Syrian fighter pilot defects to Jordan

Syrian fighter pilot defects to Jordan

BEIRUT

A Syrian fighter pilot on a training mission flew his MiG-21 warplane to neighboring Jordan, where he was given asylum Thursday in a defection from the fiercely loyal air force that signals some of the most ironclad allegiances in Damascus could be fraying. Syria immediately denounced the pilot as a traitor.

The brazen move was a clear triumph for the rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad and was the first defection by an air- force officer with his plane since the uprising began in March 2011.

Assange: Asylum bid might not succeed

LONDON

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange acknowledged Thursday that he doesn’t know whether Ecuador will approve his unusual plea for political asylum, as he spent a third night inside the country’s London embassy.

Assange told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio in an interview that he had mounted his bizarre request for political asylum in Ecuador because his native Australia had made an “effective declaration of abandonment” by refusing to intervene in his planned extradition from Britain to Sweden.

However, Assange acknowledged there was no guarantee that his plea would be successful and indicated he didn’t know when a decision on his case would be made.

Taliban attack hotel near Kabul

KABUL

Afghan police say Taliban suicide bombers attacked a lakeside hotel north of Kabul and that militants armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades have taken hostages and are continuing to fight Afghan security forces there.

Kabul police criminal director Mohammad Zahir says three suicide bombers attacked the hotel at Qargha Lake around 11 p.m. Thursday night. Zahir says the Taliban have taken hostages. There were civilian casualties, but details were not immediately available. The fighting was still under way early this morning. Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayub Salangi says at least one policeman has been killed.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid says they attacked the hotel because foreigners were there drinking and participating in other activities banned by Islam.

Boehner takes hard line on contempt

WASHINGTON

House Speaker John Boehner demanded Thursday that the Obama administration give in and turn over documents related to a botched gun-tracking operation, insisting that’s the only way to stop a House vote to hold the attorney general in contempt. Boehner took a hard line against the Obama administration and Attorney General Eric Holder despite a willingness by House Republicans and Holder to negotiate a settlement before the matter becomes a constitutional crisis. The president has invoked executive privilege, a legal principle used to avoid disclosure of internal presidential documents.

Gunfire sparks blazes in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY

Nineteen wildfires in Utah have been sparked this year by target shooting as dry and windy conditions make such ignitions more likely, authorities said.

Authorities counted 24 wildfires sparked by guns last year, and 20 the year before. Three months remain in the dry season.

The state cannot do much to prevent more of these fires this year. Cities can restrict certain types of ammunition and targets for fire safety, but gun laws limit such regulations at the state level, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Associated Press