Palestinian medical committee concluded Arafat died of unknown poison

The head of a medical committee that investigated the death of former leader Yasser Arafat said today that the cause of death was poisoning, but declined to confirm it was the radioactive element polonium-210. During a press conference in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the tomb of Arafat, the doctor said Abdullah Al-Basheer that although it was difficult to certify that it was polonium-210, also can not rule it out in the current inquiries. The Al-Basheer statement following the decision of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, to authorize the exhumation of the remains of the founder of the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine (PLO) to determine the cause of death, at the request of his widow, Suha Arafat. A week ago, catarí channel Al Jazeera broadcast the results of an inquiry conducted by doctors of the Swiss Institute of Radiophysics, which confirmed the presence of said radioactive element belongings Suha Arafat made ​​by. The reports French hospital where he died the legendary leader on November 11, 2004 "were incomplete," said Al-Basheer, noting that a clinic gala rejected his commission coroner provide appropriate information to assist in that process. speculations of various kinds surrounded the Arafat's sudden death comes as Israel grew stronger the site to its headquarters in Ramallah, but the French doctors who treated him declared incapable of defining the causes of fatal outcome. While waiting for the day to point to exhume the remains bone buried in the complex of the Muqata, the seat of government of the ANP, the nephew of the late Palestinian leader, Nasser Al-Qidwa, today took it for granted that his uncle was killed by Israel. "We accuse Israel of killing Yasser Arafat lethal poisoning with that substance, "he told reporters in Ramallah is also president of Foundation Yasser Arafat, adding that" those responsible for this murder should be tried and punished. " He said that the institution he heads contacted the Swiss laboratory and reported no objection to analyzing samples of the remains of presidents Palestinian, if necessary.

U.S. troop ship crossing from Iran's coast

In fact the USS "Ponce" almost ready for the museum. The transport ship was launched in 1966 should be scrapped in March 2012 even. Now it provides the U.S. Navy a great strategic advantage in the conflict with Iran in the Persian Gulf. For the "Ponce" was revived - and is a multi-function base off the coast of Bahrain. As the "New York Times" reported on Thursday, the warship arrived already in the last week in the crisis area. The first mission: demining in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important transport routes for oil at all. The "Ponce" will serve as a helicopter landing pad and mine divers as the base. In addition, smaller, more agile minesweepers on the high seas to be refueled and serviced. According to "NY Times" this is only part of the tasks that the armed forces in continuous conflict with Tehran have planned for the "Ponce". Should the situation worsen, could U.S. special forces and strike forces will be housed on the ship - and the "Ponce" start out their missions. It would take only a few mobile homes, which would find easily on the long deck of the ship space. Even then, would still be sufficient space available to make the land for use on land necessary helicopter. Therefore, the "Ponce", one of the oldest ships in the U.S. fleet, upgraded complex. Now they can take advantage of the speed boats and "Black Hawk" helicopter of the special forces as a mother ship. The decisive advantage over most other warships: According to "Washington Post", the "Ponce" with its large fuel reserves to remain at sea for a long time and also provide other vessels with diesel. For years, the leadership of the U.S. special forces required for such a mobile platform at sea, which can be moved quickly to crisis regions. Officially confirmed, this double feature of "Ponce" is not. 

New base ships in the pipeline?

It would have been not only a military calculus that has accelerated the transfer of a ship in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy is the concept of operating in international waters multifunction base so convinced that they would like to order only to complete two new ships of similar design. Cost: about 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. This requires, however, the consent of Congress. Proven to be the "Ponce" now in the Iran conflict, which could improve the chances of a new building. What is new is the idea of ​​a floating base is not, however. During the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 granted the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier "Kitty Hawk" is empty and the Special Forces made him an ideal base for operations on land disposal. Originally saw the plan before games even more radical solutions. Oil drilling platforms they should be pulled together in crisis areas and connected to a giant runway in the sea. The idea was rejected: the less mobile islands would have been too easy target.

Torrential rain in Japan left at least ten victims

At least ten people were victims of floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in southern Japan. Eighteen people were missing, local media said. The main blow of the natural disaster happened on the island of Kyushu where more than forty thousand people were forced to evacuate. In some parts of the island during the last twenty-four hours, fell more than five hundred millimeters of rainfall, which is a record for the entire period of observation. In some mountainous areas were landslides with floods caused serious damage to major highways. The railway runs intermittently.

Nigeria: At least 100 dead tanker rollover

A tanker carrying gasoline overturned on the road today in the Niger Delta in Nigeria and caught fire while many people were rushing to collect the fuel, resulting in the death tousperissotera 100 people expressed fears that it will increase the number of victims as some were burned while trying to shelter in the bushes around the site. These corpses have not yet been retracted. At least 35 people were taken to hospital. "Early this morning a tanker carrying gasoline overturned in Okogkmpe and people rushed to the spot to collect the fuel had spilled.Suddenly a fire broke out thus become victims, "said Ben Ougkouegkmpoulam local police spokesman. The Ougkouegkmpoulam added that it is too early to determine the number of victims, but one witness counted 92 bodies of men, women and children.