Gunmen kidnap BBC reporter

Masked Palestinian gunmen kidnapped a BBC reporter from his car in Gaza City on Monday, Palestinian security officials said.

As he was being taken, the journalist threw a business card on the street that identified him as Alan Johnston of the BBC, the officials said.

Four gunmen carried out the kidnapping, and Johnston’s car was found abandoned near his Gaza City apartment, said the officials.

The BBC bureau chief in Jerusalem, Simon Wilson, said his news network had lost contact with Johnston, but Wilson could not confirm a kidnapping.

Bogota, Colombia

Colombian official sought by Interpol

Interpol launched an international call Monday for the arrest of a prominent Colombian politician who is believed to have fled to Venezuela after being accused of colluding with right-wing paramilitaries to kidnap a political rival.

The notice came a day after President Bush reaffirmed his support for Colombia’s government during a visit to Bogota, praising President Alvaro Uribe for his handling of a paramilitary scandal that has ensnared several allies of the Colombian leader.

Alvaro Araujo Noguera, 74, was indicted March 2 for alleged involvement in the 2002 kidnapping. His son, Sen. Alvaro Araujo Castro, was jailed for the same crime last month.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname

Ex-dictator issues apology for killings

Suriname’s former military dictator has offered his first public apology for the 1982 killings of 15 critics of his military regime, saying he accepted political responsibility for the deaths but denied involvement.

“The December killings are a dark page in our country’s history, and I offer my apologies to the surviving relatives,” Desi Bouterse said in comments broadcast Monday by Radio 10.

Henk Kamperveen, whose father, Andre Kamperveen was among the victims, said the apology was insincere.

“Judging from the whole atmosphere in which he spoke and all the things he said, I must conclude that his apology is worthless,” he said.

UNITED NATIONS

New Iran sanctions closer to approval

The major powers moved closer to agreement Monday on a modest package of sanctions against Iran likely to include an embargo on arms exports and an asset freeze on more individuals and companies linked to Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs.

The resolution is also likely to include a ban on government loans to Iran, diplomats said. A travel ban is out, and there will likely be no ban on arms imports or on export credit guarantees for companies doing business in Iran.

Ambassadors from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany emerged from a closed-door meeting optimistic but also cautious of potential problems with every proposal in the package.