The Amin Abel Liberation Front, a student organization in the Dominican Republic, is accusing the police shooting at and wounding three protesters during a demonstration against tuition hikes and new enrollment fees at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. The organization’s spokesman, Daniel Jerez, said his foot was injured after police shot him without warning. University Chancellor Mateo Aquino says the tuition hikes and new fees were approved in order to buy new equipment and improve the university’s laboratories and main library.
Ex-France Telecom CEO probed over suicides
France Telecom's former chief executive, Didier Lombard, was put under investigation on Wednesday over his alleged role in a wave of staff suicides, his lawyer said. Lombard is accused of advocating tough management practices that could be seen as psychological harassment. Lombard was head of the telecommunications during the wave of suicides of more than 30 employees in 2008 and 2009. If found guilty, he could face up to one year in prison and a €15,000 fine. Lombard was forced to step down in 2010 and had to pay bail of €100,000 to remain out of custody.
Syrian government showing clear commitment to peace plan - head UN observer
The UN's chief military observer in Syria, Major General Robert Mood, said that he has received from the Syrian government “a very clear commitment to the six-point plan” devised by Kofi Annan. Mood also said that the UN's commitment to the “welfare of the Syrian people” remains strong. Speaking about last week’s meeting on Syria in Geneva, he reiterated that the most important issue for everyone involved is ending violence. “There is this feeling that it's too much talk in nice hotels and too little action to move forward and stop the violence,” Mood told reporters on Wednesday after meeting with a Syrian government working group.
Mexico to recount votes from over half of polling boxes
Mexican electoral authorities will recount more than half the ballot boxes used in the weekend's presidential elections. The recount of 78,012 boxes out of 143,000 is expected to finish Thursday. Authorities also will recount 61 per cent of the ballot boxes in the vote for the Senate, and 60 per cent in the vote for the lower house of Congress, said Edmundo Jacobo, the executive secretary of Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute. On Tuesday, the runner-up in Mexico’s presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who refuses to accept the preliminary results, demanded a full recount of the ballots due to "inconsistencies." With 99 per cent of the vote counted, Lopez Obrador was dragging behind his opponent Pena Nieto with 31 per cent of the vote, against 38 per cent.
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Chile road accident kills at least 11, including two children
A lumber truck has crashed into a bus in southern Chile, killing at least 11 people, including two children, and injuring 15. The crash happened on a rural road in the province of Arauco, some 600 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.
Decision on Assange asylum argument to cover hundreds of pages – Ecuadorian FM
The decision on whether or not to grant WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asylum in Ecuador will be explained in a voluminous document that would contain up to several “hundreds of pages,” said Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino. He said that his government was thoroughly studying the case and would make a decision that would be “sufficiently justified” on paper. Patino also said the issue had worldwide repercussions, and that Ecuador was studying the Swedish case involving Assange. Assange was placed under house arrest in the United Kingdom, pending a decision on his extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations of sexual assault. In June, Assange, who argued that Sweden would eventually hand him over to the United States, entered the Ecuadoran embassy and lodged a request for political asylum. Ecuador granted him temporary protection during the consideration of his request.
Joey Chestnut wins NYC hot dog eating contest for sixth consecutive time
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut has won the annual 4th of July Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest held in the New York neighborhood of Coney Island, Brooklyn. He was able to down 68 hot dogs in ten minutes, beating his previous record by six dogs. The women’s competition was won by the Sonya Thomas, who managed to gulp down 45 hot dogs, the same number as her age, despite weighing a mere 100 pounds. Joey Chestnut became the second person to win six times in a row, beating media-dubbed arch-rival Takeru Kobayashi, who stayed out of the public eye for this year’s event. Two years ago Kobayashi was arrested for trying to participate in the contest without proper registration. Last year Kobayashi unofficially competed on a rooftop in Manhattan, watching the official contest on a plasma TV screen.
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