Washington

Bush signs defense bill

President Bush signed a $401.3 billion defense authorization bill Monday, saying members of the U.S. armed forces are facing “a great and historic task” in confronting and defeating the forces of terrorism.

“The stakes for our country could not be higher,” the president said at a Pentagon ceremony. “America’s military is standing between our country and grave danger.”

The defense bill raises salaries for soldiers, partially overturns rules preventing disabled veterans from receiving retirement and disability, and grants Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld increased control over 700,000 civilian employees. It also exempts the military to provisions of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Spain

Rare albino gorilla dies of skin cancer

Snowflake, an extremely rare albino gorilla and the most popular resident of Barcelona Zoo, died of skin cancer early Monday morning, zoo officials said.

Zoo officials put the elderly gorilla, pictured above, to sleep after his health deteriorated in recent days, zoo officials said.

Snowflake, or Copito de Nieve in Spanish, was taken to the zoo’s veterinary department for an autopsy.

“Until the end Copito enjoyed a fantastic quality of life, interacting normally with his children and grandchildren,” said the zoo’s chief and veterinarian, Jesus Fernandez.

“Lately though, he deteriorated quickly. In the past four or five days we noticed signs of pain and suffering and so decided to practice euthanasia.”

Turkey

Nine charged in suicide attack links

A Turkish court early today charged nine suspected accomplices in last week’s Istanbul suicide bombings, alleging they aided or were members of an illegal organization.

Three other suspects were released, defense lawyer Selahattin Karahan said.

After hours of questioning, the court after midnight charged one of the suspected accomplices with aiding and abetting an illegal organization and eight others with membership in an illegal organization, Karahan said.

The charges came just five days after the bombings of the British consulate and a London-based bank in Istanbul. Fifty-seven people died in those attacks and the earlier bombings of two synagogues in the city.

Colombia

Rebels free two kidnaps victims

Colombian rebels freed two European hostages Monday, handing them over to a humanitarian commission that whisked them by helicopter from the mountains where they spent 74 days in captivity.

During their release in the jungle, the two smiled and stood for photos with their captors — members of the National Liberation Army, or ELN.

Weigel and Asier Huegen Echeverria, of Spain, were flown by helicopter from the Sierra Nevada mountains where they were handed over to the town of Valledupar.

The ELN said it kidnapped the eight foreign backpackers to raise awareness about the alleged hardship inflicted by outlawed right-wing paramilitary factions and the army on the mainly Indian inhabitants of the Sierra Nevada.