World briefs 2/10/04

Thai official warns of second bird flu outbreak

HANOI, Vietnam -- A Thai health official said Monday authorities should prepare for the possibility of a second outbreak of bird flu. Vietnam reported the region's 19th fatality from the virus that has ravaged poultry farms across Asia. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, said China may already have human cases of bird flu, although the country hasn't reported any. It said while the government has been sharing information about known outbreaks, it might not be aware of everything happening in the country.

Prince Charles pays a visit to Iranian president

TEHRAN, Iran -- Prince Charles shared dates with earthquake survivors and discussed democracy with Iran's embattled president on Monday in the first visit by a British royal to the country since the Islamic revolution. The heir to the British throne walked down dusty streets amid the rubble of collapsed buildings in Baravat, a village on the outskirts of Bam, which was flattened by a Dec. 26 earthquake that killed more than 41,000 people. Entering tents, Charles met survivors who, for the most part, did not know their guest.

Israeli court pledges speedy ruling on barrier

JERUSALEM -- Israel's Supreme Court promised a speedy ruling on a petition to halt construction of Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank, a landmark case seen as a dress rehearsal for a world court hearing over the contentious project. The court heard arguments in the case Monday, a day after the government said it would change the route to minimize hardship for Palestinians and gain Washington's support against the legal challenges. The rights group behind the petition said the partially built network of walls, razor wire and trenches infringes on human rights and violates international law. The Center for the Defense of the Individual said that if Israel wants a barrier, it should be built on territory held before seizing the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war.

Mystery surrounds Russian candidate's disappearance

MOSCOW -- Russia's presidential campaign has taken a disconcerting turn as one of the long-shot challengers to Vladimir Putin has vanished -- his fate still unknown Monday, four days after he was last seen. Whether the disappearance of Ivan Rybkin reflects foul play or was staged -- as some suspect -- it introduces a note of dark intrigue ahead of the March 14 vote, which Putin is expected to win easily. Some 10,000 Russians disappear every year, but few are as high profile as Rybkin: a presidential candidate five weeks before the election. Rybkin was a national security chief under former President Boris Yeltsin, the ex-speaker of Russia's lower parliament, a participant in failed negotiations with Chechnya's rebel leadership in 2002, and a close associate of one of self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky.

Schroeder, Chirac pledge unity on European issues

GENSHAGEN, Germany -- The leaders of Germany and France pledged Monday to avoid political interference in a proposed merger of two French drug makers that would create a new global giant, even while seeking to protect jobs involved in both countries. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac -- allies in opposing the Iraq war -- also stood firm in demanding bigger voting rights for their countries in negotiations on a future European Union constitution and tougher limits on EU spending. Stepping up the push for a constitution, Schroeder and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will meet Thursday in Berlin to prepare for a summit of the three European leaders in Berlin next week.

Court explosion injures 11 in Ukrainian capital

KIEV, Ukraine -- A gas tank exploded Monday in the basement of a courthouse while undergoing repairs, injuring at least 11 people, officials said. The blast at the Darnitsia district court building in Kiev damaged its facade and blew out windows in adjoining buildings, police said. Eleven people were hospitalized, two of them in critical condition, and the building was evacuated, said police spokesman Dmytro Andreyev. The injured included six court employees and five visitors.

-- From wire reports