Jerusalem on alert

AGENCIES

JERUSALEM: Israel’s police deployed reinforcements in Jerusalem on Friday, fearing days of violent protests in the West Bank could spread to the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound after weekly Muslim prayers.

“There is heightened security in and around the Old City. Extra police

officers from different areas have been brought in to prevent any incidents from occurring today,” police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Access by Palestinian men to the compound, which houses the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosques, had been limited to those over the age of 50 and with Israeli-issued Jerusalem residency cards. There were no restrictions on women. — AFP

Smugglers arrested 

HONG KONG: Hong Kong officials said on Friday they had smashed a syndicate that used fake documents to smuggle mainland Chinese into Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Australia. The immigration department said 28 arrests were made in a joint operation with mainland Chinese authorities that ended on Friday, adding the ring had smuggled some 50 people since 2011. “During this eight day operation, we have succeeded in neutralising an international human smuggling syndicate,” the immigration department’s assistant director William Fung told a press meet. — AFP

Mush treason hearingISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top court will on Monday hear a petition asking for Pervez Musharraf to be put on trial for treason, the latest in a barrage of challenges to his bid for election, officials said. Taufiq Asif, president of the Rawalpindi high court bar association, said he had asked the Supreme Court to try Musharraf for treason for imposing emergency in 2007, a move that ultimately paved the way for his downfall. “I have been informed by the Supreme Court that a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice is going to hear my plea against Musharraf after three days,” he said. — AFP

Anti-sex abuse fightVATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Friday urged Vatican disciplinarians to act “with determination” against sexual abuse committed by members of the Catholic clergy, in his first public pronouncement on the issue. “The Holy Father in particular asked that the congregation ... act with determination in cases of sexual abuse,” the Vatican said in a statement, referring to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles such cases, after the pope met its director. The statement noted that the policy followed “the line established” by Francis’ predecessor Benedict XVI. — AFP