Cuba

Castro says socialism will survive him in Cuba

President Fidel Castro insisted Friday that his socialist system would survive him, as he celebrated the 10th birthday of Elian Gonzalez — the shipwrecked boy who was the center of a fierce international custody battle.

Castro characterized as “idiots” those who believe that socialist rule on the island will end with his death.

“This revolution does not depend on one individual, or two, or three,” Castro declared in a speech of more than two hours at a birthday celebration in the courtyard of Elian’s school in the child’s hometown of Cardenas, about 85 miles east of Havana.

Washington, D.C.

Socks with explosive residue prompt terror warning

The discovery of a pair of stretched-out socks with traces of explosives in them has prompted a government warning that al-Qaida may still be planning to use personal items to blow up a plane, according to the Homeland Security Department.

The bulletin was issued Wednesday to state and local officials, as well as federal transportation officials, said Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.

Roehrkasse declined to say where the suspicious socks were discovered.

But ABC News, citing an anonymous source, reported Friday that the socks were seized by British authorities in Gloucester, England, during the arrest of Sajid Badat last month.

Badat was arrested Nov. 20 and charged with conspiring in an explosives plot with shoe bomber Richard Reid, who is serving a life sentence for attempting to bomb an airliner in December 2001.

Haiti

Protesting students clash with government supporters

University students and government supporters hurled rocks at each other Friday in clashes that left at least 24 people injured, including two university officials.

The students, who were demonstrating to demand President Jean-Bertrand Aristide step down, were met by groups of government supporters in downtown Port-au-Prince. Police fired warning shots to disperse the crowds.

At least six people were shot and wounded, including one Aristide supporter and five students. It was unclear who had fired the shots, and the wounded were taken to hospitals.

New York

Dean plans TV ad blitz

Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is launching a multimillion-dollar wave of television advertising in key states that have primaries or caucuses on Feb. 3, underscoring his aggressive effort to capture the party’s nomination.

On Monday, the former Vermont governor will air television commercials in South Carolina and New Mexico, with plans for the spots to continue for two months, campaign manager Joe Trippi said Friday. Similar ads will begin in Arizona and Oklahoma in the next two weeks and will stay on the air until the Feb. 3 vote in those states.