W O R L D

Karachi slams door on Imran Khan
The Punjab government today prevented chief of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan from flying to Karachi and ordered him to remain confined to Lahore for three days. Earlier, the Sindh government had banned his entry into Karachi for one month.

No truce with Israel, says Hamas
Gaza, May 27
Hamas hardened its stance after a new barrage of Israeli air strikes killed five militants, saying it would not consider a truce and calling for more attacks on Israel. The Islamic militant group also warned Israel yesterday that if it continued its 10-day air assault.

Bid to kill Indian
Wife, daughter jailed
London, May 27
Three people of Indian origin, including wife and daughter of Coventry-based Jaskarnjit Singh Sanghera, have been convicted of conspiring to murder him and have begun prison sentences. In a case involving hired assaulters, Sanghera was assaulted repeatedly on two occasions but managed to survive with partial disability on one side of his body.

Lathicharge on teachers
Bandh hits life in Kathmandu
Normal life crippled this morning when teachers' and students' unions aligned with the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist called Kathmandu Valley bandh protesting against the police intervention in Maoist affiliated teachers' demonstration on Friday.

India a priority for British PM
London, May 27
Exactly a month from today, James Gordon Brown will take over as Britain’s new Prime Minister and he has already pledged to accord “very high priority” to strengthening and deepening relations with a “pulsating, dynamic India.”

UK to tighten anti-terror laws
London, May 27
Britain plans to push through new tougher anti-terrorism laws, giving “war-time” powers to the police to stop and question people before Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves office in a month.

Bipasha, Hrithik Best Actors Top honours for ‘Munnabhai’ New York, May 27 Bollywood blockbuster with Gandhian message of non-violence, 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', won top honours at the ninth annual Bollywood Awards, showing its immense popularity among the non-resident Indians who voted it the best movie and its director Rajkumar Hirani the best director.
Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu performs at the ninth annual Bollywood Movie Awards in Uniondale, New York, on Saturday. — PTI

Romanian entry wins top prize
Cannes, May 27
A hard-hitting Romanian film, set towards the end of the communist era, won the Cannes Film Festival’s top honour today. “'4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” directed by Cristian Mungiu, was the critics’ favourite to win the Palme d’Or.

Six blasts rock Thailand, 10 hurt
Bangkok, May 27
Six bombs ripped through a key commercial district of a city in restive southern Thailand tonight, wounding 10 people, police said. The attacks hit commercial areas in Hat Yai, where scores of Malaysians, Singaporeans and Indonesians spend their weekends.

2 Japanese women raped in Pakistan
Islamabad, May 27
Two Japanese women being escorted home after a party were raped in the Pakistani city of Lahore, a news report has said. Four men were arrested for sexually assaulting the Japanese women in Punjab's provincial capital Lahore, GEO TV said.

Lindsay held for drunken driving
Beverly Hills, May 27
Lindsay Lohan was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of liquor after her convertible struck a curb, and investigators found what they believe is cocaine in the actress’ car, the police said.Lohan (20) and two other people were in her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 when it crashed on Sunset Boulevard around 5.30 am yesterday, Sgt Mike Foxen said. It appeared Lohan was speeding, Lt Mitch McCann said at an afternoon news conference. — AP

Karachi slams door on Imran Khan
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

The Punjab government today prevented chief of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan from flying to Karachi and ordered him to remain confined to Lahore for three days.

Earlier, the Sindh government had banned his entry into Karachi for one month.

The cricketing legend, who has become the foremost critic of Gen Musharraf, is currently engaged in a fierce controversy with Musharraf's key ally, the Muttihida Qaumi Movement (MQM), whom he blamed for the Karachi killings on May 12 when suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was blocked from driving in a massive rally from airport to the city to address the Sindh Bar.

Imran calls MQM chief Altaf Hussain as terrorist and has vowed to sue him in a London court for sponsoring violence and terrorism in Karachi. His declarations have led to angry demonstrations in Karachi by MQM activists. The leadership of the group has vowed to file counter complaints against Imran Khan raking up his Sita White scandal involving an American beauty. They have also called for cancellation of his membership from the National Assembly.

Reacting to orders restricting his movement to Lahore, Imran Khan said it shows that Musharraf and his allies have got into panic and are indulging in clumsy and fascist tactics. He said he would not be deterred by the ban and challenge it in the court. He would also travel to London on June 2 to file a case against Altaf Hussain there. Altaf has been living in exile in London for past 15 years and acquired the British citizenship.

Imran ignored ban orders and reached Lahore airport but the police brought him back to his residence.

No truce with Israel, says Hamas

Gaza, May 27
Hamas hardened its stance after a new barrage of Israeli air strikes killed five militants, saying it would not consider a truce and calling for more attacks on Israel.

The Islamic militant group also warned Israel yesterday that if it continued its 10-day air assault, it would threaten the release of Cpl Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier nabbed last June by Hamas-linked militants. Shalit has not been heard from or seen since his capture.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate from the rival Fatah faction, has tried in recent days to revive a cease-fire with Israel. Under his plan, Gaza militants would halt rocket fire for a month to allow for negotiations on a more comprehensive truce that would include the West Bank.

After a meeting late Friday, the militant groups initially asked for 48 hours to consider the proposal and respond.

But after the rash of new air attacks yesterday, including five in less than an hour, Hamas called on its fighters to direct painful strikes at the Zionist enemy. "Hamas will not offer a free truce to the Zionist occupation," the group said.

"If there is an end to the attacks, we can talk about a truce," said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Hamas military wing.

He said Shalit's freedom was in danger, but not his life.

"The enemy knows that getting Shalit back is in our hands," he said. "It would be a dream that Hamas would release him while attacks continued,” he added. — AP

Bid to kill Indian
Wife, daughter jailed

London, May 27
Three people of Indian origin, including wife and daughter of Coventry-based Jaskarnjit Singh Sanghera, have been convicted of conspiring to murder him and have begun prison sentences. In a case involving hired assaulters, Sanghera was assaulted repeatedly on two occasions but managed to survive with partial disability on one side of his body.

On the night of 2 November 2005, Sanghera, 42, went to bed as usual with his wife, Balwinder, at their home in Coventry. At 2.20 am his front door was smashed in and a knifeman burst into the bedroom before stabbing him 25 times.

He suffered serious injuries, but survived. It was the second time within months he had been stabbed. After the second attack, Balwinder, 40, told the police that she suspected that the attacks could have been linked to a land dispute in India, and even suggested that it was connected to a woman Sanghera had an affair with a long time ago.

But the Coventry police became suspicious, and found Balwinder had run up debts of about £ 50,000 that her husband knew nothing about, and had taken out a life insurance policy in his name. She also took out a loan of £ 8,000 in the weeks before the attempt on his life in November. The police believe that the money was used to pay a hitman. After an inquiry, the police charged Balwinder with organising the attacks.

The police also found her daughter, Amrita, 20, and her boyfriend, Inderpal Singh Dail, 23, had conspired with her. The trio, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Sanghera, was jailed last week for 10, eight and five years.

Detective Chief Inspector Nav Malik of Warwickshire Police said, “Debt may be the motive but what does come out is she clearly wants him dead.” — IANS

Lathicharge on teachers
Bandh hits life in Kathmandu
Bishnu Budhathoki writes from Kathmandu

Normal life crippled this morning when teachers' and students' unions aligned with the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist called Kathmandu Valley bandh protesting against the police intervention in Maoist affiliated teachers' demonstration on Friday.

No public and private vehicle was seen moving on the road and most of the shops at the major marketplaces too remained closed since Sunday morning as the protesting front members, including cadres of Maoist aligned youth organisation, Young Communist League (YCL), obstructed vehicular movement by burning tyres at major intersections.

When asked about such incidents, Nepal Education Republic Front (NERF) chairman Guna Raj Lohani said he was unaware of any such incident and he would inquire about it.

On Friday, while Maoist affiliated teachers' and students' unions, Nepal Republican Education Front (NREF), All Nepal National Free Student Union Revolutionary (ANNFSUR), were staging a demonstration continuing their week-long indefinite strike in educational institutions in front of Ministry of Education and Sports, police personnel had baton-charged where over dozen of protestors sustained injuries.

The NERF claims that the police arrested a dozen strike enforcers from various parts of the capital today.

India a priority for British PM

London, May 27
Exactly a month from today, James Gordon Brown will take over as Britain’s new Prime Minister and he has already pledged to accord “very high priority” to strengthening and deepening relations with a “pulsating, dynamic India.” A leading British newspaper recently described the 56-year-old son of a Church of Scotland preacher as a “blank sheet of paper” because he has not given any specific outlines of the policies he will follow at home and abroad. But his excitement about India is palpable.

He recalls that he had been brought up on stories of India’s great history, its struggles, achievements and “essential greatness.” An uncle in his family was a Professor of electrical engineering at IIT and introduced him to India “from my youngest days.” — PTI

UK to tighten anti-terror laws

London, May 27
Britain plans to push through new tougher anti-terrorism laws, giving “war-time” powers to the police to stop and question people before Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves office in a month.

Under the new laws, the police will not need to suspect that a crime has taken place and can use the power to gain information about “matters relevant” to terror investigations.

John Reid, Home Secretary, intends to extend N Ireland’s draconian police powers to interrogate individuals about who they are, where they have been and where they are going.

If people fail to stop or refuse to answer questions, they could be charged with a criminal offence and fined up to $ 5,000. — PTI

Bipasha, Hrithik Best Actors
Top honours for ‘Munnabhai’

New York, May 27
Bollywood blockbuster with Gandhian message of non-violence, 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', won top honours at the ninth annual Bollywood Awards, showing its immense popularity among the non-resident Indians who voted it the best movie and its director Rajkumar Hirani the best director.

Bipasha Basu, who is very popular with the young crowd in the United States, was chosen the best actress for her role in 'Corporate' and Hrithik Roshan adjudged best actor for his performance in 'Dhoom2'.

For the award for best movie, 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, beat 'Dhoom2', 'Omkara', 'Rang De Basanti' and 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehnaa' which too were nominated in that category.

Its director Hirani won over Rakesh Roshan (Krrish), Karan Johar (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehanna), Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Rang De Basanti) and Vishal Bharadwaj (Omkara) to claim the award.

Basu prevailed over Aishwarya Rai (Dhoom2), Kajol (Fanna), Kareena Kapoor (Omkara) and Rani Mukherjee (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehanaa). Besdies Hrithik Roshan, others nominated in the best actor category were Amir Khan, Ajay Devgun, Sanjay Dutt and Shah Rukh Khan.

But 'Rang De Basanti' won the award for best supporting actress with Kirron Kher winning over Konkona Sen Sharma, Perity Zinta, Soha Ali Khan and Ameesha Patel.

For Best actor in a supporting role, the award went to Vivek Oberoi for his role in 'Omkara'. Also nominated in this category were Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, Kunal Kapoor and John Abraham. — PTI

Romanian entry wins top prize

Cannes, May 27
A hard-hitting Romanian film, set towards the end of the communist era, won the Cannes Film Festival’s top honour today.

“'4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” directed by Cristian Mungiu, was the critics’ favourite to win the Palme d’Or.

The story centres around a young student who undergoes a risky illegal abortion and the terrible price she and her friend pay. — Reuters

Six blasts rock Thailand, 10 hurt

Bangkok, May 27
Six bombs ripped through a key commercial district of a city in restive southern Thailand tonight, wounding 10 people, police said.

The attacks hit commercial areas in Hat Yai, where scores of Malaysians, Singaporeans and Indonesians spend their weekends. The explosions took place near two hotels, two pharmacies, a department store and a restaurant, police Lt Pod Suansuwan said.

“Initial investigations showed that the attack was not as extensive as it was when Hat Yai was attacked last September, but we asked people to stay home for the time being,” said police Col Jetanakorn Maneetapad. The bombs outside the two pharmacies were placed in motorcycles and triggered by a timer, Jetanakorn said.

Thailand’s Muslim-dominated south, including the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, has been wracked by violence in recent months. Citizens there have complained of rights abuses by soldiers and discrimination by the country’s Buddhist majority. Some attacks have also occurred in the province of Songkhla which includes Hat Yai. — AP

2 Japanese women raped in Pakistan

Islamabad, May 27
Two Japanese women being escorted home after a party were raped in the Pakistani city of Lahore, a news report has said.

Four men were arrested for sexually assaulting the Japanese women in Punjab's provincial capital Lahore, GEO TV said.

The group allegedly raped the Japanese women in their 20s while escorting them to home after a party.

The women resided in Pakistan to study Urdu language.

The local police has reportedly informed the Japanese embassy in Islamabad about the incident. — PTI