Hawking brand

London, March 29 (PTI): British physicist Stephen Hawking is set to trademark his name joining the ranks of J.K. Rowling and David Beckham who have turned their names into brands.

Hawking, 73, has applied to the Intellectual Property Office to have his name formally registered, while another English physicist, Brian Cox, has already made the move. The aim behind Hawking's move is to prevent others from exploiting his name with inappropriate products.

Nigeria polls

Port Harcourt (Reuters): Confusion and sporadic violence blighted Nigeria's presidential election. Opposition All Progressives Congress in Rivers state accused supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan of being behind killings of its campaigners, and denounced the vote there as "a sham and a charade".

Penny auction

New York (PTI): The first US penny, dating back 223 years, has fetched nearly $1.2 million at an auction in Baltimore.