world

World reacts to death of Hussein's sons

By Kenji Hall · Wednesday, July 23,2003 9:03 p.m.

TOKYO -- Several world leaders expressed relief Wednesday over the deaths of Saddam Hussein's sons, with some saying they hoped it would help end sporadic fighting in Iraq and speed its progress toward democracy.

Court decides secretary cannot be held accountable for past problems

By John Heilprin · Sunday, July 20,2003 8:51 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court threw out a contempt ruling Friday against Interior Secretary Gale Norton, saying she cannot be held accountable for her predecessors' mismanagement of a multibillion-dollar trust fund for American Indians. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also ruled unanimously that Norton's conduct did not constitute fraud. In issuing contempt citations last September against Norton and the assistant secretary for Indian affairs, Neal A. McCaleb, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that by their actions they had defrauded his court.

Arab-American agent files suit against FBI for bias in 9/11 case

By Jennifer C. Kerr · Sunday, July 20,2003 8:50 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- A high-ranking Arab-American FBI agent is taking the bureau to court, accusing it of racial discrimination for freezing him out of the Sept. 11 investigation. The suit described agent Bassem Youssef as the only polygraph examiner qualified to conduct interviews in Arabic, with extensive experience and Middle Eastern contacts culled from his days with the FBI in Saudi Arabia. Yet, the complaint said, he was kept away from any substantial investigations related to the hijacking attacks on New York and Washington.

Leaders meet to push peace plan

By Jill Lawless · Sunday, July 20,2003 8:50 p.m.

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers met for two hours Sunday, kicking off 10 days of international diplomacy aimed at solidifying a fragile Mideast cease-fire and advancing the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan. The leaders met as the Palestinian Authority outlawed groups that incite violence and agitate for change through force, moving to meet a requirement of the "road map" peace plan -- and an Israeli demand -- that they disarm militant groups.

U.S. resident charged with espionage in China

By Lolita C. Baldor · Sunday, July 20,2003 8:49 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- A pro-democracy activist jailed in China for more than a year was indicted by the Chinese government Thursday on charges of espionage and entering the country illegally, according to his wife and their lawyer. Yang Jianli could go to trial as early as July 28. The trial will be closed because it involves "state secrets," according to information provided to Yang's wife, Christina Fu.

North Korea may have built new weapons plant

By Christopher Torchia · Sunday, July 20,2003 8:20 p.m.

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea would find it hard to secretly build another plutonium production plant, a key step toward making nuclear weapons, South Korean experts said Sunday. Yet they did not rule it out following a report that the North may be operating a second facility, possibly buried deep in the mountains. If true, the suspicions that North Korea has built a second plant for producing weapons-grade plutonium could complicate diplomatic efforts to seek the verifiable dismantling of Pyongyang's nuclear facilities.

Suspected pro-Hussein Iraqis target US plane

Wednesday, July 16,2003 9:40 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Suspected pro-Saddam Hussein insurgents fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. military C-130 transport plane as it landed at Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday, but missed the target, a coalition military spokesman said.

U.N. prosecutor to present 'crucial' evidence against Milosevic

By Arthur Max · Wednesday, July 16,2003 9:39 p.m.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- With time running out to conclude her case, the chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor said Wednesday she will begin focusing on the genocide charges against Slobodan Milosevic, and the next few months will be critical.

Pro-Hussein Iraqis target U.S. plane in Baghdad

Wednesday, July 16,2003 9:37 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Suspected pro-Saddam Hussein insurgents fired a surface-to-air missile at a U.S. military C-130 transport plane as it landed at Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday, but missed the target, a coalition military spokesman said.

Violence erupts in Iraq as insurgents fight U.S. rule

By Borzou Daragahi · Wednesday, July 16,2003 9:18 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The pro-American mayor of the western city of Hadithah was shot and killed driving through the town Wednesday in escalating violence in Iraq that also took the lives of a U.S. soldier in a supply convoy and an 8-year-old Iraqi in an attack on U.S. forces guarding a Baghdad bank.

Iraqi governing council named Sunday

By Hamza Hendawi · Sunday, July 13,2003 9:17 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A 25-member governing council of prominent Iraqis from diverse political and religious backgrounds was named at an inaugural meeting Sunday, the first national body since the fall of Saddam Hussein and a crucial first step on the nation's path to democracy.

Liberia's president ready to step down

By Glenn McKenzie · Sunday, July 13,2003 9:17 p.m.

MONROVIA, Liberia -- Liberia's embattled warlord-turned-president repeated his oft-broken pledge to step down Saturday, telling die-hard party supporters that U.N. sanctions had crippled the economy and left his government unable to defend itself against foreign-backed rebels.

Singapore mourns twins' death

Wednesday, July 9,2003 9:15 p.m.

SINGAPORE -- Fighting back tears and reading from the Quran, dozens of mourners Wednesday prayed as they prepared the bodies of two Iranian twins who died during separation surgery for the long journey home.

Aviation experts look for cause of Sudanese airliner crash

By Mohamed Osman · Wednesday, July 9,2003 8:48 p.m.

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Aviation experts were examining a Sudanese airliner's black box and other evidence Wednesday to determine why the plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 116 people.

Laos releases prisoners

By Daniel Lovering · Wednesday, July 9,2003 8:47 p.m.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- After international pressure, Laos freed two European journalists and an American interpreter who had been sentenced to prison for the death of a rural guard Wednesday.

Hackers knock out obscure Web sites

By Ted Bridis · Sunday, July 6,2003 9:54 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- A battle among hackers erupted Sunday on the Internet as some factions disrupted a loosely coordinated "contest" among other groups trying to vandalize thousands of Web sites around the world. Unknown attackers for hours knocked offline an independent security Web site, zone-h.org, that was verifying reports of online vandalism and being used by hackers to tally points for the competition. U.S. government and private technology experts warned last week that such vandalism was likely.

Nigerian president accepts offer of asylum

By Alyson Brodsy and Glenn McKenzie · Sunday, July 6,2003 8:33 p.m.

MONROVIA, Liberia -- Embattled President Charles Taylor accepted an offer of asylum in Nigeria on Sunday, but gave no time frame for quitting power and insisted the transition must be orderly, urging the United States to send peacekeepers.

Surgeons begin separating brains

By Alyson Brodsy and D’arcy Doran · Sunday, July 6,2003 8:33 p.m.

SINGAPORE -- Surgeons entered a critical phase Sunday in a dangerous, marathon operation as they began separating the brains of 29-year-old Iranian twin sisters joined at the head. The operation, which could take two to four days, could be fatal to sisters Ladan and Laleh Bijani.

Landslides killed 21 people in central China

By Alyson Brodsy · Sunday, July 6,2003 8:32 p.m.

BEIJING -- Landslides killed 21 people in central China, while authorities prepared Sunday to blast earthen flood barriers to divert river waters running at their highest level in more than a decade, officials and state media reported.

Mexicans select all 500 seats of congress

By Alyson Brodsy and Traci Carl · Sunday, July 6,2003 8:30 p.m.

MEXICO CITY -- Voters were choosing new lawmakers Sunday for all 500 seats in Mexico's lower house of Congress, an election key to determining whether President Vicente Fox can deliver on the many promises he made after his historic victory three years ago. Sunday's elections were the first nationwide vote since Fox's win in 2000. Polling began relatively peacefully, although campaigns were filled with allegations of misconduct -- including complaints about vote buying and Roman Catholic priests and bishops who urged Mexicans to vote against parties favoring abortion and gay marriage.