Guantanamo Bay prisoners transferred to El Salvador
The United States transferred two Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to El Salvador after holding them for a decade with no charges.
China urged other countries not to accept the two men into their nations, but the El Salvadoran government agreed to let them settle down there in their own homes.
The men’s attorney said they are happy in their new home in El Salvador.
The Pentagon announced that with the departure of these two men, the Guantanamo prison population is now 169.
Israel honors Holocaust victims
Israelis celebrated Yom Hashoa, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 19 throughout the country. The Israeli government honored the 198,000 survivors still living in Israel as well as the thousands living around the globe with memorial speeches and services.
Many Holocaust survivors live in poverty in Israel, even though in 2007, the government passed a $260 million multi-year plan to assist Holocaust survivors. But various organizations around the country insist it was far too little to help everyone and more actions need to be taken by the government.
Brazilian slum sets bus on fire
Residents of a slum in Rio de Janeiro set a bus on fire that blocked a highway tunnel for approximately 90 minutes April 18. No one was harmed, but the driver suffered minor injuries. Five other buses were stopped because of the blaze, but were allowed to continue after a short while.
The small uprising started after a bullet accidentally grazed a 10-year-old girl. Armed officials were patrolling the slums looking for drug-related crimes and shot at an 18-year-old man. The girl was caught in the middle of the confrontation, and a stray bullet grazed her stomach. She was taken to the hospital and was sent home after being treated.
Mexican volcano spews rocks
Popocatepetl Volcano, located just outside of Mexico City, shot fiery rock fragments half a mile into the air April 19, raising concern for another eruption. Mexico City suffered its most violent eruption in 1,200 years in Dec., 2000. The 17,886-foot volcano continued to spew ash and water vapor all day, forcing residents of Mexico City to remain indoors as much as possible. Authorities said the activity of Popocatepetl is increasing, and people should be on alert.
Suspected terrorists arrested
British police force arrested three men at Heathrow Airport April 19 for “possessing articles and documents with intent to use them for terrorist purposes overseas,” authorities said. The men are currently residents of Birmingham, England and were arrested upon arrival off a flight from Oman, a small Arab nation.
The men, aged 33-39, were detained under Section 57 of the British Terrorism Act which states that anyone with “reasonable suspicion” of terrorist activities or connections with terrorist activities can be held and interrogated for a certain amount of time.