A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Russian mogul urges judges to delay appeal
MOSCOW - Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky yesterday urged judges to delay an appeal against his fraud conviction that his lawyers say the Kremlin is rushing through to stop him running for parliament.
The billionaire has declared he will run for a seat in the State Duma in a December 4th by-election but if the appeal against his nine-year prison sentence is thrown out - as his supporters expect - he will be automatically disqualified.
On the first day of the appeal hearing, tense legal arguments over how fast the case should proceed ended with judges adjourning until September 19th because Khodorkovsky's main lawyer had been admitted to hospital. - (Reuters)
UN body fears split over Iran
BERLIN - The UN atomic watchdog fears that referring Iran to the UN Security Council now for possible sanctions would split its members and would rather set a new deadline for Iran to halt sensitive work, diplomats said. The 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet from Monday to decide.
The top issue will be an EU-US plan to refer Iran to the Security Council, which could lead to economic sanctions over widespread fears Tehran wants to develop arms. - (Reuters)
Pinochet to face criminal charges
SANTIAGO - Chile's Supreme Court yesterday said former dictator Augusto Pinochet can face criminal charges related to the disappearance and murder of at least 15 leftists in a 1975 human rights case known as Operation Colombo.
It was the third human rights case in which the high court has removed Pinochet's immunity from prosecution - a privilege of former presidents. The immunity issue must be resolved on a case-by-case basis. - (Reuters)
Bin Laden illness report denied
KABUL - The US military in Afghanistan denied yesterday that one of its officers had told reporters Osama bin Laden was seeking medical attention.
London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat, citing US Col Don McGraw in a briefing with reporters in Kabul, said yesterday that the al-Qaeda leader was in poor health and was trying to obtain medical attention. - (Reuters)
Airport closed after bomb find
BERLIN - Tegel airport was temporarily closed yesterday to allow the controlled explosion of a 454kg US second World War bomb unearthed during construction work, police said.
A flight carrying US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in the German capital for a NATO defence ministers' meeting, took off from Tegel shortly before the airport was closed, US officials said. - (Reuters)
Nude statue for Trafalgar Square
LONDON - A monumental statue of a naked pregnant woman born without arms and with stunted legs will be unveiled today in the centre of London.
The 3.6m statue, "Alison Lapper Pregnant", will sit for 18 months in the northwest corner of Trafalgar Square on a plinth built in 1841. - (Reuters)
Hendrix home spared demolition
SEATTLE - The one-time boyhood home of legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix has been spared demolition and moved to a new location, the head of the James Marshall Hendrix Foundation said on Tuesday.
The sagging two-bedroom house in one of Seattle's traditionally African-American neighbourhoods was the only home ever owned by the Hendrix family during Jimi's childhood. - (Reuters)