News In Brief

Israeli troops kill 3 Palestinians
Reuters, Ramallah

Israeli troops shot dead three Palestinians and wounded about a dozen in an early morning raid on Monday to arrest a suspected militant in a refugee camp near Jerusalem, Palestinian medical sources told Reuters.
Witnesses said Israeli armoured jeeps entered the Qalandiya camp at around 03:00am and were met by stone-throwing local residents. The Israeli forces responded with gunfire and left the camp before daybreak.
An Israeli police spokesman said a clash erupted when border police carrying out an arrest raid were confronted by Palestinians who threw firebombs and rocks at them. The incident was being investigated, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Van crash kills nine in Thailand
Dpa, Bangkok

Nine people were killed when a van crashed into a parked 10-wheel truck early yesterday, Thai police said.
Five people were injured in the accident shortly before dawn in Chachoengsao province, 70 kilometres east of Bangkok, Police Lieutenant Pongsak Inpong said.
The van smashed into a truck parked in the emergency lane after attempting to pass a vehicle and swerving too far back to avoid an oncoming car in the opposite lane, Pongsak said.

30 people injured in Assam police firing
Pti, Guwahati

At least 30 people, including the superintendent of police and seven policemen, have been injured in police firing after a mob went on a rampage at Rongpur area in Assam's Cachar district.
The incident occurred when a group of people went on a rampage burning vehicles and pelting stones late Sunday night, after reports of some objectionable items being found at three places of worship in Rongpur area of the district spread.
The police first resorted to lathicharge and used teargas to disperse the mob but the violence continued forcing the police to open fire.
In the ensuing melee, around 30 people, including the superintendent of police Diganta Bora and seven other policemen, were injured.
The injured were admitted to the Silchar Medical College Hospital and their condition was stated to be stable.
Senior police and civil officials are monitoring the situation and a strict vigil is being maintained though the situation remains tense.

China restores Dalai Lama's ancestral home
Afp, Hongai, China

The Chinese town where the Dalai Lama was born is undergoing huge redevelopment, and behind a mountain the exiled spiritual leader's family home has received a makeover of its own, with a three-metre wall and security cameras installed.
The building in Hongai village, at the summit of a towering peak, is the only place in China dedicated to the man Beijing considers a violent separatist and a "wolf in monk's robes".
The house has become a symbol of China's bitterly divisive policy in Tibetan regions following its 2.5 million yuan ($400,000) refurbishment.