World News: Saudis roll in to prop up under-siege Bahrain royals

A SAUDI-led military force crossed into Bahrain to prop up the monarchy in the tiny island nation against widening demonstrations, launching the first cross-border military operation to quell unrest since the Arab world's rebellions began in December.

Opposition groups denounced yesterday's intervention as an occupation that pushed Bahrain dangerously close to a state of "undeclared war."

Bahrain's majority Shia Muslims see an opportunity to rid themselves of two centuries of rule by a Sunni monarchy.

But Gulf Sunni leaders worry that any cracks in Bahrain's ruling system could threaten their own foundations.

Protests are already flaring in Oman, Kuwait and even tightly ruled Saudi Arabia.

Gulf leaders are also concerned that political gains by Bahrain's Shia's might give Shia Iran a stepping stone to its arch-rival Saudi Arabia, connected to Bahrain by a wide causeway.

Instead, the Saudis and other members of the Gulf Co-operation Council sent forces the other way, deploying about 1000 troops by land and air and cementing the entire six-nation alliance to the fate of Bahrain's rulers.

Clinton talks with Libya rebels

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met Libyan opposition leader Mahmoud Jibril to discus how the US can aid efforts to depose Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The talks in Paris lasted for about 45 minutes, a US official said but gave no details of what options were discussed.

24 face flat blaze charges

Authorities in China's commercial hub of Shanghai will prosecute 24 people for bribery and other crimes related to an apartment building fire that killed 58 people, state media reported today.

Those charged include local government officials, building company heads, foremen, and welders who lacked the proper qualifications, according to the China Daily.

The welders are blamed for causing the November 15 blaze by ignoring safety precautions.

Pirates flee naval attack

Five dozen pirates living on a hijacked ship serving as a roving pirate base jumped into the Arabian Sea yesterday after the Indian navy fired on the vessel in self-defence, the navy said.

The navy captured 61 pirates fleeing the battle and the fire that broke out aboard the hijacked vessel.

Road sign is hacked

A CHEEKY prankster hacked into an electronic sign in Houston, Texas, changing its "Detour" message to say "Poop".

The message was there for most of the weekend, then on Monday morning, the sign was changed to ": ) LOL" before workers managed to change it back to its standard message.

Eight soldiers die as rebels ambush bus

Suspected rebels sprayed bullets on a bus carrying Indian paramilitary soldiers in a remote forest area in the northeast, killing eight and wounding another 11 soldiers, police said Tuesday.

The attackers ambushed the vehicle and fired from automatic weapons from both sides of the road last night

The ambush happened in Kokrajhar district, nearly 155 miles (250 kilometers) of Gauhati, the capital of Assam state.