NewsMay 21, 2005
World briefs 5/21/05
Cuban dissidents open opposition gathering ; Israel may retaliate if militants not reined in; Minister of Russian Dagestan region killed; Female Afghan TV host shot dead in KabulCuban dissidents open opposition gathering
HAVANA -- With shouts of "Freedom" and the singing of the Cuban national anthem, more than 200 people on Friday opened a rare opposition assembly in communist Cuba, uninterrupted by authorities despite the expulsion of European lawmakers, journalists and others who planned to attend. Several years in the planning, the general meeting of the Assembly for the Promotion of Civil Society was aimed at bringing together diverse opposition groups to discuss promotion of a Western-style democracy in Cuba.
Israel may retaliate if militants not reined in
JERUSALEM -- Palestinian-Israeli fighting spilled over into a third straight day Friday with a coordinated attack by three militant groups on a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. One Palestinian was killed during a shootout with troops. Israel warned that a cease-fire declared in February is in danger of collapse and threatened to retaliate if Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas fails to rein in militants. Abbas, visiting India on Friday, said he was hopeful the truce would stick. A flare-up in fighting could complicate Israel's plans to withdraw from Gaza this summer.
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Minister of Russian Dagestan region killed
MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- A bomb exploded in an apartment building in southern Russia's Dagestan region Friday, killing the area's minister for ethnic relations and his bodyguard, police said. Zagir Arukhov, 45, was the second minister for ethnic policy to be killed in two years. His predecessor died in August 2003 when his car was blown up. Dagestan is a volatile mix of dozens of ethnic groups. Russian media reported 10 people were wounded, including three children playing outside the building. For months, Dagestan has seen a series of bombings and other attacks on police and other law enforcement authorities.
Female Afghan TV host shot dead in Kabul
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A ground-breaking Afghan television host whose Western style drew praise from youthful fans and condemnation from Muslim clerics may have been slain with involvement from her own brothers, police said Friday. Shaima Rezayee, 24, who tossed aside her burqa for Western dress and became a host on an MTV-style music show, knew her life was in danger, according to a radio interview she gave not long before she was shot in the head at her Kabul home Wednesday. Tolo TV executives dismissed Rezayee that same month under pressure from conservative clerics. Jamil Khan, head of the criminal investigation department for Kabul police, declined to comment on a possible motive for the killing, but said police would question Rezayee's two brothers after mourning ceremonies conclude early next week.
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