World digest 12/20/03

Death toll in Mideast fighting down by half

JERUSALEM -- The death toll in the third year of Israeli-Palestinian violence fell to about half the previous year's, mainly due to fewer Palestinian attacks and Israeli military strikes, according to an Associated Press count. Suicide bombings also dropped by about half. Reasons for the drop are disputed: Palestinians said it's because of hopes for an end to the violence, while Israeli analysts cited the construction of a massive fence complex in the West Bank and other security measures. Altogether, 2,583 people have died on the Palestinian side and 898 on the Israeli side from Sept. 28, 2000, through Dec. 19, 2003.

European probe sent on final approach to Mars

DARMSTADT, Germany -- European space controllers sent the Beagle 2 probe on its final approach to Mars on Friday. The British-built unmanned probe separated from the Mars Express spacecraft, heading for a scheduled Christmas morning landing on the planet's surface. The mission is the first to try to determine if there is life on Mars since the United States sent the Viking I landing craft to Mars' surface in 1976.

Leaky trash bag likely culprit in new SARS case

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A torn plastic trash bag that leaked liquid contaminated with the SARS virus was the likely cause of Taiwan's first infection in five months, investigators said Friday. The bag was handled by the 44-year-old scientist who apparently became infected in his military laboratory while studying how Chinese medicinal herbs affect the highly contagious virus. The investigation results were preliminary, and the researcher will be questioned further once he recovers.

-- From wire reports