World briefs: Germany's Cold War foreign minister dies

Germany's Cold War foreign minister dies

BERLIN • German Cold War-era veteran foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher has died at age 89, his office said yesterday.

"Hans-Dietrich Genscher died on Thursday night, at the age of 89, in the presence of his family at his home in Wachtberg-Pech, of cardiovascular failure," said a statement from his private office.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


Rwanda jails two former senior military officials

KIGALI • Two former senior Rwandan military officers have been sentenced to up to 21 years in jail on charges of inciting the public to cause an insurrection and of links with exiled critics of President Paul Kagame.

The two were arrested in 2014 and charged over links to Mr Patrick Karegeya, a Kagame opponent and former spy chief who was killed in 2014 in South Africa.

REUTERS


Israeli minister faces new corruption probe

JERUSALEM • Israeli authorities are to conduct a criminal investigation into new corruption allegations against Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, an ultra-Orthodox party leader who has already served prison time for graft.

"At the conclusion of a meeting held today by the Attorney-General (Mr Avichai Mandelblit) regarding the examination relating to minister Deri and others... the Attorney-General decided to move from an examination to a criminal investigation," the Justice Ministry said late on Thursday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE


Italy's PM under fire as minister in scandal quits

ROME • Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi faced calls to quit yesterday after one of his ministers, Ms Federica Guidi, resigned over allegations she tweaked the country's 2015 Budget to suit her businessman boyfriend.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 02, 2016, with the headline World briefs: Germany's Cold War foreign minister dies. Subscribe