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Saturday, December 5, 2015
■ UNITED STATES
Ashburton Guardian 23
In brief Putin calls for action Russian President Vladimir Putin called for “one powerful fist” to fight terrorism, hinted at more sanctions against Turkey and accused Western powers of creating “a zone of chaos”. Speaking in his live state-of-thenation address, Putin called for an end to what he called double standards that hampered uniting global efforts in fighting terrorism. Without naming the United States, he accused Washington and its allies of turning Iraq, Syria and Libya into a “zone of chaos and anarchy threatening the entire world” by supporting change of regimes in those countries. - AP
Combat roles open
FBI, San Bernardino City and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials continue documenting and investigating the scene of the shootout between law enforcement officials and the mass shooting suspects. PHOTO AP
In touch with extremists California gunman Syed Rizwan Farook had been in contact with known Islamic extremists on social media, a US intelligence official said yesterday, and police said he and his wife had enough bullets and bombs to slaughter hundreds when they launched their deadly attack on a holiday party. The details emerged as investigators tried to determine whether the rampage that left 14 people dead was terrorism, a workplace grudge or some combination. The husband-and-wife killers were not under FBI scrutiny before the massacre, said a second US official, who likewise was not authorised to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Wearing black tactical gear and wielding assault rifles, Farook, a 28-year-old county restaurant inspector, and his wife,
Tashfeen Malik, 27, sprayed as many as 75 rounds into a room at a social service centre for the disabled, where about 75 of Farook’s co-workers had gathered. Farook had attended the event but slipped out and returned in battle dress. Four hours later and three kilometres away, the couple died in a furious gunbattle in which they fired 76 rounds, while 23 law officers unleashed about 380, police said. Yesterday, Police Chief Jarrod Burguan offered a grim inventory that suggested the bloodbath could have been far worse. At the social service centre, the couple left three rigged-together pipe bombs with a remotecontrol detonating device that apparently malfunctioned, and they had more than 1600 rounds of ammunition remaining when police killed them in their rented SUV, Burguan said.
At a family home in the nearby town of Redlands, they had 12 pipe bombs, tools for making more, and over 3000 additional rounds of ammunition, the chief said. “We don’t know if this was workplace rage or something larger or a combination of both,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in Washington, echoing President Barack Obama. “We don’t know the motivation.” Investigators are trying to determine whether Farook, who was Muslim, became radicalised – and, if so, how – as well as whether he was in contact with any foreign terrorist organisation, said the US intelligence official, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The same official said Farook had been in touch on social media with extremists who were un-
der FBI scrutiny. The second US official said the FBI was treating the attack as a potential act of terror but had reached no conclusion that it was. The official said Farook had communication with individuals who were under FBI scrutiny. But the contact was with “people who weren’t significant players on our radar,” dated back some time, and there was no immediate indication of a surge in communication before the shooting. The official cautioned that such contact by itself doesn’t mean someone is a terrorist. Rita Katz, director of SITE Intelligence Group, an organisation that tracks and analyzes extremists, said it hasn’t found any connection between Farook and jihadi groups. But she also said that some of Farook’s social media posts seem to have been deleted before the attack. - AP
■ SOUTH AFRICA
Appeals court finds Pistorius guilty of murder An appeals court has decided that Oscar Pistorius got away with murder when he stood trial for killing his girlfriend, a ruling that will almost certainly send the disgraced Olympian back to prison. The court overturned his conviction on the lesser charge of manslaughter in the 2013 shooting death of model Reeva Steenkamp and instead found Pistorius guilty of murder. The latest dramatic twist in the case of the double amputee runner was “a human tragedy of Shakespearean proportions,” wrote Justice Lorimer Eric Leach.
Pistorius, who is under house arrest at his uncle’s mansion in Pretoria, was not in the Bloemfontein courtroom for the verdict. Steenkamp’s mother, June, sat impassively as Leach read the verdict. The 29-year-old Pistorius served one year of a five-year sentence before being put under house arrest in October. The minimum sentence for murder is 15 years, but exceptional circumstances in the case of the former track star, including time served, his disability and his status as a first-time offender, could mean a lower sentence.
Sentencing is up to the North Gauteng High Court, where Pistorius was tried. South African media said Judge Thokozile Masipa, who presided over the original trial, will handle the matter. No sentencing date has been set. The Pistorius family said in a statement: “The legal team will study the finding and we will be guided by them in terms of options going forward.” Steenkamp’s father, Barry, told South African television channel ANN7 the judgment was fair. “Let us now all get on with our lives,” he said. His voice breaking with emotion, he said of his
daughter: “I’m sure she’ll be able to rest as well now.” Pistorius’ trial riveted people around the world because of its gripping saga of a celebrity athlete’s plunge from grace by his own actions. His legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old because he was born without fibula bones due to a congenital defect. However, he grew up playing sports with prosthetics and became a multiple Paralympic champion known as the “Blade Runner” for his carbon-fibre running blades. - AP
Defence Secretary Ash Carter has ordered the military to open all military jobs to women, including the most dangerous commando posts, removing the final barriers that kept women from serving in combat. The historic decision is a formal recognition that thousands of women have fought – and many were wounded or killed – in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But it’s uncertain how many will actually want to compete for some of the more gruelling Army and Marine Corps infantry posts or for spots on the high-risk special operations teams. - AP
Suing over salt labels New York City’s new warning label for salt-laden chain restaurant food is headed for a court fight, after restaurateurs sued to argue that health regulators overstepped legal bounds to enact the first-ofits-kind requirement. The National Restaurant Association’s suit came just two days after the rule took effect, compelling chain eateries to put a salt-shaker icon on menu items that top the recommended daily limit of 2300 milligrams of sodium – about a teaspoon. The group had vowed to challenge the city Board of Health-approved rule, which will sprinkle salt warnings on some dishes ranging from burgers to pizzas to salads. - AP
Weather hits delivery Wet and cloudy weather prevented NASA from resuming commercial space station deliveries. The space agency was looking to get back on track with the first US shipment to the International Space station in nearly eight months, but thick clouds and rain prevented an unmanned Atlas rocket from lifting off at dusk with 7400 pounds of critical supplies. With 14 minutes left, and no better weather in sight, launch director Bill Cullen halted the countdown, praising his team for “great discipline.” - AP
HIV exposure An ex-fiancee of Charlie Sheen has sued the actor claiming he didn’t disclose he was HIV positive until after they had sex several times. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by Scottine Ross states she and Sheen had sex five times before she learned he was HIV positive. The Two and a Half Men star publicly disclosed he was HIV positive on the Today show last month. Ross, a porn star who performed under the name Brett Rossi, first met Sheen in November 2013. - AP