Today's others stories in brief
Russia resists new sanctions against Iran
MOSCOW - Russia opposes new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme because it would undermine a study by the UN atomic watchdog of Iran's activities, according to Russian news agencies.
Iran last month agreed to explain the scope of its nuclear programme to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but critics say the deal allows Tehran to address issues one by one in a drawn-out process that could last until December.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday that since Iran had promised to clarify all issues, "interference by way of new sanctions would mean undermining" IAEA efforts, according to the Itar-Tass agency.
The United States, France and other allies want the UN Security Council to agree tougher sanctions against Tehran over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, which the West suspects is cover for bomb-making. Iran says its programme is for generating nuclear power. - (Reuters)
Two per cent of Greek land burnt
ATHENS - Two per cent of the surface area of Greece was destroyed by forest fires this summer, including some of Europe's lushest nature reserves.
The extent of the damage is much larger than initially thought, with rare species of reptiles, mammals and endemic plants being lost, according to the conservation group WWF.
"The destruction by far exceeds our expectations and is more dramatic and extensive than we imagined," Dimitris Karavellas, who heads the WWF in Greece, said. "Very few patches of life, patches that are now refuges for various animal species, were left behind." - (Guardian service)
11 Tamil Tigers killed in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO - Sri Lankan soldiers killed 11 Tamil Tiger rebels in overnight battles in the north of the island and a roadside bomb killed two civilians, according to the military.
The violence in the restive northern districts of Jaffna and Vavuniya, the focus of renewed civil war between the state and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was the latest in a series of near daily clashes in recent months.
The LTTE, which is fighting for an independent state for ethnic Tamils in the north and east, was not immediately available for comment. - (Reuters)
Former Georgian minister arrested
TBILISI - Georgian security forces have detained former defence minister Irakly Okruashvili after he accused the president of corruption.
Prosecutors said Mr Okruashvili was suspected of involvement in money laundering and abuse of power, but opposition figures said the arrest was a government attempt to remove a potentially dangerous political opponent. - (Reuters)