Fire hits Egypt national theatre

Cairo, Sept. 28: A fire destroyed the main hall of Egypt's national theatre in the heart of the downtown Cairo on Sunday, wounding three firefighters, a civil defence officer said.

Billowing white smoke filled the busy Ataba Square just after sunset as 22 engines responded to the alarms. Dozens of riot police also deployed to keep back onlookers.

A major general with the civil defence on the scene described the fire as "almost contained," after high winds briefly drove flames into neighbouring shops and buildings. Three firefighters were hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

Brig. Gen. Nasr Zakaria of the civil defence operations room told the state news agency that the fire began with an electrical short that caused an explosion in the theatre's air conditioning system.

-AP

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Belarus votes as Opposition cries foul

Minsk, Sept. 28: Belarussians voted on Sunday in parliamentary elections that could determine whether President Alexander Lukashenko's regime warms to the West or moves deeper into Russia's orbit.

Mr Lukashenko, dubbed "Europe's last dictator" by Washington, has been courting the West in the past few months amid signs of wavering loyalty to Moscow over its energy prices and war in Georgia.

The wily autocrat has ruled the backward former Soviet republic with an iron fist for the past 14 years, but hopes the European Union and United States will approve the vote's democratic credentials. Belarus has fallen well short of a positive assessment during his reign.

-AFP