Man arrested over Rinkeby riots

A man in his twenties has been arrested on suspicion of rioting after Tuesday night’s serious disturbances in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby. Police are now examining footage from security cameras and expect to make further arrests.

The man was arrested on Wednesday afternoon

“He has been detained and is previously known to the police,” said police spokeswoman Diana Sundin.

“We hope to make more arrests in the near future,” she added.

Meanwhile, disturbances in the area continued, with a fire breaking out in a parking garage. Police suspect arson. The fire was extinguished quickly, according to police.

“Four people were observed at the scene, and we are hopeful that we will be able to identify them,” said Sundin.

Tension as Mexican, 15, killed by US border patrol

The US authorities said the boy was among a group of would-be illegal migrants who threw rocks at border agents

Jo Tuckman in Mexico City and Ed Pilkington in New York

Tension is mounting at the US-Mexican border over the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy by a US patrol, which is being seen in Mexico as the crudest example yet of growing hostility towards its citizens.

Sergio Adrian Hernandez Guereca was killed in the city of Ciudad Juárez on the frontier line that runs along the Rio Bravo, which – at that point – is little more than a 10-metre stretch of mud between concrete banks. He was shot once in the head, near an eye, and reportedly died on the spot.

The US authorities said the boy was among a group of would-be illegal migrants who threw rocks at border agents as they tried to arrest others in the group.

The teenager's family insisted that was not true. They said he had gone to the river bank to hang out with friends and had no intention of crossing. They also insisted he was a hard-working student who stayed away from the local street gangs.

"President [Felipe] Calderón must do something," the boy's father, Jesus Hernandez, told radio reporters.

India, Sri Lanka consider energy cooperation

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has proposed discussions on establishing a joint information mechanism on the possibility of oil and gasfields straddling the India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary.

In a joint declaration, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured Mr. Rajapaksa that this proposal would receive his government's attention and the matter could be discussed further between the two sides.

The two countries also agreed to promote dialogue on security and defence issues and step up high-level military exchanges and training of military personnel. Newly recruited Sri Lankan police personnel would be given additional training in Indian institutions.

They agreed to institute an annual defence dialogue between the two governments. The two countries would promote the use of space technology for a variety of societal services. India offered to extend the bandwidth to set up satellite-interactive terminals in Sri Lanka.

An agreement on conducting a feasibility study for the interconnection of the Indian and Sri Lankan electricity grids was also signed. The two leaders were confident that the agreement would make a significant contribution to enhancing bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.

39 dead in blast at Afghanistan wedding

A bombing at a wedding ceremony Wednesday in Afghanistan's Kandahar province killed 39 people and wounded 73 others, officials in the village of Nagaan said.

FBI gave $25K to van der Sloot, official says

(CNN) -- The FBI paid Joran van der Sloot $25,000 in an undercover investigation of a plot to extort money from Natalee Holloway's mother, a federal law enforcement official told CNN Wednesday.

The FBI and U.S. Attorneys Office in Alabama arranged for a meeting where an undercover agent paid van der Sloot $10,000 in cash and another $15,000 in a wire transfer for information van der Sloot allegedly promised would lead to Holloway's body in Aruba, a source familiar with the case said.

It's unclear if that money funded van der Sloot's trip to Colombia and into Peru where authorities said he confessed this week to killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores.

Van der Sloot, a Dutch citizen, was twice arrested in connection with the 2005 disappearance of Holloway but was released for lack of evidence.

The information van der Sloot provided to the FBI was not true, according to an Interpol document obtained by CNN Wednesday.

This week Alabama authorities filed extortion and wire fraud charges against van der Sloot.

Israel lifts ban on some foods for Gaza

By STEVEN GUTKIN (AP)

JERUSALEM — Israel took a first step Wednesday to temper the uproar caused by its deadly high-seas raid on a blockade-busting flotilla by allowing in potato chips, cookies, spices and other previously banned food items into the Gaza Strip.

But the things Gazans need most — cement, steel and other materials to rebuild their war-ravaged territory — are still mostly banned, and critics denounced the move as insignificant. President Barack Obama called for a new approach on the blockade.

Instead of easing international criticism of Israel following the May 31 raid that killed nine pro-Palestinian activists, Wednesday's decision appeared to focus even more attention on its three-year-old blockade of impoverished Gaza and the seemingly arbitrary decision-making about which goods are allowed in.

After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, Obama said the Mideast situation is "unsustainable." He called the flotilla clash a "tragedy" and said a "better approach" is needed in Gaza. He called for a "new conceptual framework" for Israel's blockade.

Maxwel Gaylard, the U.N.'s senior humanitarian official in the Palestinian territories, said Israel's move was insufficient.

Honduran president warns of new coup plot

(CNN) -- Less than a year after his predecessor was removed from power in a military-led coup, Honduran President Porfirio Lobo says he has found out that some political opponents want to overthrow him, a statement from the president's office reported.

Lobo said Tuesday he knows the names of those who are plotting against him and warned them not to try a coup.

Asked by reporters if he is behind a movement to replace the Supreme Court president, Lobo said, "It's the president of the republic they want to get rid of. But they're going to tangle with me. Never should we forget that for every action there's a reaction. I tell you, we have everything well tracked. We have located all of them. I know who they are. I have all the information, and I believe they have made a mistake with me".

Former President Jose Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a military-led coup June 28 and flown into exile. He snuck back into Honduras in September and obtained refuge in the Brazilian embassy, where he remained until Lobo took office in January.

Riots must be brought under control: Reinfeldt

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt cautioned that the riots that blighted the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby on Monday and Tuesday needed to be brought quickly under control.

"The consequences risk becoming very serious and could affect the people living in Rinkeby," he told the TT news agency.

Education Minister Jan Björklund and Integration Minister Nyamko Sabuni on Wednesday visited Rinkeby to take stock of the situation.

Up to 100 youths have rioted for two straight nights in the Stockholm suburb, throwing bricks, setting fires and attacking the local police station, police said Wednesday.

"They set fire to a school building ... They tried to set fire to the police station and other buildings and vehicles, but mostly they have thrown rocks and bricks at police and fire fighters," police spokesperson Mats Eriksson told AFP.

He said no one had so far been injured in the riots which began on Monday in the northern suburb long blighted by high levels of unemployment and home to a large number of first and second generation immigrants.

Center right seeks power in Dutch vote

From Phil Black, CNN

(CNN) -- Dutch voters were going to the polls Wednesday in a parliamentary election that has been dominated by concerns over immigration and the economy.

The far-right Freedom Party of controversial politician Geert Wilders once led the opinion polls but recently dropped to fourth place. It was still expected to double its representation in Parliament, and there was speculation it could play a role in a coalition government.

Opinion polls suggest the center-right Liberal Party, led by Mark Rutte, will come out on top. Rutte has promised to lower taxes and dramatically slash government spending to bring the country's budget quickly back to surplus.

If they win, it would be the first Liberal government since World War I.

Another major contender is the Labor Party of former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen. As mayor, Cohen built a strong reputation for easing community tensions by extending friendship and showing tolerance to the city's Muslims.

Ethiopia’s stability matters too much to the USA

“Ethiopia is one of the cornerstone countries in the region. The reason why it is a cornerstone is because a look at its size, look at its position and look at what we are trying to do together in a broad range of areas. … The main issue for us,USA, has to be stability of the country (Ethiopia),” Ambassador Donald Yamamato, Former ambassador of America in Ethiopia, said.  The relationship between Ethiopia and America has had long standing roots dating back to 1903. The people to people and government to government relationship has a strong bond. The number of Ethiopians living in America is so considerable. The participation of Americans investors in Ethiopia has been increasing from time to time. Their trade relations have also been showing an upward trajectory. Besides, America’s food and development aid to Ethiopia is remarkable.

Judge blocks nurses' strike at 5 UC hospitals

Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer

Plans by nearly 11,000 nurses to strike Thursday at five University of California medical centers were put on hold Tuesday when a San Francisco judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the walkout.

Nurses represented by the California Nurses Association planned to join 12,000 Minnesota nurses in the one-day walkout that, even without the California nurses, would still be the largest registered nursing strike in U.S. history. Nurses from both states who are part of a larger union called National Nurses United say staffing issues - not wages - are at the heart of the disputes.

UC officials sought an order to stop the strike, maintaining that the walkout would pose a threat to public safety. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Peter J. Busch sided with attorneys representing the university, saying that to defer the issue for two weeks would not cause undue harm to either party.

Busch scheduled a hearing for June 18 on whether an injunction should be granted.

It's boom times for firms cleaning up oil spill

BY TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA

While the oil gushing from a well in the Gulf of Mexico threatens to harm the state's tourism, wildlife and fishing industries, for some Florida business owners it means one thing: tons of money.

Funding for the cleanup effort is flowing almost as freely as the oil in the Gulf, and those companies that specialize in booms, chemical dispersant, hazardous materials training and other spill-related services are positioning themselves for a sustained boom in business.

Oakley Keller, who owns Naples-based American Training Institute, started hosting hazardous materials training courses at the Florida Keys Community College campuses last month, and has seen interest increase consistently since oil began to drift toward Florida's coasts.

The courses, like the three-day Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response class, cost as much as $575 and provide required certification for people looking to do contract cleanup work with BP or the government.

``I'd say [business] has increased 50 to 60 percent because of this event,'' Keller said. ``It's keeping us pretty busy''.

Officer in nightclub shooting was driving drunk before '05 shooting

Tshamba fired five rounds at men he says were threatening him; had 0.12 percent blood-alcohol level

By Justin Fenton and Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore police officer under investigation for killing a fellow bar patron Saturday was involved in an off-duty shooting in 2005 in which investigators determined he was driving with a 0.12 percent blood-alcohol level before firing his weapon, according to documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

In that incident, Officer Gahiji A. Tshamba told investigators that he was behind the wheel of his Nissan 350Z in the 5900 block of Pulaski Highway about 2:20 a.m. when several men in a sport utility vehicle pulled up beside him and began yelling racial epithets before driving off. He said he followed the vehicle into a residential neighborhood, when the driver turned around and struck his car. The men got out and advanced toward him, records show.

Tshamba said he fired several rounds, then pursued the men after they ran into the woods, firing more shots after some of the men came back. A juvenile was later determined to have been struck in the foot, according to records.

The men, two of whom were charged and later cleared, said that they accidentally cut off Tshamba's vehicle before Tshamba started chasing them. They acknowledged, however, that they tried to ram Tshamba's car, and the shooting victim said he was too drunk to remember any details of the incident. Both of the men have faced serious charges since then.

Sheriff Christianson wins re-election in Stanislaus County

By Rosalio Ahumada

Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson held a commanding lead early today, but his challenger said he wasn't planning to concede the election just yet.

Christianson had 21,259, or 56.5 percent, with 85 percent of precincts counted in the sheriff's race. Turlock police Capt. Rob Jackson followed with 16,263 votes, or 43.2 percent.

"We got a lot of positive feedback in our walks through the community," said Christianson, who was at his election night party at Sky Trek Aviation in Modesto. "We were pretty confident that the people were satisfied with the Sheriff's Department and its service to the community".

Anchorage couple pleads guilty to threatening Native man

By Megan Holland

An Anchorage man and woman have pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to violating an Alaska Native's civil rights by threatening and harassing him while he walked in downtown Anchorage.

Robert Gum, 19, and 21-year-old Deanna Scaglione, aka Deanna Powers, could face up to 10 years in prison for the crime, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Prosecutors say Gum and Scaglione found their target in the early morning hours of July 28, 2009, as he was walking to Bean's Café. They pelted him with eggs, threw a water bottle at him, and shouted racial slurs. At first they pursued him in their car, turning around to toss objects at him again when they missed. Then they got out near C Street and Seventh Avenue and ran after him on foot. The victim tried to flee but the pair chased him.

During the attack, Gum told the victim, "Hey, dog, you want to get shot?" and "We'll hit this (racial slur) with a bat," and "You are dumb, you're a f--ing Native".

The victim asked the pair to leave him alone multiple times.

U.S. Leading Charge on Synthetic Biology Funding

By Alexis Madrigal

Synthetic biology received about $430 million in U.S. government funding from 2005 to 2010, far outpacing European governments, which gave their synthetic biologists $160 million over the same period. The emerging field received nearly no funding before 2005, according to a new Woodrow Wilson Center report.

The numbers are the latest indication that synthetic biology has become a buzzword at the highest-levels of politics and policy. Last month, President Obama convened a special commission to study synthetic biology and the House held a special hearing on the topic. Both events were apparently prodded by the J. Craig Venter Institute’s announcement that they implanted a genome that was once a text document filled with letters into a living cell.

Though synthetic biology support is growing, it’s far from a major research area for any government. The U.S. government alone spends almost $150 billion on R&D, the majority of which goes to “defense,” broadly construed. The largest part of the civilian science budget, about $30 billion, goes to “health,” which includes biomedical research.

Aquino proclaimed Philippines’ 15th president

AFP

Aquino, who formally takes office on June 30, crushed his rivals after promising to tackle the pervasive graft and grinding poverty that have long afflicted the sprawling Asian archipelago of more than 90 million people.

The 50-year-old bachelor also drew on the enormous public support for his democracy hero parents, who remain revered for their efforts in ending the 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Aquino secured just over 15.2 million votes, or nearly 42 percent of the total, according to final results released by parliament on Tuesday following the May 10 election.

Former president Joseph Estrada finished well behind in second place with nearly 9.5 million votes.

A joint session of parliament formally ratified the results and proclaimed Aquino the Philippines’ 15^thpresident. His inauguration is scheduled for the end of the month.

New UN sanctions will not deter Iran

By Paul Reynolds

World affairs correspondent, BBC News website

The new round of sanctions on Iran is unlikely to have any more effect on Iranian policy than the first three.

Only hours before the Security Council approved the latest measures, Western diplomats were saying that this sanctions resolution would not be the last.

This suggests many more months of waiting to see what Iran does, more monitoring and reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and more negotiations over yet more sanctions.

It also implies that the option of an attack on Iranian nuclear plants is not an active one, though diplomats do accept that at some stage it will not be realistic to hope for any diplomatic solution.

The choice then will be between accepting whatever Iran has developed (which might be short of making an actual bomb) or taking military action.

King Abdullah leads way toward a bright future, say EP citizens

By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS

DAMMAM: It is almost five years since Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah formally took over the reins of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

According to the Islamic calendar, he received the pledge of allegiance on Jamad Al-Thani 26, 1426, which corresponds to Aug. 1, 2005.

These five years have been significant in many ways. There was an incessant talk of reform; newspapers were full of new universities being opened or foundation stones being laid; and new economic cities created quite a buzz. Saudi Arabia acquired a new respect among nations of the world for its just and sagacious role. King Abdullah’s interfaith initiative was welcomed by the world community and still is seen as a ray of hope by much of the global community. He remains very popular among his people, and his initiatives hold the prospect of a bright future for the Kingdom.

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) Rector Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan said there has been comprehensive improvement in the field of higher education in these five years.

Young Israelis are taught to hate: Syria

Steven Edwards, National Post

Syria accused Israel yesterday of indoctrinating Israeli children with hatred toward Arabs, telling the UN Human Rights Council the youngsters sing about sucking Arab blood and learn how to sign missiles destined to hit Arabs.

The tirade, delivered by Rania Al Rifaiy, a Syrian diplomat, was part of the country's appeal at the world body for nations to unite behind a campaign to "put an end to Israeli brutality".

It came as Turkey sought a fresh condemnation of Israel over its deadly raid on aid ships last week when Syria and other regional leaders gathered in Istanbul to discuss security in Asia.

Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Bashar al-Assad of Syria and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan as well as Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, attended the gathering, which ended with a call on Israel to end its "inhuman" blockade of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.

Ms. Rifaiy accused Israel of systematically using torture against Palestinians and other Arabs, saying the Israeli Knesset has "legitimized" such practices.