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Prominent leaders in Alabama weighed in Friday on allegations that all-white sororities passed over two prospective black members because of pressure from alumnae, and in one case, an adviser. Paul Bryant Jr., the president pro tem of the board of trustees and the son of legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, said the school does not support the segregation of any organization. Gov. Robert Bentley, an alumnus, reiterated that fraternal organizations should choose members based on their qualifications, not race. One of the board’s trustees, former Alabama Supreme Court Justice John England Jr., confirmed his stepgranddaughter was one of the black students passed over during recruitment in August.

NEW YORK

Muslim group seeks worker’s rehiring

A Muslim advocacy group asked Wal-Mart to rehire a worker who posted derogatory comments about Muslim customers on Facebook and was fired last week. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council On American-Islamic Relations, said Friday that the group had accepted Terrance Earsing’s apology and, in a letter to Wal-Mart, urged the retailer to do the same. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Ashley Hardie said the company would not comment on the letter. Earsing was an assistant manager at a Wal-Mart in a Buffalo suburb. Along with a picture of Muslim women in traditional dress, his expletive-filled posting read: “Halloween came early this year. … Do they really have to … dress like that.”

HAWAII

EPA responds to molasses spill

The Environmental Protection Agency is sending two spill experts to Hawaii to help clean up 1,400 tons of molasses that spilled into Honolulu Harbor this week. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said Friday he plans to work with the state to make sure federal resources and expertise are used to help respond to the spill. Crews have collected about 2,000 dead fish near the harbor. The spill occurred Monday when a Matson Inc. ship was being loaded via pipeline with molasses for shipping to the West Coast.

IRAQ

Sunni mosque bombing kills 33

A bomb hidden inside an air conditioner exploded Friday at a Sunni mosque packed with worshippers northeast of Baghdad, the deadliest in a series of attacks in Iraq that killed 33 people, officials said. The blast in the village of Umm al-Adham on the outskirts of Baqouba, a former insurgent stronghold, left the green and white walls of the mosque spattered with blood. Debris was strewn across the tiled floor. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

EGYPT

Clashes erupt as Islamists stage protests

Clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of Egypt’s ousted president during nationwide protests Friday as the military battled al-Qaida-inspired groups in northern Sinai. The street rallies came a day after Egypt’s military-backed interim government extended a nationwide state of emergency by two months, citing ongoing security concerns. In the Sinai, helicopter gunships targeted suspected Islamic militant hideouts in villages south of the town of Sheikh Zuweyid and farmlands near the city of el-Arish at sunrise, a military official said.

MEXICO

Two storms take aim at both coasts

Heavy rains lashed Mexico’s Gulf Coast Friday as Tropical Storm Ingrid formed over water about 60 miles away, threatening more damage in an area where landslides and flooding have killed dozens of people in recent weeks. The storm’s maximum sustained winds early Friday were near 45 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. A separate storm was heading for a collision with Mexico’s other coast. Tropical Storm Manuel prompted Mexico’s government to issue warnings for the nation’s Pacific coast from Acapulco to Punta San Telmo. The storm is expected to produce 10 to 15 inches of rain over parts of the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in the warning area by midday today.