A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Spain wants to sell aircraft to Venezuela
MADRID - Washington is still considering whether to allow Spain to sell aircraft with US technology to Venezuela, but hopes the sale will not go ahead, according to the US ambassador to Spain.
Spain angered the US government in March with plans to sell €1.3 billion of equipment to Venezuela, including four coastal patrol ships, four corvettes, 10 C-295 transport aircraft and two maritime surveillance aircraft.
The aircraft Spain wants to sell to Venezuela have 50 to 60 per cent of US components and so would require a US export licence. - (Reuters)
Researcher halves Bosnian war toll
SARAJEVO - The death toll from the Bosnian war, which ended 10 years ago this week, was half of the widely used figure of about 200,000, a leading Bosnian war crimes researcher has said.
"This is still an extremely high figure but there is a big difference now that people cannot irresponsibly use inflated numbers for their political goals," said Mirsad Tokaca, who heads the Sarajevo-based Investigation and Documentation Centre.
Mr Tokaca estimated the number of victims at between 100,000 and 150,000 a year ago. - (Reuters)
Israel, Hizbullah exchange fire
LEBANON - Israeli troops exchanged fire with Hizbullah guerrillas across the Lebanese border yesterday to provide cover for an Israeli paraglider pilot who drifted into Lebanon by accident.
The second incident on the border in three days was brief but looks set to increase tension in the area, hours after Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets in Beirut urging Lebanese to act against Hizbullah, which is backed by Syria and Iran. - (Reuters)
Anti-Semite tape by Jackson on TV
NEW YORK - Michael Jackson has been taped making overtly anti-Semitic remarks during a phone call, describing Jews as "leeches" who conspired to leave him "penniless".
"They suck," said Jackson. "I'm so tired of it . . . they start out the most popular person in the world, make a lot of money. It's a conspiracy. Jews do it on purpose."
The message, aired on Good Morning America, was taped two years ago. - (Guardian service)
French MP seeks case against rapper
PARIS - A French court has agreed to consider a complaint brought by a conservative MP against rapper Monsieur R, for referring to France as a slut in a song.
The court said it would rule early next year on the complaint filed by Daniel Mach, MP for the Pyrenees Orientales, who said he had the backing of 150 MPs but was bringing the action "on my own personal account, because I feel assaulted by these insults". - (Guardian service)
Brazilian priest jailed for abuse
BRASILIA - A Brazilian court has sentenced a Catholic priest to 14 years and eight months in prison for his second paedophilia conviction amid concern of a looming child abuse scandal in the world's largest Catholic country. The incidents involved a 13-year- old altar boy and a five-year- old boy. - (Reuters)
New president of Liberia confirmed
MONROVIA - Election officials have confirmed Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the winner in Liberia's first post-war elections, making her Africa's first elected female president.
Officials representing her opponent, George Weah, said he still refused to concede defeat, maintaining allegations of ballot-box stuffing and vowing to keep fighting the results in court.
International observers said the vote was largely clean. - (AP)