Today's other stories in brief
US and Canada set to unveil energy deal
OTTAWA – US president Barack Obama and Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper met for about half an hour privately yesterday before attending a lunch with senior advisers at the Canadian parliament.
A White House official said the two countries would announce an agreement to co-operate on "clean energy" technology that Mr Obama said this week would let both countries use fossil fuels such as oil and coal while generating less pollution. – (Reuters)
China asks Russia to explain sinking
BEIJING – China yesterday asked Russia to explain how a Chinese cargo ship sank in Russian waters after reports it was fired on by the Russian military.
Seven Chinese sailors were missing after the New Starsank on Saturday in stormy seas off Vladivostok and after a Russian warship shot at least 500 rounds into it, the official China Daily newspaper said, quoting a Chinese-language paper which in turn quoted a Russian paper. – (Reuters)
Guadeloupe to be offered wage deal
PARIS – The French government will make a new wage offer to unions on Guadeloupe to defuse an economic crisis on the Caribbean island that has led to violent protests.
“Mediators have come up with a proposal which I am going to approve and which will be submitted to employers and the unions,” said French prime minister François Fillon yesterday.
"This allows us to get very close to the financial goals of the workers." – (Reuters)
MS sufferer loses euthanasia appeal
LONDON – A woman with multiple sclerosis has lost her legal bid to force the UK government to clarify the law on assisted suicide to protect her husband from any possible future prosecution.
Debbie Purdy (45), from Bradford, wanted to force the UK director of public prosecutions to give assurances her husband would not be prosecuted if he helped her go to a euthanasia facility abroad. Her high court bid was rejected last year and the appeal court upheld the decision yesterday. – (Reuters)
Kidnapped Italian nuns freed
NAIROBI – Two Italian nuns kidnapped by Somali gunmen in a cross-border raid into Kenya last November have been freed.
"We are very happy, Sr Caterina Giraudo (67) said by phone. Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said no ransom had been paid and no blitz was mounted to rescue the hostages, but gave no other details on their release. – (Reuters)
Maliki allies win control of Basra
BAGHDAD – Allies of Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki will take control of the southern oil hub of Basra after winning 20 out of 36 provincial council seats in local elections last month, officials said yesterday.
Six of the seats allocated to Mr Maliki's State of Law coalition were assigned to women. – (Reuters)
Order for gay man to return to UK
LONDON – The UK high court has ordered the home secretary to secure the return of a gay man forcibly removed from the UK to his native country.
A judge condemned the failed asylum seeker’s removal as “manifestly unlawful” and ordered home secretary Jacqui Smith to “use her best endeavours” to bring him back.
The judge warned that the practising homosexual, Mr X, and his homeland must not be named because he fears persecution and is in hiding. – (PA)