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4 million to attend Pope’s funeral
Man who shot at Pope not allowed to attend funeral |
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Democracy can end unrest: Benazir China for consensus on UNSC expansion Attack on US convoy in Baghdad Suketu Mehta’s book fails to bag Pulitzer
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4 million to attend Pope’s funeral PRESIDENTS will rub shoulders with kings and queens at the Pope’s funeral in gatherings of world leaders in modern times, as well as one of the largest gatherings of pilgrims, who are expected to number up to four million. US President George Bush will be accompanied by his wife Laura and a “small delegation” of American officials for the funeral in Vatican City. President Bush said on Monday it was a “great honour, on behalf of our country, to express our gratitude to the Almighty for such a man. And of course we look forward to the majesty of celebrating such a significant human life.” Edward Kennedy is among other American politicians certain to arrive, while there is speculation in Rome that George Bush Sr and Bill Clinton will also show up. Prince Charles delayed his own marriage by a day in order to accompany Tony Blair and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to Rome. Pope John Paul II’s worldwide popularity and the political importance of Catholics in so many countries guarantees a curious assortment in Rome of the good and the great. Kofi Annan will be there. King Abdullah of Jordan has also confirmed. Italian newspapers were abuzz with the possibility that the Pope improbable friend Fidel Castro might make it. Despite the fact that Castro declared a three-day period of national mourning for the Pope, this now appears unlikely, though he will certainly send an important representative. President Aleksander Kwasniewski, of Poland, is sure to attend, along with Lech Walesa, the trade unionist whose Solidarity movement was supported by the Pope’s firm stand against Poland’s communist authorities. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will come to Rome, though he has few friends in the Curia following his bruising assertion of the secular nature of the Spanish state and his approval of gay marriages. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia will accompany Zapatero. Ireland is sending President Mary McAleese and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who faced questions yesterday after he refused to declare Friday a national holiday in the staunchly Roman Catholic republic. Italy is also counting on the appearance of Nelson Mandela, and Israel’s foreign minister Silvan Shalom, in recognition of the late Pope’s attempts to build trust and amity between Christianity and Judaism. President Jacques Chirac of France will also be there. Others include President Vincente Fox, of Mexico, and triumphant Ukrainian president Victor Yushchenko, President Horst Koehler and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany will also attend. Throw in such religious figures as Russian Orthodox patriarch Alessio II, Sister Nirmala, leader of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity and high profile Muslim delegations and the potential for political fireworks appears to be great. The protocol challenge will be complex, although it is a challenge for which the Vatican has had ample time to prepare. It is expected that at least some of the world leaders will take advantage of the event to hold one-on-one meetings with other leaders while they are gathered in Rome. President Bush met the Pope three times during his presidency, and on the last occasion the President was famously scolded for his attachment to aggression as a means of solving problems. The Pope was a formidable opponent of the war in Iraq. — By arrangement with The Independent |
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Man who shot at Pope not allowed to attend funeral Istanbul, April 5 The Pope forgave his would-be killer two years after the shooting that would mark the start of his slow decline in health. “Our application was denied. It appears to have been a government initiative. We don’t have enough time before the funeral to appeal,” Agca’s lawyer Mustafa Demirdag told Reuters. — Reuters
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Who was Pope’s
‘secret’ cardinal?
Vatican City, April 5 In Vatican parlance, that secrecy is known as “in pectore”. In layman’s terms, it means nobody else knows. The Vatican yesterday said the Pope had left no special instructions to his successor about the identity of the cardinal. Not even the new cardinal knows, and as the Pope is now dead, the honour that was his to bestow could have died with him.
— AFP |
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Democracy can end unrest: Benazir Arkana, April 5 The main anniversary programme was held in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh Bhutto, which was attended by central leaders of the party. A video of Benazir’s speech was played at the function. Paying tribute to the late Bhutto for his contributions to the nation, she said a democratic government could steer the country out of the present crisis. She said that the law and order situation was deteriorating, unemployment was on the rise and there was serious disharmony among the provinces. Only a democratic government elected by free and fair elections could solve the people’s problems, she added. She alleged that the 2002 elections were rigged by the government and democracy now being practised gave a free hand to some political parties and imposed restrictions on others. She said the present political set-up was a failure and it had damaged the country’s image. She praised the late Bhutto for giving the 1973 Constitution to the country and said even 26 years after his death he still ruled people’s hearts. She expressed the fear that a force like the Baluchistan Liberation Army could also emerge in Sindh.
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China for consensus on UNSC expansion United Nations, April 5 China’s UN Ambassador Wang Guangya told reporters that the main objective of the expansion should be to increase the number of members from the developing world because there was an imbalance in the Council composition. China, he said, had not yet made its mind on various candidates seeking permanent membership but a full discussion among member states is required to reach a consensus, the absence of which would be detrimental to the UN. His comment came following Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call for enlarging the Council by September when a summit of world leaders is scheduled at the United Nations. Mr Annan had also asked member states not use the excuse of consensus for delaying the Council reforms. Asked if the demand for consensus may rule out any expansion of the Council given opposition to almost every country, Wang, who is President of the Council for this month, said broad agreement is still possible, provided there is no imposition of timetable. The G4 countries- India, Brazil, Japan and Germany, which are supporting each other’s bid for permanent seats-plan to seek a vote in the Assembly on a resolution calling for expansion of the Council with addition of six permanent and three non permanent members, but without mentioning any names. — PTI
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Attack on US convoy in Baghdad Baghdad, April 5 An abandoned taxi exploded as the US patrol drove down an expressway in the Dora neighbourhood, said Sergeant 1st Class David Abrams, a spokesman for Task Force Baghdad. He said one of the injured soldiers had minor injuries, but no details were given on the others. Another explosion targeted a joint Iraqi-US convoy in the Amiriyah neighbourhood in Baghdad this morning, said Al-Amil police officer Captain Talib Thamir. Abrams said a blast had occurred but he did not have any details. A top Interior Ministry official, Brigadier General Jala Mohammed Saleh, was also kidnapped early today by gunmen who broke into his house, an Interior Ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity. — AP
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Suketu Mehta’s book fails to bag Pulitzer
New York, April 5 Journalist Steve Coll’s “Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001”, published by Penguin Press, won in a distinguished book of non-fiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in any other category. The winner receives $10,000. |
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