Many Survive Cyclone; Fate of Some Unknown More than 1,000 people living on the remote Pacific island of Tikopia survived 225-mph Cyclone Zoe, a visiting cameraman said. But there was still no word on the fate of hundreds of others on neighboring Anuta and Mota Lava islands, which also may have been hit by high winds. Arrests in France Raise Concern of Chemical Attack Four people are held in seizure of unidentified liquid and protective suit. Group is linked to London terror detainee. Oh, Little Town Lies Still Indeed No decorations or festivities are marking this year's Christmas in Bethlehem. It's the most unhappy' the mayor can remember. Congo, Rebel Groups Sign a Peace Deal Pact reached in South Africa is an attempt to end a conflict that has lasted four years and claimed 2.5 million lives. But doubts remain. China Will Welcome 3 Human Rights Monitors, U.S. Envoy Says According to Assistant Secretary of State Craner, U.N. officials will be able to probe reported abuses without interference by Beijing. The Struggle for Venezuela's Soul -- and Chavez's Ouster Battle over oil giant pits backers of president's social revolution against other employees who say the state firm should be a private company. U.S. Working to Convince World Iraq Is Out of Line Strategy involves building unity and focusing searches to prove Baghdad's guilt. Exiles Form Committee on Iraq's Future After days of contention, a conference of Iraqi opposition groups agreed Tuesday on the membership of a committee to shape Iraq's future in the event President Saddam Hussein is deposed. Germans Were Chief Weapons Supplier to Iraq, Paper Reports The daily claims it saw Baghdad's weapons list. Most of the reported trade was considered legal and took place before the embargo. Winds, Rains Pound Europe; 6 Killed Hurricane-force winds and torrential rains battered Europe on Friday, killing at least six people, flooding thousands of homes and hampering rail, road and water traffic. U.N. Says Al Qaeda Is Active in 40 Countries Terrorist network has opened new training camps in Afghanistan, according to a report. 2 U.S. Men, Afghan Injured by Grenade Teen held for allegedly lobbing device into jeep carrying the soldiers and a local interpreter. Venezuela's Oil Situation Worsens; Protests Go On Waving banners, banging pots and chanting slogans demanding the ouster of President Hugo Chavez, several thousand marchers took to the streets here Tuesday, the 16th day of an opposition strike that has crippled Venezuela's oil industry. Usurper of All He Surveys Swaziland is being pushed to the brink by AIDS, drought and a king whose libido exemplifies the woes of this patriarchal society. Consensus Is Emerging on Iraq's Failure, Powell Says Secretary believes key Security Council members see problems with weapons report. N. Korea's Neighbors Accept U.S. Hard Line Japan and China won't oppose Washington's strategy of shunning talks with Pyongyang until the regime ends its nuclear programs. France Promises Crackdown After Oil Reaches Its Shores President Jacques Chirac expressed outrage Friday that patches of oil from a sunken tanker had reached French shores, and he vowed to punish the rascals responsible. French Minister Enters the Fray in Ivory Coast France's foreign minister began a bid to broker peace in Ivory Coast on Friday and was blocked by hundreds of angry protesters after initial talks with President Laurent Gbagbo. Report Favors Giving Iraqis, Not U.S., Control of Oil Sentiment is growing in the Bush administration and global energy circles to place Iraqi professionals in charge of their country's oil production after any war, despite a push by some officials for the United States to seize control of the lucrative oil fields. Pentagon Detects Iraqi Troop Movement Hundreds of soldiers are involved. Meanwhile, some predict Hussein will target his own oil fields and food supplies and then blame the U.S. Putin Sacks General; Chechnya Talks Raised President Vladimir V. Putin fired his top general in Chechnya on Wednesday and a Kremlin aide said authorities might hold talks with Chechen separatists who have put down their arms. Peruvian Laws on Terror Revoked A court struck down anti-terrorism laws Friday that had been used to quash rebel movements in the 1990s, in a decision that could bring new trials for many people imprisoned on terrorism charges. U.N. Teams Inspect 4 Suspect Iraqi Sites As search for weapons continues, Pentagon orders more Marines sent to Persian Gulf. U.N. Agencies Seek Funds for a Postwar Iraq U.N. humanitarian agencies have asked the United States, Japan and European nations for $37.4 million to prepare for a potential humanitarian crisis in Iraq after a war with the U.S., U.N. officials said Friday. Argentina on Edge as It Awaits Massive Protest Thousands are expected in Buenos Aires to demand help for the unemployed. Rumors of political plots to foment violence worry many. |  Iraq's Report Falls Short, Inspectors Say Arms declaration fails to prove Baghdad lacks weapons of mass destruction, U.N. experts state. U.S. calls it a new material breach. Palestinian Girl Is 3rd Gaza Youngster Killed in 3 Days The source of gunfire that struck 11-year-old is unclear. In the West Bank, Israeli troops dismantled settlers' illegal outpost. Consulate Car Bombing Claims Another Life As FBI agents sought clues at the site of a deadly car bombing outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, another victim died. High Court Rules Venezuelan Oil Strike Must End Workers for the state petroleum company vow to ignore the decision, saying it disregards their constitutional rights. New Era Dawns in Missile Defense Bush's plan to deploy a system by 2004 brings barely a word from Moscow, a far cry from when the issue was a major source of tension. Marxists, Management Unite to Oppose Chavez A motley group of Venezuelans joins forces with a single goal -- the ouster of the president. Buddha's Urn Moved to New Cambodia Shrine Robed monks and hundreds of thousands of worshippers made a procession through the countryside Thursday to transfer the fabled remains of Buddha from a noisy neighborhood in the capital, Phnom Penh, to a new, $4.5-million shrine. Census Shows Catholics' Rise in N. Ireland Census figures, seen as a key indicator of how long British rule of Northern Ireland will last, showed Thursday that Roman Catholics are closing the population gap on Protestants. U.S. Issues a List of the Shortcomings in Iraqi Arms Declaration Administration also says some intelligence findings will be given to U.N. weapons inspectors in an effort to sway the Security Council. War Appears Increasingly Unavoidable One warning to Saddam Hussein was loud and clear Thursday: He has until Jan. 27 to come clean on his arsenal. The other warning was unspoken but just as clear: Or else. North Korea's Actions Put Food Aid at Risk Which hungry baby is more deserving of food: a North Korean or an African? Brazil Swears In New Leader Country's first elected leftist president takes office amid hope for a social revolution. His first decree, though, is a call for austerity. In the Gulf, They Don't Hate Us as Much as They Want to Know Us I had to leave America to truly feel like an American. Moscow Hit for Ending Chechnya Rights Monitoring The Kremlin has chosen not to allow a European group to continue its scrutiny of Russia's controversial actions in the war-torn republic. Police Seize Tons of Fireworks in Crackdown After Mexico Fire Authorities in Veracruz arrest three suspects in an outdoor market blaze that killed at least 28 vendors and shoppers on New Year's Eve. China Plans on Manned Spaceflight This Year China plans to launch its first manned spaceflight in the second half of this year, a move that would make it the third nation to put a human being in space, state-run media announced today. S. Korea Seeks China's Aid to End Standoff A South Korean envoy arrived in China on Wednesday to urge North Korea's chief ally to put more pressure on the reclusive communist state to stop its nuclear weapons program. Pakistani Jeweler Says That's Him in FBI Photo A Pakistani jeweler said Wednesday that his picture is among those of five foreign-born men the FBI says may have entered the United States on falsified passports. He said he has never visited the United States. EU Takes Over for U.N. in Bosnia World body ends its decade-long mission of peacekeeping and polic e reform in the country. Five Palestinians Killed in Separate Incidents Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships battled gunmen in two Gaza refugee camps today after killing four Palestinians the army said were on their way to attack Jewish settlements. For Venezuelans, Chavez Has Brought Politics to Life The president may be beleaguered, but many who saw civil affairs as belonging only to the upper crust have been energized by his plight. American Forces Claim Right to Enter Pakistan Military's assertion that it can pursue terrorists fleeing Afghanistan catches ally off guard. The dispute follows a deadly border clash. 2 Shot Dead During Protests in Caracas Street protests escalated in violence Friday as police struggled to separate battling supporters and opponents of President Hugo Chavez. At least two people were shot to death and 78 others injured in a melee that spread through a district of the capital.  |
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