■ United StatesSupport for Bush declines
One year before the next presidential election, Americans are evenly divided between US President George W. Bush and a Democratic challenger, according to a poll released yesterday in The Washington Post. Support for Bush has fallen to the point where 48 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for him if the election were held today, while 47 percent said they would vote for the Democratic Party's nominee, the Post said. Five percent said they did not know. Bush's approval rating, which topped 90 percent after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was at 56 percent, with 42 percent giving him a negative review. Bush received better marks for his handling of the war on terror than for Iraq or his stewardship of the economy.
■ United States
Crash sparks security scare
A woman rammed a car carrying children into a building where US President George W. Bush was campaigning on Saturday, drawing a swarm of police in her wake before being dragged away at gunpoint. Bush was in his limousine ready to leave the arena when the screaming woman hit the same side of the building, near the exit the president's motorcade was to use. Bush was one level below, down a ramp about 75m away. "We don't think there was any malice against the president. ... It was a matter of very bad timing," a DeSoto County Sheriff's Department official, who wished to remain anonymous, said. Employees of the DeSoto Civic Center said they ran away from the crash, scared that it was an attempted car bombing.
■ Gibraltar
`Ghost ship' heads for shore
A cruise liner carrying 500 passengers hit by a virulent stomach virus was heading toward Gibraltar Saturday night after finally being given permission to dock. As an investigation got under way into how a common bug created such havoc on P&O's flagship Aurora, officials said the vessel would be docking today. Conditions were so bad on board the luxury liner it had been refused permission to dock in Greece. Hundreds of sick passengers had also been turned away from Dubrovnik and Venice. More than 40 passengers remained in quarantine as the crew attempted to prevent the virus from spreading further. Hundreds more remain locked in their cabins for fear of catching the highly contagious Novovirus. Passengers said the once-crowded corridors of the vessel resembled a "ghost ship."
■ Georgia
Voters go to the polls
Georgians voted in parliamentary elections yesterday that are seen as a test of strength for politicians seeking to succeed President Eduard Shevardnadze when he steps down in two years after a quarter century in power. Fourteen parties and seven coalitions are competing in the election in this former Soviet republic of 4.4 million. Long lines of voters snaked outside some polling places in the capital Tbilisi even before polls opened at 8am. They were to close at 8pm. Georgians were simultaneously voting in a referendum on cutting the number of legislators from 235 to 150 by the 2007 parliamentary elections.
■ ChinaMine search called off
Rescuers have given up hope of finding seven miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in western-most China's Xinjiang region nearly two weeks ago, state press said yesterday. The seven were declared dead on Saturday after having been trapped in the Xishan coal mine near the regional capital of Urumqi since October 19, Xinhua news agency said. Rescuers were quoted as saying the workers were believed to be buried under a build up of sludge that resulted from the accidental flooding of the mine shaft where they were working. A high concentration of gas was also likely to have been fatal, it said.
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