Iraq sees deadliest
day in October
Bomb attacks and shootings in Iraq left at least 12 people
dead on Saturday, making it the deadliest day in the country since September.
Twin roadside bomb attacks in Baghdad killed eight people and wounded about 50
others, the interior ministry officials say. In another incident in the capital
gunmen attacked police killing two officers. In the northern city of Mosil
gunmen killed a soldier who was on leave.
Bus crash kills at
least 12 in Nigeria
At least 12 people have been killed as a minibus carrying
women in southwest Nigeria crashed and plunged off a bridge. Officials say
there were 21 people on the bus, three women have been rescued, while six
others are still missing. The rescuers need a crane to lift the bus from the
river.
Libya captures
Gaddafi`s former spokesman
The former spokesman of Muammar Gaddafi's government,
Moussa Ibrahim, has been captured, exactly a year after the death of the Libyan
leader. Moussa, who also was Libyan Minister of Information under Gaddafi, was
caught in the town of Tarhouna, 40 miles south of Tripoli. "Moussa Ibrahim
has been arrested by forces belonging to the Libyan government in the town of
Tarhouna and he is being transferred to Tripoli to begin interrogation," a
statement from the prime minister's office said on Saturday.
Kuwait sets
parliamentary elections for December
Kuwait has set parliamentary elections for December 1, the
government statement said. The cabinet also announced a change in electoral
procedures allowing voters to choose only one candidate in an electoral
district. Voters were previously allowed to cast ballots for four candidates.
Recently, opposition forces have staged numerous demonstrations to demand new
elections after Emir Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah dissolved parliament earlier
this month. On Friday, three former opposition Kuwaiti MPs were ordered to be
detained for three days over criticism towards the emir.
Lebanese
soldiers had to open fire on demonstrators at a check-point in Lebanon’s
capital Beirut. The incident has left two people wounded. Protests started on
Friday after a devastating car bomb blast in Beirut claimed the lives of eight
people, including top security official Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan.
Over a hundred people were injured in the explosion.
Israeli navy boards ship heading
for Gaza
The
Israeli navy has boarded a Gaza-bound ship trying to get through their naval
blockade, confirmed an IDF spokesperson. None of the Palestine activists aboard
were injured when the Israeli troops seized control of the vessel. It is now on
its way to the port of Ashdod where the activists will be handed over to
immigration control.
Japan's Coast Guard chases
Chinese ships from disputed islands
Five
Chinese government ships were seen sailing close to Tokyo-controlled islands in
the East China Sea. Japanese patrol boats chased them away from the disputed
zone. Tensions between the two countries peaked in mid-September after Tokyo
nationalized a number of the islands.
Kurdish-Turkish clashes continue:
9 dead
Nine
people have been reported dead in separate clashes between Turkish army and
insurgents of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in southeast Turkey. A day
before Kurds blasted a pipeline delivering gas from Iran as a military
personnel vehicle was passing by. The attack left 28 Turkish soldiers wounded
and stopped the daily delivery of 27 million cubic meters of gas to the
country.
Syria presents list of captured
mercenaries to UN
Damascus
has passed to the United Nations a check-roll of 108 foreign militants detained
in arms in Syria. All of them illegally infiltrated into Syria to fight the
legitimate government in Damascus, most of the detained terrorists are citizens
of the Arab states and countries of the North Africa. Damascus insists the
majority of the terrorists get into Syrian territory from Turkey.
21 dead in bus crash in Iran
A bus
with students rolled over about 500 kilometers to the south-west of Tehran, 21
passengers died in the crash, 23 were injured. Reportedly, the driver lost
control of the vehicle while speeding on a wet road. Up to 20,000 people die in
Iran annually in car crashes. Most incidents are caused through ignoring basic
security measures, such as not wearing safety belts, speeding and use of mobile
phones while driving.
Six policemen drugged unconscious
and shot dead in Afghanistan
A group
of six Afghan police officers were poisoned unconscious and then shot dead by
their colleagues in Gereshk district of the turbulent Helmand province on
Thursday. "A cook and a policeman first food-poisoned their colleagues in
their post, and after they fell unconscious they were shot dead,"
provincial spokesman Ahmad Zeerak told AFP. The policeman suspected of the
murder has been arrested while the cook remains at large. The Taliban, which
claimed responsibility for the crime, claims the number of dead law enforcement
officers reached eight and that their firearms were stolen.
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood new
leader chosen
The
Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has elected a new leader of the movement. The
speaker of the country’s parliament Saad El-Katatni, 60, has won the voting
with 581 votes, beating the deputy of the party’s leader Dr. Essam Mohamed
Hussein el-Erian who gained 283 voices. El-Katatni has taken the position which
has been vacant ever since the party’s previous leader, Mohamed Morsi, won the
presidential election. El-Katatni is regarded as a conservative moderate
Islamist, while el-Erian is believed to be devoted to reforms in the party and
a closer dialogue with liberal parties of Egypt. In the meantime, Cairo is
stricken with protests as over 10,000 demonstrators demand explanations from
the Muslim Brotherhood over the recent clashes between party’s supporters and
the anti-government protesters that left over 100 people wounded.
UN to impose sanctions on Congo
rebels
The UN
Security Council is to sanction the leaders of the M23 rebel movement in the
Democratic Republic of Congo for breaking the arms embargo imposed on the
country. Rwanda and Uganda are reported to have supplied the rebel forces with
weapons, something the two countries deny. Deadly fighting has erupted between
the government troops and the rebels since April.
Federal judge blocks Arizona law
from stopping Planned Parenthood funding
A
federal judge has prevented Arizona from blocking the US government funding for
the Planned Parenthood scheme. The money is spent on general health care
services that don’t include abortion. The law that’s, now been blocked, was
enacted earlier this year, but hasn’t yet been implemented. The state of
Arizona has banned public funding for most abortions, but the new law would
also bar the funding for general health care services provided by abortion
clinics and doctors.
Hearing indicates captain to
blame for Italy ship disaster – prosecutor
The
pre-trial hearing into the sinking of the Costa Concordia has placed the onus
of blame for the disaster on the ships captain. A total of 32 lives were lost
when the cruise ship sank off the coast of Italy. Captain Francesco Schettino
has since been accused of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning
ship before over 4,000 passengers and crew on board were evacuated. After the
pre-trial hearing, a judge is to make a decision on whether there is enough
basis to start the trial. Prosecutors said they aim to put Schettino behind
bars for a 2,697-year sentence if he is convicted.
UK police launch formal probe
into BBC star sex abuse case
British
police have opened a formal investigation into the sexual abuse of about 200
underage victims by several people, including former BBC star Jimmy Savile. He
died last year at the age of 84. Following a fortnight of collecting
information, the case status was changed from ‘assessment’ to a formal criminal
investigation. The probe will look into the cases of those suspects who are
still alive.
Russia’s opposition ‘Coordination
council’ elex to begin
Elections
to the Russian opposition ‘Coordination council’ start Saturday and are set to
continue for two days. A demonstration in support of the elections is to take
place in central Moscow. During the rally, opposition leaders are planning to
inform the public on the coordination council’s future activity and also to
demand the release of political prisoners.
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