WORLD BRIEFS

IRAN: Monkey takes space trip

A gray-tufted monkey strapped in a pod resembling an infant's car seat rode an Iranian rocket into space and returned safely, officials said Monday in what was described as a step toward Tehran's goal of a manned space flight. The mission touched on concerns that advances in Iran's rocket expertise could be channeled into military use for long-range weapons that might one day carry nuclear warheads. Iran says it does not seek atomic weapons. The United States and the Soviet Union launched animals into space more than a half-century ago in the infancy of their programs.

ITALY: F-16 lost over Adriatic

U.S. and Italian aircraft searched the Adriatic Sea on Monday after losing contact with a U.S. fighter jet believed to have crashed during a training mission off Italy. The headquarters of 31st Fighter Wing, at Aviano Air Base in Italy, said the F-16 had one pilot aboard. It was not carrying weapons. The paramilitary Carabinieri and the Italian air force deployed helicopters. Italian coast guard motorboats were in the area.

CHILE: Castro leads regional bloc

Cuban President Raúl Castro assumed the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States on Monday in a demonstration of regional unity against U.S. efforts to isolate the communist government through a 50-year-old economic embargo. At the CELAC summit in Santiago, Castro took over the rotating presidency from Chile. He said Venezuela's Hugo Chávez had helped realize Simón Bolívar's dream of unifying the region.