West Bank

Israeli troops demolish Gaza buildings

Israeli bulldozers flattened a row of abandoned buildings next to the seaside settlement Shirat Hayam on Sunday, clashing with Jewish settlers in the first military operation aimed at hampering opponents to Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

In a taste of what could lie ahead, troops scuffled with the young settlers who taunted them, climbed on bulldozers and lay in front of one to try to prevent the demolitions.

One Israeli soldier was punished for siding with the settlers.

Israel plans to uproot all 8,500 Jewish settlers in Gaza, as well as about 500 residents of four small settlements in the West Bank, beginning in mid-August. Settlers strongly oppose the plan, and Israeli officials fear extremists among the opponents could turn violent.

Kenya

At least 49 dead from alcohol poisoning

A black market alcoholic brew laced with poisonous methanol has caused the deaths of 49 people in Kenya, medical workers said Sunday, while police searched for a woman suspected of distributing the drink to local bars.

More than 174 people were hospitalized after drinking the brew containing methanol, a toxic wood alcohol added to the drink – called chang’aa – to give it more kick.

“Two people have gone completely blind, and another eight have reduced vision of varying degree,” said Simon Mueke, medical superintendent at the Machakos General Hospital.

Patients overwhelmed the small hospital in Machakos district, about 35 miles southeast of Nairobi. TV footage from Saturday showed nurses in a crowded hospital ward working frantically to resuscitate poisoned patients. Other patients were shown being intravenously rehydrated, and some drunk patients were pictured struggling to stay on their feet.

Bulgaria

Socialists taking lead in elections

Bulgaria’s opposition Socialists looked set to unseat the governing party in parliamentary elections but fell short of winning an outright majority, according to nearly complete results released Sunday.

With 99.61 percent of votes counted, the Socialists had 31 percent, while the party of Prime Minister Simeon Saxcoburggotski had 19.88 percent, the Central Electoral Commission said. Final results were expected today.

Socialist leader Sergei Stanishev claimed victory and said he would seek to form a governing coalition.

“We won the confidence of the people,” Stanishev said.

The prospects for a strong coalition government looked dim after no party won outright, and it was unclear who will lead the country into the European Union in 2007 as scheduled.

Aruba

Two suspects released in missing teen case

The father of a Dutch suspect arrested in the disappearance of an Alabama teenager was freed from jail on Sunday, hours after a judge ordered the release of a party boat disc jockey also held in the case.

Paul van der Sloot, a high-ranking justice official studying to be a judge on the Dutch Caribbean island, had been arrested Thursday as a suspect for collaborating in a crime with his 17-year-old son, according to his lawyer.

Earlier Sunday, a judge also ordered police to release Steven Gregory Croes, the party boat disc jockey held in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, saying authorities did not have enough evidence against him, the man’s lawyer said.

Croes, 26, was one of five people held in the case of the 18-year-old young woman last seen in the early hours of May 30. No one has been charged, including the last person reportedly seen with her, 17-year-old Joran van der Sloot.

Searches for Holloway have been fruitless.

Colombia

At least 25 soldiers killed in action

Leftist rebels killed at least 25 soldiers in two clashes Saturday in Colombia, the worst death toll in a single day for the military since President Alvaro Uribe came to power three years ago on pledges of crushing the guerrillas. An additional 18 soldiers were reported missing.

Fighting broke out in southwestern Putumayo state when as many as 300 rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, ambushed an army convoy during an attack targeting several nearby oil wells, said Gen. Carlos Lemus, Inspector General of the Army.

The military responded by sending helicopter gunships to strafe rebel positions while warplanes swooped down to drop bombs, Lemus said. He said the rebels also had suffered casualties but was unable to provide details.

Also Saturday, government troops launched an offensive to dislodge leftist rebels blocking a road in northeast Colombia, leaving at least six soldiers dead, local army commander Gen. Edgar Ceballos said.