BAT YAM (Israel): Israeli police grilled Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara on Thursday after discovering a stash of state-owned valuables at their home, the latest twist in a growing fraud scandal involving the former first couple. The Netanyahus were called to the fraud squad headquarters here near Tel Aviv for the second time in five weeks, following a raid on their private Jerusalem home and the former premier's office that yielded boxes of pictures, gold and silverware. Netanyahu, spending a humiliating 50th birthday in Bat Yam, is suspected of illegally keeping in his possession presents given to him during his three years in office. Under Israeli law, gifts received by prime ministers during their term of office are state property. Netanyahu's lawyer said his client ``had not had the time to check the contents of hundreds of cartons and boxes since the elections'' and had himself written to Prime Minister Ehud Barak's office suggesting theoperation.

Fugitive Papon arrested

GENEVA: Fugitive French war-time criminal Maurice Papon has been arrested in the region of Berne, Swiss police said on Friday. French authorities had issued an international arrest warrant against Papon on Thursday, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last year for his role in the deportation of French Jews. Papon, 89, went into hiding a day before an appeal hearing on Thursday against his conviction. In his absence, the appeal was quashed.He was spotted in a Swiss hotel last week, but had not been seen since he checked out last Friday.

Mystery behind the writer

LONDON: Friends and family of bestselling thriller writer Dick Francis have defended him against a claim that his self-effacing, better-educated wife writes most of his books. The claim came from the 78-year-old author's unauthorised biographer and ex-Fleet Street colleague, Graham Lord. Francis, a former champion jockey who started writing in 1962 after several bad falls, has sold 60million copies of his racing mysteries. A copy of each new book goes to the Queen Mother, for whom he once raced.

Lord's 400-page biography Dick Francis: A Racing Life says Mary Francis once told him: ``Dick would like me to have all the credit for them. But believe me, it's much better for everyone, including the readers, to think that he writes them, because they're taut, masculine books that might otherwise lose their credibility.'' Lord stresses that Francis left school at 15. His wife got a degree in French and English at the age of 19. A spokeswoman for Michael Joseph, Francis's publisher, has denied the allegation, saying "while Mary helps with the research, it is Dick who writes them''.

Mahathir for Anwar trial

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was on Thursday ordered to appear as a witness in the sodomy trial of his sacked former deputy Anwar Ibrahim. After a debate with defence lawyers who wanted Mahathir to be summoned on Monday, Judge Arifin Jaka agreed to issuea subpoena for the premier to appear next Thursday. The defence team would try to set up an interview with Mahathir before then to determine whether he should be summoned in his personal or official capacity, counsel Pawancheek Marican told reporters.