DILI (AFP) ― East Timor went to the polls Monday to elect a new president in a run-off vote, as the young democracy prepares to celebrate its first decade of independence and bid goodbye to U.N. forces.Voters queued before polls opened at around 7:00 a.m., an AFP correspondent saw, in a contest pitting Francisco Guterres “Lu Olo” against Taur Matan Ruak, both heroes of the 24-year war against Indonesian occupation.A steady trickle of voters cast their ballots at the Motael primary school, a poll

OSLO (AP) -- The right-wing fanatic who confessed to killing 77 people in a bomb-and-shooting massacre went on trial in Norway‘s capital Monday, defiantly rejecting the authority of the court.Anders Behring Breivik, dressed in a dark suit, smiled as a guard removed his handcuffs in the crowded court room. The 33-year-old then flashed a closed-fist salute, before shaking hands with prosecutors and court officials.``I don’t recognize Norwegian courts because you get your mandate from the Norwegian

CARTAGENA, Colombia (AFP) ― U.S. President Barack Obama said Sunday he expected a “rigorous” probe into a sex scandal involving Secret Service agents, warning he would be “angry” if the claims were proven true.The incident, which saw 11 Secret Service and five military personnel pulled from their security duties in Colombia at the Summit of the Americas, overshadowed the talks attended by Obama and other regional leaders.The U.S. Secret Service, which has sent the men back to the United States,

An Australian two-year-old spent up to five days home alone with the body of her dead mother, according to officials who said Monday she may have survived on chocolate Easter eggs.The severely dehydrated child was found on Friday after neighbors raised the alarm, leading to the discovery of the body of a woman in her 30s in a house in Wagga Wagga, some 400 kilometers southwest of Sydney."She was q

Taliban launch co-ordinated attacks across Afghan capital, 3 other eastern citiesTaliban insurgents struck the heart of the Afghan capital and three eastern cities Sunday, firing automatic weapons and grenades at embassies, government buildings and NATO bases as they launched the spring fighting season with the boldest and most complex assault in years.The multi-pronged attacks show the Taliban and their allies are far from beaten and underscored the security challenge facing government forces a

A dangerous naval standoff between China and the Philippines at a disputed South China Sea shoal has eased, but tension flared anew after China deployed a second ship and an aircraft that briefly hovered over the area, Filipino officials said Sunday.The South China Sea, one of the world‘s busiest sealanes, has become more vulnerable to confrontations after governments with conflicting territorial claims started beefing up their maritime forces.A Philippine warship attempted to arrest several Chi

U.S. President Barack Obama, speaking for the first time about allegations that Secret Service agents hired prostitutes, said Sunday that “of course I'll be angry'' if those accusations are proven true by an investigation. Obama said the agents represent the United States and are supposed to conduct themselves with the highest levels of dignity anywhere in the world. “Obviously, what's been report

Nearly 100 tornadoes raked across the central United States, leaving five people dead and at least 29 injured Sunday in Oklahoma alone. Twisters ripped up homes, a hospital and cut power to hundreds of thousands of people.Forecasters warned that more tornadoes from the violent storm system were possible before the day was over across a swath that stretched hundreds of miles from southern Texas to

South African President Jacob Zuma will marry his fourth wife next weekend, his spokesman confirmed Sunday.Zuma will tie the knot at his family homestead in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal province, said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj."I can confirm that President Zuma will formalise his relationship with his fiancee, Ms Bongi Ngema, in a private traditional ceremony at Nkandla this weekend," Maharaj