Archive for December 5th, 2012

TRIPOLI—Almost 200 Libyan prisoners have escaped from a jail in the southern town of Sabha in unclear circumstances, officials said on Wednesday.

“One hundred and ninety-seven prisoners escaped the prison of Sabha yesterday (Tuesday),” a member of the security services told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“Judiciary police, who control the prison, facilitated the escape of the detainees, the majority of them common criminals,” said the source, a former rebel in Libya’s 2011 revolution.

Supporters of Moammar Gadhafi, the former dictator who was ousted and killed during last year’s armed uprising, were also among the detainees.

Suad Ga…Keep on reading: 200 prisoners break out of Libya jail—officials
Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—Contrary to what some lawmakers said, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) acted “fast enough” in looking into recent massive investment scams, particularly the P12-billion scam perpetuated by Aman Futures Group Philippines in the Visayas and Mindanao, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said on Wednesday.

De Lima branded as “unfair” the comments made by some members of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries who castigated on Tuesday state regulators and law enforcers for not taking immediate measures to prevent the investment scam from duping more people.

“If there is an agency that acted fast enough in so far as…Keep on reading: De Lima: NBI acted promptly on Aman, Rasuman pyramid scams
Source: Inquirer.net

GENEVA—Improved early warning systems in the Philippines saved many lives as the country was ravaged by Typhoon Bopha, the United Nations office for disaster risk reduction said Wednesday.

The typhoon that slammed into the southern island of Mindanao Tuesday killed at least 274 people, while even more were reported missing, but UNISDR said the toll could have been much worse.

“This time last year, over 1,400 people died on Mindanao in a similar event, but this time big improvements in the early warning systems have saved many lives,” said Jerry Velazquez, who heads the agency’s Asia office.

About 178,000 people remained huddled in evacuation c…Keep on reading: UN hails Philippines early typhoon warning systems
Source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—Typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha) has weakened into a tropical storm as it continued to move out of the Philippine territory, the state weather bureau said Thursday morning.

Only one area remained under public storm signal, the Calamian Group of Island at Signal No. 1, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

The tropical storm was last located 350 kilometers west of Coron, Palawan, packing maximum sustained winds of 115 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 145 kph. It was moving west northwest at 13 kph.

Pablo was seen to exit the Philippine ar…Keep on reading: ‘Pablo’ weakens into tropical storm
Source: Inquirer.net