Brazil
BRASILIA — Brazil's Supreme court on Thursday temporarily blocked the expulsion of a New York Times correspondent who wrote an article that offended the president by calling him a heavy drinker. The decision means Times correspondent Larry Rohter would be allowed to stay until the court decides whether the government's cancellation of his visa was constitutional.
China
BEIJING — A Chinese court sentenced a U.S.-based political activist to five years in prison on charges of spying for Taiwan in a case that prompted protests by Washington. The activist, Yang Jianli, was detained in 2002, when he traveled to China to meet with dissidents and labor protesters.
Colombia
BOGOTA — Colombia's outlawed right-wing paramilitary groups agreed Thursday to move into a special zone as they negotiate eventual demobilization, government officials said. Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo signed the pact Thursday with commanders of the anti-guerrilla United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, at a paramilitary stronghold in northwest Colombia.
France
PARIS — Against the backdrop of war in Iraq, world leaders will issue "a message of peace" when they gather in France next month to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the French war veterans minister said in an interview Thursday. Driving the commemorations is a realization that the anniversary will likely be the last major opportunity to mark the epic invasion that led to Nazi Germany's defeat with those that lived through it.
Greece
ATHENS — A Greek radical group claimed responsibility Thursday for triple bombings at a police station and warned that some visitors to the Olympic Games — from heads of state to wealthy Western tourists — would be "undesirable." The proclamation by the group Revolutionary Struggle did not threaten future attacks. But its anger over Olympic security measures could further shake international confidence about the safety of the Aug. 13-29 games.
Libya
TRIPOLI — Following on its renunciation of unconventional weapons, Libya announced Thursday that it would stop all military trade with countries that spread such weapons, including, according to its Foreign Ministry, North Korea, Syria and Iran. At the State Department, John R. Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control, welcomed the declaration, particularly Libya's halt of its decades-old trade in missiles with North Korea.
Philippines
MANILA — Police arrested a suspected Muslim militant who arranged for al-Qaida funds to finance bombings in the Philippines — including one that killed a U.S. Green Beret — a new government report said. The money bought explosives, speedboats and rifles, according to a confidential report.
Senegal
DAKAR — The latest outbreak of communal violence in Nigeria has driven 23,000 people from their homes in the ancient northern city of Kano. Mobs of Muslim youths went on a violent anti-Christian spree Tuesday, apparently in retaliation for a Christian last week attack on Muslims in a central Nigerian market town called Yelwa.
South Africa
PRETORIA — South Africa has agreed to grant temporary asylum to ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, government officials said Thursday. Aristide flew to the Central African Republic on Feb. 29 amid a spreading revolt in Haiti but later flew to Jamaica, where he has been awaiting his South Africa asylum request.
South Korea
SEOUL — South Korea's nine-member Constitutional Court ruled Friday to dismiss the impeachment case against President Roh Moo-hyun, restoring full powers to the president. The ruling ended a crisis for South Korea that began March 12 when the National Assembly unexpectedly approved a bill to impeach Roh on minor election law violations.
Venezuela
CARACAS — Venezuela threatened to expel foreign elections observers Thursday, escalating a political crisis sparked by the alleged discovery of a plot to kill President Hugo Chavez. The developments could derail a possible recall referendum against Chavez and deepen political polarization in Venezuela, a top supplier of oil to the United States.