A roundup of today's other world stories in brief:
Billionaire to pay off Labour loans
LONDON -Britain's richest man has pledged €2 million to the Labour party to save it from financial ruin after the cash-for-honours scandal, it was reported yesterday.
Indian-born billionaire Lakshmi Mittal is putting his hands in his pockets to help the party pay off controversial loans taken from businessmen before the last general election.
Tony Blair and his chief fundraiser, Lord Levy, who is on bail after being arrested in the summer, have negotiated the deal, according to The Sunday Times.
- (PA)
Al-Jazeera reporter released on bail
CAIRO -An Egyptian prosecutor has released a journalist from the Arabic al-Jazeera TV station on bail, judicial sources said yesterday, a day after she was arrested carrying what police said were fabricated images of torture. Al-Jazeera said Huweida Taha Metwalli had been working on a documentary on torture in Egypt and other Arab countries.
- (Reuters)
BBC defends €33m expenses bill
LONDON -The BBC yesterday hit back at claims it is running a gravy train after details of its multimillion pound expenses bill for flights and accommodation were revealed.
The corporation spent more than €33 million on air fares and hotels last year as its executives fought for an increase in the TV licence fee. It was forced to concede the expenses were high and that it was cutting back after the costs were uncovered following a Freedom of Information request.
But it also defended the spending, saying correspondents in Iraq could hardly travel there on foot and that its travel expenses had to be put into context.
- (PA)
Chinese premier to visit Japan
CEBU -Chinese premier Wen Jiabao will make an ice-breaking visit to Japan in April, Japanese officials said yesterday, while China warned that the countries' wartime past could derail efforts to heal ties.
Wen and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe used the regional Asean summit in the central Philippines to narrow down a time for the first top-level Chinese trip to Japan in more than six years.
- (Reuters)
Seven trapped in subway collapse
SAO PAULO -Rescue workers searched yesterday through an earth-filled crater for at least seven people feared to have been buried in the collapse of a shaft under construction for a new subway station in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.
- (Reuters)
US denies shift in environment plan
WASHINGTON -A US official yesterday denied a British newspaper report that President George Bush was preparing to announce a policy shift on global warming in his State of the Union speech this month.
The Observerreported that senior Downing Street officials said Mr Bush was preparing to issue a new climate change policy during his annual speech on January 23rd.
- (Reuters)