Avila, 45, helped build up the Sinaloa cartel on Mexico's Pacific Coast in the 1990s via her friendships with the gang's leaders including Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, Mexico's most wanted man.

She was caught alone driving a BMW sport utility vehicle near her house in the Mexican capital, intelligence officials told a news conference.

Police also captured Avila's boyfriend Colombian trafficker Juan Diego "The Tiger" Espinosa, who is considered to be a key link between Colombian and Mexican smugglers and is wanted in the United States. Police did not give details of his capture.

A rare 710-year-old copy of the Magna Carta valued at up to $30 million is due to be sold by The Perot Foundation at Sotheby's in New York in December, the auction house said on Tuesday.

Gordon Brown has led tributes to the "inspirational" Dame Anita Roddick, who has died from a brain haemorrhage.

The prime minister said the 64-year-old founder of the ethical cosmetics chain Body Shop was "one of the country's true pioneers".

Her husband, Gordon, and daughters Sam and Justine were with her when she died at 1830 BST on Monday at St Richard's Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex.

She had been taken to hospital on Sunday after complaining of a headache.

Dame Anita set up the first Body Shop in Brighton in 1976. She pioneered cruelty-free beauty products and turned them into a highly profitable business.

The first journey on Thessaloniki's new electrically-powered suburban railway to Litohoro in Pieria was carried out on Sunday with Transport Minister Mihalis Liapis on board. Inaugurating the Thessaloniki-Litohoro railway line, Liapis said its construction had cost 50 million euros.

PASOK party leader, George Papandreou met with the GSEE board this morning. After the meeting, GSEE president, Yiannis Panagopoulos said that Mr. Papandreou was the first to respond to GSEE invitation and discuss labor issues in view of elections and Thessaloniki International Fair, the traditional stand for commitments and announcements. We have given a 15-point questionnaire, centered on working class income, labour relations and social insurance, to all parties calling them to give their response, stressed Mr. Panagopoulos.
Mr. Papandreou presented his party’s general policies, which are compatible with unions’ claims and made clear that he will make specific announcements at the Thessaloniki International Fair said the GSEE president. He also underlined that Papandreou will respect free collective negotiations and will serve politically for increases in incomes and pensions. Mr. Panagopoulos announced a demonstration against anti-popular policies to be held in Thessaloniki on Saturday at 18:00. DAKE representative, Mr. Poupakis did not attend the meeting.
Mr. Papandreou is to deliver a speech on women’s rights in Peristeri this evening.

SYRIZA president, Alekos Alavanos visited HSAP (Athens subway) premises in Piraeus this morning and had talks with employees. Mr. Alabanos spoke of a sad picture of the Prime-minister in a most miserable attempt to buy votes.

In his speech at Keratsini Municipal theater yesterday, Prime-minister, K. Karamanlis called for a strong mandate underlining that a negative vote will lead to deadlock. He committed himself not to follow the road of populism and demagogy while he made extensive reference to devastating fires in the Peloponnese, stressing that first needs of fire victims were met in the first days. He went on to say that bureaucratic procedures were overlooked and most fire victims have already received the emergency aid and a sum to replace household items while he repeated the government’s commitment for free reconstruction of the houses that have burned down. Furthermore, K. Karamanlis expressed optimism that after this experience Elia, Arkadia, Lakonia, Messinia, Korinthia and Eboia prefectures can be reborn and enter a new model of healthy and dynamic development.

KKE (Greek Communist Party) party continues its pre-election campaign with Secretary General Aleka Papariga’s address to Panteion University students. Ms Papariga asked from the youth to vote according to its social class at the 16 September elections. In parallel, she referred to the present situation in the sector of Education and to the policies implemented during the last years, culminating with the revision of the Constitution and Article 16. She stressed that during that period the opponent of the students’ movement was neither the "capricious" Education minister, nor the faddist Public Order minister, but the New Democracy government and PASOK’s (Socialists) policies.

Story Highlights
* Nearly 18,000 people still missing from Balkans wars fought of 1990s
* Those missing "may be victims of mass executions"
* 200,000 killed during the war in Bosnia, 20,000 in Croatia, 10,000 in Kosovo

Nearly 18,000 people are still missing from the ethnic wars fought in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday.

About 13,500 of those missing are from the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, while 2,386 are from the 1991-95 conflict in Croatia and 2,047 from the 1998-99 strife in Kosovo, the ICRC said in a statement on the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared.

Story Highlights
* Merger between utility giant Suez and Gaz de France agree to new conditions
* GdF Suez will have market value of $123.3 billion and revenues of $98.7 billion
* Suez CEO Gerard Mestrallet will be chairman and chief executive

The long-stalled merger between utility giant Suez and state-owned Gaz de France has been approved after the boards of both companies agreed to the creation of a second national energy giant, the two companies said Monday.

The new company, called GDF Suez, will have a combined market value of €90 billion ($123.3 billion) and revenue of €72 billion, making it one of the top three listed utilities worldwide, GdF and Suez said in a joint statement. The deal includes a spin-off of Suez' environment activities.