Saddam may be tried this year
WASHINGTON, March 8 (UPI) -- A U.S. State Department official says the trial of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein may be able to start this year, reports the Financial Times.
"The goal is to move as quickly as possible, while maintaining the integrity of the process," Pierre-Richard Prosper, the department's top official on war crimes issues, told FT.
"The idea is to find a way to have a fair process and one that is efficient at the same time. The Iraqi people want to see justice administered as quickly and fairly as possible."
The newspaper said the United States wants to avoid a trial that will either drag on indefinitely, or be used as a platform for Hussein's views.
Human rights organizations have criticized the slow pace with which Iraq's judicial system is developing and the way in which detainees are held, the report said.
Their other concern is the need for experienced Iraqi judges, investigators, prosecutors and defense lawyers if any trial is to have credibility and legitimacy.
Prosper said the United States will be one of many countries that will be there in an assistance capacity. He said Iraqis will take the lead as judges, prosecutors and investigators.
Sewing needles found in bean jam in Japan
AIZUWAKAMATSU, Japan, March 8 (UPI) -- At least three inch-and-a-half-long sewing needles were found in packages of bean jam sold by a major supermarket chain in Japan.
No injuries were reported.
A 61-year-old housewife discovered a needle in a 14.35-ounce plastic package of bean jam Saturday at the York Benimaru supermarkets in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture.
The discovery led store clerks to check the remaining stock on store shelves and they found a second needle in a package of bean jam, the Mainichi Daily News reported.
The discovery of the second needle prompted employees of York Benimaru affiliates to search its bean jam inventory and a third needle was found in a 17.5-ounce package.
Spalding Gray found dead in NY river
NEW YORK, March 8 (UPI) -- Missing writer and actor Spalding Gray has been found dead in New York's East River, the City Medical Examiner's office said Monday.
Gray, who had reportedly long suffered depression and had a history of suicide attempts, was missing and feared dead since Jan. 10.
Witnesses told police they saw a man who looked like Gray on the Staten Island Ferry the night he vanished.
Monday's New York Post said no identification was found on the badly decomposed corpse pulled from the river Sunday.
The body was checked against a list of missing persons and the city announced Monday afternoon that it belonged to Gray, reported New York's local NY1 television station.
Gray acted in "The Killing Fields" and "The Paper" and wrote and performed nearly 20 monologues, several of which were turned into books or films, such as "Swimming in Cambodia."
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Poll: Putin best Russian leader since czar
MOSCOW, March 8 (UPI) -- Russians have named President Vladimir Putin their best leader since the time of the czars, the Rosbalt news agency reported Monday.
An opinion poll conducted by the Romir Monitoring Survey said 37 percent of respondents named Putin as Russia's greatest leader since the two revolutions of 1917 that established the 74-year communist state.
Late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who ruled from 1924 to 1953 and under whose harsh repressive rule scores of millions of died, came in second with 19 percent. Late Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev, who ruled from 1964 to 1982, came in third with 11 percent. Under his rule, ordinary Russians experienced a considerable improvement in their standard of living.
Romir reported that Putin's supporters came mostly from young, highly-educated and affluent members of society. Stalin's support came mostly from those aged 60 or older.
