Colombo - A provincial poll in Sri Lanka's Western Province which consists of the capital Colombo and two adjoining districts opened Saturday, election officials said, despite a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the north of the country as government forces keep up their campaign to crush Tamil rebels. Some 3.8 million voters in the Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha districts started are registered to vote in the elections which commenced at 7 am (0130 GMT) and is scheduled to end at 4 pm.

New York - The United Nations said Friday that its top humanitarian official would visit Sri Lanka over the weekend as tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in rebel-held areas. John Holmes, undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, will be in Sri Lanka for three days, urging the government to facilitate a UN humanitarian mission to the conflict zone and assessing the condition of refugees living in makeshift camps.

Manila - Five people were killed when a cargo truck plunged into a ravine Saturday on a northern Philippine highway, a police report said. One more passenger was injured in the accident that occurred at dawn along a highway in Diadi town in Nueva Vizcaya province, 395 kilometres north of Manila.

The victims were aboard the truck that was loaded with fruit and was on the way to nearby Isabela province.

Manila - Two Swiss men were arrested in a southern Philippine city for allegedly operating a cybersex den, a police report said Saturday. The two suspects were arrested Friday during a raid in a three-story house in Kauswagan village in the outskirts of Cagayan de Oro City, 835 kilometres south of Manila.

Seventeen young women, allegedly involved in the cybersex ring were also taken into custody by the raiding team. At least six of the women were caught performing sex acts before a camera attached to a computer which was connected to the internet.

Quito - Ecuador is set to vote in a presidential contest Sunday, with incumbent Rafael Correa heavily favoured for re- election. Correa, 46, looked poised to secure victory in the first round without a runoff. The election is already historic in Ecuador as the first in which an incumbent president has sought re-election.

Washington  - Reports that General Motors might kill off its muscled Pontiac line - Firebird, Grand Prix and Bonneville - pushed GM to nix the idea on Friday, at least for now.

GM is already working to shake off Hummer, Saab and Saturn as part of its belt-tightening ahead of the crucial June 1 deadline, set by the government for the country's largest car maker to attain viability.

GM received news this week that it would get another 2 billion dollars in loans from the US government to help it stay afloat until the deadline. The new infusion brings to