Brother of slain Briton denies having dispute with him

The brother of a Briton slain in a shooting in the French Alps has denied having any dispute with him, the French prosecutor in charge of the case said Friday. Eric Maillaud said Saad al-Hilli's brother initially contacted British police after news of the attack and went back after media reports emerged of a fraternal dispute, telling them: "I have no conflict with my brother." Maillaud had earlier told AFP that British police had told the French authorities of a financial dispute between the murdered British man and his brother, but cautioned against jumping to the conclusion that it could be linked to Wednesday's attack. The prosecutor also revealed that Hilli, who was shot Wednesday along with his wife and mother-in-law, was "totally unknown" to British intelligence services, contradicting media reports suggesting he had been placed under surveillance around the time of the last Gulf war.