STOCKHOLM (AP) — Several people were shot inside a restaurant in
the city of Gothenburg late Wednesday and some of have died, Swedish
police said.
Police said in a statement that an automatic weapon is believed to have
been used in the shooting. They had no details on any suspects but said
an investigation was under way.
Gothenburg is located in southwestern Sweden and is the country's second biggest city.
The shooting happened in an area of the city with a history of
gang-related violence, police spokeswoman Ulla Brehm said. She said it
was too early to speculate on the motive but said there were indications
that the shooting was gang-related.
"There is absolutely nothing that indicates terrorism," Brehm said.
One witness told Swedish broadcaster SVT that two men entered the restaurant and started shooting with automatic weapons.
"I didn't have a chance to think about what happened. Then I saw that my
friend was bleeding. I tried to stop the bleeding as good as I could
with my hand," said the witness, who didn't give his name.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
No Execution Of Foreigners In Near Future: Indonesian Officials
JAKARTA: -- High-ranking government officials said on Wednesday
that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the next few
months, as the country’s judiciary was still processing their appeals
and case reviews.
Attorney-General M. Prasetyo said that although all preparations for the drug convicts’ executions had been completed, prosecutors were still waiting for the final verdicts on their appeals.
Prasetyo went on to say that all death-row convicts in the second batch had to be executed simultaneously, including Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso of the Philippines and French inmate Serge Atlaoui, whose case reviews are now being handled by the Supreme Court.
“If they were not executed simultaneously, it would create further problems for us,” Prasetyo said at the State Palace on Wednesday before a Cabinet meeting presided over by president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Prasetyo claimed the AGO had no deadline for the executions, adding that it was waiting for the ongoing legal proceedings to wrap up.
“There are several ongoing legal proceedings. We must wait for them [to reach their conclusion],” he said, adding that the appeals and case reviews included those filed at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) by two Australian drug smugglers on death row, Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33.
Prasetyo maintained that the executions’ delay was not due to foreign pressure.
Attorney-General M. Prasetyo said that although all preparations for the drug convicts’ executions had been completed, prosecutors were still waiting for the final verdicts on their appeals.
Prasetyo went on to say that all death-row convicts in the second batch had to be executed simultaneously, including Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso of the Philippines and French inmate Serge Atlaoui, whose case reviews are now being handled by the Supreme Court.
“If they were not executed simultaneously, it would create further problems for us,” Prasetyo said at the State Palace on Wednesday before a Cabinet meeting presided over by president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Prasetyo claimed the AGO had no deadline for the executions, adding that it was waiting for the ongoing legal proceedings to wrap up.
“There are several ongoing legal proceedings. We must wait for them [to reach their conclusion],” he said, adding that the appeals and case reviews included those filed at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) by two Australian drug smugglers on death row, Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33.
Prasetyo maintained that the executions’ delay was not due to foreign pressure.
Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport Reports Growth Of 46.7%
Among the top 10 busiest airports in the region, half showed positive growth while the rest reported decrease in traffic from last year.
In Asia, Beijing (PEK) continued to lead as the busiest airport in the region serving close to 7 million passengers in January 2015. New Delhi (DEL) grew at +17.5% in the month and is likely to surpass 40 million by the end of 2015. Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) recorded the highest growth rate (+46.7%) among all reporting airports.
In the Middle East, the strong passenger volume was contributed by double digit growth in the following airports: Kuwait (KWI) +22.2%, Abu Dhabi (AUH) +20.7%, Doha (DOH) +18%.
In terms of air freight traffic for the month, Asia Pacific reported growth at +3.4%. Among the leading cargo airports in the region, Tokyo Haneda (HND) reported highest growth from last year at +21.4%.
The Middle East continued to deliver strong performance at +9.6% with several airports reporting double digit growth year over year: Dubai (aggregated DXB & DWC2) +16.3%, Doha (DOH) +11.8% and Abu Dhabi (AUH) +11%.
Myanmar Woman Arrested In Phuket For Drug Dealing
PHUKET : -- A woman from Myanmar was arrested for drug dealing after being found in possession of methamphetamine (ya bah) and crystal meth (ya ice).
Immigration police arrested Thi Car Myint (Chu), 35, at a workers camp in the the Vichit district. She had in her possession 60 ya bah pills, .2 grams of ya ice and 15 B100 bank notes.
Immigration Policeman told The Phuket News, “We have followed a group of Myanmar workers we believed were involved in drugs for two or three months.
“An undercover officer managed to buy 10 ya bah pills from one of them yesterday for B2,500.
We found the workers camp they lived in and decided to carry out a raid. When we raided the camp some of the workers runaway but we managed to apprehend Chu, and when we searched her she had 60 ya bah pills and .2grams of ya ice in her possession.
“We believe that Chu has been supplying drugs to a number of workers in the area.”
Chu is now being held at Vichit Police Station where she is to be charged with possession of Category 1 drugs with intent to sell.
Monks Close To Abbot Testify To DSI Probe Team
TWO MONKS close to Wat Dhammakaya abbot Phra Dhammachayo yesterday testified to the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) about money donations they received from Supachai Supa-aksorn, former president of Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative, who was accused of embezzling more than Bt10 billion from the credit union.
Phra Khru Palat Vijahn Thirangkuro and Phra Montri Sudapaso at 1.30pm met with Pol Lt- Colonel Pakorn Sucheewakul, who heads a DSI team probing the Wat Dhammakaya transactions.
Phra Montri, who reportedly received a cheque for Bt100 million, told reporters prior to the police meeting that he wasn't close to Supachai, who donated Bt5 million from 2009-2010 for novices' training materials.
He insisted that he was testifying to the DSI as a witness not as a suspect. Phra Khru Palat Vijahn, who reportedly received Bt119 million for the construction of a youth centre in Lop Buri's Khok Samrong district, didn't make any comment to the reporters.
Abhisit And Suthep 'Must Explain Dispersal Of Red Shirts
National Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Parnthep
Klanarongrarn has told former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his
former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban they must clarify their decision to
order the dispersal of red shirt demonstrators in 2010.
Abhisit and Suthep have been accused of mishandling the bloody crackdown on supporters of the red shirts' United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.
At least 99 people were killed over a two-month period.
Parnthep said Abhisit and Suthep must either make their clarifications in person or in writing by Wednesday.
He said if the men want to use witnesses in an attempt to bolster their cases, the NACC will scrutinise the request under the law and determine if it is necessary to the case.
Abhisit and Suthep have been accused of mishandling the bloody crackdown on supporters of the red shirts' United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.
At least 99 people were killed over a two-month period.
Parnthep said Abhisit and Suthep must either make their clarifications in person or in writing by Wednesday.
He said if the men want to use witnesses in an attempt to bolster their cases, the NACC will scrutinise the request under the law and determine if it is necessary to the case.
US Opens Criminal Inquiry Of Resigning Lllinois Congressman
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating the
congressional expenses and business deals of Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock,
and FBI agents have begun issuing subpoenas to witnesses, a person
familiar with the case told The Associated Press on Friday.
Investigators were focusing on Schock's House office expense account, expenditures by his re-election campaign and his personal investments with long-time political donors, the person said. Schock, 33, a young, media-savvy Republican, abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday after weeks of mounting media reports about questionable expenditures and personal finances.
The government was convening a federal grand jury in Springfield, Illinois, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the case. The person also said that FBI agents were visiting people close to the Republican congressman who were being compelled by subpoena to testify. The grand jury was hearing testimony in early April, according to the subpoenas.
A spokesman and lawyers for Schock did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails Friday from AP.
Schock's sudden resignation followed revelations over six weeks about his business deals and lavish spending on travel, personal mileage reimbursements and office redecorating in the style of "Downton Abbey." Congressional ethics investigators had begun probing Schock's conduct in the days before his announcement, but that probe was expected to shut down because of the federal investigation.
Questions have included Associated Press investigations of Schock's real estate transactions, air travel and entertainment expenses — including some events that Schock documented in photographs on his Instagram account. On Monday, the AP confirmed that the Office of Congressional Ethics had reached out to Schock's associates as it apparently began an investigation.
The owner of an air charter service in Peoria confirmed Friday that he had been contacted by an ethics investigator interested in Schock's extensive flights on planes owned by campaign donors. Harrel W. Timmons, owner of Jet Air Inc., was not a Schock donor but said the investigator wanted to know about the lawmaker's flights on a plane owned by D&B Air, a Peoria aviation firm owned by a prominent Schock donor.
AP previously reported that Schock's use of the D&B plane appeared to violate congressional rules in place at the time prohibiting the use of office accounts to pay for private flights. Schock had used office expenses to pay $24,000 for eight flights in 2011 and 2012. Since mid-2011, Schock's office and campaign expenses paid for more than $40,000 worth of flights on planes owned by his political donors.
House ethics investigators typically stand down open inquiries once federal authorities open their own probe or when the House Ethics Committee orders a halt in the inquiry. The OCE had been authorized to continue its inquiry until Schock's planned March 31 resignation. His decision to quit has no impact on the FBI investigation.
Earlier this week, Schock's father, Richard, told an ABC reporter: "Two years from now he'll be successful, if he's not in jail."
"If you're going to investigate his real estate dealings, etc., then find out the facts," Richard Schock said. "The facts are what are going to convict him or exonerate him."
The AP reported last week that much of Schock's personal wealth, estimated at about $1.4 million, grew from a series of real estate deals involving other long-time political donors. Schock's political contributors built, financed and later purchased a house the lawmaker owned as an investment in Peoria. He owns a stake in a Peoria apartment complex involving other contributors. And he pushed for a federal appropriation that would have benefitted a donor's development project.
Schock's expenses came under scrutiny last month after the Washington Post reported that Schock had paid $40,000 from his House expense account for a lavish office redecoration modeled on decor depicted in the TV serial "Downton Abbey." Reports by Politico and other news organizations also singled out Schock's unusually high, personal reimbursements for auto mileage.
Schock responded to the growing scrutiny by paying back his office decorator $40,000. The day of his resignation, Schock also paid back his mileage expenses, but his spokesman did not say how much he had repaid.
In resigning abruptly on Tuesday, Schock cited a "heavy heart," following six weeks of revelations about his business deals. He said in a statement that the constant questions about his spending and business dealings had made it impossible to serve effectively as congressman.
House Speaker John Boehner was not informed of Schock's resignation before it was announced but has said he supported the decision to quit.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Elections Committee also confirmed Friday that staff lawyers were reviewing a complaint from a liberal-leaning watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The group complained Feb. 26 that two political committees associated with Schock paid more than $9,000 for flights on donor planes. The FEC does not investigate complaints until the full committee votes on the matter. That has not happened, the spokeswoman said.
Investigators were focusing on Schock's House office expense account, expenditures by his re-election campaign and his personal investments with long-time political donors, the person said. Schock, 33, a young, media-savvy Republican, abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday after weeks of mounting media reports about questionable expenditures and personal finances.
The government was convening a federal grand jury in Springfield, Illinois, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the case. The person also said that FBI agents were visiting people close to the Republican congressman who were being compelled by subpoena to testify. The grand jury was hearing testimony in early April, according to the subpoenas.
A spokesman and lawyers for Schock did not respond to repeated phone calls and emails Friday from AP.
Schock's sudden resignation followed revelations over six weeks about his business deals and lavish spending on travel, personal mileage reimbursements and office redecorating in the style of "Downton Abbey." Congressional ethics investigators had begun probing Schock's conduct in the days before his announcement, but that probe was expected to shut down because of the federal investigation.
Questions have included Associated Press investigations of Schock's real estate transactions, air travel and entertainment expenses — including some events that Schock documented in photographs on his Instagram account. On Monday, the AP confirmed that the Office of Congressional Ethics had reached out to Schock's associates as it apparently began an investigation.
The owner of an air charter service in Peoria confirmed Friday that he had been contacted by an ethics investigator interested in Schock's extensive flights on planes owned by campaign donors. Harrel W. Timmons, owner of Jet Air Inc., was not a Schock donor but said the investigator wanted to know about the lawmaker's flights on a plane owned by D&B Air, a Peoria aviation firm owned by a prominent Schock donor.
AP previously reported that Schock's use of the D&B plane appeared to violate congressional rules in place at the time prohibiting the use of office accounts to pay for private flights. Schock had used office expenses to pay $24,000 for eight flights in 2011 and 2012. Since mid-2011, Schock's office and campaign expenses paid for more than $40,000 worth of flights on planes owned by his political donors.
House ethics investigators typically stand down open inquiries once federal authorities open their own probe or when the House Ethics Committee orders a halt in the inquiry. The OCE had been authorized to continue its inquiry until Schock's planned March 31 resignation. His decision to quit has no impact on the FBI investigation.
Earlier this week, Schock's father, Richard, told an ABC reporter: "Two years from now he'll be successful, if he's not in jail."
"If you're going to investigate his real estate dealings, etc., then find out the facts," Richard Schock said. "The facts are what are going to convict him or exonerate him."
The AP reported last week that much of Schock's personal wealth, estimated at about $1.4 million, grew from a series of real estate deals involving other long-time political donors. Schock's political contributors built, financed and later purchased a house the lawmaker owned as an investment in Peoria. He owns a stake in a Peoria apartment complex involving other contributors. And he pushed for a federal appropriation that would have benefitted a donor's development project.
Schock's expenses came under scrutiny last month after the Washington Post reported that Schock had paid $40,000 from his House expense account for a lavish office redecoration modeled on decor depicted in the TV serial "Downton Abbey." Reports by Politico and other news organizations also singled out Schock's unusually high, personal reimbursements for auto mileage.
Schock responded to the growing scrutiny by paying back his office decorator $40,000. The day of his resignation, Schock also paid back his mileage expenses, but his spokesman did not say how much he had repaid.
In resigning abruptly on Tuesday, Schock cited a "heavy heart," following six weeks of revelations about his business deals. He said in a statement that the constant questions about his spending and business dealings had made it impossible to serve effectively as congressman.
House Speaker John Boehner was not informed of Schock's resignation before it was announced but has said he supported the decision to quit.
A spokeswoman for the Federal Elections Committee also confirmed Friday that staff lawyers were reviewing a complaint from a liberal-leaning watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The group complained Feb. 26 that two political committees associated with Schock paid more than $9,000 for flights on donor planes. The FEC does not investigate complaints until the full committee votes on the matter. That has not happened, the spokeswoman said.
Lottery Vendors Threaten To Rally In Bangkok
BANGKOK: -- Lottory vendors in Loei threatened to rally in Bangkok if the government ignored their call for the Government Lottery Office (GLO) to suspend its plan to sell lottery ticket at convenience stores.
The threat came as the vendors rallied in Loei province yesterday to express their opposition to a planned move by the government to sell lottery tickets in convenience stores, on fear of losing income.
A hundred of lottery vendors gathered at the Wang Saphung local administrative office to oppose and to call on the government to review its plan to allow sales of lottery tickets in convenience stores.
Carrying placards showing their opposition to the plan, they said the plan would affect small scale lotto vendors.
The plan is part of the government’s attempt to modernize the country’s lottery system and to address high price of lottery tickets.
Although the face value of lottery ticket is 80 baht but when it comes to customer, the price is marked up several step and now is sold between 100-120 baht.
Wang Saphung district is known to have the largest number of small scale lottery vendors in Thailand. Many of its residents have their part-time jobs as lottery sellers, especially during times of economic trouble.
The vendors said the high price of lottery tickets is caused by the ticket distribution system which involves middle person.
To reduce lottery ticket price, they suggested that the state-owned GLO allocate lottery tickets directly to them to sell without passing through brokers.
The vendors peacefully dispersed after Wang Saphung district chief Wisa Yanyaluk received their complaints and promised to urgently forward them to the government.
The vendors said if their complaints were ignored, then they would travel to Bangkok to rally at the GLO.
In a related development, the GLO board held its meeting in Pattaya City to discuss the renewal of lottery quota system before the several decades long quota system is due to expire in June.
The meeting was chaired by Somchai Sujjapongse, the board chairman who also is director-general of Customs Department.
The board discussed which groups should receive a quota share of a total 48 million lottery tickets, and relevant regulations.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Iranian Man Arrested With Over 1,000 Fake Passports
Bangkok:- An Iranian man who has been living in Thailand
for some 20 years has been arrested with over 1,000 fake passports of
more than 60 countries and has been charged with running a human
trafficking gang.
The arrest of Murel Gurat, 45, a long-time Bangkok resident with a
lot of businesses, was announced at the head office of the DSI
Wednesday. Present at the press conference were representatives from the
Special Branch Police Bureau and several embassies.
Gurat also had a fake passport under the name of Esrafil Bondar.
DSI Director Suwanna Suwanjutha sad Gurat was arrested by DSI and
Special Branch officials at a house in Tambon Nongplua in Chon Buri’s
Bang Lamung district on Sunday.
The officials found tools for forging passports in the house. On
Monday, the officials searched another house of Gurat and found over
1,053 fake passports.
Evidence presented at the press conference included a hard drive
with information for making fake passports and fake visa stamps.
Suwanna said Gurat was allegedly a member of an international human
trafficking gang whose members include Bangladeshi and Pakistani
forgers. The gang members stole passports from around the world and sent
them to Gurat for forging to use them to smuggle people to third
countries.
The smuggled people entered Thailand as tourists and used fake
passports from Gurat to travel to third countries. Some of them might be
terrorists, she added.
Pol Maj Gen Udon Yomcharoen, commander of the Special Branch Police
Division 2, said Gurat was arrested after police followed tips from the
arrest of another Iranian man, Seyed Ramin Miraziz Paknejad who has
been arrested for forging passports. But Paknejad later jumped bail and
was later re-arrested in Malaysia.
US Air Force Vet Tried To Join Islamic State Group
NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. Air Force veteran and airplane
mechanic plotted to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group and
was arrested on terrorism charges, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, of Neptune, New Jersey, was due Wednesday in a New York federal court after being indicted on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group and obstructing justice.
Prosecutors said Pugh had been stopped at a Turkish airport in January carrying a laptop with information on Turkey-Syria border crossing points, 180 jihadist propaganda videos including footage of an Islamic State prisoner beheading, and a letter declaring: "I will use the talents and skills given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States."
"There is only two possible outcomes for me. Victory or martyr," continued the letter, which authorities believe was to Pugh's Egyptian wife, investigators said in court papers.
Pugh's lawyer, Michael K. Schneider, said Pugh would plead not guilty. Schneider declined to comment further.
The 47-year-old Pugh served in the Air Force from 1986 to 1990 and was trained in installing and maintaining aircraft engines and navigation and weapons systems, according to Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch's office. An airman first class, Pugh was assigned to the Woodbridge Air Base in England in July 1987 and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona in July 1989, the Air Force said.
Pugh converted to Islam around 1998, court papers said.
After leaving the Air Force, he worked as an avionics specialist and airplane mechanic for a number of companies in the Middle East and the U.S. — including American Airlines, where the FBI got a 2001 tip about him from a co-worker who said Pugh expressed sympathy for Osama bin Laden, according to court papers. The airline said he left in early 2000 after a few months at American.
In 2002, an associate of Pugh's told the FBI that Pugh was interested in traveling to Chechnya to wage war, the investigators' court filing said.
Pugh worked on for DynCorp International in Iraq as an Army contractor in 2009 and 2010, the filing said. McLean, Virginia-based DynCorp declined to comment.
Pugh has been living overseas for the past year and a half, most recently in Egypt, investigators said. Last summer, Kuwait-based charter airline Gryphon Airlines considered hiring Pugh for a project but decided he didn't meet the requirements, the company said in a statement. He told an acquaintance in a December email that he'd been fired from his most recent job, according to investigators.
Prosecutors said Pugh then decided to join the Islamic State group, traveling from Egypt to Turkey to ultimately cross the border into Syria. He was stopped at the Turkish border Jan. 10, turned away and returned to Egypt, where he was detained to be returned to the U.S.
Pugh variously told authorities in Turkey and Egypt that he had gone to Turkey for vacation and to look for a job, and he said had no desire to go to Syria, court papers said.
But investigators said they found a chart of crossing points between Turkey and Syria, plus information about whether the border checkpoints were staffed, on Pugh's laptop. Investigators said his cellphone also had photos of a machine gun and airplanes, including an airplane bathroom and an area under passenger seats.
He was flown back to the U.S. on Jan. 15.
The Department of Justice has charged roughly 20 people in the past year with planning to travel to the Middle East to fight alongside militants such as the Islamic State group, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq. Federal officials have been concerned about Americans going overseas to train with these groups and returning with plots to carry out attacks at home.
"We will continue to vigorously prosecute extremists, whether based here or abroad, to stop them before they are able to threaten the United States and its allies," Lynch said in a statement Tuesday.
Three men were arrested late last month in a plot to travel to Syria; they have pleaded not guilty.
Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, of Neptune, New Jersey, was due Wednesday in a New York federal court after being indicted on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group and obstructing justice.
Prosecutors said Pugh had been stopped at a Turkish airport in January carrying a laptop with information on Turkey-Syria border crossing points, 180 jihadist propaganda videos including footage of an Islamic State prisoner beheading, and a letter declaring: "I will use the talents and skills given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States."
"There is only two possible outcomes for me. Victory or martyr," continued the letter, which authorities believe was to Pugh's Egyptian wife, investigators said in court papers.
Pugh's lawyer, Michael K. Schneider, said Pugh would plead not guilty. Schneider declined to comment further.
The 47-year-old Pugh served in the Air Force from 1986 to 1990 and was trained in installing and maintaining aircraft engines and navigation and weapons systems, according to Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch's office. An airman first class, Pugh was assigned to the Woodbridge Air Base in England in July 1987 and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona in July 1989, the Air Force said.
Pugh converted to Islam around 1998, court papers said.
After leaving the Air Force, he worked as an avionics specialist and airplane mechanic for a number of companies in the Middle East and the U.S. — including American Airlines, where the FBI got a 2001 tip about him from a co-worker who said Pugh expressed sympathy for Osama bin Laden, according to court papers. The airline said he left in early 2000 after a few months at American.
In 2002, an associate of Pugh's told the FBI that Pugh was interested in traveling to Chechnya to wage war, the investigators' court filing said.
Pugh worked on for DynCorp International in Iraq as an Army contractor in 2009 and 2010, the filing said. McLean, Virginia-based DynCorp declined to comment.
Pugh has been living overseas for the past year and a half, most recently in Egypt, investigators said. Last summer, Kuwait-based charter airline Gryphon Airlines considered hiring Pugh for a project but decided he didn't meet the requirements, the company said in a statement. He told an acquaintance in a December email that he'd been fired from his most recent job, according to investigators.
Prosecutors said Pugh then decided to join the Islamic State group, traveling from Egypt to Turkey to ultimately cross the border into Syria. He was stopped at the Turkish border Jan. 10, turned away and returned to Egypt, where he was detained to be returned to the U.S.
Pugh variously told authorities in Turkey and Egypt that he had gone to Turkey for vacation and to look for a job, and he said had no desire to go to Syria, court papers said.
But investigators said they found a chart of crossing points between Turkey and Syria, plus information about whether the border checkpoints were staffed, on Pugh's laptop. Investigators said his cellphone also had photos of a machine gun and airplanes, including an airplane bathroom and an area under passenger seats.
He was flown back to the U.S. on Jan. 15.
The Department of Justice has charged roughly 20 people in the past year with planning to travel to the Middle East to fight alongside militants such as the Islamic State group, which controls parts of Syria and Iraq. Federal officials have been concerned about Americans going overseas to train with these groups and returning with plots to carry out attacks at home.
"We will continue to vigorously prosecute extremists, whether based here or abroad, to stop them before they are able to threaten the United States and its allies," Lynch said in a statement Tuesday.
Three men were arrested late last month in a plot to travel to Syria; they have pleaded not guilty.
Prayut Says It's Just A Joke For Travel Ban To The US
BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday denied his earlier remark at a business forum that he was not allowed to enter the United States, saying he didn't really mean it by just only joking.
The forum was organised by the US-based Wharton University of Pennsylvania last Friday.
He said, “I was only joking as many participants at the conference were Americans.”
He didn’t mean what he said as he joked he was banned entry while he allowed them to come in freely.
He said it was the media that sensationally played up his joke and turned it into an issue.
“I just teased them on whether or not they would deter me from going to the US while I do not bar them from doing business here and they laughed,” Gen Prayut said.
Gen Prayut said he will visit the US in September to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, accepting an invitation from UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.
He said some diplomatic procedures must be attended to prior to his visit.
Soldiers Seize Alleged Redshirt Weapon Cache From NE Temple
Officers displayed the weapons to reporters at a press conference.
Maj.Gen. Adisorn Khorop, commander of a local army unit in Saraburi province, said soldiers discovered the cache during a raid on Seewalee Forest Monastery, located in Muaklek district.
The cache consisted of two shotguns, four BB guns, one handgun, one homemade "pen gun," one hand grenade, one rifle, and over a hundred bullets for the firearms, said Maj.Gen. Adisorn.
The military also confiscated two radio devices, one motorcycle without a license plate, and a number of flags and memorabilia of the Redshirt movement, which commands wide support in northeastern Thailand.
The temple's abbot, Phra Inta Sanyato, is now under arrest on charges of possessing firearms, ammunition, and radio equipment without proper permits. According Maj.Gen. Adisorn, the abbot denied having any knowledge of the weapons.
"The suspect contested the charges," said Maj.Gen. Adisorn. "He claimed that Redshirt groups have visited the temple for merit-making, and left behind these belongings when they departed from the temple."
Under martial law, which was imposed by the ruling junta last May, soldiers are authorized to conduct searches and arrests without a court warrant.
Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport Named 5th Best Airport By Skytrax
Mr. Prapon said Suvarnabhumi was ranked after Seoul’s Incheon Airport, Kuala Lumpur Airport, Madrid Airport, and San Francisco Airport in the same category. Apart from this, Suvarnabhumi was also named the 10th Best Airport Staff in Asia and given the 47th place among the World’s Top 100 Airports. Announcing the honor, Mr. Prapon expressed his thanks to all staff and the organization for their efforts to deliver the best services.
The rankings were based on more than thirteen million surveys completed online by passengers of 112 nationalities through www.worldairportsurvey.com and answering phone questionnaires between May 2014 and January 2015.
The World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry voted by customers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey.
Apart from SKYTRAX awards, Suvarnabhumi was also honored in other world rankings such as the 6th Best Airport in the World by smarttravelasia.com . It is one of the top ten Asia’s most-suitable-to-sleep Airports by Sleepinginairports.net. The latter is given owing to convenient facilities for waiting passengers in Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thailand Immigration Police Round Up Foreign Fugitives
Pol Lt General Sakda Chuenpakdee, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press conference yesterday that fraud suspect Joseph Simon Arsenault, 56, was arrested in Watthana district on March 9.
Arsenault, who fled to Thailand last April, was among 16 people charged with running a telemarketing scheme that reportedly embezzled over US$20 million (about Bt700 million) from 290 victims in 46 states and Canada.
Antonius "Antony" W Ceulen, 60, wanted for allegedly cheating others of $400,000 (about Bt13 million) from November 1996 to June 1997, was arrested on March 8 at a Bangkok condominium where he lived with his Thai wife.
Ceulen, an executive of Lippmann Co, and accomplices allegedly sold promissory notes to at least 12 investors in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the US with the promise of high returns after the firm secured a big loan, but no one got his money back, Sakda said.
In the third case, war veteran Kenneth Roger Goins, 29, wanted for theft in North Carolina, was charged with overstaying his visa since January.
Finnish national Tuukka Tapani Karppinen, 31, wanted for molestation of a minor under 16, was also caught after arriving in Thailand on January 16.
The 22 Somalis were staying at an apartment in Ramkhamhaeng Soi 24. After prosecution for illegal entry, they would be deported, he said.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
IS Accepts Boko Haram Allegiance Pledge
BEIRUT (AP) — The spokesman for Islamic State militants said
Thursday that the extremist group has accepted the pledge of allegiance
by West Africa's Boko Haram group.
In an audio recording released by the group's media arm Al-Furqan, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani claimed the pledge of allegiance meant that the caliphate has now expanded to West Africa.
The recording was released a few days after an audio recording from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Sheka posted online Saturday in which he pledged allegiance to IS.
Al-Adnani also urged foreign fighters from around the world to migrate and join Boko Haram.
Boko Haram killed an estimated 10,000 people last year, and it is blamed for last April's abduction of more than 275 schoolgirls.
In August, Boko Haram followed the lead of IS in declaring an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria that grew to cover an area the size of Belgium. The Islamic State had declared a caliphate in vast swaths of territory that it controls in Iraq and Syria.
Boko Haram is waging a nearly 6-year insurgency to impose Muslim Shariah law in Nigeria. It began launching attacks across the border into Cameroon earlier this year, and then struck in Niger and Chad.
Members of the U.N. Security Council proposed Thursday that the international community supply money, equipment, troops and intelligence to a five-nation African force fighting Boko Haram.
In an audio recording released by the group's media arm Al-Furqan, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani claimed the pledge of allegiance meant that the caliphate has now expanded to West Africa.
The recording was released a few days after an audio recording from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Sheka posted online Saturday in which he pledged allegiance to IS.
Al-Adnani also urged foreign fighters from around the world to migrate and join Boko Haram.
Boko Haram killed an estimated 10,000 people last year, and it is blamed for last April's abduction of more than 275 schoolgirls.
In August, Boko Haram followed the lead of IS in declaring an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria that grew to cover an area the size of Belgium. The Islamic State had declared a caliphate in vast swaths of territory that it controls in Iraq and Syria.
Boko Haram is waging a nearly 6-year insurgency to impose Muslim Shariah law in Nigeria. It began launching attacks across the border into Cameroon earlier this year, and then struck in Niger and Chad.
Members of the U.N. Security Council proposed Thursday that the international community supply money, equipment, troops and intelligence to a five-nation African force fighting Boko Haram.
Thailand And Belarus Agree On Visa Waiver For Diplomats And State Officials
BANGKOK, (NNT) – As a way to encourage future
exchanges of visits with each other, Thailand and Belarus have exempted
visa requirements for diplomatic and government officials while setting
eyes on expanding cooperation in trade and investment.
Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai has met with Mr Valery Sadokho, Ambassador of Belarus to Thailand, in order to discuss the promotion of diplomatic relations as well as economic cooperation between the two nations.
On behalf of his country, the Belarusian Ambassador expressed interest in seeking new export channels in Thailand for Belarusian products, such as potash fertilizers, car tires, trucks and tractors. Thailand, on the other hand, is intent on exporting rubber products and processed agricultural goods to Belarus.
The delegates also signed an agreement on the mutual exemption of visa for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The visa waiver is considered significant to the tightening of friendship between the two sides and is aimed at persuading their state officials to visit each other’s country more frequently.
Thailand and Belarus officially established their diplomatic ties on July 21, 1992. Last year, bilateral trade was worth over 78 million US dollars while nearly 14,000 visitors to Thailand came from Belarus.
Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai has met with Mr Valery Sadokho, Ambassador of Belarus to Thailand, in order to discuss the promotion of diplomatic relations as well as economic cooperation between the two nations.
On behalf of his country, the Belarusian Ambassador expressed interest in seeking new export channels in Thailand for Belarusian products, such as potash fertilizers, car tires, trucks and tractors. Thailand, on the other hand, is intent on exporting rubber products and processed agricultural goods to Belarus.
The delegates also signed an agreement on the mutual exemption of visa for holders of diplomatic and official passports. The visa waiver is considered significant to the tightening of friendship between the two sides and is aimed at persuading their state officials to visit each other’s country more frequently.
Thailand and Belarus officially established their diplomatic ties on July 21, 1992. Last year, bilateral trade was worth over 78 million US dollars while nearly 14,000 visitors to Thailand came from Belarus.
Egypt Announces Plans To Build New Capital
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — Egypt's government announced
Friday plans to build a new capital adjacent to Cairo, in a massive new
project that in its first phase would cost $45 billion and take up to
seven years to complete.
Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the plan at the opening of the 3-day international economic conference held in this resort city and attended by hundreds of business executives and world leaders. The aim, he said, is to alleviate congestion and overpopulation in Cairo over the next 40 years. By that time, Cairo — currently home to nearly 20 million — would have doubled in size.
The first phase of the ambitious program, Madbouly said, is an expansion of the current outskirts of the capital to the east, adding an additional 105 kilometers (60 miles) of development. The area would be a new administrative center including government offices, diplomatic missions and housing as well as universities, a technology and innovation park, and 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) of roads. Madbouly did not say what the new administrative center would be named.
The military has already began constructing the road linking Cairo to the new planned administrative heart of the capital, he said.
Eventually the new capital would expand to 700 square kilometers in size (270 square miles), much of it green spaces, linking up with the Suez Canal zone, Madbouly said, calling the project a source of "pride and inspiration" to young Egyptians
The ambitious plan is the latest mega project planned by the government, headed by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who elected in June last year. The other mega project is the expansion of the Suez Canal and the creation of an industrial zone around it.
Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the plan at the opening of the 3-day international economic conference held in this resort city and attended by hundreds of business executives and world leaders. The aim, he said, is to alleviate congestion and overpopulation in Cairo over the next 40 years. By that time, Cairo — currently home to nearly 20 million — would have doubled in size.
The first phase of the ambitious program, Madbouly said, is an expansion of the current outskirts of the capital to the east, adding an additional 105 kilometers (60 miles) of development. The area would be a new administrative center including government offices, diplomatic missions and housing as well as universities, a technology and innovation park, and 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) of roads. Madbouly did not say what the new administrative center would be named.
The military has already began constructing the road linking Cairo to the new planned administrative heart of the capital, he said.
Eventually the new capital would expand to 700 square kilometers in size (270 square miles), much of it green spaces, linking up with the Suez Canal zone, Madbouly said, calling the project a source of "pride and inspiration" to young Egyptians
The ambitious plan is the latest mega project planned by the government, headed by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who elected in June last year. The other mega project is the expansion of the Suez Canal and the creation of an industrial zone around it.
Iraqi Kurds Claim Islamic State Group Used Chemical Weapons
BAGHDAD (AP) — Kurdish authorities in Iraq said Saturday they
have evidence that the Islamic State group used chlorine gas as a
chemical weapon against peshmerga fighters, the latest alleged atrocity
carried out by the extremist organization now under attack in Tikrit.
The allegation by the Kurdistan Region Security Council, stemming from a Jan. 23 suicide truck bomb attack in northern Iraq, did not immediately draw a reaction from the Islamic State group, which holds a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate. However, Iraqi officials and Kurds fighting in Syria have made similar allegations about the militants using the low-grade chemical weapons against them.
In a statement, the council said the alleged chemical attack took place on a road between Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and the Syrian border, as peshmerga forces fought to seize a vital supply line used by the Sunni militants. It said its fighters later found "around 20 gas canisters" that had been loaded onto the truck involved in the attack.
Video provided by the council showed a truck racing down a road, white smoke pouring out of it as it came under heavy fire from peshmerga fighters. It later showed a white, billowing cloud after the truck exploded and the remnants of it scattered across a road.
An official with the Kurdish council told The Associated Press that dozens of peshmerga fighters were treated for "dizziness, nausea, vomiting and general weakness" after the attack. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to discuss the incident.
The Kurds say samples of clothing and soil from the site were analyzed by an unnamed lab in an unnamed coalition partner nation, which found chlorine traces.
"The fact ISIS relies on such tactics demonstrates it has lost the initiative and is resorting to desperate measures," the Kurdish government said in the statement, using an alternate acronym for the Sunni militant group.
There was no independent confirmation of the Kurds' claim. Peter Sawczak, a spokesman for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which has monitored Syria dismantling its chemical weapons stockpile, said his group had not been asked to investigate the attack.
Chlorine, an industrial chemical, was first introduced as a chemical weapon at Ypres in World War I with disastrous effects as gas masks were not widely available at the time. While chlorine has many industrial and public uses, as a weapon it chokes victims to death.
In the Syrian civil war, a chlorine gas attack on the outskirts of Damascus in 2013 killed hundreds and nearly drove the U.S. to launch airstrikes against the government of embattled President Bashar Assad. The U.S. and Western allies accused Assad's government of being responsible for that attack, while Damascus blamed rebels.
There have been several allegations that the Islamic State group has used chlorine as well. In October, Iraqi officials claimed Islamic State militants may have used chlorine-filled cylinders during clashes in late September in the towns of Balad and Duluiya. Their disclosures came as reports from the Syrian border town of Kobani indicated that the extremist group added chlorine to an arsenal that already includes heavy weapons and tanks looted from captured military bases.
Insurgents have used chlorine gas in Iraq before. In May 2007, suicide bombers driving chlorine tankers struck three cities in Anbar province, killing two police officers and forcing about 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops to seek treatment for gas exposure. Those bombers belonged to al-Qaida in Iraq, which later became the Islamic State group.
Meanwhile Saturday, Iraqi security forces engaged in fierce clashes with the militants as they continued their offensive to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown, Tikrit.
Iraqi forces, which include the military, police, Shiite militias and Sunni tribesmen, entered the city of Tikrit for the first time Thursday, gaining control of neighborhoods on its northern and southern ends.
Militia commander Hadi al-Amiri has said security forces will hold their position until the area is cleared of any remaining civilians. He estimated on Friday that Iraqi forces would reach the center of Tikrit within two to three days.
The allegation by the Kurdistan Region Security Council, stemming from a Jan. 23 suicide truck bomb attack in northern Iraq, did not immediately draw a reaction from the Islamic State group, which holds a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate. However, Iraqi officials and Kurds fighting in Syria have made similar allegations about the militants using the low-grade chemical weapons against them.
In a statement, the council said the alleged chemical attack took place on a road between Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and the Syrian border, as peshmerga forces fought to seize a vital supply line used by the Sunni militants. It said its fighters later found "around 20 gas canisters" that had been loaded onto the truck involved in the attack.
Video provided by the council showed a truck racing down a road, white smoke pouring out of it as it came under heavy fire from peshmerga fighters. It later showed a white, billowing cloud after the truck exploded and the remnants of it scattered across a road.
An official with the Kurdish council told The Associated Press that dozens of peshmerga fighters were treated for "dizziness, nausea, vomiting and general weakness" after the attack. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to discuss the incident.
The Kurds say samples of clothing and soil from the site were analyzed by an unnamed lab in an unnamed coalition partner nation, which found chlorine traces.
"The fact ISIS relies on such tactics demonstrates it has lost the initiative and is resorting to desperate measures," the Kurdish government said in the statement, using an alternate acronym for the Sunni militant group.
There was no independent confirmation of the Kurds' claim. Peter Sawczak, a spokesman for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which has monitored Syria dismantling its chemical weapons stockpile, said his group had not been asked to investigate the attack.
Chlorine, an industrial chemical, was first introduced as a chemical weapon at Ypres in World War I with disastrous effects as gas masks were not widely available at the time. While chlorine has many industrial and public uses, as a weapon it chokes victims to death.
In the Syrian civil war, a chlorine gas attack on the outskirts of Damascus in 2013 killed hundreds and nearly drove the U.S. to launch airstrikes against the government of embattled President Bashar Assad. The U.S. and Western allies accused Assad's government of being responsible for that attack, while Damascus blamed rebels.
There have been several allegations that the Islamic State group has used chlorine as well. In October, Iraqi officials claimed Islamic State militants may have used chlorine-filled cylinders during clashes in late September in the towns of Balad and Duluiya. Their disclosures came as reports from the Syrian border town of Kobani indicated that the extremist group added chlorine to an arsenal that already includes heavy weapons and tanks looted from captured military bases.
Insurgents have used chlorine gas in Iraq before. In May 2007, suicide bombers driving chlorine tankers struck three cities in Anbar province, killing two police officers and forcing about 350 Iraqi civilians and six U.S. troops to seek treatment for gas exposure. Those bombers belonged to al-Qaida in Iraq, which later became the Islamic State group.
Meanwhile Saturday, Iraqi security forces engaged in fierce clashes with the militants as they continued their offensive to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown, Tikrit.
Iraqi forces, which include the military, police, Shiite militias and Sunni tribesmen, entered the city of Tikrit for the first time Thursday, gaining control of neighborhoods on its northern and southern ends.
Militia commander Hadi al-Amiri has said security forces will hold their position until the area is cleared of any remaining civilians. He estimated on Friday that Iraqi forces would reach the center of Tikrit within two to three days.
Chinese Man Wins Payout Over Panda Bite
BEIJING (AFP) - A Chinese man who sued local government
officials over an attack by a wild panda has won more than $80,000 in
compensation, his lawyer said Monday. The animals are renowned for their
lovable appearance but despite their placid, bamboo-chewing image they
are members of the bear family and have a fearsome bite.
The animal wandered into Liziba village, in the northwestern province of Gansu, where local officials trying to capture it chased it onto Guan Quanzhi’s land, the Lanzhou Evening News reported.
"I saw a panda jump out in front of me, its body completely covered in mud," he told the newspaper.
The creature bit him in the leg and only released its grip when another villager covered its head with a coat, the report said, and the incident in March last year left Guan with injuries requiring seven hours of surgery.
The panda escaped.
Guan’s son sued local forestry officials and the nearby Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, which is home to more than 100 wild pandas.
Following "negotiations", officials agreed to pay compensation of 520,000 yuan ($83,000), his lawyer Wang Chaohui told AFP.
Guan is "satisfied with the amount", which will cover his medical bills, he said, adding that he may need further operations.
The giant panda’s natural habitat mostly lies in mountainous southwestern China. They have a notoriously low reproductive rate and are under pressure from factors such as habitat loss.
The number of wild giant pandas rose nearly 17 per cent over the decade to 2013 to reach 1,864, state media cited an official survey data as saying this month, with a government agency crediting conservation measures for the increase.
Pandas are a major generator of tourist revenue in several parts of China and for Beijing, which capitalises on the global fascination with the animals by renting them to foreign zoos.
They have been known to attack humans, including in 2008 when a panda mauled a 20-year-old man who climbed into its enclosure at a zoo in southern China.
The nature conservation organisation WWF says on its website: "As cuddly as they may look, a panda can protect itself as well as most other bears," using its heavy weight, strong jaw muscles and large molar teeth.
The animal wandered into Liziba village, in the northwestern province of Gansu, where local officials trying to capture it chased it onto Guan Quanzhi’s land, the Lanzhou Evening News reported.
"I saw a panda jump out in front of me, its body completely covered in mud," he told the newspaper.
The creature bit him in the leg and only released its grip when another villager covered its head with a coat, the report said, and the incident in March last year left Guan with injuries requiring seven hours of surgery.
The panda escaped.
Guan’s son sued local forestry officials and the nearby Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, which is home to more than 100 wild pandas.
Following "negotiations", officials agreed to pay compensation of 520,000 yuan ($83,000), his lawyer Wang Chaohui told AFP.
Guan is "satisfied with the amount", which will cover his medical bills, he said, adding that he may need further operations.
The giant panda’s natural habitat mostly lies in mountainous southwestern China. They have a notoriously low reproductive rate and are under pressure from factors such as habitat loss.
The number of wild giant pandas rose nearly 17 per cent over the decade to 2013 to reach 1,864, state media cited an official survey data as saying this month, with a government agency crediting conservation measures for the increase.
Pandas are a major generator of tourist revenue in several parts of China and for Beijing, which capitalises on the global fascination with the animals by renting them to foreign zoos.
They have been known to attack humans, including in 2008 when a panda mauled a 20-year-old man who climbed into its enclosure at a zoo in southern China.
The nature conservation organisation WWF says on its website: "As cuddly as they may look, a panda can protect itself as well as most other bears," using its heavy weight, strong jaw muscles and large molar teeth.
US, Iran Press For Nuke Pact; Lesser Announcement On Table?
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The United States and Iran plunged
back into negotiation Sunday, hoping to end once and for all a
decades-long standoff that has raised the specter of an Iranian nuclear
arsenal, a new atomic arms race in the Middle East and even a U.S. or
Israeli military intervention. Two weeks out from a deadline for a
framework accord, some officials said the awesomeness of the diplomatic
task meant negotiators would likely settle for an announcement that
they've made enough progress to justify further talks.
Such a declaration would hardly satisfy American critics of the Obama administration's diplomatic outreach to Iran and hardliners in the Islamic Republic, whose rumblings have grown more vociferous and threatening as the parties have narrowed many of their differences. And, officially, the United States and its partners insist their eyes are on a much bigger prize: "A deal that would protect the world," Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized this weekend, "from the threat that a nuclear-armed Iran could pose."
Yet as Kerry arrived in Switzerland for several days of discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, no one was promising the breakthrough. One diplomat said new differences surfaced only in the last negotiating round of what has been a 15-month process, including a sudden Iranian demand that a nuclear facility buried deep underground be allowed to keep hundreds of centrifuges that are used for enriching uranium — material that can be used in a nuclear warhead. Previously, the Iranians had accepted the plant would be transformed into one solely for scientific research, that diplomat and others have said.
The deal that had been taking shape would see Iran freeze its nuclear program for at least a decade, with restrictions then gradually lifted over a period of perhaps the following five years. Washington and other world powers would similarly scale back sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy in several phases. Iran says it is only interested in peaceful energy generation and medical research, but much of the world has suspected it of maintaining covert nuclear weapons ambitions. And the U.S. and its ally Israel have at various times threatened military action if Iran's program advances too far.
Speaking Sunday on CBS News, Kerry said most of the differences between Iran and the negotiating group of the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia were "political," not technical. He didn't elaborate, but political matters tend to include levels of inspections, Iran's past military work linked to its nuclear program and how quickly to scale back sanctions. Technical matters refer, for example, to how many centrifuges Iran can maintain, what types of those machines and how much plutonium it would be allowed to produce from a planned heavy water reactor.
Less than four months ago, senior officials talked optimistically about reaching a preliminary agreement by March, with three months of additional talks only for any remaining technical work. Back then, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he expected "an agreement on substance" by March 31. Top Western and Iranian negotiators issued a joint statement vowing to use the time until June 30 only "if necessary ... to finalize any possible remaining technical and drafting work."
But two diplomats said ahead of this week's talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne that persistent differences at the negotiating table had diminished the chances of such a substantial agreement. Instead, they said, the sides were more likely to restrict themselves to a vague oral statement indicating that enough headway had been made to continue negotiations. They weren't authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive talks and demanded anonymity.
A senior U.S. official rejected that assessment. "We are working toward a framework of substance," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing similar constraints. Top diplomats and technical experts from the U.S. and Iran met Sunday. Kerry and Zarif were to hold their first discussion Monday.
Anything short of a written agreement will only encourage congressional critics of the Iran diplomacy, who've seized on various pieces that have leaked from the negotiation to press their case that the Obama administration is conceding too much. Republicans and some Democrats believe a deal would be insufficient and unenforceable, allowing Iran to eventually become a nuclear-armed state. And to that end, they've made a series of proposals to undercut or block an agreement, from requiring Senate say-so on a deal to ordering new sanctions against Iran while negotiations are ongoing.
Last week, 47 of the Senate's 54 Republicans signed an open letter to Iran's leaders warning that any nuclear pact they cut with President Barack Obama could expire the day he leaves office. The action prompted fierce criticism from top administration officials, who declared it an unprecedented interference in the president's conduct of U.S. foreign policy.
Appearing on CNN, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended the letter Sunday, accusing Democrats of selective outrage and predicting the emergence of a "very bad" nuclear deal. Its author, freshman Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas added that he had no regrets, saying the blowback only underscored that Obama wasn't negotiating for "the hardest deal possible."
In his interview, Kerry said Tehran "to its credit" has entirely lived up to an interim agreement reached in November 2013.
But that understanding was only a stopgap measure, not doing nearly enough to satisfy the long-term concerns of Israel or Iran's Sunni Arab rivals in the Middle East, or the United States. Experts say the combination of limits on Iran's uranium program only gives the world two to three months to react if the country tries to surreptitiously "break out" toward nuclear weapons development. The U.S. says it needs at least a year of cushion time, lasting for at least a decade, in a comprehensive agreement.
It's unclear if negotiators will reach that point, putting the United States in a difficult spot. Fearful Iran could be playing for time, Obama, Kerry and various officials have vowed to walk away from the talks if they show no sign of pointing toward a satisfactory agreement.
Such a declaration would hardly satisfy American critics of the Obama administration's diplomatic outreach to Iran and hardliners in the Islamic Republic, whose rumblings have grown more vociferous and threatening as the parties have narrowed many of their differences. And, officially, the United States and its partners insist their eyes are on a much bigger prize: "A deal that would protect the world," Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized this weekend, "from the threat that a nuclear-armed Iran could pose."
Yet as Kerry arrived in Switzerland for several days of discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, no one was promising the breakthrough. One diplomat said new differences surfaced only in the last negotiating round of what has been a 15-month process, including a sudden Iranian demand that a nuclear facility buried deep underground be allowed to keep hundreds of centrifuges that are used for enriching uranium — material that can be used in a nuclear warhead. Previously, the Iranians had accepted the plant would be transformed into one solely for scientific research, that diplomat and others have said.
The deal that had been taking shape would see Iran freeze its nuclear program for at least a decade, with restrictions then gradually lifted over a period of perhaps the following five years. Washington and other world powers would similarly scale back sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy in several phases. Iran says it is only interested in peaceful energy generation and medical research, but much of the world has suspected it of maintaining covert nuclear weapons ambitions. And the U.S. and its ally Israel have at various times threatened military action if Iran's program advances too far.
Speaking Sunday on CBS News, Kerry said most of the differences between Iran and the negotiating group of the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia were "political," not technical. He didn't elaborate, but political matters tend to include levels of inspections, Iran's past military work linked to its nuclear program and how quickly to scale back sanctions. Technical matters refer, for example, to how many centrifuges Iran can maintain, what types of those machines and how much plutonium it would be allowed to produce from a planned heavy water reactor.
Less than four months ago, senior officials talked optimistically about reaching a preliminary agreement by March, with three months of additional talks only for any remaining technical work. Back then, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he expected "an agreement on substance" by March 31. Top Western and Iranian negotiators issued a joint statement vowing to use the time until June 30 only "if necessary ... to finalize any possible remaining technical and drafting work."
But two diplomats said ahead of this week's talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne that persistent differences at the negotiating table had diminished the chances of such a substantial agreement. Instead, they said, the sides were more likely to restrict themselves to a vague oral statement indicating that enough headway had been made to continue negotiations. They weren't authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive talks and demanded anonymity.
A senior U.S. official rejected that assessment. "We are working toward a framework of substance," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing similar constraints. Top diplomats and technical experts from the U.S. and Iran met Sunday. Kerry and Zarif were to hold their first discussion Monday.
Anything short of a written agreement will only encourage congressional critics of the Iran diplomacy, who've seized on various pieces that have leaked from the negotiation to press their case that the Obama administration is conceding too much. Republicans and some Democrats believe a deal would be insufficient and unenforceable, allowing Iran to eventually become a nuclear-armed state. And to that end, they've made a series of proposals to undercut or block an agreement, from requiring Senate say-so on a deal to ordering new sanctions against Iran while negotiations are ongoing.
Last week, 47 of the Senate's 54 Republicans signed an open letter to Iran's leaders warning that any nuclear pact they cut with President Barack Obama could expire the day he leaves office. The action prompted fierce criticism from top administration officials, who declared it an unprecedented interference in the president's conduct of U.S. foreign policy.
Appearing on CNN, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended the letter Sunday, accusing Democrats of selective outrage and predicting the emergence of a "very bad" nuclear deal. Its author, freshman Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas added that he had no regrets, saying the blowback only underscored that Obama wasn't negotiating for "the hardest deal possible."
In his interview, Kerry said Tehran "to its credit" has entirely lived up to an interim agreement reached in November 2013.
But that understanding was only a stopgap measure, not doing nearly enough to satisfy the long-term concerns of Israel or Iran's Sunni Arab rivals in the Middle East, or the United States. Experts say the combination of limits on Iran's uranium program only gives the world two to three months to react if the country tries to surreptitiously "break out" toward nuclear weapons development. The U.S. says it needs at least a year of cushion time, lasting for at least a decade, in a comprehensive agreement.
It's unclear if negotiators will reach that point, putting the United States in a difficult spot. Fearful Iran could be playing for time, Obama, Kerry and various officials have vowed to walk away from the talks if they show no sign of pointing toward a satisfactory agreement.
AirAsia CEO Says Plans To Resume Flights To Europe Next Year
HONG KONG: -- AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes said AirAsia X, the long-haul arm of Asia’s biggest budget airline, plans to resume flights to Europe early next year using new, fuel-efficient jets to tap into growing demand from travellers.
Speaking to reporters in Sydney on Thursday about the carrier’s operations, Fernandes also said the search for passengers from crashed AirAsia Flight QZ8501 will be called off within days. The jet plunged into the Java Sea en route from Indonesia to Singapore on Dec. 28, with no survivors among the 162 people on board.
In a renewed push into Europe after unprofitable routes squeezed AirAsia into its first net loss in two years, Fernandes said that London will be the likely first destination for AirAsia X flights. It previously operated Airbus Group A340s to London and Paris, but cancelled those services in 2012, saying the low-cost model could not work until it had more fuel-efficient planes with a similar range.
Malaysia Considers Border Fencing To Deter Human Trafficking
Kuala Lumpur (The Star) -- Erecting security fences totalling
2,666km along the nation's borders is being considered as a measure to
stop smuggling and people trafficking.
The home ministry is conducting a feasibility study on the fencing which will also serve as a replacement for existing border fences that are in deplorable condition.
Each year, the government loses more than 7 billion ringgit (US$1.90 billion) to the smuggling of goods such as rice, petrol, diesel, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, fertiliser and herbicides.
There is also the matter of firearms being smuggled into the country, stolen vehicles snuck into neighbouring countries and fake fashion brands making their way in.
But stopping the trafficking of people is also a major reason for putting up the fences.
The fencing is for our borders with Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei, and what's being studied is the type of fence, its height, total cost, how it will be guarded and if it needs to be electrified.
A special committee, known as the Security Fence Technical Team, is conducting the study that is expected to be completed by early October.
It will then be submitted to the cabinet.
Home ministry border security and police division secretary Badrul Hisham Mohd said the division headed the committee.
He said the team was already in the second phase of its study and would be meeting the respective agencies in Sabah and Sarawak on March 24 and 25.
The borders at the north of the peninsula need about 650km of fencing while those in Sabah and Sarawak require about 2,000km, said Badrul, who is also Smuggling Prevention Unit (UPP) director-general.
"Initially we were asked to carry out a study on security fencing at the Malaysia-Thailand border.
"But after the severity of (recent) cross-border crimes, this was extended to (the international borders at) Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
He explained that security fencing was different from border fencing which needs the approval of the neighbouring nation.
"Security fencing can be set up anywhere by the government and needs no foreign approval. This will save us time," said Badrul.
Others involved in the study were the Ministry of Finance, National Security Council, Economic Planning Unit, public works department and Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia.
Badrul said 12 companies had approached the home ministry, showing interest in building the security fencing.
The EPU had suggested tapping the expertise of research groups of universities, he added.
The home ministry is conducting a feasibility study on the fencing which will also serve as a replacement for existing border fences that are in deplorable condition.
Each year, the government loses more than 7 billion ringgit (US$1.90 billion) to the smuggling of goods such as rice, petrol, diesel, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, fertiliser and herbicides.
There is also the matter of firearms being smuggled into the country, stolen vehicles snuck into neighbouring countries and fake fashion brands making their way in.
But stopping the trafficking of people is also a major reason for putting up the fences.
The fencing is for our borders with Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei, and what's being studied is the type of fence, its height, total cost, how it will be guarded and if it needs to be electrified.
A special committee, known as the Security Fence Technical Team, is conducting the study that is expected to be completed by early October.
It will then be submitted to the cabinet.
Home ministry border security and police division secretary Badrul Hisham Mohd said the division headed the committee.
He said the team was already in the second phase of its study and would be meeting the respective agencies in Sabah and Sarawak on March 24 and 25.
The borders at the north of the peninsula need about 650km of fencing while those in Sabah and Sarawak require about 2,000km, said Badrul, who is also Smuggling Prevention Unit (UPP) director-general.
"Initially we were asked to carry out a study on security fencing at the Malaysia-Thailand border.
"But after the severity of (recent) cross-border crimes, this was extended to (the international borders at) Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
He explained that security fencing was different from border fencing which needs the approval of the neighbouring nation.
"Security fencing can be set up anywhere by the government and needs no foreign approval. This will save us time," said Badrul.
Others involved in the study were the Ministry of Finance, National Security Council, Economic Planning Unit, public works department and Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia.
Badrul said 12 companies had approached the home ministry, showing interest in building the security fencing.
The EPU had suggested tapping the expertise of research groups of universities, he added.
Soldiers Seize Gold Cache From Ex-Princess's Brother
BANGKOK — The military has located 2 million baht worth of gold reportedly hidden by a brother of former princess Srirasmi Suwadee who has been accused of racketeering and falsely claiming support from the Royal Family.
Soldiers found the gold during a raid of a hotel in Nakhon Pathom province, said Pol.Lt.Col. Thammawat Hiranyalekha, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division. Under martial law, the military does not need a warrant to conduct raids.
The gold allegedly purchased by Narong Suwadee, 13 March 2015.
Pol.Lt.Col. Thammawat said the gold belongs to Narong Suwadee, 41, the younger brother of former princess Srirasmi. Narong is currently being held at Klong Prem Prison in Bangkok for numerous charges, including extortion, possession of firearms without a permit, and illegal detention. He has also been charged with insulting the monarchy, a crime known as lese majeste, because he allegedly cited his ties to Srirasmi and the Thai Royal Family to carry out his criminal acts.
21 Dead, 26 Missing After Myanmar Ferry Sinks
YANGON: -- A passenger ferry has sunk off the coast of western
Myanmar leaving at least 21 people dead and 26 missing, police said.
The "Aung Takon" went down late Friday after leaving the town of Kyaukphyu on its way to Sittwe in western Rakhine state.
"We have got 21 dead bodies, 2 men and 19 women. About 26 passengers are still missing," a police officer in Sittwe town who requested anonymity told AFP.
He added 167 people have been rescued, and that no foreigners were believed to be on board the doomed ship.
Three navy boats and a host of private vessels were sent to scour the area after news emerged that the ferry had gone down shortly after 8.30 pm (1400 GMT Friday).
"We suspect that the boat sank because it was overloaded with goods," the police officer said, adding that rescuers were still searching for survivors.
Many Myanmar citizens living along the impoverished nation's lengthy coastline and flood prone river systems rely heavily on poorly maintained ferries for transportation.
Sinkings are not uncommon. Ten people were killed in 2010 when a ferry capsized in the Irrawaddy delta region, while 38 perished in 2008 when a ship went down in the Yway River.
The "Aung Takon" went down late Friday after leaving the town of Kyaukphyu on its way to Sittwe in western Rakhine state.
"We have got 21 dead bodies, 2 men and 19 women. About 26 passengers are still missing," a police officer in Sittwe town who requested anonymity told AFP.
He added 167 people have been rescued, and that no foreigners were believed to be on board the doomed ship.
Three navy boats and a host of private vessels were sent to scour the area after news emerged that the ferry had gone down shortly after 8.30 pm (1400 GMT Friday).
"We suspect that the boat sank because it was overloaded with goods," the police officer said, adding that rescuers were still searching for survivors.
Many Myanmar citizens living along the impoverished nation's lengthy coastline and flood prone river systems rely heavily on poorly maintained ferries for transportation.
Sinkings are not uncommon. Ten people were killed in 2010 when a ferry capsized in the Irrawaddy delta region, while 38 perished in 2008 when a ship went down in the Yway River.
Li-ion Battery Blamed For Cabin Fire On Bangkok-Bound Flight
BANGKOK: -- Smoke began pouring into the cabin from a fire inside an overhead baggage compartment on the KLM plane before a flight attendant expertly extinguished it.
The plane had just touched down at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and no one was reported injured.
Underboob Selfies
Bangkok:- Thai girls who may be pondering to join
the new trend of “underboob selfies”, should have the second thought as
the Culture Ministry warned that they could end up violating the
Computer Crime Act.
According to Thairath Online, the warning came from Yupha
Thaweewattanakijborworn, director of the Culture Watch Office of the
Culture Ministry.
Many foreign women have joined the so-called underboob selfies
trend by taking photos of their body up from the waist to the breast
without showing the nipples.
Yupha also urged the Thai media not to play up the trend if the
media has not seen underboob selfies by Thai women yet. She explained
that such reports might backfire rather than doing good to the society.
She said if Thai women post underboob selfie photos, they may be
deemed breaking the Computer Crime Act by putting pornographic pictures
into computer system.
She added that the Culture Ministry does not support Thai women to
be scantily clad in public places, and it would become a serious problem
for the society if many Thai girls follow the example.
Thairath Online also interviewed Roongtawan Chaiha, an Internet
idol who rose to her fame by posting her own sexy photos on her Munkaw
Chaos Girl Facebook fan page, said she has no plan to catch the
underboob seflies trend. So far, her page has received over 470,000
likes mostly from men.
Munkaw, who has proudly announced that her breast is her selling
point, said the Thai society would not accept such the underboob trend.
Posting photos partially revealing the breast from the high angle of
view is already causing serious trouble for her, she added.
Iranian Arrested With Fake Passport In NE Thailand
The 29-year-old man, identified as Alireza Motevalli, arrived at the border check point this morning with what appeared to be a British passport, said Pol.Col. Pallop Suriyakul na Aytthaya, commander of immigration police in Nong Khai province.
However, when an immigration police officer entered the passport number into the computer, it was revealed to belong to a British woman who reported losing her passport in Bangkok last September, said Pol.Col. Pallop.
Police then searched Motevalli’s bag and found his Iranian passport.
According to Pol.Col. Pallop, Motevalli confessed to entering Thailand last month on a tourist visa and hiring someone to procure a fake passport for him.
Flights Redirected Away From Chiang Mai Due To Smog
- Thai Airways TG106 from Suvarnabhumi Airport expected to land at Chiang Mai International Airport at 11.40am, but had to return to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
- Lion Air SL8504 from Don Muang Airport expected to land at Chiang Mai International Airport at 12.05pm, but had to return to Don Muang Airport.
- Bangkok Airways PG241 from Samui expected to land at Chiang Mai International Airport at 12.10pm, but was forced to land at Chiang Rai Airport.
- Air Asia FD3161 from Phuket expected to land at Chiang Mai International Airport at 12.30 pm, but was forced to land at Chiang Rai Airport.
Navy Warns Of Space Debris Landing Near Phuket
PHUKET: -- The Royal Thai Navy has issued a warning to all shipping to stay away from an area of the Andaman Sea where components of an Indian space shot are likely to fall back into the sea after launch.
The exact date of the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is not certain – it is currently scheduled to be on March 29, and should not be later than April 8.
The launch vehicle will carry a solar-powered 1.38-ton IRNSS-1D regional navigational satellite into geosynchronous orbit. The satellite will provide navigation, tracking and mapping services.
The Navy warned, “Please do not go close to, or pass through that area until after April 8.”
The warning also gave coordinates marking out the expected debris landing area: 9°15’00”N 94°45’00”E;10°05’00”N 95°05’00”E; 9°45’00”N 96°00’00”E; and 8°55’00”N 95°40’00”E.
The centre of the area is roughly 250 nautical miles (460 km) to the west-north-west of Phuket, not far from Car Nicobar Island.
Four Thais Charged In Military Court Over Anti-Coup Protest: Activists
BANGKOK: -- Four Thai men were charged over an anti-coup protest
in a military court in Bangkok Monday, activists said, as dozens of
students rallied outside in defiance of martial law in the junta-ruled
nation.
Around 40 students chanted slogans in support of the accused outside the court in the capital's historic heart to protest against the use of military courts to try civilians.
Thailand has seen a rapid erosion of civil liberties since the army seized power last May with the army banning political gatherings of more than five people, censoring the media and arresting and detaining opponents of junta rule.
The four men, including one student, were each charged with breaching the ban on gatherings during a peaceful demonstration in Bangkok last month, said Anon Nampa, one of the accused who also works for the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
They face up to one year in jail and a 20,000 baht ($600) fine if convicted, he added.
"We have each been charged under the law against the gathering of more than five people -- now we have been released," said Anon. The four must next report to the court on 27 March.
Pro-democracy student activists rallied outside the court to support the accused after mobilising at Bangkok's liberal Thammasat University, holding placards saying "Civilians must not be tried in a military court" and "No more dictatorship in Thailand".
"This is harming our human rights. We don't want people to be tried in a military court," economics student Sukrid Peansuwan, 21, told AFP at the campus rally.
A university lecturer who did not want to be named said she was supporting the students as "Thailand has come too far to go back to tyranny".
"Seeking democracy and justice is not a crime," she told AFP.
The four anti-coup protesters were arrested, and later released on bail, after a Valentine's Day protest in central Bangkok where activists handed out roses and copies of George Orwell's anti-authoritarian novel "1984".
Amnesty International condemned the charges in a statement released Monday, saying they should never have been levelled.
"They should not be placed in front of a military court, where they will not face a fair trial, and they should be permitted to freely express their opinions and protest peacefully," said Rupert Abbott, Amnesty's Research Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
May's military coup was the latest twist in Thailand's decade-long political crisis, which broadly pits a Bangkok-based middle class and royalist elite -- backed by parts of the military and judiciary -- against urban working-class voters and farmers from the country's north.
The junta says it will hold fresh elections in early 2016 once reforms to tackle corruption and curb the power of political parties are codified in a new constitution.
But the draft charter has already raised deep concerns in the kingdom and critics doubt whether it will bridge Thailand's deep political divisions.
Around 40 students chanted slogans in support of the accused outside the court in the capital's historic heart to protest against the use of military courts to try civilians.
Thailand has seen a rapid erosion of civil liberties since the army seized power last May with the army banning political gatherings of more than five people, censoring the media and arresting and detaining opponents of junta rule.
The four men, including one student, were each charged with breaching the ban on gatherings during a peaceful demonstration in Bangkok last month, said Anon Nampa, one of the accused who also works for the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
They face up to one year in jail and a 20,000 baht ($600) fine if convicted, he added.
"We have each been charged under the law against the gathering of more than five people -- now we have been released," said Anon. The four must next report to the court on 27 March.
Pro-democracy student activists rallied outside the court to support the accused after mobilising at Bangkok's liberal Thammasat University, holding placards saying "Civilians must not be tried in a military court" and "No more dictatorship in Thailand".
"This is harming our human rights. We don't want people to be tried in a military court," economics student Sukrid Peansuwan, 21, told AFP at the campus rally.
A university lecturer who did not want to be named said she was supporting the students as "Thailand has come too far to go back to tyranny".
"Seeking democracy and justice is not a crime," she told AFP.
The four anti-coup protesters were arrested, and later released on bail, after a Valentine's Day protest in central Bangkok where activists handed out roses and copies of George Orwell's anti-authoritarian novel "1984".
Amnesty International condemned the charges in a statement released Monday, saying they should never have been levelled.
"They should not be placed in front of a military court, where they will not face a fair trial, and they should be permitted to freely express their opinions and protest peacefully," said Rupert Abbott, Amnesty's Research Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
May's military coup was the latest twist in Thailand's decade-long political crisis, which broadly pits a Bangkok-based middle class and royalist elite -- backed by parts of the military and judiciary -- against urban working-class voters and farmers from the country's north.
The junta says it will hold fresh elections in early 2016 once reforms to tackle corruption and curb the power of political parties are codified in a new constitution.
But the draft charter has already raised deep concerns in the kingdom and critics doubt whether it will bridge Thailand's deep political divisions.
Netanyahu Promises No Palestinian State If He Is Re-elected
JERUSALEM (AP) — In a frenzied last day of campaigning, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out the establishment of a
Palestinian state and vowed to keep building east Jerusalem settlements
as he appealed to hard-line voters on the eve of Israel's closely
contested general election.
The moderate opposition, meanwhile, announced a dramatic last-minute machination of its own, removing one of its two joint candidates for prime minister.
Netanyahu, who has governed for the past six years and has long been the most dominant personality in Israeli politics, has watched his standing plummet in recent weeks.
Recent opinion polls show his Likud Party lagging behind Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union. Herzog, who has vowed to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians, repair ties with the U.S. and reduce the growing gaps between rich and poor, confidently predicted an "upheaval" was imminent.
Late Monday night, it was announced that Herzog's main partner, former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, had given up an agreement to rotate the prime minister post with him if their alliance wins. It was widely thought that the unusual arrangement was driving away voters.
Tuesday's election caps an acrimonious three-month campaign that is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu.
While his comments Monday appeared to be election rhetoric, they nonetheless put him further at odds with the international community, boding poorly for already strained relations with the U.S. and other key allies if he wins a third consecutive term.
The hard-line leader has portrayed himself as the only politician capable of confronting Israel's numerous security challenges, while his opponents have focused on the country's high cost of living and presented Netanyahu as imperious and out of touch with the common man.
As Netanyahu's poll numbers have dropped in recent days, he has appeared increasingly desperate, stepping up his nationalistic rhetoric in a series of interviews to local media to appeal to his core base. Netanyahu has also complained of an international conspiracy to oust him, funded by wealthy foreigners who dislike him, and on Sunday night, he addressed an outdoor rally before tens of thousands of hard-line supporters in Tel Aviv.
The strategy is aimed at siphoning off voters from nationalistic rivals, but risks alienating centrist voters who are expected to determine the outcome of the race.
Speaking to the nrg news website, Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel.
"Whoever ignores that is burying his head in the sand. The left is doing that, burying its head in the sand time after time," he said in the video interview.
When asked if that means a Palestinian state will not be established if he is elected, Netanyahu replied, "Indeed."
It was the latest — and clearest — attempt by Netanyahu to disavow his earlier support for Palestinian independence, which he first laid out in a landmark 2009 speech.
"If we get this guarantee for demilitarization and necessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, we will be willing in a real peace agreement to reach a solution of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state," he said at the time.
Despite that pledge, two rounds of peace talks have failed and Netanyahu has continued to expand Jewish settlements.
Reaching a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict has been a top foreign policy priority for President Obama.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki would only say on Monday that the U.S. will work with whoever wins the Israeli election.
The international community overwhelmingly supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, areas captured by Israel in 1967, and opposes settlement construction. Netanyahu's tough new position is likely to worsen his already strained ties with his western allies if he is re-elected.
It also raises questions about what kind of vision he has for solving the conflict with the Palestinians. Most demographers agree that if Israel continues to control millions of Palestinians, the country will not be able to remain both Jewish and democratic.
Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said Netanyahu's comments were "dangerous" and could plunge the region into violence.
"This is the real Netanyahu," she said. "From the beginning, he was attempting to carry out a grand deception by pretending to be in favor of the two-state solution. But what he was actually doing on the ground is destroying the chances of peace."
Earlier, Netanyahu paid a last-minute visit to Har Homa, a Jewish development in east Jerusalem that Netanyahu helped build during his first term as prime minister in 1997. The sprawling district now houses more than 20,000 residents.
While Israel considers the area a part of its capital, the international community considers it an illegal settlement on occupied land. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as their capital.
"We will preserve Jerusalem's unity in all its parts. We will continue to build and fortify Jerusalem so that its division won't be possible and it will stay united forever," Netanyahu said, explaining that Har Homa was built to contain Palestinian development in the nearby West Bank town of Bethlehem.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials.
Netanyahu dissolved his government in December and ordered the new election, two years ahead of schedule, in the belief that he would cruise to a new term.
On Monday, it was Herzog, Netanyahu's chief rival, who appeared confident and upbeat.
Visiting his party headquarters, Herzog, a trained lawyer and scion of a prominent political family, talked about a "crucial" vote for the country and warned against splitting the anti-Netanyahu vote among the various centrist parties.
"Whoever wants an upheaval has to vote for us," Herzog said.
Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, which has also focused on the plight of Israel's middle class, received a warm welcome at a campaign stop in the coastal city of Netanya. Supporters warmly embraced him and stopped him to take selfies.
He accused both Netanyahu and Herzog of working outside deals with special interest groups and said that only he was tackling the real issues facing the Israeli middle class.
Lapid has so far refused to commit to either Herzog or Netanyahu, though he is widely seen as a natural ally of Herzog's in a future coalition.
Exit polls are expected immediately after voting stops at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) Tuesday night. But the true victor may not be known for several weeks.
Under Israel's electoral system, no party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-member parliament. Instead, the party with the best chance of forming a coalition — usually the largest party — is given the chance to form a coalition. That decision is taken by the country's president, Reuven Rivlin.
Since neither Likud nor the Zionist Union is expected to earn more than a quarter of the votes, Rivlin will meet with party leaders to determine who should be prime minister, followed by a lengthy period of negotiations to assemble a coalition.
A potential kingmaker could be found in the new centrist party of Moshe Kahlon, who is running on an economic platform that deals almost exclusively with bread-and-butter issues while putting Israel's diplomatic challenges on the back burner.
Kahlon, who broke off from Netanyahu's Likud, is demanding to become finance minister in the next government and has given no indication as to whom he would prefer as prime minister.
The son of Libyan immigrants, Kahlon is popular with working class Israelis, thanks to his Middle Eastern background, his modest upbringing and for reforming the local mobile-phone market.
The moderate opposition, meanwhile, announced a dramatic last-minute machination of its own, removing one of its two joint candidates for prime minister.
Netanyahu, who has governed for the past six years and has long been the most dominant personality in Israeli politics, has watched his standing plummet in recent weeks.
Recent opinion polls show his Likud Party lagging behind Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union. Herzog, who has vowed to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians, repair ties with the U.S. and reduce the growing gaps between rich and poor, confidently predicted an "upheaval" was imminent.
Late Monday night, it was announced that Herzog's main partner, former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, had given up an agreement to rotate the prime minister post with him if their alliance wins. It was widely thought that the unusual arrangement was driving away voters.
Tuesday's election caps an acrimonious three-month campaign that is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu.
While his comments Monday appeared to be election rhetoric, they nonetheless put him further at odds with the international community, boding poorly for already strained relations with the U.S. and other key allies if he wins a third consecutive term.
The hard-line leader has portrayed himself as the only politician capable of confronting Israel's numerous security challenges, while his opponents have focused on the country's high cost of living and presented Netanyahu as imperious and out of touch with the common man.
As Netanyahu's poll numbers have dropped in recent days, he has appeared increasingly desperate, stepping up his nationalistic rhetoric in a series of interviews to local media to appeal to his core base. Netanyahu has also complained of an international conspiracy to oust him, funded by wealthy foreigners who dislike him, and on Sunday night, he addressed an outdoor rally before tens of thousands of hard-line supporters in Tel Aviv.
The strategy is aimed at siphoning off voters from nationalistic rivals, but risks alienating centrist voters who are expected to determine the outcome of the race.
Speaking to the nrg news website, Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel.
"Whoever ignores that is burying his head in the sand. The left is doing that, burying its head in the sand time after time," he said in the video interview.
When asked if that means a Palestinian state will not be established if he is elected, Netanyahu replied, "Indeed."
It was the latest — and clearest — attempt by Netanyahu to disavow his earlier support for Palestinian independence, which he first laid out in a landmark 2009 speech.
"If we get this guarantee for demilitarization and necessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, we will be willing in a real peace agreement to reach a solution of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state," he said at the time.
Despite that pledge, two rounds of peace talks have failed and Netanyahu has continued to expand Jewish settlements.
Reaching a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict has been a top foreign policy priority for President Obama.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki would only say on Monday that the U.S. will work with whoever wins the Israeli election.
The international community overwhelmingly supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, areas captured by Israel in 1967, and opposes settlement construction. Netanyahu's tough new position is likely to worsen his already strained ties with his western allies if he is re-elected.
It also raises questions about what kind of vision he has for solving the conflict with the Palestinians. Most demographers agree that if Israel continues to control millions of Palestinians, the country will not be able to remain both Jewish and democratic.
Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said Netanyahu's comments were "dangerous" and could plunge the region into violence.
"This is the real Netanyahu," she said. "From the beginning, he was attempting to carry out a grand deception by pretending to be in favor of the two-state solution. But what he was actually doing on the ground is destroying the chances of peace."
Earlier, Netanyahu paid a last-minute visit to Har Homa, a Jewish development in east Jerusalem that Netanyahu helped build during his first term as prime minister in 1997. The sprawling district now houses more than 20,000 residents.
While Israel considers the area a part of its capital, the international community considers it an illegal settlement on occupied land. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as their capital.
"We will preserve Jerusalem's unity in all its parts. We will continue to build and fortify Jerusalem so that its division won't be possible and it will stay united forever," Netanyahu said, explaining that Har Homa was built to contain Palestinian development in the nearby West Bank town of Bethlehem.
There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials.
Netanyahu dissolved his government in December and ordered the new election, two years ahead of schedule, in the belief that he would cruise to a new term.
On Monday, it was Herzog, Netanyahu's chief rival, who appeared confident and upbeat.
Visiting his party headquarters, Herzog, a trained lawyer and scion of a prominent political family, talked about a "crucial" vote for the country and warned against splitting the anti-Netanyahu vote among the various centrist parties.
"Whoever wants an upheaval has to vote for us," Herzog said.
Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, which has also focused on the plight of Israel's middle class, received a warm welcome at a campaign stop in the coastal city of Netanya. Supporters warmly embraced him and stopped him to take selfies.
He accused both Netanyahu and Herzog of working outside deals with special interest groups and said that only he was tackling the real issues facing the Israeli middle class.
Lapid has so far refused to commit to either Herzog or Netanyahu, though he is widely seen as a natural ally of Herzog's in a future coalition.
Exit polls are expected immediately after voting stops at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) Tuesday night. But the true victor may not be known for several weeks.
Under Israel's electoral system, no party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-member parliament. Instead, the party with the best chance of forming a coalition — usually the largest party — is given the chance to form a coalition. That decision is taken by the country's president, Reuven Rivlin.
Since neither Likud nor the Zionist Union is expected to earn more than a quarter of the votes, Rivlin will meet with party leaders to determine who should be prime minister, followed by a lengthy period of negotiations to assemble a coalition.
A potential kingmaker could be found in the new centrist party of Moshe Kahlon, who is running on an economic platform that deals almost exclusively with bread-and-butter issues while putting Israel's diplomatic challenges on the back burner.
Kahlon, who broke off from Netanyahu's Likud, is demanding to become finance minister in the next government and has given no indication as to whom he would prefer as prime minister.
The son of Libyan immigrants, Kahlon is popular with working class Israelis, thanks to his Middle Eastern background, his modest upbringing and for reforming the local mobile-phone market.
New Constitution grants Too Much Power To The Senate
BANGKOK: -- A PARTICIPANT at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand's forum on "The Future of Thai Politics" last week raised an important point - that the all-appointed Senate under the new charter will have far too much influence.
The participant also noted that this is something National Reform Council (NRC) members remember when scrutinising the charter provisions, and Thai citizens should keep in mind when voting in a referendum.
Capacity to influence the choice of Cabinet members is one of many powers the new Senate will have. The charter's Provision 132 will give senators the power to dig into the background of Cabinet candidates and publicise their findings.
This implies that the Senate can tell the prime minister exactly which individuals they deem eligible, or not, for a minister's post, and possibly refuse to cooperate during legislative procedures if the PM ignores their "recommendations".
The notion that appointed senators have the authority to scrutinise and publicise ministerial candidates' profiles may seem absurd, but in reality it could manifest into something worse.
With this power in their hands, the Senate could force the prime minister to the negotiating table, and allow senators to handpick preferred candidates for certain ministerial seats in exchange for approving the PM's preferred nominees.
Obviously there will be a lot of wheeling and dealing behind the scenes before a cabinet satisfactory to both parties can be formed. But this wheeling and dealing can be a bit worrying, because not only will it damage the effectiveness of an elected government, it would also shift significant executive power to the privileged few from the upper-middle class and the elite who form the Senate.
As per the new charter, senators will be nominated from "five social groups", which could include former premiers, former House speakers, former Supreme Court presidents, former ministry permanent secretaries, former generals or supreme commanders, presidents of different professional associations or organisations, and academics. Nearly every member of these social groups hail from the upper-middle class based mainly in the capital.
Clearly, the framework to select the Senate does not connect in any way to the grassroots in rural Thailand because, as the charter drafters argue, senators cannot have the same electoral canvassers and support base as MPs in the House of Representatives.
The new charter will also give the Senate the power to propose bills.
With this, new senators will be able to negotiate with MPs, forcing them into "give-and-take" deals. Hence, not only will the new Senate have the power to influence the selection of ministers, it will also have the power to pursue its own legislative agenda.
Also, as all senators will be appointed from the pool of society's power players, they will have no fear of playing a game of legislative stalemate, in which they can force the PM to dissolve parliament. After all, "appointed" senators have very little to lose because unlike lower House MPs, they will have invested nothing in terms of energy, effort or funds on wooing voters.
An appointed Senate under the new charter will have an upper hand both in the executive branch as well as the Lower House - a point that needs to be closely reviewed by all stakeholders especially the NRC and the public.
UN And Russia Worry That Islamic State Is In Afghanistan
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan said
Monday that recent reports indicate the Islamic State extremist group
has established a foothold in Afghanistan, a view echoed by Russia which
urged the Security Council to stop its expansion.
Nicholas Haysom told the council the assessment of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan is that the Islamic State group hasn't stuck "firm roots" in the country. But he said the mission is concerned because of its potential "to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally."
Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow is worried about the rise of the terrorist threat in Afghanistan and the broadening of the Islamic State group's geographical activities which are "spreading a radical Islam."
In urging council action against the expansion of the extremist group, Safronkov said Russia is worried about "increasingly frequent reports of the worsening situation in the north of Afghanistan," in areas bordering countries which were once Soviet republics and remain "our friends and allies."
He said extremists in the once quiet north are actively engaging in propaganda activities and recruiting, and are setting up camp.
"The states of the region have legitimate concerns about this turn of events," Safronkov said. "Turning it into yet another safe haven for fighters and extremists is categorically unacceptable."
Afghanistan's U.N. Ambassador Zahir Tanin agreed that there are reports of the Islamic State group penetrating more areas including Afghanistan "but the main enemy we face is the Taliban that continue to fight against us." He added that there may also be "some splinter groups with more extreme orientations."
All three spoke at an open meeting where the Security Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan until March 17, 2016.
The resolution adopted by the council calls on the Afghan government, with help from the international community, to continue to tackle threats from the Taliban, al-Qaida, other extremist groups and drug traders. It does not mention the Islamic State group by name.
After the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Muslim insurgents helped oust the Soviet military. The insurgents, many turned warlords, then turned their guns on each other which led to the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan and offering a haven for al-Qaida. The Islamic State is an offshoot of al-Qaida.
Haysom, Safronkov and Tanin all stressed the importance of reconciliation to bring peace to Afghanistan.
The Security Council resolution stressed the importance of an "Afghan led and Afghan-owned" political process to support reconciliation for all those who renounce violence, have no link to terrorist groups and respect the constitution including the rights of women.
Tanin said the peace and reconciliation process is the government's first priority, especially at this time "when violence affects increasing numbers of civilians and when the crippling triple threat of terrorism, extremism and criminality threatens to undermine the future of the Afghan people and the wider region.
Nicholas Haysom told the council the assessment of the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan is that the Islamic State group hasn't stuck "firm roots" in the country. But he said the mission is concerned because of its potential "to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally."
Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow is worried about the rise of the terrorist threat in Afghanistan and the broadening of the Islamic State group's geographical activities which are "spreading a radical Islam."
In urging council action against the expansion of the extremist group, Safronkov said Russia is worried about "increasingly frequent reports of the worsening situation in the north of Afghanistan," in areas bordering countries which were once Soviet republics and remain "our friends and allies."
He said extremists in the once quiet north are actively engaging in propaganda activities and recruiting, and are setting up camp.
"The states of the region have legitimate concerns about this turn of events," Safronkov said. "Turning it into yet another safe haven for fighters and extremists is categorically unacceptable."
Afghanistan's U.N. Ambassador Zahir Tanin agreed that there are reports of the Islamic State group penetrating more areas including Afghanistan "but the main enemy we face is the Taliban that continue to fight against us." He added that there may also be "some splinter groups with more extreme orientations."
All three spoke at an open meeting where the Security Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan until March 17, 2016.
The resolution adopted by the council calls on the Afghan government, with help from the international community, to continue to tackle threats from the Taliban, al-Qaida, other extremist groups and drug traders. It does not mention the Islamic State group by name.
After the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Muslim insurgents helped oust the Soviet military. The insurgents, many turned warlords, then turned their guns on each other which led to the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan and offering a haven for al-Qaida. The Islamic State is an offshoot of al-Qaida.
Haysom, Safronkov and Tanin all stressed the importance of reconciliation to bring peace to Afghanistan.
The Security Council resolution stressed the importance of an "Afghan led and Afghan-owned" political process to support reconciliation for all those who renounce violence, have no link to terrorist groups and respect the constitution including the rights of women.
Tanin said the peace and reconciliation process is the government's first priority, especially at this time "when violence affects increasing numbers of civilians and when the crippling triple threat of terrorism, extremism and criminality threatens to undermine the future of the Afghan people and the wider region.
UN: 24 Dead In Vanuatu After Cyclone Pam
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The United Nations reported
Monday that 24 people are confirmed dead and 3,300 have been displaced
by Cyclone Pam in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu.
Radio and telephone communications with outer islands have not yet been established two days after what the country's president called a "monster" storm, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
It said 3,300 people are sheltering in 37 evacuation centers on the main island of Efate and in the provinces of Torba and Penama. "Basic emergency rations are being provided to evacuees, including water, rice, tinned fish or meat, coffee, tea, sugar, Milo, biscuits and other items," the report said.
Military aircraft from New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand have been conducting aerial assessments of the damage.
The latest report came as Vanuatu's president rushed back to his country, which has repeatedly warned it is already suffering devastating effects from climate change with coastal areas being washed away.
Looking weary and red-eyed, Baldwin Lonsdale told The Associated Press that Cyclone Pam destroyed or damaged 90 percent of the buildings in the capital alone. Lonsdale was interviewed in Sendai, in northeastern Japan, where he had been attending a U.N. disaster conference when the cyclone struck.
"This is a very devastating cyclone in Vanuatu. I term it as a monster, a monster," he said. "It's a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu. After all the development that has taken place, all this development has been wiped out."
Lonsdale said because of a breakdown in communications infrastructure, even he could not reach his family. "We do not know if our families are safe or not. As the leader of the nation, my whole heart is for the people, the nation," he said.
Officials in Vanuatu were struggling to determine the scale of devastation from the cyclone, which tore through the nation early Saturday, packing winds of 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour. Bridges were down outside the capital, Port Vila, making travel by vehicle impossible even around the main island of Efate.
Paolo Malatu, coordinator for Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office, said officials had dispatched every plane and helicopter they could to fly over the hard-hit outer islands.
"The damage to homes and infrastructure is severe," Malatu said. "The priority at the moment is to get people water, food and shelter."
The damaged airport in Port Vila has reopened, allowing some aid and relief flights to reach the country. Lonsdale said a wide range of items were needed, from tarpaulins and water containers to medical supplies and construction tools. Those on the ground pleaded for help to arrive quickly.
The city's hospital was overwhelmed with patients, and some beds were moved outside due to fears the building is no longer safe.
"The wards have all been evacuated because of structural damage," surgeon Richard Leona told Australia's Channel 7. "We are badly needing this help. We need to get an urgent drug supply and food and also set up a mobile hospital to deal with the influx of patients coming in."
In Port Vila, smashed boats littered the harbor, and sodden piles of household belongings tangled among twisted tree branches lay where some homes once stood.
Many of the city's residents spent Monday clearing away downed trees and cleaning up what was left of their houses. Those left homeless were generally staying with loved ones whose houses had withstood the storm, or sleeping in temporary shelters provided by aid agencies, said UNICEF spokeswoman Alice Clements.
Access to food and water is an urgent concern, said Clements, who is in Port Vila. Much of the city's water supply has been tainted, so residents are boiling water to drink.
Clements said she spoke to a woman who is nine months pregnant and lost her home in the storm. The woman's situation, along with many others, is growing desperate, Clements said.
"She has no water, no food, no power," she said. "This is an incredibly dangerous time."
Some commercial flights have resumed, although services are limited. Georgina Roberts, New Zealand's High Commissioner to Vanuatu, said two defense force planes were sent to retrieve about 100 stranded New Zealand tourists.
In Sydney, shaken Australian tourists returning from Vanuatu greeted loved ones with hugs and terrifying tales of the storm's wrath.
"I've never seen or heard anything like that noise," Ralph Scott said after arriving at Sydney's airport. "It was frightening, it was supersonic, it was terrible."
Scott said the aftermath of the storm was "utter devastation."
"Houses, roads washed away," he said. "People walking around like zombies."
New Zealand radio journalist Frances Cook and her husband traveled to Vanuatu for their honeymoon two days before the cyclone struck. She said they knew a storm was coming but figured from the forecasts it wouldn't be too bad.
"It's been exciting," she joked.
Instead of zip-lining through the jungle and looking at active volcanoes as planned, Cook has been reporting back home on the devastation. She said a lot of stranded tourists were desperate to leave and some were afraid for their security.
"It's a glorious place and the people are so lovely," she said. "It's quite upsetting to see this happen."
Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 people spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.
Hannington Alatoa, head of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, said flyovers by New Zealand and Australian relief teams showed much of the country had been "flattened." At least half of the population has been affected, Alatoa said in Sendai.
"No trees, no foliage, no iron structures standing on the western part of Tanna (island)," Alatoa said. "People are in great need of water."
The World Health Organization said it was sending health and emergency response workers and supplies, and coordinating with UNICEF and regional governments.
Scientists say it's impossible to attribute single weather events like Cyclone Pam to climate change.
"Climate change is contributing to the disasters in Vanuatu," President Lonsdale said. "We see the level of sea rise. Change in weather patterns. This year we have heavy rain more than every year."
The cyclone also caused damage to other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. Some homes were evacuated in New Zealand on Monday to escape flooding as the weakening storm moved past North Island.
___
Kurtenbach reported from Sendai, Japan. Associated Press writers Kristen Gelineau in Sydney and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Radio and telephone communications with outer islands have not yet been established two days after what the country's president called a "monster" storm, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
It said 3,300 people are sheltering in 37 evacuation centers on the main island of Efate and in the provinces of Torba and Penama. "Basic emergency rations are being provided to evacuees, including water, rice, tinned fish or meat, coffee, tea, sugar, Milo, biscuits and other items," the report said.
Military aircraft from New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand have been conducting aerial assessments of the damage.
The latest report came as Vanuatu's president rushed back to his country, which has repeatedly warned it is already suffering devastating effects from climate change with coastal areas being washed away.
Looking weary and red-eyed, Baldwin Lonsdale told The Associated Press that Cyclone Pam destroyed or damaged 90 percent of the buildings in the capital alone. Lonsdale was interviewed in Sendai, in northeastern Japan, where he had been attending a U.N. disaster conference when the cyclone struck.
"This is a very devastating cyclone in Vanuatu. I term it as a monster, a monster," he said. "It's a setback for the government and for the people of Vanuatu. After all the development that has taken place, all this development has been wiped out."
Lonsdale said because of a breakdown in communications infrastructure, even he could not reach his family. "We do not know if our families are safe or not. As the leader of the nation, my whole heart is for the people, the nation," he said.
Officials in Vanuatu were struggling to determine the scale of devastation from the cyclone, which tore through the nation early Saturday, packing winds of 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour. Bridges were down outside the capital, Port Vila, making travel by vehicle impossible even around the main island of Efate.
Paolo Malatu, coordinator for Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office, said officials had dispatched every plane and helicopter they could to fly over the hard-hit outer islands.
"The damage to homes and infrastructure is severe," Malatu said. "The priority at the moment is to get people water, food and shelter."
The damaged airport in Port Vila has reopened, allowing some aid and relief flights to reach the country. Lonsdale said a wide range of items were needed, from tarpaulins and water containers to medical supplies and construction tools. Those on the ground pleaded for help to arrive quickly.
The city's hospital was overwhelmed with patients, and some beds were moved outside due to fears the building is no longer safe.
"The wards have all been evacuated because of structural damage," surgeon Richard Leona told Australia's Channel 7. "We are badly needing this help. We need to get an urgent drug supply and food and also set up a mobile hospital to deal with the influx of patients coming in."
In Port Vila, smashed boats littered the harbor, and sodden piles of household belongings tangled among twisted tree branches lay where some homes once stood.
Many of the city's residents spent Monday clearing away downed trees and cleaning up what was left of their houses. Those left homeless were generally staying with loved ones whose houses had withstood the storm, or sleeping in temporary shelters provided by aid agencies, said UNICEF spokeswoman Alice Clements.
Access to food and water is an urgent concern, said Clements, who is in Port Vila. Much of the city's water supply has been tainted, so residents are boiling water to drink.
Clements said she spoke to a woman who is nine months pregnant and lost her home in the storm. The woman's situation, along with many others, is growing desperate, Clements said.
"She has no water, no food, no power," she said. "This is an incredibly dangerous time."
Some commercial flights have resumed, although services are limited. Georgina Roberts, New Zealand's High Commissioner to Vanuatu, said two defense force planes were sent to retrieve about 100 stranded New Zealand tourists.
In Sydney, shaken Australian tourists returning from Vanuatu greeted loved ones with hugs and terrifying tales of the storm's wrath.
"I've never seen or heard anything like that noise," Ralph Scott said after arriving at Sydney's airport. "It was frightening, it was supersonic, it was terrible."
Scott said the aftermath of the storm was "utter devastation."
"Houses, roads washed away," he said. "People walking around like zombies."
New Zealand radio journalist Frances Cook and her husband traveled to Vanuatu for their honeymoon two days before the cyclone struck. She said they knew a storm was coming but figured from the forecasts it wouldn't be too bad.
"It's been exciting," she joked.
Instead of zip-lining through the jungle and looking at active volcanoes as planned, Cook has been reporting back home on the devastation. She said a lot of stranded tourists were desperate to leave and some were afraid for their security.
"It's a glorious place and the people are so lovely," she said. "It's quite upsetting to see this happen."
Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 people spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.
Hannington Alatoa, head of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, said flyovers by New Zealand and Australian relief teams showed much of the country had been "flattened." At least half of the population has been affected, Alatoa said in Sendai.
"No trees, no foliage, no iron structures standing on the western part of Tanna (island)," Alatoa said. "People are in great need of water."
The World Health Organization said it was sending health and emergency response workers and supplies, and coordinating with UNICEF and regional governments.
Scientists say it's impossible to attribute single weather events like Cyclone Pam to climate change.
"Climate change is contributing to the disasters in Vanuatu," President Lonsdale said. "We see the level of sea rise. Change in weather patterns. This year we have heavy rain more than every year."
The cyclone also caused damage to other Pacific islands, including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. Some homes were evacuated in New Zealand on Monday to escape flooding as the weakening storm moved past North Island.
___
Kurtenbach reported from Sendai, Japan. Associated Press writers Kristen Gelineau in Sydney and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Baht Weaker But Stable After Rate Cut
BANGKOK: -- THE BANK OF THAILAND's 25-basis-point cut in the policy interest rate last week has depreciated the value of the baht by 0.5 per cent and taken the government bond yield curve to the lowest point in six years.
The decline in the bond yield has had the effect of lowering the cost of investment, and the central bank has urged businesses to take advantage of this.
The baht weakened from around 32.30 to nearly 33 against the US dollar after the BOT's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cut the benchmark rate from 2 per cent to 1.75 per cent. The yield for government 10-year bond dropped from 2.74 per cent as of March 11 to 2.49 per cent after the cut.
"The baht depreciated because the majority of the market believed that the MPC would maintain the policy interest rate," said BOT spokesman Chirathep Senivongs Na Ayudhya. "But the currency has stabilised now and there is currently no irregularity regarding fund flows ahead of the US Federal Reserve's statement this week."
The Federal Open Market Committee, which sets the US policy rate, is to conclude a two-day meeting tomorrow.
"The current [BOT policy] rate is very supportive, while the interest rate for the government's 10-year bonds is one of the lowest in the region," Chirathep said. "Therefore Thailand's monetary cost is very low … We urge the private sector to invest now when you can get a 10-year loan at an interest rate of around 2.5 per cent, since this an opportunity to expand and increase your competitiveness."
So far two commercial banks, Siam Commercial Bank and Bangkok Bank, have lowered their lending rates after the policy-rate cut.
Land & Houses managing director Adisorn Thananum-Narapool said the lower policy rate was a challenge to the company's plan to issue a new debenture this year. This will cut its interest rate to below 4 per cent.
The company plans to issue half of the Bt10-billion debenture in the first half of this year, and the rest in the second half, he said.
Pruksa Real Estate, which plans to issue a debenture worth Bt3 billion this year, also expects it to carry a lower interest rate than last year, chief operating officer Lersak Chuladesa said.
This is also good news for home-buyers, who will be able to get lower interest rates on their mortgages, he added.
Thai Bond Market Association forecasts Thai companies will issue debentures worth totalling between Bt520 billion and Bt540 billion in this year, dropping 1.8 per cent from last year.
Meanwhile, SCB might consider adjusting its minimum lending rate if other major banks trim their MLRs by only 0.125 percentage point, less than SCB's recent rate cut.
SCB on Thursday became the first bank to lower its MLR and its fixed deposit rate by 0.20 percentage point. On Friday, Bangkok Bank also cut its MLR and fixed deposit rate, but by just 0.125 percentage point.
Krungthai Bank and Kasikornbank, the second and fourth largest banks by assets, have remained quiet over the rate cut.
Arthid Nanthawithaya, senior executive vice president of SCB, said yesterday that if several banks decided to trim their MLRs by only 0.125 percentage point, less than SCB did, the bank would consider adjusting its rates in line with the market.
However, he noted that the policy rate could be cut further as the real interest rate is high and the baht remains strong compared with the currencies of other countries in the region.
He said it was clear to SCB that the Thai economy is still struggling, which has had an impact on retail, small and medium-sized enterprises, and some corporate clients. The bank agrees with the BOT that the rate cut should be a tool to help those sectors.
Italian Navigator Rescued After Being Shipwrecked In The Atlantic
ITALY (eTN) - Matteo Miceli was rescued in the Atlantic Ocean
after being thrown from his Eco 40 boat. He was about 600 nautical
miles from Brazil when the incident occurred, and was left to drift on
the emergency raft in the Atlantic Ocean.
Rescue operations were coordinated by the National Center Relief Coast Guard of Rome. After receiving the distress call and locating the raft, the Brazilian maritime competent authorities flagged the merchant Aranon that was in the Marshall Islands to divert its route to provide relief to the stranded navigator.
Upon arrival of the merchant Aranon, the lone sailor was found aboard the raft in good health. Miceli is currently onboard the Aranon which is heading towards the port of Salvador in Brazil, where it will arrive on March 17.
Matteo began his journey on October 19, 2014 from the port of Riva Trajan in the province of Rome for his round-the-world solo trip aboard his new Eco 40 boat - a class 40 self-sufficient craft that he built completely by himself.
The Eco 40 boat was equipped with two hens - a Blonde, who died while in the Indian Ocean, and a Mora (brown feathered), who was lost at sea. The craft was also equipped with a biodynamic garden with sprouts, as well as a board generator that was powered by wind and solar panels.
Rescue operations were coordinated by the National Center Relief Coast Guard of Rome. After receiving the distress call and locating the raft, the Brazilian maritime competent authorities flagged the merchant Aranon that was in the Marshall Islands to divert its route to provide relief to the stranded navigator.
Upon arrival of the merchant Aranon, the lone sailor was found aboard the raft in good health. Miceli is currently onboard the Aranon which is heading towards the port of Salvador in Brazil, where it will arrive on March 17.
Matteo began his journey on October 19, 2014 from the port of Riva Trajan in the province of Rome for his round-the-world solo trip aboard his new Eco 40 boat - a class 40 self-sufficient craft that he built completely by himself.
The Eco 40 boat was equipped with two hens - a Blonde, who died while in the Indian Ocean, and a Mora (brown feathered), who was lost at sea. The craft was also equipped with a biodynamic garden with sprouts, as well as a board generator that was powered by wind and solar panels.
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