News Makers

Rape trial of former president starts

The trial of Israel's ex-president Moshe Katsav on several accounts of rape, sexual harassment and indecent acts opened yesterday.

Katsav arrived at the Tel Aviv court at the start of the trial vowing to fight for his innocence in all charges, which forced him to step down from office two years ago.

"We are starting today a tough and long struggle to clear my name and I promise once again that I will emerge innocent," the 63-year-old Iranian-born father of five told reporters.

Katsav has been indicted on two counts of rape, forcible indecent assault and abuse of power against an employee at his office while he was tourism minister in the 1990s, the ministry said.

Jail term for brother of ex-president

Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's elder brother was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for peddling influence in a corporate takeover deal.

Roh Gun-pyeong and two accomplices were convicted of accepting some 3 billion won ($2.4 million) in bribes from a financial firm seeking their help in selling an ailing securities unit to a state-supervised bank in 2006, Seoul Central District Court Judge Kim Tae-hyoung said.

Roh is the brother of Roh Moo-hyun, who served as South Korea's president from 2003 to 2008. The former president too is under investigation over allegations that he took over $6 million from a businessman while in office.

Ailing actress shaves head

Actress Farrah Fawcett is shown shaving off her famous blond hair in a heart-wrenching personal video diary of her long battle with cancer that is reaching its end.

Farrah's Story - effectively the self-written obituary of the Charlie's Angels star - was given a semi-private premiere on Wednesday night ahead of a nationwide broadcast on NBC television today.

The film chronicles the highs and the lows of the actress's numerous medical treatments since her 2006 diagnosis with anal cancer.

Doctors had initially avoided treatment that would have led to hair loss for Fawcett, whose flowing blond locks were copied by millions of women around the world in the 1970s. But when other treatments in the US and Germany had run out, Fawcett films her hair falling out on a comb and then shaves off the remainder, saving only her bangs.

AP-AFP-Reuters

(China Daily 05/15/2009 page10)