World briefs

A strike by ground workers at Frankfurt airport in Germany will be extended through to the middle of the week, union officials said yesterday.

The announcement came as another 231 flights, primarily operated by national carrier Lufthansa, were cancelled yesterday.

Representatives of the air traffic controllers union GdF said the strike will last until 4 a.m. tomorrow.

In their demand for better pay, some 200 ground workers went on strike last Thursday and Friday. Though hundreds of flights were interrupted, most air traffic continued.

The majority of the cancellations were flights operated by Lufthansa to destinations within Europe.

Melting ice in Danube causes chaos

Giant chunks of melting ice broke free on the River Danube in Serbia yesterday, damaging hundreds of boats, sweeping away several barges and sinking one of Belgrade’s trademark floating nightclubs.

The thick ice had closed large parts of Europe’s busy waterway as the region faced a record-breaking cold snap, but it started shifting on Sunday afternoon because of rising temperatures. There were no reports of injuries.

Officials around the region were trying to determine whether melting snow and ice would cause heavy flooding, creating more misery in an area that is dealing with a death toll that has risen past 600 and trapped thousands in remote mountain villages behind massive snow banks.

The floating restaurants and nightclubs lining the Danube are one of the main tourist attractions in the Serbian capital.

Youtube looks for help on content

Youtube is enlisting Hollywood’s help to reach a generation of viewers more familiar with smartphones than TV remotes.

The online video giant is aiming to create more programming with the help of some of the top names in traditional TV.

The Google-owned site is spreading its wealth among producers, directors and other film-makers, using a $100 million pot of money. The fund represents Youtube’s largest spending on original content so far.

Youtube believes it is laying groundwork for the future. While the number of traditional TV watchers has levelled off in recent years, more and more people are watching video on mobile phones, tablets and computers.

Mubarak ‘deserves death penalty’

The chief prosecutor in the trial of ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak has said that the former president should be given the death penalty.

In his closing remarks, Mustafa Suleiman alleged Mubarak clearly authorised use of live ammunition and a shoot-to-kill policy against peaceful protesters. More than 800 were killed in the crackdown from January 25 to February 11, 2011.

For this, the lawyer said Mubarak and five co-defendants, including his long-time interior minister Habib al-Adly, should receive the maximum sentence.

The defence team of the former president is expected to present its closing arguments later this week.

Kenya terror accused ‘beaten’

A lawyer for a British man held in Kenya over alleged links to Somalia’s Islamist insurgency and accused of possessing explosives yesterday said his client was beaten in prison to extract a confession.

During a hearing at a court in Mombasa, Chacha Mwita claimed Jermaine Grant and another suspect were beaten after their arrest in December.

The lawyer also said Grant, who was born in London, is being held in solitary confinement. The next hearing is on May 9.