A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Three share Nobel prize for physics
STOCKHOLM - Two Americans and a German won the Nobel Physics Prize yesterday for optical research giving extremely accurate measurements that could one day be used in space travel or three-dimensional holographic television.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize to Roy Glauber, John Hall and Germany's Theodor Haensch for studying light and harnessing lasers to create a "measuring stick" to gauge frequencies with extreme precision.
Such precision will one day be needed for "navigation on long space journeys and for space-based telescope arrays," the academy said, while Mr Haensch, the youngest of the winners at 63, said it could even lead to "3D holographic television." - (Reuters)
Hurricane hits Mexican coast
MEXICO CITY - Hurricane Stan struck Mexico's Gulf coast yesterday, forcing evacuations and shutting down oil ports after killing at least 46 people in Central America.
The hurricane, a low-strength Category One on the Saffir-Simpson scale, came ashore 85 miles (136km) southeast of Veracruz with winds of nearly 80 mph (128kph). Later it weakened into a tropical storm. - (Reuters)
Colombia accepts ex-president
BOGOTA - Colombia has granted asylum to Lucio Gutierrez, Ecuador's former president, who was dismissed in April and is under arrest in his home country.
Mr Gutierrez, who faces charges of endangering security by refusing to recognise his successor, President Alfredo Palacio, requested asylum after arriving in Colombia last month. - (Reuters)
Daughter heads Berlusconi empire
ROME - Marina Berlusconi, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's eldest daughter, has been named president of his media empire, as Mr Berlusconi launches his re-election campaign.
Ms Berlusconi (39) will head a media and entertainment dynasty spanning television, radio, books, magazines, movies, internet, directory inquiries, football club AC Milan and a stake in asset manager Mediolanum. - (Reuters)
Ugandan rebels confronted
KINSHASA - Two Congolese soldiers died in a plane crash yesterday as the UN and Congo's army airlifted local troops to a remote border area to confront a group of Ugandan rebels.
At least 300 Ugandan rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army crossed into the area last month, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Congo and Uganda. - (Reuters)
Troops burn police station
LAGOS - Dozens of Nigerian soldiers set fire to a police station, cars and part of a police barracks yesterday after a fight between a policeman and a soldier over a bribe.
An army spokesman said a brawl broke out after a soldier on a motorcycle taxi refused to pay a 20-naira (15-cent) bribe.
It was the latest in a series of confrontations between the Nigerian military, which ruled the oil exporting country for decades, and the police, a poorly paid force better known for extortion than solving crimes. - (Reuters)
Four sentenced to death in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani military court yesterday sentenced four men to death and two others to life in jail for involvement in an al-Qaeda-inspired assassination attempt on President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally, in 2003. - (Reuters)