Nation briefs 4/9/2005

Armed militiamen destroy Darfur village in Sudan

UNITED NATIONS -- More than 350 armed militiamen destroyed a village in Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region in the worst attack since January, the United Nations and the African Union said Friday. The two organizations expressed "utter shock and disbelief" at Thursday's daylong attack on the South Darfur village of Khor Abeche by armed militia from the Miseriyya tribe of Niteaga under the command of Nasir Al Tijani Adel Kaadir.

Prince Charles finally weds his true love

Italian F-16 jets intercept suspicious airplane

ROME -- Acting on a tip that a Serbian plane was carrying a bomb, Italian authorities on high alert for Pope John Paul II's funeral Friday scrambled F-16 jet fighters to force down one plane, while police stopped another on the ground from taking off, the Air Force said. No threat was found on either plane, but the action tested the high-strung defenses Italy put in place to protect some 200 dignitaries and millions of pilgrims who flocked to Rome for the funeral. Both incidents occurred about three hours after the ceremonies ended.

Nepal's army repels assault on base

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepalese soldiers repelled a major rebel assault on one of their bases in the country's mountainous northwest, killing at least 50 communist guerrillas during a battle that lasted more than 12 hours, the army said Friday. Hundreds of guerrillas attacked the security base at Khara village, about 250 miles west of the capital, Katmandu, the Royal Nepalese Army headquarters in Katmandu said. The battle began about 6 p.m. Thursday.