Vigilantes attack student rally in IranTEHRAN: Hardline vigilantes armed with clubs attacked members of a big pro-democracy rally by university students in central Tehran on Saturday, witnesses said. ``They are hitting the students and the students are hitting back,'' one of the witnesses said. Students retaliated by burning the motorcycle of one of the vigilantes, who were identified as members of the Ansar-e Hezbollah, a conservative group with shadowy ties to the Islamic establishment. Thousands of angry students rallied at Tehran University on Saturday to demand an end to assaults by Islamic hardliners, a regular feature of Iran's rough-and-tumble political life. The students, estimated at 10,000, demanded resignation of the police chief. They accused him of failing to protect them. On Thursday, vigilantes assaulted a student rally for press freedom as police stood by and even aided the attackers. Dozens were injured and there were unconfirmed reports that at least one student had died of hisinjuries.N Korea may test missile in AugustSEOUL: North Korea is likely to go ahead with a second test-firing of a long-range missile despite warnings from South Korea and the United States, the domestic Yonhap news agency has reported. On Friday the agency quoted a government official in Seoul as saying the North Korea would probably launch a new version of the Taepodong missile in late August. Defence analysts say the missile would put Hawaii and Alaska within striking distance. ``In view of the height of the missile launcher, the missile seems to have a 6,000 km range,'' the official was quoted as saying. Top
