The world in brief

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 25, 2001

Yugoslav army charges 183 with Kosovo crimes

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia -- The Yugoslav army has charged 183 soldiers for alleged crimes committed during the war in Kosovo and more are under investigation, army headquarters said Tuesday.

The crimes include those "resulting in deaths and injuries of civilians as well as deprivation of their basic human rights during combat activities in the province of Kosovo in 1998 and 1999."

While denying allegations of a systematic campaign of war crimes in Kosovo, the Yugoslav army has said that if any of its troops had committed atrocities, they would be brought to justice.

American pleads innocent as Russia drug trial opens

VORONEZH, Russia -- An American Fulbright scholar accused of dealing drugs in Russia pleaded innocent Tuesday as his trial opened.

John Tobin, 24, of Ridgefield, Conn., was arrested Jan. 26 outside a nightclub after police allegedly found him carrying a matchbox containing marijuana. The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Opening testimony Tuesday highlighted confusion and sharp disputes among police and prosecutors. One investigator testified that she made up the amount of marijuana found on Tobin for a police report.

Diana trinkets stolen; Police: The butler did it

LONDON -- A long-serving butler to Princess Diana pilfered trinkets from her estate after her death, including a gem-studded model of an Arab sailing ship sent as a wedding gift and valued as high as $1.4-million, police said Tuesday.

London's Metropolitan Police charged Harold Brown, 48, with four counts of theft.

Brown currently works for the queen's sister, Princess Margaret, at Kensington Palace, where Diana also had an apartment. Buckingham Palace did not comment on whether Brown would be fired.

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