UK court to pass judgment in Assange case in May
Britain's Supreme Court will give its judgment in the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's fight against extradition to Sweden on May 30. The court said in a statement the decision will be announced next Wednesday. Assange took his case to the Supreme Court in February, arguing that the Swedish prosecutor who ordered his arrest in December 2010 was not a proper judicial authority. Sweden wants to question the Australian over allegations of rape and sexual assault. Assange calls the attempt to extradite him politically motivated.
Pakistani who helped track down bin Laden sentenced to prison
A Pakistani doctor who helped the US track down Osama bin Laden was convicted of high treason on Wednesday. Shakil Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison, AP reports, citing officials. He was also ordered to pay a fine of about $3,500. Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify bin Laden's presence at the compound in Abbottabad where US commandos killed the Al Qaeda chief last May. US officials have called for Afridi to be released. He has the right to appeal the verdict.
Six injured aboard Russian military plane landing in Czech Republic
At least six people were injured in a fire on board an Antonov An-30 Russian aerial survey aircraft in the Czech Republic on Wednesday. The plane was landing at an airbase near Prague. There were about 20 people on board, Interfax reports. One of those injured is in serious condition, the Russian Defense Ministry said. No possible causes of the incident were immediately clear.
Turkey indicts Israeli commanders over ship raid
A Turkish prosecutor has reportedly prepared an indictment seeking life sentences for four former Israeli military commanders. They were indicted over their alleged involvement in the 2010 killing of nine Turks on a Gaza-bound aid ship, Turkish newspaper Sabah said on Wednesday. State prosecutor Mehmet Akif Ekinci called for 10 life sentences to be given to each of the four commanders, Reuters reports. Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara vessel in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists on board.
Egypt policeman shot dead at polling station
An Egyptian policeman was shot dead on Wednesday in a gunfight between supporters of two presidential candidates outside a polling station in Cairo. Another person was injured in the fight in the northeastern Cairo district of Rod al-Farag, security officials told AFP. The gunfight erupted as Egyptians were voting to choose a successor to President Hosni Mubarak, ousted last year. It was not immediately clear which candidates those involved in the fight were backing. Twelve candidates are competing in the poll. The initial results are expected on Sunday.
Gunmen attack bus near Baghdad, killing 2
Gunmen have attacked a bus northeast of Baghdad, killing two people and wounding seven, Iraqi officials said on Wednesday. Gunmen opened fire in the morning on a bus carrying daily laborers to a construction site near the city of Baqouba, AP said. Baqouba, a former Sunni insurgent stronghold, is located some 60 kilometers northeast of the Iraqi capital.
Bushehr to reach 100 per cent capacity by end May – Russian company
Plans for Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant to reach 100 per cent capacity on May 23 have been suspended, Russian company Atomstroyexport said on Wednesday. The decision was made to carry out “planned prophylactic work,” Interfax quoted the company’s representatives as saying. The plant is now expected to start working up to full capacity by the end of May. Bushehr, Iran's first nuclear power plant, will start commercial energy production by the end of 2012.
Moscow expects Obama to turn down Iran sanctions – Lavrov
Russia expects the US president to turn down new unilateral sanctions against Iran approved by the US Congress, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. Hopefully, the US administration will respond responsibly to “this excess of US lawmakers,” the minister said, as cited by Interfax. The unilateral measures will not help the work of the six world powers focusing on Iran’s nuclear program, he noted. Russia hopes that the talks in Baghdad will help develop an algorithm for further work, Lavrov said.
Saudi Arabia signs $3 billion aircraft deal with UK
Saudi Arabia has signed a US$3 billion deal with the UK’s Ministry of Defense, Saudi media say. According to the agreement, the British will supply the Saudi Royal Air Force with advanced training, flight simulators, ground equipment, training devices and spare parts. The training will qualify Saudi pilots to fly fourth generation fighter aircraft, the Saudi Press Agency said. British media confirm UK giant BAE Systems will supply Hawk trainer jets and training to Saudi Arabia.
2 foreign doctors, 3 local colleagues abducted in Afghanistan
Two foreign doctors and three of their Afghan colleagues have been kidnapped in a remote area in northeast Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday. It is unclear who kidnapped the doctors, Abdul Maroof Rasikh, the spokesman for the governor of Badakhshan province, said, as cited by AP. They were kidnapped on Tuesday as the group was traveling on horseback about 90 kilometers from the provincial capital of Faizabad.
Israel defense ministry says strike possible despite Iran deal
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has warned that Tehran’s preliminary agreement to open its nuclear facilities to UN inspectors does not rule out a possible military strike. Barak told Army Radio on Wednesday he was skeptical about the deal. The minister described the agreement as an Iranian ploy to fend off international pressure, AP said. “A nuclear Iran is intolerable and no options should be taken off the table,” Barak said.
Sudan carries out air strikes against South Sudan – reports
Sudanese air forces have reportedly carried out air strikes against targets on the territory of South Sudan. The South’s ministry of information said the bombardment is “a serious threat to regional and international stability.” There has been no information about casualties. South Sudan’s officials did not say which region was bombarded. The two countries have been fighting over a disputed border region and oil revenue.
Claims of surgically implanted device divert US Airways flight
A US Airways flight from Paris to Charlotte, North Carolina was diverted to Maine’s Bangor Airport after a French passenger handed a note to a flight attendant saying she was carrying a surgically implanted "device," US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said. Two F-15 fighter jets then escorted the plane to the airport, though passengers were literally kept in the dark as they were told to lower their shades to watch a movie. The pilot told passengers that the purpose of the unscheduled landing was to fuel up the plane. However, after the aircraft landed, the suspicious passenger was taken off the plane and detained by police. Other passengers were taken to a secure area, where they remained for over three hours before being allowed back onboard to resume their flight to North Carolina. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security earlier warned that terrorists may consider surgically implanting bombs inside human bodies to avoid detection at airport security.
US Congressional agency warns of effects of tax hike, spending cuts on economy
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan agency that produces economic research, has warned that allowing tax hikes and spending cuts to come into effect would cause the US economy to fall off a “fiscal cliff” and contract by 1.3 per cent next year. A CBO report predicted that the contraction would take place if tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush are allowed to expire and if automatic spending cuts to the Pentagon and other government agencies took effect. The automatic spending cuts are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013, as a punishment for the failure of the bipartisan “supercommittee” to come up with a debt reduction plan last year. The US Congress has been gridlocked in arguments over how to slash the country’s massive debt, which now exceeds $15 trillion. An agreement that lifted the debt ceiling last summer imposed a sequester of $1 trillion to various government agencies if Congress fails to produce a comprehensive plan to reduce the debt.
Thousands gather in Montreal to mark 100 days of anti-tuition hike protests
About 20,000 people have gathered in central Montreal to mark the 100th day of protests against planned tuition hikes by the Quebec government, the Globe and Mail reports. The demonstrators, most of whom are students, also protested a controversial law adopted by the local government last Friday that bans demonstrations held without an eight-hour prior warning to the police. The law also stipulates that rally organizers furnish the police with the route of the planned demonstration. While the legislation was derided by both students and a number of experts, the local government has been on the defensive, arguing that similar measures have been adopted in major cities worldwide. Demonstrations against tuition hikes have been ongoing since February. On Sunday rallies turned violent, with police using tear gas to disperse demonstrators and slabs of concrete being ripped out by protesters. Over 300 people were arrested in the Sunday protest.
US Senate panel OKs aid cut to Pakistan, Egypt
The US Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee has approved a foreign aid budget including cuts in US assistance to Pakistan and Egypt. The total bill, totaling $52.1 billion, is $2.6 billion less than what US President Barack Obama had requested and $1.2 billion lower than current allocations. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said the reason for slashing aid to Pakistan was the rise in tensions between the two countries, especially after Pakistan closed down supply routes for NATO forces in Afghanistan following a deadly US airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Republican Senator Lindsay Graham also gave the reason for cutting $5 million in aid to Egypt, saying it was necessary because of extra spending to evacuate US non-government workers from the country earlier this year.
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