Honour for Imelda

MANILA: The government-run Cultural Centre of the Philippines held a special "gala tribute" for former first lady Imelda Marcos on Friday, despite angry protests that she should not be honoured. Marcos, widow of deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, arrived for the opening of the gala. She expressed gratitude to the organisers for holding the evening gala that was intended to pay tribute to her for founding the centre in 1969. About a dozen activists picketed the event, saying it is intended to whitewash the image of the Marcos family and government funds should not be used to honour them. — AFP

Torture slur on MI6

LONDON: British police are investigating an allegation that the country's MI6 overseas spy agency was complicit in torture, the second inquiry launched in recent months examining the conduct of the country's spies. Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who oversees MI6, said the agency had referred a case to the government's chief legal adviser Patricia Scotland, who ruled that police should carry out an inquiry. Scotland Yard said on Friday it will investigate "the conditions under which a non-Briton was held and the potential involvement of British personnel." — AP

Lebanon ‘fires’ rocket

KIRYAT SHMONA: Remnants of a Katyusha rocket were found in northern Israel on Friday, police said, after a security official said two rockets were fired from southern Lebanon.

Residents of northern Israel said they heard explosions. "Debris from a Katyusha rocket fired from south Lebanon was found in the area of the city of Nahariya and Kibbutz Gesher Aziv," told a police source. — AFP

Ugandan capital tense

KAMPALA: Sporadic gunfire rang out in Kampala on Friday as police faced off against protesters, a day after riots that left five people dead, President Yoveri Museveni said in a televised national address that his government would not back down over the protesters backing a traditional ruler. — AP