Kabul, January 11
US Vice-President Joe Biden today said the US would not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan completely in 2014 if Afghans did not want his country to do so.About 97,000 American troops in Afghanistan are expected to start limited withdrawals in July ahead of the scheduled transfer of responsibility for security to Afghan forces in 2014.

But Biden, on the second day of his visit to war-torn Afghanistan, said: “We’re not leaving if you (Afghans) don’t want us to leave.” Speaking after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, he added: “It’s not our intention to govern or to nation-build-as President Karzai often points out, this is the responsibility of the Afghan people...

“We stand ready to help you in that effort and we’ll continue to stand ready to help you in that effort after 2014.” Karzai said he and Biden had held one-to-one talks that lasted one hour and 45 minutes.

“We discussed the transition process in 2014 and how best to proceed with it. We had a good discussion, it made me happy,” Karzai told the same press conference, which came a day after Biden’s surprise arrival in Afghanistan.

Shortly after arriving in Kabul, Biden spent nearly two hours with the commander of international troops in Afghanistan, US General David Petraeus, and US ambassador Karl Eikenberry.

Beijing, January 11
China’s first radar evading stealth fighter made its maiden test flight today, making the country only the second nation after the US to test such cutting edge technology.

The test of the 5th generation fighter was confirmed by President Hu Jintao to visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates during their meeting here today, thus lifting a cloak of secrecy over the plane, seen as an attempt by China to catch up with US defence technology.

“I asked President Hu about it directly, and he said that the test had absolutely nothing to do with my visit and had been a pre-planned test. And that’s where we left it,” Gates told reporters.

The aircraft called J-20 took off from an airstrip at Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute just before 1300 hours and flew for about 20 minutes, official media websites said.

Images and witness accounts were posted online of the twin engine plane making its epic maiden flight and on the ground surrounded by men in army overcoats, the websites said, adding that normally secretive People’s Liberation Army had made no attempt to hide or remove the photos from the internet.

Tacitly confirming the test flight, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing that it is natural that countries update their defence equipment to develop a strong defence to safeguard their unity and integrity.

The weapon development was not targeted against anyone, he added.

The images of the J-20 in flight suggest China is making faster than expected progress in developing a potential rival to the US F-22 (Raptor), currently the world’s only fully operational stealth fighter. — PTI

Melbourne, January 11
The worst flooding in Australia in a century has left 30 people dead, 78 others missing in the state of Queensland, as thousands fled its capital Brisbane to escape a tsunami-like tidal wave.As torrential rain continued to pelt down, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh warned that flooding in Brisbane, a city of two million, would be worse than the 1974 disaster that killed 14 people and devastated much of the city.

More than 9,000 properties were set to be inundated, and another 30,000 will be hit to some degree by the intensifying flooding.

Waters from rain triggered flash floods rushed to the city as authorities declared an emergency as two major towns Brisbane, the third most populous city in Australia and Ipswich were threatened. Three-quarters of the state has now been declared a disaster zone, ‘The Australian’ said.

Ten persons were killed in the last 24 hours, taking the overall casualty figure to 30 due to heavy rains and flash floods. The floods have been made worse by the Brisbane river bursting its embankment threatening 6,500 houses in the city, the city’s mayor Lord Cambell Newman said.

“Today it is tolerable, tomorrow is going to be bad and Thursday is going to be devastating,” Newman said as ever swelling waters were moving towards the city.

The exodus from the city began by bus, train and car, a day after flash floods washed away large parts of the valley town Toowoomba, 125 kms west of Australia’s Great Dividing Range. Rainwaters gushed with such ferocity that they appeared like tsunami waves throwing up houses, cars and trees like toys.

Acute foodstuff shortages have already been reported from the city with a population of over 2 million with bread, milk, battery, bottled water and candles being reported sold out.

Military helicopters soared in the sky monitoring the passage of swollen waters as Queensland’a emotional premier Anna Bligh said more deaths were expected from flash floods as rescuers were prevented from evacuating and saving people due to turbulent weather conditions. — PTI

Islamabad, January 11
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan has said the country's blasphemy laws should remain intact, and if Punjab Governor Salman Taseer committed any mistake or blasphemy, instead of killing him he should have been punished by the courts.

Addressing media in Islamabad, Aitzaz said that no amendment of any kind should be brought in the blasphemy law.

He said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had given an assurance for implementing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif's agenda, and therefore, the PML-N chief should also support the government.

Aitzaz further denied reports that he had been offered the governorship of Punjab. "Better and more eligible people than me are waiting for the governorship," Aitzaz said. The PPP leader also said that President Asif Ali Zardari would decide the appointment of the Punjab governor.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the PML-N had given a grace period to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government to implement the 10-point agenda given by the party chief Nawaz Sharif. Addressing the media in Lahore, Sanaullah said the PML-N was not hopeful that the PPP would change its behaviour, but gave them a chance to correct themselves. — ANI