Thousands arrested after Ethiopian protests

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Thousands of people have been arrested across Ethiopia after violent clashes in which police killed 36 people, a New York-based human rights group reported Wednesday. The political unrest prompted Britain on Wednesday to suspend a planned $54.1 million increase in aid to Ethiopia, one of the world's poorest countries. Police have released many detainees and will free more in coming days, a government official said on condition of anonymity because the statement related to internal security. Ethiopia's ruling party claimed victory in last month's elections, based on provisional results. But parties have lodged complaints in 299 of the country's 527 constituencies.

Sri Lanka vows to share tsunami aid with rebels

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's president vowed Wednesday to go ahead with a deal to share tsunami aid with the rebel Tamil Tigers, despite a threat by a ruling coalition partner to leave the government if she does not back down. Opponents say the pact backed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga threatens the country's sovereignty and will help the Tigers in their quest to carve out a separate state. Kumaratunga contends the plan to share the aid following the Dec. 26 tsunami is a golden opportunity to forge peace with the separatist guerrillas and end a war that killed nearly 65,000 people before a 2002 cease-fire. Sri Lanka's powerful Buddhist monks also object to the pact, with a senior monk entering the fourth day of a hunger strike to protest it. The rebels have complained that assistance has not reached Tamil areas fast enough since the disaster.

Orthodox Church leader: Vatican has same goals

KIEV, Ukraine -- One of Ukraine's top religious leaders said Wednesday the Orthodox Church should not fear the Vatican and there are no obstacles to greater cooperation between the two Christian churches. Patriarch Filaret, who heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's Kiev Patriarchate, said in an interview that the churches have much in common and should cooperate in emphasizing the importance of the family and moral values. Unifying the two churches is "desirable but today it is not realistic," Filaret said, but he said greater cooperation is possible.

EU's pledge to Turkey to be honored

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union must honor its commitments to Turkey and other nations regarding their future membership in the bloc despite public concern about the expansion plans, the European Commission's president said Wednesday. Jose Manuel Barroso also warned that the failure to resolve the deadlock over the EU's constitution plans could leave the bloc facing "permanent crisis and paralysis." The 25-nation EU has pledged to open membership talks with mostly Muslim Turkey in October, and has signed treaties with Romania and Bulgaria.

--From wire reports

U.S. confirms delay in biometric passport requirements

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confirmed Wednesday that Washington had agreed to delay plans requiring 27 countries to adopt new passports with fingerprint and iris scan information by the end of October.

Later Wednesday, Gonzales and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff were to attend a meeting of ministers from the G8 group of leading economic powers in Sheffield, England.

Washington had said that all EU passports issued after Oct. 26 must have biometric security elements included on a microchip or passport holders will require a visa to enter the U.S.

However the European Union and others have complained they would not be able to have the technology ready in time. They have appealed for more time and the U.S. administration has been working with Congress to agree on a solution.