Armed gangs lead violent attack at the Central University of Venezuela
On Thursday, a students' march from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) intended to arrive to the Economic Vice presidency office in La Campiña, Caracas, to protest against shortage and economic crisis. State security forces prevented demonstrators from getting out of the university campus. In addition, armed gangs attacked the university and the students
FORT HOOD, Texas: A US soldier with mental health issues shot dead three people and injured at least 16 on Wednesday before taking his own life at an Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, the site of another deadly rampage in 2009, US military officials said. The soldier, who was being treated for depression and anxiety, went to two buildings on the base and opened fire before he was confronted by military police, Fort Hood commanding officer Mark Milley said. The gunman, whose motive remains unknown, then shot himself in the head with a .45-caliber pistol, he added. "At this time there is no indication that this incident is related to terrorism," Milley told a news conference. The rampage is the third shooting at a military base in the United States in about six months. It comes amid a broader national debate over the extent of gun control regulations after a series of shootings in public places, such as schools and malls. Security officials said preliminary information identified the gunman as Ivan Lopez but Milley declined to identify the shooter, who is married, until his family was notified. The suspect's wife was cooperating with law enforcement, a Federal Bureau of Investigation official said, according to CNN. The shooter had served for four months in Iraq in 2011, Milley said, and was also undergoing evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder. The Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas, where some of the wounded were taken, said nine patients were in intensive care, three in critical condition. Other victims were taken to Fort Hood's Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, nearby where the shooting occurred. U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "heartbroken" that another shooting had occurred at the Fort Hood Army base. "We are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened," Obama said. "We're heartbroken that something like this might have happened again." The latest shooting at Fort Hood is throwing a spotlight on the U.S. military's so-far frustrated efforts to secure its bases from potential shooters, who increasingly appear to see the facilities as attractive targets. The shooting started at about 4 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) and put Fort Hood on immediate lockdown. Milley said the shooter walked into one of the unit buildings, opened fire, then got into a vehicle and fired from there. He then went into another building and opened fire again, until he was engaged by Fort Hood law enforcement. When confronted by a female military police officer, he killed himself with his semi-automatic weapon in the parking lot. "He was approaching her at about 20 feet. He put his hands up, then reached under his jacket, pulled out the (.45) and she pulled out her weapon and then she engaged, and he then he put the weapon to his head," Milley said. One of the buildings housed medical brigade day-to-day operations and the other, nearby, served the administration of the transportation battalion. All the killed and wounded were military personnel. As soon as the shooting broke out, police secured the base perimeter, emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, helicopters circled Fort Hood and officers went from building to building searching for the shooter. "We're camping out. ...The only guidance we've been given is to hunker down," a Fort Hood soldier who answered the phone at a building near the shooting told the Austin American-Statesman. Central Texas College ordered an immediate evacuation of all students and staff and canceled classes at its Fort Hood campus. "It's a terrible tragedy. We know that. We know there are casualties, both people killed and injured," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said. The violence echoed the rampage of 2009, when a former Army psychiatrist shot dead 13 people and wounded 32 others in a shooting spree at Fort Hood, a base from where soldiers prepare to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. In February, the US military demolished the building where Hasan went on a shooting spree. It will plant trees, install a gazebo and mark the site with a remembrance plaque for the victims, the base said. In September, a gunman opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 and wounding four before being slain by police. Last month, a civilian shot dead a sailor aboard a ship at a US Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia. Hagel, pressed about the military's so-far frustrated effort to secure its bases from potential shooters, said the latest incident at Fort Hood showed that there were problems that still needed to be addressed. The latest tragedy shows something is not working and needs to be fixed, he said. Just last month, he ordered steps to improve Pentagon security after reviews found the Navy Yard shooting could have been averted if the gunman's mental health had been properly handled.
CAIRO: Two bombs targeting security posts near Cairo University exploded in quick succession on Wednesday killing a police general, followed by a third blast as police and journalists gathered at the scene.
An assistant interior minister was wounded in the double bombings, police said. Witnesses said the explosions sent up a cloud of smoke and dust near the campus in the center of the Egyptian capital, the scene in the past few months of repeated clashes between armed students and police. The third bomb went off near the site of the first explosions, close to the campus main gates, where police investigators and journalists had gathered following the first blasts. It caused no injuries, the official MENA news agency reported. The attack was the latest by militants targeting security forces following President Muhammad Mursi’s overthrow in July. It came less than a week after the military chief who overthrew Mursi, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, said he was quitting the army to run in presidential elections in May, vowing to wipe out “terrorism.” The first two rudimentary bombs also wounded five policemen, the Interior Ministry said, identifying the slain officer as Brig. Gen. Tarek Al-Mergawi. A police general at the scene told AFP that the bombs were concealed in a tree between two small police posts. “I was waiting for the bus when I heard two explosions. There was dust in the air and policemen were screaming,” said a witness. Maj. Gen. Abdel Raouf Al-Serafi, an assistant interior minister, was among the wounded, police officials said. The government says militants have killed almost 500 people, most of them policemen and soldiers, in attacks since Mursi’s overthrow amid a deadly crackdown on his supporters. The government generally blames Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood for the violence, although the deadliest bombings and shootings have been carried out by the Al-Qaeda inspired Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis group, based in Sinai. The Brotherhood, now decapitated with Mursi and much of its leadership in jail, has been designated a terrorist group in Egypt. Some of its top leaders have relocated to London, where British Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered a probe into the group’s activities. Militants are expected to increase their attempts after Sisi announced his candidacy for the election in late May, which he is likely to win.
Fort Hood has confirmed there is an incident on post at Fort Hood. Police are on scene that started around 4:25 p.m. local time near the transportation motor pool.
KENS 5's sister station KVUE has confirmed there is an active shooter on post. All personnel have been asked to shelter in place.
Around 20 rounds were shot outside but then the shooter went in to the medical brigade building, according to a soldier on post at Fort Hood. The soldier said there appeared to be some sort of standoff happening.
A CBS affiliate in Waco says there casualties but KENS 5 has not independently confirmed that information.
The Metroplex Hospital in Killeen has been placed on standby, according to KENS 5's sister station KVUE.
Central Texas College in Killeen is evacuating its campus and all evening and night classes have been canceled for the rest of the day, according to KVUE.
A soldier on post told KENS 5 he saw at least one person get hit.
lebanese journalists and activists hold placards to show their solidarity with detained Al-Jazeera staff in Egypt. Photograph: Wael Hamzeh/EPA
Media organisations around the world have taken part in a day of protest against the detention of Al-Jazeera staff in Egypt.
The international day of action was sparked by the imprisonment of three al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt: Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. Two other al-Jazeera reporters, Abdullah Al-Shami and Mohammed Badr, have also been detained in Egypt since last year. Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed will now stand trial accused of conspiring to tarnish Egypt’s international reputation.
Protesters gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square and in other cities around the world including Beirut, Cairo and Berlin to voice their concern. They also tweeted their support by using the #FreeAJStaffhashtag.
Al-Jazeera organised a “thunderclap” on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblrfor 2pm GMT in which web users were encouraged to publish a picture of themselves with a sign reading “#FreeAJStaff”. According to its website, this reached more than 3 million people around the world.
Below are some of the messages and photographs that appeared on Twitter in support of the imprisoned journalists. You can add your support by using the #FreeAJStaff hashtag – or contact MediaGuardian via Twitter to add your image to the tweets below.
