Daily Mass, 31st Dec 2017
NOVUS ENTERTAINMENT BROADCAST CENTER
Posts
Founder of New Library of Alexandria acquitted
Founderof New Library of Alexandria acquitted An Egyptian court has acquitted the founding director of the newLibrary of Alexandria, overturning a three-and-a-half year sentence on charges of squandering public funds. The state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported the acquittal of Ismail Serrag el-Din on Tuesday. Library employees had accused him of wasting 20 million Egyptian pounds (about $1.12 million) by paying hefty salaries to top advisers and privately traveling abroad at the library’s expense. Scores of Egyptian former ministers, state officials and diplomats had expressed support for Serrag el-Din, including former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. The new Library of Alexandria, officially known as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, was inaugurated in 2002. It is currently headed by Mostafa el-Feki. https://www.semperdiamondlodge.com
Former owner of Moscow factory opens fire, kills one
Former owner of Moscow factory opens fire, kills one A man has opened fire in a factory in the Russian capital Moscow, killing at least one person, with reports linking the incident to a business dispute. The suspect is the confectionery factory's former owner who claimed the business was wrongly taken from him, local media say. The victim has been identified as the factory's security guard. Two other people were reportedly injured. Police are still searching for the suspect, who is inside the building. The area around the Menshevik plant in south-eastern Moscow has been cordoned off. https://www.semperdiamondlodge.com
GUAVA IMPORTS FROM EGYPT BANNED BY SAUDI ARABIA…
GUAVA IMPORTS FROM EGYPT BANNED BY SAUDI ARABIA… Saudi authorities have temporarily banned the import of the fresh guava fruit from Egypt after it was reported to have been contaminated with high rates of pesticide residues, the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture announced today. The ministry’s Undersecretary for livestock affairs, HamadAl-Batshan, said in a press statement today that the ban came after an examination on a sample of the Egyptian imported Guava was conducted. The test, Al-Batshan explained, have proved that the amount of pesticide residues in the Egyptian fruit was higher than the permitted international standards. The Saudi official pointed out that the examination was carried out jointly by the ministry and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) in a move to support the implementation of the nation-wide programme to monitor the residues of pesticides in all kinds of imported vegetables and fruits to the Saudi markets. In June, th...
PROSECUTOR NISMAN’S DEATH WAS MURDER… SAYS ARGENTINA’S JUDGE.
PROSECUTOR NISMAN’S DEATH WAS MURDER… SAYS ARGENTINA’S JUDGE. Alberto Nisman, the Argentine prosecutor who was found dead days after accusing former President Cristina Fernandez of covering up Iran’s role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre, was murdered, a federal judge said on Tuesday. In a 656-page ruling , judge Julian Ercolini said there was sufficient proof to conclude that the shot to the head that killed Nisman in January 2015 was not self-inflicted. That marked the first time any judge has said the case was a murder. Fernandez and others had suggested the death was a suicide, but a prosecutor investigating the case last year recommended it be pursued as a murder probe. Nisman’s death could not have been a suicide,” Ercolini wrote in Tuesday’s ruling, which also charged Diego Lagomarsino, a former employee of Nisman‘s, with accessory to murder. Lagomarsino has acknowledged lending Nisman the gun that killed him the day before he was to app...
PILOT OF SYRIAN MILITARY KILLED BY INSURGENTS AS JET SHOT DOWN…
PILOT OF SYRIAN MILITARY KILLED BY INSURGENTS AS JET SHOT DOWN… The pilot of a Syrian military jet died when he was shot down by insurgents, according state television in the country. The plane was downed over the northern Hama province, which has seen intense aerial strikes by Russian and Syrian air forces in the country’s civil war. Dozens of civilians have been killed in the bombing of towns away from front lines in the last few weeks, according to rescue workers and witnesses. The fighting has continued as proposed peace talks by Russia were rejected by Syrian rebels and opposition groups. They have accused Moscow of failing to apply necessary pressure on its ally, Syrian president Bashar Assad , to end the conflict. committed war crimes against Syrians”. They said they are committed to the UN-led Geneva process, and urged the international community to end the bloodshed, now in its seventh year ...
Earthquake shakes Southern Mexico on Christmas day, but there was no damage
Earthquake shakes Southern Mexico on Christmas day, but there was no damage A Christmas day earthquake has shaken southern Mexico. There are no immediate reports of damage. Monday’s temblor was centered near the Pacific coast resort city of Acapulco, where the shaking was felt strongly and many people left their homes. Civil defense Chief Sabas de la Rosa Camacho said some shopping malls were evacuated but no damage had been reported. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake had a magnitude of 4.7 and its epicenter was 26 miles (42 kilometers) north-northeast of Acapulco. It also triggered the seismic alarm system in Mexico City, where nerves are still raw from a Sept. 19 quake that killed 369 people including 228 in the capital. Another deadly earthquake hit farther south in Mexico earlier that month. https://www.semperdiamondlodge.com
Fireworks explosion injured 22 at Cuban festival on Christmas Eve
Fireworks explosion injured 22 at Cuban festival on Christmas Eve A fireworks explosion seriously injured 22 people, including six children between ages 11 and 15, during a popular Cuban carnival on Christmas Eve, state-run media reported on Monday. The centuries-old Parrandas festival in the central town of Remedios takes place every Dec. 24 and draws thousands of Cubans and some tourists. “An unfortunate accident with fireworks occurred last night in Remedios,” the government’s Cuba debate internet news service reported. Among the 22 injured, according to Cuba debate, health authorities said some were in “very grave, some less grave, and others in critical and very critical condition.” All the injured appeared to be local residents and the report did not mention that any tourists were hurt. Remedios is located in Villa Clara province on the northern coast of the island. Two of the town’s neighbourhoods compete on Christmas Eve each year to put on the most specta...
Suspected Boko Haram militant attack was repelled – Nigerian Army
Suspected Boko Haram militant attack was repelled – Nigerian Army Nigeria’s army said it had repelled an attack on Monday by suspected Boko Haram militants on the city at the centre of the conflict with the Islamist insurgency. Major General Nicholas Rogers, who heads Nigeria’s military operations against Boko Haram, told Reporters that the situation in Maiduguri, in the northeast of Nigeria, was under control. He did not give further details. The government says it is on alert for Boko Haram attacks during the Christmas period and other festivals for Christians and Muslims. Embassies regularly warn their nationals to be cautious and avoid public spaces at those times. Heavy gunfire was heard in the Molai area on the outskirts ofthe city on Monday evening, prompting residents to flee the district, two residents and an officer in a local vigilante group had said. The vigilante commander, who asked not to be identified, said his group had joined the effort to repel t...
Denmark minimizes grant to Palestinians as Romania joins Guatemala in moving Embassy to Jerusalem
Denmark minimizes grant to Palestinians as Romania joins Guatemala in moving Embassy to Jerusalem Romania may be the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem, two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared that several countries will follow the United States’ example and move missions to the city, said political sources. They added that Hungary, the Czech Republic and some African nations may follow Bucharest’s lead. In addition, Netanyahu told a cabinet session on Sunday that several European countries are also seeking to cut or reduce their aid to Palestinian organizations that support terrorism. He hailed in this regard Denmark for stopping aid to 15 out of 25 Palestinian ngos. Copenhagen justified this decision, by saying that these groups are employing the funds they are receiving for purposes that are contrary to the ones they had declared. Netanyahu attributed the move to successful talks he held during his meetings with European f...
Presidential Opponent, Alexei Navalny disqualified from Russian election.
Presidential Opponent, Alexei Navalny disqualified from Russian election. The opposition politician says he plans to appeal against the decision and calls on his supporters to boycott next year's vote. Vladimir Putin’s biggest political opponent Alexei Navalny has been formally blocked from running against the Russian President in next year’s presidential election. Russia's central election commission said he had been ruled out because he was subject to a suspended prison sentence. The decision, which was widely expected, comes after the Russian opposition leader's supporters turned out in their thousands across the country to endorse the politician on Sunday. Twelve of the 13 members of the commission voted to block the 41-year-old, with one abstaining, citing a possible conflict of interest. Mr Navalny, who claims the corruption conviction against him is politically motivated, has said he plans to appeal the decision. He also called on his supporters ...
Pope calls for a two-state solution to end Israeli-Palestinian clash
Pope calls for a two-state solution to end Israeli-Palestinian clash 'The winds of war are blowing in our world', the Pope said. Pope Francis has taken another swipe at President Donald Trump, appearing to rebuke the US leader’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In his traditional Christmas message, the Pope called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – an issue that became further ensnared in contention earlier this month after Mr. Trump changed the diplomatic status of Jerusalem and said the American embassy in Israel would be moved to the holy city. Following the President’s declaration, protests flared across the Middle East and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the US was no longer qualified to sponsor the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. “Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, on...
6 YEAR OLD MISTAKENLY SHOT DEAD BY POLICE OFFICERS AS THEY OPEN FIRE ON SUSPECTED CAR THIEF…
6 YEAR OLD MISTAKENLY SHOT DEAD BY POLICE OFFICERS AS THEY OPEN FIRE ON SUSPECTED CAR THIEF… Kameron Prescott was inside his mobile home when he was hit in the abdomen.. A six-year-old boy was mistakenly shot dead in Texas when police officers opened fire on a suspected car thief, US media reports. As four officers targeted Amanda Lene Jones, 30, who they believed was armed, a stray bullet pierced the wall of the mobile home where the youngster, Kameron Prescott, lived. It became lodged in Kameron’s abdomen and officers rushed inside the house to carry him out and administer first aid. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Maria Morales, who works at Wiederstein Elementary School in Texas, paid tribute to the young victim. Kameron was a ball of energy, happy, smart and could strike up a conversation with anyone. He also had a great sense of humour and caring heart. He’ll be truly mis...
THE WORLD’S LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED BY CHINA WITH AN EYE ON SOUTH CHINA SEA…
THE WORLD’S LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED BY CHINA WITH AN EYE ON SOUTH CHINA SEA… China tested the world's largest amphibious aircraft on Sunday. The 121-feet long AG600 aircraft plane, code named "Kunlong," took off from the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai and flew for almost an hour on its maiden voyage. The aircraft has a 38.8-meter wingspan and four turboprop engines . It is around the size of a Boeing 737 and can carry 50 people. Its successful maiden flight makes China among the world's few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft," chief designer Huang Lingcai told Xinhua state news agency. The aircraft has military applications but will also be used for firefighting and performing maritime rescues, according to Chinese media. It took the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China eight years to build the plane, according to China Global Television Network. China is currently modernizing its milit...
80 ANTI –GOVERNMENT RELEASED BY VENEZULA GOVERNMENT AS CHRISTMAS GOODWILL GESTURE…
80 ANTI –GOVERNMENT RELEASED BY VENEZULA GOVERNMENT AS CHRISTMAS GOODWILL GESTURE… The Venezuelan government says it is releasing 80 people detained during demonstrations as a Christmas goodwill gesture. By Sunday morning 36 prisoners had been released, a local NGO said. About 150 further detainees remain in custody. It follows a request from Venezuela's opposition to release those it described as "political prisoners". But President Nicolas Maduro says the activists have been jailed on legitimate charges. On Thursday the regional trade group Mercosur also called for the prisoners to be released. More than 120 people have been killed during anti-government protests this year. Thirteen of the released prisoners appeared on state TV, with senior official Delcy Rodriguez wishing them a happy Christmas . The freed activists included former provincial mayor Alfredo Ramos.It was a tough ordeal, very difficult. It was an arbitrary detention, u...
IN OXFORDSHIRE, 2 DIE AFTER M40 CRASH…
IN OXFORDSHIRE, 2 DIE AFTER M40 CRASH… Multi-vehicle crash on M40 northbound late on Saturday leaves two men dead and another seriously injured… Two men have died after a multi-vehicle crash on the M40 that left another with serious leg injuries. Police and paramedics were called to the M40 northbound in Oxfordshire, between junctions 10 and 11, just before 11.40pm on Saturday. Thames Valley police said a 60-year-old man from Oxfordshire and a 29-year-old man from Warwickshire died as a result of the collision. One man was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries and three others were treated for minor injuries. The road was closed between junction 10, Cherwell Valley services, and junction 11, Banbury, but has since reopened.. https://www. semperdiamondlodge.com/
PHILIPPINE SHOPPING MALL ON FIRE AS DOZENS ARE FEARED DEAD…
PHILIPPINE SHOPPING MALL ON FIRE AS DOZENS ARE FEARED DEAD… At least 37 people were missing and feared dead Sunday, more than a day after a fire broke out at a shopping mall in the southern Philippine city of Davao, authorities … https://www. semperdiamondlodge.com/
Torture Survivor gains 11th hour amnesty from exile
Torture Survivor gains 11 th hour amnesty from exile Lawyers for the man due to be sent home on Christmas Day say the original decision was ‘deeply disturbing’ A 39-year-old Afghan survivor of torture has received an 11th hour reprieve from the Home Office, who were planning to forcibly remove him from the UK on Christmas Day. Lawyers for the man, an asylum seeker accepted by the Home Office to be a torture survivor, mounted a last-minute legal challenge to try to prevent him from being deported. They asked the Home Office to defer the removal until further legal submissions made on the asylum seeker’s behalf had been considered. Initially the Home Office did not respond to the request. However, not long after the Guardian published an article on Saturday afternoon about the threatened Christmas Day removal, the asylum seeker’s legal team were notified that the removal planned for Christmas Day had been deferred. The man has lived in the UK for almost 11 years, b...