Other world stories in brief
Palestinian, Israeli leaders to meet 'soon'
RAMALLAH- Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday he hoped to meet Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert before the end of the year as both leaders push to resume long-stalled peace talks.
Mr Olmert told reporters this week a meeting would take place "very soon" but gave no details. Mr Abbas, following a meeting with Italian foreign minister Massimo d'Alema, was more explicit.
"We are not revealing a secret when we say that we hope the meeting with Olmert will take place before the end of this year," he said. - (Reuters)
Pakistan to free Indian fishermen
KARACHI- Pakistan is to release 70 Indian fishermen detained for illegally entering Pakistani territorial waters, a government official said yesterday.
The fishermen will be released today as officials from the two countries begin talks on their disputed maritime boundary. - (Reuters)
Putin in gesture to Georgian leader
MOSCOW- Russian president Vladimir Putin sent a birthday message yesterday to Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili, in a rare sign that relations between their countries may be starting to improve.
"Please accept my best wishes on the occasion of your birthday.
"I wish you and your family good health and prosperity," Mr Putin said in the message posted on the Kremlin's website. - (Reuters)
Filmmaker Moore has case dismissed
BOSTON- A US federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by an Iraq war veteran who claimed filmmaker Michael Moore used the veteran's image without permission in the anti-war documentary Fahrenheit 9/11.
Judge Douglas Woodlock of US District Court in Massachusetts dismissed the suit on Wednesday.
It had sought $35 million in damages from Moore, as well as Miramax, which is owned by Walt Disney Co and several other film companies. - (Reuters)
Islamic prayer area for Israeli airport
JERUSALEM- Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport is to construct an Islamic prayer room for the first time as part of efforts to improve relations with Muslim travellers.
For years, Muslim travellers, including Israeli Arabs, have complained that Israel's main airport, with its stringent security checks and lack of Arabic signs, has treated them poorly, and sometimes in a humiliating fashion. - (Reuters)
Yachtsman raised alarm from afar
A Scottish yachtsman who became ill on a solo round-the-world voyage managed to raise the alarm by contacting his girlfriend 10,000 miles away.
Andrew Halcrow was 350 miles southwest of Australia on his yacht when he was struck down with crippling stomach pains and sickness. - ( Scottish Press Association)
Bali bomb guilty verdict reversed
JAKARTA- Indonesia's Supreme Court yesterday overturned a guilty verdict against Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir for conspiracy in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, a court spokesman said.
The move is likely to anger countries such as Australia, which lost 88 nationals in the bomb attacks on nightclubs on the Indonesian resort island.
19 die in Mali barge crash
BAMAKO- Nineteen people were killed in Mali when two barges collided at night on the Niger river, some 40km from the ancient city of Gao, the Amap state news agency said yesterday.
The two boats sank immediately. - (Reuters)