■ United States
Man nabbed for bomb hoax
US federal agents Tuesday arrested a Pakistani-born man for allegedly falsely claiming that a terrorist was planning to blow up the British consulate in Toronto, Canada, officials said. The FBI arrested Bukhtiar Abdul Latif Katchi, 34, in Los Angeles on charges of maliciously and falsely claiming that an al-Qaeda operative was about to blow up the mission in Canada earlier this month. "He called police in New Jersey and stated that an individual who was a member of al-Qaeda was planning to blow up the British consulate in Toronto," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told reporters.
■ Greece
Firm's song `insults dignity'
The government on Tuesday sharply criticized a Greek telemarketing firm accused of obliging its employees to sing a company anthem every morning. "This is totally unacceptable," Labor Minister Panos Panayioto-poulos told state-run NET television. "This is an insult to the dignity of the workers there." A company employee made the allegation to the ministry, adding that workers -- under the threat of dismissal -- were also obliged to perform breathing a stretching exercises at the start of each day. Panayiotopoulos said labor inspectors visited the company at a southern Athens suburb Tuesday and that their findings would be forwarded to a public prosecutor for investigation.
■ United States
Man arrested for illicit sex
In a plea deal with prosecutors, a private school teacher caught living with a boy in Thailand avoided trial and will be sentenced under a section of federal law involving statutory rape. Gregory Alec Phillips, 35, formerly of Knoxville, pleaded guilty Tuesday in US District Court to "engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places." Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 12, The Knoxville News Sentinel reported. Phillips admitted that after moving to Thailand to teach at a private school, he began an affair with a 12-year-old Thai boy who moved into Phillips' home in Bangkok.
■ Italy
Police arrest terror suspects
Police detained several terror suspects yesterday, an official said. The suspects are accused of subversive association aimed at international terrorism, as well as illegal financing and dealing in false documents, General Giampaolo Ganzer of Italy's Carabinieri paramilitary police told RAI state radio. Police were targeting a group in Milan composed mainly of Tunisians and accused of planning attacks against Italian targets, RAI radio and news agency ANSA said.
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