■ United States
Six share ice-melt jackpot
Mother Nature picked the winning numbers for the 88th Nenana Ice Classic, melting the ice on the Tanana River enough to move it downstream. Organizers of the popular yearly game of chance said there were six correct guesses for the winning time of 2:16pm on Saturday. Each US$2.50 ticket is worth a sixth of the US$301,000 jackpot -- US$50,166.66, or US$36,120 once federal taxes are taken out. A tripod erected on the ice is connected by wire to a clock on shore to detect the ice movement in Nenana, a community of 500 about 88km south of Fairbanks.
■ Canada
Avian flu still spreading
Despite a cull of 19 million birds, and strict quarantine measures, avian flu is still marching across western Canada, and has now infected nearly 50 farms. Scientists said last week they had bird flu, which has sparked a rash of global bans on Canadian poultry exports, under control, but six new flocks have in recent days tested positive for the H7N3 virus. Despite the new cases, Cornelius Kiley, chief veterinarian for British Columbia, said the outbreak is under control. Flocks at 37 commercial chicken producers and at 10 small backyard operations have tested positive since the first case emerged on Feb. 19.
■ Zimbabwe
Finance minister arrested
Zimbabwe's finance minister was arrested on Saturday on charges of dealing in foreign currency, police said, the first senior official in President Robert Mugabe's government to be detained in a corruption crackdown. Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said Chris Kuruneri had been picked up early on Saturday and would be charged with corruption, after accusations that he had illegally dealt in foreign currency worth over 6 billion Zimbabwe dollars (US$1.38 million). Bvudzijena did not say when Kuruneri, a member of the central committee of Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, would appear in court.
■ Austria
Election a close race
Austrians went to the polls yesterday to elect a new president in a close race between the conservative foreign minister, who is backed by far-right firebrand Joerg Haider, and a moderate opposition leftist. Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, 55, whose broad smile personified Austria's charm offensive against brief international diplomatic sanctions in 2000 over Haider's party entering government, would be the first woman to hold the office. Rival Heinz Fischer, 65, is a career Social Democratic parliamentarian dubbed a "grey mouse" by the Austrian press who has kept a narrow lead in most polls by stressing a commitment to the social welfare state and to Austria's cherished neutrality.
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