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AP International NewsBrief at 6:16 a.m. EDT
(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) France's Jacques Chirac ordered to stand trialPARIS (AP) _ Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial in an alleged corruption scandal dating back to his tenure as Paris mayor, a judicial official said Friday. A magistrate has ordered Chirac to stand trial on charges of "embezzlement" and "breach of trust," the official said on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.
Sony stays in the red, trims annual loss forecastTOKYO (AP) _ Sony reported a smaller-than-expected 26.3 billion yen ($289 million) quarterly loss as cost cuts combined with healthy sales of PlayStation 3 game consoles and Michael Jackson hits helped it inch toward recovery. The Japanese electronics and entertainment giant has been battered by the global slowdown, sliding prices of gadgets and its failure to produce new blockbuster consumer products. But Tokyo-based Sony Corp. said Friday it now expects a smaller flow of red ink for the full fiscal year through March 2010.
Dutch court nixes teenager's round-the-world sailUTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) _ A Dutch court has ruled that a 14-year-old girl is not yet experienced enough to set off on a record-breaking solo sailing trip around the world. Judges at Utrecht District Court also placed Laura Dekker under the guardianship of child protection authorities until next July.
Honduras' ousted president, government sign pactTEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) _ Representatives of ousted President Manuel Zelaya finally reached an agreement with the interim government that could help end the monthslong dispute over Honduras' June 28 coup, and possibly pave the way for Zelaya's reinstatement. The Organization of American States announced the deal late Thursday but did not release a text of the accord, in which Zelaya appears to have agreed to throw his fate into the hands of a congress that has largely supported interim President Roberto Micheletti.
Pakistan military closes in on Taliban strongholdISLAMABAD (AP) _ Pakistani forces killed two dozen militants in 24 hours and were closing in on a prominent insurgent stronghold in the mountains of South Waziristan, the army said Friday. Government soldiers now control the hills above the village of Sararogha, where Taliban leaders long have operated openly, officials said in a statement. The army said during the advance two Pakistani soldiers were killed in a militant mortar attack and three were injured in a bombing.
Haitian prime minister fired by SenatePORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) _ Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis was removed from office by the Haitian Senate shortly after midnight Friday, in a move that could imperil efforts to attract foreign investment to the storm-wracked, impoverished country. The vote of 18 of 29 senators to censure Pierre-Louis _ most voting against her were members of President Rene Preval's party _ also dissolves the cabinet. Political instability could imperil efforts by the international community and Haitian leaders, including Pierre-Louis, to attract foreign money to the embattled Caribbean nation.
Somali pirates to put British couple on other shipMOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) _ A Somali pirate claiming to speak on behalf of a group holding a British couple says they will move the couple to another hijacked ship with other hostages anchored off the eastern coast of Somalia. Abdinor, who identified himself only by his first name, says Paul and Rachel Chandler are healthy and Somali pirates took them to rest on land Thursday night at the coastal town of Harardhere.
EU leaders seek to break deadlock on climate aidBRUSSELS (AP) _ Trying to forge a united stand on climate change, the 27-nation European Union considered a new proposal Friday that would let poorer eastern members pay less into a climate change aid fund than the bloc's leading countries. EU leaders opened a final day of summit talks Friday trying to accommodate nine eastern EU members hard hit by the global financial crisis. The members _ including Hungary and Poland _ made it clear that their crisis-stretched budgets had little extra money to support a fund to help developing nations cope with global warming.
US admiral concerned about China military buildupHONG KONG (AP) _ A U.S. Navy admiral expressed new concern Friday over China's military buildup and urged Beijing to be clearer about its intentions. With China's military growing at an "unprecedented rate" _ spending was up almost 15 percent in the 2009 budget _ the U.S. wants to ensure that expansion doesn't destabilize the region, Rear Adm. Kevin Donegan told reporters on a visit to the Chinese territory of Hong Kong.
Powerful Islamic movement sees leadership struggleCAIRO (AP) _ The Middle East's most powerful Islamic political movement is undergoing a leadership struggle as young, more moderate activists try to push the Muslim Brotherhood to soften its fundamentalist ideology and become a more democratic force. The direction the Brotherhood takes could have wider implications. The group is the strongest opposition movement in Egypt, though officially banned. Moreover, it is highly influential beyond Egypt's borders as the father of Islamic movements across the Arab and Muslim world _ including the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
(c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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