World briefs 5/3/06

Business group says little effect seen from boycott

MEXICO CITY -- It's hard to measure the impact of the boycott of U.S. businesses in Mexico, called "A Day Without a Gringo," because commerce is normally reduced in Mexico on the May Day holiday. But the head of the American Chamber of Commerce said the boycott appeared to have had little impact. The protests were timed to coincide with the "Day Without Immigrants" boycott in the United States, where more than a million mostly Hispanic immigrants and their supporters stayed away from jobs and schools nationwide and took to the streets in many U.S. cities. In some Mexican cities, the boycott campaign was surely felt. In the border city of Tijuana, several hundred pro-boycott protesters blocked traffic on a bridge leading into the United States. Waving flags and shouting slogans, they forced many drivers to turn back. The action converted the world's busiest border crossing into an empty parking lot for about two hours.

Berlusconi resigns; Prodi waits to form government

ROME -- Premier Silvio Berlusconi, the longest-serving leader in postwar Italy, resigned Tuesday to make way for a center-left government led by Romano Prodi that must re-energize a moribund economy. President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi asked Berlusconi to remain on as caretaker prime minister during their 30-minute meeting at the Quirinale Palace. "The president of the republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, has met this morning with Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who has handed in the resignation of the Cabinet over which he presides," the president's office said in a statement. After the meeting, Berlusconi returned to his residence and told about 20 flag-waving supporters of his Forza Italia party that "everything is fine." He refused to make any other comment.

Official confirms capture of a top al-Qaida leader

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A top al-Qaida strategist with a $5 million bounty on his head and followers from Afghanistan to Europe has been captured in Pakistan, a U.S. law enforcement official confirmed. Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, who once wrote a 1,600-page autobiographical book on ways to attack Islam's enemies, has been flown out of the country after being interrogated by Pakistani and American authorities, Pakistani officials said Tuesday. They did not specify where he was taken. Terror analysts said Nasar's capture has dealt a blow to al-Qaida and other militant movements he aided through his virulent anti-Western writings and weapons training. His movements have been traced to Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and two European capitals.

Two German hostages in Iraq freed, in good shape

BERLIN -- Two German engineers held hostage in Iraq since January have been released and are safe, the foreign minister said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the men -- Thomas Nitzschke and Rene Braeunlich, of Leipzig -- were in a safe place in Iraq and were being cared for by German officials there. They were expected to return to Germany sometime today, Steinmeier said. "Based on initial information, both men are unharmed and in stable condition," Steinmeier said in a statement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "very relieved and pleased" by the news.

U.S., allies seek targeted sanctions against Iran

UNITED NATIONS -- The United States, Britain and France are pushing for sanctions if Iran continues to defy demands that it halt uranium enrichment -- but not the sweeping economic and military embargoes imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. What the U.N. Security Council's three veto-wielding Western members aim for are targeted sanctions, such as restricting trade in equipment with both civilian and military uses and banning travel and freezing the assets of Iranians who oversee the country's nuclear program. U.N. sanctions imposed on Saddam Hussein's regime banned all Iraqi imports and exports, except food and medicine, and authorized inspections of shipments in and out of Iraq to verify their cargo. The sanctions halted legal oil exports from Iraq.

-- From wire reports