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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

U.N. to investigate alleged favoritism


Rice
 (The Spokesman-Review)
Compiled from wire reports The Spokesman-Review

United Nations The United Nations launched a new probe Friday into allegations the former head of the U.N. internal watchdog showed favoritism in recruiting and promoting employees.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan made the decision after an outside review found there was enough evidence to go ahead with a new probe into Dileep Nair, a Singaporean who retired in April.

The charges caused controversy because the Office of Internal Oversight Services, which Nair led, is responsible for upholding the integrity of the world body.

N. Korean ruler hints at new nuclear talks

Seoul, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said Friday his nation could rejoin disarmament talks as soon as next month and might someday renounce nuclear weapons, but needs to be treated with respect first.

Kim said he harbored no ill will toward President Bush and would find him “interesting to talk to” – referring to the United States in rare flattering terms that raised hopes of a possible resolution of the standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

The United States dismissed the overture, made in remarks to a South Korean envoy, saying Kim needed to set a date and make a more concrete commitment to nuclear negotiations.

The North Korean ruler also said he would welcome international nuclear inspections and rejoin the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the standoff was resolved.

Rice warns Israelis over new settlements

Shannon, Ireland Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Israel on Friday not to complicate the path to peace with Palestinians through new Jewish settlements as the date approaches for Israelis to fulfill a promise to leave established settlements.

Rice is visiting the region in part to evaluate plans for Israel’s withdrawal in August from all 21 Jewish settlements on the Gaza Strip and four of 120 in the West Bank. Rice is on her first visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Troops regain control of government office

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Troops with truncheons and tear gas beat back protesters who stormed government headquarters Friday in the biggest unrest in Kyrgyzstan since its longtime president was ousted in March. The clash injured 39 people.

The protesters said they were supporters of a candidate denied registration for the July 10 presidential election. But interim President Kurmanbek Bakiyev accused ousted President Askar Akayev of funding disorder in the Central Asian country.

The Interior Ministry troops regained control of the building about an hour after a crowd of about 2,000 forced its way through a gate.

The Health Ministry said 39 people were injured, 12 of them hospitalized. Bakiyev said 10 police and Interior Ministry officers had been injured by stones.

Police raid slum area with Aristide supporters

Port-au-Prince, Haiti Police raided a gritty slum teeming with gangs loyal to ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide Friday, residents said, accusing the officials of killing two people.

About 12 police officers stormed the slum of Bel Air shortly after dawn, firing at several homes, residents said. The slum is the site of frequent clashes between police, U.N. peacekeepers and pro-Aristide gangs.

The incident came a day after two U.N. troops were wounded in an attack by armed gangs in Cite Soleil, another slum largely populated by Aristide supporters.

The 7,400-strong U.N. force has been criticized for a lack of aggressiveness in cracking down on militants since the February 2004 armed uprising that forced Aristide to flee Haiti.