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Prosecutor suggests Sharon be indicted

JERUSALEM - In a sharp escalation of a long-standing corruption scandal surrounding Ariel Sharon, the state prosecutor has recommended the prime minister be indicted, Israeli media reported Saturday.

But the indictment reportedly drafted by the prosecutor, Edna Arbel, would have to be approved by Israel's new attorney general, Menachem Mazuz - a move that is far from certain. Sharon, 76, is accused of accepting bribes from an Israeli businessman.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's landmark national elections, which were scheduled for June, will be delayed until September, President Hamid Karzai said today.

Karzai said the delay was needed to allow the United Nations to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time.

Officials had warned repeatedly that the country's first post-Taliban elections might be delayed because of logistical problems and security fears.

So far, only 1.5-million of an estimated 10.5-million eligible voters have been registered for the elections.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Hours after nearly 500,000 opposition supporters protested outside his Taipei offices, President Chen Shui-bian late Saturday agreed to meet his two main political rivals for talks.

Chen said he would accept opposition proposals for a complete recount of ballots in last weekend's presidential election and accept the results of the recount. Taiwan's fragile democracy sank into confusion when the opposition refused to accept the vote tally that gave Chen victory by a margin of less than 30,000 votes of the nearly 13-million cast.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Senior al-Qaida leader Tahir Yuldash has been seriously wounded and is on the run, Pakistan's military spokesman said Saturday, while claiming that an operation to rid the western border areas of suspected terrorists has been a success.

Intelligence and witness accounts indicate Yuldash was badly wounded and is in hiding, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said. He admitted, though, that Pakistani forces are not close to capturing Yuldash.

TUNIS, Tunisia - An Arab summit was postponed Saturday two days before its start because of differences on peace overtures to Israel and plans for political reforms, the Tunisian hosts said.

No new date was announced.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland - David Trimble defeated two relative unknowns to remain leader of Northern Ireland's Ulster Unionists Saturday, keeping his job in an internal ballot five months after the party's worst-ever electoral performance.