A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Czech political deadlock finally broken
PRAGUE - Czech parties have agreed to elect a social democrat as parliamentary speaker, breaking a deadlock that has hampered the formation of a new cabinet for two months.
If the deal stands in a vote on Monday, the outgoing cabinet led by social democrat Jiri Paroubek can resign, long after the June election which gave right- and left-wing blocs equal numbers of seats.
President Vaclav Klaus can then appoint a new prime minister, most likely right-wing leader Mirek Topolanek, although he has yet to find support for his planned minority cabinet. - (Reuters)
Turk on trial for shooting judge
ANKARA - A Turkish lawyer has said at the start of his trial that he was motivated by a ban on women wearing Islamic headscarves in schools when he shot dead one of Turkey's top judges in May.
The attack inside the Council of State, the country's top administrative court, shocked Turkey and sparked protests against the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party. The council has upheld rules restricting the wearing of headscarves in public offices and schools. - (Reuters)
Seventh victim of fires in Portugal
LISBON - A woman firefighter has been found dead in a truck, the seventh victim of forest fires raging across central and northern Portugal since July, a spokeswoman for the national fire service said.
The 30-year-old woman was found yesterday inside the back of a truck used to communicate with firefighters on the ground in a forest about 100km (62 miles) north of Lisbon. - (Reuters)
Somalia political standoff warning
NAIROBI - Somalia's political standoff may erupt into a region-wide conflict involving al-Qaeda unless its fragile government can bring Islamists into its ranks, a think tank has said.
Foreign states, Ethiopia and Eritrea in particular, must stop supporting the rival factions or risk inflaming the situation, the International Crisis Group said in a report.
"Unless the crisis is contained, it threatens to draw in a widening array of state actors, foreign jihadi extremists and al-Qaeda," said the report. - (Reuters)
Ghost workers on Cameroon payroll
YAOUNDE - Cameroon has discovered 45,000 ghost workers on its civil service payroll who cost the central African country nearly $10 million a month, according to the economy minister.
The ghost workers - people drawing state salaries but not actually working - were uncovered during a census of public servants as part of a drive to root out rampant corruption. Foreign donors made tackling corruption a condition for cancelling billions of dollars in foreign debt earlier this year. - (Reuters)
'NoW' suspends its royal editor
LONDON - The News Of The World has suspended royal editor Clive Goodman following allegations of mobile phone hacking.
Mr Goodman is due to appear in court next week charged with one count of conspiring to intercept voicemail messages and eight counts of intercepting voicemail messages. - (PA)
Mexico City rattled by quake
MEXICO CITY - An earthquake rattled Mexico City yesterday with a force that sent people fleeing onto the streets in panic and revived memories of a devastating 1985 temblor.
No casualties or major damage were reported after the 9.30am quake.
The city's Spanish colonial centre was devastated by the earthquake 21 years ago that killed at least 12,000 people. - (Reuters)