Saturday, October 19, 2013

Rome Protests Reach 50,000

At least fifty thousand people marched through Rome, on Saturday.

The protesters began at Piazza San Giovanni and then made their way through the streets.

They were protesting austerity measures, which the government has carried out.

Protesters are demanding that the government supply every citizen with a job and housing.

Four thousand police were on hand, to keep an eye on things.

Police officials said that tear gas, rocks, chains, and other objects were confiscated from protesters.

Thousands Protest in Romania

Thousands of Romanians protested on Saturday.

They are unhappy over the presence of two foreign companies, who are looking for natural resources.

Protesters waved signs and Romanian flags and brought livestock to help block the places where the companies are searching.

Chevron, from the US, is searching for shale gas, while Canadian Gabriel Resources are looking for gold.

Romania's government approved both companies searches in order to boost the poor economy.

However, the people are upset about the companies being foreign as well as fears over the environmental impact of the mining and drilling.

Al Shabaab Suicide Bombing in Somalia Kills 16

Sixteen people were killed and thirty injured when a suicide bomber struck in Somalia.

The bomber targeted a popular tea shop in Beledweyne.

Among the dead were African Union troops.

Soldiers from Ethiopia and Dijibouti are present in the town.

Al Shabaab claimed the attack, and said that the troops were the target.

They pledged to continue their attacks until all foreign troops leave.

Car Bomb Injures 6 Soldiers in Egypt

Six Egyptian soldiers were injured by a car bomb, on Saturday.

They were guarding the intelligence headquarters in Ismailiya when the explosion occurred.

A second car bomb was found nearby, but safely defused.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

32 Killed in Damascus Blast

Thirty-two people were killed when an explosion tore apart a checkpoint in Damascus, on Saturday.

Fifteen rebels and sixteen Syrian soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up.

The soldiers were defending the checkpoint from rebel forces when the suicide bomber made his presence known.

Al Qaeda's Nusra Front claimed the bomber as theirs.

Police Cancel Elections in The Maldives

Police in the Maldives cancelled Saturday's scheduled presidential elections.

They stated that they could not allow an election which was "in contravention of the Supreme Court verdict and guidelines", after not all of the candidates had registered.

On October 7, the Supreme Court annulled September's election after allegations of fraud.

Supporters of former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was ousted in a February 2012 coup, took to the streets, blocking off sections of the capital.

The police responded by blocking off the sections containing government buildings.

Nasheed accuses the police of leading a second coup and trying to remove democracy.

At this point, no new date has been set for the elections to take place.

Friday, October 18, 2013

BART Unions Strike in San Francisco

Bay Area residents expressed their dismay and frustrations with BART employees as a strike began Friday morning.

The leaders of Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 called for the strike after refusing to agree with deals that BART management offered workers.

This is the second strike in four months, for the train system.

According to sources, management and the unions made several concessions for major issues, but failed to agree on what kind of pay stub to use.

The public is not being shy about sharing their anger with the unions for causing them issues in getting to and from work.

Around four hundred thousand people use the system, each week day.

2 Die in Kansas Plane Crash

Two people were killed when their plane crashed near Derby, Kansas, Friday morning.

The dual engine Cessna 500 had just taken off minutes before the crash.

Witnesses say that there was an in air explosion and then pieces of the plane began falling down.

Forty-nine year old Mitchell Morgan, the pilot, and his passenger, seventy-two year old Edward Dufresne, did not survive the crash.

Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Man With Knife Hijacks School Bus in Arkansas

A man with a knife jumped aboard a school bus in Jacksonville, Arkansas, on Thursday.

He forced the driver to drive several miles before police blocked off the bus.

Eventually the police talked the man into letting go the driver and eleven children aboard.

A short time later he agreed to surrender to them.

None of the children nor the driver were harmed in the incident.

Twenty-two year old Nicholas Miller is being charged with one count of vehicle piracy, twelve counts of kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated assault.

It is not yet known what his motive was.

40 Arrested After Attacking Police in New Brunswick

Forty people were arrested after protesters turned violent and attacked police in Rexton, New Brunswick.

The protest began on September 30 and had been blocking SWN Resources from reaching their equipment to begin exploring for shale gas.

On Thursday, the company won a court battle to have the protesters removed and police moved in to clear the road.

As the police approached, at least one shot was fired at them and protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at the police vehicles.

Five Royal Canadian Mounted Police vehicles were destroyed and several others damaged.

Police responded with pepper spray and arrested forty people.

Despite Thursday's violence, the arrests, and the court order, protesters say they will be back on Friday.