A round up of today's other world stories in brief
Brussels to give African farmers 1bn
BRUSSELS - The European Commission backed a plan yesterday to give €1 billion of unspent EU farm subsidies to African farmers next year to help tackle high food prices and boost output, despite opposition by several EU states, officials said.
The cash, largely the result of underspending in the EU agriculture budget, comprises €750 million earmarked for 2008, and the remainder for 2009.
Several EU states have questioned the legality of the scheme while not challenging the idea's merit. - (Reuters)
Sudan and Chad to restore ties
DAKAR - Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir has agreed to restore diplomatic ties with neighbouring Chad, broken off in May after a rebel attack on Khartoum, mediating state Senegal said yesterday.
Senegal's government announced the move following a meeting in Dakar on Thursday between the Sudanese and Chadian foreign ministers and African Union guarantors of a March peace deal between the two feuding neighbours. - (Reuters)
Abkhaz rebels reject peace plan
GALI - Abkhazia's separatists yesterday rejected a German plan to prevent a conflict between Georgia and its breakaway province from spiralling into war, which could destabilise the sensitive region.
German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met Abkhaz separatist leaders to outline his plan, which includes returning Georgian refugees to Abkhazia, organising economic recovery programmes in the province and deciding its future status. - (Reuters)
Chávez and Juan Carlos to meet
MADRID - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will meet Spain's King Juan Carlos next week on a European tour, a government spokesman said yesterday, a sign ties have improved since the king told him to "shut up" at a summit last year.
The king sparked a furore in November by shouting "Why don't you shut up?" at Mr Chávez when he tried to interrupt a speech by Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the Ibero-American summit in Chile. - (Reuters)
Luxury home for British beavers
Beavers have been born in Britain for the first time in 400 years - on an exclusive housing development.
The 12 kits are flourishing at the 550-acre Lower Mill Estate near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, a luxury home complex designed by 30 top architects. Six beavers were introduced to the estate three years ago. - (PA)
Gaddafi son on Swiss charge
GENEVA - A son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been released on bail after he and his wife were charged with ill-treatment of two domestic employees.
Motassim Bilal Gaddafi denied the charges, his lawyer said. He was arrested in a luxury hotel in Geneva on Tuesday after staff alerted police to repeated arguments in their suite. - (Reuters)
Spears custody dispute settled
LOS ANGELES - Pop singer Britney Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline have settled their long and bitter custody battle over their two sons, but terms of the deal remained confidential, lawyers said yesterday.
Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan had said late on Thursday that Federline retained sole custody of Sean Preston (2) and Jayden James (1), but following a closed hearing yesterday, he declined to discuss custodial issues. - (Reuters)