A round-up of today's other world news in brief
Effort to delay US healthcare vote rejected
WASHINGTON – The Senate Finance Committee rejected a Republican effort yesterday to delay a final vote on a broad healthcare overhaul as it slowly battled through a crush of amendments on its cost, size and timing.
Republicans demanded more information on the Bill’s budgetary impact and called for the Democratic-controlled panel to slow its deliberations on chairman Max Baucus’s healthcare reform plan, which he hopes to bring to a final vote this week.
Democrats said the requests were a tactic to stall President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority, a broad overhaul of the $2.5 trillion healthcare industry that would rein in costs, regulate insurers and expand coverage to many of the 46 million uninsured people living in the United States. –(Reuters)
Russia in talks on Iran sanctions
NEW YORK – Russia is prepared to discuss further sanctions against Iran if UN nuclear inspectors declare the Islamic republic has not fulfilled its commitments, a senior Russian delegate said yesterday.
“I do not rule out Russia taking part in working out new decisions by the UN Security Council concerning sanctions against Iran if there are enough grounds for that provided by the IAEA,” a member of the delegation travelling with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to the United Nations said.
“We have said this to our Iranian partners,” added the delegate, who declined to be identified. –(Reuters)
Zapatero set for Middle East talks
UNITED NATIONS – Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said yesterday he would visit the Middle East in October as part of European Union efforts to foster peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Spain takes over the presidency of the EU next January. –(Reuters)
Halt to plans for skyscraper urged
MOSCOW – The UN cultural agency called on the Russian government yesterday to halt plans to build a steel skyscraper among the baroque mansions of St Petersburg’s historic centre.
The 403-metre (1,322-foot) tower, intended to house the headquarters of the state-controlled Russian gas firm Gazprom, has caused an outcry among opposition groups. –(Reuters)
17 dead after Tunisia floods
TUNIS – Heavy rains and flash floods have killed 17 people in a semi-arid region of southern Tunisia, the country’s state news agency TAP said yesterday.
Witnesses said many of the dead were killed when their homes collapsed.
Others were carried away by flood waters that rose to more than two metres (six feet) in some areas. –(Reuters)
Bhutan quake kills at least 10
THIMPHU – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Bhutan on Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens, the state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service said.
The quake was centred about 160km (100 miles) east of the capital, Thimphu, at a depth of 7.2km (4.5 miles), the US Geological Survey said. –(Reuters)
Trafigura settles toxic waste case
LONDON – Commodities trading firm Trafigura finalised a pre-trial settlement yesterday, putting an end to a class-action suit in which the company was accused of dumping toxic waste in Ivory Coast, causing illness. –(Reuters)