News In Brief

Iran arrests British 'spy'
Afp, Tehran

Iranian security forces have arrested a "spy" working for the British government in Kerman, a judicial official in the southeastern province told the state IRNA news agency yesterday.
The announcement came just a day after Iran's new envoy to Britain held talks in London on his first visit since his appointment last month, which ended a two-year freeze in diplomatic relations. Iran said the suspect had confessed to his crimes and was now being tried.

Kerry visits Vietnam
Afp, Ho Chi Minh City

US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday attended mass at a cathedral in Vietnam, where he served during the war, in a trip aimed at shoring up Southeast Asian ties amid myriad regional tensions.
Kerry, a practicing Catholic whose experiences during the Vietnam War inspired his political activism, visited the French-colonial era Notre Dame Cathedral in southern Ho Chi Minh City as he began his first official visit to the nation as the top US diplomat.

UN urges sanctions over Syria attacks
Afp, United Nations

UN chief Ban Ki-moon called on the international community Friday to sanction those responsible for Syrian chemical weapons attacks documented in a newly released report.
The UN report, issued Thursday, concluded that such banned arms were used at least five times before Damascus agreed to dismantle its arsenal.The report did not, however, lay blame on any part ove the attacks.

Fire at Mumbai high-rise kills 7
Pti, Mumbai

Seven persons were killed in a massive blaze that broke out in a high rise residential building in South Mumbai on Friday night, firebrigade officials said yesterday.
Six fire personnel, including two officers, were also injured while carrying out rescue and firefighting operations. The fire started on the 12th floor of the 26-storey Mont Blanc building in upscale Kemps Corner area.

Mali suicide attack kills UN troops
Afp, Bamako

At least two UN troops were killed yesterday in a suicide attack in Mali's northeaster rebel bastion of Kidal, which came a day before the country holds a second round of legislative polls, a UN source said.
The soldiers were part of the UN peacekeeping force known as MINUSMA and died when a suicide bomber ploughed his explosive-laden car into a bank that they were guarding.

Obama urges gun law reforms

Afp, Washington

 
President Barack Obama yesterday marked the anniversary of the shooting of 26 people at Newtown school in Connecticut, by urging Americans to press for gun law changes to prevent similar incidents. On Friday, the eve of the Sandy Hook slaughter, a schoolboy in Colorado armed with a shotgun opened fire at his school and wounded two fellow students -- one critically -- before killing himself.

Iran sends second monkey into space
Afp, Tehran

 
Iran said yesterday that it had safely returned a monkey to Earth after blasting it into space in the second such launch this year in its controversial ballistic programme. In January, Iran said it had successfully brought a live monkey, which it named Pishgam (pioneer), back to Earth from orbit.