IRAQ: Iraqi police say at least 31 people were killed and some 48 others
wounded in three suicide bomb attacks in the northern city of Baquba
Wednesday.
The first two bombers drove explosive-packed cars and struck near government buildings and police stations.
The third assailant attacked the city's emergency hospital as victims
of the first two bombings were being brought in for treatment.
Baquba is about 60 kilometers northeast of Baghdad and is the capital of Diyala province.
The strikes came days before national parliamentary elections.
CHILE - EARTHQUAKE: Chile's government has dispatched more troops to distribute food and
maintain order following Saturday's massive earthquake that killed
nearly 800 people, caused widespread damage and triggered a tsunami
that traveled across the Pacific.
Military helicopters carrying relief supplies landed Tuesday in the
coastal town of Constitucion, which was in ruins following the 8.8
magnitude quake. Authorities also set up a makeshift morgue in a
gymnasium, where bodies lay on the floor for identification and the
names of the dead were posted outside.
CHINA POLITICS: Senior Chinese political figures are meeting in Beijing Wednesday
before the annual session of the National People's Congress begins
later this week.
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory
body dominated by the ruling Communist Party, is expected to review the
national budget, the government's effort to eliminate official
corruption and economic issues, including an increasing income gap
between China's urban and rural populations.
State-run media report the government's latest study shows the income
gap is at its widest point in three decades, and that experts see this
as a potential trigger for instability.
INDONESIA - TERROR ARRESTS: Authorities in Indonesia say they have arrested 13 suspected terrorists in Aceh province. National police spokesman Edward Aritonang told reporters Wednesday the suspects were arrested in at least one raid on a possible terrorist training camp in a remote part of the province. Aritonang says police seized three rifles, more than 8,000 bullets, books on jihad and DVDs on the 2002 bombing on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people. The Bali attack has been blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional al-Qaida linked terrorist group.
THAILAND - IMMIGRATION: Thai officials say they will not extend the deadline for foreign workers to register their status with the government.
Tuesday was the last day for more than one million migrants, mainly
from Burma, Cambodia and Laos, to file their paperwork with the
government.
Under the initiative, Thailand will send the registration forms to the
immigrant's native country for verification. People who missed
Tuesday's deadline will be deported to their home countries.
Human rights groups says some immigrants are afraid to participate out
of fear they would face harsh punishment if they had to return home.
ISRAEL - PALESTINIANS: Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo have agreed to support a U.S.
proposal for indirect peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters Wednesday that
members of the Arab League will back the talks for a period of four
months.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is attending the Cairo
meeting, has said he would abide by the Arab League's decision.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also welcomed the decision.
The announcement follows a U.S. offer to mediate discussions between
the two sides in an effort to revive the stalled peace process.
MEXICO - CHINA: Mexican authorities have detained 10 immigration agents and three airline workers for allegedly trafficking Chinese migrants.
The interior ministry says the suspects were arrested at Cancun's
international airport for allegedly allowing Chinese citizens to enter
the country with false passports.
In a Tuesday statement, the ministry says the arrests are part of an
investigation that resulted in the arrests of 26 immigration agents at
the airport in January.
Mexican authorities say they launched the probe in November after a
group of 35 Chinese citizens arrived at Guadalajara airport, in western
Mexico.
UN - ROAD SAFETY: The World Health Organization says road traffic injuries are the
leading cause of death among young people, with some 1.3 million people
killed each year in crashes worldwide.
WHO official Etienne Krug said about half of all people killed in road
traffic accidents are pedestrians, bicyclists and people on
motorcycles. She calls the victims "vulnerable road users" - people who
often are not able to afford a car but who are the victims of car
crashes.
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