World Briefs

An Australian koala that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called a "symbol of hope" during the nation's deadliest-ever wildfires will go on display in a museum after dying in surgery, a report said yesterday.

Sam was found thirsty and severely burned last February, and shot to fame when footage of her drinking bottled water offered by a fireman circulated widely on the internet.

Rudd described her death after surgery for chlamydia-related cysts last Thursday as a tragedy, saying she had been a symbol of hope for many around the world during the deadly Victoria state blazes which claimed 173 lives. (AFP)

Man kills wife for leaving house

An Egyptian man has killed his wife by strangling her with a scarf and then stabbing her with a kitchen knife for leaving the house without his permission, newspapers reported yesterday.

The woman infuriated her husband when she refused to explain why she left home without his authorisation, the pro-government Al-Gomhuria and the independent Al-Masri Al-Yom reported.

He took her to hospital after strangling her and stabbing her in the stomach and in the back but she was pronounced dead on arrival, the papers said.

The man was arrested and admitted to killing his wife, Al-Gomhuria said. (AFP)

Prison break foiled at Greek facility

Guards at a high security prison in Athens yesterday foiled an attempted escape by four inmates, six months after an embarrassing helicopter break at the same facility, the justice ministry said.

The four men used a steel wire early yesterday morning to cut the bars of their first floor cell at Korydallos prison and jumped below using a sheet-made rope, but were spotted by a patrolling guard.

One of the foreign inmates, whose nationalities were not disclosed, injured his leg in the fall and was taken to a hospital in neighbouring Piraeus. (AFP)

McCann case revisited

An Australian has come forward claiming to know the identity of a woman being sought by investigators probing the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, police said yesterday.

The woman spoke to Sydney detectives after a widely publicised push for information this week about an apparently Australian woman believed to hold vital clues to the case.

"On Friday afternoon a Sydney woman provided a formal statement to detectives at a Sydney police station," a police spokesman said.

"She claims to know the identity of the woman being sought by the private investigators attached to the McCann family." (AFP)

Foreign minister asks about Americans

Iraq's foreign minister has asked Iran for information on the fate of three US hikers detained by Tehran after crossing the border between the two countries, he said yesterday.

Hoshyar Zebari told AFP he met Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi last Wednesday to ask about the fate of Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, who were detained late last month.

"I met with the Iranian am-bassador and asked for information on the missing Americans and we are waiting for a response," Zebari said. He did not elaborate on the content of the meeting.

The three Americans were detained on the Iranian side of the border on July 31 after hiking through the mountains from Iraq's Kurdistan region.(AFP)

China internet rehab camp shut

A rehabilitation camp in south China for internet addicts has been closed and 13 suspects detained by police for alleged involvement in the beating to death of a teenager, state press said yesterday.

The suspects worked for the Qihang Salvation Training Camp in the Guangxi region and are under investigation for inflicting intentional injury and the illegal operation of the camp, Xinhua news agency said.

Deng Senshan, 15, died last Sunday after he was allegedly beaten by trainers at the camp where his parents had sent him to cure his internet addiction, previous reports said. (AFP)

German container ship docks in Kenya

A German container ship held by Somali pirates for four months arrived at Kenya's Mombasa port yesterday after a $2.7 million ransom was paid for the release of its 24 crew.

The 20,000-tonne Hansa Stavanger was hijacked on April 4 about 650 km off the southern Somali port of Kismayu with 14 Filipinos, five Germans, three Russians and two Ukrainians on board. All were in good health yesterday.

"I am more than happy to say that all 24 crew members have now undergone proper medical attention," Torsten Ites, a senior naval officer in the EU's anti-piracy Operation Atalanta, told a news conference in Mombasa. (Reuters)