Nigerian soldiers ride on an armored vehicle in Maiduguri, the capital city of the northeastern Borno State. The Nigerian Senate has approved a request by the country’s president to extend emergency rule in the restive northeast for another six months. Lawmakers in Nigeria’s upper house of parliament unanimously voted on Thursday “to extend the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and... 

Central American coffee plantations are facing a serious challenge. Nearly 70 percent of coffee fields in Guatemala are affected by fungal infection called coffee rust. President of the Republic Otto Perez Molina introduced a state of emergency in the country. Guatemala’s national disaster threatens to turn into trouble for residents of other countries as well. Central America has long been... 

Police officers clash with anti-mining protesters in Andahuaylas, Peru on November 10, 2011. The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in southern Espinar province to curb seven days of violent anti-mining protests in the highland region. The 30-day state of emergency was imposed after two people were killed and scores more, including police officers, were injured in clashes over controversial... 

Tunisian immigrants are guarded by policemen upon arrival on the Italian island of Lampedusa. A state of emergency has been declared by the Italian government after 5,000 illegal immigrants fleeing riot-torn Tunisia arrived in just five days. Coastguard officials said that in just one 12-hour period 977 had arrived, with many more boats seen on radar screens approaching from north Africa. The vessels... 

Gov. Charlie Crist this afternoon added Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Lee and Collier counties to his executive order declaring a state of emergency from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Read the order here.  Read More »

Kyrgyzstan unrest Kyrgyzstan’s President Kurmanbek Bakiyev ordered a state of emergency in Bishkek and three other areas on Wednesday amid clashes between riot police and anti-government demonstrators that reportedly left at least 17 protesters dead. The impoverished mostly Muslim nation in ex-Soviet Central Asia has been gripped by political unrest for weeks. Here are some analysts’ comments...