A roundup of today's other world news in brief
Vatican protest at sex abuse raids in Belgium
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican has protested to Belgium over raids carried out on church offices and a cardinal's home by investigators who also looked into a tomb to find evidence of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests.
The Vatican expressed “shock” yesterday over the raids and “indignation” at what it said was the violation of two cardinals’ tombs. It said Belgium’s ambassador to the Vatican had been sent a formal protest.
Belgian investigators on Thursday raided two church offices and the home of a former archbishop, removing computers and files.
Police sealed off the Brussels archdiocesan offices in Mechelen during a meeting of the country’s bishops and barred them from leaving or telephoning outside for nine hours as they searched, said a church spokesman. – (Reuters)
Plater dies
LONDON - Award-winning screen and stage writer Alan Plater has after losing his battle with cancer.
His work included Z Cars, The Beiderbecke Affair, Fortunes Of War, Last Of The Blonde Bombshells, Barchester Chronicles, A Very British Coupand Lewis,during a career spanning half a century.
Plater (75) had almost 300 credits in radio, TV, theatre and films to his name, and six novels. He received awards from Bafta, as well as an International Emmy. – (PA)
Dutch Orca under medical watch
HARDERWIJK – The first orca whale found alive in Dutch coastal waters for more than 60 years is under medical watch at a marine park after its rescue this week, and marine biologists are considering her future.
The young female was sighted on Wednesday by a ship near the island of Ameland in the Dutch Wadden Sea and captured that night by the aquarium park Dolfinarium.
“When we found the orca she was very weakened and we saw that she had not been eating for a couple of days,” said a Dolfinarium spokesman.
The whale, which has been named Morgan, is eating and regaining strength. Marine biologists are monitoring her health, particularly her lungs, for a possible infection. The last living orca seen in Dutch waters was in 1947. In 1963 a killer whale washed ashore at Noordwijk. – (Reuters)