US uproots massive marijuana complex - Americas -

United States law enforcement officials have claimed a major victory against illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands in the heart of northern California's cannabis-growing country.

The two-week operation to purge the Mendocino National Forest of illicit marijuana gardens uprooted 460,000 cannabis plants and led to more than 100 arrests, US lawyer Melinda Haag said.

About 680kg of processed marijuana, 27 guns and 11 vehicles were also seized.

The 364,225-hectare forest spans six counties in a region of mountains and forests known as the Emerald
Triangle for its high concentration of marijuana farms.

Agents raided more than 50 gardens teeming with rubbish, irrigation pipes and chemicals that damage
forestland and waterways, authorities said.

"The Mendocino National Forest is under attack by drug traffickers,'' Haag said.

The operation was part of an annual summer effort to eradicate marijuana from public lands across the state.

Six sheriff's departments, the state anti-drugs bureau and at least half-a-dozen federal agencies took part in the effort in the forest.

Spearheading the raids was Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, who in his years on the job has had to balance county medical marijuana ordinances with state law and the complete federal ban on the drug.

Allman said none of the gardens raided showed any sign of being used to grow medical marijuana.

Environmental impact

Each summer for the past several years, authorities report seizing millions of cannabis plants from local, state and national parks, forests and other wilderness areas.

Public lands are often favoured by clandestine growers for their remote locations and rugged terrain.

In previous years, officials have blamed Mexican drug cartels for some of the state's largest growing operations.

Haag declined to comment on where those arrested in the current operation were from but said 25 are already facing federal charges.

This year's decision to focus on Mendocino National Forest stemmed from citizen complaints a year ago about an increasing number of confrontations with armed guards protecting areas where cannabis is grown, Allman said.

Forest Service officials and county leaders have also long complained about the environmental consequences of illegal marijuana farms on forest ecology.

California national guard troops, forest service workers and volunteers have removed 46,000 pounds of rubbish, 120 propane tanks, 116,000 feet of pipe, 13 manmade dams, 57 pounds of pesticide and tonnes of fertilizer from sites raided in the forest, Haag said.

 

California police arrest 100 over marijuana growing

Police in northern California have uprooted 460,000 plants and made more than 100 arrests in a major operation against illegal marijuana cultivation.

Authorities said they had seized 1,500 pounds (680kg) of processed marijuana, 27 guns and 11 vehicles over two weeks in Mendocino National Forest.

The 900,000-acre site is part of an area known as the Emerald Triangle for its high number of marijuana plots.

The raids are part of a wider campaign to remove marijuana from public land.

Marijuana for medicinal use is legal in California if you have a permit to grow it or a doctor's note to buy it.

But Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said there was no sign that any of the gardens raided were being used to grow medical marijuana.

In the past, Mexican drug cartels have been blamed for the cultivation large quantities of marijuana in California, though no details were given about those arrested over the past two weeks.

But US Attorney Melinda Haag told the Associated Press that 25 people were already facing federal charges.

"The Mendocino National Forest is under attack by drug traffickers," she said.

Public land is often chosen by clandestine growers because of its remoteness.

Forest Service officials in California have long expressed concern about the environmental impact of the cultivation.

 

Jurgen Klinsmann named new United States coach

 

 

Former Germany boss Jurgen Klinsmann has been named as the new head coach of the United States national team.

Klinsmann mostly lives in the US and replaces Bob Bradley, who was sacked on Thursday after four and a half years in charge.

"I am proud and honoured to be named the head coach. I'm excited about the challenge ahead," said the German.

The 46-year-old will take charge of the US for the first time against Mexico on 10 August.

As a player, Klinsmann won the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championships with West Germany and Germany respectively.

Following his retirement in 1998, Klinsmann took charge of the German national side in 2004 and led them to third place at the 2006 World Cup.

He later had a brief spell with Bayern Munich, taking them to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

"He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program," said US Soccer president Sunil Gulati.

"Jurgen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field."

Klinsmann will be introduced at a press conference in New York on Monday.

 

Plane from New York crashes at Guyana airport

A plane has crashed and broken in two on landing at Guyana's main airport in the capital, Georgetown, causing injuries but no deaths.

The Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 flight BW-523 from New York had 163 people aboard.

The plane apparently overshot the runway at Cheddi Jagan International Airport during wet weather.

"It's an absolute miracle that took place today," said Caribbean Airlines chairman George Nicholas.

A few passengers sustained bruises, with one suffering a broken leg.

The plane halted near a 200-ft (61-m) ravine that could have resulted in dozens of deaths, Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo said.

"We are very, very grateful that more people were not injured," Mr Jagdeo added, quoted by AP news agency.

There were 157 passengers and six crew aboard the plane when the accident occurred at 0132 local time, according to a statement from Caribbean Airlines.

The plane had made a stop in Trinidad en route from New York.

Rescuers struggled in the dark to free passengers from the wreckage.

A woman quoted by Guyana's Kaieteur News service described hearing a loud sound when it landed in Guyana, and said everyone began screaming.

"It was terror," she said. "I was praying to Jesus."

Her husband opened the emergency door and passengers began escaping, she added.

Another passenger, 42-year-old Adis Cambridge, said: "I realised that everything was on top of me, people and bags. I was the second to last person to get off that plane in the dark.

 

President Bharrat Jagdeo (left) spoke to reporters at the airport

"I hit my head on the roof. It was so scary."

She and other passengers described jumping first onto the wing and then down onto a track below to escape.

Geeta Ramsingh, 41, of Philadelphia, quoted by AP, said passengers applauded as the plane landed, but applause quickly "turned to screams".

"The plane sped up as if attempting to take off again. It is then that I smelled gas in the cabin and people started to shout and holler," she said.

"I am in pain, but very thankful to be alive."

Ms Ramsingh said a taxi driver reached the crash site before rescuers and asked for $20 to drive her back to the terminal.

"I had to pay, but in times of emergencies, you don't charge people for a ride," she said.

'Airport chaos'

 

Kristopher Kimlin, who was not on the crashed plane but was trying to fly out of the airport, told BBC News there was "chaos" after the crash.

"The airport is simply not set up to deal with this kind of situation - they were overwhelmed," he said.

"There were queues of people around the entire terminal building and out of the door. There were maybe 1,000 people.

Caribbean Airlines, which is majority-owned by Trinidad and Tobago with Jamaica holding a minority stake, does not have a history of serious safety problems.

 

US Republicans confident about deal on US debt limit

 

 

Republican leaders have expressed confidence that a deal can be struck to raise the nation's debt limit before Tuesday, and avert possible default.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said there was "a level of seriousness with the right people at the table".

But his Democratic counterpart said there was no "meaningful" engagement.

In a sign of the level of anxiety over the issue, troops in Afghanistan asked Adm Mike Mullen if they would be paid.

The admiral, who as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is on a visit to southern Afghanistan, said he did not know whether that would be the case if the US fails to raise the $14.3tn (£8.7tn) limit by 2 August.

Democrats and Republicans have so far rejected each others' proposals for cutting spending and raising the debt limit.

President Barack Obama backs Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's proposal, which would cut $2.2tn from deficits and raise the debt ceiling by $2.7tn, meaning the issue would not have to be revisited until after the 2012 elections.

Senate Democrats had hoped to pass the bill by Sunday morning so that it could go to the House by Monday.

Mr Reid accused the Republicans of seeking to filibuster, or delay, proceedings.

"Unless there is a compromise, or they accept my bill, we're heading for economic disaster," he said.

Following Saturday's House vote, President Barack Obama summoned Mr Reid and Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi for talks.

Republicans said they were confident a deal could be reached.

Referring to the Senate bill, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on Democrats to "end this charade" so that negotiations could be pursued with the president.

"We are now fully engaged with the one person in America out of 370 million people who can sign this bill into law," he said.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he was "confident that we're going to come to some agreement with the White House and end this impasse."

"I think we're dealing with reasonable, responsible people," he said.

But Mr Reid responded that "the engagement there is not in any meaningful way."

"Republican leaders still refuse to negotiate in good faith."

Breathing space

The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says the Treasury is already drawing up emergency plans in case a deal is not reached.

The US Treasury estimates that the government will no longer be able to borrow money to pay all its bills unless its borrowing limit is increased by Tuesday.

Experts say the government has enough cash to keep functioning for another week or so after that.

Politicians have had some breathing space over the weekend to negotiate before Asian financial markets open on Monday morning, which will be Sunday afternoon in the US capital.

The House of Representatives passed its own plan on Friday evening by 218-210, with 22 Republicans and every Democrat voting against.

The plan, drawn up Mr Boehner, includes some $900bn of spending cuts and would raise the debt ceiling by a similar amount.

However, it would require another vote during mid-2012 - in the midst of next year's presidential campaign - and includes language in support of a so-called "balanced budget amendment" to the US constitution. Both are rejected by the White House and the Senate leadership.

Shortly after the House passed its bill, the Democratic-led Senate voted to reject the Boehner plan.

In a weekly radio address, Mr Obama reiterated that any solution on a default had to be bipartisan.

"There are multiple ways to resolve this problem," he said.

"Congress must find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House and in the Senate. And it has to be a plan that I can sign by Tuesday."

Analysts predict a last-minute scramble for a compromise and razor-edge votes in both chambers, with the high-stakes game of legislative brinkmanship expected to continue all weekend.

The Boehner and Reid plans overlap in key ways, such as trimming spending over 10 years and shunning President Obama's call for tax increases on the wealthy and corporations.

 

End in sight for Cairn India deal

An end is in sight in the long-running dispute over a major oil deal in which Cairn Energy has faced delay by the Indian government.

The Edinburgh-based oil explorer is taking the issue to shareholders of its Indian offshoot.

Cairn is expected to accept a sharp cut in the value of its oil fields in Rajasthan.

The company has been trying to sell a controlling stake in Cairn India for almost a year.

But the sale to metals company Vedanta has been stalled by the Indian government.

Last month, cabinet ministers in Delhi decided to change the terms under which Cairn Energy was encouraged to explore for oil in the Rajasthani desert.

Having found oil, that change is calculated by Cairn to reduce its value by £176m ($289m)

Cairn India, the spin-off company which is now 52% owned by Cairn Energy in Scotland, has warned the Indian government that a lack of co-operation in developing the vast Mangala field in Rajasthan is harming the national interest, by forcing higher energy imports.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), majority owned by the Indian government, has been pushing to reduce its liability to pay all the royalties on oil production, as previously agreed.

The Indian government has ruled those royalties should now be deducted before calculating Cairn India's profits.

While the dispute has continued, the flow from Mangala has been limited to 125,000 barrels per day, when it could be increased to 240,000 barrels.

Cairn India is now to ballot shareholders.

And as Cairn Energy and Vedanta together control 80% of the company, approval of the changed terms is expected.

Rahul Dhir, chief executive of Cairn India, said: "The Rajasthan fields have significant growth potential and an increase in production from this world class asset will enhance the energy security of our nation.

"The optimal development of this resource will only be possible with the active support of our joint venture partner, ONGC and the Government of India".

The quarterly update on Cairn India reflects the Mangala oil field coming on stream, with revenue since the quarter to June 2010 up by 342% to £506m ($830m), with profit after tax up 869% to £384 ($610m).

Cairn India is also increasing its drilling activity in Sri Lankan waters.

 

England can achieve great things - James Anderson

 

 

Second Test: England v India

• Venue: Trent Bridge
• Date: 29 July - 2 August
• Start time: 1100 BST
• Coverage: Live ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave & BBC Sport website; live video scorecard on Red Button (not Freeview); live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobile; watch live on Sky Sports (subscription required); highlights on Channel 5

 

 

Pace bowler James Anderson says England can achieve "great things" as they move nearer to topping the world Test rankings for the first time.

England, 1-0 up in the four-Test series with India, will take the number one spot with victory by two Tests or more.

"Everyone's chipping in. If we need someone to step up, generally someone is doing that," said Anderson.

"We're trying to improve each day, as individuals and as a team. If we can do that, we know we can do great things."

Anderson, 28, took seven wickets in the first Test at Lord's, including 5-65 in the second innings, to help England record a 196-run win over the tourists.

 

BBC Sport - England can achieve great things - James Anderson

 

"Lord's has gone now," he added. "We enjoyed that last day, enjoyed winning.

"Becoming the number one team in the world is an overriding goal, but it's not something we go into each game thinking about."

Anderson's call for England to consign the first Test to history was backed by Stuart Broad, who enjoyed a return to form in the first Test, taking seven wickets and scoring 74 second-innings runs.

"We're delighted with the win but it means nothing unless we play well at Trent Bridge," he said.

"India will come back hard at us and it will be a very exciting Test. The great thing about Trent Bridge is that you always know you're in at as a bowler with the wicket and that creates interesting cricket."

While England are prepared for India to up their game, the tourists are set to line up on Friday without left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan, who limped out of the attack at Lord's with a hamstring injury.

"I am not 100% sure if we will play Zaheer or not," said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"We don't want to risk anyone if that only increases the chances of him getting injured further. It is very important to get the guys fully fit."

If Zaheer is ruled out, his place will be taken by either Munaf Patel or Sreesanth, with the latter more likely to get the nod.

The tourists were also hampered at Lord's by an illness to batsman Sachin Tendulkar and an elbow injury sustained fielding by opener Gautam Gambhir, meaning that their batting order had to be rejigged in the second innings.

Remaining fixtures - England v India

Continue reading the main story

Second Test - 29 July - 2 August, Trent Bridge

Third Test - 10 - 14 August, Edgbaston

Fourth Test - 18-22 August, The Oval

"It was tough for some of our batsmen because most of them were batting in different slots from their original number," added Dhoni.

"Sachin was much better [on Monday] but I wouldn't say he was 100%.

"Rahul Dravid opened, Sachin had to bat at a different number, Gautam batted at a different number. That also added pressure.

"Most of the things that could have gone wrong in the game really went wrong. It was tough for both the bowlers and the batsmen."

 

Bhutan spreads happiness to UN

 

 

Bhutan has put the politics of happiness on the UN's agenda.

This week the General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution that aims to make happiness a "development indicator".

Bhutan's ambassador Lhatu Wangchuk told the BBC the next step was to help UN members better understand the concept.

He admitted some were sceptical when Bhutan started lobbying for the resolution 10 months ago. But ultimately it won 66 co-sponsors, including the UK.

The idea is based on Bhutan's model of GNH, or Gross National Happiness, which measures quality of life by trying to strike a balance between the material and the spiritual.

The resolution invites member states to draw up their own measures of happiness and contribute them to the UN's development agenda.

"It's basically an approach," said Mr Wangchuk. "Our initial idea was to bring the concept of happiness to the consciousness of the UN membership… because we know that GDP indicators are inadequate to address human needs."

But given the conflicts that divide so many member states, isn't one country's happiness often another's unhappiness?

Mr Wangchuk maintained that wars and disputes do not indicate happiness or otherwise. They are caused by the egos and interests of leaders, he said.

He admitted his vision is Utopian, but "if you don't have a dream you'll have nothing to work on".

Asked if he thought UN diplomats were a happy bunch, he said many were overworked and needed to make better use of their time, one of Bhutan's happiness indicators.

"I tell them they must have sleeping time, time with their families," he said.

 

Indian tiger hunting Rolls Royce is for sale

 

 

A 1925 Rolls Royce car customised with mounted guns and searchlights to hunt for tigers is to be sold in the US next month by Bonhams auction house.

The car was used by an Indian maharaja during the days of the British Raj, and is expected to sell for up to $1.6m (£1m).

It was commissioned by Umed Singh II, the maharaja of Kotah, when tiger hunting was hugely popular in India.

Maharajas were known for their high living and extravagant spending.

Many had customised cars - usually made in the US - for hunting tigers, leopards and Asiatic lions in India's forests.

Bonhams say that the car's eight-litre, six-cylinder engine with a low gearing ratio allowed "it to creep powerfully through the roughshod jungles of Rajasthan".

Correspondents say that while most tiger hunting was carried out on elephant-back, some Indian maharajahs, or "great kings" of princely states took things to the extreme.

"It was more for a show but everything would be ready and then they would then go and take this Rolls Royce up to a point or the hills and from there shoot the tiger that was already captured by their servants," Pran Nevile, a writer and expert on India's colonial history, told the Reuters news agency.

Indiscriminate hunting over the centuries has decimated India's tiger population from an estimated 40,000 animals 100 ago to about 1,700 today.

The vehicle is due to be sold in mid-August in Carmel, California.

 

Ford to open new unit in India to boost market share

 

US car maker Ford is planning to expand its operations in India as it attempts to capture a greater share of the country's car market.

The US carmaker says it plans to invest $1bn (£612m) in building a new factory in the western state of Gujarat, its second production line in India.

The announcement comes as Ford is looking to increase its global sales by 50% over the next four years

India's rapid economic expansion has seen demand for higher-value items such as cars increase substantially.

Car sales in the country grew by almost 30% in 2010, making it one of the most attractive markets for manufacturers.

On Wednesday, Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, said it planned to invest $220m to nearly double its production capacity in India by 2013.

Ford, which has been manufacturing cars in India for more than 10 years, has also been looking to increase its market share.

The launch of new models has led to robust sales growth in the first six months of year. The company said it was looking to exploit the market even further.

"We are aggressively expanding in markets around the world that have the most growth potential," said Mr Boneham.

He added that the company planned to offer more "fuel-efficient, high-quality vehicles from our global portfolio that customers in markets like India want and value".

 

Jayawardene hails epic Sri Lanka anti-cancer walk

The Sri Lankan cricket star Mahela Jayawardene has paid tribute to his compatriots' generosity in donating funds for a cancer project in the north of the country.

He was speaking to the BBC from Jaffna after laying the foundation stone for a children's cancer ward in the town's main hospital.

Jayawardene took part in two separate days of a 27-day sponsored trek from the southern tip of Sri Lanka to its northernmost extremity, Point Pedro, devoted to the project - a distance of 670km (416 miles).

The former national captain said that when he was walking near Kurunegala in central Sri Lanka a six-year-old boy came out of a little house to hand over a tin of coins he had saved.

"It made my day," said Jayawardene.

"A lot of people have not seen the quality of Sri Lankans. Huge funds were raised in the south to build a hospital in the north.

"If that generation can heal our wounds, we'll be the happiest."

'Humbling experience'

He said that in the last few days of the trek Tamil people in the humblest homes had given 100 or so rupees (just under $1) and the fund-raisers felt almost guilty for accepting it.

 

The anti-cancer cause is dear to Sarinda Unamboowe (left) and Nathan Sivagananathan

Jayawardene's brother, Dishal, died of a brain tumour 15 years ago and the cricketer says he "will be involved in cancer projects till I die".

The cause is also dear to one of the two men behind the sponsored walk, Nathan Sivagananathan, who lost his sister to the disease.

He and his colleague in a large textiles firm, Sarinda Unamboowe, did the whole trek, starting on 1 July at the Dondra Head lighthouse and finishing on Wednesday.

They encouraged members of the public to join them. Thirteen others also did the whole walk and an impressive 25,000 walked for a section.

They included other cricketers such as TM Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews and Dilhara Fernando.

"It's been amazing, humbling, a great experience," Nathan told the BBC, nursing numerous injuries.

"It's been 670km of pain, blisters and skin splints. We're not athletes!" he said.

"But overall it was an amazing journey. People who had no means of being generous, were generous."

He hit on the idea of seeking sponsorship for every kilo he lost in weight. He says some people promised $1,000 per kilo - and as he thinks he has lost 15kg, that means a lot more money for the hospital.

"It was the most incredible experience in my life," Sarinda Unamboowe told the BBC. He said that even in sparsely populated places people emerged from banks, rotary clubs and schools to donate.

They had no need to camp as originally planned because many hotels and guest-houses offered them free rooms.

So far the venture has raised $1.25m (£766,000). The required target is $2m (£1.22m)

 

Karnataka 'mining scam' chief minister told to quit

India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has told one of its top leaders to resign after an anti-corruption panel named him as a key suspect in an illegal mining scandal.

A BJP spokesman told reporters the party had advised BS Yeddyurappa "to tender his resignation immediately".

Mr Yeddyurappa, Karnataka state's chief minister, denies the allegations.

The anti-corruption report says the alleged scam cost the exchequer more than $3bn (£1.8bn) from 2006-2010.

Correspondents say illegal mining has allegedly been rife for years in Karnataka. The state produces about 45 million tonnes of iron ore a year and exports more than half of it to China.

'Has to be change'

"The BJP parliamentary board unanimously decided there has to be a change in the leadership of the BJP legislature party in the state of Karnataka," BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad told reporters in Delhi.

Later in the day, Mr Yeddyurappa sent a letter confirming his resignation to BJP president Nitin Gadkari, reports in the Indian media said.

BJP leaders and assembly members in Karnataka are to meet on Friday to begin choosing a new leader in his place.

The corruption panel report - officially submitted on Wednesday but widely leaked last week - names several other members of the BJP government, as well as Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) politicians in connection with the alleged scam.

The report details what it says is the illegal transport and export of iron ore from the state.

The embattled chief minister is also facing charges of corruption and nepotism in land deals and is being investigated separately by the courts.

Mr Yeddyurappa belongs to the influential Lingayat community - correspondents say his departure could bring down the BJP's only government in southern India.

The affair is highly embarrassing for the party after months on the offensive against India's governing Congress party, which itself is embroiled in a series of damaging corruption scandals.

 

Pakistan torturing Balochistan activists, report says

 

 

Hundreds of political activists are being held and tortured by security forces in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, Human Rights Watch says.

The region is currently the centre of an insurgency by local tribesmen fighting for greater political rights.

A new report by the rights group focuses on political activists detained without charge. Many of them were later killed, the report says.

The Supreme Court is investigating the killings and disappearances.

Entitled "We can torture, kill and keep you for years", the report completes a three-part series of investigations on Balochistan by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan says that taken together they present a disturbing and violent picture of what many are calling Pakistan's secret dirty war.

"Pakistan's security forces are engaging in an abusive free-for-all in Balochistan as Baloch nationalists and suspected militants 'disappear' and in many cases are executed," HRW Asia Director Brad Adams said.

"The national government has done little to end the carnage in Balochistan, calling into question its willingness or ability to control the military and intelligence agencies."

Pakistani authorities routinely deny claims of abuses in Balochistan.

'Propaganda'

The latest 132-page report says state security remains responsible for most of the abuses.

This includes holding detainees as young as 12 years old without charge - as well as the increasing torture and killing of those held, it says.

 

Balochistan is the scene of frequent attacks

The report details 45 alleged cases of enforced disappearances, the majority in 2009 and 2010. It says that while hundreds of people have been "forcibly disappeared" in Balochistan since 2005, dozens of new enforced disappearances have occurred since Pakistan returned to civilian rule in 2008.

The report is based on over 100 interviews by HRW in Balochistan in 2010 and 2011 with family members of "disappeared" people, former detainees, local human rights activists, lawyers and witnesses to government abductions.

It says that those targeted are primarily Baloch nationalist activists or suspected Baloch militants.

"Pakistani security services are brazenly disappearing, torturing, and often killing people because of suspected ties to the Baloch nationalist movement," Mr Adams said. "This is not counterinsurgency - it is barbarism and it needs to end now."

Security officials in Balochistan routinely dismiss such claims as part of propaganda by separatists.

They say all those arrested have been produced in courts.

In a recent interview, the top security official in Balochistan told the BBC the killings were the result of infighting amongst the nationalists.

But other security officials have also told the BBC that they have detained the activists.

They say the insurgents are being supported by India and it is the duty of Pakistan's security forces to do their utmost to suppress them.

The report also highlights how difficult conditions are getting for ordinary citizens in Balochistan. The province has strategic importance as it borders Iran and Afghanistan.

US officials say the Afghan Taliban leadership have their headquarters in the province, a claim Pakistan denies.

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and most sparsely populated province, is also rich in minerals - with vast untapped deposits of oil, gas, copper and gold.

But locals say most of this remains under the control of the federal government - its policies have left them little choice, many say, but to side with the insurgents.

 

Afghanistan: Deadly attack in Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan

 

Insurgents have carried out a gun and bomb attack in the south Afghan town of Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan province, leaving at least 22 dead, officials say.

They said the violence included three suicide bombings followed by fighting in a market, adding that all eight attackers had now been killed.

The dead include Ahmed Omed Khpulwak, a local BBC reporter.

The Taliban say they carried out the attack, which comes amid renewed violence in Afghanistan.

Nato says it is providing air support to Afghan forces in Tarin Kowt.

TV station stormed

Afghan intelligence officials said at least one bomb exploded near the governor's office and one near the offices of a security firm owned by a local militia commander. It is not clear where the third bomb was detonated.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Ahmed Omed Khpulwak was one of those brave reporters who have created that bond of trust with the people”

End Quote
Peter Horrocks
Director, BBC Global News

• He 'put his life on the line'
• Remembering Omed

Most of the fighting took place near these offices, which are close to the main market and a building which houses a local radio and TV station.

The BBC's Bilal Sarwary says the market was attacked from four sides, but the siege was broken by elite forces.

Residents said heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles were used by both sides.

Health officials said 22 people had been killed including three women and 40 injured, most of them civilians.

Among the dead is Ahmed Omed Khpulwak, a reporter for the BBC Pashto radio service as well as the Pajhwok news agency.

He was one of several people killed when the TV and radio station was attacked.

BBC Global News director Peter Horrocks said: "The BBC and the whole world are grateful to journalists like Ahmed Omed who courageously put their lives on the line to report from dangerous places."

Two soldiers were among the dead but no senior government officials have been harmed, officials said.

 

BBC News - Afghanistan: Deadly attack in Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan

'Doomsday'

Eyewitness Mohammad Dadu, a butcher at the market, told the BBC: ''I didn't have time to close my shop. I saw two dead bodies and four injured people with blood on their clothes.

"It feels like doomsday. Everyday people came to the market to shop. But today people are here collecting the dead and injured bodies of their relatives. There is blood, smoke from explosives and everyone has fled the area."

Afghan militants have stepped up their attacks as Nato troops begin the handover of security to local forces in parts of the country.

On Wednesday the mayor of the volatile city of Kandahar was killed in a suicide attack.

Two weeks ago, President Hamid Karzai's influential half-brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai, was killed in the same city.

 

UK judges say they cannot free Afghanistan detainee

High Court judges have refused to free a man in Afghanistan after the charity Reprieve sought his release under one of England's most ancient laws.

Yunus Rahmatullah was seized by British soldiers in Iraq in 2004 as a suspected insurgent and then secretly taken by US forces to Bagram air base.

His lawyers wanted a writ of habeas corpus, forcing the government to ask Washington to release Mr Rahmatullah.

But the High Court ruled the UK had no control over the prisoner's fate.

Lord Justice Laws and Mr Justice Silber dismissed Reprieve's application and refused to grant a writ of habeas corpus, a right in English law which dates back to the Magna Carta.

Under habeas corpus, an accused person has to be either charged or released if they are detained for too long.

But Lord Justice Laws said Rahmatullah, who is from Pakistan, was "in the hands of the Americans" and British ministers were not in a position to "direct (his) delivery".

Admitted 'jihad'

Mr Rahmatullah's case emerged in 2009 after ministers admitted two detainees, formerly held by British forces in Iraq, had been transferred by the Americans to Afghanistan, a process dubbed extraordinary rendition.

The 28-year-old was seized by British forces in February 2004 during an operation against insurgents in Iraq.

The soldiers handed him over to their US counterparts under a Memorandum of Understanding covering how prisoners would be managed. Within weeks he was at Bagram and was held incommunicado until his family were permitted to speak to him on the telephone last year.

Mr Rahmatullah told US interrogators he was the victim of brainwashing and regretted ever joining the jihad in Iraq.

In June 2010, a detention review board accepted his pleas and authorised his release, saying he posed "no enduring security threat" - but he remains in detention.

Nathalie Lieven QC, for Mr Rahmatullah, told the High Court on Friday his client was being held in breach of international law and added: "It is UK forces which detained this man. It is the UK who have the power to get him back."

But James Eadie QC, for the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence, said Mr Rahmatullah was "in the power, custody and control of the US" and he said it was not right for a British court to "opine" on the legality of an American detention and any such action could affect Britain's relationship with the US.

Following the court's decision, Reprieve said it would appeal against the ruling.

Its legal director Cori Crider said: "The court clearly understood the importance of habeas corpus and was troubled that a cleared man could be held for over seven years, but found against Mr Rahmatullah because the UK continues to hide the ball about its role in his detention and transfer to a black hole, as well as its power to get him out now."

 

India: Activist Anna Hazare rejects anti-graft law

Indian activist Anna Hazare has rejected a proposed new anti-corruption law which has been approved by the government.

Mr Hazare said the Jan Lokpal (Citizen's Ombudsman) Bill was a "cruel joke". He said he would go on hunger strike from 16 August in protest.

The government has refused to include the prime minister and senior judiciary under the purview of the ombudsman.

India has recently been hit by a string of high-profile corruption scandals.

Civil society members, led by Mr Hazare, have been pushing the government for a strong ombudsman that will have the power to investigate corruption charges against the prime minister, senior judges and MPs, among others.

On Thursday, the government approved a draft of the law which allows citizens to to approach the ombudsman with complaints against federal ministers and bureaucrats, who are protected under India's present anti-graft laws.

But campaigners led by Mr Hazare and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticised the government's decision to keep the prime minister and senior judges out of the proposed law.

"If a prime minister does something corrupt to save his seat and there is no investigation into the corruption, then what does this mean?" BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said.

Mr Hazare, who went on a hunger strike in April to protest against government inaction on corruption, said the proposed law was "unconstitutional".

But federal Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the government had accepted most of the points raised by the civil society members in framing the proposed law.

Some of the recent corruption scandals to have rocked India include a multi-billion dollar alleged telecoms scam, alleged financial malpractices in connection with the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and allegations that houses for war widows were diverted to civil servants.

Critics of the government say that recent scandals point to a pervasive culture of corruption in Mr Singh's administration - adding to the difficulties of a politician once seen as India's most honest.

A recent survey said corruption in India cost billions of dollars and threatened to derail growth.

 

Mumbai gunman Qasab appeals against death penalty

 

 

The sole surviving gunman from the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai (Bombay) has appealed against his death penalty in India's Supreme Court.

Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab filed his appeal through prison authorities, prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the BBC.

The attack claimed 165 lives. Nine other gunmen were also killed.

Qasab was found guilty of waging war against India, multiple murder and conspiracy. He was sentenced to death in May last year.

In February, the high court in Mumbai rejecting his appeal against the sentence. It is not clear when the Supreme Court would provide Qasab with legal aid and take up the appeal.

The lawyer who defended Qasab during his trial says he understands why his former client is appealing.

"The law gives rights to all to defend themselves. There's no delay. It's a judicial process," Abbas Kazmi told the BBC.

"Anyone would try to cling on to the slightest hope he has. That's what Qasab is doing."

The 60-hour siege which began on 26 November 2008 targeted luxury hotels, Mumbai's main railway station and a Jewish cultural centre.

Qasab and an accomplice carried out the assault on the station, killing 52 people.

The attacks soured ties between India and Pakistan, with India blaming Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attacks.

After initial denials, Pakistan acknowledged that the assault had been partially planned on its territory and that Qasab was a Pakistani citizen.

But despite charging seven people in connection with the attacks, the Pakistani authorities have yet to convict anyone.

Relations with India have been slowly improving and the two countries have resumed peace talks.

 

Afghanistan: Army officer 'worked for Taliban'

An Afghan army officer has been arrested on suspicion of working for the Taliban and plotting suicide attacks, intelligence officials say.

The officer, named as Gul Mohammed, had confessed that he was working with Taliban commanders, they said.

Infiltration of the security forces by Taliban sympathisers is a major threat to security.

However, correspondents say it is extremely rare for an acting army officer to be accused in this way.

"The National Directorate of Security arrested Gul Mohammad... who was an officer with the Afghan National Army and was intending to organise suicide and terrorist attacks," said NDS spokesman Lutfullah Mashal, quoted by AFP news agency.

Mr Mashal was unable to give details about the officer's rank.

Unusual case

He said he was accused of plotting attacks in three areas of the capital Kabul where a number of international and Afghan military bases are located, as well as the Isaf headquarters and the defence ministry.

The BBC's Jill McGivering says infiltration of the Afghan army and police is a major concern, and there have been numerous instances in the past of uniformed officers attacking foreign troops who were training them and sharing facilities, she says.

In many of these cases, it was unclear whether the rogue officers were motivated by personal grudges or had been recruited by the Taliban, she adds.

The arrest comes amid a spate of militant activity including several killings of senior officials, as Nato hands over parts of the country to local security forces.

 

Stuart Broad hat-trick revives England against India

Stuart Broad took a sensational hat-trick to fire England back into contention in the second Test against India at Trent Bridge.

The tourists were in total control of the match, leading by 46 on 267-4, when Broad dismissed Yuvraj Singh for 62 to break his partnership of 128 with centurion Rahul Dravid.

Then in his next over Broad had Mahendra Dhoni caught in the slips, Harbhajan Singh trapped leg before wicket and Praveen Kumar clean bowled in successive balls to send the crowd at his home ground into delirium.

Broad was the 12th Englishman to take a hat-trick in Test cricket and the first since Ryan Sidebottom in Hamilton in 2008.

Dravid was caught soon afterwards for 116, before Broad removed Ishant Sharma to wrap up the India innings for 288.

That wicket gave Broad Test-best figures of 6-46 and completed an astonishing 16-ball spell of five wickets for no runs.

It was a breathless period of play, and all the more remarkable for the fact that Broad was once again the instigator of England's comeback - the Nottinghamshire all-rounder having struck a rapid 64 to rescue England from 124-8 to 221 all out in their first innings on Friday.

 

Phil Tufnell,

Former England spinner and BBC summariser

Absolutely riveting day's cricket. This series is getting better and better, a great effort by Stuart Broad really dragged England back into the match. It looked like India would bat us out of the game but England will be thinking if they bat well and get a lead of 250-260 they will have a great chance. I can't wait to come back tomorrow

India's collapse left England 11 overs at the end of the day and they finished up 24-1, 43 runs behind, after Alastair Cook was caught off a leading edge.

Up until Broad's dramatic intervention the day had been entirely India's, with Dravid and VVS Laxman scoring 69 in the first hour - 56 of those runs coming in boundaries.

Laxman advanced untroubled to his 54th Test fifty before the return of Tim Bresnan from the Pavilion End brought about his downfall. One away swinger beat the bat, but the following ball caught the outside edge and was snaffled by a jubilant Matt Prior.

Sachin Tendulkar received a standing ovation as he set out once more in search of his 100th international century. But the Little Master's poor run of form continued as he was caught in the slips off Broad for 16 before Suresh Raina glided a catch straight to Eoin Morgan at point.

With the seamers bowling well, England were on top, and they should have reduced India to 144-5 when Yuvraj - on four - was dropped by Kevin Pietersen in the gully.

The error proved costly as Yuvraj and Dravid batted India well beyond England's total, with Dravid reaching three figures for the second successive Test and the 34th time overall.

The duo scored at almost four runs per over but just when they seemed to be taking the game away from England, the second new ball provided the catalyst for Broad to unleash an unforgettable spell.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Continue reading the main story

Malcolm Ashton,

Test Match Special scorer

• Broad is the 12th Englishman to take a Test hat-trick and the 39th in Test history
• Ryan Sidebottom was the last Englishman to achieve the feat - against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2008
• Broad was the final victim of the last Test hat-trick - Peter Siddle v England in Brisbane in November 2010
• England are first side to take a Test hat-trick against India

It started when a ball angled across Yuvraj drew an edge and the catch was taken by Prior.

With the baying crowd roaring him to the crease, Broad produced a quicker ball that Dhoni slashed to second slip and a straight one that trapped Harbhajan on his crease, although replays revealed the ball took an inside edge on his pads.

The hat-trick ball was superb, moving in off the seam and slamming into Kumar's middle stump.

England's reply got off to an inauspicious start when Cook was removed cheaply, but Strauss and Ian Bell survived a testing period at the end.

Bell was forced to bat at number three after Jonathan Trott suffered a shoulder injury in the field, although a scan revealed no bone damage and he will be assessed again on Sunday morning.

 

Pakistani gunmen kill 11 Shias in second Quetta attack

 

 

Gunmen opened fire on a van in the city of Quetta, south-west Pakistan, killing 11 Shia Muslims in a suspected sectarian attack, police say.

Seven people were killed on the spot and four others died en route to hospital. One woman was among the dead.

The attack comes a day after gunmen killed seven Shia pilgrims at a bus stop in the city centre.

Angered by the attacks, locals from the Shia community burnt cars and offices in Quetta, capital of Balochistan.

Correspondents say the attack will add to the growing sense of insecurity among Pakistan's minority Shia community.

Brazen attack

 

The killing sparked protests by Shia residents

The group was travelling in a packed passenger van near the outskirts of Quetta when gunmen sprayed it with bullets.

"Unidentified gunmen riding [a motorbike] opened fire at a Suzuki van carrying a group of people on their way to the main city from Hazara town," said Balochistan's police chief, Rao Amin Hashim.

The gunmen managed to escape.

There has been a notable increase in sectarian violence across Pakistan in recent years.

Islamist freed

The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Pakistan's deadliest militant group, has said it was behind Saturday's attack.

 

The group has strong ties to al-Qaeda and has carried out high profile attacks against US diplomats and Pakistan military targets in the country, the BBC's Shoaib Hasan reports from Karachi, on the border of Balochistan.

But its focus remains on the Shia community - which it regards as apostates, our correspondent says.

The attack comes soon after the release of Malik Ishaq, head of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, after a decade in jail.

When a local journalist asked him what he now intended to do, Ishaq's reply was chilling, our correspondent says. He said his organisation would continue its "good work" - fighting those who opposed their version of Islam.

Balochistan, on the border with Afghanistan, is also fighting a regional separatist insurgency as well as Islamic militancy.

 

Iraq: Tikrit city hit by deadly twin bombings

t least 12 people have been killed and 28 injured in a double bomb blast outside a bank in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, officials say.

A car bomb exploded outside the Rafidain bank in the city centre and soon after a suicide bomber blew himself up, they say.

A number of police and soldiers are reported to be among those killed.

Tikrit is the hometown of the former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, and still the scene of frequent attacks.

On 6 June, at least 21 people were killed in twin bomb attacks, one on a mosque, in the northern city.

And on 3 June, another twin attack targeted a mosque and a hospital, leaving 21 people dead.

Violence in Iraq has fallen sharply from its peak in 2006, but deadly attacks still occur on a daily basis.

June was reported to be the deadliest month so far this year for the number of Iraqis killed, and the bloodiest in three years for US forces, who lost 14 soldiers in attacks.

 

Jordan jails mentor of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Zarqawi

The former mentor of Iraq's slain al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been sentenced to five years in prison in Jordan.

Abu Mohammed al-Maqdessi was convicted of recruiting people in Jordan to join the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He faced a military court with three fellow Palestinian-born Jordanians.

As the ruling was handed down, he shouted at the judges: "Even if you sentence us to death, we will continue to be fighters until the day we die."

Maqdessi - whose full name is Isam Mohammed Taher al-Barqawi - was often praised by al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a US air strike north-east of Baghdad in 2006.

In 1995, the two men were jailed in Jordan for five years for membership of an outlawed Islamist organisation, but freed as part of a general amnesty in 1999.

They later fell out over "ideological differences", said aides quoted by the AFP news agency.

Three other men were tried alongside Maqdessi. The military court sentenced two of them to two-and-a-half years each, while a third was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison.

 

Palestinian police raid home of ex-Fatah man Dahlan

Palestinian police have raided the house of former Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan, in one of their biggest security operations in the West Bank for years.

Mr Dahlan was expelled from the party last month over allegations of corruption and trying to undermine the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas.

The raid came hours after his appeal against the expulsion was rejected.

Mr Dahlan denies the corruption claims. No formal charges have been laid.

Equipment seized

Scores of Palestinian police and security forces surrounded Mr Dahlan's Ramallah home at 0700 (0400 GMT), reports said.

They forced their way in, arrested several of his bodyguards and seized weapons, computers and vehicles from the house, witnesses said.

The Palestinian interior ministry said such private bodyguards constituted an illegal armed gang, the BBC's Jon Donnison reports from Ramallah.

Mr Dahlan - who has parliamentary immunity as an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council - was understood to have been locked in a room of his house while security forces conducted the searches, the AFP news agency reported.

 

Dahlan had returned to Ramallah to appeal against his expulsion from Fatah

The 49-year-old was once the powerful internal security minister and seen as a potential Palestinian leader. But his reputation never recovered from the defeat of his security forces in Gaza by Hamas in 2007.

On 12 June, the Fatah Central Committee (FCC) voted to expel him from the party amid claims that he was plotting an internal coup against Mr Abbas.

Mr Dahlan alleges that there is a witch hunt against him by people who feel he is a threat to the leadership of President Abbas, our correspondent Jon Donnison says.

The decision to expel Mr Dahlan must now be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Fatah Revolutionary Council.

 

Egypt revolution: Hosni Mubarak to go on trial in Cairo

 

 

Egypt's deposed President Hosni Mubarak will be put on trial next week in the capital, Cairo, state media say.

Mr Mubarak, 83, has been under arrest at a hospital in the coastal resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh since April.

Earlier on Thursday, Egypt's health minister said Mr Mubarak was healthy enough to be moved to the capital.

Mr Mubarak, who ruled for three decades, is charged with corruption and ordering the killing of protesters before he was toppled in February.

Reports about the poor state of Mr Mubarak's health had led to speculation that his trial would be postponed or held in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Death penalty

The trial is due to begin on 3 August.

Mr Mubarak will be tried alongside his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly, who are being detained in Cairo, the official news agency cited a justice official as saying. Six senior police officials will also go on trial.

"It has been decided that the trial of ex-president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and Gamal... will be held in the building of the General Authority for Investment and the free trade areas in the Cairo Expo grounds," it quoted the official, Mohammed Manei, as saying.

Adly has already been sentenced to 12 years in jail for corruption.

 

Protesters, demanding reform, have been keeping up the pressure on authorities

Mr Mubarak is accused of ordering his forces to shoot anti-government demonstrators during the country's uprising, abuse of office and embezzling funds.

Mr Manei, an assistant to the justice minister, said Mr Mubarak faced being executed if found guilty of the first charge, according to AP news agency.

He said chairs were being fitted for the expected audience and an "unprecedented security plan" would be put in place.

A cage for the defendants will also be installed, Mr Manei told the news agency.

Health Minister Amr Helmy told reporters that Mr Mubarak's health was "in an appropriate condition to be tried in Cairo".

'Damage tourism'

Earlier this week, doctors said Mr Mubarak's condition was poor and that he had been refusing food.

The head of the hospital said Mr Mubarak was depressed, had lost weight and was not eating enough to keep him alive, Mena news agency reported.

But opposition supporters, who have been demanding his transfer to Cairo, have accused the authorities of using his illness as a ploy to delay the trial.

The BBC's Jon Leyne says the decision will delight protesters, and relatives of those killed in the revolution earlier this year.

But, he says, they will remain sceptical until they see Hosni Mubarak in the dock.

Tourism Minister Munir Fakhri Abdel Nur welcomed the latest announcement, saying he had been concerned about the possible damage to Sharm el-Sheikh, one of the country's top tourist attractions, had the trial been held there.

"I asked them [the authorities] to stay away from Sharm el-Sheikh. It seems that they have followed my advice," he told AFP.

He said the trial and any protests outside the court house would have "disturbed the small city", according to the news agency.

Mr Mubarak was ousted on 11 February, after 18 days of mass demonstrations in which some 850 people were killed.

 

Lebanon frees singer Zeid Hamdan in 'slander song' case

 

 

Lebanon has freed singer Zeid Hamdan, detained on Wednesday over a song deemed insulting to President Michel Suleiman, a former army chief.

Slandering the president carries a maximum two-year sentence in Lebanon. Officials reportedly took exception to the lyrics: 'General go home'.

A Facebook campaign calling for his release has attracted 2,500 supporters.

Some reports say the presidency heard of the Facebook group and ordered his release but that was officially denied.

'Bit of advice'

It was four years ago that Zeid Hamdan decided to write a song about President Suleiman, former commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

He has performed the song ever since and last year an Italian director made a video of it and posted it on a DVD to a Lebanese advertising agency.

That is when the problems began. A vigilant customs officer watched it and there was one line he didn't like.

"At the end of the song, I say 'General go home'," Hamdan told the BBC.

"[The authorities said] it's the worst thing you can tell him, you are asking him to leave power. So it's worse than an insult," he recalled.

Hamdan explained that it was not an insult - just a bit of advice. Unconvinced, the officials asked him to three interrogations, including one on Wednesday morning, when he was arrested.

As he was put into handcuffs, Hamdan managed to pass his mobile phone to his lawyer.

"I gave him my Facebook code and asked him to do an announcement to my Facebook profile, which he did. People created a group to release me and in a few hours I had 2,000 people.

"Somehow most of my friends were very active and helped the noise to spread."

By the end of the day, a judge called him from his cell and ordered that he be freed.

"He said call your parents and he told me sarcastically - go home."

 

Libya taunts UK over rebel leader death

Libya's government has taunted the UK over the death of rebel military commander General Abdel Fattah Younes.

It has been claimed the former Libyan government minister was shot by an Islamist militia linked to the rebels.

A Libyan government spokesman said the incident showed the UK government had made a mistake by recognising the rebel council as the sole authority in Libya.

He said it was "a nice slap to the face of the British" that the rebels were unable to protect their army chief.

On Saturday, the rebels' Oil Minister, Ali Tarhouni, told reporters in Benghazi that a leader of the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade had provided information on the circumstances of Gen Younes's death.

But he did not provide a motive for the killing, which he said was still being investigated.

On Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would recognise the Libyan National Transitional Council of the rebels as the "sole governmental authority", as it expelled Gaddafi-regime diplomats from the UK.

Gen Younes and two aides were killed by gunmen after being recalled from the front line of fighting.

Hundreds of mourners carried a coffin containing the general's body into Benghazi's main square on Friday.

Col Muammar Gaddafi's government in Tripoli said the killing was proof the rebels were not capable of ruling Libya.

'Nice slap to face'

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said: "It is a nice slap to the face of the British that the council that they recognised could not protect its own commander of the army."

Speaking before Mr Tarhouni's comments, Mr Ibrahim suggested Gen Younes had been killed by al-Qaeda and repeated a claim that the group was the strongest force within the rebel movement, which is based in the east of the country.

"By this act, al-Qaeda wanted to mark out its presence and its influence in this region," he said.

"The other members of the (rebel) National Transitional Council knew about it but could not react because they are terrified of al-Qaeda."

Gen Younes - a former interior minister who had served at the heart of Col Gaddafi's regime since the 1969 coup - joined the rebels at the beginning of the Libyan uprising in February.

On Wednesday, the Libyan charge d'affaires in the UK was called to the Foreign Office to be told he and other diplomats must leave.

Instead the UK will ask the National Transitional Council to appoint a new diplomatic envoy.

It follows similar moves by the US and France. The UK had previously said it recognised "countries not governments".

Meanwhile, Nato said a "precision air strike" had disabled three Libyan state TV satellite transmission dishes.

Nato said the operation was intended to stop "inflammatory broadcasts" by Col Gaddafi's regime.

 

Tunisia's Ben Ali guilty of corrupt property deals

Tunisia's ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, his daughter and son-in-law have been given jail terms in absentia over corrupt property deals.

They were also ordered to collectively pay $100m (£61m) in damages.

This is the third guilty verdict against Ben Ali, who fled in January to Saudi Arabia after weeks of protest - the first of the "Arab Spring" revolts.

Saudi Arabia has so far failed to extradite Ben Ali, despite a request by Tunisia's new interim government.

Ben Ali was accused of using his power to get property for his family at prices far below the market value in the capital, Tunis.

He and his son-in-law, businessman Sakher El Materi, were sentenced to 16 years in prison.

His daughter, Nesrine, who is married to El Materi, was given an eight-year jail term.

Ben Ali was first sentenced in June, along with his wife Leila, to 35 years in prison for embezzlement and misuse of state funds.

Earlier this month, he was convicted on charges of possessing illegal drugs and weapons after a one-day trial and given 15 years in jail.

Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for more than 20 years, before being toppled in a popular uprising that spread across North Africa and the Middle East.

His critics say his rule was marred by widespread human rights abuses and a lack of democracy.

His supporters say Tunisia was stable during his rule.

 

Mass protests staged again across Syria

 

 

Tens of thousands of Syrians have again turned out for Friday protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Troops fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters, killing two people and wounding dozens, activists said.

There have been reports of fighting in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour between military intelligence agents and residents after five protesters were killed overnight.

Earlier, state media said a blast hit an oil pipeline near the city of Homs.

The attack was the second of its kind this month. State news agency Sana called the explosion a terrorist attack by a group of "saboteurs".

But activists told the BBC they did not have the capability to carry out such an attack.

Ramadan soon

Protest organisers say that this week's demonstrations are aimed at other Arab countries under the slogan, "Your silence is killing us".

 

Human rights groups said that troops opened fire on protesters in the Mediterranean city of Latakia, killing at least one protester and that another person was killed during a protest in the southern city of Deraa - where the protests first erupted in mid-March.

Heavily armed troops backed by armoured vehicles pushed back protesters in the coastal town of Baniyas and fired tear gas in several other locations, the AP news agency said, citing local activists. There were also marches in the countryside around Damascus despite an intense crackdown there, it added.

The reports are difficult to verify as few foreign reporters have been allowed into the country.

Syrian forces are trying to quell the unrest ahead of Ramadan, which starts this weekend, activists say.

Last night, security forces shot dead three civilians in Deir al-Zour and two in a Damascus suburb, near the town of Zabadani, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The demonstrations have been met by a fierce crackdown that has killed more than 1,500 civilians and seen 26,000 people arrested.

More than 12,600 are still in detention, the Avaaz rights group says, and 3,000 others are missing, with family members unable to establish if they are still alive.

Pipeline blast

 

The blast took place in the village of Tell Kalakh, near Homs in western Syria

The governor of Homs, Syria's third largest city, said many residents heard the pipeline explosion at around 0400 (0100 GMT).

"This terrorist operation, a subversive operation of the highest order, took place in a farming area, causing extensive damage," Ghassan al-Adel told Sana.

The blast left a crater 15m (50ft) wide and oil gushing from the broken pipe, the Sana news agency said.

Two weeks ago, on 13 July, a fire damaged a gas pipeline near the town of Mayadin in the country's main oil and gas-producing region of Deir al-Zour province, activists said at the time.

Oil production in Syria stands at about 350,000 barrels per day, according to official data. It is a key source of income for the Syrian economy, hard hit by more than four months of unrest.

 

Iraq less safe than a year ago: US watchdog

Tens of thousands of people have packed Cairo's Tahrir Square, after the first call by Islamist leaders for nationwide demonstrations since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February.

Many protesters - dominated by Muslim Brotherhood supporters - are calling for an Islamic state and Sharia law.

Correspondents say the rallies will be a worrying development for secularists.

The Brotherhood is the most organised political force in Egypt, although it was not prominent in the revolution.

Tensions have been running high between Egypt's Islamist and secular groups, who are at odds over the transition to democracy in the Arab world's most populated country.

Casualties

Later there were a number of casualties when violence broke out in a separate incident in Sinai.

"We have two bodies of civilians in the morgue now and 12 police conscripts being treated for injuries in hospital," Hisham Shiha, Egypt's deputy health minister, told state television.

Around 100 armed men drove around the city of El-Arish, shouting Islamic slogans, and firing into the air, before attacking a police station.

Terrified residents fled into their homes. One of those killed was a 13-year-old boy, according to reports in the local media.

Turning point?

Among the earlier protests in Tahrir Square, liberal groups called for guarantees of a constitution that will protect religious freedom and personal rights, whereas Islamists demanded speedy elections and a recognition of Islam - in one form or another - in the new Egyptian state.

Now the Islamists want their voice to be heard and are showing their muscle for the first time since Mr Mubarak stepped down on 11 February, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo.

Although the Muslim Brotherhood can turn out huge crowds by rallying its supporters at mosques, it does not necessarily represent the majority of Egyptians and is predicted to win around 20% of the vote in an election, our correspondent says.

There was little sign of any secular groups at Friday's rally, he says, adding that it will be interesting to see how they re-group after today's events.

Since early July, the mainly secular protesters had camped out in Tahrir Square - the epicentre of protests that toppled Mr Mubarak - to denounce the ruling military council over the slow pace of reform.

Islamist groups had for the most part stayed away from the sit-in. Last week, they held their own demonstration and accused the Tahrir protesters of going against the country's "Islamic identity", the AFP news agency reports.

But with Islamists and the more conservative Salafist groups now filling Tahrir Square, it could mark a turning point in Egypt's post-revolution period, our correspondent says.

Later on Friday, witnesses in el-Arish reported men in trucks and on motorbikes firing their assault rifles into the air and forcing frightened residents into their homes.

The men are reported to have been confronted by policemen and soldiers.

"We have two bodies of civilians in the morgue now and 12 police conscripts being treated for injuries in hospital," Hisham Shiha, Egypt's deputy health minister, told state television.

 

House Speaker Boehner tries to rally Republicans to his debt plan

 

 

By Rosalind S. Helderman and Felicia Sonmez, Published: July 27

 

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) appealed in unusually aggressive terms to his wavering GOP colleagues in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday morning with just a week left to go until the debt ceiling must be raised or the country will default on its obligations.

At a meeting of GOP House members, the embattled Republican leader told his colleagues, many of whom had vowed to oppose his two-step bill to raise the debt limit that is expected hit the floor as soon as Thursday, to “get your ass in line.”

 

The meeting came as Boehner scrambled to rewrite his legislation the morning after a Congressional Budget Office analysis showed his plan would cut the deficit less than advertised.

In a closed-door meeting for the House GOP Conference in the basement of the Capitol, Boehner worked to rally support from skeptical conservatives, who have been subjected to intense pressure from tea party groups and others who say Boehner’s plan will not impose the kind of structural reform Republicans promised when they took control of the House in 2010.

With few options on the table except the plan advanced by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), some of those conservatives now seem inclined to finally fall in line behind their leader.

Republican leaders told the group that they need to stay united and rally around the bill. Boehner also said his bill will be rewritten to either cut more from the deficit or to raise the debt ceiling by less than the $900 billion he had proposed earlier this week.

That way, his plan would hew to his promise to match the debt-ceiling hike with spending cuts. Members said leaders did not tell them which approach will be taken with the revisions.

“We’re making progress,” Boehner told reporters after Wednesday morning’s meeting. Asked whether he thought the CBO report had dealt a blow to his plan and whether a vote was still scheduled for Thursday, Boehner declined to say.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said after the meeting that House Republicans “just had a very good conference.”

“Members are rallying around the speaker’s plan, and we’re going forward,” Cantor said. He declined to say whether he thought the plan would pass with the support of Republicans alone, saying only, “We will pass the speaker’s plan.”

There were signs Wednesday that Boehner was having some success at converting wary undecided votes into possible supporters.

After the meeting, several Republicans who had been wavering said they now back Boehner’s revised proposal — in part because they fear undercutting the speaker just days before the Aug. 2 deadline to raise the debt limit.

If the House plan were to founder because of lack of Republican support, it would leave only a proposal by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) still standing.

Reid’s plan to raise the ceiling by $2.4 trillion would remove the pressure of a possible default from debates about reducing spending in coming months — a far less preferable option, several Republicans said.

 

Jordan sentences mentor of slain al-Qaida in Iraq leader to 5 years in prison

By Associated Press, Published: July 28  

AMMAN, Jordan — The mentor of slain al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was convicted Thursday of aiding the Afghan Taliban and sentenced to five years in prison in Jordan.

The Palestinian-born Isam Mohammed Taher al-Barqawi, better known as Sheik Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi, was found guilty of “plotting terrorism” and recruiting militants in Jordan to join the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was tried in a military court with three other Jordanian Palestinians.

 

Al-Maqdisi, whom al-Zarqawi often praised in Internet writings, shouted at the judges as the ruling was handed down.

“You are convicting us of wrongdoing for something that our religion condones, which is standing by fellow Muslims against the American occupiers of Muslim land in Afghanistan,” he said, raising his right arm and pointing his finger at the three-man tribunal.

The slain al-Qaida in Iraq leader had described al-Maqdisi as his mentor.

The two men shared a cell block between 1995 and 1999, after which al-Zarqawi was released under a special amnesty by Jordan’s king and went on to lead al-Qaida in Iraq until he was killed by a U.S. airstrike in 2006.

Al-Maqdisi was imprisoned a second time and released in 2008 after three years in jail for encouraging attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq.

He was arrested again, along with the other two defendants in a police sweep late last year.

On Thursday, al-Maqdisi stood behind bars along with the two other defendants in a small and stuffy courtroom in Amman’s eastern suburbs, guarded by armed police. Wearing a long beard and a dark blue prison uniform, he shouted at the judges.

“Putting us in jail will not dissuade us from supporting the mujahedeen,” he said, referring to the insurgents in Afghanistan. “We will continue to support them, even if you sentence us to death. We will continue to be fighters until the day we die.”

The other three defendants, including one tried in absentia, were found guilty of the same offenses and sentenced prison sentences of between 2 1/2 and five years. The three men present for the trial had pleaded not guilty in January.

Lawyer Majed Liftawi and two other attorneys said they will appeal the ruling.

The indictment said al-Maqdisi and his cell sought to help the Taliban in their “terror attacks” against U.S. and other troops in Afghanistan.

It said the four raised funds from unspecified donors in Jordan and tried to go to Afghanistan to join the Taliban but their plan failed and because al-Maqdisi was arrested.

 

3 Indonesians found guilty in brutal Islamic sect attack; sentences blasted as too lenient

By Associated Press, Published: July 28  

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The ringleader of a frenzied mob attack that killed three members of a minority Muslim sect was sentenced Thursday to 5 1/2 months in prison in a ruling decried by critics as too lenient and a blow to religious freedom in Indonesia.

Eleven others also were convicted of less serious charges of weapons possession in the February violence and sentenced to between three and six months behind bars.

 

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim and secular nation of 240 million, has a long history of religious tolerance.

But an extremist fringe has grown more vocal in recent years and the government, which relies on the support of Islamic parties in Parliament, has been accused of caving in to them. The government in 2008 banned the activities of the sect and rights activists say the decision might have encouraged the violence against the group.

The attack on members of Ahmadiyah — considered deviant by many conservative Muslims here and abroad because they do not believe Muhammad was the final prophet — placed Indonesia under the international spotlight because it was captured on video and widely circulated on the Internet.

It provoked condemnation in Europe and the U.S.

The clip showed 1,500 people storming a house in Banten province on Feb. 6 with machetes, rocks, and clubs to stop sect followers from worshipping.

They beat three men to death and injured six others before setting cars and houses ablaze.

Though a policeman showed up at the scene, his cries of “stop” were drowned out by chants from the crowd on “Allahu Akbar!” or “God is Great!”

The 17-year-old ringleader, Dani bin Misra, wearing a black leather jacket and a white skull cap, is seen on the footage eagerly smashing the skull of one of the lifeless victims with a rock.

The Serang District Court found him and 11 others guilty of illegal possession of weapons and involvement in the attack. None was charged with murder or manslaughter and the maximum penalty for weapons possession is 5 1/2 years imprisonment.

“This verdict is an embarrassment to Indonesia,” said Rafendi Djamin, the executive director of the Jakarta-based Human Rights Working Group, adding that it shows how a small, radical fringe can influence the judicial system.

Police did not conduct thorough investigations, he said, and prosecutors failed to call key eyewitnesses to the attack in the village of Cikeusik.

“This will do nothing to deter such attacks on minorities in the future and only threatens the democratic process in our country,” Djamin said.

The U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement the U.S. was disapointed at the “disproportionately light sentences.”

“The United States encourages Indonesia to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta.”

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, a human rights group, said that attacks by religious hard-liners were steadily increasing.

It listed 64 incidents last year — up from 18 in 2009 and 17 the year before — ranging from physical abuse to preventing groups from performing prayers and burning houses of worship.

Ahmadiyah, said to have around 200,000 followers across the archipelagic nation, has increasingly been a target. But the February attack was by far the most brutal.

 

Wayne Rooney set up 2 goals as Manchester United rolls past MLS All Stars 4-0 -

By Associated Press, Published: July 28  

HARRISON, N.J. — All that stands in the way of a perfect U.S. tour for Manchester United is the team that has stood in its way for years — FC Barcelona.

Manchester United kept its tour record perfect Wednesday night as Wayne Rooney set up two goals, and Ji-Sung Park scored a highlight-reel special in a 4-0 victory over the MLS All Stars.

 

“We’re happy the way things are going,” Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick said. “The season still seems a long way away. But there is not too many games left now. But we’ll be prepared for the start of the season.”

Sir Alex Ferguson’s team has outscored opponents 18-2 in the four games against MLS competition, but the real test in this preseason tour will be Saturday in Washington when it faces FC Barcelona in a rematch of the Champions League final, won by the Spanish team 3-1.

“I don’t think we are looking for revenge because you can never take that win when they beat us off them,” Rooney said. “The most important thing is to try to get fitter. We know it’s a big game for the two teams, and I am sure it is a game everyone will enjoy watching.”

The sellout crowd 26,760 enjoyed the show that Manchester United put on Wednesday after being treated to a pregame spectacular that included two parachutists, fireworks and a helicopter flyover.

The real show though was Rooney and the Reds, and it lasted 90 minutes.

“I liked the result,” said Ferguson, whose team will head back to England after Saturday’s game for the Community Shield game and the start of another season the following week.

The Reds didn’t have a lot of chances against the MLS, but when they did they were lethal, especially with Rooney setting up the goals.

Soccer fans have seen Rooney scoring again and again in replays of his bicycle kick in a game last season. This time, he was perfect with his passing.

“He’s a good passer of the ball,” Ferguson said.

The ability was never more evident than in the 20th minute when Rooney worked a give-and-go with Dimitar Berbatov and then fed Anderson for the game’s opening goal.

Early in the second half, Rooney helped break the game with a looping pass that sprung Berbatov.

“They are so quick to the ball, and it’s one or two touches and they are going and they are not letting up,” MLS defender Tim Ream said. “With Rooney, that just shows how much of a well-rounded player he is.”

Danny Welbeck also scored for the reigning English Premier League champions.

The final score might have been a little misleading because David Beckham and his MLS buddies had a couple of good shots at goal, but make no mistake — Manchester United was far superior.

The MLS looked good for about 18 minutes with Beckham, who starred for the Reds in his prime, having a great chance in the seventh minute, only to see his 25-yard drive slide wide of the goal.

Rooney, though, gave the Manchester United faithful something to cheer about in the 20th minute on a great tic-tac-toe play.

Rooney made a pass to Berbatov at the top of the box, took a return pass and then found Anderson breaking into the area alone for a wide-open shot that easily beat goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon.

Beckham had a chance to tie the game two minutes later, but United keeper Anders Lindegaard parried his 20-yard blast over the crossbar.

Park broke the game open in the 45th minute with a highlight-reel play. The South Korean took a pass from Patrice Evra at the top of the box, made defender Sean Franklin look silly by getting around him and then launched a left-footed shot into the top right corner of the net.

“To be honest, I was more disappointed with the second goal because I got a piece of that,” Mondragon said. “But it was a great goal.”

Rooney helped stretch the lead to 3-0 in the 52nd minute, looping a pass over the defense to Berbatov. The Bulgarian chipped the ball over rushing backup goalkeeper Tally Hall only to see it hit off the crossbar. Berbatov chested down the rebound and ripped a shot into the net.

“He should have scored before (the rebound),” Rooney quipped.

Welbeck closed out the scoring in the 68th minute on a shot from the top of the box that deflected off defender Geoff Cameron past Hall.

While there was no more scoring, the crowd got a final thrill.

Beckham bended a free kick around the wall in the 89th minute that just missed getting inside the goal post.

“In the first 20 minutes we had two or three really good chances,” Beckham said. “If we could have scored, it might have been a different night. When Manchester United scored, they know how to put the game away. Once they get the first goal and then another, it’s tough playing against one of the best teams in the world.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

17 hits and 9 runs adds up for Seattle to a 9-2 win over the Yanks that ended a 17-game skid

By Associated Press, Published: July 28  

NEW YORK — Dustin Ackley spoke of an eagerly awaited cross-country trip home to Seattle as the lyrics, “It’s OK. I know nothing’s wrong, nothing,” from a Talking Heads song blared in the Mariners clubhouse.

Brendan Ryan talked about the laughs he and his teammates would share later Wednesday.

 

Felix Hernandez smiled as he recalled staying in the dugout for the full nine innings for the first time this season.

Wow, what a difference one win makes — especially one that ended a team-record, 17-game skid.

Ackley and Ichiro Suzuki led the Mariners in a season-high 17-hit barrage, and Seattle beat and beat up the New York Yankees 9-2 on Wednesday.

“If we had a loss today and had to travel home on that long flight and had the off day to think about it, it would have been pretty bad,” Ackley said. “I think now everyone is going to relax a little bit.”

After 21 days of frustration, the Mariners were ready to move on.

Hernandez pitched seven innings for his third straight win in the Bronx. Suzuki had four hits and scored two runs. Ackley tripled among his three hits and drove in three runs for the Mariners, who did something they failed to accomplish during the skid: they turned an opponent’s mistake into a big inning.

Seattle scored five runs in the seventh inning — highlighted by Mike Carp’s bases-loaded triple — after Robinson Cano flubbed a flip to Derek Jeter at second base for an error.

The Mariners added two more in the ninth when Adam Kennedy hit an RBI double that center fielder Curtis Granderson lost in the sun, then scored on Carp’s single to give Seattle its most runs since it scored nine in a win against Tampa Bay on June 5.

“These guys haven’t felt good in a long time,” manager Eric Wedge said. “We’ve got a long flight, an off day (Thursday) and this is a real big win for us. When you’ve got a monkey on your back that size, it’s damn hard to get it off.”

After a win on July 5, the Mariners were 43-43 and 2½ games back in the AL West, a pleasant early season surprise. But it all fell apart in a hurry. They are 44-60 14½ games behind the Texas Rangers now.

The longest skid in the major leagues since Kansas City lost 19 in 2005 began with a loss at Oakland on July 6 and included four-game sweeps against division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels and the Rangers. The Mariners led in seven of the games, twice in the seventh inning, and loss No. 10 — to the Blue Jays — came in 14 innings.

The last nine games were all on the road against the AL East. They lost three to Toronto, three to Boston, and then dropped the first two to New York, managing just one hit Tuesday night. Wedge called the schedule a “perfect storm.”

Wedge shaved his mustache after the Mariners lost Saturday, pushed back the report time and canceled batting practice Tuesday but had nothing up his sleeve Wednesday.

“No, the only trick is these guys have to go out and do better,” he said before the game.

And that’s what they did.

The Mariners came in hitting .218 during the streak but smacked around a struggling Phil Hughes (1-3) for nine hits and two runs over six innings.