Italy declares state of emergency after major quake
The Italian government has declared a state of emergency in the regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna following a powerful earthquake on Sunday. The state of emergency lasts for 60 days, an official statement says. The government will also allocate €50,000 to aid the affected regions. On Sunday a 6.0-magnitude quake shook northern Italy, killing seven and injuring more than 50. The initial quake was followed by a series of strong aftershocks which brought even more devastation.
At least 13 Lebanese Shiites kidnapped in Syria
Some 13 Lebanese nationals were kidnapped in northern Syria on Tuesday as they were coming back home from Iraq, Reuters reports. The kidnapping took place in the city of Aleppo, 340 km north of the capital of Damascus. The victims were on their way home from holy shrines in Iraq, as the the bus loaded with Shiite pilgrims was stopped by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), say families of the men. "The FSA said they took them. They let women go and kept the men. They told them that they will keep them until the Syrian army releases FSA detainees," one relative said. Angry families blocked several streets in southern Beirut burning tires in protest.
UAE gives life sentences to 10 Somalis captured in anti-piracy raid
A federal court in the United Arab Emirates has convicted 10 people captured during a raid to retake a ship hijacked by Somali pirates. They were sentenced to life behind bars, AP reports. The federal criminal court in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday found the men guilty of charges related to the hijacking of bulk carrier MV Arrilah-1 last year. The UAE-owned ship hauling aluminum was attacked in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman on April 1, 2011. Emirati commandos supported by the US Navy's 5th Fleet later retook the vessel and captured the pirates. The crew members huddled in a secure room onboard.
Tunisia to extradite former Gaddafi PM to Libya
Tunisia will extradite Muammar Gaddafi's former prime minister to Libya, Tunisia's Justice Minister Noureddine Bouheiri said on Tuesday. The handover of Al Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi could take place in “days or weeks,” he said, as cited by Reuters. A Tunisian court dropped charges of illegally entering the country against the former PM in February. But he has remained in jail since last year, pending a decision on his extradition.
Frankfurt authorities tell protesters to remove camp by August
Municipal authorities in Frankfurt have told anti-capitalist activists to remove their camp near the European Central Bank building by August. The territory of the park where the camp is located should be completely cleared by August 15. Most protesters are opposing the idea of removing the camp, local media say. Activists pitched tents outside the bank on Sunday, four days after police cleared out their earlier encampment.
Red Cross office in Libya's Benghazi damaged by rocket
A rocket-propelled grenade hit the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. The overnight attack left a small hole in the side of the building but caused no casualties, an ICRC spokeswoman said on Tuesday. “The offices in Benghazi were hit by an RPG rocket overnight,” Reuters quoted Soaade Messoudi as saying. “No one was harmed.” It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack on the building where 35 international and local staff members work.
North Korea ‘to protect itself’ amid US diplomatic pressure
North Korea has warned it has to take “countermeasures for self-defense” amid diplomatic pressure from the US. Pyongyang “has to build up nuclear deterrence forces, while the US continues its hostile policy,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. It added, however, that North Korea had never planned to conduct nuclear tests under its peaceful space program, Itar-Tass said.
Iran recalls ambassador to Azerbaijan
Iran has recalled its ambassador to Azerbaijan, the Iranian embassy said on Tuesday. The move came amid a row between the two states as Baku prepares to host the Eurovision song contest. “Ambassador Mohammad Bagher Bahrami left for Tehran on May 21 in connection with the insulting of religious saints in Azerbaijan,” AFP quoted charge d’affaires Ahmed Nemati as saying. The envoy was recalled “for consultations,” he said. Several dozen Azerbaijani protesters rallied outside the Iranian embassy last week. Some held posters mocking Iran’s late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Spain teachers, students protest against spending cuts
Teachers and students in Spain went on strike on Tuesday to protest government spending cuts. About 80 per cent of the country's teachers took part in the industrial action, AP said, citing union officials. All but three of Spain's 17 regions participated in the strike, the biggest in a series of protest actions so far this year. As Spain's government is pushing through painful austerity measures, unemployment has swelled to nearly 25 per cent.
US administration ‘favorable’ to sale of armed drones to Turkey
The US administration is trying to convince Congress to allow the sale of armed drones to Turkey, the country’s president, Abdullah Gul, has said. He met with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Chicago, AP said. Ankara wants to buy the drones to help its fight against Kurdish rebels. Some Congress members may oppose sales to Turkey due to its tense relations with Israel.
Lebanon frees Islamist at heart of clashes over Syria
A military judge in Lebanon has ordered Shadi al-Mawlawi released on bail of US$333. The arrest of the Islamist had sparked deadly clashes in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli between groups supporting and opposing the Syrian regime. He was detained on May 12 on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. Supporters say Mawlawi was targeted because he was helping Syrian refugees fleeing their country.
German-Afghan terrorism suspect convicted of membership in Al Qaeda
A German-Afghan man whose information helped spark a European terrorism warning has been convicted of membership in Al Qaeda. The Koblenz state court found Ahmad Wali Siddiqui guilty of membership in a terrorist organization. The man was sentenced to six years in prison, AP reports. The court said Siddiqui, 37, trained in terrorist camps on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but there was no evidence he was part of any plans for an attack. He was captured by US troops in Afghanistan in 2010. The information he provided on alleged Al Qaeda plots targeting European cities prompted Germany and other states to raise alert levels at Christmas time.
24 killed as passenger train rams freight train in India
A passenger train rammed into a parked freight train and caught fire before dawn on Tuesday near the southwestern border of Andhra Pradesh state in southern India. At least 24 people were killed and dozens more injured, AP reports. Rescuers worked for six hours to pull some 70 survivors from the wreckage. The driver of the Hampi Express had tried to stop as he saw the cargo train. Four of the Express cars derailed.
Car explodes in Port Sudan, one killed
One person was killed when a car exploded in the Sudanese city of Port Sudan, state media said on Tuesday. Government officials said the incident was under investigation, Reuters reports. In April, Sudan said two people were killed in Port Sudan in a missile strike. Khartoum blamed that attack on Israel.
Six people, including four children, killed in Iraq bombings
Bombings in the center of the city of Baquba north of Baghdad killed six people including four children on Tuesday, officials said. The attacks hit the homes of a Sunni anti-Qaeda militiaman and a Shiite family that had been internally displaced, AFP reports. Several people were wounded. More than 120 Iraqis died as a result of violence in April.
Hollande 'tries to repair' damaged ties with Turkey
French President Francois Hollande has vowed to try to repair damaged ties with Ankara, Turkish media said on Tuesday. He wants to “re-establish relations between Turkey and France,” Turkish President Abdullah Gul said after a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago. Hollande believes the two countries have “common interests” in all issues, AFP quoted Gul as saying. Relations recently hit a low over controversial legislation in France seeking to make it a crime to deny the Armenian genocide.
Yemen marks national day after deadly terrorist act
The authorities in Yemen held a military parade and festivities on Tuesday to mark the country's national day, media reports say. The country celebrates the unification of South Yemen and North Yemen that took place on May 22, 1990. President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi attended ceremonies in the capital Sanaa. He said earlier the “the war on terror will continue until it is eradicated.” A Yemeni soldier detonated a bomb on Monday during a rehearsal for the military parade, killing 96 fellow soldiers and wounding at least 200.
S.Korea to build 500-600 cruise and ballistic missiles
South Korea will increase the number of its ballistic and cruise missiles. The Defense Ministry has requested US$2.1 billion over the next five years to better cope with missile and nuclear threats from North Korea. The South will build 500-600 new missiles, including long-range cruise missiles and the locally-produced GPS-Guided Bomb. Government sources say a plan to increase missile capabilities was proposed following the mounting threat of provocations from the North since Kim Jong-un took power.
Five killed in Damascus blast – activists
Five people were killed on Tuesday after an explosive device detonated in the Damascus neighborhood of Qaboun, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The neighborhood in northern Damascus has been a center of opposition protests in the Syrian capital.
India train collision kills at least 16
A passenger train has crashed with a goods train in India’s central state of Andhra Pradesh, killing at least 16 and injuring 30. The Bangalore-bound Hampi Express careered into a stationary goods train, derailing all four carriages, one of which caught fire. Preliminary investigations say that the passenger train driver overshot a signal, causing the accident.
US Senate approves new anti-Iran sanctions
The US Senate has approved new sanctions that target companies and individuals that cooperate with Iran. The measure, backed by both Democrats and Republicans, requires companies that trade on the US stock exchange to disclose any Iran-related business to the Securities and Exchange Commission and expands penalties for energy and uranium joint ventures with the Islamic Republic. The legislation also requires the US president to identify and designate officials, affiliates and agents of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to subject them to sanctions and to bar them from entering the United States. Individuals and companies engaging in transaction with the Revolutionary Guard Corps would also be subject to sanctions. The legislation is the latest in a series of US-imposed sanctions targeting Iran and those who trade with it. The Obama administration has been the measures to try to force the Iranian government to give up its nuclear program, which the US believes is aimed for military purposes. Iran has been insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful ends only and is set to engage in talks on the matter with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany in Baghdad on Wednesday.
5.6 quake strikes Bulgaria
A strong 5.6-magnitude earthquake rattled Bulgaria and its capital Sofia early on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey reports. There have been no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage. The tremor struck shortly after 3 a.m. local time Tuesday near the town of Pernik about 14 miles (23 kilometers) west of Sofia. It was shortly followed by a 4.6-magnitude aftershock.
Top Bahraini rights activist granted bail, but not released
Prominent Bahraini human right activist Nabeel Rajab, who was accused of insulting authorities, has been granted bail, but remained in prison, Reuters says citing his lawyer. "The judge agreed to the request to free him on 300 Bahraini dinar ($800) bail with a travel ban, but he has not been released because he is being detained on another charge," said Rajab's lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi. Rajab was arrested as part of Gulf Kingdom’s crackdowns on dissent. The country has seen massive demonstrations led by Shiite majority against ruling Sunni minority. Rajab is scheduled to face another hearing on Tuesday. The activist was arrested soon after he appeared on Julian Assange’s show “The World Tomorrow.” The WikiLeaks founder believes that could be the reason for the arrest.
New Zealand to withdraw troops from Afghanistan next year
New Zealand will pull out its troops from Afghanistan a year earlier than planned, Prime Minster John Key told reporters on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. Key said 145 New Zealand soldiers stationed in Bamiyan province will come home in late 2013 rather than 2014. He added that the decision was made in consultation with its coalition partners. New Zealand provided its troops to the mission in Afghanistan since 2003.
US kids up for healthy lunch in White House
Several US children aged eight to twelve will most likely remember this summer with an exciting experience they are to be offered by the President’s wife Michelle Obama – that is a chance to have lunch at the White House. The move is part of a contest called “The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge”, promoting healthy eating in the country. The kids’ parents are asked to make up nutritious lunch recipes to represent each of the food groups. The best recepies are to be selected by a panel, which includes White House chef Sam Kass and another celebrity chef. The winners are to travel to Washington and dine in style on some of the healthy creations. The “state dinner” is scheduled for August.
Nearly 75 million youngsters unemployed worldwide – UN
Of those between the ages of 15 to 24 around 75 million worldwide currently have no job, the UN labor institution says. That is about four million more than the 2007 figures. The International Labor Organization expects 12.7 per cent of young people to be jobless this year, saying that the same high unemployment rate is likely to last for the next four years. The youth unemployment level was 12.6 per cent last year, the UN agency reports, adding that in 2011 it remained close to its peak value in 2009, during the global financial crisis. And some 6.4 million young people are believed to have effectively given up finding work, citing economic difficulties. Factoring in those youth would push the 2011 rate up to 13.6 percent.
UN Security Council censures Yemen terrorist attack
The UN Security Council has condemned the terrorist attack in Yemen “in the strongest terms”, saying all acts of terrorism were “criminal and unjustifiable” regardless of their motivation and perpetrators. The council also reaffirmed that terrorism is one the most serious threats to world peace and stated its determination to fight all of its forms. 96 soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Monday. Al-Qaeda reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
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