World Briefing

Parliament approves new powers

Lawmakers approved by only a one-vote margin a sweeping revision of France’s constitution that gives parliament greater power but also adds privilege to the president.

The slim passage reflected the controversy over the reform, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy but vehemently rejected by the leftist opposition.

The change got one more than the 538 votes needed for a three-fifths margin. Parliament can now veto major presidential appointments, and the president can jointly address the two houses of parliament.

Nation gets its first president

Nepal’s Constituent Assembly has elected the country’s first president, rejecting a candidate backed by former Maoist rebels.

Ram Baran Yadav is a physician of the Madheshi ethnic group in southern Nepal, which has been campaigning for greater rights and more say in the administration, said assembly Chairman Kul Bahadur Gurung.

Yadav’s victory was a blow for the former Maoists, who won the most seats in the assembly in April elections and hope to form the country’s new government with one of their members as prime minister. But they first need to form a coalition government because they failed to win a simple majority.

The assembly abolished Nepal’s centuries-old monarchy in May.

Missing British girl’s case closed

Portugal’s attorney general ordered police to halt their investigation into the disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann because detectives uncovered no evidence of a crime.

The case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges, Atty. Gen. Fernando Pinto Monteiro’s office said in a statement. Detectives found no reason to charge any of the three people named as suspects: Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry and local man Robert Murat, the statement said. All three denied involvement.

The girl disappeared in May 2007 a few days before her fourth birthday in Portugal’s southern Algarve region.

Fines, not jail, for illegal immigrants

A measure taking effect today eliminates jail time for illegal immigrants caught in Mexico. Most are crossing the country from Central America en route to the U.S.

The offense will now be punishable by fines of $100 to $500. Illegal immigrants previously faced up to 10 years in prison, though most were simply deported.

Mexican legislators who backed the revision say Mexico’s previous penalties complicated efforts to lobby for better treatment of Mexican immigrants in the United States.

From Times Wire Reports