World briefs 2/3/05

Castro: Bush 'deranged,' Europe unwelcome

HAVANA -- In his first public remarks since the United States dubbed Cuba an outpost of tyranny, Fidel Castro called President Bush "deranged" and belittled recent improvements in relations between Cuba and Europe. In a televised address late Tuesday, Castro maintained his trademark go-it-alone attitude, saying his communist-run island is a paradise that is doing fine without the help of the United States or Europe.

Iran says nuclear program will continue

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran will never scrap its nuclear program, and talks with Europeans are intended to protect the country's nuclear achievements, not negotiate an end to them, an Iranian official said Wednesday. The remarks by Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman of Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council, are the latest in a hardening of his country's stance amid ongoing talks with European negotiators. They also reflect Tehran's possible frustration at the lack of progress.

U.N. envoy: Atrocities continue in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- The U.N. envoy for Sudan accused the government Wednesday of failing to stop the killing of civilians in Darfur and said a U.N. commission believed more than 50 high-ranking civil servants should be prosecuted in the International Criminal Court. Jan Pronk said he saw evidence of widespread atrocities during a recent tour of the western region of Darfur, where a rebellion and counterinsurgency have been raging for the past two years.