A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Holbrooke stable but still ‘critical’
WAKEFIELD – Richard Holbrooke, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is stable but in very critical condition after surgery for a torn aorta, secretary of state Hillary Clinton said yesterday.
Mr Holbrooke (69) has been in hospital since Friday, when he fell ill during a meeting with Mrs Clinton in her Washington office with what doctors say is a life-threatening condition.
“He is stable but still in very critical condition,” Mrs Clinton said at a news conference with the Canadian and Mexican foreign ministers.
“He’s had excellent care, including many hours of surgery in the last three days,” Mrs Clinton said.
– (Reuters)
Kosovan PM’s party takes election lead
PRISTINA – Kosovan prime minister Hashim Thaci’s PDK party made the strongest showing in Sunday’s general election, winning 33.5 per cent of the votes, the election commission said yesterday.
The LDK party, a former coalition ally of the PDK, took second place with 23.6 per cent, on a turnout of 47.8 per cent of the 1.6 million eligible voters, the commission said.
The LDK and other parties complained of irregularities and said they would ask for a re-run of the vote in two constituencies, Thaci strongholds where turnout was noticeably higher than the national average.
– (Reuters)