A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
N Korea admits food shortages of 1m tonnes
BEIJING- North Korea has admitted for the first time to food shortages of a million tonnes, the World Food Programme has said, adding that in the absence of better donor support, millions are vulnerable to hunger.
In the past that food gap - which represents about 20 per cent of North Korea's needs - was met by a combination of bilateral aid, WFP support, loans and commercial interests, but those sources are all drying up, the WFP said yesterday. - ( Reuters )
India in talks to buy Iranian gas
NEW DELHI- India will go ahead with talks to buy natural gas from Iran via a multi-billion-dollar pipeline despite objections from the United States, India's foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee has said.
India and neighbouring Pakistan are in talks with Iran to buy gas to be supplied through the proposed $7 billion cross- country pipeline, a deal opposed by the US, which says the project will help fund Tehran's development of nuclear weapons. - ( Reuters )
Pope puts Hell back on agenda
ROME- For centuries it has been one of the Catholic Church's favourite topics, but the pope has given a fresh reminder to his flock that Hell is hell and bemoaned the fact that it rarely gets talked about these days.
Pope Benedict (79) used a Mass on Sunday in the gritty Fidene suburb of Rome to put damnation back on the agenda. "Jesus came to tell us everyone is wanted in paradise, and that Hell, about which little gets said today, exists and is eternal for those who shut their hearts to his love." - ( Guardian service )
Uzbek charges against reporter
TASHKENT- The Uzbek general prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against an Uzbek reporter working for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in the central Asian state, her lawyer has said.
Uzbekistan has taken an increasingly tough line with foreign media since they reported eyewitness accounts of troops opening fire on a crowd in the town of Andizhan last year, killing hundreds of civilians. - ( Reuters )
Taliban 'trying to recruit children'
TANK- Pakistani police clashed with suspected Taliban militants trying to recruit schoolchildren in a northwestern town and a policeman and a militant were killed, police have said.
The gun battle erupted yesterday in Tank town in North West Frontier Province, where security analysts say the influence of Islamist militants is growing. - ( Reuters )
Briton's run around the world a record
LONDON- More than three years after he finished an epic journey across six continents, Briton Robert Garside has been officially recognised as the first person to run around the world.
Garside (40) who, during his quest called himself the Runningman, yesterday received the approval of Guinness World Records for a 30,000-mile (48,000km) six-year trek. - ( Reuters )
Owners signal death of 'Life'
WASHINGTON- The owners of Life magazine, which practically invented photojournalism, killed off their publication for the third and possibly final time yesterday. Time Incorporated, which publishes Life, blamed the closure on "the decline in the newspaper business" and poor advertising predictions.
At its height, Life sold more than 13 million copies and provided a showcase for some of the greatest photojournalists, such as Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa. - ( Guardian service )