12 killed in fresh Mideast violence
GAZA, West Bank, April 25 (UPI) -- Twelve Palestinians were killed in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank overnight during Israeli military operations, Palestinian security and medical sources said Thursday. Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were scheduled to meet for a third straight day in talks aimed at ending the impasse at the Church of the Nativity, which has been surrounded by troops and tanks since some 200 Palestinian gunmen took refuge there April 2. In the talks, Palestinians have proposed that the gunmen be escorted to the Palestinian-controlled section of the Gaza Strip.
PA sentences killers of Israeli official
GAZA, West Bank, April 25 (UPI) -- A Palestinian military court on Thursday sentenced four Palestinian militants in the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi, official Palestinian sources said. The court was held in Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah. The court imposed prison terms on four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP, after convicting them of killing Zeevi. Hamdi Qura'an and Majdi Irhim were both sentenced to 18 years in prison, and Basel El Asmar was sentenced to 12 years.
Report: U.S. attacks al Qaida in Pakistan
WASHINGTON, April 25 (UPI) -- U.S. military units, operating in small groups, have been attacking suspected al Qaida hideouts in Pakistan, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Citing unnamed U.S. military officials, the Post said the new U.S. strategy has not been publicized by Pentagon officials and represents an evolution in the way the United States is conducting the war against terrorism. Early last month, U.S. forces had conducted a weeklong ground and air assault on suspected al Qaida positions in the Shahikot valley in Afghanistan.
Bomb rocks Indonesia, injuring two
JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 25 (UPI) -- An explosion rocked the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon on Thursday, injuring at least two people and damaging a church. The explosion fueled rising tension in the conflict-ravaged Moluccas islands as pro-independence supporters marked the 52th anniversary of the separatist movement. The national police chief, Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, said the matter was under investigation. No arrests have been made yet. Government forces fired warning shots to disperse thousands of Muslim protesters.
Vatican: Zero tolerance for molesters
VATICAN CITY, April 25 (UPI) -- U.S. Catholic priests guilty of "serial predatory sexual abuse" of minors could face expulsion from the church if the national conference of bishops confirms recommendations issued by the 13 American cardinals. The recommendation came in a statement by the cardinals Wednesday following two days of talks with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on how the U.S. Catholic hierarchy should deal with the clerical sex scandals that have shaken the American church. The cardinals also addressed a letter to the U.S. clergy apologizing for "episcopal oversight" that has exacerbated the scandal.
Bill would make feds consider privacy
WASHINGTON, April 25 (UPI) -- Federal agencies would have to assess the privacy impact of the new regulations they propose, taking public comments into account in the process, if legislation introduced Wednesday by Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., becomes law. The Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act, backed by diverse political interests, would require that a privacy impact statement be issued whenever a notice of a new regulation -- or a new interpretation of tax law -- is published. The public would be able to comment on the initial statement and their comments would be folded into a final impact statement that would also be published. The courts could be called on to ensure that agencies not ignore the need for the impact statements.
Stocks ease in Tokyo
TOKYO, April 25 (UPI) -- Stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended slightly lower Thursday in directionless trading, pressured by weakness in semiconductor issues. Stocks rose in Hong Kong, but fell in Seoul, South Korea and Taipei, Taiwan. Markets in Australia were closed for the Anzac Day holiday. Trading will resume on Friday. Japan's blue-chip Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selective issues, which lost 63.95 points Wednesday, slipped another 24.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 11,648.72. The broader Topix index eased 0.40 points, or 0.04 percent, to 1,098.32.
Gasol named NBA rookie of the year
MEMPHIS, April 25 (UPI) -- Pau Gasol will head back to Spain with some impressive hardware. The Memphis Grizzlies forward Wednesday became the first European player to be named NBA Rookie of the Year, earning the distinction in a landslide vote. The Grizzlies failed to make the playoffs and Gasol hoped to return to his native Spain soon after the season ended last week. The National Basketball League agreed to move up the announcement of its Rookie of the Year, and Gasol was presented with the award at a news conference Wednesday. Gasol received 117 of a possible 126 votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters. Richard Jefferson of the New Jersey Nets was second with three votes.
