China Will Support Venezuelan U.N. Seat

CARACAS, Venezuela — China plans to support Venezuela in its bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council, President Chavez said. President Hu of China said his government will back Venezuela for the U.N. seat during a meeting with Mr. Chavez in Beijing, Mr. Chavez said, according to a Venezuelan Communication and Information Ministry statement. Mr. Chavez is on a fiveday trip to China.Venezuela is seeking a seat on the Security Council in October, when five of the 10 rotating seats on the body open up. One of the five is traditionally reserved for a Latin American country. America, a permanent member of the council, is backing Guatemala for the seat being vacated by Argentina. Relations between U.S. and Venezuela have chilled since Chavez took power in 1999.

— Bloomberg News

Austrian Girl Escapes; Kidnapper Kills Himself

STRASSHOF, Austria — Natascha Kampusch vanished on her way to school on March 2, 1998, when she was 10. Police said yesterday that they were “quite sure” she is the young woman who turned up this week claiming she had been a captive, confined much of the time in a small cellar. Wolfgang Priklopil, the 44-year-old communications technician who allegedly held the woman, killed himself Wednesday by throwing himself in front of a commuter train in Vienna, a few hours after she sought help at a home on the quiet, small-town street where she says she was held. While expressing confidence in the women’s identity, investigators said they were still waiting for DNA verification of the identity claim by the young woman, who turned up in a garden near the man’s house. But the missing girl’s parents met with the woman and said they also were sure she is the daughter who disappeared on her way to school in nearby Vienna eight years ago.

— Associated Press

Purchase of Submarines An Israeli Signal to Iran

JERUSALEM — With the purchase of two more German-made Dolphin submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads, military experts say Israel is sending a clear message to Iran that it can strike back if attacked by nuclear weapons. The purchases come at a time when Iran is refusing to bow to growing Western demands to halt its nuclear program, and after President Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” The new submarines, built at a cost of $1.3 billion with Germany footing one-third of the bill, have diesel-electric propulsion systems that allow them to remain submerged for longer periods of time than the three nuclear arms-capable submarines already in Israel’s fleet, the Jerusalem Post reported.

— Associated Press

China Jails Activist Who Exposed Forced Abortions

BEIJING — A blind activist who exposed a campaign by Chinese officials to force women to have abortions was jailed for more than four years yesterday in one of the country’s most contentious human rights cases since the Tiananmen Square massacre. The case against Chen Guangcheng, a peasant who became known as the “barefoot lawyer of Linyi”for his self-taught legal activism, had been described by human rights groups, Chinese dissidents, and even the country’s established lawyers as absurd. He had been beaten, seized in Beijing by police from his home region, and held under house arrest even though the central government had signaled that his allegations merited investigation.

— The Daily Telegraph

12th Person Charged In British Terror Plot

LONDON — Police said yesterday that a 24-year-old man was charged with violating Britain’s terrorism law, bringing to 12 the number of people accused in the alleged plot to blow up as many as 10 passenger jets using liquid explosives. Umair Hussain was charged with having information about a possible terrorist act and not disclosing it, Scotland Yard said.He will be arraigned Friday. The decision came a day after Mr. Hussain, who was arrested August 10, had his custody extended by 24 hours.

— Associated Press

South Africa Defends Its AIDS Strategy

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa’s government yesterday defended its strategy to combat AIDS, saying allegations that it wasn’t doing enough to combat the disease were false and unfounded. “Cabinet decided that work should be done, both locally and abroad, to enhance understanding of our comprehensive HIV and AIDS program to address any doubts about the government’s commitment” to fight the disease, a government spokesman said. An estimated 5.5 million South Africans, or 11.6% of the population, are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to South Africa’s health department.South Africa was widely criticized at the 16th international AIDS meeting in Toronto last week for failing to adequately address the spread of AIDS.

— Bloomberg News