Questions arise in arrest in teen's disappearance

Questions arise in arrestin teen's disappearance
ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- An announcement that police made an arrest in the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway left many islanders wondering Sunday who the suspect is -- and whether the arrest marked a real breakthrough in the almost year-old case. Aruban authorities would only say late Saturday that the person arrested is 19 years old and has the initials "G.V.C." In Aruba, when an arrest is announced, officials usually release only a suspect's initials. Antonio Carlo, attorney for Dutch national Joran van der Sloot, who was arrested last year but then released for lack of evidence, said he hoped the new arrest would shed light on happened to Holloway, an honors student from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who disappeared May 30. It was the final night of the 18-year-old's trip to this Dutch Caribbean island.
Attacked at wedding
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- An Albany woman was accused of crashing a wedding party early Sunday and splashing people with an acidic substance, injuring six people, authorities said. Police were investigating why the woman, who was among the injured, attacked the group. Rihab Hagelkhider, 39, reportedly targeted Hayfa Hussein, 29, who suffered burns on her face and body, police said. Hagelkhider was charged with assault and reckless endangerment. Two firefighters also were injured when their latex gloves melted as they tried to treat the others splashed with the unknown substance.
Plan focuses on outbreak
WASHINGTON -- In the event of a bird flu outbreak, U.S. money could be produced overseas and Americans checked in drive-through medical exams for signs of infection, according to government plans being finalized. Federal officials say the first case of bird flu could show up in the United States in the coming weeks or months as birds migrate from overseas. President Bush is expected to approve a national response plan in the next week or two laying out how agencies should respond if it were transmitted to humans. The plan assumes a worst-case scenario that as many as 90 million people in the U.S. would become sick and 2 million would die during a worldwide flu pandemic.
Rallies, strike in Nepal
KATMANDU, Nepal -- The Nepalese capital ran low on fresh food and fuel Sunday because of a general strike that shut down the city, and thousands of angry pro-democracy demonstrators clashed with police firing rubber bullets. The emboldened opposition urged Nepalis to stop paying taxes to the government of King Gyanendra, who responded by further banning protests on the capital's outskirts. Sunday's pro-democracy rallies across the Himalayan kingdom attracted tens of thousands of people and were the biggest since opponents of Gyanendra's royal dictatorship began their campaign of protests and a nationwide strike that has cut off Nepal's cities for 11 days.
A proposal for release
JERUSALEM -- Israel has proposed freeing a leader of the Palestinian uprising if the United States releases Jonathan Pollard, the former Pentagon analyst convicted of spying for the Jewish state, Army Radio reported Sunday. The report said Israel would free Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for masterminding deadly attacks, in return for Pollard. Pollard is serving a life sentence in a federal prison for selling military secrets to Israel in the 1980s. The report said the deal has been proposed by officials in Israel's Foreign Ministry. The ministry declined comment, and U.S. Embassy spokesman Stewart Tuttle called the report "ridiculous speculation."
Official urges new talks
BEIJING -- Chinese President Hu Jintao urged Taiwan's leaders Sunday to agree to new talks, while calling the island's independence advocates a danger to the region's peace. "Only by opposing and checking Taiwan's independence forces can we eliminate the biggest threat harming the peaceful and stable development of ties across the strait," Hu said during a televised meeting with a former leader of Taiwan's main opposition party. Taiwan likely will be one of the prickly topics during Hu's visit to the White House on Thursday since the mainland has threatened to attack if Taiwan pursues formal independence and the U.S. government is legally bound to assist the island.
Associated Press