News in Brief

Obama nominates new FBI chief
Afp, Washington

President Barack Obama on Friday nominated Jim Comey as director of the FBI, and poured effusive praise on the man he will replace, Robert Mueller, who took over before the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Comey, 52, a former deputy attorney general under former president George W Bush, is best known for facing off against White House officials over the legality of a National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropping program.

Mt Fuji becomes World Heritage site
Afp, Phnom Penh

Japan's Mount Fuji, known for its perfectly cone-shaped volcano, was granted World Heritage status, UNESCO said yesterday.
Fujisan, the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 metres, is one of the country's most recognisable sights. The snow-capped peak "has inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries", UNESCO said. It classified the site as a "cultural" heritage site, rather than a "natural" heritage site.

Palestine PM makes U-turn
Afp, Ramallah

Palestinian premier Rami Hamdallah on Friday withdrew an offer to quit a day after presenting it to president Mahmud Abbas, an official said, just two weeks after the government took the oath.
Hamdallah emerged from a "positive" two-hour meeting with Abbas, a senior government official said, having made clear he wants his powers -- and those of his two deputies -- unequivocally defined to avoid further power squabbles.

Another house collapses in Mumbai; 5 killed
Afp, Mumbai

A four-storey building collapsed in Mumbai yesterday, killing five people in the second such incident in as many days and underlining shoddy construction practices in the financial capital of the country.
The dilapidated building, located in a busy market area in suburban Dahisar, was vacated two years ago but local vegetable vendors continued to use it as a night shelter. officials said.