A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Turkey drops case against leading writer
ANKARA - The case against best-selling writer Orhan Pamuk for insulting Turkish identity was dropped by Istanbul's Sisli court following a statement from the justice ministry, CNN Turk TV said yesterday.
The justice ministry said in a statement sent to the Istanbul court trying Mr Pamuk that it had no authority under the revised penal code to permit a case against the writer.
The court decided to drop the case following the statement from the ministry, CNN Turk said.
Mr Pamuk was charged for saying in a Swiss newspaper interview that no one dared discuss the massacre of a million Armenians 90 years ago and the deaths of 30,000 Kurds in the past two decades. - (Reuters)
Cavaco Silva in the driving seat
LISBON - Centre-rightist Anibal Cavaco Silva appeared headed for a first-round win in Portugal's presidential election yesterday in a blow to the ruling Socialists, initial results showed.
Former prime minister Mr Cavaco Silva had been ahead in the campaign for the non-executive office since the start on pledges to tackle a stagnant economy and unemployment, at an 18-year high in western Europe's poorest country.
A win for Mr Cavaco Silva could reinforce economic reforms sought by Prime Minister Jose Socrates. But his victory would be a fresh political setback for Mr Socrates. - (Reuters)
Sudan releases rights activists
KHARTOUM - Sudanese authorities released about 50 delegates from local and international human rights groups after storming their meeting on the sidelines of an African Union summit yesterday, delegates at the meeting said.
Activists said the security forces' action called into question Sudan's right to host the summit. - (Reuters)
Smugglers' boat capsizes, killing 22
NAIROBI - At least 22 people died and 28 are missing after a smugglers' boat carrying Ethiopians and Somalis capsized off the coast of Yemen, the second such accident in a week, the UNHCR said yesterday.
The United Nations refugee agency said the boat foundered on Saturday in the Gulf of Aden between Bir Ali and Mayfa'a Hajar.
It had sailed from the village of Shimbirale in northeastern Somalia. - (Reuters)
Woman's bird flu test negative
FRANCE - A French woman suspected of contracting bird flu in Turkey does not have the virus, doctors ruled yesterday after two rounds of tests. The 32-year-old was admitted to hospital in Montpellier on Saturday, a ministry statement said. - (AP)
Rebel bombs kill Indian policemen
GUWAHATI, India - A powerful rebel group in India's northeast carried out a series of bombings yesterday, killing two policemen and blowing up oil pipelines, police said.
They said guerrillas of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were behind the attacks, which came four days before the nation celebrated its Republic Day, which the rebels want to boycott with a general strike in the region. - (Reuters)
17 Maoists killed in gun battle
KATHMANDU - Seventeen Maoist guerrillas and six security personnel were killed in the deadliest gun battle in restive Nepal since the rebels ended a four-month-old truce three weeks ago, an army officer said yesterday.
The news came as an alliance of Nepali opposition parties vowed to continue their protests, just hours after police in Kathmandu clashed with crowds demanding that King Gyanendra restore democracy. - (Reuters)