Other world stories in brief
German strike causes travel chaos
Thousands of public- sector workers went on strike across Germany yesterday, shutting hospitals and causing travel chaos in a demand for higher pay that is fuelling inflation fears in Europe's biggest economy.
Verdi, the service sector union that wants an 8 per cent wage increase for some two million federal and local government staff, targeted the west of the country and major airports, having already organised a wave of stoppages on Tuesday.
More strikes are planned in the south today ahead of a fifth round of negotiations with employers. - (Reuters)
Turkey bombs Iraqi villages
Turkish warplanes bombed villages in remote northern Iraq on Tuesday, a week after a major eight-day offensive by Turkish forces against Kurdish PKK guerrillas in the region, officials said yesterday.
An Iraqi border official said Turkish aircraft struck a village in the Amadiya area close to the Turkish border. There were no reports of casualties. - (Reuters)
FBI got data 'improperly'
The FBI improperly obtained personal data on US citizens while investigating terrorism and spy suspects in 2006, but later adopted reforms to prevent future lapses, FBI director Robert Mueller said yesterday.
He told a Senate judiciary committee hearing a soon- to-be released follow-up report by the US justice department's inspector general found that previously identified privacy violations continued in 2006. - (Reuters)
Spain claims shipwreck
Spain will press its claim to a shipwreck found by a Florida treasure-hunting company that may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, a lawyer for the Spanish government said yesterday.
"We have every reason to believe Spain has a claim," James Goold said at a court hearing in Tampa.
Spain suspects gold and silver worth an estimated $500 million (€328 million) came from a sunken colonial-era Spanish galleon.- (Reuters)
Dutch PM in plea to France
Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende has asked France to show solidarity with his country if there is any fallout over an anti- Islamic film made by a Dutch right-wing politician.
Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, who has called for the Koran to be banned, has made a film in which he presents his views about Islam's holy text and is in negotiations with TV stations over its broadcast.
Mr Balkenende has warned that Dutch citizens and businesses risk attack because of the film. - (Reuters)
Award for Peru victims
A US judge has awarded $37 million (€24.24 million) to some victims of a 1985 massacre carried out by the Peruvian military in a remote mountain village during a search for members of the Shining Path rebel group.
The court ruling found former Peruvian army officer Telmo Ricardo Hurtado liable for what became known as the "Accomarca massacre" - the slayings of 30 women, 23 children and 16 men. - (Reuters)
Journalists lose appeal
An Algerian appeal court has upheld two-month jail terms for two journalists for defamation and insulting comment, the independent daily El Watan has reported.
The newspaper said the court confirmed an earlier verdict by a lower court against editor Omar Belhouchet and columnist Chawki Amari. - (Reuters)