? COLCHESTER, England -- A judge dismissed charges against seven British soldiers accused of murdering an Iraqi civilian, ruling that some Iraqi witnesses lied and that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.
? COPENHAGEN -- Denmark plans to boost its security police by about 40 percent as part of anti-terrorism efforts, an official said, days after six terrorism suspects were detained.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
? BEIJING -- The next round of talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons programs will begin Wednesday in Beijing, the Chinese government said, appealing to the participants to be ready to make progress in the slow-moving negotiations.
? CANBERRA, Australia -- Parliament passed urgent amendments to anti-terrorism laws, making it easier for police to arrest suspects, a day after Prime Minister John Howard warned of a possible terrorist threat.
? MANILA -- Five U.S. Marines who participated in counterterrorism exercises were barred from leaving the Philippines after being accused of raping a woman at a former U.S. naval base, officials said.
THE AMERICAS
? PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti's interim government filed a civil lawsuit accusing former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide of embezzling tens of millions of dollars of public funds and said it would pursue criminal prosecution. Aristide's attorney called the accusations baseless.
-- From News Services
