World digest 03/30/04

Mexican president signs judicial reform proposal

MEXICO CITY -- President Vicente Fox -- attempting to score a win midway through a term of failed initiatives -- signed a justice reform proposal Monday aimed at overhauling a system plagued by corruption, inefficiency and a lack of public accountability. The proposal, which Fox later sent to Congress, would substitute oral public trials for written judgments, clearly delineate the presumption of innocence in the constitution and reorganize national police forces. Parts of the plan would require constitutional amendments. For years, human rights groups have asked for broad justice reforms in a country where corruption, confessions extracted under torture, botched inquiries, and an excess of bureaucracy feed a deep mistrust of the system.

Spain charges two more in March 11 bombings

MADRID, Spain -- A Spanish judge charged two more suspects in the Madrid bombings early Tuesday as the incoming Socialist government, facing international pressure over plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, doubled its deployment to Afghanistan. Judge Juan del Olmo charged Basel Ghayoun, a Syrian, with mass killings in the March 11 bombings. The judge also charged Morrocan Hamed Ahmidam with collaborating with a terrorist organization. The charges stop short of a formal indictment but suggest that the court has strong evidence against them. They can be jailed up to two years while investigators gather more evidence. Facing criticism from the United States and other countries, an aide to Spain's incoming defense minister, Jose Bono, said Monday the nation will double its military contingent in Afghanistan to 250 soldiers this summer.

Russia boasts weapon to overcome Star Wars

MOSCOW -- Russia has designed a "revolutionary" weapon that would make the prospective U.S. missile defense useless, Russian news agencies reported Monday, quoting a senior Defense Ministry official. The official, who was not identified by name, said tests conducted during last month's military maneuvers would dramatically change the philosophy behind development of Russia's nuclear forces, the Interfax and ITAR-Tass news agencies reported. If deployed, the new, inexpensive weapon would take the value of any U.S. missile shield to "zero," the news agencies quoted the official as saying. Military analysts said that the mysterious new weapon could be a maneuverable ballistic missile warhead or a hypersonic cruise missile.

Gandhi family heir makes political debut in India

NEW DELHI -- The heir to the legacy of India's best known political family -- the Gandhis -- made his debut Monday, campaigning for a parliamentary seat that has been a family stronghold for decades. Rahul Gandhi, who launched his bid for a seat in Uttar Pradesh state, is the latest generation of a dynasty that held political power in the country for nearly four decades after it won independence from Britain in 1947. He is the great-grandson of Indira Gandhi, the strongwoman of Indian politics who was prime minister from 1967 to 1984. Indira was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first prime minister. The family, however, is not related to Mohandas K. Gandhi, India's independence leader.

Iran says it is trying to win trust over nuke program

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran has stopped building centrifuges, which can be used for uranium enrichment, in an effort to win the world's trust over its nuclear program, the head of its Atomic Energy Organization said Monday. The comments by Gholamreza Aghazadeh came with inspectors from the U.N. nuclear agency in Iran to check on its nuclear facilities. It is unclear how many centrifuges Iran has produced. IAEA inspectors have previously reported finding "hundreds" of centrifuges, but well below the number needed to build nuclear bombs. Even though Iran has announced that it will stop producing centrifuges, it was not expected to dispose of those it already possesses.

-- From wire reports