News Briefs

Eight Cyclists Killed in Italy

A man was arrested after his car plowed into and killed eight cyclists on Sunday. Four others, including the driver, were injured in the accident.

The accident occurred on a two-lane road near Lamezia Terme in the southern Italian region of Calabria. Police suspect the man went into the opposite lane and collided head on with the cyclists. Police reported that driving conditions and visibility were good at the time of the accident.

The driver, a Moroccan citizen, is under police guard while he is being treated in the hospital. He is being held on suspicion of manslaughter. A police spokesman declined to give the man's identity but did state that he tested positive for marijuana.

The eight cyclists were part of a Sunday morning group that met at a gym in Lamezia Terme and cycled around the area.

U.S. Unemployment at Seven-Month High

The unemployment rate for November increased to 9.8 percent, the highest since April. Only 39,000 jobs were created last month, well short of experts' predictions. To put that in perspective, 172,000 jobs were created in October.

The release of this information raises questions about the U.S. economic recovery to date. Some experts see this as a failure on the U.S.'s part to keep job creation in line with the growing U.S. population.

Other analysts believe that these numbers give a false impression of the recovery effort and that the number of jobs created in November may be revised when more information is available.

News of the high unemployment initially caused the stock market to fall sharply before recovering by the end of the day on Friday. The euro also jumped a whole cent against the dollar immediately following the release of the data.

Robbery on Englewood Avenue

Early on Saturday morning, a man walking along Englewood Avenue was robbed at gunpoint. The victim stated that he and a friend were walking around 3 a.m. when the incident occurred.

A man wearing all black approached them and pulled out a silver revolver. He then proceeded to take the victim's iPhone. The suspect then fled north toward the intersection of Englewood Avenue and Cornell Street where he jumped into a silver Hyundai.

A police camera is set in place at the intersection of Englewood Avenue and Eley Place.

This incident in the University Heights is reminiscent of a similar armed robbery that happened last Monday on UB's South Campus. A student was held at gunpoint near Hayes Annex by a suspect who demanded the victim's phone and wallet.