Five killed in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Suspected Islamic rebels triggered an explosion on a key highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday, killing a soldier. Four other people were killed in separate gunbattles, police said. In Tangmarg village north of Srinagar, suspected rebels shot and killed 65-year-old Congress party worker, Rahim Pala in his home, police said. — AP

Blasts in Pakistan

QUETTA: Suspected renegade tribesmen blew up a gas pipeline and an electricity pylon in a remote town in southwestern Pakistan, leaving hundreds of people without gas and power, police said on Saturday. Anjum Nadeem, a senior tribal police official, said that the attacks occurred 30 minutes apart late on Friday in the town of Sibi, about 150 kilometres southeast of Quetta. — AP

141 meningitis cases

NEW DELHI: Hospitals confirmed 141 cases of meningococcal meningitis in Delhi with 30 new patients reported on Saturday. “While no new deaths have been reported, the number of patients has risen to 141,” JN Banwalikar, director of hospital administration, told reporters here. — HNS

Suharto in hospital

JAKARTA: Former Indonesian dictator Suharto has been admitted to a hospital after tests showed he was anaemic, his lawyer said on Saturday. Suharto, 83, was admitted Monday to the state-owned Pertamina hospital, his lawyer Mohammad Assegaf said, adding that the condition was not life threatening. — AP

Conviction flayed

JAKARTA: The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned Indonesia for convicting two journalists on criminal defamation charges and called for the repeal of colonial-era laws still routinely used by the country’s judiciary. The New York-based international watchdog denounced the verdicts and nine-month jail sentences passed against the two editors of the weekly tabloid Koridor, Darwin Ruslinur and Budiono Saputro. — AP

Jolie meets Pak prez

ISLAMABAD: Hollywood star and UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie met with President Gen Pervez Musharraf to discuss the fate of millions of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, the government said on Saturday. Musharraf welcomed Jolie at his office in Islamabad and praised the actress for giving her time to promote the welfare of refugees. — AP

‘HK polls were fair’

HONG KONG: Human error and poor preparation led to chaos during Hong Kong’s legislative election last year, but the integrity of the results were not compromised, according to a report by an independent committee appointed by the government. — AP