Clashes erupt in northern city

JERUSALEM - Arab and Jewish residents of the northern Israeli city of Acre clashed during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, police and an Arab lawmaker said yesterday. Six Arab rioters were arrested and dozens of cars and shops were damaged, police said. There were no reports of serious injuries. The fighting erupted late Wednesday in a mostly Jewish neighborhood of Acre. (AP)

LIMA - Peru's remaining Cabinet ministers yesterday offered their combined resignation to President Alan Garcia in the wake of an oil-kickback scandal. Sectors of the opposition had called for the 16 ministers to step down after a scandal over alleged oil kickbacks forced the energy minister and a top oil executive to resign on Monday. It was unknown whether Garcia will accept the resignation. (AP)

MALE - Maumoon Abdul Gayoom celebrated his top showing yesterday in the Maldives' first democratic election, but the nation's longtime ruler failed to win a majority and will now face his chief nemesis in a runoff Oct. 29. Gayoom, who ruled unchallenged for 30 years, came in first in the field of six candidates in Wednesday's election with 41 percent of the vote. (AP)

MOGADISHU - NATO joined a growing international force to protect vessels off Somalia's coast yesterday, sending military ships to the waters where pirates are negotiating the release of an arms-laden tanker. The pirates softened their ransom demands for the Ukrainian ship hijacked two weeks ago. The MV Faina is carrying 33 tanks and other heavy weapons. (AP)