World in brief: What happened today

Gerry and Kate McCann, parents of missing child Madeleine McCann, walk out from a mass in Lagos, Portugal. Photo / Reuters

Anti-terror law to give UK police 'war-time' powers

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair plans to push through a new anti-terrorism law giving "war-time" powers to police to stop and question people.

The "stop and question" power would enable police to interrogate people about who they are, where they have been and where they were going without the need need to suspect a crime had taken place.

Such powers had only existed before in other parts of Britain in war time.

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US and Iran to hold rare talks on Iraq violence

BAGHDAD - US officials are expected to call on Iran to stop arming and funding Shi'ite militias when Iranian and American diplomats hold rare talks in Baghdad later today.

The only item on the agenda up for discussion will be Iraq and not Iran's atom programme.

However US ambassador Ryan Crocker does not expect "any stunning, startling breakthroughs" from the meeting.

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Madeleine's parents hope to meet Pope

LONDON - The parents of a four-year-old missing Madeleine hope to meet Pope Benedict later this week.

"They hope to draw profound strength from any audience as well as helping to publicise the campaign to bring Madeleine home," the Foreign Office liaison officer for the family said.

The Vatican could not immediately confirm whether the McCann would have an audience with the Pope.

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