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Britain to stay clear of intervening on Kashmir, says
Tony Blair
Saddam trial ‘unsound’: Human rights group
Don’t interfere, China tells US Wants India to keep word on Tibet
N Korea rejects UN human rights resolution
Nurse convicted for killing 28 patients
‘King responsible for anti-democracy crackdown’
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Bond beaten at box office
Beauty queen puts down arms to save legs
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Britain to stay clear of intervening on Kashmir,
Islamabad, November 20 "I have asked both the leaders of India and Pakistan to resolve it (Kashmir). India and Pakistan are two important countries of the region and in a few years would be powerful countries as well," he said here when asked what his country was doing to resolve it. "I think it is with the leadership of the two countries to deal with this issue. This issue is very important for both the countries, and we can't interfere, we should help in a partnership of India and Pakistan," Blair said in an interview to Geo TV. "I ask them to resolve this issue and then concentrate on the things which will determine your future, like economic development and regional security." Blair, who came on a two-day visit to Pakistan during the weekend which included talks with President Pervez Musharraf in Lahore yesterday, reminded the journalist who interviewed him that the fact that he has asked the question on Kashmir towards the end of the interview also reflected a "hopeful side". Blair said his visit to Pakistan was aimed at decent relationship between London and Islamabad and provide support to Pakistan in the health, education and development sectors. On whether sending British troops to Afghanistan was a mistake, he said, "There is a lot of change but of course there are the Taliban and the extremist groups will fight hard because they used to have power which they don't have now. We should stay to help Afghans and they should have their own security in place so that they can work out their own future so that they can elect their president." On Osama bin Laden and Mulla Omar still being at large, the British Prime Minister said, "I know there are many attempts to seek them out, but I think it is more important that we stay with the people in Afghanistan and help them achieve what they voted for." The United Nations has supervised the democratic process, and the reason why British forces and the forces of 25-30 countries are in the southern part of Afghanistan, is to help the government, he said. — PTI
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Saddam trial ‘unsound’: Human rights group
The death penalty given earlier this month to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is "unsound," according to a New York-based human rights group.
The Human Rights Watch noted that the trial of Hussein and seven other defendants before the Iraqi High Tribunal for crimes against humanity was marred by many "procedural and substantive flaws." The group which opposes the death penalty as inherently inhumane punishment says that executing Hussein while other trials are ongoing will also deprive many thousands of victims of their day in court. In a report released on Sunday, the human rights group said the shortcomings of the trial, for the killings of more than 100 persons from the Iraqi town of Dujail, also call into question subsequent proceedings at the tribunal. "The proceedings in the Dujail trial were fundamentally unfair," said Nehal Bhuta of the International Justice programme at the Human Rights Watch and author of the report. "The tribunal squandered an important opportunity to deliver credible justice to the people of Iraq. And its imposition of the death penalty after an unfair trial is indefensible." During the course of the trial three defence lawyers were murdered, three judges left the five-member panel and the original chief judge was replaced. The report is based on 10 months of observation and dozens of interviews with judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers. The report said the Iraqi High Tribunal was undermined from the outset by Iraqi Government actions that threatened the independence and perceived impartiality of the court. Members of parliament and even ministers regularly denounced the tribunal as weak, leading to the resignation of the first presiding trial judge. The report noted "regular failure to disclose key evidence, including exculpatory evidence, to the defense in advance; violations of the defendants' basic fair trial right to confront witnesses against them; lapses of judicial demeanour that undermined the apparent impartiality of the presiding judge; and important gaps in evidence that undermine the persuasiveness of the prosecution case, and put in doubt whether all elements of the crimes charged were established." "The tribunal failed to meet basic fair trial standards in its first trial. Unless the Iraqi Government allows experienced international judges and lawyers to participate directly, it's unlikely the court can fairly conduct other trials," said Ms Bhuta.
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Don’t interfere, China tells US
Beijing, November 20 China expressed “strong dissatisfaction” and “firm opposition” to being on the list, she said. Recently, the US State Department claimed to have listed China as one of the eight “countries of particular concern” with regard to international religious freedom in 2006. “The United States’ action violates the basic rules of international relations, and constitutes a rude intervention in the internal affairs of another country,” she said. The Chinese Government had always guaranteed citizens right to religious freedom in accordance with the law, she said. People of various ethnic groups and regions in China enjoyed broad and adequate freedom of religious belief according to law, Ms Jiang was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. “It is the Chinese people that are entitled to speak on this matter,” she asserted. “We demand the United States respect the truth, and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of religion,” she said. Ms Jiang urged the US side to do more to promote mutual understanding between the two countries instead of worsening relations. — PTI
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Wants India to keep word on Tibet
Beijing, November 20 “We express our appreciation and attach importance to the above mentioned commitment,” she said. “We hope and are confident that the Indian side will adhere to this position and implement relevant commitments,” she said when asked if Hu, during talks with the Indian leadership, would seek any new concessions from New Delhi on the Tibet issue as well as on the stay of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, in India. The Dalai Lama fled to India from Tibet after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. China often describes the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner as a “separatist” who is engaged in splitting Tibet from the rest of the motherland.
— PTI
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N Korea rejects UN human rights resolution
Seoul, November 20 On Friday, a UN committee approved the resolution criticising North Korea's public executions, use of torture, and other human rights violations. The draft resolution goes to a plenary meeting of the 192-nation assembly for final approval. It was the first formal comment from the North's central government on the resolution. On Saturday, a ruling Workers' Party organ, dealing with relations with South Korea, issued a statement criticising Seoul for voting for the resolution. North Korea has long been accused of imposing the death penalty for political reasons, holding thousands in prison camps as well as torturing border-crossers and severely restricting freedom of expression and religion. But Pyongyang has rejected talk of its human rights, claiming it's part of a US attempt to overthrow its regime.
— AP
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Nurse convicted for killing 28 patients
Kempten (Germany), November 20 According to evidence presented at his nine-month trial, Letter (28), killed his victims by injecting a cocktail of drugs. Letter testified at the start of his trial in February that he had killed patients,
but could not remember how many. The deaths at the hospital in Sonthofen began in February 2003, less than a month after the nurse started working there.The last suspicious death occurred in July 2004, just before his arrest. The patients were aged between 40 and 94, though most were older than 75. They included two gravely ill women, aged 40 and 47,
but not all were seriously sick, authorities have said. — AP
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‘King responsible for anti-democracy crackdown’
Kathmandu, November 20 The commission handed the report to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who said those found guilty in the report would be punished. Commission member Harihar Birahi said at the time of the crackdown, the King was responsible for the crackdown on pro-democracy protests, which eventually forced the King to cede power and reinstate Parliament after 14-months of direct rule by the monarch. Parliament then quickly stripped Gyanendra of his powers,his command over the army and his immunity from prosecution.
— AP
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Bond beaten at box office
Los Angeles, November 20 According to studio estimates issued yesterday, the animated tale ''Happy Feet'' earned $42.3 million during its first three days of release across the USA and Canada, while the latest James Bond movie ''Casino Royale'' pulled in $40.6 million. The data were provided by the films' respective studios, Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros and Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures. Some other studios, using their own calculations, said the margin was considerably narrower and that Bond could win out when final data are released.
— Reuters
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Beauty queen puts down arms to save legs
Jerusalem, November 20
Reigning beauty queen Yael Nezri, a private who recently completed basic training, said the bruises were making it difficult for her to model in photo shoots.
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Bush,Laura attend church 9 killed in train mishap Pak fighter jet crashes 14 corpses found
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