Foreign news in brief 09/03/2012

Russians grab a Euro granny

A RUSSIAN group known as the Buranovo Grannies has swept aside glamorous opposition to represent their country at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The eight women beat 24 competitors, including a double act comprising 2008 Eurovision winner Dima Bilan in a televise contest.

The chorus of the song is in English, but the remainder is in Udmurt, an obscure language spoken by just 325,000 people.

Relatives defend genocide accused

Relatives of a woman accused of commanding killings and rapes during the 1994 Rwanda genocide say they never saw her carry a gun or wear a military uniform.

They also testified that Beatrice Munyenyezi, who is accused of lying about her role, was pregnant with twins, and spent little time outside her family-owned hotel.

Publisher struggles to print Hitler book

A MUNICH court has ruled that a British publisher cannot print excerpts of Adolf Hitler’s infamous memoir Mein Kampf in Germany.

The injunction rules the excerpts would violate the book’s copyright, which has been held by the state of Bavaria since the warsuccessfully preventing the publication of the book in Germany ever since.

Seven killed by Boko Haram attacks

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked a police station and two banks in northern Nigeria yesterday, shooting dead four policeman and three civilians. Boko Haram, which styles itself on the Taleban, is waging a campaign against the southern-dominated government.

Police officer dies in clash with rebels

Clashes between police and supporters of a former rebel movement in Mozambique left one police officer dead and three other people wounded.

Authorities say the violence began when Renamo supporters attacked a police vehicle yesterday morning.

Court delay threat to $1.5bn in aid

Cairo has again delayed the case of 16 Americans and 27 other employees of non-profit groups accused of fomenting unrest in Egypt.

The issue has impacted on U.S.-Egyptian relations leading to US threats to cut off $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt.