Neighbour Kills New Dad With Stray Bullet

A new father celebrating the homecoming of his baby boy was hit in the head and killed by a stray bullet fired by a neighbour some 60 metres (200ft) away, Florida police say.

Steven Justin Ayers and his wife had gathered relatives at their home in Panama City to celebrate the birth of their son.

Mr Ayres, 33, had just welcomed home the three-day-old baby when he was struck in the back of the head and died on the spot, the News Herald newspaper reported.

Police arrested his neighbour, Charles Edward Shisler, whose gun had apparently discharged accidentally.

The bullet is believed to have travelled some 200ft (60m) from Shisler's window to Mr Ayers' apartment.

Shisler reportedly told the investigating officer that it was an accident.

"The damn gun doesn't usually shoot."

Mr Ayers was a musician and guitar teacher. He performed with his wife Jessica in band called The Ayers, the News Herald said.

The child was the couple's first.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spain's New King Felipe VI Officially Sworn In

Felipe VI has been officially sworn in as the new king of Spain at the country's parliament following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos.

The swearing-in ceremony lacked the usual pomp and ceremony associated with a royal coronation in recognition of the hardship being endured by many Spaniards in austere times.

The 46-year-old, wearing military uniform with a sash, took an oath of loyalty to Spain's constitution before giving an address.

Felipe VI with his wife, Queen Letizia, and their children greet the crowds

"We have a great country. We should all be proud of being Spaniards," Felipe, who officially ascended to the throne at midnight, said at the ceremony.

Felipe promised "a renewed monarchy for new times", after scandals tainted his father's reign.

To shouts of "Viva el Rey (Long live the king)!", Felipe said: "Today, more than ever, the people rightly demand our public lives be guided by... moral and ethical principles."

He ended his speech by saying "thank you" in three Spanish regional languages - Catalan, Basque and Galician - where independence movements are strongest.

Felipe's mother, Sofia, during the swearing-in ceremony

Felipe, a former Olympic yachtsman, was then honoured with a military parade before being driven through the sunny streets of central Madrid with his wife, Queen Letizia, a former journalist.

Thousands of supporters lined the streets and cheered the king - the occasion providing a welcome distraction to Spaniards reeling from their team's shock exit from the World Cup.

The newly crowned king, his wife and their daughters, Princesses Leonor, 8, and Sofia, 7, then greeted crowds from the balcony of the Royal Palace with other members of the royal family.

Felipe later disappeared to host an afternoon reception at the Royal Palace with 2,000 guests from all walks of society.

His father did not attend the swearing-in ceremony so as not to distract attention from the new monarch, according to the palace.

The outgoing king lost favour after going on an elephant hunting trip

Monarchists hope Felipe becoming king will bring in a new era for the troubled royal household.

He has remained untouched by a royal corruption scandal, in which his brother-in-law is charged with embezzling millions of euros of public funds in a case that shocked the public.

The outgoing king, credited with helping the country's transition to democracy, also lost favour after going on a secret elephant hunting trip at the height of Spain's recession.

Although polls show the decision to hand over to Felipe has boosted the popularity of the royals, nearly two thirds now also support the idea of a referendum on whether Spain should continue to be a constitutional monarchy.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Outrage At Outage: Panic As Facebook Crashes

When the world's most popular social network crashes - everybody panics.

The site, which has 1.3 billion users around the world, went offline for half an hour on Thursday morning.

Within minutes, Facebook was a top trending topic on Twitter worldwide, with people jokingly asking: "Where were you when Facebook died?"

The outage was reported around the world; in countries including Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan and Holland.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

The crash happened at around 9am, with the Facebook blue branding displayed alongside the message: "Sorry, something went wrong."

On Twitter, users joked that they were lost without the social network.

Jon Pudny wrote: "It's the end of the world ... #Facebook is DOWN!!"

Jenny Oag said: "Oh my god. Facebook is down it's the end of the world. Quick everyone, learn how to use a pen and get the candle lights out."

Some pondered whether the internet stalwart's demise was a sign of impending doom.

Aidan Spurrier wrote: "Facebook is down worldwide ... the apocalypse has begun."

Meanwhile Latika Bourke said: "Is this a sign of the impending rapture?"

But the panic was short-lived and by 9.30am users reported the site was functioning again.

So far, Facebook has not explained why the problem occurred.

Facebook crashed in the US in February this year, after previously going offline for four hours in October last year due to network maintenance.

The network has 1.3 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular websites in the world.

It is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

The outage is expected to have cost the website hundreds of thousands of dollars.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Germany: Man Rescued After 11-Day Cave Ordeal

An injured explorer has been rescued after being trapped in Germany's deepest and longest cave for 11 days.

A multi-national team comprising hundreds of emergency personnel had battled around the clock in a complex operation to get him out.

"The victim has been brought to the surface and is receiving emergency medical care," a mountain rescue official said.

He was speaking after the team reached the mouth of the cave in the Bavarian Alps, where a helicopter was waiting to take the stricken explorer to hospital.

Almost there: Mr Westhauer just below the entrance to the cave

Johann Westhauser, 52, suffered head and chest injuries in a rock fall about 1,000 metres (3,300ft) below ground in the labyrinthine Riesending cave complex on June 8.

One of his two companions made the more than 10-hour trip back to the surface to raise the alarm while the other stayed behind.

The rescue effort, high in the mountains near the Austrian border, involved a total of 728 people from five countries - Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Croatia.

Mr Westhauer is taken to safety

"It was one of the most difficult rescue operations in the history of the mountain rescue service," said Klemens Reindl, who runs the service and supervised the operation.

After reaching him, rescuers placed Mr Westhauser on a fibreglass stretcher, then slowly made their through a treacherous network of tunnels and chambers, underground lakes and ice-cold waterfalls.

The last part of the operation involved hoisting Mr Westhauer up a 180-metre vertical shaft near the entrance to the cave, officials said.   

The international rescue team outside the cave

German Red Cross president Rudolf Seiters praised the rescue effort, saying the conditions were "extremely difficult".

"The fact that they still managed is a great success for the volunteer rescue workers," he said.

The Technology Institute of Karlsruhe, where Mr Westhauser works in the applied physics department, also praised the rescuers.

"Our thanks goes to the Bavaria mountain rescue service and the many helpers at the scene who brought the difficult rescue with care and great personal commitment to a happy end," it said in a statement.

The Riesending cave, north of the city of Berchtesgaden, was discovered only in the mid-1990s and was not explored and mapped until 2002. It is more than 19km (11 miles) long and up to 1,150m deep.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boko Haram Threat Spreads Into Cameroon

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Cameroon

The Nigerian-born Islamic militant group Boko Haram is terrorising communities inside neighbouring Cameroon and snatching young boys from across the border and forcing them to join the sect.

We saw abandoned villages and burned-out schools inside Cameroon, despite the presence of hundreds of troops including some of the country's top soldiers from the elite rapid response unit Battalion D'Intervention Rapide (BIR).

The huge 1,243-mile (2,000km) border with Nigeria is mostly unmanned and un-policed, allowing Boko Haram to cross over and mount attacks inside Cameroon with horrifying regularity.

Soldiers from the BIR are desperately trying to stop the spread of Boko Haram in their country.

But the sect, which appears to be trying to create an Islamic fundamentalist belt across West Africa, continues to wreak terror and destruction all along the border.

Nigeria has accused Cameroon of not doing enough and has said Boko Haram fighters and leaders are using the country as a safe haven.

But the country's military leaders insist that is not the case.

Cameroon Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Badjeck told us: "They are not in Cameroon. Why would we allow that? This is bad for Cameroon.

"We are suffering, too, at the hands of Boko Haram."

Cameroon has put elite troops on the border

He said the country may have reacted slowly to the Boko Haram threat but had reacted as soon as they realised it was growing and encroaching into Cameroon.

There are now hundreds of troops including those from the elite BIR unit, in the north.

The border lines are often difficult to decipher with no markings or obvious difference between the two countries.

In the town of Amchide, the border cuts right through the town with roughly two-thirds of the town under Nigerian control and the remaining third in Cameroon territory.

We were with the elite unit as soldiers patrolled through the town and up to a rope across the road which signalled the end of Cameroon land.

About 100 metres away, some Nigerian soldiers cheerily greeted their counterparts.

Alex Crawford is with the elite Cameroon unit BIR as it fights extremists

There appears to be much more cordial relations on the ground among the foot soldiers than there is between their respective political masters.

In other communities, the villagers told us how Boko Haram militants stormed in during the day, trying to snatch young boys to add to their recruits.

One young lad told us how he was approached by the militants as he worked in the fields.

They at first tried to persuade him to join them. When he refused, the situation turned ugly but somehow he managed to run away.

The eyes of the world are on Syria and Iraq at the moment as the Islamic militants there shock with their brutal attempts to wrestle control of swathes of both countries.

But according to the Cameroon military, the Islamic militants of Boko Haram are fighting a similar terror campaign in West Africa.

The sect is spreading across the northeast of its own country but also spilling over into its neighbours.

Cameroon, with its long, unchecked border, is possibly most vulnerable.

And so far, despite the attempts of even some of its top soldiers, the Boko Haram fighters, far from being defeated, appear to be growing in strength and numbers.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Video Shows Cop Fatally Shooting Prisoner

Newly released video shows a Texas police officer fatally shooting a handcuffed prisoner in El Paso city jail.

The footage shows a struggle between the inmate - bodybuilder Daniel Saenz - police officer Jose Flores and an unidentified prison guard.

The release of the video was ordered by the Texas Attorney General's Office after a request by the newspaper El Paso.

The video dates to March 8, 2013.

Saenz, 37, had been arrested that day after he had allegedly attacked an off-duty police officer.

Saenz was then being transported from jail to a hospital because he had smashed his head against the doorway and injured himself.

The video shows Saenz, his hands in cuffs behind his back, being dragged by Mr Flores and the guard.

According to a statement by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), the inmate had been tasered five times throughout the course of the day but continued to resist.

Mr Flores pulled out his gun, firing a shot that went through Saenz's shoulder and into his heart, local reports said.

Saenz died shortly thereafter in hospital.

CLEAT claimed the guard inadvertently hit the officer's hand, causing the gun to fire.

Mr Flores has not been charged but is believed to be on leave.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

British ISIS Militants 'Will Target UK'

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 2:12pm UK, Tuesday 17 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

China: Activists Jailed For 'Picking Quarrels'

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent in Beijing

Three Chinese activists have been given jail sentences after calling for public officials to disclose their wealth.

Wei Zhongping and Liu Ping, who are both activists associated with the New Citizens' Movement, were each given six-and-a-half years.

The third activist, Li Sihua, received a shorter sentence.

All three were originally charged with illegal assembly but were later accused of the more serious charge of "picking quarrels" and creating a disturbance.

Liu and Wei were also accused of gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place and using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement.

They are familiar catch-all charges which are seemingly being used with increasing frequency to silence those who cause difficulties or embarrassment for the Chinese authorities.

It's claimed Liu was tortured whilst in detentionl

"The charges against these activists were preposterous from the very beginning," said William Nee, Amnesty International's China Researcher.

"Having a small, private, gathering and holding a banner in a lobby entrance and demanding financial transparency from officials should not in any way constitute picking quarrels and illegal assembly.

"The harsh sentences are just the latest moves in the politically-motivated crackdown on the New Citizens Movement. They are prisoners of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally."

It is claimed that Liu Ping was tortured during detention and her daughter and mother were not allowed to observe the trial.

The New Citizens Movement comprises a lose network of activists operating across China. One of their original aims was to campaign for educational rights for Chinese children.

However, their campaigns quickly morphed into a wider call for transparency and open government, as well as political and civil rights for the Chinese people.

Xu Zhiyong, one of the founders of the New Citizens Movement

In January, one of the movement's founders, Xu Zhiyong, was tried in a Beijing court for crimes including "making a racket" and attracting onlookers. He was convicted and jailed for four years.

The conviction of the three activists comes at a time when China's president, Xi Jinping, has launched a nationwide anti-corruption drive.

While the calls of the New Citizens Movement members are, ostensibly, in line with President Xi's call for an end to corruption and graft, grass roots activism considered by the authorities to be remotely political is not tolerated.

Since President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang took office in March last year, there has been a marked increase in the number of people detained using broad charges such as creating a disturbance or spreading rumours.

In a separate development, Chinese journalists have been banned from publishing critical reports without first gaining the approval of their employer.

The sentences and the wider crackdown raise questions about the appropriateness of Premier Li's three-day visit to the UK, which ends on Thursday. He has met the Queen and signed trade deals worth more than £14bn.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saddam's Red-Haired Iraq Deputy Back In The Fray

An uncompromising violent extremist movement, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has an unlikely, secular, ace in its pack - or rather a king.

More precisely, the King of Clubs, as Izzat Ibrahim al Douri - the most senior surviving member of Saddam Hussein's inner circle - was dubbed in the US Most Wanted deck of cards issued during the hunt for members of the Baath Party.

A playing card with an image of al Douri

The former deputy to the executed dictator, al Douri has been reported to have died, twice.

But he has emerged as a galvanising figure behind the enormous success that ISIS has had during its offensive in northern Iraq.

He evaded capture by the Americans and formed the Naqshbandia group of Baathist officers, all of them hardened by war with Iran in the 1980s, to lead attacks against US and allied forces during their occupation of Iraq.

The Baath Party shunned fundamentalist Islam and jailed conservative clerics favouring a pan-Arab secular socialist future which quickly mutated into a reign of terror under Saddam Hussein.

But the Naqshbandia have joined forces with ISIS now because they share a vision of a return to Sunni dominance of Iraq.

This may explain why ISIS has met little resistance from Sunnis in the north of the country who are already deeply suspicious of the Shia-dominated central government in Baghdad.

The tribes around Mosul and in Tikrit were the most fiercely loyal to the Saddam regime.

ISIS fighters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul

Al Douri's presence in an alliance with ISIS has made it easier to swing the population in the Sunni north behind what both groups hope will escalate into a wider Sunni revolution.

The latest ISIS annual report painstakingly details the tactical and strategic efficacy of every attack in Iraq, sub-grouped by type of weapon, type of attack, and effect on the local population.

It also details efforts to 'reform' Sunni militia who fought al Qaeda and policemen serving the state - part of a programme to rapidly expand ISIS ranks.

Its meticulous detailing of assassination, selective murder and terrorism has all the hallmarks of well-trained senior staff officers from a formal army.

Al Douri was one of the late dictator's most trusted aides

And points further to the close involvement of senior members of Saddam's former military machine.

There have been several unverified social media reports from sources showing detailed insider knowledge of ISIS that some of Saddam's generals have joined their ranks in senior positions.

This, therefore, adds greater urgency to the need to bring Sunnis into the central government.

ISIS has been charting its brutality in annual reports

"We want to do everything we can to avoid sectarian violence. We have been saying for years that the central government must include Sunnis in genuine power with a full state in the future," Dr Dhiya el al Assadi, a recently elected Shia MP said.

The same message has been coming from Sunni leaders, Washington and Tehran.

There is no sign yet that it has been received by Iraq's Prime Minister who seems to believe he has other cards to play.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Iraq Forces 'Retake' Oil Refinery From ISIS

Iraqi forces have regained full control of the country's biggest oil refinery after heavy fighting with Sunni militants attempting to seize it, the authorities claim.

A refinery employee and witnesses said the insurgents had withdrawn from the sprawling Baiji complex after losing 100 fighters as troops and helicopter gunships repelled repeated attacks, according to the Iraqi military.

The retaking of the plant, north of Baghdad, comes amid calls for the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al Maliki to quit as a condition of US help in driving back insurgents who have seized large swathes of the country.

A member of the Iraqi security forces guards volunteer fighters in Baghdad

Speaking on Sky News, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that the government in Baghdad risked splitting the country unless it reached out to all groups.

The administration of Mr al Malaki has requested that America launch airstrikes against the ISIS extremists, whose lightning offensive in the north of the country - including the capture of the city of Mosul - saw the US-bankrolled military crumble.

US President Barack Obama is to make a statement on the crisis at 5.30pm BST following meetings with his national security team in the White House Situation Room.

A map of Iraq's vital oil and gas network. Source: Platts

The advance of the al Qaeda breakaway group has only been slowed by a regrouped army, Shia militias and volunteers, who have signed up to join the battle against the militants. 

Officials say US action is not imminent, partly because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground.

But unnamed officials have said the President is set to announce the deployment of 100 special forces troops to help train and advise Iraqi forces.

A potential obstacle to US military involvement is Mr al Maliki, who has been blamed for alienating Iraq's Sunni minority, leading to sectarian rifts and contributing to the current crisis.

David Petraeus has warned over the risks of the US providing air support

Several leading figures in Congress from across the political divide have spoken out against the premier.

Dianne Feinstein, the Democrat chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: "The Maliki government, candidly, has got to go if you want any reconciliation."

Republican senator John McCain backed military support but urged Mr Obama to "make it make very clear to Maliki that his time is up".

The oil refinery at Baiji has been the scene of fierce fighting

Mr Rasmussen warned on Sky News: "Unless the government reaches out to other groups in Iraqi society, there's a clear risk that the country will be split."

And General David Petraeus, who led the US troop surge ahead of America pulling out of Iraq, says there should not even be air support without major change in Baghdad.

The former CIA chief warned Washington risked becoming an "air force for Shiite militias", if it agreed to the request for support.

ISIS militants claim to have captured an airbase in Tal Afar

However, President Barack Obama has indicated he does not need authorisation from Congress to take any steps over action in Iraq.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Mr al Maliki said the PM will not step down, insisting his administration was inclusive, with Sunni Muslims represented in key roles.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More