A cruise boat carrying up to 150 people capsized Thursday night in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Bahrain, and at least 48 bodies were recovered, the country’s coast guard chief said. American divers and a U.S. helicopter aided the rescue effort. Coast guard chief Youssef al-Katem said at least 63 people survived. The official Bahrain News Agency said the al-Dana was on an evening cruise that was to last several hours. It overturned less than a mile off the coast, it said. Bahrain, a tiny island nation on the western side of the Persian Gulf, is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Qatar: Iran sanctions discouraged
U.N. atomic energy chief Mohammed ElBaradei urged the international community Thursday to steer away from threats of sanctions against Iran to prevent the dispute over the country’s nuclear intentions from spiraling out of control. ElBaradei, speaking in Doha, emphasized that Iran is not “an imminent threat” and urged countries to “lower the pitch” in their effort to stop Iran’s nuclear work. “There is no military solution to this situation,” ElBaradei said. “It’s inconceivable. The only durable solution is a negotiated solution.”
Italy: Christian convert speaks out
An Afghan who faced the death penalty in his homeland for converting from Islam to Christianity said Thursday he was certain he would have been killed had he stayed there, and he thanked Pope Benedict XVI for intervening on his behalf. “In Kabul, they would have killed me, I’m sure of it,” said Abdul Rahman, who was spirited out of Afghanistan to a secret location in Italy. “If you are not a Muslim in an Islamic country like mine, they kill you. There are no doubts.” He said his case was to serve as an example “to others who dared rebel.”
From Herald news services
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