Explosion in Egypt wounds 19 people

Explosion in Egypt wounds 19 people

cairo

A bomb blast outside the security headquarters in one of Egypt’s Nile Delta cities wounded 19 people, security officials said early today, raising fears of deteriorating security after President Mohammed Morsi’s ouster.

Eleven people have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of the ousted president since Monday. Most were killed in pre-dawn street battles near a pro-Morsi protest camp as the country remained mired in turmoil three weeks after the militarySFlboverthrew the Islamist leader.

Al-Qaida claims deadly prison raids

baghdad

Al-Qaida’s branch in Iraq claimed responsibility Tuesday for audacious raids on two high-security prisons on the outskirts of Baghdad this week that killed dozens and set free hundreds of inmates, including some of its followers.

The statement from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the al-Qaida affiliate in Iraq, was posted on an online jihadist forum. It said months of planning went into the highly coordinated assaults on the prisons in Abu Ghraib and Taji that began late Sunday.

Iraqi officials have said at least 25 members of the Iraqi security forces were killed in the attacks, along with at least 21 prisoners and 10 militants.

Protecting pope: It’s a tough job

rio de janeiro

Pope Francis’ decision to shun a major security detail for his visit to Brazil exemplifies his view of what the Catholic Church should be doing: Go out into the streets. Spread the faith. Recapture the dynamism that other denominations have used to snap up souls.

Upon his arrival in Rio de Janeiro this week, that philosophy helped produce a defining vignette of his young papacy: The pope rolling down the window to touch the adoring crowds who surrounded his Fiat as his driver and bodyguards struggled to get him along.

Many of his subordinates in the Roman Catholic Church are uneasy about the lengths he seems willing to go to deliver his message.

On Tuesday, U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan expressed concern over Monday’s swarm and said security might need to be tightened for Francis’ own good.

Squaring off over NSA’s authority

washington

The Obama administration squared off with skeptical lawmakers Tuesday over efforts to terminate the government’s authority to collect phone records of millions of Americans, a proposition that exposed sharp divisions among members of Congress.

With a vote nearing on amendments to a $598.3 million bill to fund the military, the White House raised the alarm over a move to end the National Security Agency’s authority under the USA Patriot Act, preventing the secretive surveillance agency from collecting records unless an individual is under investigation.

Tougher train rules

toronto

Canadian transportation authorities banned one-man crews for trains with dangerous goods Tuesday, responding to calls for tougher regulations after an oil train derailment in Quebec killed 47 people.

Transport Canada also said trains with dangerous goods won’t be allowed to be left unattended on a main track. Hand brakes must be applied to trains left one hour or more.

On July 6, a runaway train carrying 72 carloads of crudeSFlbderailed and slammed into downtown Lac-Megantic.

Associated Press