World in brief: Israeli strike kills three Palestinians
Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants on the Gaza border Tuesday, the military and Israeli media said, in the deadliest clash since a truce between Israel and the Islamic Hamas rulers of Gaza expired over the weekend.
Despite the violence, Israel decided to open three crossings to allow some food, supplies and fuel into Gaza, the Defense Ministry said late Tuesday.
The clash, and renewed rocket fire from Gaza, dampened hopes that the truce could be renewed quickly.
Israel said three militants were spotted planting explosives in northern Gaza along the border fence. Soldiers crossed a few yards into Gaza and engaged the Palestinians, who threw grenades. The military said soldiers returned fire, hitting the three. Israeli media said they were killed, the first to die since the truce ended.
There was no immediate Palestinian comment. In the past, militant groups have responded to such clashes with rocket barrages.
Egypt mediated the expired truce and is pressing for its renewal.
Egypt is eager to maintain influence with the Palestinians, concerned extremism in Gaza could spill over into Egypt.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico
Checkpoint arrest nabs beauty queen
A beauty queen from the drug-plagued state of Sinaloa was arrested with suspected gang members in a truck filled guns and ammunition, police said Tuesday.
Miss Sinaloa 2008 Laura Zuniga stared at the ground, with her flowing dark hair concealing her face, as she stood squeezed between seven alleged gunmen lined up before journalists. Soldiers wearing ski masks guarded the 23-year-old model and the suspects.
Zuniga was arrested shortly before midnight on Monday at a military checkpoint in Zapopan, just outside the colonial city of Guadalajara, said Jalisco state police director, Francisco Alejandro Solorio.
Zuniga was riding in one of two trucks, where soldiers found a large stash of weapons, including two AR-15 assault rifles, .38 specials, 9mm handguns, nine magazines, 633 cartridges and $53,300 in U.S. currency, Solorio said.
Zuniga told police she was planning on traveling to Bolivia and Colombia with the men to go shopping, Solorio said.
TOKYO
Prime minister won’t call election
Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso said today he would not call a snap election despite opposition demands, saying he needs to focus on the country’s sputtering economy.
Aso, who took office in September, has seen his popularity plummet in recent months and the opposition has called for him to prove he has a public mandate.
Aso said today that it was not the right time to call elections as he needs to monitor the economy to make sure it does not weaken further.
“We are not in a situation in which we can discuss such things,” he said at a news conference.
Earlier in the day, Aso’s Cabinet approved a record-high budget proposal to battle the recession. Aso described the spending plan as a “bold budget to protect people’s lives.”