A round-up of other world stories in brief...
Klaus appoints caretaker administration
PRAGUE - Czech president Vaclav Klaus appointed a caretaker administration yesterday which will complete the central European country's term as EU president and lead it to an early election in October.
The appointment of the technocrat cabinet led by Jan Fischer, the country's chief statistician, ends a political crisis sparked by a parliamentary no-confidence vote which overthrew the centre-right administration of Mirek Topolanek in March.
Mr Fischer has said he had no long-term political ambitions and would focus on completing the EU presidency ending in June and drawing up the 2010 state budget, a tough task amid an economic downturn. - (Reuters)
Chad fighting will block aid, UN says
GENEVA - Fighting in eastern Chad will make it difficult to get assistance to tens of thousands of refugees and displaced people, the United Nations said yesterday.
Clashes between rebels and Chadian troops had taken place in the Koukou Angarana area that hosts 22,000 refugees from Darfur and 60,000 other displaced people, said Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The UNHCR had moved 18 of its staff away from the conflict zone, with two staff remaining to ensure basic supplies and services continued. - (Reuters)
Croatian deputy given 10 years' jail
ZAGREB - A Croatian
court sentenced a powerful parliamentary deputy to 10 years in prison for the torture and killing of Serb civilians during Croatia's 1991-1995 war of independence.
Branimir Glavas, who did not attend the reading of the verdict at a Zagreb court, is the first senior state official convicted for such offences - a sign of the European Union candidate's resolve to confront its recent past. - (Reuters)
Obama to give speech in Egypt
WASHINGTON - US president Barack Obama, who has pledged to rebuild US relations with the Muslim world, will give a key speech on the issue in Egypt on June 4th, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
A day later Mr Obama will travel to Germany to visit Dresden and the Buchenwald concentration camp. - (Reuters)
List of 147 killed in US air strikes
KABUL - Residents of two villages hit earlier this week by US air strikes have prepared lists with names of 147 people killed in the attacks, the deputy governor of the province where the strikes took place said. - (Reuters)