A roundup of today's other stories in brief.
Russia votes to suspend arms treaty
MOSCOW -Russia's parliament voted unanimously yesterday to suspend a key arms treaty limiting conventional forces in Europe, saying the US and Nato were using the pact to undermine Russia's defences.
Ignoring appeals from the US, the Duma (lower house of parliament) approved 418-0 a law allowing Moscow to stop complying with the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, which is seen by the West as a cornerstone of European security.
The suspension, ordered by President Vladimir Putin as part of a wave of increasingly aggressive moves against the West ahead of elections, will take effect on December 12th. - (Reuters)
Military claims 52 Tamil Tigers killed
COLOMBO -Sri Lanka's military said 52 Tamil Tigers and 11 soldiers were killed in fresh fighting in the far north of the island yesterday, but the rebels disputed the figures.
The Tigers said 20 soldiers were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the clash on the Jaffna peninsula, and that just one of their fighters was killed.
There are no independent accounts of what happened or how many people were killed. - (Reuters)
Inquest of wrongly convicted mother
LONDON -Sally Clark, a mother who was wrongly convicted of killing her two babies, died accidentally of acute alcohol intoxication, according to media reports of an inquest into her death yesterday.
Clark (42), a solicitor from Essex, was found dead at her home in March.
She had served three years in jail after being found guilty at Chester crown court in 1999 of murdering eight-week-old Harry and 11-week-old Christopher. - (Reuters)
US evangelist backs Giuliani for election
DES MOINES, IOWA -Two leading Christian conservatives split their
US presidential endorsements yesterday, with Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani winning surprise backing from evangelist Pat Robertson despite the former New York mayor's support for abortion rights.
Republican candidate John McCain took the endorsement of Kansas senator Sam Brownback, a conservative who quit the race for the November 2008 presidential election last month. - (Reuters)
Walesa to undergo heart transplant
WARSAW -Former Polish president Lech Walesa (64) said yesterday he would undergo a heart transplant.
The legendary Solidarity movement leader and a symbol of the overthrow of the communist regime in eastern Europe said his health was worsening and he could die without a transplant. - (Reuters)
Belgian coalition talks suspended
BRUSSELS -Belgium plunged into a constitutional crisis yesterday when French-speaking parties suspended marathon coalition talks after Flemish parties forced through a divisive parliamentary vote.
Four-party talks to form a new government, in progress for a record 150 days since June elections, appeared on the verge of collapse after the unprecedented unilateral vote to break up the greater Brussels electoral district. - (Reuters)
'Discovery' lands safely at US base
CAPE CANAVERAL -The US space shuttle Discovery landed safely at its Florida home base yesterday after a gruelling but successful 15-day construction mission that prepared the International Space Station for new laboratories. - (Reuters)