WORLD briefs

GAZA. Gaza's top judge said yesterday that he has ordered female lawyers to wear Muslim headscarves when they appear in court, the latest sign that the Islamic militant group is increasingly imposing its strict interpretation of Islamic law on residents of the coastal strip. Supreme Court chief justice Abdul-Raouf Halabi said "Showing a woman's hair is forbidden (in Islam), We will not allow people to corrupt morals. This (dress code) will improve work in the courts."

MEXICO. Mexican federal police say they have detained four men suspected of involvement in the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas. Elias Alvarez Hernandez, the coordinator of federal police in Baja California state, says the men were allegedly part of an immigrant smuggling ring.

NEW DELHI. India launched its first nuclear-powered submarine on yesterday, officials said, underlining the military advances made by the rapidly developing nation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called it a "historic milestone in the country's defense preparedness" as the 6,000-tonne INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) was named in the southern city of Visakhapatnam. The submarine, the first of five planned, is powered by an 85-megawatt nuclear reactor and can reach 44 kilometers an hour (24 knots) underwater, according to defense officials.

CUBA.In a speech marking Revolution Day, Cuba's president said the island can't pin all its problems on Washington's 47-year-old trade embargo. He implored Cubans to take better advantage of a government program begun last year to turn unused state land over to private farmers. Castro said that the global economic crisis means tougher times ahead for Cuba, but the country has no one to blame but itself for poor farm production that leads to frequent shortages of fruits, vegetables and other basics.

RUSSIA.A suicide bomber killed five people and himself, and wounded at least 10 others Sunday in the capital of violence-plagued Chechnya, officials said. The regional Emergency Ministry said the attacker tried to enter a concert hall minutes before the start of a play. It said four police officers stopped the attacker about 40 meters (130 feet) from the hall and died in the explosion. The Interior Ministry said at least 10 civilians were wounded, and almost 800 spectators inside the hall were evacuated. Chechnya's President Ramzan Kadyrov said the attack will not stop the eradication of militants in the province.