A roundup of today's world news in brief
Israel raises threats against Gaza
JERUSALEM:Israel has escalated its threats to invade the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian rocket fire after a plan to withhold key utilities drew objections from legal experts and foreign powers.
Since quitting Gaza in 2005, Israel has mounted regular commando raids and air strikes on rocket crews but the salvoes have not ceased. Two such operations yesterday killed at least four Hamas policemen and wounded six Palestinian civilians. - (Reuters)
Polish PM says deal almost done
WARSAW: Poland's prime minister in-waiting, Donald Tusk, has said a coalition deal between his centre- right Civic Platform party and the smaller Peasants Party is almost a done deal.
He said yesterday the centrist Peasants Party would get three portfolios in the cabinet, including the economy ministry. - (Reuters)
Brosnan in assault investigation
LOS ANGELES:Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan is being investigated on possible assault charges against a photographer, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department.
Spokesman Steve Whitmore said: "We are investigating Mr Brosnan, who is alleged to have committed a battery." He declined to give details but said the incident took place last Friday at a mall in Malibu. - (Reuters)
Sarkozy gets 200% pay rise
PARIS:The French parliament has voted to give the president a pay rise of more than 200 per cent - and pay him as much as his subordinate, the prime minister.
President Nicolas Sarkozy now earns about €6,000 a month, far less than his peers in other European countries, but his pay will soon match the €19,000 a month earned by prime minister François Fillon.
As head of state, Mr Sarkozy enjoys a wide range of benefits in kind that make it difficult to estimate what he really earns. - (Reuters)
Always look under the cushions
BERLIN:A Berlin student who bought a second-hand sofa bed at a flea market learned she had been sitting on a small fortune when she found a Baroque painting hidden inside the couch.
The artwork fetched €19,200 in Hamburg after the student discovered it stashed between the folding sections of the couch, for which she had paid €150 last year, the auctioneers said yesterday . - (Reuters)
Elvis makes it to number one again
NEW YORK:Elvis Presley is still the king when it comes to earning power from beyond the grave. Presley has reclaimed the top spot in Forbes.com's list of top- earning dead celebrities, raking in an estimated $49 million in the past 12 months. He last came first in 2005.
John Lennon is second with earnings of $44 million, followed by Charles M. Schulz $35 million, George Harrison $22 million, Albert Einstein $18 million, Andy Warhol $15 million, Theodor Geisel (Dr Seuss) $13 million, Tupac Shakur $9 million, Marilyn Monroe $7 million, Steve McQueen $6 million, James Brown $5 million, Bob Marley $4 million and James Dean $3.5 million. (AP)
Croatia warned on EU membership
BRUSSELS:Croatia needs to move faster on reforming its judiciary and fighting corruption to keep its bid to become the EU's next member on track, a European Commission report will say next week.
The annual progress report says Zagreb's accession negotiations have reached full cruising speed, with talks under way on 14 of the 35 policy areas into which EU law is divided, but it is up to Croatia how fast they move forward. - (Reuters)