In short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Milosevic team wants Clinton subpoenaed

THE HAGUE - Lawyers representing Slobodan Milosevic have asked the UN war crimes tribunal to issue a subpoena to force former US president Bill Clinton to testify at his trial.

"In his position as former president of the United States, Mr Clinton had a continuous role and unique knowledge of events relevant to the indictment," the lawyers said in a request filed last week but only just made public. -(Reuters)

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Bush praise for Berlusconi

WASHINGTON - President George W Bush has heaped praise on Iraq war ally and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and has called him a force for stability, several weeks ahead of Italian elections.

"He's a man of his word," Mr Bush said after an Oval Office meeting with the Italian leader, who sent troops to Iraq when other European allies refused nearly three years ago. - (Reuters)

Gunfire heard in Kabul prison

PUL-I-CHARKHI - Gunfire was heard yesterday from a prison on the outskirts of Kabul taken over by hundreds of inmates at the weekend, and officials said a deal to resolve the standoff had fallen through.

The firing occurred after a breakdown in talks with the prisoners, who officials say have been led by Taliban commanders and a kidnap gang leader. - (Reuters)

Bomb goes off in Basque country

MADRID - A bomb exploded outside a labour ministry building in Spain's Basque country yesterday, the third explosion in three days in the region, El Mundo newspaper reported on its website. State radio said no one was injured. There had been a warning in the name Eta. - (Reuters)

Turkish rights in 2005 disappoint

ANKARA - A Turkish human rights group says last year was disappointing for human rights despite positive expectations generated by the start of European Union membership talks.

It said 721 people died due to clashes and extrajudicial killings in 2005, while 781 were wounded, mostly in the conflict between the Turkish armed forces and the PKK. - (Reuters)

Presidential poll to be challenged

KAMPALA - The main opposition party will challenge Uganda's election results in court, charging that officials did not allow a large number of voters to cast their ballots and that the results were falsified.

On Saturday, the electoral commission in Kampala declared President Yoweri Museveni winner of the presidential poll held on Thursday. - (AP)

Pete Doherty arrested again

BIRMINGHAM - Babyshambles front man Pete Doherty has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a car and being in possession of class A drugs. He was one of three men stopped in Birmingham last night in connection with a report of a vehicle having been stolen in London. - (PA)

24 killed in attack on trucks in India

NEW DELHI - Suspected Maoist militants have attacked trucks jammed with passengers in central India, killing 24 people and injuring 32 more. The militants stopped the three trucks yesterday near the town of Darbhaguda in rural Chhattisgarh state, blowing up one truck and setting fire to the other two. - (AP)

Linda Smith dies of cancer

LONDON - Comedian and broadcaster Linda Smith has died of cancer. She was 48. Smith, once voted the wittiest person in radio by a listeners' poll, died on Monday, the BBC said.

She was a regular on Radio 4's News Quiz.