RUSSIA

A bomb shredded a passenger bus, killing eight people and injuring more than 60 in a central Russian city known for gang violence.

One official speculated that the blast in Togliatti was a terrorist attack, but others said that was only one possibility. They said investigators were also looking into whether it resulted from a turf battle between criminals or even the careless handling of explosives.

Police in the Volga River city also weren't sure whether the bomb was hidden inside or beneath the bus, or carried on by a passenger, officials said.

Togliatti is headquarters to Russia's largest carmaker, Avtovaz, and the city has a reputation for gang violence as groups have competed for control of the state-owned factory. The company did not say whether factory workers were among the victims.

Monks defy junta, resume protests

More than 100 Buddhist monks marched peacefully in a northern Myanmar town noted for its defiance of the country's military rulers, in the first large protest since the junta violently crushed anti-government demonstrations a month ago.

The monks marched for nearly an hour in Pakokku, chanting a Buddhist prayer that has become associated with the democracy cause.

They did not carry signs or shout slogans, but their action was clearly in defiance of the military government.

Flooding victims seek shelter

A week of heavy rains set off massive flooding in southeastern Mexico, where tens of thousands fled for shelters in the states of Tabasco and Chiapas.

At least 20,000 people had sought shelter in Tabasco's oil-rich capital of Villahermosa, where floodwaters reached the rooftops of homes, and Gov. Andres Granier was urging residents to evacuate.

President Felipe Calderon flew to the area and offered "all help humanly possible" to the more than 300,000 people whose homes were cut off, flooded or damaged.

The flooding, which is not related to Tropical Storm Noel, also caused the evacuation of 7,000 people in Chiapas, the newspaper El Universal reported.

Sarkozy pay jump draws criticism

President Nicolas Sarkozy came under fire because his salary was raised by 140% while ordinary French people struggle with soaring prices for bread, milk and cheese.

Lawmakers voted late Tuesday to increase his salary to about $334,000 a year, putting his pay on a par with that of Prime Minister Francois Fillon.

Official data showed that record oil prices and sharp increases in the cost of basic foods such as baguettes had pushed consumer confidence to a seven-month low.

Pontiff to meet with Saudi king

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah will meet Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday in the first encounter between a pope and a Saudi monarch, the Vatican said.

Abdullah is on a European tour, and Benedict has been attempting to increase dialogue between Roman Catholics and Muslims. The Vatican and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations, but the Holy See has ties with many other Islamic nations.

The pope also plans to meet the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, in December, Italian news agencies reported.

From Times Wire Reports