Bombs kill doctors, children in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan: A suicide bomber struck a United Nations convoy yesterday in southern Afghanistan, killing two Afghan doctors on their way to provide polio vaccinations to children, together with their driver. Separately, at least six children were killed while playing with what Afghan authorities said was a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban and aimed at foreign troops. Abdul Rahim Daisiwal, the chief of Andar district, said more than a dozen other children were injured by the blast. The suicide attack on the U.N. convoy in Kandahar province, which injured five guards and 10 passersby, was condemned by U.N. officials and the commander of Western forces in Afghanistan.
Zimbabwe leaders outline shared powers
HARARE, Zimbabwe: President Robert G. Mugabe, Zimbabwe's main opposition leader and a leader of a smaller opposition faction were to sign a power-sharing deal today that has resulted from weeks of negotiations mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki and Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader, announced a deal late Thursday. They gave no details, saying the agreement would be made public today. Members of the opposition first gave the broad outlines Friday, and media controlled by Mugabe confirmed their version Sunday. According to Zimbabwean state radio yesterday and the opposition members earlier, the agreement calls for a Cabinet with 31 members - 16 from the opposition and 15 from Mugabe's party.
Plane's engine failed before crash, killing 88
PERM, Russia: A Russian passenger plane that caught fire as it fell from the sky yesterday likely suffered engine failure before it crashed, killing all 88 people on board, investigators said. The right engine of the Boeing 737-500 caught fire as it prepared to land in Perm, they said. Flight 821, operated by an Aeroflot subsidiary, carried 82 passengers, including six children younger than 10, and six crew members, Aeroflot said. It crashed about 3:15 a.m. on the outskirts of Perm, about 750 miles east of Moscow. The most likely cause was engine failure, Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the federal prosecutors' Investigative Committee, said in televised comments. The head of the Investigative Committee said examination of the site showed the crash "apparently was connected to technical failure and a fire in the right engine," the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
Calif. Legislators reach deal on the budget plan
SACRAMENTO, Calif.: Lawmakers announced yesterday that they've reached a deal on a no-new-taxes state spending plan, ending the longest budget impasse in California history. The deal comes days after Democratic Senate leaders abandoned their monthslong crusade to close the $15.2 billion budget gap with the help of taxes. They argued that balancing the budget any other way would be fiscally irresponsible and bleed state services. The budget package will come before a vote in both houses of the Legislature as early as Monday. If lawmakers approve the spending plan and the governor signs it, the state can again begin paying its bills.
Japanese festival vendor kills 1, injures 6
KANAZAWA, Japan: A sickle-wielding festival vendor went on a slashing rampage, at an autumn festival at a shrine in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday evening, killing a man and injuring six other people, police said. One of the injured is critical. Officers from Tsurugi Police Station arrested the alleged assailant, Toshiaki Arai, at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder after he had been restrained. The police plan to upgrade the charge to murder. Arai reportedly snapped after being teased by festival participants and left his stall selling children's toys at Kuwajima Shrine.
SUV driven onto soccer field kills 1, injures 2
SAN JOSE, Calif.: Police say a motorist drove onto a soccer field at a park in San Jose, Calif., and ran down three men, killing one and injuring the other two. One man has been arrested and police spokesman Enrique Garcia says investigators are treating the case as a homicide. Officers believe the motorist deliberately struck the victims, Garcia said. According to witnesses, the large sport utility vehicle drove onto a sidewalk next to San Jose's Hillview Park and hit the victims. Police said the man in custody was arrested about an hour later in another part of the city. One of the injured men was listed in critical condition.