CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela’s foreign minister was detained by U.S. authorities at a New York airport for more than hour Saturday as he tried to return home, President Hugo Chavez said. U.S. officials called the incident regrettable but said Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro had been identified for “secondary screening,” a security check that can kick in when a passenger arrives without a ticket. Maduro told CNN en Espanol that he was confined to a small room and told to remove his clothes. “They were violating diplomatic conventions,” he said.
Israel: Peace plan ‘back to zero’
Accusing the Islamic militant group Hamas of backtracking, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Saturday that his efforts to set up a national unity government that is acceptable to the West are “back to zero.” Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Friday he would not lead a coalition that recognizes Israel, dealing a blow to Abbas’ attempts to form a power-sharing government between his ousted Fatah group and Hamas.
Nepal: Wildlife activists missing
A helicopter chartered by conservation group World Wildlife Fund with 24 people aboard including an American aid worker, a Finnish diplomat and a Nepalese minister went missing Saturday in Nepal’s mountainous east, officials said. Civilian and army helicopters had been searching the area in eastern Taplejung district where the Russian-built MI-17 helicopter disappeared early Saturday. But they called off the search due to poor weather, the rescue unit at Katmandu airport said.
Turkey: Bomb hits police hotel
Suspected Kurdish guerrillas set off an explosive-laden minibus across from a police guest house in Turkey Saturday, injuring 17 people, the governor’s office said. The Ford minibus, parked across from the guest house, went off in Igdir on the Armenian border. The blast shattered the windows of the guest house and other buildings in the area. Two of the injured were in serious condition, the governor’s office said. The injured included five police officers and officials of a soccer club who traveled from Ankara for a match, the Dogan news agency said.
From Herald news services
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