Bangkok, October 7
It could have been a scene from the closing chapters of the Vietnam War - US-made ‘Huey’ helicopters flying in across a steamy southeast Asian city to rescue people trapped inside a besieged compound.

But the city was Bangkok in 2008, not Saigon in 1975, and the people included Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, holed up inside the parliament building as thousands of protesters outside called for his resignation. Amid a thick air with teargas from earlier clashes between protesters and the riot police, Somchai was forced to climb through a barbed wire fence at the back of parliament and onto the lawns of an adjoining palace before being flown to safety.

Left behind were hundreds of ruling party members of parliament who had gathered on Tuesday to hear Somchai's inaugural policy address - an event the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators were determined to prevent.

One man’s leg was blown off and another lost his foot when the riot police moved in just after dawn to clear a route to a side entrance of the parliament building. Furious at what was seen as police brutality, thousands more PAD supporters joined the protest, eventually forcing the riot officers to flee, abandoning their batons, shields and six trucks.

“We are going to block them inside for as long as possible,” said a 45-year-old chartered surveyor, as MPs milled around inside the compound, speaking on mobile phones.

The protesters, who believe Somchai is a puppet of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra, then went to vent their rage at Bangkok’s police headquarters.

The police fired volleys of teargas rounds and stun grenades. The protesters, clad in yellow to show their allegiance to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, responded with fireworks, sling-shots and bottles.

“This is all Thaksin's doing. He is evil,” said Siriwan, an unemployed 43-year-old housewife, who blamed Thaksin personally for the violence, even though he is now in exile in London.

Shortly afterwards, a sewage truck drove slowly down the tree-lined avenue, spraying torrents of excrement all over the road outside the police HQ. Sheets of cardboard were placed across drain covers to prevent what the protesters said was teargas pumped into the sewer system by police. Nearby, a team of army and volunteer medics combed through the debris on one side of the road looking for a man’s toe they said had been blown off in one of the clashes. — Reuters

Top leaders of political parties not represented in parliament have been invited to the rare joint session sitting of the two houses, Senate and National Assembly, convened to give in-camera briefing on Pakistan's role on war on terror.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif; chairman Tehrike Insaf Imran Khan; Jamaat Islami Amir; Qazi Hussain Ahmed; president All Parties Demcoratic Alliance (APDM) Mahmood Khan Achakzai; provincial governors and chief ministers are among those specially invited by the speaker to attend the briefing.

In the past two joint-sessions were held, one in 1975 that declared Ahmadis as minority and in 1987 by former Premier Mohammad Khan Junejo before signing the Geneva Accord on ending the Afghan war.

The session has been summoned against the backdrop of uneding slew of suicide bomb blasts in the country, ongoing military operations against militants and tensions brewing with the United States on increasing airstrikes and incursions in Pakistani territory bordering Afghanistan. There is growing demand for reviewing Pakistan's cooperation with the US in the anti-terror war which many believe has brought the menace of terrorism inside Pakistan.

London, October 7
A 19th century stunning marble bust of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the erstwhile ruler of Punjab, was auctioned for £1,10,400 at Bonhams Indian and Islamic Sale.

The bust sculpted in India was estimated to sell for about £50,000 to £70,000 at Bonhams, one of the oldest and largest auctioneers of art in the world.

Clare Penhallurick, head of Indian and Islamic Art at Bonhams said “we are delighted to offer this magnificent sculpture for sale, particularly as in the past year we sold a bust of Ranjit Singh’s son, Duleep Singh, for £1.7 million.” Ranjit Singh was a great king who built an empire, which stretched from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas.

Within 10 years of his death the empire he had built was in the hands of East India Company and many of his treasures, including the priceless Kohinoor diamond, had become Queen Victoria’s property. — PTI

Washington, October 7 
China has abruptly cancelled a series of military and diplomatic contacts with the United States to protest a planned multi-billion dollar US arms sale to Taiwan, American officials said.

Beijing has notified the US that it will not go forward with several senior-level visits and other cooperative military-to-military plans, said Marine Maj Stewart Upton, a defence department spokesman.

"In response to the announcement of Taiwan arms sales, the People's Republic of China has cancelled or postponed several upcoming military-to-military exchanges," he said, lamenting that "China's continued politicisation of our military relationship results in missed opportunities." 

The Chinese action will not affect the country's participation with the US in the six-nation talks to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons or its participation in international efforts on Iran's nuclear programme, US officials said.

But Beijing is furious with the US decision to sell Taiwan the huge USD 6.5 billion package of advanced weaponry and military items, including guided missiles and attack helicopters. — AP

BRIEFLY

Aussies prefer Obama: Poll
MELBOURNE: A whooping majority of Australians have favoured Democratic nominee Barack Obama as the next President of the US. About 76 per cent of the Australians voted for Senator Obama to win the next month’s presidential election as against nearly 10 per cent supporting Republican nominee John Mccain, a recent poll has indicated. Surveyed on 1,000 persons, the poll confirmed that Australians were taking a keen interest in the race for the White House, with 85 per cent saying they are monitoring the contest and 24 per cent expressing a high level of interest, according to AAP report here. — PTI

Medvedev’s video blog
Moscow: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has started his own video blog on the official Kremlin website. It is the latest phase of his drive to make the maximum use of modern technology across Russia, which includes the introduction of internet access in all schools. “This is the first time I have spoken to you through my website. I have never used this form of communication before,” Medvedev said in a video address on the Kremlin website. — UNI

Dubai launches Campaign against spitting
DUBAI: With an aim to keep the city clean and healthy, Dubai has launched a campaign against spitting which it says sullies the look of the city and impacts hygiene. A month-long campaign has been launched enforcing a fine of Dh 500 (Rs 6,000) for spitting in public places. It will also encourage people not to litter and dry clothes in the balconies of buildings, municipality officials said. The sale of betel and any of its derivatives is prohibited. Those caught selling such products risk fine up to Dh 5,000, officials added. — UNI

5 hurt in Lahore blasts
LAHORE: Five persons, including a woman and two children, were injured in three low-intensity blasts in this eastern Pakistani city on Tuesday. The blasts occurred within a span of 15 minutes in three shops in the Garhi Shahu area, witnesses said. The first two blasts occurred at juice shops while the third hit a hairdressing salon. Special superintendent of police (Operations) Chaudhry Shafique told reporters all blasts were of low intensity. — PTI

Singh is King in Japan too
TOKYO: Not many people know Sarbjit Singh Chadha in his home country India, but in Japan crowds throng to hear him sing and fans jostle to get his autograph even three decades after he burst into its music scene. Chadha, 56, the first non-Japanese singer of enka came from India as a teenager and fell in love with its music. With no formal education in enka, Chadha, says he learnt by listening to other artistes. His first album made waves in the country in 1975 and sold 1.5 lakh copies. He will now be releasing a new album this month called “Odoru Mahachadha” named after the famous Rajnikath starrer “Odoru Maharaja”. — PTI