Tibetan campaigner arrives in Dharmsala

A 42-YEAR-OLD Tibetan has arrived at the headquarters of the government-in-exile in India after cycling through Europe and Asia in a campaign protesting China's heavy-handed rule in the Himalayan region.

Scores of people lined the streets of northern Indian town of Dharmsala on Saturday waving Tibetan flags and ceremonial silk scarves as they greeted Rinpo Yak.

He reached India cycling through Nepal.

Beginning in March, he moved through 14 European countries before flying to Japan for the Asian leg. His journey has covered over 8000 kilometres.

He lives in the US and he has spread his message across 40 states since 2000.

He's due to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama soon.

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French tax protests rumble on

THOUSANDS of trucks blocked highways and roads across France in ongoing protests over an environmental tax that continue to smoulder, despite the government putting the levy on ice.

The Interior Ministry said around 2200 trucks were taking part in the protest over the proposed tax on trucks of over 3.5 tonnes - slightly more than the last protest by transporters two weeks ago. A transport union put the figure at 4500 trucks.

Tens of thousands of small business owners and workers have demonstrated over the tax in the past month, calling it the last straw after a string of punishing tax increases, particularly on business.

Further protests were planned later on Saturday in Brittany, where the revolt was started in October by a group of farmers and food producers known as the Bonnets Rouges (Red Caps).

To defuse tensions the government has suspended the implementation of the tax, which had been due to come into effect in 2014.

Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll said on Friday it would not take effect until at least 2015.

The OTRE transport union and Brittany's Bonnet Rouges are demanding that the tax be scrapped altogether.

The protests are seen as the expression of deep frustration with the Socialist government's economic policy.

Faced with a bloated budget deficit, the government's response has mainly been to raise taxes, avoiding the deep spending cuts seen elsewhere in Europe.

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Militants attack polio team in Pakistan

MILITANTS have attacked police protecting an anti-polio team in Pakistan's troubled northwest, killing one policeman and injuring another.

The policeman was part of polio eradication campaign in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Naseeb Gul from the district police office confirmed the casualties. He says the polio workers are safe.

No one has taken responsibility for the attack so far. However, it's believed that Islamists carry out such attacks as they consider immunisation a conspiracy by the West to reduce fertility in Muslims.

Last Saturday, militants linked with the Lashkar-e-Islam militant group kidnapped four teachers from the Khyber tribal district near Peshawar for administering polio vaccines to school children.

Pakistan is one of only a few countries, such as Afghanistan and Nigeria, where the crippling polio virus can still be found.

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