World briefs 6/23/03

U.S. Marine killed in African training exercise

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- An explosion that may have been caused by a bomb dropped from a B-52 killed a U.S. Marine and wounded eight U.S. service members during a Sunday training exercise in this Horn of Africa nation, U.S. Central Command said.

Two service members were treated for minor injuries and returned to their units. The other six injured were transported to Bouffard Hospital in Djibouti, where they were in stable condition, said a spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

The accident is under investigation.

Iranians hold sit-ins for detained demonstrators

TEHRAN, Iran -- Student leaders held sit-ins Sunday to protest the detention of classmates following last week's fierce clashes between pro-clergy militants and anti-government demonstrators, in which police said 520 people were arrested.

The clashes broke out when university marches that began June 10 expanded into protests against the hard-line Islamic clerics who rule Iran. Militants attacked protesters to put down the marches.

Student leaders holding sit-ins in front of the parliament and at Tehran University said most of the detainees were classmates.

Belgium agrees to limit reach of war crimes law

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Facing a U.S. threat to force NATO's headquarters out of Brussels, the Belgian government agreed Sunday to changes in a war crimes law used to target President Bush and other prominent Americans.

The amendments would reduce the law's global ambitions, limiting the reach of Belgian courts to cases with a direct link to the country.

Government officials said that proposed changes would prevent more cases like those lodged recently against Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, or an earlier complaint against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that provoked outrage in Israel.

-- From wire reports