TopNews

Mexico City - Drug-related killings in Mexico reached 3,002 since January, 76.5 per cent more than in the same period last year, according to a count published Thursday by the daily El Universal.

The numbers included data until June 17.

Over the same period in 2007, killings linked to organized crime had amounted to 1,701. However, deaths escalated at the end of the year, to bring the total for 2008 up to 6,290, more than double the figure for 2007.

Washington - US legislators launched the first salvos Thursday in a looming battle to overhaul the country's means of regulating the financial industry after one of its worst ever crises.

Senators voiced skepticism about President Barack Obama's plan for strengthening the government's oversight of Wall Street, which was billed Wednesday as the most sweeping regulatory reforms since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Baghdad - Iraq's foreign minister on Thursday said the "instability" in neighbouring Iran was a source of continued concern for his country.

"The instability in Iran is a source of concern for Iraq, just as the instability of Iraq was a source of concern for Iran," Hoshyar Zebari told the satellite news channel al-Jazeera.

Belgrade - Almost two thirds of Serbs want their country to join the European Union, survey of Serbia's European Integration Office showed Thursday.

Head of the office Milica Delevic told reporters in Belgrade that 61 per cent of Serbs wanted EU mwembership, while 17 per cent were against. If a referendum were called, 14 per cent would not vote.

One of Serbia's main goals is to join the EU. Key condition for that is the full cooperation with The Hague tribunal, and that includes arresting the Balkans most wanted war crimes suspect - Ratko Mladic.

Eastbourne, England - Teenager Dane Caroline Wozniacki booked the first spot in the semi-finals of the Eastbourne Championships Thursday, leading a pair of French players into the final four.

The 18-year-old Wozniacki, the highest seed remaining in the field at sixth, dispatched Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 at Devonshire Park at the Wimbledon warm-up event.

Virginie Razzano defeated eighth-seeded holder Agnieszwa Radwanska of Poland 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 while 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli advanced over Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-1, 6-4.

New Delhi, June 18 : The Government on Thursday set up a high level committee under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar to review the measures taken for coastal security at regular intervals and monitor developments taken after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The other members of the committee will include the Chief of Naval Staff, Secretaries of all concerned Ministries such as Defence, Home, Petroleum and Chief Secretaries of Coastal States.