World digest 01/09/02

Palestinians to probe links to weapons ship

JERUSALEM -- The Palestinian Authority said Tuesday it will question government officials accused by Israel of trying to smuggle Iranian arms to the Gaza Strip.

Israel has accused Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat of being directly involved in the operation, saying he had to have known of the attempt to smuggle tens of millions of dollars worth of Iranian-made rockets and anti-tank missiles.

The Palestinian leadership confirmed the captain of the ship is an official in its naval unit, but denied links to the shipment.

Philippine army kills at least 11 Muslim rebels

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines -- Army troops clashed with Muslim rebels in a southern province Tuesday, killing at least 11 guerillas believed to support a renegade former governor, military officials said.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels, notorious for recent kidnappings of foreigners, were with followers of Nur Misuari, a former governor of an autonomous Muslim region now accused of ordering attacks on government troops to disrupt November elections. Those elections would choose his successor.

Turkish hunger striker's death raises toll to 45

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- A woman who was among dozens of prison inmates staging a hunger strike in Turkey died Tuesday after fasting for more than seven months.

Lale Colak, 27, was the 45th person to die in the yearlong protest over Turkey's new maximum security prison system. About 100 inmates continue to starve themselves to death, taking vitamins and sugared water to prolong their fast.

Leftist prisoners and their supporters began the fast to protest the government's policy of moving prisoners from large wards housing up to 100 people to one- or three-inmate cells.

Prisoners say small cells leave them isolated and vulnerable to abuse by guards.

Chechens protest Russian security sweep

VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia -- Hundreds of protesters in Chechnya's third-largest city on Tuesday demanded Russian forces end a security sweep that has kept residents trapped in the town for two days.

Argun has been under Russian fire since last Thursday as federal forces try to flush out rebels who the Russians say took refuge there. The city has been cordoned off since Sunday.

About 300 people took part in a protest urging an end to the security sweep. Chechen residents have often accused Russian forces of arbitrarily rounding up men and teen-age boys and abusing them.

Plans called off to restore da Vinci's 'Magi'

ROME -- Museum officials in Florence shelved plans to restore Leonardo da Vinci's unfinished masterpiece "The Adoration of the Magi" after tests showed the painting was in "good health."

"There will be no restoration done, at least not for now," Florence's art superintendent, Antonio Paolucci, said Tuesday.

Controversy broke out in the art world last year when plans were announced to refurbish the painting. Scores of international art experts said they were worried the work would damage the painting.

-- From wire reports