A round up of today's other stories in brief:
Mugabe says West will not dislodge him
HARARE- Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe vowed yesterday he would survive a western onslaught to dislodge him from power, saying he still enjoyed majority support in his ruling party.
Mr Mugabe described himself as a battle hardened man, saying the West had always criticised him from his years as a guerrilla leader fighting white rule.
"You think if I said I am 83 years you can push me," Mr Mugabe said to applause from supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF party at a meeting in Harare.
"It's solid 83 years of the struggle, of experience, of resilience and I know the tactics [ to survive]," he said.
US negotiator back in Beijing
WASHINGTON- The US Treasury Department is sending its top North Korea negotiator back to Beijing today to help authorities in China and Macau sort out details of the planned transfer of frozen North Korean funds from a Macanese bank.
The treasury said yesterday that Daniel Glaser, deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, will lead a five-person delegation to Beijing to work through details of the $25 million (€19 million) transfer. Delays in the transfer have stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear programme. - (Reuters)
Ahmadinejad cancels US trip
UNITED NATIONS- Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has cancelled a visit to New York to address the UN Security Council because of delays in granting visas to his entourage, Tehran's UN ambassador said yesterday.
Mr Ahmadinejad had wanted to address the council before it votes on imposing new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear programme. - (Reuters)
US marine unit investigated
AFGHANISTAN- A US marine special operations unit that shot and killed civilians after a suicide bombing in Afghanistan is under US investigation and has been ordered to leave the country early, officials said yesterday.
Army Maj Gen Francis H Kearney III, head of Special Operations Command Central, responsible for special operations in the Middle East and central Asia, ordered the marines out of Afghanistan and initiated an investigation into their conduct. - (AP)
Bug in politician's car 'viable'
SCOTLAND- Scottish politician Tommy Sheridan has been told by police that a suspected bugging device found in his car was "viable", he said last night.
"I do not know for certain who is responsible - but I certainly could not suggest this was something that was the responsibility of the security forces," he said.
"Any speculation around that is garbage." He went on: "I think there is only one newspaper group in Britain today with former journalists spending time behind bars for this type of stuff." - (PA)
Guantánamo closure unlikely WASHINGTON - The US military prison at Guantánamo Bay will likely remain open for the rest of George W Bush's presidency because it will take time to conduct the legal proceedings of the detainees there, the White House said yesterday.
Mr Bush's term runs out in January 2009. - (Reuters)
Grave escape for Houdini
Family members of Harry Houdini said yesterday they will file court papers on Monday asking that the virtuoso escape artist's body be exhumed to determine whether he was poisoned.
Nearly 81 years after Houdini died - on Halloween 1926 - rumours still abound that he was murdered. - (AP)