A roundup of today's other world news in brief
Literary prizes for Byatt and Carey
EDINBURGH – Two of Britain’s best-known literary figures, novelist AS Byatt and critic John Carey, have each received the 2010 James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the oldest British literary award.
The prizes were announced yesterday by best-selling crime novelist Ian Rankin at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The awards, founded in 1919, are awarded for the best work of fiction and best biography published during the previous 12 months. – (Reuters)
Libya warned not to celebrate anniversary of Megrahi release
TRIPOLI – Libya kept a low profile yesterday after Britain warned against any repeat of the celebrations a year ago that greeted the release of a Libyan intelligence agent convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
Libya feted the return home of Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, touting it as a victory for Libyan negotiating skills although the official reason for his release was compassionate grounds – prostate cancer, believed at the time to be terminal.
Megrahi was sentenced to life in prison in 2001 for his part in blowing up New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988, killing 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground in the Scottish town of Lockerbie. – (Reuters)
Cyprus will not allow Gaza ship
NICOSIA – Cyprus will not allow a ship carrying women activists and aid for Gaza to sail from its ports, the island’s police said yesterday.
Women activists said they planned to take aid to Gaza next week and their vessel, the Mariam, would set sail from Lebanon for Cyprus tomorrow.
Nine pro-Palestinian Turks were killed on May 31st when Israeli commandos boarded a flotilla of aid vessels heading for Gaza.
“Our position is clear. The arrival and departure of vessels to or from Gaza via Cyprus ports is prohibited and we will implement that decision,” a Cypriot police spokesman said. – (Reuters)
Berlusconi says election possible
ROME – Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said yesterday that if he lost a confidence motion in parliament there would have to be new elections by December, which he was confident he would win.
Mr Berlusconi, whose centre-right government has come close to collapse after an acrimonious split with his former ally Gianfranco Fini, said Italy would have to go to the polls almost immediately if he lost the confidence vote expected next month.
“I do not think there would be any alternative for the good of the country,” he told reporters after a meeting with senior leaders from his People of Freedom party in Rome. – (Reuters)