Car Bombing at Danish Embassy in Pakistan Kills 6

PAKISTAN EXPLOSION: Pakistani authorities say a car bomb blast outside Denmark's embassy in Islamabad has killed at least six people and wounded dozens of others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. VOA reporters at the scene say the blast left about a meter deep crater in the road, destroyed the outer wall of the embassy, and damaged more than a dozen cars. Police say Pakistani security guards are among the dead. No foreigners are believed to be among the victims. There were few Danes in the building at the time of the blast. In Copenhagen, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said he condemns the attack.

CHINA QUAKE: Chinese rescuers are searching the mountains of Sichuan province today (Monday) for a helicopter that crashed Saturday with 19 crew members, medical workers and earthquake survivors on board. The state-run Xinhua news agency reports there is no clue where the Mi-171 went down. Officials say heavy fog and turbulent winds were in the area when the aircraft disappeared. On Sunday, parents of some of the thousands of children killed in the May 12th quake in southwestern China marked International Children's Day with grief and anger.

KOREAS-AID: Civic and religious leaders in South Korea are urging the government to quickly provide food aid to North Korea, saying the Stalinist country is facing a massive famine. South Korea's new conservative government has said it will not send food to the North unless Pyongyang makes a formal request. But, North Korea has refused to request aid in protest of Seoul's tougher policies. A statement issued today (Monday) by the heads of about 30 civic organizations says thousands of North Koreans will die of hunger in the coming month if the South does not immediately send food aid.

NEPAL-KING: Nepal's deposed King Gyanendra has agreed to leave the royal palace after a decision by a newly-elected Constituent Assembly to abolish the monarchy. A home minister (Krishna Sitaula), who met with the former king today (Monday), said he will move out of the palace by June 12th. King Gyanendra has asked the government to help him find new housing. The palace is located in Gorkha, some 80 kilometers west of the capital, Katmandu.

MACEDONIA ELECTION: Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is claiming victory after a parliamentary election marred by a deadly shootout, reports of intimidation and alleged fraud. With most of the votes counted, the pro-Western Mr. Gruevski says his conservative party (VMRO-DPMNE) will control more than half of the seats in the 120-seat parliament. But Macedonian officials say they will repeat voting in 22 precincts that were shut down during Sunday's election because of violence.