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Suicide bomber kills 15 in Iraq
Obama takes 15-point
lead: Poll
Pak Budget |
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India, France tie-up for making missiles soon
Tibetan plan to fight environmental hazards
Headscarves off in Teheran’s first women-only park
Pak to consider demands by Sikh pilgrims
Anti-Mush Drive
Pak nationals to get computerised ID cards
Self-confident children become healthier adults
Love hormone that could banish shyness
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Suicide bomber kills 15 in Iraq Baghdad, June 22 The attack took place in Baquba, capital of multi-ethnic Diyala province, where Sunni Islamist Al-Qaida militants have sought to create tension despite a succession of military offensives that have put the group on the back foot. The police said the woman walked over to a group of policemen as they ate lunch at an outdoor restaurant then detonated explosives under her clothing. Several cars were set on fire. Police and hospital sources said 15 people were killed in the attack, just outside a court house in Baquba, 65 km north of Baghdad. The US military said the blast killed 14 people including seven policemen. At least a dozen female suicide bombers have carried out attacks in the past six months, mostly in Diyala and Baghdad. Security officials have blamed the bombings on Al-Qaida, which they say has sought to recruit women because they can sometimes escape strict security checks. Violence in Iraq has dropped to a four-year low, but Sunday's bombing was the second big attack in the past week. US forces have blamed a rogue Shi'ite militia group for a truck bomb that killed 63 people in Baghdad last Tuesday. That was the deadliest attack in Baghdad in more than three months. — Reuters
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Obama takes 15-point
lead: Poll
New York, June 22 This is the first Newsweek poll after Hillary Clinton withdrew from the contest and endorsed Obama. It also shows particularly high support for Obama among the young voters. Analysts said it was no surprise with President George Bush rock-bottom approval rating dragging McCain down. In the previous poll, completed in late May when Clinton was still fighting Obama hard for the Democratic nomination, the African-American Illinois Senator managed no better than a 46 per cent tie with McCain. By contrast, in recent weeks Clinton has not only endorsed Obama but has made plans to campaign with him. “They were in a pitched battle, and that’s going to impact things. Now that we’ve gotten away from that period, this is the kind of bounce they’ve been talking about,” said Hugick. Overall, voters see Obama as the preferred agent of “change” by a margin of 51 per cent to 27 per cent. Younger voters, in particular, are more likely to see Obama that way: those 18 to 39 favour him by 66 per cent to 27 per cent. The two candidates are statistically tied among older voters. Obama’s current lead also reflects the large party-identification advantage the Democrats now enjoy - 55 per cent of all voters call themselves Democrats or say they lean toward the party while just 36 per cent call themselves Republicans or lean that way.
— PTI
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Pak Budget
The National Assembly on Sunday approved the Rs 2.2-trillion budget for fiscal 2008-09 by adopting with overwhelming majority the Finance Bill that also provides for the enhancement of the number of judges of the Supreme Court from 17 to 29.
All four coalition partners - the PPP, PML-N, ANP and the JUI - voted for the Bill, but its subsequent interpretations triggered a bitter controversy between the two major components, the PPP and the PML-N. The opposition PML-Q abstained from voting saying it is supportive of the increase in the number of judges but considers such a change through the Finance Bill as unconstitutional. Law minister Farooq Naek said the change made through the Bill was perfectly constitutional. It paves the way for the restoration of deposed judges that would be done through constitutional amendment as proposed in the constitution reform package by the PPP. He said the package would be introduced soon after all component parties of the coalition submit their proposals. Finance minister Naveed Qamar thanked both the opposition and the treasury members for comprehensive debate and smooth passage of the budget. He said the increase in the number of judges was made at the suggestion of former finance minister and PML-N senator Ishaq Dar. But prominent columnist and PML-N MP Ayaz Amir challenged Qamar's statement and said the Bill was always attributed to the finance minister. He said the enhancement of the number of judges would make the Supreme Court world's biggest court. “It will seriously undermine the independence of judiciary and turn the apex court of the country into a joke,” he said. Ayaz said the acceptance of judges appointed by President Pervez Musharraf under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) after promulgation of emergency on November 3 would amount to acknowledging the legality of his actions. “It makes a mockery of the talk of Musharraf's impeachment," Ayaz observed. PML-N parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan addressed a hurriedly called news conference after the passage of the Bill. He angrily protested against the insinuations that the number of judges was being raised at the initiative of the PML-N. He said the PCO judges could be adjusted on ad hoc and not permanent basis. Nisar also repudiated the attempt to link restoration of deposed judges to the constitution package. He said both the PPP and the PML-N were committed to restore judges under the Bhurbon Accord through a resolution of Parliament. The coalition between the two parties was based on this accord and the charter of democracy signed by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in London in May 2006. Any deviation would jeopardise this alliance, he added.
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India, France tie-up for making missiles soon
Paris, June 22 The proposed joint venture, for which the missile industry officials from both countries have done intense groundwork, could take shape in a year’s time. The name of the new series of lethal co-produced missile has been proposed as ‘Maitri’ and it aims to fulfill the demand of the Army, Navy and Air Force in India for procuring thousands of such missiles to cover up the “yawning” gap in country’s air defence. India is currently in the process of replacing its entire range of surface-to-air missile defence system to weed out the ageing SAM series of missile procured from the erstwhile Soviet Union in the late 60’s and 70’s. The procurement of the new range of such missiles is to give more foolproof and vibrant defending capabilities to the nation’s vital assets, VVIP complexes as well as provide mobile air cover to troops in operations. “Our missile industry officials are in intense negotiations with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and India’s sole missile producer, Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Limited for setting up of such a joint venture,” Antoine Bouvier, CEO of the Euorpean Missile Consortium MBDA, told Indian newsmen here. The French proposal comes as the Indian Army recently floated a 2 billion Euro contract for purchasing 1,000 short- range quick reaction missiles. “It will be an effort to re-use existing technology capabilities in the two countries” Bouvier said, emphasising that the ‘Maitri’ range of missiles, under the proposed joint venture, would be made entirely in India.” There is total French political support for such ventures with India,” the MBDA chief executive officer said during the just concluded Eurosatory-2008, the European Defence Exhibition for land combat systems. The MBDA, with an annual three billion Euro turnover, is the largest and sole European Missile Consortium with a 25 per cent of the worldwide missile market. It has proposed that such a joint venture could work to build upon its latest Mistral and vertically-launched VL-MICA surface-to-air mobile missile systems. The MBDA CEO said the proposed joint missile venture would produce state-of-the-art surface-to-air missiles of short and medium range at very “reduced costs”. “We have also proposed modification of propulsion and production line at the Bharat Dynamics line for the venture”. As a number of other European companies like Thales and Russians and Israelis were also bidding for the Indian army project, the MBDA top executive said, “We propose to bid for the army contract in a consortium with DRDO and BDL”. “We can make a start with making of short range upto 90km range surface-to-air missile and later graduate to producing medium range, upto 30 km, and long range, upto 50 km SAMs,” Bouvier said. Though both highly sophisticated Arabel Radars powered Mistral and VL-Mica missiles in flight, these weapon systems could be operated with equal lethality by India’s own 3D and 2D radars developed by DRDO, the MBDA Chief Executive said. The French proposal could come in handy for the Indian defence ministry officials as its project for proposed co-production of SPYDER quick reaction short range surface- to-air Israeli missiles is in a freeze. Though the Israeli Aircraft Industries bagged the IAF contract for similar quick reaction missiles, the project is in freeze as the Tel Aviv company is under shadow over the CBI investigations into its Barak missiles sales to
India. — PTI
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Tibetan plan to fight environmental hazards
Lhasa, June 22 Tibet, which made headlines for recent unrest over Chinese control, is faced with environmental strains on the vast highlands that span the region and much of neighbouring Qinghai province. The most immediate sign of global warming’s impact is fast-shrinking glaciers. Ones around Mount Everest, which spans Tibet and Nepal, have shrunk 170 metres in the past decade. Zhang Yongze, director-general of the region’s environmental protection bureau, said the scale of environmental problems facing Tibet called for a concerted response, and he singled out climate changed as a key worry. “In recent years, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has felt the effects of global warming and our environment has certainly experienced changes,” Zhang told a small group of reporters late on Saturday night. “Our Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is actually the most direct victim of global warming.” Chinese scientists concluded last year that Tibet is warming up faster than anywhere else in the world. The average annual temperature in Tibet was rising at a speed of 0.3 degree Celsius every 10 years, Xinhua reported. Zhang said the effects of global warming on the varied and complex mountain landscape appeared to be mixed. In Tibet’s west, there was a clear trend to a hotter and drier climate, turning grasslands into desert. But in Tibet’s centre and east, climate change so far appeared to be bringing a warmer, wetter climate that was filling, rather than shrinking, lakes. Tibet has drafted an “ecological security” plan that will soon be submitted to the central government and could be announced by the end of the year, Zhang said. The plan, which could initially cost 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion), would involving turning grasslands into protected forests, restricting grazing and creating “green” jobs for Tibetans that ease pressure from population growth and development. “The solution to problems like global warming is out of our hands, but this document will give us a framework to work in,” Zhang
said. — Reuters
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Headscarves off in Teheran’s first women-only park
Tehran, June 22 The mother and daughter lay out their picnic on the lawn and lie in the hot spring sun as a group of other women jog past them in spaghetti-strapped vests and lycra shorts. An unusual sight indeed in Iran, where all women are obliged to cover their hair and bodies in public to comply with a strict Islamic dress code. But last month the Teheran municipality opened the “Mothers' Paradise” park in the upmarket north of the city to create a male-free zone every day of the week, except Friday. Built on hills and filled with lush evergreens, it was deemed an ideal spot for any park. It is now surrounded by iron sheets up to 4-metre high to keep out prying eyes. “It is a good place to take in fresh air and finally dress as you want,” said 39-year-old Nasrin who lives nearby and comes to the park almost every day. In Iran, where the hijab is obligatory in public, the Islamic dress rules do not apply for women in places where it is forbidden for men to enter. The 20-hectare park offers aerobics classes in the open air, a cycling track, a sports hall for team games and even archery courses. Some women said they felt safer in the park, which is run by an all-women staff of cleaners, gardeners and security guards, complaining about harassment and drug dealers in other parks. The park is looked after by male staff outside its confines and after 8 pm, which is the closing time, regarded as too early by many women.Unlike other women-only venues, such as swimming pools, sports clubs and concert halls, visitors are not required to hand in cell phones and
cameras. — AFP
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Pak to consider demands by Sikh pilgrims
The Pakistan government has promised to consider persistent demand by Sikh pilgrims that they should be allowed to visit Gujranwala, the birthplace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, on the occasion of his death anniversary that is observed in Lahore.
Baldev Singh, a leading member of the SGPC, Amritsar, who is in Pakistan on the occasion of the 169th death anniversary of the Sikh ruler, said here that all pilgrims were compelled to attend the death anniversary of Ranjit Singh at his samadhi in the Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore. He said that the Sabzi Mandi of Gujranwala was the birthplace of Ranjit Singh and the Sikh yatrees are keen to visit the place. Baldev also demanded that Ranjit Singh's birthplace should be handed over to the SGPC for renovation. He said that the birthplaces of two of Ranjit Singh's Generals, Hari Singh and Akali Bhola Singh, were also near Gujranwala and Sikhs should be allowed to visit those places as well. He said that the SGPC had purchased an ambulance for the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, which they had been unable to bring because the necessary paperwork had not been completed. He asked the authorities to resolve the issue soon. He said that Sikhs should not be discriminated against in any country because it was against the principles of all religions. He added that the Pakistani government should permit the SGPC to construct and renovate Ranjit Singh's Samadhi. He said that since Pakistan faced an acute shortage of granthis, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (PSGPC) should be authorised to send granthis to India for training. He said that gurdwaras in Pakistan should be expanded to accommodate more Sikh pilgrims.
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Anti-Mush Drive
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said adjustments could be made with the parties who lost the February 18 elections “if they talked to him.”
Zardari said political opponents should not be considered personal enemies as “we have to work for the country and save it from the dangers it faces.” Zardari's observations that apparently related to the pro-Musharraf PML-Q indicated a shift from his earlier position not to align with the party that ruled for five years as Musharraf’s main prop.
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Pak nationals to get computerised ID cards
All citizens of the country will be provided computerised national identity cards (CNIC) free of cost from June 24, adviser to the Prime Minister on interior Rehman Malik told reporters here today.
Malik said all centres of the National Data Regulatory Authority (NADRA) have been directed to expedite issuance of ID cards in order to cover the entire population as early as possible. Earlier speaking in the National Assembly, he said almost 96 per cent reduction had been registered in terrorism in the Sindh and Punjab provinces since the new government came into power. In North West Frontier Province (NWFP) it has come down by 50 per cent. Malik said Pakistan wants to fight the war against terrorism, but not at the cost of peace on its own soil. Malik assured Parliament that a joint Pak-US investigation team would conduct a probe into the attack on Mohmand Agency and its findings would be shared with the House. The government would not take dictation on its foreign policy from any quarters, he added. He assured the House that 15,000 new law-enforcement personnel would be recruited in Sindh after the budget.
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Self-confident children become healthier adults
New York, June 22 The study, published in the journal “Psychosomatic Medicine”, looked at the potential health effects of a trait known as ''locus of control''. Those who believe they are largely in charge of their lives have an ''internal'' locus of control, while those who feel they are not have an ''external'' locus. ''I think it is quite probable that a major explanation why children with a more internal locus of control behave more healthily as adults is that they have greater confidence in their ability to influence outcomes through their own actions,'' explained lead researcher Dr Catharine R Gale, of the University of Southampton in the UK. The findings are based on a sample of men and women who were part of a larger, ongoing study looking at the health of a group of Britons born in 1970. At the age of 10, they completed a questionnaire designed to gauge their locus of control asking, for instance, whether they thought good grades were a matter of luck, and how often they felt there was no use in trying something because ''things never turn out right anyway.''
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Love hormone that could banish shyness
London, June 22 Previous researches have revealed that oxytocin, also called the "cuddle hormone" which assists childbirth and helps mothers bond with newborn babies, could reduce anxiety as well as ease phobias. Now, the scientists in the US, Europe and Australia are racing to develop commercial forms of the hormone in the hope that it will remove the incentive to drink or take harmful drugs to relieve the problem. "Tests have shown that oxytocin reduces anxiety levels among the users. It is a hormone that facilitates social contact. What's more, it is a very safe product that does not have any side effects and is not addictive," Professor Paul Zak was quoted by 'The Sunday Times' as saying. Zak and his colleagues at the Claremont Graduate University have tested the hormone on hundreds of patients.
— PTI
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US, S Korea clinch beef import deal Stallone, Schwarzenegger to act in Bollywood film 
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New York, June 22
