A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
More than 100 die in Java tsunami
JAKARTA - An earthquake yesterday sent a tsunami several metres high crashing on to the beaches of southern Java, killing at least 104 people with 148 injured and 122 missing.
Pangandaran resort bore the brunt of the waves, but witnesses said "very many" flimsy homes along the coast for at least 20 miles in each direction had been destroyed as two waves, about seven metres and two metres high, surged ashore. The water was reportedly waist-deep more than 600m inland. - (Guardian service)
Nasa hails return of 'Discovery'
CAPE CANAVERAL - Nasa has hailed the rebirth of its human space flight programme after the shuttle Discovery and six astronauts capped a near-flawless 13- day mission with a picture- perfect landing yesterday at the Kennedy Space Centre. - (Guardian service)
US defends its prisoner record
GENEVA - The United States has defended its record on prisoner treatment, racial profiling, immigration and the death penalty in its first appearance before a top United Nations human rights panel in 11 years.
Matthew Waxman, who leads the US delegation to the UN Human Rights Committee, submitted a 66- page document yesterday offering legal justifications for policies from renditions of foreign detainees to juvenile sentencing. - (Reuters)
Holland allows paedophile party
BRUSSELS - The Netherlands has cemented its reputation as Europe's most socially liberal country as a new political party formed by paedophiles has been told it can contest this year's general election.
A Dutch court rejected an attempt by anti-paedophile campaigners to ban the Brotherly Love, Freedom and Diversity party (PNVD), which wants to cut the age of consent from 16 to 12 and to legalise child pornography. - (Guardian service)
Not having a berry good day
LONDON - Two bungling robbers escaped with a bag of strawberries instead of cash after a mix-up during a raid in Edenfield, Lancashire. Thieves held up a terrified postmistress armed with a pistol and demanded she hand over money. The woman filled a bag with notes but the thieves were distracted and snatched the wrong bag, one which was filled with fruit. - (PA)
Serbia plan to capture Mladic
BRUSSELS - The EU has welcomed a Serbian "road map" to catch war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic but said it needed to be fleshed out and implemented to allow the restart of talks on eventual EU membership. - (Reuters)
Campaign for recount in Mexico
MEXICO CITY - A campaign of civil resistance by leftists to force a recount in Mexico's disputed election will start this week, their leader and presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said yesterday. - (Reuters)