■ Canada
World's oldest woman dies
Julie Winnefred Bertrand, the world's oldest woman, died early on Thursday at the age of 115 in a Montreal nursing home, CanWest News Service reported. Bertrand, who was born on Sept. 16, 1891, in the Quebec town of Coaticook, passed away in her sleep, CanWest reported, citing Bertrand's 73-year-old nephew, Andre. Last month, Bertrand was proclaimed the world's oldest living woman and its second oldest person by Guinness World Records after the death of Tennessee woman Elizabeth Bolden, who was born Aug. 15, 1890.
■ Colombia
Drug war `model' for Afghans
The US-backed fight against drug traffickers and armed groups could be a good model for Afghanistan to follow in its effort to battle illegal narcotics, a top US general said on Friday. Financed by millions of dollars in US aid, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has pushed back left-wing rebels, demobilized thousands of rightist militia and sought to tackle the huge cocaine trade that helps fuel the Andean country's conflict. Afghanistan has already sought security advice and training from Bogota.
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