More gunbattles in Gaza

More gunbattles in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- A fierce gunbattle broke out between Hamas and Fatah militants in Gaza City early today, underscoring the fragility of a two-day old truce that had largely ended factional violence there. The street battle erupted when Hamas militiamen tried to free two kidnapped militants, including a senior member of the Islamic group. It died down after 20 minutes as Muslim clerics and other mediators worked to restore the cease-fire. Nobody was hurt despite the battle's intensity, health officials said. Hamas said its fighters exchanged fire with Fatah-affiliated militants behind the abductions. The fight quickly spread, drawing in guards outside the residence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, and Hamas militiamen guarding the home of Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas Zahar. Abbas was not in Gaza at the time.
Nuclear weapons talksbring no breakthroughs
BEIJING -- The U.S. envoy to six-party talks on dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program said today that there were no signs of a breakthrough and accused the communist state of not being serious about the negotiations. Asked if there were any indications of a breakthrough ahead of the last day of talks today, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said, "No, I am not aware of any."
Fog creates chaosat London's Heathrow
LONDON -- Holiday chaos set in at Europe's busiest airport Thursday as thick fog forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights, leaving thousands of travelers to spend the night in tents at Heathrow terminals. British Airways canceled 40 percent of its short-haul flights within Britain and Europe for today, the busiest travel day of the holiday season. Long-haul international flights were delayed, and the fog was expected to last through the weekend, raising the prospect of more delays.
Bush issues 16 pardons
WASHINGTON -- President Bush issued 16 pardons to minor criminals Thursday and commuted the sentence of an Iowa man serving time for a drug conviction. Six of the federal offenses were drug crimes, while others included bank fraud, mail fraud, the acceptance of a kickback, a false statement on a loan application and conspiracy to defraud the government over taxes. Seven of the 16 received no prison or jail time, instead getting probation or small fines. The longest sentence was nine years, for aiding cocaine distribution, followed by a six-year term for conspiracy to possess marijuana. With this batch, Bush has issued 113 pardons and commuted three sentences in his years in the White House.
Miss Nevada loses titleover photos on Internet
NEW YORK -- Another Miss USA contestant has taken a tumble. Miss Nevada USA was stripped of her title Thursday after racy photos of her appeared on the Internet, pageant officials said. Some of the photos show Katie Rees, 22, kissing other young women, exposing one of her breasts and pulling down her pants to show her thong underwear at a party in Tampa, Fla.
Shuttle due home today
HOUSTON -- Faced with some less-than-perfect choices, NASA watched the weather report in three time zones Thursday as it struggled to pick a landing site for space shuttle Discovery's return to Earth. The space agency planned to bring the ship home today, after a 13-day mission during which its crew rewired the international space station.
Associated Press
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