Bloody Day in Syria Leaves Dozens Dead

KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images(DAMASCUS, Syria) -- It was a particularly bloody Friday in Syria, where opposition groups say that more than 30 people have been killed, more than any day in recent weeks.

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, which monitors and organizes demonstrations, puts the death toll at 37, mostly in the restive cities of Homs and Hama.  The LCC adds that since the beginning of October, the death toll is around 20 or more per day.

Protesters have been calling for foreign intervention -- Friday’s protests were called “No-Fly Zone Friday.”

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Fugitive Gadhafi Son in Contact With ICC, Prosecutor Says

ABC News(NEW YORK) -- Officials with the International Criminal Court are in contact, through intermediaries, with the fugitive son of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi about a possible surrender, the court's prosecutor said Friday.

ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on CNN the organization had conducted "informal conversations... exploring the possibility" that Saif al-Islam Gadhafi could willingly appear before the court.

Moreno-Ocampo said those discussions had been conducted with "intermediaries" for the 39-year-old, but said he was unaware of Saif's actual location. Officials at Libya's rebel National Transitional Council government previously told reporters Saif wanted to turn himself in, but just hours later other officials said he had made his way to Niger, a friendly nation that previously accepted one of Saif's brothers.

A source close to the Gadhafi sons told ABC News that not only does no one know for sure where Saif is, but it is unclear if he would actually consider turning himself in rather than attempting to escape Libya. Saif has repeatedly sworn to stay and fight in Libya. Just a month after the popular uprising began and NATO agreed to launch missions against the regime, he told ABC News in an exclusive interview, "We are in our country with our people… and we are not afraid."

Saif, who has managed to elude rebel forces for months even after his notorious father and brother were caught and killed last week, is wanted by the courts for his alleged role in the violent repression of protesters at the start of Libya's popular uprising. The ICC inferred by his proximity to Moammar and position as "de facto" prime minister of Libya that Saif "conceived and orchestrated a plan to deter and quell, by all means [including lethal action], the civilian demonstrations against Gadhafi's regime" amounting to crimes against humanity, according to a warrant for Saif's arrest issued in June.

In the first days of the uprising, Saif warned protesters on national television that if the people did not accept offers of reform, there would be "rivers of blood" and even after the tide of war turned against his family, Saif continued to threaten violent revenge.

But before the alleged murders and ominous warnings, Saif was seen by the Libyan youth in a completely different light: as the great "hope" for the north African nation.

"Young Libyans have repeated over the last few weeks that Saif al-Islam is the 'hope' of 'Libya al-Ghad' (Libya of tomorrow)," a U.S. official said in February 2010 in a classified State Department cable posted on the website WikiLeaks, "with men in their twenties saying that they aspire to be like Saif and think he is the right person to run the country."

In the years previous, Saif publicly spoke out against many of his father's own policies to urge Libya towards a more democratic future. In a 2008 address to the Libyan Youth Forum, he pushed for extreme reform, including establishing a new structure of government, a constitution and new legal system that provided greater protection for human rights and press freedoms.

As far back as 2002, Saif said democracy was "policy number one for us," according to a report by The Guardian.

"First thing democracy, second thing democracy, third thing democracy," he said.

"Saif seems to be making progress in casting himself as a humanitarian, philanthropist, and reformer," the 2010 U.S. cable says. "If Saif al-Islam does intend to accept an official role in the near future, domestic audiences -- particularly among Libya's swelling ranks of young adults -- may welcome him as Libya's knight in shining armor."

The ICC prosecutor's office did not immediately return requests for comment on this report.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Aruba Holds Gary Giordano 30 More Days in Robyn Gardner Disappearance

Comstock/Thinkstock(ORANJESTAD, Aruba) -- An Aruban judge ordered an American, Gary Giordano, held 30 more days in prison as prosecutors investigate the disappearance of a Maryland woman, Robyn Gardner.

Gardner, 35, disappeared in August while allegedly snorkeling with Giordano, a man she had met on a dating website. Giordano has been held in jail for nearly three months as prosecutors investigate his claim that Gardner drowned at sea while the pair snorkeled one evening.

Giordano has not been formally charged with a crime. A representative for the prosecutor’s office said that investigators have done extensive research during the past 60 days, including a search of the island with cadaver dogs. They have not released the results of that search or other research that has been done.

Police have released video footage of Giordano and Gardner at a restaurant shortly before the alleged drowning, showing Giordano walking to and from his rental car to refill beverages for the pair while they dined. Employees of the restaurant said Gardner appeared intoxicated and barely ate her salad.

Video footage from a few hours later shows Giordano back at the restaurant, without Gardner, knocking on windows and doors, though the restaurant is closed.

Giordano will have another hearing for his release in 30 days.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Gunman Opens Fire Outside US Embassy in Sarajevo

Comstock/Thinkstock(SARAJEVO, Bosnia) -- The U.S. embassy in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo was locked down Friday, after shots were fired outside the building, injuring at least two officers.

The gunman, identified by Bosnian media as 23-year-old Serbian Mevlid Jasarevic, is a suspected radical Islamist, according to Britain's Daily Mail. Photos of Jasarevic show him clenching an AK-47-style assualt rifle and shooting at random civilians and police.

The Bosnian president reportedly believes the shooting spree to be an act of terrorism.

Police sharpshooters shot and wounded Jaserevic, who was arrested on site.  After being treated on the scene, he was hospitalized.
 
The area has been sealed off and a search is underway for any possible accomplices.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

World War II Evacuee Costume Sparks Outrage Online

alteredimagefancydress.com(BIRMINGHAM, England) -- This year’s Halloween costumes have parents debating what’s too revealing, too risqué and too gory for young kids, but a costume on sale in the U.K. is raising some eyebrows.

A World War II Evacuee costume has set the Internet aflutter, with many bloggers calling it both offensive and inappropriate, even dubbing it the “worst costume of all time.”

Marketed to young girls, the costume, which retails for £11.99 on Amazon, comes with a plain blue coat dress, a green beret and cross-body brown bag. (The evacuee tag and kid’s identity card are sold separately).

“All that’s missing is a yellow star,” Julia Rubin of the Styleite wrote.

Any costume that’s even remotely related to the Holocaust sets off a nerve, but the Huffington Post reports that the costume is intended as a way to teach kids British history and is not specifically for Halloween. Evacuee Day is commemorated in primary schools and museums across England, marking the evacuation of millions of schoolchildren from Britain’s cities to escape German bombing attacks during WWII.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Bolshoi Theater in Moscow to Reopen After Six-Year Closure

Konstantin Zavrazhin/Getty Images(MOSCOW) -- The Bolshoi in Moscow will hold a gala performance Friday evening, officially reopening after a six year renovation.

The special performance on Friday will be attended by President Dmitri Medvedev and other dignitaries, and will feature stars of the opera and dance world. Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu and prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova are scheduled to perform.

The Bolshoi's stage was completed in 1824, and has seen the premieres of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov," and Shostakovich's "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District."

The Bolshoi garnered headlines in the United States recently for hiring an American to join its ballet company. David Hallberg, a 29-year-old from South Dakota, will start his first season with the Bolshoi on Nov. 4. He is the first foreign dancer to become a Bolshoi ballet principal.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Catholic Mass To Undergo Changes

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images(VATICAN CITY) -- Worshippers at English-Speaking Catholic churches around the world will soon notice some minor changes to the Mass.

Starting November 26, Mass will sound a little different.

Although the language of Mass has gone untouched since 1974, this newly revised translation of the Roman Missal will mark the third time it has ever undergone changes.

The most notable change will be in the response from the people, not the Bible translations or Gospel readings.

For example, now when the priest says, “the Lord be with you,” the traditional response, “and also with you” will be replaced with “and with your spirit.”

Proponents say the new version will express a more precise reflection of the original Latin.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Royal Women Now Get Equal Rights to the Throne

John Stillwell - Pool/Getty Images(PERTH, Australia) – The 16 nations of which Queen Elizabeth is a monarch have unanimously voted to change the rules of succession to the throne.

Now, under historic constitutional changes, both female and male members of the royal family will be given equality in the rules of succession.

What does this mean for the royal family? If, for example, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first child is a girl, she will be able take precedence over any younger brother in the succession to the throne.

Under current laws that date back more than 300 years, the heir to the throne is to be the firstborn son of the monarch. The crown was formerly only passed to the eldest daughter when there are no sons.

The nations also voted to do away with the laws banning the spouse of a Roman Catholic from taking the throne.

Prime minister David Cameron announced these changes at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia and plans to pass the law in the UK before the next general election.

The Queen was also in attendance, and voiced her opinion that women should have a greater role in society.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Foreign Spies Target Underwater Drone Fleet, Military Analysts Say

Marco Garcia/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- When foreign spies set their sights on America's secrets, many times they're not looking underground for secret bunkers or in the sky for massive spy blimps, but under the sea at the nation's low-profile underwater drone fleet.

According to some of the military's top counterintelligence analysts, in recent years there has been a significant increase in both old-school spying and cyber operations, especially by unnamed East Asian nations, directed at gaining classified information on America's autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in hopes of undercutting the U.S.' "underseas battlespace dominance."

"The technology base of the United States is under constant attack," a new report by the Counterintelligence Directorate of the Pentagon's Defense Security Service says. "This pervasive and enduring threat is like the weather: ever-present, yet ever changing."

The maritime drones, which have been stalking the world's oceans for more than a decade for the U.S. Navy, are capable of a variety of missions, including enemy craft and port surveillance, anti-mine operations and even "payload delivery," according to the Navy.

The DSS report is compiled annually based on incident reports by private U.S. contractors who say they've had suspicious contact with a foreign entity that expressed interest in classified technology. The report covers several popular targets for espionage -- from U.S. information systems to space technology -- but singled out the underwater drones this year as a "special focus area" because it has shown to be a "growing collection area".

The DSS predicts foreign production of AUVs to swiftly increase and, along with it, interest in stealing related U.S. technology.

Regardless of the target, the DSS reported a "stunning increase" of 140 percent in "suspicious contact reports determined to be of intelligence value" from last year alone. As to how the foreign entities try to get the information on any target from contractors, the DSS report describes much less Mission Impossible-esque sneaking through air ducts and a lot more flat out asking for it.

The DSS said that by far the most popular way to gain access to classified data is for foreign agents to directly request it "under the guise of price quote or purchase request, marketing surveys, or other direct and indirect efforts." Often, it's foreign companies that request the information, but the DSS suspects the technology would quickly be turned over to the host government and "would probably find its way to military applications."

That's not to say that other nations are not playing a longer game, however. The DSS notes that some plots from all corners of the globe involve agents attempting to land a job in the target contractor's organization so they can eventually leak information first-hand.

There has also been a significant increase in aggressive cyber operations around the world, especially in the East Asia region. There, suspicious cyber activity made up more than 25 percent of all reported incidents in FY 2010, up from 11 percent in 2009.

"This region [East Asia] has a bold and aggressive agenda and conducts multifaceted, pervasive, and innovative collection efforts," the report says.

Though no individual countries are named in the DSS report, China has been suspected in several highly publicized cyber attacks on U.S. companies and government agencies and was named by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., as exercising an "intolerable level" of cyber espionage on U.S. targets.

"I don't believe that there is a precedent in history for such a massive and sustained intelligence effort by a government agency to blatantly steal commercial data and intellectual property," Rogers said earlier this month. Chinese officials have repeatedly denied the accusations.

The DSS said that since U.S. contractors will continue developing advanced technology for the U.S., they will continue to be the "primary target for foreign entities seeking to improve their country's abilities or to simply profit from pirating the technology."

"Entities that successfully acquire the technology will likely develop a competitive edge economically and militarily," the report concludes. "The pervasive threat to U.S. technology is likely to continue for the foreseeable future."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Libya: New Video Shows More Unguarded Surface-to-Air Missiles

Scott Peterson/Getty Images(SIRTE, Libya) -- A month after U.S. officials told ABC News they were moving quickly to secure unguarded weapons in Libya, human rights investigators have found a huge cache of unprotected weapons, including bombs, tank shells and dozens of surface-to-air missiles, in the city of Sirte.

"Anybody want a surface-to-air missile?" asks Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, in a video shot Sunday near where Moammar Gadhafi and his son Mutassim made their last stand. Though the U.S. is rushing more specialists to Libya in a race to find the massive stores of weapons that have gone missing since the start of the Libyan uprising, Bouckaert beat them to Sirte.

Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro told ABC News that there was "obviously" a race to find the weapons before they fall into the hands of terrorists, "and that's why we're deploying people as quickly as we possibly can." Shapiro said the U.S. plans to increase its presence on the ground from 10 teams of weapons specialists, or less than 35 people total, to 50 teams.

"We believe that based on our examination of the numerous sites that thousands of missiles were actually destroyed during the NATO bombing campaign," said Shapiro, and [that another] thousand missiles have been disabled or damaged."

But Shapiro also said the U.S. still doesn't know how many of the 20,000 surface-to-air missiles once held by the Gadhafi regime are unaccounted for. "We're in the process of visiting sites and putting together the information about the scope of the problem," said Shapiro.

Libyans alerted by the U.S. reached the Sirte site found by Human Rights Watch on Thursday, according to Shapiro, and moved the missiles there "to a more secure location." Shapiro denied that the Libyans had gone to the site because ABC News planned to report on it, but said the U.S. had "immediately acted" on information provided by Human Rights Watch. He said it would have been difficult to get to Sirte earlier because there was still fighting in the city last week.

In September, Shapiro said the U.S. was "making great progress" in accounting for the Gadhafi regime's missing munitions, but that the U.S. did not have a clear picture of how many missiles it was attempting to track down. Just last week, during a visit to Libya, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "I am pleased to announce that we are going to put even more money into helping Libya secure and destroy dangerous stockpiles of weapons."

In the past month, some of the Gadhafi regime's Russian-made surface-to-air missiles have turned up in Egypt and at the Israeli border. Egyptian authorities say they have arrested weapons smugglers bringing the weapons east from Libya toward Israel. According to the Washington Post, so many of the weapons were being sold in Egyptian black markets that the price had dropped from $10,000 to $4,000 per weapon.

It would take only one of the shoulder-fired, heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles, which have a range of two miles, to bring down a commercial aircraft. On Sunday, Bouckaert found dozens of Russian SA-7 missiles scattered across the ground in Sirte, along with empty crates.

Bouckaert found unsecured weapons both in a warehouse on the outskirts of Sirte, and in a complex of 70 warehouses south of Sirte.

"These facilities are still uncontrolled," said Bouckaert. "We could literally have come here with a convoy of 18 wheeler trucks and wheeled away whatever we wanted without even being noticed."

Bouckaert says despite his warnings to the U.S. State Department and the CIA since February, real progress in securing the weapons has been slow.

He also said that on Thursday morning, U.S. weapons specialists told him they'd been instructed to take action on the SAMs in Sirte as soon as possible so that Assistant Secretary Shapiro would be able to say so in his interview with ABC News.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio