Chad Says It Crushed Rebellion

CHAD UNREST: Rebels in Chad say they have purposely pulled out of N'Djamena, while the government says it has crushed the rebellion and fully controls the capital city. Rebel leaders said today (Monday) they deliberately withdrew to the outskirts of the city to give civilians a chance to escape. Witnesses say thousands of people have fled the country, crossing the Chari River into Cameroon. Chad's government said Sunday that it beat back the rebellion against President Idriss Deby. Officials also said government forces repelled a rebel attack on the eastern town of Adre, near the Sudanese border.

IRAQ: U.S. forces in Iraq say they have accidentally killed nine civilians during an operation against al-Qaida south of Baghdad. In a statement today (Monday), the military also said three civilians were wounded in Saturday's incident, which occurred near Iskandariyah, 50 kilometers south of Baghdad. The wounded were taken to military hospitals. Military officials offered condolences to the families of those who were killed and said the incident is under investigation. On the political front, Iraq's top executive body issued a controversial law today (Monday), allowing some former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to return to government service.

SERBIA ELECTION: Serbia's pro-Western president, Boris Tadic, has defeated his ultra-nationalist challenger, Tomislav Nikolic, in a closely contested runoff vote. Election officials in Belgrade say Mr. Tadic won nearly 51 percent of the votes, compared to nearly 48 percent for Mr. Nikolic. Mr. Tadic told jubilant supporters that Serbia has shown the world it is a European democracy. Mr. Nikolic, the pro-Russian candidate of the Serbian Radical Party, pledged to lead a strong opposition.

CAMBODIA-KHMER ROUGE: Former Khmer Rouge leader Nuon Chea had his first appearance before Cambodia's genocide tribunal today (Monday), but the hearing was quickly adjourned because of problems with his defense team. A key member of Nuon Chea's defense, Dutch attorney Victor Koppe, has not yet been admitted to Cambodia's Bar Association, which is a requirement for foreign lawyers. The 81-year-old defendant argued that going ahead without Koppe would violate international standards of justice.

SUPER BOWL: In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, the New York Giants have surprised New England, 17-14, ending the Patriots' chance at an undefeated National Football League season. The winning score came with just 35 seconds left in the game late Sunday (in Arizona). The Patriots came into the game with 18 wins and no losses, but fell short of becoming the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to complete the season undefeated.

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