World Scene

SAUDI ARABIA

5 police, militant killed in clashes

RIYADH — Five police officers and a militant were killed in a series of clashes that began yesterday at dawn with the discovery of two explosive-laden cars in Saudi Arabia.

The Interior Ministry said four officers were killed by “machine-gun” fire in separate attacks on the road linking Riyadh and Qassim, 200 miles northwest of the capital. The attacks were carried out by “members of a deviant minority,” a spokesman said, in a common reference to people suspected of sympathizing with Saudi-born Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda terror network.

PAKISTAN

U.S. slams sentencing of opposition leader

The Bush administration yesterday criticized the government of one of its closest allies in the fight against terrorism, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, for sentencing an opposition leader after a closed trial.

Javed Hashmi, a member of Pakistan’s Parliament and leader of the opposition Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, received 23 years in prison Monday on sedition charges.

“We regret the closed nature of the proceedings against him so far and hope that the appeal process will be more open,” said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

BURMA

Government releases 2 opposition figures

RANGOON — Burma’s military government freed two senior members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy from house arrest yesterday, but there was no sign of Mrs. Suu Kyi’s release, party members said.

The opposition party’s chairman, Aung Shwe, 85, and secretary, U Lwin, 80, were freed after more than 10 months under house arrest in the wake of a bloody clash between opposition supporters and government backers in May. Exiled opposition groups urged the international community to step up pressure on the government to free Mrs. Suu Kyi.

SPAIN

Videotape reveals more attack plans

MADRID — Terror suspects linked to the March 11 commuter train bombings, and who blew themselves up in a police raid earlier this month, left behind a videotape threatening further attacks against Spain because of its plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.

News of the threats came as officials said investigators had arrested three more suspects in the train bombings, bringing the total in custody to 24.

UGANDA

Suspects in deaths of missionaries held

KAMPALA — Police in northwestern Uganda have arrested eight suspects in connection with the slayings of an American missionary couple and a local student, a police spokesman said yesterday.

Warren and Donna Pett, from Wisconsin, were killed March 18 when men in military fatigues armed with AK-47 rifles attacked the Here Is Life Mission College in Yumbe district, 420 miles from the capital, Kampala.

IRAN

Khatami drops key reform bills

TEHRAN — Pro-reform President Mohammed Khatami asked the Iranian parliament yesterday to withdraw two bills aimed at tempering hard-line power, a move that analysts saw as a declaration of frustration at his impotence.

Mr. Khatami staked much of his reputation on the bills, which would boost his powers and curb the ability of the Guardian Council, a hard-line watchdog, to block election candidates. But the 12-member council blocked the bills.