An Indian filmgoer reportedly rented out an entire cinema to disprove a director’s claim that his latest horror movie is so scary no one can watch it alone.

George W. Bush’s remark in 2000 that America “stands alone right now in the world in terms of power” no longer rings true. Great shifts are apparent in global politics and Washington must increasingly compete for favour. This global uncertainty confronts senators Barack Obama and John McCain in their race for the White House.

Authorities yesterday arrested a separatist leader, Yasin Malik, hours after detaining two others, Sayed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq. Meanwhile, three protesters were killed in clashes with police across the Kashmir Valley, and another 80 protesters defying the Government-imposed curfew in towns across the valley were injured.

Regular rat snacks would translate into fewer rodents eating precious grain stocks, 50 per cent of which are lost in the north-eastern state of Bihar every year to the animals, said Vijay Prakash, secretary of the state’s welfare department.