The world in brief

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY “On five separate occasions, the government has attacked me, to try to kill me. … We are living in a real jungle here in Congo, and the international community cannot allow this to go on.” Joseph Mukunguila, a 66-year-old pastor known as “The Prophet,” whose followers attacked the state television station, the airport and the main military base in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, on Monday before being repelled by the country’s military Article, this pagePakistan defuses 4 bombs near ex-ruler

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani authorities defused four small bombs Monday planted near the house of former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf, just two days before he’s to appear in court in a treason case, a police official said.

A passer-by spotted the devices alongside a road about a quarter-mile from Musharraf’s farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad, police officer Nayyar Saleem said.

The improvised devices were left in separate plastic shopping bags, and there were about 7 pounds of explosives altogether, Saleem said. Authorities do not know if Musharraf was the intended target.

Musharraf is accused of high treason and is scheduled to appear before a court Wednesday. He was not able to attend a previous court hearing last Tuesday because of a bomb scare.

Musharraf ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade after taking power in a 1999 coup. But he was forced to step down in 2008 and later left the country in self-imposed exile. He returned in March hoping to take part in elections but immediately faced a barrage of legal problems relating to his time in office.

The high-treason case relates to the state of emergency he imposed in 2007.

Lebanese army fires at Syrian aircraft

BEIRUT - The Lebanese army fired at Syrian aircraft that violated the country’s airspace Monday, the first time Lebanon has done so since Syria’s uprising broke out nearly three years ago, security officials said.

Lebanese officials said the military fired anti-aircraft guns at two Syrian helicopters after they fired four missiles in a mountainous, barren area close to the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal.

Syrian aircraft frequently have conducted strikes near the frontier, sometimes hitting Lebanese territory. Beirut has protested but not responded with force.

Local security officials said the Syrians were chasing rebels who were trying to sneak into Lebanon. Communities on the Lebanese side of the border dominated by Sunni Muslims have become safe havens for rebels battling the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Uganda warns South Sudan rebel leader

JUBA, South Sudan - Uganda’s president on Monday warned South Sudan’s rebel leader against rejecting the government’s offer of a cease-fire, saying regional leaders would unite to “defeat” the former vice president who is accused of mounting a failed coup in the world’s newest country.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told reporters in Juba, the South Sudan capital, that a regional bloc known as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development had given Riek Machar “four days to respond” to the cease-fire offer.

“If he doesn’t, we shall have to go for him, all of us,” he said, referring to the bloc.

A meeting of East African leaders last week said it “welcomed the commitment” by South Sudan’s government to cease hostilities against rebels and urged both sides to start peace talks by today. Machar instead called for a negotiated cease-fire that includes a way to monitor compliance.

German envoy’s home attacked in Greece

ATHENS, Greece - The home of Germany’s ambassador to Athens was sprayed with gunfire early Monday, in a suspected terrorist attack that prompted both governments to declare it would not strain ties between bailed-out Greece and its leading lender.

No one was hurt in the pre-dawn attack when gunmen riddled the official residence of Ambassador Wolfgang Dold with bullets from two AK-47 assault rifles. Police said they had recovered more than 60 bullet casings.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred on a busy road in the Halandri area north of the capital.

Six people were briefly detained for questioning and released without charge while investigators examined video from surveillance cameras as well as a stolen car found near the scene, police said. Police cordoned off a large area, and forensic officers in white coveralls placed evidence markers in the street.

Front Section, Pages 5 on 12/31/2013