A roundup of today's other international stories in brief:
Al Jazeera shows bin Laden footage
DUBAI - Al Jazeera yesterday aired a video tape showing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden meeting what it said were perpetrators of the September 11th attacks on US cities, days ahead of the fifth anniversary of the strikes. Al Jazeera said the footage documented the "daily life" of al-Qaeda operatives as they trained and prepared for the attacks in the mountains of Afghanistan.
- (Reuters)
Vote against Rumsfeld blocked
WASHINGTON - This week Senate Republicans blocked a no-confidence vote on defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld as Democrats sought to keep attention on the unpopular Iraq war before November's congressional elections.
Trying to stem the drag on their poll numbers caused by Iraq, Republicans denounced as a political stunt the Democrats' resolution urging President Bush to replace Mr Rumsfeld, whom they depict as a symbol of the war's failures.
- (Reuters)
Protesters target Helsinki summit
HELSINKI - Anti- globalisation activists said yesterday they would "bring a bit of disorder" to Helsinki when the Finnish capital hosts a meeting of Asian and European leaders (ASEM) over the weekend.
Presidents and prime ministers from nearly 40 European Union and Asian countries meet in Helsinki on Sunday and Monday for the biennial summit, preceded on Saturday by top-level meetings of the European Union with China and South Korea.
- (Reuters)
Crew held as ship searched for arms
LONDON - A ship suspected of carrying illicit cargo from North Korea to Syria has been impounded by port authorities in Cyprus and its crew arrested while police search the cargo, the head of maritime security at the port of Limassol said yesterday.
"It was stopped because it was initially suspected of carrying weapons for Syria," Fokas Riris, head of port facility security in Limassol, said. "All 15 crew have been arrested and are being questioned by police."
- (Reuters)