World briefs 5/30/04

Haiti, Dominican Republic struggle to bury dead

JIMANI, Dominican Republic -- Dominican troops buried bodies on a tiny island surrounded by crocodiles Saturday as doctors warned of health hazards from shallow mass graves holding some of the 1,100 victims killed in floods along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Survivors searched for food and shelter from a blistering sun that raised temperatures to 95 degrees. On Wednesday, Dominican authorities stopped trying to identify bodies and said they were just burying victims where they found them. On the Haitian side, which was worst hit, the Red Cross said it also was concentrating Saturday on burying bodies.

Iran provincial governor killed in helicopter crash

CHALOUS, Iran -- A helicopter carrying a provincial governor and three of his aides from the site of an earthquake crashed in the mountains of northern Iran Saturday, killing all aboard, official Tehran television reported. It said the governor of Qazvin province was in the helicopter with three aides and a journalist. The report did not identify the officials by name, but the governor of Qazvin is Masoud Emami. Friday's 6.2-magnitude quake in northern and central Iran killed 35 people and injured at least 250, officials said.

Senior Hamas leader, two others killed in Gaza

JERUSALEM -- A senior Hamas commander, his assistant and a bystander died in a fiery Israeli airstrike in Gaza City early today, hours before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was to confront his Cabinet over his plan to pull soldiers and settlers out of Gaza. Hamas called the attack a "cowardly assassination crime" and said it killed Wael Nassar, 38, a top Hamas commander; his assistant, Mohammed Sarsour, 31; and an unidentified bystander. The Israeli military said its air force carried out the strike, aimed at "two senior Hamas commanders who were responsible for many attacks against Israelis, including suicide bombings, and were planning further attacks."

-- From wire reports