Italian authorities have issued arrest warrants for three more purported CIA operatives accused of helping abduct an Egyptian Muslim cleric from Italy in 2003, a prosecutor said Friday. A Milan prosecutor said the new warrants were approved by Milan Judge Chiara Nobile on his request earlier this week, and bring the total number of purported CIA operatives sought by Italian police in the case to 22. Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr was abducted on a Milan street on Feb. 17, 2003, before being flown to Egypt, where he said he was reportedly tortured.
France: Concorde probe expands
A former executive of the company that made the Concorde was summoned for questioning Friday, the third official in a week to go before investigators looking into the deadly 2000 crash of the supersonic jet. The head of security for Aerospatiale was to be questioned by an investigating judge. Aerospatiale is now part of EADS, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. The judge is examining to what extent executives were aware of the plane’s structural shortcomings. The Air France Concorde crashed July 25, 2000, shortly after takeoff from a Paris airport, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground.
Indonesia: Fuel subsidies to fall
The Indonesian government announced today that it would nearly double the price of gasoline, a dramatic move by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to stem billion-dollar losses on subsidized fuel. The price change, which takes effect immediately, raised the price of a gallon of gas from about 88 cents to about $1.65, more than doubled the price for diesel fuel and tripled the cost of kerosene, a common cooking fuel in Indonesia.
Russia: Naval ammunition explodes
A fire at a navy ammunition depot caused artillery shells to explode, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people today, officials said. Some 4,000 residents from five towns near Kamchatka had to leave their homes, news agencies reported. A six-mile safety zone was declared around the depot, the navy said. No casualties were reported. Officials said the artillery shells were being stored in an open space and were due to be destroyed. The Kamchatka Peninsula is home to a major Russian naval base.
From Herald news services
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