A roundup of today's other international news in brief:
Donors pledge €3.5bn in aid to Georgia
BRUSSELS- International donors have pledged a higher-than-expected $4.55 billion (€3.5 billion) to help Georgia recover from its war with Russia. Washington has called it an extraordinary sign of solidarity at a time of financial turmoil.
The European Commission said the sum pledged at a conference in Brussels yesterday included $3.7 billion in public loans and grants and $850 million from the private sector.
- (Reuters)
Court defends headscarf ruling
ANKARA- Lifting a ban on women wearing the Muslim headscarf at university violates Turkey's secular constitution, the country's top court said yesterday, defending a decision against the ruling AK Party.
In a legal reasoning that appeared to end any hope for the Islamist-rooted AK Party to revive the sensitive headscarf issue, the constitutional court said lifting the ban was "openly against the principles of secularism".
- (Reuters)
Ruling party survives vote
PRAGUE- The Czech centre-right minority government has won a vote of no confidence, surviving the latest opposition challenge just weeks before Prague takes over the EU presidency in January.
The leftist opposition failed to muster the 101 votes it needed to oust prime minister Mirek Topolanek, after independent deputies sided with the leader.
- (Reuters)
Vow to use police against students
ROME- Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi says he will use the police to break up student sit-ins if protests against spending cuts disrupt schools and universities.
Mr Berlusconi said yesterday that the state would not tolerate sit-ins after students protested across the country against education reforms going through parliament.
- (Reuters)
DURBAN- The South African judge who threw out corruption charges against ANC leader Jacob Zuma (pictured) has granted prosecutors leave to appeal, dashing ruling party hopes the case against the presidential hopeful was closed.
Judge Chris Nicholson last month dismissed the charges against Zuma citing high-level "political meddling".
- (Reuters)