Other world stories in brief
BBC to make on-air Ross/ Brand apology
The BBC will issue on-air apologies on Radio 2 today for the "offensive" prank phone call made by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand that provoked thousands of complaints and a storm of protest.
During his Radio 2 show on October 18th, Brand and Ross left crude messages on the answerphone of 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs during a radio show.
The presenters were joking that Brand had slept with Georgina Baillie (23), the granddaughter of Sachs, who played Spanish waiter Manuel in cult comedy sitcom Fawlty Towers. - (Reuters)
New Slovenia PM targets economy
The Slovenian parliament yesterday approved centre-left leader Borut Pahor as new prime minister, and he immediately pledged to focus on helping the Slovenian economy weather the global crisis.
"The future governments task is to strongly support the healthy part of the economy, particularly exporters, consider actions to support those in problem and enforce an active employment policy," he said. - (Reuters)
US/Italy spy pact to stay secret
ROME - Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, will tell a Milan court trying Italian and US spies for a suspected CIA "rendition" that details of agreements between the two countries' secret services are classified, his lawyer said.
This could be a blow to prosecutors who are seeking testimony about collaboration for alleged secret transfers of terrorism suspects, known as renditions. - (Reuters)
Spanish civil war inquiry halted
MADRID - Spain's High Court yesterday ordered a halt to an investigation into the killing of thousands of people in the 1936-39 civil war while it determines if such crimes are closed under a 1977 amnesty law.
Prosecutors had requested the move after Judge Baltazar Garzon had opened a case to locate, exhume and identify the remains of victims, many of whom lie in mass graves after being summarily shot. - (Reuters)
Lessing speaks out against cuts
LONDON - Nobel prize-winning author Doris Lessing has joined protests against the BBC's plans to cut its Russian radio broadcasts.
"At a time when in Russia misunderstanding and mistrust of Britain has reached a height unprecedented since the end of the USSR this deliberate reduction in the role of the Russian service seems a perverse concession to those authorities in Russia who have been doing their best to curtail the activities of all British cultural institutions, she said in a letter. - (Reuters)
Pope condemns organ trade
Pope Benedict condemned the trade in human organs as an abomination yesterday and urged caution in removing organs for transplant from dying donors who might not actually yet be dead. - (Reuters)