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Tuesday, Sep. 02, 2008

Briefs

world

Japanese PM resigns

TOKYO — Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced on Monday night that he would resign, abruptly ending his chronically unpopular government after just a year and leaving Japan's governing party scrambling to find fresh leadership ahead of crucial national elections. Fukuda's surprise announcement, made at a hastily called news conference, stunned Japan and appeared to plunge the world's secondp-largest economy into further political confusion. Last year, Fukuda's predecessor, the rightist Shinzo Abe, made an equally sudden resignation.

Bangkok in state of emergency

BANGKOK — Thailand's prime minister declared a state of emergency in the capital Tuesday after street fighting overnight between supporters and opponents of the government left one man dead and dozens injured. The developments followed a threat by state workers to cut off water, electricity and phone service at government offices and disrupt flights of the national airline in support of protesters trying to bring down Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. In Thailand, a state of emergency allows the use of military forces in policing activities, and suspends some civil liberties.

Five children killed in strikes

KABUL, Afghanistan — Foreign and Afghan forces accidentally killed five children in two separate operations Monday, further undermining President Hamid Karzai after he demanded a halt to attacks in civilian areas. NATO said it accidentally killed three children in an artillery strike in the east after insurgents attacked its troops in the area. In a separate raid, police officer Qubaidullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name, said U.S. troops backed by Afghan intelligence agents killed a man and his two children near the capital, Kabul.

EU warns Moscow again

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The leaders of the European Union, having repeatedly warned Moscow in vain to abide by the six-point cease-fire agreement reached by France to end the fighting with Georgia, gathered here on Monday and after several hours of talks, decided to warn Moscow again. In a week, a delegation will travel to Moscow to insist, they said, that Russia withdraw all its troops to its positions before the Aug. 7 fighting broke out between Georgia and Russia. The European leaders said that, if Russia did not comply, a second round of talks with Moscow on a strategic partnership agreement with the European Union, scheduled for mid-September, would be postponed.

Herald-Leader wire services