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Pakistan army to restructure force 3 Indians among 21 killed in Oman North Korean train explosion leaves thousands homeless Terrorists, cops clash in Damascus Iran’s judiciary bans torture |
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Interim Iraqi govt will have ‘limited authority’ Thousands rally against Gaza pullout
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Pakistan army to restructure force Islamabad, April 28 “The new measures, which include reduction of a large number of non-combatant soldiers, aims to improve the ‘teeth-to-tail’ ratio in which the tail is being reduced by about 50,000 men,” the Daily Times today quoted Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan as saying. “This plan, which will create more funds for the technological needs of the fighting arms, aims at making the Pakistan army a vibrant organisation to meet future needs,” he pointed out. The plan, was discussed on the second day of the formation commanders conference, chaired by President Musharraf at the General Headquarters (GHQ) and has been approved by the President. The commanders were briefed on the security situation, threat perception, training and operational preparedness and logistic and welfare aspects of the army. While reviewing threats, the senior commanders dilated upon the new Indian doctrine and expressed satisfaction after going through the response options of the Pakistan army. The ISPR chief also referred to the defence budget that had not been increased for a couple of years and said this restructuring would create funds from within the already available resources, instead of burdening the economy, and help the army respond more quickly to the challenges of the battlefield. However, Maj-Gen Sultan made it clear that combat troops would not be reduced and the manpower reduction plan would not affect the army's fighting potential. “The savings in funds by reducing the non-combat elements will be directed to enhance the combat efficiency of the Army and enhance its response capabilities with a balance between quality and quantity,” he said.
— UNI |
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3 Indians among 21 killed in Oman Dubai, April 27 The victims included two Omanis, one Saudi, one Egyptian, four Iraqis, six Pakistanis and four other people from different countries whose nationalities were yet to be identified, Royal Oman Police sources said. As many as 13 others were injured in the accident.
The accident occurred when one of the vehicles, a truck, skidded and hit a bus near Haima. Both the vehicles were on their way to Salalah from Muscat. There were 35 people on board the bus.
The injured have been rushed to hospitals, the sources added. —
UNI |
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North Korean train explosion leaves thousands homeless Shanghai, April 28 The explosion in Ryongchon, a town of 130,000 near the Chinese border, destroyed at least 8,100 homes and more than 30 public buildings, official North Korean news agency KCNA said. Many victims were left “deaf and blind” by the blast. The death toll stood at 161, including 76 children from one destroyed school. More than 1300 persons were injured. At least 370 victims remained hospitalised, two-third of them children. Many suffered severe burns and eye injuries. Many could lose sight in at least one eye, said Dr Eigil Sorensen, a representative for the World Health Organisation.
— AP |
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Terrorists, cops clash in Damascus
Damascus, April 28 The attack occurred in the Mazza district in West Damascus and centred around a vacated former UN building, extensively damaged during fighting that lasted 70 minutes, late yesterday between the police and militants firing guns and grenade launchers. A UN spokeswoman said the building, formerly occupied by the UN Disengagement Observer Force that oversees an agreement between Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights, may have been hit in the attack. Syria has not seen such violence in years. The Interior Ministry official told the state-run news agency, SANA, that four gunmen detonated a bomb placed under a car, which damaged an unidentified nearby building, before the Syrian security forces surrounded the group and exchanged fire. The gunmen tried to flee in another car while hurling hand grenades at the security forces, the unidentified official said. As a result of the exchanges, two of the attackers were killed, along with a policemen and a woman in the area. The statement described the violence as a “terrorist incident,” which the government condemned, and blamed regional troubles for instigating the attack. In Washington, an official said the US embassy in Syria would be closed along with the school in Damascus that serves the American community. Syria’s Ambassador to the United States, Mr Imad Mustafa, told CNN: “We’ve being doing our best against Al-Qaida. We share the same enemy (as the United States). We aid the US in its fight against Al-Qaida and terrorism.” Mazzeh district is home to several western and Middle-East embassies, including those of Britain, Canada, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as UN offices. In New York, a UN spokeswoman denied any office of the world body had been hit in the attack or personnel wounded.
— AP |
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Iran’s judiciary bans torture Tehran, April 28 Iran’s constitution specifically outlaws the use of torture of detainees. But several attempts by the reformist-dominated parliament to pass a bill banning torture have been blocked by a constitutional watchdog run by religious hardliners. “Any torture to extract confession is banned and the confessions extracted through torture are not legitimate and legal,” judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi said in a 15-point statement to judiciary, police and intelligence officials obtained by Reuters. Rights lawyers and political activists said the new directive was a tacit admission that torture was still prevalent. “If we want to see a real change in the judicial system it won’t be by emphasising what’s already in the constitution,” said student leader Abdollah Momeni. Momeni, who said he was placed in solitary confinement for more than six weeks and forced to confess to acting against state security last year, said change would only come about if “the officials are fully committed to implementing the law.” Shahroudi further instructed officials that “blindfolding, restraining, pestering and insulting of detainees must be avoided during arrest, interrogation and investigation”. He emphasised that detainees cannot be deprived of their right to a lawyer, unnecessary detentions must be avoided and confessions must be written and verified by the accused. His directive appeared to address most criticisms levelled in recent years at the judiciary and security forces by human rights groups and political activists. But rights lawyers were unimpressed. “The fact that he has issued a directive cannot be justified from a legal point of view because all of these points have been mentioned as binding in the constitution,” said Mohammad Sharif, a lawyer.
— Reuters |
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Interim
Iraqi govt will have ‘limited authority’ Washington, April 28 “The precise structure and composition of the interim government are being worked out among Iraqi leaders and Mr (Lakhdar) Brahimi (UN Secretary-General’s special envoy), in consultation with the Coalition Provisional Authority,” White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said yesterday. “The law and rules that define the authorities of that interim government will be contained in an annex to the transitional administrative law that was signed by the Iraqi Governing Council early March,” he said. Iraqis, Mr McClellan claimed, have made it very clear that they want limits on the authority of the interim government. The annex to the Transitional Administrative Law, he said, would define, in precise ways, the interim government’s authority. |
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US forces pound Falluja Falluja, April 28 An hour after US Marines encircled the town, and began shelling Falluja’s Golan district, strike aircraft and what appeared to be at least one AC-130 gunship, began pounding the area as well at two other points in the city.
— Reuters |
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Thousands rally against Gaza pullout Neveh Dekalim (Gaza), April 28 The surprisingly high turnout of upwards of 50,000 flag- waving Israelis for an Independence Day march stirred hopes among settlers of defeating the crucial May 2 referendum of Mr Sharon’s right-wing Likud party on his ‘’disengagement’’ plan. ‘’There are many more people here than we ever expected... People from all over Israel have come here to say ‘we are not disengaging, we are sticking by you’,’’ settler Dror Vanunu, of the southern Gaza settlement Neveh Dekalim, said yesterday. Israeli media and witnesses said more than 50,000 attended the rally and that thousands more were delayed by traffic jams that choked the narrow border roads and checkpoints into Gaza. In an attempt to sway the hardliners, Mr Sharon stressed in a television interview that he would take tougher action against militants after a Gaza pullout and that U.S.-Israeli ties could be harmed if his party failed to pass the plan.
— Reuters |
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Bombay Dreams hits Broadway New York, April 28 The $ 14 million A.R. Rahman musical based on Bollywood’s pet rag-to-riches theme also introduces the first Indian-American producer, Sudhir Vaishnav. Though the growing South Asian community is one consideration for the Broadway to take the risk, the 140-minute saga aims to attract non-South Asian audience to introduce them to a new culture. The play had run successfully for two years in London but the American version has been altered to ensure that the audience here are able to relate it to their experiences. After the show ends here, it would be taken to other major cities of the United States, including Chicago and of Canada.
— PTI |
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North Korea made fresh pleas for help and thousands of rescuers rushed in food, medicines and tents as victims of last week’s train explosion struggled to stay clean and warm nearly a week after the disaster
