A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Faith groups unite to block gay rights laws
LONDON -British faith groups have joined forces to try to stop gay rights laws they say will force them to act against their religious beliefs.
The legislation, a cornerstone of Britain's efforts to promote equal rights, would ban discrimination in the provision of goods and services on the basis of sexuality in a similar way to laws banning sex and race discrimination. - (Reuters)
Iranian bank accused on WMDs
WASHINGTON -The US treasury has named Iran's state-owned Bank Sepah as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and has banned all transactions between it and US businesses.
A treasury spokesman said Bank Sepah was the "financial linchpin" of Iran's missile procurement network and "has actively assisted Iran's pursuit of missiles capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction". - (Reuters)
Boyd wins Costa novel prize
LONDON -British novelist William Boyd won the Costa (formerly the Whitbread) novel prize yesterday from a strong shortlist of 134 entries.The big surprise in the poetry category was the judges' decision to prefer John Haynes over Nobel prizewinner Seamus Heaney for his Letter to Patience, set in a mud-walled bar in Nigeria. - (Reuters)
Credit card firms unite on child porn
BERLIN -German police used the help of the nation's 14 credit card companies to track down 322 men suspected of subscribing to an illegal child pornography website based abroad, authorities said yesterday.
Saxony-Anhalt minister Holger Hoevelmann told a news conference in Magdeburg, west of Berlin, the 14 credit card companies had screened transactions of all 22 million credit cardholders in Germany to track down the 322 suspects. - (Guardian service)
Tehran polluted air warning
TEHRAN -Officials in Tehran have warned that the city's notoriously polluted air could cause a catastrophe after figures showed 120 people a day had died from toxic fumes.
The potential effects have been compared to those of a large earthquake, after 3,600 people, of a 12 million population, were reported to have died from pollution- related illnesses in four weeks in October and November.
The figures were released by officials heading a government programme to cut pollution in Tehran.- (Guardian service)
EU green card system proposed
BRUSSELS -The European Commission plans to introduce a green card giving highly skilled migrants easier access to the European Union, officials said yesterday.
"We are going to make a specific proposal for the admission of high-skilled workers. We foresee a green card," an EU Commission official said. - (Reuters)
Hilton pleads not guilty to charges
LOS ANGELES -Heiress and socialite Paris Hilton pleaded not guilty in the US last night night to drink- driving charges following her arrest last year for allegedly weaving around a Hollywood street in her car.
Ms Hilton was not required to be in court. Her lawyer entered the pleas on her behalf. - (AP)
Morrissey linked to UK Euro song
LONDON -Former Smiths singer Morrissey is in talks to write the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, the BBC confirmed has said.
Morrissey expressed an interest in the contest last year after Daz Sampson's song, Teenage Life, came 19th out of 24. "I was horrified but not surprised to see the UK fail. Why didn't they ask me?" - (PA)