World briefs 8/16/04

Rwandan troops arrive in Darfur region of Sudan

AL-FASHER, Sudan -- Dozens of Rwandan soldiers flew into Sudan's troubled Darfur region Sunday, the first foreign armed force deployed in the area since Arab militiamen began a rampage against black African farmers, killing thousands. The 141 Rwandan troops were airlifted to the huge, desert province of western Sudan on a mandate to protect unarmed military observers monitoring a four-month cease-fire that humanitarian groups say has largely been ignored by Arab militiamen who have continued their attacks.

Bomb kills 15 at India Independence Day parade

NEW DELHI -- A time bomb buried in parade grounds exploded during Independence Day celebrations in India's remote northeast on Sunday, killing 15 people, seven of them schoolchildren, while rocket attack hit celebrations at a school in Kashmir, wounding 17, officials said. The attacks came as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to fight terrorism during a speech at New Delhi's 17th century Red Fort, a tradition followed by each prime minister since India gained independence from two centuries of British colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1947.

Afghan national army to calm pre-election violence

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Government troops intervened in Afghanistan's latest outbreak of deadly fighting between warlords, flying from the capital to the far west on U.S. and NATO airplanes to retake an air base contested in the violence, officials said Sunday. Meanwhile, in another illustration of the insecurity dogging the run-up to October elections, Taliban militants killed a community leader for encouraging people to vote and gunned down six Afghan soldiers at a checkpoint, officials said.

Palestinian prisoners launch hunger strike

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian prisoners launched a hunger strike Sunday, in what was shaping up to be the biggest showdown between thousands of inmates and the Israeli authorities since the outbreak of Mideast fighting in 2000. The prisoners want more family visits and phone access, but an Israeli Cabinet minister said he'd rather let them starve. Prison officials imposed more sanctions.

France pays tribute to World War II veterans

ABOARD THE CHARLES DE GAULLE -- France on Sunday honored soldiers, including tens of thousands of Africans, who staged an assault on the French Riviera 60 years ago to break the Nazi grip -- one of the least-remembered military operations of World War II. King Mohammed VI of Morocco, 13 African heads of state and representatives of eight other nations joined President Jacques Chirac for the belated tribute to the Aug. 15, 1944, landings in Provence -- codenamed "Operation Dragoon" -- which helped change the course of the war.

-- From wire reports