News Briefs

December 5, 1995
Web posted at: 12:55 a.m. EST (0555 GMT)

France to rejoin NATO military structure

PARIS (CNN) -- France is expected to announce Tuesday that it will rejoin most of NATO's military structures, from which it withdrew in 1966. The French Foreign Minister is expected to make the decision official during a rare meeting of NATO foreign and defense ministers in Brussels.

A NATO source told Reuters that President Jacques Chirac's government made the decision following talks with U.S. President Bill Clinton.

France reportedly will rejoin NATO's defense planning committee and its military committee, but it is stopping short of full integration. The move will be a boost for NATO ground forces in Bosnia, officials said.

Children taken hostage at a French school

CLICHY, France (CNN) -- A gunman surrendered to police Monday after an afternoon siege at a suburban Paris primary school. The 30 children and a teacher he had taken hostage were unhurt.

Local officials said the man gave up after negotiations with police. They said he acted in a "fit of depression" and just "wanted to make himself seen and heard."

The incident was reminiscent of a similar hostage-taking in 1993, in which a man held a class full of young children for several days until elite forces stormed the school and killed him.

Fourth straight day of trouble on West Bank

NABLUS, West Bank (CNN) -- Palestinians throwing stones clashed with Israeli police for a fourth straight day Monday in Nablus, on the West Bank. Israeli forces broke up the crowd by firing tear gas.

The clashes have erupted as Israel prepares to withdraw its troops from Nablus. Their Palestinian replacements already have begun to arrive.

Plane crashes in Cameroon; 72 dead

DOUALA, Cameroon (CNN) -- Seventy-two people were killed in plane crash in Cameroon on Monday, officials said. Only six people on board survived when the Cameroon Airlines Boeing 737 crashed into a swamp after making a second landing attempt at Douala's airport.

The plane had come from Benin's capital, Cotonou.

A survivor said the pilot tried to abort the landing but hit some trees and plunged into the water. The survivor also saw sparks shooting from the right engine. Military units were searching the Wouri River for bodies and clues to the crash.

Former S. Korean president indicted on bribery charges

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- The chairmen of South Korea's Daewoo, Samsung and Dong Ah will be arrested without detention on charges of bribing ex-president Roh Tae-woo, a prosecution statement said on Tuesday.

The three groups are among South Korea's largest business conglomerates, known as chaebol. The statement said Daewoo chairman Kim Woo-choong was charged with giving Roh 24 billion won (U.S. $31.16 million), Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee was charged with offering 25 billion won (U.S. $32.47 million) and Dong Ah chairman Choi Won-suk 23 billion won ($29.87 million). It was unclear when the chairmen would be arrested.

Also Tuesday, senior prosecutor Ahn Kang-min announced that Roh had been indicted on bribery charges. Roh was arrested last month after a tearful televised confession that he had amassed a more than $650 million slush fund while in office.

Roh is accused of accepting more than $300 million in bribes during his 1988-93 term of office.

Landslides bury 12 people, level houses in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Landslides triggered by a tropical storm have buried at least 12 people in the Philippines, and more are feared dead. Five-foot waters flooded several areas southeast of Manila Sunday night and Monday as winds whipped up to 40 miles per hour.

"We're still digging up more bodies," said Severo Alcantara, the provincial governor.

The landslides flattened three houses on Catanduanes Island, which was hard hit by Typhoon Angela in early November. Angela killed more than 700 people and caused millions of dollars in crop damage.

Fire breaks out on moving bus, kills passengers

DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- A fire on board a bus killed 24 passengers Monday outside Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Police could not pinpoint the cause of the blaze, but said the fire broke out while the bus was traveling down a highway Monday night. At least seven passengers survived the fire.

Police also said that the bus' windows and single door were closed because of cold weather.