¤ Lebanon said yesterday it plans to ask the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of an inquiry into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri by six months. But UN diplomats in New York said the UN's chief investigator into Mr Hariri's killing, Detlev Mehlis, planned to leave the job by the end of the year. He had been appointed in May to lead the inquiry into the February 14 truck bombing which killed the former Prime Minister in Beirut.

¤ Paris court overturned paedophilia convictions against six people including a priest yesterday after the spectacular collapse of a case that has put the French justice system in the dock. The case first shocked France because of the brutality of the claims but later because of a series of mistakes which meant the accused spent long periods in detention even though they were innocent.

¤ Two British cousins were given long jail sentences yesterday for the racist murder of Anthony Walker, a black student bludgeoned to death with an ice axe. The judge said Michael Barton, 17, younger brother of Manchester City football player Joey Barton, must serve 17 years and 8 months in jail, for killing the 18-year-old college student in an unprovoked attack in July. His cousin, Paul Taylor, 20, who admitted murdering the devout Christian in a park in Huyton, near Liverpool, was jailed for at least 23 years and 8 months.

¤ Spanish opposition leader Mariano Rajoy escaped with minor injuries from a dramatic helicopter crash yesterday. Mr Rajoy, 50, head of the conservative Popular Party, was taken to a local hospital with a broken finger after the crash at the town of Mostoles, near Madrid, a hospital official said. The head of the Madrid regional government, Esperanza Aguirre, was also on board but emerged unscathed.