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Kabila believed dead; son controls Congo

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - As Congolese officials and foreign diplomats continued to issue conflicting statements about Congolese President Laurent Kabila's reported assassination, members of Kabila's cabinet said yesterday that they had named his son to rule their vast war-ravaged Central African nation.

Appearing on state television yesterday following an emergency meeting of Kabila's cabinet, Communications Minister Dominique Sakombi insisted Kabila had been shot and wounded Tuesday at his presidential palace in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa but had been evacuated overnight to an undisclosed location where he was receiving medical treatment.

"Until President Kabila has recovered, and to ensure stability, the government has decided to give command of the government and military to Major General Joseph Kabila," Sakombi said.

But reports from outside Congo of Kabila's death continued to mount. Citing "a number of what we believe are credible reports," White House national security spokesman Daniel Cruise said, "we do believe, at this stage, that he was killed."

Officials in Angola, an ally of Kabila's in Congo's ongoing civil war, said yesterday that Kabila had been killed.

Arafat's protege slain in restaurant

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The head of Palestinian TV - a protege of Yasser Arafat - was killed by three masked men in a seaside restaurant yesterday, but Palestinian officials played down initial suggestions that Israel ordered the attack.

Israel also denied a role in the killing of Hisham Miki, who was struck by more than 10 bullets fired at close range from a pistol fitted with a silencer.