e Yugoslavia

Damascus - Damascus has called on Europe to be more politically engaged in the Middle East and to play a role that is parallel or complementary to the US role.

Stockholm - Swedish banking group Handelsbanken on Wednesday outdid analyst expectations and reported higher third-quarter operating profits and net interest income.

Skopje - Macedonian police detained the owner of first- division football club Milano in connection with tax evasion charges, the A1 television reported Wednesday.

Frankfurt - European shares slumped more than 2 per cent in opening trading Wednesday, picking up on a downbeat end to Wall Street and steep falls in Asia.

Paris - Following big losses on Wall Street and on Asian markets overnight, the Paris Bourse opened sharply lower on Wednesday, as global stock markets remained volatile.

London - Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen Wednesday condemned the challenge from Tottenham’s Alan Hutton that he claims almost cost him his sight.

Dhaka - Authorities in Bangladesh have sought assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations for testing of imported milk powder suspected of containing the industrial chemical melamine, media reports said Wednesday.

San Francisco - Former track coach Trevor Graham was ordered by a San Francisco court Tuesday to serve 12 months house arrest and a fine of 5,000 dollars for lying to federal agents for his role in distributing steroids to track athletes in 2004.

Los Angeles - A mistrial was declared Tuesday in the case against singer Britney Spears for driving without a valid license, and the prosecutor said he would not seek a retrial.

San Francisco - Troubled internet giant Yahoo saw quarterly profits plunge 64 per cent and announced Tuesday that it would cut 10 per cent of its estimated 14,300 staff to help control costs.