In Brief: 08 September 2013

Syrian rebels quit early-Christian village

SYRIAN rebel fighters have withdrawn after briefly capturing a historic Christian town as part of a campaign to take control of strategic mountains near Damascus, opposition sources said.

Several rebel brigades, including a contingent of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, swept into the town of Maaloula in the Qalamoun mountains on Wednesday after overrunning a roadblock manned by troops and militia loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the sources said.

The attack highlighted the delicate position of the Christian minority in Syria, where members of the clerical hierarchy have expressed public support for Assad. The Christian community, while fearing an Islamist takeover, has remained largely on the sidelines since 2001.

Maaloula, tucked into the honey-coloured cliffs of a mountain range north of Damascus and on a "tentative" list of applicants for Unesco world heritage status, is associated with the earliest days of Christianity.

St Thecla, a follower of St Paul, is said to be buried in the convent. She fled to the village to avoid marriage, having taken a vow of chastity.

The inhabitants are mostly Melkite Greek Catholic and Orthodox Christians, who have historically lived peacefully alongside Sunni Muslims. It is one of only three places in the world where Western Aramaic, a dialect of the language spoken by Christ, is still used. - ©Reuters

Online onions sell like hot cakes in India

GROUPON, which offers cut-price deals on everything from food to shoes, is offering onions at nine rupees (R1.38) a kilogram this week.

By Friday, more than 8000 Indian customers had bought the onions, used extensively in Indian cooking. About 5000kg was sold and the website crashed. Food prices have risen across the board in India - and the cost of onions has increased dramatically. - ©The Daily Telegraph, London

Tony Abbot sweeps to victory in Australia

AUSTRALIA'S "unelectable" and gaffe-prone political leader, Tony Abbott, confounded critics yesterday by becoming the country's latest prime minister, leading the opposition to a sweeping election victory and ending six years of Labour Party rule.

Abbott, the leader of the Liberal Party-led coalition, rode a wave of public bitterness over a hated carbon emissions tax, worries about a flagging economy and frustration over government infighting to win the election. The result was a stunning turnaround for Abbott, who has not been particularly popular and was once dubbed unelectable by opponents and some of his own supporters.

Labour's once-popular leader Kevin Rudd conceded defeat yesterday. - Sapa-AP

Miss World pageant moved amid protests

INDONESIA'S government has moved the final round of the Miss World pageant from the main Java island to the resort island of Bali amid protests by hardline Muslims against the contest. The decision, announced by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono, makes Bali the sole location for the event, which opens tomorrow.

The final round was initially set for September 28 in Sentul, on the outskirts of Jakarta, the capital.

"The changes are made in accordance with people's aspirations and for the sake of Indonesia's tourism development," Laksono told a news conference.

Bali is the only Hindu-dominated province in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country. - Sapa-AP