A roun-up of today's other world news in brief ...
At least 21 killed in fire at Polish hostel
WARSAW – At least 21 people have been killed in a fire in a hostel for homeless families in northwest Poland, a fire official said yesterday.
A further 20 people were hurt, most after jumping out of windows to escape the blaze. Firemen were searching for more victims, fire department spokesman Pawel Fratczak said.
Some 77 people were registered at the hostel in Kamieniec Pomorski but the exact number there at the time was not certain.
“Some of the survivors were just visitors,” Mr Fratczak said. “It will take couple of hours to search the entire site.” Huge flames shot from the three-storey buildings windows and high into the sky during the blaze. – (Reuters)
Six killed in Nato Afghan airstrike
ASADABAD, Afghanistan – A Nato-led airstrike on a remote Afghan village killed six civilians, including two children, Afghan officials said, but western forces said they had targeted armed militants.
Civilian deaths caused by foreign troops hunting the Taliban have become a cause of friction between the Afghan government and its western backers, and sapped support for the presence of western forces in the country. – (Reuters)
Mel Gibson’s wife files for divorce
LOS ANGELES – The wife of actor Mel Gibson filed for divorce on Monday after 28 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
In divorce papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, Robyn Gibson asked for her 1980 marriage to the actor to be ended.
The couple, who have seven children, have asked for privacy. – (Reuters)
Nine executed for killing editor
KHARTOUM – Sudanese authorities executed nine men found guilty of involvement in the 2006 murder of a newspaper editor, a police source said.
“Nine people guilty in this case were executed [yesterday],” the source said.
The case has been a sensitive issue for the government, which initially banned reporting of the trial except by state media.
The nine men are from Darfur, a region torn by a conflict between rebels and the government. – (Reuters)
Social Democrats want to tax rich
BERLIN – Germany’s Social Democrats want to focus their election campaign on a “soak the rich” plan to raise taxes on higher earners, the centre-left party’s deputy leaders said over the Easter holiday weekend.
Minister for finance Peer Steinbrück and Andrea Nahles said that increasing taxes on higher earners was justified and could raise money to fight the economic crisis and fund education programmes. – (Reuters)