World Watch

UNITED STATES Taiwan Deal Damages China-U.S. Relations President bush provoked anger in china and deepened international concern about his Administration's foreign policy by unequivocally promising to defend Taiwan in the event of conflict with China. Only days after U.S.-China talks failed to resolve the spy-plane incident, Bush approved the sale of a package of military hardware to Taiwan — but not the high-tech naval radar system that Taipei had requested. It was unclear how Washington would deliver diesel-powered submarines built by Germany and the Netherlands, which refuse to sell arms to Taiwan. China said the promise to supply Taiwan with aircraft and submarines was tantamount to "open provocation," but in a subsequent interview, Bush declared that he would do "whatever it took" to defend Taiwan from attack. His staff later backpedaled.

BRITAIN Disease Fallout Britain began to reduce its slaughter-and-burn policy of dealing with the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease as fears rose concerning the effects on humans. Scientists estimated that the pyres to dispose of carcasses had released 63 gms, or 20% of annual emissions, of the chemical dioxin into the atmosphere. Meanwhile seven people involved in the slaughter showed signs of the fmd virus.

FRANCE Liberté, Immunité French President Jacques Chirac will not be brought to trial despite claims that there is evidence of corruption against him. The investigating magistrate, Judge Eric Halphen, was said to have uncovered "plausible evidence" that Chirac was involved in taking kickbacks for municipal contracts during his 18-year tenure as mayor of Paris.

BELGIUM Slovak Aid Ends The European Union suspen-ded new aid to Slovakia after allegations of embezzlement of E.U. funds. The move followed the dismissal of Roland Toth, head of Slovakia's Department of Foreign Assistance, who is under investigation by the Slovak authorities. Toth's alleged criminal activity was exposed by his wife, reportedly angered that he had been seeing other women, who took revenge by sending a dossier of compromising documents to the police, the press and the Prime Minister, Mikulas Dzurinda.

YUGOSLAVIA Serbs Release Kosovar War Prisoners Thousands turned out in Kosovo to greet 143 ethnic Albanian men freed after spending nearly two years in Serbian jails. Belgrade's Supreme Court ordered the release of the men pending a review of their sentences on charges of terrorism. But it is unlikely they will face new trials, and jubilant relatives met their return by bus to the western town of Pec.

TURKEY Fasting to Death For several months some 800 inmates of Turkey's prisons and many of their relatives have been on hunger strike to protest jail conditions. By last week 20 of the hunger strikers had died. The protest began in October when dormitories holding up to 60 prisoners were replaced with small three-person cells. The government announced that it would address the prisoners' fear of isolation with a bill to allow better communal facilities

ISRAEL A Hint of Hope Moves in Israel hinted at renewed dialogue to end nearly seven months of violence. Though gun battles continued between Israeli troops and Palestinians near Ramallah and an explosion in Gaza killed four Palestinians, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to send Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to Egypt to discuss an Egyptian-Jordanian peace plan. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer announced plans to reopen Israel's borders to tens of thousands of Palestinian workers.

NIGERIA The War Chest Africa's leaders met in Abuja to commit greater effort to tackling the aids epidemic. The conference, attended by 50 heads of state, heard U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan say that between $7 billion and $10 billion is needed to make the fight against the disease effective. "We need money," he said. "The war on aids will not be won without a war chest."

CONGO Innocent Victims The Red Cross suspended operations in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo after Ugandan soldiers patrolling in the area found the bodies of six Red Cross workers who had been shot and hacked to death. The group, including a Swiss nurse and a Colombian relief worker, had been on a routine aid mission to a local health center. It was unclear who was responsible for the killings, which took place in a region riven by tribal warfare.

SOUTH AFRICA Conspiracy South Africa's Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete made bizarre allegations against three of the country's leading black businessmen. He said that Cyril Ramaphosa, Tokyo Sexwale and Matthews Phosa were being investigated for possible involvement in a conspiracy against President Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki dismissed fears of a crisis in his government and political allies described the accusations as "highly irresponsible." The three accused, who have left politics for business careers, denied involvment in any plot.

ANTARCTICA Daring Rescues at the South Pole In one of the most dramatic rescue missions attempted in the Antarctic, a small propeller plane made an unprecedented winter landing to scoop up a stricken South Pole researcher. U.S. navy authorities decided to evacuate American doctor Ronald Shemenski, who needs surgery for pancreatitis. The rescue by the Canadian ski-plane was the second Antarctic rescue this week. On Tuesday, another plane evacuated 11 American staffers from a base on the Antarctic coast opposite New Zealand.

SRI LANKA Battles Rage After Tamil Tiger rebels ended a four-month unilateral ceasefire Sri Lanka's army launched a major offensive in the Jaffna peninsula. The separatist rebels counterattacked, forcing an army retreat. After three days of fighting, the reported death toll climbed above 350. Most of the casualties fell to heavy artillery and mortar fire. Government forces claimed that the battles resulted in 187 soldiers and 190 rebels killed, with more than 800 injured.

PHILIPPINES Estrada in Jail Still protesting his innocence, former President Joseph Estrada was arrested on charges including economic plunder, a crime punishable by death. Prosecutors claim that he took $82 million in kickbacks during his time in office. As he was taken to a cell in police headquarters in Manila, thousands of supporters rallied outside the building and his lawyers fought to have him bailed or removed to house detention.

COLOMBIA Video Evidence A videotape illustrating the methods of Colombia's rebel fighters was broadcast on national TV. The video, seized during a police raid on a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (farc) stronghold, showed an unidentified town being overrun. farc has increasingly attacked rural towns, including 70 in the past year, according to authorities.