Today's other stories in brief
Iraqi, US forces fight Shia militia
DIWANIYA - Iraqi and US forces clashed with Shia militia loyal to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr yesterday in a dawn operation aimed at returning this volatile city to government control.
In Ramadi, west of Baghdad, a lorry bomb killed at least 10 people and wounded 24 in the latest in a string of attacks that have spewed poisonous chlorine gas into the air, police said. One officer said 35 had died. - (Reuters)
Greek cruise ship tourists missing
ATHENS - Greek rescuers searched for two French tourists missing after the evacuation of a cruise ship which ran aground off the Aegean island of Santorini before sinking yesterday.
A 45-year-old Frenchman and his 16-year-old daughter were missing. His wife and son were among 1,151 passengers safely evacuated from the Greek-registered Sea Diamond. - (Reuters)
War crime inquiry over Somalia aid
NAIROBI - European lawyers are examining whether alleged war crimes committed by Ethiopian and Somali troops in Mogadishu last week could expose the EU to accusations of complicity because of its financial assistance to the two countries.
A massive Ethiopian-led offensive to pacify an insurgency in the Somali capital left almost 400 people dead between March 29th and April 1st. Human rights groups say many victims were civilians and accuse the Ethiopians of using tanks and helicopters to fire indiscriminately into densely populated areas. Some analysts in Somalia say that specific clans in Mogadishu have been targeted for "cleansing" by pro-government forces.
- (Guardian service)
Way found to send funds to N Korea
WASHINGTON - The US said that a way had been found to transfer frozen funds to North Korea and US negotiator Chris Hill would leave for the region tomorrow to revive denuclearisation talks.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the US supported the release of the entire $25 million in funds held at Banco Delta Asia in Macau. A dispute over the transfer had held up implementation of a February 13th agreement that gave North Korea 60 days to shut its nuclear facilities in return for energy aid. - (Reuters)
Billionaire to build Venice gallery
ROME - French billionaire and leading art collector François Pinault has won a long-running battle with the Guggenheim Foundation to turn a crumbling Renaissance warehouse in Venice into an art gallery.
Pinault, who owns one of the world's finest collections of modern art, and the Guggenheim Foundation had both presented plans to convert the 17th-century Punta della Dogana, a landmark customs house abandoned for decades, into an art venue for an estimated €20 million. - (Reuters)