World news: Parcel bomb defused after delivery to Greek embassy

Bomb squad experts defused a parcel bomb that was delivered to the Greek embassy in Rome four days after similar mail bombs exploded at two other embassies, wounding two people.

Carabinieri Colonel Maurizio Mezzavilla said the bomb found yesterday was similar to the ones that exploded last Thursday at the Chilean and Swiss embassies.

An anarchist group with reported ties to Greek anarchists claimed responsibility for those blasts.

"Having been done in the same way, we can just hypothesise that there is the same hand behind it," Greek Ambassador Michalis Kambanis said, although he added that he knew of no specific claim of responsibility.

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Gregoris Delavekouras said from Athens that no-one was harmed in the latest incident, in part because heightened security measures had already been put in place.

"The embassy was evacuated and the staff assembled some distance away from the building, so that everyone could be accounted for," he said.

"There were already heightened security measures at the Greek and other embassies, so the procedure that had to be followed was clear."

Canada issues Suu Kyi invite

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has invited Burmese democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, left, to Canada to accept her honorary citizenship.

Ms Suu Kyi was made an honorary Canadian in 2007, but a cousin accepted on her behalf as she was under house arrest.

600 fraudsters flee from China

Nearly 600 fugitives involved with economic crimes such as fraud and embezzlement have fled China and are hiding in other countries.

China's rapid growth has been accompanied by an alarming increase in cash crimes.

At least 580 fugitives accused of illegal fundraising, bank loan fraud, illegally transferring funds abroad and contract fraud are hiding out in other countries, said Meng Qingfeng, head of economic crime division at the Ministry of Public Security.

Floods cause chaos in Australia

TORRENTIAL rain has pounded communities across north-eastern Australia, flooding major highways and prompting hundreds of evacuations.

Up to 11 inches of rain has fallen in a 24-hour period in some areas. Flooding has shut down about 300 roads across Queensland

Air travellers left stranded

Thousands were stranded in Moscow airports after icy rains caused blackouts and food shortages.

The freezing rain in the Russian capital over the weekend grounded planes and damaged power transmission lines.

Tourism chiefs said that 20,000 passengers had their flights delayed.Iranian man hanged over spying claims

Iran has hanged a national convicted of spying for the country's arch enemy Israel, the official IRNA news agency said.

The report identified the man as Ali Akbar Siadati and said he was hanged in Tehran's Evin prison.

Siadati is said to have begun his alleged espionage activities in 2004 and was arrested in 2008 while planning to flee Iran. He was accused of providing Israel with information on Iran's military capabilities.