World/nation briefs

Navy radio may be crippling garage doors A radio signal being transmitted by a submarine base is probably behind reports of garage doors failing to open and close in southeastern Connecticut, the U.S. Navy said. The signal is part of the Enterprise Land Mobile Radio system used by the military to coordinate responses with civil emergency workers, said Chris Zendan, a spokesman for the sub base in Groton. The problem is that the same frequency is used at very low levels by the manufacturers of garage door openers and the stronger base signal is blocking remote controls.

14 illegal immigrants are killed in crash Fourteen illegal immigrants were killed Sunday outside the South Texas town of Goliad after the pickup truck they were riding in veered off a highway and struck two trees, authorities said. A total of 23 people from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico -- all in the country illegally -- had been crammed into the cab and bed of the pickup when the driver lost control.

Regents recommend tobacco-free campuses The Ohio Board of Regents voted unanimously to encourage all public universities to prohibit tobacco products on their properties. Now it is up to the schools to decide to implement the proposed ban. It is a "vital change" needed to curb the state's smoking rate because virtually all smokers say they started the habit by age 26, said Mari-jean Siehl, of the Ohio Department of Health. The regents do not have the power to make the ban a requirement.

Nearly 100 people die in heavy rains Recent heavy rains across much of China have left nearly 100 people dead. More than a third of the fatalities were in the flood-ravaged capital, where some residents questioned whether the city's rapid push for modernization came at the expense of basic infrastructure such as drainage networks. Saturday night's torrential downpour was Beijing' heaviest rain in six decades.

Typhoon brings strong winds to China coast A powerful typhoon slammed the Chinese territory of Hong Kong on Tuesday, injuring dozens, disrupting communications and bringing business to a standstill in one of the world's leading financial centers. At daybreak, the normally bustling central district resembled a ghost town, with the stock market and major banks closed, and businesses shuttered. The government said that 118 people had been injured, including 52 admitted to hospitals. Subway stations were converted into temporary shelters to accommodate dozens of stranded passengers.

U.S. missiles kill 9 suspected militants U.S. drones fired eight missiles at a compound owned by a powerful militant commander in northwest Pakistan, killing nine suspected insurgents, Pakistani intelligence officials said. It was unclear whether the commander, Sadiq Noor, was at the compound in the North Waziristan tribal area during the attack. Noor is the most important commander for Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a prominent Pakistani militant focused on fighting in Afghanistan.