream to the state’s coffers.

Washington state passed a similar measure in 2012, but marijuana only went on sale for recreational use there in 2014.

Alaska, Oregon, and the District of Columbia recently voted to legalize marijuana in November.

Industry trade groups criticized the legal action.

“Colorado has created a comprehensive and robust regulatory program for the sale of marijuana in Colorado,” said Mike Elliott, the director of the Marijuana Industry Group.

“If Nebraska and Oklahoma succeed, they will put the violent criminal organizations back in charge.”

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5 Reasons to add Travel Insurance to Your Budget

Dana R
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5 Reasons to add Travel Insurance to Your Budget

For those that travel quite a bit, insurance can be very beneficial in the long run. Whether you do so for work or you travel for pleasure, this kind of an investment could save you money and relieve the headaches of various situations. Why should you include travel insurance within your monthly budget?

Cancelled Flights

Not every flight is guaranteed and sometimes it can be cancelled for a myriad of reasons. Some insurance plans can help you recuperate your losses in such an event reducing the money you lose. While you may not need insurance for a flight that is less than $100, an exotic cruise worth several thousand may be worth the expense.

travel-insurance
Photo Source: xltravelblog.com

Natural Disasters

Depending on your destination, natural disasters could easily cause you to vacate an area. Travel insurance plans may help you adapt financially as you evacuate a resort or even a cruise ship. The fury of nature is difficult to predict and a simple storm could easily turn into a hurricane.

Medical Emergencies Abroad

Should you fall and break your leg in a foreign country, are you able to pay for the medical expenses out of pocket? Some travel insurance plans cover such situations allowing you to relax when you suffer from medical emergencies or illnesses while in another country. Although you may be bed ridden, you won’t have to fret about exhausting your bank accounts should the unthinkable happen.

Illness Cancellations

As there are too many variables in society, it’s very difficult to ensure your health at any given time. Some travel insurance plans can cover you should an illness prevent you from traveling. The last thing you want to do is focus on wasting money for a trip while suffering from a 103 degree temperature.

Terrorist Activities

It seems that terrorist activities are more commonplace than they were a few decades ago. Insuring your vacation against such a situation could prevent some of the financial losses. Although you may be traveling to an innocent enough area for your vacation, you ever know where terrorist activities could propagate within any given locale.

Insurance of any kind can be considered an investment for stress-free living while protecting your family and assets. Speak to a local insurance agent today and discuss what kinds of plans are available for you. It could save you a great deal of money and time should something happen while you travel.

Jordan Axani found a Canadian Elizabeth Gallagher for RTW trip

Lisa.Felice
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Jordan Axani found a Canadian Elizabeth Gallagher for RTW trip

Jordan Axani has found a Canadian woman with the same name as his ex-girlfriend to travel with after booking a three-week holiday before they split up.

Jordan Axani, 28, broke up with Elizabeth Gallagher in May but couldn’t get a refund for the trip.

After putting out a request on Reddit for a travelling companion with the same name and a Canadian passport, Jordan Axani received thousands of responses.

One was from 23-year-old Elizabeth Quinn Gallagher from Nova Scotia.

Jordan Axani picked the student, a homeless shelter volunteer who has a boyfriend, after talking with her on the phone.

He said he was impressed with her social conscience.

“It’s totally platonic,” Jordan Axani said from New York, where the trip starts on Sunday, December 21.

“Do I think we’ll become friends? Sure.”

The pair will also be visiting Milan, Prague, Paris, Bangkok and New Delhi until January 8.Jordan Axani and Elizabeth Gallagher

Other responses to his Reddit post were more odd.

Jordan Axani, who’s from Toronto, said he heard from hundreds of people, male and female, who offered to legally change their names.

“I thought it was worth a shot,” he said.

“Why not throw something like this out there into the universe? And sure it’s a little weird.

“I’ll be the first person to say that but on the back side we had an incredible response which I never would have anticipated of people that haven’t had the chance to go on trips like this.

“My original post remains true to this day. All I wanted was someone to take the ticket and just go and enjoy themselves.

“Whether we travel together, or spend any time together, is totally irrelevant to me.”

The Canadian has now set up a charity called A Ticket Forward, which aims to fund trips for underprivileged people.

Jordan Axani said the original Elizabeth Gallagher had been in touch but didn’t want to say she had said to him.

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Ryan Gustafson: American arrested in Uganda over currency scam

Nancy Clayson
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Ryan Gustafson: American arrested in Uganda over currency scam

Ryan Gustafson has been arrested in Uganda for allegedly leading a large international counterfeiting ring.

Ryan Gustafson, a 27-year-old American citizen, was charged with conspiracy and counterfeiting outside the US after the fake currency was used at multiple American businesses.

The US Secret Service traced the money to Kampala, where they say they found a counterfeit ring also producing euros, rupees and various African currencies.

Ryan Gustafson faces 25 years in prison.

“We will hold cyber criminals accountable and bring them to justice no matter where they reside,” US Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania David Hickton wrote in a statement.Uganda currency scam

Fake US currency was discovered at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, retail stores and businesses and traced to a postal box in the area.

Federal agents determined the currency was being sent from Uganda. A fingerprint on one of the packages led them to Ryan Gustafson, a US citizen who previously resided in Texas.

He is said to have located couriers through an online forum and established contact with them through private message.

The Secret Service coordinated with Ugandan authorities to set up an undercover sting operation to purchase counterfeit currency from the suspect.

Ryan Gustafson was arrested, and a subsequent search of his home netted a cache of fake Ugandan shillings, Congolese francs, Ghanaian cedis, Indian rupees and euros, as well as various counterfeiting materials.

US authorities estimate the suspect flooded the market with nearly $2 million in counterfeit currencies.

He has been charged with conspiracy, selling and dealing in counterfeit currency, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Ryan Gustafson faces a lengthy prison sentence and a fine of $500,000.

North Korea to be referred to ICC to face charges of crimes against humanity

Diane A. Wade
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North Korea to be referred to ICC to face charges of crimes against humanity

North Korea will be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face charges of crimes against humanity.

The UN General Assembly voted the resolution with 116 to 20, with more than 50 abstentions.

The UN Security Council is expected to discuss the resolution on December 22, but it is likely to face stiff opposition from China and Russia.

North Korea said the resolution was “a product of political plot and confrontation”.

A UN report released in February revealed ordinary North Koreans faced “unspeakable atrocities”.

The report detailed wide-ranging abuses in North Korea after a panel heard evidence of torture, political repression and other abuses.North Korea ICC charges

It added that those accused of political crimes were “disappeared” to prison camps, where they were subject to “deliberate starvation, forced labor, executions, torture, rape and the denial of reproductive rights enforced through punishment, forced abortion and infanticide”.

Most of the evidence came from North Korean defectors who had fled the country.

North Korea refused to co-operate with the report and condemned its findings.

The report led to a vote in the UN’s human rights committee last month, which voted in favor of referring North Korea to the ICC.

China, North Korea’s main international ally, is expected to veto any Security Council resolution when the matter is discussed next week.

On December 18, the General Assembly also passed resolutions condemning the human rights records of Syria and Iran, but did not go as far as recommending a referral to the ICC.

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