World in brief: Private property rights proposed

Chinese leaders today introduced a landmark measure to protect private property, saying personal wealth in an increasingly prosperous society requires legal safeguards.

The proposal is the first legislation to cover an individual’s right to own assets in China. It marks another step toward capitalism and away from the communist egalitarianism that guided China a generation ago.

In introducing the measure to the National People’s Congress, Deputy Chairman Wang Zhaoguo said economic and social changes have made the proposal necessary.

CARACAS, Venezuela

Retired general accused of plot

Venezuelan authorities have arrested a retired National Guard general on accusations that he plotted to overthrow President Hugo Chavez, the suspect’s attorney said Wednesday.

Gen. Ramon Guillen Davila was not involved in a purported plot to oust Chavez, attorney Guillermo Heredia told the Associated Press. However, he said the retired general “is opposed to the communist regime in Venezuela because it violates democratic principles.”

Agents from Venezuela’s Military Intelligence Directorate arrested Guillen Davila on Tuesday on allegations of “promoting a military rebellion to oust the president,” Heredia said.

Venezuelan authorities could not be immediately reached to confirm Guillen Davila’s arrest.

Chavez has repeatedly warned that opponents are conspiring to overthrow his left-leaning government.

ISTANBUL, Turkey

Court orders ban of YouTube site

A court ordered access to YouTube’s Web site blocked Wednesday after a prosecutor recommended the ban because of videos allegedly insulting the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Paul Doany, head of Turk Telekom, Turkey’s largest telecommunications provider, said his company had immediately begun enforcing the ban.

“We are not in the position of saying that what YouTube did was an insult, that it was right or wrong,” Doany told the state-run Anatolia news agency.

The court – acting on a petition from Turk Telekom – ruled later Wednesday that it would revoke the ban as soon as it ascertained that the offending videos had been removed from YouTube. YouTube is owned by Internet search engine giant Google Inc.

The video prompting the ban allegedly said Ataturk and the Turkish people were homosexuals, news reports said.