NUN OF US BELIEVE IT

One of two men accused over the murder of a US-born nun in Brazil has said he shot her in self-defence, contradicting earlier statements he made to police.

Rayfran Sales said he thought Dorothy Stang was pulling a gun from her bag, when she instead reached for a Bible.

Sales and another man went on trial on Friday for allegedly killing the nun on the orders of ranchers with whom she was quarrelling over Amazonian land.

Sister Dorothy had fought for peasant farmers' right to own land in the area.

The 73-year-old activist's body was found on a dirt track in a remote part of Para state earlier this year.