China
Man Arrested for Throwing Acid at Crowd
A man suspected of throwing two bottles filled with acid into a crowd was arrested by Hong Kong police, the BBC reported. Over 30 people, including nine tourists and a seven-year-old child, were injured in the incident near crowded Temple Street night market on Kowloon Island. The suspect, described by the police as being in his thirties and of Chinese origin, was arrested after he was spotted on a roof nearby with “caps to the bottles believed to have been used in the attack,” according to police spokeswoman Michelle Mak. This is already the fifth attack of this kind in Hong Kong since December 2008. Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang has offered a $39,000 reward for information on the case and called the attack “an outrageous and heartbreaking incident.”
United Kingdom
Two Charged in Bomb Hoax on Airplane
Three British men were arrested on Friday for allegedly making a bomb threat on a Dubai-bound airplane at London’s Heathrow Airport. The men are believed to have been drunk. Armed police officers arrested the men on the airplane, which was preparing to take off. In a search of the airplane nothing suspicious was found. Robert Fowles, 58, was charged with making a bomb hoax and being drunk on board an aircraft on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported. A second man, Alexander McGinn, 48, was also charged with being drunk, the third man was released. Airports around the world have increased security after the failed bomb attack on a Detroit-bound plane last month.
Nigeria
Nigeria Chevron Forced to Cut Down Oil Production After Attack on Pipeline
After an attack by unidentified gunmen on a Nigeria Chevron oil pipeline on Friday, the company said they will have to cut down on crude oil production by 20,000 barrels a day, Reuters news agency reported. Militant attacks on oil pipelines and the kidnapping of oil company employees are common in the Niger Delta, despite an agreement between rebels and the Nigerian government several months ago. Last month Dutch-British owned oil company Shell decided to sell its onshore oil fields in Nigeria—a move which was believed to be partly related to growing violence in the region.
Iran
Iranian Parliament Publishes a Critical Report on Kahrizak Prison.
A report released by the Iranian Parliament criticized the treatment of post-election protesters detained at the infamous Kahrizak Prison. The prison is known to Iranians for its harsh treatment which resulted in the death of three protesters.
The final report, which was read on Sunday during the Parliament’s open session, outlined the process for violent interrogations, and claims of sexual torture used on detainees, as reported by the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA). The assessment from the report is a demand for a formal inquiry by the Iranian judiciary into the deaths of the three individuals. The published report, the recent demotion of Tehran city prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, who held the supervisory role, and the 12 unnamed officials charged with murder, is seen by some analysts to be an attempt by hard-liners in the regime to quiet the the dramatic rise in public protests.
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