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UN reports 'grim picture' of human rights in Burundi The UN's mission to Burundi, Ismael Diallo, has outlined a "grim picture" with human rights violations taking place every day and no arrests ever being made. Diallo claims 34 summary executions were carried out in the country during July. Analysts have argued that Burundi is in the grip of a "culture of impunity" which perpetuates the cycle of violence. Stranded Russian minisub is trapped by 60 tonne anchor The Interfax news agency is reporting that a Russian minisub that was stranded underwater in the Pacific Ocean is trapped by a 60 tonne anchor.

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U.S. to transfer some detainees to Afghanistan Afghan citizens currently held captive in US camps in Guantanamo Bay and Bagram will be transferred to the custody of Afghan authorities following an agreement reached Thursday.

Wikipedia Current Events
Wikimania has started. Audio streams are available on Meta. Reuters is reporting that stricter rules to protect against vandalism, such as articles with "stable contents", are being considered. Three Irishmen accused of training Colombian FARC rebels have returned to Ireland. Typhoon Matsa hits Taiwan. Russian Priz class mini-submarine AS-28 and its 7 crewmembers are stuck underwater off the Pacific coast.
Wikipedia Current Events
Conflict in Afghanistan: Al-Arabiya television broadcasts video footage shot by al-Qaeda which appears to show the downing of a US Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan. Yahoo! has introduced a test version of a new search service Yahoo Audio Search that it claims can comb through 50 million music, voice and other audio files. An earthquake in Papua, Indonesia, reached 6.0 on the Richter scale. There are no reports of casualties Newmont Minahasa Raya, a local subsidiary of US mining giant Newmont Mining, and its executive Richard Ness, go on trial in North Sulawesi accused of polluting a Buyat Bay near its mine in Indonesia. The People's Republic of China formally charges Singaporean reporter Ching Cheong, journalist for The Straits Times, of spying.

An angered Robert Novak exited set of CNN ''Inside Politics'' show

The journalist who first revealed in print the Valerie Plame CIA connection, Robert Novak, angrily left the set of an Inside Politics segment Thursday night.

The discussion, led by Ed Henry of CNN, centered on the Florida republican House representative Katherine Harris election prospects in a possible square-off against Florida’s democratic Senate representative Bill Nelson.

The Chicago Sun-Times syndicated columnist and CNN contributor, Novak took offense when co-appearing James Carville interrupted Novak when he was defending the Harris election victory chances. "Let me just finish, James, please," Novak said. "I know you hate to hear me, but you have to."

Carville countered with, "He's got to show these right-wingers that he's got a backbone, you know. It's why the Wall Street Journal editorial page is watching you. Show 'em that you're tough."

The discussion was shortened when Novak responded to Carville saying, "Well, I think that's bullshit, and I hate that." Then, with a wave of his hand to moderator Henry, Novak said, "Just let it go." Novak stood and then left the set. Henry never got to ask Novak about his role in the federal probe on the Plame leak led by Patrick Fitzgerald.

CNN suspended Novak indefinitely, despite his apology to the organization. The network said in a statement. "Mr. Novak has apologized to CNN, and CNN apologizes to its viewers for his language and actions. We've asked Mr. Novak to take some time off."

Novak, a political conservative, has similar views to those of the Wall Street Journal. The Journal editorials have defended Novak in the furor over the CIA case.

Four Israeli Arabs killed by Army deserter

A uniformed AWOL Israeli private suddenly opened fire in a crowded bus, killing 4 Israeli Arabs and wounding 12. A mob stormed the bus and beat the shooter to death. The Israel government condemned the random shooting and mobilized troops in anticipation of rioting in the north of Israel.

The attacker, Eden Natan-Zada, 19, boarded Egged bus 165 en route from Haifa and sat mid-section. When the bus, carrying about 10–15 passengers, neared the bus stop at the center of the Druze neighborhood of the predominantly Israeli Arab town of Shfaram in lower Galilee, Natan-Zada, walked to the front. When the bus stopped he shot the driver in the head with his M-16 and began systematically firing as passengers crouched behind seats. He repeatedly shot Hazar Turki, 23 and her sister, Dina, 21, apparently to make sure they were dead.

As Natan-Zada was reloading his rifle and a young girl pleaded with him to spare her, Ahayal Jahnawi, 28 began struggling with the gunman. He succeeded in pinning Natan-Zada to the floor until the crowd broke into the bus. At first the mob mistook Jahnawi for the perpetrator and began pummeling him. They then began kicking and hurling objects at Natan-Zada. Police were unable to control the mob, which wounded 5 officers. Magen David Adom ambulances evacuated the wounded to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.

Natan-Zada had been absent without leave from his army unit since mid-June after refusing to participate in preparations for the Gaza pullout. He moved to Tapuah, a West Bank Jewish settlement dominated by the militant Kach movement. His father Yitzhak Natan-Zada urged Eden to return his weapon and informed the army that his son was dangerous. Eden's mother Debbie, speaking from the family home in Rishon Lezion was told that someone must be AWOL for 45 days to be officially considered a deserter and was advised to go herself to Tapuah to disarm her son.

Eden had recently become more fanatical and encountered writings on the Internet about revenge and zealotry in Judaism published by the outlawed Kach group in The Way of the Torah. He befriended people from Tapuah over the Internet and apparently became involved in resistance to plans to remove Jewish settlers from territory slated to be turned over to Palestinian control.

When called up into the w:Israel Defense Forces:Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for basic training in May 2005 Natan-Zada went reluctantly, then refused to obey an order and was briefly imprisoned. He spurned advice to seek a psychiatric discharge under Section 21 of military regulations. According to his father, "When they told him to set up a tent city [next to Kibbutz Re'im] in opposition to his views, he deserted and went to Tapuah."

Stranded Russian minisub is trapped by 60 tonne anchor

The Interfax news agency is reporting that a Russian minisub that was stranded underwater in the Pacific Ocean is trapped by a 60 tonne anchor.

The sumbarine is fitted with a coastal observation aerial, which has become stuck underneath the anchor. "The anchor needs to be blown up" in order to be able to raise the AS-28 submarine, the commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet told Interfax.

"If the explosion is successful, the system will be raised to a depth of 100 meters and lit up by the Tiger [television camera], and we can at last be 100% sure that it's the submarine, and deepwater divers will be able to continue work," he continued.

The AS-28 submarine, with seven crew onboard, became entangled in parts of fishing net on Thursday while at a depth of 190m. The nets first caught on, then wrapped around, the craft's propeller.

Earlier reports that the submarine had been taken under tow have been proved false. Ships had attempted to trawl for the submarine in order to drag it into shallower water, but it is reported that they failed to capture the submarine.

The Pacific Fleet commander says that the crew have enough food and water to survive until Monday although oxygen will run out by Saturday. The three-man submarine was designed to supply the crew with a a five day supply of oxygen, however with the seven man crew the supply has been greatly depleted.

Around ten Russian navy ships are attending, to be joined by four Japanese vessels on Monday. The US and UK navies are also flying in specialist rescue equipment, including two U.S. navy owned remotely-operated underwater robots capable of cutting through steel lines up to 1" thick and one U.K. video array ROV. They will arrive on Saturday.

The crew have been using an underwater acoustic telephone to communicate with the surface, and are reported to be remaining calm. They have been told to keep still and to conserve the ship's power supplies.

The same class of vessel, which measures 13.5m by 3.8m, was used during the ill-fated rescue attempt on the Kursk, which was lost with all hands exactly five years ago.

U.S. to transfer some detainees to Afghanistan

Afghan citizens currently held captive in US prisons at Guantanamo Bay and Bagram will be transferred to the custody of Afghan authorities following an agreement reached Thursday between United States diplomats and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The agreement did not immediately establish a timetable for the repatriation. None of the detainees have been charged with any crimes.

Karim Rahimi, the Afghani presidential spokesman said today, "Afghanistan and the United States reached an understanding that will allow for the gradual transfer of Afghan detainees to the exclusive custody and control of the Afghan government."

The U.S. government spokesman Lou Fintor said, "The United States intends to assist the government of Afghanistan in building its capacity to detain these individuals, this process is part of our ongoing efforts to transfer detainees to their home countries as appropriate and when we receive assurances that the country can and will take appropriate steps to ensure that these individuals do not pose a continuing threat."

Fintor said the decision was reached after, Pierre-Richard Prosper, U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes, and Matthew Waxman, the Pentagon's deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, met with President Karzai on Thursday. There are still 520 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison facility.

Laboratory fire forces evacuation of Australian National University

Canberra, Australia – An explosion and subsequent chemical fire at the Australian National University this afternoon caused an estimated AUS $1 million in damage and forced the evacuation of most of the main campus.

The initial explosion occurred on the top floor of the Research School of Chemistry in the early afternoon, and caused a fire which quickly spread throughout the rest of the floor. While no one was injured, the Brisbane Courier-Mail is reporting "widespread damage" to the laboratories. Furthermore, a number of computers containing postgraduate student theses were destroyed, causing the loss of months of work.

As the fire spread a cloud of potentially toxic smoke formed. A large number of fire personnel were called to the site and police, with limited success, attempted to cordon off access to the university.

Buildings downwind were progressively evacuated, including the central union building and students association at approximately 3pm.

Students in the buildings were asked to leave the campus entirely. There was a great deal of confusion afterwards. Police were able to clear the buildings successfully, but had some difficulty evacuating those who were already outside.

The university sent an email message giving a brief explanation of the situation at around the same time, but this did not reach most students immediately, leading to widespread confusion as to what exactly was going on.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Lawrence Cram sent an follow-up email to the students at approximately 3.30pm stating that the fire was under control and suggesting that the students in the affected areas should go home.

There were reports of activities being cancelled at the other end of the campus late into the afternoon.

While the remainder of the university will reopen Saturday, it is not currently known when the Research School will reopen, or just how severely the fire will affect ongoing academic programs at the university.

This article contains first-hand journalism by a Wikinews Reporter.

British Airways to fly to Iceland

Icelandair will be facing hard competition from BA

The British airline British Airways reported they will start flying to Iceland from Gatwick airport near London. The first flight is scheduled March 26, 2006.

British Airways said they'll fly five times a week.

Until now, only two airlines have been flying to and from Iceland with passengers, Icelandair, the oldest and biggest airline in Iceland, and Iceland Express, a recent low-fare airline and the competition between them has been fierce

BA to fly to Iceland

Icelandairs PR Guðjón Arngrímsson said Icelandair welcomes the competition and believes Icelandair can compete with BA, "This market has been growing rapidly. Iceland has been well marketed in London and Britain as a whole so number of passenger has been rising fast. We're always ready for more competition on every route between Iceland and other countries. We're ready and willing to compete here as we are on other routes" Arngrímsson said.

Birgir Jónsson at Iceland Express agrees. "Iceland Express welcomes the competition without a doubt." He then added, "The competition will benefit us all".

Iceland Express, low fare airline, ready to take on BA

British Airways has reported the tickets will cost about €291.

Baugur Group among others buy Illum Warehouse Denmark

-Holding ehf, a Icelandic investment company owned by Baugur Group, Straumur investment bank, B2B Holdings and Birgis Bieltvedts, has bought 80% in Illum warehouse in Denmark from Merrill Lynch International Global Principal Investment. The same group recently bought Wessel & Vett A/S and Magasin du Nord, so it already owned 20% in Illum.

Illum will be run separately from Magasin du Nord.

Illum reported a profit and 11% gain in sales the first 3 months of 2005.

Skarphéðni Berg Steinarssyni from Nordic Investment at Baugur Group said the danish retail market is increasing and they believe in Illum because it's a well known brand in Denmark.

Icelanders invest in Denmark and UK

Icelandic companies have been investing heavily in Denmark for the last few years. Recently the Fons Investment ehf. bought the Danish airlines Sterling Air and Mearsk Air. Eimskip, a shipping company in Iceland, recently bought the shipping division of Mearsk. I-Holdings have been investing heavily in the Denish retailer market.

Baugur Group, as well as FL Group, have been investing in the UK market. FL Group has bought 11% in easyJet.com and has shown an interest in buying more. Baugur Group has been investing in the retailer market and has bought among other things Iceland supermarket chain as well as Hamleys, a well known toy store.

UN reports 'grim picture' of human rights in Burundi

Thirty-four summary executions were carried out in Burundi during July, says ONUB, the UN's mission to the war-torn country. The figures were announced at a press conference yesterday in the Burundian capital Bujumbura.

ONUB rights chief Ismael Diallo accused government forces and members of the hardlined Hutu rebel group Palipehutu-FNL of being behind most of the violence.

Diallo outlined a "grim picture", according to a UN press release, with human rights violations taking place every day, and no arrests ever being made. The violence is continuing despite the success of recent elections in the country.

Analysts have argued that Burundi is in the grip of a "culture of impunity", which perpetuates the cycle of violence.

"For reasons of diplomacy, people are sitting at the same table as war criminals, and in some cases granting them immunity. If the atrocities are to end there must be at least some indications that justice will be done", Human Rights Watch spokesman Stephan Van Praet told Reuters, following last year's Gatumba massacre.

August 13th will mark the first anniversary of the attack, in which 152 Congolese Tutsi refugees were shot, hacked and burned to death. Despite widespread international condemnation, no arrests have yet been made and a UN investigation has stalled.

An estimated 300,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in Burundi since civil war broke out in 1993.

Today in History
1806 - The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved when Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor, was forced to abdicate.

1890 - William Kemmler became the first person to be executed in an electric chair.

1945 - World War II: Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress of the U.S. Army Air Force, dropped an atomic bomb named Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan, killing an estimated 80,000 people instantly.

1991 - Tim Berners-Lee released files describing his idea for a "World Wide Web."

2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush received a daily briefing warning of an imminent attack by Osama bin Laden.

August 06 is Independence Day in Bolivia (1825) and Jamaica (1962)

Quote of the Day

"The Japanese were ready to surrender, and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

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