Today's other world stories in brief
British children 'let down' by official homes
LONDON - Vulnerable children are being let down by care and education services, with one in 12 children's homes declared inadequate, schools inspectorate Ofsted said yesterday.
"Too many vulnerable children are still being let down by the system and we are failing to learn from the worst cases of abuse," Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert said at the publication of her annual report.
Ofsted took over the inspection of UK children's services in April 2007. It is now conducting an emergency review of care services at Haringey Council in north London where 17- month-old boy Baby P died from repeated beatings despite being on the authority's "at risk" register.
- (Reuters)
Former French PM to stand trial
PARIS - Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin has been ordered to stand trial for his role in an alleged plot to smear Nicolas Sarkozy.
Known as the Clearstream affair, it is a tangled web of alleged spying and political manoeuvres at the heart of the French government. It dates to 2004, when Mr De Villepin and Mr Sarkozy were both ministers under Jacques Chirac and vying to succeed him as president.
Mr De Villepin has denied all wrongdoing. A source close to the case said he has been charged with "complicity in libel". - (Guardian service)
Politkovskaya trial held in secret
MOSCOW - Supporters of the murdered investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya bitterly criticised a decision by a judge yesterday to hold the trial of three men accused of involvement in her killing in secret.
The case was supposed to begin yesterday in open court. After 10 minutes the judge ruled that proceedings would be closed to the public, citing concerns about the safety of the jury. Journalists were bundled out of the room. - (Guardian service)
BNP leakers 'at risk of prison'
LONDON - Dissident former British National Party executives suspected of leaking the far-right organisation's membership on the internet risk going to prison, according to party leader Nick Griffin.
"The little group of people responsible for publishing this list all have against them a High Court order for them not to reveal it," Mr Griffin said. "If we are able to prove its one of them, they will go to prison - its as simple as that." The list includes police officers, teachers and soldiers. - (Reuters)