A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Rebels in Sudan kidnap 18 AU staff
KHARTOUM - Dissident rebels have taken 18 African Union personnel hostage in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, a day after the first AU soldiers were killed in the remote area, officials said yesterday.
The hostages were being held in the Chadian- Sudanese border town of Tine, said Jean Baptiste Natama, the acting head of the AU in Sudan. - (Reuters)
Woman kills herself at ministry
DUSHANBE - A woman blew herself up at the emergencies ministry in the Central Asian country of Tajikistan yesterday, a police spokesman said.
He said that apart from the woman, whose motives were not immediately known, there were no other casualties. - (Reuters)
Boy George back after NY arrest
LONDON - Singer Boy George flew back to Britain yesterday after his drugs arrest in New York, refusing to comment on the affair as he arrived at London's Heathrow airport.
Police arrested the British musician on Friday after they found a small amount of cocaine at his Manhattan apartment. He was released on Saturday after appearing at Manhattan Criminal Court charged with possessing drugs and must return to New York for another hearing on December 19th. - (Reuters)
Church honours anti-Nazi prelate
VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Clemens August von Galen, a wartime German prelate who denounced Nazi atrocities from the pulpit, was elevated to the ranks of the "blessed of the church" at a ceremony yesterday. - (Reuters)