World Briefs

The estate of Charlie's Angels actress Farrah Fawcett has sued a producer over his alleged actions before her death.

The lawsuit claims Craig Nevius exploited Fawcett, who died in Los Angeles on June 25, and revealed privileged information about the actress to the media.

The suit also claims Nevius turned in an unworkable first cut of a documentary on Fawcett's fight with cancer. The lawsuit says that NBC, which showed the documentary Farrah's Story, had to rework the footage with help from Fawcett's long-time companion Ryan O'Neal.

Mr Nevius' lawyer, Miles Feldman, said the allegations lacked merit and were an attempt to intimidate his client.

Nevius sued O'Neal and others over Farrah's Story last year. The case is still pending.

The lawsuit was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.com.

Tougher airline security pledge

US homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano won the backing of the world's airlines for the Obama administration's goal of tougher security to keep terrorists off planes.

Ms Napolitano met the global industry group for airlines and more than two dozen chief executives of major carriers in Geneva, Switzerland.

She told a news conference that industry and governments would work closely on improving data collection, information sharing, passenger vetting and other security standards.

Russian economy recovering

Russia's oil-dependent economy is getting back on track after its biggest downturn in a decade as higher crude prices and new inflows of capital have shored up the country's banks, government finances and stock markets.

Fitch Ratings became the second ratings agency to raise its outlook on Russia's creditworthiness, following Standard and Poor's.

The agency said the upgrade from negative to stable reflected a greater confidence in Russia's economic and financial stability as the broader domestic economy picks up and more money from abroad comes into the country, reversing the outflows that alarmed markets during the crisis.

US plane bird scare

A collision with a large bird forced a United Airlines plane to return to Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker said United Flight 915 bound for San Diego, California, sucked a large bird into the Boeing 757's right engine shortly after take-off around 4.30 p.m local time on Friday.

Rescuers reach ship

A rescue ship was preparing to escort to safety a cargo vessel stranded in icy waters off eastern Russia with 31 crew members aboard.

The Smolninsky refrigerated ship was battered by heavy winds and listed dangerously to its port side in the Sea of Okhotsk, which separates Russia's Kamchatka peninsula from the mainland.

The ship's captain sent a distress call and authorities directed several nearby vessels to head to the area and save the ship's all-Russian crew. A ship belonging to the Sakhalin Energy company was the first to get there.

£44m ageist payout

Two dozen US entertainment firms have agreed to pay £44 million to settle age discrimination claims by 165 television writers over 40 in the largest settlement of its kind.

The defendants include 17 television networks and production companies, including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, and seven talent agencies; including the now-merged William Morris Endeavour Entertainment, Gersh and UTA.

The money covers lawyers' fees and damages, and about £1.6 million will go to a fund that will give writers grants and loans to further their careers and to study ways to supplement pensions and improve medical coverage. Two thirds of the settlement money is being covered by insurance firms.

'Threat' against anti-Chavez channel

A Venezuelan TV station that takes a critical line against Hugo Chavez could be forced off cable if it doesn't carry mandatory government programming, including some of the president's speeches, a lawyer for the channel said.

The government forced Radio Caracas Television, or RCTV, off the open airwaves in 2007 by refusing to renew its broadcast licence and the channel subsequently moved to cable under the name Radio Caracas Television International.

But Venezuela's telecommunications agency says 24 local cable channels, including RCTV, must carry government programming when deemed mandatory, as broadcast channels already do.

Nasty houndbite

A German shepherd hoisted to safety from the storm-swollen Los Angeles river is fine, but the firefighter who splashed down in a daring helicopter rescue was taken to hospital after the frightened dog bit him.

Los Angeles fire Captain Steve Ruda said 50-year-old Joe St Georges, had severe bites and punctures to his hand and arm and was being treated by a specialist.

The dog, nicknamed Vernon after the Southern California town where he was found, did not have a name tag or computer chip and was quarantined to be monitored for rabies.

Bristol maintenance bid

US politician Sarah Palin's oldest daughter Bristol is seeking child support from the teenager who fathered her one-year-old son, as well as full custody.

Court documents in Palmer, Alaska, shows Bristol, 19, is seeking just over £1,000 a month from 19-year-old Levi Johnston, her former fiancé. Their son Tripp was born in December 2008.

Her mother, who was the Republican candidate for vice president in 2008 when it was revealed Bristol was pregnant, said the couple would marry and they both appeared at the nominating convention, but separated shortly afterwards.