NEW CRISIS: The Pakistani president also suspended the Constitution and detained political opponents as the nuclear-armed country entered a new phase of instability
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule yesterday and deployed troops across the capital in a bid to reassert his flagging authority against political rivals and Islamist militants.

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Friends and family gathered yesterday for the funeral of veteran Chinese dissident Bao Zunxin (包遵信), while another rights activist complained of increased police harassment -- apparently to prevent him from attending the event.

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THE SECRET: Fingerprints and a surveillance camera allowed police to identify the man who threatened to expose Taipei Fubon Bank's 'cheating' if it did not pay him a ransom
By Rich Chang
Taipei police arrested a man yesterday on suspicion of blackmailing a senior official at Taipei Fubon Bank (台北富邦銀行) by claiming he had evidence the bank had cheated the public while it was running the Public Welfare Lottery.

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The Australian government had a secret plan to keep a Muslim doctor linked to failed terror bombings in Britain in jail even if he was released on bail, and despite top police telling the government there was no evidence that he was a threat to the country, reports said yesterday and Friday.

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UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari returned to army-ruled Myanmar yesterday as a row over the junta's move to kick out the UN's top resident diplomat overshadowed his mission to coax the generals to reform.

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