Two U.S. citizens face terror charge
New York Two U.S. citizens facing a terrorism charge – one a doctor and the other a martial arts expert – became enthusiastic followers of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden before their arrests, according to court papers released Monday.
Dr. Rafiq Abdus Sabir, 50, of Boca Raton, Fla., and Tarik Shah, 42, of New York, who also claimed to be a jazz musician, were arrested Friday on a charge they conspired to provide support to al Qaeda, an FBI agent said.
Sabir and Shah were to make their first appearances today in federal courthouses in Fort Pierce, Fla., and Manhattan.
Prosecutors said Sabir agreed to treat jihadists, or holy warriors, in Saudi Arabia. Shah allegedly agreed to train them in hand-to- hand combat.
Teen shoots 6 people, then commits suicide
Bellefontaine, Ohio A teen about to graduate from high school shot to death his grandparents, mother and two friends, then wounded his younger sister before committing suicide, authorities said Monday. The rampage perplexed school officials, who said he seemed to have been in good spirits.
The shootings by Scott Moody at two neighboring farmhouses northwest of Columbus were discovered when Moody’s critically wounded teen sister called her stepsister who called 911. The deaths followed a family party to celebrate graduation.
4-year-old fatally shot at target-practice site
Tower, Minn. A 4-year-old boy was fatally wounded when he wandered behind a paper target while family and friends were practicing shooting, authorities said.
Evan Davis Klassen, of Chisago City, was shot Sunday at Lake Vermilion, where a group of about a dozen people had gathered for the Memorial Day weekend.
While the paper target didn’t completely obscure the child, he was wearing camouflage pants that made him difficult to see against the foliage, authorities said.
A 40-year-old man fired a handgun about 30 feet through the target and into the boy.
Authorities said that they believed the shooting was an accident and that no charges were likely to be filed.
Title of ‘Miss Universe’ bestowed on Canadian
Bangkok, Thailand Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova, 23, was crowned Miss Universe in the 54th annual pageant held in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
The resident of Toronto was chosen over Miss Puerto Rico Cynthia Olavarria.
The two were among five selected to answer questions onstage in the final round of competition. The others were from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
Thailand hopes that hosting the pageant will boost the country’s tourism sector, which was badly hurt by last December’s tsunami.
Japan’s prime minister pays respects at tomb
Tokyo Japan’s prime minister paid respects Monday at the country’s tomb of the unknown soldier, laying flowers at a secular memorial that many point to as an alternative to the nearby Shinto war shrine opposed by China.
Junichiro Koizumi bowed deeply at Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, where the remains of unknown victims of World War II are honored. He was accompanied by government ministers and a representative from the royal family.
The annual visit comes as China is pressuring Koizumi not to make further visits to a separate memorial at Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s 2.5 million war dead, including executed war criminals.
Critics consider the visits a sign that Japan has not atoned for its militarist past.