Minggu, 21 Mei 2017
Venezuela protests: Man set alight as death toll rises
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused opposition protesters of setting alight a government supporter in Caracas on the 50th day of protests.
Orlando José Figuera suffered burns to 80% of his body after he was engulfed in flames. Officials said he was also stabbed in Saturday's protests.
Witnesses said the crowd had accused the man of being a thief.
On the same day, an opposition activist was shot dead, bringing the total number killed in recent protests to 48.
The attorney general's office said gunmen allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators in the western city of Valera.
Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar died from a gunshot wound to the chest, while two others were wounded.
Protesters demanding President Maduro step down and hold elections took to the streets across the country on Saturday to mark the 50th day of the increasingly violent demonstrations which have overwhelmed the country in recent weeks.
"A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed... They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista'," President Maduro said, referring to the ruling Socialist movement set up by his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
Speaking on his weekly TV programme, Mr Maduro described it as "a hate crime and a crime against humanity".
It is thought 46 people were injured in the demonstration in eastern Caracas where Mr Figuera, 21, was hurt.
Journalist and politician Earle Herrera said the man had been accused of being a thief, according to AFP news agency.
Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas tweeted it was "growing insanity".
"A human being is set on fire at a 'peaceful demonstration' by the opposition in Caracas," he wrote, posting a video of the incident.
Protests have been taking place across Venezuela for seven weeks, as anger towards Mr Maduro and his government rises.
Seven in 10 people are said to oppose Mr Maduro, according to private surveys.
Despite having the world's largest known oil reserves, Venezuela is facing a shortage of many basic items, including food and medicines.
Its economy has collapsed, with inflation expected to top 700% this year, and crime is rampant.
The opposition is calling for early elections and the release of opposition politicians jailed in recent years, saying the socialist governments of Mr Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, have mismanaged the economy since coming to power in 1999.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994965
Orlando José Figuera suffered burns to 80% of his body after he was engulfed in flames. Officials said he was also stabbed in Saturday's protests.
Witnesses said the crowd had accused the man of being a thief.
On the same day, an opposition activist was shot dead, bringing the total number killed in recent protests to 48.
The attorney general's office said gunmen allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators in the western city of Valera.
Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar died from a gunshot wound to the chest, while two others were wounded.
Protesters demanding President Maduro step down and hold elections took to the streets across the country on Saturday to mark the 50th day of the increasingly violent demonstrations which have overwhelmed the country in recent weeks.
"A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed... They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista'," President Maduro said, referring to the ruling Socialist movement set up by his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
Speaking on his weekly TV programme, Mr Maduro described it as "a hate crime and a crime against humanity".
It is thought 46 people were injured in the demonstration in eastern Caracas where Mr Figuera, 21, was hurt.
Journalist and politician Earle Herrera said the man had been accused of being a thief, according to AFP news agency.
Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas tweeted it was "growing insanity".
"A human being is set on fire at a 'peaceful demonstration' by the opposition in Caracas," he wrote, posting a video of the incident.
Protests have been taking place across Venezuela for seven weeks, as anger towards Mr Maduro and his government rises.
Seven in 10 people are said to oppose Mr Maduro, according to private surveys.
Despite having the world's largest known oil reserves, Venezuela is facing a shortage of many basic items, including food and medicines.
Its economy has collapsed, with inflation expected to top 700% this year, and crime is rampant.
The opposition is calling for early elections and the release of opposition politicians jailed in recent years, saying the socialist governments of Mr Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, have mismanaged the economy since coming to power in 1999.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994965
Label: doctor, family, health, news, politic, protest
Sydney siege: Families criticise 'outrageous' police tactics
Relatives of two hostages who died in the Sydney siege have criticised police over their handling of the incident.
In December 2014, self-styled Islamist Man Haron Monis held 18 people hostage inside a Lindt cafe in the city centre.
Heavily armed police stormed the building 17 hours later after Monis shot cafe manager Tori Johnson.
A subsequent inquest was on Sunday labelled a "witch hunt" by the police union, but victims' families said police tactics had put lives in danger.
The relatives said they were shocked by revelations that police had planned to intervene only if the gunman killed or injured someone.
"I'll never be able understand how you can make a calculated decision that you wait for someone to die," Mr Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) in a programme to be broadcast on Monday.
New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes will hand down his findings into the 18-month inquest on Wednesday.
Monis was shot dead by police during the raid, while another hostage, Katrina Dawson, was killed by stray bullet fragments fired by police.
The inquest aimed to establish whether deaths were avoidable and if it should have been treated as a terrorist event.
How the Sydney siege unfolded
A gunman enters the cafe early on 15 December 2014 and has a coffee before holding a gun to manager Tori Johnson's head.
The gunman is identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian self-styled Muslim cleric given asylum in Australia.
Monis already faces a string of criminal charges, including sexual assault and being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Several hostages manage to escape the cafe which is surrounded by hundreds of armed police.
Police commandos storm the cafe in the early hours of 16 December, after Monis shoots Mr Johnson dead.
Monis and cafe customer Katrina Dawson die in the police operation.
Relatives of Ms Dawson, a barrister and cafe customer, said the police tactics were "outrageous".
"The idea that we had to wait for somebody to be killed or seriously injured before the police would act was staggering," her brother, Angus Dawson, told the ABC.
The barrister's mother, Jane Dawson, said: "They should be saving them from death or serious injury."
Mr Johnson's partner, Thomas Zinn, said he had lost faith in police because of their "great level of incompetence" during the incident.
It is the first time the families have publicly criticised police, aside from when Mr Johnson's parents stormed out of the inquest during one testimony.
However, New South Wales Police Association acting chief Tony King said the inquest had scrutinised police officers "as if they were on trial".
"For some lawyers the focus appeared to be not just to attribute blame but moral culpability, twisting words to belittle experienced officers," he wrote in a long post on Medium.
Mr King said they should instead be thanked for putting their lives on the line.
Questions about why police snipers did not attempt to shoot Monis were heavily discussed during the inquest.
A police commander in charge of the operation had previously said the siege had the hallmarks of a domestic incident rather than terrorism, despite the fact that Monis asked to be given a flag of the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group.
He said he had been advised by a psychiatrist that the siege was "final posturing" by Monis in order to gain some "street cred" before a likely jail sentence.
Monis had been facing dozens of sexual assault charges plus charges of being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39971237
In December 2014, self-styled Islamist Man Haron Monis held 18 people hostage inside a Lindt cafe in the city centre.
Heavily armed police stormed the building 17 hours later after Monis shot cafe manager Tori Johnson.
A subsequent inquest was on Sunday labelled a "witch hunt" by the police union, but victims' families said police tactics had put lives in danger.
The relatives said they were shocked by revelations that police had planned to intervene only if the gunman killed or injured someone.
"I'll never be able understand how you can make a calculated decision that you wait for someone to die," Mr Johnson's mother, Rosie Connellan, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) in a programme to be broadcast on Monday.
New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes will hand down his findings into the 18-month inquest on Wednesday.
Monis was shot dead by police during the raid, while another hostage, Katrina Dawson, was killed by stray bullet fragments fired by police.
The inquest aimed to establish whether deaths were avoidable and if it should have been treated as a terrorist event.
How the Sydney siege unfolded
A gunman enters the cafe early on 15 December 2014 and has a coffee before holding a gun to manager Tori Johnson's head.
The gunman is identified as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian self-styled Muslim cleric given asylum in Australia.
Monis already faces a string of criminal charges, including sexual assault and being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Several hostages manage to escape the cafe which is surrounded by hundreds of armed police.
Police commandos storm the cafe in the early hours of 16 December, after Monis shoots Mr Johnson dead.
Monis and cafe customer Katrina Dawson die in the police operation.
Relatives of Ms Dawson, a barrister and cafe customer, said the police tactics were "outrageous".
"The idea that we had to wait for somebody to be killed or seriously injured before the police would act was staggering," her brother, Angus Dawson, told the ABC.
The barrister's mother, Jane Dawson, said: "They should be saving them from death or serious injury."
Mr Johnson's partner, Thomas Zinn, said he had lost faith in police because of their "great level of incompetence" during the incident.
It is the first time the families have publicly criticised police, aside from when Mr Johnson's parents stormed out of the inquest during one testimony.
However, New South Wales Police Association acting chief Tony King said the inquest had scrutinised police officers "as if they were on trial".
"For some lawyers the focus appeared to be not just to attribute blame but moral culpability, twisting words to belittle experienced officers," he wrote in a long post on Medium.
Mr King said they should instead be thanked for putting their lives on the line.
Questions about why police snipers did not attempt to shoot Monis were heavily discussed during the inquest.
A police commander in charge of the operation had previously said the siege had the hallmarks of a domestic incident rather than terrorism, despite the fact that Monis asked to be given a flag of the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group.
He said he had been advised by a psychiatrist that the siege was "final posturing" by Monis in order to gain some "street cred" before a likely jail sentence.
Monis had been facing dozens of sexual assault charges plus charges of being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39971237
Label: crime, doctor, family, health, law, news
Billionaire makes 'biggest philanthropic gift' by living Australian
Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola, have announced they will give A$400m (£229m; $298m) to charity.
PM Malcolm Turnbull said the donation was "the biggest single philanthropic gift" in the nation's history, and the largest by a living Australian.
The money will fund causes including cancer research, university education and ending indigenous disadvantage.
The Fortescue Metals chairman has a history of philanthropy.
"I have been very fortunate, with my wife, Nicola, to be able to accumulate capital, and then as soon as we can to commence giving it away," said Mr Forrest, who is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of almost A$5.8bn.
"We had a slightly unsustainable business model previously, where we would actually borrow money to give it away. Fortunately, we don't have to do that now, thanks to the strength of the iron ore sector."
Who is Andrew Forrest?
A 55-year-old entrepreneur, Mr Forrest graduated from the University of Western Australia with an economics degree in 1983.
Known by his schoolboy nickname "Twiggy", he started his first mining business in 1994 and founded iron ore company Fortescue nine years later.
Mr Forrest was once Australia's richest man, with his wealth peaking in 2008 during the nation's mining boom.
In 2013, he pledged at least 50% of his wealth to charity after joining the Giving Pledge campaign launched by US billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
How will the donations be spent?
Mr Turnbull described the donation as an "extraordinary act", and said it would be spent in various ways:
PM Malcolm Turnbull said the donation was "the biggest single philanthropic gift" in the nation's history, and the largest by a living Australian.
The money will fund causes including cancer research, university education and ending indigenous disadvantage.
The Fortescue Metals chairman has a history of philanthropy.
"I have been very fortunate, with my wife, Nicola, to be able to accumulate capital, and then as soon as we can to commence giving it away," said Mr Forrest, who is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of almost A$5.8bn.
"We had a slightly unsustainable business model previously, where we would actually borrow money to give it away. Fortunately, we don't have to do that now, thanks to the strength of the iron ore sector."
Who is Andrew Forrest?
A 55-year-old entrepreneur, Mr Forrest graduated from the University of Western Australia with an economics degree in 1983.
Known by his schoolboy nickname "Twiggy", he started his first mining business in 1994 and founded iron ore company Fortescue nine years later.
Mr Forrest was once Australia's richest man, with his wealth peaking in 2008 during the nation's mining boom.
In 2013, he pledged at least 50% of his wealth to charity after joining the Giving Pledge campaign launched by US billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
How will the donations be spent?
Mr Turnbull described the donation as an "extraordinary act", and said it would be spent in various ways:
- A$75m would go to international cancer institutes;
- A$75m to end modern slavery;
- A$75m to university education and research;
- A$75m to childhood education;
- A$50m to "create equal opportunities for all Australians";
- A$50m to "build stronger communities".
"It will change the lives of thousands of people here in Australia and around the world," Mr Turnbull said at a briefing in Canberra.
"All of us should seek to do as much as we can with what we have. So, this is real leadership and leading by example."
Others who have made large philanthropic offers include Indian tech billionaire Azim Premji, Irish-American businessman Chuck Feeney and Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-39971238
Selasa, 16 Mei 2017
Martha McSally: Man 'threatened to shoot' Trump supporter
A man in the US has been put arrested after threatening to shoot a Republican congresswoman who supports President Donald Trump.
Steve Martan allegedly called Martha McSally's office several times, making death threats and saying she should be careful if she visited Tucson, Arizona.
FBI officials traced the calls back to his mobile phone.
When they visited him, he said he was "venting frustrations" with Ms McSally's votes in support of Mr Trump.
A complaint filed with a local court alleges that Mr Martan called the congressional office three times, using expletives and making general threats such as saying her days were "numbered", as well as threats to wring Ms McSally's neck or shoot her.
Ms McSally said the threats were "especially sickening" in view of the shooting of another congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson six years ago.
Six people died in that attack in 2011, and a total of 13 were wounded.
Ms Giffords survived the attack but spent time in an induced coma and suffered serious brain injury that left one of her arms paralysed and affected her speech. The man who shot her pleaded guilty on 19 counts of murder and attempted murder, and is serving seven life sentences plus 140 years.
Ms Giffords has issued a statement saying that the threats against Ms McSally were "reprehensible and deeply disturbing".
Ms McSally said: "We can disagree about issues and policies. We should have robust debates about the future of our country. But threats of violence cross a clear line."
Mr Martan has been released from custody, but will have to wear an electronic tag and is not permitted to contact Ms McSally or carry a gun, a local newspaper reported.
He is only allowed to leave the house for his work at a school and for his governmentally-mandated mental health programme.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39940443
Steve Martan allegedly called Martha McSally's office several times, making death threats and saying she should be careful if she visited Tucson, Arizona.
FBI officials traced the calls back to his mobile phone.
When they visited him, he said he was "venting frustrations" with Ms McSally's votes in support of Mr Trump.
A complaint filed with a local court alleges that Mr Martan called the congressional office three times, using expletives and making general threats such as saying her days were "numbered", as well as threats to wring Ms McSally's neck or shoot her.
Ms McSally said the threats were "especially sickening" in view of the shooting of another congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson six years ago.
Six people died in that attack in 2011, and a total of 13 were wounded.
Ms Giffords survived the attack but spent time in an induced coma and suffered serious brain injury that left one of her arms paralysed and affected her speech. The man who shot her pleaded guilty on 19 counts of murder and attempted murder, and is serving seven life sentences plus 140 years.
Ms Giffords has issued a statement saying that the threats against Ms McSally were "reprehensible and deeply disturbing".
Ms McSally said: "We can disagree about issues and policies. We should have robust debates about the future of our country. But threats of violence cross a clear line."
Mr Martan has been released from custody, but will have to wear an electronic tag and is not permitted to contact Ms McSally or carry a gun, a local newspaper reported.
He is only allowed to leave the house for his work at a school and for his governmentally-mandated mental health programme.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39940443
Label: actor, crime, doctor, family, law, news, Nurse
Jumat, 12 Mei 2017
Ebola: WHO declares outbreak in DR Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At least one person has died after contracting the virus in the country's north-east, the WHO says.
The Congolese health ministry had notified the WHO of a "lab-confirmed case" of Ebola, it added on Twitter.
More than 11,000 people died in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2015, mainly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The last outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was in 2014 and killed more than 40 people.
Of the nine people suspected to have contracted the deadly virus, three died, with one case of Ebola confirmed through tests at the national laboratory in the capital Kinshasa, WHO Congo representative Allarangar Yokouide said in a statement.
People began to get sick on or after 22 April in Bas-Uele province in the country's far north, he added.
The region affected lies 1,300km (800 miles) north-east of Kinshasa, close to the border with the Central African Republic.
"It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. But we always take this very seriously," WHO Congo spokesman Eric Kabambi told Reuters news agency.
The WHO described the outbreak as "a public health crisis of international importance".
It said the first teams of experts, including epidemiologists, biologists and hygiene specialists had been dispatched and were due to arrive in the affected region by Friday or Saturday.
No need to panic: Tulip Mazumdar, BBC Global Health correspondent
While this outbreak will be extremely worrying for communities in this remote part of northern DR Congo, it is important to remember that the country has stamped out more Ebola outbreaks than any other place on earth. It is well practiced in fighting the deadly virus.
Ebola was first identified in DR Congo (then Zaire) in 1976. Since then, there have been at least nine outbreaks in the country. The last was in 2014, when - at the same time - parts of West Africa were fighting a separate outbreak, the worst in history.
DR Congo was able to bring an end to its epidemic within four months. In West Africa, which had never experienced an Ebola outbreak before, it took two years.
Authorities in the DR Congo will need to act quickly to contain the virus, and ensure it doesn't spread to more populated areas.
This time, for the first time, health officials have another weapon they can use. The world has an experimental vaccine that could be deployed if needed.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39899406
Label: doctor, health, news, virus
