In Briefs

Suspected US drone kills 12

* MIR ALI – Suspected US unmanned aircraft fired on a house in Pakistan’s volatile tribal region yesterday, killing at least a dozen people in an area hit by a surge of such strikes since the beginning of the year, intelligence officials said.

Afghan parly recesses without cabinet* KABUL – The Afghan parliament prolonged months of political uncertainty yesterday by shutting for its winter recess without waiting for President Hamid Karzai to fill nearly half of his cabinet.UN confirms death of Haiti mission chief * UNITED NATIONS – The UN mission chief in Haiti, Hedi Annabi, died in Tuesday’s earthquake that devastated the country’s capital, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Saturday. Up to 80 m Americans infected with H1N1* WASHINGTON – As many as 80 million Americans have been infected with H1N1 swine flu, up to 16 000 have been killed and more than 360 000 hospitalised, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.Ukraine voters face landmark poll* KIEV, – Ukrainians cast their first presidential ballots since the 2004 Orange Revolution yesterday, an election that could steer the country from its pro-Western course and strengthen ties with Russia.Barak seeks thaw in Turkey* ANKARA – Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak met Turkey’s foreign and defence ministers yesterday to try to repair ties between the allies that have been further strained this week by a diplomatic row in which Israel was forced to apologise for its treatment of the Turkish ambassador.