W O R L D

Protests in Nepal after PM quits

Kathmandu, May 31 Thousands of Nepalis protested across the country today as opposition parties kept up their pressure on the King for a new government of national unity, a day after the caretaker prime minister quit. Activists from five opposition political parties burn effigies symbolising regression in Kathmandu on Saturday. Thousands of Nepalis protested across the country on Saturday as opposition parties kept up their pressure on the King for a new government of national unity, a day after the Caretaker Prime Minister quit. — Reuters

US Deputy Defence Security Paul Wolfowiz, right, shakes hands with Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes after a meeting between the two at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a Conference of Defence Ministers from around Asia and key western powers, on Saturday in Singapore. — AP/PTI

GLOBAL MONITOR

Euthanasia campaigner Dr Philip Nitschke explains the use of his 'Aussie Bag' during a demonstration of its operation at a suicide conference entitled 'Killing me Softly' in Sydney on Saturday. The lethal bag, which is modelled after Canada's controversial 'Exit Bag,' suffocates its user by closing gently and automatically around their neck, typically after the user first takes a sleeping pill, according to Nitschke. 
— Reuters

Bush denies plans to attack Iran, Syria
Moscow, May 31
US President George W Bush has denied reports of Washington’s plans to attack Syria and Iran and dismissed them as “pure speculation”. “We have heard statements that we are planning to use military force in Syria, now someone says about military force in Iran.

US law on hate crimes
Washington, May 31
The US Senate has passed a resolution calling on Federal and local law enforcement officials to persecute “assertively and thoroughly” those indulging in hate crimes against Sikhs, Muslims and Arabs.

Pakistani officials examine a bus after a bomb explosion in Hyderabad, 160 km from Karachi, on Saturday. Several persons were wounded on Saturday when a bomb exploded on a bus in southern Pakistan, in what police called an "act of terrorism." — Reuters

Iranian refugee Abbas Amini has the stitches, which had kept his mouth closed for nine days, cut by a nurse in Nottingham, England, on Friday. Abbas Amini had stitched up his eyes, lips and ears in protest against the threat of deportation. Spokesman Sam Azad said Amini had staged the protest to highlight the plight of refugees from Iran and to urge more humane treatment of asylum seekers in Britain. — AP/PTI

A young girl cools off in a fountain at Trafalgar Sqaure in London on Saturday. Much of Britain was enjoying another hot, sunny day on Saturday, but weather forecasters predicted clouds and rain to cut short the mini-heatwave as early as Sunday.  — Reuters

USA forms team to hunt Iraq’s WMDs
Washington, May 31
The USA today announced a major expansion of the search for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction by forming a team of 1,400 US, British and Australian experts to take up the hunt under Gen Keith Dayton.

Rockets hit US bases in Afghanistan
Bagram Air Base, May 31
“Rockets were fired at two US bases of the USA in southeast and eastern Afghanistan, but there was no casualty,” a military spokesman of the USA said today.

Laden, Omar hailed as heroes
Islamabad May 31
Maulana Masood Azhar, leader of a militant group accused of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack who was barred from addressing a party conference in Peshawar by the Pakistani authorities, later addressed a gathering and hailed Al-Qaida terror network chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar as “heroes of Muslim world”.

Protests in Nepal after PM quits

Kathmandu, May 31
Thousands of Nepalis protested across the country today as opposition parties kept up their pressure on the King for a new government of national unity, a day after the caretaker prime minister quit.

“We don’t want an arbitrary king,’’ said pamphlets handed out by chanting protesters, some waving red flags, as they marched peacefully through the narrow, ancient streets of Kathmandu.

After eight months of increasing protests, Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand — the 12th prime minister since 1990 — resigned yesterday to help ease pressure from opposition parties on King Gyanendra.

The King appointed Mr Chand, widely seen as the King’s man, after assuming executive powers and receiving Mr Chand’s predecessor in October in a row over the timing of national elections.

Mr Chand’s resignation brought fresh political uncertainty to the troubled Himalayan nation and cast a shadow over peace talks with Maoist rebels.

The King has asked the five parties plus two others, including Mr Chand’s party to propose a candidate for the post of prime minister.

But the main opposition parties want to form a new interim administration themselves, or for Gyanendra to reinstate the parliament he dissolved in May last year.

The latest crisis comes two years after the crown Prince massacred nine members of the royal family and then killed himself, bringing King Gyanendra to the throne.

The second anniversary of the massacre is on Monday, according to the Nepali Calendar, when the Opposition groups plan their biggest rallies yet.

Last week, as the world media spotlight focused on Nepal for celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the scaling of the Mount Everest, at least 20 persons, including ousted lawmakers, were injured when the police broke up a rally in Kathmandu.

Newspapers today welcomed Chand’s departure.

“Lokendra Bahadur Chand may have been an insignificant political personality, but his departure will be far more significant politically,’’ The Kathmandu Post said in its editorial.

“It paves the way for initiating the much-awaited conciliatory process between the King and the political parties.

“The growing rift between the two... had caused immense concern over the future of the multi-party democracy in the country as many feared that the king was ruling by proxy.’’ Reuters

Bush denies plans to attack Iran, Syria

Moscow, May 31
US President George W Bush has denied reports of Washington’s plans to attack Syria and Iran and dismissed them as “pure speculation”.

“We have heard statements that we are planning to use military force in Syria, now someone says about military force in Iran. All these statements are pure speculation,” he said speaking through a Russian interpreter in his interview to the state-run “Rossia” TV channel telecast last night.

He also dismissed reports about the USA planned to use military bases in former Soviet republics for attack on Iran.

Bush began his two-day Russia tour today to join other world leaders in St Petersburg for the 300th anniversary celebrations of the city by reformist Tsar Peter The Great in 1703.

Bush and Putin are scheduled to hold their first summit since Iraq war tomorrow, indicating a consensus between Moscow and Washington over a broader global agenda, including anti-terror combat and non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons.

WASHINGTON: The USA has flatly rejected a reported Russian offer for it to join in the construction of a controversial nuclear power station in Iran that US officials believe is a subterfuge for a covert atomic weapons programme.

The State Department said “no country” should be assisting Iran with any part of its nuclear programme until the Islamic Republic deals with the US allegations and allows more intense international inspections of its facilities.

“Iran uses its civil nuclear programme, including the light-water nuclear reactor at Bushehr, as a pretext that allows it to pursue sensitive nuclear technology,” said Lynn Cassel, a department spokeswoman, yesterday.

She referred specifically to the project Russia is helping Iran to build that has been the crux of Washington’s complaints to Moscow and one of the main foci of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors who are to report on Tehran’s programme in June. PTI

US law on hate crimes

Washington, May 31
The US Senate has passed a resolution calling on Federal and local law enforcement officials to persecute “assertively and thoroughly” those indulging in hate crimes against Sikhs, Muslims and Arabs.

The resolution was sponsored by Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Russ Feingold and Republican Senator John Sununu. A similar resolution is before the House of Representatives.

Senator Durbin, who piloted the measure, said it was a proud moment not just for Arab Americans, Muslims, South Asian Americans and Sikhs but for Americans of all religions, backgrounds and cultures.

“There should never be a place for this kind of hatred in our country. Now, more than ever, we simply cannot allow prejudice to divide our nation,” he said.

National Chairman of the leadership of the Sikh Coalition on Religion and Education Rajwant Singh welcomed the passage of the resolution and expressed hope that it would help prevent hate crimes.

“We hope it will aid in the prevention of hate crimes and that it helps to save lives. But even if it is not a deterrent in all cases, we believe the punishment will appropriately address the crime,” he said.

Singh thanked the three Senators for addressing the “sensitive” issue. “It answers many of our prayers for some relief against senseless attacks and intolerance,” he said.

The resolution was passed days after a Sikh American, Avtar Singh (52), was shot twice in a hate crime incident in Phoenix, Arizona, by two men shouting “go back to your country.” He is currently recuperating. PTI

USA forms team to hunt Iraq’s WMDs

Washington, May 31
The USA today announced a major expansion of the search for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction by forming a team of 1,400 US, British and Australian experts to take up the hunt under Gen Keith Dayton.

As the USA went on war against Iraq citing reasons that Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction posed a threat to the world, failure to find any has been a major embarrassment for the Bush administration and has raised questions about the US rationale for waging the war.

The newly-formed Iraq Survey Group will shift the search from suspect sites compiled before the war to a more comprehensive intelligence gathering effort on the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein’s illicit activities — from weapons of mass destruction to terrorism and war crimes, officials said. The new team will increase the number of actual searchers from 200 to 300. The rest of the 1,400 will be involved in tasks ranging from analysing the seized documents to questioning people who may have knowledge of such weapons. Agencies

Rockets hit US bases in Afghanistan

Bagram Air Base, May 31
“Rockets were fired at two US bases of the USA in southeast and eastern Afghanistan, but there was no casualty,” a military spokesman of the USA said today. A base in Asadabad in Kunar province, 180 km northeast of Kabul, had come under attack this morning, Col Rodney Davis of the USA told reporters at Bagram Air Base, 50 km north of Kabul.

“One rocket impacted outside of 500 m of the fire base at Asadabad this morning,” he said.

Attackers fired two rockets at a fire base at Urgon-e in southeast Paktika province yesterday, again without causing any casualty. AFP

Laden, Omar hailed as heroes

Islamabad May 31
Maulana Masood Azhar, leader of a militant group accused of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack who was barred from addressing a party conference in Peshawar by the Pakistani authorities, later addressed a gathering and hailed Al-Qaida terror network chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar as “heroes of Muslim world”.

Azhar, who has re-named his banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad as Kuddam-ul-Islam was barred from addressing ‘Deefa-e-Islam’ conference organised by his party yesterday. PTI

GLOBAL MONITOR

Jordan's Queen Rania wearing a "Peace" T-shirt runs in Amman on Friday. Queen Rania ran in the charity fundraising event to show her support for a new US-led effort to forge peace in the Middle East. The Queen finished third among more than 100 women who participated in the 10-km-long race. — AP/PTI

Stages of the Sun as it is partially covered by the Moon seen from Untergreuth, near the Faaker See lake in Austria's southern province of Carinthia, during sunrise on Saturday. — Reuters

SEVERAL HURT IN PAK BUS BLAST
HYDERABAD, PAKISTAN: A bomb exploded in a bus in southern Pakistan on Saturday, wounding several persons, witnesses and the police said. The explosion occurred in Hyderabad, about 160 km north of Karachi, they said. Reuters

VARSITY SHOOTING: MAN PLEADS INNOCENT
CLEVELAND: A man from India has pleaded innocent to 33B charges in a case involving a university shooting spree that left one dead. Biswanath Halder, 62, a native of Kolkata, was arraigned during a video conference from the Cuyahoga County jail. Common Pleas Judge Christopher Boyko ordered him to remain in custody without bond. The indictment accuses Biswanath Halder of terrorism “with purpose to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.” AP

HAMAS ULTRA KILLED IN WEST BANK
JENIN: Israeli troops killed a Hamas militant on Saturday as he and a comrade were planting an explosive charge on a path used by Israeli patrols near the West Bank city of Jenin, army sources said. The second man was captured after a brief chase following the shooting. The soldiers later blew up the bomb, which they said contained 30 kg of explosives. AFP

PHILIPPINES STORM TOLL 41
MANILA: The death toll from tropical storm Linfa rose to 41 on Saturday after it had battered the northern Philippines for almost a week, a disaster relief agency reported. Eight persons reported missing were still remain unaccounted for, according to civil defence director Mel Rosales, who assured relatives that “search and rescue operations are still ongoing”. DPA

INDIA TO GET RUSSIAN RADARS BY 2004
MOSCOW: Russia will deliver 72 Kopyo aircraft radars to India by the end of next year, according to the radar system’s producer Sokol. The radars, part of a $300-million contract signed by the two countries in 1996, are due to be installed aboard MiG-21 fighters of Indian air force, Sokol’s General Director Mikhail Shibayev said on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported. AFP

USA REOPENS CONSULATE IN BEIRUT
BEIRUT: The USA has reopened its consulate in Beirut, nearly 20 years since its closure after a suicide bomb attack on the Embassy compound during Lebanon’s civil war. The consulate in the heavily fortified U S Embassy compound in Aukar, a hilly district north of Beirut, will spare Lebanese having to travel to Syria or Cyprus to apply for visas. AP