News Briefs

Officials of the United States Army said late Thursday that the suspect in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas is still alive and in stable condition in custody, after undergoing surgery. It had been reported earlier that Major Malik Nadal Hasan, an American of Jordanian descent, was shot to death after opening fire on fellow soldiers who were having last minute medical check-ups before being deployed to Afghanistan.

Ten soldiers and a civilian policeman were killed in the shooting. 31 others were wounded. Sources said the major, an army psychiatrist, had been due to be deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq shortly and did not want to go.