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At Least 4 Dead in Kyrgyz Opposition Protests


At Least 4 Dead in Kyrgyz Opposition Protests
At Least 4 Dead in Kyrgyz Opposition Protests
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KYRGYZSTAN - PROTESTS: Kyrgyzstan's government has declared a state of emergency after clashes between riot police and anti-government protesters killed at least four people and wounded several others in the capital. Witnesses say police first used tear gas and stun grenades Wednesday before opening fire to disperse thousands of demonstrators who seized police vehicles in Bishkek. Demonstrators demanding the resignation of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev tried to ram the gates of government headquarters with an armored vehicle. The unrest spread to the town of Naryn, where at least 1,000 protesters took over the local government building.

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THAILAND - PROTEST: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has declared a state of emergency in the capital of Bangkok. Mr. Abhisit issued the declaration late Wednesday, hours after anti-government protesters briefly stormed the grounds of Parliament. A legislative session was abruptly adjourned as thousands of "Red Shirts" surrounded the building, prompting many lawmakers to flee. Several lawmakers were evacuated by helicopter. The Red Shirts have become more aggressive in their tactics in recent days. They took over Bangkok's tourist and commercial center last Saturday, and clashed with police Tuesday, breaking through barricades and taking their protest through the city.

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NORTH KOREA - US: North Korea says it has sentenced an American man to eight years of hard labor for illegally entering the country and what it calls hostile acts. The state-run Korean Central News Agency says the defendant, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, acknowledged wrongdoing during a court appearance. Gomes is from Boston, in the eastern U.S. state of Massachusetts. The United States does not have relations with North Korea, so Swedish diplomats were present in the courtroom on Washington's behalf. The U.S. State Department urged North Korea last month to free Gomes.

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BANGLADESH - WATER: Bangladesh has deployed troops to distribute water and secure public water pumps to help ease a shortage that threatens to spark unrest. Officials said Wednesday that the army would be stationed at key water installations throughout the capital, Dhaka. Groundwater levels have plunged in recent weeks, with frequent power outages reducing the operating capacity of many water pumps. The shortage has prompted anger among the capital's more than 12 million residents.

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IRAQ: The United States says an upsurge of deadly attacks in Iraq will not alter Washington's plans to withdraw combat troops from the country by the end of August. White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs says many people expected that insurgents would use this time to stunt the military and political progress made in Iraq. More than 100 people have been killed in and around Baghdad in the past five days, about a month after Iraq's parliamentary elections. On Tuesday, a series of bombings in Baghdad killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 140 others.

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AFGHANISTAN: Afghan officials say the head of the country's Independent Election Commission and his deputy have resigned. Afghan President Hamid Karzai's spokesman, Waheed Omar, told reporters on Wednesday that the tenure of IEC chairman Azizullah Ludin has come to an end. Daoud Ali Najafi also resigned from his position, which was approved by the president. The election commission oversaw last year's presidential vote that was marked with widespread fraud. A United Nations-backed commission threw out nearly a third of Mr. Karzai's ballots from the August 20 vote, due to irregularities.

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BRAZIL - FLOODING: Authorities in Brazil now say at least 95 people in the state of Rio de Janeiro have been killed in landslides and floods set off by the heaviest rains in decades. Officials say that in the city of Rio de Janeiro, mudslides swept away shacks in the area's hillside slums. The downpours began Monday and continued into Tuesday. Rio will host World Cup soccer (football) matches in 2014 and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Flights into and out of Rio have been canceled or delayed and many streets are under water, stranding some motorists and leaving cars submerged.

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WEST VIRGINIA MINE: Rescue workers are boring deep to ventilate a West Virginia coal mine, where an explosion Monday killed 25 people and injured two others in the worst mine accident in the United States in more than two decades. Four miners remain unaccounted for, but high concentrations of methane and carbon-monoxide have made it unsafe for rescue workers to search for them. Officials said the miners are believed to be in a chamber more than 300 meters below the surface. They said they will drill four boreholes to vent the toxic gas so rescue workers can resume their search.

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