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Rice sidesteps queries on Indian claim
Indian Ambassador meets Gyanendra
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Two bills rushed through
Paris
hotel fire kills 20
Bombings kill 4 in Iraq
Nine Tamil rebels die in clash
Britain hub for Islamic militants
Rumsfeld promises more military aid to Pak Pak hostage appeals to Pervez Prince Harry fails computer test
Big B is UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador
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Rice sidesteps queries on Indian claim
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday adroitly sidestepped questions about American support of India's bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, but when pressed said this would be offered in the "broader context of the UN reform."
Addressing reporters at the Benjamin Franklin Room in the State Department following her lunch meeting with External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh, Ms Rice acknowledged that the "international organisations in general will have to take into account India's growing role in the world in order to be updated and to be effective." She said the Bush administration believed it that it "is important, of course, to reform the Secretariat, the institutions of the UN, the organisations of the UN, it needs management reform and, of course, we should also look at the Security Council reform." Ms Rice said Shirin Tahir-Kheli, who is advising the Secretary on the UN reform, would be traveling to a number of places, including India, to discuss this matter. Mr Natwar Singh said India, besides working with Brazil, Germany and Japan, had sent some "special envoys to various parts of the world to promote our cause" for a permanent seat in the council. "Our credentials are impeccable," he told reporters at the State Department. "Our peacekeeping record in the UN, our role in decolonisation, our role in the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa, our efforts at disarmament, nuclear and conventional. Take any aspect of the UN life, India has played a leading role, and by any criteria that you apply India qualifies for a seat in the expanded council as a permanent member. And it is quite obvious that the structure created in 1945 doesn't represent what's happening in 2005. It's as simple as that." Defending America's decision to support Japan's bid for a similar seat in the Security Council, Ms Rice said there were some "very particular reasons" for this support. "Japan really is the second largest contributor to the United Nations in terms of support for the United Nations. It is really not very far behind the United States in providing that support and that needs to be recognised," she said. Emphasising the need for discussion, Ms Rice said she hoped "that we can do this in a way that builds consensus in the international community about the UN reforms ought to proceed because what we do not need is acrimony as we try to move forward to reform this extremely important organisation so that it can be relevant for the 21st century." "India is a growing influence in international politics and in international organisations more broadly. That's going to have to be accommodated," she added. Earlier in the afternoon, Ms Rice and Mr Natwar Singh held a meeting at the State Department that was preceded by the minister's half-hour interaction with President George W. Bush at the Oval Office. During the course of their meeting, Ms Rice and Mr Natwar Singh talked about "how to push our relationship to a new level, to improve our cooperation in a number of areas, to accelerate our work, our next steps in strategic partnership initiative and to launch an energy dialogue." This energy dialogue will be led by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, and US Energy Secretary Sam Bodman. Mr Natwar Singh said the three main components of energy demands were "civil nuclear energy, hydrocarbons and cleaner technologies." He added that Dr Ahluwalia, who was part of his delegation, would hold discussions on economic matters and matters related to the peaceful uses, civil uses of nuclear energy, and also other scientific matters. Appreciative of the "fresh approach" taken by the Bush administration on the subject of energy, Mr Natwar Singh said Indo-US cooperation in space highlights "the technology bond that is a special characteristic of our ties." "Our goal is to promote synergies in all aspects of space collaboration, including satellite fabrication and launch. The NSSP process will be accelerated. It has been a useful and productive engagement but we are now looking at even wider horizons," he added. Mr Natwar Singh dismissed as "simplistic" suggestions that Washington was plying India with defense technology to counter China's growing military might. He said the Americans had given no indications that they want India to "play any game." "So this idea that there is going to be any kind of gang up anywhere neither it has been mentioned nor will it work," he told reporters at an interaction that wrapped up his two-day visit to Washington. The issue of the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, described by both US and Indian officials as a "non-issue," did not come up during the course of Mr Natwar Singh's meeting with Mr Bush or Ms Rice. White House spokesman Scott McClellan, confirming the matter was not raised in the meeting with the President, said, "We previously talked about the issue of the F-16s and we've had that discussion with India. |
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Indian Ambassador meets Gyanendra
Kathmandu, April 15 The meeting came in the midst of feelers being sent by Nepal for a meeting between the King and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit, to be held in Jakarta from April 20-24. No details of the meeting were available but it is understood that Mr Mukherjee conveyed to the King the need for the restoration of democracy and release of political prisoners. This was the second meeting between the Indian envoy and King Gyanendra after the February 1 royal takeover. Mr Mukherjee last met the King in February, just over a week after emergency was declared in Nepal.
— PTI |
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Two bills rushed through
Islamabad, April 15 Two Bills were passed in the same fashion on Wednesday when the opposition parties boycotted proceedings after their protest walkouts against alleged harassment of their workers and the arrest of an opposition member of the house. Pakistan Muslim League (PML) member M.P. Bhandara complained the Lower House had become a rubber-stamp Assembly after he and another party back-bencher said they had just now received standing committee reports on the two Bills on Thursday's agenda and, therefore, could not make any contribution to the passage of these laws. "We are not dummies," Mr Bhandara said and repeatedly shouted a solitary "no" when his other colleagues in the ruling coalition routinely went on saying a subdued "ayes" (yes) during the clause-by-clause and final voting on the two Bills, which will become laws after being passed by the Senate as well. "We have become an 'angootha chhap' (rubber-stamp) Assembly," he said before the chair switched off his desk's mike to cut short his remarks. In his earlier remarks, Mr Bhandara said the practice of rushing through Bills did not allow members to do justice to law-making. "We are taking only mechanical interest (in the process)," he added and called the practice a violation of the members' parliamentary oath. One of the Bills - the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill - amends the Pakistan Navy Ordinance to provide for imposing fines on convicted navy personnel in line with similar provisions in the Army Act and Air Force Act while the other - the Illegal Dispossession Bill - seeks to curb and provides for punishment against the activities of property grabbers. |
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Paris hotel fire kills 20
Paris, April 15 More than 50 persons were injured, in the blaze, thought to have started at a
first-floor breakfast room of the one-star Paris Opera hotel in the capital’s
touristic 9th district, fire officials said. Many guests were African. Paris City Hall had rented rooms in the six-storeyed hotel to temporarily house families from Africa. The
fire broke out after 2 a.m. (0530 IST) when guests would have been
sleeping. It spread quickly, causing panic.
— AP |
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Bombings kill 4 in Iraq
Baghdad, April 15 A roadside bomb near the northern city of Samarra killed two Iraqi soldiers, an army source said. A car bomb intended for a US convoy passing through Baghdad's upscale Mansour neighbourhood killed at least one person and wounded five, the police and witnesses said. Across town a few minutes later, a bomb targeting Iraqi National Guard troops killed one civilian and wounded three others, the police said. They were small-scale attacks by Iraqi standards, but appeared to mark a new surge in the violence that has been so common over the past two years and which seemed to have subsided since January elections. Bombings yesterday killed about 19 persons in the capital and a southern city.
— Reuters |
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Nine Tamil rebels die in clash
Colombo, April 15 Military spokesman Brig Daya Ratnayake has confirmed the pre-dawn attack by the LTTE cadres on the Karuna faction. “The bodies of nine cadres who were killed in the encounter are lying near a river in
Sorivil, an interior village in Polannaruwa district,” the Tamilnet website reported, quoting the villagers in the area. The attack on the Karuna camp has come a few days after the Nordic truce monitors, overseeing the truce agreement between the government and the LTTE for the past three years, confirmed the presence of armed Karuna cadres in these government-held areas. The situation in the East has deteriorated as a result of the internal clashes between the mainstream Tamil rebels and Karuna loyalists.
— UNI
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Britain hub for Islamic militants
Beirut (Lebanon), April 1 The three men operated out of Britain for years until they were arrested in a raid at a house in a London suburb in August. They are now awaiting trial before a British court on terrorism-related charges. With their indictment in the United States, the suspects, Dhiren Barot, Nadeem Tarmohamed and Qaisir Shaffi, join a list of Islamic militants whom the US Government wants to extradite from Britain. The process could take years, and some militants may never be handed over because they could face the death penalty in US courts.
— By arrangement with the Los Angeles Times — Washington Post |
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Rumsfeld promises more military aid to Pak
Islamabad, April 15 The assurance was given by visiting US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during his meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf here on Wednesday night. “Secretary Rumsfeld reaffirmed the US decision to enhance military assistance to Pakistan and strengthen defence cooperation with Pakistan,” an official communique issued after the meeting said. “Washington would be stepping up support to meet Pakistan’s legitimate defence needs,” it said. Pakistan expects an early delivery of the promised F-16s and hopes for a much larger defence aide, the communique said. Last year, the US provided 1.2 billion dollars of military assistance, which included six Orion naval surveillance aircraft and a host of defence equipment. This was part of a three billion dollar package assured by US President George W. Bush as a reward for Pakistan joining the war against terror, half of which was committed for social, economic and educational development programmes. During their meeting, President Musharraf and Mr Rumsfeld discussed bilateral relations, defence cooperation and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest. The President said the US’ decision to supply F-16s would be an important factor in preserving regional peace and security. Mr Rumsfeld appreciated Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace and stability and its cooperation in the global war on terrorism and the stabilisation and reconstruction of Afghanistan, the communique said. — PTI
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Pak hostage appeals to Pervez
Dubai, April 15 Malik Muhammad Javed, an assistant at the mission who did not have diplomatic status, went missing on Saturday night after going to a mosque for evening prayers. He was the fourth Pakistani to be abducted in Iraq. In the video, he appealed to the President, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the international community to win his release, Al-Jazeera said. The video contains no conditions from his kidnappers for his eventual liberation. Around 200 foreigners have been taken hostage in Iraq since last April. Many kidnappings are motivated by cash, with abductors often selling captives with political value to militant groups. Islamabad opposed the March 2003 invasion of Iraq despite being a key ally in the US war on terror. It had refused requests from the USA and the Iraqi leadership to send peacekeeping troops there.
— AFP
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Prince Harry fails computer test
London, April 15 “Although the computer test was a lot more complex than just sending e-mails, instructors were amazed that Harry failed it,” a military insider was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror tabloid. “He seemed to lack the same skills as the other recruit,” the report said. It said the Prince was not judged on his performance, but it was more of a chance for officers to assess his strong and weak points. Harry, who has been training at Sandhurst, has revealed that he wants to join the Household Cavalry apparently because of its tradition as polo-playing regiments, something he is very passionate about.
— PTI
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Big B is UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador
New York, April 15 As the ‘goodwill ambassador’, his areas of focus will be creating awareness about polio eradication and prevention of HIV/AIDS through field visits, making special appearances at functions and speaking on behalf of children. “I am thrilled to be named goodwill ambassador. This is a great honour for me. I truly hope that I will be able to make a difference to children’s lives,” said Bachchan after he put his signature on the two-year commitment in the presence of his wife, Jaya, son, Abhishek, Indian Ambassador to the United Nations Nirupam Sen and member of Parliament Amar Singh. Bachchan joins the select group of celebrities, including the legendary Audrey Hepburn, Sir Roger Moore, Harry Belafonte and singer Angelique Kidjo, who were also ambassadors of UNICEF.
— PTI |
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