There were only 17 minutes to go before the bomb was due to go off.

BBC News - Yemen parcel bomb 'was 17 minutes from exploding' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11692942)

I thought it was usual for bombs to be defused with seconds to go and that it was manditory to have a count down timer.....

..can you advise if they cut the white or red wire?

Nah!!! The BLUE one!!!

FFS Pay attention at the back!!!!

17 minutes ? pfft !

thats loads of time...
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/bomb-countdown/bombcountdown.gif

it was manditory to have a count down timer


. . . with big 7-segment red LEDs. Gotta be. Tick...tick...tick...

Technically, I believe it was defuzed!