Around the world

Rare cyclone sends thousands fleeing

MUSCAT — Cyclone Gonu battered Oman's coast Wednesday with fierce winds and torrential rains, forcing thousands from their homes and shutting down oil installations before heading toward the world's most important crude oil tanker route.

The storm — a rarity in the Middle East — weakened slightly and dropped below hurricane strength late Wednesday, according to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

It was expected to make landfall on the southeastern Iranian coast late today, but it was likely to spare Iran's offshore oil installations that lie more than 120 miles to the west, the center and oil officials said.

CHINA

Food-, drug-safety rules being revised

SHANGHAI — Responding to growing international concerns about tainted food and counterfeit drugs, China has announced it is overhauling its food- and drug-safety regulations and will introduce nationwide inspections.

The announcement late Tuesday from the State Council, the nation's highest administrative body, is the strongest signal yet that Beijing is moving to crack down on the sale of dangerous food and medicine and also trying to calm fears that some of its exports pose health problems.

The move follows a series of embarrassing episodes this year and last involving China's export of contaminated pet food ingredients, cough syrup and toothpaste.

West BAnk

Abbas cancels Olmert meeting

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday canceled a planned summit meeting this week with Ehud Olmert, saying the Israeli leader has failed to accept any of his suggestions for reducing tensions, such as renewing a cease-fire and releasing frozen tax revenues.

Even so, Palestinian Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr said Abbas and Olmert are likely to meet later this month in Egypt under the auspices of the "Quartet" of Mideast peacemakers. Amr said the Palestinians want the Quartet — the U.S., the European Union, the United Nations and Russia — to try to break the deadlock.

Olmert and Abbas had been expected to meet today in Jericho in what would have been their first talks on Palestinian territory.

ECUADOR

Leader seeks $3.5B to protect park

QUITO — In an unusual move for an oil-producing nation, Ecuador's leftist president is turning to the international community to provide the poor Andean nation with funding in exchange for abandoning a project to drill for petroleum in a nature reserve.

President Rafael Correa said Ecuador is seeking $350 million annually for 10 years, $3.5 billion total, not to drill for oil in Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha fields, located in the Yasuni National Park deep in Ecuador's northeastern jungle.

He launched the campaign Tuesday, the United Nations' World Environment Day.

The jungle area, which holds close to 1 billion barrels of crude, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known for its rich variety of flora and fauna. Some environmentalists say there is more plant life in the reserve — about the size of Puerto Rico — than in the United States and Canada combined.

BRITAIN

Resort adds police during full moon

LONDON — The British resort town of Brighton is deploying extra police during full moons, convinced of a link between the lunar cycle and violence.

The vibrant seaside city on England's southern coast is adopting the new approach after reviewing crime statistics for the past year, Sussex police said Tuesday.

Inspector Andy Parr conducted an analysis of crime statistics that suggested more violent incidents happen during full moons, police said.

VENEZUELA

'Shut down' TV station carries on

CARACAS — Inside the studios of Radio Caracas Television, actors are still filming soap operas and news anchors are still going on-camera more than a week after President Hugo Chavez forced the station off the air.

The move has sparked street protests almost daily.

Some of the programs are making their way to viewers on the Internet or by satellite to stations abroad.

Other shows are not reaching any audience at all, but workers continue in hopes they may once again reach viewers across Venezuela, if only by cable.