Afghanistan

KABUL — U.S.-led coalition forces using warplanes and artillery clashed with a small band of militants holed up in a house and a cave complex in eastern Afghanistan in fighting that killed seven Afghan civilians and wounded three, the military said Sunday.

Aruba

ORANJESTAD — An announcement that police made an arrest in the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway left many islanders wondering Sunday who the suspect is — and whether the arrest marked a real breakthrough in the almost year-old case. Aruban authorities would only say late Saturday that the person arrested is 19 years old and has the initials "G.V.C." In Aruba, when an arrest is announced, officials usually release only a suspect's initials.

Canada

TORONTO — Canada confirmed a case of mad cow disease on Sunday at a farm in British Columbia — the country's fifth case since May 2003, when the United States closed its border to Canadian beef.

Egypt

ASSIUT — Egyptian police detained 43 university students on Sunday on suspicion of membership in the banned Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest Islamic fundamentalist group, police and group members said.

Greece

THESSALONIKI — A passenger train crashed into a truck at a crossing in northern Greece on Sunday and derailed, killing four people and injuring at least 35, police said. Police said the truck driver apparently ignored a warning sign at the crossing two miles outside the city of Drama and crashed into the Intercity passenger train.

Italy

ROME — The editor of an Italian monthly has apologized for any offense to Muslims over a humorous caption for a drawing showing the Prophet Muhammad in hell, Italian news reports said Sunday. The journal Studi Cattolici (Catholic Studies), which offers a variety of opinions on cultural issues, ran the caption and drawing in its March issue.

Nepal

KATMANDU — The Nepalese capital ran low on fresh food and fuel Sunday because of a general strike that shut down the city, and thousands of angry pro-democracy demonstrators clashed with police firing rubber bullets.

Philippines

MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in an Easter announcement that she would commute the death sentences of some 1,200 convicts, including about a dozen al-Qaida-linked militants. Arroyo said the death sentence would be commuted to life in prison for everyone on death row.

Spain

MADRID — A bus carrying Boy Scouts overturned on a northern Spanish highway late Sunday, killing at least four people, including three minors, the daily El Pais newspaper reported on its Web site.

Serbia-Montenegro

BELGRADE — Emergency crews and volunteers struggled to keep embankments and sand barriers from giving way Sunday amid record flooding along the Danube River.

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Turkey

ISTANBUL — An explosion near a sidewalk cafe in an Istanbul suburb injured about 30 people Sunday, most by shattered glass sent flying by the blast, police said. Police said they suspected the blast was caused by a percussion grenade, a type of explosive that usually makes a loud noise but causes limited damage.

Venezuela

CARACAS — Venezuela denied on Sunday that it failed to uphold its obligations under international accords to provide protection for foreign diplomats, after the U.S. ambassador was harassed by supporters of President Hugo Chavez. Information Minister Willian Lara said U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield did not formally request police protection before his convoy was pelted with eggs by pro-Chavez activists in the streets of Venezuela's capital on April 7.

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