Around the World

AFGHANISTAN

Blast Near U.S. Embassy

A suicide car bomber struck a convoy of foreign troops near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Thursday morning, killing one civilian and wounding six, the head of the Afghan capital's police force said.

All staff at the U.S. Embassy were safe, a spokesman said, with most off work for Thanksgiving.

The convoy was hit at 8:30 a.m., said Kabul's police chief, Mohammad Ayoub Salangi. The attack occurred about 160 yards from a junction with access to the embassy.

Spokesmen for international troops confirmed the blast but were unable to provide details.

CONGO

2 Mass Graves Found

Two mass graves containing as many as 2,000 bodies have been discovered in eastern Congo, government officials said Wednesday.

Justice Minister Luzolo Bambi said the graves were found Saturday in the town of Bukavu on land formerly owned by a member of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a Rwandan-backed rebel group that became a political party in 2003. Many of its top leaders were integrated into the government.

U.N. officials confirmed the presence of the mass graves but did not estimate the number of dead.

Meanwhile, a rebel offensive against Hutu militiamen in eastern Congo has forced more than 1,300 civilians to flee to neighboring Uganda in the past three days, insurgents and U.N. officials said.

VENEZUELA

Chávez Denounces Bank

At a summit in Caracas on Wednesday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez urged his leftist allies in Latin America and the Caribbean to stop seeking loans from the Inter-American Development Bank, saying the Washington-based bank exercises political pressure on Latin American countries.

The bank was created in 1959 to encourage economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides loans to governments for a wide range of projects.

Chávez encouraged the leaders of Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador and Dominica to create their own regional development bank as an alternative.

ECUADOR

'Banana Wars' Go On

Ecuador said Wednesday it would not agree to agricultural accords in the Doha global trade talks next month if the European Union fails to settle a long-running banana dispute by then.

The world's top banana exporter reacted hours after the World Trade Organization upheld a ruling against the E.U. in the "banana wars" pitting Brussels against the United States and Latin American producers.

Sunken Ship Wasn't Pirate Vessel

The so-called pirate mother ship sunk last week by the Indian navy was actually a Thai fishing trawler seized hours earlier by pirates, a maritime agency said. The Indian navy defended its actions, saying it had fired in self-defense. Fourteen sailors from the Thai boat have been missing since the Nov. 18 battle, which was hailed as a rare victory in the fight against increasingly brazen pirates.

Botswana Weighs In on Mugabe

Zimbabwe's neighbors should close their borders in an attempt to bring down President Robert Mugabe, Botswana's foreign minister, Phandu Skelemani, said in the strongest call yet for action from African leaders. Skelemani said that southern African nations have failed to move Mugabe with mediation and should impose sanctions.

Uribe Moves to Gain Third Term

Colombian President Álvaro Uribe moved closer to expanding his vast influence over the country when a congressional committee approved a bill aimed at allowing him to run for a third term in 2014. Under the measure, Uribe would have to sit out a term after his current government ends in two years.

Charges Mulled Against Olmert

Israel's attorney general said he was considering bringing criminal charges against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a corruption case that forced his resignation in September. Olmert is serving as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed after a Feb. 10 election, but an indictment could increase pressure on him to leave office earlier.

From News Services