Briefs

6 Westerners die in fighting

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Fighting between NATO troops and Taliban fighters killed eight soldiers, including six Westerners, and 10 militants in Afghanistan, where insurgent attacks are running at their highest level since the U.S. invasion, officials said Monday. France will add 150 military trainers to a 1,000-person contingent in Afghanistan.

Sarkozy shifts French tone

PARIS -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy used his first major foreign policy speech to signal a shift in tone from his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, casting himself as a "friend of Israel" and taking a tougher line on Russia and China. But despite his admiration for the U.S., he said Chirac was right to oppose the war in Iraq, which he called a mistake.

Colombia seizes island

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombia said Monday it has seized a private Caribbean island and hundreds of other properties allegedly used by powerful cocaine trafficker to launder millions of dollars in drug profits. Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia was arrested in a luxury condominium near Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug. 7.

Sunnis doubt new deal

BAGHDAD -- Sunni politicians applauded goals set down in an agreement hammered out by the country's top leaders under intense American pressure but expressed doubt Monday that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would actually see them through. Senior Iraqi leaders declared Sunday they reached a consensus on a number of issues.

Greek villagers rescued

ATHENS, Greece -- A helicopter swooped into a village in southern Greece to rescue residents trapped by flames Monday -- one of dozens of fires that have torn through village and forest across the country, leaving blackened landscape in their wake. The fires have killed 63 people over four days, destroying everything in their path. Story on Weather Page.

Afghan opium plentiful

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghan opium poppy cultivation exploded to a record high this year, with the multibillion-dollar trade fueled by Taliban militants and corrupt officials in President Hamid Karzai's government, a U.N. report said Monday. Afghanistan has opium growing on 477,000 acres of land, a 17 percent increase from last year.

Turkish military's warning

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Turkey's staunchly secular military said Monday the strict line between Islam and the state was under attack by "centers of evil" -- a strong warning ahead of the expected election of a president with a background in political Islam. The military has seized power from civilian governments three times in past decades.

U.N. climate talks open

VIENNA, Austria -- More than 100 nations struggled Monday to strike a balance between what rich and poor countries must do to cut greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming. The U.N.'s top climate official, Yvo de Boer, said delegates seek a major international climate agreement at a summit in Indonesia in December.

Russia announces arrests

MOSCOW -- Russia on Monday announced 10 people have been arrested in the killing of journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya, including law enforcement officers and a Chechen crime boss accused of organizing the slaying. Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika said the 10 will soon be charged with the Oct. 7 killing of Politkovskaya.

Vatican-backed airline flies

ROME -- A Vatican-backed charter airline service made its inaugural flight Monday, aiming to carry pilgrims to such Catholic shrines as Lourdes, Fatima, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land. The flights, scheduled to start regular service next year, have religious inscriptions on the seats and show religious videos on board.

Crash in Uganda kills 72

KAMPALA, Uganda -- A truck carrying soldiers and their families overturned in Uganda, killing 72 people, an army spokesman said Monday. The truck crashed Sunday after hitting a concrete barrier on the roadside 155 miles northeast of Kampala, a spokesman said. The death toll could rise, he said.