World datelines

Albania: Election disputed

TIRANA — Albania's opposition Socialists charged Saturday that the ruling Democrats were improperly trying to influence the country's lengthy vote count by declaring victory before all ballots from last week's national election were tallied.

Albania joined NATO in April and has been under intense international pressure to ensure the June 28 vote was free of the fraud that marred the first six elections held after the Balkan country's communist regime fell in 1990. But the Socialists threatened to hold street protests after election authorities declared late Friday that Prime Minister Sali Berisha's Democrats had won enough seats to form a government. The country's electoral commission is re-counting ballots from some polling stations following complaints about irregularities.

Brazil: Bodies identified

SAO PAULO — Officials say medical examiners have identified another eight of the 51 bodies recovered from the Air France flight that plunged into the Atlantic five weeks ago. A statement released Saturday by the Public Safety Department of the northeastern state of Pernambuco says that so far a total of 43 bodies have been identified.

Ireland: Plea to abductors

DUBLIN — The head of an Irish humanitarian aid agency appealed Saturday for the release of two of its employees kidnapped in Darfur.

John O'Shea, chief executive of GOAL, said the group had not heard from the abductors of Irishwoman Sharon Commins, 32, and her Ugandan colleague, Hilda Kuwuki, 42. The international peacekeeping mission in the troubled desert region said they were abducted by gunmen in the Kutum area of north Darfur on Friday.

Italy: Thousands protest

ROME — Protesters clashed with police at a demonstration Saturday against the planned expansion of an airport and U.S. military base in the northern city of Vicenza.

Demonstrators wearing helmets and carrying plastic shields threw stones and other objects at officers guarding a bridge on the route of the protest. Police fired tear gas canisters and clubbed some demonstrators, but no injuries were immediately reported.

Several thousand protesters, many from other Italian cities, converged on Vicenza to march against the expansion of the Dal Molin airport. Some residents, far left groups and environmentalists have been protesting the expansion for years, saying it would increase traffic; noise and air pollution; deplete local resources, including water and gas; and raise the risk of terrorist attacks.

Italy: Vatican runs deficit

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican said Saturday it ran a deficit in 2008 as its finances and donations from across the world were hit by the global economic crisis.