Violence surges in Islamic uprising

Violence surges in Islamic uprising

LAGOS, Nigeria

Suspected Muslim extremists kidnapped about 100 girls Tuesday from a school in northeastern Nigeria, less than a day after militants bombed a bus station and killed 75 people in the capital — a surge of violence that raised new doubts about the military’s ability to contain an Islamic uprising.

With an 11-month-old state of emergency in three northeastern states failing to bring relief, the attacks are increasing calls for President Goodluck Jonathan to rethink his strategy in confronting the biggest threat to the security of Africa’s most-populous nation.

Student charged in 5 stabbing deaths

CALGARY, Alberta

A University of Calgary student was charged in the fatal stabbing of five people at a house party Tuesday that the police chief called the worst mass slaying in the western Canadian city’s history.

Matthew Douglas de Grood, the son of a 33-year veteran of the Calgary police force, picked up a large knife shortly after arriving at the party and stabbed the victims one by one, said police Chief Rick Hanson. De Grood, 22, was charged with five counts of murder late Tuesday.

Pittsburgh Heinz staff offered buyouts

PITTSBURGH

The new owners of H.J. Heinz Co. have offered buyouts to all workers in Pittsburgh, where the ketchup-and-food giant has been based for decades, but insist the offer doesn’t signal a plan to move the company’s headquarters.

Instead, Heinz officials said the buyout is being offered because the new owners, Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, recognize the company’s new culture might not be “the perfect fit” for longtime Pittsburgh-based employees. Heinz officials said any workers who quit will be replaced, leaving the company with the same number of workers in Pittsburgh.

The buyout offers, which begin at six months’ severance pay and increase depending on years of service, were sent out last week to all 775 Pittsburgh employees. The workers have until Monday to decide whether to accept.

NYPD disbands unit that spied

NEW YORK

A special New York Police Department unit that sparked controversy by tracking the daily lives of Muslims in an effort to detect terror threats has been disbanded, police officials said Tuesday.

NYPD spokesman Stephen Davis confirmed that detectives assigned to the unit had been transferred to other duties within the department’s Intelligence Division.

GPS helped solve, didn’t deter crimes

SANTA ANA, Calif.

GPS technology helped police link two convicted sex offenders to the rapes and killings of at least four women in California, but the mother of one victim said Tuesday that the monitoring system should have done more to prevent the crimes in the first place.

The situation has raised new questions about the effectiveness of the devices that are supposed to deter criminals by keeping them away from forbidden areas such as schools and playgrounds and from anyone who has a protective order.

They also are supposed to be an investigative tool for law enforcement to track down convicts.

Federal and state officials said the devices worked as intended after Jarrae Nykkole Estepp, 21, was killed, pinpointing the locations of suspects Franc Cano, 27, and Steven Dean Gordon, 45, after the crimes.

Associated Press