An internal U.N. probe of the department that runs international peacekeeping operations has uncovered extensive evidence of mismanagement and possible fraud, and triggered the suspension of eight procurement officials pending an investigation, according to U.N. officials and documents. A confidential report presented to several governments Monday says there are “strong” indications of fraud involving contracts whose value totaled about $193 million, nearly 20 percent of the $1 billion in U.N. business examined by the auditors.
Serbia-Montenegro: Train wreck
A packed passenger train derailed Monday and plunged into a steep river canyon, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 135, more than half of them children. The four-car train derailed near the village of Bioce as it emerged from a tunnel, police said. Interior Minister Jusuf Kalomperovic said initial reports indicated the train’s brakes may have failed.
Chile: Pinochet’s family indicted
Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s wife and four grown children were indicted and ordered arrested in Santiago on Monday on charges of tax evasion related to the former dictator’s multimillion-dollar accounts at overseas banks, according to a judge’s resolution read on state television. The combined alleged tax evasion by the Pinochet family mentioned in the resolution amounts to $2.05 million.
Canada: Positive test for mad cow
A cow from an Alberta farm has tested positive for mad cow disease, officials in Toronto said Monday, raising fears for a beef industry still struggling to recover from a U.S. decision in 2003 to ban cattle imports. Dr. Brian Evans, Canada’s chief veterinary officer, said the disease was found in a 6-year-old animal that did not enter the human food or animal-feed systems.
France: Report on CIA activities
The CIA conducted illegal activities when it detained and transported terrorist suspects in Europe, according to a report to be released today by the head of a European investigation into alleged CIA secret prisons. The investigator, Dick Marty, said his interim report will focus on reported cases of the U.S. sending suspected terrorists to countries where they would be likely to face torture. The report will not contain new evidence on the location of alleged detention centers in Europe, Marty said.
From Herald news services
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