In Short

A roundup of today's other world news in brief:

A roundup of today's other world news in brief:

Putin revives cold war aircraft patrols

CHEBARKUL- Russian president Vladimir Putin said yesterday security threats had forced Russia to revive the Soviet-era practice of sending bomber aircraft on regular patrols beyond its borders.

Mr Putin said 14 strategic bombers had taken off simultaneously from airfields across Russia in the early hours on long-range missions.

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At US president George Bush's Texas ranch, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said he did not believe the flights posed a threat to the US.

- (Reuters)

Hurricane Dean heads for Gulf

MIAMI- Hurricane Dean grew into a major storm with 125mph winds yesterday after it smashed into the Caribbean islands, knocking out power and setting off landslides before heading toward the oil and gas rigs of the Gulf of Mexico. Three people were reportedly killed.

Dean was ugraded to a Category 3 hurricane capable of widespread destruction after it crossed from the Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea.

Three Eta suspects to be extradited

LONDON- Three alleged Eta terrorists will be extradited from Britain to Spain, a court ruled yesterday.

The two men and a woman are suspected of being a "reserve cell" of the Basque separatist group who, while in Britain, plotted to cause explosions in Spain.

- (PA)

Curfew imposed on Nigerian oil city

PORT HARCOURT- The Nigerian government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Port Harcourt, Nigeria's main oil city, yesterday after dozens of people were killed in gun battles. Up to 40 people died in street fighting between troops and heavily armed gangsters on Thursday, local newspapers reported.

- (Reuters)

UN team verifies nuclear freeze

VIENNA- North Korea has helped UN nuclear monitors verify the shutdown of its nuclear arms programme by allowing them to take photos and examine inventory, the International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday. A three-page IAEA report, obtained by Reuters, was the first by the Vienna-based agency on North Korea since it readmitted monitors in July after a four-year ban to verify the nuclear freeze agreed by Pyongyang and five powers in February.

- (Reuters)