Brazil hit by new protests
Brazilians on Friday took to the streets again in several cities on a new day of mass nationwide protests, demanding better public services and bemoaning massive spending to stage the World Cup.
Anger about a hike in public transport fares has spiraled into a wider movement demanding an end to government corruption fueled by resentment over the USD 15 billion cost of staging the Confederations Cup and the World Cup.
In the heart of Salvador, the capital of Bahia state, thousands of protesters mostly students massed on Campo Grande square in a carnival atmosphere ahead of a Confederations Cup match pitting Uruguay against Nigeria.
Some created huge banners on big white sheets for the march. Among the slogans were "Come fight for more changes" and "Football above rights: Why, Dilma?” in a reference to President Dilma Rousseff.
Thousands more flooded the streets of the northeastern city of Recife while in Sao Paulo, crowds began congregating on the main Avenida Paulista.
In Rio de Janeiro, where Nigeria meets Spain in a Confederations Cup clash, 250,000 people said they would join the protest.
A huge rally was also scheduled in Brasilia under the slogan "Brazil, Wake Up".
Thursday, the protesters scored a major victory when authorities in Sao Paulo and Rio, Brazil's two biggest cities, canceled controversial transit fare hikes, but that was not enough to placate the demonstrators.
Protesters say they want higher funding for education and health and a cut in salaries of public officials.
They are also railing against what they viewed as rampant corruption within the political class.
Late Thursday, riot police fired tear gas to break up a mob of several hundred that tried to block a 15-kilometer bridge across Guanabara Bay that links Rio with the nearby city of Niteroi.
Eurozone FMs agree ESM direct bank funding
Eurozone finance ministers agreed how the single currency's rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism, will be able to inject funds directly into failing banks so as to minimise the risk posed to the financial system.
"The main guidelines of how the ESM will operate have been agreed," Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan said on Thursday.
The 500-billion-euro ESM was set up initially to bail out struggling member states but in June 2012 when Spain's banks looked on the point of collapse, Brussels decided to extend its scope to allow direct aid for struggling lenders.
This was in turn tied to having an overall bank regulator in place and EU leaders later approved a Single Supervisory Mechanism which centralises oversight of the eurozone's largest lenders under the European Central Bank.
Since then, however, progress on the SSM new regulatory body has lagged, meaning it is only likely to be fully operational in the second half of 2014.
Noonan added that ministers also agreed to allow some flexibility on using the ESM to deal with "legacy assets," bad loans amassed by banks before the rescue fund was set up.
Ireland had to seek a full debt bailout worth 85 billion euros when its failed banks bust the government's finances in 2010 and has since argued that the ESM should be used to help ease the burden.
Facebook error exposed contact info for 6 million users
Facebook has admitted that a software bug has likely sent the email addresses and phone numbers of as many as 6 million users to other users without their authorization. The bug was evidently triggered by using the “Download Your Information” tool, which was designed to export a user’s data from Facebook. When downloading that data, it could have included contact information that would not normally have been available. The error was discovered and fixed last week, though it had existed since last year. "It's ... something we're upset and embarrassed by," Facebook said in a note published to its security blog. "We'll work doubly hard to make sure nothing like this happens again."
4 people shot in North Carolina shooting
Four people have been shot outside a Wal-Mart and local law firm in Greenville, North Carolina. Victims of the incident, which began around noon on Friday, were from both businesses. The first was an insurance adjustor, with three further victims at Wal-Mart. The suspect is in custody after being shot himself by police. The assailant was gunned down after he turned his weapon (confirmed to be a shotgun) on them, a local police chief told local station WNCT. His condition is currently unknown.
Syria complains to UN over five countries’ ‘support for terror’
Syria has lodged an official complaint with the United Nations that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and France are “supporting terrorists” and “destabilizing” the region, by financing, training and arming the opposition forces. Lebanon, concerned about the fighting in country spilling over to its territory, fired off a similar complaint to the UN Security Council earlier this week.
Thousands turn out in Cairo to support beleaguered President Morsi
Several thousand supporters of Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi gathered in Cairo’s Nasr City, to show loyalty ahead of a massive anti-presidential rally planned for June 30, the first anniversary of Morsi’s election. Morsi’s supporters held banners accusing his opponents of “a coup against democracy” and saying “Yes - to the voice of the people”. His opponents, who claim to have gathered 13 million signatures demanding Morsi’s resignation, say the Islamist president has broken pre-election promises and attempted to take over all of Egypt’s institutions at the expense of other parties and social groups.
Syrian rebels claim to have ‘game-changing’ weapons
Syrian rebels have announced that they received new weapons that could change the ‘course of the battle’ against the regime of Bashar Assad, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army told AFP Friday. The Friends of Syria group, which supports the Syrian rebels, is expected to announce in Doha that it will arm the opposition. FSA media and political coordinator spokesman Louay Muqdad hasn’t specified which weapons were received, but added that the new shipment of ‘deterrent weapons’ might come in days. That means anti-aircraft weapons, anti-tank weapons, as well as ammunition. The influx of arms comes after the US announced that it would provide ‘military support’ for the rebels.
India flooding death toll climbs to nearly 600
Heavy monsoon rains hit northern India, causing widespread flooding and killing nearly 600 people, rescue crews reported on Friday. Many are still trapped in their homes in at least 100 towns and villages. The air force has dropped paratroopers, food and medicine in a bid to aid survivors. Rescuers have already found 40 bodies in the Ganges River, and 556 bodies were found buried in mud in the northern state of Uttrakhand, the state’s Chief Minister reported. He also warned that the eventual death toll would like be hundreds higher after a search of the region is complete. The monsoon rains began on June 15, triggering floods and landslides in Uttarakhand and the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh.
Greek coalition govt in disarray as leftist party withdraws over TV station's suspension
The Democratic Left party pulled out of Greece's ruling coalition on Friday after a collapse of talks to restore a state TV channel’s broadcasting rights, plunging the nation into fresh chaos. Legislators from the leftist party, angered by the shutdown of broadcaster ERT last week, chose to stop supporting Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Reuters reported. Samaras' conservative New Democracy party and its Socialist PASOK ally together have 153 deputies, which gives them a majority in the country's 300-member parliament. Though the coalition could survive without the Democratic Left, the pullout will likely lead to further political turmoil. ERT workers have been operating a 24-hour ‘bootleg’ version of the channel on the Internet from their main offices, where workers and unions have been protesting the shutdown since last Tuesday.
Turkish military helicopter damaged in terrorist shooting
Four shots were fired at a Turkish armed forces helicopter late Thursday night, striking the windshield and partially damaging the aircraft. The shots were fired from the southeastern İkiyaka Mountains in an attack instigated by “terrorist groups,” according to the Turkish Armed Forces. The Gendarmerie Corps Commander of Public Security and the Third Division Commander were among those inside when the assault happened, but no casualties were reported. Although it remains unclear which terrorist group is responsible for the attack, a ceasefire with the Kurdistan Workers’ Pary (PKK) was declared on March 21, and the PKK’s armed militants withdrew from Turkish soil.
Italy’s Mount Etna becomes UNESCO World Heritage site
Italy's Mount Etna, one of the world's most "active and iconic" volcanoes, has become a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in the east of Sicily, Etna is one of the most-studied volcano in the world and "continues to influence volcanology, geophysics and other earth science disciplines," UNESCO said. There are still periodic eruptions at the central crater. UNESCO is currently holding its 10-day annual meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Magnitude-5.2 earthquake hits Italy, centered near Parma
A magnitude-5.2 earthquake has struck parts of northern and central Italy near Parma in the Emilia Romagna region. The earthquake’s epicenter was recorded at a depth of around 5 kilometers. No serious injuries or damage were immediately reported, though the tremors could be felt from Milano to Venice and the quake itself lasted a few seconds, according to local media. Fear of earthquakes in the region is high after two powerful quakes destroyed homes and businesses in the neighboring Emilia Romagna region in May 2012, killing 25 people.
Turkey to host 1 million Syrian asylum seekers by 2014 - UN
Carol Batchelor, he representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Turkey, said they are anticipating the number of Syrian refugees to hit a new high of 3.5 million people; of that number, up to 1 million were likely to seek asylum in Turkey by the end of this year. “But if things keep going the way they have been going, indeed we have said that it may reach up to 3.5 million Syrian refugees in the region, of which there may be up to 1 million who would come to Turkey,” Batchelor told the Hürriyet Daily News. According to Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, there were 92,901 killings through to the end of April documented in Syria since the fighting began over two years ago. The violence has produced an estimated 1.6 million refugees.
At least 14 killed, 30 injured in Peshawar seminary suicide blast
At least 14 people have been killed and over 30 injured in a suspected suicide attack in the Gulshan colony of Peshawar's Chamkini region. A suicide bomber blew himself up during prayers inside a madrassa on the outskirts of the city. Nearly 200 people were inside when the blast struck, Radio Pakistan reported. A loud blast was heard while the Friday sermon was underway, preceded by gunshots, Pakistan's Dawn.com reported. The 30 injured were reportedly rushed to Lady Reading Hospital. The number of casualties may grow, as several of the wounded were reportedly in critical condition.
Greek ruling coalition likely to lose Democratic Left party
Greece's Democratic Left party may withdraw from the country’s ruling coalition after negotiations to reopen a state TV channel have failed. Fourteen lawmakers from the leftist party expressed outrage at the recent shutdown of Greek broadcaster ERT, and are expected to decide whether to continue backing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who said he would press ahead without their support. His conservative New Democracy party and its Socialist PASOK ally jointly have 153 deputies, a majority of three in the country's 300-member parliament. Though their coalition could continue without the Democratic Left, losing the party could prove to be a major blow.
Military helicopter with at least 9 on board crashes in Nicaragua
A Nicaraguan military helicopter carrying at least nine soldiers has crashed into a lake northwest of the capital Managua, Reuters quoted army officials as saying. The Russian-made MI-17 helicopter was returning from a military mission. A rescue operation is underway and one body has been recovered so far, but all of the passengers are feared dead. Chief of staff Colonel Manuel Lopez, head of counterintelligence Colonel Chester Vargas and air defense chief Lieutenant Aldo Herrera are thought to have been on board, Itar-Tass reported. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
100,000 evacuated in western Canada flooding
Flooding in western Canada has led authorities to issue evacuation notices to at least 100,000 people in Calgary, local media reported. With the city in a state of emergency, officials said that more communities might be affected by the floods and be forced to evacuate. Emergency centers are being set up to shelter evacuees. The last severe flood in Calgary happened in 2005, when about 40,000 homes and 1,500 residents were evacuated.
Ancestor to President Bush found to be major-league slave trader
The great-great-great grandfather to former US president George W. Bush was deeply entrenched in the slave trade, either personally leading or investing heavily in missions to kidnap Africans and bring them to America to work for no pay on plantations. The finding was discovered by retired journalist and genealogist Roger Hughes and historian Josepeh Opala, who compared the signature of ruthless slave trader Thomas Walker and the known Bush ancestor of the same name. The signatures, according to Slate, were nearly identical and often found at the bottom of letters where Walker would complain about the cost of his prisoners.
California judges order release of 10,000 prisoners
Three federal judges have demanded California Governor Jerry Brown prepare to release approximately 10,000 state prison inmates by the end of 2013. The 51-page order comes as state officials have “directly defied this Court’s” 2009 order to lower the prison population closer to 109,000 convicts. The overcrowding in California prisons is to the point where it violates the Constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment, judges admitted. The court mandate suggests the state base its decision on which inmates to release on good behavior credits and, from there, determine the men and women who are least likely to commit more serious crimes.
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India, Iraq agree to renew bilateral ties
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India, Iraq agreed to revive bilateral ties, intensify cooperation by moving beyond buyer-seller relation, with Baghdad inviting New Delhi to invest more in the oil-rich Arab country, scarred by years of conflict.
Allaying India's concern on the security situation in the country, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said, "There are many places in the country which are peaceful and stable. We invite Indian companies to invest in such areas, like Southern Iraq."
Addressing a joint press conference with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid after delegation-level talks, Zebari said, "I won't say it is normal situation. In every business, there is an element of risk involved and risk can be manageable also. There are many many opportunities."
He added, "I agree with the Minister that Iraq and India relations should not be of buyer-seller. It should be beyond that." Noting that India is the largest buyer of Iraqi oil in the world, he said "this need is continually increasing."
"The (Iraqi) government reassured the Indian side that Iraq will meet India's demand (for energy), even in future," the Iraqi Minister added.
Khurshid said that both sides discussed the entire range of issue and avenues of partnership including energy security. "We just don't want to have relationship for trade. We want to look beyond all sectors," he said.
Khurshid, who is the first External Affairs Minister to visit Iraq in 23 years, said, "It is my highest priority to participate in rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq. The priority we are giving to Iraq will become more intense and stronger."
The two leaders discussed economy, trade and cooperation in various areas like Information Technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, infrastructure and security. Khurshid also called on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and handed him a letter of invitation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit India which he accepted.
"This is a very important visit for Iraq-India relations. This visit will open some major inroads in better cooperation and areas of common interests," Iraqi Foreign Minister said.Khurshid said both sides had a "very good conversation as we discussed all issues and area of cooperation especially into oil and hydrocarbon sector."
The Indian Foreign Minister also met Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani and discussed cooperation in the oil sector. Iraq has emerged as India's second largest crude oil supplier, replacing sanctions-hit Iran.
"Iraq is in unique position to supply india's requiremennt and it wants india to be long-term partner," al-Shahristani said. Indian Oil Minister Veerappa Moily will visit Iraq on 8th July for Joint Commission Meeting. "Joint Commission Meeting will discus low cost housing construction in Iraq, tourism and other issues in general besides energy security," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
In recent years, India's import of oil from Iraq has seen a significant rise. Iraq has the world's third largest proven oil reserves and it's trying to increase its oil production which was disrupted due to years of war and violence in the country.
Currently Iraq supplies 50 percent of its oil to Asian countries and it plans to take the figure to 80 percent by 2030, according to officials.
Till recently, Iran was India's second-biggest crude oil supplier after Saudi Arabia, meeting about 12 percent of the country's needs.
But India has reduced its dependence on Iranian oil in the wake of US and European sanctions on the import of oil from the Islamic Republic.
India imported about 13.3 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in 2012-13 fiscal, down from 18.1 million tonnes shipped in the previous financial year.
Iraq, which currently exports around 2.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, is looking to boost its energy output, with target of overall production capacity of 9 million bpd by 2017.
Earlier in the day, Khurshid met with Iraqi National Security Advisor Saleh al-sayyadh and discussed cooperation in various fields.
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Media agencies
The presidential palace is in a large fortified area of central Kabul
