Today's other stories in brief
'Endeavour' space shuttle returns safely
CAPE CANAVERAL - The US space shuttle Endeavour returned safely to its Florida home port yesterday despite concerns early in its mission that a gouge in its heat shield could put the spaceship at risk during its fiery descent.
NASA cut Endeavour's 13- day mission to the International Space Station short by a day to outrun Hurricane Dean amid worries that the storm could force evacuation of the shuttle's mission control centre in Texas. - (Reuters)
Visa revocation overturned
SYDNEY - A federal court has overturned an Australian government decision to revoke the visa of an Indian doctor briefly charged in connection with the failed bomb attacks in Britain.
Dr Mohammed Haneef, a second cousin of two of the British suspects, was arrested in Brisbane in June and held for more than three weeks on suspicion of having supported the plot.
Although the charge was later dropped because of lack of evidence, his visa was cancelled on character grounds. - (Guardian service)
Iran releases US academic on bail
TEHRAN - An American- Iranian academic detained for the past three months on charges of "espionage" and plotting to topple Iran's Islamic regime was released yesterday after her family paid $320,000 bail.
Haleh Esfandiari, Middle East director of the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center, was freed after an ordeal that included intensive interrogations, solitary confinement and a televised "confession" of involvement in an alleged US-backed conspiracy.
- (Guardian service)
EU to resume Gaza fuel funding
JERUSALEM - The EU has agreed to resume funding fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip's main power plant after receiving assurances the bloc will have greater oversight to ensure revenues are not diverted to Hamas.
Starved of EU-funded and Israeli-supplied fuel, the plant cut off power to large parts of the Gaza Strip, causing widespread blackouts and greater hardship in the impoverished territory two months after Hamas seized control. - (Reuters)
Huntington's breakthrough hope
LONDON - Scientists have raised the first hope of a cure for Huntington's disease after unlocking the secrets of what goes wrong in the brains of sufferers. They suggest that a drug being developed for use to treat breast cancer in the US could be adapted for use in Huntington's patients to slow or even halt the progressive brain deterioration.
- (Guardian service)
African leaders 'ignoring abuses'
JOHANNESBURG - Human Rights Watch have accused southern African leaders of ignoring abuses in Zimbabwe and failing to press President Robert Mugabe on political reforms at a summit last week.
The rights watchdog said Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state who met in Lusaka made a "commendable" commitment to free and peaceful elections in Zimbabwe in 2008 but "took no clear measures to realise their vision of allowing the people of Zimbabwe to elect the leaders of their choice in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity". - (Reuters)