Latest

A private security guard, defending the Panamanian based MV Almezaan, killed a Somali pirate who was attempting to hijack the ship on Tuesday. This is the first time that a private contractor has killed a pirate in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates came up to the ship with two small vessels and one large "mother-ship". As the small boats approached the Almezaan, the ship's contractors opened fire, and killed one of the pirates. Then European Union and Yemeni naval vessels surrounded the pirates, who attempted to flee. They were then apprehended.

The government of Dubai announced that it intends to provide $9.5 billion to Dubai World to allow the government-owned investment company to restructure its debt. The announcement comes as part of Dubai World's plan to restructure more than $23 billion of debt, including converting nearly $9 billion of debt into equity, after its collapse last fall. The package includes $8 billion of funding to Nakheel, Dubai World's real estate subsidiary, as well as $1.5 billion to Dubai World as a whole. The restructuring plan also seeks to, within eight

In an audio tape posted on Al Jazeera, a voice identified as that of Osama bin Laden has warned the United States that al-Qaeda will retaliate if the US decides to execute the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. "The White House has declared its wish to execute [Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged conspirators]. The day the United States takes such a decision, it would be also taking the decision that any of you falling into our hands will be executed," said a voice on the 74-second-long tape, which is believed to be Bin Laden's.

At least six people were killed earlier today after a car bomb was detonated in the Colombian city of Buenaventura. The incident occurred close to the mayor's office, and damaged a local attorney general office, as well as several taxis in the street. Al Jazeera reports that at least twenty people were wounded, although other news services, such as the Christian Science Monitor, said there were at least forty injured. The head of the country's armed forces, General Freddy Padilla, blamed the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) group

Chilean police confirmed via a DNA test last Sunday that the body found in Chorrillos, Pichilemu was Juanita Carey Moring, daughter of lawyer Guillermo Carey. Mr. Carey along with his wife and four children was caught by the tsunami. After the DNA test was completed, it was also discovered that Juanita's name was written on her undergarments. Her one-year-old brother, León Carey Moring, is still missing, after being taken by the February 27 tsunami while both children were with their mother. Fishermen in Pichilemu found the body last Sunday

According to officials from the United States and Russia, the two countries are to sign a new treaty on the control of nuclear weapons in Prague sometime next month. According to the unnamed officials, some work still remained on the treaty, a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which was signed in 1991 and expired in December 2009. An American official said that while "we are still working to finalize the treaty," diplomats from both sides said they were optimistic that the deal was near completion. The new-found optimism came

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, today unveiled the country's final annual budget before the general election. The biggest announcements included abolishing stamp duty on homes under £250,000 for first-time buyers, whilst increasing it to 5% on homes over £1 million. In his statement to the House of Commons, the Chancellor claimed that the Labour government had made the right calls in countering the global recession, but warned that introducing cuts too early would jeopardise the recovery. Opposition leader David Camero

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking into threats made against Democratic members of the US House of Representatives. The threats were directed at members of Congress who supported the recent health care reform legislation. Virginia's 5th district representative Tom Perriello's brother's home had its gas line cut early Wednesday. Another Democrat, Louise Slaughter of New York's 28th district, had a brick thrown through her offices window. House Majority leader Steny Hoyer held a press conference about the threats and multi

American actor Robert Culp died at the age of 79 after falling outside his Los Angeles home early Wednesday. Culp was best known for his part on the television show I Spy. He was found lying on the ground outside of his home by a jogger passing by who called 9-1-1. Culp was taken to Queen of Angels hospital around 1100 local time (1800 UTC), where he later died. Police Lieutenant Bob Binder said that foul play was not likely involved, but an autopsy will be conducted. Culp was born in Oakland, California in 1930. He was well known for his r

The US community organizing group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) will end its operations due to dwindling funds. The group said in a statement that it would close most of its field offices by April 1. The heads of the organization said in a joint statement that "ACORN's members have a great deal to be proud of—from promoting homeownership to helping rebuild New Orleans, from raising wages to winning safer streets, from training community leaders to promoting voter participation—ACORN members have worked hard to c

New York City settled a US$33 million (€24.3m, £21.8m) class-action lawsuit involving nearly 100,000 former and current prison inmates who were illegally strip-searched. This is the third strip-search court case in the past decade. The plaintiffs included convicts who were charged with misdemeanors including trespassing, shoplifting, and failing to pay child support. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the inmates by the Manhattan law firm Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady. The lead lawyer, Richard Emery, said that "The city knew [strip-search

According to officials, at least ten people were killed in the southern part of the Helmand province in Afghanistan earlier today in a suicide bombing. The suicide bomber was targeting a convoy for the Afghan army situated on a bridge, according to a government spokesman; however, the blast's victims were civilians. "An explosion by a three-wheeled motorcycle targeting an Afghan army convoy killed at least ten civilians in a crowded area of Gereshk district," commented spokesman Daud Ahmadi to the Agence France-Presse news agency, adding that