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Maoists end truce in Nepal
Taj shortlisted among 7 wonders of modern world
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Keep off Balochistan, Pak tells India
Ukraine threatens to divert Europe-bound Russian gas
Indian pilgrims attack Haj Mission office
Bush backs domestic spying programme
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Maoists end truce in Nepal
Kathmandu, January 2 “The four-month ceasefire which we extended has come to an end,” the rebel leader Prachanda said in a statement sent to various news outlets here. Initially the unilateral ceasefire was announced by the rebels on September 3 last year for three months. In December, they extended it by one more month, but the truce expired at midnight. “The Royal Army is surrounding our people’s liberation army, which is in defensive positions, to carry out ground as well as air attacks on us. Therefore, we are compelled to go on the offensive not only for the sake of peace and democracy but for the sake of self defence,” the statement said. Prachanda said the rebels were compelled to end the truce as the government has refused to reciprocate it. "We want to make it clear that our future actions will be targeted against the autocratic regime,” he said. The announcement of the rebels, fighting a decade-long insurgency to end monarchy and establish a communist republic that took the lives of over 12,000 persons, came despite pleas by the seven opposition political parties, civil rights groups, various countries and international organisations. UN General Secretary Kofi Annan and the European Union had last week urged the Maoists to extend the ceasefire. Prachanda said he “respected and understood” their appeals, but requested them to understand the rebels’ compulsion to end the truce. He, however, offered to announce a fresh ceasefire if a new constitution is drafted. This is a long-standing demand of the rebels, which the government has continuously been rejecting.
— PTI |
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Taj shortlisted among 7 wonders of modern world
London, January 2 The other 20 entries include Britain’s Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Kremlin, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Sydney Opera House and New York’s Statue of Liberty are also among the finalists. The poll was launched in 2000 by the New 7 Wonders Society, a Swiss group which aimed to alert the world to the destruction of man-made heritage. Voting would continue throughout the year to select the seven wonders, which would be announced on New Year day in 2007. The rules are strict, with all nominations having to be man-made and completed by 2000. They must also be in an “acceptable” state of preservation, which excludes all ruins. The list of seven wonders of the ancient world was drawn up by Philon of Byzantium in the second century BC. His choices were essentially a travel guide for fellow Athenians and were all located around the accessible Mediterranean basin.
— UNI |
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Keep off Balochistan, Pak tells India
Islamabad, January 2 “As per the statement that there is nothing extraordinary about the statement issued a few days ago by the spokesman for the Indian External Affairs Ministry, what can I say. “Anyone who says that there is nothing extraordinary about a statement that is tantamount to interference in the internal affairs of other countries betrays the psyche of a bully, a bully who sees a red rag everywhere. Our advise to the Indian officials would be to mind their own business,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters here. Asked about a senior Indian official’s assertion that there was nothing extraordinary about India expressing concern and that Pakistan waves red rags at India virtually on a daily basis, Mr Aslam said, “Pakistan strictly adheres to non- interference in the internal affairs of other countries. As a matter of policy we do not make statements on situations in other countries even though they may be serious.” Questioned whether Pakistan has any evidence to prove the claims by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Muhammad alleging Indian involvement in arming and financing Baloch nationalist rebels, Mr Aslam said: “I would not like to elaborate on it at the moment. But yes there are indications and evidence of foreign involvement.” Mr Aslam said statements from India expressing concern over Pakistan armed forces’ action against Baloch rebels “tend to vitiate the atmosphere, which we have worked so hard to build for sustaining the bilateral composite dialogue process to find a peaceful and just solution to the Kashmir dispute and other disputes between two countries.” On the delay in reopening the Indian and Pakistani Consulates in Karachi and Mumbai, the Foregin Office spokesperson said Islamabad had finalised a temporary office accommodation in Mumbai and the opening was stalled due to objections raised by people of the locality. The issue was being sorted out and the Consulates in both cities would be opened simultaneously once the problems were sorted out, she said.
— PTI |
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Ukraine threatens to divert Europe-bound Russian gas
Kiev, January 2 After earlier denying a Russian accusation that it was already stealing gas destined for Europe a day after Moscow cut off supplies to Ukraine, Kiev said it might siphon off some of it if temperatures fell below freezing. “If the temperatures fall below zero, to minus three or minus five degrees (celsius), we will extract Russian gas that we receive as payment for transit, in line with existing contractual conditions,” Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov said, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. The Russian gas giant, Gazprom, halted supplies yesterday to Ukraine after Kiev refused a near-quadruple increase in the price. The pipelines that transit Ukraine also supply gas to parts of western Europe and today Gazprom accused Kiev of stealing 100 million cubic metres of that gas since the cut was implemented.
— AFP |
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Indian pilgrims attack Haj Mission office
Dubai, January 2 Computers, printers, and furnishings of the mission in the area were destroyed in the attack, which also left a pilgrim injured. Pilgrims residing in a building in Aziziah, Mecca, had repeatedly complained to the Indian officials about their suffering caused by the absence of water supply, The Arab News reported. Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed said one particular building had water problem after the motor pumping the supply broke down. “The building owner arranged for another motor, but that too conked out. Subsequently, water was supplied through tankers,” he said. A pilgrim, identified as Muhammad, said, “We had to go to the Holy Haram early in the morning without a wash. We thought our complaints would be attended to by the time we returned. But we found that our complaints fell on deaf ears”. One of the pilgrims said they attacked the mission as there was “no other course left”.
— PTI |
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Bush backs domestic spying programme
Washington, January 2 “The NSA programme is one that listens to a few numbers,” the President told reporters after visiting 51 wounded troops and their families at Brooke Army Medical Centre in San Antonio, Texas. “In other words, the enemy is calling somebody and we want to know who they are calling and why,” he said before returning to Washington. Meanwhile, Senators suggested that congressional hearings were appropriate for considering Mr Bush’s assertion that he did not overstep his constitutional authority in authorising the program after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. His order gave the NSA permission to
eavesdrop without a warrant on communications between suspected terrorists overseas and people inside the United States. The New York Times disclosed last month that the NSA had been conducting the domestic surveillance since 2002. The Justice Department on Friday opened an investigation into who told reporters about the programme. “The fact that somebody leaked this programme causes great harm to the United States,” Mr Bush said. His order, however, bypassed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a little-known panel of 11 federal judges that approves wiretaps and searches in the most sensitive terrorism and espionage cases.
— AP |
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