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Thursday, December 26, 2013

German protest over cultural center turns violent

December 21, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — German police say 22 officers have been injured in clashes with protesters opposed to the eviction of a left-wing cultural center in the northern city of Hamburg.

More than 7,000 people demonstrated Saturday against the eviction of the Rote Flora center, a squatted former theater in the city's Schanzenviertel area. Hamburg police said some of the protesters began hurling objects at the 2,000 officers shortly after the demonstration began.

They said an unspecified number of protesters were also injured.

Germany's Merkel starts 3rd term in new coalition

December 17, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's Parliament elected Chancellor Angela Merkel to a third term as the leader of Europe's biggest economic power on Tuesday, nearly three months after an awkward election result forced her to put together a new governing coalition.

Merkel now heads a "grand coalition" of Germany's biggest parties — her conservative Union bloc and the center-left Social Democrats, which are traditional rivals. Parliament's lower house elected her as chancellor by 462 votes to 150, with nine abstentions

The new government will move Germany somewhat leftward, for example introducing a national minimum wage, but will take a largely unchanged approach to Europe's debt crisis. It features Germany's first female defense minister, conservative Ursula von der Leyen, and sees former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, return to his old job. Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, a powerful figure in Europe's debt crisis, is staying on.

The parties' effort to form a government after Sept. 22 national elections, in which Merkel's conservatives came close to a parliamentary majority but saw their previous coalition partners lose all their seats, has been the longest in post-World War II Germany.

It was extended by the Social Democrats' decision to put the coalition deal to a ballot of all their members. They won approval last weekend but some remain wary because the party emerged weakened from a previous grand coalition in Merkel's first term, from 2005 to 2009.

At least 42 government lawmakers didn't vote for the chancellor on Tuesday but, given the new coalition's enormous majority, that is unlikely to worry her. Conservatives and Social Democrats hold 504 of the 631 seats. Germany's best-known ex-communist, Gregor Gysi, becomes the opposition leader; his hardline Left Party is the bigger of two left-leaning opposition groups.

Germany's biggest-selling newspaper, Bild, declared on Tuesday's front page: "Dear grand coalition, we are your extraparliamentary opposition now!" Editor Kai Diekmann wrote that "this parliament is too weak; its opposition too small and too left-wing."

Germany gets its 1st female defense minister

December 15, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's new government will feature the country's first female defense minister and the return of a respected former foreign minister, while Chancellor Angela Merkel's influential finance chief will stay on as she starts her third term.

Merkel's new "grand coalition" government of right and left is to take office Tuesday — nearly three months after her conservatives won elections, but fell short of a parliamentary majority and saw their previous pro-business coalition partners lose their seats.

Ursula von der Leyen will become defense chief, Merkel said Sunday. The 55-year-old mother of seven inherits the job of modernizing the military, which is being overhauled after Germany abandoned conscription in 2011, and overseeing its deployment in Afghanistan as combat troops depart.

Von der Leyen has helped modernize the image of Merkel's party in her previous roles as minister for families and labor. She "has always been interested in international affairs," Merkel said. "It's an exciting job, also a challenging job, but I trust that she will master it very, very well."

Veteran conservative Wolfgang Schaeuble will stay on as finance minister after four years as Merkel's co-pilot in fighting Europe's debt crisis — underlining continuity in Berlin's approach. The 71-year-old "stands for the stability of the euro and the policies linked with that, for everything that's important in Europe," Merkel said.

The current defense minister, Thomas de Maiziere, returns to his previous job as interior minister, Germany's top security official. He is one of 10 members of the new Cabinet from Merkel's Union bloc; the other six seats went to their new partners, the center-left Social Democrats.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was foreign minister from 2005 to 2009, returns as Germany's top diplomat. The Social Democrats' leader, Sigmar Gabriel, described him as "perhaps Germany's most distinguished foreign policy expert."

Gabriel will become vice chancellor and head a beefed-up Economy Ministry. He will have full oversight of Germany's transition from nuclear to renewable energy, marred by bickering between ministries since Merkel's 2011 move to accelerate the exit from nuclear power.

"We have to make the energy switchover a success," Gabriel said, stressing that it "brings great opportunities for extra jobs, but it must ensure that Germany remains reliable and ... robust as an industrial location."

Left-winger Andrea Nahles becomes labor minister, responsible for launching a national minimum wage that was part of the party's price for going into government. Joerg Asmussen, currently a member of the European Central Bank's executive board, will be one of her deputies. Merkel said the new coalition will discuss who to replace him with at the ECB, but didn't say when.

Deputy Social Democrat leader Aydan Ozoguz, who was born in Germany but has Turkish roots, will become the government official responsible for immigrant issues — one rung below Cabinet rank. In a change championed by her party, people born in Germany who also hold a non-European Union passport will no longer have to choose one citizenship, largely benefiting children of Turkish immigrants.

Merkel said an extra official will be added at the chancellery to handle intelligence matters as "a consequence of the NSA ... affair." Germany has been seeking answers from Washington to allegations that U.S. intelligence monitored the chancellor's cellphone.

There was no immediate word on who will get that job.

German party clears way for Merkel's 3rd term

December 14, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's main center-left party cleared the way on Saturday for Angela Merkel to start her third term as chancellor, announcing that its members had voted by a large majority to join the conservative leader in government.

The ballot of the Social Democrats' nearly 475,000 members capped post-World War II Germany's longest effort to form a government. It set the stage for Parliament to re-elect Merkel on Tuesday — ending nearly three months of post-election political limbo in Europe's biggest economy.

Some 76 percent of members who took part approved a deal to form a "grand coalition" government of right and left under Merkel and about 24 percent voted against. "What we want to do now is to show the 24 percent over the next four years that the 76 percent were right," party leader Sigmar Gabriel said. He added that the party had shown a great "sense of responsibility" to the country.

Merkel's conservatives won Sept. 22 elections but fell short of a majority and saw their previous pro-business coalition partners lose their parliamentary seats — forcing them to reach across the aisle for new allies.

The Social Democrats already served as Merkel's junior partners once, between 2005 and 2009 in her first term, and emerged weakened from the experience. In September, they finished a distant second to Merkel's Union bloc.

In an effort to counter members' strong initial resistance to working again with their traditional rivals, Gabriel took what appeared the risky move of pledging an unprecedented ballot of the party's full membership on any coalition deal.

Gabriel and other leaders toured Germany over recent weeks to sell to members the deal Social Democrats and conservatives hammered out last month. It featured key center-left demands including the introduction of Germany's first mandatory national minimum wage, at 8.50 euros ($11.65) per hour, and a change to the pension system that will allow some longtime workers to retire at 63 on full pensions.

However, Germany's position in Europe's debt crisis will remain largely unchanged and Merkel's conservatives refused to raise taxes for high earners. Gabriel's Social Democrats will have six ministers in the 16-member Cabinet. They are getting the foreign and labor ministries, as well as a beefed-up Economy Ministry with responsibility for managing Germany's switch from nuclear to renewable energy.

Merkel's conservative bloc will keep the powerful Finance Ministry, along with the interior and defense portfolios. There was no official word on who will get what job ahead of party meetings Sunday, though veteran Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is widely expected to stay on.

The general secretary of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, Hermann Groehe, welcomed the result of the Social Democrats' ballot. "We are glad that our work together in government can now begin quickly," he said.

The new government will have an overwhelming parliamentary majority. It holds 504 of the 631 seats in the lower house; the rest are held by the left-leaning Greens and the hard-line Left Party.

Austrian civil servants' protest draws 40,000

December 18, 2013

VIENNA (AP) — Tens of thousands of Austrian civil servants have demonstrated for higher wages in Vienna, in a protest that shut down main avenues for hours.

Police and organizers estimate about 40,000 protesters turned up Wednesday in the largest demonstration of its kind in recent years. Among the EU's most prosperous countries, Austria has been spared the kind of labor unrest seen elsewhere on the continent.

Civil servants in Austria include professions as varied as police officers and kindergarten teachers. Their unions are seeking a wage increase of 2.3 percent, while the government is offering 1.7 percent.

Some protesters carried signs reading "Less money for the banks - more for us!" — a reference to bailouts of financial institutions hit by the eurozone debt crisis.

More than 15,000 rally against racism in Stockholm

December 22, 2013

KARRTORP, Sweden (AP) — Swedish police say over 15,000 people have participated in a rally against last week's neo-Nazi attack in a Stockholm suburb.

Police spokesman Kjell Lindgren says the Sunday demonstration remained peaceful. Support rallies were also held in Malmo, in southern Sweden, and Lulea in the north. The events were organized as reaction against an incident last Sunday when neo-Nazis hurled bottles, torches and firecrackers against a smaller anti-racism rally in Stockholm's suburb of Karrtorp.

Police detained 28 people after the attack, in which three people were injured. A neo-Nazi group called the Swedish Resistance Movement claimed responsibility for the attack.

Uruguay President Mujica signs marijuana law

December 24, 2013

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — A spokesman for President Jose Mujica of Uruguay says the leader has quietly signed into law the government's plan to create a regulated, legal market for marijuana.

Presidential secretary Diego Canepa told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Mujica signed the legislation Monday night. That was the last formal step for the law to take effect. Bureaucrats now have until April 9 to write the fine print for regulating every aspect of the marijuana market, from growing to selling in a network of pharmacies.

They hope to have the whole system in place by the middle of next year. But as of Tuesday, growing pot at home is legal in Uruguay, up to six plants per family and an annual harvest of 480 grams.

Officials: Baucus to be named ambassador to China

December 19, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama intends to nominate Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., as ambassador to China, Democratic officials said Wednesday, turning to a lawmaker well-versed in trade issues to fill one of the nation's most sensitive diplomatic posts.

If confirmed by the Senate, Baucus would replace Ambassador Gary Locke, who announced last month he was stepping down. An announcement of Baucus' appointment is expected as early as Thursday. The Montanan's departure from the Senate would have an instant impact on one of Congress' most powerful committees and on the 2014 election for control of Congress. Under state law, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has the authority to name a Senate successor to serve until the election, and speculation immediately turned to a fellow Democrat, Lt. Gov. John Walsh, already a candidate for a full term.

Baucus, 72, sidestepped questions about the ambassadorship when asked in the Capitol. "It's not for me to comment on. ... This happens every once in a while. Names get floated around." There was no immediate comment from the White House on the disclosure, which was made by officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the nomination publicly before a formal announcement.

Kathy Weber, a spokeswoman in Baucus' office, declined to confirm the move but said, "Max has given his life to public service and when asked to serve he takes that request very seriously." Obama is in search of a new top diplomat in Beijing as he executes a so-called Asia pivot in U.S. foreign policy to more directly counter China after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The relationship between the two nations has grown more troubled in recent weeks, with Chinese authorities unilaterally declaring an air defense zone over disputed islands in the East China Sea. The United States subsequently flew a pair of B-52 bombers through the space last month without incident, and Vice President Joe Biden sought to calm matters on his recent trip through Asia.

Baucus was first elected to the Senate in 1978 and since early 2007 has been chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, trade, health care and more. On some key issues, he has pursued a more moderate approach than some fellow Democrats would prefer, a reminder that he hails from a rural, Western state with a history of electing Republicans as well as Democrats to top political office.

Shortly after becoming chairman, he led the opposition to then-President George W. Bush's proposal to privatize Social Security. Two years later, with Obama in the White House, he struggled for months to assemble bipartisan backing for health care legislation in 2009 to the growing impatience of fellow Democrats. He managed to gain one Republican vote for legislation that cleared committee, but the final bill was thoroughly partisan.

As committee chairman, Baucus has pressed both Democratic and Republican administrations to take a harder line against what he says are unfair Chinese trade practices. The country has the largest trade surplus of any nation with the U.S. and American manufacturers claim it is manipulating its currency to maintain that imbalance.

Inside the Senate, Baucus' appointment would create a vacancy atop the panel that Senate Democrats would fill. Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia is immediately behind Baucus in seniority and ordinarily would ascend to the chairmanship but has announced he intends to retire at the end of next year. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is next in line in seniority.

In comments to reporters, Rockefeller indicated he would not seek to claim the spot, saying it would be good if Wyden succeeded Baucus. "I want that committee to be a little more aggressive and he will be," he said.

Wyden is chairman of the Energy Committee and would likely be replaced there by an oil state Democrat, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. If confirmed before the end of next year, Baucus would resign his seat and create a vacancy that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, would fill. Walsh, the lieutenant governor, has announced he will run for the seat and will likely be a top candidate.

First-term Republican Rep. Steve Daines has announced his candidacy for the seat. With Democrats struggling to retain their majority in the 2014 elections, Baucus' announced retirement had turned the state into a challenging one for the party. Obama lost the state in 2012 to Republican Mitt Romney by 13 points.

Associated Press writers Matt Volz in Helena, Mont., and Martin Crutsinger, Ken Thomas and Andrew Taylor in Washington contributed to this report.

US military reveals laser can down drones, mortars

Washington (AFP)
Dec 16, 2013

The US Army has for the first time successfully tested a vehicle-mounted laser that managed to shoot down incoming mortar rounds and drone aircraft, officials said Thursday.

Installed in a dome-shaped turret atop a military vehicle, the high-energy laser hit more than 90 mortar bombs and several small unmanned planes over a six-week test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The experimental weapon, dubbed the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD), likely would not be operational until 2022 if the Army decides to purchase the system, according to officials.

The weapon, with three to five lasers, is designed to protect remote bases from mortar, artillery or rocket fire. Such attacks were frequent against "forward operating" bases in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade.

The laser used in the test this month had a strength of 10 kilowatts (kW), but the program will next use more powerful lasers of 50 kW and then, finally, 100 kW, officials said.

"If you're engaging a target at the same range, a 100 kW laser will destroy the target in one-tenth of the time than the 10kW would," said Terry Bauer, a program manager at Boeing, the lead contractor on the project.

In the test at White Sands, the laser was fired at 60mm mortar rounds, which have a range of 2,000 to 3,000 yards (1,800-2,700 meters).

Without providing a detailed account, officials said the laser scored a "significant success" against the mortar rounds and several drones.

"The system is capable of rapidly acquiring with the radar these very small targets and point a laser beam about the size of a quarter and destroy the targets while they're flying," said Mike Rim, a second program manager at Boeing.

A more advanced version of the weapon will eventually be able to knock out objects moving much faster than the mortar rounds, such as cruise missiles, according to military officials.

The military has invested in a variety of laser weapons over the past several years with mixed results.

The US Navy is due in 2014 to equip a ship converted into a "floating base," the USS Ponce, with a laser capable of destroying small boats or surveillance drones.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_military_reveals_laser_can_down_drones_mortars_999.html.

US to keep NSA and cyber command chief's job unified

Washington (AFP)
Dec 13, 2013

A White House review will conclude that a sweeping US spy agency program to collect data on telephone calls and Internet use should continue but with new privacy safeguards, a report said Friday.

The New York Times also reported that President Barack Obama's study would recommend making public the privacy protections foreign citizens can expect when their telephone or Internet records are gathered by the National Security Agency.

Separately, a US official said the White House had also decided to maintain the "dual-hatted" arrangement which sees a single military officer head the NSA eavesdropping service and US cyber warfare operations.

The move comes as the administration finalizes a review ordered by Obama into the NSA's sweeping worldwide data and phone record collection, following revelations by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

The Times said that the committee conducting the review would recommend that top White House officials directly examine the list of foreign leaders whose communications are monitored by the NSA.

The protection will be introduced in the wake of a furor over revelations that US spies eavesdropped on the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Times also said that the White House review would create a body of legal professionals who would argue against lawyers for the NSA over espionage operations in the existing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees surveillance.

White House officials declined to comment on the Times report, saying that the review was not yet finalized.

But officials said that the study into NSA operations in the wake of the Snowden affair was still expected to be delivered to the president by Sunday.

National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden also said that the White House had decided to maintain the current "dual-hatted" arrangement that sees a top military officer head the NSA and US Cyber Command.

Some critics of the current system had argued that the NSA and the military's cyber warfare command should be headed by different officials to avoid too much clandestine power residing in one official.

But Hayden said that after an interagency review, the administration "decided that keeping the positions of NSA Director and Cyber Command Commander together as one, dual-hatted position is the most effective approach to accomplishing both agencies' missions."

"NSA plays a unique role in supporting Cyber Command's mission, providing critical support for target access and development, including linguists, analysts, cryptanalytic capabilities and sophisticated technological infrastructure." Hayden said.

In practice, the decision means that the NSA will continue to be headed by a military officer -- as the head of Cyber Command will of necessity be a senior member of the armed services.

The current head of the two agencies, four-star General Keith Alexander, retires early next year.

Obama said last week that he would introduce some restraints on the NSA following the review.

It remains unclear when Obama will present unclassified findings of the report publicly.

A flurry of intelligence leaks from Snowden, who is living in temporary asylum in Russia, lifted the lid on a vast global spying network.

Tens of thousands of documents leaked by Snowden to The Guardian newspaper and other media outlets have detailed the vast scope of the NSA's shadowy activities.

Snowden's revelations made it clear that metadata and information from millions of emails and phone calls, incidentally, some of it about American citizens, has been systematically raked in by the NSA.

Civil rights groups have decried the NSA's activities as the actions of a Big Brother-like government, trampling on the rights of individuals with little oversight.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_to_keep_NSA_and_cyber_command_chiefs_job_unified_999.html.

Canada shipbuilding projects create, save jobs

Halifax, Nova Scotia (UPI)
Dec 11, 2013

Canadian shipbuilding modernization will create jobs and improve Canada's capacity to build a range of vessels in response to government and industry procurement instead of farming out contracts abroad, industry analysts said.

Adding to recent contracts, including those awarded by the government to shipyards and ancillary companies, Irving Shipbuilding announced it gave out new contracts worth $28.2 million.

Most of the contracts go to suppliers based within the country and are part of a Halifax shipyard modernization program.

The two-year program is seen to be injecting new funds into engineering and construction capacity growth that officials and industry experts will improve facilities for future building of warships.

"To date [contracts to] a total value of $175 million in contracts have been awarded as part of our overall investment of approximately $300 million in the Halifax Shipyard Modernization Program," Irving Shipbuilding President Kevin McCoy said in comments cited on the company website.

The company says work under way at the shipyard and set to begin in the coming few years is aimed at building capacity to build larger, more complex and versatile combatant vessels.

Canada's naval modernization program is still in early stages, officials say. Before work on large combatant ships can begin the Irving Shipbuilding shipyard will concentrate on building vessels for Canada's ambitious Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships program, said to be worth more than $4 billion.

Canada has stepped up its diplomatic, political and military effort to project its sovereignty claim on the arctic region north of the country.

Opposition critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper say the campaign may be too late in some respects, because Russia and northern European countries have moved to register competing claims on the area.

The Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship program is a procurement undertaking for the Canadian navy and a part of a wider National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. Officials say the strategy is aimed at reviving and strengthening Canadian shipyards and making Canada self-sufficient, as much as possible, in the sector.

The navy aims to add up to eight ice-breaking vessels, likely to be modeled on the Norwegian Svalbard class. Officials have cited several successive deadlines for the military shipbuilding program, the earliest date of 2015 set for smaller ships and 2020 as the start of production of larger combat vessels.

"With so many significant changes under way, it is a constant reminder that 2015 is not far away and we'll be building navy ships at Halifax Shipyard very soon," McCoy said.

Irving said the selection of suppliers for the Modernization Program followed a rigorous procurement process where quality, reliability, experience and cost was assessed to select companies that would help Irving Shipbuilding deliver "best value to Canada," a shipyard news release said.

Of the contracts awarded so far, 82 per cent of the total contract value has been awarded to Canadian companies, while 52 per cent of total contract value has been awarded to companies owned or operating in Nova Scotia.

Among the winning bidders cited by Irving Shipbuilding are Harris Rebar, Dartmouth, and Dexter Construction, Pipe & Piling, Black & MacDonald, and Eastern Fence, all based in or owned by Nova Scotia interests.

Companies outside Nova Scotia awarded contracts include Bermingham Foundation Solutions, based in Hamilton, Ontario, and a subcontractor under Gulf Operators.

Other Canadian companies that won contracts include: Skyline Steel, St. Bruno, Q.C.; as well as Gulf Operators' subcontractor Con-Tech Systems Ltd., which has headquarters near Vancouver, B.C., the Daily Business Buzz reported.

McCoy said he expects more jobs to become available with the award of new contracts.

"The economic impacts, such as the jobs in shipbuilding, engineering, planning and supply chain, will scale up with the preparation and start of production on [Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship program] in 2015 while the indirect jobs within our supply chain and our suppliers' supply chains will follow," McCoy said.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Canada_shipbuilding_projects_create_save_jobs_999.html.

South Sudan troops sitting outside rebel-held city

December 24, 2013

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — South Sudan's military spokesman says there is increasing tension at a United Nations camp in the rebel-held city of Bor because armed elements have entered the congested area where the U.N. says about 17,000 civilians are seeking protection.

Col. Philip Aguer said South Sudanese troops are outside Bor and will soon advance on the city. Bor is controlled by troops loyal to the country's former vice president. Aguer said troops will also soon advance on another rebel-held city, Bentiu, in the oil-rich region of Unity state.

The United States and Ethiopia are leading efforts to open peace talks on the 10-day-old crisis. Officials say President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar have agreed to meet but specifics including the status of Machar's imprisoned compatriots are holding up talks.

Rebels hold key oil capital in South Sudan

December 22, 2013

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — South Sudan's central government lost control of the capital of a key oil-producing state Sunday, the military said, as renegade forces loyal to a former deputy president seized more territory in fighting that has raised fears of full-blown civil war in the world's newest country.

Bentiu, the capital of oil-rich Unity state, is now controlled by a military commander loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar, said Col. Philip Aguer, the South Sudanese military spokesman. "Bentiu is in the hands of a commander who has declared support for Machar," he said. "Bentiu is not in our hands."

The armed rebels were said to be in control days earlier of some of South Sudan's oil fields, which have historically been a target for rebel movements, endangering the country's economic lifeblood. South Sudan gets nearly 99 percent of its government budget from oil revenues, and the country reportedly earned $1.3 billion in oil sales in just five months this year, according to the London-based watchdog group Global Witness.

Although the country's capital, Juba, is mostly peaceful a week after a dispute among members of the presidential guard triggered violent clashes between military factions, fighting continues as the central government tries to assert authority in the states of Unity and Jonglei.

Bor, the capital of Jonglei, is said to be the scene of some of the fiercest clashes between government troops and rebels. Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan's information minister, said Machar was believed to be hiding somewhere in Unity state.

"He is a rebel, he's a renegade and we are looking for him. He's moving in the bushes of South Sudan," Lueth said of Machar. The U.N. Mission in South Sudan said in a statement Sunday that all non-critical staff members in Juba are being evacuated to Uganda. The mission said the move was "a precautionary measure to reduce pressures on its limited resources" as it continues to provide assistance and shelter to more than 20,000 civilians gathered inside its compounds in Juba, the mission said in a statement.

Hilde Johnson, the U.N. secretary-general's envoy in South Sudan, said the evacuation doesn't mean the U.N. is "abandoning" South Sudan. "We are here to stay, and will carry on in our collective resolve to work with and for the people of South Sudan," she said. "To anyone who wants to threaten us, attack us or put obstacles in our way, our message remains loud and clear: we will not be intimidated."

Hundreds have been killed in the fighting and world leaders are concerned about civil war in a country with a history of ethnic violence and divided military loyalties. The U.S. and other countries have been evacuating their citizens from South Sudan. The U.S. has evacuated about 680 Americans and other foreign nationals so far, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

President Barack Obama told U.S. Congress he may take further military action to protect Americans in South Sudan. In a letter to Congress, Obama said that about 46 U.S. troops were deployed Saturday to help evacuate Americans. That's in addition to another 45 troops deployed to reinforce the U.S. Embassy in Juba.

Obama is on his annual vacation in Hawaii, but he said in the letter to congressional leaders that he's monitoring the situation. "I may take further action to support the security of U.S. citizens, personnel, and property, including our Embassy, in South Sudan," Obama wrote.

On Saturday, gunfire hit three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in Bor, wounding four U.S. service members in the same region gunfire downed a U.N. helicopter on Friday. The wounded troops are in stable condition, the White House said.

It remains unclear how many Americans are still stranded in Bor and other rural towns. Earlier this week, the top military general in Bor defected with his troops, starting a rebellion that appears to be spreading to other parts of the country.

Aguer said Bor is still under the control of pro-Machar forces, disputing reports the rebels had fled as government troops advanced on Bor. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, said on Monday that an attempted military coup had triggered the violence, and the blame was placed on Machar, an ethnic Nuer. But officials have since said a fight between Dinka and Nuer members of the presidential guard triggered the fighting that later spread across the East African country.

Machar's ouster from the country's No. 2 political position earlier this year had stoked ethnic tensions. Machar, who has criticized Kiir as a dictator, later said he would contest presidential elections in 2015.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday urged South Sudan's leaders "to do everything in their power" to stop the violence. Foreign ministers from neighboring countries Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Djibouti were in South Sudan earlier in the week to try and diffuse the crisis.

South Sudan, which became independent in 2011 after decades of a brutal war with Sudan, has been plagued by ethnic discord, corruption and conflict with Sudan over oil revenues. Although the south inherited three-quarters of Sudan's oil production when it declared independence in 2012, its oil exports are pumped through pipelines running north, raising concern a rebel takeover of southern oil fields could invite Sudan into the conflict.

Josh Lederman in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Muslims march in Central African Republic

December 24, 2013

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Dozens of Muslims marched down the streets of Bangui on Tuesday to demand the departure of French troops, who were deployed to Central African Republic this month to try to pacify fighting, and have instead been accused of taking sides in the nation's sectarian conflict.

The marchers, almost all of them young and male, began their demonstration in the Kilometer 5 neighborhood, a mostly Muslim section of the capital which has been the scene of clashes with French forces.

It marks a dangerous turning point for the more than 1,600 French soldiers sent here, who were initially cheered by the population, who ran out to greet the arriving troops, waving tree branches, and holding up pieces of cardboard emblazoned with welcoming messages. That was before French President Francois Hollande bluntly said that the country's Muslim president needed to go, and before French forces were accused of only disarming Muslim fighters and ignoring the Christian militias who have infiltrated the city, organizing attacks on mosques, and on neighborhoods like Kilometer 5, where a majority of Muslims live.

On Tuesday the crowds making their way down the deserted city streets were holding signs that said: "We say No to France!" and "Hollande = Liar." Other signs had a hand drawn map of this nation located at the heart of Africa, but showed it split into two, with a Muslim homeland penciled in in the country's north.

Central African Republic slipped into chaos following a coup in March, which was led by a Muslim rebel group. They overran the capital and installed a Muslim president, while the nation's Christian leader was forced to flee with his family. The country is 85 percent Christian, and when the Muslim rebels began attacking Christian villages, first to steal their belongings and cattle, a sectarian divide emerged. Pillaging turned to killing, and by the time French forces arrived earlier this month, at least 500 people had been killed in communal violence, including mob lynchings, their bodies so numerous community leaders had to dig enormous holes for their mass graves.

The French have stepped up patrols and are working to debunk perceptions that they are biased in this war. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Vincent Floreani on Tuesday reacted to accusations that the French force, known as Sangaris, had targeted Muslims.

"Since their deployment Dec. 5, the soldiers of the Sangaris operation are operating according to three principles: impartiality, firmness, and controlled use of force," he said. "They are demonstrating this daily, in contributing to the disarming of all armed groups, without distinction, and in intervening between groups to avoid violence and abuses."

A young woman, Edith Benguere, a Christian, ran into the march by accident when she went to the bank to withdraw money. Frightened, she hid and watched, and saw how the demonstrators were acting aggressively against the French forces, positioned along the route.

"Armored personnel carriers had taken positions in different parts of town. But the soldiers would simply backtrack whenever the demonstrators came near them, to avoid conflict," she said. "One of the demonstrators was screaming at the top of his lungs: 'We are ready! We have grenades ... We are ready for whatever comes today, even if we need to die,'" she said.

Due to growing insecurity in the capital, religious leaders sent out a communique stating that the birth of Christ will be celebrated at 3 p.m. rather than during the usual midnight mass. International medical charity Doctors without Borders said that the momentary calm that prevailed after the initial arrival of French forces appears to have been shattered. In the past four days, the hospital they run in Bangui has treated 190 wounded people.

"In the days leading up to Dec. 20, we had seen fewer cases overall, and in particular a reduction in gunshot wounds," said Jessie Gaffric, project coordinator at the hospital in an email to reporters. "Then, suddenly on Dec. 20, we saw 49 gunshot wounds, and now continue to receive around 15 a day."

In a sign of spiking tension, witnesses confirmed that three Chadian civilians, attempting to flee the Central African Republic, were attacked inside their car and murdered. The Chadians, who are majority Muslim, are seen as particularly implicated in the conflict because a Chadian contingent of African Union peacekeepers is accused of having opened fire on Christian residents of Bangui.

"We have lost three of our compatriots and 10 others are wounded," said Adam Badica, a member of an organization working to repatriate Chadians from the Central African Republic. He said their car was attacked on Tuesday afternoon by a Christian militia in the Fou neighborhood.

An Associated Press journalist at the scene saw one of the bodies, his chest cut open. Belongings and glass were scattered across the street.

Callimachi reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press photographer Rebecca Blackwell in Bangui, Central African Republic, and reporter Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

AU peacekeeper killed in Central African Republic

December 24, 2013

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — An African Union peacekeeper from the Republic of Congo was killed over the weekend in Central African Republic by a Christian militia, underscoring the growing peril that international forces are facing in the troubled nation.

The Congolese soldier was stationed in the remote town of Bossangoa, which has been at the epicenter of the fighting between the country's Muslim minority, whose members grabbed power in a coup nine months ago, and the nation's Christian majority. He was killed by the anti-balaka, a Christian militia, the official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak on the matter.

"His body was brought back to Brazzaville an hour ago," said the official, who accompanied the soldier's remains to the capital of the Republic of Congo late Monday. "He was killed last night in Bossangoa by the anti-balaka, with an unprecedented level of barbarity. They lacerated him, and hacked his head."

French and African forces deployed to Central African Republic earlier this month to try to bring order to a nation described by some as being on the verge of genocide. Initially, the foreign forces were cheered by the population, hundreds of whom lined the streets to welcome arriving brigades.

But within weeks, the mood has changed and the international forces are now being seen as having taken sides in the conflict. French troops have come under attack from the Seleka rebels, the Muslim fighters who overthrew the country's Christian president in March. That's because the French are seen as being against the Muslim interim president, Michel Djotodia.

Similarly, the African peacekeepers have come under attack from Christian fighters. They see the Chadian contingent, which is part of the African Union-led force, as allied with the country's Muslims.

The AU-led force, known as MISCA, was created under a U.N, Security Council mandate. Also on Monday in Central African Republic's capital, a Muslim man and his son were lynched by an angry Christian mob near the airport.

Tony Ferrera, who is among the 40,000 refugees seeking shelter at the international airport, said Christians there had organized a march to demand the departure of the Muslim president. Ferrera said that as the Christian crowd was marching, a Muslim family came from the opposite direction. When the man brandished a gun and began shooting in the air, the mob pounced on him, accusing him of being a Seleka rebel. Both the man and his son were lynched.

His wife was able to run away, Ferrera said. In Paris, French military spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron told The Associated Press, that French forces had come under attack in recent days. "We are seeing a very clear rise in tension," he said. "We are acting since we did in the beginning — in total Impartiality."

In New York, Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who had just returned from Central African Republic, urged the world to pay attention to the country, where "terrible atrocities are occurring."

She recalled meeting a woman whose husband was stabbed in front of her and then doused in flames. "Part of what those who have survived violence of this nature are crying out for is justice," Power said. "And one of the worries that we came away from the Central African Republic with was that those who are not seeing justice done are increasingly tempted to take matters into their own hands, and that you're seeing a cycle of retribution and violence which is very, very long."

__ Louis Okamba contributed to this report from Brazzaville, Central African Republic. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris, Rukmini Callimachi in Dakar, Senegal, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations also contributed to this report.

Official: Israel plans new settlement construction

December 25, 2013

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel likely will announce new plans for construction in Jewish settlements next week, an official said Wednesday, a move that is likely to trigger an international uproar and threaten peace talks with the Palestinians.

The timing of the announcement would coincide with the expected release of a group of Palestinian prisoners. The government has announced new settlement construction plans during previous prisoner releases to blunt domestic criticism.

The Israeli official said he "expects" an announcement on new construction next week, but declined to elaborate. He spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement. Israel's Channel 2 TV said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to announce "massive construction" next week. Channel 10 TV spoke of 1,000 to 2,000 new homes. Both reports cited anonymous officials close to the prime minister.

Wasil Abu Yousif, a Palestinian official, said the expected announcement is evidence that Israel is "not serious" about pursuing peace. "It's clear to everyone now that the Israeli government is killing the peace process." While stopping short of threatening to withdraw from the current round of peace negotiations, he said Israel's policy would force the Palestinians to seek "more substantial alternatives."

Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, captured territories claimed by the Palestinians as parts of a future state, have been a major source of tension in Mideast peace efforts. More than 550,000 Israelis live among 2.5 million Palestinians in these areas, raising fears that the growing numbers will soon reach a point of no return that will make it impossible to partition the land.

For years, the Palestinians refused to negotiate with Israel while settlement construction continued, saying it was a sign of bad faith. But under heavy U.S. pressure, the Palestinians reluctantly agreed to resume talks with Israel last summer.

Under a U.S.-brokered package, Israel agreed to release 104 long-serving Palestinian prisoners. The releases, taking place in four stages, have caused an uproar in Israel because the prisoners have been convicted in deadly attacks on Israelis. Next week's release would be the third stage.

While Israel did not agree to halt settlement construction, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has urged restraint. During one visit to Israel, he questioned Israel's commitment to peace in light of the ongoing construction. Because of the Christmas holiday, there was no immediate American reaction Wednesday.

The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal or illegitimate. The European Union said last week it had asked Israel not to announce new construction in connection with the prisoner release, warning Israel would be held responsible for a resulting failure in peace talks.

The Israeli official said Israel is "strictly abiding by understandings reached in the framework of this round of negotiations." The talks are scheduled to last for nine months, until late April, with the goal of reaching a "framework" agreement.

Rocks, tear gas fly as Thai protests heat up

December 26, 2013

BANGKOK (AP) — Protesters trying to halt preparations for elections fought running battles with police in the Thai capital on Thursday, as the country's festering political crisis again flared into violence.

Officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets toward protesters trying to force their way into a sports stadium where candidates were gathering to draw lots for their position on polling papers, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

The demonstrators, some armed with sling shots, threw rocks and attempted to break through police lines. Inside the stadium, candidates for at least 27 parties took part in the lot-drawing process, which apparently went on unaffected despite the turmoil outside the gates.

Three officers were injured, said police Col. Anucha Romyanan. He urged the demonstrators to assemble peacefully and said "attempts are being made to escalate the political situation by causing violence."

It was unclear how many protesters were hurt in the clashes, which were contained to the area around the stadium. It was the first violent incident in nearly two weeks of daily protests on the streets of Bangkok.

The protesters have been demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra step down since mid-October, and street unrest has occasionally broken out. They oppose the polls scheduled for Feb. 2 because Yingluck is seen as sure to win them.

Police have largely shown restraint and have made no move to arrest the ringleader, Suthep Thaugsuban, who is demanding the country be led by an unelected council until reforms can be implemented. Thailand has been wracked by political conflict since Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled by a 2006 military coup. The protesters accuse Yingluck of being a proxy for Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid jail time for a corruption conviction but still wields influence in the country.

Thaksin or his allies have won every election since 2001 thanks to strong support in the north and northeast of the country. His supporters say he is disliked by Bangkok's elite because he has shifted power away from the traditional ruling class, which have strong links to the royal family.

On Wednesday, Yingluck announced a proposal for a national reform council to come up with a compromise to the crisis, but it was rejected by the protesters. They now plan more civil disobedience and street protests in a bid to provoke such chaos that Yingluck will be forced to resign as caretaker.

The country's main opposition party, which is allied with the protesters, is boycotting the elections, which Yingluck called early in hopes of giving her a fresh mandate and defusing the crisis. Yingluck led the country for two years relatively smoothly. But in October, her government tried to introduce an amnesty law that would have allowed Thaksin to return to the country as a free man, sparking the latest round of unrest.

Thai protesters try to block election sign-up

December 23, 2013

BANGKOK (AP) — Anti-government protesters determined to unseat Thailand's prime minister surrounded a Bangkok sports stadium in an unsuccessful attempt to physically block political parties from registering for a February election.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is popular among the rural majority but disliked by the urban middle class and educated elite, called the Feb. 2 elections to diffuse tension after several weeks of sometimes violent demonstrations in the Thai capital.

The attempted blockade comes after the main opposition Democrat Party said over the weekend it will boycott the vote, which Yingluck's ruling party would likely win. Officials from her party and eight others managed to sign up for the election by slipping into the stadium in the middle of the night, despite the presence of some protesters who had camped out overnight, the Election Commission said.

"We were aware that protesters would be blocking all entrances, so we went into the stadium at 4:00 a.m. while they were sleeping," said Prompong Nopparit, spokesman of the ruling Pheu Thai Party. "Despite all this, the elections will continue as planned on Feb. 2."

More than two dozen other parties were able to register at a nearby police station, where they filed complaints saying they were unable to access the main venue because of the blockade, the commission said.

Hundreds of protesters tried to seal off the police station, too, and then tried to block representatives of several political parties from leaving. The mostly city-dwelling demonstrators say Yingluck's removal is necessary to purge the country of corruption and money politics. They view Yingluck as a puppet of her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and is living in self-imposed exile overseas after being convicted for corruption.

The protesters want an appointed interim government to oversee political and electoral reforms before any new polls are held. But the Shinawatras have the support of Thailand's rural poor, largely because of Thaksin's policies to bring virtually free health care, cheap loans and other benefits to the long-neglected countryside. Yingluck has spent the past several days in Thailand's north and northeast, her party's political strongholds, surrounded by crowds of enthusiastic supporters.

Her government says the opposition's boycott shows it's afraid of losing. Thaksin and his allies have won every national election since 2001. Charismatic protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has mobilized huge crowds in Bangkok in the past few weeks, including more than 100,000 people on Sunday in a march that blocked traffic and shut down major intersections around the capital.

In a fiery speech Sunday night, he promised to continue mass rallies and blockades until they achieve their goal. "Because Yingluck clings to her prime minister's seat, we must come out to chase her," Suthep told supporters. "We will keep chasing her until she is dead or until she leaves."

He declared that if the election still goes ahead on Feb. 2, "We will shut down the entire country and no one will vote." Yingluck insists the polls will take place. Her party signaled its confidence in a victory by placing her at the top of its party list Monday, indicating she remains their top choice for prime minister after elections.

Mars Express heading towards daring flyby of Phobos

Paris (ESA)
Dec 25, 2013

Late this month, ESA's Mars Express will make the closest flyby yet of the Red Planet's largest moon Phobos, skimming past at only 45 km above its surface.

The flyby on 29 December will be so close and fast that Mars Express will not be able to take any images, but instead it will yield the most accurate details yet of the moon's gravitational field and, in turn, provide new details of its internal structure.

As the spacecraft passes close to Phobos, it will be pulled slightly off course by the moon's gravity, changing the spacecraft's velocity by no more than a few centimeters per second. These small deviations will be reflected in the spacecraft's radio signals as they are beamed back to Earth, and scientists can then translate them into measurements of the mass and density structure inside the moon.

Earlier flybys, including the previous closest approach of 67 km in March 2010, have already suggested that the moon could be between a quarter and a third empty space - essentially a rubble pile with large spaces between the rocky blocks that make up the moon's interior.

Knowing the structure of the roughly 27 x 22 x 18 km Phobos will help to solve a big mystery concerning its origin and that of its more distant sibling, Deimos, which orbits Mars at approximately three times greater distance.

The leading theories propose that the duo are either asteroids captured by Mars, or that they were born from debris thrown up from giant impacts on Mars.

"By making close flybys of Phobos with Mars Express in this way, we can help to put constraints on the origin of these mysterious moons," says Olivier Witasse, ESA's Mars Express project scientist.

In addition to probing the gravitational field of Phobos during its close approach, Mars Express will be making measurements of how the solar wind influences the moon's surface.

"At just 45 km from the surface, our spacecraft is passing almost within touching distance of Phobos," says Michel Denis, Mars Express Operations Manager.

"We've been carrying out maneuvers every few months to put the spacecraft on track and, together with the ground stations that will be monitoring it on its close approach, we are ready to make some extremely accurate measurements at Phobos."

Both the position of the spacecraft and the moon must be known to high precision in order to make the most accurate calculations of the moon's internal characteristics. To improve the positional data, the spacecraft's high-resolution stereo camera has been capturing images of Phobos set against the background star field in the weeks leading up to closest approach and will continue to do so afterwards.

Furthermore, ground stations around the world will track the spacecraft for a total of 35 hours in the lead up to, during, and after the flyby to ensure that the position of Mars Express is precisely known.

"Mars Express entered orbit around the Red Planet exactly ten years ago this week - this close flyby of Phobos is certainly an exciting way to celebrate!" adds Olivier.

Source: Mars Daily.
Link: http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Mars_Express_heading_towards_daring_flyby_of_Phobos_999.html.

China's moon rover continues lunar survey after photographing lander

Beijing (XNA)
Dec 23, 2013

China's first moon rover, Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, continued patrol explorations on the lunar surface after taking photos of the lander for the fifth and final time early on Sunday.

According to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), images transmitted to the ground after the latest photos were captured showed for the first time the national flags on both Yutu and the lander.

Pictures of the lander's five-star red flag could not be taken during previous photo-shooting operations because the flag's position was not facing the camera.

The latest photo operations will be the last in which the lander and rover take photos of each other.

Yutu separated from the lander on Dec. 15, several hours after China's lunar probe Chang'e-3 soft-landed on the moon on Dec. 14.

The moon rover and the lander took photos of each other for the first time on the night of December 15. Color images transmitted live during the first photo operation only showed the Chinese national flag on Yutu.

The rover began to circle the lander after the two took their first photos of each other, with a four-day break that lasted from Dec. 16 to Dec. 20, during which the six-wheeled rover shut down its subsystems, according to SASTIND.

Yutu will survey the moon's geological structure and surface substances and look for natural resources for three months, while the lander will conduct in situ exploration at the landing site for one year.

The Chang'e-3 mission makes China the third country, after the Soviet Union and the United States, to soft-land a spacecraft on lunar soil.

The mission also marks the full completion of the second phase of China's lunar program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth.

After the mission, China's lunar program will enter a new stage of unmanned automatic sampling and return, which will include Chang'e-5 and 6 missions.

China plans to launch lunar probe Chang'e-5 in 2017, according to SASTIND.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinas_moon_rover_continues_lunar_survey_after_photographing_lander_999.html.

Argentina successfully launches research rocket

Moscow (Voice of Russia)
Dec 23, 2013

Argentina has successfully launched a research rocket as part of its space program, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The launch took place on Wednesday in the city of Chamical, in La Rioja province, 880 km northwest of the capital.

The rocket was "launched through the joint efforts of the Air Force, the state-owned military manufacturing company, universities and companies related to the field," Defense Minister Agustin Rossi said.

"This launch is another step toward the recovery of scientific-technological capabilities for defense," Rossi said.

Describing the launch as "a milestone," the minister said, "We have recovered a capability that is of the utmost importance to us."

Argentina's Air Force said the rocket is expected to reach a maximum speed of 3,978 km per hour "until it runs out of fuel," then continue its non-propelled flight, and will later separate from its payload when it reaches an altitude of 49,000 meters.

Argentina has launched three rockets in five years after a 30-year suspension of research and development, according to Rossi.

The first one was launched in 2009 from Serrezuela, province of Cordoba, and the second one was launched in 2011, also in Chamical.

Argentina is expected to launch a Gradicom III rocket in 2014.

Source: Space-Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Argentina_successfully_launches_research_rocket_999.html.

Russia drops charges against 29 Greenpeace crew

December 25, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian investigators have dropped charges against all but one of the 30 crew of a Greenpeace ship, who were accused of hooliganism following a protest outside a Russian oil rig in the Arctic, the group said Wednesday.

Cristian d'Alessandro of Italy failed to get his criminal case closed due to the lack of an interpreter and will have to visit the St.Petersburg branch of Russia's Investigative Committee again on Thursday, said Violetta Ryabko, a Greenpeace spokeswoman.

The criminal charges against the crew were closed under an amnesty that was passed by the parliament earlier this month, seen by many as an attempt by the Kremlin to dampen the criticism of Russia's human rights record before the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.

Ryabko said that foreign members of the crew had already applied to the Russian authorities for exit visas to leave Russia and expect to get them in the next few days. The 30 crew members aboard a Greenpeace ship were detained in September and held in custody for two months before they were released on bail in November. They were originally charged with piracy, but that was then downgraded to hooliganism.

"That was an extremely odd Christmas morning," Frank Hewetson of Britain was quoted by Grenpeace as saying Wednesday. Peter Willcox, the U.S. captain of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, said in a statement released by the group that he was "pleased and relieved the charges have been dropped, but we should not have been charged at all."

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has questioned the Greenpeace protesters intentions to protect the Arctic and alleged that they were trying to hurt Russia's economic interests. He said earlier this month that he did not mind that charges against the Greenpeace team were dropped under the amnesty, but that he hoped that "this will not happen again."

Russia, Kazakhstan reach new agreement on Baikonur launch center

Moscow (UPI)
Dec 24, 2013

The presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan say they have agreed on a three-year road map for the joint use of the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.

The announcement came following a meeting Tuesday of the two countries' presidents during a Eurasian economic summit in Moscow, RIA Novosti reported.

"We are pleased with this latest meeting and it has been very productive," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the presidential administration website. "Since our last meeting there has been a lot of work on concrete issues related to deepening and expanding cooperation in sensitive areas, including on energy issues and Baikonur."

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev declined to discuss details of the new road map, other than to say it "provides the possibility of involving our Ukrainian partner Yuzhmash."

Yuzhmas builds the Zenit rocket used to launch commercial satellites from the Baikonur facility.

Russia, which currently leases the launch site from Kazakhstan for $115 million annually, uses it for manned Soyuz rocket launches as well as Russia's Proton heavy-lift rocket.

Baikonur's lease terms have been the subject of sometimes acrimonious discussions since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia_Kazakhstan_reach_new_agreement_on_Baikonur_launch_center_999.html.

Russia closes criminal case of Greenpeace activist

December 24, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — One of the activists detained in Russia's Arctic has been granted amnesty, Greenpeace said on Tuesday.

The 30 crew members aboard a Greenpeace ship were detained at a Russian oil rig in September and were held for two months before they were released last month. But the 26 non-Russian crew members have not been allowed to leave Russia because of the pending case. An amnesty law passed last week is expected to clear them of the charges.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Violetta Ryabko said that investigators notified one of the 30 crewmembers that their criminal case had been closed, and several more were summoned to receive similar notifications. Greenpeace lawyers are now preparing to file for permission for them to leave Russia, the spokeswoman said.

Ryabko refused to name the activist. The crew members were originally accused of piracy, a charge that was later changed to hooliganism. It was unclear when the activist would be free to leave Russia.

2 Pussy Riot members reunited after leaving prison

December 24, 2013

KRASNOYARSK, Russia (AP) — Two members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were reunited on Tuesday after spending nearly two years in prison for their protest at Moscow's main cathedral, and said they want to set up a human rights organization.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina were granted amnesty on Monday, two months short of their scheduled release, in what was seen as the Kremlin's attempt to soothe criticism of Russia's human rights record ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.

Alekhina flew into the eastern Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk early Tuesday to meet Tolokonnikova. They have said the amnesty and their release was a publicity stunt by the Kremlin ahead of the Olympics. Tolokonnikova has also called for a boycott of the Olympics.

Alekhina, still dressed in a dark green prison jacket, hugged Tolokonnikova and then shook hands. Both women reiterated their Monday statement that they would like to focus their future work on helping prisoners, and that they will discuss setting up a human rights organization.

The band's third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was released on suspended sentence shortly after the three were found guilty of hooliganism and sentenced to two years in prison in 2012 for their protest at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow.

The women have denied the accusations that they were driven by hatred of religion, and said their performance was aimed at raising concern about the close ties between the church and state. Russian parliament passed the amnesty bill last week, allowing the release of thousands of inmates, including the two Pussy Riot members.

Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva contributed to this report from Moscow.

Pussy Riot member released from prison

December 23, 2013

MOSCOW (AP) — A jailed member of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, who was found guilty of hooliganism after a performance critical of President Vladimir Putin, has been released from prison.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years in prison for the performance at Moscow's main cathedral in March 2012. Samutsevich was released several months later on suspended sentence.

The band insisted that their protest was meant to raise their concern about increasingly close ties between the state and the church. Alekhina was released from the prison colony outside the Volga river city of Nizhny Novgorod on Monday morning, said, Irina Khrunova, her lawyer.

Khrunova told The Associated Press that upon release Alekhina went into town to meet with human rights activists. Alekhina told the Russian TV channel Dozhd by the phone that she will now devote her life to defending human rights.

In a cell phone picture posted online Alekhina was seen wearing a dark green prison jacket with a sticker on the chest with her name on it. Alekhina told Dozhd she was "too shocked" when she was released from the prison colony to grasp what was going on.

The Russian parliament passed an amnesty bill last week, allowing the release of thousands of inmates. Alekhina and Tolokonnikova qualify for amnesty because they have small children. The amnesty has been largely viewed as the Kremlin's attempt to soothe criticism of Russia's human rights records ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.

Alekhina's release comes days after Putin pardoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon and once Russia's richest man, who spent a decade in prison after challenging Putin's power. Khodorkovsky flew to Germany after release and said he will stay out of politics. He pledged, however, to fight for the release of political prisoners in Russia.

Tolokonnikova, who is serving time in a Siberian prison, is also expected to be released this week, her husband Pyotr Verzilov said. Both bandmates were scheduled for release in March. Russia's Supreme Court earlier this month ordered a review of the Pussy Riot case, saying that a lower court did not fully prove their guilt and did not take their family circumstances into consideration when passing on the verdict.

Khodorkovsky will work to free political inmates

December 22, 2013

BERLIN (AP) — Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the Russian oligarch who crossed President Vladimir Putin and ended up in jail for a decade, says he plans to devote his life to securing the freedom of the country's political prisoners.

At a packed news conference just two days after his surprise release from a Russian jail, Khodorkovsky said Sunday that he wants to pay back all those who had worked so hard for his own release. But he dismissed any suggestion that he might take a leading role in Russian politics, a move that would have catapulted him from being Russia's most prominent political prisoner to being Putin's main sparring partner.

"The time that is left for me is time I would like to devote to the activity of paying back my debts to the people ... and by that I mean the people who are still in prison," the 50-year-old former oil tycoon said, naming several business associates who remain behind bars in Russia.

However, Khodorkovsky said he would not be "involved in the struggle for power" in Russia, nor fund opposition parties. This may come as a relief to Putin, who has introduced a series of laws in recent years aimed at stifling the efforts of his political opponents.

Khodorkovsky's appearance Sunday at a turbulent news conference before hundreds of journalists near Berlin's Checkpoint Charlie was charged with symbolism. The location was one of the main crossing points from East Berlin to West Berlin during the Cold War.

Calm and composed in a dark blue suit, with only his shaved head betraying his recent incarceration, Khodorkovsky said his release shouldn't be mistaken as a sign that there are no more political prisoners in Russia.

"You should see me as a symbol of the fact that the efforts of civil society can lead to the release also of those people whose freedom was never expected by anyone," he said. Khodorkovsky thanked the media, human rights groups and Western politicians who played a role in securing his release by drawing constant attention to his case. He said they also helped him keep up his spirits during the long ordeal.

"The most important thing for a prison inmate is hope," he said, speaking in Russian. It's not clear when, if ever, Khodorkovsky would return to Russia. Hinting that he may have retained some of his vast fortune, Khodorkovsky also ruled out reviving the business career that once made him Russia's richest man.

"My financial situation doesn't require me to work just to earn some more money," Khodorkovsky said Sunday, explaining his future focus on political prisoners. Khodorkovsky was convicted in 2003 for tax evasion and money-laundering in cases that were widely criticized as revenge for his political activities. He faced a second trial and prison sentence in 2010, and was not due to be released from prison until next August.

He was serving his sentence at a penitentiary in the northwestern region of Karelia before his surprise release and flight to Berlin in a private jet on Friday. During his 10-year imprisonment, Khodorkovsky transformed his image in the eyes of many from that of a ruthless oligarch into a prominent voice of dissent in Russia. He bolstered that aura with thoughtful editorials — written by hand, since no computers were allowed him in prison.

On Sunday, he cited the multitude of online media — many of them freer to criticize Putin than traditional Russian newspapers and television stations — as an important achievement for his country. "For me, many of these sources of information — Facebook, Twitter — are new," he said.

It is unclear how he intends to use what remains of the $15 billion fortune he is reported once to have amassed. Six years ago, authorities in Switzerland ordered the release of up to 300 million Swiss francs ($250 million) linked to Khodorkovsky's Yukos oil company. The money was part of some $5 billion frozen in Swiss bank accounts at the behest of Russia in the case against Yukos.

Asked about his next move, Khodorkovsky said he wasn't sure but that he had a one-year visa for Germany. "For the time being, my family matters are the most important," he said. His parents Boris and Marina were in the audience, as well as his oldest son Pavel.

A return to Russia isn't imminent because of the possibility that he could be charged again, Khodorkovsky told journalists. "At the moment, if I were to go back to Russia, I may not be allowed to leave the country again," he said.

Some in the West had interpreted Khodorkovsky's release, along with an amnesty that covers two jailed members of the Pussy Riot punk band and the 30-member crew of a Greenpeace protest ship, as being aimed at easing international criticism of Russia's human rights record ahead of February's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Putin's pet project.

Khodorkovsky said he opposed any boycott of the 2014 Winter Games. "It's a celebration of sport, something which millions of people will celebrate," he said. "Obviously, it should not become a great party for President Putin."

Jim Heintz in Moscow and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.