W O R L D

US in touch with South Korea; ready to meet North’s threat
Washington, March 31
The US has said it is in close touch with South Korea and is prepared for any possible threat from the North, amid escalating tension in the Korean peninsula after declaration of "state of war" by Pyongyang.

The inter-Korean industrial park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong. —Reuters

Pope for ‘political solution’ in conflict zones
Vatican City, March 31
Pope Francis prayed for a "political solution" in Syria and for "reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula in his first Easter Sunday message in front of a crowd in St Peter's Square.

Pope Francis (L) waves at the end of the Easter mass at St Peter's Square in the Vatican on Sunday. — Reuters

Colour riot: Revellers covered in coloured powders celebrate Holi in Hong Kong on Sunday. — AFP

Probe indicts 35 in US school cheating scandal
Washington, March 31
In the largest cheating scandals to hit the US public education system, 35 Atlanta public schools educators and administrators have been indicted on charges of large-scale racketeering and corruption.

H-1B work visas likely to be decided through lottery this year
Washington, March 31
The much sought H-1B work visas could be decided through lottery this year, industry experts and officials feel, based on initial feedback from companies, as the US starts accepting applications from tomorrow.

Kenya on alert after court ruling triggers riots
Nairobi, March 31
The Kenyan police beefed up security today after a court decision upholding Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential vote win drew his rival's supporters into the streets, sparking riots that left two dead.

Large-scale ‘exploitation’ by China led to Tibet gold mine disaster Beijing, March 31 The massive landslide that engulfed a gold mine in Tibet was result of "aggressive expansion" of the colliery in which fewer Tibetans are employed, Tibet's government-in- exile has alleged, as rescuers today found more bodies of the 83 miners buried in the avalanche. Rescuers march to a gold mine after a landslide in Maizhokunggar County in Tibet on Saturday. — AP/PTI

Pak terms reports on Chamel as 'malicious Indian propaganda'
Lahore, March 31
Pakistani authroities today rejected as "malicious Indian propaganda" reports that Indian prisoner Chamel Singh had died after allegedly being assaulted by jail staff here, saying his death was caused by a sudden stroke and heart attack.

Egypt satirist quizzed for insulting Mursi
Cairo, March 31
Egyptian prosecutors questioned Egypt's most prominent television satirist on Sunday over allegations that he insulted the President and Islam, a case that has increased opposition fears of a crackdown on dissent.

Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat
Paris, March 31
Over 1,400 visitors to the Eiffel Tower were rushed out of the world-famous monument after an anonymous phone call threatening an attack, the police said. The tower was reopened yesterday after around two-and-a-half hours after the police searches failed to find any suspicious objects.

US in touch with South Korea; ready to meet North’s threat

Washington, March 31
The US has said it is in close touch with South Korea and is prepared for any possible threat from the North, amid escalating tension in the Korean peninsula after declaration of "state of war" by Pyongyang.

"We've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea. We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean Allies," said Caitlin Hayden, spokesperson of the National Security Council.

"But, we would also note that North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern," she said.

Referring to the statement by Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, Hayden said the US remains fully prepared and capable of protecting the country and its allies.

"We continue to take additional measures against the North Korean threat, including our plan to increase the US ground-based interceptors and early warning and tracking radar, and the signing of the ROK-US counter-provocation plan," Hayden said.

The White House statement came after North Korea yesterday said it was entering a "state of war" with South and warned that US bases in Hawaii and Guam would be targeted in what could turn into "an all-out war, a nuclear war".

According to North Korea's official news agency, its leader Kim Jong Un, after his meeting with his top commanders, said his country "would react to the US nuclear blackmail with a merciless nuclear attack, and war of aggression with an all-out war of justice".

Kim also signed the plan on technical preparations of strategic rockets, ordering them to be "standby for fire so that they may strike any time the US mainland, its military bases in the operational theatres" in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea. — PTI

Joint industrial hub remains open despite pyongyang’s threat

Seoul: An inter-Korea joint industrial complex in the city of Kaesong, which lies inside North Korea, was operating normally on Sunday despite the North's threat to shut it down, a Seoul official said. The complex in the city of Kaesong, just north of the border, was running as usual after Pyongyang warned of a potential closure as it declared a "state of war" with the South on Saturday. — AFP

nukes our strength: N korea

Seoul: A top North Korean decision-making body issued a pointed warning on Sunday, saying that nuclear weapons are "the nation's life" and will not be traded even for "billions of dollars." — AP

Pope for ‘political solution’ in conflict zones

Vatican City, March 31
Pope Francis prayed for a "political solution" in Syria and for "reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula in his first Easter Sunday message in front of a crowd in St Peter's Square.

Latin America's first pontiff also issued an appeal for hostages held by militants in Nigeria and condemned human trafficking as "the most extensive form of slavery in this 21st century".

The Pope delivered his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to Rome and the world from the same balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he made his first appearance after his momentous election to the papacy this month.

Speaking in front of over 2,50,000 people from around the world in the Vatican, Francis prayed for "dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort.

"How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?" he said.

"On the Korean peninsula, may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow," he said, a day after North Korea declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea.

Francis also prayed for Nigeria "where great numbers of people, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups" -- an apparent reference to a French family kidnapped in Cameroon and believed to be held by the Nigerian group Boko Haram.

The Pope also toured St Peter's Square in his open-top "popemobile" -- kissing babies and waving to cheering crowds who held up flags from around the world, including his native Argentina.

Easter is the holiest day in the Christian calendar and celebrates the belief in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. It is the culmination of weeks of intense prayer for Christians.

At an Easter Vigil in St Peter's Basilica yesterday, the first pontiff from outside Europe in nearly 1,300 years of Church history reached out to non-believers and lapsed Catholics, urging them to "step forward" to God.

"He will receive you with open arms," said the 76-year-old, formerly Buenos Aires archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, who has called for the Roman Catholic Church to be closer to ordinary people and the needy.

Today, Francis prayed God's message would reach "every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons." "How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour," he said. — AFP

Probe indicts 35 in US school cheating scandal

Washington, March 31
In the largest cheating scandals to hit the US public education system, 35 Atlanta public schools educators and administrators have been indicted on charges of large-scale racketeering and corruption.

Among those indicted by a Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury was Beverly Hall, the former schools superintendent who gained national recognition in 2009 for turning around Atlanta's school system.

"She was a full participant in that conspiracy," Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard told reporters during a news conference announcing the charges.

"Without her, this conspiracy could not have taken place, particularly in the degree in which it took place." Among those also indicted were four of Hall's executive administrators, six principals, two assistant principals, six testing coordinators, 14 teachers, a school improvement specialist and a school secretary.

Prosecutors allege the 35 named defendants "conspired to either cheat, conceal cheating or retaliate against whistle-blowers in an effort to bolster Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) scores for the benefit of financial rewards associated with high test scores".

The indictment, released on Friday, follows a state investigation that was launched after a series of reports by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper found large, unexplained gains in test scores in some Atlanta schools.

A state review determined that some cheating had occurred in more than half of the district's elementary and middle schools, CNN reported. — PTI

the scam

• 35 Atlanta public schools educators and administrators have been indicted on charges of large-scale racketeering and corruption
• Among those indicted was Beverly Hall, the former schools superintendent who gained national recognition in 2009 for turning around Atlanta's school system
• Prosecutors allege the defendants "conspired to either cheat, conceal cheating or retaliate against whistle-blowers in an effort to bolster Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests scores

H-1B work visas likely to be decided through lottery this year

Washington, March 31
The much sought H-1B work visas could be decided through lottery this year, industry experts and officials feel, based on initial feedback from companies, as the US starts accepting applications from tomorrow.

If it happens, it would be for the first time since 2008 that the fate of thousands of applications for H-1B visas would be decided by a computerised draw of lots.

Even the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it expects the cap for H-1B visas to be filled in the first five days itself.

According to Congressional approved mandate, the USCIS can reward a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2014 beginning October 1, 2013.

In addition, the USCIS can also reward 20,000 H-1B visas for those having masters or higher degree from US academic institutions. This limit on H-1B visas has been in place for over two decades now.

For three years from 2001 to 2003, the Congress had increased the cap to 1,95,000, which was not reached.

"Based on feedback from a number of stakeholders, the USCIS anticipates that it may receive more petitions than the H-1B cap between April 1, 2013 and April 5, 2013," the USCIS said in a statement early this month.

If the USCIS receives more petitions than it can accept, it will use a lottery system to randomly select the number of petitions required to reach the numerical limit.

The USCIS will reject petitions that are subject to the cap and are not selected, as well as petitions received after it has the necessary number of petitions needed to meet the cap.

The lottery for the H-1B cap was last used in April 2008, when the cap was filled on the first day itself. — PTI

greener pastures

• According to Congressional approved mandate, the USCIS can reward a maximum of 65,000 H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2014 beginning October 1, 2013
• The USCIS can also reward 20,000 H-1B visas for those having masters or higher degree from US academic institutions
• If the USCIS receives more petitions than it can accept, it will use a lottery system to randomly select the number of petitions required to reach the numerical limit

Kenya on alert after court ruling triggers riots

Nairobi, March 31
The Kenyan police beefed up security today after a court decision upholding Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential vote win drew his rival's supporters into the streets, sparking riots that left two dead.

Raila Odinga had challenged the result of the March 4 poll hoping for a rerun but while he begrudgingly accepted the Supreme Court's decision yesterday, youths in his strongholds were enraged.

Riots broke out immediately after the ruling, leaving two dead and seven wounded in the city of Kisumu, Joseph Ole Tito, police chief for the western Nyanza region, said.

Many shops remained boarded up today, their owners fearing fresh looting. There were few cars on the roads with residents preferring to walk to church after several vehicles were damaged yesterday by stone-throwing youths.

"In Kisumu, the situation has been contained and business is resuming to normal," Kenya's police chief David Kimaiyo said.

"We have an adequate number of police officers in all parts of the country, including in the troubled areas," he said.

The gunshots that had rung out sporadically for much of yesterday evening in Kisumu died down around midnight, residents said.

There were no reports of casualties in Nairobi where Odinga supporters had lit bonfires and tried to block roads in some slum areas yesterday.

"There were confrontations in Kibera and Mathare but we were able to contain the situation and we have sent more officers there," Nairobi police chief Benson Kibui said. — AFP

Large-scale ‘exploitation’ by China led to Tibet gold mine disaster

Beijing, March 31
The massive landslide that engulfed a gold mine in Tibet was result of "aggressive expansion" of the colliery in which fewer Tibetans are employed, Tibet's government-in- exile has alleged, as rescuers today found more bodies of the 83 miners buried in the avalanche.

Although more bodies were found, they were not being pulled out due to debris blocking rescuers' access to mine in Maizhokunggar County, about 68 km from regional capital Lhasa, official media here reported.

In two locations near the area where three bodies were found, rescuers retrieved articles such as tents, clothes and kitchen knives, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. That has led them to believe more miners might be buried under debris at these two locations.

The disaster struck a workers' camp of the Jiama Copper Polymetallic Mine on Friday, burying 83 workers.

The huge amount of debris at the 4,600-metre altitude and snowy weather hampered rescue efforts. The survival chances of the missing miners are believed slim, the report said. — PTI

Pak terms reports on Chamel as 'malicious Indian propaganda'

Lahore, March 31
Pakistani authroities today rejected as "malicious Indian propaganda" reports that Indian prisoner Chamel Singh had died after allegedly being assaulted by jail staff here, saying his death was caused by a sudden stroke and heart attack.

Mohsin Rafiq Chaudhry, Senior Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, claimed a few Indian newspapers had published "concocted news with ulterior motives" about Singh being tortured to death.

He also described the reports of Singh's death after allegedly being assaulted as "malicious Indian propaganda". Singh, said to be in his sixties, was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the state-run Jinnah Hospital on January 15. He was serving a five-year prison term for alleged involvement in espionage. Despite Chaudhry's claim, even Pakistani newspapers like The Express Tribune had reported that marks of injury had been found on Singh's body during an autopsy on March 13.

The autopsy was done nearly two months after Singh's death and Pakistani officials have not given any explanation for the delay. — PTI

Egypt satirist quizzed for insulting Mursi

Cairo, March 31
Egyptian prosecutors questioned Egypt's most prominent television satirist on Sunday over allegations that he insulted the President and Islam, a case that has increased opposition fears of a crackdown on dissent.

Bassem Youssef rose to fame after the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power in 2011, with a satirical online show.

His programme, that has been compared to the Daily Show of US satirist Jon Stewart, is now broadcast on Egyptian TV.

The comedian is accused, among other things, of undermining the standing of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. The prosecutor general issued an arrest warrant for him on Saturday after at least four legal complaints filed by Mursi supporters.

An official in the prosecutor general's office confirmed that questioning had begun. Youssef voluntarily showed up at the prosecutor general's office on Sunday, so as to avoid arrest.

He was wearing an oversized version of a graduation hat modelled on one donned by the President when he was awarded an honorary degree in Pakistan earlier in March. — Reuters

Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat

Paris, March 31
Over 1,400 visitors to the Eiffel Tower were rushed out of the world-famous monument after an anonymous phone call threatening an attack, the police said. The tower was reopened yesterday after around two-and-a-half hours after the police searches failed to find any suspicious objects. The call came from the Paris suburbs and threatened an attack at 9.30 pm, the police said.

Bomb alerts targeting monuments and public places happen frequently in Paris, but all alerts are "treated very seriously", the police said. Security has been stepped up across France amid concerns about threats over its military campaign against Islamists in its former colony Mali. — AFP