Iraqi imam beheaded by group linked to Al Qaeda

BAGHDAD – A Sunni imam was beheaded by a group linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq, who then placed his head on an electric pole, security sources said Monday.

Militants stormed the house of Abduallah Jassem Shakour in the area of Saadiya just east of the city of Baquba at dawn.
They attacked Shakour with knives … Original article on : Iraqi imam beheaded by group linked to Al Qaeda.

26 die after attack on Somali parliament

MOGADISHU – At least 26 people have died in the Somali capital Mogadishu after insurgents attacked the parliament building, an official said Monday.

Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab, which is battling to topple the weak Western-backed government, shelled parliament as lawmakers met for the first time this year Sunday.
African Union peacekeepers protecting the lawmakers responded by … Read this article on Gaea Times at : 26 die after attack on Somali parliament.

Green River Killer Now Behind Bars

WASHINGTON, (GaeaTimes.com)- Gary Leon Ridgway, better known as the “Green River Killer” in and around the Washington area, on account of his alleged track record of having committed the murders of several prostitutes and teenagers near the Green River area, is now behind bars and is housed at the Washington State Penitentiary in the … Original source on Gaea Times at : Green River Killer Now Behind Bars.

A year later, few in Sri Lanka mourn Prabhakaran

NEW DELHI – One year after Tamil Tigers chieftain Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed the same way he sent so many to their death, Sri Lanka remains ethnically divided but not many mourn the once feared guerrilla.

Even as Colombo celebrates the crushing defeat of his Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the hands of its …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : A year later, few in Sri Lanka mourn Prabhakaran.

Army busts militant hideout in Kashmir

SRINAGAR – The army Monday busted a militant hideout in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district in an ongoing operation against the guerrillas, an official said.

A defence spokesperson told IANS that troops had killed 11 separatist guerrillas in Operation Thunder Strike launched 12 days ago.
“Operation Thunder Strike was launched by the army on May 5 … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Army busts militant hideout in Kashmir.

3 mothers arrive in NY on 1st leg of trip to be reunited with US hikers held in Iran

Moms of 3 US hikers arrive in NY before Iran trip

NEW YORK – The mothers of three American hikers held for 10 months in Iran know that their visit with their children may be brief so they’ve thought about what they want to say and do.
Cindy Hickey wants to make sure her son and the … Read this article on Gaea Times at : 3 mothers arrive in NY on 1st leg of trip to be reunited with US hikers held in Iran.

Nearly 600 drug addicts escape from rehabilitation center in northern Vietnam

578 addicts escape from rehab center in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam – Nearly 600 inmates in a Vietnamese drug rehabilitation camp overpowered security guards and escaped, an official said Monday. At least two-thirds of them were still at large.
Trinh Vuong Thuan, a security official at the rehabilitation center No. 2 in the northern port city of Haiphong, …. Read the original article  : here.

Hundreds of drug offenders executed each year despite drop in states carrying out sentences

Report: Hundreds of drug offenders executed yearly

VIENNA – Hundreds of drug offenders are executed annually and the number likely tops 1,000 if figures from countries that don’t disclose their death penalty data are included, a new report said Monday.
The number of states carrying out death sentences for drug offenses, however, appears to be declining while …. Source  : Hundreds of drug offenders executed each year despite drop in states carrying out sentences.

New Zealand cabinet evacuated in bomb scare

WELLINGTON – New Zealand cabinet ministers were evacuated from their offices adjoining parliament in Wellington Monday after a bomb scare.

A suspicious package, which the Newstalk ZB radio network said was reported to have protruding wires and the word “”bomb” on it, was found in the office of agriculture minister David Carter when staff arrived for …. Source  : New Zealand cabinet evacuated in bomb scare.

Jamaica’s governing party rejects calls for PM’s resignation over US extradition case

Jamaican prime minister rejects calls to resign

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s prime minister will not resign despite criticism of his efforts to protect a community leader in his west Kingston constituency who is wanted in the United States on drug and weapons trafficking charges, the governing party said Sunday.
The general secretary of the Jamaica Labor Party … Read more >>>.

Sestak, Specter try to project confidence in tight Democratic primary race for US Senate

Sestak, Specter try to project confidence in race
MEDIA, Pa. – With the election just days away, the candidates in Pennsylvania’s too-close-to-call Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate jockeyed Sunday to project confidence and control and prove who will be the stronger man against the Republicans in the fall.
At a rally on the Delaware … Read more : Sestak, Specter try to project confidence in tight Democratic primary race for US Senate.

Ex-presidential candidate’s disappearance rattles Mexico

Ex-candidate’s disappearance rattles Mexico

MEXICO CITY – The mysterious disappearance of a former presidential candidate is stoking fear in Mexico that nobody may be safe from relentless kidnapping and rampant drug violence.
Diego Fernandez de Cevallos was reported missing over the weekend and his car was found in the central state of Queretaro with some evidence of … Read more >>.

Chavez asks Venezuelan tweeters to blow the whistle on speculators

Chavez asks Venezuelans to tweet on speculators

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez urged supporters to use Twitter to blow the whistle on currency speculators on Sunday and announced that police raids on illegal traders would continue as Venezuela’s government tries to defend the embattled bolivar.
The socialist leader asked Venezuelans to send messages identifying illegal traders. …. Original source  : Chavez asks Venezuelan tweeters to blow the whistle on speculators.

43 militants killed in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – At least 43 militants were killed Sunday when Pakistani fighter jets pounded militant hideouts in the country’s Orakzai tribal agency.

Five soldiers were killed in the offensive, Xinhua reported, citing sources.
The attack was part of an ongoing offensive that started in March in Orakzai. At least 700 militants were killed in the … Original source on Gaea Times at : 43 militants killed in Pakistan.

Yemeni tribesmen kidnap 2 Chinese engineers and 2 guards in Yemen’s troubled south

Yemeni tribesmen kidnap 2 Chinese engineers

SAN’A, Yemen – Yemeni security officials say tribesmen have kidnapped two Chinese engineers and their government escorts in the country’s volatile south.
The officials say the Chinese were working for an oil firm operating in Shabwa province, south of the capital San’a. They say tribesmen took the men hostage Sunday apparently … Read more >>.

AP Exclusive: Vatican details sex abuse defense in key US case, bishops aren’t employees

AP Exclusive: Vatican details US sex abuse defense

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican on Monday will make its most detailed defense yet against claims that it is liable for U.S. bishops who allowed priests to molest children, saying bishops are not its employees and that a 1962 Vatican document did not require them to keep quiet, … Read : AP Exclusive: Vatican details sex abuse defense in key US case, bishops aren’t employees.

In NYC court, judge presiding over SEC vs. Goldman is compassionate, fun and decisive

Goldman case gets decisive, compassionate jurist

NEW YORK – The federal judge presiding over civil fraud charges brought against Wall Street’s most powerful firm can be counted on to run a tight courtroom as she considers claims that Goldman Sachs & Co. took unfair advantage of lax controls on financial institutions.
Lawyers and others who have worked … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : In NYC court, judge presiding over SEC vs. Goldman is compassionate, fun and decisive.

Sudan detains opposition leader, shuts down group’s paper in crackdown

Sudan detains opposition leader
KHARTOUM, Sudan – Officials say a prominent Sudanese opposition leader has been detained and his party’s newspaper shut down.

The minister of information and communication says Hassan Turabi, leader of the opposition Popular Congress Party, has been accused of incitement and undermining security.
Turabi’s deputy Abdullah Hassan Ahmed says Sunday’s arrest is part of …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Sudan detains opposition leader, shuts down group’s paper in crackdown.

Chairman of England’s Football Association, World Cup bid team quits amid bribery claims

England’s World Cup bid chief quits after sting

LONDON – The chairman of England’s World Cup bid and soccer federation quit both jobs Sunday after accusing 2018 bid rivals Spain and Russia of bribery.
David Triesman insisted he was a victim of “entrapment” and his comments were “never intended to be taken seriously.”
Triesman was secretly taped by … Read more : Chairman of England’s Football Association, World Cup bid team quits amid bribery claims.

Detroit police say 7-year-old girl fatally shot when officer’s weapon fired during home search

Detroit police say 7-year-old shot in home search

DETROIT – A sleeping 7-year-old girl was shot and killed when an officer’s gun went off while Detroit police were searching a duplex for a suspect in the slaying of a teenager, a police official said.
Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said at a news conference Sunday that Aiyana Jones …. Source  : Gaea News Network.