SHARES in British Sky Broadcasting continued to fall on worries that News Corp’s takeover bid might be blocked, getting no immediate relief from the company’s announcement late in the day that it was closing the scandal-racked News of the World.

PROTESTERS clashed with riot police again yesterday around Iran’s parliament, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the country won’t annul the results of last week’s disputed presidential election.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL Kofi Annan urged the United States to resist attacking Iraq, joining calls from leaders in Germany, China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain yesterday for restraint in considering military action to topple Saddam Hussein.