A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Milosevic ask s for treatment in Moscow
MOSCOW - Moscow is considering a request by former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic to come to Russia for medical treatment, the Interfax news agency has quoted the foreign ministry as saying.
The prosecution in Milosevic's trial, which has been going on for four years, opposes him visiting Russia and says there is no reason to believe he would return to The Hague for the rest of his trial. - (Reuters)
Mayor sorry for Katrina remark
NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans's controversial mayor has been forced to apologise after claiming Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for the war in Iraq and predicting the city would be "chocolate" again.
Ray Nagin provoked outrage when he told residents celebrating Martin Luther King Day last Monday that "God is mad at America".
He also claimed the supposed divine intervention was to punish black communities in particular because of violence and infighting. - (PA)
EU plans to create fund for Africa
BRUSSELS - The EU plans to create a trust fund to disburse European aid to Africa without depending on the World Bank, according to an aid official.
"European aid money should be spent according to European policies," development commissioner Louis Michel said yesterday.
"The EU does not have the influence it should in the World Bank," Mr Michel said. The EU is the world's biggest aid donor, providing 56 per cent of development assistance. - (Reuters)
Museum loses giant sculpture
MADRID - Spain's most important modern art museum has admitted it had lost a 38-tonne sculpture by the prestigious American artist Richard Serra. The valuable sculpture, titled Equal-Parallel/Guernica- Bengasi, was commissioned from the artist by Madrid's Reina Sofia modern art museum in 1986, and was displayed there until 1990.
The museum admitted yesterday that the last document it had relating to the piece and the payments made for its storage was dated 1992. - (Guardian service)
Couple fingered for fast-food scam
SAN JOSE - A Californian court has sentenced a couple to nine years in prison for planting a human finger in a bowl of chili as part of a scam last year to defraud a Wendy's fast-food restaurant.
"I am truly sorry. I owe Wendy's and its employees an apology," a tearful Anna Ayala told the court. "Wendy's had always been my family's favourite fast food restaurant." - (Reuters)
Six-point lead in presidential race
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's left-wing presidential front- runner holds a six-point lead over his nearest rival, a new poll has shown, although July's election is turning into an ever-closer three- horse race.
Support for Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD, slipped to 37 per cent from 39 per cent and his two closest rivals both gained ground, the survey by daily newspaper Milenio showed. - (Reuters)
Militants warn oil producers
ABUJA - Militants behind a string of attacks aimed at disrupting Nigeria's oil industry have said they intend to target all producers in the country, in a message that singled out US-based Chevron.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, which has caused major disruption at Royal Dutch Shell and kidnapped four foreign oil workers, said it has also attacked installations run by France's Total and Italy's Agip, a unit of ENI. - (Reuters)