Briefly World

A Sri Lankan court on Monday kick-started the process for hearing charges of fraud filed by detained former army chief Sarath Fonseka...

Lanka court takes up fraud case against Rajapaksa: Report

Colombo: A Sri Lankan court on Monday kick-started the process for hearing charges of fraud filed by detained former army chief Sarath Fonseka against President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Colombo High Court decided to take up a petition filed by General Fonseka alleging election malpractices during the January 26 presidential polls,which the incumbent Rajapaksa won by a wide margin. The former top general quit the military before an unsuccessful bid to unseat Rajapaksa from the presidency.

Woman,daughter stripped and thrashed

Islamabad: Fourteen people are reported to have stripped a woman and her daughter naked on Saturday and thrashed them in the presence of a large crowd in Shehr Sultan,Punjab province. Sources said the suspects got hold of 50-year-old Allah Wasai and her 14-year-old daughter Ashraf Mai when they came out of their home in Berwali to go to their fields. They then proceeded to teach the women a lesson for the wrongdoing of Allah Wasais son.

US supports democratic forces in Georgia

TBILISI: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday pledged US support for Georgia,which is recovering from an August 2008 Russian military invasion and seeking to consolidate its democracy. At a news conference with President Mikhail Saakashvili,Hillary delivered a message from Barack Obama and herself. The United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States does not recognise spheres of influence, she said.

Didnt refuse fuel to Iran planes

Tehran: An Iranian official said that airports in Britain,Germany and the UAE were refusing to refuel passenger planes from Iran,but the reports were denied in all three countries on Monday. Since last week,after the passing of the unilateral law by America and the sanctions against Iran,airports in England,Germany,the UAE have refused to give fuel to Iranian planes, ISNA news agency quoted secretary of the Iranian Airlines Union Mehdi Aliyari as saying. A British government spokesman said: At present Her Majestys Government is not aware of any occasions when fuel has been refused in the UK.