Harare - Thousands of Zimbabweans packed a stadium on Tuesday for an emotional farewell to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's wife, Susan, whose death in a car crash continues to be dogged by suspicion despite President Robert Mugabe calling it "the hand of God."

Over 10,000 supporters of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) turned out at Glamis Stadium, where the coffin of his wife of 31 years, who was mourned in t-shirts and placards as a "heroine," "a rock," and "a mother," was displayed before her burial Wednesday.

Harare - The driver of the vehicle that collided with that of Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week, killing his wife and injuring him, appeared in court Monday on charges of culpable homicide, lawyers said.

Chinoona Mwanda, 35, was driving the truck contracted by the US international development agency, USAID that side-swiped Tsvangirai's car, causing it to roll three times. Tsvangirai's wife of 31 years, Susan, was killed in the weekend crash.

Washington - Former first lady Nancy Reagan welcomed President Barack Obama's decision Monday to allow government funding of embryonic stem cell research, which scientists believe could help cure diseases such as Alzheimer's that led to her husband's death.

Nancy Reagan, who has departed from many fellow Republicans who oppose stem cell research on religious grounds, said lifting the ban on federal funding would allow scientists to "move forward" with their investigations.

Washington  - US President Barack Obama on Monday reversed an eight-year long government block on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, a promising but controversial science, and rejected what he called a "false choice" between science and morals.

Obama signed an executive order that overturned former president George W Bush's policy limiting research on the cells, which was put in place during his first year in office back in 2001. Fulfilling a 2008 campaign promise, Obama said he would "vigorously support" scientists who pursue stem cell research.

New York  - The World Jewish Congress welcomed on Monday the planned visit to the Holy Land in May by Pope Benedict XVI, suggesting that his presence would ease some of the controversies between the Vatican and Israel.

Benedict announced on Sunday his intention to make the pilgrimage from May 8 to 15, starting with a stop in Jordan and then Israel and Palestinian territories. It would be the third visit by a Roman Catholic pontiff to the Holy Land.

Islamabad - The suspected mastermind of last week's terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team managed to flee when police raided his apartment in eastern city of Lahore on Monday, according to a television report said.

Mohammad Aqeel, a member of an Islamic militant outfit, is believed to have planned the ambush on the convoy carrying Sri Lankan players to a stadium in Lahore last Tuesday. Eight people, including six policemen, died and seven members of the cricket team were injured in the attack.