A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Strikes over price rises hit Indian states
KOLKATA - Strikes in protest at price rises shut down transport, businesses and schools in three communist-run Indian states yesterday.
Communists kicked off a week of protests by calling one-day strikes in the three states they rule - West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura - leaving streets, offices and airports largely deserted.
They say the government should have done more to insulate consumers from high global oil prices, even though it only passed on a fraction of surging crude costs when it raised heavily subsidised prices by about 10 per cent.
Anger at having to pay more for fuels competed on the streets with frustration at the communists for calling a strike that would deprive people of income and disrupt travel plans. - (Reuters)
Iran says it has answered UN
VIENNA - Iran said it gave UN investigators more than 200 pages of answers to questions about intelligence reports that it secretly researched how to make atom bombs and declared "the matter is over". Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA said Tehran would heed any requests for clarification after the IAEA chief demanded "full disclosure". - (Reuters)
German dairy farmers end strike
HAMBURG - Thousands of German dairy farmers ended a 10-day milk delivery strike yesterday, claiming victory in a dispute over low prices.
Dairy farmers' association head Romuald Schaber said the strike was ending after several major German retailers agreed to raise or consider raising milk prices.
Dairy farmers in Germany and other EU countries, including Belgium and
The Netherlands, organised a series of protests at falling milk prices in the last week. - (Reuters)
Medvedev open to European pact
BERLIN - Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday that Russia has "come in from the cold" and will become an organic part of European civilisation but wants to be treated fairly by its partners.
On his first European trip as president, Mr Medvedev said he wanted a broader Euro-Atlantic community to avoid confrontation and suggested a new European security pact.
"By overthrowing the soviet system, Russia has laid a basis for forming a state compatible with the rest of Europe," Mr Medvedev said. - (Reuters)
Funeral of Yves Saint Laurent
PARIS - France said farewell to fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent at a funeral attended by supermodels, film stars and President Nicolas Sarkozy.
People in nearby buildings leaned out of their windows as police held crowds back near the Paris church of Saint Roch where the ceremony was held.
Actress Catherine Deneuve read a Walt Whitman poem, which was followed by a speech from Yves Saint Laurent's long-time partner and business associate Pierre Berge. - (Reuters)
Spiderman scales 'NY Times' building
NEW YORK - The man known as the "French Spiderman" climbed the New York Times building yesterday to draw attention to global warming, adding to earlier conquests including the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Alain Robert (45) said his aim was "to raise awareness of global warming since this is one of the main problems for our time".
He raised both arms and waved to onlookers when he reached the top, where waiting police handcuffed and detained him.
Using the lattice work on the facade, he climbed without equipment apart from chalk for his hands and climbing shoes.