Nation, world briefs 9/14/15

Four inmates die in prison clash

CUSHING, Okla. -- Three inmates were stabbed to death during an attack or fight at an Oklahoma prison, and a fourth died of his injuries overnight, an official said Sunday. The violence erupted about 4 p.m. Saturday at the Cimarron Correctional Facility. A preliminary investigation determined the stabbings apparently happened in quick succession while the inmates at a medium- security wing of the prison were being let out of their cells into the exercise yard, said Terri Watkins, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections. "The entire stabbing incident happened over a couple of minutes," Watkins said, adding all prisoners were locked in their cells within 40 minutes of the outbreak of violence. No prison staff were injured.

Colonoscope helps find stolen diamond

BANGKOK -- The good news for the Chinese visitor to Bangkok was a doctor successfully removed a foreign object from her large intestine that could have damaged her digestive system. The bad news: It was a $278,000 diamond the woman was accused of stealing from a jewelry fair. Police Col. Mana Tienmaungpak said Sunday authorities got to the bottom of the theft when a doctor wielding a colonoscope and the medical equivalent of pliers pulled the 6-carat gemstone from the large intestine of the woman alleged to have filched it, after nature and laxatives failed to get it out. The woman, identified as Jiang Xulian, 39, and a Chinese man were arrested Thursday night at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on their way out of Thailand on the basis of surveillance video from the fair, where that day the duo allegedly switched a fake stone for the real one after asking to inspect it. The dealer at the booth selling the diamond also identified the two.

Evidence hearing set in hot-car death case

MARIETTA, Ga. -- What evidence the jury will be allowed to hear in the trial of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son in a hot vehicle to die is certain to be a central issue in a hearing set to begin today. Justin Ross Harris faces charges in the June 2014 death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley is set to hear pretrial motions at the hearing, which is expected to last several days. Police have said Harris left the boy in an SUV for seven hours on a hot summer day. He was indicted on charges including malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children. Harris' attorneys have said the child's death was an accident.

Gas prices drop 27 cents in 3 weeks

CAMARILLO, Calif. -- The U.S. average price of gasoline dropped 27 cents over the past three weeks to $2.44 a gallon. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday the pump price fell even though crude oil prices gained strength as gasoline supply outweighed demand. Further price drops are likely if crude oil prices don't skyrocket, because the Sept. 15 change to winter-grade gasoline comes with a cost cut in much of the country. The cheapest price recorded in the continental United States was Charleston, South Carolina, at $1.94. The highest was $3.31 a gallon in Los Angeles.

-- From wire reports