A round-up of today's world news in brief
Russia delivers nuclear fuel to Iranian plant
MOSCOW- Russia has delivered the first shipment of nuclear fuel to Iran's Bushehr atomic power station, a step both Moscow and Washington said should convince Tehran to shut down its disputed uranium enrichment programme.
But a senior Iranian official said his country would under no circumstances halt its efforts to enrich uranium, fuel it says it needs for other power plants but which foreign powers fear could be used to build a nuclear bomb. - (Reuters)
Portillo to chair Booker jury
LONDON -Politician turned broadcaster Michael Portillo is to chair this year's Man Booker Prize for fiction.
Comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, Ottakar's bookshops founder James Heneage, novelist Louise Doughty and literary critic Alex Clark make up the judging panel.
The prize celebrates its 40th anniversary next year.
The longlist will be unveiled in August, followed by the shortlist of six books in September. - (PA)
Israeli attack kills Gaza militants
GAZA - An Israeli attack on a car in the Gaza Strip yesterday killed at least three Palestinian militants and wounded two bystanders. Witnesses said the car had been carrying Islamic Jihad militants. An Israeli army spokeswoman said Israel had carried out an attack in Gaza but gave no other details. - (Reuters)
Rome metro killer jailed for 16 years
ROME -A Romanian woman who killed a Rome metro passenger by stabbing her through the eye with an umbrella was jailed for 16 years yesterday, judicial sources said.
The crime shocked Italy and was one of a series of violent crimes that rallied anti-immigration activists this year to strengthen the hand of law enforcement.
Doina Matei (21) was caught on closed-circuit security cameras fleeing the subway station after attacking the 23-year-old woman. - (Reuters)
A son for Prince Edward and wife
LONDON - The wife of Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth's youngest son, gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. The son of Sophie, the 42-year-old Countess of Wessex, is Queen Elizabeth's eighth grandchild. The parents were said to be "absolutely thrilled" after their son was born by Caesarean section. They already have a daughter, Louise (4). - (Reuters)
US chat show hosts to cross picket line
LOS ANGELES -Late-night TV hosts Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien plan to cross picket lines to resume taping shows on January 2nd, nearly two months after the strike by Hollywood writers forced them off the air, the NBC network said yesterday. - (Reuters)
French minister's brother jailed
LYON -A brother of French justice minister Rachida Dati was sentenced yesterday to eight months in prison for drug trafficking.
Omar Dati, one of Dati's 11 brothers and sisters, was found guilty of acquiring and selling cannabis in 2004 and 2005. Omar (36) is the second brother of Dati to be convicted on drugs charges. - (Reuters)