An 80-year-old man survived a collision between two gliders by jumping out with a parachute and spending the night on a snow-covered mountain. Police in the Swiss canton of Graubünden said rescue services found the co-pilot of the two-seater glider from Germany sheltering in the downed plane's cockpit on Sunday at a height of 2,700 metres (8,850ft) on the Piz Nuna mountain, about 90 miles southeast of Zurich. The pilot, a 64-year-old German, died in the crash on Saturday, as did a 70-year-old Swiss national flying the other aircraft. The cause was being investigated, police said.

Palestinian minister tries to quit over Gaza security



The new Palestinian government hit its first crisis yesterday when the interior minister tried to resign because of the failure to tackle the growing lawlessness in the Gaza strip. The Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, rejected the resignation of Hani al-Qawasmi, who then agreed to stay on. The coalition government, made up largely of politicians from the rival factions Hamas and Fatah, was welcomed by Palestinians when it was formed nearly three months ago. Mr Qawasmi had attempted to rein in lawlessness in Gaza but was reportedly frustrated by a lack of cooperation.

Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem

New president continues with grand designs



Turkmenistan's new president has ordered construction of a luxurious district in the capital Ashgabat that will include a 220 metre (722ft) skyscraper, an artificial lake and golf courses, the president's office said yesterday. The grand project is the first to be approved by President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who took over after the death last December of President Saparmurat Niyazov. Niyazov was fond of prestige projects and built a ski resort in the Central Asian desert nation. The new district will be built by 2011, by a Turkish company, the president's office said. It did not give the cost.

Associated Press in Ashgabat