World in brief: Israel to ease embargo in Gaza

Jerusalem – An Israeli decision Thursday to ease its blockade of Gaza under intense international pressure could spell the beginning of the end of the chokehold that has hurt ordinary Gazans far more than their militant Hamas rulers.

The order to allow in all foods and some desperately needed construction materials brought calls for Israel to go much further and did little to quell the global outcry over the deadly flotilla raid that tried to bust the embargo.

With a naval blockade in place and Israel giving no indication it will lift a ban on Gaza exports, Palestinians dismissed the move as cosmetic.

Yet the announcement was an unmistakable sign of Israeli leaders’ extreme discomfort with the damage the bloody May 31 flotilla raid has done to their country’s international standing.

Coal mine blast kills at least 16

Amaga, Colombia – Relatives held a resigned vigil Thursday outside a coal mine in northwestern Colombia where dozens of miners were trapped and feared dead after an explosion that killed at least 16 workers.

The fiery blast at the San Fernando mine, believed caused by a methane gas buildup, occurred in an access tunnel that is some 1.2 miles long.

There were 70 to 80 workers in the mine and a shift change was in progress when the explosion occurred.