In short

A roundup of today's other world news in brief

N Korea says it has arms-grade plutonium 

SEOUL – North Korea said yesterday it had completed reprocessing spent fuel rods at its Yongbyon nuclear plant and turned it into arms-grade plutonium, giving it more material to produce atomic arms.

Pyongyang, hit with fresh UN sanctions to punish it for a nuclear test in May, had recently indicated it could return to stalled international nuclear talks. – (Reuters)

Al-Qaeda linked to Yemeni killings 

ADEN – Suspected al-Qaeda militants killed seven Yemeni security officials in an ambush near the Saudi border yesterday.

“It is believed that elements linked to al-Qaeda were behind the operation as they are active in the area in which the attack took place,” a local government official said. –(Reuters)

US to compensate Muslims over 9/11 

NEW YORK – The US government will pay $1.26 (€0.86) million to five Muslim men detained for months without charges after 9/11, their lawyers said yesterday. The men claimed they suffered inhumane and degrading treatment including solitary confinement, severe beatings and incessant verbal abuse. –(Reuters)

Bulgaria PM tells judges to clean up 

SOFIA – Bulgaria’s new prime minister, Boiko Borisov, has urged magistrates to take action to clean up the graft-ridden judiciary.

Failing to demonstrate results by July next year could threaten Bulgarias access to €11 billion ($16 billion) of European Union aid promised to it through to 2013. – (Reuters)