Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/602829
8 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2015 News WIN a copy of the newly launched book To win a copy of this unique book tick the right answers: Tick all the Maltese products: ❒ Lacto ❒ Ilma żahar ❒ Red Leaf ❒ Għażżiel ❒ Hopleaf Send your answers by 10 November to: MediaToday, WIN A BOOK FROM BDL, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann The winners of the last competition, and who won the book, 'Wild flowers of the Maltese Islands' are Ms R Brincat from Rabat and Mr Emanuel Muscat from Mosta. The correct answers were: Maltese Fleabane, Sulla and the Giant Fennel By Charles B. Spiteri, published by BDL Drawwiet u Tifkiriet Spain 'issues arrest warrant' for Israeli premier ISRAELI Prime Minister Ben- jamin Netanyahu risks being arrested if he sets foot in Spain, after a Spanish judge effectively issued an arrest warrant over the murder of 10 peace activists aboard the Freedom Flotilla aid ships in 2010. According to the Latin Ameri- can Herald Tribune, Spanish na- tional court judge Jose de la Mata ordered the police and civil guard to notify him if Netanyahu and six other individuals enter the country, as their actions could see a case against them regard- ing the Freedom Flotilla attack of 2010 reopened. The other men named in the issue are former defence minis- ter Ehud Barak, former foreign minister Avigdor Leiberman, former minister of strategic af- fairs Moshe Yaalon, former inte- rior minister Eli Yishai, minister without portfolio Benny Begin and vice admiral Maron Eliezer, who was in charge of the opera- tion. The case – which was put on hold by Judge de la Mata last year – was brought against the men following an attack by Israeli se- curity forces against the Freedom Flotilla aid ships in 2010, which was trying to reach Gaza. It concerns the Mavi Marmara ship, the main civilian vessel in a f leet of six that were attempt- ing to break an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The six ships were carrying around 500 pas- sengers, humanitarian aid and construction materials. The Is- raeli Defence Force stormed the ship in a raid that left nine hu- man rights activists dead. A tenth activist died later that month due to wounds sustained in the raid. The Israeli Prime Minister and other officials now face charges in the case, should it be reo- pened. However, an Israeli government spokesperson Emmanuel Nachs- hon told the Jerusalem Post "we consider it to be a provocation. We are working with the Spanish authorities to get it cancelled. We hope it will be over soon." Two men linked to Paris attacks charged in Belgium POLICE probing Friday's at- tacks in Paris yesterday searched premises they believe were used by the Jihadi attackers before the attacks that killed at least 129 people and wounded hundreds more. This came as two men were charged with terror offences in Belgium after admitting that they picked up a Paris attack suspect, Salah Abdeslam from the French capital early on Fri- day morning, but denied aiding the bombers. Abdeslam, the suspected eighth gunman who is now the subject of an international man- hunt, rented out an apartment and two hotel rooms. A car that he rented which may have been used to bring the at- tackers to and from Belgium is also being inspected. The so-called Islamic State group says it carried out the co- ordinated attacks at the heart of the French capital. A Belgian-registered black Re- nault Clio was found parked near Montmartre in northern Paris. After police sealed off the area and ensured there was no booby- trap, the vehicle was towed away for forensic examination. Images shown on French me- dia of one of the hotel rooms being examined show syringes and tubes which could be bomb- making equipment. Salah Abdeslam is believed to have f led across the border to his native Belgium. Belgian police have released more pictures of him. As the investigation continues, and in an effort to prevent more attacks, France has mobilised 115,000 security personnel, In- terior Minister Bernard Caze- neuve said. Cazeneuve said 128 more raids on suspected militants had been carried out. French air strikes also hit IS in Syria overnight. Meanwhile, Belgium's govern- ment has raised its terror threat level because of the failure so far to arrest Abdeslam and an- nounced more troops will be on the streets to help secure the city following Friday's attacks - with more than 500 soldiers patrol- ling public areas. In neighbouring Germany, po- lice arrested five people, includ- ing two women and one man, who were arrested outside a job centre in Alsdorf, a small town near the border with Belgium. A police spokesman said the three were foreign citizens but gave no more information. Syrians tell of 'insane' French air strikes French defence officials con- firmed that, for the second time in less than 24 hours, fighter jets targeted Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the Islamic State in northern Syria. 10 Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighters carried out the raid early on Tuesday morning, dropping 16 bombs, the defence ministry said, as France hit back at ISIS in retaliation for Friday's attacks. "Both targets were hit and destroyed simultaneously," the ministry said."Conducted in co- ordination with US forces, the raid was aimed at sites identi- fied during reconnaissance mis- sions previously carried out by France." On Sunday, the French defence ministry said 30 air strikes de- stroyed an ISIS training camp and munitions dump in Raqqa. However, a media activist in Raqqa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Qatari-based news agency Al Jazeera that French air strikes had targeted abandoned ISIS bases in the sub- urbs of the city where there are no civilians or Jihadi fighters. "It has been two insane nights. Abandoned ISIS posts were tar- geted at the entrance of the city, along with ISIS checkpoints and several other points. Electricity and water have been cut off as supply lines were hit too. France is part of the coalition, which was launched in Septem- ber 2014, but conducted its first air strike in Syria only in Sep- tember 2015. The UK-based Syrian Ob- servatory for Human Rights said activists reported hearing explosions in Raqqa resulting from air strikes. The activists' network said no civilian death toll has been recorded due to the strikes. Meanwhile, the Élysée Palace yesterday announced French president François Hollande will travel to Washington to meet Barack Obama on 24 November. He will then visit Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin two days later. The Belgian police's wanted notice of Salah Abdeslam Charlie Sheen confirms he is HIV positive HOLLYWOOD star Charlie Sheen has confirmed in a US television in- terview that he is living with HIV. "I am here to admit that I am HIV positive," he said. It brings to an end days of intense media speculation. The former star of sitcom Two And A Half Men is appearing on NBC's Today show. "I have to put a stop to this on- slaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub truths," he said. He has been living with his diagnosis for four years. "I think I release myself from this prison today," he said, referring to the speculation over his health. He admitted that his use of drugs was a "bad decision" but said it was "impossible" that he would have passed the HIV on to anyone else. When asked if he would stop drinking, Sheen responded by say- ing: "Perhaps the freedom of today might lead to that as well." Sheen said his "personal disbelief and shame and anger" at the diagno- sis "led to a descent into substance abuse and fathomless drinking". But now he feels he has "the re- sponsibility to better myself and help a lot of other people. With what we're doing today, others may come up and say, 'Thanks Charlie, thanks for kicking the door open'." He said he hoped the media pres- sure would ease now. Sheen rose to fame in the 80s with hit films including Platoon and Wall Street and, in 2011, was the highest- paid actor on TV thanks to his sit- com role. He has frequently struggled with drink and drug abuse. The actor - the youngest son of West Wing star Martin Sheen and brother of actor Emilio Estevez - has also had a troubled personal life and has been married three times. He first marriage was to Donna Peele in 1995 but they split up after a year. His second marriage was to former Bond girl Denise Richards, with whom he has two daughters. They divorced in 2006 and he mar- ried Brooke Mueller, with whom he has twin sons. He was then due to marry adult film star Scottine Ross, but the wed- ding was called off.