Saudi Arabia sends $15.4m to Palestinians, Kuwait $7.5m: Saudi
Saudi Arabia sends $15.4m to Palestinians, Kuwait $7.5m: Saudi
Arabia transferred on Tuesday US$15.4 million in advance aid to
the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim al-
Assaf told the official SPA news agency. Assaf said the transfer
was made to an Arab League fund in accordance with a decision
taken at last month's Arab summit in Beirut. Kuwait for its part
on Tuesday transferred $7.5 million to the Palestinian Authority,
the state KUNA news agency reported. -- AFP
Executions doubled in 2001, led by China, says Amnesty:
Governments across the globe shot, electrocuted and hanged more
than 3,000 of their citizens last year, more than double the
total executed in 2000, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
During 2001, at least 3,048 people were put to death in 31
countries, the sharp increase largely the result of a Chinese
crack-down on crime which saw the world's most populous nation
execute nearly 1,800 people in four months, Amnesty said. --
Reuters
25 die in Kashmir as Indian and Pakistani troops trade fire:
At least 25 people died on Tuesday and overnight in separatist-
linked violence in Indian Kashmir as Indian and Pakistani troops
exchanged fire across their disputed border, police said. --AFP
U.S.-backed Afghan patrol attacked with grenade, three dead: An
Afghan military patrol working with U.S. forces in eastern
Afghanistan was attacked with grenades on Tuesday, a local
official said. Three people were killed including the two
attackers. The attack occurred on a road in eastern Paktia
province, where the United States launched Operation Anaconda
last month - the largest ground offensive of the Afghan war. --
AP
Facing sanctions threat, Yugoslavia moves on war crimes bill:
Facing the threat of international sanctions, Yugoslavia's
parliament is expected on Wednesday to approve a bill allowing
war crimes suspects to be handed over to the UN tribunal in The
Hague. The draft on cooperation with the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will be on the agenda
of the parliament's session scheduled for Wednesday, Serbian
Justice Minister Vladan Batic said. -- AFP