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In Mexico, gunmen opened fire on the occupants of an ambulance Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of the ambulance driver, two kidney patients, and a female fourth individual travelling in the vehicle. The incident occurred in Ciudad Juárez, close to the Mexico–United States border. Witnesses recalled sighting a pick up truck carrying the gunmen deliberately colliding with the ambulance and forcing it to stop, then the gunmen getting out of the truck and shooting the victims. The ambulance driver, who was impacted in the head by a bullet, seem

The West Jakarta District Court has convicted six of a string of bombings, and responsibility for bomb alerts, a year ago on Java and sent them to prison. It is believed the group wished to begin a holy war. Prosecutors wanted eight years for 29-year-old ringleader Roki Aprisdianto but the court gave him a six-year sentence. His five co-accused followers - all students or graduates from Klaten's State Vocational School No. 2 - all received five years, less than the seven years the prosecution wanted. Neither Aprisdianto nor the prosecution wil

Matthew Wright, host of British television programme The Wright Stuff, has apologised for remarks he made on the show in relation to the murder of Liam Aitchison. On the edition of the Channel 5 programme broadcast on Tuesday, the murder of Liam Aitchison was being examined as part of a newspaper review segment. At this point, Wright said the words "there's been another murder" while using a false Scottish accent, as a reference to the UK television crime drama Taggart. Charlie Baker, who appeared on the panel alongside Wright, remarked that t

A judge in Montana yesterday released Barry Beach after 28 years and eleven months behind bars. Beach confessed to a 1979 killing but has since maintained his innocence and now he's been granted a new trial. Yesterday saw the state try a last-minute appeal to overturn District Judge E. Wayne Phillips's decision a few weeks prior to grant Beach a new trial. Phillips rejected that, and also declined a motion to stay Beach's bail hearing pending an appeal against the new trial to the Montana Supreme Court. The state sought a bond of $250,000, but

Indian authorities today declared an intent to force web companies to screen content for "offensive" and "blasphemous material". The move follows failed talks yesterday with Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. Communications Minister Kapil Sibal says "My aim is that insulting material never gets uploaded", and that web firms "will have to give us the data, where these images are being uploaded and who is doing it." The government's planned new policy is in response to web-based firms informing him they could not prevent such material bei

A woman appeared today in the magistrates' court in Croydon, London accused of a racially aggravated public order charge after a video was watched by over 11 million people on YouTube allegedly showing her shouting racial abuse at passengers on a tram. Emma West, 34, a resident of New Addington, cried and bowed her head while the footage was played in court. To protect West's safety, an application of bail was denied. She has been remanded in custody until January 3. West's case will be transferred to the Crown Court to be heard by a judge an

In Scotland, the Northern Constabulary are now treating the death of a man in the Western Isles as murder, having performed an autopsy. The police force has now launched a murder inquiry. The body of sixteen-year-old Liam Aitchison was discovered in an abandoned building in the village of Steinish, on the island of Lewis, during the last week. Detective Chief Inspector Kenny Anderson has spoken of the major inquiry team drafted in to investigate and of the "very positive" local reaction. The last time Aitchinson was sighted was at approximate

In the United Kingdom, the BBC has received in excess of twenty-one thousand complaints after Jeremy Clarkson, the presenter of BBC television programme Top Gear, made an appearance on the live BBC programme The One Show and made comments about the UK public sector workers on strike, which British trade union UNISON subsequently called "appalling". The BBC and Jeremy Clarkson both apologised after the comments were made. During the programme, Clarkson commented on how the strikes on Wednesday were "fantastic" as they had left the British capi

The following is the first in a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2012 presidential election. It will feature original material compiled throughout the previous month after a brief mention of some of the month's biggest stories. In this month's edition on the campaign trail: the Party for Socialism and Liberation nominates an underaged presidential ticket; a college football coach announces that he is running for president; and a candidate excluded from the GOP debates answers whether or not he would run under a third party label. Summary

Valeska Paris, an Australian woman and former Scientologist, has claimed that the Church of Scientology imprisoned her for twelve years aboard the Scientology-owned cruise ship, Freewinds. Paris claims she was first sent to the ship aged eighteen for two weeks as a teenager but ended up spending twelve years there. Paris also claims that her passport was taken away from her and she was forced to work in the engine room. Paris was born in Switzerland but her parents moved her to the United Kingdom when she was six so they could be closer to t

The parliament of the Australian state of Queensland has passed a law recognising same-sex civil unions. Victoria, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory already officially recognise such relationships. "The bill that is before the Parliament is a bill that seeks to strike a blow against prejudice and strike a blow against discrimination," Premier Anna Bligh told parliament during debate. Health Minister Geoff Wilson voted against the bill saying, "The more I have thought about it, about what I personally believe according to my faith

As of today, it is illegal to be homeless in the European country of Hungary, as a new law prohibiting it comes into effect. Those who are found to be in breach of this law will initially be given a warning for sleeping out on the streets. Offenders may also face a fine of US$600, which equates to £382 or €445, or a jail sentence. A significant majority of the National Assembly of Hungary voted in favour of the law in October of this year. The Fidesz, a ruling party in the country, proposed the law on the basis that homelessness was becoming