A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Inquiry call on Saddam lawyer killings
GENEVA - A United Nations human rights envoy yesterday called for an independent inquiry into the murders of two of Saddam Hussein's defence lawyers in Iraq.
Adil al-Zubeidi was killed on November 8th in a drive-by shooting in which another defence lawyer was also wounded. Saadoun al-Janabi was shot dead the day after Saddam's trial started in Baghdad on October 19th. - (Reuters)
Italy constitution reform approved
ROME - The Italian parliament approved yesterday a radical overhaul of Italy's constitution, strengthening the powers of the prime minister and handing more decision-making power to the regions.
Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi says the reform will regenerate Italy's creaking system of government, while opposition leaders argued it would wreck national unity.
Lawmakers in the upper house (Senate) voted 170 to 132 in favour of the deeply contested package. - (Reuters)
Activist shot dead in Netherlands
NIJMEGEN - A left-wing activist was shot dead on Tuesday night in the Dutch city of Nijmegen.
Dutch news agency NOS identified the victim as Louis Seveke (41), a well-known local activist who had waged court battles with the Dutch police and secret service over their methods of operation. - (AP)
14 killed by Cambodia mine
PHNOM PENH - At least 14 Cambodian villagers were killed when the truck in which they were travelling hit an anti-tank mine left over from Cambodia's civil war. - (Reuters)
Tunisia accused on human rights
GENEVA/TUNIS - UN envoys and Human Rights Watch have accused Tunisia, which hosts a UN conference on the internet this week, of repressing press freedoms and writers and blocking websites critical of the government.
Three UN human rights envoys said in a statement that they had received "numerous reports" of abuses and that respect for human rights was deteriorating in Tunisia. - (Reuters)
Scotty not beamed up yet
LOS ANGELES - Plans to launch the remains of Star Trek actor James Doohan into space next month have been delayed pending more rocket engine tests. Doohan, who played the Star Trek engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the TV series, died in July aged 85. - (Reuters)
Heroin found on five-year-old
PHILADELPHIA - A teacher found eight bags of heroin in a five-year-old pupil's pocket, police said.
The matter was under investigation and the boy's mother could be charged, police inspector William Colarulo said. - (Reuters)
Supreme Dalek goes for €52,000
LONDON - One of television's most popular villains sold at auction yesterday for £36,000 (€52,000) - more than three times what was expected.
The Dalek Supreme, from the 1970s series of Dr Who, was bought by communications agency Indeprod at a charity auction in aid of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. - (PA)
Moroccan denies terrorism charge
BRUSSELS - A Moroccan man denied charges he was a forgery expert supplying papers to fellow members of an extremist group blamed for the Madrid bombings, saying yesterday he faked his passport to avoid being sent home. - (Reuters)