Mali

Group kicks out Holocaust denier VATICAN CITY - A traditionalist group of breakaway Catholics on Wednesday expelled a Holocaust-denying bishop whose views sparked a major Vatican crisis in 2009. The Society of St. Pius X said its governing council expelled Bishop Richard Williamson because he ignored a deadline to "declare his submission" to its authority and had called for the society's superior to resign. A spokesman for the group said Williamson's comments about the Holocaust were part of the reason for his expulsion.

From the top of the Great Mosque's minaret, a crumbling shaft of mud and splintered beams, this legendary desert town seems to be melting in the sun. "They call it the gateway to the Sahara," says Nouh Aginfa Yattara, pointing to the great yellow stretches just to the north. "Of course, it was a much richer city once. " For centuries, the name Timbuktu has symbolized the essence of remoteness, mystery and exotic wealth. It's still remote (only two flights a week from Mali's capital, or a two- day jeep trek through bandit country across the trackless desert)

As police pressed their hunt for the killers of a beloved Feltonville clothing-store owner, his fellow African Muslims began a fund drive to ship his body back to his native Mali and spent yesterday remembering his struggle to make a life for his family. Two men shot Amissi Ndikumasabo, 41, in the head Tuesday afternoon. His wife, Bintou Soumare, 45, wounded by a bullet to her left temple, remained in critical condition at Temple University Hospital. The couple has two children.

Former Arizona State running back Loren Wade was charged yesterday with first-degree murder in the shooting of another former Sun Devils player. Wade, 21, has been held without bond since Saturday, when he was arrested at the slaying site outside a Scottsdale, Ariz., nightspot. Witnesses say they saw him approach the car of Brandon Falkner, and exchange words with Falkner before a single gunshot rang out. Falkner, 25, was killed by a bullet to the head. Before Wade was charged, Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter said at a news conference he had been concerned by Wade's behavior since September, but never interpreted any of it as cause for alarm.

Millenial fever is raging, and the year 2000 is all the rage among filmmakers from Mali to Spain. Will the turn of the cosmic odometer mark the death of the Earth or its rebirth? At this year's film festival, nine directors offer nine different answers to the question. Some predict apocalypse, others the same old same old, and yet others the Second Coming. "2000 seen by . . . " - a selection of seven movies set on or around New Year's Eve 1999, plus two other festival films - speculates on life after the big 2 oh oh oh. As there are two distinct types of New Year's revelers - extroverts who prefer crowds and introverts who prefer a party of two - there emerge two distinct types of millennial movies.

Until yesterday, Amissi Ndukumassabo was the stereotypical immigrant, a man who worked very hard in a clothing store in Feltonville he had bought two years ago, who sent money to his family back home, and who had aspirations of achieving the American dream. About 1:50 p.m., however, he became a sorrowful statistic: The West African native was killed, and his wife critically wounded, during what police said was a robbery inside Urban Wear, a neighborhood store on Wyoming Avenue near Mascher Street.

Ian Thorpe was back in the pool yesterday at the Australian Olympic swimming trials in Sydney, a day after he was disqualified from the 400-meter freestyle for falling off the starting blocks before the start of his heat. Thorpe, the Olympic champion and world recordholder in the 400, will not be allowed to compete in the event in Athens because he did not finish first or second in the trials. Yesterday, Thorpe cruised to victory in his 200 freestyle heat in 1 minute, 49.30 seconds, about 5 seconds outside his world mark.

Temple star Shey Peddy was chosen in the second round of the WNBA draft on Monday by the Chicago Sky, with the 23d overall pick. Stanford senior Nemkadi Ogwumike was picked No. 1 by the Los Angeles Sparks. Peddy, a native of Roxbury, Mass., is the third Owl ever drafted by the WNBA. She was named the Atlantic Ten player of the year, A-10 defensive player of the year and Big Five player of the year this past season. The senior scored 17.6 points a game and averaged 3.1 steals per game.