International News for Feb. 9 - 22

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from The New York Times International News. Silver Chips Online posts this news summary to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

Cuba

Feb. 20 – After a long illness, Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president. His brother, Raul Castro, will become the next head of state.

Guyana

Feb. 18 – Twelve people, including three police officers, were killed when gunmen opened fire in a small town in Guyana. The attack was the second of its kind blamed on gangs in recent weeks.

Iran

Feb. 21 – A journalist was sentenced to death in Iran for suspicion of being in a terrorist group. There have been a total of 48 executions since January in Iran.

Iraq

Feb. 20 – Rockets discovered in the back of a truck exploded and killed at least 15 policemen. Two rockets exploded while experts were trying to defuse them.

Kosovo

Feb. 17 – After a long, bloody struggle, Kosovo officially declared its independence from Serbia. The independence marked the completion of the separation from Yugoslavia that started 17 years ago.

Switzerland

Feb. 20 – Four Impressionist paintings stolen from a Zurich museum were found in the back of an unlocked car in the parking lot of a nearby mental hospital. The paintings stolen in a Feb. 10 armed robbery were worth over $64 million.

Venezuela

Feb. 22 – A Venezuelan plane crashed into an Andean mountain killing all 46 of its passengers. Once the plane took off from a nearby airport, the control tower received no communication from the pilot.