Gains for Germany's Jews
 
Germany's parliament unanimously approved a landmark agreement Friday that puts the country's fast-growing Jewish community on a legal par with Germany's main Christian churches, which are Lutheran and Roman Catholic.
 
The accord was signed by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Germany's principal Jewish leader, Paul Spiegel, on Jan. 27 - the 58th anniversary of the Auschwitz death camp's liberation. It triples the annual government funding for the Central Council of Jews to $3.5 million.
 
The agreement still needs the approval of the upper house, which is expected to be a formality.
 
From 15,000 Jews left after the Holocaust, the German Jewish community grew to 30,000 a decade ago, and has since burgeoned to 100,000.

Zimbabwe Protest Halted

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader was arrested and charged with treason Friday as hundreds of soldiers, police and party supporters prevented marches in Harare, the capital, demanding the resignation of President Robert Mugabe.

Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested just after he vowed to hold future protests, but without warning the government. He conceded that the unprecedented security crackdown had thwarted huge street demonstrations his opposition movement had planned for Friday to cap five days of strikes and protests.

The strikes have stalled the economy in the biggest challenge to Mugabe's 23-year authoritarian rule.

Peterson Prosecutors Denied

The judge in the Laci Peterson murder case ruled Friday that the autopsy results on Peterson and her unborn son would remain sealed. He also declined to issue a gag order on the lawyers involved.

Prosecutors had asked last week that the autopsy results be unsealed after extensive news leaks of the results. Among the details reported were that loops of plastic were found around the fetus' neck.

Analysts said the autopsy results could be used to bolster a defense argument that Peterson was kidnapped by a satanic cult.

Peterson's husband, Scott Peterson, 30, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder for allegedly killing his wife and son. Laci Peterson, 27, a pregnant part-time teacher, disappeared just before Christmas. Her body and the body of her unborn son were found in mid-April on the shore of San Francisco Bay. Scott Peterson was arrested shortly after the bodies were found and was charged with double murder.

Sex Assault Policy Revised

The Air Force Academy on Friday released a new policy for handling sexual assault cases that will create a team to investigate complaints and counsel victims, but which does not guarantee their privacy.

The policy was rewritten as part of a probe into the academy's treatment of female cadets who said they were punished or ostracized after reporting assaults. Air Force Secretary James Roche earlier promised to protect the privacy of such cadets.

Brig. Gen. John A. Weida said complaints will be disclosed on a need-to-know basis and every effort will be made to protect victims' privacy. Air Force criminal practices differ from procedures used in civilian law enforcement because of the importance the military places on the team concept, he said.

Cops: Family Beat Teacher

Police say a mother and her two sons beat a teacher unconscious with a desk and a chair at an upstate New York school because she had suspended the younger boy.

The teacher, who works in an alternative school program for troubled youth in Newburgh, had suspended the boy for spitting in her face and pushing her, police said.

Jamie Mereness, 34, and her 17-year-old son William Ramos went with her 12-year-old son to the school Tuesday afternoon to confront the teacher, who was not identified, police said Thursday.

Police said Mereness, Ramos and the younger son choked and punched the teacher, then used a desk and a chair to beat her in a basement classroom, Det. Lt. Santo Centamore said.

Mereness and both sons were arrested Wednesday and charged with felony burglary and assault. The 12-year-old will be charged in Family Court.