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U.S. officials says Castro is near death

By TIMES WIRES
Published December 15, 2006

CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO IS VERY ILL AND CLOSE TO DEATH, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR JOHN NEGROPONTE SAID THURSDAY. "EVERYTHING WE SEE INDICATES IT WILL NOT BE MUCH LONGER ... MONTHS, NOT YEARS," NEGROPONTE TOLD A MEETING OF Washington Post editors and reporters. Castro relinquished power for the first time in 47 years after surgery July 31 for an undisclosed intestinal disorder. Cuban authorities have repeatedly insisted that he is recovering and will return to office.

Government, foes weigh new Cabinet

The government and opposition have agreed on a national unity Cabinet in which major decisions could be made only by consensus, the head of the Arab League said Thursday in a major step toward ending Lebanon's political crisis. A new Cabinet is the key demand of the Hezbollah-led opposition, whose thousands of supporters have staged mass protests and daily sit-ins since Dec. 1. Their target is Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, who left his office Thursday to fly to Moscow, apparently to seek support from Russia. Arab League chief Amr Moussa told reporters that more talks are required to conclude the Cabinet deal and he could return to Lebanon.

Art trafficking ring broken, police say

Italian police said Thursday they have uncovered an international art trafficking ring based in Rome and have recovered about 100 artifacts. Police said 35 people are being investigated; no one has been arrested. One item, a 17th century still life by Italian painter Pietro Paolo Bonzi - stolen from a private collection - had been smuggled to France, and investigators were looking into a possible link to Florida, police said. No other details were provided.

Bushmen face new obstacles

Botswana's government Thursday accepted a court order to allow the Bushmen, the nation's last hunter-gatherers, to live on their ancestral lands. But at the same time, officials imposed tough conditions likely to prevent most or all from returning. The High Court ruled Wednesday that the Bushmen were wrongly evicted from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in 2002. Attorney General Athaliah Molokomme said only 189 people who filed the lawsuit would be given automatic right of return with their children, far short of the 2,000 the Bushmen say want to go home. Anyone else would have to apply for special permits.

Elsewhere

Egypt: The government on Thursday arrested several leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned but powerful opposition group, and more than 140 student members after a campus protest.

Georgia: Russia completed the withdrawal of all its military equipment from its Tbilisi garrison Thursday, Russian officials said. The last of 340 personnel are to leave the garrison next week, leaving the Georgian capital free of Russia's regional military headquarters for the first time in more than 200 years. The countries agreed last year on the exit.

Saudi Arabia: Sixteen Saudis released from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, returned home Thursday and were held by police to determine if they have any terrorist ties.

[Last modified December 15, 2006, 01:01:32]