• Istanbul locked down during May Day protests

    From Turkey to Bangladesh, people took to the streets for May Day, a day honoring workers. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

    By Richard Engel and Lawahez Jabari, NBC News

    ISTANBUL, Turkey – May Day protests in Istanbul turned ugly when Turkish riot police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who defied a ban on demonstrations.

    Ulas Yunus Tosun / EPA

    Protesters clash with Turkish riot police during the May Day rally in Istanbul on Wednesday.

    Thousands of police were deployed across the city Wednesday, closing off the roads around Istiklal Street – a major pedestrian street that leads to Taksim Square, Istanbul's version of New York's Times Square. 

    Authorities had denied trade unions permission to march on Taksim, saying construction work there would make any gathering of protesters there too dangerous. 

    At least 28 people were injured in clashes with police, including an AFP news agency photographer, and 72 arrests were made, according to the BBC.

    On a typical day hundreds of thousands of people walk down Istiklal Street – the most popular pedestrian street in the city, lined with 19th century buildings and full of outdoor restaurants, bars and boutiques. 

    Ozan Kose / AFP - Getty Images

    Masked police officers take cover behind shields during clashes at a May Day demonstration in Istanbul.

    But on Wednesday afternoon, riot police blocked the entrances to Istiklal and the roads around it.  Public transportation was disrupted across the city.  Tourists visiting the usually bustling commercial area had confused looks on their faces as they dragged heavy suitcases down side streets looking for the all too few available taxis.

    Feahat Sevgi, a 21-year-old worker at a usually bustling coffee shop on Istiklal bemoaned the heavy police presence. “It was a very bad business day,” Sevgi said. “Usually we have hundreds of people coming here to get coffee, but today it was just a few. It’s not good for us.”

    Police Officer Selcuk Oney, who was on the street near Taksim, defended the forces heavy presence across the city saying, “What we did today was to protect ordinary people.” 

    Bulent Kilic / AFP - Getty Images

    Protesters chant slogans as they stand at the windows of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey building in Istanbul on Wednesday.

    May Day protests had been banned in Turkey for decades, until they were reinstated in 2010. The day had a troubled history – 37 people were killed during May Day protests in Taksim Square in 1977 when unknown assailants fired shots in the air, sparking panic. But in 2010 the government declared the day an official holiday and agreed to allow protests in the square under tight security.  

    NBC News Petra Cahill and Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Phone of NYC mom missing in Turkey used twice in recent days: report

    AP

    Turkish men pin up a photo of Sarai Sierra, a New York City woman who disappeared while on vacation in Istanbul.

    By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

    The cellphone of a New York City mom missing in Istanbul has been used twice since she vanished, a Turkish newspaper reported Friday.

    Sarai Sierra, 33, hasn’t been seen heard from since Jan. 21, the day before she was supposed to catch a flight home from a two-week vacation.


    But police believe the amateur photographer is alive because her phone was used for a Skype call on Wednesday and turned on again Thursday, the Sabah newspaper reported, according to the Turkish daily Hurriyet.

    Cops briefly detained a man who exchanged online messages with Sierra after meeting her online four months ago, contacted her while she was in Istanbul and made plans to rendezvous with her on a bridge she wanted to photograph, Hurriyet said.

    The man reportedly told police the two never connected, and investigators are now hoping to question three other people she corresponded with on Facebook and Twitter.

    Sierra left for her first trip abroad on Jan. 7 — flying solo after a close friend dropped out of the prepaid trip, her family has said.

    Her husband, Steven Sierra, said his wife stayed in close contact, talking to him and their children, ages 9 and 11, by phone and Skype.

    The last communication from her came Jan. 21, when she sent her sister a brief message saying she would be home the next day.

    When she didn't show up at the airport, her husband called her hostel, which said her passport and other personal items were still there.

    Police uncovered surveillance-camera footage of Sierra walking around Istanbul during her visit; she appeared to be alone and well.

    Steven Sierra and Sarai's brother, David Jimenez, flew to Turkey earlier this week and turned over her online communications to police.

    "I don't want to come home without my sister," Jimenez told NBC New York before the trip.

  • Turkish police release video in hunt for missing NYC woman

    AP

    A Turkish security official leaves a hostel with belongings of Sarai Sierra, 33, a New York City woman who has been missing since Jan. 21, when she was supposed to return from Istanbul.

    Turkish police have released security camera footage of a New York City woman who went to Istanbul on a photography vacation and never returned home.


    The Hurriyet newspaper reported the video of Sarai Sierra, 33, was taken Jan. 20, the day before the married mother of two missed her flight home to Staten Island.

    It shows her walking along in a shopping mall food court and strolling in a shopping district while wearing headphones, The Associated Press reported.

    Sierra, an amateur photographer, traveled to Istanbul on Jan. 7, and made side trips to Amsterdam and Munich. Her family said she was in regular contact with before she disappeared.

    "You just want it to end," her husband, Steven, told NBCNewYork before he flew to Turkey earlier this week. "You just want it to be over with already so you can go on with your life and smile again and laugh and enjoy your kids."

    He said his wife was originally supposed to travel with a friend, but when the pal dropped out of the trip, she went alone.

    "When you've been married for as long as we've been ... you want to support your spouse," he said.

    He said when his wife didn't come home, he called the airline and was told she never got on the plane.

    He and his wife's brother arrived in Istanbul on Monday. On Tuesday, they were interviewed by police, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

     

  • Firefighters extinguish large blaze in Istanbul high-rise; no casualties

    Saygin Serdaroglu / AFP - Getty Images

    Dark clouds of smoke billow over the Besiktas district of Istanbul after a fire broke out at a 42-storey building. Turkey's Anatolia news agency said many people were stranded inside the luxurious Polat Tower Residence.

    By NBCNews.com news services

    ISTANBUL, Turkey - A large fire broke out in a 42-story tower block in a central Istanbul district on Tuesday, sending thick smoke billowing into the air before firefighters extinguished the blaze.

    There were no reports of casualties. 

    Live images on Turkish television showed the Polat Towers building, which is made up of residential apartments and offices, engulfed in black smoke with pieces of debris falling to the ground below as fire crews fought the blaze.

    People wearing breathing masks were led out by fire crews. A nearby gas station and other buildings were also evacuated.

    "It is not clear yet why or from where the fire was started. We will see when the fire brigade's report is finished. The cause will be investigated," said Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas.

    "We could have experienced a catastrophe as at least 1,500 people reside in the building," he said.

    PhotoBlog: Fire crews extinguish blaze at Istanbul tower block

    The tower block's owner, Adnan Polat, said everyone from the building had been rescued.

    "All of them left the building in a healthy condition. We also rescued a few pets. Our biggest reward is there was no loss of life. This building has an early warning system and this incident showed the importance of it to everyone," Polat said. 

    The flames appeared to spread from the base of the tower and raged up one side of the building, leaving it scorched black. 

    A video posted earlier on YouTube showed flames licking up the side of one corner of the building. Several glass windows appeared to be open. 

    State broadcaster TRT Haber quoted Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni as saying the fire had started in the air conditioning units at the base of the tower. 

    NBCNews.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • 'Guiding and financing terrorist attacks': Interpol issues alert for Iraq's vice president

    Bulent Kilic / AFP - Getty Images

    Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi (center) arrives for a press conference on May 4 in Istanbul, Turkey.

    By msnbc.com staff and news services

    BAGHDAD -- Interpol called for the arrest of fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi at the request of Iraqi authorities on Tuesday on suspicion of planning attacks, a move likely to complicate attempts to defuse Iraq's political crisis.

    Al-Hashemi, a Sunni Muslim politician with the Iraqiya bloc, fled Baghdad in December when the Shiite-led government accused him of running death squads, a dispute that risked upsetting a delicate power-sharing agreement.

    The vice president, who is in the Turkish city of Istanbul, has denied he was involved in murdering six judges and other officials. He says the charges are politically motivated and has refused to stand trial in Baghdad.

    "My defense lawyer will present an appeal to Interpol in the next few days," al-Hashemi said in a statement. "I won't submit to pressure and blackmail."

    US charity's gift to UK vets wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan: $2M for 'sanctuary'

    According to the BBC, Iraqi authorities allege al-Hashemi is linked to about 150 killings.

    The case strained Iraq's fragile coalition of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political blocs and generated fears of a return to the broad sectarian violence that wracked the country during the darker days of the war in 2006-2007.

    "This is an escalation ... while some Iraqi political blocs are trying to meet to solve problems, those which head the government are creating problems," said Ahmed al-Massari, a senior Iraqiya lawmaker.

    Iraqiya complains it is being shut out of power, and briefly boycotted the government earlier this year after an arrest warrant was issued against al-Hashemi. Iraqiya and al-Hashemi cite the charges an example of Shiite Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's flexing his authority for political gain.

    Turmoil
    The al-Hashemi case is being closely monitored by Iraq's neighbors concerned about the turmoil spinning into more Sunni versus Shiite violence, just months after the last American troops left the country in December.

    The last 480 troops left Iraq early Sunday morning in high spirits, happy to be heading home for the holidays. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

    The Red Notice issued by the international police organization calls on security forces in its 190 member countries to help locate al-Hashemi and bring him to justice.

    Interpol faces legal threat for helping oppressive regimes hunt dissidents

    "At the request of Iraqi authorities, Interpol has published a Red Notice for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on suspicion of guiding and financing terrorist attacks in the country," Interpol said in a statement.

    While Red Notices are not international arrest warrants, some of Interpol's member countries treat them as such.

    Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference that he believed al-Hashemi would return to Iraq after medical treatment.

    "Al-Hashemi continues with his initiatives regarding his legal problems," Erdogan said. "We gave him all kinds support on this issue and we will continue to do so."

    'Serious charges'
    Interpol said the notice would restrict al-Hashemi's ability to travel and cross borders.

    "This case also clearly demonstrates the commitment of Iraqi authorities to work with the world police community via Interpol to apprehend individuals facing serious charges,"Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said in a statement.

    Al-Hashemi's trial was postponed a week ago after his lawyers argued that it should be held in a special court for political figures. It is scheduled to resume on Thursday.

    GOP, Democrats put stock in new generation of combat vets seeking office

    The trial focuses on the assassination of three government officials. Al-Hashemi and his bodyguards are also charged with the murders of six judges.

    Since December when al-Maliki's government accused al-Hashemi and sought the ouster of another leading Sunni politician, many Iraqi Sunnis say they fear he is trying to sideline them to consolidate his power.

    The political crisis has been complicated since last month when the autonomous Kurdistan region halted oil exports and hinted it could break away from Baghdad in a long-running dispute over oil and land rights.

    Saddam regime's fugitive 'king of clubs' appears in video?

    Four senior Iraqi political figures have threatened al-Maliki with a vote of no confidence unless he stops engaging in what they called "autocratic" decision-making at the expense of other partners in the power-sharing government.

    But the Shiite, Sunni-backed and Kurdish blocs are still haggling over an agreement that will break their political impasse. Most blocs are sharply split over how to end the crisis and who might replace Maliki if his critics muster a vote against him.

    Reuters, The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

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  • Diplomats surprised as nuclear talks with Iran 'constructive and useful'

    Leaders from around the world have gathered in Turkey with representatives from Iran, hoping to resolve an ongoing nuclear controversy that is threatening relations in the Middle East. NBC's Ali Arouzi reports.

    By Reuters

    Updated 3:42 p.m. ET: ISTANBUL -- Iran and world powers discussed Tehran's controversial nuclear program for the first time in over a year on Saturday and, in what Western diplomats called a constructive development given their low expectations, agreed to meet again.

    Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief who has headed negotiations for the six international powers, told a news conference they had arranged to meet the Iranian delegation again in Baghdad on May 23.

    The West accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Israel – believed to be the only Middle East state with an atomic arsenal – sees Iran's atomic plans as a threat to its existence and has threatened military action.

    Amid Iran tensions, neighbor becomes den of spies

    Iran has said its program is peaceful and has threatened to retaliate for any attack by closing a major oil shipping route.

    The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action to destroy Iran's nuclear sites.

    Saeed Jalili, the chief Iranian negotiator, told a news conference there had been differences of opinion but that some important points had been agreed and that the next talks should focus on arranging measures to build mutual confidence. Iran has been hit by new waves of Western economic sanctions this year.

    Western participants had said previously that agreeing to meet for a second round of talks would constitute a successful day. It may remove some heat from a crisis in which warnings from Israel of a possible strike against Iranian facilities have stoked fears of a major war in an already unsettled Middle East.

    One non-Iranian diplomat called the atmosphere "completely different" from that of previous meetings, as Western delegates watched out for signs that Iran was ready to engage after more than a year of threats in defense of its right to pursue nuclear energy and denials it wants to be able to build an atom bomb.

    After a day in which diplomats had spoken of a more engaged tone from Iranian officials compared to the 15 months of angry rhetoric on either side that has filled the hiatus since the last meetings, Ashton called the talks useful and constructive.

    "We want now to move to a sustained process of serious dialogue, where we can take urgent, practical steps to build confidence," she said.

    The six world powers present were the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – Russia, China, the United States, France, Britain and Germany.

    The talks were never expected to yield any major breakthrough but diplomats believed a serious commitment from Iran would be enough to schedule another round of talks for next month and start discussing issues at the heart of the dispute.

    During the day's meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who is leading the Russian delegation, told Interfax news agency: "The atmosphere is constructive, the conversation is businesslike. As of the moment, things are going well."

     

    MSNBC's Richard Lui speaks with former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Marc Ginsberg about North Korea's suspected plans for a new nuclear test, and the deployment of a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf ahead of nuclear talks with Iran.

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  • Clinton tells Syria at Istanbul peace summit: 'The time for excuses is over'

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the Assad regime in Syria must stop killing its people or face "serious consequences." NBC's Andrea Mitchell has more.

    By Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, and msnbc.com news services

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ramped up her pressure on the Syrian regime in a stern speech to a summit in Istanbul, Turkey, warning of “serious consequences” if Bashar Assad fails to implement Kofi Annan's cease-fire plan.

    She told the 60-nation Friends of Syria conference that "the time for excuses is over."

    "Nearly a week has gone by, and we have to conclude that the regime is adding to its long list of broken promises," she said.

     

    She added that the United States is adding $12 million to its non-lethal aid to the opposition, bringing the total to $25 million - and for the first time, is also providing communication equipment to the rebels "to help activists organize, evade attacks by the regime, and connect to the outside world.”

    Clinton also told the conference: "The world must judge Assad by what he does, not by what he says. And we cannot sit back and wait any longer."

    While the administration continues to have reservations about the Syrian National Council's ability to successfully challenge Assad, she is meeting with them during the Istanbul conference to urge them to work more closely with other opposition groups and translate their plan for a unified transition into political action.

    She said: "That's how the opposition will demonstrate beyond any doubt that they hold the moral high ground, strip away Assad's remaining support and expose the regime's hypocrisy.”

    Separately, the BBC has reported that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are creating a trust fund with millions of dollars to pay rebel troops. Troops who defect from Assad's army would be paid to encourage defections.

    The Washington Post's David Ignatius talks about the meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Saudi King Abdullah about whether Syria should accept a ceasefire.

    Opening the conference, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told foreign ministers and other officials present that the "legitimate demands of the Syrian people must be met, right here, right now."

    The United States and its Gulf Arab allies, suspecting Assad of playing for time, urged Annan on Saturday to set a time-line for "next steps" if there was no ceasefire.

    Violence has raged unabated despite Annan's mediation. Opposition activists reported at least 16 people killed on Sunday, mostly in clashes in northwestern and eastern Syria.

    Syrian media derided the Istanbul meeting, which the Baath newspaper described as "a regional and international scramble to find ways of killing more Syrians and destroying their society and country, to reach the broad goal of weakening Syria."

    A communique to be issued later on Sunday by the conference will give full support to UN envoy Annan's peace mission while stressing that it cannot be open-ended.

    A diplomat, who was involved in drafting the communique, told Reuters the conference would work on additional measures to protect the Syrian people, while the U.N. Security Council should play an important role in ending the conflict.

    Around 50 Assad supporters protested outside the conference center, waving Syria, Russian and Chinese flags and brandishing pictures of the Syrian leader. "Allah, Syria, Bashar, that's it" and "Down, down USA" they chanted, before police removed them.

    Mahmoud Abdulatif, a Syrian lawyer who joined dozens in a similar protest outside a conference hotel used by delegates, accused Gulf Arab leaders and others of meddling in Syria.

    "There can be no foreign involvement in Syria," he said.

    Annan will brief the U.N. Security Council on Monday on his efforts to calm a conflict in which Syrian security forces have killed more than 9,000 people, by a U.N. estimate, while rebels have killed 3,000 troops and police, according to Damascus.

    His six-point plan demands that Assad order his military to cease fire, withdraw troops from cities and open daily windows for humanitarian aid, but does not require him to step down.

    The rebel Free Syrian Army said on Saturday it would stop shooting if Assad pulled heavy weaponry out of urban areas, but Damascus said its forces must stay to maintain security.

    NBC News and Reuters contributed to this report. 

  • Britain pledges $800,000 to Syria opposition to topple Assad regime

    Since the Syrian crisis broke out, the price of weapons has exploded in neighboring Lebanon. ITN's John Ray has met the rebels buying the weapons and the dealers selling them.

     

    By NBC News' Duncan Golestani, Alastair Jamieson, and msnbc.com news services

    LONDON - Britain pledged $800,000 in support of Syrian opposition groups Thursday, three days ahead of a 70-nation summit that will seek to unify those against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

    In a statement on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary, said the “non-lethal” assistance would help the groups “develop themselves as a credible alternative to Assad and his regime."

    The United States is still deciding what sort of support to provide, but is expected to make a similar pledge at the Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday.

    U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will use the summit to pressure the country's divided opposition to unite. Without that step, there is little chance Assad's opponents can oust him without a military intervention the West clearly does not want.

    Global action on Assad to step down has been largely limited so far to diplomatic and economic pressure, a stark contrast to the NATO air campaign that former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi faced in a similar uprising last year.

    There is also disunity among Arab nations about what action to take. At the Arab League meeting in Baghdad on Thursday, leaders dropped a demand that Assad step down but urged him to act quickly on a U.N.-backed peace plan he has accepted.

    For the first time since 1990, Arab League countries meet in Iraq's capital, but only half of the members showed up to discuss a UN proposal for Syria. NBC's Duncan Golestani reports.

    Syria's opposition groups continue to demand that Assad must go and have not agreed to peace talks.

    Fewer than half of the 22 Arab League heads of state are attending the summit, which is perhaps an indication of Sunni and Shiite tension in the region since the beginning of the Arab Spring.

    President Barack Obama discussed providing medical supplies and communications support to the Syrian opposition with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week.

    The United States may back further "non-lethal" aid for the opposition at the Istanbul meeting. But as is the case in Britain, there was no talk of arming the rebel military forces such as the Free Syria Army.

    A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State told msnbc.com there had been no change to its current position of exploring options.

    "The United States has been trying to find a responsible way to help, using sanctions and ‘moral support,'" said Joe Holliday, a security expert at the Institute for the Study of War.

    "But it has been a balance between restraint and achieving the outcome it wants, getting Assad to go," he said.

    Britain has already given $715,000 worth of non-military practical support, including communications assistance and training and advice to Syrian human rights defenders.

    Assad faces mounting pressure from the West, from fellow Arab nations and even from staunch ally Russia. The United Nations says over 9,000 people have died since the Syrian uprising began last year.

    A report in the New York Times said refugees fleeing Syria have described an alarming rise in sectarian conflict in the country, with Sunni Muslims claiming to have been shot at by neighbors who are members President Assad’s minority Alawite sect.

    Umm Nasser, 34, a pregnant woman sheltering with female residents and their dozen children in a farm building over the border in Lebanon, told the newspaper that about 15 members of her family in the village of Joussi came under fire from the nearby Alawite village of Hasbeeh two weeks ago as they tried to leave their house.

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