A round-up of today's other world news in brief ...
Japanese envoy named as IAEA director general
VIENNA – Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano has been elected director-general of the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
Challenges in the politically sensitive post include Iran’s nuclear programme, blocked investigations into alleged military nuclear activities in Iran and Syria, and North Korean nuclear tests.
Mr Amano won the required two-thirds majority of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board members expressing a preference. – (Reuters)
Iran hangs 12 for murder and drugs
TEHRAN – Iran has hanged 12 people for murder and drug trafficking over the last two days, according to Iranian media reports.
Six people were put to death for murder in Tehran’s Evin prison on Wednesday morning, the Etemad newspaper said, adding that two others due to be executed at the same time were spared by the families of their victims. – (Reuters)
Ken Bates loses £50,000 libel case
LONDON – Leeds United chairman Ken Bates was ordered to pay £50,000 (€58,500) libel damages at the High Court yesterday to a former director of the club who alleged he was “persecuted”.
A judge in London ruled in favour of businessman Melvyn Levi (65), who brought the action over comments made by Mr Bates. – (PA)
Arrest over killing of radio journalist
MANILA – A Philippines policeman has been arrested for killing a radio commentator last month.
At least six journalists, most of them radio commentators, have been killed in the Philippines since January, making the country one of the most dangerous places in the world for the working press. – (Reuters)
Girl (2) strangled by pet python
ORLANDO – A 12ft pet Burmese python broke out of an aquarium and strangled a two-year-old girl in her bedroom, police in Florida said. Shaunia Hare was already dead when paramedics arrived at her home.
The Humane Society of the United States says at least 12 people have been killed in the US by pet pythons since 1980, including five children. – (AP)
Vatican says Pius XII will be cleared
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican’s secret archives on Pope Pius XII should be ready for opening in about five years and will clear him of accusations that he turned a blind eye to the Holocaust, according to the head of the archives.
Jews have for years been calling on the Vatican to open the archives as soon as possible so they can be studied by scholars and have asked Pope Benedict to freeze the process that could make Pius a saint until all archives can be examined. – (Reuters)
Biden in surprise visit to Baghdad
BAGHDAD – US vice- president Joe Biden has made an unannounced visit to Baghdad to meet Iraqi leaders and US military commanders just days after US troops withdrew from Iraqi towns and cities.
– (Reuters)
Palestinian girl killed by shell
GAZA – A Palestinian teenage girl has been killed by a shell that exploded in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, which hospital workers and Hamas officials said was fired by an Israeli tank.
Israeli military officials said an initial investigation showed the girl was probably killed by a misfiring mortar round fired by Palestinian militants during clashes with soldiers near a border crossing in the area.
– (Reuters)