A roundup of today's other stories in brief.
Suicide bomb kills four in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD -A suicide bomber in a car killed four policemen and wounded two in an attack in northwestern Pakistan yesterday, police said.
Violence has escalated in Pakistan since a peace deal with tribal fighters linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda broke down in North Waziristan, and after the army assaulted a militant mosque in the capital, Islamabad. - (Reuters)
Ailing Castro publishes essay
HAVANA -Cuba yesterday published a historical essay by ailing leader Fidel Castro, whose long absence from public view has fuelled speculation about his health among Cuban exiles in Miami.
Mr Castro, who turned 81 on August 13th, has not appeared in public since undergoing intestinal surgery in July last year when he handed over power to his brother Raul Castro.
Cuban officials repeatedly insisted last week that Mr Castro continued to recover and was writing and participating in decisions of state. - (Reuters)
Polish MP accused of rape, sex abuse
WARSAW -An MP expelled from Poland's rural-based Self-Defence party has been arrested and charged with rape and sexual abuse, a prosecutor said yesterday.
The prosecutor's office in Lodz has charged Stanislaw Lyzwinski with one count of rape and six counts of abusing his position by demanding or accepting sexual favours in exchange for jobs, the PAP news agency reported.
Mr Lyzwinski has denied the charges. - (Reuters)
Slovenia, Croatia in border pledge
BLED -The prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia pledged yesterday to end squabbling over borders, fishing and property which has marred relations since their independence in 1991.
Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa told reporters after meeting his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader that the two had reached an informal agreement to resolve an argument over their border at the International Court of Justice. - (Reuters)
Teenagers shot in London gun attack
LONDON -Three teenagers were injured in a shooting in a London street early yesterday, police said, the latest young victims in a spate of gun attacks.
A gunman in a gang of men who covered their faces fired shots into a group outside a house party, Scotland Yard said in a statement.
A boy aged 13 was shot in the leg, an 18-year-old man was hit in the chest and a woman aged 18 suffered a gunshot wound to the back. Two have been discharged from hospital and the third is expected to be allowed to go home soon. - (PA)
Former French PM Barre dies
PARIS -Former French prime minister Raymond Barre has died, his family said on Saturday. He was 83.
Mr Barre died at a Paris hospital, where he was being treated for heart problems, family members said.
He had been receiving treatment for several months. He was prime minister of France from 1976 to 1981. - (Reuters)