A roundup of today's other world stories in brief:
Assad set for second term in Syria
DAMASCUS- Syria's Baathist-dominated parliament unanimously nominated President Bashar al-Assad yesterday for a second term and set May 27th as the date for a referendum which dissidents have condemned as undemocratic.
The referendum marks another step in a process that all but guarantees Dr Assad's hold on power for another seven years. A new parliament with no opposition was elected in a tightly-controlled poll last month.
- (Reuters)
Socialists to hold Barcelona
MADRID- Spain's ruling Socialists are likely to keep control of Barcelona, the second-largest city, in May elections but the conservative opposition is likely to hold onto the capital, Madrid, a poll published yesterday showed.
The municipal and regional elections on May 27th are seen as a rehearsal for general elections due by next year.
- (Reuters)
Fires sweep through Florida
TALLAHASSEE- Florida evacuated people from about 100 houses in a rural northern part of the state yesterday as windswept brush fires burned in the region.
Forestry officials said fires had burned nearly 83,000 acres of swampland and a destroyed a few hunting lodges north of Lake City, on the fringe of the Osceola National Forest. Smoke from the fire could be seen 160km west in the state capital of Tallahassee.
- (Reuters)
Croatia to join Nato next year
ZAGREB- Croatia will next year be invited to join Nato, prime minister Ivo Sanader said yesterday after talks with a senior Washington official. "For us, Nato is not only about military and security. For us, Nato equals freedom, democracy, rule of law, market economy and human rights," Mr Sanader said .
- (Reuters)
Three executed in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH- Saudi Arabia executed two Pakistani men and a Nigerian yesterday for smuggling heroin and cocaine into the conservative Muslim country.The executions brought to at least 55 the number of people put to death in the country this year.
- (Reuters)
Iran digs in heels on nuclear issue
VIENNA- Iran and other developing nations cast a cloud over global nuclear disarmament efforts yesterday by blocking the final statement of a two-week review meeting.
Diplomats from developing states said the draft summary dwelt unduly on non-compliance with Non-Proliferation Treaty rules, while downplaying those powers' obligation to phase out their nuclear arsenals.
- (Reuters)
Kidnapped worker not from North
SOMALIA- An aid worker kidnapped along with a Kenyan colleague in Somalia this week was erroneously identified as being from Northern Ireland.
Representatives from CARE International briefed reporters following the men's disappearance, mistakenly identifying one as a British passport holder from Northern Ireland.
A spokeswoman however told The Irish Timesit was unsure how the confusion arose.