Six In The Morning

Syria 'failing to keep to truce', says Ban Ki-moon

　The UN secretary general says Syria has failed to comply with its obligation under a peace plan to pull troops and heavy weapons out of urban areas.

The BBC 19 April 2012
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Ban Ki-moon also called for an observer mission to be expanded from the small number already in the country to 300. There are continued reports of violence in Syria, threatening a fragile ceasefire that began a week ago. However, Mr Ban also said there was an "opportunity for progress". Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet foreign ministers in Paris later to discuss the crisis. The peace plan, negotiated by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, aims to end more than a year of unrest thought to have killed at least 9,000 people.

Nato chiefs and politicians at war over 'risky' Afghan withdrawal plans
International summit split over cost-cutting exit strategy that would see security forces radically depleted as soon as West leaves

Kim Sengupta Author Biography Brussels Thursday 19 April 2012
The blueprint for the West's exit strategy for the long war in Afghanistan is being set out in a critical meeting, with military officials and diplomats battling to prevent a proposed depletion of Afghan forces while the security situation remains precarious. The conference in Brussels took place as an American newspaper published photographs yesterday of US soldiers next to the dismembered bodies of Taliban suicide bombers. The Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta, had to apologise to the Afghan delegation and fellow Nato ministers for the way the reputation of international forces had been "besmirched" by the actions apparently depicted in the pictures published in the Los Angeles Times.

'I Dream of Meeting Breivik'
He's an American in his early twenties and he worships a mass murderer. On the third day of the trial against Anders Breivik, Kevin Forts has outed himself as a pen pal of the accused. Breivik's delusional ideology is gaining support in a small, but growing scene of Islam haters.

By Gerald Traufetter in Oslo
The young man has black hair and a piercing gaze, and poses with his arms behind his back. He wants to appear decisive and courageous for the photographer. His parents and friends have tried to dissuade him from taking this step, says Kevin Forts from Worcester in the US state of Massachusetts. "But I want to, so that I can represent the views of Anders Breivik that have otherwise been demonized by the mass media," the 23-year-old told* reporters from the Norwegian tabloid VG, the country's most-read newspaper.

Assange-link lawyer on 'inhibited' fly list


Henrietta Cook April 19, 2012 - 2:30PM
An Australian human rights lawyer and WikiLeaks supporter has reportedly been placed on a watch list and requires permission from the Department of Foreign Affairs to fly home. Jennifer Robinson claims she was stopped at Heathrow airport this morning, only days after meeting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Ms Robinson said she was told she was on an inhibited travel list and unable to enter Australia without permission from the Department of Foreign Affairs

Rape video turns world's spotlight on SA justice system


PHILLIP DE WET - Apr 19 2012 08:09
The blaze of public interest around the videotaped gang rape of a Soweto teen is set to shine new light on how underage suspects and rape cases are handled in SA. The blaze of publicity and public interest around the apparent videotaped gang rape of a teenager in Soweto last week could provide an important test of legislation around the handling of children in the criminal justice system, experts said this week. But it could also show up shortcomings in the handling of rape cases.

India tests long-range nuclear missile
India launches nuclear-capable missile that would give it capability of striking major Chinese cities for the first time

Reuters in Bhubaneswar guardian.co.uk, Thursday 19 April 2012
India test-fired a long range missile capable of reaching deep into China and Europe on Thursday, thrusting the emerging Asian power into an elite club of nations with intercontinental nuclear weapons capabilities. A scientist at the launch site confirmed the launch was successful, minutes after television images showed the rocket with a range of more than 5,000km (3,100 miles) blasting through clouds from an island off India's east coast. "It has met all the mission objectives," SP Dash, director of the test range, told Reuters. "It hit the target with very good accuracy."