Bus blast kills 7 in northern Israel

Bus blast kills 7in northern Israel
JERUSALEM -- A car filled with explosives pulled up next to a bus and blew up today, setting the entire bus aflame during the afternoon rush hour in northern Israel, according to police and radio reports.
Israel's Army Radio reported that seven people were killed, saying most of them were trapped in the back of the blazing bus.
Israeli authorities did not immediately give any casualty figures in the blast, which took place several miles inland from the coastal town of Hadera. The intense flames prevented police and rescue workers from approaching the vehicle immediately, the radio reported.
Rescue officials said at least 20 people were wounded, some of them seriously.
Leaders cheerIrish vote on EU
DUBLIN, Ireland -- European leaders cheered Irish voters today for finally approving an ambitious plan to expand the European Union from the Atlantic to the Black Sea.
"The Irish people just made about 100 million friends in Central and Eastern Europe," said Peteris Elferts, foreign policy adviser to Latvian Prime Minister Andris Berzins.
In June 2001, the Irish shocked European leaders by rejecting the expansion treaty, negotiated in December 2000 in Nice, France. That forced Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern into calling another vote, and a second failure would have all but scuttled EU expansion.
Final results announced Sunday showed that 63 percent of voters in Saturday's referendum approved the expansion proposal, which will admit up to 12 new members and bring the EU's membership to almost 500 million.
With the Irish now on board, EU leaders are expected during a summit in December to issue formal invitations to 10 countries -- Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Estonia, Malta and Cyprus -- to join the EU in 2004. Bulgaria and Romania are expected to enter the Union three years later, assuming they complete economic and political reforms.
Moderate Muslimsdemand crackdown
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia's moderate Muslim organizations demanded today that authorities crack down on religious extremists, who they said represent a fringe minority among the country's 170 million Muslims.
Former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said he believed that Abu Bakar Bashir, the cleric believed to be the leader of a group suspected in last week's Bali bombing, should have been arrested long ago. Wahid, who was replaced as head of state by Megawati Sukarnoputri last year, has been sharply critical of her administration's cautious approach toward radicals.
Town mourns 6 kids
TCHULA, Miss. -- Under a gray drizzle that mirrored this Mississippi Delta town's mood, family and friends gathered to remember six children under age 13 who died in a mobile home fire.
About 50 people came together Sunday near the charred skeleton of the mobile home as firefighters laid out cross- and heart-shaped wreaths. A quiet memorial was held in a nearby church.
The mobile home was recently rented by Angela Williams. Three of her four children and her sister's three children died from apparent smoke inhalation in the Saturday morning fire. Williams' infant daughter was hospitalized.
The trailer had no electricity or water and was lighted only by candles, which apparently started the blaze. Officials said no adults were home when crews responded at 1:43 a.m. Saturday.
O'Donnell hires lawyerfor young brothers
MIAMI -- Former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell has hired a high-profile criminal attorney to help the two young brothers accused in the fatal beating of their father.
O'Donnell, a foster parent known for supporting children's causes, called Miami attorney Jayne Weintraub two weeks ago and asked her to help win a new trial for Alex and Derek King, ages 13 and 14, Weintraub and O'Donnell's publicist told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Weintraub, a frequent cable television news commentator with more than 20 years' experience trying murder cases, is representing Alex, she said. She said she is only representing one of the boys to avoid potential conflict issues; another attorney is representing Derek.
She declined to say how much O'Donnell was paying her.
A judge tossed out the brothers' second-degree murder convictions Thursday and ordered prosecutors and attorneys to try to settle the case through mediation before he signs an order for a new trial.
Associated Press