India

Next prime minister chosen

Manmohan Singh, whose humble origins inspired him to start the reforms that opened up India’s economy, was named prime minister Wednesday, ending weeks of turmoil that culminated with Sonia Gandhi’s refusal to take the post.

Singh will be the first Sikh prime minister in the mainly Hindu nation’s post-colonial history.

Singh, an Oxford-educated economist, emphasized the importance of a healthy capital market, creation of jobs and social development, as he tried to calm investors who have been jittery since the likely makeup of the government became clear. The markets soared at the news that Singh was to take the helm.

Texas

Trains collide head-on; one engineer killed

Two freight trains collided Wednesday just outside the small North Texas town of Gunter, killing an engineer and injuring four other people, authorities said. About 20 cars derailed in a tangled mess of steel.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Rebecca Uresti said one of the injured suffered severe burns and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Dallas, about 50 miles to the south.

The other three victims were taken to a hospital in Sherman, a few miles from the crash scene.

Joe Faust, a spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said both of the trains belonged to the company.

The cause of the accident wasn’t immediately known.

Washington, D.C.

Muslim girl wins right to wear head scarf

A sixth-grade Muslim girl in Oklahoma can wear a head scarf to school under a settlement between the school district and the Justice Department, officials announced Wednesday.

The six-year agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma, also requires the Muskogee Public School District to change its dress code to allow exceptions for religious reasons.

The government filed suit in March on behalf of 11-year-old Nashala Hearn. She had been suspended twice by the district for wearing a head scarf, or hijab, to class. School officials said her clothing violated a dress code banning hats and other head coverings.

Hearn and her family said she wore the scarf as part of her observance of Islam. The department’s complaint charged with the district with religious discrimination.