At least seven people have been killed in a fire that swept through a garment factory in the Bangladeshi capital, police said Thursday. “Seven people have died of suffocation,” local police chief Khalilur Rahman told AFP, adding that firefighters extinguished the blaze in the early…
Lebanon considered ‘liberal’ in Middle East but still arrests LGBT
Lebanon has a reputation as the most liberal country in the conservative Middle East, but even a night on the town for gays can end in arrest and humiliating sexuality “tests”. They might be less persecuted than elsewhere in the region, but outside a few areas of the capital Beirut,…
5 Climbers killed after Volcano erupts in Philippines
The climbers and their Filipino guides had spent the previous night camping on the side of the mountain before setting out at dawn for the crater of Mayon Volcano, when their climb was brought to an abrupt halt by an explosion of rocks, ash and plumes of smoke.Three Germans and one Filipino guide were among the dead, and one foreigner is still unaccounted for and presumed dead. Eight were injured and are being brought down the mountain, some of whom are in a critical condition.“The injured are all foreigners. They cannot walk. If you can imagine, the boulders there are as big as cars. Some of them slid and rolled down, we will rappel the rescue team, and we will rappel them up again,” said provincial governor Joey Salceda.Kenneth Jeslava – one of the guides, who after the eruption rushed back to base camp at 3,000 feet to summon help – told the ABS-CBN TV network that some of the rocks were “as big as a living room.”Renato Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said that the eruption was normal for the active Mayon volcano.The 8,070-foot mountain has erupted about 40 times in the last 400 years. In 2010, thousands of residents in nearby towns were evacuated from their homes into temporary shelters after an eruption that saw ash ejected up to 5 miles from the crater.No alert has been raised or evacuation planned after Tuesday’s eruption. If an alert is issued, climbers are not allowed on to the Volcano; the immediate zone around the volcano’s mouth is off-limits because of the risk of a sudden eruption. Salceda said he would now enforce a ban on climbers going up to the mouth.Mayon is a favorite among volcano-watchers, although most are lucky if they see the occasional nighttime sight of the rim of the volcano lit red by flowing lava from the safety of their hotel rooms in Legazpi, the provincial capital. … Read More
Russian opposition eyes anti-Putin protest resurgence
Thousands of opposition protesters are taking part in Monday’s sanctioned event called ‘For Freedom!’Some 5,000 law enforcers have been deployed in the capital’s downtown to ensure security as the opposition gears up for the protest, expected to be held from 7-9:30pm (15-17:30 GMT).In what some see as a bad omen, tonight’s event has already been marred by tragedy: a worker, identified as 25-year-old Maksim Melkov, died while erecting the stage for the opposition gathering after a loudspeaker column fell on him.Shortly after the accident, it was reported that the event might be canceled. However, the organizers decided to hold the meeting as it had been agreed with the Moscow authorities. The format of the rally might be changed though, as the scene of the accident is to be thoroughly examined by investigators and the stage may remain blocked.The rally on Bolotnaya Square will start with a minute of silence to commemorate Melkov.The main demand of the participants of the event organized by Russian opposition activists is the release of all ‘political prisoners’ in the country. Those also include activists arrested as part of the so-called ‘Bolotnaya case’ following last year’s rally on the square.A day before Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as president, thousands took to streets to protest against election results, and to demand political reforms and a fresh vote. The sanctioned rally turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police.Over 600 protesters were detained and over a dozen faced criminal charges ranging from inciting mass unrest to using violence against police. So far, two of the Bolotnaya Square protesters were sentenced to jail terms. The opposition maintains though that clashes were provoked by police. On Sunday – as Orthodox believers celebrated Easter – the opposition held another sanctioned protest rally in the Russian capital. The event called ‘Freedom March’ was organized by the so-called Opposition Expert Council. Despite the initially-announced 10,000 participants, the gathering was joined by only around 400-500 participants and around a hundred journalists. … Read More
Vintage plane crashes outside Madrid at aerobatics show (VIDEO)
A spokesman for Spain’s airport authority said some 3,000 people were at Cuatro Vientos airfield, located to the southwest of the Spanish capital, watching the air show. The footage clearly shows a plane making what looks like a normal flight during a series of aerial acrobatics tricks. But suddenly it dives and after a short free fall crashes into hangars away from the field. Before the viewer had a chance to realize what had happened, the aircraft exploded. The ensuing blaze was then followed by a large plume of smoke that could be seen rising above the hangars. No one aside from the pilot was hurt, officials told AP. The pilot was later reported by local media to have died of his wounds whilst in hospital. … Read More
Israel launches more ‘airstrikes’ in Syria
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New massive Israeli attack rocks Damascus army research site
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