World datelines

Afghanistan: Italy out?

KABUL — A powerful suicide bomb that killed six Italian soldiers here on Thursday prompted Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy to declare that his nation had begun planning to "bring our young men home as soon as possible."

In Brussels, Berlusconi, a close American ally but in some political trouble at home, was careful to say that Italy would not unilaterally withdraw its 3,100 troops from Afghanistan, though he said he wanted the withdrawal to happen "as quickly as possible." But it seemed the strongest expression yet from a European leader of the rising doubts about the Afghanistan mission among America's allies.

Germany: School attack

ANSBACH — An 18-year-old armed with an ax, knives and Molotov cocktails attacked his high school in southern Germany on Thursday, injuring eight pupils and a teacher before police shot and arrested him, authorities said.

As the mayhem erupted on the third floor, roughly 700 other students fled the building, including some who barricaded a classroom door before running down an emergency staircase. Many took shelter in a nearby office building.

Canada: Body bags sent

WINNIPEG — Health officials ordered an investigation Thursday into why the Canadian government sent body bags to an Aboriginal reserve in Manitoba after community leaders requested assistance to deal with an expected outbreak of swine flu.

The body bags were sent this week to a remote northern reserve that was hard hit by swine flu last spring. The bags were in a shipment of hand sanitizers and face masks.

Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said she found the action by Health Canada insensitive and offensive.

"As minister of health and as an Aboriginal, I am offended," Aglukkaq said in a statement Thursday. "To all who took offense at what occurred, I want to say that I share your concern and I pledge to get to the bottom of it."

Spain: 3 accused as Nazis

MADRID — A Spanish judge on Thursday indicted three alleged ex-Nazi death-camp guards who all lived for many years in the United States, charging them with being accessories to genocide and crimes against humanity.