In Brief

*SHARON ERA ENDS – Ariel Sharon’s tenure as Israel’s prime minister came to a symbolic end at a cabinet meeting that formally designated Ehud Olmert to replace the comatose stroke victim.

Under Israeli law, Sharon will be categorised as permanently incapacitated and unable to serve as prime minister on Friday, 100 days after suffering his stroke. Olmert, deputy prime minister when Sharon fell ill, was named interim prime minister at the time.At a special session, the cabinet designated Olmert acting prime minister, an appointment which Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon said would go into effect on Friday.* NUCLEAR – The United States wants to settle the Iran nuclear crisis through diplomacy, President George W.Bush said, describing reports of plans to attack Iran as “wild speculation”.* TERROR – US prosecutors numbed jurors with tapes recounting final moments of September 11 victims, and the grief of relatives left behind, as they pressed for the execution of al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.* PRESSURE – Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas urged Israel to abandon its efforts to isolate his Hamas-run government as financial pressure on the beleaguered Islamist regime intensified.* CURFEW – Authorities in Nepal’s capital imposed a curfew for the fourth consecutive day in an effort to stem anti-royal protests that have seen three killed, official media reported.* TRIAL – Former Enron chief executive officer Jeffrey Skilling avowed his innocence as he took the stand in his own defence at a fraud trial in Houston.- Nampa-AFP-ReutersOlmert, deputy prime minister when Sharon fell ill, was named interim prime minister at the time.At a special session, the cabinet designated Olmert acting prime minister, an appointment which Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon said would go into effect on Friday. * NUCLEAR – The United States wants to settle the Iran nuclear crisis through diplomacy, President George W.Bush said, describing reports of plans to attack Iran as “wild speculation”.* TERROR – US prosecutors numbed jurors with tapes recounting final moments of September 11 victims, and the grief of relatives left behind, as they pressed for the execution of al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.* PRESSURE – Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas urged Israel to abandon its efforts to isolate his Hamas-run government as financial pressure on the beleaguered Islamist regime intensified.* CURFEW – Authorities in Nepal’s capital imposed a curfew for the fourth consecutive day in an effort to stem anti-royal protests that have seen three killed, official media reported.* TRIAL – Former Enron chief executive officer Jeffrey Skilling avowed his innocence as he took the stand in his own defence at a fraud trial in Houston.- Nampa-AFP-Reuters