A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Polish parties sign power sharing pact
WARSAW - Poland's ruling conservatives signed a power-sharing pact with two anti-reform parties, which they say will mark the start of a radical shift in economic policy.
The deal, likely to prevent a snap general election, brings closer to power parties that are hostile towards the EU and foreign capital.
The pact aims to shore up Law and Justice's minority government and overcome parliamentary gridlock, which threatens to derail its ambitious administrative reform plans. - (Reuters)
16 die in Baghdad car bomb attacks
BAGHDAD - Two car bombs have killed at least 16 people and wounded 65 others in Baghdad.
Police sources yesterday said one car bomb exploded in a market and the other in a petrol station.
Hospital sources said they expected the number of casualties to rise. - (Reuters)
Killer defends al-Qaeda role
AMSTERDAM - The convicted killer of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, in a three-hour address to a Dutch court yesterday, said he felt "honoured" to be associated with al-Qaeda, and offered no defence to charges he was part of terrorist group that planned attacks on Dutch politicians.
Mohammed Bouyeri (27), is already serving life for Van Gogh's 2004 murder, which he said he carried out alone because he believed Van Gogh insulted Islam in his film criticising the treatment of Muslim women.
In the new trial in Amsterdam, Bouyeri insisted on presenting his own defence and was granted three hours to speak. - (Reuters)
Russian officer hired out troops
MOSCOW - A Russian military court has convicted a senior officer in the elite rocket forces of hiring out troops under his command as labour for local businesses.
Vladimir Kontonistov, deputy commander of a division of the Strategic Rocket Forces in Siberia's Novosibirsk region, was fined 60,000 roubles (€1,760) and was banned from holding a command for three years. - (Reuters)
Politicians expelled for far-right links
BOGOTA - A Colombian political party allied with President Alvaro Uribe has ousted two congresswomen for links to far- right paramilitaries.
One of them accused the US of lobbying against her.
Since mid-January, political parties supporting Mr Uribe have told seven lawmakers that they cannot run for re-election in March. - (Reuters)
Small oil spill at Alaska refinery
ANCHORAGE - An oil tanker carrying nearly 5 million gallons of oil and gasoline was struck by an ice floe while loading at an Alaska refinery and ran aground yesterday, causing a small spill, a state official and the refining company said.
The coast guard said an ice floe parted the mooring line and sent the 600-ft (183m) tanker adrift before it went aground about a half mile (800m) north of the dock. The vessels tanks were secure.
The double-hulled tanker, the Seabulk Pride, was loading vacuum gas oil and unleaded gasoline from the refinery in Nikiski, Alaska, on the Cook Inlet, refinery owner Tesoro Corp said in a statement. - (Reuters)
Judge suspended because of crucifix
ROME - An Italian judge has been suspended for refusing to work in courtrooms adorned with a crucifix.
Luigi Tosti has refused to preside since May after authorities said he must not remove the crucifix from his courtroom wall. The judge said the Christian symbol discriminated against defendants of other faiths or of none. - (Reuters)