timesofmalta.com

China designs world's fastest supercomputer

Reuters — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0200

A supercomputer made in China has been named the world's fastest of its kind, and runs almost twice as fast as the previous U.S. record holder. The TOP 500 list, which is complied by a group of international experts and ranks supercomputers worldwide twice a year, showed in its latest version on Monday (June 17) that China-built Tianhe-2, meaning Milky Way-2 in English, is capable of operating at 33.86 petaflops per second, the equivalent of 33,860 trillion calculations per second. Designed and built by the National University of Defence Technology in central China's Changsha city and sponsored by the government, Tianhe-2 knocked Titan, designed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, off the top spot on the Linpack benchmark. Titan computes at 17.59 petaflops per second. Tianhe-2, which cost 100 million U.S. dollars, is expected to be put into use later this year, state television CCTV said.

Ryanair says it could move into trans-Atlantic flights

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:21:00 +0200

Ryanair, Europe's biggest budget airline, could start selling low-cost trans-Atlantic flights if it secures enough twin-aisle aircraft and gains access to cities in both Europe and the United States, its chief executive said today. "This will be a unique opportunity to bust open the trans-Atlantic services. Trans-Atlantic fares should start at $10 or 10 euros," said Michael O'Leary at the Paris Airshow. Any move into the competitive trans-Atlantic market would see the Irish short-haul carrier follow in the footsteps of Laker Airways, which began low-fare flights from London to New York in the late 1970s but went bankrupt in 1982. Long-haul budget flights have become popular in Asia in recent years with Malaysia's AirAsia X , Australia's Jetstar and its Singapore-based affiliate Jetstar Asia, and Singapore Airlines subsidiary Scoot starting operations. O'Leary said a long-haul business would have to be run separately to succeed, allowing management and staff of the short-haul business to remain focused on that. A long-haul service would also need to start operations with a fairly large fleet of 30-50 aircraft in order to have economies of scale, he added. "There is an opportunity...

Amnesty: Libya holding migrants indefinitely in deplorable conditions

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:01:00 +0200

The Libyan authorities must act immediately to end the indefinite detention of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, including children, solely for immigration purposes, Amnesty International said in a new briefing published today,World Refugee Day. The briefing, Scapegoats of Fear: Rights of Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and Migrants Abused in Libya, highlights the unacceptable treatment of thousands of foreign nationals, many from sub-Saharan Africa, who are subjected to arbitrary arrests and held for long periods in deplorable conditions at immigration detention facilities described by the Libyan authorities as “holding centres”, with no immediate prospect of release or redress in sight. Amnesty International visited seven “holding centres” in April and May this year and found evidence of ill-treatment, in some cases amounting to torture. Many detainees were also denied medical care and some were slated for deportation on medical grounds. “The torture and ill-treatment we uncovered at ‘holding centres’ is unacceptable and is a stain on the record of post-Gaddafi Libya. Abuse of Sub-Saharan foreign nationals was a hallmark of al-Gaddafi’s rule and risks becoming a permanent feature...

Thousands evacuated after Russian ammo dump blast

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:49:00 +0200

Thousands of people have been evacuated after explosions at an army ammunition store in south-west Russia. Russia's Emergency Ministry said there were initially four explosions at the base in Chapayevsk late yesterday. It said the explosions were caused by a fire. The ministry said about 11 million pieces of ammunition were stored at the site. It said 30 people have sought medical help...four of them needed hospital treatment. About 6, 000 people were evacuated from the area in the south-western Samara region.

China executes official for child rapes after online uproar

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:33:00 +0200

Authorities in central China have executed a former Communist Party official for raping 11 underage girls following an online uproar about the latest case of abuse of power. Li Xingong, who was the party's deputy head in Yongcheng city in Henan province, was found guilty of assaulting the girls during police interrogations starting from the second half of 2011, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Li appealed against the guilty verdict, but was rejected by the Supreme Court, Xinhua said. The case was widely discussed on Weibo, China's popular Twitter-like microblogging site, after reports about the rapes naming Li as the perpetrator began circulating online in May last year. "Yet another great example of a party cadre," wrote one Weibo user sarcastically after the execution was announced. "What is wrong with the party that they have animals like this in their ranks? There needs to be discussion about how to better select officials," wrote another. While the government has encouraged people to take to the internet to expose corruption and abuse of power, especially at the grassroots, it generally keeps tight rein on what can be said about similar problems with more senior...

"Sopranos" star James Gandolfini dead at 51

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:58:00 +0200

James Gandolfini, the burly actor best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of a conflicted New Jersey mob boss in the acclaimed HBO cable television series "The Sopranos," has died while vacationing in Rome, Italy, the network said. Gandolfini, 51, who began his career in live theater in New York, died of a possible heart attack, HBO spokeswoman Mara Mikialian told Reuters. Since "The Sopranos" ended its run in 2007, Gandolfini has appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including the espionage thriller "Zero Dark Thirty" and the comedy "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." At the time of his death, Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming new HBO series titled "Criminal Justice."

Bombs destroy police station in Benghazi

Reuters — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:07:00 +0200

Bombs flattened a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday but there were no casualties as the building had been emptied for repairs following previous attacks, security officials said. The al-Hadaiq station in downtown Benghazi was completely destroyed by explosives at around 3am. The blast was so loud it could be heard across the city. Smashed furniture littered the ground and nearby shopfronts were damaged. “From the debris, it looks as if explosive devices were placed all around the building,” said Mohammed al-Hajazi, spokesman for Benghazi’s operation room. Last month the station was set on fire in a possible act of revenge for the killing of a man in an attack on police nearby. Libya remains anarchic and awash with weapons nearly two years after dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled. Tensions have been rising between militia groups of former rebel fighters and the Government, which is still struggling to assert its authority. Benghazi, the cradle of the 2011 uprising against Gaddafi, has became a hotspot for violence, with a wave of attacks on security forces. On Saturday, six soldiers were killed and five injured in clashes between Libyan special...

Taliban say they will talk with the US...and kill four Americans

Press Association — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0200

The Taliban claimed responsibility today for an attack in Afghanistan that killed four American troops just hours after it announced it would hold talks with the US. The attack underscores the challenges in trying to end the violence in Afghanistan through peace negotiations in Qatar with militants still fighting on the ground. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the insurgents fired two rockets into the Bagram airbase outside the Afghan capital Kabul. American officials confirmed the base came under attack by indirect fire - probably from a mortar or rocket - and four US troops were killed. Five Afghan police officers were also killed at a security outpost in Helmand province by apparent Taliban infiltrators - the latest in a string of so-called "insider attacks" that have shaken the confidence of the nascent Afghan security forces. The attacks came as the Taliban opened a political office in the Qatari capital of Doha, and announced they were ready for peace talks. The decision was a reversal of months of failed efforts to start negotiations while Taliban militants intensified a campaign targeting urban centres and government installations across Afghanistan. US president...

Pope John Paul II closer to sainthood

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:59:00 +0200

Pope John Paul II has moved a step closer to sainthood. A Vatican commission of theologians approved a second miracle attributed to his intercession, clearing a key hurdle. The case now goes to a commission of cardinals and then Pope Francis. John Paul's canonization is possible in autumn to coincide with the 35th anniversary of his election, on October 20, although a source that may be too soon. The Polish-born Pope has been on the fast track for sainthood ever since retired Pope Benedict XVI waived the traditional five-year waiting period and allowed the investigation into his life and virtues to begin just weeks after his 2005 death. John Paul was beatified in 2011.

Knox acquittal ‘full of mistakes’

PA — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:03:00 +0200

The acquittal of accused murderer Amanda Knox was full of “deficiencies, contradictions and illogical” conclusions, Italy’s high court has ruled, ordering a fresh look at all the evidence to determine whether she did kill her flatmate Meredith Kercher. In March, the Court of Cassation overturned Knox’s acquittal in the 2007 murder of British student Kercher and ordered a new trial. The court has now issued its written reasoning. Knox, now 25, and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 29, were initially convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms, but a Perugia appeals court acquitted them in 2011, criticising virtually the entire case mounted by prosecutors. The appellate court noted that the murder weapon was never found, said that DNA tests were faulty and that prosecutors provided no murder motive. A man from Ivory Coast, Rudy Guede, was convicted of the murder in a separate hearing and is serving a 16-year sentence. In the 74-page Cassation ruling, the high court judges said they “had to recognise that he (Guede) was not the sole author” of the crime. The judges though said he was the “main protagonist”. They said the new appeal process would serve to “not only...

US to meet Taliban to seek Afghan peace

Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:07:00 +0200

The US will meet the Taliban in Doha in the coming days for talks aimed at achieving peace in Afghanistan, where the US has battled the insurgents for 12 years, US officials said yesterday. The Taliban said it wanted a political solution that would bring about a just government and end foreign occupation of Afghanistan, and it opened an office in Doha, the Qatari capital, to help restart talks. US officials cautioned against expectations of quick progress, saying the peace process could take many years and be subject to reversals. The US will insist the Taliban break ties with al-Qaeda, end violence, and accept the Afghan constitution, including protection for women and minorities, the US officials told reporters in a conference call. “I think the US will have its first formal meeting with the Taliban, and indeed first meeting with the Taliban for several years, in a couple of days in Doha,” a senior US official said. He said he expected that would be followed within days with a meeting between the Taliban and the High Peace Council, a structure set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to represent Afghanistan in such talks. The US officials were speaking on condition of anonymity.

Putin torpedoes the G8’s efforts to push out Assad

Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:05:00 +0200

Russian President Vladimir Putin derailed Western efforts to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from power at the G8 summit yesterday and, hours after meeting US President Barack Obama, said the Kremlin might sell more arms to Syria. In a final communique after two days of intense talks, global leaders called for peace talks to be held as soon as possible to resolve the Syrian civil war. But it did not even mention Assad’s name. Putin, seemingly isolated at the summit, had clashed with other leaders continuously over Syria and resisted attempts to get him to agree to anything that would imply Assad should step down. Speaking at the end of the summit held in a secluded golf resort in Northern Ireland, Putin struck a defiant tone. He told the West that sending weapons to rebels could backfire one day while he defended his own military contacts with the Syrian Government. “There are different types of supplies. We supply weapons based on legal contracts to a legal government... And if we sign these contracts (in the future), we will supply (more arms).” Obama and his allies want Assad to cede power while Putin, whose rhetoric has become increasingly anti-Western since he was...

Silent standing protest catches on

PA — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:40:00 +0200

After weeks of sometimes-violent confrontation with police, Turkish protesters have found a new form of resistance - standing still and silent. The first such protest was carried out by performance artist Erdem Gunduz, who stood for hours at Istanbul's central Taksim Square, in passive defiance of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The square has been sealed off from mass protests since police cleared it over the weekend, but pedestrians still have access. Others copied him in Istanbul and other cities, and the act provoked widespread comment on social media. Mr Erdem's vigil was broken up by police after others joined him.

Karzai announces peace talks as Afghans take over security

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:23:00 +0200

Afghanistan will send a team to Qatar for peace talks with the Taliban, President Hamid Karzai said today, as the US-led NATO coalition launched the final phase of the 12-year war with the last round of security transfers to Afghan forces. Karzai's announcement was the first possible step forward in the peace process, which has struggled to achieve results despite many attempts, and is likely to be applauded by his Western backers. "Afghanistan's High Peace Council will travel to Qatar to discuss peace talks with the Taliban," Karzai said in Kabul, referring to the council he formed in late 2010. "We hope that our brothers the Taliban also understand that the process will move to our country soon," Karzai said of the fundamentalist Islamic group that ruled the country with an iron fist from 1996 to 2001. There was no immediate comment from the Afghan Taliban. Karzai was speaking following a ceremony in which the international coalition marked the beginning of the end of the handover of security to Afghan forces. About 2,000 people including NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, dozens of Western ambassadors and senior Afghan and international officials attended. An...

Lebanese president urges Hezbollah to pull out of Syria

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:16:00 +0200

President Michel Suleiman has called on the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah movement to pull its guerrillas out of Syria, saying any further involvement in its neighbour's civil war would fuel instability in Lebanon. Hezbollah militants spearheaded the recapture of the strategic border town of Qusair two weeks ago by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which now appear to be preparing for an offensive in the northern city of Aleppo. "If they take part in a battle for Aleppo, and more Hezbollah fighters are killed, it will lead to more tension," Suleiman told the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir in an interview published on Thursday. "This should end in Qusair, and (Hezbollah) should return home." Hezbollah's intervention in Syria against mainly Sunni Muslim rebels has further inflamed sectarian rivalry in Lebanon, where fighting between Alawite pro-Assad and Sunni Muslim anti-Assad gunmen in the northern city of Tripoli has killed dozens. Since the battle for Qusair started a month ago there have been frequent rocket attacks on Shi'ite areas of eastern Lebanon from suspected rebel-held areas in Syria. A previously unknown Syrian rebel faction claimed responsibility this...

Hungarian man, 98, charged with WW2 crimes

Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:06:00 +0200

Hungarian prosecutors yesterday charged a 98-year-old man who tops the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s wanted list with war crimes, saying he had helped to deport Jews to Auschwitz in World War II. Laszlo Csatary was found guilty in absentia in 1948 of whipping or torturing Jews and helping to deport them to the death camp while serving as police commander in the Nazi-occupied eastern Slovak city of Kosice in 1944. He was sentenced to death and lived on the run for decades until Hungarian authorities detained him and put him under house arrest in Budapest in July last year. He has denied any guilt. In March, a Slovak court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment. “He is charged with the unlawful execution and torture of people, (thus) committing war crimes partly as a perpetrator, partly as an accomplice,” said Bettina Bagoly, a spokeswoman for the Budapest Chief Prosecutor’s Office. She said Csatary’s case would go to trial within three months. The Wiesenthal Centre named Csatary their most wanted war crimes suspect last year. In April his detention terms were changed to a ban on leaving Hungary, but prosecutors have now applied to put him back under house arrest,...

Twin suicide bombs kill 29 in Baghdad

Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:04:00 +0200

Two coordinated suicide bombings at a Shi’ite Muslim mosque in Baghdad killed at least 29 worshippers at noon prayers yesterday, medics said. The first bomber detonated his charge at a checkpoint about 100 metres away from the mosque in al-Qahira district of northern Baghdad. He was followed minutes later by a second who blew himself up inside the building. “The (second) suicide bomber detonated himself among the worshippers, who were gathering to pray,” said policeman Furat Faleh, who was near the site of the blast. More than 1,000 people were killed in militant attacks in Iraq in May, according to the UN, making it the deadliest month since the war of 2006-2007. Ten years after the US-led invasion that toppled former President Saddam Hussein in 2003, a stable power-sharing compromise between Iraq’s Sunni, Shi’ite and ethnic Kurdish factions remains elusive.

Dozens held in Turkey, ‘silent man’ goes viral

Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:03:00 +0200

A lone, silent vigil by a man in Istanbul inspired copycat protests yesterday, as police detained dozens of people across Turkey in an operation linked to three weeks of often violent demonstrations against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Overnight in Ankara, riot police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of protesters who had gathered in and around the government quarter of Kizilay. But in stark contrast to the recent fierce clashes in several cities, dozens of protesters merely stood in silence in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, inspired by a man who lit up social media by doing just that for eight hours in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Monday. “I am just an ordinary citizen of this country,” Erdem Gunduz, dubbed the ‘Standing Man’ on Twitter, told Hurriyet TV. “We want our voices to be heard.” Interior Minister Muammer Guler said 62 people had been detained in Turkey’s biggest city, Istanbul, and 23 in the capital, Ankara. The state broadcaster TRT said 13 had been held in Eskisehir. Protests have frequently turned into fierce clashes between police firing teargas and water cannon and masked demonstrators throwing bottles and other missiles, images that have dented...

Bulgaria proposes electoral changes

Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:02:00 +0200

Bulgaria’s Socialists, in power for only three weeks at the head of a fragile government, yesterday promised to reform the electoral law in a bid to defuse the street protests that have resumed with new momentum despite last month’s election. Thousands of Bulgarians have been demonstrating in Sofia and other cities since Friday demanding the resignation of the new Government after it squandered its credibility by hurriedly naming a powerful media figure as head of national security. Prime Minister Plamen Oresharki has already said the appointment of Delyan Peevski will be reversed – a decision that Parliament is due to formalise today – but said his own resignation would only destabilise the economy. With the frustrations over corruption and poverty that felled the last government already boiling up again, the Socialists, in a precarious position in Parliament, offered to take account of protesters’ demands for electoral reform that would bring in new lawmakers and make them more accountable. “We will work to speed up changes... as having fair elections is a cause not only for the citizens but also for the democratic parties,” senior Socialist legislator Maya Manolova told...

Royal baby to give £240m bump to British economy

Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:01:00 +0200

From Union Jack booties to ‘Born to Rule’ sleepwear, the British Royal Family has joined retailers in offering baby products to mark the arrival of the royal heir. A baby sleepsuit modelled on a guardsman’s outfit is one of the gifts on sale at palace shops by the Royal Collection Trust, which uses all profits for the upkeep of the royal palaces. Prince Charles, the grandfather-to-be, is selling handmade baby shoes through a shop on his country estate Highgrove, while the mother-to-be’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, have added a range of baby goods to their party goods business. Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), estimated that the arrival of the baby, due in July, could add more than £240 million (€281 million) to the British economy. “This is a good news story and there really is no downside. With the birth coming in July, people will have time to get involved, and that means additional spending,” Bamfield told Reuters after the release of the CRR’s report on Monday. “There has been a lot of interest across the Atlantic as well, as the younger royals are very well thought of in the US, so we are expecting good sales of souvenirs.” The...