Norway struck by 2 deadly attacks

(CNN) -- A 32-year-old Norwegian man was in custody, officials said Friday, after two attacks earlier in the day that killed at least 17 people -- attacks police said are definitely linked.
The first attack occurred when a massive bomb erupted in the heart of Oslo; the second occurred at the ruling Labour Party's youth camp on an island outside the capital.
At least seven people were killed in Oslo, and 10 were killed on Utoya Island, about 20 miles away, officials said.
Police spokesman Are Frykholm told CNN that the man arrested on the island appeared to match the description of a person who was seen near the government buildings shortly before the bomb erupted.

The man was wearing a police emblem on his blue sweater, though he does not work for police, Frykholm said.
At least 10 people were seriously wounded in the Oslo explosion, he added.
Oslo University Hospital reported receiving 11 people wounded by the attack in the capital and eight others wounded in the camp shooting.
The prime minister, whose office was badly damaged in the Oslo blast, leads Norway's Labour Party, which runs the youth camp, where about 700 people were in attendance on Friday.
People at the camp said the man arrived Friday on the boat that ferries visitors across the 3/4-mile of water from the mainland and told campers that he was carrying out a security check, Labour Party member Bjorn Jarle Roberg-Larsen told CNN.
"After just a few minutes, he took a handgun and started to shoot people," Roberg-Larsen said. "A panic broke out; people tried to hide; some jumped into the water and tried to swim ashore."
Others took shelter in caves or bushes or climbed trees. "And he went after them," the party member said. "Unfortunately, a lot of people are wounded and also a lot of people are dead."
The acting national police chief, Sveinung Sponheim, told reporters in Oslo that the gun was an automatic weapon and that undetonated explosives were found on the island after the attack.
The vast majority of the Labour Party youth movement attendees were between the ages of 16 and 22, though some were as young as 13 and others as old as their early 30s, Roberg-Larsen said. They had been planning to attend political training classes and participate in group activities during the day and sleep in tents at night, he said.
Citing Norwegian broadcasters, he said that the man was stopped by Norwegian police.
Though casualty figures were not clear, Roberg-Larsen said the nearest hospital was asking donors to give type O blood, the most common type.
"It's a bad day for Norway," he said. "We have never had any terrorist attack on Norwegian soil before. Today, we have had two. So people are completely shocked."
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store, a Labour Party member, said he had visited the camp on Thursday. "There was political discussion, there was joy, there was everything that is associated with a political youth camp."
He said that the fact that the suspect is a blond Norwegian man should underscore the importance of allowing police to do their work before drawing any conclusions. "We've seen in Europe in recent years that politicians have been jumping to conclusions about suspects before investigations have been conducted, and we will not commit that error."
Friday's events will have an enduring influence on Norway, but will not fundamentally change the country or what it stands for, he predicted.

"Today, free government was attacked, freedom of association was attacked, the spirit of youth was attacked. But we will kick back and say that these are values that are dear to us, and we intend to defend them and Norway will be recognizable tomorrow as the Norway our friends and partners around the world have known so far."
Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang said it was a "terrible day" for Norwegians.
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was not in his office at the time of the blast and was not hurt, officials said.
Nick Soubiea, an American-Swedish tourist in Oslo, said he was fewer than 100 yards from the blast, which he described as deafening. "It was almost in slow motion, like a big wave that almost knocked us off our chairs," he told CNN. "It was extremely frightening."
He said the streets filled with people trying to get away from the city center. "There are people running down the streets, people crying, everyone's on their cell phones calling home," he said.
Several buildings in Oslo were on fire, smoke billowing from them, he said.
Walter Gibbs, a journalist with Reuters, said one explosion appeared to have occurred on an upper floor of a main government building; every window on the side of the building had been blown out.
The blast also severely damaged the Oil Ministry and left it in flames, he said.
A U.S. official said it was too soon to tell what caused the explosion or whether it was a terrorist attack. The possibility of terrorism is always a concern because of the ongoing threat from al Qaeda to launch attacks in Europe, the official said.
But others appeared to have concluded that it was indeed terrorism.
In brief remarks to reporters from the Oval Office, U.S. President Barack Obama extended his condolences to the victims of the violence in Norway, saying the incidents are "a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring."
Heide Bronke, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said Washington was monitoring the situation but did not have any word of U.S. casualties.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned the attacks.
"We condemn all acts of terrorism," he said. "The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Norway and all our international allies in the face of such atrocities."
British Ambassador to Norway, Jane Owen, told CNN she was working in the embassy when she felt the blast three miles away. "The whole building shook here in the embassy," she said. "It was quite a sizeable explosion and a huge shock. ... The results demonstrate that it was a very large bomb."
She added, "As we have all experienced, you can never be totally prepared for the horror and the tragedy that unfolds when you do have a major terrorist incident and that is, unfortunately, what the people of Oslo and Norway are now having to cope with."
Stoltenberg, who has been prime minister since October 2005, heads a coalition government comprising the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party.

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Pope John Paul II to be beatified May 1, 2011

Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree on Friday attributing a miracle to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God, Pope John Paul II, clearing the way for his beatification, which is to take place this coming May 1^st.
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Angelo Amato, shared more details about the Decree and the coming beatification with the director of Vatican Radio’s Italian section, Roberto Piermarini.

RP: Your Eminence, the Pope has approved the publication of certain decrees on three miracles, one martyrdom and the heroic virtues of five Servants of God. Among all of these, there stands out the decree on the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable John Paul II. Which scenarios are open now? 
Cardinal Amato: Certainly, the decree on the miraculous cure of Sister Marie Simon Pierre Normand, attributed to the intercession of the great Pope a few months after his death, is what will most resound in the Church and the world, owing to the great reputation for sanctity enjoyed by Pope John Paul II. This decree opens the way for his beatification, which will take place in Rome this coming May 1, the first Sunday after Easter: Divine Mercy Sunday. 
RP: Can you tell us about the course that the cause of the great Pope has taken? 

Cardinal Amato: I must say that this case had two facilitations. The first concerns the Papal dispensation of the 5-year waiting period before opening a cause, and the second was the placing of the cause on a “fast track” that by-passed the waiting list. There were, however, no corners cut with regard to the rigor and accuracy of procedure. The case was treated like any other, following all the steps prescribed by the law of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On the contrary, if I may speak further to one of my first observations: precisely in order to honor the dignity and the memory of this great Pope, to avoid any doubt and overcome any difficulties, the case was subjected to particularly careful scrutiny. 
RP: What more can you tell us about the miracle? 

Cardinal Amato: The miracle is the cure of French Sister Marie Simon Pierre from Parkinson’s. The disease was diagnosed in 2001 by her physician and by other specialists. Sister received proper treatment, which was not, however, apt to cure the disease, but only to attenuate her pain. At the news of the death of Pope John Paul II, who had suffered from the same disease, Sister Marie and her companions began to invoke the deceased Pontiff, asking him for healing. On June 2, 2005, tired and overwhelmed by the pain, Sister Marie made her intention to be released from professional work known to her religious superior. Her superior, however, invited Sister Marie to trust in the intercession of John Paul II. Sister Marie then retired for the night, which she passed quietly. On awakening she felt healed. Her pains had disappeared, and she felt no stiffness in her joints. It was June 3, 2005, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sister Marie immediately interrupted her medical treatment and saw her doctor, who could only confirm that Sister Marie had been healed. 

RP: There are other figures in the list today [Friday]? 

Cardinal Amato: In addition to Pope John Paul II, there is a figure of great cultural significance: Prof. Giuseppe Toniolo, a father, professor of Economics at the University of Pisa and a great exponent of Italian social Catholicism; there is the moving story of the brutal martyrdom of five Bosnian Catholic women religious of Institute of the Daughters of Divine Charity, who were killed in hatred of the faith simply because they were engaged in the rescue of children and the poor. The beatification of these servants of God, and also of the venerable Mother Antonia Maria Verna, foundress of the Institute of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea, is imminent. 
RP: Regarding the other Decrees? 

Cardinal Amato: The other decrees concern the heroic virtues of the Sicilian Antonio Franco, Prelate of St. Lucia del Mela, the German Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan, founder of the Salvatorians, the American priest Nelson Baker; the Spanish adolescent, Faustino Pérez-Manglaro, postulant of the Society of Mary; finally, the Brazilian Beguine Francesca de Paola of Jesus, who spent her life in prayer and the exercise of charity toward the poor. They are all fascinating figures whose reputation for holiness is widespread in their countries of origin, who offer examples of gospel witness that are extremely relevant to our contemporary world.

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Chinese Leaders Surprised by Fighter Test During Gates Visit

A senior U.S. defense official says China’s civilian leaders did not know about Tuesday’s first flight test of the country’s new fighter jet, when U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked about it during a meeting with President Hu Jintao.
The situation raised concerns among U.S. officials, coming during the secretary’s high-profile visit and just a week before President Hu meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said when Secretary Gates asked about the test during a meeting with President Hu Tuesday afternoon, "it was clear that none of the civilians in the room had been informed." President Hu is a civilian, and he is also chairman of the country’s Central Military Commission.

Secretary Gates did not mention President Hu’s surprise, but he did talk to reporters of his concerns about a possible disconnect between China’s civilian and military leaders, and the possibility that the Chinese military sometimes acts independently.

"I’ve had concerns about this over time and frankly it’s one of the reasons I attach importance to a dialogue between the two sides that includes both civilians and militaries," Gates said.

During this visit, Gates proposed a bilateral civilian-military strategic dialogue, but Chinese officials only promised to study the idea. Gates said he hopes to reach agreement on the dialogue during the first half of the year.

Gates said President Hu assured him the timing of the fighter test was not related to his visit, and the secretary said he takes the president at his word. But answering a reporter’s question, Gates indicated he thinks it would have appropriate to delay the test. And the decision for another senior official to report President Hu’s surprise indicates the American delegation was angered by the timing.

This latest problem comes as U.S. and Chinese officials have been trying to put their defense relationship in a positive light, in spite of ongoing disagreements.
Gates said Chinese officials indicated they will not again freeze working-level defense talks and exchanges to protest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan or other policies with which they disagree. But he said high-level visits like this one could be affected. And Gates publicly recognized China’s concerns about the arms sales, saying the United States might be willing to reduce them in the future if tensions ease between Taiwan and the mainland.

On Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, again called on the United States to respect China’s sovereignty in order to safeguard the defense relationship. Hong called for "effective and concrete measures" to avoid instability in U.S.-China defense relations, an apparent reference to China’s desire for the Taiwan arms sales to stop.

In spite of the clear ongoing tension, Secretary Gates described his Beijing talks as "very positive," but he cautioned that improving U.S.-China defense relations will take time.

"This is an arena where we have to play the long game," Gates said. "This is not an area where I think you will see dramatic breakthroughs or big headlines, but rather the evolutionary growth of relationships and activities together."

Gates said he hopes the strategic dialogue he proposed will improve the two countries’ understanding of each other’s intentions and strategy, as China continues its rapid military growth and the United States takes steps to counter it.
But Gates added he is not seeking arms control talks specifically. He said he wants a steady defense relationship, like the U.S.-China intelligence relationship with which he said he was associated when he was in the Central Intelligence Agency.

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Former Nigerian President Optimistic About Ivory Coast Mediation

In an effort to diffuse the tense situation in the Ivory Coast, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo met with both incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and former prime minister Alassane Ouattara in what he called a "process of exploration." He told reporters in Abidjan that he is optimistic about the process, but will not rule out force to remove Mr. Gbagbo.



"When you have a problem you must consider all possible solutions and you must adopt the most realistic, the most effective, the most cost-effective solutions," Mr. Obasanjo said.

Mr. Obasanjo was here as part of a mediation effort by West African leaders who are considering a regional military force against Mr. Gbagbo if he does not hand power over to Mr. Ouattara, who is the internationally-recognized winner of November's vote.

But the unanimity of that regional approach has been undermined by Ghana's president, John Atta Mills, who is refusing to take sides in the crisis and says he will not contribute troops to a regional force because he does not believe a military operation will work.

"It is not for Ghana to choose a leader for Cote D'Ivoire, but Ghana should support any measures to implement the democratic ideals that we all cherish," Mills said.

The president says Ghana's forces are already over-stretched and taking part in a regional force could endanger the lives of Ghanaian civilians living in Ivory Coast.

"As a person I do not think that this military operation is going to bring peace to Cote D'Ivoire, indeed my oath to the people of Ghana is to protect our territorial integrity and the safety of Ghanaians," Mills said.

Gbagbo militants are already threatening to attack civilians from any nation that contributes to a regional force. The Gbagbo government authorized a small demonstration Sunday by regional expatriates who oppose military intervention.

With Mr. Ouattara secluded in a resort hotel guarded by U.N. peacekeepers, Mr. Gbagbo appears determined to prolong this crisis as long as possible in hopes of weakening near-unanimous international support for his rival. Ghana's president breaking with the regional threat of force indicates that strategy may be working.

Mr. Ouattara's foreign minister, Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais, says he is not concerned by President Mills' stand because Ghana is already part of the U.N. mission here.

"The president of Ghana said so because he already has people in the U.N. mission in Cote d'Ivoire, so it would be difficult for him to bring in more people," Gervais said. "He is already involved."

Gervais says Ghana's reluctance does not affect ECOWAS planning for military action, a push that is being led by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

"We will soon know that ECOWAS is quite involved and I am sure President Jonathan Goodluck is working on it very hard. We know that a lot of heads of state of ECOWAS are working on the issue, and we are quite confident," he said. "No change at all."

Ouattara officials say Mr. Obasanjo reinforced the ECOWAS position that Mr. Gbagbo must leave office or risk being forced from power.

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For Young Sudanese, Referendum Brings Political Aspirations

Southern Sudan's landmark independence referendum got underway Sunday, with witnesses reporting scenes of jubilation at polling centers

Sudanese went to polling centers across the country today for a crucial referendum vote that will determine whether Sudan's south and north remain united or split into two countries. Voting will continue until next Sunday. Southerners are expected to vote overwhelmingly for independence.

It may have been the biggest day in Sudan's recent history. But at the Catholic cathedral in Juba, Sunday church services went on as usual.  The choir sang hymns.  Families with children sat in pews at the front. Several bored young men stood in the back. 

A few hundred yards away, lines of people snaked through the dust in the courtyard of a local school.  The school doubles as a polling station, and hundreds of southerners waited patiently to vote despite the searing heat. 

It was a day of excitement for everyone.  Southern Sudanese have been waiting six years to cast their votes in this referendum, since the signing of a 2005 peace agreement ended the war.  But for young Sudanese people it was weighted with extra expectation.  They will be the ones leading their country into the future. 

Carter Ohisa is 30 years old.  He was named for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who is currently in southern Sudan to push for a peaceful referendum.

Carter says he is voting for separation. He has big plans for his future. And he does not want to waste any time remembering the past.  

"You know those days, we are always second class citizens in this country," Carter said. "We are not given priority to be president.  President is first class.  Always third class, I could say.  But now, I could even run for an MP (parliamentarian). I have that right, you know?"

Sudan's northern Arab government has controlled the political sphere since the end of colonial rule in 1956.  The 2005 peace agreement created a semi-autonomous government in the south, lead by Salva Kiir Mayardit. 

But some young southerners advise caution for their countrymen who are keen to enter politics.  They say the south has always been a place where politics is a tricky and divisive business. 

Nyaduol William Nyuon is twenty-three years old.  She grew up not in Sudan, but in Australia.  The war forced her family to flee the south when she was a child. 

She is excited about the referendum.  But she says it is even more important for young Sudanese to look toward what happens after the vote. 

"What the young people need to think about, which, I think sometimes it's left out of the discussion is what is going to happen after the referendum and what kind of country we want to structure and live in," Nyoun said. "Historically, because of war, because a lot of young people participated in war, we carry a lot of wounds with us.  And its very easy for these young people to be used in divisive politics." 

The Government of Southern Sudan pushed publicly for southern unity in the months and weeks leading up to referendum.  But there are cultural and ethnic divisions in southern Sudan that continue to pose a threat to stability. 

But young people do not seem to mind. 

Ladu Reuben Joseph is a professor of public administration at Juba University.  He was one of the few lucky voters who managed to escape the searing heat with a spot under a shade tree. 

Ladu teaches men and women in their late teens and twenties.  He says that many of his students have only one future profession in mind.  

"Politics here is very, very important," Joseph said. "Especially for those who have just come. In fact, that is the field that everybody wants to be in.  They think that when you are a politician, you will be heard of and you will express yourself freely.  Everybody will wish even to aspire to politics." 

For those young people who decide to take up the challenge, governing in southern Sudan will never be an easy business.  

The nation's two-decade civil war claimed over two-million lives.  Southern Sudan is desperately poor and education, healthcare and infrastructure are sub-standard. 

Still, for many young southern Sudanese today was not just an opportunity to cast a vote for unity or secession.  It was a chance to imagine themselves as leaders of a nation of their own.

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Colombia extradites 'Queen of Amphetamines' Henao to US

Colombia has extradited a woman known as The Queen of the Amphetamines to the United States, where she will face charges of drug trafficking.

Beatriz Elena Henao was on Interpol's list of its top 10 most wanted women.

She is accused of being an international drug dealer, shipping large quantities of amphetamines to the US, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Police say her knowledge of English, German, Dutch, and Spanish, made it easy for her to sell the drugs abroad.





'International dealer'
The 45-year-old political science graduate is accused of being the international face of a Colombian drug gang led by Javier Antonio and Luis Enrique Calle Serna, better known as the Comba brothers.

Police say Ms Henao sold some 300,000 units of amphetamines.

They say she and at least one other member of her family were key players in the international drugs market.

Two of her sons are in prison, one in Spain for murder, another for drug trafficking in the Netherlands.

Beatriz Henao will face trial in a New York court alongside two other alleged members of the Comba gang on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

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Suicide Bomber Kills 17 at Afghan Bathhouse

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a bathhouse in southern Afghanistan that killed 17 people and wounded many others.

Sources say the attack Friday, in the city of Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province, was targeting a high-ranking border police commander who was killed in the blast.

In other violence Friday, NATO forces say three coalition soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan. NATO did not disclose the identities of the soldiers or the exact locations of the attacks.

The United States has ordered an additional 1,400 Marines to Afghanistan to put further pressure on the Taliban during the current winter campaign.

U.S. officials quoted by The Wall Street Journal newspaper said most of the troops will be deployed to the south, the site of heavy fighting against the Taliban in recent months.

U.S. President Barack Obama said last month that the United States is still on course to start withdrawing some U.S. troops in July, and handing over security to the Afghan government by 2014.

There are currently 97,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, along with some 45,000 troops from other countries.

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