Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza |
- Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza
- China's army launches media charm offensive
- Flotilla raid footage goes viral as Israel floods YouTube
- Autopsy shows Gaza activists were hit 30 times - report
- Rare white magpie captured alive
- US weighs new options against North Korea: Gates
- Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza
- Autopsy finds Gaza ship dead peppered with bullets: report
- US seeks to avert new violent clash with Gaza-bound ship
- Obama fires warning over BP share dividend
- McDonald's recalls more than 13 million 'Shrek' glasses
- Cuba urges citizens to save water
- Israel prepares to intercept Gaza-bound ship
- Autopsy shows Gaza activists were shot 30 times
- 37 bodies recovered from mass grave in Mexico
- Reshuffling the same dog-eared pack of cards
- US shares fall on weak jobs data
- SpaceX rocket soars on debut flight
- Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza
- Dutch murder suspect handed over to Peru
| Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:19 PM PDT  By Patrick MoserJERUSALEM: The Rachel Corrie activist cargo ship kept its course for a Saturday arrival in Gaza -- or confrontation -- as world anger simmered over Israel's deadly raid on an earlier blockade-busting bid. "We are not afraid," Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire told Ireland's RTE state radio by satellite phone from aboard the aid-laden ship yesterday. "We started out to deliver this cargo to the people of Gaza and to break the siege of Gaza, that is what we want to do," the 66-year-old said as the vessel steamed towards the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave. The boat was just hours from Gaza but the 15 aboard -- Irish and Malaysian activists, four Indonesian crew and a Scottish captain -- did not intend to leave international waters and run the Israeli gauntlet until after daybreak today, organisers said. "All on board on the ship were in good spirits, but very anxious as to the actions the Israelis might take," the organisers said yesterday after contacting the ship. The activists have put Israel in a tight spot at a time when it already faces a serious diplomatic crisis over Monday's botched raid in which its commandos killed nine Turkish activists in the Gaza-bound flotilla. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated the Rachel Corrie would not be allowed to sail freely into Gaza. "I have just told the Irish foreign ministry director-general that the ship will not be able to travel to Gaza without first being inspected," he said on television. 'Show restraint' Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin urged Israel to show restraint, saying "the Rachel Corrie should be allowed to proceed to Gaza and to unload its humanitarian cargo". To make matters worse for Israel, three Spaniards who were with the Gaza aid fleet said there were plans to send more aid ships to the enclave. "We spoke in Istanbul with the rest of our European colleagues about the possibility of sending ships to Gaza in the coming months, some of them possibly from Barcelona," aid worker Manuel Tapial said. The United States said yesterday it was trying to help avert another violent clash at sea involving Israel. "Everybody wants to avoid another confrontation and avoid a repeat of Monday's... tragic events," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. At the White House, National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said the Rachel Corrie should dock at the Israeli port of Ashdod. "It remains a US priority to provide assistance to the people of Gaza," Hammer said. "In the interest of the safety of all involved, and the safe transmission of assistance to the people of Gaza, we strongly encourage those on board the Rachel Corrie and other vessels to sail to Ashdod to deliver their materials to Gaza." Resentment ran high in Turkey, which sent more than half the almost 700 activists aboard the ill-fated six-ship convoy. In a statement certain to infuriate Israel, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday he did not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation. "Hamas are resistance fighters who are struggling to defend their land," Erdogan said of the Islamist movement committed to Israel's destruction and blacklisted in the West as a terrorist group. Freedom Flotilla II In Istanbul, a crowd of some 10,000 people held prayers for a journalist among the nine Turks, one of them also a US citizen, killed in Monday's raid. Chants of "murderer Israel" echoed across the courtyard of the historic Beyazit Mosque, where a huge banner called for the Israeli embassy to be shut down. In Beirut, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called for the formation of a "Freedom Flotilla II", and lauded Turkey's tough stance against Israel's deadly raid on the Gaza-bound aid fleet. Israel has warned it will stop the blockade-busting bid by Rachel Corrie -- a 1,200-tonne cargo ship named after a US activist killed in 2003 as she tried to prevent an Israeli bulldozer from razing a Palestinian home. Yesterday, it reiterated its offer, already rejected by the organisers, to deliver the goods to Gaza overland if the ship unloads in Ashdod. The Israeli authorities and the activists had conflicting versions of what happened during Monday's pre-dawn raid. Israel has said the commandos only opened fire after they came under attack with clubs, knives, guns and other weapons. Bulent Yildirim, head of the Islamic charity Foundation of Humanitarian Relief, which spearheaded the Gaza aid fleet, said activists used iron bars in self-defence after Israeli soldiers fired indiscriminately when they stormed the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara. -AFP Also read: Flotilla raid footage goes viral as Israel floods YouTube
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| China's army launches media charm offensive Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:14 PM PDT
Today, China's army is ignoring his advice and has launched a media charm offensive in the hope of calming fears over its growing power. Western countries led by the United States and some of China's neighbours, including Japan, have regularly urged Beijing to show greater openness in defence matters, particularly in the light of its rapid military expansion. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) -- which started as a communist rebel force, its ranks filled with barefoot peasants -- has invested heavily in weapons and equipment in recent years. With almost 2.3 million people serving in the PLA's ranks, it is now almost certainly the world's largest employer. In 2010, Beijing set its defence budget at 532 billion yuan (RM255 billion), but the figure is widely considered to be an under-estimation. The Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute said in a report released this week that China had likely spent US$100 billion (RM327 billion) on its military in 2009. But the lack of clear data has cast doubt on China's aims and ambitions as it expands not only land, sea and air forces but also into space and cyberspace. It has also shown a desire to develop a rapid reaction force to defend its economic interests and energy supply routes. In an effort to convince the doubters of its good faith and wholly defensive intentions, the PLA -- more accustomed to unleashing its propaganda machine on the home front -- is now making a point of being open with foreigners. In April the armed forces invited foreign journalists and military attaches to a presentation on its latest jet fighter, the J-10, at an airbase at Tianjin outside the capital Beijing. Then in May, the army took French journalists on a press tour featuring talks with defence ministry officials, a presentation on China's anti-piracy mission off Somalia and a tour of select army units -- but no pictures allowed. British reporters are next in line for an invitation. Propaganda posters Defence ministry spokesman Colonel Huang Xueping told the journalists that China was keen for its armed forces to have greater exchanges with troops from other countries. "Based on the UN structure, we will participate more in peacekeeping forces and carry out more rescue and relief missions, we will provide more and more opportunities for the outside world to know the Chinese armed forces," he said. At the sixth armoured division in Beijing, soldiers could be seen simulating tank attacks -- some giving orders, others carrying them out on apparatuses similar to video game consoles. Journalists were shown a dormitory with carefully arranged bunk beds and metal cupboards containing personal effects, but, apart from dozens of guides, there was not a soldier in sight. Propaganda posters could be seen in the corridors. During the tour, commanding officer Colonel Chen Xuewu brushed aside questions about equipment shortages. "That's speculation, and I never comment on speculation," he said. Analysts say the new charm offensive still falls far short of the kind of transparency sought by Western countries. "There is some level of anxiety within the party leadership and foreign ministry that the PLA's building of a globally deployable military is being greeted with suspicion and fear," said Richard Fisher, a Chinese army expert at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, a US research institute. Fisher said China needed to respond to key questions on its plans over the next 10 years for an aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ships, C-17 transport planes and nuclear warheads. "They should be told that the world knows they are building all these things and that these questions will be asked by governments and press until they get answers," Fisher said. Valerie Niquet, head of the Asia centre at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, said: "The effectiveness of Beijing's communication strategy will always be greatly limited by the contradiction between the rhetoric, which is meant to be calming and responsible, and the action, which is much more aggressive." - AFP
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| Flotilla raid footage goes viral as Israel floods YouTube Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:06 PM PDT
Days after the botched attack which killed nine Turks, the fight over what exactly happened on board the ferry is still raging on YouTube, with both sides posting more and more clips on the video-sharing website to support their case. It was chaotic footage of Israeli troops storming the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara which first caught the world's attention. Streaming Internet video of bloodied passengers and reporters issuing urgent calls for help were transmitted in real time from the deck of the ship. The commandos eventually disconnected the feed but the damage was done, provoking a wave of global outrage which has dealt a harsh blow to Israel's image. Israel says its troops were violently attacked as they dropped onto the Mavi Marmara, and only shot back in self-defence. The activists say the commandos started shooting as soon as they arrived, prompting those on board to act in self-defence. Faced with a diplomatic backlash, Israel cranked up its propaganda machine, uploading a slew of video clips to YouTube to support its version of events. Grainy images of elite commandos taking a beating at the hands of Turkish activists turned out to be one of Israel's most unlikely propaganda successes. "Over 1.6 million people watched that footage. You also saw it used on blogs and in forums," said Lieutenant Aliza Landes, head of the Israeli military's new media desk. In another clip, taken from the ship's security cameras, activists can be seen preparing for a confrontation. "In that footage you can see them handing out metal batons and putting on masks, and you can see the light of the boat approaching so it's clear that they were preparing for a fight," said Landes. "YouTube is the best tool we have as video gives the most powerful information," said Landes. Botched raid Israel has, however, come under fire for using "pirated" footage to defend its botched raid -- material confiscated from journalists who were on board the ship. An interview with a passenger who says he wants to be "a martyr" is shown in a clip not credited to any media outlet, and only described as "footage captured on the Gaza flotilla." The army refused to say whether the footage would be returned. Twitter has also been widely used by both sides, with the microblogging site flooded with Tweets as the raid happened, most of them posted by the flotilla organisers commenting on the live Internet feed. But none of the Tweets actually originated from the boat. And Israel has so far only used the service to distribute official information rather than as a breaking news tool. Chaim Shacham, director of information at the foreign ministry, says Israel is becoming more aware of the digital media battlefield. "In this case, it was very clear to us that it would be a race for footage," he told AFP, saying that the navy had cameramen in the helicopters and patrol boats. Getting footage was part of the operational plan, he said. All the clips put out by Israel have been rigorously edited, have no timestamp and show only scenes which vindicate the Israeli account without explaining what happened before, or after. Shacham dismisses claims the footage provides a distorted image of events. "The footage from the ship immediately put things into context -- it told the story of the soldiers as well as the protesters, clearly showing the soldiers rappelling down and getting beaten," he said. While some of the footage had not been very "convenient" for Israel, much of it vindicated the troops' account, said Shacham. "The Arabic and Turkish footage is very revealing: it shows the jihadists on the ship were intending to beat the hell out of the soldiers," he said, pointing to interviews with Bulent Yildirim, head of the Turkish charity IHH. But analyst Yariv Ben Eliezer believes Israel's online efforts were too little, too late. "We lost the propaganda war before we even started," said Ben Eliezer, a propaganda management expert at the IDC centre in Herzliya. "We are considered by the world to be Goliath and the 'humanitarian' activists are considered to be David, so it's a lose-lose situation." Israel, he says, should have done its homework and exposed activists aboard the ferry as "extremists" long before they set sail. "It's not effective now because nobody wants to listen." - AFP
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| Autopsy shows Gaza activists were hit 30 times - report Posted: 04 Jun 2010 08:16 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Nine Turkish activists killed in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship were shot a total of 30 times and five died of gunshot wounds to the head, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Friday.
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| Rare white magpie captured alive Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:45 PM PDT BAHAU, NEGERI SEMBILAN: A rarely seen white magpie was captured alive here in Bahau by a studio photographer.
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| US weighs new options against North Korea: Gates Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:23 PM PDT SINGAPORE, Saturday 5 June 2010 (AFP) - The United States is weighing fresh steps to hold North Korea to account after the sinking of a South Korean warship, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday.
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| Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:21 PM PDT JERUSALEM, Saturday 5 June 2010 (AFP) - The Rachel Corrie activist cargo ship kept its course for a Saturday arrival in Gaza -- or confrontation -- as world anger simmered over Israel's deadly raid on an earlier blockade-busting bid.
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| Autopsy finds Gaza ship dead peppered with bullets: report Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:19 PM PDT LONDON, Saturday 5 June 2010 (AFP) - Autopsy results on the bodies of nine Turks killed in an Israeli raid on an aid ship to Gaza found they were peppered with bullets and many were shot at close range, a British newspaper said Saturday.
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| US seeks to avert new violent clash with Gaza-bound ship Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:14 PM PDT WASHINGTON, Friday 4 June 2010 (AFP) - The United States said Friday it was trying to help avert another violent clash at sea involving Israel as an Irish aid ship headed for the Gaza Strip.
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| Obama fires warning over BP share dividend Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:09 PM PDT KENNER, Friday 4 June 2010 (AFP) - President Barack Obama fired a seething warning to BP Friday, warning the oil giant must not go cheap on Gulf of Mexico disaster victims if it pays billions of dollars in share dividends.
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| McDonald's recalls more than 13 million 'Shrek' glasses Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:08 PM PDT NEW YORK, Friday 4 June 2010 (AFP) - McDonald's on Friday recalled more than 13 million drinking glasses sold in North America to promote the latest "Shrek" movie because they contain a toxic metal.
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| Cuba urges citizens to save water Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:23 PM PDT The Cuban government is urging its people to save water as the country suffers one of its worst droughts for a century.
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| Israel prepares to intercept Gaza-bound ship Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:42 PM PDT JERUSALEM, June 5 — Israel was prepared to intercept another ship bound for Gaza carrying aid and activists today, increasing fears of more international tension over its blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Israel faces an international outcry after its naval operation on Monday in which nine Turkish activists were killed on a ship bound for ...
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| Autopsy shows Gaza activists were shot 30 times Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:36 PM PDT LONDON, June 5 — Nine Turkish activists killed in an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship were shot a total of 30 times and five died of gunshot wounds to the head, the Guardian newspaper reported yesterday. Autopsy results showed the men were hit mostly with 9mm bullets, many fired at close range, the Guardian said, quoting Yalcin Buyuk, ...
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| 37 bodies recovered from mass grave in Mexico Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:50 PM PDT CHILPANCINGO, Mexico -At least 37 bodies have been recovered from a mass grave found May 30 at the entrance to a mine in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, medical examiners said Friday.
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| Reshuffling the same dog-eared pack of cards Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:00 PM PDT It is said that one cannot make good china with poor clay, and it is so obvious that we should know it instinctively. By the same token, one cannot expect to form an effective cabinet with general election rejects. Appointing them to cabinet posts in such large numbers through the Senate is not illegal. But is it ethical?
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| US shares fall on weak jobs data Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:02 PM PDT US shares have seen big falls after it emerged that fewer jobs were created last month than expected.
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| SpaceX rocket soars on debut flight Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:16 PM PDT CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - An unmanned, privately built rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Friday on a successful test flight before it begins cargo runs to the International Space Station for NASA.
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| Defiant aid ship steams on for Gaza Posted: 04 Jun 2010 02:25 PM PDT
"We are not afraid," Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguiretold Ireland's
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| Dutch murder suspect handed over to Peru Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:32 PM PDT TACNA, Peru -A Dutchman suspected in the murder of a Peruvian woman last week and the disappearance of a US teenager in Aruba five years ago was deported to Peru Friday, one day after being arrested in Chile.
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By Francois Bougon
By Hazel Ward
JERUSALEM – The Rachel Corrie activist cargo ship kept its course for a Saturday arrival in Gaza – or confrontation – as world anger simmered over Israel's deadly raid on an earlier blockade-busting bid.| You are subscribed to email updates from "World" via xBlog® in Google Reader To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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