A round-up of today's other stories in brief
UN refuses to print Iraq constitution
BAGHDAD - The United Nations said it refused to start printing Iraq's draft constitution yesterday, delaying yet again efforts to get millions of copies to voters before a referendum now fixed for October 15th.
One negotiator from the Sunni Arab minority, which has been lobbying for changes to the text adopted by parliament on August 28th, said non-Arab Kurdish leaders agreed to an amendment to the draft to strengthen wording on Iraq's nature as an Arab state. - (Reuters)
Saddam's lawyer denies confession
AMMAN - Saddam Hussein's chief attorney denied yesterday that the ousted president had confessed to ordering executions and waging a campaign against Kurds in which thousands of people are said to have been killed.
"There was no confession by the president and all the investigations in this case do not implicate him at all," Khalil Dulaimi said in a statement.
Fox starts bid for Tory leadership
BRITAIN - Shadow foreign secretary Liam Fox formally launched his bid to become Tory leader yesterday and said his party must reconnect with British voters.
Dr Fox said he wanted a "forward looking" Conservative party that was not concerned with itself but focused on the "real agenda" of the British people.
He spelt out a right-of-centre agenda of low taxation, family values, strong defence and scepticism about the EU.
Dr Fox said: "I think that the Conservative party has spent too much time talking about the Conservative party, and not sufficient time talking about the issues that actually affect our country." - (PA)
Conservatives on target in Norway
OSLO - Norway's centre-right government scented an upset victory in next week's election after overturning a year-long opposition poll lead yesterday in a campaign fought over how to manage Norway's oil wealth.
"Voters have seen through the opposition's promises," said Erna Solberg, head of the Conservative party, the largest in the three-party government. - (Reuters)
Snake-poisoned meat makes 64 ill
HARGEISA - Sixty-four people have been hospitalised in Somaliland after eating the meat of a camel that died of a snakebite, authorities said yesterday.
Mohamed Muse Abdulle, deputy governor of Sahil region in the breakaway northern enclave of Somalia, said a man sold the poisoned meat in the village of Hudiso, 57km (35 miles) south of the port of Berbera. - (Reuters)