A round-up of other stories in brief
Laptop stolen from Ministry of Defence
LONDON -The personal details of 600,000 people have been lost after a laptop belonging to a Royal Navy officer was stolen, the British government revealed last night.
The laptop was stolen from the officer in Birmingham on the night of January 9th. It contained personal information from people who had joined the royal navy, royal marines and royal air force and from people who had expressed an interest in joining.
Entries on the computer included passport details, national insurance numbers, drivers' licence details, family details, doctors' addresses and NHS numbers, the MoD said.
It was decided not to make the theft public immediately after talking to West Midlands police about the impact revealing it would have on the investigation, the MoD statement said. - (AP)
Burns resigns as Rice's deputy
WASHINGTON -Nicholas Burns, a leading American policymaker on Iran and India, has decided to retire as the No 3 US diplomat for personal reasons, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said yesterday .
The White House quickly named US ambassador to Russia William Burns to replace him as under secretary of state for political affairs. The two men are not related.
Mr Burns has had a major role in negotiating the two UN Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. - (Reuters)
Pope to alter prayer for Jews
VATICAN CITY -Pope Benedict has decided to modify a controversial prayer for the conversion of Jews, an Italian newspaper reported yesterday.
Il Giornale newspaper said this would involve at least the removal of a reference to Jewish "blindness" over Christ but the changes could be more extensive. A Vatican source said he expected changes to be announced before Good Friday on March 21st this year. - (Reuters)
Founder of Hula Hoop dies at 82
SAN FRANCISCO -The toymaker who invented the Hula Hoop and Frisbee, has died at the age of 82.
Richard "Rich" Knerr and his partner Arthur "Spud" Melin co-founded the Wham-O company which specialised in fun with products like Silly String and the Super Ball.
Mr Knerr, who retired when he and Mr Melin sold Wham-O in 1982, died this week after suffering a stroke at his home in California.
Mr Melin died in 2002. - (Reuters)