South African mine strikes spread
The world’s largest platinum mine has been closed by a strike, with a 1,000 miners blockading the entrance to the main shaft at Amplats, in northern South Africa. The strikers have joined in solidarity with miners in nearby Marikana, where over 40 workers have died in work-related conflicts over the past month. Another strike also began at a gold mine in the same area earlier this week. The miners at all sites are demanding that their salaries be increased severalfold, to about $1,500 a month.
Four arrested for breaching US embassy in Cairo
Egypt has arrested four people for illegally entering the US embassy compound in Cairo. They have since been transferred to the prosecutor’s office, Egypt’s state news agency reported. The security breach occurred during a demonstration over a film that has been deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad. Security forces are searching for others who scaled the walls of the compound and tore down the US flag.
Afghanistan blocks YouTube over controversial Prophet Muhammad video
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered the country’s main telecom company to block access to the popular video-sharing site YouTube after a controversial video mocking the Prophet Muhammad appeared online. The video has already sparked outrage among Muslim communities worldwide, and led to of violence in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. An attack on the US consulate in Benghazi killed the American ambassador and three other staffers, while in Egypt protesters scaled the embassy’s walls and burned the US flag.
Blasts hit near home of new president of Somalia
At least three people were killed when two explosions struck near the gate of the temporary home of Somalia's new president, police reported. A suicide bomber appears to be among those killed. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is currently residing at the Jazeera Hotel in the capital of Mogadishu, where he was meeting a Kenyan minister on Wednesday. The president was not harmed in the attack. Mohamud was elected on Monday after his electoral victory over Sheikh Shariff Sheikh Ahmed, who had been leading the country’s transitional government for the past three years. Militant Islamist sect Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack; the insurgent group publicly opposed Mohamud's victory, claiming it was manipulated by the West.
France demands arrest of killers of US ambassador
Paris has demanded that Libyan authorities arrest those responsible for the death of Christopher Stevens, the US ambassador to the country. He was killed on Tuesday along with three other staffers of the US consulate in Benghazi.
38 killed in northern Kenya in clashes over land and water
At least 38 villagers were killed and more than 150 homes torched as rival tribes clashed over land and water in Kenya’s coastal region, Reuters reported. President Mwai Kibaki introduced a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the Tana River region in an attempt to stem the bloodshed, and ordered the deployment of additional security forces in the area.
Dutch voters head to polls
Dutch citizens are going to the polls to choose a new government for the fifth time in ten years. The defining issue in this year’s elections is the eurozone debt debate, with the country’s center-right and center-left nearly tied. Both parties are expected to stick to proposed deficit-reduction policies. But Dutch citizens are growing tired of austerity programs, and ‘Euroskeptic’ parties are expected to make last-minute gains. The election comes after Prime Minister Mark Rutte's government collapsed in April after an impasse in austerity budget talks.
Major system failure at Moscow airport affects hundreds
Hundreds of passengers were unable to make their flights due to a major technical failure at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. The glitch caused errors in electronic registration, and mostly affected the international terminals. The airport has resumed regular operations for all terminals except D.
More than 100 killed in Pakistan factory fires
A fire at a clothing factory in Karachi, Pakistan, last night killed up to 80 people, and 25 were killed a separate blaze at a shoe factory in the eastern part of the country, Reuters quoted government and police officials as saying. Another 35 people were reported injured in the Karachi incident, which employed 450 total staff. Many tried to escape the clothing factory fire by jumping out of windows, with some victims dying from suffocation and others burning to death. Questions have been raised about industrial safety in Pakistan, as many of the country’s factories lack safety equipment and emergency exits.
Passengers and crew alive after Russian An-28 emergency landing
All the passengers, including the crew, onboard an Antonov-28 aircraft survived a rough landing in the Russian Far East, says the regional Emergencies Ministry. So far three people have been lifted to an emergency service helicopter that flew out for a search mission after the charter plane disappeared off radar minutes before its scheduled arrival time. Later the plane was found by rescue services lying on its side a few kilometers from its final destination.
Lebanese army frees four hostages
Four Syrian hostages have been rescued by Lebanese security forces after a raid on a powerful Shiite clan. The freed hostages told state television that they had been tortured in captivity by the armed wing of the Meqdad clan, and that they were forced to make false confessions of being rebels fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad. They were among a group of 20 Syrians and a Turkish businessman abducted in the Lebanese capital of Beirut in August. The Meqdad has earlier stated that the abductions were in response to the capture of one of its members by Syrian rebels trying to topple Assad. The clan later emancipated all but the four Syrians and the Turkish businessman. The Turk is now the only person still being held.
Iran closer to nuclear bomb - anonymous diplomats
Iran has moved closer to achieving nuclear weapons capability, according to new IAEA intelligence obtained by the Associated Press. Diplomats claim that the data shows that Tehran has progressed with its calculation of the detrimental force of an atomic warhead through a series of computer model simulations within the last three years. The information, diplomats say, comes from Israel, the United States and at least two other Western countries. The diplomats demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss classified information that member countries share with the IAEA.
Car bomb attack on Yemeni defense minister kills 10
Ten people have been killed by a car bomb targeting the convoy of Yemen’s Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Ahmed on Tuesday. The minister survived the attack. The blast took place near the car carrying Ahmed's guards, killing seven of them along with three other unidentified people. “The defense minister was the target,” a security official told AFP. The attack came a day after Yemen's Defense Ministry announced that the country’s army had killed Saudi national Said al-Shehri, reportedly the number two al-Qaeda figure on the Arabian Peninsula.
25 dead in Pakistani factory blaze
At least 25 people have been killed in a fire in Pakistan's Punjab province. A fire erupted in a shoe factory when sparks from a generator hit chemicals used in production. Police say some victims died from suffocation, while others burned to death. Investigators believe that the blaze started after employees in the building were trying to start their generator after the electricity went out. Sparks from the generator hit combustible chemicals, igniting the inferno. Pakistan faces widespread blackouts, and many resort to generators to provide electricity for their needs.
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