World datelines

China

SHANGHAI — A coal mine flooded in southern China, trapping 102 miners more than 1,000 feet underground as rescuers today used water pumps in an effort to reach them. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. The accident occurred Sunday afternoon in a tunnel 1,378 feet underground at the privately owned Daxing Colliery in Meizhou City in Guangdong province, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing a local official.

Egypt

CAIRO — One of two main challengers to President Hosni Mubarak in next month's elections said Sunday that if elected, he would abolish Egypt's emergency laws and release all political prisoners. But Noaman Gomaa, a law professor who leads the New Wafd Party, told reporters he would not let the Muslim Brotherhood stand as a party in elections.

India

NEW DELHI — The India-Pakistan peace process inched forward over the weekend as the rival nations formalized an agreement to ward off the risk of accidentally stumbling into war, a deal diplomats and analysts said should boost peace efforts between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Under the agreement, announced Saturday after two-day talks, the two will set up a hot line between foreign ministries next month and formally agreed to tell each other about upcoming missile tests, a practice that has been going on for some time.

Iran

TEHRAN — Iran brushed off warnings that it could face the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program, saying Sunday it would not be moved by threats. Germany and France have urged Iran to reconsider its weekend rejection of European proposals for resolving the standoff over its nuclear program, warning that the International Atomic Energy Agency is likely to turn to the Security Council, which may impose sanctions.

Japan

TOKYO — The possibility that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi could call an early election increased over the weekend as opposition mounted to his plan to privatize portions of Japan's postal system. Koizumi repeated his intention to dissolve parliament if the upper house rejected his privatization bills in a vote expected today.

Mauritania