In Brief

* SUPPORT – China’s Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said his country backs Africa’s campaign for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking during a flying visit to Abuja, where he met for 30 minutes at the airport with his Nigerian counterpart Olu Adeinji, Li said: “China is in support of Africa’s aspirations for UN reforms”. * DETAINED – Eight Iraqi border policemen have been detained by Iranian forces after a clash on the southern river frontier in which one Iraqi was wounded, the regional border force commander said.* UNREST – The army imposed a deadline for all non-resident Israelis to leave Hebron after clashes with hundreds of settlers over plans to evict Jews from a marketplace in the West Bank city.* ILL – Former US president Gerald Ford has been taken to hospital near his home in California suffering from pneumonia, a spokeswoman for the 92-year-old ex-leader said.* VOTE – Special UN envoy to Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdes, confirmed that presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Haiti on February 7.* JUSTICE – The Australian government has become embroiled in an inquiry into the alleged payment of huge bribes by the national wheat exporter to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the UN oil-for-food scandal.* SPACE – The icy, never-explored distant planet of Pluto is the target of a new space probe NASA planned to launch in an ambitious mission to investigate the outer reaches of the solar system.- Nampa-AFP* DETAINED – Eight Iraqi border policemen have been detained by Iranian forces after a clash on the southern river frontier in which one Iraqi was wounded, the regional border force commander said.* UNREST – The army imposed a deadline for all non-resident Israelis to leave Hebron after clashes with hundreds of settlers over plans to evict Jews from a marketplace in the West Bank city.* ILL – Former US president Gerald Ford has been taken to hospital near his home in California suffering from pneumonia, a spokeswoman for the 92-year-old ex-leader said.* VOTE – Special UN envoy to Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdes, confirmed that presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Haiti on February 7.* JUSTICE – The Australian government has become embroiled in an inquiry into the alleged payment of huge bribes by the national wheat exporter to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the UN oil-for-food scandal.* SPACE – The icy, never-explored distant planet of Pluto is the target of a new space probe NASA planned to launch in an ambitious mission to investigate the outer reaches of the solar system.- Nampa-AFP