Chavez makes threats against private banks
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez threatened Saturday to take control of banks that don’t meet state- imposed loaning requirements designed to benefit farmers.
Chavez accused many private banks of neglecting laws requiring them to set aside nearly a third of loans for agriculture, mortgages and small businesses at favorable rates.
“The law must be applied,” Chavez said during a televised meeting with farmers. Any bank that doesn’t comply with these lending requirements “should be seized.”
Major banks did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press. Offices were closed Saturday night.
Canada plans to rewrite diplomat training manual
TORONTO — Canada’s foreign ministry said Saturday that it will rewrite a training manual used by diplomats that lists the United States as a site of possible torture, following pressure from its closest ally.
The document, released Friday, singled out the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay. It also names Israel, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Syria as places where inmates could face torture.
“I regret the embarrassment caused by the public disclosure of the manual used in the department’s torture awareness training,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said in a statement issued Saturday. “It contains a list that wrongly includes some of our closest allies. I have directed that the manual be reviewed and rewritten.”
Kenya opposition party calls for day of rallies
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s opposition party, determined to bring down President Mwai Kibaki’s government, called Saturday for another day of “peaceful rallies” despite the deaths of more than 20 people in last week’s demonstrations.
Police took forceful action at rallies Wednesday through Friday protesting the Dec. 27 presidential election, but opposition party chairman Henry Kosgey told reporters that “we will use each and every means to bring down Kibaki’s government.”
Kosgey called for more rallies Thursday, in defiance of a government ban and to the disapproval of the European Union.
“Mass meetings . . . can lead to violence,” EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said, after holding what he called “positive” meetings with both Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Five more people died in ethnic clashes Saturday.
11 dead after plane crashes into mountain
LUANDA, Angola — A twin-engine plane slammed into a mountain in rain and fog in Angola’s central highlands Saturday, killing at least 11 people, media reported.
Angolan National Radio said there were no survivors among the 11 people on board during in the morning crash of the Beechcraft-200.
State news agency Angop quoted aviation officials as saying 12 people were killed.
The crash was near Huambo, 320 miles southeast of the capital, Luanda, media said.
An army team reached the crash site and reported no survivors.
