Islamabad, January 12
US Vice President Joe Biden today dismissed criticism that his country favours India and wants to "weaken or dismantle" Pakistan, saying the strategic partnership between Washington and Islamabad, including in the fight against Al-Qaida and Taliban, is vital for both sides.

Biden, who arrived here today on a day-long visit for talks with Pakistan's civilian and military leadership, did some plain talking about anti-American feelings in this country. He said the US was not against Islam but would continue taking action against extremists holed up in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

"There are also those who believe that our policies favour India and seek to weaken (or) even dismantle this great country. You know and your colleagues know that is dead wrong," Biden said during a joint press interaction with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"We want what you want - a strong, stable, prosperous and democratic Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbours, including India. We want that not just for your sake but we wish you success because it's in our own interest, it's in the interest of the entire region and I would argue the entire world." Noting that Al-Qaida continues "to plot attacks against the US and our interests to this very day", Biden made a reference to militants holed up in Pakistan's tribal belt, saying Al-Qaida's operatives had "found refuge in some of the most remote portions" of the country.

In an apparent reference to US drone attacks in the tribal belt, which the Pakistan government has described as a violation of the country's sovereignty, Biden said Washington was working with Islamabad to restore sovereignty wherever it had been violated by extremists.

Al-Qaida works with extremist allies that have targeted Pakistan and its people, killing thousands of security personnel and civilians in areas like Swat, Biden said. The US Vice President also referred to the recent assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer by a police guard for criticising the blasphemy law, saying he was killed "simply because he was a voice for tolerance and understanding".

"There is no justification for such senseless acts. Societies that tolerate such actions end up being consumed by those actions," he warned. Biden also dismissed the contention of America's critics in Pakistan that the country "disrespects Islam and its followers." — PTI

Kathmandu, January 12
Nepali Congress today withdrew RC Poudyal, the sole candidate in the poll for a new prime minister in a bid to end the over six months long deadlock in Nepal that has derailed the country's fragile peace process.

Nepali Congress (NC) formally decided to withdraw Poudyal amid intense pressure from its key coalition partner CPN-UML, main opposition UCPN (Maoist) and from within the party in a bid to build a consensus to end the deadlock that has derailed the 2006 peace process.

An emergency meeting of the party's powerful Central Working Committee (CWC) took the decision to formally withdraw Poudyal, said Prakash Man Singh, the party General Secretary.

He told the media that the party took the decision keeping in mind to push forward the peace process and drafting of a new constitution.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala said that Nepali Congress will withdraw Poudyal in a bid to end the deadlock.

“Nepali Congress should be prepared to join government under the leadership of other parties if it is not possible to form a new government under its leadership,” Koirala said. — PTI

Moscow, January 12
Russian officials investigating the plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski placed the blame squarely on the Poles today, saying the crew was pressured to land in bad weather by an air force commander who had been drinking.

Kaczynski and 95 others, including his wife, died in April 2010 when their plane crashed while trying to land in Smolensk, Russia. There were no survivors.

Officials of the Interstate Aviation Committee, which investigates crashes in much of the former Soviet Union, said Wednesday that the pilots were pressured to land by Poland's air force commander, Gen Andrzej Blasik, who was in the cockpit. They said he had a blood-alcohol level of about 0.06 per cent, enough to impair reasoning.

Blasik's presence in the cockpit "had a psychological influence on the commander's decision to rake an unjustified risk by continuing the descent with the predominant goal of landing against the odds", committee chairwoman Tatiana Anodina told a news conference announcing the final results of the investigation. The report found no fault with Russian air traffic controllers. — AP

Los Angeles: Conrad Murrey, who treated Michael Jackson during his last days, has been ordered by a Judge to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges in the pop star's death. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor also revoked Murray's medical licence till the trial.

The Judge said that the testimony presented during a six-day hearing into Murray's treatment of the pop icon had convinced him that allowing the cardiologist to keep his licence "would constitute danger to public safety". Evidence presented by prosecutors showed "a direct nexus and connection between the acts and omissions of Dr Murray and the homicide in this case.”— PTI