World briefs 11/5/06

Moscow police detain hundreds at rally

MOSCOW -- Police moved to block thousands of ultranationalist demonstrators rallying in Russian streets on Saturday, arresting hundreds who gathered in defiance of a ban on far-right demonstrations. A main organizer of the demonstrations, Alexander Belov, said rallies attracting thousands had taken place in more than 20 cities including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar in southern Russia, Blagoveshchensk in the Russian Far East and the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. He said police also detained activists in Novosibirsk and sought to block the marchers in a number of other cities.

NATO attacks Taliban fighters near Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan -- NATO forces struck a suspected insurgent compound in rare violence near Kabul and battles continued Saturday in the area, NATO said, while an Italian journalist held captive for weeks returned home, saying he had longed for his family and nation. NATO troops backed by warplanes launched the raid Friday north of Kabul, hitting a compound with eight to 10 suspected Taliban fighters inside, said Maj. Luke Knittig, a NATO spokesman. Knittig said he did not know how many insurgents were killed in ongoing fighting in the Tagab Valley, some 40 miles northeast of Kabul. Amid the increased violence, the Italian photographer, Gabriele Torsello, was kidnapped Oct. 12 while traveling by bus from Lashkar Gah in southern Afghanistan, to neighboring Kandahar, said Ettore Francesco Sequi, Italy's ambassador to Afghanistan. His captors left him on the side of a road Friday.

Marchers demand Taiwan president's resignation

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The president of Taiwan is battling for political survival. Thousands of people marched Saturday to pressure President Chen Shui-bian to resign -- one day after prosecutors indicted Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen, and three presidential aides on embezzlement, forgery and perjury charges. Wu was accused of siphoning $450,000 from a special diplomacy fund between 2002 and 2006. Prosecutors said there was a strong possibility Chen would be indicted after leaving office. Under Taiwanese law, a sitting president is immune from such charges.

-- From wire reports