A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Scandal may deny Lula outright win
SAO PAULO - Brazilians voted in elections yesterday with signs that public disgust over sleazy politics might prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from securing the outright victory that seemed a foregone conclusion until a few weeks ago.
The past few days have seen a dramatic turnaround as opposition candidates flayed Lula, the champion of Brazil's poor, over corruption scandals surrounding his Workers' Party.
"Lula disappointed me," said Luisa Pena, a 31-year-old artist in Rio de Janeiro, "he promised for so many years that he would put an end to corruption and there's been more scandals in his government than in the previous." - (Reuters)
Pope appeals for tolerance in Iraq
CASTELGANDOLOFO - Pope Benedict said yesterday he hoped Iraq's Christian minority could continue to live in peace with the Muslim majority in a country where people of both religions faced tragedy on a daily basis.
The pope, who has been trying to patch up relations with Muslims after a controversial speech last month, said Iraq had traditionally been a place of harmony between Muslims and Christians. - (Reuters)
Bomb explodes at Turkish hospital
ISTANBUL - A bomb exploded outside a hospital in the southern Turkish city of Mersin yesterday, injuring three people, state-run Anatolian news agency reported police as saying.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred on the day the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party launched a unilateral ceasefire in its 22-year conflict with the Turkish state. - (Reuters)
Election results delay sparks riot
LUSAKA - Zambians looted shops and blocked roads with burning tyres yesterday as violence mounted ahead of final results in a presidential election the opposition says has been rigged in favour of the incumbent.
Opposition supporters blocked streets with burning tyres and hurled stones at police after officials delayed announcing final results of the election until today for "security reasons". - (Reuters)
1,000 homeless after dam bursts
GUSAU - Flood water from a burst reservoir dam in northern Nigeria has made 1,000 families homeless, but about 40 people earlier feared dead have been found alive, the state governor said yesterday.
Local media had reported Zamfara state governor Ahmed Sani saying that at least 40 people died after heavy rainfall swelled the reservoir to critical levels, causing the dam to collapse. - (Reuters)
Ex-academic tipped to lead liberal party
TORONTO - An ex-Harvard University professor was the front-runner to lead Canada's opposition Liberal Party after two days of voting for delegates to a leadership convention, the party's website said yesterday.
Unofficial results showed Michael Ignatieff leading with 30.5 per cent, followed by former Ontario premier Bob Rae with 19.4 per cent and former Liberal cabinet minister Stephane Dion with 16.9 per cent. The final tally is expected later today. - (Reuters)
Hungarian PM set for boost in capital
BUDAPEST - The Hungarian government looked to have held on to the capital Budapest in local elections yesterday, in what would be a big boost for embattled prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. Initial indications showed Free Democrat Gabor Demszky had won his fifth term as mayor. - (Reuters)