Other stories in brief:
Woman to lead Social Democrats
Stockholm- Veteran party official Mona Sahlin has won formal nomination as the first woman leader of Sweden's Social Democrats, hoping to win back power for a party which has ruled for six of the last seven decades.
Ms Sahlin was yesterday unanimously chosen by the party's nomination committee as candidate for leader, a role originally intended for murdered foreign minister Anna Lindh. A congress will vote on the nomination on March 17th. - (Reuters)
US needs leverage over Iran - Gates
Manama - The United States has little reason to negotiate with Iran now because the government in Tehran does not want anything from Washington, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday. Mr Gates, on a tour of Gulf countries, said the United States must first gain more leverage over Tehran.
He did not say how Washington might do this but said Iran had been emboldened by America's difficulties in Iraq. - (Reuters)
Satellite-killing prompts concern
Washington - The US, Australia and Canada have voiced concerns to China over the first known satellite-killing test in space in more than 20 years, the White House said yesterday.
"The US believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co- operation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area," National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
"We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese." - (Reuters)
Turkey welcomes raid on Kurds
Ankara - Turkey has welcomed a raid by US and Iraqi forces on a refugee camp of Turkish Kurds in northern Iraq as a first step towards combating Kurdish rebels, but insisted the camp must be shut down.
Iraqi and US troops conducted a search operation on Wednesday at the Makhmur refugee camp in northern Iraq, which Ankara has long argued provides a safe haven for militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. - (Reuters)
Families sue News Corporation
New York - Four families have sued News Corporation and its MySpace social- networking site after their underage daughters were sexually abused by adults they met on the site, lawyers said yesterday.
The families, from New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, have filed suits in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging negligence, recklessness, fraud and negligent misrepresentation by the companies. - (Reuters)
Call to remove anti-Semitic art
Rome - An Italian group has asked Pope Benedict to order the removal of all religious works of art and Catholic traditions that still smack of anti-Semitism.
The Roman Association of Friends of Israel sent a letter to the Pope asking him for a "clear and strong signal" that he would not tolerate any residual or resurgent forms of anti-Semitism in religious art or popular culture, such as processions. - (Reuters)
US marine pleads guilty to murder
Pendleton - A US marine who shot as many as 10 bullets into an Iraqi grandfather who was dragged from his house in the middle of the night, has pleaded guilty to murder and other criminal charges.
Cpl Trent Thomas was charged with murder, kidnapping and other charges in the April 2006 death of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in Hamdania, Iraq.
The man was a neighbour of a man Marines had sought to kidnap and kill. - (Reuters)