A round-up of today's other world news in brief ...
Libya rescues 300 migrants on way to Italy
TRIPOLI – Libyan coastguards rescued 300 migrants, including many women and children, when the rickety boat carrying them to Italy broke down off the coastal town of Tajura, near Tripoli.
Coastguard and emergency service workers rushed to save the migrants on Tuesday after they sent Mayday signals from their boat to the maritime authorities, the Libyan interior ministry said yesterday.
Officials provided the rescued migrants with humanitarian assistance, it said, but did not say whether they had been detained or describe their condition.
– (Reuters)
More Dutch troops for Afghanistan
AMSTERDAM – The Netherlands is considering sending extra troops to Afghanistan on a temporary basis to help secure safe elections, the Dutch foreign affairs ministry said yesterday.
A request for extra troops has been made to all countries who are participating in Nato’s joint force in Afghanistan.
It was not yet clear how many Dutch soldiers could go or when the Netherlands would make a decision, the spokesman said. – (Reuters)
Carla Bruni says she wants a baby
PARIS – France’s first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, says she would like to have a baby and if that does not work out she would be happy to adopt one. The comments, made in an interview with Madame Figaro magazine, come just over a year after she married French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
Asked whether she wanted a baby, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy (41) said: “I would like that, but I don’t know if it will be possible at my age. If it’s not possible biologically, I will adopt one.”
Ms Bruni-Sarkozy has a son from past relationship. Her husband has three children from two previous marriages. – (Reuters)
Graft inquiry into Romania’s ex-PM
BUCHAREST – Romania’s parliament gave the go-ahead yesterday for corruption inquiries into former prime minister Adrian Nastase, after long delays in the case angered the EU.
Since Romania’s entry to the EU in 2007, the European Commission has demanded that it speed up top-level investigations to prove it is serious about addressing graft.
Deputies approved by 158 to 128 votes the request to initiate two separate investigations into Mr Nastase, who ran a leftist cabinet between 2000 and 2004. – (Reuters)