World in brief

Israel frees inmates, opens roads

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government on Sunday reversed an earlier position and voted to free Islamic militants, while the military lifted several roadblocks in the West Bank. The moves came just hours before Sharon flew to the United States, where on Tuesday he could face rare differences with President Bush on Middle East peacemaking.

The Israeli actions seemed timed to show that Sharon's government was improving conditions for Palestinians and took place two days after the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, listed a range of Palestinian demands during a White House visit with Bush.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A $1-billion aid package that the Bush administration plans to propose soon will help war-shattered Afghanistan rebuild the peace as well as roads and schools, President Hamid Karzai's chief of staff said Sunday.

"Reconstruction creates jobs," Said Tayab Jawad said. "It creates a sense of trust and gives people hope for a more peaceful future."

MONROVIA, Liberia - The U.S. ambassador to Liberia on Sunday appealed to rebels to pull back from the bloodied capital to allow food and other aid into the city crowded with hungry refugees, while shelling around the rebel-held port killed at least 16 civilians.

Explosions rocked Monrovia as rebels and government forces battled at key crossings leading to President Charles Taylor's downtown stronghold. Government commanders and residents reported that the rebels were stepping up their eight-day drive into the city.

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - Troops from India and Pakistan traded artillery and mortar fire along the Kashmir border Sunday, killing six Pakistani civilians.

There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Indian side.

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