Berlin

Conservatives select female candidate

Germany’s conservative opposition on Monday nominated Angela Merkel, a former chemistry researcher who entered politics during the collapse of communism, as its challenger to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Merkel, 50, who grew up in East Germany, was the expected candidate to challenge Schroeder after the chancellor called for national elections to be advanced by a year after a shattering state election defeat for his party a week ago.

A protege of conservative Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Merkel is the first female candidate for the country’s leadership and – if she wins in the September elections – would be the country’s first female chancellor.

Moscow

Russia, Georgia agree on troop withdrawal

Russia agreed Monday to begin withdrawing its troops from two Soviet-era bases in Georgia this year, resolving one of the most serious disputes between Moscow and its pro-Western neighbor.

The deal is a victory for the Caucasus Mountain nation, whose president, Mikhail Saakashvili, has sought to move the country out of the shadow of Moscow and toward deeper economic and military relations with the United States and Europe.

Troops and equipment will begin to be pulled out of the military base at the southern city of Akhalkalaki by year’s end, and then similar withdrawals with start from the Black Sea port of Batumi, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who signed a joint statement with Georgian counterpart, Salome Zurabishvili. About 3,000 troops are stationed at the two bases.

Russia committed itself to finishing the withdrawal by the end of 2008.

Vatican City

Pope enters debate on fertility treatments

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday endorsed efforts by Italy’s Roman Catholic bishops to restrict assisted fertility treatments, stepping into an emotionally charged Italian referendum battle.

The German-born pope contended that next month’s plebiscite on scrapping parts of a law that regulates assisted fertility treatments posed threats to life and the family.

The pope spoke to the Italian bishops’ conference, which has called on Italians to boycott the June 12-13 referendum.

The current law forbids sperm and egg donation, limits the number of embryos created with in vitro techniques to three and bans all embryo research.

The referendum would abolish the law’s provisions on embryo research, the three-embryo limit, the ban on egg or sperm donation from outside the couple and the attribution of rights to the unborn.

Pakistan

Deadly mosque attack sparks rampage

A suicide bomber blew himself up Monday during evening prayers at a Shiite mosque, killing one worshipper and wounding 20. The bomber slipped into the mosque during a gunbattle with police that left another attacker and two officers dead.

A crowd outraged by the attack went on a rampage afterward in Karachi, setting fire to cars and shops and killing at least six more people.

The attack occurred at the Madinatul Ilm Imambargah in eastern Karachi, said Asif Ijaz, a Karachi police official. Three attackers stole an automatic weapon from a police guard outside the mosque and shot him to death, Ijaz said.

Other policemen opened fire, killing one of the attackers and wounding another, and an officer was killed, he said.

But the third attacker managed to get inside the mosque and detonated a bomb strapped to his body, Ijaz said. One worshipper died and four were seriously injured, while 16 others were treated for lesser wounds, said Zafar Hussain, an administrator of the mosque.

Venezuela

President’s TV spot aims to stop rumors

President Hugo Chavez appeared at a televised Cabinet meeting Monday and reassured worried supporters that he was fine and there was nothing to rumors that swirled around his disappearance from public view in recent days.

Chavez showed up for the meeting Monday afternoon, saying he had canceled his weekly radio and TV show Sunday and had gone to visit his 7-year-old daughter Rosines at her academy in the city of Barquisimeto in western Venezuela.

“Nothing has happened to me,” Chavez said, laughing. “Rosines had kidnapped me.”

Thailand

Canadian crowned Miss Universe

Miss Canada, Natalie Glebova, was crowned Miss Universe in the 54th annual pageant held in the Thai capital of Bangkok. The brunette from Toronto was chosen over Miss Puerto Rico Cynthia Olavarria.

The two were among five contestants selected to answer questions in the final round of the competition.

Glebova, 23, was asked what she considered the biggest challenge of her life. She said it was remaining optimistic.