U.S., Russia join others on explosives treaty

GENEVA -- World governments approved a treaty Friday that would require countries to clean up unexploded mines and other munitions in territories they control after a war. Ambassadors from 92 nations, including the United States, Russia and China, agreed to the language in the accord. It is the first disarmament treaty accepted by the Bush administration. Some delegations expressed concern that the agreement lacks the authority to be enforced.

Congo: overcrowding to blame in ferry disaster

INONGO, Congo -- Congo's government promised Friday to prosecute those responsible for a ferry collision that left 182 people confirmed dead and scores more missing, saying investigators were questioning the larger vessel's owner and captain. As many as 500 fishermen, traders and other travelers were crowded into the ferry Dieu Merci and a smaller vessel, with both boats lashed together as they moved across the lake, authorities said. A sudden storm late Tuesday whipped up waves nearing 8 feet, smashing together the two boats and sending all aboard into the water as both vessels broke into pieces.

Hard-line Protestants gain legislative control

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Voters in Northern Ireland handed power to hard-line Protestants in a stunning setback for hopes of reviving a Catholic-Protestant government, the central objective of the peace accord for this British territory. The Democratic Unionists -- who dismiss the 1998 Good Friday accord as a package of concessions to the Irish Republican Army -- seized control of the Protestant side of the Northern Ireland Assembly, election results showed Friday. They'll be sitting across the Assembly floor from a newly elected Roman Catholic majority from Sinn Fein, the IRA-linked party -- with whom the Democratic Unionists say they won't even talk, much less form a government.

Israel weighs dismantling of Gaza settlements

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering dismantling Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip while simultaneously annexing blocs of West Bank settlements if peace efforts fail, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday. Sharon adviser Zalman Shoval stopped short of confirming the report, but suggested Israel would keep some areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and leave others, if it were to take unilateral steps in the absence of a peace deal.

Volkswagen plans export of Chinese-made sedans

SHANGHAI, China -- This communist nation's booming auto industry opened a new era as an exporter of premium-priced cars Friday when Volkswagen unveiled the first sedan made in China for sale to upscale Western drivers. Most foreign automakers setting up operations in China are focusing on a domestic market that is the fastest-growing in the world, so Volkswagen's decision to produce 600 Polos for export to Australia was seen as significant. The company has said it plans to export Chinese-made cars to 84 countries within three to five years -- if it can bring down costs and improve quality.

-- From wire reports