Colombian politician kidnapped
Consuelo Araujo, a former Colombian culture minister, was yesterday kidnapped by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces leftist guerrilla group near Valledupar in the north of the country. Mrs Araujo, whose husband is the procurator-general of Colombia, was returning from a religious celebration.
Military police break up student protest
Military police in Brasilia used rubber bullets to break up demonstrations by about 100 students who were attempting to occupy the education and finance ministries. The students are pressing for the maintenance of free higher education, more grants and better contracts and salaries for university teaching and administrative staff.