WORLD IN BRIEF

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Korean PENINSULA

Meeting of Premiers Stresses Economic Ties

The prime ministers of North and South Korea launched their first talks in 15 years on a harmonious note Wednesday in Seoul, seeking to build on plans for economic cooperation devised at a summit of their leaders last month.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for "immediate implementation of projects that can be carried out soon" as he began meetings with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Yong Il, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said.

This week's negotiations, which end Friday, are to focus mainly on economic cooperation, including setting up a shared fishing area around the two Koreas' disputed western sea border and establishing a joint economic area on North Korea's southwestern coast.

iran

Nuclear Negotiator Charged With Passing Secrets

Iran's government announced Wednesday that it has charged a former senior nuclear negotiator, Hossein Mousavian, with passing classified information to the West.

The charges appear to be an attempt by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to push back against pressure for a softer nuclear policy and to discredit his growing political opposition.

He has sought to take more direct control of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the United Nations but has faced a backlash from critics, including top conservatives, who say his rejection of compromise has deepened the country's troubles.

somalia

Mogadishu Mayor Defends Media Crackdown

Mogadishu's mayor on Wednesday defended a government crackdown on Somali media that has been condemned by rights groups, saying three radio stations were closed this week because they were spreading lies.

"These three radio stations have been closed down because they have no permit. We told them repeatedly to get the official documents, but they ignored the government notification," Mayor Mohamed Dheere said.

Dheere, a former warlord, also accused the private stations of undermining national security by fabricating reports that the presidential palace had been hit by mortar fire.

iraq

U.S. Troops Said to Mistakenly Kill Sunni Allies

A leader of a Sunni group formed to resist the group al-Qaeda in Iraq asserted Wednesday that U.S. troops mistakenly killed dozens of his fighters during a 12-hour battle north of Baghdad. He said he tried repeatedly to call the Americans and tell them they were fighting "their friends."

U.S. military officials said U.S. troops killed 24 fighters and captured 16 in a battle that began as soldiers searched for al-Qaeda in Iraq insurgents believed to be hiding in the area.

Mansour Abid Salim of the Taji Awakening Council told al-Jazeera television that the Americans ignored special markings used to identify Sunni fighters who had broken with the anti-American insurgency and had joined with the U.S. military and its Iraqi allies. U.S. spokesmen in Baghdad said they were still gathering details of the fighting.

Russia

General: Troop Pullout From Georgia Completed

A top Russian general said early Thursday that Russia has completed its withdrawal of troops based in Georgia, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

"There are no more Russian troops in Georgia, there remain only peacekeepers . . . in Abkhazia and those that are part of the combined forces in South Ossetia with the participation of Georgia," the news agency quoted the commander in chief of Russian ground troops, Gen. Alexei Maslov, as saying.

The final removal of troops that were based in Georgia as a holdover from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union would eliminate one of the most contentious points in Russia-Georgia relations.

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Ch¿vez to Review Venezuela's Ties With Spain

Venezuelan President Hugo Ch¿vez warned Spain that he will review diplomatic and business ties with the former colonial power, escalating a dispute that erupted when Spain's king told him in public to "shut up." Ch¿vez, who nationalized parts of the economy this year, has demanded that King Juan Carlos apologize for reprimanding him.

At Least Two Dead as Quake Hits Northern Chile

A major earthquake in northern Chile crushed cars, damaged thousands of houses and terrified people for hundreds of miles. Authorities reported at least two deaths and more than 100 injuries. The quake shook the Chilean capital, 780 miles south of the epicenter, and was felt as far away as Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1,400 miles to the east. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 7.7.

Suspected Arson Kills Family of Seven in N. Ireland

A family of seven -- including five children ranging in age from 10 months to 13 years -- were killed in a house fire in Northern Ireland that police characterized as arson. Neighbors described hearing screams and cries for help after the fire broke out around 4 a.m. Tuesday in the town of Omagh, west of Belfast, but said they could not get into the house because the fire was too intense.

From News Services