In Brief

* UNREST – Iraq’s deputy justice minister Bosho Ibrahim escaped a second assassination bid within 24 hours when gunmen ambushed his convoy in Baghdad, an interior ministry official said.

* NUCLEAR – Japan and China agreed that North Korea should give up its nuclear programmme based on the proposal already on the table, days before six-nation negotiations resume after a three-week break. * RESTORED – Iraq’s ancient marshlands that were drained by Saddam Hussein to put down a Shi’ite uprising are nearly half-restored, giving hope of saving traditional habitats for both people and animals, the United Nations said.* FIRES – Cooler temperatures and higher air humidity levels helped firefighters in parched Portugal contain more than a dozen blazes which raged across the country but officials cautioned the risk of new fires remained high.* PROBE – The United States said that Iran should not be let off the hook although an independent probe has reportedly showed no evidence of clandestine atomic weapons activities in the Islamic republic.* PREACHER – The United States distanced itself from a call by prominent religious broadcaster Pat Robertson for Washington to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.* VISIT – China’s President Hu Jintao will meet President George W.Bush on September 7 during his first visit to Washington since becoming his country’s supreme leader, the White House said.* ATTACKS – Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told to get out of Australia as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.* IMPEACHMENT – An opposition bid to oust President Gloria Arroyo over alleged vote-rigging gained four votes but still remained well short of the number needed to start the impeachment process, officials said.* FAMINE – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in Niger to “see for myself” the impact of a devastating famine in the largely desert west African country.- Nampa-AFP* RESTORED – Iraq’s ancient marshlands that were drained by Saddam Hussein to put down a Shi’ite uprising are nearly half-restored, giving hope of saving traditional habitats for both people and animals, the United Nations said.* FIRES – Cooler temperatures and higher air humidity levels helped firefighters in parched Portugal contain more than a dozen blazes which raged across the country but officials cautioned the risk of new fires remained high.* PROBE – The United States said that Iran should not be let off the hook although an independent probe has reportedly showed no evidence of clandestine atomic weapons activities in the Islamic republic.* PREACHER – The United States distanced itself from a call by prominent religious broadcaster Pat Robertson for Washington to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.* VISIT – China’s President Hu Jintao will meet President George W.Bush on September 7 during his first visit to Washington since becoming his country’s supreme leader, the White House said.* ATTACKS – Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told to get out of Australia as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.* IMPEACHMENT – An opposition bid to oust President Gloria Arroyo over alleged vote-rigging gained four votes but still remained well short of the number needed to start the impeachment process, officials said.* FAMINE – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in Niger to “see for myself” the impact of a devastating famine in the largely desert west African country. – Nampa-AFP