Read in Arabic (بالعربية) Reporters Without Borders condemns German freelance journalist Armin Wertz’s detention by the Syrian authorities since 5 May. Shortly after his arrest by government forces in the battle-torn city of Aleppo, Wertz sent an SMS to a friend from his mobile phone saying the police were holding him. He asked the friend to notify his family but not make his detention public. He sent another message yesterday expressly asking for help and reporting that he had been transferred (…) … Read More
Rebels accuse Assad of large scale massacre after US speaks of arming opposition
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that bodies were discovered in the Ras al-Nabaa district of the coastal town of Banias, which is mainly inhabited by Sunni Muslims. “We have identified 62 citizens by their names, photos, or videos, including 14 children,” the activists told AP, adding that the toll could rise. The group backed their accusations by posting a graphic video online, which shows the bodies of ten people, half of them children, they say were killed by the forces loyal to president, Bashar Assad. The activists added that hundreds of Sunnis are currently fleeing Banias in fear for their lives. The accusations come just two days after the opposition National Coalition blamed goverment troops for murdering around 100 people in the village of Bayda, also situated not far from Banias. Despite the allegations being hard to verify, the US has hurried to denounce the Syrian regime for staging a “large scale massacre”. “We strongly condemn atrocities against the civilian population and reinforce our solidarity with the Syrian people,” Jennifer Psaki, the US State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement.”The United States is appalled by horrific reports that more than 100 people were killed May 2 in gruesome attacks on the coastal town of Bayda, Syria,” she added.In the wake of the events, Syrian journalist, Ali Mohamad, told RT that he isn’t sure that pro-Assad forces were behind the killings as accusations by the opposition always coincide with fresh foreign pressure on Damascus.“Each time a big and important event regarding Syria was happening whether in the UN Security Council or in any other entity, each and every time there were talks about massacres and violations of human rights,” he said. “This is beyond being by chance anymore. I do believe it’s synthesized and the timing is very suspicious, not to say more.” “The opponents of the Syrian regime can accuse it of many things, but being stupid isn’t one of these things. And it’ll take a lot of stupidity to time the massacres and graphic violations of human rights before big decisions are being made,” the journalist added. Mohamad stressed that the US plans to arm the rebels won’t help prevent the Syrian civil war, but would only lead to more blood being spilled. “The only way out is talks and the only way to actually solve the crisis and put an end to it is diplomacy and negotiations. And the statement made by the Russian Foreign Ministry is not only accurate, but it describes the only possible solution to this crisis,” he said. “Let’s remember that people are talking about the massacre today and applying weapons mean more massacres. Because there were concerns about the massacres committed by the rebels and that doesn’t seem to bother the NATO nations or the US. So, giving more weapons mean more dead people and more dead people don’t in any way mean something good for the country.” On Friday, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that the stance of Moscow and Washington on Syria is important, but not everything depends on it as the solution to the crisis can only be found “in direct talks between the opposition and the government as agreed by the Geneva protocol.” As for the plans to send weapons to the opposition, the FM stressed that it’s a bid for the “military scenario”, which will be paid for “by more and more Syrian victims.” … Read More
Syrians flee coastal town after ‘massacre’
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Hundreds flee as massive wildfire rages near Los Angeles
A massive wildfire raged in the rugged countryside outside Los Angeles on Thursday, forcing the closure of California’s scenic coastal highway as hundreds of residents were evacuated. Wind-driven flames ripped through tinder-dry brush and were soon racing towards the Pacific Ocean,…
Huge blaze shuts down California coastal highway
A wildfire forced the closure of a section of California’s scenic coastal highway Thursday, as authorities ordered residents to evacuate from advancing flames and canceled classes. The blaze fanned by strong winds ravaged hillsides and canyons in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles,…
Hurricane Sandy dumped 11 billion gallons of sewage into New York water
study released Tuesday from Climate Central revealed that some 11 billion gallons of raw and partially treated sewage were introduced into the water surrounding New York and New Jersey as a result of Sandy-induced damage. There were also six sewage spills larger than 100 million gallons in Gotham alone. Almost all of the damage – 94 per cent – in New York was blamed on overflow in area sewage plants, located in low-lying areas so gravity is able to pump and treat wastewater. Some facilities were shut down by power outages while others were completely swamped by floodwater. New York City will have to spend roughly $2 billion to repair the plants, according to the New York Observer. “Our sewage infrastructure isn’t built to withstand such surges, and we are putting our property, safety and lives at risk if we don’t adequately plan for these challenges,” report author Alyson Kenward told the Village Voice. “Sandy showed the extreme vulnerability of the region’s sewage treatment plants to rising seas and intense coastal storms.” Hurricane Sandy killed 159 people and caused $70 billion in damage across eight states, each of which was affected by sewage overflow. Kenward told the New York Daily News that residents should have little to fear regarding long-term health effects because the sewage becomes less threatening as it dissipates through the water. The environmental effects, however, are yet to be seen. Enough sewage leaked to completely cover Manhattan’s Central Park and fill it eleven feet high, the report noted. One of the worst affected stations was Bay Park Treatment Plant on Long Island. “The storm left this coastal plant completely out of operation for at least 42 hours after the storm,” the authors wrote. “Since the tidal flooding was so severe, operators were unable to provide even conservative estimates to the amount of non-salt water that escaped the plant. However, based on average daily flows through the plant, we estimate that at least 104 million gallons of untreated sewage overflowed into Rockaway Channel.” Last year, six months before Hurricane Sandy ravaged the eastern coast of the United States, Climate Central’s Dr. Ben Strauss testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee that because sea levels have risen nearly a foot since 1880, only a small bit of water – or sewage – could doom someone’s home. “Just a few extra inches could mean the difference to flood a family’s basement, or New York City’s subway system, disabling it for months,” he said. … Read More
6.3 magnitude quake strikes near Iran’s Bushehr nuke facility, deaths reported
The quake has been given “orange alert level” by the US Geological Survey (USGS). An orange alert means that significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. The earthquake’s epicenter was 89 kilometers (55 miles) away from the plant, just outside the town of Kaki. There are currently no reports available from the town.The depth of the quake was 10 km (6.2miles). It was followed by several aftershocks.”We could clearly feel the earthquake,” a local resident told Reuters. “The windows and chandeliers all shook.”The Bushehr plant remains unaffected, according to an official from Atomstroyexport – the Russian company which built the station.”The earthquake in no way affected the normal situation at the reactor, personnel continue to work in the normal regime and radiation levels are fully within the norm,” he told RIA Novosti.People on social media reported feeling the quake in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There were no immediate reports of damages.Gulf Arab countries and Western experts have voiced concerns about the Bushehr plant, which is built in a heily seismic area. Iran has repeatedly denied allegations that it could be unsafe.Bushehr, which is home to around 160,000 people, is located on Iran’s southwestern coastal region. The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said in December another plant is slated for construction next to the Bushehr plant.Iran extends across several major faults in the earth’s crust, and is prone to frequent earthquakes. In August 2012, two quakes in Northwestern Iran claimed the lives of 306 people and injured more than 4,500 others. … Read More
