Nigerian authorities say gunmen killed a prison warden in the northern state of Bauchi. They say Ibrahim Ali Figidi was gunned down when he answered the door at his home Wednesday. Authorities say the attack is similar to others carried out by the Boko Haram sect. The radical group is believed to be behind Tuesday […]
UAE Talks to Focus on ‘Post-Gadhafi’ Libya
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 10:30 pm (UTC-5)
Western and Arab nations are meeting in the United Arab Emirates Thursday for talks on planning a Libya without leader Moammar Gadhafi. The group is also expected to discuss measures to activate a fund agreed to in May that would provide financial and other assistance to Libya’s rebel Transitional National Council. Foreign ministers from the […]
Crews Battle Ferocious US Wildfire
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 10:20 pm (UTC-5)
Fire crews battled Wednesday to contain a wildfire that has consumed nearly 160,000 hectares in the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona, and is showing no signs of letting up. Officials say the blaze has forced more than 5,000 people to evacuate from mountain communities near Arizona’s border with the state of New Mexico. There have […]
Brazil Rejects Battisti Extradition to Italy
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 9:15 pm (UTC-5)
Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled against extraditing an Italian fugitive wanted for four murders dating from the 1970s, a decision that could raise tensions between Brazil and Italy. The court Wednesday said the former left-wing militant, Cesare Battisti, can remain in Brazil. The top court’s ruling upholds last year’s decision by then-President Luiz Inacio Lula […]
CPJ Warns of Religious Threat to Afghan Media
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 9:15 pm (UTC-5)
The Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed concern about a declaration issued by Afghanistan’s Council of Religious Scholars on June 1 criticizing two media outlets for “immorality” and “animosity against Islam.” In a press release Wednesday, the New York-based group said that the council, a powerful force in Afghan politics, singled out the Hasht-e-Subh Daily […]
Belarus President Slashes Fuel Prices Following Protests
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday slashed the prices of fuel following protests along the streets of the capital, Minsk. The government had raised the cost of fuel by 30 percent the day before, prompting hundreds of motorists to stage a protest rally along the main avenue in the capital city. Meanwhile, Russia’s state-controlled exporter […]
First 2011 Hurricane Forms Off Mexico
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 8:45 pm (UTC-5)
The first hurricane of the 2011 season has formed over the Pacific Ocean near the western coast of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Adrian has sustained winds of up to 120 kilometers an hour and could grow stronger in the next two days. Forecasters say if the hurricane remains on its current path, […]
Dutch Woman Confesses to Murder After 65 Years
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 8:35 pm (UTC-5)
A 96-year-old Dutch woman has confessed to killing a man in 1946, believing mistakenly that he had collaborated with the Nazis. The mayor of the city of Leiden says the woman admitted shooting Felix Gulje in the chest in the doorway to his home because she believed he was working with the German occupiers. He […]
Democrats Urge Embattled US Congressman to Resign
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 8:16 pm (UTC-5)
Key Democrats have joined Republicans in urging Democratic U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner to resign as he faces an online sex scandal. Democratic Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz said Wednesday Weiner should step down in light of his “offensive behavior online.” She said having the respect of constituents is fundamental for a member of Congress. Schwartz holds a […]
Europeans Seek UN Action on Syria as Thousands Flee
Posted June 8th, 2011 at 8:05 pm (UTC-5)
Key European members of the U.N. Security Council have presented a revised resolution condemning Syria for its violent crackdown on peaceful protesters hours after thousands of civilians fearing a military assault fled areas near the Turkish border. Britain, France, Germany and Portugal introduced the new text Wednesday at a closed Security Council meeting in New […]
