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Thu, 23 October 2014
Live! Mom of Canada suspect: I cry for victims, not son

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21:37   North Korea steps up Ebola measures, possibly bans foreign tourists
North Korea has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus into the reclusive country, state media reported Thursday, while a travel agent that specializes in North Korean tours said it has been informed that Pyongyang may ban foreign tourists from visiting.

Koryo Tours posted an announcement on its Twitter and Facebook accounts saying it has been told that no foreign tourists would be allowed into North Korea beginning Friday. It said it was not clear how long the ban would last and did not provide further details. Officials in Pyongyang had no immediate comment.
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21:36   Suspected Boko Haram fighters kidnap 25 girls from northeast Nigeria
Suspected Boko Haram militants kidnapped at least 25 girls in an attack on a remote town in northeastern Nigeria, witnesses to the attack said, despite talks aimed at freeing more than 200 other female hostages the militants seized in April.

John Kwaghe, who witnessed the attack and lost three daughters to the abductors, and Dorathy Tizhe, who lost two, said the attackers came late in the night, forcing all the women to go with them, then later releasing the older ones.
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21:35  
Mukhtar Ahmad reports from Srinagar: 

Pakistan troops on Thursday evening again violated the bilateral ceasefire targeting two paramilitary, Border Security Force posts in the Arnia sector of Jammu.   

This is the second ceasefire violation in the Arnia sector Thursday.   "Unprovoked fire of small arms at two BSF posts in Arnia sector byPakistan rangers at 5.30 pm. BSF didn't retaliate,' a senior officer of the BSF said.   

Thursday's evening violation came as prime minister, Narendra Modi concluded his Kashmir visit.   Pakistan rangers early Thursday resorted to unprovoked firing in Samba, Hiranagar, Ramgrah and Arnia sectors.   

The officer said, "Pakistan is provoking us again and again with a sole aim of spoiling the Diwali celebrations of border population. BSF is not retaliating to the targeted fire of Pakistan and maintaining a restraint," he added. 
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21:04   Mom of Canada suspect: I cry for victims, not son
The mother of the man accused of killing a soldier at Ottawa's war memorial then storming Parliament before being shot dead says she is crying for the victims of the shooting, not her son. 

In a brief and tear-filled telephone interview with The Associated Press today, Susan Bibeau said she did not know what to say to those hurt in the attack. "Can you ever explain something like this?" she said. 

"We are sorry." Investigators offered little information about the gunman in Ottawa, identified as 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.
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21:00   EU puts up 24 mn euros to find Ebola vaccine
The European Union put up 24.4 million euros today in a "race against time" to find Ebola vaccines and treatments as deaths from the disease mount in the worst affected countries. 

The funds will be fast-tracked "in order to start work as soon as possible," the European Commission said, with the latest figures showing nearly 4,900 dead and 10,000 cases in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
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20:58   Israel vows 'harshest response' to further Jerusalem attacks
Any future attacks on Jerusalem will be met with the "harshest response" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today after a deadly Palestinian car attack killed a baby. 

"Jerusalem is united and was, and always will be, the eternal capital of Israel. Any attempt to harm its residents will be met with the harshest response," he said in a statement.
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20:55   Bloody day in Pak's Quetta leaves 12 dead
A bloody day in Quetta today left at least 12 people dead and 45 others injured in a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing targeting Pakistan's top religious leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman who survived the bid on his life. 

Rehman was attacked by a suicide bomber outside a rally venue in Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan province, killing at least two people and injuring 30 others.
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20:34   'Ottawa gunman wanted to go to Middle East, seemed mentally ill'
The man who stormed Canada's government complex Wednesday, killing a soldier and sending Ottawa into an all-out panic, was a small-time criminal who recently converted to Islam and desperately wanted to move to the Middle East, according to reports.

Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the 32-year-old whose morning raid on Parliament Hill ended when a sergeant-at-arms gunned him down as he was unleashing a fusillade of bullets in the halls of Canada's federal government, had recently undergone a religious awakening that left at least one friend alarmed, the Globe and Mail reported.
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19:29   CPC promises Hong Kong's autonomy, independence of judiciary
China's ruling Communist Party today vowed autonomy for Hong Kong where pro-democracy protesters have locked horns with the city administration for over a month on the election of next Chief Executive and stop interfering in the judicial process to make it more independent.
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19:10   Goa Medical College doctor molests Russian woman
A Russian woman, who was molested on Goa beach, has alleged that she was molested again by a doctor working at the state-run Goa Medical College hospital. 

The woman has lodged a complaint with the local office of the Russian consulate giving details of her ordeal, first at the beach and later during her medical examination.
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19:09   Gunmen kill at least 30 in new C Africa attacks: UN
Gunmen have killed at least 30 people in fresh attacks this week in the strife-torn Central African Republic, UN peacekeepers said today. Several dozen people were also wounded in the attacks on the central village of Yamale on Tuesday and yesterday, with the gunmen pillaging and burning down houses, UN force MINUSCA said.
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19:05   China opposes sending North Korea to int'l court
China said today it was against referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court, dimming chances that its longtime ally will face additional scrutiny over its dismal and well-documented system of sprawling political prison camps, starvation and mass executions. 

The UN General Assembly's human rights committee is considering a resolution calling on the Security Council to refer Pyongyang to the court, a step that would mark the global community's strongest effort so far against the North's human rights record.
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18:42   Pak opposes alleged Indian bunker construction near border
Pakistan today objected to alleged construction of bunkers by Indian troops close to the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir in violation of a 2010 agreement. Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that under a 2010 agreement, both the countries cannot build such structures within 500 meter of the either side of IB between Indian Kashmir and Pakistan's Sialkot district. 

"India is constructing new bunkers, which is a violation of the agreement," she said. She alleged the Indian troops were using the fire as a cover to engage in illegal construction which is not acceptable to Pakistan. She said that Pakistan was observing restraint in response to Indian firing to avoid damage inflicted on the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). She said Pakistan has highlighted issue of unprovoked Indian firing at the United Nations and other world forums and it was now UN's responsibility to make its United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) more effective to deal with the ceasefire violations. PTI SH VG 10231811 NNNN
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18:41   Malaysian PM joins Indians for Diwali
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Cabinet members today joined thousands of ethnic Indian Malaysians here to celebrate Diwali and said festivals provide opportunity to strengthen goodwill and harmony. 

Najib clad in cream coloured kurta pajama and his wife Rosmah Mansor attended open houses hosted by the country's largest ethnic Indian-based political party, Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and the Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI).
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18:40   Saudi jails 4 women for preparing sons to wage jihad
Four women in Saudi Arabia have been jailed for preparing their sons to wage war and for supporting Al-Qaeda, official media said, in the kingdom's latest "terrorist" convictions. 

They were sentenced to between six and 10 years in prison, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday following the verdicts. It said a court convicted the women on charges including "preparing some of their sons to fight in conflict areas believing that it is required by Islam".
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17:35   PM Modi announces 570 cr housing relief for J&K
Prime Minister Modi has announced relief for the flood ravaged state of J&K.

The state will get Rs 570 crore for housing and Rs 175 crore for hospitals. 

The PM said his government will try to provide direct relief to the flood victims. 
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16:45   Omar briefs PM on flood status, seeks liberal financial help
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the status of relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood-hit state and sought liberal financial assistance from the Centre to rebuild the devastated areas. 

The Prime Minister arrived here this afternoon to spend Diwali with the flood-hit people of the Valley. He was received at the airport by Governor N N Vohra and the Chief Minister.
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16:09   6 militants killed as Pak forces continue operation
At least six militants were killed and seven others injured today in fresh clashes between security forces and militants in Pakistan's restive northwestern tribal Khyber region. 

The latest clash took place in the Sipah area of Bara Tehsil with Operation Khyber I (Khyber one) underway in the region. The operation was formally launched earlier this month.
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15:45   Rights group: Migrant workers abused in UAE homes
Many Asian and African women working as domestic workers in the United Arab Emirates say their employers beat them with sticks or cables, punched and slapped them, and there's little they can do because they're excluded from the country's labor law protections, a rights group said today. 

The abuse complaints are rampant throughout the wealthy Persian Gulf region that relies on foreign labor. The Human Rights Watch says the problem is that the migrant workers' residency is tied to their employers through a sponsorship system that prevents them easily changing jobs.
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15:42   TMC leader shot at in Basirhat rly station premises
A local Trinamool Congress leader was shot at and critically injured inside Basirhat railway station premises in North 24 Parganas district this morning. Superintendent of Railway Police, Sealdah, Utpal Naskar said Ashok Bairagi was shot in his back twice by the attacker, who managed to escape.
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14:47   Ottawa shooting: Suspected gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau
The gunman who killed a soldier at an Ottawa war memorial and rampaged through Canada's parliament before being shot dead has been widely identified as 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.

Canadian sources told local media that the government considered him a "high-risk traveller", confiscating his passport to stop him from going abroad.

Court documents show Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was convicted of several petty crimes during the early 2000s, spending several days in jail.
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14:43   Malaysia charges three with supporting Islamic State
A Malaysian court today charged three men with supporting the Islamic State after they were arrested while attempting to leave the country to join the militants fighting in Iraq and Syria. 

The charges against the trio -- an architect and a technician, both 26, and a 42-year-old trader -- come amid concerns over the group's growing influence in Southeast Asia.
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14:43   Russia detains four more suspects in Total crash probe
Russian investigators detained four more staff members today at the Moscow airport where the CEO of French oil giant Total died when his plane collided with a snow plough. 

Those detained include an intern air traffic controller, her supervisor, who was in charge of flights at the time, and the heads of the airport's air traffic controllers and runway cleaners.
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14:42   Bombing at Nigeria bus station kills 5: police
A bomb blast at a bus station in a north Nigeria area previously targeted by Boko Haram killed five people, police said today, in what appeared to be the latest crack in the government's purported ceasefire with the Islamists. 

Police in Bauchi state confirmed overnight witness reports of a huge explosion at the terminal in the town of Azare at 9:45 pm .
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14:09   Centre clears 370-acre forest land for Adanis Gondia power project
The state has ordered 148.59 hectares of forest land in Gondia district, Vidarbha to be "diverted" for the construction of a 1980 megawatt (MW) coal-based thermal power plant run by the Adani Group. 

The tract was identified for the project by the Ahmedabadbased conglomerate in 2008, but final permissions were granted by the Narendra Modiled National Democratic Alliance on August 28 this year. 

Following this decree, the state Forest Department issued an order, on October 20, mandating that the land be set aside for the power plant. 


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13:57   US to track everyone coming from Ebola nations
Federal officials working to keep Ebola from spreading into the US have ordered that all travellers who come into the US from three Ebola-stricken West African nations now be monitored for three weeks. 

Starting on Monday, anyone travelling from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will have to report in with health officials daily and take their temperature twice a day.
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13:40   Share sense of outrage with Canadian people over Parl attack: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that India, which has experienced a horrific terrorist attack on its Parliament, can share the sense of outrage among Canadian people over the attack on their Parliament and assured that his government was commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation for combating terrorism.
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13:11   PM Modi makes aerial survey of Siachen
PM Modi took a helicopter to the Siachen base camp at about 12,000 feet and made an aerial survey of the glacier before meeting Indian troops. 

Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhaag is accompanying him.Mr Modi is the first prime minister to visit Siachen in 10 years; Dr Manmohan Singh, who was prime minister for 10 years, was the last to visit the glacier in 2005.
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13:10   2 terror suspects arrested in Hyderabad
The Hyderabad police have arrested two terror suspects  who were on their way to Aghanistan. 

The two SIMI operatives are said to be from Maharashtra.  
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12:55   No sweets offered by BSF to Rangers on Diwali
In the wake of repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC, the BSF has not offered sweets to the Pakistan Rangers here today on the occasion of Diwali festival. 

"In the light of present scenario with Pakistan, this time India has decided not to offer sweets to Pakistan on the eve of Diwali Festival," BSF IG, Punjab Frontier, Ashok Kumar said.
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12:00   China to send spacecraft to moon and back
China plans to launch a new lunar mission in the next few days to test technology that is likely to be used in Chang'e-5, a future lunar probe with the ability to return to Earth. 

The experimental spacecraft is expected to reach a location near the moon and return to Earth, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (ASTIND) said.
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11:30   I'm not in CM race, says Gadkari
Union Minister and former BJP president Nitin Gadkari says he is not in the race for Maharashtra chief ministership. 

After the BJP's big win in Maharashtra, the divide in the state party unit came out in the open on Tuesday as 39 of its 44 Vidarbha MLAs took a flight from Mumbai to Nagpur and asked Union Minister and former party president Nitin Gadkari to take over as the Chief Minister. 
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11:16   'Canada will never be intimidated,' Harper says after attack
Canada's prime minister has vowed to redouble the nation's fight against "terrorist organisations" after a soldier was gunned down in the capital and parliament was stormed by an assailant. "Canada will never be intimidated," Stephen Harper told the nation in a televised address yesterday. 

"In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts and those of national security agencies to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe here at home," he said.
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11:14   Man arrested after jumping White House fence
A 23-year-old man climbed over the White House fence and was attacked by Secret Service dogs before being arrested, officials said. 

The intruder has been identified as Dominic Adesanya, 23, a resident of Bel Air in Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC. He was unarmed at the time of his arrest. This was second such incident in less than a month.
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11:07   Bangalore rape case: 1 detained
The Bangalore police that is investigating the rape of a 3-and-half-year-old girl student at a school have detained 1 staffer.   

The sexual assault on the student was confirmed by doctors on Wednesday.
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10:48   Pak violates ceasefire twice; fires at BoPs in Samba, Jammu
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistan today again resorted to firing on Border Out Posts along the International Border in the Samba and Jammu districts of Jammu and Kashmir. 

"Pakistan Rangers resorted to small-arms firing at a few BoPs along IB in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors at 0100 hours and 0400 hours today," a BSF spokesman said in Jammu. 

The BSF troops guarding the border retaliated to the action by Pakistan, he said, adding that "there was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing". 

While Ramgarh is in Samba district, Arnia is in Jammu. 

This is third ceasefire violation since yesterday when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing on the Narianpur BoP in Ramgarh sector at around 2030 hours.
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10:44   Light will prevail over darkness, says Obama on Diwali
US President Barack Obama greeted Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists across the world on the occasion of Diwali, saying it was a chance to remember that even in the midst of darkness, light will ultimately prevail. 

"I want to wish a Happy Diwali to all those who are celebrating the festival of lights here in the United States and around the world," Obama said in his Diwali message yesterday. 

In 2009, Obama became the first US president to celebrate the festival, a time of rejoicing for many in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and across the world. 

"For Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, lighting the lamp '"the diya'" is a chance to remember, even in the midst of darkness, that light will ultimately prevail. Knowledge will defeat ignorance, and compassion will triumph over despair," he said.
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09:58   Nation stands with you, PM tells soldiers at Siachen
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited Siachen to spend some time with soldiers on Diwali and convey the message there that every Indian stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them. 

He went to Siachen before travelling to Srinagar to spend time with the flood-affected people on the Festival of Lights. 

"Friends, I am leaving for Siachen Glacier. It's my good fortune that I will be able to spend time with our brave soldiers on this special day," Modi tweeted, before embarking on the visit. 

"Am going to Siachen with a message from each and every Indian to our soldiers -- that we stand shoulder to shoulder with you," he said. 

Praising the country's sentinels, Modi said, "Be it the altitude or bitter cold, nothing deters our soldiers. They stand there, serving our nation. They make us truly proud."   

After his brief visit to Siachen, Modi will travel to Srinagar to meet the flood victims.   "After the Siachen visit I will continue with my scheduled visit to Srinagar to spend time with those affected due to the recent floods," Modi said on the micro-blogging site. 

He further said, "Everyone is aware of the extreme conditions at Siachen. Overcoming every challenge our soldiers stand firm, protecting our Motherland."
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00:16   Attack on Canadian Parliament 'extremely disturbing': Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed serious concern over the attack on Canadian parliament in Ottawa, terming it as "extremely disturbing." 

"The news of attack in Ottawa is extremely disturbing. I pray for everyone's safety", Modi tweeted. 

Canada's Parliament came under attack today with a barrage of gunshots fired both inside and outside the building as a soldier was killed in the assault and a man with a rifle was shot dead by security forces.

Parliament Hill came under attack when a man with a rifle shot a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa, before seizing a car and driving to the doors of the building's Centre Block nearby.
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00:15   Blackwater guards found guilty in 2007 Iraq killings
Four former employees of the Blackwater security firm were found guilty today in connection with the 2007 shootings of more than 30 Iraqis in Baghdad that left 14 dead.

A jury in a federal court in Washington found Nicholas Slatten guilty of first-degree murder. Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

The verdicts came after a trial that lasted more than two months, and weeks of deliberations. A mistrial was declared in relation to certain counts against Heard. 

The Blackwater employees were guarding a US diplomatic convoy on September 16, 2007 in Baghdad's Nisour Square when they opened fire. 

A total of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians were killed, according to an Iraqi investigation, while a US count put the death toll at 14. The hail of gunfire also wounded 18 people. 

The killing exacerbated Iraqi resentment toward Americans, and was seen by critics as an example of the impunity enjoyed by private security firms on the US payroll in Iraq.

"People who could laugh, who could love, were turned into bloodied, bullet-riddled corpses, people who were not legitimate targets... who were no real threat to them," federal prosecutor Anthony Asuncion said during the trial. 

Blackwater, whose license to work in Iraq was revoked by Baghdad, was renamed Xe Services in 2009 and then Academi in 2011.
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00:13   Obama speaks to Harper on Canada shootings: White House
US President Barack Obama today spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the shootings that took place both inside and outside the premises of Canada's Parliament, the White House said.

Obama was also briefed by the national security team on the shootout.

"The President spoke with Prime Minister Harper moments ago," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.
Earnest said Obama was briefed earlier today in the Oval Office by his top homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco. 

"The details about the nature of this event are still sketchy, which is not unusual in a chaotic situation like this one," Earnest said. 

"The thoughts and prayers of everybody here at the White House go out to the families of those who were affected by today's shooting in Canada, as well as to the family of the soldier who was killed earlier this week," he said. 

Noting that Canada is one of the closest friends and allies of the US, Earnest said, "From issues ranging from the strength of our NATO alliance to the Ebola response to dealing with ISIL, there's a strong partnership and friendship and alliance between" the two countries. 

"The United States strongly values that relationship, and that relationship makes the citizens of this country safer," he said.
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00:12   Sweden pulls back ships as 'foreign sub' hunt draws blank
Sweden said today it was pulling back part of its navy which has been searching for a suspected Russian submarine off the coast of Stockholm for nearly a week with no vessel found.

Battleships, minesweepers, helicopters and more than 200 troops have scoured an area about 30 to 60 kilometres (20 to 40 miles) from the Swedish capital since Friday following reports of a "man-made object" in the water. 

"Some of the ships have returned to port," armed forces spokesman Erik Lagersten told reporters, adding that it was a "new phase" and not a scaling down of the operation. 

"Ground and airforce units as well as some naval units are staying in the area." 

Despite more than 100 tips from the general public since the alarm was raised, Sweden's armed forces have not located any vessel. Lagersten said the navy would nonetheless remain on high alert and flight restrictions were still in place off the coast of Stockholm in the area of the search operation.

"The intelligence gathering operation is continuing just as before.... We still believe there is underwater activity," he said. 

Sweden released a hazy photograph of what might be a mini-sub on Sunday amid widespread media speculation that a Russian oil tanker circulating for a week outside Swedish territorial water was acting as a "mother ship" to the vessel.
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00:09   WHO: Ebola responsible for more than 4,800 deaths
The World Health Organization says Ebola is now believed to have killed more than 4,800 people globally and that the spread of the lethal virus remains "persistent and widespread" in West Africa. 

In a new update issued today, WHO said there have been 9,936 probable, suspected and confirmed cases of Ebola, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. 

It said transmission remains "intense" in the capital cities and that cases continue to be underreported. 

WHO noted a lack of available beds in Ebola clinics is forcing many families to care for sick relatives at home, risking further spread of the virus. 

Liberia had the worst bed shortage, with only 23 percent of patients hospitalized in a clinic. WHO estimated 4,388 beds are still needed in West Africa.

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