Sun staff and UK officials arrested as police step up probe into bribes
IN the UK, five more staff at News Corp's tabloid The Sun and three UK officials were arrested yesterday as a probe widened to include bribes by journalists to public servants outside the police force.
News Corp's management and standards committee provided the information to the Metropolitan Police which led to the arrest of five of its staff. A police officer, a member of the armed forces and a Ministry of Defence employee were also arrested.
The arrests are part of the Operation Elveden, the police investigation into illegal payments to police. They add to about 30 people who have been arrested since January in three investigations related to phone hacking, computer hacking and bribery. Four current and former employees of The Sun were arrested on January 29 on bribery allegations.
Extradite Gaddafi's son, Libya insists
LIBYA has demanded Niger hand over one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons who is under house arrest in the neighbouring African nation after he warned in a TV interview that his homeland was facing a new uprising.
Libya's National Transitional Council said yesterday that Niger must extradite Al-Saadi Gaddafi and other ex-regime officials to "preserve its relationship and interests" in Libya.
The demand came days before the first anniversary of the February 17 start of the uprising that led to months of civil war and the death of the long-time Libyan dictator.
Al-Saadi Gaddafi and more than 30 other loyalists fled to Niger after Tripoli fell to rebels in September. Niger has refused to extradite the men to Libya because they risk being killed.
Sudanese lands move towards peace
SUDAN and South Sudan signed a non-aggression pact aimed at preventing cross-border clashes, a South Sudan government spokesman said.
The accord was signed late yesterday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on the first day of talks sponsored by the African Union, which will monitor implementation of the agreement. Key issues include the price landlocked South Sudan will pay Sudan to transport its oil through a pipeline running across Sudan, as well as the status of Abyei, a territory claimed by both sides.
A-ha! North Korean takes on Norway
AN arts festival in northern Norway is offering a rare glimpse into North Korean culture this weekend, including performances by musicians whose accordion version of A-ha's megahit Take on Me has been viewed more than one million times on YouTube.
The five North Korean accordion players provided the soundtrack as 250 Norwegian border guards formed a human canvas by holding up coloured cards in shifting patterns -- a tradition in the reclusive communist country.
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