AFP, New York
A former teacher and his twin brother were arrested and charged in New York on Thursday with possessing explosives following a bomb threat made against a Manhattan school, officials said. Christian and Tyler Toro, both 27, pleaded not guilty and were remanded into custody, charged over stockpiling explosive materials and manufacturing destructive devices in their Bronx home.
Pakistan to deploy troops in S Arabia
Xinhua, Islamabad
Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia for “training and advise mission,” the military said late Thursday.
“In continuation of ongoing Pak-KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) bilateral security cooperation, Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to KSA on training and advise mission,” a statement from the army’s media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations said.
Mexican drug lord to face US trial
Reuters, Washington
A U.S. federal judge on Thursday set a Sep. 5 trial date for Joaquin Guzman, the Mexican drug lord known as “El Chapo” who is jailed in the United States on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges.
U.S. prosecutors have accused Guzman, 60, of running a global cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine smuggling operation as the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and playing a central role in a decade-long Mexican drug war where more than 100,000 people have died.
China confirms first bird flu case
AFP, China
China has confirmed the first human case of H7N4 bird flu, prompting Hong Kong to issue a health warning for those travelling to the mainland during the busy Lunar New Year holiday.
The strain was identified in a 68-year-old woman from the eastern province of Jiangsu who was admitted to hospital after falling ill on December 25 but had since recovered, according to China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission.
