News In Brief

Stoltenberg named as next Nato chief
Bbc Online

Norway's ex-PM Jens Stoltenberg has been appointed Nato's next secretary general, replacing Denmark's Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He will take over as leader of the 28-nation military alliance in October, when Rasmussen steps down after a Nato summit in Wales. Rasmussen has headed Nato for the past five years.

Egypt cops, Islamists clash; 3 killed
Afp, Cairo

Three people including an Egyptian woman journalist were killed in Cairo yesterday as police clashed with Islamists protesting against ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's presidency bid, a security official said. Supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi took to the streets across Egypt to vent their anger at Sisi, who overthrew Morsi 9 months ago.

Cargo plane crash kills 5 in India
Afp, New Delhi

A C-130J Hercules cargo plane yesterday crashed in central India killing all five of its crew members, an Air Force spokesman said. The US-made military aircraft came down at 10:00am local time on the outskirts of Gwalior city in Madhya Pradesh while on a routine flight, group captain Gerard Galway told AFP.  An investigation into the accident was underway.

Pistorius trial adjourned to April 7
Afp, Pretoria

The judge overseeing Oscar Pistorius's murder trial yesterday adjourned the case for more than a week because a senior court official was sick. Pistorius was expected to be called as a witness for the defence and later to face fierce cross-examination about how and why he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day a year ago.

Marriage is healthy for the heart: Study
Afp, Washington

Being married makes for a healthy heart, while being divorced or widowed is linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, according to a study of 3.5 million people released Friday. The study is the largest of its kind to show how heart health is linked to marital status, and was presented at the American College of Cardiology conference.

Indian SC suspends Italian marines' trial
Afp, New Delhi

India's Supreme Court yesterday suspended legal proceedings against two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen while it examines a petition challenging New Delhi's jurisdiction in the case. The case has soured diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Rome.  Marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are accused of shooting the fishermen off the coast of the southern state of Kerala in February 2012.

Large mass grave discovered in Bosnia
AFP, SARAJEVO

Bosnian forensic experts discovered a mass grave which might hide the remains of more than 100 Muslim civilians killed at the start of the country's 1990s war, an official said on Thursday. The grave is located in the region of Donji Vakuf, in central Bosnia, she added. Some 10,000 people are still reported missing from the war.