In Brief

* ATTACK – Gunmen attacked the convoy of Iraq’s Shi’ite vice president, Adel Abdul Mahdi, in Baghdad yesterday, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries, Interior Ministry officials said.Two Interior Ministry officials told Reuters Mahdi was in the convoy but was not hurt.

One of Mahdi’s aides called for help from the US military and Iraqi security forces, one of the officials said. * SOLD OUT – Tickets for a pop concert to mark the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death sold out in minutes on Wednesday, organisers said.The concert, organised by Diana’s sons Princes Harry and William, will take place at the new Wembley stadium in London next July and feature acts including Elton John, Duran Duran and Pharrell Williams.* OATH – South Korean Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office as the eighth UN secretary-general at a ceremony in the UN General Assembly yesterday, less than three weeks before he assumes the post from Kofi Annan.Both Ban, 62, and Annan, a 68-year-old Ghanaian who has been in office for 10 years, are being honoured by the 192-member body with speeches and a resolution.Ban takes over as secretary-general on January 1.* CHEATING – China will severely punish companies that produce fake and poor quality rabies vaccines, the country’s food and drug watchdog said yesterday, after several people reportedly died from substandard vaccines.Nampa-AP-AFP-Reuters* SOLD OUT – Tickets for a pop concert to mark the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death sold out in minutes on Wednesday, organisers said.The concert, organised by Diana’s sons Princes Harry and William, will take place at the new Wembley stadium in London next July and feature acts including Elton John, Duran Duran and Pharrell Williams.* OATH – South Korean Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office as the eighth UN secretary-general at a ceremony in the UN General Assembly yesterday, less than three weeks before he assumes the post from Kofi Annan.Both Ban, 62, and Annan, a 68-year-old Ghanaian who has been in office for 10 years, are being honoured by the 192-member body with speeches and a resolution.Ban takes over as secretary-general on January 1.* CHEATING – China will severely punish companies that produce fake and poor quality rabies vaccines, the country’s food and drug watchdog said yesterday, after several people reportedly died from substandard vaccines.Nampa-AP-AFP-Reuters