Saturday, February 15

Day: January 2, 2016

Iraq veterans may face war crimes prosecutions
Arab world, ENGLISH

Iraq veterans may face war crimes prosecutions

    Iraq War veterans may face prosecution for crimes including murder following a probe into allegations of torture and unlawful killing, the head of the unit investigating the claims has said. Mark Warwick said there were lots of significant cases and discussions would be held further down the line over whether they met the war-crimes threshold. UK forces withdrew from Iraq in 2009 although lawyers are continuing to refer cases to the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat), the Government-established criminal investigation into murder, abuse and torture claims linked to the six-year military mission. Mr Warwick, the former police detective in charge of Ihat, told the Independent newspaper: "There are serious allegations that we are investigating across the whole range of Ihat...
Free Tube and bus travel in London as Oyster card reader glitch coincides with first day of higher fares
ENGLISH, London

Free Tube and bus travel in London as Oyster card reader glitch coincides with first day of higher fares

    Londoners and tourists woke up on Saturday morning to find public transport unexpectedly free across the capital, thanks to a technical glitch. Barriers at many Tube stations were left open and no payment was required on buses because of a fault with sensors that read Oyster and contactless payment cards. It came as Transport for London’s (TfL) annual New Year fare rises kicked in, with an average increase of one per cent across the network. A spokesperson said contractors were working to fix the glitch as soon as possible but commuters were in no hurry. Thanks @TfL, wrote one passenger on Twitter. I was expecting to pay the new 2nd of Jan fares in the tube but the whole oyster ticketing system is down! Free journey for me! Time to use the tube. The Oyster system is down a...
Five new laws for 2016 that will change the way we live
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Five new laws for 2016 that will change the way we live

    The family believe that PM David Cameron should challenge the decision (Picture: [copyright]) New laws that will change the way you live, work and relax will come into force in the new year. Some of these were headline news when they were announced, while others may have passed you by unnoticed. But many of them could have a permanent, lasting impact on the lives of millions of British citizens. Get up to speed here. 1. Stricter immigration rules for working people You might think that a nurse who has spent the last decade tending to terminally ill British citizens would be considered an asset to our society. But under new legislation that comes into effect from April 2016, she could be deported. If you come from outside the EU and you’ve been working here for more than fi...
Govt to make offshore gas costlier for itself
Bangladesh, ENGLISH

Govt to make offshore gas costlier for itself

Faisal Mahmud: The government has made an attempt to amend the model Production Sharing Contract 2012 and to increase the price of gas produced by international oil companies (IOCs) from deep sea blocks. Sources with the state-run Petro Bangla said that as per the current provision in PSC, an IOC would sell around 50 per cent of the gas produced in deep sea blocks to Petro Bangla at USD 6.50 per mcf (1,000 cubic feet). The government is now planning to increase this to USD 8 per mcf. In September 2013, the government, after its failure to attract bidders for deep-sea oil and gas exploration, had increased the price from USD 5.50 to USD 6.50 per mcf by amending the model PSC. Through that amendment, IOCs were also exempted from paying 37.5 per cent corporate tax and the transportation tarif...
Four shot dead including man, wife in suburban Los Angeles home
America, ENGLISH

Four shot dead including man, wife in suburban Los Angeles home

    A man shot and killed his wife and two others in his home on New Year's Eve before his son wrestled the gun away and fatally shot him in a chain of events apparently set off by a dispute over a washing machine. The two other victims killed were the son's 48-year-old girlfriend who also lives at the house in Rowland Heights and a 27-year-old man who was visiting, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The 54-year-old father was a heavy drinker with a large gun collection, and authorities had made dozens of previous trips to the home, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said. Investigators were talking to surviving witnesses to figure out what led to the father pulling out a semi-automatic pistol and opening fire. It looks like it was a dispute between the dad an...