SOMALIA
Counterterrorism push touted
The government has declared “all-out war” against the al-Shabaab militant group and adopted a multipronged counterterrorism effort that — despite some early headline-grabbing military gains — promises to be long and difficult. The dogged al-Qaeda affiliate was driven from major cities a decade ago, but retains swathes of countryside, where a coalition of armed groups has in the past few months joined forces against the insurgents. Two clans in drought-afflicted central regions, frustrated about living under al-Shabaab rule, in July sparked a revolt against the group that quickly spread across the regions of Hirshabelle and Galmudug. In September, the army and US-trained “lightning” commandos joined the fray in support of these clan militias, known as macawisley after the traditional sarongs worn by their fighters. “The government wants to seize the current momentum and encourage these types of uprisings across al-Shabaab-held areas in Somalia,” said Omar Mahmood, a researcher at the International Crisis Group think tank.
NETHERLANDS
Squatters allowed to stay
A court has authorized squatters who have occupied a Russian-owned mansion in Amsterdam to stay, after they argued that the house was currently empty and that its owner planned to rent or sell it in breach of EU sanctions, instead of living there himself. “Without the sanctions, the squatters would certainly have lost,” one of their lawyers, Heleen over de Linden, told reporters. “So, this is a very special case, yes,” she said. The squatters have since last month occupied the luxurious five-story building belonging to Arkady Volozh, the sanctioned cofounder of Russian search engine giant Yandex. Squatting has been a crime since 2010, but “respect for one’s home is a human right ... that can stand in the way of eviction,” said Juanita van Lunen, who also defended the squatters.
HAITI
Police academy head killed
The head of the National Police Academy was on Friday shot dead in a gang-plagued part of the capital, Port-au-Prince, government officials said. The killing of Harington Rigaud was the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the violence-torn Caribbean nation. Rigaud “was shot in the head not far from the academy,” police spokesman Garry Desrosiers said, adding that the attackers also stole Rigaud’s vehicle and kidnapped his driver. The attack took place in a neighborhood controlled by gang leader Vitelhomme Innocent, who is wanted in the US over his alleged participation in the kidnapping of 16 US missionaries in October last year. US authorities have offered up to US$1 million for information leading to his capture.
UNITED STATES
Orion placed in lunar orbit
NASA’s Orion spacecraft was placed in lunar orbit on Friday, officials said, as the much-delayed moon mission proceeded successfully. A little more than a week after the spacecraft blasted off from Florida bound for the moon, flight controllers “successfully performed a burn to insert Orion into a distant retrograde orbit,” the space agency said on its Web site. The spacecraft is to take astronauts to the moon in the coming years — the first to set foot on its surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972. This first test flight, without a crew on board, aims to ensure that the vehicle is safe. “The orbit is distant in that Orion will fly about 40,000 miles [64,374km] above the moon,” NASA said. While in lunar orbit, flight controllers would monitor key systems and perform checks, it said.
FLYBY: The object, appears to be traveling more than 60 kilometers per second, meaning it is not bound by the sun’s orbit, astronomers studying 3I/Atlas said Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through the solar system — only the third-ever spotted, although scientists suspect many more might slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected, and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. “It looks kind of fuzzy,” said Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation. “It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail.” Originally known as A11pl3Z before
Hundreds of protesters marched through the Mexican capital on Friday denouncing gentrification caused by foreigners, with some vandalizing businesses and shouting “gringos out!” The demonstration in the capital’s central area turned violent when hooded individuals smashed windows, damaged restaurant furniture and looted a clothing store. Mexico City Government Secretary Cesar Cravioto said 15 businesses and public facilities were damaged in what he called “xenophobic expressions” similar to what Mexican migrants have suffered in other countries. “We are a city of open arms... there are always ways to negotiate, to sit at the table,” Cravioto told Milenio television. Neighborhoods like Roma-Condesa
‘CONTINUE TO SERVE’: The 90-year-old Dalai Lama said he hoped to be able to continue serving ‘sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma’ for decades to come The Dalai Lama yesterday said he dreamed of living for decades more, as the Buddhist spiritual leader prayed with thousands of exiled Tibetans on the eve of his 90th birthday. Thumping drums and deep horns reverberated from the Indian hilltop temple, as a chanting chorus of red-robed monks and nuns offered long-life prayers for Tenzin Gyatso, who followers believe is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Looking in good health, dressed in traditional maroon monk robes and a flowing yellow wrap, he led prayers — days after confirming that the 600-year-old Tibetan Buddhist institution would continue after his death. Many exiled Tibetans
Dozens of residents have evacuated remote islands in southern Japan that have been shaken by nearly 1,600 earthquakes in recent weeks, the local mayor said yesterday. There has been no major physical damage on hardest-hit Akuseki island, even after a magnitude 5.1 quake that struck overnight, said Toshima Mayor Genichiro Kubo, who is based on another island. However, the almost nonstop jolts since June 21 have caused severe stress to area residents, many of whom have been deprived of sleep. Of the 89 residents of Akuseki, 44 had evacuated to the regional hub of Kagoshima by Sunday, while 15 others also left another
RSS