Terror fear on Atlantic flight

Two men on a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam are reportedly facing a terror charge after a mobile phone taped to a medicine bottle, a knife and a box cutter were found in checked-in luggage.

A US law enforcement official identified the men on the United Airlines flight as Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi and Hezam al Murisi.

Al Soofi, from Michigan, is said to be from Yemen.

ABC News said al Soofi and al Murisi were charged in the Netherlands with "preparation of a terrorist attack", but this was denied later.

Racism row at German bank

Germany's central bank has distanced itself from a board member who stereotyped Muslims and Jews, saying his remarks were harmful and against the Bundesbank's code of conduct.

The comments by Thilo Sarrazin, surrounding the launch of his new book on immigration issues, sparked outrage from German MPs and community leaders, and many agreed with chancellor Angela Merkel that he should be removed from the bank's board.

Mr Sarrazin (65) said Muslim immigrants in Europe were unwilling or incapable of integrating into western societies and that studies had proven that "all Jews share the same gene".

Vietnam shell kills scrap man

A Vietnam War-era artillery shell exploded and killed a villager in southern Vietnam as he was cutting it up for scrap metal.

Long Duc village was a communist stronghold heavily bombarded and hit by artillery by American and Saigon government forces during the war, which ended in 1975. The dead man was in his early 40s. His wife was seriously injured.

Seagal arrest leads to charge

A man arrested by Hollywood action star Steven Seagal last year pleaded guilty to a drug charge.

Jimmy Sarrio (30) admitted having cocaine when he was arrested in Louisiana in July 2009. He received two years' probation. Seagal is a reserve deputy chief with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's office and stars in TV series Steven Seagal: Lawman.