A senior Arafat aide, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, told the crowd of several thousand that they must stand up to those trying to “sabotage the decisions of the Palestinian leadership,” an apparent reference to the Islamic militants.In another confrontation, Palestinian gunmen fired late Wednesday at a Jewish neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem to protest the arrest of a leading militant by Arafat’s police. After the weekend bombings, Israeli forces cut off West Bank towns and banned Palestinian traffic on West Bank roads. Also, Israeli helicopters destroyed Arafat’s helicopters in a Gaza hangar, marooning him in Ramallah in the West Bank.Restarting his truce mission, Zinni, the US envoy, met with Arafat and Palestinian security officials on Thursday. On Wednesday, Zinni met Sharon, who told him “only pressure on Arafat will bring him to make a strategic decision to abandon the path of terror and carry out all of Israel’s demands and his commitments,” a statement from Sharon’s office said.. Sri Lankans voted for a new parliament in an election overshadowed by political bloodshed and a long-running separatist Tamil rebellion in the north. We will call for an annulling of the vote in several areas.” He wrote an open letter to Dayananda Dissanayake, the Elections Commissioner.Electoral violence, mostly blamed on militants of the ruling People’s Alliance and the main opposition United National Party, killed eight people on Tuesday and yesterday, taking the death toll to 49, with 700 injured.More than 5,000 candidates representing 29 political parties and dozens of independent groups were vying for 225 seats in the new parliament.

First results are due this morning.More than 12 million people – almost two-thirds of the population – were eligible to vote only 14 months after the previous general election ended in a hung parliament. State radio put turnout at about 70 per cent.Opinion polls forecast another hung parliament, which will have to tackle two decades of ethnic conflict in the north and east and an economy growing at its slowest rate in 30 years.Yesterday’s problems arose soon after the polls opened. The government closed important checkpoints, stopping voters in rebel-held areas reaching polling stations in government-controlled territory. There are no polling booths in areas held by the rebels.The Defence Ministry said it was trying to stop the rebels deploying fighters disguised as voters, but election monitors said the move disenfranchised about 75,000 Tamils.John Cushnahan, the head of the European Union monitoring mission, said: “That will have a significant impact on the outcome in these districts.”. A rocket-propelled grenade was fired into a building in Bangkok housing a ticket office of the Israeli airline El Al, police said.

Tesco Lotus stores in Thailand have been the target of several small bombs this year that have killed one person and injured others. The attacks are believed to be linked to a dispute over a contract to provide security for the chain. A Tesco spokesman refused to comment on the claims.There were no casualties in the early morning attack, but some damage to the facade of the 15-storey Manorom building, said Lt Gen Anan Piromkaew, chief of the metropolitan police. He said the grenade was fired from the ground and went over the Tesco Lotus store before hitting the offices.There was no immediate claim of responsibility. An army officer who runs a private security firm was charged in July with masterminding previous attacks against Tesco Lotus stores (AP). The crowds were assembled and the 80 holy steps to the Ganges cleared in readiness for the ritual that Hindus believe will allow George Harrison’s soul to begin its approach to Heaven But one crucial ingredient was missing: his ashes. But one crucial ingredient was missing: his ashes.
According to the itinerary, the former Beatle’s remains were meant to be flown from Los Angeles by private jet to be immersed at the river’s edge in Varanasi, northern India; and from there to be taken by the river to Sangam, a holy confluence where the Ganges meets the Yamuna river as well as the mythical Saraswati.But after a third day’s vigil on the river bank, Harrison’s Hare Krishna followers were still awaiting glimpses of his widow, Olivia, or son, Dhani, carrying an urn.”I think the whole story is a creation of the media,” said Vikram Singh, an inspector general with Varanasi city police, as the hours ticked by “You are running a wild goose chase.