German Car Buyers' Favorite Pickup Taking possession of a new vehicle is a ceremonial occasion in the land of the Beetle and the BMW. Volkswagen has built an entire theme park for the purpose. Powell Visits Lebanon, Syria to Call for Peace Israel has vowed a fight if attacks on north go on. Pullout is planned for two West Bank cities. Israel Arrests the Leader of Arafat Faction Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lauds the capture of Fatah chief Marwan Barghouti and vows a trial. Palestinians warn of repercussions. FALLOUT IN VENEZUELA President says he is unlikely to arrest all coup supporters. Opposition groups vow to keep pressing for reforms. Moscow OKs U.S. Poultry Products from four states and 14 companies remain banned because of diseases, Russia says. 31 Jailed Officers Released in Mexico Tijuana chief is among those freed from group of 41. All are told further investigation is possible. Pilot Among 38 Survivors of Jet Crash The captain of an Air China aircraft that crashed in South Korea on Monday killing 119 people is alive and in a hospital but not talking about the accident, a South Korean official said today. Bin Laden Resurfaces on TV Arab network airs segment featuring Al Qaeda leader, another with a Sept. 11 hijacker. U.S. to Carefully Study New Video Officials say every attempt will be made to extract data from Bin Laden tape. Anti-Terrorism Drive Idling 50 nations haven't sent plans for the battle. Impact on networks' financing is limited. Afghanistan Explosion Kills 4 U.S. Servicemen Four American servicemen were killed and another was wounded in Afghanistan on Monday when a rocket they were trying to disarm exploded, U.S. defense officials said. 'Alive Dead People' Living in a Paralyzed Bethlehem Curfew keeps residents confined to their homes. Garbage and sewage fill streets. Troops patrol, tossing grenades. Pro-Israel Demonstration Draws Tens of Thousands to Washington Likening Israel's offensive in the West Bank to the U.S. war on terror, tens of thousands of demonstrators converged on the Capitol on Monday in what organizers proclaimed the largest pro-Israel rally in U.S. history. Massacre Allegations Smolder in Camp Ruins Palestinians are convinced that Israelis slaughtered several hundred people in Jenin. But few bodies have been recovered. U.S. Policy on Detainees Draws Fire The treatment of Al Qaeda and Taliban suspects at the U.S. military base in Cuba undermines human rights and may be cruel and degrading, Amnesty International said Monday. Saudi Envoy to Britain Hails Suicide Bombers in Verse The Saudi ambassador to Britain, a well-known poet in the Arab world, has praised Palestinian suicide bombers and criticized the United States in a poem published in a London-based newspaper. Government to Support Move to Censure Cuba In a move likely to further chill Mexico-Cuba relations, the government announced that it will support a U.N. resolution censuring Cuba for its human rights record. Human Rights Activist Is Refused Entry Hong Kong denied entry to prominent human rights activist Harry Wu for "security reasons," a Hong Kong-based watchdog group said. Editor Arrested Over Story on Vote-Rigging The editor of Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper was arrested on charges that he published false information on vote-rigging in last month's presidential election. Pull Over to the Curb and Calm Down, Please French driving students may soon have to wait 24 hours before finding out test results because too many candidates are attacking examiners who fail them on the spot. China's Mother Tongue Is Dying Generations of women passed down a unique form of writing that was kept away from men. Now a 95-year-old may be the last alive who grew up using nushu. Powell Talks to Both Sides; No Progress Mideast: Arafat says Israel must withdraw troops from West Bank before he will crack down on militants. But Sharon gives U.S. secretary no timetable for a pullback. 'They Forced Me to Hate' Conflict: Residents of the Jenin refugee camp speak of the viciousness of the Israeli attack. Venezuela's Chavez Aims for Healing Free after 48 hours under military arrest, President Hugo Chavez retook control of Venezuela on Sunday and began anew to place his personal stamp on the country. Sunshine Law Sheds Little Light on Big Bureaucracy Citizens seeking government documents under new disclosure measure are disappointed that officials are stymieing them. Immigration Bill Faces a New Holdup Landmark legislation that would let in a limited number of skilled foreign workers may get tied up in a constitutional review. When No Place Is Really Home Ethnic Russian is seen as a foreigner in Kabul, as are her half-Afghan children. But Moscow refuses to claim her. U.S. Troops, Airstrip Come Under Fire in Afghanistan After weeks of no reported combat with Al Qaeda or Taliban fighters, American-led forces clashed with "terrorists," and several of the enemy were believed killed, the U.S. command said Sunday. Oil Prices Likely to Spike Upward Again Oil prices are expected to rise today amid the confusing turn of events in Venezuela that have returned Hugo Chavez to power and clouded the future of a nation that is 's fourth-largest exporter of oil. Attempt on Colombian Candidate Hits Others Bomb misses presidential race leader, but kills four. India's Ruling Alliance Holds Despite Discord India's shaky ruling coalition survived a revolt Sunday over its handling of the worst religious violence in a decade, winning at least a reprieve. Jetliner Crashes in S. Korea Beijing-to-Pusan flight with 166 aboard goes down in heavy fog. At least 44 people may have survived. Couple Believed Bedroom Could Be Their Grave On their seventh day entombed in a home that had been crushed by an Israeli bulldozer, Abdullah Shobi's wife turned to him and said: "I think today is our last day. We are going to die." Shobi, 68, a retired baker, nodded in agreement. Militant, Once Reported Dead, Is Arrested The Israeli military said it has arrested a top militant, the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the northern part of the West Bank, a week after he was reported killed in an explosion in a refugee camp. | Besieged Arafat Complex Gets a Good Scrubbing Ramallah: Water and power are turned on and debris is cleared in time for Powell's meeting with the Palestinian leader. Nepal Army Kills 17 Maoist Rebels At least 17 Maoist rebels were killed in a new clash with soldiers after last week's assault on two security posts in which more than 300 people are believed to have died, state radio said today. Suspected Al Qaeda Member Arrested Spanish police have arrested a suspected member of the Al Qaeda terrorist network near the northeastern city of Barcelona, officials said. Survivors Say Blast at Synagogue Was Deliberate Two survivors of last week's deadly gas truck explosion at a 2,000-year-old Tunisian synagogue told a newspaper that they believe the attack was deliberate. Ruling Handed Down in Eritrea Border Dispute Although both sides declared victory in a ruling on their border dispute, jubilation in Ethiopia and a muted mood in Eritrea hinted that the most prized turf may have gone to Ethiopia. Female Presidential Hopeful Exits the Race Roseana Sarney, the Brazilian right's main hope in October's presidential election, said she was pulling out of the race and would run for the Senate instead. Arafat Condemns Terror; Powell Meeting Back On 'We want deeds, not words,' a Sharon aide says. Hamas vows more attacks. Israel continues West Bank incursion. Interim Venezuelan President Resigns Supporters of deposed President Hugo Chavez stormed back into power late Saturday, making the new interim president resign less than 48 hours after strongman Chavez had been forced from office. A Trail of Destruction Scars Nablus' Old City For all the destruction inflicted on Palestinian property by a 2-week-old military onslaught, nothing pains Arafat Hinno like what he sees in the old city of Nablus. Village Is China's Fledgling 'Davos' Asia's version of the global economic conference, convened by Beijing, points to regime's growing clout in region. Priest Scandals a Deep Betrayal for Many Irish Increasing allegations of abuse by the clergy have rocked a nation that strongly identifies with Roman Catholicism. Russian Troops Pull Out of Georgia's Buffer Zone Moscow says the 'peacekeeping' operation is over. Death Toll in Nepal Battle Rises to 160 Many of the victims are police officers beheaded by Maoist rebels, authorities say. Operation Anaconda Leaves Bitterness in Its Wake Residents of battle-torn region say the U.S. bombed their homes and killed their relatives. Northern Israel Residents Fear a Broader War Many are thinking about leaving as cross-border attacks by guerrillas threaten to spark a conflict with Lebanon and Syria. Unlike Arafat, Sharon Won Bush's Trust In December 1998, shortly before he decided to run for president, then-Gov. George W. Bush made a three-day visit to Israel and came home with two indelible memories. Arafat Statement Decries Terror Activities The statement issued Saturday by Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat on the WAFA news agency. Pro-Israel Rally at Capitol Expected to Draw Tens of Thousands Tens of thousands of people from across the country are expected to attend a rally at the Capitol on Monday to demonstrate solidarity with Israel and to declare that its military operations in the West Bank are part of the global battle against terrorism. Jewish Cemetery Defaced in France Vandals have desecrated a Jewish cemetery in Strasbourg with swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans in an attack that President Jacques Chirac denounced Saturday as scandalous. Bishop Says Pope 'Deeply Touched' By U.S. Scandal A top U.S. bishop said Saturday that Pope John Paul II has been "deeply touched" by the suffering surrounding allegations of sexual abuse by American priests. But the pontiff did not discuss calls for the resignation of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law. Firefights Continue In and Around Kabul Tank fire boomed through a barren valley as a turf battle raged for a second day west of Kabul, the Afghan capital. In Kabul, British peacekeepers traded fire with gunmen, and in southern Afghanistan, a rocket just missed the offices of the Kandahar governor. 2,500 Gather to Honor Slain Members of IRA About 2,500 Irish republicans gathered at a hotel in Dublin, the Irish capital, to commemorate members of the IRA and its political wing, Sinn Fein, killed in Northern Ireland's 30-year conflict over British rule. War Crimes Suspect Dies After Shooting Himself Veteran Serbian politician and war crimes indictee Vlajko Stojiljkovic, who shot himself in the head outside the Yugoslav parliament in Belgrade on Thursday, died, a doctor said. Death Toll in Synagogue Explosion Rises to 13 The death toll in an explosion that was caused when a natural gas tanker crashed into a wall of a Tunisian synagogue Thursday climbed to 13 as three more people died. Venezuelan President Resigns Military arrests Chavez and names a businessman interim leader. Powell Cancels Talks With Arafat After Suicide Blast A Palestinian woman kills herself and six others in a marketplace attack on the first day of the U.S. secretary's peace mission. Death of Reformer May Gain Her Goal Inquiry into the slaying of a Mexican city councilwoman might lead to a cleanup of local government. Russia Force Enters Gorge in Georgia The former Soviet republic and U.N. officials reject Moscow's assertion that the deployment is in line with a peacekeeping accord. |