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2 killed in
gunfire in division over democratic Iraq 15 killed, 22
missing in firecracker blaze UN lists 5 top
fears for children in 2004 Ban on entry of
Afghans in Islamabad
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France, Mexico
put armed guards on flights Powell admits
foreign policy errors Swedish MP held
in West Bank
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2 killed in gunfire in division over democratic Iraq Kirkuk, December 31 Police Col. Salem Taha said two protesters were killed and 16 were wounded in the shooting. A reporter saw six persons hit by gunshots, and heard sirens as ambulances rushed to the rescue. Colonel Taha said Kurdish gunmen opened fire as demonstrators opposed to Kirkuk joining a Kurdish federation tried to converge on the office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party. But a party official, Mr Jalal Jawher, said armed men who had infiltrated the protest opened fire on the party headquarters, and police officers guarding the building returned fire. “We did not open fire on the protesters. Not a single shot was fired from our building,” Mr Jawher said. “Everybody is free to express an opinion regarding federalism,” and his party was not opposed to the demonstration, he said. US soldiers moved in with tanks to barricade the area and set up checkpoints at major intersections. Hundreds of Arabs and Turkmen began protesting this morning to demand that Kirkuk remain under a central Iraqi government and not be incorporated into any proposed Kurdish federation.
—AP |
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15 killed, 22 missing in
firecracker blaze Manila, December 31 A firecracker was accidentally set off outside the market in Lucena city, just south of Manila yesterday and the resulting blaze triggered a general alarm, fire marshall Nelson Jalbuena said. Panicked people rushed inside the market, where they became trapped as the flames got out of control, he said. At least 15 bodies were recovered, while 22 others were believed to be missing. The fire occurred just as hospitals and the police across the Philippines were on high alert in anticipation of New Year’s Eve revelry. The government has been campaigning to deter the use of powerful firecrackers to greet the New Year, but the practice continues and many street vendors persist in selling them illegally. Manila police director Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol said the latest health department statistics showed that 155 persons had already been treated for fire-cracker related injuries in the run-up to New Year’s Eve. The number is expected to rise as millions across the Philippines prepare to see in 2004 with a bang — indiscriminately firing guns into the air and exploding firecrackers in the belief that loud noises will ward off bad luck and evil spirits for the year ahead.
— AFP |
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UN lists 5 top fears for children in 2004
Geneva, December 31 “Each of these issues alone pose heartbreaking challenges for hundreds of millions of children,” said UNICEF executive director Carol Bellamy. “Together, they represent a global imperative to do more for children in 2004,” she said in a statement. People under the age of 25 account for more than half of all new cases of HIV/AIDS and 14 million children have already been orphaned by the disease — a figure that is destined to rise, according to the agency. As for war, more than two million children have died as a direct result of armed conflict in the past decade and three times that number have been permanently disabled or seriously injured, UNICEF said. The exploitation and abuse of children was also a serious challenge, warned the organisation, noting that an estimated 246 million youngsters were forced to work, 171 million of whom did so in hazardous conditions. “At any given time, over 300,000 child soldiers, some as young as eight, are exploited in armed conflicts in over 30 countries around the world,” UNICEF said in the statement. In addition, nearly 11 million children died annually before their fifth birthday and many more were left with physical or mental problems because their families did not have the means to fight killer bugs such as measles, malaria and diarrhoea, the agency observed.
— AFP |
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Ban on entry of Afghans in Islamabad
Islamabad, December 31 The Afghan nationals, staying in and around Islamabad, have been asked not to venture out of their residential complexes until the conclusion of the summit on January 6, Inspector General of Police Fayaz Taroor said here. “The Afghan nationals have been told that if they violate the police order, strict action will be taken against them,” he added. A strict surveillance is being maintained on the activities of the foreign nationals, particularly on those affiliated to ‘jehadi’ groups. The law and order situation is being constantly reviewed by the security agencies, which have decided to deploy more than 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel to guard the capital. Security forces have put up a picket at the Margalla Hills, overlooking the capital city, to maintain a round-the-clock vigil. More than 100 pickets and checkpoints have been set up at all important points in the capital. The restrictions on Afghans follow two attempts on Gen Musharraf’s life earlier this month in which one Afghan suicide bomber was involved. The police are conducting special search operations in all hotels and have already taken into custody an unspecified number of people.
— UNI |
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France, Mexico put armed guards on flights
Paris, December 31 Many airlines around the world have said they would cooperate with the US order to put armed law enforcement officers on certain international flights as part of a heightened terror alert. Some others say they have used armed marshals since shortly after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. With fears of terror rising this holiday season, France and Mexico were among nations quick to bolster security. There are doubters. The International Air Transport Association, an industry group of 275 international air companies, joined a chorus of professionals who would prefer more prevention on the ground rather than a potential shoot-up in a high-flying aircraft. New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority said armed marshals would not be aboard New Zealand flights to the United States “any time soon.” “In the highly unlikely event that it (the US directive) applied to New Zealand , then it would have to be considered by the government,” aviation authority spokesman Bill Sommer told reporters. Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said there was no need for armed guards on Thai Airways flights to prevent terrorist attacks. “We have a system of checking at the departure point already,” he told reporters. Finland’s national carrier Finnair said flatly that it would rather ground its aircraft than put armed marshals on board. US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge yesterday hailed the response of other nations. “I’d put the family on the plane,” he said when asked about how strongly he felt about new safety measures the US government has undertaken. Under Ridge’s new directive, the US government would have the option of denying access to US airspace to airlines unless they put an armed officer on flights crossing over or headed to the United States. Mexico said yesterday it reached an early agreement with Washington and has had security agents on board some flights since last week. The agents carried weapons with special ammunition designed to avoid loss of pressure in the aircraft cabin if fired, said Public Safety Secretary Alejandro Gertz. France, always keen to dictate its own policy, has made no official announcement about compliance with the US directive. However, special teams have been aboard some Air France flights reportedly for the past week. Germany’s Lufthansa and Transport Canada are among airlines that say they have carried sky marshals on some flights since shortly after the 2001 attacks by the al-Qaida network. Air Canada said it was complying with the US request for armed officers on board certain flights. Russia’s aviation authorities said there had been no government decision on whether to comply with Washington’s demand. Britain has said it would deploy sky marshals “where appropriate,” but pilots have expressed strong reservations about the plan.
— AP |
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Powell admits foreign policy errors Washington, December 31 In a broad article in Foreign Affairs magazine released by the State Department yesterday, the top US diplomat struck a conciliatory tone toward America’s old allies in Europe, called for a broader international role for China, and expressed optimism about a peaceful resolution of the North Korean problem. He largely sidestepped the question of Iraq, but implicitly took issue with his presumed chief rival inside the administration, Defence Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, who last September dismissed the decades-old concept of military deterrence as a theory that “has been overtaken by events.” In his
article, Mr Powell argued that “our strategy is not defined by preemption.”
— AFP |
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Swedish MP held in West Bank Budrus , December 31 Mr Gustav Fridolin was one of a group of around 10 protesters detained near the village of Budrus which lies close to the town of Jenin in the northern West Bank, spokesmen for the International Solidarity Movement and the International Women’s Peace Service said. Troops opened fire with rubber-coated bullets during the protest, which comes five days after an Israeli protester suffered leg injuries during a similar demonstration against the barrier when live fire was used. Anna Weekes, a protestor from South Africa, said that Mr Fridolin had been detained by soldiers as he sang pro-Palestine songs with a group of local schoolchildren.
— AFP |
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In video: Security beefed up in
Islamabad. (
