A round-up of today's other world stories in brief
Order restored at Damascus jail, Syria says
BEIRUT - Syrian authorities say they have restored order at a military jail near Damascus after a riot, but dissidents have said the insurrection is not over and dozens of prisoners have been killed.
The riot broke out on Saturday at Sidnaya prison, a huge complex 30km northwest of the capital that houses thousands of criminals, political prisoners and soldiers convicted of violating military rules. - (Reuters)
Georgia confirms Abkhaz blasts
TBILISI - Georgian officials have said five explosions struck both sides of the de- facto border between Georgia and its breakaway region of Abkhazia yesterday, in the latest sign of growing tensions between Tbilisi and separatists.
Moscow and Tbilisi accuse each other of stirring tensions in Abkhazia, which broke away along with the region of South Ossetia from Georgian rule during wars in the 1990s. - (Reuters)
Congo opposition party pulls out
KINSHASA - Congo's main opposition party has suspended its participation in parliament to press the government to investigate the death of a local politician, which the party blames on an elite military unit.
Kinshasa's police, however, told French broadcaster Radio France International that Daniel Boteti, a vice- president of the capitals provincial assembly, was killed by armed criminals and that two suspects had been arrested. - (Reuters)
Libyan Islamist group 'defunct'
DUBAI - Jailed leaders of Libya's main Islamist militant group are talking to the government about giving up their armed struggle, a former senior member of the organisation said in remarks published yesterday.
Noaman Othmane said the al Qaeda-linked Fighting Islamic Group in Libya, which aims to overthrow the government of Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy and set up pure Islamic rule, is "practically defunct", pan- Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat reported. - (Reuters)
Footwear for sniffer dogs
LONDON - Police sniffer dogs could be forced to wear rubber-soled bootees when they search Muslims' homes or mosques in order to avoid giving offence, it has emerged.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is looking at how to respect cultural sensitivities as it draws up new guidelines on the use of police dogs.
Dogs are considered unclean in Islamic culture and many Muslims refuse to have direct contact with the animals. - (PA)