LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I am not a doctor, but we have objective
elements that allow us to think and affirm that we’re dealing with someone who suffers from considerable psychological problems and that his act is linked to these problems.” French Prosecutor Michel Valet, on the suspect in a hostage standoff Article, 2AHamas arm: Committed to Israel truce
JERUSALEM - The military wing of Hamas, the Islamic group that governs Gaza, announced late Wednesday that it was committed to an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire to end three days of fighting with Israel.
The Hamas wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on its website that it and the other militant groups in Gaza were responding to “Egyptian efforts to try and stop the aggression against our people.”
Hamas had joined in the latest round of fighting after a break of more than a year during which the group largely adhered to an informal cease-fire. But the confrontation remained relatively contained, with the Gaza groups firing mostly short-range rockets that did not reach southern Israel’s major cities.
The Qassam Brigades said that it had kept the “confrontation in this round with the Zionist enemy at the minimal level of fire,” and that it was meant as “a message” to the Israeli leaders.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, but in past rounds, Israeli officials have said they would judge the militant groups by their deeds and that Israel would respond to quiet with quiet.
S. Korea cabbies strike over fares, fuel
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean taxi drivers went on their first nationwide strike Wednesday, demanding a fare increase and the right to burn diesel as fuel costs rise.
The 28 percent surge in the past three years in prices for the liquid petroleum gas taxis are required to burn and an approximate $2.08 cap on initial fares since 2009 are squeezing drivers’ income, according to Kim Do Gil, a spokesman for the taxi association leading the walkout. The organization has 160,000 members and was coordinating the one-day strike with two other labor unions and an association representing 130,000 drivers.
Without cabs, traffic on Sejong road, a main artery through Seoul’s downtown, flowed unobstructed at 3:20 p.m. in the city. As of 2 p.m. only 14 percent of cabs were still operating nationwide, according to an e-mailed statement from the transport ministry. In Seoul, the nation’s capital, 8,000 taxis out of 73,000 units were in operation, the statement said.
Yemeni clashes with al-Qaida kill 31
SANA, Yemen - Yemeni raids on al-Qaida positions have left at least 28 fighters and three soldiers dead as the government consolidates its hold on recaptured militant strongholds, military officials said Wednesday.
The clashes in Abyan and Shabwa provinces are part of a weeks-long offensive against al-Qaida, aiming at uprooting the militant group from large swaths of land the group seized during the uprising and the political and security vacuum that followed.
Military officials said at least six air raids targeted moving vehicles and al-Qaida positions in Mahfad, the last stronghold of al-Qaida in Abyan province. The Yemeni military regained control of several al-Qaida strongholds in Abyan earlier this month.
In another recently recaptured town, Zinjibar, de-mining teams spotted an Egyptian militant, but he killed himself with a hand grenade before being arrested. Officials said they also found the bodies of seven militants, including three Egyptians, killed in earlier fighting.
WikiLeaks’ Assange still at embassy
LONDON - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange remained holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy Wednesday while diplomats discussed his fate and British police waited outside to arrest him if he leaves.
Assange was seeking political asylum in the South American nation to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning about purported sex crimes. His supporters say he fears charges in the United States over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. documents. But some legal experts say it is a desperate and likely futile move.
“He knows he’s reached the end of the road in the U.K.
He knows he’s going to be extradited to Sweden,” said Alex Carlile, a senior British lawyer with expertise in extradition matters. “Basically, he has nowhere to go.”
British police say Assange has violated the terms of his bail, which include an overnight curfew, and is subject to arrest. But British officials concede he is beyond their grasp as long as he remains in the embassy, which under legal convention is treated as Ecuadorean territory.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 06/21/2012