Mexico

Dams burst in desert, killing at least eight

Two dams in neighboring states burst Thursday after heavy rains, killing at least eight people and swamping several villages, state officials said.

Federal officials put the death toll much higher, reporting that 14 died and 17 were missing in the normally dry states of San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas, where the dams broke.

More than 1,500 people in San Luis Potosi were forced from their homes and were expected to spend the night in emergency shelters, officials said.

Heavy rains also briefly displaced 3,000 people in Zacatecas, but most of those victims returned to their water-logged homes, state officials said.

Floodwaters reached rooftops and destroyed scores of homes in at least five communities in both states. Officials said they were still assessing the damage late Thursday.

Forecasts called for more rain across San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas Thursday night and today.

Germany

Residents try to save city from floodwaters

Men, women and children piled sandbags around Dresden’s rising river Thursday to protect a city renowned for its cultural treasures from high waters that churned through east Germany in flooding that has killed at least 100 people across Europe.

Even as sun shone on the region Thursday and sunny weather was forecast for the coming days, German emergency officials evacuated tens of thousands of residents along rain-swollen rivers and tributaries.

Soldiers and emergency crews were erecting a tent city for up to 30,000 in Pirna, 12 miles south of Dresden.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder spoke of a “national catastrophe” and promised to spearhead a rebuilding effort he said would cost billions of dollars.

Largely destroyed by a February 1945 Allied fire bombing near the end of World War II, rebuilt Dresden is one of Germany’s top cultural attractions and tourist spots. Many of the landmarks are near the banks of the Elbe.

Tokyo

Japanese mark date of WWII surrender

In a gesture to Japan’s Asian neighbors, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi did not visit a controversial war shrine on Thursday as the nation marked the 57th anniversary of its surrender in World War II.

But as the leader expressed regrets about Japan’s aggression, conservative lawmakers including five Cabinet ministers and Tokyo’s right-wing governor still paid their respects at the capital’s Yasukuni Shrine.

Nearly 2.5 million war dead, including executed war criminals, are worshipped at the shrine as deities. Koizumi sparked outrage last year, particularly in China and South Korea, when he made a surprise visit days before the surrender anniversary.

The anniversary remains an emotional day for many older Japanese who lived through surrender and still recall the unprecedented Aug. 15, 1945, radio address by Emperor Hirohito Akihito’s father announcing Japan would “bear the unbearable” and give up.

Vatican City

On eve of trip home, pope seeks prayers

No longer able to travel with ease, Pope John Paul II asked Catholics on Thursday to pray for him during his trip to his native Poland.

The four-day pilgrimage, which begins today with a flight to Krakow, is John Paul’s ninth visit to his homeland since he became pope in 1978.

The trip to Poland has prompted speculation that the pope, struggling with symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, might decide to stay in his homeland.

Vatican officials insist the pope intends to return to Rome and is planning a trip to Croatia next year.