Photo courtesy of Stephen Hird, Reuters
Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. Military Commander in Iraq, accuses Iran of providing weapons to militia groups, which can be used to kill U.S. troops.

The world in headlines

Compiled By EUN SIL KANG

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Petraeus blames Iran for violence

By DEAN YATES

EAST OF BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) – Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, is accusing Iran of causing violence in Iraq.

Petraeus, who spoke at a U.S. military base near the Iranian border on Saturday, said Iran was giving militia groups advanced weaponry and guidance.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Petraeus’ remarks were “not new.”

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Identifying pedophiles online

By MARK TREVELYAN

LONDON (Reuters) – Interpol said Monday it was hopeful of identifying a serial pedophile after posting his picture on the Internet, leading to hundreds of responses from the public.

The pictures had been digitally-altered to hide the man’s face. But, computer experts at Germany’s BKA police agency used forensic work to create recognizable images.

Interpol said it was making the public appeal because the identity of the man was still a mystery.

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Britain to reduce troops

LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Monday that Britain will lower troop levels to 2,500 by next spring, and redeploy logistics staff to bordering states.

He said decisions on further cuts would be made after the initial reduction.

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NATIONAL NEWS

White House denies video leak

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The White House on Tuesday denied being the source of a leak involving an Osama bin Laden video that a private intelligence firm said had sabotaged its secret ability to intercept al-Qaida messages, according to the Agence France Presse.

The Washington Post said the SITE Intelligence Group said it lost access to al-Qaida’s communications network when President Bush’s administration let out that the company had obtained a bin Laden video last month before its official release.

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Wisconsin town still reeling

By JAMES B. KELLEHER

CHICAGO (Reuters) – An off-duty sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed six people in Wisconsin before he was killed Sunday acted alone and for reasons that are still not clear, officials said Monday.

Van Hollen said Tyler Peterson had arrived at a party shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday. An argument ensued and Peterson entered the apartment with a rifle and opened fire on seven people, killing six of them — one of whom was his girlfriend.

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Marion Jones pays the price

By GENE CHERRY

SALVO, North Carolina (Reuters) – Sprinter Marion Jones has accepted a two-year ban after admitting that she used an illegal drug, the “clear,” during the 2000 Sydney Games, and has also given back the five Olympic medals she won, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said on Monday.

After years of denial, the American sprinter told a U.S. court on Friday that she had taken the banned substance from September 2000 to July 2001, violating the rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations and USADA.

Jones, 31, also pleaded guilty to two counts of providing false statements to federal investigators.

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STRANGE NEWS

Patrons return consumed food

OSLO (Reuters) – Norwegian food retailer Coop made an announcement on Monday: “If you did not like the food, you will get your money back – no questions asked.”

Coop, a consumer-owned cooperative and the second biggest food chain in Norway, said competition among retailers was so fierce that in order to win new clients it had to become more creative.

“We will refund the whole amount,” Coop spokesman Vidar Ullenroed told the tabloid VG, adding that there did not have to be anything wrong with the product to get cash back.

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Dutch beetles loaded with ‘blow’

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch customs officers found 100 dead beetles stuffed with cocaine while examining a parcel from Peru, Dutch authorities said Thursday.

The beetles’ bodies contained 300 grams of cocaine, with a street-value of $11,270.

“This is a very striking method of smuggling. We have never seen anything like this before,” said government spokesman Kees Nanninga.

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