A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Mother and two children killed by train
LONDON - A mother and two young children, one a nine-month old baby, were killed yesterday when they were struck by a speeding train at a station in south west London, British Transport police said.
"The woman, aged 27 and her five-year old daughter died at the scene at Southall station and a nine-month old boy died later in hospital," a police spokesman said.
The three were hit at 100mph at 12.22 by an express train as it sped towards Heathrow Airport from London's Paddington station. The train, carrying 85 passengers, stopped 200 metres north of Southall rail station, the spokesman said.
An investigation was underway to determine exactly how the deaths occurred. British police said the woman was married and from Southall. Some reports last night claimed the woman leapt onto track. - (Reuters)
Firefighters tackle Paris blaze
PARIS - Around 100 firefighters were tackling a fierce blaze in the centre of Paris last night, a fire brigade spokesman and witnesses said.
A fire spokesman on the scene said the blaze had started in a disused cinema. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
It was the latest in a spate of fires in the French capital which have killed 24 people, mostly Africans. - (Reuters)
Iran, India talk on nuclear issue
Iran's main nuclear negotiator held talks with Indian leaders yesterday to muster support for Tehran's controversial nuclear programme and to try to stave off possible international sanctions, writes Rahul Bedi.
"We are fully committed and bound by international regulations relating to the nuclear field," Ali Larijani said in New Delhi after meeting India's foreign minister Natwar Singh. Mr Singh will be visiting Tehran later this week.
Mr Larijani added that it was important to continue co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has set this Saturday as a deadline for Iran to stop uranium conversion at its Isfahan atomic plant.
Ex-PM murder suspect freed
BEIRUT - A pro-Syrian figure questioned by UN investigators as a suspect in the killing of Lebanese former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri was freed yesterday, but four generals will appear before a magistrate. Former member of parliament Nassir Qandil said he was freed around 1.30am local time, hours after he handed himself in to the UN team investigating the killing that shook Lebanon . - (Reuters)
Production in coalmines halted
BEIJING - China has ordered nearly a third of its thousands of coalmines to halt production and improve safety in the world's deadliest mining industry, state media said yesterday.
The latest in a series of crackdowns, which have had little if any effect so far, was reported the same day explosives illegally stored at a coalmine owner's home in southern China blew up, killing four people. - (Reuters)