News in Brief

Czech Defense Minister Martin Bartak said yesterday he has sacked two soldiers for wearing Nazi symbols during NATO's mission in Afghanistan, and suspended the commander who is responsible for all Czech military missions abroad. The move comes following a Czech newspaper report on their misconduct. The newspaper published photographs incriminating one of the two soldiers, both of whom were recently decorated for their service in the Afghan province of Logar. (DPA)

Tel Aviv will soon feature a Nissim Aloni Street, to be named after one of Israel's leading playwrights and translators, who died in 1998 at age 66. A memorial plaque for Aloni will be unveiled November 27 at 225 Dizengoff St., the site of his former home. Aloni wrote some of the classics of Israeli theater, including "The American Princess" and "Eddy King," which was also adapted for the screen. Aloni received the Israel Prize for Theater in 1996 and the Bialik Prize in 1983. (Maya Sela)

A Chinese construction worker died yesterday after falling from fifth-floor scaffolding in Be'er Yaakov, police said. The Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry has ordered the closure of the site. This was the fourth fatal work accident since Saturday. An electrician, 48, died after he fell nine stories down a stairwell under construction Monday in Petah Tikva, where the other two accidents also took place. In one, a 24-year-old worker was crushed to death by a box crusher machine at a shopping center Saturday. (Yuval Goren)