A round-up of other world news in brief...
Second farm closes over E.coli fears
Public health fears in the wake of an outbreak of E.coli infections in the south of England have forced the closure of a second children’s farm.
The UK’s Health Protection Agency recommended that Horton Park children’s farm, Epsom, Surrey, close because of a lack of sanitary safeguards.
Horton Park is near Godstone Farm, Redhill, Surrey, which closed on September 12th after 45 people became infected with E.coli. Twelve children are still in hospital with the infection, contracted after visiting Godstone. Four are seriously ill, six are stable and two are described as improving. – (Reuters)
Israeli tourists told to avoid India
JERUSALEM – Israel will warn its citizens to avoid India after receiving a “pinpoint” intelligence tip-off that Pakistani militants may carry out a series of attacks there in the coming weeks, Israeli television reported yesterday.
Citing a leaked copy of the travel advisory due out today, Channel Two said the alleged militants had al-Qaeda links and planned to target both Western and Jewish tourists in attacks similar to those mounted last year in Mumbai. India is a popular destination for Israeli holidaymakers.– (Reuters)
Second Iranian cleric shot dead
TEHRAN – A senior cleric who was a member of a top government body was shot dead in a Kurdish-populated area yesterday, the second such killing in less than a week, state media reported.
State television said Mohammad Sheikholeslam, a Sunni cleric who was a member of the Assembly of Experts, was shot dead as he left his home in Sanandaj, the main city in Kurdestan province. On Saturday, a Sunni Muslim cleric who had backed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran’s disputed June election was shot dead by assailants in the same city. – (Reuters)
Democrats divide on Kennedy seat
BOSTON – Massachusetts lawmakers will start voting on Thursday on whether to change state law to let an interim senator temporarily fill the late Edward Kennedy’s Senate seat as the battle over healthcare rages.
The Democrats, loath to leave a crucial Senate seat vacant during the healthcare debate, overwhelmingly control the Massachusetts legislature.
But deep divisions among Democrats over allowing the governor to name a temporary replacement suggest the Bill will only pass in the state House with a narrow margin. – (Reuters)