FIRST SHOTS: Saddam Hussein minister sentenced to hanging, no more psychic octopus

The Upshot

Welcome to "First Shots," a daily roundup of early-bird news and a preview of what's to come.

• Saddam Hussein's longtime foreign minister, Tariq Aziz, 74, today was sentenced to death by hanging for hunting and executing members of the Shiite religious parties under the former regime. (AP)

• Iran's state-run news organization reports that the country this morning began loading fuel into its nuclear reactor. (Washington Post)

• A new report says Somalia is the world's most corrupt country. Other countries topping the list: Burma, Afghanistan and Iraq. (BBC News)

• The Kentucky Senate debate was surprisingly civil last night. But outside the debate location -- a brutal attack. (Atlantic)

• The fight to allow military and overseas voters cast ballots online has set off warnings from computer security experts. (USA Today)

• Ford Motor Co. just posted the automaker's highest third quarter net income in its 107- year history. (Bloomberg)

• Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has decided against a bid for mayor of Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)

• The psychic World Cup octopus is dead. (AFP)

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