News Briefs

Protests Broken Up By Chinese Police

After several Chinese blog sites called for a revolution, police showed up in many major cities to prevent protesting. The sites called for a "jasmine revolution" to take place throughout the country.

The first revolutionary message was posted on a U.S.-based Chinese language website. It urged people to protest and shout: "We want food, we want work, we want housing, we want fairness."

The presence of police prevented any massive protests from being carried out. In Shanghai and Beijing, many onlookers watched the proposed protest sites, anticipating any action.

The call for a "jasmine revolution" was inspired by the recent Tunisian protests that led to the overthrowing of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali that was labeled the Jasmine Revolution. Chinese authorities have now blocked Internet searches for the word jasmine.

So far, several rights activists have been detained and three men were arrested in Shanghai.

Man Receives Life Sentence For Bomb Plot

Russell Defreitas, the man who plotted to blow up fuel tanks at New York's JFK Airport, has been sentenced to life in prison.

His co-defendant, Abdul Kadir, received the same sentence in December. The men were convicted of their crimes in August. Abdel Nur was also involved in the plot and received a 15-year sentence in January. Another conspirator Kareem Ibrahim is still awaiting trial.

Defreitas, 67, had hoped that his plot would rival the 9/11 terror attacks. The plan was to use explosives to blow up fuel tanks and underground pipes. The conspirators believed this murderous act would shake the U.S. economy.

Prosecutors said that Defreitas and Kadir had shot video surveillance of the airport, studied security operations and planned several escape routes. The pair was also accused of trying to recruit Islamic militants and an al-Qaeda operative located in the Caribbean.

All of the conspirators were originally from Guyana and Kadir was a former member of Guyana's parliament.

Drug Dealers Raided Throughout Buffalo

Last week, a two-day drug raid operation took area drug dealers by surprise. The official results of the raids have been released and records have been set.

On Valentine's Day, the Buffalo Police Narcotics Squad as well as SWAT and K-9 units executed 101 search warrants issued for drug dealers throughout the city. Officers ended up arresting 54 people. An additional 15 arrests are still being investigated.

Police confiscated 11 guns and nearly $10,000 in cash. Two thousand dollars in stolen property was also recovered.

Among the confiscated drugs were five pounds of marijuana, five-and-a-half ounces of crack, and powdered cocaine and heroin. Various prescription pills were also seized.

The raids are the largest that Buffalo has ever had. Police say that members of the community played a huge role in identifying suspected drug dealers.