W O R L D

Iran affirms NPT compliance
Tehran, February 12
Iran affirmed its commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty today, a day after its hard-line President issued a veiled threat to withdraw from the pact. Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog agency, meanwhile, began a mission to learn what controls remain on nuclear sites and equipment after Tehran ended all but minimum cooperation.

US plans military blitz on Iran’s N-sites
London, February 12
The USA is drawing up plans for bombing raids backed by submarine-launched ballistic missile attacks against Iran's nuclear sites as a "last resort" to block Teheran from developing nuclear weapons, a media report said today.

Two Editors face trial for cartoons
Algiers, February 12
The managing editors of two Algerian weekly newspapers are in detention and face trial for re-publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, press reports said today. Berkane Bouderbala of the weekly Essafir was jailed yesterday and Kamel Boussad of the Panorama weekly on Thursday, both at Algiers’ Serkadji prison.

Iranian students from Teheran’s universities shout anti-France slogans as they tear a French flag during a protest in front of the French Embassy in Teheran on Sunday. — Reuters

Labour will lead if Brown is in charge: survey
London, February 12
If Chancellor Gordon Brown were to become the leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party, it would be ahead of the main opposition Conservatives by six percentage points, says a survey.

15 die in China coal mine blast
Beijing, February 12
The death toll in a coal mine gas blast in central China has risen to 15 with the recovery of the body of the last missing miner today.

Indian student charged with intent to murder
Houston, February 12
A 22-year-old Indian student accused of stabbing his female professor over his poor grades has been charged with intent to murder by a US jury. A Middlesex County grand jury charged Nikhil Dhar, a senior at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, last week with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery.

Sharon's condition “critical but stable”
Jerusalem, February 12
Ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's condition remained critical but stable the morning after he underwent emergency abdominal surgery, according to a statement today from the hospital where he is being treated.

Saddam’s relay fast from today
Baghdad, February 12
Saddam Hussein and the seven co-defendants in his trial are to start a relay fast tomorrow, the former Iraqi president’s defence team said today, citing sources inside the detention centre where they are being held.

Iran affirms NPT compliance

Tehran, February 12
Iran affirmed its commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) today, a day after its hard-line President issued a veiled threat to withdraw from the pact.

Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog agency, meanwhile, began a mission to learn what controls remain on nuclear sites and equipment after Tehran ended all but minimum cooperation.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also urged a peaceful solution to the dispute over his country’s nuclear programme.

“We are still committed to the provisions of the NPT. But we can’t accept its use as a (political) instrument. We will cooperate in the treaty and the safeguards’ framework,” Asefi said at a weekly news conference.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday rejected US and European pressure to freeze the country’s nuclear programme and hinted that Iran might withdraw from the treaty.

In Vienna, a diplomat said some International Atomic Energy Agency seals and cameras had been removed from Iranian nuclear sites within the past few days, suggesting that it happened without IAEA supervision.

But others familiar with the probe said they doubted the Iranians would make such a move before the arrival of the inspectors, which occurred over the weekend.

In a speech before thousands of Iranians, marking the 27th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Ahmadinejad spoke obliquely about pulling out of the NPT.

“The nuclear policy of the Islamic Republic so far has been peaceful. Until now, we have worked inside the agency (IAEA) and the NPT regulations,” he said. — AP

US plans military blitz on Iran’s N-sites

London, February 12
The USA is drawing up plans for bombing raids backed by submarine-launched ballistic missile attacks against Iran's nuclear sites as a "last resort" to block Teheran from developing nuclear weapons, a media report said today. Central Command and Strategic Command planners are identifying targets, assessing weapon-loads and working on logistics for an operation, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The war strategists are reporting to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as the USA is updating plans for action if the diplomatic offensive fails to thwart the Islamic republic's nuclear bomb ambitions, the report said Teheran has repeatedly said that it is developing only a civilian energy programme. "This is more than just the standard military contingency assessment," a senior Pentagon Adviser told the newspaper."This has taken on much greater urgency in recent months."

The prospect of military action could put Washington at odds with Britain which fears that an attack would spark violence across West Asia, reprisals in the West and may not cripple Teheran's nuclear programme.

However, the steady flow of disclosures about Iran's secret nuclear operations and the virulent anti-Israeli threats of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has prompted the fresh assessment of military options by Washington. — PTI

Two Editors face trial for cartoons

Algiers, February 12
The managing editors of two Algerian weekly newspapers are in detention and face trial for re-publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, press reports said today.

Berkane Bouderbala of the weekly Essafir was jailed yesterday and Kamel Boussad of the Panorama weekly on Thursday, both at Algiers’ Serkadji prison.

The two men face up to five years in prison and both publications have been suspended following a complaint by the communication ministry over showing the cartoons, which were first published in a Danish newspaper, the reports said.

According to the daily El Watan, citing the Algerian penal code, “any person who offends the Prophet and the emissaries of God or denigrates the dogma or precepts of Islam” faces three to five years in prison.

TEHRAN: Iran today rejected US and Danish accusations that the government had inflamed and enouraged the violent protests against western embassies in Tehran last week over cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.

“What happened was a natural reaction. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Danish officials should apologise. Such comments can worsen the situation and an apology can alleviate the tension,” Hamid Reza Asefi, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said referring to Rice’s statements earlier this week that Iran was intentionally trying to “inflame sentiments” across the Muslim world.

At today’s press conference, Asefi said Denmark could have resolved the problem had it apologised immediately for the cartoons. He also repeated claims by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the drawings were part of an Israeli conspiracy. — AFP, AP

Labour will lead if Brown is in charge: survey

London, February 12
If Chancellor Gordon Brown were to become the leader of Britain’s governing Labour Party, it would be ahead of the main opposition Conservatives by six percentage points, says a survey. The YouGov poll conducted for The Sunday Times stated that if Brown led the Labour, the popularity of the party would stand at 43 per cent as compared to the Tories’ 37 per cent under David Cameron. The poll also said 41 per cent people wanted Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is in office since 1997, to step down before the end of the year to make way for Brown.

Liberal Democrat supporters, in particular, favour the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who will deliver a speech on terrorism in London tomorrow. This address is being considered vital as Chancellor Brown will talk beyond the domain of the treasury, ahead of key votes in Parliament on legislation dealing with terrorism. Home Secretary Charles Clarke, meanwhile, told Observer that Blair and Brown now were effectively running Britain as “a dual premiership”.

“That’s what Tony would always want, what Gordon should do,” he said. “To be a great great leader, that requires (Brown) to lead. He has to come out and make the speeches, make the arguments.” — PTI

15 die in China coal mine blast

Beijing, February 12
The death toll in a coal mine gas blast in central China has risen to 15 with the recovery of the body of the last missing miner today.

The accident occurred on Friday when 56 miners were working underground at the Malingshan coal mine in Henan province’s Dengfeng city.

Fortyone miners survived the accident, Xinhua news agency reported.

The rescue work has basically ended and rescuers are dealing with the compensation and aftermath work, it quoted officials with the rescue headquarters as saying.

China’s coal mines are considered the most dangerous in the world.

Last year, over 6,000 miners are feared dead in coal mine accidents nation-wide.

China relies on coal for two-thirds of its energy needs. — PTI

Indian student charged with intent to murder
Seema Hakhu Kachru

Houston, February 12
A 22-year-old Indian student accused of stabbing his female professor over his poor grades has been charged with intent to murder by a US jury.

A Middlesex County grand jury charged Nikhil Dhar, a senior at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, last week with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery.

Police sources said Dhar stabbed Prof Mary Elizabeth Hooker, an Associate Professor of clinical lab sciences, at her Fresh Pond home on December 22 after he followed her to her home from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, where she teaches science.

Hooker’s Griswold Street neighbours, including an Army reservist, played key roles in leading the police to the alleged stabber.

The police arrested a blood-spattered Dhar in a nearby yard with the help of cell phone calls from neighbours.

Dhar has been ruled “dangerous” by a judge and will remain in jail until trial. — PTI

Sharon's condition “critical but stable”

Jerusalem, February 12
Ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's condition remained critical but stable the morning after he underwent emergency abdominal surgery, according to a statement today from the hospital where he is being treated.

Mr Sharon has been comatose since suffering a massive stroke on January 4. Yesterday, he was rushed into emergency surgery to remove about one-third of his colon, which had become necrotic.

The hospital statement said "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's condition stabilised after surgery, but it is still described as critical and stable. The Prime

Minister is in the general intensive care unit." — AP

Saddam’s relay fast from today

Baghdad, February 12
Saddam Hussein and the seven co-defendants in his trial are to start a relay fast tomorrow, the former Iraqi president’s defence team said today, citing sources inside the detention centre where they are being held.

“Saddam and his followers will start a relay fast from tomorrow, protesting the illegitimate procedures and bad treatment by the court,” Khamis al-Aubeidi, a leading member of Saddam’s defence team, said. — Reuters