Suicide attack kills 48 in Pakistan mosque

CHARSADDA, Pakistan (Reuters):

A suicide bomber killed 48 people in a mosque in northwest Pakistan, yesterday, where a former interior minister was offering Muslim Eid festival prayers with worshippers, the government said.

The former minister, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, survived unhurt, but at least 80 people were wounded in the blast in Charsadda district in North West Frontier Province. Several of the wounded were in a critical condition, Interior Ministry spokesman Colonel Javed Lodhi told Reuters.

Sherpao, who was interior minister in President Pervez Musharraf's recently dissolved government and who is now running in Jan. 8 parliamentary elections, was the likely target of the attack at the mosque in his home village, the government said.

Bolivia seeks investment from China

BEIJING (Reuters):

Bolivia wants China to invest in its rich resources after a thaw in relations with its neighbours reopened access to the sea, the landlocked country's foreign minister said yesterday.

David Choquehuanca discussed proposals for Chinese investment in Bolivia's minerals, hydrocarbons, transport and telecommunications sectors during a four-day visit to Beijing.

He met with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, as well as its policy bank for overseas investment, the China Development Bank.

Chávez extends oil largesse at summit

CIENFUEGOS, Cuba (Reuters):

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez offered Caribbean and Central American nations the option yesterday to pay for already cheap oil supplies with local products, such as bananas and sugar.

At a summit of his growing regional energy alliance, Petrocaribe, the leftist firebrand attacked the United States and other rich consumer nations for squandering their unfair share of world resources.

"In spite of the Yankees, our oil and gas will always be at the service, first of Venezuela, and at the same time of our brother nations of Latin American and the Caribbean," he said.

Fujimori apologises for human rights abuses

LIMA (Reuters):

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori acknowledged yesterday that human rights abuses happened under his rule and apologised to families whose loved ones were killed in a war against leftist insurgents.

"I ask for forgiveness," Fujimori, 69, said at his trial on human rights crimes that could put him in jail for up to 30 years. "This pained my soul."

Despite the apology, Fujimori denied ordering a government death squad to kill 25 people and kidnap two others in the 1990s, when Peru was battling the Maoist guerrilla group known as the Shining Path.

Mbeki says law should take course on Zuma

PRETORIA (Reuters):

South African President Thabo Mbeki said yesterday the law should take its course on corruption allegations made against the newly elected head of the ruling ANC, Jacob Zuma.

Mokotedi Mpshe, acting director of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said on Thursday that an investigation into the graft allegations against Zuma was complete and that evidence pointed to a case being taken to court.

Uncertainty over the possible charges, and over the effect of Zuma's victory in the African National Congress leadership contest on the economy - the largest in Africa - are among issues worrying investors.

Brown facing electoral 'meltdown' poll finds

LONDON (Reuters):

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's woes piled up yesterday as a new poll showed him facing a "meltdown" at the next election, and the opposition accused him of breaking a pledge to deport foreign criminals.

As Brown prepared to take a rare holiday over Christmas, a YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph found his personal approval rating had slumped to an all-time low and the ruling Labour Party was lagging the opposition Conservatives by 12 points.

If replicated at a national election, the result would give the Conservatives a parliamentary majority while 100 of the 352 Labour members of parliament would lose their seats, The Daily Telegraph said, saying Brown was "staring at meltdown".

Rice promises more pressure on Iran

WASHINGTON (Reuters):

The United States is open to better relations and talks with Iran, but Washington will not drop its condition that Tehran suspend sensitive nuclear work, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday.

She urged Tehran to "choose cooperation, not confrontation" in its dealings with major powers at a news conference to sum up her diplomatic efforts this year, which included increased pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.

Rice also promised to maintain a U.S. campaign of isolation against Iran. Washington believes Iran is building an atomic bomb, while Tehran says its nuclear work is for power purposes.