Belgium: Bishop in hiding
BRUSSELS — The former bishop at the center of a child sexual abuse scandal in Belgium announced Saturday that he would leave the Trappist monastery where he had been living and go into hiding to contemplate his future.
The former bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in April after admitting he abused a boy, later revealed to be his nephew. The publicity surrounding the case prompted more than 200 people to come forward in a matter of days with accounts of abuse by priests, with cases stretching back several decades.
Brazil: Workers rescued
SAO PAULO — Authorities in Brazil say they have rescued nearly 100 workers who were allegedly living in slave-like conditions in sugarcane fields in the country's southeast.
The official Agencia Brasil news service says the workers in Rio de Janeiro state were not registered to work and did not have access to drinking water, protective gear or appropriate eating facilities. The news service's Friday report says 50 other workers at a strawberry farm in Minas Gerais state also were rescued from the same conditions.
Egypt: Barge leaks gas
LUXOR — A barge has leaked some 100 tons of gasoline into the Nile River in southern Egypt after it became partially submerged while workers unloaded its cargo.
The vessel docked Saturday in Aswan, about 700 miles south of Cairo, when part of the barge sank below the surface and began spewing gasoline into the river. The leak has since been stopped.
Guinea: Violent campaign
CONAKRY — At least 24 people were injured when members of Guinea's rival political parties began throwing rocks at each other following a campaign event Saturday, said a campaign official and a doctor at the hospital where the injured were being treated.
The violent clash is one more sign of escalating tension ahead of next week's historic election, which many had hoped would mark a turning point for the troubled country that has known only authoritarian rule since winning independence from France in 1958.
Mexico: Bomb detonated
MEXICO CITY — Mexican police carried out the controlled detonation of a car bomb Saturday in the troubled border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from Texas.
A phone tip around midnight led authorities to a dead body in a car in a shopping center parking lot, the federal Public Safety Department said. In a second car, police found the bomb. Agents deactivated the device and removed most of the explosive material to analyze it before safely detonating the vehicle, the department said. There were no injuries.
Nigeria: Mogul threatened
ABUJA — A Nigerian media mogul says his family has received kidnap threats over his support for a former military dictator in the country's upcoming election.
Raymond Dokpesi, the owner of the Africa Independent Television network, told reporters Saturday that his family received threats Friday night that his son would be kidnapped. Dokpesi is a campaign chairman for former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida's presidential bid.
Venezuela: Refinery fire
CARACAS — A fire broke out at a Venezuelan oil refinery loading pier Saturday, forcing the evacuation of workers and ships from the area.
The blaze began in the morning while diesel was being loaded onto a ship for export, the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, said in a statement released by the Information Ministry. It said the fire was not affecting fuel production and a team was working to contain the fire at the Cardon refinery in western Falcon state. No injuries were reported.
Zimbabwe: 5 arrested
HARARE — Five Americans who worked with AIDS orphans and patients in Zimbabwe have been arrested in the southern African country and accused of operating without proper medical licenses, their lawyer said Saturday.
Attorney Jonathan Samukange identified one as Gloria Cox Crowell, who is chairwoman of an AIDS program run by the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, Calif.