East Timor resistance hero prime minister offers resignation

DILI, East Timor: East Timor resistance hero Xanana Gusmao has submitted his resignation as prime minister, the government said on Friday, after more than a decade leading the half-island nation during the fraught early years of its independence.

The president must now decide whether to accept the resignation of the 68-year-old, who has served as either president or prime minister since East Timor became independent in 2002 following a long struggle against Indonesian occupation.