Afghanistan

KABUL — The top American general in Afghanistan has ordered a sweeping review of secretive U.S. jails in the country amid mounting allegations of prisoner abuse, a military spokesman said Wednesday. The U.S. military insists it is treating its Afghan prisoners humanely, but last week it launched two new investigations into claims by former detainees of mistreatment, including beatings and sexual abuse.

Australia

PERTH — The alleged Southeast Asian operations chief of an al-Qaida-linked terror group expressed interest in attacking the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, according to notes by a British-born terror suspect. But ranking al-Qaida members suggested that the group, Jemaah Islamiyah, instead attack a prominent Jewish-linked target — either the Israeli embassy or well-known Australian Jewish businessman Joe Gutnick, said the notes taken by Islamic convert Jack Roche.

Bangladesh

COX'S BAZAR — A cyclone slammed into Bangladesh's southeast coast Wednesday, swamping low-lying areas and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee. Five fishermen were missing. High winds and heavy rains forced up to 50,000 people to evacuate low-lying homes and seek shelter in multistory buildings, said Akhtar-uz Zaman, an official at a storm monitoring center in Cox's Bazar.

China

BEIJING — An explosion and a fire at two coal mines in northern China killed at least 22 workers and trapped 25, the government said Wednesday. A blast ripped through a mine in Luliang, a city in Shanxi province, Tuesday evening while 34 workers were in its shaft, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

England

LONDON — A protester in a VIP gallery hurled purple powder on Prime Minister Tony Blair in the House of Commons on Wednesday, forcing an evacuation and an urgent review of security. The powder was only cornstarch, but legislators were shaken by the thought that the incident could have been a terrorist attack. It was a major security breach in the House of Commons, which recently put up a bulletproof, transparent screen to protect members from possible attacks from the public gallery.

LONDON — Thousands of personal papers belonging to Sherlock Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, fetched $1.7 million at an auction Wednesday, with many items sold to private U.S. collectors. Christie's Auction House had expected the archive of letters, notes and handwritten manuscripts to raise more than twice that amount — around $3.6 million. Of the 135 lots on offer, 31 failed to meet their reserve price and remained unsold.

Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA — A boa constrictor triggered a 15-minute nationwide blackout when it slithered into a generator at a major hydroelectric plant, officials said Wednesday. The boa was electrocuted Tuesday after entering El Cajon, a plant that supplies 60 percent of Honduras' electricity.

Iran

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TEHRAN — A satirical movie featuring a thief disguised as a cleric may seem like innocuous fare, but Iran's conservative clergy are having none of it. Under pressure from authorities, producers on Wednesday pulled the smash hit "The Lizard," which won top honors at Tehran's international film festival and has raked in about $1 million. There's no official ban, but producer Manuchehr Mohammadi said the message of the Culture Ministry was clear.

Taiwan

TAIPEI — Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian was sworn in for a second four-year term Thursday amid new threats of war from rival China and disputes over the March election that he narrowly won. "I vow to our people that I will obey the constitution, follow my duties, protect the people's welfare and protect the country," he said. Chen was re-elected on March 20 after campaigning on a China-bashing platform and claiming that only he could best protect Taiwan from Beijing's plans to swallow up the tiny island.

TAIPEI — A strong earthquake rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The 6.5-magnitude quake's epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean about 15 miles east of the coastal city of Taitung, the Central Weather Bureau said. The quake was strong enough to shake buildings in the capital, Taipei, about 190 miles north of Taitung.

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