LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Everything is under control now. Our security forces are chasing the escaped prisoners and have already recaptured some.”
Mohammed al-Assi, spokesman for Salahuddin province in Iraq, after a security breach at an Iraqi prison Article, this page
Bird brings down Nepal plane; 19 dead
KATMANDU, Nepal - A small plane carrying 19 people to the Mount Everest region struck a bird soon after takeoff Friday and crashed, killing everyone on board, officials said.
Seven British, five Chinese and four Nepalese passengers were reported to have been killed, as were three crew members. The plane, which was headed to Lukla, a gateway to Mount Everest, was a propeller-driven Dornier owned by Sita Air, a domestic carrier.
It was the seventh fatal plane crash in Nepal since August 2010, according to the Aviation Safety Network, a research organization. Nepal is a popular trekking destination, and a number of its small airports are tucked between mountains and often shrouded in fog.
An air traffic control official said the plane took off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Katmandu at 6:17 a.m. and appeared to be in trouble almost immediately.
Libyans demand order, end to militias
TRIPOLI, Libya - Hundreds of Libyans held a demonstration in Tripoli on Friday demanding the breakup of militia groups and the formation of a national army and police.
The protesters gathered at Martyrs Square at the heart of the capital despite warnings and religious edicts by the country’s top cleric against the demonstrations and after similar protests in Benghazi turned violent last week when crowds stormed the headquarters of militia groups and clashed with militiamen.
After last year’s killing of Libya’s longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi and the collapse of his regime, the country suffered a deep security vacuum that was quickly filled by local militia groups formed initially of rebel forces that fought Gadhafi’s forces. However, over the months, the militias mushroomed in number and their ranks swelled with youths ready to take the law into their own hands, gradually earning them a bad reputation on the street. The killing of the U.S.
ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, along with three other Americans in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi, capped Libyans’ discontent with the armed groups and solidified demands for a unified national army and police.
Yemenis clamor for ex-leader’s riches
SANA, Yemen - Thousands of protesters marched in the Yemeni capital Friday, demanding the return of millions of dollars that were purportedly stolen by the country’s former authoritarian ruler, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The protests in Sana come a week after several nations backing Yemen’s political transition pushed for sanctions against Saleh’s loyalists for undermining the country’s shift to democracy after a year of turmoil and bloodshed.
The nonmilitary sanctions could include freezing financial assets or travel bans.
Saleh had reportedly accumulated significant wealth during nearly 30 years in power in Yemen, which is the poorest country in the Middle East. He stepped down earlier this year after a popular uprising forced him into relinquishing power in return for immunity from prosecution. Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was elected president in February to replace Saleh.
Over the past months, tens of thousands of Yemenis have held protests demanding Saleh and members of his family be tried in court on corruption charges and over killings of protesters during the revolt.
Saudis expel Nigerian women on hajj
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia on Friday began expelling over a thousand Nigerian women on religious pilgrimage to the country because they had arrived without male guardians, the first time it sent back such a large group in enforcement of strict rules governing women.
The government ministry that oversees the hajj pilgrimage said the 1,100 women had violated a long-standing law by traveling without an immediate male relative, adding that females of all nationalities under the age of 45 must have a male guardian during the pilgrimage.
“This is a rule that is generally applied to women who have applied for a visa to enter the kingdom,” the hajj ministry said in a statement.
The annual pilgrimage, which this year comes at the end of October, is a religious duty for Muslims who are supposed to make the trip once in their lives. Many arrive weeks in advance.
Front Section, Pages 6 on 09/29/2012