Dominique Strauss-Kahn bailed for $1m and ordered to face sex trial

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was bailed for $1 million on Thursday night, after agreeing to live under house arrest with his wife at a New York flat, where he will be watched around the clock by an armed guard.

 

Anna Sinclair, wife of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, leaves Manhattan Criminal Court with daughter Camille

 

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Dominique Strauss-Kahn appears in State Supreme Court for his bail hearing on May 19 Photo: GETTY

 

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Anne Sinclair, wife of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrives for his bail hearing Photo: AP

Mr Strauss-Kahn secured his release from Rikers Island prison as it was announced a grand jury had voted to have him prosecuted for the alleged sexual attack of a 32-year-old maid in his hotel room.

In a hearing at New York supreme court, Judge Michael Obus said he would allow the 62-year-old former head of the IMF out of jail despite the fact there was a "serious risk" he would try to flee.

He warned Mr Strauss-Kahn, who was arrested at JFK airport on a flight about to take off for Paris, that the consequences would be serious "if there is the slightest problem with your compliance".

Watched by his wife Anne Sinclair, 62, who held the hand of his daughter Camille, 26, Mr Strauss-Kahn showed little sign of emotion as the judge delivered his verdict.

He must move into an apartment in Manhattan rented by his wife, and "will be monitored 24 hours, seven days a week, electronically and by at least one armed guard", the judge said.

Obama, Netanyahu face turning point

WASHINGTON — As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel heads to the White House on Friday for the seventh meeting since President Obama took office, the two men are facing a turning point in a relationship that has never been warm.

By all accounts, they do not trust each other. President Obama has told aides and allies that he does not believe that Mr. Netanyahu will ever be willing to make the kind of big concessions that will lead to a peace deal.

For his part, Mr. Netanyahu has complained that Mr. Obama has pushed Israel too far — a point driven home during a furious phone call with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday morning, just hours before Mr. Obama’s speech, during which the prime minister reacted angrily to the president’s plan to endorse Israel’s pre-1967 borders for a future Palestinian state.

Mr. Obama did not back down. But the last-minute furor highlights the discord as they head into what one Israeli official described as a “train wreck” coming their way: a United Nations General Assembly vote on Palestinian statehood in September.

Mr. Netanyahu, his close associates say, desperately wants Mr. Obama to use the diplomatic muscle of the United States to protect Israel from the vote, not only by vetoing it in the Security Council, but also by leaning hard on America’s European allies to get them to reject it as well.


Mr. Obama has indicated that he will certainly do the first. But it remains unclear how far Mr. Obama can go to persuade Britain, France and other American allies to join the United States in rejecting the move, particularly as long as Mr. Netanyahu continues to resist endorsing the pre-1967 lines.

From the day they first met, at the King David Hotel on July 23, 2008, when Mr. Obama, then the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, visited Israel, the two men have struck, at most, an intellectual bond. Mr. Netanyahu, as the leader of Israel’s conservative Likud Party, was far more comfortable with the Republican Party in the United States than with Mr. Obama, the son of a Muslim man from Kenya whose introduction to the Arab-Israeli conflict was initially framed by discussions with pro-Palestinian academics.

“Their relationship is correct at best,” said Judith Kipper, director of Middle East programs at the Institute of World Affairs. Mr. Netanyahu “likes the status quo, and he particularly identifies with conservative Republicans.”

Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League and a friend of Mr. Netanyahu’s, recalled that after the first meeting, Mr. Netanyahu walked out of the hotel and told him that he had been impressed with Mr. Obama’s intellect, and that the American presidency “was his to lose.”

22 dead in plane crash in Argentine Patagonia

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — A Sol Air Lines plane carrying 22 people crashed and exploded Wednesday in Argentina's southern Patagonia region, killing all on board.

Sol Air Lines said its Flight 5248 carrying three crew members and 19 passengers, including a baby, communicated an emergency while flying from Neuquen near the Andes to Comodoro Rivadavia along the coast of Patagonia. The company confirmed that the wreckage was found about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of the town of Los Menucos, and that local firefighers and police found no one alive.

"Unfortunately there are no survivors. We see burnt remains, everything burned," Ismael Ali, who directs the hospital in the nearest town of Los Menucos, told the Todo Noticias channel.
Sol spokesman Horacio Darre in Buenos Aires said the plane took off normally and that it's impossible to know the cause, which will be determined by accident investigators.

"It's important to clarify that right now there is no information about the cause of the crash, which will be clarified by the relevant authorities," an airline statement stressed.

Sol said it received an emergency communication from the plane at 8:50 p.m. local time, nearly halfway into the flight from Neuquen near the Andes to Comodoro Rivadavia along the coast of Rio Negro province.

The plane crashed and exploded on the rural property of a man who drove into the town of about 4,000 people to alert authorities. Los Menucos Mayor Mabel Yahuar said they would make the town's gymnasium available to support investigators and family members.

IMF Chief Resigns After Sex Attack Charges

The IMF chief charged with a sex attack on a hotel maid has resigned from his post ahead of a new bail hearing in New York.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn maintained his innocence in a formal letter to the organisation and said he was quitting with "infinite sadness".
"I think at this time first of my wife - whom I love more than anything - of my children, of my family, of my friends," he said.
"I think also of my colleagues at the fund - together we have accomplished such great things over the last three years and more.
"To all, I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all of the allegations that have been made against me."
The 62-year-old French citizen - who had been a strong contender for the country's presidency in 2012 - added he would devote "all my strength, all my time, and all my energy" to proving his innocence.

Click here to see pictures related to Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest

There had been widespread speculation over the future of Strauss-Kahn after he was arrested following the alleged attack at the Sofitel hotel in New York at the weekend.
He faced growing pressure to quit as further claims about his private life emerged – including allegations by writer Tristane Banon that he attempted to rape her in 2002.
He is due at a fresh hearing today, where his lawyers will propose $1m bail – which was earlier refused by a judge – and electronic tagging. He has also waived his extradition rights.
Strauss-Kahn is reportedly on suicide watch at New York's Rikers Island prison, although he is not believed to have attempted to harm himself.
His lawyer, William W Taylor, said on Wednesday that his client's mood was "serious but good".

Strauss-Kahn is said to be on suicide watch at Rikers Island

"He is a strong man and he's committed to seeing this through," he added.
There had been fears that without a suitable figure at the helm of the IMF, the organisation - designed to maintain stability in the world economy - could be thrown into disarray just as it attempts to tackle the eurozone debt crisis.
Among the possible candidates touted to replace Strauss-Khan is former prime minister Gordon Brown.
The IMF said it would discuss in the near future the process of selecting a new managing director. For now John Lipsky remains the acting chief.
Economics editor at The Independent Sean O'Grady told Sky News he did not think Strauss-Kahn had much choice over the resignation.
"The Americans call a lot of the shots at the IMF and once he lost their support I think it was only a matter of time and so it has been proved," he said.
Strauss-Kahn faces charges of committing a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching, all of which he denies.
The alleged victim, a 32-year-old widow from West Africa, testified on Wednesday before a grand jury.
It will decide in secret whether there is enough evidence to formally press charges.
A mugshot of Strauss-Kahn taken more than 24 hours after he was pulled from a plane at New York's JFK airport and detained on Saturday, showed him exhausted, his eyes downcast and half-closed.

Al-Qaida 'appoints temporary leader'

Al Jazeera television has reported that Al-Qaida has a new leader. The terrorist group is understood to have appointed Egyptian militant Saif al-Adel as temporary leader. Mustafa al-Yemeni, whose nationality is not known, will direct operations, according to the Arabic news service.

Former leader Osama bin Laden was shot dead by US troops at a compound in Pakistan earlier this month. US prosecutors say interim leader al-Adel helped plan bomb attacks on American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998.

Polisi waua watano

POLISI wameua watu watano na kujeruhi wengine kadhaa katika mgodi wa dhahabu wa North Mara unaomilikiwa na kampuni ya African Barrick Gold, Tarime mkoani Mara.

Habari zilizopatikana kutoka eneo la tukio na kuthibitishwa na Jeshi la Polisi zilisema tukio hilo lilitokea jana alfajiri katika eneo la Nyabirama.

Kamanda wa Polisi wa Mkoa wa Kipolisi Tarime/Rorya, Constantine Massawe, alisema askari walilazimika kutumia risasi za moto baada ya kutumia mabomu ya machozi bila mafanikio kutawanya kundi la watu waliojaribu kuingia kwa jinai na kupora mawe yenye dhahabu mgodini.

“Askari walilazimika kutumia risasi kukabiliana na watu wanaokadiriwa kuwa kati ya 800 na 1,000 waliokuwa wamevamia mgodi huo ili kuokota mawe yenye dhahabu,” alisema.

Kwa mujibu wa Kamanda Massawe, watu watatu walikufa katika eneo la tukio na wengine wawili walifia katika Hospitali ya Wilaya ya Tarime. Majina yao hayakufahamika mara moja.

Hata hivyo, Kamanda huyo alitaja baadhi ya majina ya majeruhi waliolazwa hospitalini hapo kuwa ni Francis Emmanuel (20) mkazi wa kijiji cha Kewanja, Chacha Mwasi (23) mkazi wa kijiji cha Bisarwi wilayani Tarime na Mwikwabe Marwa (30) mkazi wa Mugumu wilayani Serengeti.

Alidai kwamba polisi wawili waliofika eneo la tukio walijeruhiwa kwa mawe yaliyokuwa yakirushwa kwa kombeo.

Akizungumzia tukio hilo kwa simu kutoka Dar es Salaam, Mbunge wa Tarime, Nyambari Nyangwine (CCM), alilaani mauaji hayo na kuahidi kuchukua hatua.

Alilaani matumizi ya nguvu kubwa yaliyofanywa na polisi kukabiliana na wananchi waliojaribu kuvamia mgodi.
“Ninalaani sana kitendo cha askari kutumia nguvu kubwa ya kuua na kujeruhi wananchi kwa tuhuma za kuvamia mgodi. Nitachukua hatua kali dhidi ya wote waliohusika katika tukio hilo la kusikitisha,” alisema Nyangwine bila kutaja aina hiyo ya nguvu alizoahidi.

Kamanda Massawe alisema ofisi yake inakusudia kuitisha mkutano maalumu wa viongozi wa mgodi wa dhahabu wa North Mara na wakazi wa vijiji vilivyo jirani kutafuta ufumbuzi thabiti wa matukio ya uvamizi na mauaji ambayo yamekuwa yakitokea mgodi hapo.

Alitoa wito kwa wananchi kuepuka vitendo vya uvamizi na uporaji mali katika mgodi huo kwa vile unamilikiwa kihalali na kampuni ya African Barrick Gold.

Wimbi la matukio ya uvamizi, uporaji mawe yenye dhahabu na mauaji ya watu katika mgodi wa dhahabu wa North Mara limeendelea kuwepo, huku baadhi ya askari, walinzi na wafanyakazi wa mgodi huo wakituhumiwa kupokea rushwa ya fedha na kuruhusu watu kuingia kuokota mawe yenye dhahabu.

Ajali ya basi yaua 16 Geita

ABIRIA 16 wamefariki dunia na wengine 120 wamenusurika baada ya mabasi mawili kugongana mkoani Shinyanga.Mabasi hayo yaligongana jana asubuhi katika Kijiji cha Kibingo, Kata ya Nyamigota wilayani Geita, moja likitokea Musoma kwenda Bukoba na jingine Mwanza likielekea Biharamulo. Kati ya abiria hao 120 walionusurika, zaidi ya 60 walipata majeraha. Taarifa zilizopatikana kutoka wilayani Geita na kuthibitishwa na Mkuu wa Wilaya hiyo, Philemon Shelutete na Mganga Mkuu wa Wilaya, Dk Abdalah Dihenga zimeeleza kuwa ajali hiyo ilitokea saa 3:20 asubuhi. Akizungumza kwa simu jana, Shelutete aliyataja mabasi hayo kuwa ni la Kampuni ya Mabasi ya Bunda lililokuwa likitokea Mwanza kuelekea Bukoba na basi la Sheratoni ambalo lilikuwa likitokea Biharamulo kwenda Bukombe.Shelutete alidai kuwa ajali hiyo ilitokea kwa uzembe baada ya dereva wa basi la Sheratoni kulazimisha kulipita roli aina ya Fuso mali ya kampuni ya vinywaji baridi Nyanza Bottling Ltd ya jijini Mwanza, ndipo likagongana na basi la kampuni ya Bunda. Kaimu Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Mwanza, Nonosius Komba alithibitisha kutokea kwa ajali hiyo na kusema kwamba wakati huo alikuwa akielekea eneo la tukio. Dk Dihenga alisema awali walipokea maiti za watu wanane na kwamba hadi kufikia saa 7:00 mchana walikuwa na maiti 16. "Mpaka sasa tuna idadi kubwa ya majeruhi wa ajali hiyo, wanaendelea kutibiwa na madaktari wetu, lakini kati yao majeruhi sita hali zao ni mbaya hivyo tumelazimika kuwakimbiza katika Hospitali ya Rufaa ya Bugando kwa matibabu zaidi na wengine tumewahamishia Hospitali Teule ya Sengerema kwa matibabu," alisema Dk Dihenga.

Strauss-Kahn arrest: IMF head detained at Rikers Island

IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been remanded in custody at New York's notorious Rikers Island jail on charges of sexual assault.

The judge said Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was a flight risk. He was arrested on Saturday after boarding a plane and accused of trying to rape a hotel maid.
He faces seven charges and could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.
Mr Strauss-Kahn, who had been seen as a favourite in France's 2012 presidential elections, denies the charges.
His lawyer expressed disappointment at bail being denied, but said his client would be exonerated.
"This battle has just begun," defence lawyer Benjamin Brafman told the court.
Mr Strauss-Kahn had been due to attend an EU finance ministers' meeting in Brussels to discuss financial bail-outs.
The IMF has played a central role in organising rescue packages for the troubled economies of Portugal and Greece.
The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says the IMF chief has gained the trust of countries in Europe which are giving financial assistance, and those which are receiving it.
The European Union says the scandal should not affect bail-outs for eurozone countries.

"Mwanafunzi" anusurika kifo Chuo Kikuu cha Tumaini

Kijana mmoja ambaye jina lake halikuweza kufahamika mara moja alinusurika kifo baada ya kushambuliwa vikali na wananchi wenye hasira kali Katika eneo la Chuo Kikuu cha Tumaini, Iringa. Kijana huyo alijifanya Mwanafunzi na kuingia katika darasa mojawapo chuoni hapo na kuiba simu ya mkononi. Arobaini ya kijana huyo ilifika pale ambapo alijaribu kukimbia na kuanguka sehemu yenye mawe na matofali ambayo baadae yangesababisha kifo chake. Baada ya kipigo kibaka huyo alirudisha simu ambayo alikuwa ameiba.

Hata hivyo Polisi waliwahi kufika katika eneo hilo na kuokoa maisha ya kijana huyo aliyekuwa amejifanya mwanafunzi.

Awali ilisemwa kuwa vibaka wamekuwa wakifika eneo la chuo na kuiba mali za aina mbali mbali zikiwemo kompyuta, Projector, na vifaa vingine mali za wanachuo na chuo kikuu cha Tumaini.

UPDATED INFO:: Olympic Marathon Champion Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya dead at 24

Nyahururu, May 16 – World Olympic Marathon Champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru has died after falling off a balcony at his Nyahururu home. Police report says the athlete fell from his 2nd floor house after a domestic quarrel with his wife.
Nyandarua County OCPD Jasper Ombati said the deceased returned home last evening at around 11:00 p.m. in the company of a girlfriend and when his wife Trizah Njeri Kamau enquired who the woman was, a heated quarrel ensued during the incident.
The wife run away from their master bedroom and as her husband run after her, she locked the stair-case door prompting Wanjiru to look for an alternative way out before his wife escape from their home compound.
Wanjiru proceeded to the balcony and jumped from the house about six meters down to catch up with his wife.
Unfortunately he badly fell on the cemented floor and sustained serious head injuries.
According to the OCPD, officer who were called respond immediately and took him to the Nyahururu district hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
He added that the un-named girlfriends has sinced been picked to the Nyahururu police station where she is being locked in while Kamaus wife and night watchaman Stephen Maigua have recorded police statement and are also helping with investigations.
Wanjiru was scheduled to appeal before a Nyahururu court on Monday next week for a case in which he is implicated with possession on unlicensed firearm.
Last December, he was arrested at his home in Nyahururu and charged with threatening his wife, striking a security guard, and possessing an illegal AK-47 rifle.
Wanjiru was released on bail, and his wife later withdrew her charges against him, but he still faced the weapons charge, however.
In January, Wanjiru was also involved in a car accident on the Nairobi-Nyahururu road, rolling his four wheel drive vehicle several times trying to avoid an oncoming truck.
He avoided serious injury in the incident, but later withdrew from April’s Virgin London Marathon with a knee problem.
Wanjiru won the Olympic marathon title in Beijing in 2008. His other marathon victories included Chicago in 2009 and 2010, Fukuoka in 2007, and London in 2009.
Wanjiru was the World Marathon Majors points champion for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons, and had a career best time of 2:05:10. He was also the former world record holder for the half-marathon.
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Sammy Wanjiru 

Olympic Marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya has died, apparently from a fall from a balcony at his home. The news was reported to Race Results Weekly in a telephone call by Shadrack Biwott, the former University of Oregon Duck who had spoken to his brother, marathoner Duncan Kibet, in Kenya.

“He jumped out of a balcony and they tried to revive him, but he didn’t make it,” said Biwott.
Federico Rosa, Wanjiru’s manager, confirmed his client’s death via a text message. No other details about his death are available at this time.
Wanjiru won the Olympic marathon title in Beijing in 2008 with an Olympic record performance of 2:06:32. His other marathon victories included Chicago in 2009 and 2010, Fukuoka in 2007, and London in 2009. Wanjiru was the World Marathon Majors points champion for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons, and had a career best time of 2:05:10. He was also the former world record holder for the half-marathon with a 58:33 personal best.
After winning last October’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a thrilling sprint finish over Ethiopian Tesgaye Kebede, Wanjiru faced several difficulties.
Last December, he was arrested at his home in Nyahururu and charged with threatening his wife, striking a security guard, and possessing an illegal AK-47 rifle. Wanjiru was released on bail, and his wife later withdrew her charges against him, but he still faced the weapons charge, however.
In January, Wanjiru was also involved in a car accident on the Nairobi-Nyahururu road, rolling his four wheel drive vehicle several times trying to avoid an oncoming truck. He avoided serious injury in the incident, but later withdrew from April’s Virgin London Marathon with a knee problem.
American marathoner Ryan Hall reacted to the news of Wanjiru’s death on Twitter, posting, “Incredibly sad news about Sammy. I am shocked and saddened.”