In Briefs

* UNREST – A representative of Shi’ite firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr was found shot dead in his car in the southeast Baghdad neighbourhood of Zayouna, a defence ministry source said.

* BLASTS – Bangladesh’s prime minister began talks with political and business leaders on how to halt a wave of deadly attacks by Islamic extremists, as police rounded up suspects across the country. * RAID – Israeli aircraft carried out raids on the Gaza Strip and pounded the territory with artillery in response to a series of rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.* NUCLEAR – Iran will not submit to Western demands to limit its disputed nuclear fuel drive and is prepared to maintain a freeze on sensitive activities only for a few more months, a top national security official told AFP.* AIDS – African and international health experts discuss how to break the HIV-AIDS virus’ deadly grip on the continent and care for its 24 million victims.* GRAVES – Forensic experts studied the remains of more than two dozen people exhumed from a mass burial site in Lebanon near a former Syrian intelligence and prison headquarters.* ELECTIONS – Voters in Moscow cast ballots in city council elections seen as a test of political pluralism as Russia looks ahead to parliamentary and presidential polls.* KILLED – President Pervez Musharraf confirmed Saturday an Egyptian and top al Qaeda operative in Pakistan had been killed, but someone claiming to represent the terror group denied that the man was dead.- Nampa-AFP* RAID – Israeli aircraft carried out raids on the Gaza Strip and pounded the territory with artillery in response to a series of rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.* NUCLEAR – Iran will not submit to Western demands to limit its disputed nuclear fuel drive and is prepared to maintain a freeze on sensitive activities only for a few more months, a top national security official told AFP.* AIDS – African and international health experts discuss how to break the HIV-AIDS virus’ deadly grip on the continent and care for its 24 million victims.* GRAVES – Forensic experts studied the remains of more than two dozen people exhumed from a mass burial site in Lebanon near a former Syrian intelligence and prison headquarters.* ELECTIONS – Voters in Moscow cast ballots in city council elections seen as a test of political pluralism as Russia looks ahead to parliamentary and presidential polls.* KILLED – President Pervez Musharraf confirmed Saturday an Egyptian and top al Qaeda operative in Pakistan had been killed, but someone claiming to represent the terror group denied that the man was dead.- Nampa-AFP