Cabinet OKs last phase of Gaza pullout
TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says leaders who encouraged resistance to the Gaza pullout caused settlers "so much pain."
"There was a very severe phenomenon of the infiltrators and it seems some of them did things I would define as wild acts that I think border on crimes," Sharon said in a statement to the Israeli Cabinet Sunday, the New York Times reported.
By Sunday, 20 of the 21 settlements had been emptied. Residents of the last remaining one, Netzarim, agreed to leave peacefully on Monday, although some appeared likely to be carried out of their homes by soldiers, the Times said.
The Cabinet voted 16-4 in favor of the final phase of withdrawal, which includes four small settlements in the West Bank. In Sanur and Homesh, scheduled for clearance on Tuesday or Wednesday, officials expect resistance.
Putin agrees to schedule Chechen election
BOCHAROV RUCHEI, Russia, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Sunday to sign an order setting parliamentary elections in Chechnya.
The Novosti news agency reported that Putin approved the Nov. 27 date proposed by Chechen President Alu Alkhanov. Putin must call for the elections because Chechnya has no parliament in place.
Elections will be "another serious step toward the republic's political settlement," Putin said.
Siblings included in WTC commemoration
NEW YORK, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Almost 800 siblings of those who perished in the attacks on New York's World Trade Center have asked to read their names at this year's commemoration.
"Until now, the siblings are kind of lost in the shuffle," said Lauren Kiefer Foley of Franklin Square, N.Y.
Earlier Sept. 11, 2001, commemorations had mostly spouses and children read the names.
However, organizers of this year's commemoration said they hope all interested families will be represented by at least one reader during the roll call of the 2,749 who died at Ground Zero, reported the New York Daily News Sunday.
"I commend the city, because the brothers and sisters have felt left out of the process," said Bill Doyle, a retired New York stockbroker whose late son Joseph worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. "A lot of them have said to me, 'What about us?'"
Blair backs Scotland Yard chief
LONDON, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The head of Scotland Yard has the support of Prime Minister Tony Blair, despite criticism for the way he handled the shooting of an innocent man.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair admitted Saturday he did not know his officers had killed an innocent man until 24 hours after the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in the Stockwell Tube last month, the London Telegraph reported.
A Downing Street spokesman said Blair had "full confidence" in the police commissioner and his handling of the case.
Blair's support was echoed by deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who is in charge while the prime minister is on vacation.
The police commissioner faced further criticism Sunday after published reports that that Scotland Yard had offered the dead man's family a $27,000 payment.
Prescott said he had not seen the letter containing the alleged offer, but said it would be "terrible" if the reports were true.
