Maoist rebels temper jubilation
Elation and relief surged through the streets Tuesday as the people of this Himalayan nation embraced the prospect of a return to democratic government and savored the defeat of the king who abrogated it.
But a note of warning tempered the festive mood when Maoist rebels, instigators of a decade-long insurgency that has cost about 13,000 lives, rejected King Gyanendra’s offer to reinstate parliament and accused the political opposition of betrayal in accepting the deal. Some protesters also continued to call for a complete overthrow of Nepal’s centuries-old monarchy.
Daily demonstrations against Gyanendra’s absolute rule have paralyzed the country for nearly three weeks and resulted in at least a dozen deaths during clashes between protesters and police.
Rome
‘Da Vinci’ ad is poster non grata
The Interior Ministry said Tuesday it would remove a poster promoting “The Da Vinci Code” movie from the scaffolding of a Rome church undergoing renovation after its clergymen complained, officials said Tuesday.
The enormous poster, featuring a picture of Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and the title of the upcoming film, has been plastered for a few weeks on the scaffolded facade of the church of St. Pantaleo, which is located just off a major thoroughfare in Rome’s historic center.
The Rev. Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for Rome’s Vicariate, said the poster was causing a problem. “This movie is not reputed to be particularly appreciated by ecclesiastic circles,” Fibbi said.
Church officials have spoken out repeatedly against the best-selling novel by Dan Brown and the upcoming film, which stars Tom Hanks and is scheduled for release May 19.
Dahab, Egypt
Ten arrests made in bombing probe
Egyptian authorities on Tuesday arrested 10 people in connection with a trio of blasts that left at least 18 dead and more than 80 wounded and cast a pall over this beach resort.
Officials provided few details on the arrests, which were reported on state-owned Egyptian television a day after the explosions went off in tandem along a promenade of open-air restaurants, bars and souvenir stores on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.
It was the third bombing attack on the tourist-dependent Sinai Peninsula since October, 2004.
It remained unclear how the Dahab bombings were carried out, though officials appeared to be discounting the possibility of suicide bombers in favor of a scenario of carefully timed remote-controlled detonation.