Belarus
MINSK — A prominent Belarusian opposition leader was freed Friday after nearly two years in prison. Mikhail Marinich, 66, the former foreign economic relations minister, was released after a court approved a request for early release. Marinich, who suffered a stroke in prison, was arrested in April 2004 and later convicted of theft in a case widely dismissed as fabricated.
Brazil
SAO PAULO — Miguel Reale, widely considered one of the chief architects of Brazil's civil code, died of a heart attack Friday at age 95. Reale's son, former Justice Minister Miguel Reale Jr., said his father died at home shortly after watching Palmeiras, his favorite soccer team, lose a match. Reale served as justice secretary for the state of Sao Paulo in 1947 and 1963 and twice as rector of the University of Sao Paulo, in 1949 and 1969.
Burundi
BUJUMBURA — Burundi's government lifted a midnight to dawn curfew Friday for the first time since 1993, saying that most of the country is stable after years of civil war. The curfew was first imposed following the assassination of the country's first democratically elected president.
Central African Republic
BANGUI — Central African Republic has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate crimes against humanity allegedly committed by its former president and a Congolese vice president, the government said Friday. Central African Republic suspects ex-President Ange-Felix Patasse and Congo Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba of ordering or committing murder and rape against civilians, said government spokesman Celestin Gamou.
China
BO MEI — Firing tear-gas grenades and swinging batons, hundreds of riot police officers and civilian officials battled rebellious farmers for three hours here this week, injuring more than 2 dozen local people, the villagers said. The explosion of violence in Bo Mei, about 200 miles northeast of Hong Kong, ended a three-month relative lull in the unrest. Most of the violent protests have erupted in farming villages over land seizures by local governments or factory pollution that seeps into nearby fields and kills crops.
India
NEW DELHI — Two bombs exploded at New Delhi's main mosque shortly after hundreds of worshippers offered Friday prayers, injuring at least 13 people, an official said. The two blasts occurred within 30 minutes of each other at the Jama Masjid mosque, said Police Chief K.K. Paul. Thirteen people were injured.
Russia
MOSCOW — A British adventurer's attempt to walk around the world was in jeopardy Friday after a Russian court ordered him deported for entering the country illegally. Russian officials told Karl Bushby he would not be permitted to return for at least another five years, said Bushby's father, Keith. Karl Bushby, 37, has walked 17,000 miles since he began his trip on Nov. 1, 1998.
Serbia-Montenegro
BELGRADE — The Danube River flooded homes in Serbia and Bulgaria Friday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. Swollen by melting snow and heavy rain, the Danube has reached record highs in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria in recent days, threatening towns, villages and farmland. More flooding was expected to hit the region over the weekend.
PRISTINA — Kosovo's communist-era leader Mahmut Bakalli died Friday at age 70. Bakalli died of throat cancer, said Ernest Luma, a spokesman for the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo. Bakalli lead the disputed province's communists in the late 1970s and early 1980s, stepping down following disagreements with the central body of the Yugoslav Communist Party over the handling of unrest by ethnic Albanian students.
Uzbekistan
TASHKENT — Even at half price, a $1 million bill is no bargain. Police in Uzbekistan arrested a group of suspected swindlers who tried to sell a $1 million bill for half price — a good deal for them since the United States doesn't print the denomination. The fake bill was made on a color printer, according to ITAR-Tass news agency.