AIRSPACE ANGER: Venezuela wants Patrick Duddy, the American ambassador, to explain a violation of its airspace by a U.S. Navy plane, the country’s foreign minister said Monday. The plane was detected in Venezuelan airspace Saturday and questioned by the Caracas airport control tower, Defense Minister Gen. Gustavo Rangel Briceno said.
AFGHAN ATTACKS: Two NATO soldiers were killed in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan on Monday, the alliance said. NATO did not disclose the nationalities of the dead soldiers but Britain’s Ministry of Defense said that a British soldier had been killed on patrol in southern Helmand province.
CUBA’S CHARGE: Cuba on Monday accused America’s top diplomat in the country of ferrying funds to dissidents on the island from a man it characterizes as a terrorist. The United States replied that it was not aware of specific accusations but said it did not break international law.
GORE AWARDED: Al Gore received a $1 million prize on Monday from an Israeli fund for his environmental work. In Tel Aviv, the Dan David Foundation awarded the former U.S. vice president for alerting the world to the crisis from the overuse of fossil fuels.
NEW LEADER: Taiwan has a new president: Harvard graduate Ma Ying-jeou was inaugurated Monday to his nation’s highest office. Ma now can move forward on campaign promises to stabilize relations with rival China and revitalize Taiwan’s powerful but laggard high-tech economy.
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Page compiled from Tribune news services
