News in Brief

Swedish riots spread beyond capital
Afp, Stockholm

Riots in Sweden spread beyond the capital yesterday, the sixth straight night of unrest that flared in Stockholm's immigrant-dominated suburbs and has sparked a debate over integration in a country long seen as an oasis of peace.
Cars and buildings were torched overnight in the medium-sized towns of Oerebro, Uppsala and Linkoeping, though tensions showed signs of easing in Stockholm's suburbs.
The unrest has sparked a debate among Swedes over the integration of immigrants, many of whom arrived under the country's generous asylum policies, and who now make up about 15 percent of the population.
Firefighters responded to about 30 or 40 incidents in the greater Stockholm area overnight, down from 70 the night before and 90 the night prior to that.

Philippines militant clash kills 11
BBC Online

Seven marines and at least four militants were killed as troops fought Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines, the military said yesterday.
Nine other marines and a number of Abu Sayyaf fighters were wounded, a local military commander said.
A firefight broke out near the coastal town of Patikul in Sulu province as troops tracked the militants, he said.

IMF chief escapes formal probe
Afp, Paris

IMF chief Christine Lagarde avoided immediate charges on Friday but was named an "assisted witness" after French prosecutors grilled her for two days over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon when she was finance minister.
Lagarde was questioned for a total of 24 hours by prosecutors working for a court that probes cases of ministerial misconduct over her 2007 handling of a row that resulted in 400 million euros ($515 million) being paid to controversial business figure Bernard Tapie.
"My status as assisted witness is not a surprise," she told reporters as she left the Paris courthouse late on Friday.

French army begins Mali withdrawal
BBC Online

France has begun a key stage of its military withdrawal from Mali, four months after sending troops to push Islamist rebels out the north.
A convoy of dozens of lorries left a base outside the capital, Bamako, on its way south to Ivory Coast.
France began withdrawing some of its 4,000 troops from the country in April.
They plan to gradually hand over to the Malian army and a UN peacekeeping force, which will deploy in July ahead of planned nationwide elections.
Saturday's withdrawal comes just two days after Islamist rebels targeted an army barracks and French-run uranium mine in neighbouring Niger, killing 21 people.