Afghanistan

Nato-led air strike kills 10 election workers

AFGHAN president Hamid Karzai condemned an air strike by Nato-led forces which he said killed 10 campaign workers for this month's election. Yesterday's attack happened in Takhar.

A spokesman for the provincial governor said the candidate and some supporters were wounded.

"The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan strongly condemned this attack, saying air bombardments of villages will kill civilians and will not be effective in the fight against terrorism," said a statement issued by the presidential palace. - Reuters

Thailand

Fugitive PM surfaces in SA, visits Mandela

FUGITIVE former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has appeared in South Africa, where he said he is dealing in diamonds and visiting Nelson Mandela.

A photo of his meeting with the former South African president was released in Thailand by Thaksin's lawyer in an apparent move to quash rumours that the divisive ex-prime minister is ill and to advertise that he's rubbing shoulders with VIPs abroad.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Foundation's Sello Hatang confirmed that Thaksin had paid Mandela a courtesy visit, but stressed it was not a formal meeting. - Sapa-AFP and Zaindile Mbabela

China

Landslides kill eight, 40 missing, 71 trapped

AT LEAST eight people died and 40 were missing after rain-triggered landslides struck a community in south-western China.

The landslides swept through a mountain village near the city of Baoshan.

Up to 71 people from 20 families had been trapped in the debris, while 23 people had been rescued. - Sapa-AFP

Holland

Mother suspected of killing three babies

DUTCH authorities have found two babies' bodies in the garden of a woman arrested last week for killing another child.

The corpses of the newborns were found in the village of Geleen.

Police arrested the 41-year-old woman on August 27 after the discovery of the first corpse, prosecutors said. Two other bodies were found in the garden later. - Sapa-AFP

Russia

Police raid offices of opposition magazine

MOSCOW police, some armed and masked, raided a prominent opposition magazine as part of an unspecified investigation .

''About five came to the office to carry out what they called 'investigative actions','' said Ilya Barabanov, deputy editor of the New Times, a weekly magazine.

The New Times has published exposes of high-level corruption. - Reuters

Zimbabwe

Residents protest against power cuts

IRATE Zimbabweans yesterday protested against frequent power outages in the town of Masvingo. Protesting residents and business people took to the streets in the town.

In earlier statements the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority had advised that it could only supply about a third of the country's daily power requirement.

Zesa has exhausted regional goodwill because of its inability to settle huge debts with South Africa and Mozambique suppliers. - Moses Mudzwiti

India

Oil still coating beaches in popular resort

WAVE after wave of tar balls floated ashore on the renowned Goa beaches after a ship dumped tons of waste oil off India's western coast.

Semi-solid lumps of oil formed layers up to 15cm deep on beaches in the popular tourist destination.

Civic workers collected and clear the oily debris, but more tar balls were washing ashore three days after officials believe a ship dumped burnt oil at sea. - Sapa-AP

Benin

Ponzi scheme: call to impeach president

A GROUP of MPs in Benin wants president Boni Yayi impeached over untested allegations that he was involved in a Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands of their savings.

More than 100 000 people lost their savings in a Ponzi scheme run by a now-defunct company that appeared to be publicly endorsed by the country's president.

The government said in a statement last month that more than 130 000 people gave their savings to Investment Consultancy and Computering Services. - Reuters

China

10 000 coal trucks stuck in 120km jam

MORE than 10000 trucks mainly carrying coal are stuck in a 120km traffic jam in Inner Mongolia.

State television said the highway heading toward Beijing and the neighbouring province of Hebei was now more like a car park. The jam started forming on Tuesday after traffic restrictions began being enforced in Hebei.

Just over a week ago authorities finally cleared a 100km jam that had lasted nine days. - Reuters

Australia

School omits 'gay' line from children's song

AN AUSTRALIAN school principal has asked students to stop using the word "gay" when singing a classic children's song, but said no offence was intended as he was simply trying to keep kids from laughing.

Principal Garry Martin of Le Page Primary in Melbourne said he instructed students to substitute the line ''Fun your life must be'' for the original ''Gay your life must be'' when singing Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree.

''It wasn't homophobia. There was nothing really calculated in doing it,'' he said. - AFP