BP oil leak report: blame shared for rig disaster
September 8, 2010
A report into the BP oil rig blast which killed 11 people and cost billions in compensation and clean up costs shares blame for “sequence of failures” which led to the disaster. The oil giant’s internal report said that a “sequence of failures” involving a “number of parties” led to the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig which led to four million barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico and became the worst oil spill in US history. …
Police Arrest Separatist Leader In Indian Kashmir
September 8, 2010
SRINAGAR, India (AP) – Police arrested a top separatist leader Wednesday for rallying massive anti-India protests that have rocked the Indian portion of Kashmir for months, and supporters reacted by staging fresh demonstrations and hurling stones at troops. The arrest of hard-liner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, 82, at his residence in Srinagar, the region’s main city, came days after he laid out stiff conditions for peace talks with the Indian…
South Korea imposes independent sanctions on Iran
September 8, 2010
SEOUL, South Korea-South Korea said Wednesday it will ban unauthorized financial dealings with Iran and impose other penalties as part of a U.S.-led campaign to enforce sanctions against the country over its disputed nuclear enrichment program. Seoul targeted 102 entities, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, and 24 individuals for the sanctions, Foreign…
China’s Hu calls for stable ties with US
September 8, 2010
BEIJING – Trying to smooth over recently rocky relations before a visit to Washington, Chinese President Hu Jintao told American officials on Wednesday that he wants to see healthy and stable ties between the two countries. The meeting between Hu and a White House economic policy official and deputy national security adviser was unusual because the Chinese president rarely meets with visitors ranked lower in diplomatic protocol. It underscored Hu’s desire to move ahead in relations after months of discord over trade imbalances, Chinese currency policies and U.S. arms sales and military maneuvers….
6 Killed In 2 Separate Bomb Attacks In Baghdad
September 8, 2010
BAGHDAD (AP) – Iraqi officials said at least six people were killed and 35 were wounded in two separate attacks in Baghdad on Wednesday. In the first of the two attacks, three policemen and one civilian were killed when a parked car bomb exploded near a bus station in Baghdad’s…
Philippine clan planned massacre over dinner, court hears
September 8, 2010
Ampatuan clan members accused of killing 57 people including 30 journalists in convoy of election rival Esmael Mangudadatu Andal Ampatuan Jr, the main suspect in the massacre of 57 people in southern Philippines, at his trial. Photograph: Cheryl Ravelo/Reuters A servant of the politically powerful clan accused of last year’s massacre of 57 people has told a Philippine court the family plotted the killings of rivals and journalists over dinner six days before the ambush. The witness, Lakmudin Saliao, took the stand on the first day of the trial nearly 10 months after the 23 November massacre in southern Maguindanao province. Among the 57 dead…
BP to publish internal investigation into Gulf oil leak
September 8, 2010
BP is to release an internal investigation into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the worst ecological catastrophe in recent US history. The…
Sri Lanka set for constitution vote
September 8, 2010
Sri Lanka’s parliament is set to vote for constitutional changes enabling Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country’s president, to seek a third term in office. Under the proposed amendments, to be put to the vote on Wednesday, the two-term limit will be abolished, allowing the Rajapakse, 64, who was re-elected in January, to stand at the next polls, scheduled for 2016. A draft bill was cleared on Tuesday by the supreme court, which informed parliament that the constitution could be changed by a two-thirds majority vote – something Rajapaksa looks almost certain to secure. The amendment, if approved, will also hand him greater control over nominally independent…
UN peacekeepers ‘failed’ DR Congo rape victims
September 7, 2010
UN peacekeepers have “failed” the victims of mass rape in eastern DR Congo, a senior UN official has said. Atul Khare told the…
Obama announces $300bn in business tax breaks
September 7, 2010
LARA MARLOWE in Washington US PRESIDENT Barack Obama will today announce $300 billion (Euro236 billion) in tax breaks for businesses as part of his campaign to restore the Democratic Party’s flagging fortunes before midterm elections on November 2nd. Mr Obama will explain the measures at a community college in Cleveland, Ohio, this afternoon. Businesses will be allowed to deduct all investment in new equipment through the end of 2011 from their federal taxes, at an estimated cost of $200 billion. The White House said Mr Obama will emphasise that it took years to create the economic crisis and “it will take more time than any of us would like to fully…
