In Brief

* WAR ON TERROR – The US Supreme Court said it would rule on the legality of special military courts set up for “war on terror” detainees after a former driver to Osama bin Laden made the most serious challenge yet to the US administration.

The court said it would examine the legality of the military tribunals in early 2006, though the US Defence Department said it still wanted to start the first trial this month of accused “Australian Taliban” David Hicks. * QUAKE MISERY – One month after Pakistan’s devastating earthquake aid agencies are facing a cash crisis as the threat of disease and death looms over vast numbers of homeless survivors and a bitter winter closes in.The United Nations is struggling to raise US$550 million for a medium-term programme to help victims of the quake that killed more than 73 000 people in Pakistan and about 1 300 in India.* BIRD FLU DEATH – A Vietnamese man has died of bird flu, the latest case in Asia that underlines the urgency for top health experts drawing up a strategy in Geneva to prevent the virus from spreading to humans around the globe.The World Bank says a flu pandemic lasting a year could cost the global economy up to US$800 billion and health experts say it is imperative to control the spread of the H5N1 avian flu virus in animals before it mutates and spreads easily among people.* POLL IRREGULARITIES – Western observers backed opposition claims of widespread violations during Azerbaijan’s parliamentary election, which state officials said the ruling party won with an absolute majority.* NUCLEAR TRANSPARENCY – UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei called on Iran to be more transparent about its atomic energy programme to ease international fears that it is aiming to obtain a nuclear weapon.* SUICIDE ATTACK – Four US troops were killed in a suicide car bombing south of Baghdad, while a US marine and 36 suspected rebels died in a sweep further west targeting al Qaeda in Iraq ahead of December elections.- Nampa-AFP-Reuters* QUAKE MISERY – One month after Pakistan’s devastating earthquake aid agencies are facing a cash crisis as the threat of disease and death looms over vast numbers of homeless survivors and a bitter winter closes in.The United Nations is struggling to raise US$550 million for a medium-term programme to help victims of the quake that killed more than 73 000 people in Pakistan and about 1 300 in India.* BIRD FLU DEATH – A Vietnamese man has died of bird flu, the latest case in Asia that underlines the urgency for top health experts drawing up a strategy in Geneva to prevent the virus from spreading to humans around the globe.The World Bank says a flu pandemic lasting a year could cost the global economy up to US$800 billion and health experts say it is imperative to control the spread of the H5N1 avian flu virus in animals before it mutates and spreads easily among people.* POLL IRREGULARITIES – Western observers backed opposition claims of widespread violations during Azerbaijan’s parliamentary election, which state officials said the ruling party won with an absolute majority.* NUCLEAR TRANSPARENCY – UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei called on Iran to be more transparent about its atomic energy programme to ease international fears that it is aiming to obtain a nuclear weapon. * SUICIDE ATTACK – Four US troops were killed in a suicide car bombing south of Baghdad, while a US marine and 36 suspected rebels died in a sweep further west targeting al Qaeda in Iraq ahead of December elections.- Nampa-AFP-Reuters