A roundup of today's other stories in brief.
Aid group says 100 die in Congo fighting
KINSHASA -More than 100 people died in two days of fighting in Congo's capital, an aid group working with hospitals said yesterday.
There were 79 bodies in Kinshasa's main morgue by late Saturday night, along with 20 at the city's Kitambo Hospital, six at Ngaliema clinic and two at St Joseph hospital, said Guy-Marin Kamandji, a spokesman for Catholic charity Caritas.
"Yesterday even as we were at the morgue, more bodies were coming in," he added. - (AP)
Hong Kong leader Tsang re-elected
HONG KONG -Outgoing leader Donald Tsang yesterday won five more years as chief executive in an election the loser called "rigged", but which followed an unprecedented campaign that tested the limits of political openness in China.
Mr Tsang's win was expected due to his robust support from the Chinese leadership - the determining factor when the 795-member electoral committee, stacked in Beijing's favour, voted.
Of 772 valid votes cast in the first contested election since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997, Mr Tsang took 649 and Alan Leong took 123. Hong Kong's seven million people had no direct say. - (Reuters)
General 'worked with drug gangs'
BOGOTA -The CIA has obtained evidence that the head of Colombia's army, a key US ally in Latin America, has collaborated with right-wing paramilitaries and drug traffickers.
Gen Mario Montoya allegedly worked closely with illegal militias during a military crackdown against left-wing guerrillas in 2002 which left dozens of people dead or missing.
News of the CIA report, which was leaked to the Los Angeles Times, was expected to add to pressure on the Bush administration to reduce its annual £350 million in aid to Colombia, most of which goes to the military. - (Guardian service)
Jack Straw to run Brown campaign
LONDON -Gordon Brown's bid to become British prime minister stepped up a gear yesterday when Jack Straw announced he would run the chancellor's campaign to succeed Tony Blair. The Commons leader said he had "no doubt" that Mr Brown had the best combination of experience and vision to succeed Mr Blair.
His endorsement came amid renewed speculation of a potential challenge from within the cabinet - with the focus on environment secretary David Miliband. - (PA)
Workers riot over 'insult' to Koran
ADEN -Hundreds of workers rioted in Yemen yesterday over a French engineer's alleged defilement of the Muslim holy book, damaging a gas export terminal project and setting fire to cars and a helicopter, officials said.
Security officials and witnesses said about 400 workers were protesting against what they said was the desecration of the Koran at the site, a liquefied natural gas terminal under construction. - (Reuters)
Motorway to close for butterflies
TAIWAN -In the history of road transport, there can rarely have been such a poetic excuse for a traffic jam: Taiwan will close a busy motorway section this week to allow butterflies to flutter by.
Drivers on the Linnei section of freeway No 3 have been warned to expect delays as up to one million purple-spotted butterflies a day flit along the motorway during their annual migration.
The closure of a 600-metre section of the elevated expressway reflects a growing ecological consciousness in Taiwan, which is famous for the diversity of its lepidopteran species. - (Guardian service)