Gay-rights group seeks apology

Gay-rights group seeks apology

SALT LAKE CITY

A gay-rights organization is calling on Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to apologize for suggesting homosexuality is a choice and for calling decisions by other state leaders to not defend same-sex marriage bans the “next step to anarchy.”

John Netto, head of the Utah Pride Center’s board, said the governor’s comments during his monthly televised news conference Thursday were hurtful.

“To suggest that allowing gay marriage is the foundation of anarchy, to us, is hate speech,” Netto told The Salt Lake Tribune. “We think he is uneducated ... on current scientific positions in regard to human sexuality.”

Herbert’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests to comment.

Bungled explosion kills 3 in Nigeria

JOS, Nigeria

A bungled bomb killed three people, including a suicide bomber, in Nigeria’s Jos city Saturday night, a police official said, four days after twin car bombs blamed on Islamic extremists killed at least 130 people in the central city.

The senior police official said the bomber dropped a bag holding explosives at an outdoor theater crowded with people watching a European soccer cup final. He said the bomber and two others died. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not the official spokesman.

The venue is not far from the bustling marketplace that was targeted in Tuesday’s attack.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the latest attack.

But the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, which has been threatening to sell nearly 300 abducted schoolgirls into slavery, has been waging a two-pronged campaign of urban bombings and rural attacks on northeastern villages.

College chief faces forced-labor charge

FLORENCE, S.C

The president and founder of Cathedral Bible College faces federal charges that he made international students work long hours with little pay by threatening their legal status.

The Sun News of Myrtle Beach and WBTW reported that bond was set at $250,000 at a hearing Friday for Reginald Wayne Miller. Under the terms of his bond, he is not allowed to visit the college’s campus in Marion or communicate with current or former foreign students.

Miller’s attorney said his friends and family will try to raise the bond money.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations filed a criminal complaint against Miller this week, saying they have probable cause to charge him with forced labor, a felony that carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for each count.

Arizona wildfire grows significantly

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.

A wildfire burning in rugged terrain in a northern Arizona canyon grew significantly because of fires intentionally set by crews to rob the blaze of its natural forest fuels, officials said Saturday.

Crews have mostly completed burnout operations on the key northern flank of the Slide Fire and are preparing to make similar protection efforts on the fire’s western end. The burnout operations conducted Friday night by fire crews contributed to the heavy smoke over Sedona and Flagstaff.

There was a chance of thunderstorms Saturday in the area that could bring much-needed moisture. But if such a storm doesn’t produce any rain, its winds could fan the fire.

The size of the human-caused fire had reached 16 square miles by Saturday morning.

Associated Press