In short

A roun-up of today's other world news in brief...

A roun-up of today's other world news in brief ...

Le Pen booed for Nazi comments

STRASBOURG – French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen told the European Parliament yesterday that the Nazi gas chambers were a “detail” of the second World War, a view which has already landed him in legal trouble.

Mr Le Pen’s remarks were greeted by boos and whistles from his colleagues.

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He was charged and fined over similar remarks made on French television in 1987 and then in Munich in 1997.

In both cases he was fined for breaking French anti-racism laws. – (Reuters)

Wilde items auctioned

EDINBURGH – An ivory- handled walking cane and a brass inkwell believed to have belonged to Oscar Wilde were sold yesterday for more than 15 times their valuation.

The items went under the hammer at an auction in Edinburgh for £7,725 (€8,323) – despite being valued at £500 (€538). – (PA)

Woman serial killer sentenced

NEW DELHI – India’s first woman serial killer, who claimed at least 10 victims, has been sentenced to death by hanging.

K D Kempamma usually lured women to a temple near Bangalore on the pretext of performing rituals for their families’ well being.

Once there, she laced their food with cyanide and robbed them of their jewellery and money. – (PA)

Worst floods in 40 years

LUSAKA – Zambia and Namibia are facing their worst floods in at least 40 years as rains swell the Zambezi river to record levels, destroying crops and swamping entire villages, disaster officials and aid workers said yesterday.

Zambia has put its air force on standby to airlift people to safety and Namibia has declared a state of emergency in flood-hit areas. – (Reuters)

Therapists tried to alter sexuality

LONDON – One-sixth of British therapists said they had tried to help gay, bisexual and lesbian patients become heterosexual, even though evidence suggests such therapies can be harmful, according to a survey to be released today.

Michael King of University College London, who published his findings in the journal BMC Psychiatry, said the number of therapists who said they had tried to help a person change their sexual orientation was surprising. – (Reuters)

Gunmen shoot editor dead

GUWAHATI – Unidentified gunmen have shot dead an editor of a newspaper in revolt-racked India’s northeastern Assam state.

Police said a group of gunmen fired several bullets at Anil Majumdar, editor of the Assamese daily Aji. – (Reuters)

Warrant issued for commentator

BANGKOK – A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for a leading left-wing commentator who fled Thailand in February after being charged with insulting the king, police said.

Giles Ungpakorn, of Chulalongkorn University, was charged over a 2007 book that criticised a military coup in 2006. – (Reuters)

Hamas back in talks with Israel

DAMASCUS – Hamas resumed indirect negotiations with Israel yesterday aimed at exchanging an Israeli soldier held by the group for Palestinians jailed by Israel.

The Egyptian-mediated negotiations broke down earlier this month when Israel rejected Hamas’s demand that it free 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including about 450 long- serving inmates. – (Reuters)