World datelines

Canada: Bomb threat

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian fighter jets escorted a Cathay Pacific airliner coming from Hong Kong to a safe landing in Vancouver International Airport on Saturday following a bomb threat, officials said.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that passengers had been safely taken off the plane and that nothing of concern had been found in the baggage. Canadian F-18 Hornet fighter jets intercepted the Airbus 8340 with 283 passengers and 14 crew members aboard and flew alongside it until it landed around 1:40 p.m. local time.

Chile: Explosives charge

SANTIAGO — A Pakistani man detained with suspicious chemical residues at the U.S. Embassy in Chile was charged with possessing explosives on Saturday, and then set free pending further investigation.

Mohammad Saif Ur Rehman Khan was ordered to stay in Chile and check in with authorities once a week. Prosecutors have three more months to develop their case, Judge Maria Carolina Herrera ruled. Defense attorney Gabriel Carrion said the judge declined to charge Khan with associating with terrorists for lack of evidence.

England: Travel delays

LONDON — Volcanic ash from Iceland could disrupt air travel in both Britain and Germany in the next few days, officials said Saturday.

The British Department of Transport said there was a risk that parts of British airspace could be closed beginning today and those problems could continue through Tuesday. The predictions are based on the continuing eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokul volcano and current wind and weather conditions.

Haiti: Man found dead

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A Haitian man kidnapped while working with a U.S.-based development foundation was found dead on Saturday, the group said.

The driver for the Pan-American Development Foundation was kidnapped Monday along with a British contractor. The contractor was released after four days and is now assisting authorities with the investigation. PADF spokesman Michael Zamba said neither the time nor cause of death have been established by police.

Italy: Pope laments abuse

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday lamented that the clerical abuse scandals were eclipsing the Catholic church's reputation as a place of hope, but insisted that bad seeds in the priesthood cannot eliminate the good the church does.