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New Zealand, Australia fly in extra personnel to help quell Solomon Island riots The New Zealand and Australian Governments are to send reinforcements to the Solomon Islands to support RAMSI following an outbreak of violence after the election of Snyder Rini as the new Prime Minister yesterday. Missing nun found dead Sister Karen Klimczak, 62, a Catholic nun who went missing on Friday in Buffalo, New York, has been found murdered and her body placed in a shallow grave. According to police, Craig Lynch, 37, was arrested and confessed to the murder and admitted to being high on drugs at the time.

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US allegedly committed acts of violence in Iran using ex-members of MEK during past year Different sources claims that US committing acts of violence in Iran. The Internet news publication Raw Story says minority groups in Iran, rather than traditional US soldiers, fight a proxywar for US and that the incursions have been occurring for about a year.

Wikipedia Current Events
The Italian Supreme Court has confirmed the victory of centre-left opposition candidate Romano Prodi in last week's contested Italian general election, 2006, dismissing complaints by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that the vote was marred by irregularities. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan announces his resignation. Karl Rove is expected to lose his tasks as Deputy Chief of Staff for political development. President George W. Bush tries to shake up his cabinet because of the mid-term elections in November. The Bolivian army free three ministers taken in hostage by local village population in El Mutún, the world's largest iron ore deposit. The announcement of the new Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Snyder Rini, causes riots in Honiara. Australia and New Zealand promise to send more troops to keep order.

Oil prices surge
Crude oil prices have surged to a new record of $72.17 a barrel. In Europe, Brent crude oil rose to $71.84. In less than a month, prices have risen $10, back to the record highs set after Hurricane Katrina caused refineries to shut down in August 2005. Prices are 42% higher than a year ago.

Political instability is to blame. Much of the price increase is attributed to the political standoff to Iran's nuclear program. Iran is the world's fourth largest oil producer. Violence in Nigeria earlier this year has also helped raise the price of oil. The violence dropped the country's capacity to approximately 80%. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil exporter.

India sends special envoy to Nepal
India has decided to send Karan Singh as the Prime Minister's special Envoy to Nepal. Singh is scheduled to hold talks with King Gyanendra as well as the leaders of the Nepalese pro-democracy movement, in an effort to end the deepening political crisis in that country.

Nepal has witnessed growing protests against King Gyanendra's decision last year to dismiss the government and assume direct rule. Since then, a seven-party opposition alliance has led nationwide protest demanding that the King immediately hand over power to an all-party government, dismissing King Gyanendra's offer to hold election by April 2007.

Nepal's long and porous border with India poses security concerns for the two countries

The King is also directing a difficult campaign against a Maoist guerilla movement in the countryside.

Singh is a senior diplomat and is also related to King Gyanendra by marriage. India's foreign secretary Shyam Saran is also scheduled to accompany the special envoy. India has long expressed concern over the situation in Nepal, calling for a return to representative government.

Speaking to a television news channel, Singh said "It is not our intention to interfere in the internal affairs of another country but the last thing that we would want is for Nepal to dissolve into chaos because India's vital security interests are involved. Our human interests are involved. There's an open border between Nepal and India and our commitment to parliamentary democracy is there."

New Zealand, Australia fly in extra personnel to help quell Solomon Island riots
The New Zealand and Australian governments plan to send reinforcements to the Solomon Islands following a written request for help from the Solomon Islands' government.

Violence began yesterday in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, when protestors took to the streets opposing the election by parliament of Snyder Rini as the new Prime Minister. The streets of the capital witnessed arson and widespread looting.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said "We have a long term commitment to the security of the Solomon Islands and we are absolutely determined that the Solomon Islands will be a stable democratic country and that can only happen if we go the distance."

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the “situation in Honiara continues to be a cause for concern…Police are still attempting to regain full control and it is clear that the Solomon Islands government needs assistance from its neighbours to restore law and order."

A contingent of 110 Australian soldiers and 80 Australian federal police officers left for the islands today. Thirty New Zealand Police and twenty five New Zealand Army personnel will leave on a Royal New Zealand Air Force plane on Thursday morning.

They will provide extra support to the RAMSI security force currently based there. The current violence is the worst the capital has seen since Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific governments intervened in 2003 to end years of civil unrest.

Accused have denied guilt in suitcase murder case
Two men charged after the body of a Chinese student was stuffed into a suitcase and thrown into Auckland's harbour on Good Friday would deny their guilt, a court was told today.

One of them appeared in Auckland District Court today to be confronted with the charge of kidnapping a 19-year-old English language student, ransom and murder. The other accused appeared on a charge of hiding evidence for the murder. They have been granted name suppression until their next appearance in court.

According to lawyers, pleas of not guilty would be entered.

Sudan reports first bird flu case
Today, in Khartoum and Al Jazirah in Sudan, one farmer and about 100,000 chickens were diagnosed with the first appearance of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. The samples will be sent abroad to the World Health Organization for further testing. Most of the infected poultry has already been disposed of. H5N1, which has spread throughout Europe, northern Africa (including neighboring Egypt), central Asia, and the Middle East, has already killed about 100 people. There is no word yet on the man's identity or condition.

Today in History
1653 - Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.

1862 - Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard completed the first test on pasteurization.

1914 - A fire and a gun battle between the National Guard and striking coal miners in Colorado led to 17 deaths in the Ludlow Massacre.

1968 - Pierre Trudeau succeeded Lester B. Pearson as Prime Minister of Canada.

1999 - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 13 people in the Columbine High

April 20 is Festival of Matsu in Southeast Asia (2006), Ridván begins at sunset in Bahá'í Faith.

Quote of the Day

"Oh, the comfort — the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person — having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away." ~ Dinah Craik

Word of the Day
gauche; adj

Definition

Awkward or lacking in social graces.

Having a bumbling or faltering manner.

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