World in brief: Rockets interrupt Gaza cease-fire
Islamic Jihad militants in the Gaza Strip fired three rockets into Israel on Tuesday, breaching a five-day old cease-fire after Israeli troops killed one of the Palestinian group’s commanders in the West Bank.
Israel responded to the rocket fire by shutting border crossings into Gaza.
The incident underscored the fragility of the Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas reached last week with Egyptian mediation, and it demonstrated how continuing Israeli raids against militants in the West Bank have the potential of undermining the cease-fire.
Harare, Zimbabwe
Mugabe insists election still on
President Robert Mugabe refused Tuesday to give into pressure from Africa and the West, saying the world can “shout as loud as they like” but he would not cancel this week’s runoff election even though his opponent quit the race.
South Africa’s ruling party issued a toughly worded statement calling on Mugabe’s government to stop “riding roughshod” over the opposition headed by Morgan Tsvangirai, who quit the presidential contest and sought shelter in the Dutch Embassy.
The African National Congress also warned against international intervention following a report in the Times of London that Britain has drawn up contingency plans for deploying troops in Zimbabwe to resolve a humanitarian crisis and to evacuate British nationals and their dependents.
Mexico City
Officers fired over deadly raid at bar
Police officials on Tuesday fired 17 officers here in connection with a botched raid on a bar last week that triggered a stampede, leaving a dozen people dead.
The firings came as newly released video footage showed police officers blocking exits as hundreds of young patrons tried to flee. The bar’s owners were suspected of serving alcohol to minors.
The incident, at a bar called News Divine in a gritty section of northern Mexico City, has been the talk of the capital for days and spurred a flurry of finger-pointing.
Family members of the deceased have gathered in front of the bar to demand punishment for police and borough officials involved in the raid.