In Brief

* SCANDAL – Iraq faced a fresh prison scandal after Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari ordered an investigation into reports of abuse at a clandestine interior ministry jail.

The announcement came as 15 Iraqis died in rebel attacks. * FLU – Preliminary tests show a boy in central China contracted bird flu, health authorities said, in what would be the first confirmed human infection of the virus in the world’s most populous country.* RIOTS – A French government bill extending until February a state of emergency is presented to the upper house Senate a day after deputies approved the measure, despite the country’s gradual return to normalcy after nearly three weeks of suburban unrest.* UNREST – At least nine villagers were killed in an ambush by suspected Islamic militants in troubled southern Thailand’s Narathiwat province, Governor Pracha Tearat said.* PLOT – Three Chinese immigrants were charged with “acting as agents” for Beijing over an alleged plot to steal secret US Navy silent propulsion technology and smuggle it to China, prosecutors said.* LEADER – Germany’s Social Democrats elected a former East German as their new chairman as they head into a coalition government under conservative leader Angela Merkel, who is set to become the first chancellor from the ex-communist state.* SUSPENDED – The United States suspended its disputed military trials for “war on terror” detainees after a ruling by a federal judge.- Nampa-AFP* FLU – Preliminary tests show a boy in central China contracted bird flu, health authorities said, in what would be the first confirmed human infection of the virus in the world’s most populous country.* RIOTS – A French government bill extending until February a state of emergency is presented to the upper house Senate a day after deputies approved the measure, despite the country’s gradual return to normalcy after nearly three weeks of suburban unrest.* UNREST – At least nine villagers were killed in an ambush by suspected Islamic militants in troubled southern Thailand’s Narathiwat province, Governor Pracha Tearat said.* PLOT – Three Chinese immigrants were charged with “acting as agents” for Beijing over an alleged plot to steal secret US Navy silent propulsion technology and smuggle it to China, prosecutors said.* LEADER – Germany’s Social Democrats elected a former East German as their new chairman as they head into a coalition government under conservative leader Angela Merkel, who is set to become the first chancellor from the ex-communist state.* SUSPENDED – The United States suspended its disputed military trials for “war on terror” detainees after a ruling by a federal judge. – Nampa-AFP