News in Brief

UK heatwave kills 760 in nine days
Tnn, London
A severe and prolonged heatwave is believed to have killed up to 760 people in England in the past nine days. Thursday was the sixth consecutive day with a recorded daytime temperature of over 30 degrees celsius marking Britain's longest heatwave in seven years.
With high temperatures likely to remain till the end of next week, the number of heat-related deaths is expected to double.

Kashmir shuts down over BSF killings
Afp, Srinagar, India
Indian Kashmir largely shut down amid heavy security yesterday after troops shot dead four people during a protest over a paramilitary raid on an Islamic school.
Shops, banks, schools and most government offices were closed in towns across the region, after a separatist leader called a three-day strike to protest Thursday's killings.

India gets new CJ
Ians, New Delhi
President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday administered the oath of office to Justice P Sathasivam as the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Sathasivam, 64, is the 40th CJI. He will remain in office till April 26, 2014. He succeeded Altamas Kabir, whose last day in office was on Thursday.

Abe set for win in Japan poll
Afp, Tokyo
After six years of political turmoil and a slew of short-term prime ministers, Japan looks set for stability if premier Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc wins this weekend's election, analysts say. Voters nationwide will Sunday elect half of the 242-seat upper house of parliament.
Opinion polls show Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition ally will win more than half the seats up for grabs.

Judge refuses to drop charge against Manning
Afp, Fort Meade
A US military judge on Thursday refused to dismiss a key charge that an American soldier "aided the enemy" by giving a trove of secret documents to WikiLeaks. Manning's defense lawyers had filed motions seeking the dismissal of the aiding the enemy count as well as a charge of computer fraud.

Obama nominates Indian-American for key post
Tnn, Washington
President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated Nisha Desai Biswal to head the South Asia bureau in the US state department. When confirmed by the Senate, Desai will become the first person of South Asian origin to head the bureau, which oversees US foreign policy in the region.