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‘Pak has not done enough’
30 killed in Pak blast
51 Pak prisoners to be released
Marriott hotel reopens three months
after blast
Restrain from
violence, UN asks Israel, Palestinians
A Hamas policeman shouts in front of a burning building following an Israel air strike in Gaza on Sunday. — Reuters |
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US: Hamas ‘thugs’ to blame for violence
Gulf leaders to discuss Gaza at economic summit
Cruise calls FBI after death threats
Russia urges India, Pak to exhibit restraint
British Queen ‘bans’ her staffers from talking about work
‘J&K verdict opportunity for composite dialogue’
Pak Taliban ban women from markets
Bangladesh goes to polls today
‘Clash of Civilizations’ author Huntington dead
Record-high filings for refugee status in Japan
Lennon to appear in TV ad 28 yrs after death
Year 2008 made a second longer
Malaysia’s longest-serving king dies at 86
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‘Pak has not done enough’
Islamabad, December 28 In the wake of the Mumbai attacks, British and American investigators amassed a large amount of technical and human intelligence that was subsequently passed on to Pakistan, Western diplomatic sources said. Sleuths from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, who were given access to Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone gunman captured during the attacks, were convinced he was a Pakistani national and that the terrorist strike was planned and coordinated by elements in Pakistan. However, the diplomatic sources said they believed that the Pakistan government had not acted adequately on the evidence provided to it. “The Pakistani authorities have not done enough on the intelligence shared with them,” a source said. The sources said the most clinching evidence on the involvement of Pakistani elements was provided by the British authorities. In fact, British intelligence operatives were so convinced of the Pakistani links to the attack that they did not take up an offer to question Iman alias Ajmal Kasab, sources said. The US and British authorities have handed over intercepts of satellite and mobile conversations between the attackers in Mumbai and Pakistan-based elements who were guiding them. — PTI
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Indian visitors rushing back home from Pak
Islamabad, December 28 One such person who changed her plans was Indian national
Haleema, who travelled to Pakistan by the Thar Express train to meet her brother living in Karachi after a gap of 45 years. “I wanted to see my brother before I died and the train provided me the chance to do that. I wanted to stay here for at least two months and spend time with my brother’s family but now I have to leave,” she told the Daily Times. Several other Indians who travelled to Sindh by the Thar Express to visit relatives in Pakistan are making their way back because of tensions in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, which India has blamed on the Pakistan-based elements like the
Lashkar-e-Taiba group. Some Pakistani families have also cancelled plans to travel to
India. Farzana, a resident of Korangi in Karachi, was born in Uttar Pradesh. She married a Pakistani relative 15 years ago and wanted to visit her birthplace along with her mother who was also in this country. However, the tensions between the two countries forced her to reconsider her travel plans and she cancelled her tickets. The situation may have forced Farzana to cancel her plans of travelling to India but her mother remained adamant on going to the neighbouring country. “My mother refused to cancel the tickets and says that she wants to see relatives before she dies,” Farzana said. Several other families came to the railway station to board the Thar Express on Friday. Their relatives, who gathered to see them off, had tears in their eyes as the uncertainty of their return played on their minds. Many people expressed disappointment at the worsening of ties between India and Pakistan. “The people of both countries are against war. I have been to India twice and people there treat me with respect,” said Amjad Ali Khan, a resident of Karachi, before leaving for India with his younger brother.
— PTI
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30 killed in Pak blast
Peshawar, December 28 “The death toll has reached 30. It could rise further… It was a suicide attack,” Behraman Khan, head of a police station near the Buner town where the blast took place said. Khan said the attacker, who was apparently alone, was believed to have driven the car, parked it in front of the school where the polling station was set up and detonated the explosives while polling was underway. The attack was the latest in a string of blasts in a region where security forces are battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants, who have unleashed a wave of suicide and bomb attacks in response to operations against them. Another police official said four children were among the dead and their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition.
— Reuters
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51 Pak prisoners to be released
India has agreed to release 51 Pakistani prisoners on Tuesday as their innocence has been proved, a human rights organisation lobbying for the prisoner’s release said here.
Human rights activist and former federal minister Sarim Burney said the Ansar Burney Trust had persuaded Indians to withdraw cases against the Pakistani prisoners as it was confirmed that the captured Pakistanis were not criminals but ordinary citizens. “Despite the tensions between India and Pakistan following the Mumbai attacks, the decision by the Indian authorities to release 51 Pakistani citizens, including 22 women, two minor children and 25 men, has given an unexpected ray of hope to their families in Pakistan,” Burney said. They were arrested while returning home, as their visas had been tampered with. The crime was committed by their respective travelling agents.
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Marriott hotel reopens three months
after blast
Islamabad, December 28 The hotel is a stone’s throw from Parliament and the presidency and is a favourite haunt of politicians and diplomats. Its owner, Sadruddin Hashwani, said at an opening ceremony that the blast on September 20 was an attack on Pakistan itself. “We have expressed our resolve that we will not bow before the enemies of Pakistan,” said Hashwani. The government said last week that an al Qaida-linked militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was behind the attack. The bomber tried unsuccessfully to ram his truck through the hotel’s front security gate. Guards at the gate were unable to prevent the explosion, which set the 298-room hotel ablaze. Of the dead, 43 were hotel staff and guards.
— Reuters
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Restrain from
violence, UN asks Israel, Palestinians
United Nations, December 28 Expressing its deep concern over the gory situation prevailing in Gaza, the 15-member UNSC called for the opening of border crossings into Gaza “to address the serious humanitarian and economic needs in the territory” and ensure a continuous supply of food and medical treatment. Libya, on behalf of Arab nations, called the last night council’s meeting after the mid-east’s bloodiest assaults in decades took place, which Israel said was aimed at stopping rocket attacks from Gaza that have traumatised southern Israel. After more than four hours of closed-door consultations, the UNSC issued a statement that asked for the “restoration of a cease-fire” between Israel and Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers. It said a new ceasefire would open the “way for a political solution” to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Croatia's UN Ambassador Neven Jurica read out a non-binding statement on behalf of the 15-member body. The final text approved by consensus mentions neither Israel nor the Islamist movement Hamas by name. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who played a key role in securing consensus on the text, said the council sought to deliver a message that “will hopefully stop the vicious cycle of violence.” Ryad Mansour, the Palestinian observer to the UN, said the council issued a clear statement demanding a ceasefire and “that the border crossings from Israel into Gaza be opened.” Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev said her country acted in self-defense. “We are going to protect our citizens. The only party to blame is Hamas,” Shalev said. US ambassador to UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, said Israeli air attacks were ordered in self-defense after rocket firing into the Jewish state from Gaza “Israel has the right to self-defence,” he said. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply alarmed by the bloodshed in Gaza and appealed for “an immediate halt to all violence”.
— PTI
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US: Hamas ‘thugs’ to blame for violence
Crawford, December 28 “If Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel, then Israel would not have a need for strikes in Gaza,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters yesterday. “What we've got to see is Hamas stop firing rockets into Israel.” US President George W Bush, on his Texas ranch to usher in 2009, discussed the fighting with Saudi King Abdullah, US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said Johndroe. “The United States is deeply concerned about the escalating violence in Gaza,” Rice said in a statement, urging “all concerned to protect innocent lives and to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza”. “We strongly condemn the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of violence there. The ceasefire must be restored immediately and fully respected,” she said.
— AFP
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Gulf leaders to discuss Gaza at economic summit
Muscat: Israel’s air strikes on Gaza will not derail Gulf Arab leaders’ plans to sign monetary union pacts at a summit next week but the issue will share the spotlight at their discussions, Omani hosts said today.
“The issue (Gaza) will impose itself on the agenda. The events of yesterday will have their deserved place in the discussions,” Information Minister Hamad al-Rashdi said. But Gulf Arab rulers gathering on Monday are still expected to approve a long-planned pact to take them one step closer to issuing a single currency. “I don’t think the agenda will be derailed,” Abdulmalik al-Hinai, undersecretary for economic affairs at Oman’s Ministry of National Economy, said. The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which groups Washington’s regional allies, on Saturday described the Israeli attacks as “barbaric” and “ugly”, and Saudi Arabia urged the United States to intervene to end the strikes.
— Reuters
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Cruise calls FBI after death threats
London, December 28 ”The threats are perceived to be so great that the FBI has been alerted....Tom is terrified. He doesn’t feel safe anywhere,” a source close to the couple told
Daily Mail. The couple is believed to be living in constant fear after receiving the threats. The source says the threats are believed to have come from groups opposed to the religious organisation, the paper reported. The security has been beefed up for 46-year-old Cruise, and his 30-year-old wife Katie Holmes and their two-year-old daughter Suri. The couple now lives at separate locations and move around in bomb-proof vehicles. There are also protesters who have been angered by Cruises latest film ‘Valkyrie’, where the actor portrayed the role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who plotted to assassinate Adolf
Hitler in 1944. When Cruise attended the Los Angeles premiere of the movie he faced protests from the anti-Scientology group 'Anonymous'. Since then he has been forced to increase security of his family.
— PTI
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Russia urges India, Pak to exhibit restraint
Moscow, December 28 “Moscow is extremely concerned by the reports of a massive build-up of troops and military equipment on both sides of the India-Pakistan border,” Russian foreign ministry said in a statement last night. Tension in the region has reached a dangerous level. There are alarming reports that New Delhi and Islamabad are not ruling out the use of military force against each other, it added. “We are convinced that the only right way to resolve the problem between the two neighbouring countries after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, were talks aimed at stepping up joint efforts to fight terrorism and eliminate its hotbeds,” it noted. Russia hopes that the governments of India and Pakistan, aware of their high responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the region, will do everything to defuse the tension in bilateral relations through political and diplomatic means, it said. “With this purpose, the Russian Federation is ready to offer all necessary assistance to New Delhi and Islamabad,” the statement stressed.
— UNI
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British Queen ‘bans’ her staffers from talking about work
London, December 28 According to the new service contract, staffers are also required to hand back any memorabilia, including ‘thank you’ notes from the Royal Family or simple handwritten labels on Christmas presents, as well as their own personal diaries when they leave their post, the ‘News of the World’ reported. In fact, the Queen’s gagging order came in the wake of embarrassing antics by some former servants, notably Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell, who is said to have made a fortune trading on his royal connections. But, some of the Queen’s longer-serving staff are up in arms about this and have so far refused to sign the service contract. Only about half have signed it. A palace insider was quoted as saying: “There’s uproar among the staff about this. For years servants have written to their friends with little harmless snippets of gossip. It is part of the job. But now it seems the Royals are worried about these notes and letters being sold on by relatives after the servant’s death.” And, in a bid to get the scheme dropped, some are even planning to lobby the British Queen personally. Others believe the contracts are illegal and will prove unenforceable. They are hoping to have the chance of a word in Her Majesty’s ear to get it dropped”
— PTI
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‘J&K verdict opportunity for composite dialogue’
Islamabad, December 28 “These elections should be translated into an opportunity to continue the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan, as well as the intra-Kashmir dialogue and talks between the Kashmiris and the Indian and Pakistani governments,” said Opposition PML-Q spokesperson Mushahid Hussain Sayed. Responding to the results of the polls, PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal underlined the importance of the Lahore Declaration of 1999, which lays the foundation for the composite dialogue and for steps to resolve the Kashmir issue to the satisfaction of India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people. “The polls in Jammu and Kashmir were boycotted by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference and there was some controversy about the process. The actual solution can be found in the Lahore Declaration of 1999, which lays the foundation for the composite dialogue and for steps to resolve the Kashmir issue to the satisfaction of the three parties involved India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris,” stressed Iqbal, a close aide of party chief Nawaz Sharif. PPP spokesman said the government would comment on the outcome of the polls as the party was now part of the coalition at the Centre.
— PTI
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Pak Taliban ban women from markets
Islamabad, December 28 The Taliban recently announced the enforcement of Shariat in the lower regions of Aurakzai Agency, almost a week after similar measures were imposed in upper parts of the semi-autonomous region. The militants are using loudspeakers in mosques to announce their decree and are asking people to bring their problems to "Taliban Islamic courts", which have been set up in Mashti Meela and Feroze
Khel. These problems will be resolved according to the Islamic law, the Daily Times reported today. The Taliban has banned women from visiting markets and imposed a complete ban on TVs, CDs and video centres in Aurakzai Agency. Women can visit markets for medical treatment but only if they are accompanied by a male elder. Tribal traditions do not require women to veil their faces but a decree issued by the Taliban asked them to cover their body at all times. Imposing Islamic law on 16 of the 21 tribes living in Aurakzai Agency, the Taliban has also established "complaint cells" in four places in the region.
— PTI
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Bangladesh goes to polls today
Dhaka, December 28 Amidst an unprecedented security, the electioneering for the 300 seats in the National Assembly came to an end at midnight last night after two weeks of campaign by major political parties, including Hasina’s Awami League and Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). A total of 1,552 candidates are contesting the polls, with the results expected to be announced on Tuesday. More than 81 million people, 33 per cent of them first-time voters, are eligible to cast their ballots in Bangladesh’s first general election in seven years following two years of state of emergency under the military-backed caretaker government, which lifted the tough measure on December 17. Hasina (61), and Zia (63) wound up their campaigns for the ninth parliamentary polls with nationally televised speeches last evening in their bid, particularly, to woo the young voters. Both former premiers pledged not to repeat “mistakes”, if any, made by them in the past. Political analysts say there are no clear favourites and the fight is expected to be the one on “razor’s edge”, with a slight tilt towards the Awami League as the BNP has to ward off anti-incumbency factor. A hung Parliament is also a possibility, the analysts added. — PTI
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‘Clash of Civilizations’ author Huntington dead
Boston, December 28 In his 1996 ''The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order,'' which expanded on his 1993 article in the Foreign Affairs magazine, Huntington divided the world into rival civilizations based mainly on religious traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Confucianism and said, competition and conflict among them was inevitable. His focus on religion rather than ideology as a source of conflict in the post-Cold War world triggered broad debate about relations between the Western and Islamic worlds, especially in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. In spite of the criticism, his thesis was simplistic or, in the words of West Asia scholar Edward Said, promoted the idea of ''West versus the rest.'' Huntington told Islamica magazine in 2007, ''My argument remains that cultural identities, antagonisms and affiliations will not only play a role, but play a major role in relations between states.'' Huntington's 2004 book, ''Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity,'' also sparked heated debate by arguing the massive influx of Mexican immigrants to the United States threatened traditional American identity and national unity.
— Reuters
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Record-high filings for refugee status in Japan
Tokyo, December 28 An NPO says about 1,500 foreigners applied for refugee status in Japan this year. The figure is up more than 10 times from 10 years ago, when 133 people applied. The previous record-high number of applications was 954, set in 2006. Many of the applicants are those fleeing from unstable political situations in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and African nations. The sharp increase has forced Japan to temporarily suspend relief payments for applicants, as the initial budget proved insufficient. Furthermore, it takes an average of more than one-and-a-half years to complete the procedures for recognition of refugee status. If more people apply, recognition will probably slow down. Eri Ishikawa, secretary general of the Japan Association for Refugees, says some people can neither work nor accept assistance while waiting for recognition. — PTI
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Lennon to appear in TV ad 28 yrs after death
London, December 28 A voice dubbed over images of Lennon recalls the sentiment of his 1971 hit song 'Imagine' while promoting the 'One Laptop per Child Foundation', created in 2005. The ad says, “Imagine every child, no matter where in the world they were, could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want...I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way. You can give a child a laptop and more than imagine, you can change the world.” — PTI
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Year 2008 made a second longer
Washington, December 28 The US Naval Observatory, keeper of the Pentagon’s master clock, said it would add the extra second on Wednesday in coordination with the world’s atomic clocks at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC. That corresponds to 6:59:59 p.m. EST (05:29:59 IST), when an extra second would tick by -- the 24th to be added to UTC since 1972, when the practice began. The first leap second was introduced into UTC on June 30, 1972 and the last on December 31, 2005.
— Reuters
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Malaysia’s longest-serving king dies at 86
Kuala Lumpur, December 28 Tuanku Jaafar, the 10th ruler of the state and son of country’s first king, was admitted to a hospital yesterday after he complained of dizziness and chest discomfort, state secretary Datuk Norzam Mohd Nor was quoted saying by the Star.
— PTI
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Lankan navy sinks LTTE boat 
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United Nations, December 28
