800 inmates escape prisons in Tunisia

800 inmates escape prisons in Tunisia

TUNIS, Tunisia

More than 800 inmates escaped from two Tunisian prisons Friday after fires were set in cells, the official news agency said.

Soldiers and security forces quickly fanned out in a search of the fugitives, and at least 35 were caught within hours, TAP said, citing military sources.

TAP reported that 522 inmates from the prison in Kasserine escaped after a fire in two cells, and an additional 300 inmates escaped from the Gafsa prison.

The two towns are both in Tunisia’s center-west region, about 95 miles apart. Personnel at the prison in Gafsa were on strike at the time, likely making the mass exodus by inmates easier.

Governor to sign abortion legislation

INDIANAPOLIS

Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said Friday he will sign restrictive abortion legislation and make Indiana the first state to cut off all government funding for Planned Parenthood, a move likely to boost his credentials among social conservatives as he considers whether to run for president.

Daniels said he supported the abortion restrictions from the outset and that the provision added to defund Planned Parenthood did not change his mind. He said women’s health, family planning and other services will remain available.

Donald Trump fuels speculation

LAS VEGAS

Real-estate developer and TV showman Donald Trump fueled speculation that he’ll enter the 2012 White House race, assuring a crowd of supporters at a Las Vegas casino that he is seriously weighing a presidential run in a speech laced with the F-word.

The setting Thursday night was fitting for the casino mogul whose moniker is draped across the gold-tinged Trump International Hotel & Tower just off the Las Vegas Strip. An open bar greeted more than 1,000 people, waiters passed hors d’oeuvres, and a Trump impersonator entertained the crowd.

At one point, a woman in the lavish reception at the Treasure Island casino yelled out that Trump should run for president.

“I think I am going to make you very happy,” the developer said.

10 killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD

Attacks killed 10 people around Iraq on Friday, including the 8-year-old daughter of an imam who preached against violence and three police officers ambushed in Baghdad, officials said.

The string of bombings and shootings underlined the security concerns Iraq still faces as American troops prepare to leave the country by the end of this year.

Associated Press