LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Sanctions will cause great pain to many people for whom the plight of being ruled by paranoid statesmen is enough."
Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi,
speaking out against further sanctions targeting his country Article, 1A
Merkel promises a coalition shortly
BERLIN - Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Monday to have a new center right German government in place by the time Germany marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9.
She said tax cuts were possible in 2011, but rejected spending cutbacks that might strangle an incipient economic recovery.
Voters on Sunday ended the conservative Merkel's right-left "grand coalition" and gave her a comfortable center-right majority - thanks to a strong performance by her new government ally, the business-oriented Free Democrats.
"Germany is entitled to have a new government quickly," Merkel said, noting that the country was just emerging from a deep recession. Merkel met for an hour later Monday with the Free Democrats' leader, Guido Westerwelle, whose party gave no details of what they discussed.
Germany plans a state ceremony to mark the wall anniversary, and Merkel said she would like to "greet [foreign] heads of government on Nov.
9 with a new government."
Merkel's job will be made easier by a majority in the upper house of Parliament, which the "grand coalition" lacked.
Crash-freed bees beset rescuers
ANKARA, Turkey - A van carrying beehives crashed into a truck on Monday, and huge swarms of bees broke free and stung the injured and rescue workers at the scene.
In the end, about 20 people were taken to hospitals, six of them injured in the crash and the rest rescue workers who were stung by the bees, said the state-run Anatolia news agency.
One of the crash victims later died, but it was not immediately known whether he had been killed by the impact of the accident or the insect attacks, said local Gov.
Ahmet Altiparmak.
The rescue workers - including about 50 beekeepers summoned to the scene - used hoses, blankets and rags to try to ward off the bees. But it took about an hour for them to remove the crash victims from the chaotic scene, Anatolia said.
The van hit the stationary truck on a road near the Mediterranean resort of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey, injuring four people in the van and two in the truck, Anatolia said.
Guinea troops fire on protest; 10 die
CONAKRY, Guinea - Soldiers fired into a crowded stadium where demonstrators had gathered to protest against the West African nation's coup leader Monday, killing at least 10 people, an Associated Press reporter said.
Opposition parties had organized the protest in the capital's main football stadium, which drew some 50,000 people. Demonstrators chanted "We want true democracy."
Red-bereted soldiers from the presidential guard later entered the stadium and fired into the crowd. An AP reporter counted at least 10 bodies.
Tensions have risen amid rumors that military leader Capt. Moussa "Dadis" Camara may run in presidential elections scheduled for Jan. 31.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 09/29/2009