News in Brief

Hollande signs gay marriage bill
Reuters, Paris

French President Francois Hollande has signed into law a bill allowing same-sex marriage, making France the 14th country to legalize gay weddings.
France's official journal yesterday announced that the bill had become law after the Constitutional Council gave the go-ahead on Friday.
The bill, a campaign pledge by the Socialist president, has been hotly contested in France where allowing gay marriage is one of the biggest social reforms since abolition of the death penalty in 1981.

Musharraf's remand extended
Pti, Islamabad

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court yesterday extended former President Pervez Musharraf's judicial remand by 14 days over the detention of judges during the 2007 emergency.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case till June 1. Musharraf has also been arrested over the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation.

Egypt cops block Gaza crossing
Reuters, Cairo

Egyptian police angered by the kidnapping of seven colleagues by Islamist gunmen kept a crossing into the Gaza Strip closed again yesterday, stranding hundreds of Palestinian travellers, witnesses said.
Gunmen demanding the release of jailed Islamist militants had seized seven policemen and soldiers on a road between the Sinai towns of el-Arish and Rafah. Three of those abducted had worked at the Rafah border crossing, locals said.

Afghan police chief shot dead
Ap, Kabul

An official says motorcycle-riding gunmen have shot dead a police chief who led an anti-Taliban campaign in western Afghanistan in front of his house.
Abdul Ghani was leaving his driveway in his car when the two raced up and opened fire in Farah province.
Provincial spokesman Abdul Rahman Zhawandai said yesterday that Ghani was rushed to hospital after the attack Friday night but died of his wounds.

Tripoli blast targets embassies
Afp, Tripoli

A bomb yesterday exploded in a Tripoli street housing the Algerian, Greek and Saudi embassies, lightly damaging a car, hours after a soldier was wounded in a bombing in Libya's second city Benghazi.
The car, parked outside the Greek embassy, was slightly damaged and there were no reports of casualties.

Obama invites Manmohan to US
Tnn, New Delhi

President Barack Obama has invited PM Manmohan Singh for a bilateral meeting this year. Confirming the development, sources in Washington told Times of India that Singh has accepted the invitation and the dates were being worked.
The meeting can be held between September and December, sources said.
Sources said that the leaders will review all key bilateral issues between the two countries including civil nuclear initiative, counter terrorism, Afghanistan, defence, space collaboration and education.