Today: Saturday, September 18, 2010

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Sep 18, 2010

Afghans vote amid violence and widespread fraud | Reuters

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KABUL | Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:12pm BST

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan officials hailed a parliamentary vote on Saturday as a success despite low turnout, attacks that killed 14 people and widespread fraud that could undermine the result and test the government's credibility.

Spurs beat Wolves 3-1 with late treble | Reuters

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LONDON | Sat Sep 18, 2010 5:51pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Some inspired substitutions gave a relieved Tottenham Hotspur a 3-1 home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday when they scored three goals in the last 13 minutes.

Bent earns Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal draw in stoppage time | Reuters



LONDON | Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:38pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Darren Bent scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Sunderland a 1-1 home draw with 10-man Arsenal in a thunderous Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light Saturday.

West Ham off the mark at last after 1-1 draw at Stoke | Reuters

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LONDON | Sat Sep 18, 2010 3:02pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - West Ham United secured their first Premier League point of the season, in their fifth game, when they drew 1-1 at Stoke City on Saturday.

Pope apologises for abuse as thousands march in protest | Reuters

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LONDON | Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:26pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - Pope Benedict apologised to victims of sexual abuse on Saturday, saying paedophile priests had committed unspeakable crimes and brought "shame and humiliation" on him and the entire Roman Catholic Church.

Afghanistan braces for violent polling day

(Reuters) - Afghanistan braced for a day of violence on Saturday as voters headed to the polls for a parliamentary election that is a crucial test of government credibility and the strength of its security forces.

EU, France clash over Roma

Friday, September 17, 2010
PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday France was "profoundly hurt" by World War II parallels with its expulsion of Roma Gypsies, and vowed to continue clearing "illegal camps." "These words were profoundly hurtful," Sarkozy said, referring to a statement this week by European Commission justice chief Viviane Reding.
"My duty as head of state was to defend France."

Pope admits abuse failures on state visit to Britain

Friday, September 17, 2010
POPE Benedict XVI admitted yesterday the Catholic Church had failed to act quickly enough to stamp out the menace of paedophile priests, on the first day of an historic state visit to Britain. Tens of thousands of people gathered in Edinburgh and Glasgow to welcome the 83-year-old pontiff despite controversies over the abuse scandal and a Vatican aide likening mainly Anglican Britain to a "Third World country".

19 gunmen die in clash in Mexico

17 Sep 10 - AT LEAST 19 outlaws were killed in clashes with troops in Mexico's northeastern state of Tamaulipas, near the US border, where 72 migrants were massacred last month, the army said yesterday.The clashes, on a road near Ciudad Mier, lasted several...

Mexico recalls its 'moment of emancipation' from Spain

17 Sep 10 - BELLS rang out yesterday as Mexican President Felipe Calderon reenacted the moment 200 years ago when a priest urged his countrymen to rise up and overthrow their Spanish colonial masters."The moment of our emancipation has come," Calderon...

Mideast talks still under threat

17 Sep 10 - UNITED STATES Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended three days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders yesterday with no visible sign of progress on breaking a deadlock over building in West Bank settlements.On another possible peace track...

Landmine kills 10 aboard Turkey bus

17 Sep 10 - A LANDMINE believed to have been planted by Kurdish rebels blew up a minibus in southeast Turkey yesterday, killing 10 people in one of the bloodiest attacks on civilians in recent years.The blast struck at a delicate moment for Ankara when it is...

Nigerian gets 12 years for US$1.3m 419 scam

17 Sep 10 - A NIGERIAN man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in US prison for orchestrating an advance payment scam that bilked victims out of more than US$1.3m.Okpako Mike Diamreyan, 31, was ordered to serve 151 months in federal prison and pay a little...

Guinea halts presidential run-off after violence

17 Sep 10 - GUINEA has halted Sunday's presidential run-off after days of violence, as the military ruler called for fresh regional mediation to prevent the country heading for a "dead end."In a solemn televised address to the nation, transitional...

Father of German shooter on trial for manslaughter

Friday, September 17, 2010

THE father of a teenager who shot dead 15 people before killing himself in a rampage at his old school in Germany expressed regret at the start of his trial for manslaughter yesterday.

France suspects al-Qaeda behind Niger kidnap

Saturday, September 18, 2010

FRANCE fears al-Qaeda militants are hauling seven foreign hostages across the Sahara from Niger's uranium fields to desert hideouts in Mali, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said yesterday.

Nato chief urges Russia's inclusion under security 'tent'

Saturday, September 18, 2010

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned yesterday against leaving Russia "outside the tent looking in" as the Atlantic Alliance goes ahead with plans to deploy a missile defence system in Europe.

Nuclear plant evacuated as Karl charges on Mexico

18 Sep 10 - HURRICANE Karl roared towards Mexico's gulf coast Friday, forcing the evacuation of oil rigs and the shutdown of a nuclear plant, while another giant storm, Igor, targeted Bermuda."Major Hurricane Karl expected to make landfall along the Gulf...

US sees cooperation between N Korea, Iran

Saturday, September 18, 2010

A SENIOR US official said yesterday there was evidence that North Korea has transferred technology to Iran, confirming cooperation between two nations of deep concern to Washington.

Israeli troops kill Hamas leader

18 Sep 10 - ISRAELI soldiers shot dead a Hamas military commander in the occupied West Bank yesterday, the army and Palestinian officials said.Palestinian leaders condemned the killing and said it could jeopardise nascent Middle East peace negotiations being...

Christine O'Donnell fights back at Values Voter Summit

Hizbullah bid to torpedo UN Hariri tribunal | The Brunei Times

Saturday, September 18, 2010
POLITICAL tension is mounting in Lebanon as Hizbullah and its allies ratchet up pressure aiming to discredit a UN-backed tribunal expected to implicate the powerful militant group in the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.

MI5 chief highlights threats from Somalia, Yemen


A woman carries a child into the local hospital after he was injured by a mortar shell explosion in Mogadishu last Thursday. Somali insurgents fired mortar rounds at government buildings in Mogadishu, sparking an exchange that killed at least 12 civilians and wounded dozens. Picture: AFP

In Brief , BT

Venezuela airline suspends operations

CARACAS: Venezuelan national airline Conviasa is suspending all flights for two weeks after a crash in which 17 people were killed, the transport ministry said yesterday. The airline will "undertake a wide-ranging technical audit and evaluate all its protocols and procedures," the ministry said in a statement.

UN Council flays Congo mass rapes

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council yesterday strongly criticised the Democratic Republic of Congo government for mass rapes in the country and demanded swift efforts to catch those behind "gross human rights violations." Hundreds of women and children were raped by militia groups in eastern DR Congo in late July and early August, in acts that drew widespread international condemnation.

Somali PM to face confidence vote

MOGADISHU: Somalia's prime minister will face a new confidence vote in parliament on Saturday as a power-struggle between the leader of the government and President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed comes to a head. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke has come under intense pressure to step down in recent months.

French veil ban won't endanger Nato troops

WASHINGTON: France's plans to ban the full-face veil in public have not placed Nato troops in Afghanistan in greater danger, French Defence Minister Herve Morin said yesterday. French and other forces in the US-led coalition already were under serious threat in the war.

Diagnosis leads to murder-suicide

WASHINGTON: A man distraught and enraged at hearing his mother's diagnosis shot her doctor Thursday at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital before killing her and taking his own life, police said. Officials would not immediately elaborate on the mystery diagnosis that sparked the tragic shooting.

Japan PM makes key cabinet reshuffle

TOKYO: Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who survived a bruising leadership challenge this week, named a new cabinet Friday, including a hawkish foreign minister to handle an escalating row with China. The shake-up in ministerial and party posts also aims to shore up Kan's authority on a year-old centre-left government and effectively sidelines his vanquished rival, Ichiro Ozawa, in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

Japan suspects cyber attacks amid China row

TOKYO: Japan suspects its defence ministry and national police agency websites have come under cyber attack this week, a news report said yesterday, amid a bitter row with China over a territorial dispute. The government is looking into the attacks given that China's largest known hackers' group had warned it would attack Japanese government websites until Saturday in protest over the maritime incident, Kyodo News agency reported.

Key Australian MP upset over reforms row

SYDNEY: A key Australian independent MP yesterday voiced dismay that new parliamentary reforms looked in danger despite a "group hug" designed to show goodwill between the major parties. Rob Oakeshott, the "kingmaker" whose support allowed Prime Minister Julia Gillard to regain power after dead-heat elections, said a row over who will be speaker showed the deal was unravelling.

New Zealand on tornado watch amid storm

WELLINGTON: A storm that meteorologists described as being the size of Australia buffeted New Zealand yesterday, prompting severe weather alerts across most of the country and warnings of localised tornadoes. The official MetService said gale-force winds of up to 130km per hour were lashing some areas, including the capital Wellington, accompanied by heavy rain, lightning and icy temperatures.

Taliban kidnap Afghan vote candidate

KABUL: The Taliban kidnapped an Afghan parliamentary candidate on Friday and were blamed for snatching another 18 election workers, as President Hamid Karzai warned of "irregularities" in the weekend poll. The hardline militia, which has been fighting an insurgency for nine years since being ousted from power, has threatened attacks to disrupt today's poll and called a boycott.

New hope for Chile trapped miners

COPIAPO: A drilling operation yesterday reached 33 miners trapped in a Chile mine since early August, but the deep hole must now be widened to bring the men out safely, a government official said. The extra work still required to extract the miners will take several more weeks, and will not be complete before late November at the earliest, according to engineers' initial estimates.

Five cleaners held in Britain over pope visit 'terror' alert

Saturday, September 18, 2010

BRITISH police arrested five street cleaners yesterday on suspicion of plotting a "terrorist" attack linked to the historic state visit of Pope Benedict XVI, officials said.

HM graces Raya gathering at ICC, Brunei

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam with HRH Crown Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah (3rd L), HRH Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah (2nd R), HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah (2nd L), HRH Prince 'Abdul 'Azim (R) and HRH Prince 'Abdul Malik (L), during the Raya celebrations organised by Yayasan Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah at the International Convention Centre. Picture: BT/Saifulizam

Apec ministers agree on labour proposals

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Ministers responsible for human resources development (HRD) yesterday agreed to "vigorously" promote employment and realise inclusive growth in the region.Concluding their two-day meetings yesterday, the ministers, among whom was Energy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Paduka Hj Mohd Yasmin Hj Umar, adopted several recommendations for Apec Economic Leaders to review with regards to HRD policies.

Plans on to relocate pupils taking PSR exam | The Brunei Times

Due to Tutong floods

Pupils from five primary schools in Tutong who will be sitting for the Primary School Assessment (PSR) examination will be relocated to another school if flooding occurs during the time of the examinations.