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Briefs

U.S. senators detained three hours in Russia

By Times wire
Published August 29, 2005

MOSCOW - An American congressional delegation was delayed three hours at a provincial airport in Russia on Sunday as its members tried to leave the country, in an unexplained breach of diplomatic protocol.

The aircraft of the delegation, which included Sens. Richard Lugar and Barack Obama, departed Perm only after entreaties from the White House and the State Department resolved a dispute over the group's travels, said Courtney Austrian, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy. She said she didn't know the reason for the delay. Perm is about 600 miles east of Moscow.

The delay came on the last of a three-day tour of nuclear facilities.

It was not immediately clear whether the delay was intentional or a problem in Russian bureaucracy on a late summer Sunday.

Son of Israeli leader faces corruption charges

JERUSALEM - The oldest son of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was indicted Sunday on corruption charges in connection with fundraising activities for one of his father's election campaigns, the Justice Ministry announced.

Omri Sharon is suspected of setting up fictitious companies to conceal illegal contributions during the 1999 campaign, when his father won the chairmanship of the Likud Party and became its candidate for prime minister.

Omri Sharon was charged with violating campaign finance laws, forging documents and perjury. He could face up to five years in prison. Prosecutors decided not to charge Ariel Sharon with involvement in the same scandal.

Journalist killed in Iraq, possibly by U.S. troops

BAGHDAD - A Reuters television sound technician was killed and a cameraman was injured Sunday while trying to cover a Baghdad gunbattle involving insurgents and U.S. troops. Police said the men were fired on by American forces.

Waleed Khaled, 35, was killed and cameraman Haider Khadem was wounded while driving to the Baghdad district of Adil, said Alastair MacDonald, Reuters' chief correspondent in Baghdad. Khadem was detained by U.S. troops, MacDonald said.

A statement from the U.S. Army's Task Force Baghdad said troops responded to an attack on an Iraqi police convoy and that "one civilian was killed and another was wounded by small-arms fire during the attack." Lt. Col. Robert Whetstone said U.S. troops evacuated one wounded civilian and the incident was being investigated.

[Last modified August 29, 2005, 15:06:15]