World briefs 1/9/04

Palestinians may push for Arab-Jewish state

JERUSALEM -- Palestinians will give up their goal of independence and push instead for a single Arab-Jewish state if Israel carries out its threat to unilaterally impose a new boundary with Palestinian areas, the Palestinian premier said Thursday. A single country including Gaza, the West Bank and Israel would spell disaster for the Jewish state because the country would soon have an Arab majority. That would force Israel to choose between giving Palestinians the right to vote and risk losing the country's Jewish character, or becoming a minority-ruled country like apartheid South Africa.

Rescuers find man alive after 13 days under rubble

BAM, Iran -- A 57-year-old man was pulled from the rubble of this earthquake-shattered Iranian city, barely conscious but still alive after 13 days thanks to a nearby source of water. It was not known how the man -- who was only identified as Jalil -- got water, but the doctor said the ruins of the home where he was found were wet. A sense of normalcy was slowly returning to Bam as hundreds of workers cleared the main streets, banks opened and street lights were kept lit, even in the day, to demonstrate the improving situation since the 6.6-magnitude quake hit on Dec. 26, killing more than 30,000 people.

Dominica swears in new prime minister Skerrit

ROSEAU, Dominica -- Dominica's education minister was sworn in as the Caribbean's island's prime minister Thursday, two days after former leader Pierre Charles died of an apparent heart attack. Roosevelt Skerrit, 31, a former high school teacher, is the island's youngest prime minister since independence in 1978. He was chosen by the Dominica Labor Party, the country's main political party with 10 of Parliament's 21 seats. Skerrit takes over one of the region's poorest countries. Dominica, a former British colony of 71,000 people, is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism.

Pakistan begins major operation near border

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani troops backed by helicopters launched an offensive Thursday to capture suspected al-Qaida fugitives hiding in the mountains along the Afghan border, believed to be a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden. The operations follow a bloody series of attacks this week in Afghanistan suspected of being carried out by Taliban and possibly al-Qaida fighters, amid new calls by bin Laden in his latest taped message for Muslims to attack U.S. forces and their allies.

Low-tar cigarettes no less hazardous to smokers

LONDON -- Low-tar cigarettes do not carry a lower risk of lung cancer, according to the first study comparing lung cancer deaths among smokers of ultra-light, mild and medium filtered cigarettes. Previous research has found smokers of "lighter" cigarettes compensate by taking deeper drags, holding the smoke longer and smoking more cigarettes. Scientists suspected they would probably be just as vulnerable to lung cancer and other diseases as those who smoke harsher varieties. Tobacco industry representatives said manufacturers never claimed light or mild cigarettes were safer, and don't dispute the study's findings.

French police deny armed bomber is on the loose

PARIS -- French investigators have found no evidence that a passenger who did not show up for a trans-Atlantic flight might be an Afghan-trained al-Qaida sympathizer armed with a bomb, police said Thursday. ABC News reported this week that European authorities were searching for a man with alleged al-Qaida links who failed to board a Paris-to-Los Angeles flight on Christmas Eve -- one of six Air France flights canceled amid security fears.

EU anti-Semitism seminar back on track after spat

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- A Jewish group patched up its differences with the European Union's chief executive on Thursday after accusing his office of "moral treachery" amid plans for a European seminar on anti-Semitism. The World Jewish Congress alleged the European Union censored a study highlighting involvement of Europe's Arab minorities in anti-Semitic attacks. It also complained about an opinion poll in which Israel was named a threat to world peace more than any other country.

China announces second suspected SARS case

GUANGZHOU, China -- A waitress hospitalized in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was declared the country's second suspected SARS case of the season on Thursday, just as the first patient was pronounced recovered and released. The 20-year-old waitress was hospitalized with a fever on Dec. 31, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It said she was under quarantine in Guangzhou's No. 8 People's Hospital.

-- From wire reports