Engine failure behind fatal Nigerian plane crash
Both engines had failed before the airplane that crashed in Nigerian’s largest city of Lagos on Sunday went down, the country’s civil aviation chief said Monday. All 153 people on board were killed in one of the country’s most fatal air disasters in history. It is not yet known what caused the engines to fail prior to the crash. While 137 bodies had so far been removed from the affected area, more people are feared dead on the ground in addition to those on board.
Pakistan police question armed US diplomats
Three US diplomats were questioned by Pakistani authorities after police in the city of Peshawar discovered weapons in their vehicles, Reuters reports. Police found several rifles, pistols and ammunition after searching the vehicles. Three Pakistani citizens accompanying the diplomats were charged with illegally possessing firearms The incident comes as relations between the two countries has hit its lowest point in years. Twenty eight Pakistani citizens have been killed over the last three days in a series of US drone strikes.
Satellite images show "nuke cleanup" at Iran site - IAEA
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano says that satellite images indicate buildings being demolished and soil removed at Parchin, an Iranian military site. Amano's comments will likely further reinforce suspicions among Western diplomats that Iran is trying to remove any incriminating evidence from the Parchin facility before possibly granting the International Atomic Energy Agency access. The IAEA and Iran will hold a new round of talks in Vienna on June 8.
Organizers of Kazakh clashes jailed
Twenty people charged with the organization of mass clashes in Kazakhstan have received sentences ranging from four to seven years in prison. Sixteen were sentenced to three years on parole. The clashes took place in the Kazakh city of Zhanaozen on December 16-17, 2011, during which15 people were killed and over 100 wounded.
Britain’s Prince Phillip taken to hospital
The Duke of Edinburgh, who is 90, has been taken to hospital with a bladder infection, Buckingham Palace says. He will remain under observation in hospital for a few days. Prince Phillip will miss the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert due to be held at the palace with an expected attendance of 12,000 people.
Gunmen kill 11 in drug rehab center in Mexico
Authorities in Mexico say gunmen opened fire with automatic rifles inside a drug rehabilitation center, killing 11. Several others were wounded during the attack on Sunday night in the city of Torreon. There have been increasing reports of mass shootings at parties, bars and rehabilitation centers. More than 47,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since Mexican president Felipe Calderon deployed thousands of soldiers to areas of the country where drug cartels operate.
UN chief says Annan plan still ‘central’ to resolve Syria crisis
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has said that the plan of international peace envoy Kofi Annan remains “central” to resolving Syria crisis. The UN chief also added on Monday that there is no UN discussion on military options taking place, Reuters reports. He also urged Damascus to stop violence now “in the name of humanity” and to start political dialogue. Syria rebels said on Monday they are no longer committed to Annan’s ceasefire.
Suspect in Canadian body parts case Magnotta arrested in Berlin
Luka Rocco Magnotta was arrested in Berlin on Monday, German police say. The 29-year-old Canadian, wanted for a horrific Montreal murder, was arrested in an Internet cafe, Bild newspaper reports. French authorities earlier said they were investigating the theory that Magnotta had traveled from Paris to Berlin. Magnotta who is referred to as “Canadian Psycho,” has been at the center of an international manhunt for the murder and dismemberment of a Chinese student in Montreal last month.
Syria rebels ‘no longer committed to Annan ceasefire’ – spokesman
A Syria rebels’ spokesman said on Monday they are no longer committed to the international peace envoy Kofi Annan’s ceasefire. Major Sami al-Kurdi also said they want a UN peace enforcement mission or an internationally imposed flight-ban and buffer zone, Reuters reports. The rebel Free Syrian Army said on Friday that it was resuming "defensive" operations. “We have begun defending our people,” the spokesman for the rebel military council said.
Russia to push for review of verdict against its citizens in Libya
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus will work together to press for a review of the guilty verdict handed down against their citizens in Libya, the Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said on Monday. “We will immediately take all the necessary steps, both within the legal framework and at the political level, to promote a speedy resolution of the problem and a speedy review of this obviously biased verdict,” he said in a statement, as cited by Interfax. Several military contractors from the three countries were convicted in Libya earlier on Monday for assisting the Gaddafi regime.
Refugees International urges assistance for Syrians
A Washington-based NGO called on the world on Monday to assist Syrian refugees. Refugees International (RI) warned in a statement that the Syrian refugee crisis “may threaten the political stability of both Lebanon and Jordan,” AP reports. RI urged the international community to scale-up humanitarian and development aid for both countries. Since March 2011, Jordan has taken in more than 110,000 refugees. Lebanon hosts 26,000, according to official figures.
Libyan armed brigade surrounds Tripoli airport
A Libyan armed brigade surrounded Tripoli's international airport on Monday, Reuters said, citing a security official. The group called al-Awfea Brigade from the town of Tarhouna demanded the release of one of their leaders, whom they claimed had disappeared two nights ago, the officials said. Tanks surrounded the buildings at the airport. The flights were reportedly forced to be diverted to the capital's military airport.
French rogue trader Kerviel launches appeal
Rogue trader Jerome Kerviel started his appeal on Monday against a 2010 conviction for fraud. He argued that he was a scapegoat and that Societe Generale must take responsibility for the billions of euro his gambles cost the bank, AFP reports. Kerviel said he was “not responsible for this loss” and stressed that he “always acted with the knowledge” of his hierarchy.
Rebels kill 80 Syrian soldiers at weekend – reports
Syrian rebels killed at least 80 army soldiers at the weekend, an opposition watchdog said on Monday. Local doctors had confirmed the names of 80 dead government soldiers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, as cited by Reuters. Many army checkpoints were reportedly destroyed in heavy clashes overnight in Idlib province.
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