Closing Guantanamo no longer a priority

The Obama administration has sidelined its efforts to close the Guantanamo prison (photo, from nytimes.com), making it unlikely that president Barack Obama will keep his promise to close thejail in Cuba  before the end of his term in 2013.

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Vatican shocked after police raids in church

After raids by the Belgian police investigating alleged child sex abuse, the Vatican has expressed shock about things like the “violation” of a cathedral crypt.

As well as searching a couple of main Church offices and a cardinal’s home, police had drilled holes in two archbishops’ tombs, said the Church. (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk)

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Tea and coffee ‘protect against heart disease’

A 13-year-long study from the Netherlands has said that drinking several cups of tea or coffee a day appears to protect against heart disease.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting health benefits from the most popular hot drinks.

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Barcelona to ban full Islamic veil in public spaces

For the first time, a large Spanish city announced a ban on the wearing of full Islamic face-veils in some public spaces.

Officials in Barcelona said that the ban was designed to include any head-wear that hindered identification. (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk)

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Shoot-to-kill ordered amid deadly ethnic unrest in south Kyrgyzstan

Security forces in Kyrgyzstan were given shoot-to-kill powers by the interim government in a bid to stop ethnic fighting that has taken about 80 lives.

The country’s interim government also declared a partial mobilisation of the army to combat “destructive forces and criminal elements”.

Thousands of ethnic Uzbeks have been fleeing what they say are ethnic Kyrgyz gangs in the southern city of Osh. (map)

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Arrest warrant for head of Venezuela TV station

An arrest warrant has been issued by authorities in Venezuela for the head of the only remaining independent television station critical of the country’s president, Hugo Chavez.

According to legal officials, Guillermo Zuloaga, the president of Globovision (photo, from aljazeera.net), and his son, also named Guillermo, were wanted on several charges including conspiracy and business malpractice.

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Hundred die of lead poisoning in Nigeria

In recent weeks, more than 100 children have died of lead poisoning in Nigeria, health officials say.

The number has been rising since March, when residents started digging illegally for gold in areas with high concentrations of lead.

The victims were from several remote villages in the northern state of Zamfara. (map, from bbcimg.co.uk)

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Israel will not apologise

Israeli ambassador to the US said his country will reject a proposed international commission to investigate its deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla.

Michael Oren (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) told US broadcaster Fox News that Israel has the ability and the right to investigate its own military.

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Cairo court rules on Egyptian men married to Israeli women

A ruling has been upheld by a court in Cairo, urging the government to consider stripping Egyptian men who are married to Israeli women of their citizenship.

The ruling requires officials to send all such cases to the cabinet, in order to be decided on an individual basis. (photo from bbcimg.co.uk)

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