 |
|
Lankan PM-President talks end
India objects to Pakistani resolution Steps to bring back Pandits,
says Mufti
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sikh pilgrims night in open US Senate approves curbs on Syria UK monarchy’s future under threat Prabhakaran gets
6th black belt Pak says no to fashion shows
|
|
Lankan PM-President talks end in deadlock Colombo, November 12 President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met behind closed doors for about two hours, but neither side showed signs of compromise, the sources said. The meeting started slightly behind schedule as Ms Kumaratunga turned up late at her President’s House official residence, officials said. A source close to the Prime Minister said he did not press for re-instatement of the three ministers sacked summarily by Ms Kumaratunga, but wanted her to take over the running of the Norwegian-backed peace process. Mr Wickremesinghe argued that he could handle the peace process with Tamil Tiger rebels unless he was in full control over the government, including the Defence, Interior and Information portfolios taken by Ms Kumaratunga. Ms Kumaratunga, on the other hand, made no commitments, but expressed serious concern about the security situation in the country in the light of her allegations that the government jeopardised national security. Both, however, agreed to issue a joint statement later, saying they met and planned to have another round of talks next week inviting leaders of minority parties supporting Mr Wickremesinghe’s government. It was the first meeting between the two since Ms Kumaratunga sacked three ministers and suspended Parliament last week, plunging the country in a bitter power struggle. However, today’s meeting had raised expectations of a compromise to the conflict which had sent markets tumbling and dented investor confidence. Political sources said the President’s party in the meantime was trying to cut a political deal with the Marxist JVP or the People’s Liberation Front to contest a possible snap poll. Ms Kumaratunga could use her executive power to sack Parliament any time now to call an election four years ahead of schedule. Analysts believe that
elections may not be a good solution, but in the absence of any other option, it was the only way out of the present crisis for Sri Lanka.
— PTI |
|
India objects to Pakistani resolution United Nations, November 12 Ostensibly, the resolution was moved to promote confidence-building measures (CBMs) between States but, as India pointed out, it distorted the meaning and accepted use of the term to bring in extraneous issues. “CBMs cannot be a subterfuge to get a whole lot of non-parties to a dispute involved in the process,” its representative V. Varma, Director in Disarmament Division of the External Affairs Ministry, argued. The resolution was adopted by a United Nations committee by the lowest margin of the season by 64 votes to 47 with 38 member-states in the 191-member panel abstaining. The remaining chose to absent themselves during the vote. The USA, Britain, France and Germany were among the nations that opposed the resolution and Russia and Canada abstained. China and Bangladesh supported it while Sri Lanka opposed it and Nepal abstained. Pakistan had made some changes in the original draft to win over major powers, but failed in its effort as the alternations did not meet the criterion set by them. Among other things, the resolution called for military balance between States in the region of tension “consistent with the principle of undiminished security at the lowest level of armament” in the context of confidence-building measures. It also asked the Secretary-General to seek views of member-states with a view to exploring “possibilities of furthering efforts towards confidence-building measures in the regional and sub-regional context, particularly in the regions of tensions.”
— PTI |
|
Steps to bring back Pandits,
says Mufti London, November 12 “In conjunction with the Government of India, I am taking some concrete measures to bring back the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, 200,000 of whom are living in different camps,” the Chief Minister said after visiting the J and K pavillion at the World Travel Market here last evening. Stating that he would not like to create unnecessary media hype on the issue, the Mufti said to start with greater protection was being given to more than 10,000 Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley and they were also being given succour and employment. He said most displaced Kashmiri Pandits living in camps in Jammu and Delhi were keen on returning to the state, provided they were guaranteed adequate protection. The state government had taken 60 children of Kashmiri Pandits born outside the state since 1989 on a conducted tour of the valley recently and the children really had a peep into the beauty and splendour of their homeland. Addressing tour operators at the J and K pavillion, the Mufti said: “I don’t think Kashmir as a destination needs any introduction though during the past 13-14 years, it remained out of focus owing to militancy-related incidents.” He said a large number of tourists had visited the valley this year.
— PTI |
|
|
Sikh pilgrims night in open
Lahore, November 12 The devotees, including women and children, were refused room accommodation by the Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee but got angry on finding Suba Singh sleeping in the first-class room of Gurdwara Dera Sahib here. They asked him to come out of the room and help them get accommodation, to which he refused. Then, the devotees pulled him out of the room. When the incident was noticed by officials of the PSGPC, they provided rooms to all devotees.
— PTI |
|
US Senate approves curbs on Syria Washington, November 12 The Senate yesterday amended the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act, imposing sanctions with 89 members voting in favour and four senators opposing the move. The amendment, offered by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, gave President George W Bush greater powers to waive economic and diplomatic sanctions in national interest. The House of Representatives have already approved the measures by a 398 to four vote last month. The legislation gives President Bush a range of options to impose sanctions against Syria, from restricting US exports and business investment to downgrading Washington’s diplomatic representation and imposing travel restrictions on Syrian diplomats in the USA. The Bill also bans “dual-use” technology exports and allows the US Government to freeze Syria’s assets in the USA and restrict overflight rights for Syrian aircraft inside US airspace. The legislation calls on Damascus to end its occupation of Lebanon.
— PTI |
|
UK monarchy’s future under threat London, November 12 “The policy of no change to the monarchy is, therefore, a policy of certain death...Adapt or die,” he added. Republicans have seized on the scandal with relish. “This is a royal farce. It is turning the whole institution into a laughing stock,” Mr Stephen Haseler of the Republic pressure group said. “We need to become a modern country with an elected and accountable head of state.” Newspapers in Britain are gagged by a court order banning publication of details of the allegations involving the prince and a close aide and have resorted instead to a froth of innuendo while indicating they didn’t believe the claims. The scandal is the latest in a long line stretching back to the collapse of the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana — with both admitting publicly to having affairs — and later her death in a Paris car crash in 1997. While Britons poured out their grief in an avalanche of flowers at the gates of her central London home, the royal family stood aloof and apparently unfeeling. But by the time of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 and with public sympathy at the deaths within weeks of each other of her mother and sister, rehabilitation seemed complete. “The monarchy is not in any danger here but Prince Charles is in danger. He is very unpopular,” long-time royal watcher Judy Wade said. “He has made a series of blunders over the years.” There has been speculation that Prince Charles — renowned as much for quirky views as for his charity work — would be passed over as King in favour of his elder son William, whose good looks have given him celebrity status.
— Reuters |
|
Prabhakaran gets 6th black belt Colombo, November 12 South Asia’s most wanted man last made a public appearance in April, 2002, after the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the government and Tiger rebels. Prior to that, he hadn’t surfaced publicly since 1990. The Tamil Guardian said Prabhakaran appeared at a ceremony to honour Tamil karate grandmaster Shiham Bonnie Roberts, who is said to have eight black belts., Prabhakaran, 48, has a posse of trusted cadres known as the Black Tigers, or suicide bombers.
— AP |
|
Pak says no to fashion shows Islamabad, November 12 An Interior Ministry order, dated October 25, was carried by The News daily, directing hotels and officials to put an end to gala parades that are a regular event at city hotels. “It has been observed that different functions are organised under the garb of fashion shows at leading hotels of the provinces and the federal capital, which militate against our national culture and Islamic values,” the order said.
— AFP |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
London, November 12
London, November 12
Video
