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US Releases Four Prisoners From Guantanamo

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 21 Desember 2014 | 00.57

Four Guantanamo Bay detainees have been released and sent home to Afghanistan, the Pentagon has revealed.

The men, who were held at the US military prison for over a decade, were flown to the Afghan capital Kabul overnight on a US military plane.

Shawali Khan, Khi Ali Gul, Abdul Ghani and Mohammed Zahir were then handed to Afghan authorities who are not required to further detain them.

The Department of Defence said the men, all Afghan nationals, were freed after a thorough review of their individual cases.

"As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these men were unanimously approved for transfer by the six departments and agencies comprising the task force," a Pentagon statement said.

According to the AP news agency, one administration official involved in the review said most, if not all, of the terrorism allegations against the men have been discarded and each is considered a low-level operative at best.

US officials said the transfer is a sign of US confidence in Afghanistan's new president Ashraf Ghani, who requested their repatriation.

They said the US worked quickly to fulfil his request as a mark of reconciliation and improved US-Afghan relations.

Their release follows the transfer of six Guantanamo detainees to Uruguay for resettlement earlier this month.

Officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity, said the Obama administration is expected to push for more transfers in the coming weeks.

President Barack Obama has vowed to close the prison, located in Cuba, citing the damage it had caused to America's image around the world. However many opposition Republicans are against the move.

The latest release has reduced the detainee population in Guantanamo Bay to 132, the lowest number to date, the Pentagon says.

Of those, 64 have been approved for transfer.

Guantanamo Bay was set up in 2002 to house suspects captured during the US "War on Terror," launched in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

Controversial new information came to light this month regarding the CIA's use of harsh interrogation methods at the facility and so-called "black" sites in Europe and Asia.

The Senate Intelligence Committee published a 480-page report detailing the agency's use of techniques including waterboarding and sleep deprivation.

Many detainees at the facility have been held for more than a decade without being charged or put on trial.


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No-Snow Area: Alpine Slopes 'Worst For 25 Years'

A lack of snow in the Alps has left some ski resorts facing the worst conditions seen in the past quarter century, a leading industry representative has said.

French Mountains, which promotes mountain tourism in France, this week said only 40 of some 200 skiing stations were open across the country.

The hardest-hit area has been the northern Alps - home to popular resorts including Val Thorens, Courchevel and Meribel - where resorts have been forced to keep pistes closed and even ration ski passes.

In the Trois Vallees - the largest ski area in the world - only around a third of the 3,700 miles (6,000km) of runs have been opened to skiers.

Resort webcams show skiers trying to make the best of poor conditions, making their way down slopes that have almost more patches of green than white.

Pierre Lestas, president of Domaines Skiables de France, the industry body for ski resort operators, told French news network BFMTV: "The situation is difficult in Haute-Savoie. We haven't seen this since 1988-89."

French weather forecasters say such light snowfall is seen only once every five to 10 years, with the last comparable season coming in 2006.

The lack of snow has been compounded by unseasonably warm temperatures preventing the use of artificial snow cannons, which are only effective at -2C or lower.

The conditions could result in a 20%-30% drop in revenues for ski resorts over the Christmas period, Mr Lestas told BFMTV.

One resort in the region that has been lucky enough to have snow is imposing quotas this weekend to prevent chaos at its ski lifts.

"Conditions are exceptional. As we are nearly the only station open in the Haute-Savoie region, we are expecting serious crowds," said Stephane Lerendu, director of the tourism office at the Avoriaz ski station. 

Located at an altitude of 1,800m (6,000ft), Avoriaz has been able to open most of its pistes, but the regional snow drought could lead to more than the resort's capacity of 12,000 skiers hitting the slopes.

Holidaymakers will be issued with priority ski passes, while a quota will apply to everyone else until neighbouring areas have enough snow to open.

Austria and Switzerland, which along with France are home to some of Europe's most coveted ski slopes, are also waiting anxiously for snow as the key Christmas holiday season arrives.

The Sky News Snow Report has the latest on snow conditions at resorts across Europe.


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Great Escape As Truck Trundles Over Cyclist

A cyclist had a lucky escape when he was run over by a large lorry in China.

The articulated vehicle turned right at crossroads and collided with him in the city of Ningbo, in Zhejiang Province.

But the rider suffered just minor bruises.

Authorities blamed the lorry driver for the accident.

Not only did he fail to spot the rider, he also did not stop afterwards.


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Watch: Orion Re-Enters Earth's Atmosphere

Video released by NASA gives an astronaut's-eye view of the intense conditions endured by the Orion spacecraft as it returned to earth.

Footage recovered after the uncrewed test flight on 5 December shows what Orion and its crew will endure when they return from planned deep space destinations on the journey to Mars.

Although the splashdown was shown live, much of the footage could not be seen because of a blackout caused by superheated plasma that surrounded the vehicle during the peak temperatures of its journey though the atmosphere.

But cameras recorded the full descent - allowing the public to see the extreme conditions a spacecraft experiences as it travels back to Earth from beyond low-Earth orbit.

The video begins 10 minutes before Orion's 4.30pm (11.29am EST) splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, just as the spacecraft hit Earth's atmosphere travelling at 20,000mph.

The plasma generated outside its heat shield changes colour from white through yellow and lavender to magenta as re-entry temperatures increase to their maximum point within the space of two minutes.

A sequence of parachutes then open as the spacecraft slows to just 20mph before splashing down off the coast of San Diego.

Orion was recovered by a combined NASA, US Navy and Lockheed Martin team and carried back to shore on USS Anchorage.

It was then loaded onto a lorry and driven back to Kennedy Space Center, where it arrived on Thursday.

Orion travelled 3,600 miles above Earth on its 4.5-hour flight test - further than any spacecraft built for humans has been in more than 40 years.

On its return to Earth, it also travelled faster and experienced hotter temperatures - 20,000mph and near 2,204C - than previous missions.

Orion will travel faster and experience even higher temperatures on future missions, when it returns from greater distances, but the test flight allowed engineers to check Orion's heat shield and other critical systems.

Work has begun on the next Orion capsule, which will launch for the first time on top of NASA's new Space Launch System rocket and travel to a distant orbit around the moon.


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North Korea: We Can Prove Hacking Wasn't Us

North Korea: We Can Prove Hacking Wasn't Us

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North Korea says it can prove it had nothing to do with the cyber-attack on Sony and proposes a joint investigation with the US.

The North Korean news agency KCNA warned there would be "grave consequences" if the White House declined the offer.

State media called the FBI's claim that North Korea was behind the attack on the entertainment giant a "slander".

The North's foreign ministry, quoted by KCNA, said: "As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident.

"Without resorting to such tortures as were used by the US CIA, we have means to prove that this incident has nothing to do with us."

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  1. Gallery: Kim Jong Un Seen Amid US Tensions

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiles as a huge crowd surrounds him while he gives field guidance at the Kim Jong Suk Pyongyang Textile Mill

North Korea stated it can prove it had nothing to do with the recent cyber-attack on Sony and proposed a joint investigation with the US

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The North Korean news agency KCNA warned there would be "grave consequences" if the White House declined the offer. Continue through for more images

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North Korea: We Can Prove Hacking Wasn't Us

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

North Korea says it can prove it had nothing to do with the cyber-attack on Sony and proposes a joint investigation with the US.

The North Korean news agency KCNA warned there would be "grave consequences" if the White House declined the offer.

State media called the FBI's claim that North Korea was behind the attack on the entertainment giant a "slander".

The North's foreign ministry, quoted by KCNA, said: "As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident.

"Without resorting to such tortures as were used by the US CIA, we have means to prove that this incident has nothing to do with us."

1/8

  1. Gallery: Kim Jong Un Seen Amid US Tensions

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiles as a huge crowd surrounds him while he gives field guidance at the Kim Jong Suk Pyongyang Textile Mill

North Korea stated it can prove it had nothing to do with the recent cyber-attack on Sony and proposed a joint investigation with the US

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The North Korean news agency KCNA warned there would be "grave consequences" if the White House declined the offer. Continue through for more images

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Man Arrested Over Police Constable's Killing

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an off-duty police constable was beaten to death in Liverpool.

Neil Doyle was attacked by a group of men during a Christmas night out with colleagues from Merseyside Police.

The 36-year-old got married in July and was due to go on honeymoon next month.

Two other off-duty officers suffered facial injuries in the attack, which took place near the Aloha nightclub in Colquitt Street at around 3.15am on Friday.

Officers are investigating the possibility they were targeted because of their jobs.

The 28-year-old suspect walked into a police station on Friday evening and is being interviewed by detectives.

Mr Doyle, who joined the force in May 2004, was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital, but died a short time later.

A post-mortem examination concluded he died from fatal bleeding around the brain, consistent with an assault.

Chief Constable Sir Jon Murphy described the investigation as being at a "very early stage".

He said: "On behalf of everybody connected with Merseyside Police I extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to his wife Sarah and the rest of his family.

"Constable Doyle was enjoying a Christmas night out with his work colleagues.

"At around 3.15am Neil left the Peacock bar and walked with two colleagues along Colquitt Street in the city centre.

"The three officers were subjected to an apparently unprovoked and vicious attack by a group of males."

Mr Doyle had received a commendation for his actions in arresting three men after a violent robbery.

Peter Singleton, chairman of Merseyside Police Federation, said the police community was "devastated" by his killing.

"He exemplified the British bobby. He was a solid, good, hard-working, honest copper," he said.

The two other officers required hospital treatment. One suffered a fractured cheekbone.


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Mother Arrested Over Deaths Of Eight Children

A woman has been arrested for murder over the killings of eight children at a house in Australia.

The 37-year-old is the mother of seven of the children, who had all been stabbed to death. The eighth child was her niece.

The unnamed suspect is currently under guard at a hospital, where she is recovering from stab wounds to the chest.

Queensland Police Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said she has not yet been formally charged with killing the youngsters, who were aged from 18 months to 15 years old.

Police have not said how they died, but are examining several knives in the Cairns home that may have been the murder weapon.

Mr Asnicar said the woman is lucid and talking to police.

"We're not looking for anybody else - we're comfortable that the community at large is safe," he said.

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  1. Gallery: Cards And Flowers Laid As A Community Mourns

    Police said they were called to the scene in the northern city of Cairns on Friday

There they found the bodies of the children, aged between 18 months and 15 years

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Stigma Of Sierra Leone's 'Ebola Orphans' Remains

By David Bowden, Senior News Correspondent

Sierra Leone is now at the forefront of the fight against Ebola in West Africa, with more reported cases - almost 9,000 - than any other country, a rising number of deaths and many children left orphaned.

But the impact of the disease goes far beyond the victims themselves.

There are thousands of so-called "Ebola orphans", young children who have lost one or both parents to the disease and many have seen their close family wiped out by the virus too.

In Sierra Leone there are estimated to be more than 4,500 children in this situation and caring for them is a growing problem.

As the first deployment of 16 British reservists sets off for Sierra Leone to join almost 800 service personnel based there, Sky News visited one of the centres that cares for children who have no-one else to look after them.

Before the Ebola outbreak the St George Foundation - founded by Unicef just outside Freetown after the civil war in Sierra Leone a decade ago - cared for street urchins and child prostitutes, but not any more.

Now the youngsters here, aged from just one and a half to 17 years old, are without their loved ones because of Ebola.

For founder Justina Conteh and her staff it is heartbreaking to have to explain to ones so young that they are alone in the world. All deal with it differently.

She said: "For the boys, give them one week and they are ok, but for the girls you really see them in the corners in a sulky way sitting down thinking, holding their heads.

"For the girls it really takes time for them to get over the psychological problems."

There are 35 children being looked after at St George's, but as the others tuck into their lunch, two remain apart behind a sagging nylon rope marking the boundary of the quarantined area.

This is where Haja and Fatima live for now. Haja, who is 17, has lost 10 members of her family to Ebola including her mother, seven of her sisters and two brothers. Her father died five years ago.

Haja, too, was infected but survived.

She explained what happened in hospital: "So two to three days and I didn't die. After I don't die they transferred me to Hastings (an Ebola treatment centre). I stay there for about two weeks and they discharge me."

She has been at the orphanage ever since, acting as an unpaid nanny to other orphans who are suspected of having Ebola.

Her survival has given her hope for immunity from the virus a second time.

At the moment she only has one charge, nine-year-old Fatima, whose mother died from the disease, but who so far is showing no signs of being infected herself.

An 11-month-old baby boy who had been in quarantine has just died from Ebola, though Kadija, 10, recently left Haja's care after she tested negative for the virus.

The ordeal for these youngsters is not over yet, finding them new homes is proving very difficult because of the stigma of Ebola.

No one, not even extended family, seems to want anything to do with a child who has been so close to the killer virus.


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Community Safety Campaigner Stabbed To Death

A man has appeared in court accusing of murdering a community safety campaigner who was stabbed to death during the morning rush hour.

Trevor Gibbon, 48, of Harrow, northwest London, was remanded in custody by magistrates in Hendon.

He held on to glass at the front of the dock and looked around the court during the brief hearing.

Alison Morrison - Gibbon's neighbour - was killed on her way to work on Thursday.

Police were called to the attack in Alexandra Avenue at 7.47am.

Ms Morrison was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, where she died from her injuries.

A post-mortem gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.

Harrow Council leader David Perry said: "Alison Morrison was passionately committed to creating a safer Harrow through her work with the Harrow Safer Neighbourhood Board and as a community champion, and it is terrible news that she has lost her life in this violent way in a borough she cared so much about.

"Alison's colleagues on the Safer Neighbourhood Board are absolutely shattered by this news, as are the staff of Harrow Council. Alison was a key member of the board and a tireless advocate of its work.

"We will do whatever we can to help the police. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Alison's family."

Ms Morrison's family said in a statement: "Alison was an inspiration, a warm and loving person who will be deeply missed by her husband and son. Her devastating loss as a result of this senseless attack is also felt by all the family, local community and all who knew her."


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Lockerbie Bombing: Megrahi's Guilt Reaffirmed

Lockerbie Bombing: Megrahi's Guilt Reaffirmed

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Scotland's top prosecutor has reaffirmed Abdelbaset al Megrahi's guilt in the Lockerbie bombing following an appeal by victims' families to have the late Libyan's name cleared.

Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said no Crown Office investigator or prosecutor has raised concerns about the evidence linking al Megrahi to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Al Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence agent who died in 2012, was convicted in 2001 of the murder of 270 people, including 11 people on the ground in the small Scottish town.

His role in the deadly attack has been called into question in a series of books, documentaries and testimony to Scottish Parliament.

In June, victims' relatives joined politicians and members of al Megrahi's family in launching an appeal against his conviction.

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  1. Gallery: Lockerbie Bombing: 25th Anniversary

    The victims of the Lockerbie bombing are being remembered on the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21, 1988.

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The mid-air blast killed all passengers and crew on board ...

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... and 11 people on the ground.

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Most of the 270 victims of the disaster were from the US, London and Lockerbie.

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Lockerbie Bombing: Megrahi's Guilt Reaffirmed

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Scotland's top prosecutor has reaffirmed Abdelbaset al Megrahi's guilt in the Lockerbie bombing following an appeal by victims' families to have the late Libyan's name cleared.

Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland said no Crown Office investigator or prosecutor has raised concerns about the evidence linking al Megrahi to the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

Al Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence agent who died in 2012, was convicted in 2001 of the murder of 270 people, including 11 people on the ground in the small Scottish town.

His role in the deadly attack has been called into question in a series of books, documentaries and testimony to Scottish Parliament.

In June, victims' relatives joined politicians and members of al Megrahi's family in launching an appeal against his conviction.

1/18

  1. Gallery: Lockerbie Bombing: 25th Anniversary

    The victims of the Lockerbie bombing are being remembered on the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21, 1988.

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The mid-air blast killed all passengers and crew on board ...

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... and 11 people on the ground.

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Most of the 270 victims of the disaster were from the US, London and Lockerbie.

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00.57 | 0 komentar | Read More
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