« June 2011 »
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
You are not logged in. Log in
Entries by Topic
All topics  «
* stephen hawking's univers
* tiger woods * jim fur
Barack Obama, China, Hu Jintao,
Melinda Hackett, manhattan
Moshe Katsav, bbc news
new zealand miners, louise heal
Vikram Pandit, bbc news, ft
Wilma Mankiller,
9/11, september 11, emily strato
Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman, bbc
afghanistan, bbc news, the econo
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, bbc news
Ai Weiwei, bbc news
aids virus, aids, * hiv
Airbus A330, suzanne gould, bbc
airline security, bbc news
airport security, bbc news, biod
al-qaeda, natalie duval, yemen,
al-qaeda, new york city, suzanne
algeria, bbc news
amanda knox, bbc news, italy mur
american airlines, natalie de va
ancient rome, bbc news
arab spring, bbc news
arizona immigration law, bbc new
arms control, bbc news
arms flow to terrorists, bbc new
Arnold Schwarzenegger, bbc news
aung song suu kyi, myanmar, bbc
australia floods, bbc news
australia, cookbooks
australian shipwreck, bbc news
baltimore shooting, bbc news
ban aid, bob geldof, bbc world s
bangladesh clashes, bbc news
bat global markets, bbc news
bbc 2, biodun iginla
bbc news
bbc news, biodun iginla, david c
bbc news, biodun iginla, south k
bbc news, biodun iginla, the eco
bbc news, google
bbc strike, biodun iginla
bbc world service, biodun iginla
bcva, bbc news
belarus, bbc news, maria ogryzlo
Ben Bernanke, federal reserve
Benazir Bhutto, sunita kureishi,
benin, tokun lawal, bbc
Benjamin Netanyahu, bbc news
berlusconi, bbc news, italy
bill clinton ,emanuel, bbc news
bill clinton, Earth day, biodun
black friday, bbc news
black-listed nations, bbc news
blackwater, Gary Jackson, suzann
blogging in china, bbc news
bradley manning, bbc news
brazil floods, bbc news
brazil, biodun iginla, bbc news,
british elections, bbc news, bio
broadband, bbc news, the economi
Bruce Beresford-Redman. Monica
BSkyB bid, bbc news
budget deficit, bbc news,
bulgaria, natalie de vallieres,
business travel, bbc news
camilla parker-bowles, bbc news
canada, bbc news, biodun iginla
carleton college, bbc news, biod
casey anthony, bbc news
catholic church sex scandal, suz
cdc, e coli, suzanne gould, bbc
charlie rangel, bbc news
chicago mayorial race, bbc news,
chile miners, bbc news
chile prison fire, bbc news
chile, enrique krause, bbc news,
china, judith stein, bbc news, u
china, xian wan, bbc news, biodu
chinese dipolomat, houston polic
chinese media, bbc news
chirac, france, bbc news
cholera in haiti, biodun iginla
christina green, bbc news
Christine Lagarde, bbc news
Christine O'Donnell, tea party
chronical of higher education, b
citibank, bbc news
climate change, un, bbc news, bi
coal mines, west virginia, bbc n
common dreams
common dreams, bbc news, biodun
commonwealth games, bbc news
condi rice, obama
condoms, suzanne gould
congo, bbc news
congress, taxes, bbc news
contagion, islam, bbc news
continental airlines, bbc news
Continental Express flight, suza
corrupt nations, bbc news
Countrywide Financial Corporatio
cross-dressing, bbc news, emily
ctheory, bbc news, annalee newit
cuba, enrique krause, bbc news,
Cuba, Raúl Castro, Michael Voss
dealbook, bbc news, nytimes
digital life, bbc news
dorit cypis, bbc news, community
dow jones, judith stein, bbc new
egypt, nasra ismail, bbc news, M
elizabeth edwards, bbc news
elizabeth smart, bbc news
embassy bombs in rome, bbc news
emily's list, bbc news
entertainment, movies, biodun ig
equador, biodun iginla, bbc news
eu summit, bbc news, russia
eu, arab democracy, bbc news
europe travel delays, bbc news
europe travel, biodun iginla, bb
europe travel, france24, bbc new
eurozone crisis, bbc news
eurozone, ireland, bbc news
fair, media, bbc news
fake deaths, bbc news
FASHION - PARIS - PHOTOGRAPHY
fbi, bbc news
fcc, neutral internel, liz rose,
Federal Reserve, interest rates,
federal workers pay freeze, bbc
fedex, racism, bbc news
feedblitz, bbc news, biodun igin
ferraro, bbc news
fifa, soccer, bbc news
financial times, bbc news
firedoglake, jane hamsher, biodu
flashing, sex crimes, bbc news
fox, cable, new york, bbc
france, labor, biodun iginla
france24, bbc news, biodun iginl
french hostages, bbc news
french muslims, natalie de valli
FT briefing, bbc news, biodun ig
g20, obama, bbc news
gabrielle giffords, bbc news
gambia, iran, bbcnews
gay-lesbian issues, emily strato
george bush, blair, bbc news
germans held in Nigeria, tokun l
germany, natalie de vallieres, b
global economy, bbc news
goldman sachs, judith stein, bbc
google news, bbc news, biodun ig
google, gianni maestro, bbc news
google, groupon, bbc news
gop, bbc news
Gov. Jan Brewer, bbc news, immig
greece bailout, bbc news, biodun
guantanamo, bbc news
gulf oil spill, suzanne gould, b
Hackers, MasterCard, Security, W
haiti aid, enrique krause, bbc n
haiti, michelle obama, bbc news
heart disease, bbc news
Heather Locklear, suzanne gould,
Henry Kissinger, emily straton,
Henry Okah, nigeria, tokun lawal
hillary clinton, bbc news
hillary clinton, cuba, enrique k
hugo chavez, bbc news
hungary, maria ogryzlo
hurricane katrina, bbc news
Ibrahim Babangida, nigeria, toku
india, susan kumar
indonesia, bbc news, obama admin
inside edition, bbc news, biodun
insider weekly, bbc news
insider-trading, bbc news
International Space Station , na
iran, latin america, bbc news
iran, lebanon, Ahmadinejad ,
iran, nuclear weapons, bbc news
iran, wikileaks, bbc news
iraq, al-qaeda, sunita kureishi,
iraq, nasras ismail, bbc news, b
ireland, bbc news, eu
islam, bbc news, biodun iginla
israeli-palestinian conflict, na
italy, eurozone crisis
ivory coast, bbc news
James MacArthur, hawaii five-O
Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, biodun igi
jane hansher, biodun iginla
japan, bbc news, the economist
jerry brown, bbc news
Jerry Brown, suzanne gould, bbc
jill clayburgh, bbc news
Jody Weis, chicago police, bbc n
John Paul Stevens, scotus,
juan williams, npr, biodun iginl
judith stein, bbc news
Justice John Paul Stevens, patri
K.P. Bath, bbc news, suzanne gou
keith olbermann, msnbc, bbc news
kelly clarkson, indonesia, smoki
kenya, bbc news, police
Khodorkovsky, bbc news
Kyrgyz, maria ogryzlo, bbc news,
le monde, bbc nerws
le monde, bbc news, biodun iginl
lebanon, nasra ismail, biodun ig
Lech Kaczynski
libya, gaddafi, bbc news,
london ftse, bbc news
los alamos fire, bbc news
los angeles, bbc news, suzanne g
los angeles, suzanne gould, bbc
LulzSec, tech news, bbc news
madoff, bbc news, suicide
marijuana, weed, bbc news, suzan
Martin Dempsey, bbc news
maryland, bbc news
media, FAIR, bbc news
media, free press, fcc, net neut
media, media matters for america
media, mediabistro, bbc news
melissa gruz, bbc news, obama ad
mexican drug cartels, enrique kr
mexican gas explosion, bbc news
mexican's execution, bbc news
Michael Skakel, emily straton, b
Michelle Obama, bbc news
michigan militia, suzanne gould,
middle-class jobs, bbc news
midwest snowstorm, bbc news
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, bbc news
minnesota public radio
moveon, bbc news, biodun iginla
msnbc, david shuster, bbc news
mumbai attacks, bbc news
myanmar, burma, bbc news
nancy pelosi, us congress, bbc n
nasra ismail, israeli-palestinia
Natalia Lavrova, olympic games,
Nathaniel Fons, child abandonmen
nato, afghanistan, bbc news
nato, pakistan, sunita kureishi,
nelson mandela, bbc news
nestor kirchner, bbc news
net neutrality, bbc news
new life-forms, bbc news
new year, 2011, bbc news
new york city, homelessness, chi
new york snowstorm, bbc news
new zealand miners, bbc news
News Corporation, bbc news
news of the world, bbc news
nick clegg, uk politics, tories
nicolas sarkozy, islam, natalie
nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, toku
nobel peace prize
nobel peace prize, bbc news, bio
noreiga, panama, biodun iginla,
north korea, bbc news, nuclear p
npr, bbc news, gop
npr, media, bbc news
ntenyahu, obama, bbc news
nuclear proliferation, melissa g
Nuri al-Maliki, iraq, biodun igi
nytimes dealbook, bbc news
obama, bill clinton, bbc news
obama, biodun iginla, bbc news
oil spills, bbc news, the econom
olbermann, msnbc, bbc news
Omar Khadr, bbc news
Online Media, bbc news, the econ
pakistan, sunita kureishi, bbc n
paris airport, bbc news
Pedro Espada, suzanne gould, bbc
phone-hack scandal, bbc news
poland, maria ogryzlo, lech Kac
police brutality, john mckenna,
police fatalities, bbc news
Pope Benedict XVI, natalie de va
pope benedict, natalie de vallie
popular culture, us politics
portugal, bbc news
Potash Corporation, bbc news
prince charles, bbc news
prince william, katemiddleton, b
pulitzer prizes, bbc news, biodu
qantas, airline security, bbc ne
racism, religious profiling, isl
randy quaid, asylum, canada
Ratko Mladic, bbc news
Rebekah Brooks, bbc news, the ec
republicans, bbc news
richard holbrooke, bbc news
Rick Santorum , biodun iginla, b
robert gates, lapd, suzanne goul
rod Blagojevich, suzanne gould,
roger clemens, bbc news
russia, imf, bbc news, the econo
russia, maria ogrylo, Lech Kaczy
san francisco crime lab, Deborah
sandra bullock, jess james, holl
SARAH EL DEEB, bbc news, biodun
sarah palin, biodun iginla, bbc
sarkosy, bbc news
saudi arabia, indonesian maid, b
saudi arabia, nasra ismail, bbc
Schwarzenegger, bbc news, biodun
science and technology, bbc news
scott brown, tufts university, e
scotus, gays in the military
scotus, iraq war, bbc news, biod
sec, judith stein, us banks, bbc
Senate Democrats, bbc news, biod
senegal, chad, bbc news
seward deli, biodun iginla
shanghai fire, bbc news
Sidney Thomas, melissa gruz, bbc
silvio berlusconi, bbc news
single currency, bbc news, the e
snowstorm, bbc news
social security, bbc news, biodu
somali pirates, bbc news
somalia, al-shabab, biodun iginl
south korea, north korea, bbc ne
south sudan, bbc news
spain air strikes, bbc news
spain, standard and poor, bbc ne
state of the union, bbc news
steve jobs, bbc news
steven ratner, andrew cuomo, bbc
Strauss-Kahn, bbc news, biodun i
sudan, nasra ismail, bbc news, b
suicide websites, bbc news
supreme court, obama, melissa gr
sweden bomb attack, bbc news
syria, bbc news
taliban, bbc news, biodun iginla
Taoufik Ben Brik, bbc news, biod
tariq aziz, natalie de vallieres
tariq azziz, jalal talbani, bbc
tea party, us politics
tech news, bbc, biodun iginla
technology, internet, economics
thailand, xian wan, bbc news, bi
the economist, biodun iginla, bb
the economsit, bbc news, biodun
the insider, bbc news
tiger woods. augusta
timothy dolan, bbc news
Timothy Geithner, greece, eu, bi
tornadoes, mississippi, suzanne
travel, bbc news
tsa (travel security administrat
tsumami in Indonesia, bbc news,
tunisia, bbc news, biodun iginla
turkey, israel, gaza strip. biod
Turkey, the eu, natalie de valli
twincities daily planet, bbc new
twincities.com, twin cities dail
twitter, media, death threats, b
Tyler Clementi, hate crimes, bio
uk elections, gordon brown, raci
uk phone-hack, Milly Dowler
uk tuition increase, bbc news
un wire, un, bbc news, biodun ig
un, united nations, biodun iginl
unwed mothers, blacks, bbc news
upi, bbc news, iginla
us billionaires, bbc news
us economic downturn, melissa gr
us economy, us senate, us congre
us empire, bbc news, biodun igin
us housing market, bbc news
us jobs, labor, bbc news
us media, bbc news, biodun iginl
us media, media matters for amer
us midterm elections, bbc news
us midterm elections, melissa gr
us military, gay/lesbian issues
us politics, bbc news, the econo
us recession, judith stein, bbc
us stimulus, bbc news
us taxes, bbc news, the economis
us, third-world, bbc news
vatican, natalie de vallieres
venezuela, bbc news
verizon, biodun iginla, bbc news
volcanic ash, iceland, natalie d
volcanis ash, bbc news, biodun i
wal-mat, sexism, bbc news
wall street reform, obama, chris
wall street regulations, banking
warren buffett, us economic down
weather in minneapolis, bbc news
white supremacist, Richard Barre
wikileaks, bbc news, biodun igin
wvirginia coal mine, biodun igin
wvirginia mines, biodun iginal,
xian wan, china , nobel prize
xian wan, japan
yahoo News, biodun iginla, bbc n
yahoo, online media, new media,
yemen, al-qaeda, nasra ismail, b
zimbabwe, mugabe, biodun iginla


Biodun@bbcnews.com
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Nigeria attacks claimed by Islamist sect Boko Haram
Topic: nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, toku
In association with

by Biodun Iginla and Tokun Lawal, BBC News

Man injured by bomb blasts in Bauchi (30 May 2011) There were three blasts at the Mamy market in the army barracks in Bauchi on Sunday

Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has told us at the BBC it carried out the series of bombings after President Goodluck Jonathan's inauguration on Sunday.

The worst incident was at an army barracks in the northern city of Bauchi in which at least 14 people died.

A sect spokesman said it was also responsible for killing the brother of the Shehu of Borno, one of Nigeria's most important Islamic leaders.

The sect has been behind numerous recent assassinations in Borno state.

It is opposed to Western education and accuses Nigeria's government of being corrupted by Western ideas.

Clashes in Borno's state capital, Maiduguri, between the Boko Haram and the police in July 2009 left hundreds of people dead, mainly members of the sect.

For the past eight months, sect members have been fighting a guerrilla war in Borno, killing policemen and people they believe were helping the security services in the fight against them.

'Fighting injustice'

Start Quote

These traditional institutions are being used to track and hunt us, that is why we attack them”

End Quote Abu Zayd Boko Haram spokesman

Sect spokesman Abu Zayd told the BBC's Hausa Service that the group was behind the bombings on Sunday.

''We are [also] the ones responsible for the killing of the junior brother of the Shehu of Borno," he said.

Abba Anas Ibn Umar Garbai was killed by gunmen outside his home in Maiduguri on Monday evening.

The Shehu of Borno is one of Nigeria's most prominent religious figures - second only to the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Nigeria's Muslims.

"As we always say, these traditional institutions are being used to track and hunt us, that is why we attack them," Mr Zayd said.

"We are doing what we are doing to fight injustice, if they stop there satanic ways of doing things and the injustices, we would stop what we are doing.''

Officials say 16 people died in the explosions in Bauchi, Zuba, Zaria, hometown of Vice-President Namadi Sambo, and Maiduguri.

The first attack came only hours after President Jonathan was sworn in for his first full four-year term of office in the capital, Abuja.

Mr Jonathan was promoted from vice-president after northerner Umaru Yar'Adua died in office in 2010.

April's election was largely considered free and fair, but hundreds of people were killed in three days of rioting and reprisal killings in northern towns following the announcement of the result.

Mr Jonathan, a southerner, secured nearly 60% of the vote in the election. His main challenger, northern Muslim and former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, came a distant second with almost 32%.

Nigeria is divided by rivalry between the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south, which also have cultural, ethnic and linguistic differences.

Analysts say that Mr Jonathan will have to tackle this north-south rivalry and also the simmering tension in the oil-producing Niger Delta.

Nigeria: A nation divided

To win at the first round, a candidate not only needs the majority of votes cast, but at least 25% of the vote in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states. Goodluck Jonathan, of the PDP, reached that threshold in 31 states; runner-up Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC only did so in 16 states.

More on This Story

Nigeria - Troubled Giant

Everyday life


Posted by biginla at 5:24 PM BST
Updated: Wednesday, 1 June 2011 5:27 PM BST
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad 'should be tried'
Topic: syria, bbc news
In association with

by Biodun Iginla and Louise Healy, BBC News, Sydney

An image grab taken from YouTube on May 28, 2011 showing a  protester holding a picture of Hamza al-Khatib Hamza al-Khatib's death has become a rallying point for anti-government protesters

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should face trial at a UN court over the "brutal" treatment of his people, Australia's foreign minister says.

Kevin Rudd said incidents such as the alleged torture and murder of a 13-year-old boy by security forces had robbed Mr Assad of any legitimacy.

President Assad invited the boy's family to meet him and promised an inquiry, state television said.

Activists say more than 1,000 people have died in weeks of protests.

The 13-year-old boy, Hamza al-Khatib, has become an icon of the anti-government uprising in Syria, says the BBC's Jim Muir.

Activists say he was detained by security forces and tortured to death, while the authorities insist he was shot dead during a demonstration.

Mr Rudd called it a "brutal act" and accused Mr Assad of taking "large-scale directed action" against his own people.

"I believe it is high time that the Security Council now consider a formal referral of President Assad to the International Criminal Court," said Mr Rudd.

Martyr to both sides

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the boy's death showed the regime was deaf to the voice of its people.

Clinton: "I hope this child did not die in vain but that the Syrian government will end the brutality and begin a transition to real democracy"

"I can only hope that this child did not die in vain but that the Syrian government will end the brutality and begin a transition to real democracy," she said.

Hamza Khatib is being hailed as a martyr, and his picture is now held aloft at demonstrations around the country and abroad.

He is being compared to the Tunisian market-seller Mohamed Bouazizi and Iranian pro-democracy protester Neda Agha Soltan whose deaths galvanised anti-government campaigns.

Hamza is also being called a martyr by the Syrian authorities.

State TV said the teenager's father and family were invited to meet President Assad, and they were quoted as saying he "engulfed us with his kindness and graciousness".

A man who identified himself as Hamza's father said: "The president considered Hamza his own son and was deeply affected."

'Mutilated body'

The boy went missing after a demonstration at an army barracks near Deraa in the south at the end of April.

Activists say he was captured and tortured to death, and that his mutilated body was handed back to his family four weeks later.

The government says he received three fatal gunshot wounds during the protest and died on the spot, but there was a delay in handing over his body because he was not identified.

Syrian state TV aired a programme about the teenager on Tuesday night in which a judge said death was due to "a number of bullet wounds without any indication of torture or beating on the body".

Coroner Akram al-Shaar blamed the state of the body on decomposition, adding: "There are no marks on the surface of the body that show violence, resistance or torture."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Wednesday that said "systematic killings and torture by Syrian security forces" in Deraa could qualify as crimes against humanity.

"For more than two months now, Syrian security forces have been killing and torturing their own people with complete impunity," said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW Middle East director.

"They need to stop - and if they don't, it is the Security Council's responsibility to make sure that the people responsible face justice."

More on This Story

Syria Crisis

Features and analysis


Posted by biginla at 5:16 PM BST
US Pentagon to treat cyber-attacks as 'acts of war'
Topic: digital life, bbc news
In association with

by Biodun Iginla and Tamara Kachelmeier, BBC News Tech Analysts

Woman types on keyboard US retaliation for cyber-attacks could take many forms

Related Stories

The US is working on a plan to categorise cyber-attacks as acts of war, says the New York Times newspaper.

In future, a US president could consider economic sanctions, cyber-retaliation or a military strike if key US computer systems were attacked, officials have said recently.

The planning was given added urgency by a cyber-attack last month on the defence contractor, Lockheed Martin.

A new report from the Pentagon is due out in a matter of weeks.

"A response to a cyber-incident or attack on the US would not necessarily be a cyber-response. All appropriate options would be on the table," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan told reporters on Tuesday.

'All necessary means'

The Pentagon's planning follows an international strategy statement on cyber-security, issued by the White House on 16 May.

The US would "respond to hostile acts in cyberspace as we would to any other threat to our country", stated the White House in plain terms.

"We reserve the right to use all necessary means - diplomatic, informational, military, and economic - as appropriate and consistent with applicable international law, in order to defend our nation, our allies, our partners and our interests."

The strategy will classify major cyber-attacks as acts of war, paving the way for possible military retaliation, reported The Wall Street Journal after interviewing defence officials.

Sophistication of hackers

One of the difficulties strategists are grappling with is how to track down reliably the cyber-attackers who deliberately obscure the origin of their incursions.

And it is not clear how the Pentagon proposes to deal with cyber-attackers, such as terrorists, who are not acting for a nation state.

The sophistication of hackers and frequency of the attacks came back into focus after an attack on arms-maker Lockheed Martin on 21 May.

Lockheed said the "tenacious" cyber-attack on its network was part of a pattern of attacks on it from around the world.

The US defence department estimates that more than 100 foreign intelligence organizations have attempted to break into American networks.

More on This Story

Related Stories

From other news sites


Posted by biginla at 2:46 PM BST
Updated: Wednesday, 1 June 2011 2:48 PM BST
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
'New charges' for 9/11 suspects held at Guantanamo
Topic: 9/11, september 11, emily strato
In association with

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News

breaking news

US military prosecutors have filed new charges against self-described 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four alleged co-conspirators held at Guantanamo Bay, reports say.

The charges are expected to be formally unveiled later on Tuesday.

All five defendants had previously been charged at Guantanamo over the attacks.

But the charges were set aside as the Obama administration tried to move the trial into US civilian courts, a move which was reversed in April.

Mohammed previously admitted to being responsible "from A to Z" for the attacks in New York and Washington.

Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in March 2003 and sent to the US detention centre in Cuba in 2006.

More Asia-Pacific stories

RSS
  • Australian cows are loaded onto a truck after arriving at the Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta May 31, 2011Indonesia defiant in cattle row

    Indonesian officials defend their abattoir industry, after Australia suspends live-cattle exports in a row over alleged cruelty.


Posted by biginla at 7:31 PM BST
Serbia extradites Ratko Mladic to The Hague
Topic: Ratko Mladic, bbc news
In association with

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Ratko Mladic pictured after his arrest Gen Mladic had evaded capture for 16 years

Ratko Mladic is being flown from Belgrade to a UN tribunal in The Hague, after a Serbian court rejected an appeal against his transfer.

Serbia's justice minister said she had signed the extradition order. After the hearing, the former Bosnian Serb army chief was taken to the airport.

He faces genocide charges over the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s.

His lawyer had argued he was too ill to be tried. But doctors said he was fit enough to be extradited.

The 69-year-old was seized last Thursday in Lazarevo village, north of Belgrade, having been on the run for 16 years.

On Tuesday, a Belgrade court ruled that Gen Mladic was fit enough to be handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

Later, a police convoy was seen leaving the court building, raising speculation that the defendant was already on his way.

Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic then announced she had signed the extradition papers and that Gen Mladic was already on the plane.

He is accused of crimes against humanity, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of at least 7,500 Muslim men and boys.

Once he arrives at the tribunal, there will be an initial hearing before preparations begin for his trial on genocide and other charges.

Candle and flowers

Omarska concentration camp victim Kamal Pervanic: "My guards were my former teachers"

Earlier on Tuesday, Gen Mladic had been allowed to visit the grave of his daughter Ana, albeit under heavy security.

Ana Mladic committed suicide in 1994 aged 23, reportedly shooting herself with her father's favourite pistol after she read about his alleged crimes in a magazine.

During the 20-minute visit to her grave, Gen Mladic lit a candle and he left a small white bouquet of flowers with a red rose in the middle, said Serbia's deputy war crimes prosecutor, Bruno Vekaric.

Gen Mladic's arrest is considered crucial to Serbia's bid to join the European Union.

His son Darko Mladic said his father had told him he was not responsible for the killings in Srebrenica, committed after Bosnian Serb troops overran the town in July 1995.

#ss-balkans-war-guide{border:1px solid #bdbdbd;} #ss-balkans-war-guide {width: 464px;}

War in the former Yugoslavia 1991 - 1999

BACK 1 of 7 NEXT
 

Following the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in 2008, Gen Mladic became the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect still at large.

He was indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in 1995 for genocide over Srebrenica - the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II - and other alleged crimes.

Having lived freely in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, he disappeared after the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2001.

On Sunday, thousands of people rallied in Belgrade against his arrest, hailing the general as a Serbian national hero and decrying the pro-Western government of President Boris Tadic for arresting him.

More on This Story

From other news sites


Posted by biginla at 5:04 PM BST
Serbia extradites Ratko Mladic to The Hague
Topic: Ratko Mladic, bbc news
In association with

by Biodun Iginla and Natalie de Vallieres, BBC News

Ratko Mladic pictured after his arrest Gen Mladic had evaded capture for 16 years

Ratko Mladic is being flown from Belgrade to a UN tribunal in The Hague, after a Serbian court rejected an appeal against his transfer.

Serbia's justice minister said she had signed the extradition order. After the hearing, the former Bosnian Serb army chief was taken to the airport.

He faces genocide charges over the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s.

His lawyer had argued he was too ill to be tried. But doctors said he was fit enough to be extradited.

The 69-year-old was seized last Thursday in Lazarevo village, north of Belgrade, having been on the run for 16 years.

Gen Mladic is accused of crimes against humanity, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 7,500 Muslim men and boys.

He is being flown to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

Once he has arrived at the tribunal, there will be an initial hearing before preparations begin for his trial on genocide and other charges.

More on This Story

Ratko Mladic Captured


Posted by biginla at 5:00 PM BST
Martin Dempsey named new joint chiefs head
Topic: Martin Dempsey, bbc news
In association with

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Gen Martin Dempsey Dempsey was educated at West Point academy

Related Stories

Gen Martin Dempsey has been nominated as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the highest US military post.

A veteran of the Iraq war, Army Chief of Staff Dempsey will succeed Navy Admiral Mike Mullen as the president's top military adviser on 30 September.

President Obama made the announcement in the White House garden but it is subject to Senate approval.

Obama has also named Adm James Winnefeld, the head of the US Northern Command, to serve as vice chairman.

Gen Ray Odierno was nominated to replace Gen Dempsey as the Army's chief of staff.

In naming Gen Dempsey, the president described him as "one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals".

If confirmed by the Senate, the general would be the top adviser as the scaling down of US forces in Iraq continues and troops in Afghanistan begin to come home later this year.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond, in Washington, says General Dempsey is understood to be wary of hi-tech projections of future military needs; his experience in counter insurgency has led him to place a premium on boots on the ground.

But his biggest challenge may be more prosaic, our correspondent adds. Defence consumes around 20% of the federal budget and from across the political spectrum there is a demand for cuts.

Time in combat

General Dempsey would be involved in establishing priorities for cutting the defence budget, working with the incoming Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, an appointment that also requires confirmation from the Senate.

Dempsey only just began his four-year tenure as Army chief of staff in April, but he has extensive experience.

His time in combat includes serving as the commander of the 1st Armoured Division in Baghdad in 2003 and helping to train Iraqi security forces in another tour.

He also served as acting commander of the US Central Command, overseeing US military operations in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Central Asia.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who retires this year, praised all three appointments.

He said: "They possess the right mix of intellectual heft, moral courage, and strategic vision required to provide sound and candid advice to the president and his national security team."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is based at the Pentagon in Virginia and advises the secretary of defence, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the president on military matters.

More on This Story

Related Stories

From other news sites


Posted by biginla at 2:54 PM BST
Friday, 27 May 2011
Mladic declared fit to be tried
Topic: Ratko Mladic, bbc news
In association with

Ratko Mladic's son, Darko Mladic, says his father is "very, very fragile"

Ex-Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic has been declared fit to be extradited from Serbia to face trial in The Hague.

Court spokeswoman Maja Kovacevic said the transfer conditions had been met.

Gen Mladic's legal team say he is in poor health and that they will appeal on Monday. They have requested that he be admitted to hospital over concerns about his health.

Gen Mladic, arrested on Thursday after 16 years on the run, faces genocide charges over the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

He was indicted in 1995 over the killings about 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys that July at Srebrenica - the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II - and other crimes.

Assessment call

Judge Kovacevic told reporters outside the court that Gen Mladic's health was good enough for him to be tried at the UN International Criminal Tribunal to the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

"It has been certified that Ratko Mladic is healthy enough to take part in that [extradition], because all medical examinations have been carried out and we got an assessment that he's capable, despite the fact that he suffers from a number of chronic conditions."

He had refused to accept a copy of the tribunal's indictment, she added. After this, the court ruled that the conditions for his transfer had been met and he was given until Monday to appeal.

At the scene

The wide, tree-lined village streets were quiet in the early morning sun, as farm workers on old bikes stopped to look at the police guard outside 2 Vuk Karadzic Street, the house where Ratko Mladic was found. One policemen, who told us he lived four doors down, said he'd never seen Gen Mladic.

Other locals say the same. The home itself is like any other on the street - a small cottage with a broken-down car in the yard and an ancient tractor, its damaged doors swinging in the wind.

Trying to film the house provoked an angry response. A man flew out swearing with fists raised - we later learned he was Gen Mladic's nephew. Some in the close-knit village were vocal in their support of their hidden neighbour, reflecting a deep sense that the world's view of the Balkans war was unfair.

Defence lawyer Milos Saljic confirmed that an appeal would be submitted on Monday. The BBC's Mark Lowen, outside the court, says this makes it unlikely he would leave Serbia before Tuesday.

Gen Mladic's wife Bosiljka and their son Darko turned up at the court to visit him. Mr Saljic later said this was their first meeting with him in 10 years.

Darko told journalists his father was innocent and not in a fit state to be sent to The Hague.

He said the family was asking for an assessment of his health by independent experts, including some from Russia.

Gen Mladic had an electrocardiogram heart test and a brain scan, which revealed two scars from cerebral haemorrhages, Darko Mladic added.

Our correspondent says Mrs Mladic only recently said she thought her husband was dead.

Having lived freely in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Gen Mladic is believed to have gone into hiding after the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2001.

Following the detention of former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic in 2008, Gen Mladic became the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large.

The arrest was hailed internationally.

On Thursday, Serbian TV showed footage of the former general wearing a baseball cap and walking slowly as he appeared in court in Belgrade for the first time.

War in the former Yugoslavia 1991 - 1999

BACK 1 of 7 NEXT
Protests

Reports in Serbian media suggested that one of Gen Mladic's arms was paralysed, which was probably the result of a stroke.

Serbia had been under intense international pressure to arrest Gen Mladic and send him to the Hague tribunal.

After the arrest, the government banned public gatherings in an effort to prevent any pro-Mladic demonstrations.

But hundreds of ultra-nationalists clashed with police in the northern city of Novi Sad, and there was a smaller demonstration involving several dozen protesters in the centre of Belgrade.

The government is now keen for a speedy extradition of Gen Mladic, whom Serb nationalists still regard as a hero, our correspondent says.

President Boris Tadic said Gen Mladic's arrest had brought Serbia and the region closer to reconciliation, and opened the doors to European Union membership.

'Stake-out'

Mr Tadic rejected criticism that Serbia had been reluctant to seize Gen Mladic.

A spokeswoman for families of Srebrenica victims, Hajra Catic, told AFP news agency: "After 16 years of waiting, for us, the victims' families, this is a relief."

Gen Mladic was seized in the province of Vojvodina in the early hours of Thursday, reportedly as he went out into his garden for a pre-dawn walk.

He had two guns with him, but put up no resistance, officials said.

Serbian security sources told AFP news agency that three special units had descended on a house in the village of Lazarevo, about 80km (50 miles) north of Belgrade.

The single-storey house was owned by a relative of Gen Mladic and had been under surveillance for the past two weeks, one of the sources added.

In the latest revelations, police officials told the Associated Press that Gen Mladic had moved to the village two years ago. They also said he admitted his identity immediately in a whisper when found.

AP quoted officials as saying no-one would receive a reward for his arrest, because police were not acting on a tip-off when they arrested him.

Lawyer Milos Saljic told Serbia's B92 news agency that Darko Mladic had visited Lazarevo just a week ago but had no idea his father was there.

Local resident Zora Prodanovic told the BBC: "I'm really surprised. My mother lives four doors down from here and I've never seen him."

"People are shocked, furious, fuming. Our government should stop this bloody business," said another, Momcilo Zivkovic.

"They have arrested our general, who'd defended those who were defenceless; he's now facing false allegations."

Map

Are you in Serbia? What is your reaction to the arrest of Ratko Mladic? Should Serbia be allowed to join the EU? Send us your comments using the form below:

(Required) (Required)

Posted by biginla at 5:20 PM BST
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Gaza: Egypt 'to open Rafah crossing to Palestinians'
Topic: egypt, nasra ismail, bbc news, M
In association with

by Biodun Iginla and Nasra Ismail, BBC News

Breaking news

Egypt is to open the Rafah border crossing into Gaza permanently to most Palestinians from Saturday, Egyptian state news agency Mena has said.

Gaza has been under blockade since 2007, when the Islamist Hamas movement took control of the territory.

Under ex-President Hosni Mubarak - ousted in February - Egypt opposed the Hamas administration and helped Israel to enforce the blockade.

Israel says the blockade is needed to stop weapons being smuggled into Gaza.

The Rafah crossing will be opened permanently from 0900 to 2100 every day except Fridays and holidays, beginning Saturday 27 May, Mena said.

"Palestinian women of all ages will be exempted from visas as will men under 18 or over 40," Mena reported.

Rafah is the only crossing into Gaza which bypasses Israel.

Egypt's transitional military government said last month it intended to open the crossing.

The move is likely to anger Israel. Last year, Israel eased restrictions on goods entering Gaza, but significant shortages in the territory remain.

Mena said the decision to open the Rafah crossing was part of efforts "to end the status of the Palestinian division and achieve national reconciliation".

More Middle East stories

RSS

Posted by biginla at 7:25 PM BST
EU announces extra aid to shore up Arab democracy
Topic: eu, arab democracy, bbc news
In association with

by Biodun Iginla and Natalie de Vallieres, BBC News

Libyan family in war-torn Misrata, 22 May 11 Libya is among the Arab nations shaping a big change in EU policy

Related Stories

The EU plans to boost development aid and loans for its Arab neighbours in the southern Mediterranean, but the help will be tied to political reform.

The EU foreign policy chief, Baroness Ashton, said 1.24bn euros (£1bn) would be added to the 5.7bn-euro EU "neighbourhood" budget for 2011-13.

The EU is adopting a "more funds for more reform" approach, she said.

The wave of uprisings in the Arab world has forced a major foreign policy rethink in European capitals.

The 27 EU governments - the European Council - support a 1bn-euro increase in European Investment Bank (EIB) lending to the southern Mediterranean for 2011-13.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has also agreed to extend its operations into the Arab world, starting with Egypt. Annual lending volumes could reach around 2.5bn euros by 2013, according to the EU statement released on Wednesday.

Until now the EBRD's focus has been on eastern Europe, where the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has been operating since 2004, fostering closer ties between the EU and 16 partner countries.

The EU plans to help democratise the southern Mediterranean through a European Endowment for Democracy and a Civil Society Facility, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

The consolidation of democracy in the region would improve stability, he said.

The EU has financed a range of projects in North Africa in recent years, but they have not been conditional on Arab leaders launching serious political reforms.

The unrest in North Africa this year - especially the war in Libya - has fuelled concerns that Europe could face a new surge in migration from Africa, at a time of economic hardship and high unemployment across the EU.

More on This Story

Related Stories

From other news sites


Posted by biginla at 5:13 PM BST

Newer | Latest | Older