In Short

A round-up of other world news in brief

A round-up of other world news in brief

Explosions kill eight people in Burma's capital

BANGKOK – A series of three explosions at a New Year water festival at a pavilion beside Kandawgyi Lake in Burma’s capital Rangoon killed eight people and wounded 75 yesterday, according to state television, writes Clifford Coonan.

The Burmese celebrate New Year by dousing each other with water and white powder, just as they do in neighbouring Thailand and Laos, and the party is one of the highlights of the year.

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The military junta has not blamed any group and there were no immediate claims of responsibility. State TV said five men and three women were killed. Earlier reports said dozens had been killed.

The government tends to blame bombings on anti-government dissident groups and separate ethnic rebels seeking autonomy in Burma, which has been under military rule since 1962.

Kyrgyz president flees to Kazakhstan

BISHKEK – Kyrgyzstan will demand that its ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev faces trial either at home or abroad, the head of the interim government said after Mr Bakiyev fled to neighbouring Kazakhstan earlier yesterday.

Roza Otunbayeva, a former foreign minister and one-time ally of Mr Bakiyev, and other members of the interim government have accused the ousted president of widespread corruption and nepotism

Mr Bakiyev’s sudden departure ended days of turmoil in the mountainous Central Asian republic, where the US rents an air base that provides a crucial staging post for troops and supplies going to Afghanistan.

Ms Otunbayeva said foreign powers had helped to persuade Mr Bakiyev to leave. – (Reuters)

Olmert denies taking hefty bribes

JERUSALEM – Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, already on trial for corruption, yesterday denied wrongdoing in a Jerusalem luxury housing project in which media reports have alleged he took hefty bribes.

Mr Olmert, who was Jerusalem’s mayor from 1993 to 2003 and prime minister from 2006 to 2009, said in a pre-recorded statement aired on prime-time television that he was innocent and ready to answer police questions over the so-called “Holyland affair”.

“I was never offered bribes and I never took bribes from anybody in any matter, in any form, either directly or indirectly,” the former prime minister said. – (Reuters)

Afghan blast kills seven foreigners

KANDAHAR – Seven foreign workers, believed to be British, were killed in a suicide car bomb attack in southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar city yesterday, a police official said.

Police official Mohammad Nabi said the car bomber drove into a compound where foreigners live and detonated his vehicle after guards opened the gate. Two other security sources, who asked not to be named, said at least six people had died, including at least three foreigners. – (Reuters)