World briefs 12/23/03

Gunmen fire on Haiti government protesters

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- An armed gang opened fire on anti-government protesters Monday during a clash that killed one man and left President Jean-Bertrand Aristide facing growing unrest. The gunmen were in a truck when they shot at the crowd. Riot police returned fire. It was not immediately clear who shot the man or if he was a demonstrator. The attack came a day after U.S. Ambassador James Foley signed a communique exhorting the police to protect the demonstrators against "armed gangs."

Bomb kills two U.S. soldiers in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Assailants detonated a roadside bomb near a U.S. military convoy in Baghdad on Monday, killing two American soldiers and an Iraqi translator. A U.S. commander said soldiers in the city had captured nine top rebel leaders in the past week, and had increased security ahead of possible Christmas season attacks.

More than 120 dead in Philippines landslides

SAN FRANCISO, Philippines -- Rescuers counted at least 127 dead and searched for dozens more missing Monday from devastating weekend mudslides in the eastern and southern Philippines, as sporadic rains and strong sea waves hampered recovery efforts. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo asked the United States to send Chinook helicopters to help in rescue operations, as several hard-hit villages have not yet been reached.

Spain holds $2.2 billion Christmas lottery

MADRID, Spain -- The world's richest lottery spread $2.2 billion in Christmas cheer Monday throughout Spain, including to a village whose name means luck. Spaniards spent the morning glued to television sets and radios for the latest edition of a sweepstakes that goes back to 1812 and marks the official start of Spain's holiday season. Known as El Gordo, or the Fat One, the lottery uses a complex system of shared numbers that shuns winner-takes-all jackpots and instead brings wealth to millions of people holding numbers that go from 00001 to 66,000.

Five foreign hostages freed in Colombia

VALLEDUPAR, Colombia -- Colombian rebels freed four Israelis and a Briton on Monday to a humanitarian commission, which whisked them away on two helicopters after 101 days in captivity in the jungle-covered northern mountains. "We're free! We're free," said Mark Henderson, the British hostage, in a brief comment with The Associated Press over a cell phone. Before the call was broken off, Henderson confirmed that he and the four Israelis had been freed by the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN.

Russia deploys fresh batch of nuclear missiles

MOSCOW -- Russia has deployed a fresh batch of its top-of-the-line strategic nuclear missiles after a break caused by a funding shortage, and military officials presented ambitious plans Monday for building weapons even more potent. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov inaugurated the new set of Topol-M missiles at the Tatishchevo missile base in the central Saratov region Sunday, describing them as a "21st-century weapon" unrivaled in the world.

Egypt's foreign minister attacked at holy site

JERUSALEM -- Muslim extremists attacked the Egyptian foreign minister as he tried to pray at a key Jerusalem holy site Monday, jostling him, shouting abuse and overshadowing his efforts to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Ahmed Maher, 68, appeared badly shaken as bodyguards and Israeli police whisked him out of the compound, while protesters hurled shoes and shouted at him. The guards supported Maher by his shoulders as he grimaced in pain and clutched his chest. Witnesses heard him gasping, "I'm going to choke, I'm going to choke," as he left the compound through a gate above the Western Wall, a Jewish holy site. He was taken to a hospital and later returned to Egypt.

-- From wire reports