Torch in India, heart of Tibetan exiles
NEW DELHI, April 17 (UPI) -- Protests and arrests greeted the arrival Thursday of the Olympic torch in India, home to the world's largest Tibetan exile community.
Officials said they were concerned about protests during the Indian leg of the relay as the torch travels to Beijing, site of the 2008 Summer Olympics. At least 30 people were detained before the torch arrived, CNN reported.
"I cannot predict what will happen." said Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress, a worldwide organization of exiles.
The Dalai Lama established his government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India.
Indian officials implemented a security operation to protect the torch from protests. Roughly 15,000 police and commandos are providing security for the as-yet revealed route, the BBC reported.
Other than the 500 invited guests and dignitaries, the public can't view the relay up close -- even watching from office windows has been barred to ensure security along the route, the British broadcaster said.
Before the Olympic torch's arrival, Tibetan exile groups organized an alternative torch relay involving Indian politicians and celebrities. At the end of its relay, the torch was surrounded by Tibetan flags, cameras and Tibetan men wearing headbands imprinted with "Free Tibet," the BBC reported.
Blast at funeral in northern Iraq kills 15
BAGHDAD, April 17 (UPI) -- A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest during a funeral in northern Iraq Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 30 others, officials said.
Mourners were attending the funeral in the village of Albu Mohammed for a member of the Awakening Council, a movement of mainly Sunni Muslims that works with the U.S. and Iraqi governments, CNN said.
Al-Qaida in Iraq has been targeting the Awakening Council -- which also includes former insurgents -- for months.
In central Baghdad, a roadside bomb killed a man and injured his child and the child's mother, the Interior Ministry said. The family was in a car when the bomb detonated, CNN reported.
Al-Qaida revival in Libya concerns U.S.
WASHINGTON, April 17 (UPI) -- A report issued by the U.S. State Department has expressed concern that al-Qaida could stage a revival in Libya.
U.S. intelligence hasn't detected a specific threat by al-Qaida in Libya, but officials said the intelligence community determined a group called "al-Qaida Organization" was seeking to form operational and sleeper cells in Libya, Med Basin Newsline reported Thursday.
"The potential for an attack against U.S. interests by the newly merged ... entity constitutes the most serious terrorist threat to U.S. interests an personnel in Libya," a State Department report said.
The report, "Libya 2008 Crime & Safety Report," said the organization -- created by the merger of al-Qaida and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group in 2007 -- is believed to be preparing to target the West's presence in Libya, focusing on crude oil fields.
"U.S. Embassy Tripoli reminds all Americans to maintain a high level of vigilance with regard to their personal security and to remain aware of local developments," the report said.
Teen boy survives helicopter crash
WASILLA, Alaska, April 17 (UPI) -- A 14-year-old boy was the only survivor when a helicopter carrying him and four others crashed near Alaska's Sheep Mountain, authorities said.
The crash occurred Tuesday afternoon but the teenager wasn't found until Wednesday morning because of blowing snow. He was flown to Mat-Su Regional Hospital in unstable condition, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Alaska state troopers identified the boy as Quinn Ellington, an eighth-grader from Palmer, the newspaper said. Killed were the pilot, Benoit Pin, 39, of Anchorage; and passengers Thomas E. Middleton, 46, of Anchorage, Joseph C. O'Donnell, 47, of Girdwood and Michael D. Seward, 37, of Palmer.
The helicopter was carrying workers from the state Department of Administration's Enterprise Technology Services to service a radio site, officials said. The boy was traveling with his stepfather.
Quake rattles Japan
TOKYO, April 17 (UPI) -- People in eastern Japan were jostled awake Thursday by an earthquake experts said registered at 5.7.
No injuries or damage were reported in the immediate aftermath of the temblor, which occurred at 4:19 a.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake did not prompt a tsunami warning, the agency said.
The quake was felt from Hokkaido to the Kanto region, including Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, Kyodo reported. It's epicenter was in the Mogami region in Yamagata Prefecture, the Japanese news agency reported.
