W O R L D

PM Maliki refuses to go as Iraqis turn to new leader
Baghdad, August 13
Nuri al-Maliki stuck to his guns and refused to accept his removal as Iraq's prime minister on Wednesday, but his hold on power was tenuous as Iran's supreme leader, a long-time Maliki ally, publicly backed his replacement.

Iraq’s PM Nuri al-Maliki (R) on way to attend the funeral of General Majid Abdul Salam in Baghdad on Wednesday. Reuters

Mubarak denies ordering killing of protesters
Cairo, August 13
Hosni Mubarak today defended his 30-year rule and denied charges of ordering the killing of protesters as the wheelchair-bound former dictator appeared before a court here for a retrial over the deaths of 850 demonstrators during the 2011 uprising against his regime.

Negotiators seek Gaza deal in Cairo Gaza/Cairo, August 13 The threat of renewed war in Gaza loomed on Wednesday as the clock ticked toward the end of a three-day ceasefire with no sign of a breakthrough in indirect talks in Cairo between Israel and the Palestinians. A Palestinian man mourns the death of his relative in Beit Lahiya in Gaza on Wednesday. AFP

Philippine train rolls onto busy street, 34 injured Manila, August 13 A Philippine commuter train rammed through a concrete barrier at the end of the rail line and rolled into a busy intersection today, injuring at least 34 people and damaging two vehicles on the street. Rescue workers assist an injured passenger on a wheelchair as they alight from a coach of the Metro Rail Transit after it derailed in Pasay city on Wednesday. Reuters

Brazil presidential candidate Campos killed in plane crash
Santos, August 13
Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos was killed in a plane crash on Wednesday, throwing the October election into disarray and causing big swings in local financial markets.

Russia convoy rolls despite Kiev warning
Moscow, August 13
A convoy of nearly 300 trucks carrying what Russia says is humanitarian aid for victims of fighting in eastern Ukraine moved slowly towards the border today despite concerns by Kiev and the West over the shipment, Russian officials said. But Kiev again insisted it would not allow the convoy on its territory.

PM Maliki refuses to go as Iraqis turn to new leader
Demands Supreme Court ruling before he steps aside

Baghdad, August 13
Nuri al-Maliki stuck to his guns and refused to accept his removal as Iraq's prime minister on Wednesday, but his hold on power was tenuous as Iran's supreme leader, a long-time Maliki ally, publicly backed his replacement.

Taking to state television as acting premier, Maliki said the Supreme Court must rule on this week's move to ask his Shia Islamist party colleague Haider al-Abadi to form a new government, a change that Iran, the United States and many Iraqis see as vital to halt the advance of Sunni militants.

But while the loyalty of at least some Shia militia and government forces remains uncertain, there were further signs that Maliki, blamed for alienating the Sunni minority during his eight years in power, is isolated, even among fellow Shias.

US President Barack Obama, whose European allies followed his lead on Wednesday to arm Kurdish forces that have taken the recent brunt of fighting with the Sunni Islamic State, has already offered Abadi its endorsement. Washington lost patience with Maliki, who rose from obscurity during the US occupation.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, bound to Tehran's US adversary by a common interest in curbing the rise of Sunni jihadists in Syria and Iraq, offered his personal endorsement to Abadi. He very publicly distanced himself in the process from Maliki, who has looked for support from Iran, where he spent years in exile opposing Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.

"I hope the designation of the new prime minister in Iraq will untie the knot and lead to the establishment of a new government and teach a good lesson to those who aim for sedition in Iraq," Khamenei said in a statement on his website. — Reuters

France to join US in arming Kurds

Paris: France will deliver weapons to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic extremists in Iraq, President Francois Hollande announced on Wednesday. "In order to respond to the urgent need expressed by the Kurdistan regional authorities, the president has decided, in agreement with Baghdad, to deliver arms in the coming hours," Hollande's office. Over the weekend, Paris already provided 18 tonnes of humanitarian aid and a new shipment of 20 tonnes of aid was due to arrive in northern Iraq.

Cameron cuts short holiday over Iraq

London: As pressure mounted on Britain to join the US military efforts in Iraq, Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday cut short his holiday in Portugal to chair an emergency meeting over the crisis. The meeting is expected to centre around stepping up the UK government's response. The Prime Minister's decision to return home a day earlier than expected followed criticism from some of his own party MPs for allowing himself to be photographed on a Portuguese beach while Royal Air Force crews were flying dangerous missions to drop humanitarian supplies to Yazidi refugees trapped on Mount Sinjar

Mubarak denies ordering killing of protesters

Cairo, August 13
Hosni Mubarak today defended his 30-year rule and denied charges of ordering the killing of protesters as the wheelchair-bound former dictator appeared before a court here for a retrial over the deaths of 850 demonstrators during the 2011 uprising against his regime.

Mubarak, 86, recounted what he perceived as the achievements of his rule, picking up from when his predecessor Anwar Sadat was assassinated.

Mubarak during the hearing, which lasted nearly 25 minutes, told the Cairo Criminal Court he never handed down orders to kill protesters.

"I, Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, who is standing before you today, never handed down orders for the killing of protesters.

I never handed down orders for the killing of Egyptians," he said in his first speech to the court.

"I exhausted my life fighting against enemies of the homeland. I would never hand down orders for the killing of a single Egyptian citizen under any circumstances. Or hand down orders to wreak chaos of which I had been warning. I would never hand down orders to cause anarchy or a political vacuum."

"As a son (one of) of the Egyptian Military Forces I'm not a traitor. I was and will always be keen on my country's future," he said.

"I trust the judge's verdict whatever it is and I will accept it. I also trust that Egypt will regain its strength." The verdict is scheduled to be issued on September 27.

Mubarak also faces trial alongside his sons on corruption charges. — PTI

Negotiators seek Gaza deal in Cairo
Ceasefire clock ticking, but no sign of a breakthrough yet

Gaza/Cairo, August 13
The threat of renewed war in Gaza loomed on Wednesday as the clock ticked toward the end of a three-day ceasefire with no sign of a breakthrough in indirect talks in Cairo between Israel and the Palestinians.

A Palestinian official with knowledge of the negotiations said Egypt had presented a new proposal for a permanent truce agreement that addressed a major Palestinian demand for a lifting of the Israeli and Egyptian blockades of the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Egypt harbour deep security concerns about Hamas, the dominant Islamist group in the small, Mediterranean coastal enclave, complicating any deal on easing border restrictions.

It was unclear from the official's remarks how those worries, along with Israel's demand for Gaza's demilitarisation, would be dealt with. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said disarming was not an option.

Israeli negotiators returned to Egypt after overnighting in Israel with the truce in the month-old hostilities — which have killed 1,945 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and 67 on the Israeli side — due to expire at 2100 GMT.

Azzam Ahmed, an official of the mainstream Fatah party who heads the Palestinian team in Cairo, said the negotiations were at a very sensitive stage and it hoped to reach a ceasefire agreement before the current truce runs out. — Reuters

Foreign journalist, five others killed in Gaza ordnance blast

• At least six persons, including an Italian journalist, were killed and six others critically injured on Wednesday when an Israeli missile exploded as Palestinian experts tried to defuse it in northern Gaza Strip
• The deadly incident occurred when Hamas' police engineering team attempted to disable the Israeli missile that hit near the al-Sheikh Zayid towers in Beit Lahiya town days earlier, but did not explode
• Among the dead is an Italian reporter for The Associated Press. The journalist, identified as Simone Camilli, 35, was at the scene reportedly to cover the work to defuse the ordnance

Philippine train rolls onto busy street, 34 injured

Manila, August 13
A Philippine commuter train rammed through a concrete barrier at the end of the rail line and rolled into a busy intersection today, injuring at least 34 people and damaging two vehicles on the street.

Rescuers removed injured passengers from the train's front car after the accident in Pasay city in metropolitan Manila. It caused a huge traffic jam, but the train stayed upright after smashing through the barrier, likely avoiding a more serious accident with fatalities.

At least 34 people were brought to hospitals with mostly minor injuries, Transportation and Communication Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said. Most suffered bruises, though one had a broken arm and another had a dislocated joint.

The train had lost power due to a technical problem and was being pushed by another train when it detached and rolled out of control at the final station on the line, said Hernando Cabrera, spokesman of the agency that operates the train system. — AP

Brazil presidential candidate Campos killed in plane crash

Santos, August 13
Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos was killed in a plane crash on Wednesday, throwing the October election into disarray and causing big swings in local financial markets.

Campos' private jet crashed in bad weather as it prepared to land in the coastal city of Santos, just south of Sao Paulo, killing all seven people on board, the Sao Paulo state fire department said. Television images showed smoke billowing from the crash site in a residential area.

Campos, 49, was in third place in recent polls with the support of about 10 per cent of voters. While he was not expected to win the October 5 vote, he was perceived by some as the most market-friendly of the three main candidates and his death will set off an intense, if respectful, scramble for his supporters in a tightening election.

President Dilma Rousseff, who is leading the race, announced she would suspend all campaigning for three days in mourning.

Senator Aecio Neves, the centrist candidate running in second place, said he was "immensely saddened."

Rousseff is leading in polls with about 36 per cent of voter support. Neves has enjoyed about 20 per cent support and was widely expected to face Rousseff in a second-round runoff. — Reuters

End of a dream

• Eduardo Campos (pic), a socialist who has been running third in the polls, was on board a jet that crashed into a gym and houses in the city of Santos, breaking into pieces and sparking a large fire
• Campos, a former Governor of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, was running as a business-friendly leftist and had strong support from many banks and industrial groups.
• His death could see Marina Silva, his running mate, become the Brazilian Socialist Party's candidate
• President Dilma Rousseff announced she would suspend all campaigning for three days in mourning

Russia convoy rolls despite Kiev warning

Moscow, August 13
A convoy of nearly 300 trucks carrying what Russia says is humanitarian aid for victims of fighting in eastern Ukraine moved slowly towards the border today despite concerns by Kiev and the West over the shipment, Russian officials said. But Kiev again insisted it would not allow the convoy on its territory.

"No humanitarian convoy of Putin's will be allowed to cross the territory of the Kharkiv region," Ukraine's interior minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Facebook. "Provocation by the cynical aggressor will not be permitted on our territory."

Around 280 trucks are carrying more than 1,800 tonnes of "humanitarian supplies", including medical equipment, baby food and sleeping bags, according to Russian media. — AFP