Six In The Morning

War-scarred Baghdad places little faith in U.S. election


By Sebastian Meyer, Special to CNN October 12, 2012 -- Updated 0404 GMT (1204 HKT)
Laith repeats my question back to me, chuckling. "What is the Iraqi media saying about the US elections?" He pauses, thinking how best to answer. "Man, the situation is so bad now, we only pay attention to staying alive." He laughs again. An Iraqi journalist who works for several international news organizations, Laith tells me that he only narrowly escaped being killed by a car bomb the previous day. "If I had been a few minutes late for work, you wouldn't be able to talk to me." Laith chuckles again like so many people do in Baghdad, a resilient, tough, warm laugh. It's been nine years since the United States and its allies invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein. And although the war officially ended when American combat troops withdrew at the end of 2011, it's far from peace time here.

Grounded in Ankara: The Russian 'munitions' flight that was heading for Syria
Moscow rejects Turkey's claims that jet contained military hardware

KIM SENGUPTA FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 2012
Turkey's Prime Minister insisted yesterday that a Syrian passenger plane forced to land at Ankara airport was carrying Russian-made munitions, putting him squarely at odds with Moscow which has angrily condemned Turkey's actions. Russia demanded to know why embassy staff were prevented from talking to Russian passengers on board the Airbus A320. The plane was forced to land in Ankara by Turkish fighter jets on Wednesday night while en route from Moscow to Damascus, heightening international tensions over the bloody civil war to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Apple supplier Foxconn insists brain-injured worker leave hospital
The Irish Times - Friday, October 12, 2012

CLIFFORD COONAN in Beijing
FOXCONN, THE Taiwanese maker of Apple iPhones and other consumer durables, has again been criticised over working conditions at its China operations after it called for a worker who sustained brain damage in an accident at its Shenzhen facility to be discharged temporarily from hospital to allow for a disability assessment. It’s the latest public relations challenge for Foxconn, a unit of the giant Hon Hai Precision Industry, which employs nearly one million people in China, and comes as the company is working flat out to meet increased orders for the iPhone 5. As well as making iPads and iPhones, Foxconn also makes PlayStations for Sony, the Nintendo Wii, PCs for Hewlett-Packard and Dell and equipment for Microsoft and Cisco Systems.

Nigerian farmers sue Shell in Dutch case with global reach
Shell broke the law by not repairing leaks that destroyed the lands of Niger Delta farmers, a Dutch court heard on Thursday in a case that could set a precedent for global environmental responsibility.

Sapa-AFP | 11 10月, 2012 14:35
The four Nigerian farmers, backed by lobby group Friends of the Earth, have brought the Anglo-Dutch oil giant into court thousands of miles away from their homes with a civil suit that could open the door for hundreds of similar cases. "Shell knew for a long time that the pipeline was damaged but didn't do anything: they could have stopped the leaks," lawyer Channa Samkalden told the court, accusing Shell of having "violated its legal obligations". The case relates to damage caused in 2005 and was initially filed in 2008, demanding that Royal Dutch Shell clean up the mess, repair and maintain defective pipelines to prevent further damage and pay out compensation.

Is Mexico's drug violence scaring off the next generation of journalists?
Drug violence has made Mexico a dangerous place to be a reporter, and it is affecting journalism schools that now struggle to keep their doors open and train aspiring journalists.

By Sara Miller Llana, Staff Writer / October 11, 2012
Grenades have exploded in newspaper offices. Reporters have been kidnapped and murdered, sometimes dismembered and stuffed into garbage bags. Several journalists have fled Mexico for their safety. It’s not exactly a selling atmosphere for Mexican journalists, especially those in school who could opt to study business or technology instead of a craft that has become one of the most dangerous in the world when practiced in Mexico. Journalism in Mexico was once under threat by the political dynasty that controlled the country during the 20th century, and the job has scant prestige or pay, but today it is bloodthirsty drug traffickers and corrupt officials that are the menace.

Bali marks 10th anniversary of bombings
Hundreds of survivors and relatives gather for ceremony honouring the 202 victims of nightclub attack.

Last Modified: 12 Oct 2012 04:29
Hundreds of survivors and relatives of the 202 people killed in the 2002 bombings on Bali have gathered for a commemoration ceremony on the 10th anniversary of the attack. Security was tight with more than 2,000 police and military, including snipers, deployed to guard the memorial services on Friday after reports involving the "certain movement" of terrorists were announced two days earlier, raising the security alert to its highest level. "The loss is not just giving us grief, it is also giving us the strength to fight terrorism and all other extremist activities,'' said Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika, the former police chief who led the investigations following the attacks. The twin bombings were Asia's deadliest terror strike, killing 202 people - including 88 Australians and seven Americans - and injuring more than 240 others at the popular Sari Club and Paddy's Pub in Kuta.