World news in brief

CAYMAN ISLANDS: Former premier McKeeva Bush was charged on Wednesday in a corruption investigation, but the rump of his political party pledged to stand behind him in May elections.

Mr Bush has been charged with five counts of theft, four of breach of trust and two of misconduct in public office.

MPs ousted him as premier in December, but he remained an MP and United Democratic Party leader after many of his colleagues quit to form a minority government.

Gold shop dispute sparks riots

MYANMAR: Five people were hurt, several buildings burned and one man possibly killed in central Myanmar on Wednesday in rioting sparked by a dispute between a Muslim gold shop owner and customers.

Among those hurt in Meikhtila town was a Buddhist monk. A curfew was declared.

Opposition MP Win Htein said that a mosque had been burned, but the situation had been brought under control by nightfall.

Zeman agrees to join bailout fund

CZECH REPUBLIC: New president Milos Zeman said on Wednesday that the country will join the eurozone's new €500 billion (£425bn) bailout fund.

His predecessor Vaclav Klaus refused to sign it despite parliament's approval.

The country has committed to join the euro but no date has been set.

Sotheby's urged to stop auction

MEXICO: The government demanded on Wednesday that Sotheby's halt a planned Paris auction of 51 pre-Colombian Mexican artifacts, arguing they are protected national historical pieces.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said Mexico had asked the French government for help to stop the sale set for Thursday and Friday.

It also implied that some of the artifacts are fakes or imitations.

Path cleared to The Hague for warlord

RWANDA: Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama said today that his government will not hinder the transfer of warlord Bosco Ntaganda from the US embassy in Kigali to the International Criminal Court.

Mr Ntaganda is charged with terrorising eastern Congo for years.

He has been living in the US embassy since Monday, when he showed up at the front door unannounced and uninvited and asked to be transferred to the ICC to face charges at The Hague.

MPs back equality for trans people

CANADA: MPs have passed a Bill that will make it illegal to discriminate against transgender people.

It passed by 149 to 137 with the support of 16 Conservatives, including four cabinet ministers, and is expected to be approved by the senate.

Culinary Union workers demonstrate

UNITED STATES: Culinary Union workers demonstrate along Las Vegas Boulevard on Wednesday outside the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino while protesting against lack of progress in their contract negotiations with Deutsche Bank.

Nearly 98 protesters were arrested during the demonstration.

Workers have been in contract talks with Cosmopolitan owner Deutsche Bank for two years.