The world in brief

Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in 2011.
Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in 2011.

Man tied to bin Laden on German dole

The German government has been paying about $1,400 a month to a man who once reportedly guarded Osama bin Laden, the government of North Rhine-Westphalia state confirmed.

"Sami A." of Tunisia is said to have worked for the al-Qaida leader in 2000 in Afghanistan, news agencies reported.

The 42-year-old has lived in Germany since 1997, receiving about $1,429 a month in welfare payments. His full name has not been reported in the German media because of the country's privacy rules.

Sami A. traveled to Germany on a student visa more than two decades ago. In 2000, he reportedly trained at one of bin Laden's terrorism camps. His purported position in al-Qaida was revealed in a 2005 trial in Duesseldorf, Germany.

He has denied any links to al-Qaida, but a judge found the witness testimony credible. Sami A.'s asylum request was denied in 2006, but he was not deported to Tunisia because of fears that he might be tortured there.

Even today, the Evening Standard reported, Sami A. is thought to maintain ties with Islamist circles. He lives with his wife and four children in Bochum in western Germany. He must report to the local police station daily.

Envoy: Trump wants Russia 'detente'

MOSCOW -- President Donald Trump is seeking a "detente" with Russia and wants to work with his counterpart Vladimir Putin to achieve this, according to the U.S. ambassador in Moscow.

"My president has said repeatedly that he wants a better relationship with Russia. Repeatedly. And he has said quite clearly that he would like to engage personally with President Putin," Jon Huntsman said Tuesday at a round-table in Vladivostok, according to a transcript posted on the U.S. Embassy website. "You can call it a desire for detente or a desire for a healthier relationship."

Trump last month invited Putin to hold talks in Washington when he called to congratulate the Russian president on winning a record fourth term. So far, there have been no preparations for the summit.

Since then, the U.S. has imposed the toughest sanctions yet on Russia. Tensions also surged as Trump ordered airstrikes earlier this month on Russia's ally. Even so, Putin has instructed officials to dial down talk of confrontation.

The Kremlin expressed caution Tuesday about the prospects for better ties. "For the moment, the reality and the actual steps coming from Washington point to the opposite," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in a conference call.

Nigeria church attack kills 15 people

YOLA, Nigeria -- Gunmen killed 15 people, including two priests, in a morning attack on a Catholic church Tuesday, Nigerian officials said.

The attack took place in Ayar-Mbalom, a community in Benue state.

Terver Akase, a media aide to the Benue state governor, said the attackers also burned down 50 houses.

President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement called the violation of a place of worship "vile, evil and satanic" and an attempt to stoke religious conflict.

Benue state in central Nigeria has seen a series of attacks in recent weeks, many linked to a long-running dispute between farmers and herdsmen.

Trump-praised Indonesian convicted

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- An Indonesian court Tuesday sentenced a politician once praised by the U.S. president to 15 years in prison for his role in the theft of $170 million of public money.

Setya Novanto, the former speaker of Indonesia's parliament and former chairman of the Golkar party, sat with his head bowed slightly as the guilty verdict and sentence were announced at the Jakarta Corruption Court.

Asked by the five-judge panel to respond, Novanto said he would think about whether to appeal or accept the outcome.

Prosecutors said Novanto was among about 80 officials, lawmakers and several companies who used the introduction of a $440 million electronic identity card system in 2011 and 2012 to steal more than a third of the funds.

A fan of Donald Trump, Novanto made an unexpected appearance at a news conference held by the future president at Trump Tower in New York in 2015. Novanto was introduced by Trump as one of Indonesia's most powerful men, who would do great things for the U.S.

A Section on 04/25/2018

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