Bangladesh: 54 bodies found after ferry sinks
MUNSHIGANJ, Bangladesh – Rescuers have recovered 54 bodies from a ferry that sank in a river during a storm in central Bangladesh, resuming their search Saturday after protests by relatives of people missing in the disaster.
Officials said 12 people still were unaccounted for, although there has been confusion about how many were aboard the ferry M.V. Miraz-4 when it sank Thursday in the River Meghna.
Earlier Saturday, authorities called off the search after retrieving 40 bodies.
But hundreds of relatives and local residents protested at the scene of the accident in Munshiganj district, forcing authorities to continue to look for bodies.
By late Saturday afternoon, a total of 54 bodies had been recovered, said Shamsuddoha Khandaker, chief of Bangladesh’s water transport authority.
Yemen military takes al-Qaida stronghold
SANAA, Yemen – Yemen’s military said Saturday it has regained control of an al-Qaida stronghold in the country’s south as part of an ongoing offensive, an attack that killed seven militants and two soldiers.
In a statement, the military said its soldiers regained control of the town of Azzan in Shabwa province. Families earlier fled the town because of the fighting. The statement said two militants were from Saudi Arabia.
Portugal ends 3-year bailout constraints
LISBON, Portugal – Portugal is emerging from the painful economic constraints imposed by a three-year bailout that saved the country from collapse.
But EU officials are warning that tough controls must continue to create stable employment.
With the government taking control of its finances once again, Portugal on Saturday became the second eurozone country after Ireland to free itself from the austerity and oversight imposed by its European partners and the International Monetary Fund as part of the 78 billion euro ($107 billion) bailout.
But European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas in Brussels said it was essential to keep an “unwavering commitment to sound budgetary policies and growth-enhancing reforms.”
Libyan military bans all Benghazi flights
TRIPOLI, Libya – Libya’s military banned flights Saturday over the eastern city of Benghazi, a day after troops loyal to a rogue general attacked Islamist militias in violence that killed 36 people, authorities said.
The North African nation’s weak central government already described the offensive Friday by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, which included military air support, as tantamount to a “coup.”
And as militiamen reported a separate helicopter attack on one of their bases Saturday, the violence again showed how precarious government control remains after the 2011 civil war that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
In a statement, the Libyan military’s central command said it will target any military aircraft flying over Benghazi, where the country’s uprising against Gadhafi began. The city’s airport remained closed Saturday for a second day, though stores reopened.
Associated Press
