World datelines

Mexico: Day-care fire

MEXICO CITY — Seven state officials were arrested Monday and six others were being sought on negligent homicide charges in a day-care fire that killed 47 children in Mexico. But none were involved in the day-care center itself.

All 13 work for the northern Sonora state Finance Department, which operated an adjacent warehouse for cars, tires and paperwork. Investigators say the fire may have been caused by a short circuit or overheating in the air-conditioning system of the warehouse, which lacked fire alarms and extinguishers.

The warehouse blaze in Hermosillo, Sonora's state capital, spread to the roof of the day care, sending fire raining down on the children and teachers.

Portugal: Whaling

LISBON — The International Whaling Commission on Monday began discussing a possible compromise deal that would reduce the number of whales killed each year.

However, environmental groups expressed little hope of a breakthrough in the two-decade dispute at the start of IWC's weeklong annual meeting in Portugal's Madeira islands. Japan, Iceland and Norway run commercial whaling operations which kill around 2,000 whales a year and they are reluctant to give up the trade.

Anti-whaling countries including the United States, the European Union and Australia want to tighten the restrictions introduced by a 1986 moratorium.

Pakistan: Militants

ISLAMABAD — Militants used mortars, rockets and an anti-aircraft gun to attack military positions in northwestern Pakistan on Monday and were pummeled in response by airstrikes that killed at least 25 people, officials said.

It was the latest violence to break out in the tribal region on the Afghan border ahead of a major military offensive against Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who is accused of ordering a campaign of suicide attacks as part of an insurgency to destabilize the government.

China: Web censorship

BEIJING — Washington has expressed concern to Beijing over its new effort to censor Internet use and its possible impact on trade and access to information, the U.S. Embassy said Monday.