http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=bbc_1302946649 Items in channel '2cr51' Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:15:09 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=bbc_1302946649 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 06:01:46 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a7_1370944676 2cr51 11 June 2013 Last updated at 05:31 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22850409 Sony is set to sell the PlayStation 4 for a cheaper price than Microsoft's rival Xbox One. The Japanese firm announced at the E3 trade show that its machine would be sold for lb349 in the UK, $399 in the US and 399 euros across Europe. It added that it would not impose restrictions on second-hand games. Sony also unveiled what its box would look like, having previously kept the design under wraps at its February PS4 press conference. For many in the audience at the Los Angeles event, the scale of the price difference came as the biggest shock. Earlier in the day Microsoft had revealed its new console would cost lb429 in the UK, $499 in the US and 499 euros. "Clearly the big headline is that the PlayStation is going to be $100 less than the Xbox One when they come out in the US," Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of the gaming news site Kotaku, told the BBC. "Microsoft is going to need to look again at its price or explain why it offers better value, such as the inclusion of its Kinect sensor. Continue reading the main storyView from E3 Dave LeeLos AngelesIf console battles were decided by the frequency and volume of whoops and cheers from excitable gaming fanatics, then Sony has won it hands down. The biggest of all was about price. The PS4 will cost $399 or lb349, a price point which drew gasps and then cheers from the audience in Los Angeles. Cost aside, it was Sony's stance on DRM - digital rights management - which also drew huge applause. "PS4 will not impose any new restrictions on your use of PS4 game discs," said Jack Tretton, boss of Sony Computer Entertainment America. It was a cheer for what his audience saw as basic right. Unlike Microsoft, however, Sony has still to provide a launch date, indicating only that the PS4 would be released in time for the "holidays" - a reference to Christmas. "Of course, in the short-term it may not matter too much because when new consoles launch, supply is typically limited and hardcore gamers will pay anything to snatch them up. But six months or a year later on it will make a difference and Microsoft may feel at that point that it needs to match price with Sony." Second-hand gamesSony also sought to distinguish its games machine by announcing it would not introduce any new restrictions on pre-owned disc-based games bought from friends or retailers, nor would it require users to regularly authenticate their machines via the internet to allow games to continue being played. By contrast, Microsoft has introduced limitations on who consumers can buy second-hand titles from and has introduced a requirement to connect to the net once every 24-hours to play games on the Xbox One. "With Sony continually pushing their gaming credentials and the development of the PlayStation brand for gamers throughout their presentation - it has very publicly slapped Microsoft across the face," said Alex Simmons, UK Editor-in-Chief of news site IGN.com. "Talk of restrictions on the sale of pre-owned games and a requirement for an internet connection have been two of the largest consumer concerns surrounding the next-generation consoles." 'Pole position'Sony's gaming division accounted for $7.5bn (lb4.8bn) worth of sales in its last financial year , representing just under 10% of its total revenues. The PS4's predecessor, the PlayStation 3, beat the Xbox 360 in terms of global shipments but was in turn outsold by Nintendo's Wii, according to market research firm IDC. London-based The Order: 1886 was among the exclusive PS4 games revealed at E3However, the Wii U - which launched in November - has failed to meet its sales projections, something Nintendo has blamed on delays to games releases. "It's a big opening, the Wii U hasn't performed up to Nintendo's expectations or that of the broader industry" IDC's gaming analyst Lewis Ward told the BBC. "You only get about once a decade to reset expectations around what a platform will be, and therefore the launch of the PS4 has the potential to move Sony back into the pole position it was at with the PS2." New gamesSony said that 140 PS4 games were in development, 100 of which should be released within its first year. Among the titles that will be exclusive to the PS4 which had not previously been revealed was The Order: 1886, a steampunk-styled shooter set in the 19th century. In addition, Square Enix announced that it was bringing Kingdom Hearts 3 - a role-playing game involving locations and characters from Disney cartoons - to the platform. Sony said it also wished to make the PS4 the most "open and inclusive" platform to independent developers and highlighted a range of titles from the sector including a remake of 1997's Oddworld. One expert suggested this was a deliberate effort to take advantage of the fact several small studios had complained of experiencing problems when trying to release titles onto the Xbox. Sony spent time to spotlight titles from small independent developers"While Microsoft has found itself incurring the wrath of many indie developers, Sony has taken the opportunity to reach out to the sector earning it access to great games and also a great deal of goodwill," said Christopher Grant, editor-in-chief of games news site Polygon. "But while Sony says that it allows 'self publishing', it's not the kind of open market we might think of when we hear the term in association with smartphone platforms like iOS or Android." Vita lives onIn addition to the PS4 news, Sony also talked up the PS Vita. It has previously acknowledged that sales of the handheld console had fallen behind expectations. But at E3 it stressed the machine was "just beginning its life cycle". It said that 85 titles were coming to the platform this year including Batman Arkham Origins, Killzone Mercenary and a new episode in Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series. It also described the Vita as "the ultimate companion device" to the PS4 since the handheld can stream the bigger machine's titles. Console competition Sony showed off new footage from the latest game in its Infamous franchise at the eventDespite the PS4's price advantage, one observer at E3 said it was too soon to assume it would outsell the Xbox One. "You don't get the Kinect with the PS4 - Sony's Eye camera isn't as powerful and may be sold separately - so Microsoft can push the fact its sensor is worth the extra lb80," said Stuart Miles, founder of the Pocket-lint gadget review site. "The other thing is that the Xbox One games line-up seems to be stronger at launch. "A lot of the games announced at Sony's event have been given a 2014 date and its Gaikai cloud streaming service won't start offering PS3 titles to the new console until next year as well." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a7_1370944676 2cr51 PlayStation 4 console priced cheaper than Xbox One Xbox, rip off, PS4, free to game online, Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:29:03 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=342_1370618745 2cr51 7 June 2013 Last updated at 16:15 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22813207 The United Nations has launched the largest appeal in its history - seeking $5bn (lb3.2bn; 3.7bn euros) for humanitarian aid to Syria. The UN estimates more than 10 million Syrians - half the population - will need help by the end of the year. As many as four million children are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the UN children's agency Unicef says. UN humanitarian officials have admitted they may struggle to raise the record sums they are now asking for. Continue reading the main storyAnalysisNick Childs,BBC defence and security correspondentEarlier this week, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC that the Syria crisis was "a desperate and deteriorating" situation. But UN humanitarian officials acknowledge that it will not be easy raising the record new aid funds that they are appealing for now, in an age of austerity when budgets are stretched and resources are limited. There has been criticism that governments have been slow to commit funds that they had pledged for the previous UN target. In terms of public aid donations, it seems people are more ready to contribute to appeals connected to natural disasters rather than conflicts. Britain's Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Syria crisis appeal has so far raised lb15m ($23m). The appeal continues until 20 September. According to the umbrella organisation, this is "a respectable sum" for public donations to a humanitarian appeal for an armed conflict. For example, the figure for the appeal for the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008 was lb10.5m ($16m). That for Darfur and Chad in 2007 was lb13.6m ($21m). However, these are eclipsed by the public response to DEC's appeals for the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the East Africa crisis in 2011, and the Pakistan floods in 2010, which raised lb107m, lb79m, and lb71m respectively. Governments were criticised for being slow to commit funds to the previous UN target of $1.5bn for the first six months of this year, the BBC's Nick Childs says. UN officials say most of that money - $1.2bn - has now been committed, he adds. But, in Geneva on Friday, the UN said it had revised up the amount of funding needed because of the worsening security situation in Syria. 'Masking a human tragedy'One in three Syrians is now in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator Valerie Amos said in a news conference on Friday. "Between January and April, the number of people displaced in Syria more than doubled. These are massive figures, but those figures mask a human tragedy," she added. The UN expects the number of refugees - currently more than 1.5 million - to leap to nearly 3.5 million by the end of 2013. Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters that refugee camps were currently receiving 7,000 new arrivals every day - putting huge pressure on Syria's neighbours. "Funding Syria's humanitarian needs is a matter not only of generosity but enlightened self-interest," he said. Lebanon and Jordan, which host about half a million refugees each, have joined the appeal, asking for donations of $450 million (lb289m) and $380 million (lb245m) respectively to cover the financial costs. Within Syria itself, UN officials estimate that nearly seven million people will be dependent on aid, having been forced to flee their homes. Continue reading the main storySyria's humanitarian crisis4.25m people displaced inside Syria 1.6m refugees sheltering in neighbouring countries - figure expected to more than double this year 4m Syrian children in need of humanitarian assistance Many of those within Syria have already suffered or witnessed appalling violence, lost family members and are living without food, shelter, medical care and schooling. Unicef is warning of a lost generation of young Syrians. The $5bn sought by the UN would cover only the most basic needs of people until the end of this year. Aid workers say that, even if the fighting were to stop tomorrow, Syria and its people would still need years to recover. Responding to the UN's latest appeal, International Development Secretary Justine Greening said the UK is "ready to play its role" and urged other donors to make contributions. The UK-based Save the Children charity says "money alone will not be enough", calling for greater access for aid agencies to worst affected areas of Syria as an urgent priority. Access to QusairThe UN-led appeal was launched just days after Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants regained control of the key town of Qusair after weeks of fierce fighting with rebel forces. Qusair, which lies 10km (six miles) from the Lebanese border, is a major supply route for both sides of the conflict. Hundreds of injured civilians are reported to be trapped in Qusair with little access to medical supplies, food and water. However, on Friday Russia agreed to a UN Security Council statement demanding "immediate, safe and unhindered" access to the town after blocking an earlier version of the communique. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group, said pro-Assad forces were "massing in their thousands" in the northern province of Aleppo in a bid to cut off rebel supply routes to Turkey. This follows the rebel fighters' attempted takeover on Thursday of the UN-monitored crossing in the Golan Heights separating Israeli and Syrian troops. The Syrian government forces retook the symbolically significant position just hours later, an Israeli military force said. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=342_1370618745 2cr51 Syria crisis: UN launches largest ever aid appeal Syria, Islam, destroyed, it, Islam, should, pay, to, fix, it, Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:03:24 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=235_1370617122 2cr51 7 June 2013 Last updated at 13:37 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22812743 Microsoft has clarified its position on selling and buying pre-owned titles for its new Xbox One console. Confusion arose after it appeared the company would impose a fee for playing pre-owned games, a move that was highly unpopular with gamers. The company has now said in a statement that games can be traded in, but only at "participating retailers". Games can be freely passed on to friends, Microsoft added, but only once. "Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends," the statement said. "There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. "There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once." The Xbox One will come up against Sony's new console, the PlayStation 4. Sony is yet to show off the console and has not set out its policy on pre-owned games. Its worldwide studios president, Shuhei Yoshida, told news site Eurogamer that used games would not be "blocked" on the console, but would not specify whether there would be a fee for using pre-owned titles. Always onlineThe Xbox One has also come under fire after it emerged it might have to be always online to play games. Continue reading the main story"Start QuoteAfter signing in and installing, you can play any of your games from any Xbox One because a digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud" MicrosoftMicrosoft explained on Thursday that while the console did not have to be online to play, it did need to connect at least once every 24 hours. The company said: "You can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. "Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies." This policy would "raise a few eyebrows" in the gaming community, one technology blog wrote . But Microsoft argued that these policies allow individuals greater access to their games, even if players are not on their own console. "After signing in and installing, you can play any of your games from any Xbox One because a digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud. "So, for example, while you are logged in at your friend's house, you can play your games." As the console is always on, it allows developers to create "massive, persistent worlds that evolve even when you're not playing", Microsoft said. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=235_1370617122 2cr51 Xbox One: Microsoft defends pre-owned games rules Microsoft, Xbox1, second, hand, games, corporate greed, exploitation, time, to, buy, a, Playstation?, Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:43:03 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=851_1370187416 2cr51 30 May 2013 Last updated at 04:12 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22712752 So-called killer robots are due to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council, meeting in Geneva. A report presented to the meeting will call for a moratorium on their use while the ethical questions they raise are debated. The robots are machines programmed in advance to take out people or targets, which - unlike drones - operate autonomously on the battlefield. They are being developed by the US, UK and Israel, but have not yet been used. Supporters say the "lethal autonomous robots", as they are technically known, could save lives, by reducing the number of soldiers on the battlefield. But human rights groups argue they raise serious moral questions about how we wage war, reports the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva. They include: Who takes the final decision to kill? Can a robot really distinguish between a military target and civilians? Is a ban needed to prevent robots that can decide when to kill? - first broadcast 23 April 2013 If there are serious civilian casualties, they ask, who is to be held responsible? After all, a robot cannot be prosecuted for a war crime. "The traditional approach is that there is a warrior, and there is a weapon," says Christof Heyns, the UN expert examining their use, "but what we now see is that the weapon becomes the warrior, the weapon takes the decision itself." The moratorium called for by the UN report is not the complete ban human rights groups want, but it will give time to answer some of those questions, our correspondent says. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=851_1370187416 2cr51 UN mulls ethics of 'killer robots' robot, autonomous, killing, machines, Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:34:13 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7b2_1370186885 2cr51 2 June 2013 Last updated at 15:06 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22746342 Divers will now attempt to raise the only surviving WWII Dornier 17 bomber on Sunday at 21:00 BST. A spar, attached to lifting cables and struts in the wings, will be inserted through the fuselage, which lies in 50ft of water off the Kent coast. The plan, devised by the RAF Museum, has been repeatedly hit by bad weather. The salvage attempt at Goodwin Sands was scheduled to take place at midday on Monday but the weather - currently bright sunshine and calm waters - is expected to deteriorate over the next 24 hours. Since the salvage barge - GPS Apollo - dropped anchor over the wreck on 3 May, a total of 16 days of diving have been lost and the barge has had to take refuge in Ramsgate harbour four times. Shot downThe original plan to build an aluminium frame or cradle around the fragile wreck was abandoned after it became clear it would take too long and send the lb600,000 project way over budget. Instead, divers will insert a spar along the inside of the fuselage and attach lifting cables to that and to a pair of struts, part of the original airframe, running the length of both wings. This method is riskier because it depends to a much greater degree on the structural integrity of an aircraft which has spent more than 70 years buried in sand. The Dornier 17 was a mainstay of the German bomber fleets during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The plane on the Goodwin Sands is believed to be aircraft call-sign 5K-AR, shot down on 26 August that year at the height of the battle by RAF Boulton-Paul Defiant fighters. If the wreck is successfully raised, the RAF Museum plans to undertake work to preserve it before exhibiting at the museum's main base at Hendon in north London. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7b2_1370186885 2cr51 A plan to raise a unique World War Two aircraft from the bottom of the English Channel has been brought forward by a day because of poor weather. Dornier, salvage, English channel, Hendon, UK Thu, 30 May 2013 09:30:32 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=466_1369920399 Zipper10 This one is dedicated to my Liveleaker* buddy 'OneIrishMan' Enjoy! < . . > http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=466_1369920399 Zipper10 Man saves turtle at GoodTimes 4x4s man, saves, turtle, from, disaster, gotta, love, him Thu, 30 May 2013 04:19:18 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2b9_1369901654 2cr51 ....did you know about the secret button at pedestrian crossings? Ouchlets A series on small but significant insights into disabled life. 29 May 2013 Last updated at 16:47 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-22706881 Few seem to know about this useful little device, which is surprising because in many areas of the country it can be found on every street and it saves lives. What is it? It's a small, unassuming plastic or metal cone which you can find on the underside of pedestrian crossings. When the green man lights up to show traffic should stop and it's your turn to cross, the cone starts spinning. It points downwards and has tactile ridges on it. What's it doing there? It's there for those people who can't see the lights, like visually impaired or blind people. When they feel it spinning they know they have the right of way. When crossing a road you can stand near the control box with your hand on the cone and independently know you can cross when it spins, without having to get help from a passer-by, if there is one. But I thought crossings beeped for blind people? Not all crossings make sounds. For instance, if two crossings are close to each other neither will beep in case pedestrians are misled into walking out into oncoming traffic on the wrong road. And, in any case, a tactile indicator helps deaf-blind people too. They can't hear audible signals. The cones provide the same information as the beeping signal but in tactile form. Some crossings both beep and rotate. How do people use it? Hugh Huddy is blind and works for visual impairment charities' umbrella group Vision 2020. He says he is always pleased to see a cone on a crossing but wouldn't just walk into a road because of a spinning mechanism: "An important point to make is that I wait for the cone to rotate but combine the information that it gives me with listening to the traffic on the road in front of me. You can hear whether they're changing gear or slowing down. "The cone isn't telling you it's safe to cross, it's telling you the light is on. For instance, cyclists like whizzing through crossings sometimes, even though they shouldn't." Do all crossings have cones?No. Crossings are maintained by local authorities which are not legally obliged to make them accessible. The Department for Transport says it encourages their use, though, and says that all signal-controlled crossings can have them. This includes the ones with the attractive bird related names - pelicans, puffins, toucans - and also junction crossings. Who invented them? Nottingham University took the idea to the Department of Transport, as it was known then, in the 1980s. It wasn't until 1989 that they began to appear on our streets. Interestingly, the cones still aren't built into the boxes and have to be retro-fitted by workmen. Radix, the company behind the cones, says they have sold around 10,000 units per year since 1995. What do I do with this information? You could try it out for yourself. Do as blind people do and stand at the crossing with your hand jammed under the control box waiting for the cone to spin. Beware, in winter do it with gloves on, that metal control box can be freezing cold. Information was provided by the Department for Transport and Royal National Institute of Blind People. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2b9_1369901654 2cr51 Meanwhile in the UK.... UK, disabled, safety, Wed, 29 May 2013 18:22:01 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9b9_1369865924 2cr51 29 May 2013 Last updated at 23:11 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22712411 Suspect Michael Adebowale will be charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in a street attack in Woolwich, south-east London, last week, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. Mr Adebowale, who was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, will appear before Westminster magistrates on Thursday. A second suspect, remains in hospital under police guard. A post-mortem examination into the soldier's death found he died of "multiple incised wounds". Mr Adebowale will also be charged with possession of a firearm, the CPS said. Sue Hemming, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter-terrorism Division, said: "Crown Prosecutors have been working with the investigators of Counter Terrorism Command since the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby on 22 May. "Following the release of Michael Adebowale from hospital, we have authorised the police to charge him with the murder of Drummer Rigby. "We have also authorised police to charge him with possession of a firearm, contrary to section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968. "There is sufficient evidence to prosecute Michael Adebowale and it is in the public interest to do so. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow, Thursday 30 May. The CPS said it was continuing to advise police in relation to the other suspects arrested during their investigation into Drummer Rigby's death. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9b9_1369865924 2cr51 Lee Rigby killing: Man to be charged. murder, Michael, Adebowale, Wed, 29 May 2013 14:38:28 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=057_1369852486 2cr51 29 May 2013 Last updated at 18:47 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22707483 Germany has agreed to pay an extra 800 million euros (lb685 million) to help care for Jewish survivors of the Nazi Holocaust. It is thought about 56,000 people worldwide will benefit, one third of them in Israel. The aim is to help ensure elderly Holocaust survivors can live their final years in dignity. Germany has also agreed to widen the scope of those eligible, to include people who lived in open ghettos. The Jewish Claims Conference, which represents Jews caught up in the Holocaust and their descendents, welcomed the announcement. "We are seeing Germany's continued commitment to fulfil its historic obligation to Nazi victims," said Stuart Eizenstat, the Claims Conference's special negotiator, in a statement on the organisation's website. He said the main beneficiaries would be people whose "early life was filled with indescribable tragedy and trauma". Stuart Eizenstat, of the Jewish Claims Conference, called the announcement "impressive"A German finance ministry spokesman confirmed the details of the compensation. Mr Eizenstat, who is a former US ambassador to the European Union, added that the move was "all the more impressive since it comes at a time of budget austerity in Germany". The open ghettos referred to were those without walls but where residents "lived in constant fear of deportation by the Nazis", according to the Claims Conference. The former West German government acknowledged the murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and began, in 1952, to pay compensation to Israel. Last year, the German finance ministry said it would make one-off payments worth 2,556 euros (lb2188) each to Jewish victims of the Holocaust who had still not received any compensation. Many of them live in the former Soviet Union. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=057_1369852486 2cr51 Germany to pay Holocaust victims new compensation Arbeit, Macht, Frei Wed, 29 May 2013 13:52:20 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4cb_1369849682 2cr51 29 May 2013 Last updated at 13:06 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22703379 A UN tribunal has found six former Bosnian Croat leaders guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1990s Balkan wars. They were convicted of persecuting and murdering Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) and other non-Croats in a plan to create an ethnic Croat state in Bosnia. The court in The Hague jailed Jadranko Prlic, the leader of the self-proclaimed state, for 25 years. The other five men received prison sentences ranging from 10 to 25 years. They are: Bruno Stojic - former defence minister of the breakaway Herceg-Bosna mini-state - 20 years in jail Slobodan Praljak - former militia head - 20 years Milivoj Petkovic - former militia head - 20 years Valentin Coric - former commander of Bosnian Croat military police - 16 years Berislav Pusic - ex-head of prisoner exchanges and detention facilities - 10 years The six men are now expected to appeal. 'Greater Croatia' planA three-judge panel at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted the wartime leaders by a majority decision. The judges ruled that murders, persecutions, rape and torture of Muslims "were not committed in a random manner by a few undisciplined soldiers" but were part of the plan to remove Muslims from the self-proclaimed Herceg-Bosna state in 1993-94. They also said it was a religiously-motivated campaign, describing how mosques were blown up and Muslim prisoners were forced to recite Christian prayers. Referring to the forcible expulsion of the Muslim population from the eastern part of the city of Mostar, the panel said: "Muslims were woken up in the middle of the night, beaten and forced to leave their apartments, often still in their pyjamas. Many women, including a girl of 16, were raped by HVO (Croatian Defence Council) soldiers". The aim of the Bosnian Croat campaign was to carve out an ethnic Croat mini-state, annexing it later to become part of a greater Croatia. The judges also concluded that late Croat President Franjo Tudjman was a key participant in the plan. The six defendants - who voluntarily surrendered themselves to the tribunal's custody in 2004 - showed no emotion as the court's verdict was read out. The trial - which began in 2006 - was the tribunal's longest running case, the BBC's Anna Holligan at The Hague reports. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4cb_1369849682 2cr51 Six Bosnian Croat ex-leaders convicted of war crimes Bosnia, war, crimes, Wed, 29 May 2013 13:45:53 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=64b_1369849398 2cr51 29 May 2013 Last updated at 15:48 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22697104 Buddhist youths have attacked Muslim properties for a second day in the northern Burmese town of Lashio, according to state media. Young men and boys armed with sticks have been roaming the streets in search of Muslim residents, reports say. Police said at least one person had died and Muslim-owned houses and businesses had been set alight. The clashes were sparked by rumours that a Muslim man had attacked a Buddhist woman. He was accused of dousing her with fuel and setting her on fire at a petrol station. Buildings torchedRecent months have seen a number of clashes between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Burma. The violence in Lashio, the capital of Burma's north-eastern Shan state, has spread from western and central regions where tens of thousands of Muslims have been driven from their homes. The unrest - the extent of which remains unclear - reportedly erupted when police refused to hand over to a crowd the man accused of setting the Buddhist woman alight. The woman had been taken to hospital and the man was in police custody, reports said. The authorities have imposed a curfew in the town, according to residents. The fresh outbreak of clashes on Wednesday came despite claims from the authorities that soldiers and police had restored calm. Four people were wounded in fighting that began at about 14:00 local time (07:30 GMT), presidential spokesman Ye Htut said in a Facebook post. One man was "hacked to death", he was reported as saying by the news agency AFP. Police fired guns to disperse rioters. A Muslim orphanage and a mosque were thought to be among the buildings torched. "Damaging religious buildings and creating religious riots is inappropriate for the democratic society we are trying to create,'' Ye Htut said on Facebook. "Any criminal act will be dealt with according to the law." Wave of violenceIn March, at least 43 people - mostly Muslim - died in violence that erupted after an argument at a Muslim-owned shop in the central town of Meiktila. The owner of the shop and nine other Muslims were imprisoned last month for that outbreak of violence. As yet no Buddhists have been convicted over the Meiktila clashes. Ethnic violence in Rakhine state last year left nearly 200 people dead and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. The conflict that erupted in Rakhine involved Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, who are not recognised as Burmese citizens. The communities remain largely segregated in the wake of the violence, with many displaced Rohingya Muslims living in tents or temporary camps. Human rights groups have criticised Burmese authorities for being complicit in the persecution of the Rohingya. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=64b_1369849398 2cr51 Burma Muslim-Buddhist clashes continue in Shan state Buddhist, monks, versus, Islamic, Wed, 29 May 2013 13:43:02 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2a1_1369849170 2cr51 29 May 2013 Last updated at 05:44 Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22698668 Papua New Guinea has repealed its controversial Sorcery Act but has expanded its use of the death penalty. Under legislation passed in parliament on Tuesday, killings linked to allegations of witchcraft will now be treated as murder. The death penalty will be applied to more crimes, including rape, and more methods of execution have been approved. Amnesty International condemned the move to toughen penalties. "Papua New Guinea has taken one step forward in protecting women from violence by repealing the Sorcery Act, but several giant steps back by moving closer to executions," Amnesty's deputy director for the Asia-Pacific Isabelle Arradon said in a statement. 'State-sanctioned violence'In parts of Papua New Guinea, deaths and mysterious illnesses are sometimes blamed on suspected sorcerers, usually women. But officials say accusations of witchcraft are used to justify violence. The repeal of the 1971 Sorcery Act, which acknowledged the accusation of sorcery as a plausible defence in murder cases, came after a series of brutal public killings. In February, a 20-year-old mother accused of sorcery was burned alive in a village market. Two months later, a woman accused of black magic was beheaded. Sorcery-related killings will now be treated as murder and the death penalty will be applicable, local media said. Ms Arradon called the repeal of the act "long overdue" but accused the government of "attempting to end one of form of violence by perpetrating state-sanctioned violence". Lawmakers have also approved legislation allowing the death penalty to be applied to aggravated rape - gang-rape, the use of a weapon, or rape of a child - and armed robbery, PNG's The National reported. Parliament approved several methods for applying the death penalty, the Post Courier reported, including hanging, lethal injection, firing squad and electrocution. Penalties for kidnapping, theft and white-collar crime were also toughened, with longer jail terms prescribed. The laws were tough but reflected crime levels and community demands, The National quoted Justice and Attorney General Kerenga Kua as saying. Papua New Guinea has not carried out an execution since 1954, despite parliament's decision to reintroduce the death penalty for murder in 1991. At least 10 people are currently on death row, Amnesty said. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neil announced plans to begin implementing the death penalty and to increase prison sentences for violent crimes last month, saying "draconian" measures were needed. His move followed a number of high-profile crimes in the Pacific nation, including the gang-rape of a US academic in April. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2a1_1369849170 2cr51 Papua New Guinea (PNG) repeals sorcery law and expands death penalty Execution, death, penalty, reinstated,