N Koreashelves talks on family reunions
Seoul: North Korea has retracted its proposal to hold talks with South Korea on restarting a family reunion programme, a Seoul official said on Thursday.The North’s sudden move came a day after the two Koreas agreed in principle to hold a Red Cross meeting on family reunions.”In a message sent today to our side, North Korea said it is retracting its proposal in an effort to focus” on separate discussions on reopening a jointly-run industrial estate, a unification ministry official told AFP.
lawsuit filed over alleged NSA snooping
Paris: Two human rights groups have filed a lawsuit in Paris seeking an investigation into whether the U.S. National Security Agency violated French privacy laws by secretly collecting massive amounts of personal data. The lawsuit filed on Thursday is based on disclosures by NSA leaker Edward Snowden indicating that the U.S. Government amasses phone and Internet usage data on people around the world for security reasons. The France-based International Federation for Human Rights and Human Rights league say that such surveillance, if confirmed, would violate up to five French privacy laws.
Pope widens criminal punishment for child abuse
Vatican: Pope Francis on Thursday bolstered criminal legislation against child abuse in the Vatican in an overhaul of laws that apply to the clergy and lay people who work in the tiny city state.The Vatican said in a statement that the pope’s decree included “a broader definition of the category of crimes against minors” including child prostitution, sexual acts with children and child pornography. He also increased cooperation with other states against money laundering and terrorism in a continuation of reforms started by his predecessor,Benedict XVI, to get the Vatican in line with international legislation
Obama still mulling Afghan options: US envoy Washington: A senior US diplomat says President Barack Obama is still mulling a range of options for the size of the US military presence in Afghanistan after 2014. But James Dobbins, the president’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, tells a Senate committee that as the Afghans build up their country, they will not stand alone. Dobbins says in testimony today the Obama administration is committed to a long-term strategic partnership with the Afghans that will allow them to maintain their own security and defeat remnants of al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups that might threaten the US.
Saudis targeting Iran, Israel : defence group
london: Saudi Arabia appears to be targeting regional rivals Iran and Israel with ballistic missiles from a previously undisclosed desert base, a British-based defence analysis group said today. Satellite images show launch pads with some markings pointed towards potential Iranian targets and others towards possible locations in Israel, IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review said. If confirmed, the base deep in the Saudi desert would be the third missile base identified in the oil-rich kingdom.”Our assessment suggests that this base is either partly or fully operational, with the launch pads pointing in the directions of Israel and Iran respectively,” said Robert Munks, deputy editor of the review.