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Headline news and happenings from around the country. Palestinians Kill Seven in Ambush   July 16, 2002 EMMANUEL, West Bank (AP) -- In an elaborate ambush, Palestinians disguised as Israeli soldiers set off a bomb to stop a bus near a Jewish settlement Tuesday and then fired on its passengers as they scrambled to escape. Seven people were killed and 14 wounded. .. MORE Three armed men detained along route Pinochet's body due to take   July 16, 2002 SANTIAGO, July 16 (AFP) - Three men carrying automatic weapons in their car were arrested by police along a route that was to be taken by the body of former dictator Augusto Pinochet in the northern Chilean city of Iquique, according to local media Tuesday. .. MORE Hamas is third group to claim responsibility for ambush   July 16, 2002 GAZA CITY, July 16 (AFP) - The Islamic militant group Hamas said its fighters carried out the deadly ambush outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank Tuesday, the third armed group to claim responsibility. .. MORE IRA Apologizes for Deaths It Caused   July 16, 2002 BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) -- The Irish Republican Army issued an unprecedented apology Tuesday for the deaths of "noncombatants" over 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. .. MORE Turkey's embattled PM calls early elections   July 16, 2002 ANKARA, July 16 (AFP) - Turkey's ailing Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on Tuesday finally bowed to mounting pressure to call early elections after his shaky coalition lost its majority in parliament through mass resignations. .. MORE Deal to end Nigerian oil terminal siege imminent   July 16, 2002 LAGOS, July 16 (AFP) - US oil giant ChevronTexaco is close to a deal to end a blockade of its main terminal in Nigeria by village women seeking jobs and local investment, the firm said Tuesday. .. MORE IRA apologises for deaths of civilian victims   July 16, 2002 BELFAST, July 16 (AFP) - The Irish Republican Army (IRA) on Tuesday apologized for the first time for the deaths of civilian victims killed during 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. .. MORE Kremlin spokesman warns of "damaging" censorship row   July 16, 2002 MOSCOW, July 16 (AFP) - The Kremlin warned Tuesday that a heated debate about alleged pornography in a novel by Russian writer Vladimir Sorokin could have damaging political consequences as the incriminating book saw its sales soar. .. MORE U.S. Seeks Turkish Support Vs. Iraq   July 16, 2002 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, the Pentagon's No. 2 official, met with Turkish leaders Tuesday to gather support for possible military action against neighboring Iraq. .. MORE Israel proposes Gaza plan, continues crackdown on Palestinians   July 16, 2002 JERUSALEM, July 16 (AFP) - Israel captured a would-be woman suicide bomber and other militants in the West Bank on Tuesday, while planning to ease military curbs on the Gaza Strip, with Egyptian support to help end Palestinian attacks, Israeli sources said. .. MORE Security boosted around Chirac after Bastille day attack   July 16, 2002 PARIS, July 16 (AFP) - Security was boosted around French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday for his first public engagement since surviving a weekend assassination attempt, as police questioned the parents of his attacker. .. MORE Spain Arrests 3 With WTC Videos   July 16, 2002 MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Spanish police arrested three Syrians on Tuesday suspected of being al-Qaida members, including one who had videos of the World Trade Center and monuments in the United States. .. MORE Paraguay Police Disperse Protesters   July 16, 2002 ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) -- Helmeted police in flak jackets dispersed hundreds of anti-government protesters Tuesday under a state of emergency imposed by the president after widespread protests left two people dead and more than a dozen others injured. .. MORE EU expansion tops agenda for Czech, French presidents   July 16, 2002 PARIS, July 16 (AFP) - Czech President Vaclav Havel met on Tuesday with French President Jacques Chirac and said he hoped his country would complete its talks on joining the European Union by year's end. .. MORE Seven Dead in West Bank Violence   July 16, 2002 EMMANUEL, West Bank (AP) -- Palestinians dressed as Israeli soldiers detonated a roadside bomb near a bus heading to a Jewish settlement Tuesday, and then sprayed the passengers with automatic gunfire as they tried to flee, military sources and witnesses said. Seven people were killed and more than a dozen wounded. .. MORE DFLP also claims deadly West Bank bus ambush   July 16, 2002 GAZA CITY, July 16 (AFP) - The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) issued a statement saying it carried out Tuesday's deadly bus attack outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, the second armed group to claim responsibility. .. MORE Caller claims bus ambush for Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades   July 16, 2002 JENIN, West Bank, July 16 (AFP) - An anonymous caller claiming to represent the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades told AFP that the armed offshoot of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement carried out a West Bank bus ambush that killed seven Israelis Tuesday. .. MORE Turkey to hold election in November   July 16, 2002 ANKARA, July 16 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and his two coaltion partners agreed on Tuesday to call early elections on November 3, said a statement released after a government meeting. .. MORE ANKARA - Turkish government agrees on November polls   July 16, 2002 ANKARA - Turkish government agrees on November polls .. MORE Spain arrests suspected al-Qaeda members with Twin Towers footage   July 16, 2002 MADRID, July 16 (AFP) - Spanish police on Tuesday arrested three suspected al-Qaeda members and seized videotapes of several US landmarks including the World Trade Center filmed "from every angle," Interior Minister Angel Acebes said. .. MORE Mexico's Fox Says Farmers Come First   July 16, 2002 MEXICO CITY (AP) -- President Vicente Fox said there are "other options" in building Mexico City's airport, including moving its location, after hundreds of farmers took hostages and held a town in protest of efforts to expropriate their land for the project. .. MORE Indonesian general accused of ignoring desperate protection plea   July 16, 2002 JAKARTA, July 16 (AFP) - Prosecutors Tuesday brought a second general before Indonesia's human rights court, accusing him of ignoring massacres of civilians in East Timor in 1999. .. MORE Ecevit, Turkey's political survivor now on the ropes   July 16, 2002 ANKARA, July 16 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, whose parliament majority collapsed on Tuesday, has ridden out numerous storms during a remarkable four-decade political career. .. MORE Israeli free speech joins casualties in Mideast conflict: ACRI   July 16, 2002 JERUSALEM, July 16 (AFP) - Israel's Arab citizens, the jobless and advocates of free speech have fared badly during an "inhospitable" year for human rights, marked by armed conflict and economic crisis, an Israeli group charged Tuesday. .. MORE Al-Qaida Considered in VP Slaying   July 16, 2002 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The head of a government commission looking into the slaying of Afghan Vice President Abdul Qadir said Tuesday he would not rule out al-Qaida involvement in the killing but added that all possibilities were being investigated. .. MORE Turkish Coalition OKs Early Election   July 16, 2002 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- The leaders of Turkey's three-party ruling coalition agreed Tuesday to hold early elections in November, as the government lost its majority in parliament with a further six legislators defecting. .. MORE Seven Killed in West Bank Violence   July 16, 2002 EMMANUEL, West Bank (AP) -- Palestinians wearing Israeli army uniforms detonated a roadside bomb near an armored bus Tuesday and then sprayed automatic fire at Israeli civilians as they fled near a West Bank settlement, authorities and witnesses said. Seven people were killed and more than a dozen wounded. .. MORE At least 20 wounded in attack on Israeli bus in West Bank   July 16, 2002 JERUSALEM, July 16 (AFP) - At least 20 people were wounded, five seriously, as Palestinian gunmen fired on an Israeli bus at the entrance to a Jewish settlement in the West Bank on Tuesday, military sources said. .. MORE 150 dead or missing after massive landslides hit Nepal   July 16, 2002 KATHMANDU, July 16 (AFP) - Massive landslides triggered by incessant rain in far northeastern Nepal have left more than 150 people dead or missing and caused massive damage, with bad weather hampering rescue operations, officials said Tuesday. .. MORE Saddam: U.S. Threatening All Arabs   July 16, 2002 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Saddam Hussein said in an interview published Tuesday that the United States is threatening the entire Arab world, not just Iraq. .. MORE Death sentence sought for Pearl killer's accomplices   July 16, 2002 KARACHI, July 16 (AFP) - Pakistani prosecutors on Tuesday sought the death penalty for three men sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of abducting and murdering US journalist Daniel Pearl. .. MORE World Bank chief meets African finance ministers   July 16, 2002 DAR ES SALAAM, July 16 (AFP) - World Bank President James Wolfensohn was Tuesday discussing economic recovery and reconstruction issues with finance ministers of nine African countries emerging from conflict, officials said. .. MORE One Dead in Singapore Copter Crash   July 16, 2002 SINGAPORE (AP) -- Two U.S. Marine helicopters collided at an airstrip here Tuesday, killing a Singaporean technician on the tarmac, the U.S. Navy said. .. MORE Al-Qaeda may be behind Afghan vice-president assassination: Khalili   July 16, 2002 KABUL, July 16 (AFP) - Al-Qaeda terrorists could have been behind the assassination of Afghan Vice-President Haji Abdul Qadir, the head of a ministerial commission into the killing said Tuesday. .. MORE Bahrain pins partial blame for Gulf Air crash on "disorientated" crew   July 16, 2002 MANAMA, July 16 (AFP) - Human error on the flight deck, combined with flaws in Gulf Air's organisational, management and training systems, were to blame for the crash of the airline's flight 072 in August 2000 that killed all 143 people on board, Bahrain's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Tuesday. .. MORE Two Vietnamese Communist chiefs ousted after gangland scandal   July 16, 2002 HANOI, July 16 (AFP) - Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nong Duc Manh said two Central Committee members have been expelled over an explosive gangster scandal after losing their "political and moral values." .. MORE Two killed in Paraguay protests   July 16, 2002 ASUNCION, July 16 (AFP) - Two people died late Monday as violent antigovernment protests continued in Paraguay, hospital sources said, despite an earlier declaration of a state of emergency. .. MORE Australia's Macquarie Bank takes 44 pct stake in Aeroporti di Roma   July 16, 2002 SYDNEY, July 16 (AFP) - Australia's Macquarie Bank, which recently bought Sydney Airport, announced Tuesday it will take a 44 percent stake in Europe's sixth largest airport system, Aeroporti di Roma, for 475 million US dollars. .. MORE Militants Free Venezuela Businessman   July 16, 2002 BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- A right-wing militia in Colombia released a prominent Venezuelan businessman held hostage for two years, ending a case that had riveted Venezuelan society. .. MORE U.S. Calls for National Afghan Army   July 16, 2002 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A senior U.S. official has given a boost to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's efforts to extend his government's authority, telling key northern warlords to stop their feuding and encouraging efforts to build a multiethnic national army. .. MORE Bank of Japan leaves monetary policy unchanged   July 16, 2002 TOKYO, July 16 (AFP) - The Bank of Japan said Tuesday it would keep monetary policy unchanged following a two-day policy board meeting. .. MORE Powell seeks consensus on Arafat, Palestinian reform at quartet meet   July 15, 2002 WASHINGTON, July 15 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell aims to forge an elusive international consensus on building a post-Yasser Arafat Palestinian government as he heads into meetings this week with officials from the diplomatic "quartet" on the Middle East and moderate Arab states. .. MORE Suspected killer of Lebanese soldiers handed over   July 15, 2002 AIN HELWE, Lebanon, July 16 (AFP) - An Islamic militant wanted for killing three Lebanese army intelligence agents and holed up in this Palestinian refugee camp was handed over early on Tuesday to the Lebanese army, a Palestinian source said. .. MORE Report: Pilot Error Caused Air Crash   July 15, 2002 MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) -- Pilot error was behind the Gulf Air flight crash off Bahrain's coast two years ago that killed 143 people, according to the official investigation report released Monday. .. MORE Police Say Slaying Not 'Hate Crime'   July 15, 2002 TORONTO (AP) -- Police say no evidence so far indicates a Jewish man was murdered because of his religion, but the community that buried him Monday believes David Rosenzweig was the victim of a hate crime. .. MORE Decision Expected on Berenson Case   July 15, 2002 LIMA, Peru (AP) -- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will "soon" decide whether to send the case of Lori Berenson, an American imprisoned for collaborating with rebels, to an international court, an official said Monday. .. MORE Balkan Presidents Signs Declaration   July 15, 2002 SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) -- The presidents of the three countries involved in Europe's worst bloodletting since World War II agreed on Monday to cooperate on refugee returns and to patch relations still tattered by postwar bitterness. .. MORE Two al-Qaida Suspects Nabbed at Sea   July 15, 2002 TORONTO (AP) -- A Canadian destroyer captured two al-Qaida suspects after a nighttime chase in the north Arabian Sea, Canadian military officials said Monday. .. MORE Iraqis told to prepare for war   July 15, 2002 BAGHDAD, July 15 (AFP) - President Saddam Hussein's powerful elder son Uday on Monday urged his father's regime, under threat of a US military strike, to prepare the Iraqi population for war. .. MORE State of emergency declared in Paraguay amid widespread protests   July 15, 2002 ASUNCION, July 15 (AFP) - Paraguayan President Luis Gonzalez Macchi declared a state of emergency Monday amid widespread anti-government protests that have left at least 15 people wounded. .. MORE Farmers free hostages as Mexico airport clash simmers   July 15, 2002 MEXICO CITY, July 15 (AFP) - Mexican farmers protesting plans to pave over their fields to build a massive new airport freed the last of their hostages Monday after authorities released detained demonstrators, but the land dispute remained. .. MORE US journalist contests Zimbabwe expulsion order after acquittal   July 15, 2002 HARARE, July 15 (AFP) - Hours after a court on Monday acquitted a Zimbabwe-based US journalist of publishing falsehoods under President Robert Mugabe's tough new media laws, he was ordered to leave the country. .. MORE Germany Catholic Priest Investigated   July 15, 2002 BERLIN (AP) -- German prosecutors began investigating a Roman Catholic priest Monday after his diocese suspended him over allegations that he sexually abused a 14-year-old boy. .. MORE Spain warns Morocco over disputed isle   July 15, 2002 MADRID, July 15 (AFP) - Morocco refused Monday to pull its troops from a disputed Mediterranean island it occupied last week despite stern warnings from Spain and the European Union. .. MORE Japan's Current Account Surplus More Than Doubles in May   July 15, 2002 Japan's current account surplus more than doubles in May .. MORE Indian political leaders vote to choose next president   July 15, 2002 NEW DELHI, July 15 (AFP) - Indian politicians cast ballots Monday to elect the country's new president, almost certain to be the architect of the country's missile arsenal, Abdul Kalam. .. MORE Singapore pension fund proposals put emphasis on retirement security   July 15, 2002 SINGAPORE, July 15 (AFP) - A Singapore government economic review panel Monday proposed widespread changes to the compulsory state pension fund, aimed at ensuring people have enough cash for retirement. .. MORE China's first-half growth hits above-target 7.8 percent   July 15, 2002 BEIJING, July 15 (AFP) - China's economy grew 7.8 percent in the first six months of 2002 from a year earlier, fueled by a massive increase in government spending ahead of an imminent leadership transition, it was announced Monday. .. MORE Vietnam ousts top communist party cadres over mafia scandal   July 15, 2002 HANOI, July 15 (AFP) - Vietnam's communist party chiefs said Monday they had expelled two members from its Central Committee for their role in a gangster scandal that has rocked the regime to its core, state media reported. .. MORE Afghan government moves to disarm private armies   July 15, 2002 KABUL, July 15 (AFP) - A high-level government commission is to be set up to oversee the disbanding of Afghanistan's private armies and collect the militias' weapons, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said Monday. .. MORE SK Telecom net profit soars 48 percent in first half   July 15, 2002 SEOUL, Jyly 15 (AFP) - South Korea's top mobile communications firm SK Telecom Co. (SKT) said Monday that net profit soared 48 percent in the first half due to rising subscriber numbers and business volumes. .. MORE India accuses Pakistan of reneging on anti-terrorism pledge   July 15, 2002 NEW DELHI, July 15 (AFP) - India's foreign minister Monday accused Pakistan of breaking its promise to rein in cross-border Islamic militancy in disputed Kashmir, where 28 Hindus were massacred at the weekend. .. MORE Nigerian women release 300 of their Chevron hostages   July 15, 2002 LAGOS, July 15 (AFP) - Protesting women seeking jobs and local investment have freed 300 of more than 1,000 workers they have held hostage for a week at a Chevron Nigeria terminal in the south of the country, a company spokesman said Monday. .. MORE Snubbing controversy, Norway resumes whale exports   July 15, 2002 OSLO, July 15 (AFP) - Breaking a 14-year-old self-imposed ban, Norway on Monday resumed exports of whale products with an eight-tonne shipment to Iceland in a move bound to draw the ire of environmental protection groups. .. MORE Leaders of war-torn Balkans hail new era together   July 15, 2002 SARAJEVO, July 15 (AFP) - The presidents of Yugoslavia, Croatia and Bosnia on Monday voiced their commitment to launch a new era of stronger ties between their countries still bearing the scars of the bloody 1990s wars. .. MORE UN Secretary General "strongly condemns" Kashmir massacre   July 15, 2002 UNITED NATIONS, July 14 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday "strongly" condemned the massacre of 28 Hindus by Muslim militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir. .. MORE Turkey Gov't On Verge of Dismantling   July 15, 2002 ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Embattled Premier Bulent Ecevit admitted Monday that his government's long-term survival "doesn't seem to be feasible" and said he will step down if his economy minister is forced to resign. .. MORE Bin Laden alive and well after shrapnel injury   July 15, 2002 LONDON, July 15 (AFP) - Osama bin Laden is alive and in good health despite being wounded in December, a senior Arab journalist said to have close links to the al-Qaeda leader claimed in London Monday. .. MORE Nigerian Villagers Agree to End Siege   July 15, 2002 ESCRAVOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Women occupying a ChevronTexaco oil terminal agreed Monday to end their eight-day siege after the company offered to hire at least 25 villagers and to build schools, electrical and water systems. .. MORE Would-Be Assassin Did Target Practice   July 15, 2002 PARIS (AP) -- A presumed neo-Nazi who tried to assassinate President Jacques Chirac was target-practicing less than a week before the attack at the annual Bastille Day parade, the prosecutor's office said Monday. .. MORE China Defends Defense Policy   July 15, 2002 BEIJING (AP) -- The Chinese government insists its defense policy is just that -- defensive. A Communist Party newspaper dismisses a Pentagon report raising alarms about the country's military spending as "a wild guess." .. MORE Chirac murder bid raises spectre of European violence   July 15, 2002 PARIS, July 15 (AFP) - The assassination attempt on French President Jacques Chirac has set off fears of a wave of political violence in Europe as the continent grapples with a new and uncertain future. .. MORE Chirac attacker committed to psychiatric ward : prosecutors   July 15, 2002 PARIS, July 15 (AFP) - Maxime Brunerie, who shot at French President Jacques Chirac at the weekend, has been committed to a psychiatric ward because of the danger he poses to himself and others, Paris prosecutors said Monday. .. MORE Afghanistan Orders Militias Disbanded   July 15, 2002 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- President Hamid Karzai's government on Monday ordered all private armies in Afghanistan to disband, including militia belonging to warlords who have fought each other for years. It was unclear how the order would be enforced. .. MORE Jordan Opens Door to Air Base   July 15, 2002 AZRAQ, Jordan (AP) -- Jordan opened up a desert air base to reporters on Monday as it denied reports the facility was being refurbished to house U.S. troops preparing to strike neighboring Iraq. .. MORE India agrees to discuss autonomy for Kashmir: chief minister   July 15, 2002 SRINAGAR, India, July 15 (AFP) - The leader of Indian-administered Kashmir said Monday that New Delhi had appointed a representative to start talks on granting autonomy to the insurgency-wracked state. .. MORE EU farm ministers start examining controversial farm reforms   July 15, 2002 BRUSSELS, July 15 (AFP) - European Union farm ministers began on Monday their first discussion on controversial proposals for reforming the 15-nation bloc's 40-billion-euro Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). .. MORE Egypt and Israel agree to "outflank" Arafat "problem": Eliezer   July 15, 2002 ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, July 15 (AFP) - Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said Monday that Egypt and Israel had agreed to "outflank" the "problem" of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's role and "find somebody acceptable" to the parties in the conflict." .. MORE Concorde Returns With Engine Glitch   July 15, 2002 LONDON (AP) -- In the latest glitch for the world's only supersonic passenger jet, a British Airways Concorde turned back from a London-to-New York flight Monday after experiencing engine trouble 11 miles above the Atlantic Ocean. .. MORE AP Top Headlines At 12:23 p.m. EDT   July 15, 2002 3-Time Winner Lance Armstrong Claims 2nd in Tour de France Time Trial, Moves Up to 2nd Overall .. MORE Morocco Claims Island Is 'Integral'   July 15, 2002 RABAT, Morocco (AP) -- Morocco said Monday that a tiny Mediterranean island at the center of a growing dispute with Spain is an "integral part" of the North African nation, but that it wanted to use diplomatic means to resolve differences. .. MORE Morocco says it will not leave disputed island   July 15, 2002 RABAT, July 15 (AFP) - Morocco's Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa said Monday that his country would not pull its troops off a disputed Mediterranean island it occupied last week despite warnings from Spain and the European Union. .. MORE 150 feared dead in Nepal landslides   July 15, 2002 KATHMANDU, July 15 (AFP) - At least 150 people were feared dead Monday when a massive landslide swept through two villages in eastern Nepal, the state news agency RSS said. .. MORE President Kim urges North Korea to apologize for naval clash   July 15, 2002 SEOUL, July 15 (AFP) - South Korea's President Kim Dae-Jung on Monday called on North Korea to apologize for last month's deadly inter-Korean gunbattle and punish those responsible, officials said. .. MORE Turk parliament called for special session on snap polls   July 15, 2002 ANKARA, July 15 (AFP) - Turkish parliament Speaker Omer Izgi on Monday called an extraordinary parliamentary session for September 1 to vote on a proposal for early polls in November, NTV television reported. .. MORE Report: Nepal Landslide Kills 50   July 15, 2002 KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- A landslide swept through two mountain villages, killing at least 50 people early Monday, independent Kantipur Radio reported. .. MORE Sri Lanka truce monitors think again after sea clash   July 15, 2002 COLOMBO, July 15 (AFP) - Scandinavians observing a ceasefire in Sri Lanka said Monday they would rethink sea operations after a skirmish with Tamil Tiger rebels. .. MORE US journalist acquitted in Zimbabwe   July 15, 2002 HARARE, July 15 (AFP) - Zimbabwe-based US journalist Andrew Meldrum who works for a British daily, The Guardian, was acquitted Monday of publishing falsehoods under tough new media laws. .. MORE Pearl killer threatens retaliation over death sentence   July 15, 2002 HYDERABAD, Pakistan, July 15 (AFP) - British-born Islamic militant Sheikh Omar threatened retaliation Monday against Pakistani authorities for "arranging" the death sentence awarded against him for kidnapping and murdering Daniel Pearl. .. MORE Three more North Korean defectors arrive in South Korea   July 15, 2002 SEOUL, July 15 (AFP) - Three North Korean defectors who took refugee in the South Korean consulate in Beijing for the past month landed in South Korea Monday after having travelled via Thailand. .. MORE India's parliament adjourns, no reaction to Kashmir massacre yet   July 15, 2002 NEW DELHI, July 15 (AFP) - India's parliament, meeting for the first day of its monsoon session, adjourned after just 10 minutes on Monday, allowing no time for the deputy prime minister to make his expected statement on a weekend massacre in Kashmir. .. MORE Mexican authorities to release protesters in a bid to end hostage standoff   July 15, 2002 MEXICO CITY, July 14 (AFP) - Eleven farmers arrested in a protest over plans to construct a new international airport on their land will be freed in a bid to end a hostage standoff over the issue, now in its third day, Mexico state Governor Arturo Montiel said Sunday. .. MORE Sheikh Omar gets death penalty for Daniel Pearl murder   July 15, 2002 HYDERABAD, Pakistan, July 15 (AFP) - A Pakistani court has sentenced British-born militant Sheikh Omar to death for abducting and murdering Daniel Pearl, a court official told AFP. .. MORE HYDERABAD, Pakistan - Court sentences Shiekh Omar to death for   July 15, 2002 HYDERABAD, Pakistan - Court sentences Shiekh Omar to death for abducting and murdering Daniel Pearl, awards death penalty. .. MORE Scandals Drag Down Japan PM Koizumi   July 15, 2002 TOKYO (AP) -- Fiery and charismatic, Japan's prime minister has the aura of a preacher, and he used his spotless reputation to win office on promises to fight the dirty, pork-barrel politics that have for decades tarnished his party and Japan's leadership. .. MORE Verdict Expected in Pearl Trial   July 15, 2002 HYDERABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Police and soldiers searched vehicles and patrolled the streets in armored personnel carriers Sunday, a day before the expected verdict in the trial of four Islamic militants accused of the kidnap-slaying of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. .. MORE Oil Standoff Women Threaten Nudity   July 14, 2002 ESCRAVOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Unarmed village women holding 700 ChevronTexaco workers inside a southeast Nigeria oil terminal let 200 of the men go Sunday but threatened a traditional and powerful shaming gesture if the others try to leave -- removing their own clothes. .. MORE Mexican Hostage Standoff Continues   July 14, 2002 SAN SALVADOR ATENCO, Mexico (AP) -- A state governor said Sunday that jailed villagers at the heart of a violent protest could be let go, but demonstrators said that would not be enough to meet their increased demands for freeing the hostages they hold. .. MORE Exiled Iraqi officers issue call for army to topple Saddam   July 14, 2002 LONDON, July 14 (AFP) - Former Iraqi officers in exile called on the country's army on Sunday to topple President Saddam Hussein and said they were setting up a war council to help do so. .. MORE India Blames Pakistan for Attack   July 14, 2002 JAMMU, India (AP) -- Tensions between India and Pakistan flared anew Sunday when India blamed its rival and Islamic militants for the massacre of 27 Hindu civilians in a swarming slum in India-controlled Kashmir. .. MORE Afghan Refugees Stream Home to Ruin   July 14, 2002 PULI SOFIAN, Afghanistan (AP) -- After seven years in exile, Ghan Mir couldn't wait to get back to his home in the lush Shomali Valley, set among olive trees and grape vineyards. .. MORE Al-Qaeda leader taken to remote Indian Ocean base   July 14, 2002 WASHINGTON, July 14 (AFP) - Abu Zubaydah, a top aide to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been transferred by his US captors to a base on the remote British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Time magazine reported Sunday. .. MORE Tunisia, Egypt prepared to take Lockerbie bomber: Mandela   July 14, 2002 LONDON, July 14 (AFP) - South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela told relatives of victims of the Lockerbie bombing here on Sunday that Egypt and Tunisia were prepared to let the man convicted over the 1988 atrocity serve his sentence in their country rather than Scotland. .. MORE Neo-Nazi tries to assassinate French president   July 14, 2002 PARIS, July 14 (AFP) - A neo-Nazi student tried to gun down Jacques Chirac on Sunday as the French president joined tens of thousands celebrating Bastille Day in the heart of Paris. .. MORE Israel Strikes Gaza Strip Building   July 14, 2002 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Israel deployed fighter jets over the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday and fired missiles at a building, destroying it and injuring about 10 Palestinians, witnesses and hospital officials said. .. MORE Victims of Kashmir militant attack recall their brush with terror   July 14, 2002 JAMMU, India, July 14 (AFP) - Dazed and wounded survivors of an attack on shanty-dwellers in southern Kashmir recalled on Sunday how armed gunmen entered their settlement under cover of darkness and began lobbing grenades and firing with automatic weapons. .. MORE Mali goes to the polls   July 14, 2002 BAMAKO, July 14 (AFP) - The impoverished west African state of Mali went to the polls Sunday to choose a new government amid worry about low turnout and the disappearance of tens of thousands of voting cards. .. MORE Nine killed in Algerian unrest   July 14, 2002 ALGIERS, July 14 (AFP) - Nine people were killed by suspected Islamist gunmen in two separate incidents in Algeria overnight, according to reports by local residents on Sunday. .. MORE Three more North Koreans to arrive in South   July 14, 2002 SEOUL, July 14 (AFP) - Three North Koreans holed up in the South Korean consulate in Beijing for the past month will arrive soon in Seoul, officials said Sunday as the government prepared for a new strain on facilities for so-called "defectors". .. MORE Trial flight of Japanese supersonic jet crashes in Australian desert   July 14, 2002 SYDNEY, July 14 (AFP) - The trial flight by Japanese scientists of a new generation of supersonic airliners intended to replace Concorde ended Sunday in a spectacular crash in the Australian outback. .. MORE Palestinian shot dead in Gaza Strip   July 14, 2002 GAZA CITY, July 14 (AFP) - A young Palestinian man was killed by Israeli army gunfire on Sunday near the Jewish settlement of Dugit in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian security and hospital sources said. .. MORE PARIS - Gunman admits wanting to kill Chirac: police   July 14, 2002 rb-mfo/txw .. MORE Gunman admits wanting to kill Chirac: police   July 14, 2002 PARIS, July 14 (AFP) - The man who fired a gun near French President Jacques Chirac during a Bastille Day parade in Paris on Sunday admitted to police that he wanted to kill him, police said. .. MORE Suspected Palestinian Informer Shot   July 14, 2002 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- A Palestinian man, on trial for allegedly collaborating with Israel, was killed by Palestinian militants Sunday after an Israeli airstrike disrupted court proceedings Sunday, said the judge overseeing the court. .. MORE Model Jetliner Crashes in Australia   July 14, 2002 WOOMERA, Australia (AP) -- A scale model of a Japanese supersonic jetliner crashed into the Australian desert and exploded shortly after it was launched Sunday on the back of a booster rocket, witnesses said. .. MORE Man Pulls Gun Near French President   July 14, 2002 PARIS (AP) -- A would-be assassin pulled a rifle out of a guitar case and fired at least one shot as French President Jacques Chirac passed Sunday during the annual Bastille Day military parade. The man was arrested and no injuries were reported. .. MORE S. Koreans Protest U.S. Military   July 14, 2002 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Protesters burned a giant American flag on Sunday, demanding that the U.S. military hand over two American soldiers whose armored vehicle allegedly hit and killed two South Korean teenage girls last month. .. MORE Mexican Farmers Hold 15 Hostages   July 14, 2002 SAN SALVADOR ATENCO, Mexico (AP) -- Farmers fighting to prevent their land from being seized for a new Mexico City airport took at least three more hostages and demanded talks with federal officials. .. MORE Gunman attempted suicide after aiming at Chirac: minister   July 14, 2002 PARIS, July 14 (AFP) - The would-be assassin who fired a gun near French President Jacques Chirac in Paris on Sunday tried to commit suicide afterwards by turning the gun on himself, a French minister said. .. MORE Chirac target of assassination attempt: wife   July 14, 2002 PARIS, July 14 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac was the subject of an assassination attempt during the Bastille Day military parade, his wife confirmed Sunday. .. MORE Gunman was aiming at Chirac: witness   July 14, 2002 PARIS, July 14 (AFP) - A gunman who was overpowered after firing a shot during the Bastille Day parade in central Paris Sunday was aiming at President Jacques Chirac, an eye-witness told AFP. .. MORE Former Dominican Leader Balaguer Dies   July 14, 2002 SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- Former President Joaquin Balaguer, who ruled the Dominican Republic for 22 years and retained enormous influence in politics even years after leaving office, died Sunday, a top aide said. He was 95. .. MORE Balaguer, Dominican Republic's man of the century, dies at 95   July 14, 2002 SANTO DOMINGO, July 14 (AFP) - Joaquin Balaguer, 95, who held sway over political life in the Dominican Republic for decades as a seven-time president and powerbroker, died of a heart attack Sunday, relatives said. .. MORE China urges US to play 'constructive role' in Taiwan unification   July 14, 2002 BEIJING, July 14 (AFP) - China urged the United States on Sunday to play a constructive role in the "peaceful reunification" of the mainland and Taiwan, while maintaining its military policy was defensive in nature. .. MORE French gunman known in "neo-Nazi movements" -- police   July 14, 2002 PARIS, July 14 (AFP) - The gunman arrested at France's traditional Bastille Day parade Sunday has links to "neo-Nazi movements", and had fired one shot before he was overpowered, police said. .. MORE Israeli helicopters blast Gaza Strip police building   July 14, 2002 GAZA CITY, July 14 (AFP) - Israeli helicopters fired rockets at a police building in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis on Sunday, Palestinian security officials and witnesses said. .. MORE British foreign secretary arrives in China   July 14, 2002 BEIJING, July 14 (AFP) - British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrived in Beijing Sunday for talks expected to include security co-operation in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States. .. MORE Tibetan Scholar Enters Exile in U.S.   July 14, 2002 BEIJING (AP) -- Frail but overjoyed, an ailing Tibetan teacher believed to be China's longest-held political prisoner was released nine years early and flew to exile in the United States -- a move that the activist who helped win his freedom attributed to politics. .. MORE 27 killed in Islamic militant attack in Kashmir   July 14, 2002 JAMMU, India, July 14 (AFP) - The death toll in an attack by Islamic militants disguised as Hindu holy men on a mainly-Hindu shantytown in southern Kashmir rose to 27 Sunday, as local politicians laid the blame for the bloodshed at Pakistan's door. .. MORE Iraqis Hurt in U.S.-British Air Raids   July 14, 2002 BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Seven Iraqi civilians were injured in U.S. air raids in southern Iraq on Saturday, a military spokesman said. .. MORE 25 Hindus Killed in Kashmir Attack   July 14, 2002 JAMMU, India (AP) -- Suspected Islamic guerrillas threw grenades and engaged security forces in a gun battle Saturday, killing 25 Hindus -- mostly women and children -- in a shantytown outside the winter capital of Jammu-Kashmir state, police and hospital officials said. .. MORE Paramilitary Boss Says He's Resigning   July 13, 2002 BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- The political chief of the illegal right-wing paramilitaries said he would resign his post because of the crimes that members of the group were committing. .. MORE U.S., War Crimes Court Debate Ends   July 13, 2002 UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The battle between the United States and supporters of the new International Criminal Court was the most contentious confrontation at the United Nations in many years and has left both sides bruised. .. MORE Islamic militants disguised as holy men kill 24 civilians in Kashmir attack   July 13, 2002 JAMMU, India, July 13 (AFP) - Islamic militants disguised as Hindu holy men killed at least 24 civilians and injured 35 others in an attack late Saturday on slum-dwellers in the south of the disputed state of Kashmir, police and hospital sources said. .. MORE Fears, fatigue cut Love Parade attendance in Germany   July 13, 2002 BERLIN, July 13 (AFP) - It rained on Berlin's Love Parade Saturday, with the weather adding yet one more blow to a mega-event reduced in size this year by fears of terrorism and the public's apparent wearying of the 14-year-old techno music festival. .. MORE German Intelligence: Bin Laden Alive   July 13, 2002 BERLIN (AP) -- The head of Germany's foreign intelligence agency said in an interview published Saturday that he believes Osama bin Laden is still alive and hiding along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. .. MORE Freezing Weather Kills 18 in Peru   July 13, 2002 LIMA, Peru (AP) -- President Alejandro Toledo declared a state of emergency Saturday in southeast Peru, where snow and freezing weather has killed at least 18 people in less than two weeks. .. MORE Dry Faucets Enrage Italians   July 13, 2002 ROME (AP) -- The government promised on Saturday to do something about a water shortage after weeks of protests by southern farmers with shriveled crops and Sicilian housewives sick of unwashed dishes. .. MORE Madagascar president calls for reconciliation   July 13, 2002 ANTANANARIVO, July 13 (AFP) - New Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana launched a call for reconciliation on Saturday after a drawn-out struggle for power pushed the island close to war. .. MORE Nigerian Women Stick to Oil Demands   July 13, 2002 ESCRAVOS, Nigeria (AP) -- Oil company executives thumped the table and even offered concessions, but the women who took over a giant oil terminal and trapped hundreds of workers inside did not budge Saturday in their demands for jobs for their sons and electricity for their homes. .. MORE Bosnia, Annan, EU hail compromise to extend UN mission   July 13, 2002 SARAJEVO, July 13 (AFP) - Bosnia, the UN and the EU on Saturday led those welcoming a UN compromise to extend the peacekeeping mission to Bosnia, which a row with the United States over the World Court had thrown into doubt. .. MORE Iran reform paper suspended for reporting cleric's resignation   July 13, 2002 TEHRAN, July 13 (AFP) - Iran's judiciary has suspended a leading reformist newspaper, accusing it of ignoring a controversial coverage ban on the resignation of a prominent cleric, whose fiery criticism of the Islamic state has sparked tensions nationwide. .. MORE "Pentagon" kidnappers nabbed in southern Philippines   July 13, 2002 ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, July 13 (AFP) - Four alleged members of the notorious "Pentagon" kidnap gang were arrested after two raids in the strife-torn southern Philippines, police said Saturday. .. MORE India extends truce with Naga separatists by another year   July 13, 2002 GUWAHATI, India, July 13 (AFP) - The Indian government has extended a ceasefire with a powerful separatist guerrilla group in the country's northeast by another year in a bid to end decades of violence that has claimed more than 25,000 lives, officials said Saturday. .. MORE Spain Sends War Vessels to Enclaves   July 13, 2002 MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Spain sent three war vessels to protect two Spanish enclaves on the Moroccan coast as its southern Mediterranean neighbor occupied a tiny, uninhabited Spanish islet for a third day Saturday. .. MORE Iraq Opposition Hopes for U.S. Move   July 13, 2002 LONDON (AP) -- Former Iraqi military officers gathering Saturday to discuss their role in a possible effort to oust Saddam Hussein said they hoped, with U.S. support, to soon restore democracy to their country. .. MORE Islamic militants kill 10 civilians, injure 25 in Kashmir   July 13, 2002 JAMMU, India, July 13 (AFP) - Islamic militants killed 10 civilians and injured 25 others in an attack Saturday night on a settlement on the outskirts of Jammu, India Kashmir's winter capital, police and eyewitnesses said. .. MORE Team Arrives to Probe Afghan Strike   July 13, 2002 BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) -- Investigators looking into a U.S. airstrike that Afghans say killed scores of civilians -- including 25 people at a wedding party -- will start collecting evidence and testimony at the site next week, a U.S. officer said Saturday. .. MORE Russia Mourns Jetliner Crash Victims   July 13, 2002 UFA, Russia (AP) -- Mourners wept over a line of wooden coffins in the main square of this Russian city Saturday as they paid their final respects to 28 people killed in last week's air crash over Germany. .. MORE Deal on immunity for peacekeepers based on US concession: Annan   July 13, 2002 ABUJA, July 13 (AFP) - UN chief Kofi Annan said Saturday that a deal to exclude US peacekeepers from international prosecution represented a concession from Washington and reaffirmed the authority of the Security Council. .. MORE Four fishermen found dead on hostage island in southern Philippines   July 13, 2002 ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, July 13 (AFP) - The bodies of four murdered fishermen have been found on the strife-torn island of Basilan this week, raising speculation the killings were the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf kidnapping gang or the result of feud between Muslim clans, officials said Saturday. .. MORE New Turkey Party Seen As Risky   July 13, 2002 ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- It has no name and no platform, but the new party announced by Turkey's recently departed foreign minister already carries a huge burden of expectations. Meeting them will not be easy. .. MORE Explosion in Pakistan Injures 13   July 13, 2002 PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- An explosion at an archaeological site in northern Pakistan injured 13 people Saturday, most of them German and Austrian tourists, police said. Officials said no one was seriously hurt. .. MORE Grenade Attack Kills 13 in India   July 13, 2002 JAMMU, India (AP) -- A group of men threw grenades at a shantytown outside Jammu-Kashmir's winter capital Saturday, killing at least 13 people, before exchanging gunfire with security forces, police said. Authorities blamed the attack on Islamic guerrillas. .. MORE Blast injures 12, including seven Germans, in Pakistan   July 13, 2002 ISLAMABAD, July 13 (AFP) - At least 12 people, including seven German nationals, were injured in an apparent grenade attack in Pakistan's North Western Frontier Province on Saturday, officials said. .. MORE Deutsche Telekom boss facing the sack: German press   July 13, 2002 BERLIN, July 13 (AFP) - The boss of debt-ridden Deutsche Telekom, Ron Sommer, will be fired next week because the board has apparently relented to government pressure, according to German media reports. .. MORE Colombian paramilitary leader resigns as guerrillas press offensive   July 13, 2002 BOGOTA, July 13 (AFP) - Paramilitary leader Carlos Castano quit his post Friday as head of the right-wing United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, as his group prepared to free a Venezuelan businessman it kidnapped two years ago. .. MORE One dead on board Paris-Tokyo flight: new toll   July 13, 2002 MOSCOW, July 13 (AFP) - A flight from Paris to Tokyo was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday in the Siberian city of Khabarovsk following the death of one person on board, airport officials said, attributing their earlier erroneous toll of seven dead to a translation problem. .. MORE Police Confront NIreland Protesters   July 13, 2002 BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) -- Catholic militants clashed with police and Protestant marchers during Orange Order parades, and the violence left 20 police officers injured -- far less than last year's "Twelfth" holiday in Northern Ireland. .. MORE Mexico Farmers Threaten Hostages   July 13, 2002 SAN SALVADOR ATENCO, Mexico (AP) -- Protesting farmers threatened to tie a dozen hostages to gasoline trucks and light them on fire unless police freed detained demonstrators in an escalation of their fight to block a Mexico City airport project. .. MORE Britain Ready to Share Gibraltar   July 12, 2002 LONDON (AP) -- Britain said Friday that it is prepared to share sovereignty of Gibraltar with Spain, but only if residents of "the Rock" approve it in a referendum. .. MORE Morocco celebrates royal wedding with lavish outburst of joy   July 12, 2002 RABAT, July 12 (AFP) - Morocco burst into joyous celebrations on Friday to mark the marriage of King Mohammed VI to 24-year-old computer scientist Salma Bennani. .. MORE Iraqi opposition mulls how to topple Saddam   July 12, 2002 LONDON, July 12 (AFP) - Former Iraqi army officers and opponents of Saddam Hussein gathered Friday in London to mull how to topple the Iraqi leader, and gained a boost from the unexpected appearance of Prince Hassan of Jordan. .. MORE Arab FMs say Saudi plan still basis for Mideast peace   July 12, 2002 CAIRO, July 12 (AFP) - Arab foreign ministers and senior officials on Friday reaffirmed an initiative approved in March by the Arab League remains their vision for Middle East peace. .. MORE Arafat Opens Dialogue With U.S.   July 12, 2002 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Three weeks after President Bush demanded the ouster of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader has opened a dialogue with the Bush administration with a long letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell on U.S. demands for democratic change. .. MORE Same-sex marriages must be recognized in Ontario: court   July 12, 2002 TORONTO, July 12 (AFP) - An Ontario court, setting a legal precedent in Canada, ruled Friday that the province must recognize same-sex marriages in response to a lawsuit filed last year by two homosexual couples after their marriages were refused registration. .. MORE Social Democrat leader appointed new Czech premier   July 12, 2002 PRAGUE, July 12 (AFP) - Czech President Vaclav Havel on Friday appointed Vladimir Spidla, head of the Social Democrats (CSSD), as new prime minister following his party's election victory last month. .. MORE Toronto's strike ends, garbage cleanup begins ahead of Pope's visit   July 12, 2002 TORONTO, July 12 (AFP) - Garbage trucks Friday began hauling mountains of trash lining streets and parks here, after the province passed legislation forcing 22,000 striking municipal workers back to work after a 16-day strike. .. MORE Arafat Says He Won't Step Aside   July 12, 2002 RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Refusing to buckle under U.S. pressure, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Friday he won't step down. But in an interview at his wrecked Ramallah offices, he said he had not yet decided whether to run in January elections. .. MORE France and Britain agree to close Sangatte, repatriate Afghans   July 12, 2002 PARIS, July 12 (AFP) - France and Britain agreed on Friday to close the controversial Sangatte refugee centre on France's northern coast by early next year and enlist UN aid to repatriate hundreds of Afghan asylum seekers housed there. .. MORE Britain, Spain agree over shared Gibraltar sovereignty   July 12, 2002 LONDON, July 12 (AFP) - Britain and Spain are in broad agreement that they share sovereignty over Gibraltar although no final deal has been struck yet, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Friday. .. MORE Ducks, Olausson OK 1-Year Deal   July 12, 2002 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Defenseman Fredrik Olausson, an unrestricted free agent who played for the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, agreed to a one-year contract Friday with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. .. MORE Musharraf Defends Plans for Change   July 12, 2002 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Friday defended his plans to change the constitution, saying parliamentary democracy has never worked in Pakistan and arguing for a strong role for the armed forces in future governments. .. MORE Swazi opposition says police repression prompted challenge to king   July 12, 2002 MBABANE, July 12 (AFP) - Swazi opposition leader Mario Masuku, on trial for sedition, mounted a challenge to King Mswati II after police forcefully disrupted attempts by the opposition to meet, his lawyer told the High Court on Friday. .. MORE Lebanese Islamist hides in refugee camp after killing three officers   July 12, 2002 SIDON, Lebanon, July 12 (AFP) - The Lebanese army was surrounding a Palestinian refugee camp Friday night, demanding the handover of a man accused of killing three of its intelligence agents before taking refuge with a militant Palestinian group inside. .. MORE U.S. Praises Pakistan on Kashmir   July 12, 2002 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pakistan is reducing the number of militants entering the Indian-held portion of Kashmir, reducing tension between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors, a State Department spokesman said Friday. .. MORE Russian snub to Swiss over air crash   July 12, 2002 BERN, July 12 (AFP) - Swiss President Kaspar Villiger on Friday called off plans to attend funeral services for the Russian victims of last week's mid-air collision after Moscow warned he would not be welcome. .. MORE Spain moves in troops in row with Morocco over disputed islands   July 12, 2002 MADRID, July 12 (AFP) - Spain sent troop reinforcements to islands it claims near Morocco on Friday, saying Rabat's dispatch of a dozen soldiers to a tiny disputed islet there was an "unfriendly act." .. MORE Ontario to Recognize Gay Marriages   July 12, 2002 TORONTO (AP) -- An Ontario court ruled Friday that Canada's policy of refusing legal recognition of gay and lesbian marriages was unconstitutional. .. MORE Ben Eliezer to meet Mubarak in Egypt on Monday   July 12, 2002 JERUSALEM, July 12 (AFP) - Israeli Defense Minister Ben Eliezer will travel to Egypt on Monday for talks on the Middle East crisis with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli officials said Friday. .. MORE Four Palestinians killed, Israel says it thwarts 18 bombings   July 12, 2002 JERUSALEM, July 12 (AFP) - Israel said Friday it had thwarted 18 suicide and other bombings in its three-week reoccupation of the West Bank, while four more Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli raids in the occupied territories. .. MORE Peru's Toledo Swears in New PM   July 12, 2002 LIMA, Peru (AP) -- President Alejandro Toledo swore in a new prime minister and several Cabinet members Friday in a bid to revive his sagging popularity and calm turbulent political waters one year into his administration. .. MORE Zimbabwe judge orders trial of US journalist to continue   July 12, 2002 HARARE, July 12 (AFP) - A Zimbabwean judge Friday ordered the resumption of the trial of journalist Andrew Meldrum, a Zimbabwe-based US national who is the first reporter to be tried under a tough new media law enacted by President Robert Mugabe after his controversial re-election in March. .. MORE Putin appoints new rights representative for Chechnya   July 12, 2002 MOSCOW, July 12 (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday appointed a new human rights representative for Chechnya who quickly rose to the defence of federal troops in the war-torn republic. .. MORE Hindu procession ends in riot-torn Indian city without violence   July 12, 2002 AHMEDABAD, India, July 12 (AFP) - A rightwing Hindu religious procession ended peacefully and amid celebration as more than 20,000 policemen kept a wary eye against trouble in India's riot-torn western city of Ahmedabad. .. MORE Don't give up the fight, Clinton and Mandela urge AIDS campaign   July 12, 2002 BARCELONA, Spain, July 12 (AFP) - Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela on Friday urged campaigners never to lose heart in their war against AIDS, even if the news from the battlefront was almost relentlessly bad. .. MORE Demonstrators hail anti-corruption drive in Zambia   July 12, 2002 LUSAKA, July 12 (AFP) - Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Zambian capital Lusaka Friday in support of a new anti-corruption drive announced in parliament by President Levy Mwanawasa. .. MORE Annan in Nigeria to help shore up democratic reforms   July 12, 2002 ABUJA, July 12 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday began a low-key visit to Nigeria designed to shore up democratic momentum in a troubled giant now playing a key role in Africa's march towards peace. .. MORE Russia-Iran nuclear cooperation to end with Bushehr: minister   July 12, 2002 MOSCOW, July 12 (AFP) - Russia's atomic energy minister said Friday that his country's nuclear cooperation with Iran would end on completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in a nod to intense pressure from the United States. .. MORE Arafat Vows He Won't Step Down   July 12, 2002 RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Resisting international pressure that he leave office, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat declared Friday he would not step down -- but also said he hadn't decided whether to run for office in January elections. .. MORE Opposition leader to sit on security council: Musharraf   July 12, 2002 ISLAMABAD, July 12 (AFP) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Friday that a future opposition leader would sit on a proposed powerful National Security Council, which will oversee the country's government. .. MORE Government Ends Toronto Strike   July 12, 2002 TORONTO (AP) -- Cleanliness will come before godliness in Toronto. .. MORE France looks at voluntary return plan for Afghan refugees   July 12, 2002 PARIS, July 12 (AFP) - The French and British interior ministers announced Friday a plan to encourage Afghan refugees at the controversial Sangatte refugee centre on France's northern coast to return home, with the aid of the UN refugee agency and the Afghan government. .. MORE Report: Britain Would Help in Iraq   July 12, 2002 LONDON (AP) -- If the United States attacks Iraq, British special forces would participate by sabotaging Iraqi plants making weapons of mass destruction, a newspaper reported Friday. .. MORE Powerful alliance throws the gauntlet to embattled Turkish PM   July 12, 2002 ANKARA, July 12 (AFP) - A mighty trio uniting two top former members of Turkey's embattled government and its incumbent economic mastermind threw the gauntlet to Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit Friday when it announced a new party of "renewal" to end economic and political turmoil. .. MORE Spain to beef troop presence on islands near Morocco   July 12, 2002 MADRID, July 12 (AFP) - The Spanish government said Friday it has decided to reinforce its military presence on its islands near Morocco, amid a heightening dispute over a tiny outcrop in the Mediterranean. .. MORE EU accuses Morocco of violating Spanish sovereignty   July 12, 2002 BRUSSELS, July 12 (AFP) - The European Commission sided with Spain on Friday over its dispute with Morocco over a tiny Mediterranean island, accusing Rabat of "violating" Spanish sovereignty after it send troops there. .. MORE Afghans: U.S. Must Seek Clearance   July 12, 2002 AROQ, Afghanistan (AP) -- In a move that could complicate U.S. efforts to move freely about the southern part of Afghanistan, six governors will require the United States to seek permission before launching military operations in their region after a U.S airstrike this month reportedly killed 48 civilians. .. MORE 8 Held in Italy for Aiding al-Qaida   July 12, 2002 MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Eight foreigners were arrested for allegedly supplying fake passports and documents to members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, Milan anti-terrorism police said Friday. .. MORE Flood situation begins to ease in northeastern India   July 12, 2002 GUWAHATI, India, July 12 (AFP) - The flood situation in India's northeastern state of Assam improved marginally Friday, with the level of the Brahmaputra river steadying ahead of an expected fall, officials said. .. MORE Nationality row welcomes South Korea's first woman premier   July 12, 2002 SEOUL, July 12 (AFP) - South Korea's first woman prime minister, Chang Sang, spent her first day in office battling off an immediate row over her son's US passport which she said he had offered to renounce. .. MORE Morocco rejects Spanish call to withdraw from disputed island   July 12, 2002 RABAT, July 12 (AFP) - Morocco has rejected Spanish demands that it withdraw its troops from a tiny disputed Mediterranean island, officials said Friday. .. MORE Turkey's Ecevit admits he might be forced to resign   July 12, 2002 ANKARA, July 12 (AFP) - Turkey's belaguered Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit admitted on Friday that he may consider stepping down if his tattered coalition loses a majority in parliament as a result of mass defections. .. MORE Japan's FM hopes to meet with NKorean counterpart in Brunei   July 12, 2002 TOKYO, July 12 (AFP) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Friday said she wanted to hold talks with her North Korean counterpart when she attends an Asia-Pacific security forum this month. .. MORE China says pollution, traffic remain biggest problems for 2008 Games   July 12, 2002 BEIJING, July 12 (AFP) - One year after Beijing secured the 2008 Olympics, organizers warned Friday that while a vast construction program should be finished on time, sorting the city's heavy pollution and gridlocked traffic could be a tougher prospect. .. MORE Britain looking for "reasonable" closure date for Sangatte   July 12, 2002 LONDON, July 12 (AFP) - Britain said Friday it hoped to set a "reasonable" date for the closure of a controversial immigrant centre in northern France when the British and French interior ministers meet later in Paris. .. MORE Australia accused of ramping up conflict with Iraq   July 12, 2002 SYDNEY, July 12 (AFP) - Australia voiced strong support Thursday for pre-emptive US military action against Iraq and warned that a policy of appeasing Saddam Hussein would be foolish. .. MORE Spain accuses Morocco of occupying Mediterranean island   July 12, 2002 MADRID, July 12 (AFP) - Spain's government on Friday condemned what it said was the presence of Moroccan police on the Spanish-owned Mediterranean isle of Persil, and called on Rabat to "take the necessary measures for a return to normality". .. MORE U.S. Forces Compound Attacked   July 12, 2002 BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) -- A U.S. special forces compound came under grenade and small arms fire near the village where an American airstrike killed civilians at a wedding celebration, U.S. officials said Friday. .. MORE Thousands in streets demand resignation of Chavez, appeal to military   July 12, 2002 CARACAS, July 11 (AFP) - Thousands of demonstrators massed Thursday outside the military airport here seeking air force support for their call for President Hugo Chavez to step down. ..