World, Nation Briefs: Pakistan files charges in Benazir Bhutto slaying
Published 9:45 pm Saturday, March 1, 2008
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani police on Saturday formally accused the top Taliban leader in the country and four others of planning the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Police filed preliminary charges in court against Baitullah Mehsud, who had been named by the Pakistani government in the Dec. 27 killing of Bhutto in a suicide and gun-attack during a public rally. Mehsud is the commander of Tehrik-e-Taliban, an umbrella group of Islamic militant groups linked to al-Qaida.
Afghanistan: Bomb kills civilians
A roadside bomb struck a tractor in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing three people, including a woman and a child, and wounding seven others, an official said. The blast hit a family as they were traveling between villages in the Ali Sher district of Khost province, a provincial health official said. The explosion happened on a road used by foreign and Afghan troops. Militants regularly target forces with roadside and suicide bombs, but most of the victims have been civilians.
Germany: Storms snarl transport
Powerful storms hit central Europe on Saturday, killing at least eight people, media and officials said. High winds in Germany tore the roof off a building at Duesseldorf’s airport. They also knocked down a tree that smashed into a high-speed train in the west of the country. Frankfurt International Airport said it was forced to cancel 70 flights early Saturday because of the winds, while national railway operator Deutsche Bahn reported dozens of trains delayed because of debris-scattered tracks and downed electrical lines. Dozens of Czech train lines were closed owing to fallen trees and power outages. Delays were also reported at Prague’s Ruzyne International Airport.
Guatemala: Bus death toll rises
The death toll in the crash of an overcrowded bus whose brakes apparently failed rose to 51 on Saturday, after five injured passengers died and another body was found in the wreckage. Survivors of the Friday crash told rescue workers that the bus driver had tried to brake by downshifting gears before the bus plunged off the highway and rolled down a 50-foot slope, a government spokesman said. “The survivors told us that about 4 miles before the scene of the accident, the driver said, ‘We lost our brakes, I’m going to try to brake with the motor,’ ” he said.
Poland: Leader to visit the U.S.
Poland’s prime minister said Saturday he intends to sound out officials in Washington on the U.S. approach to helping modernize Polish armed forces in return for accepting a missile defense base. Prime Minister Donald Tusk heads to Washington next week, and will meet with President George W. Bush to discuss U.S. hopes of building an interceptor base in Poland.
India: Millions budgeted for tigers
The Indian government plans to spend more than $13 million establishing a special ranger force to protect the country’s endangered tigers, following pressure from international conservationists to save the wild cats. The funding proposed Friday by the finance minister follows the announcement just weeks ago of a $153 million program to create new tiger reserves, underscoring renewed efforts by India’s government to protect the big cats.
Illinois: Teen abortion law on hold
A state law requiring parental notification before a minor can get an abortion will remain on hold, a federal judge ruled, the latest in decades of complex legal wrangling. Abortion rights groups on Saturday praised the decision, saying it could end chances for the measure to take effect. Proponents of the law said they were disappointed, and the attorney general’s spokeswoman said the state would consider an appeal. Currently, 35 states have parental notification or permission laws, and most states enforce them, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.
Michigan: An electric Mercedes
Daimler AG is planning to roll out a hybrid version of its Mercedes-Benz flagship S-Class luxury sedan that uses a kind of battery already widely used in consumer electronics. Daimler said that it has adapted lithium-ion technology to meet demanding automotive requirements. Daimler said Friday the new battery will be used in the S 400 BlueHYBRID beginning next year.
Florida: Heart failure killed whale
Preliminary results of a necropsy show that a pygmy sperm whale found stranded off the Florida Keys died of heart failure, marine mammal experts said. The 10½-foot, 985-pound male was discovered by a fisherman Feb. 23, stranded in shallow water off the upper Keys. It was taken hours later to the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo for treatment, but died unexpectedly on Wednesday.
From Herald news services
