Six In The Morning Tuesday August 12

Egypt's massacre of 817 people was intentional, says Human Rights Watch

Rabaa killing was a planned Tiananmen Square-style attack on largely unarmed protesters, report argues

• Patrick Kingsley in Cairo
• theguardian.com, Tuesday 12 August 2014 09.01 BST

Egyptian security forces intentionally killed at least 817 protesters during last August's Rabaa massacre, in a premeditated attack equal to or worse than China's Tiananmen Square killings in 1989, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has argued in a report.

The 195-page investigation based on interviews with 122 survivors and witnesses has found Egypt's police and army "systematically and deliberately killed largely unarmed protesters on political grounds" in actions that "likely amounted to crimes against humanity".

The report recommends that several senior individuals within Egypt's security apparatus be investigated and, where appropriate, held to account for their role in the planning of both the Rabaa massacre and others that occurred last summer – including Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Egypt's then defence minister and new president. 

'Heroic' mission rescues desperate Yazidis from ISIS

By Dana Ford and Josh Levs, CNN

August 12, 2014 -- Updated 0741 GMT (1541 HKT)

(CNN) -- The face of 15-year-old Aziza says it all.

Her mouth slightly agape, tears stream down her face as she glances around the inside of a helicopter with confusion in her eyes.

She looks completely exhausted, overcome with emotion. She cries the whole flight to safety.

The Iraqi air force and fighters with the Kurdish peshmerga carried out a dramatic rescue mission Monday at Mount Sinjar, taking supplies to desperate Yazidis and ferrying a handful of people out, including Aziza.

A CNN crew was on the flight that took diapers, milk, water and food to the site where thousands of people have been driven by ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

CNN's Ivan Watson, who was on the chopper, described the mission as "heroic."

Ebola outbreak: Liberia sent untested ZMapp treatment as death toll passes 1,000

Anger is growing that only Westerners have so far been given the drug

LIZZIE DEARDEN

 

 

Tuesday 12 August 2014

An experimental Ebola treatment is being sent to Liberia for two ill doctors who will become the first Africans to receive the untested ZMapp drug.

A Spanish priest and two American aid workers are the only people to have received it so far, prompting anger that only Westerners have had a possible treatment for a disease ravaging four African countries.

ZMapp is one of several drugs in development to attempt tostop the deadly outbreak, which has no confirmed cure and has so far killed more than 1,000 people.

Red Cross lays down conditions for bringing aid to Ukraine

Humanitarian body says it needs agreement from all sides and security guarantees

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it held talks yesterday with Ukrainian and Russian authorities on delivering Russia’s proposed aid to easternUkraine, but laid down strict guidelines to uphold its neutral role.

Thousands of people are believed to lack access to water, electricity and medical aid, the independent aid agency said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said earlier yesterday Russia was sending an aid convoy to eastern Ukraine despite western warnings not to use humanitarian help as a pretext for an invasion.

Touchstone of Mexican nationalism overturned: gas, oil open to foreign firms

President Peña Nieto signed new rules opening state-run oil, gas, and electricity industries to private and foreign companies, saying average Mexicans would gain lower prices and more jobs. Mexico nationalized its oil industry in 1938.

By Mark Stevenson, Associated Press AUGUST 11, 2014

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed into law on Monday new rules governing a historic opening of the state-run oil, gas, and electricity industries to foreign and private companies.

President Peña Nieto said that the government will let potential investors know by Wednesday which blocks of gas and oil fields will be open for them. The state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, has the right under the new rules to take first dibs and set aside some fields for itself; Peña Nieto said those set-asides will also be made public Wednesday. The president also promised to start putting in place regulatory and oversight agencies to implement the new rules by the end of August.

Japan to test first homegrown stealth fighter jet: report

 

3 hours ago

A group of major Japanese firms are planning a test flight next year for the nation's first homegrown stealth fighter jet, a report said Tuesday.

The consortium -- led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries -- is developing a jet that has similar technology to US-made F-35 stealth fighters, with a prototype set for a test run in January, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said.

About 39.2 billion yen ($384 million) has been invested in the project, said the report, which did not cite sources.

Following the initial flight, the jet will undergo about two years of testing at the defence ministry with Tokyo set to decide on whether to buy the plane by early 2019, it added.