INT'L NEWS in brief

Ohio killer set for execution found hanged in cell

CLEVELAND (AP):

A man condemned to death for fatally stabbing a neighbour during a Cleveland burglary was found hanged in his cell yesterday just days before his Wednesday execution.

Billy Slagle, 44, was found at about 5 a.m. at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution south of Columbus and was declared dead within the hour, prison spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said.

"He was in his cell alone. No other inmates suspected to be involved," Smith said in an email. "It does appear to be a suicide."

Under regular prison policy, he was scheduled to be placed under pre-execution watch yesterday morning but "was not yet placed under constant watch," Smith said.

Slagle's defense team was shocked and saddened at the news and had no clue he might commit suicide.

Prince William hits the polo fields in first public outing as a dad

Trading in diapers and baby bottles for a polo pony, the world got a glimpse of Prince William in public for the first time since the birth of his son, Prince George.

On Saturday, Prince William participated in a charity match with Prince Harry as he finishes his paternity leave.

The newborn prince and his mother, Kate Middleton, were not at the event, instead they remained at the Middleton's family home in Buckleberry.

Although Prince George was not in sight, he was not out of mind as Prince William told reporters that his mind was more focused on the future king than the game at hand.

"I was in baby mode out there, thinking about nappies I wasn't really in the zone," he told reporters.

The Duke of Cambridge will complete his paternity leave on Monday and will report back to his air force duties in Wales.

On Friday, the palace formally registered the birth of the third in line to the throne.

Israel expands subsidies to settlements

JERUSALEM (AP):

The Israeli Cabinet yesterday expanded its list of West Bank settlements eligible for government subsidies, a decision that came just days after the resumption of long-frozen peace talks and which drew quick Palestinian condemnation.

The Cabinet approved a range of housing subsidies and loans for more than 600 Israeli communities deemed "national priority areas," expanding an earlier list. The list includes poor towns in Israel's outlying areas but also dozens of settlements.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem - lands Israel captured in 1967 - and renewed talks are to draw Israel's borders with such a state.

Since 1967, Israel has built dozens of settlements on war-won land - deemed illegal by most of the international community - that are home to around 560,000 Israelis.

Israel's government hopes to encourage more people to move to the communities on the "national priorities" list. The last version of the list was approved in 2012.