A Saudi court has sentenced 11 men to up to 15 years in prison for membership of a cell linked to Al-Qaeda. The group reportedly planned to attack US forces in Kuwait and the state-owned Saudi oil company Aramco. The sentences handed down by the Specialized Criminal Court in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, ranged from two to 15 years in jail, Alriyadh newspaper said. The Interior Ministry said last year that 5,696 people had been detained by the authorities in “militant” cases.
Iran’s oil exports down 20-30 per cent – official
Iran acknowledged on Wednesday that its oil exports have fallen sharply from normal volumes of 2.2 million barrels daily. “It was 20 to 30 per cent down,” Mohammad Ali Emadi, an official of the National Iranian Oil Company, said in Moscow. “Some part of the reduction is due to changes at the refinery,” Reuters quoted him as saying. Emadi insisted the reduction was caused by “overhaul maintenance of the wells” rather than international sanctions.
Iraq prime minister calls for early elections
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has called for early elections to be held in Iraq. A statement published on the on the Premier's website on Wednesday said he “found himself forced” to call for early polls. It accused unnamed political rivals of “refusing to sit at the table of dialogue” and provoking successive crises, AFP said. A series of recent political scandals has led to calls for the PM’s removal.
Merkel says no quick solution to euro crisis
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a quick move to eurobonds or other forms of joint liability would be constitutionally impossible for Germany. She told lawmakers on Wednesday that “supervision and liability must go hand in hand.” They could only be considered if and when “sufficient supervision is ensured,” the Chancellor said, as cited by AP. Introducing eurobonds now would be “economically wrong,” the Chancellor insisted.
Bombs kill 11 in Baghdad
Two explosions in the Baghdad suburbs on Wednesday have killed 11 people, Iraqi officials say. Two bombs exploded within minutes of each other outside a Shiite cleric's home in the al-Wahda area. At least eight people were killed and seven others wounded. In a separate incident in western Baghdad three women were killed, when a bomb exploded inside a house. Two people were wounded, officials said.
Syrian envoy walks out of UN Human Rights Council debate
The Syrian delegation has stormed out of a UN debate on a critical report on the rights abuses in the country, AFP reports. “We will not participate in this flagrantly political meeting,” said Syrian Ambassador Faisal Khabbaz Hamoui before leaving the hall. The UN investigators said forces loyal to the government “may have been responsible for many of the deaths” in the massacre in the town of Houla in May. They noted, however, that they were unable to determine the identity of the perpetrators at this time.
Bahrain releases leading rights activist
Bahrain released from jail on Wednesday leading Shiite rights activist Nabil Rajab, his lawyer said. He was freed three weeks after his arrest for tweeting statements deemed insulting to Sunnis, AFP said. The next hearing in the case is set for July 9. The government has announced $2.6 million in compensation for 17 people killed in last year’s crackdown against those protesting the regime of the ruling Sunni Al-Khalifa family.
UN investigators say rights violated in Syria ‘on alarming scale’
Syrian government forces have committed human rights violations, “on an alarming scale” during military operations over the last three months, UN investigators said on Wednesday. The team led by Paulo Pinheiro said in a report that it was unable to determine who carried out a massacre of more than 100 people in Houla in May. But forces loyal to the government “may have been responsible for many of the deaths,” Reuters quoted the investigators as saying. The document also had multiple reports of killings by armed opposition groups.
Insurgents kill 10 police in Afghanistan
Insurgent attacks in several parts of Afghanistan have killed 10 police officers over 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday. Four officers were killed in the southern Musa Qala district, AP said. Two police officers were killed when their truck hit a roadside bomb early Wednesday in Kunduz province in the north. In Herat province in the west, an ambush killed four policemen on patrol in Ghoryan district late Tuesday.
Rhode Island repeals online lying law
It is no longer a crime in Rhode Island to go online and lie about something innocuous. State lawmakers have voted to repeal an obscure 1989 law that made fibbing on the internet a misdemeanour. It was punishable by fines of up to $500 and as much as a year in prison, AP reports. A handful of people were prosecuted for lying online, but the law was violated by many people. Rep. Chris Blazejewski proposed eliminating the law, saying it was likely unconstitutional.
South Korea to sign first military accord with Japan
South Korea is preparing to sign a military agreement with Japan, officials said on Wednesday. This would be the first such pact since Tokyo’s colonial rule of Korea ended in 1945. The pact calls for sharing intelligence about North Korea and its nuclear and missile programs, and other topics. A Seoul foreign ministry spokesman told AFP the agreement covers the “protection of classified information.” Last month, Seoul suspended the signing of the agreement, and another military accord, citing anti-Japan hostility in the country.
Gunmen storm pro-government Syrian TV station
Gunmen reportedly stormed the headquarters of a pro-government Syrian TV news channel on Wednesday morning. “The terrorists planted explosive devices in the headquarters of al-Ikhbariya following their ransacking of the satellite channel studios,” the state media said. The newsroom was entirely destroyed. “Three colleagues were killed as a result of the brutal terrorist attack,” Reuters quoted the report as saying. Ikhbariya resumed broadcasting shortly after the attack.
California’s fourth-largest city to become the largest US bankrupt
Stockton’s officials said on Tuesday they were unable to reach a deal to restructure hundreds of millions of dollars of debt, meaning the city is set to become the largest American city to ever declare bankruptcy. "We think Chapter 9 protection is the only choice left. If we get any agreements, those will be honored in Chapter 9," said City Manager Bob Deis. City lawyers could file for Chapter 9 protection in court as soon as Wednesday. The benefit of filing for bankruptcy, Stockton officials say, would be to buy time for Stockton to renegotiate its debts on terms more advantageous to the city. It would remove, at least temporarily, the need for Stockton to make budget cuts even more drastic than those already made.
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