Police swoop on illegal sawmills
Brasilia Brazilian police seized the equivalent of 500 trucks of timber from illegal sawmills in a huge raid in the Amazon yesterday. It was one of the biggest operations yet in the battle against deforestation and came after official figures showed that illegal tree felling was increasing again after a three-year decline. Police also shut down 43 furnaces that make charcoal from wood. (Reuters)
Psychologist killed in office
New York A man armed with a cleaver slashed a 56-year-old psychologist to death at her Upper East Side clinic and injured a therapist who went to her aid. Police searching for the suspect believe he may have been a patient. (AP)
Leader held over migrant attacks
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Bombay Police arrested Raj Thackeray, leader of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, a hardline regional party, for inciting violence after its activists attacked north Indians who had migrated to Bombay, India’s financial capital, to work. (Reuters)
Greek strike causes chaos
Athens A 24-hour nationwide strike against the Greek Government’s economic and pension reforms crippled transport and shut down public services. Thousands of people also gathered in Athens for a march to parliament. (Reuters)
Police ‘abused’ wheelchair man
Tampa Four sheriff’s deputies at a jail in Florida have been suspended after they were caught on security cameras deliberately tipping a quadriplegic man out of his wheelchair on to the floor to search him, authorities said. (AP)
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Bush approves new sanctions on Syria
Washington President Bush has authorised expanded sanctions against Syria to punish it for allegedly interfering in Iraq and Lebanon.
The President signed an executive order to enlarge sanctions that block the property of senior Syrian government officials and their associates who are deemed to be responsible for, or have engaged in, public corruption.
Mr Bush said that the Syrian Government undermined efforts to stabilise Iraq. He also said that Syria continued to undermine the sovereignty and democracy of Lebanon, imprisoned democracy activists, curtailed human rights and sponsored and harboured terrorists. (AP)
‘Waterboard’ ban
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Washington The Senate voted in favour of an intelligence Bill to prohibit the CIA from using “waterboarding” and other harsh interrogation methods. President Bush has threatened to veto any Bill that limits CIA interrogation techniques. (AP)
Politicians arrested over migrant clash
Bombay Police arrested a political leader yesterday for inciting violence after his party’s workers attacked Indians from the north who live in the financial capital. Extra police officers and paramilitary forces were posted around the city before Raj Thackeray, head of the local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party, was arrested. He was later released on bail.
Police also arrested Abu Azmi, a leader of the Samajwadi Party, which is based in Uttar Pradesh. He was also released on bail. Police had been under pressure to arrest Mr Thackeray since Sunday, when party workers attacked cinemas screening films in the northern Indian language of Bhojpuri and beat up dozens of migrants. (Reuters)
Bullied soldier dies
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Moscow A Russian conscript who was badly beaten by a fellow soldier 13 months ago, making headlines over the practice of “hazing” in the army, has died. Roman Rudakov was suffering from a previously undiagnosed blood disorder. (Reuters)
Nuclear warning
Stockholm The spread of nuclear weapons — not climate change — is the greatest threat facing the world, the Swedish Foreign Minister said. Global warming was being dealt with but the nuclear issue remained unresolved, Carl Bildt said. (AP)
Rogue raider jailed
Jerusalem The Israeli military jailed Lieutenant Yaakov Gigi for 15 months and stripped him of his rank for leading a rogue army operation in a West Bank village last year in which a Palestinian civilian was shot and wounded. (AP)
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Ukraine says no to Nato bases
Moscow President Yushchenko of Ukraine said that the Kiev Government was “prepared to adopt legislation banning Nato military bases from its soil” despite his country’s aspirations to become a member of the alliance. (Reuters)
The human touch
Cleveland Two gorillas in Ohio with heart disease will be treated with human drugs, including beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors. Mokolo, 20, and Bebac, 23, had their diagnoses at the Metroparks Zoo in a national study on gorillas’ health. (AP)
Nuclear-capable missile tested
Islamabad Pakistan successfully test-fired a short-range nuclear- capable missile yesterday as part of efforts to boost its defence capabilities. Mohammadmian Soomro, the Prime Minister, who watched the test-firing of the Ghaznavi (Hatf III) ballistic missile at an undisclosed location, said Pakistan stood for peace but could not overlook its defence needs. (Reuters)
Inspector clears dumpling plant
Beijing Wei Chuanzhong, head of the leading quality watchdog in China, dismissed reports that workers at a food factory in Hebei province, near Beijing, deliberately poisoned the dumplings that made at least ten people ill in Japan last month. (AP)
City’s last call to license call girls
Amsterdam All escort agencies in the Dutch city must apply for an operating licence by March 31 or face closure. The move is part of a campaign to stop money laundering, trafficking and abuse in prostitution, which was legalised in 2000. (AP)
Sex on line at police station
Bridgeport People calling a state police post were met with a recorded message saying: “Indulge yourself with the most exciting conversation imaginable,” followed by a number for a phone sex line. Michigan police said that the mix-up was an “internal issue”. (AP)