Other stories in brief:
Push to find killers of Litvinenko
MOSCOW - Fresh twists emerged in the hunt for the killers of Alexander Litvinenko in both London and Moscow yesterday, Conor Sweeney reports from Moscow.
Russian prosecutors announced they wish to interview exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky about the death of his friend and employee in London late last year. Scotland Yard detectives are expected back in Moscow soon in a renewed bid to bring charges.
While British detectives believe two or more of the Moscow-based Russians who met Mr Litvinenko in London in early November deliberately contaminated him with radiation, their Russian counterparts believe that London-based Russians may be responsible.
EU portfolio for Irishman
BRUSSELS - European commissioner for consumer affairs Meglena Kuneva yesterday appointed Irishman John Bell to lead her cabinet of advisers within the EU executive, writes Jamie Smyth in Brussels.
Mr Bell, a graduate of UCD and St John's College Oxford, was a member of David Byrne's cabinet, the Irish commissioner for health and consumer protection from 1999-2004. Until his latest appointment he was head of the strategy and analysis unit in the health and consumer protection directorate general.
As head of cabinet Mr Bell will play a key role in screening and managing the commission's legislative programme for Ms Kuneva.
Terror suspect absconds in UK
LONDON - Home secretary John Reid said on Tuesday another terrorism suspect on a control order had absconded.
Mr Reid said the suspect had disappeared earlier this month, soon after being served with a control order.
The suspect is the third to have absconded since the control orders, brought in for suspects who cannot be prosecuted in courts, were introduced. - (Reuters)
EU to hold anti- death penalty day
DRESDEN - The EU will organise its first official day against the death penalty on October 10th, its top justice and security official said yesterday.
The hanging of two of Saddam Hussein's aides on Monday brought a new wave of condemnation from EU and other countries opposed to capital punishment, the accidental decapitation of one of them adding to the sense of revulsion. - (Reuters)
'Big Brother' gets racism complaints
LONDON - British media watchdog Ofcom is investigating Celebrity Big Brother over charges of racism on the show after viewers complained that Indian Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty had been bullied by contestants.
Some 4,500 people have complained that housemates on the show have been making racist comments to Shetty, the highest number of complaints ever made about the show. An Ofcom spokes- man said: "We will be paying close attention to the complaints coming in."
- (Reuters)