Indian Navy chopper crashes, crew safe

NEW DELHI – An Indian Navy helicopter with three crew members on board crashed near an Andhra Pradesh town Wednesday but there were no casualties, an officer said here.

“A Chetak that was deployed at INS Dega at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh crashed. There were three crew members in the helicopter and all are safe,” navy …. Read the original article  : here.

Insurgents launch attack as Afghan peace conference starts

Militants attack as Afghan peace conference starts

KABUL, Afghanistan – Security forces battled insurgents including at least one suicide bomber outside a national peace conference just as President Hamid Karzai opened the three-day meeting Wednesday in the Afghan capital.
A NATO spokesman said several insurgents were shot near the venue, and Afghan police said a suicide bomber …. Original article  : Insurgents launch attack as Afghan peace conference starts.

Risky business: Effort to contain gusher gets riskier with ‘cut and cap’; oil nears Fla.

Oil closes in on Fla. as BP tries risky cap move
PORT FOURCHON, La. – As submersible robots made another risky attempt to control the underwater Gulf oil gusher, the crude on the surface spread, closing in on Florida. BP’s stock plummeted and took much of the market down with it, and the …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Risky business: Effort to contain gusher gets riskier with ‘cut and cap’; oil nears Fla..

40 bodies found in Mexico mass grave

Mexico City, June 2 (IANS/EFE) At least 40 bodies, including that of a prison warden, were found in a mass grave in Mexico’s Guerrero state, the state attorney general’s office said.

The body of Daniel Bravo Mota, 53, warden of Iguala prison, was identified after forensic tests, spokesman Albertico Guinto said Tuesday, adding that the mass … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 40 bodies found in Mexico mass grave.

Four-story apartment building collapses in Bangladesh’s capital, 14 bodies found

Building collapses in Bangladesh, 14 bodies found

DHAKA, Bangladesh – A four-story apartment building collapsed in Bangladesh’s capital and its debris buried some nearby shanties, killing at least 14 people and leaving several others trapped, authorities said Wednesday.
Fire official Abdus Salam said some of those trapped were feared dead.
Rescuers recovered four bodies after 10 bodies were …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Four-story apartment building collapses in Bangladesh’s capital, 14 bodies found.

Indian cops nabbed with hashish in Nepal

KATHMANDU – Two Indian policemen have been caught with hashish in a border district in Nepal, the official media said.

Indra Bhanu Rai and Umesh Yadav, two policemen employed in the Badauni police station in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, were arrested in Nepal’s border district Kapilavastu after they were found to be carrying 700 gm of …. Read the original article  : Indian cops nabbed with hashish in Nepal.

Corporal punishment: School initiates probe against teacher

MOHALI – After sacking a teacher for allegedly thrashing a Class 8 boy during a school trip, following which the mother of the student died of shock, the Yadavindra Public School (YPS) here has initiated a probe against another teacher who faces similar allegations.

“We have started an inquiry into similar allegations made against another teacher … Original article on : Corporal punishment: School initiates probe against teacher.

Police say suicide bomber blows himself up near Afghan peace conference

Police: Suicide bomber near Afghan conference

KABUL, Afghanistan – Police say that a suicide bomber detonated explosives a few hundred yards (meters) from a national peace conference in the Afghan capital.
Police officer Kamaluddin said there were no immediate reports of any other casualties in the blast, other than the bomber.
… Original article on : Police say suicide bomber blows himself up near Afghan peace conference.

Report: Bus collides with truck hauling mango in Bangladesh; 16 killed and 50 others injured

Report: 16 killed in Bangladesh road accident

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Local media report a passenger bus has collided with a truck loaded with mango in southwestern Bangladesh, killing at least 16 people and injuring 50 others.
The United News of Bangladesh agency says the accident occurred early Wednesday in Bagerhat district, 85 miles (136 kilometers) south of … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Report: Bus collides with truck hauling mango in Bangladesh; 16 killed and 50 others injured.

Ruchika’s lawyer evading arrest in land scam case, say cops

CHANDIGARH – The lawyer who played an instrumental role in the conviction of former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case has been absconding and evading arrest in connection with a multi-crore land scam, police here said Wednesday.

Pankaj Bhardwaj escaped from his home here before a special team of Amritsar police … Original source on Gaea Times at : Ruchika’s lawyer evading arrest in land scam case, say cops.

22 people rescued from Ecuadorian shipwreck

Quito (Equador), June 2 (IANS/EFE) The Ecuadorian navy rescued at least 22 people from a shipwrecked vessel, 29 km from the nation’s coast, television reports said.

The boat sank when some of the planks making up the deck got detached from the vessel, near the Ecuadorian coastal city of Esmeraldas, the Ecuavisa television said Tuesday.
Thirteen …. Original source  : 22 people rescued from Ecuadorian shipwreck.

Afghan president opens conference to map road to peace, ignoring Taliban threats

Afghan peace conference starts
KABUL, Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai has opened a national conference to discuss his plans for bringing lasting peace to Afghanistan.

Some 1,600 Afghan delegates ignored Taliban death threats to attend the start of the three-day conference on Wednesday.
Karzai is expected to seek endorsement of his plan to offer economic incentives to Taliban … Original source on Gaea Times at : Afghan president opens conference to map road to peace, ignoring Taliban threats.

iPhones, BlackBerrys to help check corruption

Mexico City, June 2 (IANS/EFE) Curbing corruption may be easier with a new application that enables users of iPhones and BlackBerrys to catch police taking bribe and also check traffic instructions.

The new application created for iPhone and the iPod will soon be available to BlackBerry users. It has a traffic-fine calculator, a map showing directions …. Original article  : iPhones, BlackBerrys to help check corruption.

Six human heads found in Mexico

Mexico City, June 2 (IANS/EFE) Six human heads were found in two Mexican cities, while at least 13 people were gunned down in two separate incidents in the country, police said.

The six human heads were found in Lerdo and Gomez Palacio cities, in Durango state. Two heads belonged to municipal police officers, who were reported …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Six human heads found in Mexico.

15 people killed in Philippines road accident

MANILA – Fifteen people were killed when a passenger minibus plunged into a 70-metre-deep ravine in the northern Philippines, police said Wednesday.

Fifteen more were also hurt in the accident Tuesday in Besao town in Mountain province, 285 km north of Manila, Senior Superintendent Fortunato Albas said.
Albas, the provincial police chief, said heavy rains made … Read more : 15 people killed in Philippines road accident.

Taliban scorn Afghan national peace conference in Kabul, threatening death to delegates

Taliban dismiss Afghan peace meet before it starts

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban dismissed a national peace conference in Afghanistan even before its Wednesday opening, threatening death to the 1,600 delegates in cassette messages distributed by the insurgent leadership.
The three-day meeting in a giant tent at Kabul Polytechnic University was to discuss how to reconcile with … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Taliban scorn Afghan national peace conference in Kabul, threatening death to delegates.

Three killed as World War II bomb explodes

GOETTINGEN – Three members of a bomb disposal team were killed and six people wounded in the central German city of Goettingen when a World War II bomb exploded during attempts to disarm the weapon.

Among the wounded Tuesday night, two people had serious injuries but were expected to survive.
Uncovered at a depth of seven … Original source on Gaea Times at : Three killed as World War II bomb explodes.

Death toll from Tropical Storm Agatha climbs to 180 as Central America struggles to recover

Agatha deaths rise to 180 in Central America

GUATEMALA CITY – Villagers used hoes and pick axes on Tuesday to hunt for victims of landslides that have killed at least 180 people in Central America while officials in Guatemala’s capital tried to cope with a vast sinkhole that swallowed a clothing factory.
Thousands remained homeless and dozens [..] Read the original article: here.

1 dead, 4 hurt after small plane crashes into building near downtown Anchorage, Alaska

1 dead, 4 hurt after small plane crashes in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A small airplane crashed in a busy business district near downtown during rush hour Tuesday, killing a small child and injuring the four other people onboard, authorities said.
Bystanders rushed to help those onboard the Cessna 206 after it clipped the roof of a … Original article on : 1 dead, 4 hurt after small plane crashes into building near downtown Anchorage, Alaska.

Bill Clinton returns to Haiti on new assignment to speed recovery from devastating earthquake

Bill Clinton returns to Haiti on recovery mission
LEOGANE, Haiti – Bill Clinton returned to Haiti on a new mission Tuesday to invigorate recovery from January’s devastating earthquake and help millions end lives of poverty and danger.
On his first visit since becoming co-chairman of the committee overseeing more than $5.3 billion in international reconstruction … Read more >>>.