World in brief

Nigerian bishop denounces Anglican report

LONDON - In a sign of how difficult it may be to avoid church schism over Anglicans' treatment of homosexuality, a high-ranking African archbishop on Tuesday angrily accused liberals of "subverting the faith" and assailed a report that called for reconciliation.

The strong response from Archbishop Peter Akinola, Anglican primate of Nigeria, signaled a rough road ahead as the archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion seek adoption of the report dealing with the U.S. Episcopal Church's controversial elevation of a gay priest to bishop of New Hampshire. The report, issued Monday, called on Americans to apologize but did not aim at expelling the U.S. Episcopal wing from the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Akinola, whose 17-million-member Anglican Church of Nigeria is the largest Anglican body outside the Church of England, wields considerable influence. His criticism comes just days before a conference of African bishops convenes in Lagos, Nigeria. If most African church leaders agree with Akinola, approval of the report could prove difficult at an international meeting of bishops in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in February.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Myanmar's tough but pragmatic prime minister was sacked Tuesday by his hard-line army colleagues, clouding prospects for the freedom of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and for democracy in the military-led Southeast Asian nation.

The ouster of Gen. Khin Nyunt, 65, who was also military intelligence chief, seemed to spell an end to a power struggle between so-called moderates and a faction uninterested in negotiating reconciliation with democracy activists or nations critical of the regime.

Khin Nyunt was taken into custody late Monday and charged with corruption, according to officials in Thailand, who were the first to publicly break the news.

JERUSALEM - Israel's top military officials spoke out Tuesday against calls for disobedience after rabbis urged religiously devout soldiers to refuse to take part in the removal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, the army chief of staff, said such appeals were placing a grave strain on the military, one of the most venerated institutions in Israel.

Their remarks came amid a sharpening debate over Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four in the northern West Bank by late next year.

TEHRAN, Iran - The head of Iran's security council said Tuesday that the re-election of President Bush was in Tehran's best interests, despite the administration's axis of evil label, accusations that Iran harbors al-Qaida terrorists and threats of sanctions over the country's nuclear ambitions.

Historically, Democrats have harmed Iran more than Republicans, said Hasan Rowhani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security decision-making body.

"We haven't seen anything good from Democrats," Rowhani told state-run television in remarks that, for the first time in recent decades, saw Iran openly supporting a U.S. presidential candidate.

KABUL, Afghanistan - With one-third of the votes counted in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election, Hamid Karzai was leading with 64 percent, and his campaign team said Tuesday it was certain the interim leader will win with the simple majority required to avoid a run-off.

The camp of ethnic Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, currently third, also said Tuesday that the race is over, but Karzai's main challenger, former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni, accuses the U.S.-backed incumbent of cheating and refuses to concede defeat.

Karzai's rivals have lodged dozens of complaints with a panel of foreign experts, though it is unclear if the panel will report before the expected release of the official results at the end of October.

GENERAL ON BIN LADEN: The top American commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday he has no evidence Osama bin Laden is in day-to-day control of al-Qaida but suggested the long-absent terrorist leader is alive.

Lt. Gen. David Barno, speaking to reporters during a visit to the Pentagon, said bin Laden remains a critical target.

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