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According to a spokesman for NATO, an attempted hijacking of a Norwegian tanker in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates has been thwarted by NATO forces. The MV Front Ardennes came under attack by pirates in a small skiff at about 6:00 PM on Saturday. Helicopters and a warship were dispatched to rescue the vessel, and the pirates were apprehended seven hours after the initial hijacking. Officials said that pirates tried to flee in the dark, but were caught by a Canadian vessel. Seven of the pirate gunmen were temporarily detained, but were late

Iran has warned Israel that an invasion of its country will be met with strong defense. The response follows a report by the The London Times that the Israeli military was prepared to strike Iranian nuclear facilities and the order to strike could come within days. "Iran's military mechanism is comprised of both defensive and deterrent plans. The truth is that Iranian armed forces are perfectly capable to trounce invaders in the event of an onslaught against the country," said Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, the commander of Iran's ground force to Hams

Roxana Saberi, 31, an Iranian-American journalist who was accused of spying on Iran, has been sentenced to eight years in prison. This marks the first time that an Iranian court has convicted and sentenced a journalist who they accused of spying. "The eight-year sentence is true. I will appeal the verdict," said Abdul-Samad, Saberi's attorney. Saberi could have been sentenced the maximum of 10 years in prison, under Iranian law. The court did not allow Saberi's lawyer to ask for bail. Saberi was originally arrested then charged for purchasing

According to state television, at least eighteen people have been killed and a further six injured after an explosion at a coal mine in central China. The incident occurred during the afternoon on Friday April 17 at the Qingshanbei mine in Chenzhou city, located in the Hunan province. An employee for the city's coal industry bureau told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency that an explosives warehouse and detonator exploded, saying that "up to this morning we have confirmed there are 18 dead and three injured." The Xinhua News Agency re

According to research undertaken at the University of Texas at Austin (and recently published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B Journal), a species of ant (Mycocepurus smithii) found in the Amazon reproduces asexually. The species is thought to be the first such species discovered. The possibility that Mycocepurus smithii reproduces asexually had previously been suggested by Hermógenes Fernandez-Marin, "The possibility that females reproduce parthenogenetically is suggested by the conspicuous lack of males in reproductive colonies."

Anti-tax anti-spending rallies called Tea Parties took place across the United States Wednesday. The rallies were held in various locations from Boston, Massachusetts to San Francisco, California. Wednesday was chosen by organizers as it is the federal income tax filing deadline, as well as the deadline for many states. The rallies were named after the Boston Tea Party, a 1773 pre-American Revolution event protesting taxation without representation. Organizers indicated that Tea Parties took place at more than 850 locations, with a combined

Violence in India has left at least 18 people dead as Maoist guerrillas attacked voting stations during the first day of elections in the country. At least four other people, reported to be election officials, were kidnapped. The guerrillas made fourteen attacks on polling stations and vehicles transporting election officials in central and eastern regions of India. The insurgents were armed with rocket launchers and landmines. They were calling for the polls to be boycotted, and had pledged to disrupt the elections. The violence was aimed at

Interim minister for Indigenous Affairs Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has been appointed vice-president by Fiji's military regime. Nailatikau, a former military commander, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Minister in the military regime, was sworn in at Government House this morning. He will continue to hold his portfolios in the interim Cabinet. The appointment follows the promulgation of a decree establishing the office of vice-president and permitting them to perform the functions of the President of Fiji if the President is unable to.

A court in Sweden has found at least four administrators of the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay (TPB) guilty of being "accessories to copyright infringement." The court ordered Carl Lundström, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, and Peter Sunde to serve at least one year in prison and pay damages of US$3.5 million (€2.7 million). "The Stockholm district court has today found guilty the four individuals that were charged with accessory to breaching copyright laws. The court has sentenced each of them to one year in prison," said a statement

A small plane crashed Friday morning into a house in Florida after taking off from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The twin engine aircraft is believed to be a Cessna 421. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson has said that one person was on board the 8 passenger plane. Authorities report that no one was at home when the crash occurred just before noon hour. The pilot, 80-year-old Cecil A. Murray, has not been found, but authorities say he did not survive the crash. "The house was a total loss. The plane went right into the c

On Easter Monday, a hostel fire killed 22 people and injured 20 more. Nearly two dozen people are still in the hospital, including an eighteen-month-old baby in Kamień Pomorski, Poland. The dead included six children. There is still one person missing. During the intense blaze, parents reportedly tossed children from windows of the upper floors to people waiting below. Residents jumped out of windows resulting in the majority of injuries which were broken bones. The fire alarm sensors, which had been installed in the 1970s, were removed two y

Toke Talagi, the Pacific Islands Forum chairman and Premier of Niue, has condemned the Fijian president's decision to abrogate the constitution. "I condemn the actions of the military regime in Fiji to date, the abrogation of the Constitution and reappointment of members of the previous Interim Government in direct contravention of Fiji law as determined by the Court of Appeal on 9th April 2009," Mr Talagi said. "The hopes and aspirations of many in Fiji and the wider region, just briefly raised by the Court of Appeal decision on 9 April, hav