Foreign Service Updates

--   INDIA - GEN. (RETD) VK SINGH - 'PRESSTITUTES' #India Min State - Gen (retd) VK Singh referred to media as 'presstitutes' / upset press - calling for removal of Singh Broadcast Editors' Association /BEA condemned Min State - Gen (retd) VK Singh controversial comments re media http://www.firstpost.com/politics/presstitute-comment-vk-singh-can-hate-media-but-govt-should-intervene-on-foul-language-2189647.html Broadcast Editors’ Association (BEA) the apex body of editors of news TV channels 15-member executive committee -- PANAMA - LatAm 7th Summit of the Americas - 35  Cuba delegation stormed out of event { think this was because of presence of Cuban dissenters  } Bill Clinton speaking @ civil society forum Nicaraguan delegation protested proposed inter-oceanic canal #Venezuela protesters in unions w #Cuba counterparts shout protest at  US sanctions on Venezuela Cuba dissidents, incl.  Leticia Herreria, Ladies in White, Orlando Gutierrez, Cuban Democracy & Resistance Directorate /  assaulted laying  flowers bust of Cuban indy hero Jose Marti http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2015/04/08/4230835/cuba-venezuela-tensions-rise-in.html  -- North Korea NorK says:  #Mexico has "forcibly detained" SHIP mths after ship ran aground off Mexico's Gulf coast 2014 blames US preventing rel. UN panel says: ship, Mu Du Bong, is owned by a NorK company under UN sanctions & should be "frozen" alleged ship owner - Ocean Maritime Management Co - sanctioned {claim that x2 Cuban fighter jets, missiles & live munitions in cargo of sugar found} OMM responded by simply renaming 13 of its 14 vessels to avoid detection NorthKorea - DENIES Mu Du Bong strictly a commercial ship not carrying anything prohibited by UN sanctions No relation to OMM http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/news/world/article_f192aa05-49ad-52f3-a4a8-a192b4bdad5b.html -- CANADA KILLS TWITTER GUY Newfoundland man shot dead after perceived threat tweeted at premier http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/05/man-shot-killed-by-officer-investigating-threat-against-nl-premier-report -- TURKEY - ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS Diyarbakır in Turkey  Dutch journalist Frederike Geerdink for propaganda re Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) charge of “membership of a terrorist organization” widely used in an arbitrary manner against journalists critical of authorities. source: http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=47770 TURKEY - 40 journalists are currently being prosecuted   source: http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=47770 Leading TV presenter Sedef Kabaş to stand trial for criticizing a prosecutor on Twitter.  Charged w exposing a official as TO target.  Maybe #Turkey needs to attend to terrorist problems & not persecute the press?  http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=47770 #Turkey #Germany Photographer Andy Spyra, flew to Istanbul to cover anniversary of Armenia  massacre, DENIED ENTRY https://cpj.org/2015/04/in-turkey-photographer-denied-entry-and-freelance-.php WARNING #Turkey:  increasingly hostile to international journalist -- LIBYA authorities take #Sudan general consul in Benghazi Abdel-Halim Omer into custody - unspecified location #Sudan demands swift & unconditional release of consul, describing actions as violation of  international customs. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article54557 -- May Michael Bloomberg - Honorary Knighthood Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg named an honorary knight of British Empire.  (British Embassy) http://7online.com/politics/fmr-mayor-bloomberg-named-honorary-knight-of-british-empire/642943/ -- NORTH KOREA - DEPORTATION #NorthKorea deports American for 'plot-breeding and propaganda'   / secret videos made during humanitarian trips http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1188516 -- ROMAN SELEZNEV - KIDNAPPED BY US SECRET SERVICE US Secret Service overstepped authority / arrest of Roman Seleznev in Maldives Violated USA, Maldives & interl law illegal “abduction”  - Seleznev lawyers seek dismissal  USA Secret Service knew Seleznev in Russia in 2013 DID NOT use Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty b/w USA + Russia ABDUCTED Seleznev US has no extradition treaty with Maldives / no court order Seleznev’s abduction sets a terrible precedent Will put US citizens travelling or residing in other countries at greater risk USA Secret Service disregarded Maldives’ sovereign rights concocted scheme to kidnap Seleznev outside legal system  http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/national/2015/04/08/Russian-man-s-lawyers-hacking-charges-should-be-dismissed.html -- SCAM - LEBANON Internet scammers pretend to be US ambassador to #Lebanon Tried to con Lebanese ppl out of money using social media http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Apr-09/293814-online-scammers-impersonate-us-ambassador-to-lebanon.ashx ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ OTHER NEWS -- COPYRIGHT Singapore: Singtel provides subscriber details after court order #iiDallas http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singtel-turn-over-details-over-100-subscribers-over-illegal-dallas-buyers-club-downloads SEE 2014 - Torrent Freak Copyright infringement defence IP address does not necessarily identify a PERSON http://tinyurl.com/lj8eofl