 Palestinians are going on strike in Gaza and the West Bank to protest against Israel's seizure of a leading militant from a jail on Tuesday. All Palestinian factions called on businesses and schools to close after Ahmed Saadat gave himself up after troops stormed his jail in Jericho. The West Bank raid began when UK and US monitors left the Palestinian-run prison complaining about lax security. Gunmen have released all 11 of the foreigners kidnapped in retaliation. Two French citizens and a South Korean journalist had been held hostage by Palestinian gunmen overnight, but they have now been handed over to Palestinian police. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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Editor - 09:04:00 03-15-06
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 Kenyans facing Goldenberg charges |
Five Kenyans including an ex-spy chief, an ex-central bank governor and a businessman are to be charged with fraud over the $600m Goldenberg affair. A report on the scam, in which millions of dollars were paid for non-existent exports of gold and diamonds, was given to President Mwai Kibaki last month. Those named by Attorney General Amos Wako include Kamlesh Pattni, alleged mastermind of Kenya's biggest fraud. Kenya's ex-vice-president who was named in the report cannot be prosecuted. George Saitoti served as finance minister as well as vice-president under President Daniel arap Moi during the time the Goldenberg affair took place. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4808276.stm
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Editor - 09:02:00 03-15-06
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| Firefighters Battle Blazes, Strong Winds As Texas Panhandle Smolders |
Stiff wind swept across the dry Texas landscape Wednesday, challenging firefighters already weary from three days of battling wildfires that have blackened 840,000 acres and killed 11 people. Fire crews and equipment had been stationed around the north sides of the fires in anticipation of the wind picking up again, said Jan Fulkerson, a spokeswoman with the Texas Forest Service. At daybreak, no towns appeared to be in imminent danger, Fulkerson said. She said firefighters hoped increased humidity would keep the fires from becoming explosive, as they did Sunday when the outbreak began. Still, crews had been preparing for the worst. "The winds and all the burning embers we got, it could be bad," said McLean Volunteer Fire Chief Clifford McDonald. ...
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Weather/wireStory?id=1727764&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
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Editor - 09:01:00 03-15-06
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| Moussaoui trial cleared to resume |
US prosecutors can continue to seek the death penalty for the only person charged in the US in connection with the 9/11 attacks, a judge has ruled. Judge Leonie Brinkema had suspended the sentencing trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, saying government prosecutors had been involved in "egregious" misconduct. She has now said the trial can continue and that the government could press its death penalty case. But she is throwing out key evidence about aviation security measures. The BBC's James Coomarasamy in Washington has described the ruling as a serious blow to the prosecution's case. The trial had been suspended after the government revealed one of its lawyers had coached four witnesses, breaking rules set by the judge. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4807382.stm
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Editor - 08:58:00 03-15-06
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| Hague tribunal convicts Bosnian Muslim commanders |
U.N. war crimes judges found two former Bosnian Muslim army commanders guilty on Wednesday of atrocities committed by their troops on Bosnian Croat and Bosnian Serb civilians during the 1992-95 war. Judges at the Hague tribunal found former General Enver Hadzihasanovic, 56, and Brigadier Amir Kubura, 42, guilty of failing to prevent or punish atrocities by troops under their command, including foreign Islamic mujahideen fighters. The men are among the highest-ranking Bosnian Muslims to stand trial in The Hague. Hadzihasanovic was sentenced to five years jail and Kubura to two and a half years. Prosecutors had requested 20 years for Hadzihasanovic and 10 years for Kubura. The tribunal said prosecutors had failed to convince the court that the men had full knowledge of the abuses and effective control over the perpetrators, in particular the mujahideen, many of whom came from North Africa and the Middle East to support fellow Muslims during the bloody conflict in the former Yugoslavia...
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1727880
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Editor - 08:54:00 03-15-06
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| U.S. to vote against new U.N. Human Rights Council |
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wed he was optimistic that UN member states would approve a new panel at the UN to replace the discredited Human Rights Commission, despite vows by the US to vote against the new body. The UN General Assembly will take up the resolution Wed, and a vote is likely even though assembly president Jan Eliasson has insisted he wants the new Human Rights Council to be approved by consensus of the 191 UN member states. The US argues that right abusers could still be elected to the new body under the proposed rules. US Ambassador John Bolton insisted Tue the only way forward was to reopen negotiations, but Eliasson said members told him this would open "Pandora's Box." "My understanding is that the US, even though they may not be able to vote for the council as it is now currently proposed, it will be able to work with the council," Annan said after a meeting with former South African president Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-03-15-un-humanrights_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 08:50:00 03-15-06
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