Court-martial of Navy SEAL accused in prisoner-abuse case opens in Iraq

Court-martial of Navy SEAL opens in Iraq
BAGHDAD – Opening arguments began Wednesday in the court-martial of a Navy SEAL accused in the abuse of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding the killings in 2004 of four U.S. private security contractors.

Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas, wearing his blue Navy uniform, appeared in a military courtroom …. Original source  : Court-martial of Navy SEAL accused in prisoner-abuse case opens in Iraq.

Somali pirates carrying AK-47s, RPG storm ship, seize 21 Filipinos aboard; 326 crew now held

Somali pirates seize ship with 21 Filipinos aboard

NAIROBI, Kenya – Four suspected Somali pirates carrying AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade seized a bulk carrier with 21 crew on board Wednesday, the fourth ship pirates have seized in less than a week, officials said.
The Panamanian-flagged, Liberian-owned Voc Daisy was taken about 200 miles (300 kilometers) outside …. Source article  : Somali pirates carrying AK-47s, RPG storm ship, seize 21 Filipinos aboard; 326 crew now held.

Not responsible for Benazir killing: Musharraf

ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has said he could not be held responsible for Benazir Bhutto’s assassination as he was neither the head of the government nor the army chief at the time of the Dec 27, 2007 incident.

Musharraf was of the view that those who headed the government at the time should … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Not responsible for Benazir killing: Musharraf.

Maoist posters found ahead of chief minister’s visit

KOLKATA – Posters demanding the withdrawal of anti-Maoist operations were found in Baharampur town in West Bengal’s Murshidabad Wednesday, hours before Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s visit to inaugurate a drinking water project, police said.

The posters were pasted on the wall of a school, a Communist Party of India-Marxist office and the district court, police sources … Read more : Maoist posters found ahead of chief minister’s visit.

ULFA splits down the middle over peace process (Lead, News Analysis)

GUWAHATI – The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) appears to have vertically split with its elusive commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah sidelining the other top leaders, most of whom are either in jail or out on bail, over the peace process.

At a time when ULFA vice chairman Pradip Gogoi and publicity chief Mithinga Daimary …. Read the original article  : here.

Somali pirates seize ship, all 21 aboard safe

Somali pirates seize ship with 21 aboard
NAIROBI, Kenya – The European Union naval forces say Somali pirates have hijacked a bulk carrier with 21 crew on board.

Cmdr. John Harbour says the crew is all Filipino, and all are safe.
The Panamanian-flagged, Liberian-owned Voc Daisy was taken Wednesday morning about 200 miles (300 kilometers) before it would … Read more >>.

To fight Maoism, poor need to be take care of: PM

NEW DELHI – Admitting that Maoism is the result of under-development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday advocated the need to ensure that the poor share equitably the benefits of development.

He also told a function on the Civil Services Day here that those challenging the country’s integrity and the state’s authority will not be given any … Read more »»».

Vertical split in ULFA as Paresh Baruah sidelines others (News Analysis)

GUWAHATI – The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) appears to have vertically split with its elusive commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah snubbing the other top leaders, most of whom are either in jail or out on bail, over the peace process.

At a time when ULFA vice chairman Pradip Gogoi and publicity chief Mithinga Daimary … Read : Vertical split in ULFA as Paresh Baruah sidelines others (News Analysis).

Government has no existence in Bastar: Congress

RAIPUR – The Chhattisgarh government has “no existence” in the Maoist stronghold of Bastar, the state’s main opposition Congress said Wednesday while slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for failing to either rein in the guerrillas or bring in development in the area.

“The government has no existence in vast Bastar region, it’s all … Read : Government has no existence in Bastar: Congress.

Lawsuit claims accused Tenn. hospital shooter attacked a man he thought had badmouthed him

Suit: Accused Tenn hospital shooter violent before

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Almost a year before he was accused in a deadly shooting outside a hospital, Abdo Ibssa violently attacked a stranger he suspected was saying something bad about him in a store, according to a lawyer who filed a lawsuit in the case.
On Monday, Ibssa fired a …. Source  : Lawsuit claims accused Tenn. hospital shooter attacked a man he thought had badmouthed him.

Extremism flourishes due to under-development, says PM

NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday said that those “challenging the authority of the Indian state” will not be given any quarter even as he admitted that Maoist insurgency is the result of under-development.

“No quarter can be given to those who have taken upon themselves to challenge the authority of the Indian state [..] Read the original article: here.

Chhattisgarh cops search forests after Maoist attack

RAIPUR – Squads of the Chhattisgarh police sneaked into forests in Dantewada district early Wednesday to track Maoist guerrillas who opened fire near five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camps the night before, exactly two weeks after the massive attack in the area that killed 76 security personnel.

“The cops sneaked into Maoist dominated …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

No peace talks until US withdraws, says Taliban

Islamabad, April 21 (IANS/AKI) The Taliban in Afghanistan has rejected media reports that the outfit had called for reconciliation talks with the US and demanded “unconditional withdrawal of all invading forces from the country”.

No peace talks would begin until there was a complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, a statement from the militant outfit …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Police: 3-year-old boy reported missing in Fla. dropped off at NYC’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Police: 3-year-old Fla. boy left at NYC cathedral

NEW YORK – Police say a 3-year-old boy reported missing in Florida has been dropped off unharmed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
Police say a couple left Nathaniel Fons at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the famous cathedral in midtown Manhattan. The boy had a note …. Original source  : Police: 3-year-old boy reported missing in Fla. dropped off at NYC’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Goldman case marks new era of tougher SEC enforcement, but old-school bully pulpit still key

Goldman case shows power of SEC’s bully pulpit

WASHINGTON – The Securities and Exchange Commission’s fraud case against Goldman Sachs signals a new era of toughness for an agency beset by a series of public blunders.
Yet as it aims to become a tougher cop, the SEC faces a new obstacle: Banks have grown faster than the … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Goldman case marks new era of tougher SEC enforcement, but old-school bully pulpit still key.

SKorea arrests 2 NKorean agents for alleged plot to assassinate top-ranked defector

2 NKorean spies arrested for assassination plot

SEOUL, South Korea – Authorities arrested two North Koreans for posing as defectors to South Korea and plotting to assassinate the highest ranking North Korean official ever to defect to Seoul, officials said Wednesday.
Hwang Jang-yop, a former secretary of the North’s ruling Workers Party – who once mentored leader … Read : SKorea arrests 2 NKorean agents for alleged plot to assassinate top-ranked defector.

14 reputed Gambino family members charged in NYC with counts including sex trafficking, murder

14 reputed Gambino family members charged in NYC

NEW YORK – A reputed boss of the Gambino organized crime family and 13 other people are facing an array of charges, including what prosecutors called new criminal territory for the mob: sex trafficking of a minor, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Papers filed in federal court in …. Source article  : 14 reputed Gambino family members charged in NYC with counts including sex trafficking, murder.

Blagojevich calls federal prosecutors ‘cowards and liars’ in angry rant

Blagojevich calls feds ‘cowards and liars’

CHICAGO – Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich described the federal prosecutors who have brought racketeering and fraud charges against him as “cowards and liars” Tuesday and challenged Chicago’s U.S. attorney to meet him face to face in court if he is “man enough.”
In an extraordinary outburst timed to go live on … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Blagojevich calls federal prosecutors ‘cowards and liars’ in angry rant.

Balloon boy parents to pay $36K in restitution to sheriff’s department, other agencies

Balloon boy parents to pay $36K in restitution

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The parents who pleaded guilty in the balloon boy hoax have agreed to pay about $36,000 in restitution to authorities who responded to the incident.
Larimer County Chief Judge Stephen Schapanski accepted the agreement that prosecutors reached with Richard and Mayumi Heene, who weren’t at … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Balloon boy parents to pay $36K in restitution to sheriff’s department, other agencies.

Notorious B.I.G. wrongful death lawsuit dismissed, but attorney says it’s not cased closed

Biggie Smalls wrongful death lawsuit dismissed

LOS ANGELES – A long-running federal wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles over the fatal shooting of Notorious B.I.G. has been dismissed, although the move is not likely to be the last legal word in the rapper’s death.
Bradley C. Gage, an attorney for the rapper’s estate, said …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Notorious B.I.G. wrongful death lawsuit dismissed, but attorney says it’s not cased closed.