Gaza Strip

Eight Palestinians killed in Israeli refugee camp

Israeli forces looking for tunnels used for weapons smuggling clashed Tuesday with Palestinians at a refugee camp, killing eight and wounding more than 40 — the worst violence in the Gaza Strip in more than two months.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops arrested more than 20 Hamas activists suspected of involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis and planning a grisly kidnapping.

The bloodshed came despite new efforts to restart stalled peace talks and arrange a long-anticipated summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart, Ahmed Qureia.

In a separate incident, Israeli soldiers searching for militants shot and killed a bystander in a village near the city of Nablus, Palestinians said. The military said soldiers opened fire when they spotted a man preparing to throw a firebomb at them.

Chicago

Former Illinois governor pleads not guilty to corruption

Former Gov. George Ryan on Tuesday said he is absolutely innocent of corruption charges and tore into federal prosecutors, accusing them of “six years of abuse” in building their case against him.

“I am not going to give up. I’m going to fight, and I’m going to fight hard,” the 69-year-old Republican told reporters in Chicago — hours after he was fingerprinted, photographed and released on a $4,500 recognizance bond on racketeering and other charges against him.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ryan pleaded not guilty on all 18 counts against him in the federal indictment, which alleges he ran a system of political corruption for more than 10 years to benefit himself and friends while he was Illinois secretary of state, then lied to cover it up as governor.

The allegations against Ryan stem from the 5-year-old federal “Operation Safe Road” investigation into bribes-for-licenses and other crimes by state employees under Ryan.