Other world stories in brief
South African police crack down on violence against foreigners
JOHANNESBURG -South African police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of shantytown residents yesterday in a crackdown on violence against foreigners that has killed at least 24 people and unnerved investors.
The rand currency fell sharply after more than a week of attacks on African migrant workers, accused by many poor township dwellers of stealing jobs and fuelling a wave of violent crime.
Local media said two people were killed overnight in the Ramaphosa squatter settlement east of Johannesburg.
Police fired volleys of rubber bullets to disperse about 700 people who earlier forced foreigners from the area, cameraman John Mkhize said. At least two people were injured. Thousands of foreigners have fled into refugee shelters. - (Reuters)
Lebanese leaders given another day to reach deal
DOHA- Qatari-led mediators have given rival Lebanese leaders one more day to reach a deal aimed at ending a political crisis which brought their country to the brink of civil war.
Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs Ahmad Abdullah al-Mahmood said the mediators had put forward two proposals to break the deadlock between the US-supported ruling coalition and the Hizbullah-backed opposition. - (Reuters)
Fewer children forced to fight wars, says report
LONDON- The number of children forced to fight wars around the world has fallen but a hard core of governments, rebels and armed groups are resisting pressure to stop using underage soldiers, according to a report yesterday.
The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers said the number of conflicts in which children were forced to fight totalled 17 in 2007, down from 27 in its 2004 report. - (Reuters)
Growing danger of coup in Zimbabwe, experts say
JOHANNESBURG- There is a growing danger of a coup by military hardliners in Zimbabwe to prevent opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai from toppling President Robert Mugabe, a leading think tank has said.
The International Crisis Group called for African mediation leading to a national unity government led by Mr Tsvangirai as the best way to resolve a crisis caused by disputed elections on March 29th, saying western diplomacy would have a limited impact. - (Reuters)
Iraqi forces executed traders, Aziz trial told
BAGHDAD- Iraqi security forces under Saddam Hussein executed traders for breaking price controls and then banned their families from giving them proper funerals, a witness in the trial of a top Saddam aide said yesterday.
Ex-deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz, accused of playing a role in the execution of dozens of traders, denied involvement.
They were executed after being accused of breaking price controls imposed in the wake of UN sanctions on Iraq in 1990s. - (Reuters)