W O R L D

Former Lebanese PM killed in Beirut blast

Beirut, February 14 Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who led this country for much of the 15-year period after its civil war ended in 1990 but had recently switched to opposing Syria’s role in the country, was killed in a massive bomb explosion that ravaged his motorcade, the official Lebanese News Agency said today. A wounded man lying on the ground asks for help after a massive car bomb explosion in Beirut on Monday which killed nine persons, including former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. — Reuters photo

Ray Charles leads way at Grammys
Los Angeles, February 14 The Grammys got soul yesterday, honouring Ray Charles with five posthumous awards, including the coveted album and record of the year prizes. It marked the first time Charles ever received the album prize, and the first time the award has gone to a deceased artist since John Lennon (and widow Yoko Ono) won the prize in 1982 for ''Double Fantasy.'' Clinton wins 2nd Grammy
Norah Jones poses backstage with her two awards at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Jones won for best female pop vocal peformance and best pop collaboration with vocals. — Reuters photo

Gyanendra appoints two ex-PMs as deputies
Kathmandu, February 14
Consolidating his hold on power, Nepal King Gyanendra today appointed two old-time Palace loyalists Tulsi Giri and Kirtinidhi Bishta as vice-chairmen of the Council of Ministers headed by him.

Oxford to confer doctorate on Manmohan
London, February 14
Oxford University has decided to confer an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a spokesman of the university said today. Dr Manmohan Singh will receive the honour from his alma mater on a date to be mutually agreed.

11 killed in Philippines blast
Manila, February 14
Eleven persons were killed and at least 53 others were injured today in a series of Valentine’s Day bombings by suspected Muslim militants that hit Manila and two southern Philippine cities, officials said.

Pakistan to get US arms later this year
Washington, February 14
Pakistan will start receiving weapons from the United States under a $1.2- billion arms package by the end of this year, official sources told Dawn. The production of these weapons has already started, they added.

Riaz Khan to be Pak’s new Foreign Secy
Islamabad, February 14
Pakistan’s high-profile diplomat and Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, known for his strong views against India, retired today and would be succeeded by the country’s Ambassador to China Riaz Muhammad Khan.

600 arrested in B'desh amid fear of violence
Dhaka, February 14
Sporadic violence was reported on the first day of the two-day anti-government general strike today even as some 600 suspected Opposition activists were arrested to prevent untoward incident.

Lanka's ‘Baby 81’ gets back parents
Colombo, February 14
Sri Lanka's ''Baby 81'', the endearing three-month-old who was found alive in the tsunami debris in a village in the East and was claimed as their own by several couples, today found its biological parents after a positive DNA test.
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Former Lebanese PM killed in Beirut blast

Beirut, February 14
Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who led this country for much of the 15-year period after its civil war ended in 1990 but had recently switched to opposing Syria’s role in the country, was killed in a massive bomb explosion that ravaged his motorcade, the official Lebanese News Agency said today.

The news agency, quoting a statement from American University Hospital, said Hariri arrived dead at the hospital, his body mutilated in the massive explosion. Hariri’s own Future TV broadcast citations from the Quran.

Nine other persons were also killed in the massive blast and 100 wounded, the news agency said. Several of Hariri’s bodyguards were among those hurt or killed, said Lebanese legislator Bassem Yammout who spoke to The Associated Press at the scene.

Syria’s President Bashar Assad called the attack “a horrible criminal act”, according to Al-Jazeera television.

At least 20 cars were set on fire in a blast that devastated the front of the famous St. George Hotel, blowing off balconies, and damaged a British bank and the Phoenicia Hotel.

Bystanders and ambulance workers made crude stretchers to carry the wounded to vehicles to take them to nearby hospitals. TV footage showed several men dragging a slain victim partially covered by a brown blanket through the rubble-strewn street before letting go of his arms and letting him fall to the ground. Flames still licked from his body and his face appeared grossly disfigured by burns. — AP

Ray Charles leads way at Grammys

Los Angeles, February 14
The Grammys got soul yesterday, honouring Ray Charles with five posthumous awards, including the coveted album and record of the year prizes.

It marked the first time Charles ever received the album prize, and the first time the award has gone to a deceased artist since John Lennon (and widow Yoko Ono) won the prize in 1982 for ''Double Fantasy.''

Charles' career Grammy haul now stands at 17, tied with bluegrass musician Alison Krauss and Irish rockers U2 at No 8 on the all-time list of Grammy winners.

''He's just made his career about another 50 years longer,'' said Phil Ramone, one of the producers of ''Genius Loves Company,'' which Charles worked on until a few months before his death last June at the age of 73.

The album had been a sentimental favourite, especially given the Oscar buzz surrounding Jamie's Foxx's electric turn as the ''genius of soul'' in the movie ''Ray.'' But the Grammys also delivered some big shocks. Leading nominee, rapper Kanye West was snubbed in most categories, including best new artist. That prize went to clean-cut pop band Maroon5, whose stunned members said West deserved the award equally.

Grammy organisers, who have taken a lot of heat over the years for some dubious choices, have tightened up selection procedures. But the West oversight, after he released one of the most acclaimed albums of 2004, could prompt renewed criticism of the event's credibility.

West, who led the field with 10 nominations, ended up with three awards, including best rap album for ''The College Dropout'' and rap song for ''Jesus Walks.'' U2 and R&B singer Usher also won three each.

Singer/songwriter John Mayer also seemed a little abashed to win the song of the year prize, joking that he planned to give the base of his statuette to R&B singer Alicia Keys, who won four Grammys, having also received eight nominations.

Mayer took home two Grammys, as did jazz pianist Norah Jones, one of Charles' collaborators. Other two-time winners included country veteran Loretta Lynn, funk musician Prince, roots rocker Ben Harper and punk rock trio Green Day, who had received six nominations.

Charles was nominated seven times in six categories. The album also won production awards for arrangement, engineering and surround sound, bringing its overall tally to eight out of 10 nominations.

''Genius Loves Company'' has become the biggest of Charles' career, selling 2.1 million copies since its release in September, despite a near-total lack of radio airplay. — Reuters

Clinton wins 2nd Grammy

Los Angeles, February 14
Former US President Bill Clinton kept up his unlikely 100 per cent Grammys record by winning his second trophy in as many years at the music industry's annual awards show here.

Clinton won in the Spoken Word Album category yesterday for his recording of his best-selling autobiography, "My Life," beating out, among others, comedians Steve Martin and David Sedaris.

The award made it two-for-two for the 42nd President of the United States who walked away with his first Grammy last year for lending his voice to the Russian folk tale of "Peter and the Wolf." — AFP

Gyanendra appoints two ex-PMs as deputies

Kathmandu, February 14
Consolidating his hold on power, Nepal King Gyanendra today appointed two old-time Palace loyalists Tulsi Giri and Kirtinidhi Bishta as vice-chairmen of the Council of Ministers headed by him.

Eighty-year old Giri, a seasoned politician, was made cabinet chairman by late King Mahendra, father of King Gyanendra in 1961, after dismissing the elected government of B.P. Koirala and banning all political parties in 1960.

Giri held this post for four years. He recently returned from Sri Lanka where he has been staying on his own for the past several years.

Bishta (79), served as Prime Minister four times and is known as a pro-China politician.

With the appointment of Giri and Bishta as vice-chairmen, the strength of the Council of Ministers installed by King Gyanendra has gone to 12. — PTI

Oxford to confer doctorate on Manmohan

London, February 14
Oxford University has decided to confer an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a spokesman of the university said today.

Dr Manmohan Singh will receive the honour from his alma mater on a date to be mutually agreed.

Dr Manmohan Singh, who did his higher studies at Cambridge and Oxford, where he completed a D.Phil. in Economics, is among 10 leading international figures due to receive an honorary degree this year.

Besides Dr Singh, others selected for the honour include Nobel Prize-winning writer Toni Morrison (Doctor of Letters).

"After a career in academia, Dr Singh has held a number of political and economic appointments in India and at international organisations, including Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Governor of the Reserve Bank of India," the university said.

Eight of the awardees will get their honorary degrees at the university's annual honorary degree ceremony on June 22. — PTI

11 killed in Philippines blast

Manila, February 14
Eleven persons were killed and at least 53 others were injured today in a series of Valentine’s Day bombings by suspected Muslim militants that hit Manila and two southern Philippine cities, officials said.

Three persons were killed on the spot and about 20 others were injured when a powerful bomb ripped through a passenger bus in the Makati financial district of Manila in early evening, Metropolitan Manila police chief Avelino Razon said.

Five persons were killed when a second blast hit a bus depot in the southern city of Davao at dusk, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said. — AFP

Pakistan to get US arms later this year
Anwar Iqbal
By arrangement with The Dawn

Washington, February 14
Pakistan will start receiving weapons from the United States under a $1.2- billion arms package by the end of this year, official sources told Dawn. The production of these weapons has already started, they added.

The package, announced in mid -November, includes eight P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft, six Phalanx close-in weapon systems and an ammunition complement of 2,000 TOW-2A missiles and 14 TOW-2A Fly-to-Buy missiles.

The P-3 Orions are valued at $970 million, the Phalanx systems at $155 million and the missiles at $82 million. This is the first major sale of US military hardware to Pakistan since Washington lifted sanctions and named Islamabad a major non-NATO ally last year.

Pakistan, however, has not yet succeeded in getting the nod for the big ticket item — the F-16 fighter planes — it has been seeking for long. But there have been recent developments that may boost Pakistan's efforts to get the aircraft.

Riaz Khan to be Pak’s new Foreign Secy

Islamabad, February 14
Pakistan’s high-profile diplomat and Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, known for his strong views against India, retired today and would be succeeded by the country’s Ambassador to China Riaz Muhammad Khan.

The change at the top in the Foreign Office also saw a minor reshuffle of senior officials, including Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan, who had been posted as the Permanent Envoy to the United Nations, media reports said.

Significantly, the change of guard in Pakistan’s Foreign Office is taking place on the eve of India’s External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh’s visit to Islamabad. — PTI

600 arrested in B'desh amid fear of violence

Dhaka, February 14
Sporadic violence was reported on the first day of the two-day anti-government general strike today even as some 600 suspected Opposition activists were arrested to prevent untoward incident.

The police and television reports said there were no major incidents despite pro and anti-strikers taking to streets in an apparent show of strength. The shutdown coincided with nationwide rallies of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party against anarchy.

The schools, shops and most private offices were shut or operated with skeleton staff. — PTI

Lanka's ‘Baby 81’ gets back parents

Colombo, February 14
Sri Lanka's ''Baby 81'', the endearing three-month-old who was found alive in the tsunami debris in a village in the East and was claimed as their own by several couples, today found its biological parents after a positive DNA test.

Ending an eight-week-long drama, the baby, which was given the nickname by the authorities at Kalmunai Hospital where he was the 81st person to be admitted after the tsunami, was today confirmed as Abilash, the child of Murugupillai Jeyarajah and his wife Jenita.

The case was brought to the Kalmunai Magistrate after nine couples came forward to adopt the child, whose plight was widely reported in the world media. The Magistrate directed the hospital authorities for DNA tests to be held in Colombo. — UNI

BRIEFLY

Hillary receives media prize
BADEN-BADEN (GERMANY): Senator for the state of New York and former First Lady of the USA Hillary Clinton has received the German media prize for 2004. "Hillary Clinton is a model politician for millions of women around the world" who "represents in an exemplary way women's rights", the jury for the prize said here on Sunday. The prize has honoured each year, since 1992, a personality who has influenced society and politics. — AFP

Italians on foot during daytime
ROME: Italians took to the streets on foot and bicycles in seven major cities including Rome, as authorities banned cars and even scooters in an effort lower the levels of smog sullying the skyline. The stepped-up campaign here on Sunday began as many Italian cities fast approached their yearly limits for particulate matter emissions under the European Union rules. — Reuters

64 killed in floods
BOGOTA, (COLOMBIA): Flooding and mudslides in north-eastern Colombia killed at least 24 persons and forced more than 30,000 from their homes, authorities said. In neighbouring Venezuela, officials said on Saturday that the rains had killed more than 40 persons in nearly a week. — Reuters

Tsunami warning system
Bangkok: Thailand will have an initial tsunami warning system in place by April, with a fully operative system installed within the next two years, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed Monday. Bolstered by his electoral victory in last Sunday’s general elections, the Prime Minister told voters via his weekly radio programme on Monday morning that Thailand would construct a warning system without delay. — PTI