Briefly World

Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie says the death sentence imposed on him by Irans late leader no longer affects his daily life...

Rushdie says fatwa only a minor issue now

TORONTO: Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie says the death sentence imposed on him by Irans late leader no longer affects his daily life,but the issue still hasnt gone away. Rushdie commented Monday on the fatwa while appearing with author Elie Wiesel,a Nobel Peace Prize laureate,for a discussion on freedom of speech and human rights. Rushdie was forced into hiding for a decade after Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued an edict ordering Muslims to kill the author,saying his book,The Satanic Verses,insulted Islam.

Iraqs SC ratifies election results

BAGHDAD: Iraqs Supreme Court Tuesday ratified results and declared a secular alliance the biggest winner in the March 7 parliamentary vote. Announcing the certification,Chief Judge Midhat al-Mahmoud described as reliable election results that gave 91 seats to the Iraqiya political alliance led by Ayad Allawi,a former prime minister and secular Shia.

Tropical storm Agatha kills 150

GUATEMALA CITY: Flooding and landslides from the seasons first tropical storm have killed at least 150 people and made thousands homeless in Central America,officials said. Dozens of people were missing and emergency crews struggled to reach isolated communities cut off by washed-out roads and collapsed bridges caused by Tropical Storm Agatha.

Diana wanted to expose arms dealers

LONDON: More than 12 years after she died in a car crash in Paris,a leading defence lawyer has alleged that Princess Diana was murdered over her plan to expose UKs arms dealers. Queens Counsel Michael Mansfield claimed Diana even intended publishing an explosive diary to unmask those closely involved with British land-mine manufacturing and the countrys role in arms trade.

Crash: Polish pilots ignored warning

WARSHAW: Poland has published cockpit conversations of the last dramatic minutes before the April plane crash that killed President Lech Kaczynski,revealing that pilots screamed and cursed after hitting a tree. The recording shows that 16 minutes before the crash,the control tower in Smolensk,Russia,told the Polish pilots that heavy fog had created bad landing conditions. The pilots said they would give it a try anyway. The Interior Ministry published the 40-page transcript on Tuesday.

Soviet-era poet Voznesensky dies

MOSCOW: One of the most popular Soviet-era poets Andrei Voznesensky,who had an uneasy relationship with authorities,died here Tuesday at age of 77 after a prolonged illness. President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin condoled the death. Voznesensky belonged to a generation of liberal intellectuals known as the children of 1960s.