Today's other stories in brief
Spain arrests 16 suspected Islamists
MADRID - Spain said yesterday it had arrested 16 people suspected of recruiting Islamist fighters for Iraq and North Africa.
The 14 Moroccans and two Algerians were alleged to have indoctrinated others with radical Islamic teachings and about "jihad", or holy war, the government said in a statement.
"Moreover, [ the group] was allegedly linked with the financing and sending of combatants to different terrorist organisations in north Africa and other countries in conflict like Iraq." - (Reuters)
Malta refuses to take in migrants
VALLETTA - Malta refused to take in a group of 26 north African migrants yesterday, leaving them stranded on board a Spanish tug-boat which rescued them from rough Mediterranean seas.
The tug, Mont Falco, was holding its position some 140km (85 miles) south of Malta yesterday after the island state told the captain it would not take in the migrants.
Malta insists the migrants, rescued on Saturday, were picked up well within the Libyan search and rescue area. - (Reuters)
Prodi well behind in early poll results
ROME - Italy's centre-right opposition was ahead in local polls but prime minister Romano Prodi appeared to have avoided a drubbing in his first major electoral test a year after taking office, according to early results yesterday.
Ten million people were eligible to vote in the ballots on Sunday and yesterday, with opinion polls suggesting six out of 10 Italians think Mr Prodi's fractious centre-left government has not done a good job. - (Reuters)
Artist Immendorff dies, aged 61
BERLIN - German expressionist artist Jörg Immendorff, famous for his surreal and provocative paintings and sculptures, died yesterday aged 61 in Düsseldorf after a long illness, his wife Oda Jaune-Immendorff said.
A leading German artist famed for his work as well as his flamboyant lifestyle, Immendorff was diagnosed in 1998 with degenerative amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. - (Reuters)
Olmert backs Peres in presidential bid
JERUSALEM - Elder statesman Shimon Peres won the backing of prime minister Ehud Olmert yesterday for his bid to become Israel's next president.
"I spoke to vice-premier Shimon Peres and told him I would support his candidacy for president," Mr Olmert said at a meeting of Kadima party legislators, urging them to endorse the 83-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The Israeli parliament will elect the country's president on June 13th. - (Reuters)
Russia to ease visa ban on Georgians
TBILISI - Russia said yesterday it would start issuing a limited number of visas to Georgian citizens, signalling that tension between the neighbouring states may be easing after recent bitter disputes.
Russia stopped issuing visas to Georgians at the end of September after Georgian authorities arrested a group of Russian officers on spying charges, sparking a crisis in relations. - (Reuters)
Extradition of Lugovoy requested
LONDON - British officials confirmed yesterday that a formal request had been made to Moscow for the extradition of Andrei Lugovoy, a former Russian agent charged with the murder of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko.
"I can confirm that our ambassador has formally handed over the papers requesting the extradition of Andrei Lugovoy," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said. - (Reuters)