Category:October 18, 2007

Audio Wikinews Brief for October 18, 2007

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The time is 10:45 UTC and this an Audio Wikinews Brief for Thursday, October 18, 2007.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was the target of a bombing which has killed at least a hundred people, including police within her motorcade. Bhutto was apparently not harmed in the attack.

Bhutto's arrival in the country, breaking eight years of self-imposed exile, was met by more than 20,000 police and military troops. Security was tight, after a warning that al-Qaeda militants could attempt to assassinate the former leader, who is disliked by many traditionalist Pakistanis who consider her rule to have brought the country too close to the United States.

On Wednesday, Turkey's Grand National Assembly voted 507-19 to authorize sending troops into northern Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels. Although the authorization is valid for one year, Turkish officials made clear that it would not necessarily result in military action. Both the United States and Iraq have recently warned Turkey against such an incursion.

The Associated Press is reporting that Kansas Senator Sam Brownback is expected to drop out of the Presidential race on Friday in a speech scheduled in Topeka, Kansas. "I know Senator Brownback enjoyed campaigning and meeting new people in talking about ideas for the future of America, but I think it came down to money," an anonymous source told AP. "It's just time," said a source to Reuters. "He is not going to endorse anyone else right away."

In an interview with Wikinews, Brownback confirmed money was an issue. He reported raising only $800,000 in the third quarter of this year, his lowest since entering the race.

It was a milestone in aviation history: the first Airbus A380 landed at Singapore's Changi International Airport at 6:40PM (GMT+8) on Wednesday after a 12-hour flight from Airbus' Delivery Center. The aircraft was greeted by some 400 guests, including the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, at the soon-to-open Terminal 3 of Changi International Airport.

Vernon Bellecourt, once the primary spokesperson for the American Indian Movement, died recently at age 75. Bellecourt, an Ojibwa who fought for Native rights, was perhaps best known for his opposition to Native names and mascots for sports teams.

The American satirist Stephen Colbert has announced that he will run for the Presidency of the United States. He made his announcement on his mock news show The Colbert Report.

However, Colbert said that he would only run in his home state of South Carolina as a favorite son. He also said that he would represent both major political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. It is not known how far Colbert will go with his character during his electoral run.

This has been an Audio Wikinews brief and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license at http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/