Briefly

Thirty-six bodies found after Haitian boat sinks

SOUTH DOCK, Turks and Caicos Islands -- Authorities searched the turquoise waters surrounding this British territory Saturday for some 40 Haitian migrants missing after their boat sank. The bodies of 36 people have been recovered. At least three of the bodies fished from the water had been attacked by sharks, and some had limbs chewed off, said police Inspector Hilton Duncan. A 25-foot boat carrying an estimated at least 150 people capsized Friday morning in the dark a half-mile from shore in shark-infested waters. More than 70 people were rescued. One survivor, Wilke Pierre, 52, said a storm struck as the boat neared the Turks and Caicos early Friday, turning the waters choppy and lashing the boat with torrential rain and lightning. Some passengers in the overloaded boat panicked, causing it to capsize. The boat had left Cap-Haitien, in northern Haiti, early Wednesday morning, Pierre said.

Hamas rejects timeline; rockets fired at Israel

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- The leader of Hamas rejected an American proposal for a detailed timeline to ease Palestinian movement and improve Israeli security, instead threatening new violence against Israel despite wary Palestinian government support for the U.S. plan. The Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, said Israel is planning a military operation against the Palestinians. "We in Hamas are also preparing ourselves for battle, and we expect hot months," he said. He urged all Palestinian groups to "seriously prepare themselves for battle." Israel said Mashaal's comments show the true nature of the group. "We never had any illusions as to the policies and goals of the Hamas and unfortunately his remarks do not come as a surprise," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said. In the Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad militants on Saturday fired three rockets toward Israel, damaging a house in the town of Sderot to avenge the killing of three members of the group by Israeli undercover troops a day earlier.

One dead, 21 injured in roller coaster accident

TOKYO -- A roller coaster traveling up to 46 mph hit a guardrail at an amusement park in western Japan on Saturday, killing one person and injuring 21 others, officials said. Osaka police official Kaoru Tanaka said a woman was killed and 21 others were injured. Two people suffered serious injuries, Kyodo News Agency reported. Public broadcaster NHK said 12 onlookers were also taken to a hospital after they complained of feeling ill. An axle on one of the six cars broke causing the accident at Expoland in Osaka, 255 miles west of Tokyo, Kyodo reported. It happened amid Japan's "Golden Week" holiday, when many families pack amusement parks and other tourist sites.

-- From wire reports