WORLD BRIEFS

AFGHANISTAN: Suicide car bomb kills 7

A car bomb exploded just outside police headquarters in Kandahar on Sunday, killing five police officers and two civilians and wounding 21 others. It appeared the bomb in a parked vehicle was remotely detonated.

FINLAND: Conservative new president

A former finance minister won the presidential election Sunday and will become Finland's first conservative head of state in five decades. Sauli Niinisto, 63, won 63 percent of the votes to 37 percent for Greens candidate Pekka Haavisto. He will be the first president from the conservative National Coalition Party since 1956, and the first in 30 years from a party other than the center-left Social Democrats. He replace the popular Tarja Halonen, who served the maximum two 6-year terms.

PANAMA: Captive Noriega hospitalized

Former dictator Manuel Noriega, who was toppled by a 1989 American invasion and convicted later of drug running, was transferred from prison to a hospital Sunday because of extreme hypertension, health officials said. Noriega's blood pressure was said to be very high, nearly leading to a stroke. He will remain in intensive care for 24 hours, doctors said.

BRITAIN: Queen's diamond jubilee

Queen Elizabeth marks 60 years on the throne Monday, the second British monarch to reach that milestone. Elizabeth II, 85, became queen at 25 on Feb. 6, 1952, on the death of her father George VI, while in Kenya with husband Prince Philip, now 90.