Indonesian police summon Muslim cleric

Police in Indonesia say they have summoned for questioning a militant Muslim cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir.

They have been under pressure to question him from the authorities in Malaysia and Singapore, who have accused him of being a leader of a network of militant Islamic groups allegedly linked to Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network.

Abu Bakar Bashir has repeatedly denied any links to al-Qaeda.

But he told an Indonesian newspaper he knew some of the suspected militants arrested in Malaysia because they had been his pupils.

Mr Bashir is the head of the Mujahidin Council, which promotes the implementation of Islamic sharia law.

He had previously lived in Malaysia for 13 years.

Police say he is due to be questioned on Thursday.