World Highlights

¤ UN nuclear watchdog head Mohamed El Baradei warned Iran the world was running out of patience because it had not replied to proposals designed to end a standoff over its atomic programme.

EU and Iranian officials were due to discuss the issue in Brussels, but Tehran has so far defied mounting international pressure for a quick response and says it sees "ambiguities" in the package of incentives put forward by major powers yesterday .

¤ Mexico's conservative presidential candidate, Felipe Calderon, snatched a razor-thin election victory, but his leftist rival vowed to fight the result in the courts and on the streets.

A Harvard-educated conservative, Mr Calderon had 35.83 per cent support with results in from 99.6 per cent of polling stations.

¤ A suicide car bomber blasted two coaches carrying Iranian pilgrims outside a Shi'ite Muslim shrine in Iraq at dawn, killing 12 people and wounding 41, police and health officials said.

¤ The US space shuttle Discovery crew floated aboard the International Space Station after their spaceship sailed flawlessly into a docking port to begin an eight-day stay on a mission critical to the future of both spacecraft.

¤ Group of Eight leaders meeting in Russia this month will back a proposal by Moscow to get business more actively involved in the fight against terrorism, European diplomats say.