Two accused of Mafia collusion
Rome: Mario Mori, 66, the head of Italy’s secret services, and Sergio De Caprio, 49, a senior detective, are to be tried for alleged collusion with Salvatore “Toto” Riina, a former Mafia godfather.
Riina was arrested after a series of outrages including the murders of two judges and a bomb attack on the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, but his villa was not searched for three weeks, allowing time for evidence to be removed.
Coastal pollution
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Ankara: Spain will next month remove a ship loaded with cancer-causing waste from Spanish power stations that sank off the coast of southern Turkey in September. The MV Ulla has been rusting off the coast with a load of 2,200 tonnes of ash.(AFP)
Ferry deaths
Dhaka: Eighty-one people died and at least a hundred more were missing after a ferry capsized when it was hit by a cyclone near Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Some survivors contradicted the official figure for the missing, saying up to 500 people could have been on board.(AFP)
Actress dies
Los Angeles: Sandra Dee, 63, the blonde actress who starred in 1960s teen films such as Gidget and A Summer Place and was married to Bobby Darin, the pop singer, has died. CNN reported that she had been suffering from complications of kidney disease and pneumonia. (AP)
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Gang’s jail break
Port-au-Prince: An armed gang stormed Haiti’s main prison and freed hundreds of prisoners including two former government ministers in an attempt to release drug traffickers. A total of 359 detainees were freed, and one prison guard was killed in the raid.(AFP)
Keeper crushed
Vienna: Gerd Kohl, 39, a keeper at Vienna Zoo, was crushed to death by Abu, an elephant he had nurtured since birth. The keeper had just showered the animal. Austrian police have begun an investigation. (AP)
Avalanche rider
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Mona: A hiker slid down a mountain near Mount Nebo in Utah when snow gave way beneath him. His fall triggered an avalanche, which he rode feet-first for 1,000ft then dug himself out. Mark Thomas, 21, of Salt Lake City, hurt his back slightly and had frostbitten feet. (AP)
Ice rink killings
Beijing: Two men broke into a skating rink in China’s far northwest and killed four children. The Xinhua News Agency did not speculate on a possible motive. The men also injured eight other children at the centre in Shanshan. One attacker jumped out of the building and died, the other was arrested by police. (AP)
Rabies death
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Hanover: A German woman died of rabies weeks after receiving a lung from a donor later found to be infected with the disease, hospital officials said. Two other patients who received organs from the same 26-year-old donor remain in hospital in a critical condition in Marburg and Hannoversch Münden. (AP)
Leader’s own goal
Budapest: Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador after Ferenc Gyurcsany, the Hungarian Prime Minister, joked that the Saudi football team were “terrorists”. Mr Gyurcsany apologised, saying that the remarks were made in the context of a television show parody, but that failed to ease Saudi anger.
Ambulance crash
Little Rock: Three paramedics were killed when their ambulance was hit by a train at a level crossing marked by a sign but without warning lights or barriers. A woman heart patient in the vehicle survived unharmed. Authorities in Little Rock, Arkansas, are investigating the accident. (AP)
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Containers stolen
Hong Kong: Five thieves overpowered a man on watch and stole seven shipping containers fully laden with lighting accessories, police said. They were stolen from a barge moored at the terminal for China’s Pearl River. Insurance experts say Hong Kong port is a blackspot for container thefts. (AFP)