Rebel News - Independent News and Analysis

US stocks have closed broadly lower, with the Dow Jones closing below 10,000 for the first time since November 4 last year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 104 points on Monday as the Nasdaq tumbled 15 and the S&P 500 slid 9 amid fears of global rate hikes and euro zone's sovereign debt troubles.

Toyota has issued a recall of its flagship Prius hybrid, along with two other hybrid models in Japan, for braking problems.

The car giant informed Japan's transport ministry about the Prius 2010 model recall on Tuesday and was to disclose details later in the day about its global plans for a fix, including possible plans for a similar recall in the US - the company's largest market.

Toyota looks set to inform Japan's transport ministry that it will recall its Prius flagship hybrid on Tuesday, according to Japanese media.

Expectation has been building since last week that it would recall nearly 300,000 units of its Prius model and Japanese broadcaster NHK said the company would submit its recall plan to the government on Tuesday.

In a fresh crackdown on drug smugglers, Iranian police have seized around 3,750 kilograms of narcotics while busting two notorious drug rings.

"Iranian narcotics agents have managed to confiscate 3,743 kilograms of various kinds of narcotics in heavy clashes in the past six months in the Iranian capital Tehran," said General Hamid Reza Hossein-Abadi, the commander of the narcotics squad.

France's Defense Ministry has announced that Moscow is seeking to buy three more Mistral class warships from Paris, after reports of an agreement on the sale of one ship.

The Monday announcement may spark fresh concerns in Tbilisi, which had opposed the negotiations over purchase of the 21,300-ton amphibious assault ship.

After months of negotiations, France has approved the sale of a Mistral helicopter carrier to the Russian Navy, That's according to spokesman for the French Defense Ministry. The Mistral is a state-of-the-art vessel which can carry up to 16 helicopters and more than 70 land vehicles. The deal's estimated worth is around 2 billion dollars, making it the country's largest-ever military import.

Iran's atomic chief says the long awaited launch of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the South of the country will be complete after one more test.

"We have successfully completed a test known as the 'metallic sphere' and are now contemplating the warm water test in order to get the power plant open and running," Ali Akbar Salehi said on Monday.

The death toll from a massive explosion in the Connecticut power plant rises to five as rescuers continue scouring the rubble in search of more survivors or bodies.

A huge blast of a gas pipeline hit the 620-megawatt Kleen Energy plant in Middletown on Sunday, broke the windows of nearby residential buildings and was felt as far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) away.