World briefs 8/17/04

Iran calls for U.N. to intervene in Iraq fighting

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran and Saudi Arabia called Monday for the United Nations to intervene in Iraq to stop the fighting between U.S. forces and Shiite militants hiding in the holy city of Najaf. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi made the request in a telephone conversation with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Monday. Radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his followers have fought U.S. and Iraqi forces from within the compound of the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, in central Iraq, for over a week.

Firefighters battle blaze in California mountains

FRENCH GULCH, Calif. -- Crews battling a growing wildfire that tore through this old mining town in Northern California faced extra challenges Monday as the flames headed into rugged terrain filled with open mine shafts and rattlesnakes. The blaze broke out Saturday afternoon and had grown to 9,010 acres Monday after sweeping through French Gulch, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It destroyed 22 homes and two commercial buildings in the town during the weekend as it was driven by winds up to 12 mph. Fire officials predicted that it would not be fully contained until Friday.

Fla. court: School voucher law unconstitutional

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A Florida law that allows students at failing public schools to attend private religious schools at taxpayers' expense is unconstitutional, a state appeals court ruled Monday. The 2-1 decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal upholds a ruling by a trial judge saying the state constitution forbids the use of tax money to send youngsters to religious schools. Attorney Barry Richard, who represented the state, said the ruling did not address the state's main argument -- that the law is neutral to religion and if found unconstitutional would violate the "free exercise" of religion promise in the U.S. Constitution.

Israel may use cookouts to tempt hunger strikers

JERUSALEM -- Israeli jailers may try to break a Palestinian hunger strike with barbecues, hoping the aroma of grilling meat will wear down security prisoners protesting conditions and demanding more access to their families. About 1,600 prisoners launched the strike on Sunday, the largest such protest since the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinians erupted nearly four years ago. Organizers said the rest of the 7,500 Palestinian detainees held by Israel will join the protest by the end of the week. The prisoners are demanding the right to family visits and greater communication with the outside world.

Princeton Review ranks top party colleges

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The State University of New York at Albany returned to No. 1 on the list of party schools, while Brigham Young University kept its title as top "stone-cold sober" school in an annual survey of American college life. The Princeton Review's report ranked Albany seventh in the use of hard liquor and marijuana, ninth in beer drinking and first in "students [almost] never study." The annual "Best 357 Colleges" survey, conducted since 1992, is based on responses from more than 110,000 students at campuses around the country. The review has no affiliation with Princeton University.-- From wire reports

Leonel Fernandez returns to Dominican presidency

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Leonel Fernandez was sworn in as the Dominican Republic's president Monday, returning to power after four years out of office to lead a nation struggling through its worst economic crisis in decades. Fernandez, a 50-year-old lawyer and author who spent much of his youth in New York City, took the oath of office in Congress before hundreds of people. He promised to cut spending by 20 percent, saying that many government jobs created since 2000 would be eliminated and that he would reschedule debt payments. "From this instant on, we start a period of austerity," Fernandez said.