A roundup of today's other world news in brief
State senate approves filling Kennedy seat
BOSTON – The Massachusetts senate has voted to allow the governor to name an interim US Senate replacement for the late Edward Kennedy and fill a key 60th seat for the Democrats during the healthcare battle.
The heavily Democratic state senate passed the Bill 24 to 16, following approval by the state house of representatives last week.
The Bill now requires a final vote in both chambers and a signature from Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat who backs the legislation.
Mr Patrick is expected to name a replacement for Kennedy within days, returning the Democrats to a crucial 60 seats in the US Senate and giving US president Barack Obama a boost as he tries to overhaul the $2.5 trillion (€1.69 trillion) healthcare system. – (Reuters)
Solana speaks on Iran sanctions
NEW YORK – EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said he does not expect Russia and China will oppose western powers if they call for new sanctions on Iran for refusing to freeze its nuclear programme.
“I don’t think that the Russians and Chinese will say . . . never again,” Mr Solana told reporters yesterday when asked about the possibility of a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran for defying UN demands that it stop enriching uranium.
“There’s not going to be a breaking of the group,” he said.
Mr Solana will be joining the foreign ministers from Britain, France, the US, Germany, Russia and China in New York today to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme. – (Reuters)
French net piracy Bill approved
PARIS – France’s disputed internet piracy law, which will allow authorities to disconnect repeat illegal downloaders, was finally approved in parliament yesterday but the opposition immediately announced a fresh court challenge.
The Bill, revised after France’s top constitutional court overturned an earlier version voted in June, cleared its last parliamentary hurdle when it was passed in the joint legislative committee of the two houses by 258 votes to 131. – (Reuters)
Watchdog critical of Kazakhstan
ALMATY – Europe’s main security and rights watchdog has criticised its future chair, Kazakhstan, for seizing the print run of an opposition newspaper.
Kazakhstan, a central Asian state that will next year chair the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has already come under fire from the body for jailing a journalist last month. – (Reuters)
Far-right German party investigated
BERLIN – German police say they are investigating the leader of the far-right NPD party after it sent politicians from immigrant backgrounds letters telling them to go home. “We are investigating whether there is a suspicion of inciting racial hatred,” said Martin Steltner, spokesman for the state prosecutor’s office in Berlin.
The NPD’s leader in Berlin, Joerg Hähnel, said prosecutors had been hasty to condemn the letters, sent to about 30 politicians with immigrant backgrounds at the weekend, giving tips on how to leave the country. – (Reuters)
Most Poles want Afghan pull-out
WARSAW – A survey has shown that 76 per cent of Poles want the country’s 2,000 troops pulled out of Afghanistan and only 20 per cent support the mission.
The CBOS poll showed the number of Poles favouring a quick pull-out has risen by 3 percentage points since February. – (Reuters)