News Briefs

January 18, 1996
Web posted at: 10:40 p.m. EST (0340 GMT)

More than 10,000 Rwandans flee violence at refugee camp

BUJUMBURA, Burundi (CNN) -- United Nations officials say as many as 15,000 Rwandans fled a refugee camp in Burundi Thursday, apparently to escape the same ethnic violence that caused them to leave their own country.

The refugees, mostly Tutsis, had crossed into neighboring Tanzania, and were said to be fleeing the latest flair-up of fighting between Hutus and the Tutsi-led army. Most of the 200,000 Rwandan refugees in Burundi are Hutus.

The north of Burundi, where the refugees are concentrated, has seen escalating tensions in recent weeks between the two communities, and the latest bloodshed -- described by some as another genocide -- was not unexpected.

Rwanda and Burundi have the same ethnic mix of about 85 percent Hutu and 15 percent Tutsi, and both countries have suffered periodic outbreaks of violence.

The tensions in Rwanda flared into a mass-scale slaughter in 1994, when some 500,000 people died -- most of them Tutsis killed by Hutus.

Tanzania, already home to some 500,000 Rwandan refugees, closed its border to more early last year.

Meanwhile, a court set up by the United Nations to try people in connection with the massacres announced plans to start exhuming mass graves in Rwanda next month.

Indian film star, political leader dies at 73

HYDERABAD, India (CNN) -- Millions of Indians are mourning the death of Indian political leader and former film star N.T. Rama Rao, who died early Thursday of a heart attack. He was 73.

The matinee idol turned politician was three-time chief minister of the Southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

A prolific movie-star, NTR, as he was known, acted in more than 300 Indian films, mostly in his native Telugu language. He usually played the roles of various Hindu gods, causing him to be virtually worshipped by some in the state.

NTR formed the Telegu Desam Party in 1982, and became Andhra Pradesh's chief minister in 1983. After three successive terms, a bitter family feud finally caused him to step down. He was replaced by his son-in-law, Chandrababu Naidu.

Brother of Chinese orphanages critic arrested

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The brother of a former Chinese orphanage employee has been arrested in Shanghai, accused of subversion. Zhang Jian was taken into custody two days after the release of a Human Rights Watch/Asia report written with information from his sister, Zhang Shuyan, she said Thursday.

The report accused China's orphanages of deliberately allowing children to die. Zhang Shuyan said she was certain her brother was arrested as a result of the report, although he had nothing to do with her work.

Zhang Jian is a local government official. Chinese officials did not confirm his arrest.

10 immigrants die in Germany fire; neo-Nazis suspected

LUEBECK, Germany (CNN) -- Police in Luebeck, Germany, reportedly suspect neo-Nazis in an arson fire that killed at least ten people in an apartment building early Thursday. Three suspects were arrested.

The apartment building housed African, Lebanese, Syrian, and Polish immigrants, police said. About 50 people were injured.

Officials said more than 100 firefighters battled the fire, which started simultaneously in several places.

Son of Nigerian ruler among the dead in plane crash

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- The oldest child of Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha died in a plane crash near the northern city of Kano on Wednesday night. Ibrahim Abacha was one of 14 people on board; all were killed.

The airplane reportedly was from the presidential fleet. It was flying from Lagos and crashed just before it was scheduled to land in Kano.