World digest 12/14/04

Protestant party breaks relations with N. Ireland

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Northern Ireland's major Protestant party broke off relations with the Irish government Monday after Prime Minister Bertie Ahern indicated he had accepted the IRA's refusal to provide photographs of disarmament. Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley said his British Protestant party would not talk with Ahern's foreign minister or other officials during negotiations planned Wednesday for Hillsborough Castle near Belfast. "As far as we are concerned, he is a man that can't be trusted," Paisley declared of Ahern. Paisley, 78, pursued his protest despite taking what he called an apologetic telephone call from Ahern.

Former Chilean dictator Pinochet indicted

SANTIAGO, Chile -- A Chilean judge, known for pursuing human rights violators, indicted former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet on Monday on charges of kidnapping nine political dissidents and killing one of them during his 17-year military regime. Pinochet, 89, was placed under house arrest to await this third attempt to try him for alleged abuses during his rule in the South American country. But the general's defense team quickly filed an injunction with the Santiago Court of Appeals, effectively freezing the house arrest until the court rules on it, probably in the next day or two.

Reform candidate wins Romanian president race

BUCHAREST, Romania -- Bucharest mayor and reformist opposition candidate Traian Basescu won an unexpected victory Monday in Romania's presidential runoff election, ending a decade of rule by successors to this country's former communist regime. Basescu, a former ship captain, vowed to fight corruption, restore press freedoms and prepare Romania to join the European Union by 2007. Outgoing President Ion Iliescu, Romania's leader for 11 of the past 15 years since the revolution that deposed former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, said the elections were fair and confirmed that Romania now has a working democracy.

Hezbollah ordered off French airwaves

PARIS -- France's highest administrative body on Monday ordered the TV station of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group off French airwaves within 48 hours for broadcasting hateful content in some shows and posing risks to public order. The decision came after a Nov. 23 Al-Manar program quoted someone described as an expert on Zionist affairs warning of "Zionist attempts" to transmit dangerous diseases like AIDS to Arab countries. Another program the same day glorified attacks against Israel, the administrative body said. The Council of State ordered Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat to stop broadcasting Al-Manar within two days or pay a fine of $6,600 a day.

Sudan's Darfur rebels boycott peace talks

ABUJA, Nigeria -- Sudan's Darfur rebels announced a boycott of peace talks Monday, alleging the government has begun an offensive and saying a return to the negotiating table isn't possible until the attacks cease. The fourth round of Darfur peace talks, which officially got underway Saturday, saw the first face-to-face working meeting earlier Monday between Sudan government and Darfur rebel negotiators. Tens of thousands have died and nearly 2 million driven from their home during the nearly two-year fight, which has sparked what the United Nations calls the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere. African Union officials said they were confident talks could continue as planned today.

-- From wire reports