World Highlights

¤ Defence lawyers for Saddam Hussein and seven co-accused of crimes against humanity wrapped up their case yesterday and the court said it will hear final statements within a month before it reaches a verdict. Chief Judge Raouf Abdel Rahman said the prosecution team will make its closing statements on June 19 and the defence team will deliver its final remarks on July 10.

¤ Seven east African nations yesterday imposed travel bans on Somali warlords, who lost bloody battles with Islamist fighters over Mogadishu, and froze their assets in effort to push them into peace talks. Kenya, where the seven nations in the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) met to talk about Somalia, last week banned the warlords and deported one.

¤ UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for restraint from Guinean authorities yesterday after at least nine people died around the West African country when soldiers fired on students during a general strike. Banks, government offices and businesses in the decaying capital Conakry remained shut by the strike, now in its sixth day, which was called to protest against the poor economic record of President Lansana Conte.

¤ Almost 100 people were wounded in Bangladesh yesterday and transport and business largely paralysed as opposition activists fought police at the start of a two-day strike for electoral reforms. An opposition alliance led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called the strike to try to force the government to accept demands for electoral reform ahead of next January's parliamentary election.

¤ At least 40 people travelling to a wedding were killed and 20 injured when a truck fell into a deep gorge in northern India yesterday, police said. The accident happened in the Almora district of the Himalayan state of Uttaranchal, senior officer Rakesh Sharma said.

¤ Shops and businesses were closed in Indian Kashmir's main city yesterday following a strike called by separatists to protest against what they said was the desecration of a Koran and a mosque by Indian soldiers. Two people have been killed and 24 wounded since the weekend after security forces opened fire on crowds angered by reports soldiers entered a mosque wearing shoes in Kupwara district, 85 km northwest of Srinagar.