Briefly

SWEDEN

Low-key funeral for Ingmar Bergman

STOCKHOLM — A few dozen family members and friends of Ingmar Bergman attended his funeral yesterday on the small Swedish island where he spent his final years — a low-key affair in keeping with the legendary filmmaker’s wishes.

Mr. Bergman was 89 when he died July 30 at his home on Faro.

Mourners gathered in the modest Faro Church, where Mr. Bergman’s remains lay in a simple pine coffin flanked by red roses. There were no speeches. An organ and cello played Bach.

FRANCE

WEALTHY FRIENDS PAID FOR SARKOZY’S HOLIDAY

PARIS — FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY WAS THE GUEST OF TWO WEALTHY FAMILIES AT A LUXURY VILLA IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, HE TOLD A NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY, MAKING IT THE SECOND BREAK SINCE HE WAS ELECTED THAT WAS PAID FOR BY RICH FRIENDS.

MR. SARKOZY CAUSED A STIR IN MAY WHEN HE CAST ASIDE TRADITIONAL FRENCH AVERSION TO FLASHY DISPLAYS BY THEIR LEADERS TO TAKE A POST-ELECTION BREAK ON A YACHT OWNED BY A MEDIA BILLIONAIRE.

LE MONDE REPORTED THAT IT COST $60,000 TO RENT THE HOUSE, WHICH BOASTS A PRIVATE BEACH, A BOAT JETTY AND A SPA, FOR THE TWO-WEEK STAY. BANKER ROBERTO AGOSTINELLI AND AGNES CROMBACK, THE HEAD OF THE JEWELER TIFFANY-FRANCE, FOOTED THE BILL. THE HOUSE BELONGS TO MIKE APPE, A FORMER MICROSOFT EXECUTIVE.

HUNGARY

29 U.S.-BOUND CUBANS GET ASYLUM

BUDAPEST — HUNGARY HAS GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM TO 29 CUBANS HELD AT THE U.S. NAVAL BASE IN GUANTANAMO, NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY MTI QUOTED THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AS SAYING YESTERDAY.

U.S. FORCES HAVE BEEN HOLDING 44 CUBANS CAUGHT AT SEA, AND 17 HELD A THREE-WEEK HUNGER STRIKE UNTIL FRIDAY TO PROTEST THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR DETENTION AND TO DEMAND ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES, MTI SAID.

HUNGARY HAS GRANTED 29 OF THEM ASYLUM, WITH THE UNITED STATES PAYING THEIR RENT, WINTER CLOTHES AND LANGUAGE COURSES FOR A YEAR, THE AGENCY SAID. FIVE OTHERS ARE GETTING U.S. VISAS AND SOME ARE WAITING FOR A THIRD COUNTRY TO ADMIT THEM.

DENMARK

8 HELD AFTER MARCH FOR RUDOLF HESS

COPENHAGEN — EIGHT NEO-NAZIS WERE ARRESTED YESTERDAY IN THE DANISH TOWN OF KOLDING FOLLOWING A DEMONSTRATION MARKING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF RUDOLF HESS, ADOLF HITLER’S DEPUTY IN THE NAZI PARTY, POLICE SAID.

ABOUT 100 NEO-NAZIS HAD GATHERED FOR THE “HESS MEMORIAL MARCH.” THE DEMONSTRATION WAS ORIGINALLY DUE TO BE HELD IN THE SOUTHERN GERMAN TOWN OF WUNSIEDEL, WHERE HESS IS BURIED, BUT GERMAN AUTHORITIES BANNED THE MARCH.

IN DENMARK, UNLIKE GERMANY, IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO DISPLAY THE SWASTIKA, UTTER “HEIL HITLER,” OR USE THE NAZI SALUTE.

WEEKLY NOTES …

POLICE ON THURSDAY DETAINED A 27-YEAR-OLD immigrant from Africa who was found wandering without food or water near the snow-dusted peak of mainland Spain’s highest mountain. A group of climbers first discovered the man from Mali walking Wednesday on an 11,000-foot peak called Veleta in the Sierra Nevada range of southern Spain. They gave him food and water, and he was soon on his way. Later a forest ranger spotted him near the top of 11,400-foot Mulhacen mountain, and notified police. … Hundreds of people posed naked on Switzerland’s shrinking Aletsch glacier yesterday for U.S. photographer Spencer Tunick as part of a Greenpeace campaign to raise awareness of global warming.

From wire dispatches and staff reports