Today's other stories in brief
Seven killed in Pakistan missile strike
PESHAWAR - A missile strike suspected to be from a pilotless US drone killed seven militants yesterday in Pakistan's South Waziristan region, seen as an al-Qaeda sanctuary, two intelligence officials said. "The missile hit a house adjacent to a madrasa [Islamic seminary]," one official said. - (Reuters)
Greek riots spark Spanish attacks
MADRID - Youths in the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona attacked a police station and a bank on Wednesday night following protests over the shooting by Greek police of a teenager in Athens, Spanish police said.
In Madrid, more than 200 youths marched through the city centre on Wednesday night chanting "Police murderers". - (Reuters)
Iceland to seek EU membership
BRUSSELS - Iceland may apply for EU membership early next year, enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said yesterday. "We are mentally preparing for Iceland possibly preparing for EU membership," he said. - (Reuters)
Pope decries financial world
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict yesterday branded the global financial system self-centred and lacking in concern for the common good of people, particularly the poor. In his annual peace message, the pope also called for a "common code of ethics" that would narrow the gap between the haves and have-nots. - (Reuters)
Obama nuclear pledge reported
JERUSALEM - US president-elect Barack Obama plans to offer Israel a strategic pact designed to fend off any nuclear attack on the Jewish state by Iran, an Israeli newspaper reported yesterday. Haaretz said Washington would pledge under the proposed "nuclear umbrella" to respond to any Iranian nuclear strike against Israel with a US retaliation in kind. - (Reuters)
Lawyer blocked at Tehran airport
TEHRAN - An Iranian human rights lawyer has been barred from leaving Iran to collect an international rights prize in Italy, she said yesterday. Nasrin Sotoudeh said she was prevented from boarding her flight at Tehran's international airport on Wednesday. - (Reuters)
14 arrested in Brussels
BRUSSELS - Belgium detained 14 people yesterday suspected of links with al-Qaeda, including three feared to have been planning an attack on Belgium, federal prosecutors said. A government source said the suspects had been detained purely as a preventive measure. - (Reuters)