■ Spain
`Carmen' factory to close
Carmen, Bizet's sultry cigarette-maker from Seville, and her kind will never again be seen after a multinational on Thursday pulled the plug on the city's last tobacco factory. The thousands of feisty, independent-spirited female cigarette-rollers -- the cigarreras -- employed by Seville's factories in the 19th century inspired French composer Georges Bizet to write an opera based on one, Carmen. The last of these factories is due to be closed within two years by Altadis, the Franco-Spanish multinational. It said a decline in sales of black tobacco meant it had to lay off the 200 workers left there.
■ United States
Ice cream found fattening
Ice cream and milkshakes bought from parlors can contain more fat and calories than burgers and pizzas, US researchers have found. In some cases a single dessert contains two days' worth of saturated fat, while others are the calorific equivalent of an entire meal. The researchers admit they found the results staggering. The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington found that a Ben and Jerry's waffle cone dipped in chocolate and filled with a single scoop of "chunky monkey" ice cream had more saturated fat than a pound of spare ribs.
■ United States
Arms export charges laid
Two California men have been charged with illegally attempting to ship components for fighter jets and missiles to China. The indictment charges Amanullah Khan, 54, and Ziad Jamil Gammoh, 53, of conspiring to export the weapons components to China from their United Aircraft and Electronics business in Anaheim, California, without obtaining proper US licenses or permission. Khan and Gammoh, both naturalized US citizens, are in custody in California, officials said. They allegedly attempted to export to China parts for F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat and F-5 fighter jets, Hawk surface-to-air missiles and AH-1J attack helicopters.
■ Bermuda
Independence party wins
Bermuda's center-left Progressive Labour Party held onto power in a general election on the oldest British colony on Thursday, defeating the United Bermuda Party by 22 seats to 14. But it was unclear if the party, which is committed to freeing the mid-Atlantic island of 62,000 people from British rule, will push for independence in its next term, as party leader Premier Jennifer Smith had not unveiled her plans. Opinion polls before the vote suggested the PLP and the UBP were running neck and neck and although the PLP won a clear majority of seats, it garnered just 51.65 percent of the popular vote to 47.98 percent.
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