A round-up of today's other stories in brief
EU chief to discuss nuclear plan with Iran
TEHRAN - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will visit Tehran shortly to discuss details of a package aimed at persuading the Islamic republic to abandon its nuclear fuel programme, a senior official said yesterday.
Mr Solana delivered the package, which is backed by the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, in a visit to Tehran earlier this month. He has said he will hold further discussions over what Iran has described as "ambiguities". - (Reuters)
Experts remove suspected bomb
STOCKHOLM - Swedish police were preparing to question a man yesterday after bomb disposal experts removed a suspected bomb that had been strapped round his waist, a police spokesman said.
"We have been able to get the belt off him. The suspected bomb is being driven away for examination," the spokesman said. Police earlier evacuated part of a suburb of the Swedish capital after residents reported seeing a man with a suspected bomb strapped to him. - (Guardian service)
Avian flu blamed for four deaths
AZERBAIJAN - Four people have died after catching avian flu from infected swans, in the first confirmed cases of the disease being passed from wild birds, scientists have revealed.
The victims, from a village in Azerbaijan, are believed to have caught the lethal H5N1 virus earlier this year when they plucked the feathers from dead birds to sell for pillows. Three other people were infected by the swans but survived. - (Reuters)
Explosion near Turkish resort
ISTANBUL - A blast probably caused by an exploding gas canister at a popular Turkish tourist area killed four people, including a Norwegian and a Ukrainian, and injured about 25 yesterday, CNN Turk television said.
It was unclear whether the explosion was an accident. Police said the blast happened in a park surrounding the Manavgat waterfall about 100km (60 miles) to the east of the city of Antalya, Turkey's largest resort area. - (Reuters)
Oil slick reported off Welsh coast
HOLYHEAD - A four-mile slick - believed to be diesel - was yesterday reported off the north Wales coast, the coastguard said.
Holyhead coastguard received reports from a yachtsman in the Menai Strait, the stretch of water which separates Anglesey from the mainland, at 8.15am. - (PA)
Corruption inquiry at anti-graft body
NAIROBI - The Kenyan branch of anti-graft group Transparency International has fired its executive director for suspected financial corruption, officials said yesterday.
Transparency said it had ordered a probe into Mwalimu Mati for improperly awarding contracts and using the group's name "in obtaining financial accommodation for a third party".
Mr Mati denied the charges and accused the board of abuse of funds. "I have put it on record that the board had conflicts of interest," he said. - (Reuters)