ISTANBUL (AFP) - A young Turkish woman, who had a child out of wedlock, has been declared brain-dead after being shot by her brother in the hospital where she had been rushed after a first attempt to kill her to avenge family honor, newspapers reported here yesterday. Guldunya Toren, 22, was declared brain-dead after her two brothers, aged 20 and 24, got into the Istanbul hospital overnight Wednesday to Thursday and shot her twice in the head as she lay in her bed. The brothers, who had been told by the family to carry out this “honor killing” — the name given here to the killing by relatives of women suspected of being unchaste — escaped on foot. On Thursday, she had been rushed to the hospital after being shot in the leg and left for dead by her brothers in an Istanbul street. “I know they won’t want me to live. I’m scared,” she told reporters shortly after the first attempt on her life.

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Slobodan Milosevic is not planning to demand a retrial despite the sudden resignation of the presiding judge in his two-year-old war crimes proceedings, his legal adviser said yesterday. “We’re not considering that option. We’re working on the continuation of the proceedings,” said Dragoljub Ognjanovic, who has 90 days to help Milosevic prepare his defense. Ognjanovic told Reuters he believed it would stretch on for another two years or even longer. Dogged by Milosevic’s frequent bouts of high blood pressure, flu and exhaustion, the UN trial — already the longest war crimes case in history — was jolted this week when Judge Richard May stepped down citing health reasons.

The European Commission wants a probe into use of European Union funds in a department of Romania after two local officials there were accused of approving money for projects proposed by companies run by their wives, it was revealed here yesterday. The EU executive body wants an investigation into possible conflict of interest in the northern region of Suceava, the EU mission here said. Two officials in Suceava regional council have been accused of giving the go-ahead for 275,000 euros ($342,000) of finance toward 16 infrastructure projects proposed by companies run by their respective spouses. (AFP)

The former Yugoslav army chief of staff said yesterday that Slobodan Milosevic in 2000 had ordered him to provide military assistance in what later turned out to be an attempt to kill the former president’s key political opponent. But Gen. Nebojsa Pavkovic denied in testimony before Serbia’s special court that he was aware at the time of the alleged plot to kill opposition leader Vuk Draskovic, who was only slightly wounded in the attack in the Montenegrin coastal town of Budva in June 2000. (AP)