In Brief

* NUKE ROW – A defiant Iran confirmed it had resumed limited uranium enrichment despite a mounting international crisis over its controversial nuclear activities.

“The work has resumed (at the Natanz enrichment facility),” said Javad Vaidi, a member of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a senior member of the country’s nuclear negotiating team. * DEATH SENTENCE – An Indonesian court sentenced two young Australian men to die by firing squad for trying to smuggle heroin from the resort island of Bali, verdicts that back up Jakarta’s war on illegal drugs.* ABUSE PROBE – British military police have made an arrest in connection with a probe into video footage apparently showing British troops abusing civilians in Iraq, the defence ministry said.* SOLDIERS KILLED – Four US soldiers were killed in a bomb blast in insurgency-plagued Afghanistan as five militia troops contracted to the US-led coalition and an Afghan soldier also died in attacks.* CARTOON ROW – The EU’s foreign policy chief began a tour of the Middle East aimed at defusing the row over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, as Egypt called for urgent dialogue between the West and Muslim countries to avert a clash of civilisations.* CHENEY SHOOTING – The White House drew fire for not immediately disclosing that Vice President Dick Cheney had shot a 78-year-old hunting partner in a weekend incident not reported until a day after it took place.* U.N.CANDIDATE – South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon declared his candidacy to replace Kofi Annan as UN secretary general, officials said.- Nampa-AFP-Reuters* DEATH SENTENCE – An Indonesian court sentenced two young Australian men to die by firing squad for trying to smuggle heroin from the resort island of Bali, verdicts that back up Jakarta’s war on illegal drugs.* ABUSE PROBE – British military police have made an arrest in connection with a probe into video footage apparently showing British troops abusing civilians in Iraq, the defence ministry said.* SOLDIERS KILLED – Four US soldiers were killed in a bomb blast in insurgency-plagued Afghanistan as five militia troops contracted to the US-led coalition and an Afghan soldier also died in attacks.* CARTOON ROW – The EU’s foreign policy chief began a tour of the Middle East aimed at defusing the row over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, as Egypt called for urgent dialogue between the West and Muslim countries to avert a clash of civilisations.* CHENEY SHOOTING – The White House drew fire for not immediately disclosing that Vice President Dick Cheney had shot a 78-year-old hunting partner in a weekend incident not reported until a day after it took place.* U.N.CANDIDATE – South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon declared his candidacy to replace Kofi Annan as UN secretary general, officials said.- Nampa-AFP-Reuters