A round-up of today's other stories in brief
WHO presses China on death of girl
BEIJING - The World Health Organisation (WHO) pressed China yesterday to provide information on a 12-year-old girl who Chinese officials say died of pneumonia, but who was initially suspected of contracting deadly bird flu.
Since last week China has revealed three outbreaks of the H5N1 virus that killed 3,800 chickens, ducks and geese.
But WHO spokeswoman Maria Cheng said Chinese officials had as yet provided no information on the death of the 12-year-old girl on October 17th in southern Hunan province, the site of China's latest bird flu outbreak.
The girl's nine-year-old brother is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital, also with pneumonia.
"We need more clarification because both apparently had been exposed to sick chickens," Ms Cheng said. - (Reuters)
Bulgaria cracks down on criminals
SOFIA - Bulgarian police raided gangster hideouts and searched luxury cars yesterday in a crackdown on organised crime following the murder of a top banker this week, officials said.
Police said they had arrested 144 suspected criminals since Wednesday when an assassin gunned down Emil Kyulev, Bulgaria's second richest man, as he sat in his car in rush-hour traffic.
The latest in a string of underworld-linked murders, it came a day after the EU said Bulgaria's inability to eradicate powerful organised crime groups could delay its plans for 2007 membership by a year.
Poland looks set for minority rule
WARSAW - Poland's conservative prime minister-designate said yesterday he was ready to form a minority government as hopes for a last-minute deal with the pro-business Civic Platform all but evaporated.
Civic Platform rejected as "hopeless" the latest compromise proposals on the economy from Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz and ruled out more talks.
The party accused Law and Justice leaders Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, whose victory in presidential and parliamentary elections led the media to call them Europe's most powerful twins, of having no interest in sharing power.
Earlier, Mr Marcinkiewicz vowed to do his best to salvage the deal but admitted he was prepared to rule alone from Wednesday, the latest time by which he has to present a cabinet. - (Reuters)
Galloway wants his name cleared
NEW YORK - George Galloway yesterday accused a US senate committee of making allegations based solely on lies and demanded that it clear his name.
The Respect MP was accused of pocketing money from Saddam Hussein's oil-for-food programme in two separate reports this week, both citing former Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz as a source.
Republican senator Norm Coleman used interviews with Aziz as evidence that Saddam's regime granted 23 million barrels of oil to Mr Galloway and his Mariam Appeal fund.
But lawyers representing Aziz told Mr Galloway in Paris yesterday that Aziz had never made a statement incriminating him.
Spanish farmers protest over fuel
MADRID - Farmers blocked roads in eastern Spain to protest against high fuel prices yesterday, a day after the Socialist government agreed to increase fuel subsidies for fishermen to end a blockade of Mediterranean ports.
About 200 farmers blocked two main highways in the eastern region of Valencia, a source at the government office in the regional capital said.
The roadblocks, coinciding with an exodus from Spanish cities for a long holiday weekend, were lifted in the afternoon. - (Reuters)