World Scene

SWITZERLAND

8 foreigners held in Saudi bombing

BERN — Swiss police have made their first arrests of suspected al Qaeda supporters — eight foreigners linked to in deadly May 12 suicide attacks on Westerners in Saudi Arabia, officials said yesterday.

About 100 federal police officers supported by state authorities raided homes across the country Thursday, the Swiss Federal Police said. About 20 people were questioned by police in five states from Geneva to Zurich.

BRITAIN

U.S. hints at freedom for Cuba detainees

LONDON — Seven Britons held without trial at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay were offered new hope of an early release yesterday after Washington appeared to soften its stance.

U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Pierre-Richard Prosper was reported in the Times newspaper as saying the suspects, held as “enemy combatants,” could be repatriated if Britain is able to “manage” them after their return. He said there were no plans to return two other Britons whom the U.S. authorities categorize as high risk.

BULGARIA

Troops in Iraq get more pay

SOFIA — Bulgaria has boosted daily pay for its troops in Iraq to $80 from $62 after soldiers demanded their compensation be doubled because of higher risks, the Defense Ministry said yesterday.

The Bulgarian troops in Iraq, as well as volunteers headed to the country, expressed concern after a suicide bomb killed five Bulgarian soldiers in an attack in southern Iraq on Dec. 27.

BRITAIN

Talk show pulled off over anti-Arab piece

LONDON — The British Broadcasting Corp. pulled a long-running daytime talk show off the air yesterday after its host wrote a newspaper column calling Arabs “suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors.”

In the Sunday Express column, Robert Kilroy-Silk, 61, host of “Kilroy,” said few Arab countries “make much contribution to the welfare of the rest of the world,” drawing criticism from Muslim groups and campaigners against racism.

In a 1992 article in the Daily Express, he described Ireland as “a country peopled by peasants, priests and pixies,” but later apologized.

GEORGIA

New leader calls parliamentary vote

TBILISI — Georgia yesterday set March 28 for a parliamentary election and its new leaders said the date had been fixed in advance to give the opposition time to mount an organized campaign for a fair vote.

Acting President Nino Burdzhanadze said she expected the outcome to be an emphatic win for the allies of Mikhail Saakashvili, who was elected president on Jan. 4 and will be inaugurated on Jan. 25.

Mr. Saakashvili defeated veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze in the disputed election.

GERMANY

Brewery develops ’anti-aging’ beer

BERLIN — A German brewery has developed a beer containing vitamins and minerals it says are designed to slow the aging process.

The Neuzeller Kloster Brewery plans to introduce its “Anti-Aging-Bier” this year and sell it in grocery and drugstores.

The brewery said the beer contained a host of added ingredients that promote good health. But the German government may object to the brewery calling the drink “beer” because a law dating back to 1516 says beer can be made only from barley, hops, yeast and water.

From wire dispatches and staff reports