Coal mine explosion in China kills dozens

In what looks like the deadliest mine explosion in China in years, 92 workers have died and 16 remain trapped, according to The New York Times.

The mine is located in Northeast China, in the Heilongjiang province, and was being run and operated by a state-run company. This is unusual, as most mine deaths in China occur at illegal mines, where safety regulations are skirted or ignored entirely. This explosion was caused by large amounts of gas igniting in an explosion so powerful that buildings on top of the mountain partially collapsed as well.

Damaged communications devices have hampered rescue attempts, disheartening those working in the rescue team, and endangering the few left alive in the collapsed and gas-filled tunnels.

Mine safety is only becoming a larger issue in China, when even after the death rate from mine incidents has been halved, it still measures out to several dead per day ­— 3,210 died last year alone. In most mines, profits are the ultimate goal due to the high price of coal in the nation, and mining operations create large numbers of jobs in nearby areas.

Mumbai terror suspects arrested in Italy

Al-Jazeera is reporting that in raids over the weekend, Italian police arrested Mohammad Yaqub Janjua and Aamer Yaqub Janjua, two men that are believed to have had a hand in planning and financing the December 2008 siege in Mumbai, India.

The men, a father and son, ran a money-transferring business that police say they used to transfer money to terrorist groups under stolen identities. The day before the attacks, according to the phone account that was used by the men, was then used by the militants in the attack. The money-transferring business has also been seized.

Italian police say that they were alerted about the Janjuas by the FBI in December and had been investigating them ever since, though early efforts were distracted by the name Iqbal Javaid — a Spanish man under whose identity the Mumbai money was transferred.

The only attacker left alive in the Mumbai attacks has confessed, but Indian police are still pushing for Pakistani authorities to arrest the head of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, blamed for the attack.

Iranian war games raise Middle East tension

According to the BBC and several other news organizations, Iran is beginning five days of war games, which will be essentially drills to defend key sites around the nation, including sites where nuclear technology is being developed.

The exercises will take place mostly in the air, covering 230,000 square miles of sky over areas of strategic importance.

In what could be part of the exercise, Iran has in the same breath been discussing the details of the exercises and threatening Israel with swift counterattacks should they ever attack Iran.

“If the enemy attacks Iran, our missiles will strike Tel Aviv,” an aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the state news.

The war games come as the U.N. Security Council has begun asking Iran to rethink rejecting a proposal that could have Iran send out 70 percent of its uranium for enrichment outside the country.

Reach columnist Morgan Gard at news@dailyuw.com.