World briefs 4/26/04

Social Democrat wins Austrian presidential race

VIENNA, Austria -- A senior parliamentary official on Sunday defeated a rival backed by right-wing populist Joerg Haider in a presidential election that also indicated voter dissatisfaction with the country's government. With half of the ballots counted, Heinz Fischer, the candidate of the opposition Social Democrats, had close to 52 percent. Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the conservative endorsed by Haider, had just over 48 percent.

Israel: No attack planned on Arafat for now

JERUSALEM -- Israeli leaders on Sunday backed away from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's latest threats against Yasser Arafat, saying there are no immediate plans to kill the Palestinian leader. Sharon declared in a television interview over the weekend that he is no longer bound by a promise to the United States not to harm Arafat.

N. Korea criticizes U.S. troop pull-out plan

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea accused Washington of preparing an attack, citing the U.S. military's plans to move from an outpost along the tense Korean border this year. The turnover of Observation Post Ouellette would mean U.S. troops would no longer be responsible for patrolling the heavily fortified buffer area, called the Demilitarized Zone.

Afghan president working with members of Taliban

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai returned Sunday to a Taliban stronghold where he was nearly assassinated 19 months ago, and said he would welcome rank-and-file members of the militia back into society. But Karzai said about 150 leaders of the ultra-religious Islamic movement supplanted by his government after a U.S.-led war are unworthy of rehabilitation and could be prosecuted.

Pope beatifies six more people from around world

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II added six more people to the ranks of Catholics on the path to possible sainthood Sunday, beatifying 19th and 20th century Europeans and Latin Americans at a ceremony in St. Peter's Square. With the six -- representing Poland, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Portugal -- John Paul has beatified 1,330 people during his 25-year pontificate, more than all his predecessors over the past 500 years combined. Beatification is the last formal step before possible sainthood.

-- From wire reports