Israeli police widen Olmert probe

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli investigators say they suspect Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asked multiple public organizations to cover single expense claims and pocketed the extra money when he was Jerusalem mayor and a government minister.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has repeatedly denied any corruption.

Israeli police and the Justice Ministry released a statement Friday saying they suspect Olmert received funding for trips "from a number of bodies that engage in public activity at the same time, including the state, when each body was asked separately to finance the same flight," and that "significant sums" ended up in a private account for Olmert.

The allegations are part of an ongoing corruption probe, the latest in a series of investigations focusing on Olmert. While corruption allegations have damaged his political support, he has never been convicted of wrongdoing.

Olmert had no immediate response to Friday's statement, but has repeatedly denied any corruption.

Investigators interrogated Olmert again Friday, and included the latest allegations, according to the statement from police and the justice ministry.

N Korea agrees to nuclear checks

Negotiators from six-nation talks in China have agreed steps to verify North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

Officials from China, the US, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas, agreed Pyongyang would finish disabling its main nuclear facility by October.

The other nations will complete deliveries of fuel and economic aid ahead of visits by verification teams.

The deal comes after South Korea's leader proposed reviving direct talks with the North in a major policy shift.

President Lee Myung-bak told parliament on Friday he was willing to carry out previous bilateral summit accords and provide the impoverished North with food aid.

Last month, North Korea demolished the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, in a symbol of its commitment to talks on ending its nuclear programme.

The reactor was shut a year ago as part of a six-party agreement reached 16 months ago, when the North said it would scrap its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions.

The BBC's James Reynolds, in Beijing, says the latest agreement that could allow outside monitors into the country is an important issue for the US.

He says the Bush administration does not trust North Korea enough to take it as its word and will only be satisfied with proper independent verification.

BY-BBC NEWS

Fury as Zimbabwe sanctions vetoed

Britain and the US have condemned Russia and China for vetoing a draft UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said their veto was incomprehensible, especially as Russia had earlier suggested it backed tougher action.

The measures had included an arms embargo and a travel ban for Robert Mugabe and 13 of his key allies.

Zimbabwe's UN ambassador said the UK and US had come up with flimsy reasons.

Boniface Chidyausiku said he was happy to see what he called the machinations of the two failing.

BY-BBC NEWS