A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Opposition bloc withdraws from 'rigged' election
CAIRO – Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the biggest opposition bloc in the outgoing parliament, and a smaller party withdrew yesterday from an election they said was rigged.
Sunday’s first round set up President Hosni Mubarak’s party for its usual sweeping victory after run-offs due to be held on December 5th.
Government officials said the race was free and fair. Independent Egyptian monitoring groups said the result was discredited. The US, Egypt’s ally and major aid donor, said it was disappointed by the conduct of the poll. – (Reuters)
Snipes ordered to begin jail term
ORLANDO – Actor Wesley Snipes has been ordered to start his three-year sentence for failing to pay taxes at a federal prison in Pennsylvania next week.
The US Marshal’s Office issued a notice yesterday ordering Snipes to voluntarily surrender by noon on December 9th. Snipes (48) had tried unsuccessfully to remain free on bail while appealing to the Supreme Court. – (Reuters)
Seven held over al-Qaeda fake ID
MADRID – Seven men have been arrested in Barcelona, accused of providing fake ID documents to al-Qaeda-linked groups including the one that carried out the Mumbai attacks in 2008, the interior ministry said yesterday.
Six Pakistanis and one Nigerian were arrested on Tuesday and early yesterday accused of stealing passports and other travel documents from tourists. – (Reuters)
Two more Pompeii walls collapse
ROME – Two walls crumbled at the ruins of Pompeii yesterday, the latest of four collapses in a month at the 2,000-year-old Roman-era site whose decay has become an embarrassment for prime minister Silvio Berlusconis government.
Pompeii’s archaeological superintendent department said the collapse involved an area two metres high of the wall along one of the site’s main streets, the Via Stabiana. – (Reuters)