A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Report that Iran is holding ex-FBI man
TEHRAN -A former FBI agent is being held by Iranian authorities, the Financial Timesreported yesterday, but US officials said they were still unable to verify the whereabouts of the missing American.
Florida resident and ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson went missing while on a visit to the Gulf island of Kish in Iran early in March. His family has not heard from him since and US officials have said they do not have any valid leads.
Diplomats fear the case of Levinson could mark a new twist in apparent tit-for-tat detentions involving the US, Britain and Iran. - (Reuters)
Blair rejects calls to sack officials
LONDON -British prime minister Tony Blair rejected calls yesterday for officials to be sacked over the selling of stories by sailors who were released by Iran after being held hostage.
Mr Blair was responding to an online petition bearing 2,812 signatures posted on Downing Street's website on Thursday and which calls for sackings. - (Reuters)
Defrocked Irish priest gets Asbo
LONDON -Cornelius Horan, the defrocked priest who invaded the Athens Olympics marathon, was yesterday given an Asbo banning him from this year's London marathon.
Horan, dressed in his trademark orange kilt, green waistcoat and socks, agreed to stay away from the showpiece 26.2-mile event on April 22nd.
The order ends on June 8th when Southwark Council, which brought the case, will be back in court arguing for a full Asbo.
It wants him banned from the start of the Tour de France in London in July and future London marathons. - (PA)
Olmert considers talks proposal
JERUSALEM -Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert is considering entering US-backed talks with an Arab League working group that could try to negotiate a sweeping land-for-peace accord, Israeli officials said yesterday.
Olmert has for weeks resisted pressure from the US, Egypt and others to commit to talks with the working group, which is expected to consist of Egypt and Jordan, and possibly other Arab states.
A senior Israeli official close to the deliberations said the proposed working group talks were "an option" under active consideration and that "initial contacts" have been made. - (Reuters)
Major earthquake strikes Mexico
MEXICO -A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 shook Mexico early yesterday, sending thousands of tourists in Acapulco fleeing into the streets in panic and knocking out electricity as far away as the capital.
There were no immediate reports of injuries from the quake, centred in the Pacific coastal state of Guerrero.
Tourists were evacuated from their hotels in Acapulco, where 20,000 homes lost electricity. - (Reuters)
'Trash my house' teenager arrested
LONDON -The teenage girl who hosted a disastrous "let's trash my house" party was arrested yesterday on suspicion of causing criminal damage.
Rachael Bell (17) was questioned and then released on police bail, pending further inquiries, after she emerged from hiding to blame internet hackers for the £20,000 (€29,350) chaos, and to apologise to her parents.
She accused friends of taking over her pages on the website MySpace to tempt revellers from all over England with the prospect of drink and sex in an astonished cul-de-sac on a private estate in county Durham.
Her parents have been forced to rent temporary housing. - (Guardian service)