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Blast at British base in Cyprus injures police officer
by Staff Writers
Nicosia (AFP) June 13, 2017


FARC weapons being surrendered at 'very fast rate'
La Elvira, Colombia (AFP) June 13, 2017 - Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels handed in rifles and grenade launchers Tuesday in what were described as meaningful strides toward a deadline for a total surrender of arms within one week.

The weapons, including pistols, were given to UN officials as part of a deal to end a half-century of war. It was thought to be the first time the group's stowed weapons have been seen.

Around 60 percent of the FARC's weapons are due to be handed over by Wednesday, and the remainder -- to be stored at 26 sites around the country -- are due to be surrendered on June 20.

"Demobilization is being achieved at a very fast rate," President Juan Manuel Santos said.

The peace accord was reached in August last year but Colombian voters rejected it by a narrow margin in a referendum a few months later. Some argued the accord went too easy on the rebel force.

Santos and FARC leaders then drafted a new version before the government pushed it through Congress.

The Colombian conflict erupted in 1964 when the FARC and the ELN -- a smaller rebel group -- took up arms for rural land rights.

The violence drew in various rebel and paramilitary forces and drug gangs as well as state forces.

The conflict has left at least 260,000 people dead and displaced more than seven million, according to the authorities.

A small explosion outside a police station at a British base in Cyprus injured a policeman on Tuesday, authorities said, adding that it was being treated as a criminal incident.

The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday on the Dhekelia British military base near the southern coastal town of Larnaca.

"There was an explosion at around 3:10 in the morning outside the entrance to the police station, a police officer suffered minor cuts," British Forces Cyprus spokesman Kristian Gray told AFP.

"The building suffered no structural damage, just a broken window," he added.

The British military ruled out a terrorism connection, saying "this is being treated as a criminal incident".

The scene was cordoned off as investigations were carried out.

An official source told AFP that the blast was caused by someone throwing a grenade over the perimeter fence while riding on a motorcycle.

There was speculation that the incident could be related to illegal bird trapping, with base police involved in a recent crackdown.

One informed source said the blast came after the court delivered "hefty fines to illegal bird trappers".

More than two million migratory birds are slaughtered each year on Cyprus due to the illicit but lucrative trade.

The birds are served secretly at restaurants on the island as a traditional dish called ambelopoulia.

Britain retains sovereignty over some 99 square kilometres (38 square miles) of territory on Cyprus, which was ruled by the British until 1960.

There are over 7,000 military personnel and dependents stationed on Cyprus while 1,300 locals are employed by the Bases. Thousands of Cypriots also live inside territory controlled by the bases administration.

WAR REPORT
Mattis 'shocked' by US military readiness
Washington (AFP) June 13, 2017
Pentagon chief Jim Mattis told lawmakers Monday he was "shocked" by the state of the US military's readiness, blaming legal budget caps and the grind of 16 years of constant war. The defense secretary also warned that North Korea has become the most urgent threat to peace and security, and said - without giving details - that America must do things differently in Afghanistan. Pointing ... read more

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