Mechanical fire aboard bus kills 18

Mechanical problems triggered a fire that raced through a bus in Panama’s capital on Monday, killing at least 18 people, injuring 25 and sending passengers jumping from the flaming vehicle, police said.

Investigators using trained dogs found no evidence of explosives on the city bus and believed some form of fuel leak was to blame for the blaze. The bus lacked an emergency exit.

“We found absolutely no trace of the presence of explosives,” said Jaime Jacome, director of Panama City’s Technical Judicial Police. “There was a lot of gasoline.”

Firefighter Cecilio Lasso said four of the 18 killed were children.

Ovigildo Herrera, deputy director of transportation authorities, said the bus was operating with faulty brakes and no license plates.

“That bus didn’t meet safety standards,” he said.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland

Protestant leader appeals to Sinn Fein

The leader of a major Protestant church appealed to Sinn Fein on Monday to support the province’s police force – the last obstacle to revived power-sharing in this British territory.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams welcomed his first official meeting with Archbishop Robin Eames of the Anglican-affiliated Church of Ireland, the second-largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland. Eames’ previous contacts with Adams had been kept secret because of widespread Protestant hostility to Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Army-linked party.

“It is important we had this meeting. It is a sign of the times – and long may it continue,” said Adams, 56, who has spent two decades transforming his party from a political pariah into the major force in Northern Ireland’s Catholic minority.

After their 90-minute meeting, Eames said he and four bishops who attended the session emphasized that Sinn Fein must drop its decades-old opposition to the Northern Ireland police.

GENEVA

Report: Vietnam ready to join WTO

Vietnam has succeeded in introducing the reforms necessary for it to join the World Trade Organization and become the world body’s 150th member, according to a WTO draft report obtained Monday by the Associated Press.

Vietnam is Asia’s best- performing economy after China. The Asian Development Bank last month projected Vietnam’s economy would expand by 7.8 percent this year. With a population of 84 million, Vietnam is the second-most-populous country behind Russia still outside the WTO. Hanoi has been seeking membership since 1995.

Once Vietnam’s membership has been approved, the country has to ratify the deal. Vietnam can then become a full member after 30 days, meaning it could join as early as December, but still not in time for when it hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in mid-November.

GUATEMALA CITY

Security Council seat still in question

Guatemala’s foreign minister said Monday his country is not giving up its fight for a seat on the U.N. Security Council and will court non-Latin American members to sway the vote in its favor over rival Venezuela.

“It would be unfair if someone else would capitalize without effort on the huge amount of work we’ve put into this,” said Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal.

Guatemala has led Venezuela in 34 of 35 of the votes held since voting started a week ago but hasn’t been able to muster the necessary two-thirds majority in the 192-nation General Assembly needed to win the seat. The 36th round of voting is slated for Wednesday

Venezuela has also refused to withdraw, saying that to do so would be to cede victory to the United States, which has campaigned against it and for Guatemala.