In brief: Gadhafi looks forward, and back

Rome – Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi hailed a “new era” in relations with Italy on Wednesday, saying a history of hatred and destruction during Italy’s 30-year colonial rule had been replaced by a future of friendship and cooperation.

But in a demonstration that the wounds of Italy’s occupation still run deep, Gadhafi arrived for his first visit to Italy wearing a black-and-white photo pinned to his military uniform of a Libyan national hero killed by Italian colonial authorities.

Gadhafi said the photo symbolized the tragedy of Italy’s 1911-1941 occupation in the same way Christians wear a cross to mark the tragedy of Christ’s death.

U.S. contractors to be released

Baghdad – Five U.S. contractors detained during an investigation into the slaying of another American will be freed after a week in Iraqi custody due to insufficient evidence against them, the Iraqi government said Wednesday.

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces detained the contractors June 3 in connection with an investigation into the stabbing death of contractor Jim Kitterman, of Houston. But there have been conflicting accounts about the specific allegations against them.