EU agrees to monitor traffic at Gaza Strip-Egypt border
Rafah Crossing, Gaza Strip – The European Union agreed Monday to monitor a Gaza-Egypt border crossing that serves as the main gate to the world for Palestinians in the coastal strip.
The deployment of foreign inspectors at the Rafah terminal is a key element of an emerging Israeli-Palestinian deal on new border arrangements following Israel’s pullout from the Gaza Strip in September.
EU foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to “assume the third party responsibility” for monitoring the border crossing, Javier Solana, the EU’s security affairs chief, told reporters as a delegation from the bloc toured the border area.
Israel closed Rafah just before the withdrawal, and the terminal has opened only sporadically since then to allow passage of hardship cases.
Solana did not give details of the conditions under which the EU monitors would supervise border traffic, saying Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were discussing the matter Monday. The Palestinians hope to reach agreement by Nov. 15.
The Palestinians want the Europeans to serve as advisers, while Israel wants the foreigners to be in charge, with the authority to carry out arrests or confiscate luggage, if necessary. Israel is concerned about an influx of weapons and militants.
SAN FRANCISCO
British royals receive warm U.S. reception
It may not be a fairy-tale romance, but most seem to agree that the prince is charming.
As Prince Charles and new wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wrapped up their first U.S. tour together, the week-long diplomatic mission and charm offensive seemed to have paid off.
Among many Americans, the eco-friendly prince and the down-to-earth duchess were a hit.
“It’s so nice to see a public figure speaking out for something good,” said Ann Leonard, 41, waiting for the couple Monday outside a school in Berkeley, Calif., where they were inspecting an organic vegetable garden.
Charles and Camilla were to fly back to Britain today after a trip intended to underscore transatlantic ties, promote Charles’ environmental causes and burnish the profile of the middle-aged royals, who married in April after an off-and-on relationship lasting more than 30 years.
COLUMBIA, Md.
Flu-vaccine shortage scraps retailer clinics
Maxim Healthcare Services Inc. said it has canceled 3,500 flu-shot clinics it was offering through U.S. retailers, citing a shortage of vaccine.
The cancellations began Monday, the Columbia-based company said. Drugstore chain Walgreen Co. and grocery-store operator Albertsons Inc. were among the retailers affected.
More customers are demanding flu shots this year as a result of shortages last year and concerns about avian influenza, said Steve Wright, who runs Maxim’s retail inoculation services.
The company ordered as many as 3 million shots from Paris-based Sanofi-Aventis SA and hasn’t received its entire order yet, he said.
“Demand this year is 30 to 40 percent higher,” Wright said Monday. “It was a 70 million- dose market last year, but it may be an 80 or 90 or 100 million- dose market now.”
WASHINGTON
Five more detainees face military trials
Five suspected al-Qaeda terrorists, including one accused of killing a Special Forces medic, were formally charged with crimes Monday, becoming the latest Guantanamo Bay detainees headed for military trials.
The latest announcement brings to nine the number of Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been charged with criminal offenses. There are about 500 detainees there, many captured in Afghanistan more than three years ago.
The charges against four of the detainees involve an alleged conspiracy using roadside bombs, and in one case how to make a so-called dirty bomb that would release radioactivity. The fifth is accused of throwing a grenade that killed the medic and planting land mines where U.S. troops were to travel.
NEW YORK
Disasters spur record insurance payouts
U.S. property and casualty insurers paid a record $40.8 billion in the third quarter to homeowners and businesses hit by hurricanes and other disasters, according to an insurance data group.
The group estimated that Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, resulted in about $34.4 billion in claims in the quarter. Hurricane Rita, which hit Louisiana and Texas on Sept. 24, prompted claims of $4.7 billion. And Hurricane Dennis, which struck Alabama and the Florida Panhandle on July 10, caused $1.1 billion in claims.
UNITED NATIONS
Iran issues protest of U.S. drone flyovers
Iran sent letters protesting illegal overflights by two unmanned U.S. aircraft that crashed in recent months, documents circulated at the United Nations on Monday showed.
Iran’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi, asked the U.N. Security Council on Oct. 26 to circulate two letters protesting “the violation of the territory and airspace of Iran by two American unmanned aircrafts.” The letters said the U.S. “will be responsible for the consequences of any recurrence of its unlawful acts.”
MADRID, Spain
Section of road bridge falls on crew, killing 6
A section of a highway bridge under construction in southern Spain collapsed Monday, killing at least six workers and injuring three, officials said. The section that fell was nearly 200 feet long and 40 feet wide, the national news agency Efe reported.
