CONFLICT & TERROR 04/07

German police scandal over LibyaPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 8:36am

Eight German police commandos are under investigation for allegedly having trained Libyan police for profit in their spare time. "The behaviour of the police officers is completely unacceptable," said Ingo Wolf, interior minister in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Full Story

Hague court acquits Kosovo ex-PMPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 8:44am

The International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague has acquitted a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) of war crimes. Ramush Haradinaj, who is also an ex-prime minister, was found not guilty on 37 counts, including murder, persecution, rape and torture. Full Story

EU targets consumer compensationPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 8:44am

The European Commission has set out proposals that it hopes will facilitate compensation for victims of cartels. The commission wants legal barriers to compensation to be removed, saying that "victims are foregoing... several billions of euros a year". Full Story

Pakistan arrests four Turkish al Qaeda suspectsPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 8:57am

Pakistani security agencies have arrested four Turks with suspected links to al Qaeda, intelligence officials said on Friday. Explosives, some 1,400 rounds of ammunition, and a laptop containing "jihadi" material were found on the suspects, who were detained by paramilitary troops late on Thursday as they were travelling on a bus from the western province of Baluchistan to neighbouring Sindh, the officials said. Full Story
Sarkozy unveils reforms, savings not seen until 2011Posted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:19am

President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday promised a major rationalization of the French state, but indicated that savings would not come until 2011 and left questions unanswered over how he planned to balance the budget. Sarkozy said France needed to reduce its army of civil servants and introduce a wholesale shake-up of its bureaucracy, including the military administration and diplomatic service. Full Story

Food prices drive India inflationPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:27am

Inflation in India has hit a three-year high as a result of spiralling food and energy costs, official figures show. India's wholesale price index, released weekly, hit 7% for the year up to 22 March, the highest since December 2004. Full Story

Would-be plane bombers recorded suicide videos: prosecutorPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:31am

Islamic extremists plotting suicide attacks on flights from Britain to North America prepared martyrdom videos to announce their planned deaths, a prosecutor said Friday. Videos recorded by most of the eight-man gang were found after police swooped on their homes in August 2006, prosecutor Peter Wright said on the second day of their trial at a high-security London court. Full Story

Pakistan searches for solution to power shortagesPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:32am

Pakistan's electricity production was nearly 3,000 megawatts short of demand in March. The country made up the difference by turning off lights, and everything else, for several hours a day. Full Story

Afghan suicide blast kills threePosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:36amA suicide bomber has killed three police officers in an attack in southern Afghanistan, police say. Three others were wounded in the attack in the southern province of Helmand. Full Story

Moderate earthquake jolts Tokyo, eastern JapanPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:43am

A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 shook eastern Japan on Friday but there was no threat of tsunami tidal waves, the Meteorological Agency said. The tremor, which occurred at 7:02 pm (1002 GMT), was strong enough to rattle some buildings in the capital. Full Story

Group protests Nazi ad in South KoreaPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 9:48am

A leading anti-Semitism watchdog group called Friday for a South Korean cosmetics company to halt an ad campaign with Nazi references. Full Story

US-India nuclear deal's future uncertainPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 10:06am

Jeopardized by an Indian political squabble, the landmark U.S.-India nuclear deal  one of President Bush's top foreign policy priorities  is at risk of being left to an uncertain fate when the next president takes office in January. Full Story

S.Korea reports bird flu outbreak, culls poultryPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 10:10am

South Korea has started culling over 300,000 chickens and other poultry after confirming an outbreak of highly virulent bird flu at a farm in the southwest -- its first case in 13 months, the country's farm ministry said. Full Story

2 Jordanians tagged in alleged plot to kill Arroyo deportedPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 10:25am

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday deported two Jordanians suspected of allegedly plotting to assassinate President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and bomb the United States Embassy in Manila. Full Story

Duke of Edinburgh is in hospitalPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 10:52am

The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for treatment for a chest infection, Buckingham Palace has said. Prince Philip was taken to the King Edward VII's Hospital in London for "assessment and treatment for a chest infection", a palace spokeswoman said. Full Story

Bomb-making items found in woodPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 11:24am

Police investigating dissident republican activity in County Donegal have discovered bomb-making equipment in a wooded area. It was found at Mongorry Wood, an isolated area near Raphoe on Thursday. Searches in the area are continuing. Full Story

'Unprecedented' murder responsePosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 11:26am

Gerry Adams has said more than 100 people have gone to the police with information about the murder of former republican prisoner Frank McGreevy. The West Belfast MP met members of Mr McGreevy's family on Friday. Full Story

German Islamists Suspected of Planning Attack in AfghanistanPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 11:31am

Two Islamic extremists from Germany may be planning attacks against targets in Afghanistan, investigators have warned. The men, who share connections to the Sauerland terror cell and suicide bomber Cneyt Ciftci, are thought to have trained at terror camps in Pakistan. Full Story

Arrests in 'head on beach' casePosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 12:01pm

Two Lithuanian men have been arrested in connection with the discovery of a woman's head and hands on a beach. Police have identified the dead woman as Jolanta Bledaite, 35, from Alytus, Lithuania. Full Story

Clegg urges PM to boycott GamesPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 12:42pm

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has urged Gordon Brown to boycott this summer's Olympic opening ceremony in protest at China's human rights record. He said the prime minister could not attend the event in Beijing "in good conscience", given the country's crackdown on protests in Tibet. Full Story

Pirates storm French yacht off Somalia: reportPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 1:10pm

Pirates have taken over a French luxury yacht with 34 crew on board off the coast of Somalia, France Info radio said on Friday. The radio station said pirates from two ships had taken over the yacht and were holding its crew captive. There did not seem to be any clients on board the vessel at the time, it added. Full Story

China reports new violence in volatile Tibetan region, activists say 8 killedPosted on Friday, April 4, 2008 at 2:42pm

New violence has broken out in a volatile Tibetan region of western China, leaving eight people dead, an overseas Tibet activist group said Friday. China's official Xinhua News Agency said a government official was seriously injured. Full Story

Two soldiers killed in communist attack in central PhilippinesPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:19am

Two soldiers were killed in an attack by communist rebels in a village in a central Philippine province, an army spokesman said Saturday. Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said one other soldier was wounded when they were ambushed late Thursday by about 20 rebels in San Remegio town in Antique province, 435 kilometres south of Manila. Full Story

Police seize 350 kilos of heroinPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:21am

Police have made one of the country's biggest ever heroin seizures with a street value estimated at 15 to 20 million pounds and arrested three men, the Metropolitan Police said on Saturday. The specialist crime central task force seized 350 kg (770 lb) of heroin from two cars at a motorway service station in Kent on Thursday. Full Story

Floods caused by storms leave thousands homeless in BrazilPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:22am

Floods triggered by two weeks of torrential downpours have killed at least 10 people and forced more than 30,000 people to flee their homes in Brazil's normally arid northeast, officials said Friday. Marcos Alfredo Alves, a spokesman for the Paraiba state government, said 14,000 people had to leave their homes there to escape waters that invaded the streets in 13 towns and cities. He said 10 people had drowned. Full Story

Cyber-Terror Task Force LaunchedPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:23am

An emergency task force designed to fight cyber-terror attacks has been put in place by Nato to protect its member nations. A decision on the force was triggered after a serious "September 11-like" attack on Estonia's government computers in 2007. Full Story

Haitians riot over prices, attack U.N. peacekeepersPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:26am

Four people were shot dead and some 20 injured Friday on the second day of demonstrations in Haiti against rising prices and poverty, a politician told AFP. "Four people were shot dead and some 20 injured" in the protest in Cayes, the country's third most populous city 190 kilometres south of Port-Au-Prince, Senator Gabriel Fortune told AFP. Full Story

"Reformed" Muslim radical fears future in BritainPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:29am

British-born Muslim Hassan Butt spent 10 years insideradical Islamist groups, recruiting and training militants, before renouncing violence and trying to help others escape radical Islamist networks. It is a past he is not proud of, but which he also does not seek to hidewhen he discusses his experiences. Full Story

UK: We must talk to the TalibanPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:31am

Britain must be willing to talk to the Taliban and other extremist groups in order to try to stabilize the world, the Defence Secretary says today. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Des Browne says that Britain and other democratic states should negotiate with organizations linked to violence including elements of the Taliban and Hizbollah, in an attempt to prevent the long-term spread of terrorism. Full Story

China blocks reporting in Tibetan areasPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:32am

It was just after nightfall when three journalists were stopped at a police checkpoint on a winding, rutted road in China's western Sichuan province  territory that had become out of bounds for the foreigners. Police officers took them to a nearby town and locked them in a hotel overnight. They then escorted the journalists more than 250 miles back to the provincial capital, Chengdu, and left them with a warning. "If you come back, we will send you back again," one official said. Full Story

Sri Lanka Military: Battles Across North Kill 15 Rebels, 1 SoldierPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:33am

Scattered battles between government troops and Tamil Tiger separatists across Sri Lanka's embattled north killed 15 rebels and one soldier, the military said Saturday. Reports of fighting have increased in recent months amid government promises to capture the rebels' de facto state in the north and crush the group by the end of the year. But diplomats and other observers say the army is facing more resistance than it had expected. Full Story

2 Arrested With Infrared Cameras at LAXPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 4:54pm

Two men attempting to board a plane to China with nearly a dozen sensitive infrared cameras in their luggage were arrested on Saturday, a federal official said. Full Story

Accused Colombian drug lord frees captured menPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:51pm

An accused Colombian drug lord released 25 men his organization had seized after he accused rivals of sending them to assassinate him in a turf war, a diplomat said on Saturday. Full Story

Gunmen kill Christian priest in BaghdadPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 5:58pm

An Assyrian Orthodox priest was shot to death Saturday by gunmen using silencers as the Christian cleric and his wife returned home after a trip to the market in Baghdad. Full Story

Iraqi leaders call for militias to disbandPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 6:04pm

Iraq's political leadership on Saturday called on all parties to disband their militias before provincial elections this year, an apparent attempt to isolate the populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Full Story

Blackwater Iraq contract renewedPosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 6:05pm

Security firm Blackwater has had its contract to protect US diplomats in Iraq extended. The move comes despite the continuing FBI investigation into the killing of 17 Iraqis by Blackwater staff guarding US officials in Baghdad last September. Full Story

Police Probe 'New Russia Poison Attack'Posted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 8:45pm

Detectives are investigating an apparent attempt to kill a former Russian spy who defected to Britain and was honoured by the Queen. Full Story

Ecuador says CIA controls part of its intelligencePosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 9:19pm

Ecuador's president accused the CIA on Saturday of controlling many of his country's spy agencies, in comments that could fray ties with Washington and drag it into Ecuador's feud with neighboring Colombia. Full Story

Still no word from FARC guerillas on Betancourt: FrancePosted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 9:20pm

A French medical mission is still waiting to hear whether Colombian FARC guerrillas will let them treat French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Saturday. Full Story

PKK bomb kills a member of Turkey's security forcePosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 4:12pm

A bomb, allegedly planted by the outlawed separatist PKK, has killed one and wounded three Turkish village guards in Sirnak, a province in southern Turkey, according to the official website of the Turkish General Staff. Full Story

Explosion Strikes Foreign Housing Complex in Yemen's CapitalPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 4:13pm

An explosion shattered windows late Sunday at a housing complex used by foreign companies in Yemen's capital, but no one was hurt, security officials said. Full Story

Thousands of Pakistanis protest against anti-Islam film, cartoonsPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 4:13pm

Thousands of people rallied in the Pakistani port city of Karachi Sunday to protest against Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed and a Dutch film said to insult Islam, police and witnesses said. Full Story

Turkish authorities seize 400 kilograms of heroinPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 4:15pm

Turkish security forces seized 400 kilograms of heroin hidden in vats of olives on a truck headed for Europe, the Anatolia news agency reported Sunday. Full Story

French Navy keeps tabs on yacht hijacked off SomaliaPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 4:16pm

The French military on Sunday kept up its surveillance of a hijacked French luxury cruise yacht with about 32 crew aboard as it was taken toward a pirate lair off northeastern Somalia, officials said. Full Story

Rocket attacks on U.S. targets in Baghdad kill 3 American soldiers, wound 31Posted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 5:13pm

The U.S. military says rocket or mortar attacks against the U.S.-protected Green Zone and a military base elsewhere in Baghdad have killed three American service members and wounded 31. Full Story

12 Aksa Martyrs Brigades terrorists flee from PA jailPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 5:13pm

A dozen Fatah gunmen who had agreed to serve jail time in exchange for getting taken off Israel's wanted list escaped from a Palestinian Authority prison in Nablus late Friday, charging that guards beat them. Full Story

Hizbullah: IDF preparing for new war on LebanonPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 5:50pmIsrael's new military exercises are intended to prepare for a new war on Lebanon, the deputy leader of Hizbullah said Sunday. Full Story

Pakistan: Militant chief vows to fight on until Kashmir is liberated from IndiaPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 5:50pm

An Islamic militant leader vowed Sunday to keep battling India until it grants independence to the Himalayan Kashmir region and urged increased backing for Muslim fighters in conflicts elsewhere in the world. Full Story

15 killed as tribe clashes with rebels in northern YemenPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 5:51pm

Fifteen people were killed and several others injured in fighting between Shiite rebels and tribesmen loyal to the government in northern Yemen, tribal sources said on Sunday. Full Story

Audit warned of missile inventory messPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 6:16pm

Inspectors warned Hill Air Force Base last year that its poor record-keeping could lead to inventory mistakes with ballistic missile parts without knowing a significant shipping error had already occurred, a newspaper reported Sunday. Full Story

A new counterterrorism unit ready to fight Al-QaedaPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 7:35pm

General Homeland Direction DGSN has finished the elaboration of the project of the new counterterrorism unit which it is to be launched sooner to substitute the dissolved central judicial police department; well informed sources told El Khabar. Full Story

Bush urged to focus terror fight on Afghanistan, PakistanPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 8:32pm

Democrats Sunday called on President George W. Bush to refocus US counter-terror efforts to Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying that over-emphasis on Iraq has allowed Islamic extremists to regroup along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Full Story

Violence feared as Nepal goes to the pollsPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 8:46pm

The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal votes on its political future this week, but many fear the landmark elections, which could mean the end of the worlds only Hindu monarchy, could also end in violence. Full Story

At least 3 dead in gunbattle in MexicoPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 8:48pm

At least three people were killed and three more wounded in a highway gunbattle in northern Mexico, officials said Sunday. Full Story

Olympic flame arrives in ParisPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 8:49pm

The Olympic flame arrived at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport late on Sunday, an airport official said, ahead of a high-security tour through the French capital where campaigners are planning protests over China's human rights record. Full Story

Blast kills village guard in TurkeyPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 8:55pm

A blast in southeastern Turkey has killed one government-paid village guard and injured three others, according to Turkey's military. Full Story

Iraqi forces and militia clash in BaghdadPosted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 9:39pm

Sharp fighting broke out in Baghdad's Sadr City district on Sunday as American and Iraqi troops sought to control neighborhoods used by Shiite militias to fire rockets and mortars into the nearby Green Zone. Full Story

Oil worker hostages freed in NigeriaPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:39am

Five Workers of Petroleum and Gas Company, kidnapped by militant youths in the oil rich Ilaje community in Nigeria's Ondo State, have been released. Handing over the five oil workers to Governor Olusegun Agagu in Akure, the chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, OSOPADEC, Chief Adewale Omojuwa, said no ransom was paid to the aggrieved youths. Full Story

Facebook terror threat in AustraliaPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:41am

Counter-Terrorism agents have launched an investigation into a multi-national terror threat made against an Australian using internet social networking website Facebook. The first investigation of its kind was prompted by a death threat emanating from the Middle East against a Jewish woman and her family from an alleged member of the Iranian-backed terror outfit Hezbollah.The woman received the death threat from the self-proclaimed terrorist through the website after she declined the man's online "friendship request". Full Story

Bird flu confirmed in Tripura's Dhalai districtPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:42am

Authorities in Tripura on Sunday confirmed the presence of avian influenza virus in the Kamalpur area of Dhalai district. Full Story

SKorea confirms second outbreak of deadly bird flu strainPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:44am

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo called on Monday for intensive efforts to stop the spread of bird flu after a second outbreak was confirmed to be the deadly H5N1 strain."Thorough steps are needed to stop it from spreading to other areas," Han told a meeting of senior officials. Full Story

Machete-wielding teens attack Australian schoolPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:45am

A group of teenagers armed with baseball bats and machetes attacked Australian teachers and students on Monday, injuring 18 people and forcing a high school in Sydney to be locked down, police said. Five youths barged into the morning assembly at Merrylands High School in south-west Sydney, witnesses said, grabbing students before starting to smash windows at the school. Full Story

Al Qaeda says behind Yemen attack: Yemeni officialPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:51am

A Yemeni security official said al Qaeda had claimed responsibility in a statement on Monday for an apparent mortar attack on a complex housing Americans and other Westerners in the Yemeni capital on Sunday. Islamist Web sites that traditionally carry such statements did not have a claim from Yemen's al Qaeda wing. Full Story

Petraeus Testimony May Signal Iran AttackPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:52am

In April 5, the London Telegraph reported that "British officials gave warning yesterday that America's commander in Iraq will declare that Iran is waging war against the U.S.-backed Baghdad government. A strong statement from Gen. David Petraeus about Iran's intervention in Iraq could set the stage for a U.S. attack on Iranian military facilities, according to a Whitehall assessment." Full Story

Iraq's Maliki threatens to bar Sadr from votePosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:53am

Iraq's prime minister raised the stakes in his showdown with followers of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, saying in an interview broadcast on Monday they would be barred from elections unless their militia disbands. Full Story

Terror Alert In Kuwait: Americans Warned of Possible Al Qaida StrikePosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:54am

The State Department has issued a report that identified an Al Qaida threat in Kuwait, where 15,000 U.S. troops are stationed. The department said the U.S. embassy and the Kuwaiti government have shared information on the threat. Full Story

12 killed, another 2 injured as Saada clashes renewPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 5:12am

Tension and fierce clashes between government troops backed by some tribesmen broke out against Houthi supporters in different districts of the Saada governorate, according to reliable sources in the governorate. Other confrontations between Houthis and pro-government Bakhtan tribesmen in Al-Salem district killed at least 12 people and left two injured on both sides. Full Story

Blast in Iraq's Basra kills eight: policePosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 5:17am

A massive blast destroyed a house and killed eight people in the southern Iraq city of Basra, scene last month of clashes between the security forces and Shiite militiamen, police said Monday. Police and residents said the blast in the Hayy al-Asdiqa neighbourhood of Basra was caused by a US airstrike but the American military said the cause was not known. Full Story

Israeli and Palestinian leaders hold first talks in seven weeksPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 5:19am

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas were to hold their first face-to-face talks in seven weeks on Monday as a US-sponsored bid to reach a Middle East peace deal gets back on track. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei, who lead the negotiating teams, were also to attend the working lunch in Jerusalem, a spokesman said. Full Story

Egypt opposition boycotts pollsPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 5:26am

Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood group says it will boycott municipal elections after being allowed to field 20 candidates for thousands of seats. Deputy leader Mohammed Habib said the move was in response to the government's "disregard for justice". Full Story

Bush and Putin fail to resolve missile differencesPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 5:27am

U.S. President George W. Bush and Russia's Vladimir Putin ended their last face-to-face meeting as heads of state on Sunday with warm words for each other but no solution to their row over missile defense. Full Story

U.N. worried about security in historic Nepal pollPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 7:52am

The United Nations said it was worried about the security of voters ahead of this week's historic national elections, as authorities prepared to halt campaigning from Tuesday to help ensure a smooth election. Full Story

NZ clinches China free-trade dealPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 8:00am

New Zealand has become the first developed nation to sign a free-trade agreement with China. Analysts say the agreement will give New Zealand improved access to one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Full Story

Olympic protests spread to ParisPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 8:00am

Protests against the torch relay ahead of the Beijing Olympics have spread to France's capital, Paris. Four people were arrested, including two who were taking part in demonstrations critical of Chinese rule in Tibet, the AFP news agency said. Full Story

Suspected Islamic militant killed in southern PhilippinesPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 8:03am

A suspected Islamic militant was killed in a firefight with government security forces in the southern Philippines, the military said Monday. The slain suspect, Sam Andal, was believed to be a logistics officer of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebel group, said Major Eugene Batara, a regional military spokesman. Full Story

Afghans 'seize Taleban commander'Posted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 8:05am

Afghan officials say a senior Taleban commander has been arrested in the southern city of Kandahar. Mullah Abdul Jabar, the Taleban deputy leader in southern Afghanistan, was on his way to Pakistan, officials said. Full Story

Omagh civil case 'unprecedented'Posted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 8:23am

A civil action against five people Omagh relatives believe were behind the 1998 bombing has got under way. Twenty-nine people died and hundreds were injured in the Real IRA bomb in the County Tyrone town. Full Story

Canada PM not to attend Beijing Olympics opening ceremonyPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 10:04am

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel in announcing that he will not attend the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, although a high-level Canadian delegation will be present at the event. Full Story

Two people die from vCJD in SpainPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 11:43am

Two people have died in Spain after contracting the human form of "mad cow disease", variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), Spanish media has said. The two died in the central region of Castilla-Leon, one three months ago and the other last week, regional health sources were quoted by news agency AFP. Full Story

Princess Diana unlawfully killedPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 11:59am

Princess Diana was unlawfully killed due to the "gross negligence" of driver Henri Paul and the paparazzi, an inquest jury has found. The jury reached the same verdict for her companion Dodi Al Fayed. Full Story

Explosion Reported in Nepal's CapitalPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 12:05pm

An unidentified attacker on a motorcycle threw a bomb near the site of an election rally in Nepal's capital on Monday, wounding at least one person, officials said. The bomb was thrown near a convention center in Katmandu, said Home Ministry spokesman Ekmani Nepal. Full Story

'Countless building jobs at risk'Posted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 12:21pm

"Hundreds if not thousands" of jobs are at risk in NI if a downturn continues in the construction industry. This is according to the managing director of the Construction Employers Federation, who says the slump in property prices is not solely to blame. Full Story

Brown and Mbeki focus on MugabePosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 12:23pm

Gordon Brown has held private talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki over the crisis in Zimbabwe. Mr Brown spent more than two hours trying to persuade Mr Mbeki to use his influence to end the situation. Full Story

Treasury faces 'major challenge'Posted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 12:25pm

The Treasury may have underestimated the impact of global financial uncertainty, MPs have warned. In its report on the 2008 Budget, the Treasury Select Committee said the Treasury now faced a major challenge in meeting its own targets. Full Story

Estonia braced for new cyber attacksPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 1:03pm

British newspaper The Guardian reported April 7 that Estonia is bracing itself for a repeat of the cyber attacks which targeted the country last year in the wake of the bronze soldier riots.

Last April hackers bombarded the Estonia's hi-tech computer systems after the controversial decision to move a Soviet war memorial. The attacks targeted government websites and public services but their effects were mitigated by a coordinated response at the Estonian end. Full Story

Olympic torch goes out in ParisPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 1:44pm

What was supposed to be a majestic procession through the French capital for the Olympic torch turned into chaos Monday as thousands of people from around Europe, many with Tibetan flags, massed to protest the relay. The torch went out several times, and police officers had to bring it onto a bus to try to protect it as demonstrators swarmed the security detail. In the end, organizers canceled the final leg of the procession, deciding to have the torch transported by bus. Full Story

French commandos are dispatched to help rescue crew of yachtPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 2:32pm

Elite French troops have been dispatched to East Africa to bolster an effort to free the crew of a yacht that was seized by pirates off Somalia, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday. A team of French commandos who conduct anti-terrorist and hostage rescue operations was being sent to Djibouti to "reinforce" a group that was trying to negotiate with the pirates, the spokeswoman, Pascale Andreani, said in an Internet briefing. Full Story

French team in Colombia yet to reach hostagesPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 3:14pm

The French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, said Monday that a French-led humanitarian mission aimed at reaching Colombian hostages is not stalled and simply needs more time. Kouchner also said that the health of Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian hostage, may not be as bad as had been believed earlier. Full Story

Montenegrin president re-elected in landslidePosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 3:37pm

President Filip Vujanovic won re-election by a landslide, election monitors said Monday, cementing Montenegro's westward economic and political course since breaking away from Serbia two years ago. Sunday's presidential vote -- the tiny Adriatic nation's first since gaining independence -- dashed Serb minorities' hopes of a win by a candidate who could bring them closer to Serbia. Full Story

Alitalia future now up to unions, management: Air FrancePosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 3:45pm

Air France-KLM said Monday its offer was the only one that would allow Italian flag carrier Alitalia to return to profitable growth quickly and that the company's future now depended solely on its workforce and unions. At a board meeting after talks with Alitalia were cut off last week, Air France-KLM said management formally noted the end of the negotiations, a move "which was understood and approved" after hearing a report from chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta. Full Story

Court refuses to ban Quran filmPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 3:46pm

A Dutch court has refused to ban a lawmaker's Internet film criticizing the Quran. A group representing Dutch Muslims sought an injunction banning right-wing lawmaker Geert Wilders' film "Fitna," which links terror attacks by Muslim extremists with texts from Islam's holy book. Full Story

Italy police arrest 38 in mob sweepPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 3:48pmItalian police arrested 38 suspects Monday in a sweep against a clan of the 'ndrangheta organized crime syndicate accused of murder, extortion and arms and drug trafficking. Three suspects were still being sought after the early morning raids conducted across Italy and centered in the southern Calabria region, where the powerful mob group is based. Full Story

Israeli ministers tested in massive attack scenarioPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:06pm

Israeli ministers on Monday were to test their response to the scenario of simultaneous attacks from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip as part of a major home front defence drill. Full Story

Iran signals willingness to talk with USPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:07pm

Iran says it's willing to enter another round of talks with the U.S. over security in Iraq. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Monday that Iran will "continue the talks with necessary conditions." He did not give a possible time. Full Story

Sadr party faces rising isolationPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:07pm

Iraq's major Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish parties have closed ranks to force anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to disband his Mahdi Army militia or leave politics, lawmakers and officials involved in the effort said Sunday. Full Story

Kuwait to question 33 tribesmen after illegal electionPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:08pm

Kuwaiti authorities on Sunday referred 33 tribesmen to the public prosecution for allegedly organising or taking part in an illegal election, the interior ministry said. Full Story

Syria ready to help Lebanon overcome crisisPosted on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4:09pm

Lebanese parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri issued a new call for dialogue between his country's feuding political factions on Monday but was swiftly rebuffed by Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.