3 killed in shooting

Happy Valley (Oregon), Dec. 12 (Reuters): A gunman opened fire inside an Oregon shopping mall yesterday in the middle of the busy Christmas season, killing at least two people, critically wounding a young woman before shooting himself to death, police said.

The shooting rampage at the crowded Clackamas Town Center in the Portland suburb of Happy Valley touched off panic inside the mall, sending thousands of shoppers streaming as police arrived on the scene.

Police said the lone gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that law enforcement officers who descended on the scene had not fired a single shot inside the mall.

Pope tweet

Rome: Pope Benedict XVI sent his first Twitter message on Wednesday, saying, “Dear Friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.”

Mandela better

Johannesburg (Reuters): Former South African President Nelson Mandela is recovering from a lung infection that has kept the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader in hospital for the last five days, the government said on Wednesday.

Iran inspectors

Vienna (Reuters): UN nuclear inspectors will be ready to go to Iran’s disputed Parchin military complex if the Islamic state were to allow it during talks in Tehran.

Panetta Kabul

Kabul (Reuters): US defence secretary Leon Panetta arrived on an unannounced visit to Kabul on Wednesday for talks with military commanders on the size of a US military presence that would remain after the Nato mission ends in 2014.

Jagger letters

London (AP): Jumpin’ Jack Flash! A batch of love letters written by Mick Jagger to a 1960s muse have sold at auction for $301,472. Sotheby’s said a private collector bidding by phone on Wednesday snapped up the Rolling Stones frontman’s 10 letters to singer Marsha Hunt.

Depardieu

Paris (Reuters): Actor Gerard Depardieu’s decision to establish residency in Belgium by buying a house just over the border with France, is “pathetic”, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Wednesday.