CAIRO

Morsi supporters, foes rumble in Tahrir Square

Thousands of supporters and opponents of Egypt’s new Islamist president clashed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday in the first such violence since Mohammed Morsi took office more than three months ago, as liberal and secular activists erupted with anger accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to take over the country.

The two sides hurled stones and chunks of concrete and beat each other with sticks for several hours, leaving more than 100 injured, according to the state news agency. Two buses used by the Brotherhood to bring in supporters were set aflame, and thick black smoke billowed into the sky in scenes reminiscent of last year’s clashes between protesters against the regime of then-leader Hosni Mubarak and his backers.

HAVANA

Castro son, sister dismiss rumors of declining health

Fidel Castro’s relatives in Cuba and Miami denied the latest round of rumors about the 86-year-old former president’s supposedly declining health, after his prolonged public silence set the Twitterverse aflame with speculation in recent days.

“The Comandante is well, going about his daily life, reading, doing his exercises,” son Alex Castro was quoted as saying by Arlin Alberty Loforte, a reporter for the Venceremos weekly newspaper in the eastern city of Guantanamo.

Later Friday, sister Juanita Castro discounted versions that she was traveling from her Florida home back to Cuba to be with family.

“I have no news,” she said. “I have no plans to travel. That’s not true. … These are pure rumors, it’s all absurd.”

WASHINGTON

New policy to allow Indians to possess eagle feathers

The Justice Department said Friday it is going to allow members of federally recognized Indian tribes to possess eagle feathers, although that’s a federal crime.

This is a significant religious and cultural issue for many tribes, who were consulted in advance about the policy the department announced.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and other federal wildlife laws criminalize the killing of eagles, which are listed as either endangered or threatened.

Under the new Justice Department policy, tribal members will not be prosecuted for wearing or carrying feathers, and also may pick up feathers found in the wild.

DES MOINES, Iowa

Baby’s auspicious beginning sends dad off to play lottery

A dream alignment for numerologists has come true in the delivery room of a Des Moines hospital.

The Des Moines Register reports that Laila Fitzgerald weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces when she was born. She came into the world on Thursday, which, numerically speaking, was 10/11/12. She arrived, militarily speaking, at 1314, which would be 1:14 p.m. for civilians.

So the numbers associated with her birth are 8-9-10-11-12-13-14.

Laila’s mother, 26-year-old Katie Deremiah, of Des Moines, says she had a feeling Thursday would be the day, even though the due date was Oct. 19.

Laila’s father, 26-year-old Ryan Fitzgerald, told The Register that he would buy a lottery ticket as soon as he left the hospital.

— From news service reports