Egyptians denouce President Mubarak, clash with riot police
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian police fired tear gas and rubber bullets and beat protesters to clear thousands of people from a central Cairo square Tuesday after the biggest demonstrations in years against President Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian rule.
Two protesters and a police officer were killed in nationwide demonstrations inspired by Tunisia’s uprising, which also demanded a solution to Egypt’s grinding poverty. Riots will likely fuel growing dissent in a presidential election year.
Chile’s President Pinera: “I won’t give up risky sports”
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile’s president says he’s not about to change his ways just because some think he should play it safe.
Sebastian Pinera says he doesn’t intend to give up his passion for sports such as skydiving, scuba diving, mountain climbing and river rafting.
He promises to be responsible, but says “one can’t change his way of being.”
The president has also been criticized for making an emergency helicopter landing while running low on fuel on his way to a family getaway.
UN chief pitches $7.4 billion in emergency aid in 2011
GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. chief is asking nations to be as generous as possible to deliver $7.4 billion in emergency aid this year to 50 million people grappling with conflict and disaster in 28 nations.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told diplomats Tuesday at U.N. headquarters in Geneva that aid is needed despite financial pressure on national budgets. He praised donors like the European Commission, the United States and Sweden that announced their intentions early so the U.N. could plan relief efforts.tter.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says tens of millions of people will need emergency aid in 2011. It said that in a rare year of two mega-disasters — the Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods — donors pledged a record $13 billion last year.
Grand jury indicts 20 in alleged Mexican gun smuggle ring
PHOENIX (AP) — Twenty people face federal firearms charges for participating in a ring that bought more than 700 guns to be smuggled into Mexico for use by a drug cartel, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
The charges target two suspected leaders of the ring and “straw buyers” who authorities say were recruited to buy guns on behalf of smugglers.
Most of the guns identified in the indictment were sold by one gun store in suburban Glendale. The store and its operators weren’t charged.
Conn. funeral operator gets 8 months for stealing from clients
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut funeral home director was sentenced Tuesday to eight months in prison for stealing from people, including his dead clients whose homes were raided for money and other valuables.
Kevin Riley, who ran a funeral home in the small town of Coventry, was also ordered to give up his professional licenses and scolded for preying on vulnerable people.
“You, Mr. Riley, yourself have to agree you lost your way. You took advantage of that position of trust,” Hartford Superior Court Judge David Gold said.
Man, woman accused of setting fire at Lutcher High stadium
LUTCHER (AP) — A 21-year-old man an 18-year-old woman are in jail tonight, accused of setting fire to the Lutcher High School football stadium.
The stadium burned November 15th. St. James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin tells WAFB-TV that Adam Lambert faces a charge of arson while Lindsey Matherne was booked with accessory to simple arson.
Martin says Lambert was already in jail on drug charges when he confessed to setting the fire.
State gained 26,300 non-farm jobs in 2010
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana added 26,300 non-farm jobs in 2010 as it continued to plow through a slow economic recovery, state labor officials said Tuesday.
The state still had 42,200 fewer jobs last month, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, than in December 2008 — three months after the national economic meltdown began.
The state shed an overall 900 jobs from November to December, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported.