Hong Kong - A key election in Hong Kong was shunned by a majority of voters Sunday despite expectations that the "Olympics factor" would rally support for China-friendly parties.

Only around four in 10 registered voters had cast their ballots one hour before polls closed in the legislative council election in the only city in China where people can chose some of their elected representatives.

The turnout is predicted to be at least 10 per cent below the 55 per cent of 3.3 million registered voters who cast their ballots in the last legislative council elections in Hong Kong four years ago.

Ottawa - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Sunday called early parliamentary elections for October 14.

Harare - Teachers at Zimbabwe's state schools have gone on strike since the beginning of the new term last week because of low pay, according to teacher union representatives.

"We have declared a strike, and quite a big chunk of the teaching force didn't report for work while those who did report, were not working," Raymond Majongwe, secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers' Union, said Sunday.

The Zimbabwe Teachers' Association, the larger of the two unions and traditionally viewed as pro-government, have not declared a strike, but effectively is part of the action.

London, Sept. 7 : Seventy-five percent of the local councils across Britain have reportedly used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, an anti-terrorism law, over the past year to spy on residents and tackle barking dogs and noisy children.

A Sunday Telegraph report said that the act gives councils the right to place residents and businesses under surveillance, trace telephone and email accounts and even send staff on undercover missions.

New Delhi, Sept. 7 A 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of India, Afghanistan and Pakistan on Saturday.

The quake struck Afghanistan’s Hindukush region near the border with Pakistan, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The epicentre of the tremor was 66 kilometers south of Faizabad and it struck at a depth of 174 kilometers.

Peshawar, Sept 6: On the sidelines of Pakistan Police’s investigation into the murderous attack on one of its diplomats in Peshawar on August 26, a team of US officials will also separately hold a probe into the incident.

The botched attack on Principal Officer of the American Consulate in Peshawar, Lynne Tracy occurred outside her residence in the University Town on Rahman Baba Road in the posh University Town locality.