Gwinnett Daily Post

Typhoon kills 4 in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Parma cut a path across the Philippines' northern edge on Saturday, killing four people but sparing the capital from a second flood disaster as the storm churned toward Taiwan.

Tens of thousands of Filipinos had evacuated their homes as the storm bore down on the main island of Luzon just eight days after an earlier tempest left Manila awash in floods that killed almost 300 people.

Also helping to reduce the damage, Parma weakened slightly and changed course overnight Friday so that it missed central Luzon and clipped the more sparsely populated and mountainous north.

Iran's leader: Obama wrong

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's president hit back Saturday at President Barack Obama's accusation that his country had sought to hide its construction of a new nuclear site, arguing that Tehran reported the facility to the U.N. even earlier than required.

The Iranian president defended his government's actions as the head of the U.N.'s nuclear monitoring agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, arrived Saturday to arrange an inspection of the uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom.

The revelation that Iran has been building a new nuclear plant has heightened the concern of the U.S. and many of its allies, which suspect Tehran is using a civilian nuclear program as a cover for developing a weapons-making capability. Iran denies such an aim, saying it only wants to generate energy.

Hondurans edge toward talks

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - Two rival factions fighting for control of Honduras have begun talking days before a meeting that many hope will end a political crisis sparked by Central America's first coup in more than a decade.

Interim President Roberto Micheletti told reporters that a dialogue is 'beginning' between his supporters and those of President Manuel Zelaya, who was forced from office on June 28 by a military-backed coup and is now holed up in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa.

'We are having talks with different sectors officially, with people from Mr. Zelaya's side and with others,' Micheletti said Friday outside the presidential palace, hours after meeting with a delegation of four Republican members of the U.S. Congress.

Germany marks reunification

BERLIN - Germany celebrated the anniversary of its reunification Saturday with festivals, concerts and parades across the country.

In the capital, tens of thousands of people watched a massive-scale street performance featuring a pair of giant marionettes suspended by cranes marching slowly through downtown.

Wearing a green dress - and at times a yellow slicker overtop to fend off the drizzle- the 25-foot 'small giant' wandered one route looking for her partner - a 50-foot 'big giant.'

The big giant, clad as a deep-sea diver, was pulled by a crane from under the waters of the Spree river outside Berlin's main train station, then paraded past the federal Chancellory building along his route.

Spain: Hijacked crew is safe

MADRID - A trawler hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean has been spotted by navy aircraft and the 36-man crew is safe, the Spanish government said Saturday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Constantino Mendez said the Spanish warship Canarias was heading toward the tuna-fishing vessel and was expected to sight the fishing boat before the pirates could reach port in Somalia.

The boat, the Alakrana, was boarded by Somali pirates early Friday when it was working waters 800 miles away from the nearest navy escort, the government said.

Sicily death toll could reach 50

ROME - Rescue workers dug for a second day Saturday through piles of mud and debris as they searched for about 30 missing people from a mudslide that has killed at least 21 in Sicily.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi said he feared the death toll from Italy's worst mudslides in a decade could rise to 50.