Islamabad, January 23
The visiting Hurriyat delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has called a conference of all parties based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on January 26 to evolve a united approach for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The all-party conference will discuss the proposals for the resolution of Kashmir issue, Pakistan-based Hurriyat Conference convener Syed Yosuf was quoted as saying by Daily Times here.

The conference to be addressed by Mirwaiz Farooq, his delegates Abdul Ghani Bhutt and Bilal Lone, besides PoK President and Prime Minister will aim at resolving differences among the "political and non-political parties" of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The decision to call the meeting of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir parties was taken after Mirwaiz Farooq and PoK President Raja Zulqarnain and Prime Minister Atiq Ahmed Khan decided to form two working groups to unite the moderates on both sides of the Line of Control to drum up support for the peace process.

The Hurriyat delegation which arrived here on January 18 has extended its stay till January 27.

Since their arrival, Mirwaiz and his delegates remained in Islamabad and held talks with PoK leaders here instead of travelling to PoK capital, Muzaffarabad, which they visited during their last tour in 2005.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz hosted a dinner for the delegation last evening during which he said Islamabad would strive for early, just and peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

However, Mirwaiz Farooq has said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's four-point formula to resolve the Kashmir issue is "not acceptable" to Hurriyat "as a whole" although it provides a foundation for a settlement of the problem.

“We are not accepting the four-point formula as a whole," the visiting Hurriyat leader said during an interaction with Pakistan's Minister for Kashmir Affairs Tahir Iqbal here yesterday .

Musharraf's proposals of demilitarisation, self governance and joint management could provide a foundation for the resolution of the Kashmir issue after appropriate amendments, he said.

"Yes, we are moving ahead with the proposals floated by Mr Musharraf as these have put pressure on the Indian government, the Army and the Opposition to move ahead," he said.

“Pakistan's bold stance has impressed the international community and the whole world is now looking towards India. But President Musharraf's proposals are not final and can be improved," he was quoted as saying in the media.

The Mirwaiz again stressed the importance of the political process to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"Military action is no solution to the Kashmir issue.

This is a political issue and an opportunity should be provided to resolve this issue through a political process," he said.

Elaborating on his comments that militancy had not succeeded in resolving Kashmir issue, the Mirwaiz said he had never said militancy should end, but thought it was time to support the political process. — PTI

Beirut, January 23
Protesters trying to topple Lebanon’s cabinet blocked highways with blazing tyres today, sparking clashes with government loyalists in which two persons were killed and atleast 100 people hurt, the police said.

The violence raised the stakes in a campaign by Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah and its Shi’ite and Christian allies to oust Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s Western-supported government and hold early parliamentary elections.

Lebanese troops tried to keep rival groups apart, but the police said a member of the Christian pro-government Lebanese Forces party was shot dead in the town of Batroun, north of Beirut.

Another person was shot and killed in the mainly Sunni Muslim northern port of Tripoli. The police said gunfire wounded 35 persons many of them in the Christian towns of Byblos and Halba.

Siniora delayed plans to leave for Paris, where he is to attend an international aide conference for Lebanon. Officials said he would address the nation at 6.30 p.m. (10 p.m. IST).

The police said altogether more than 100 people were hurt in a day of skirmishes around the country. Stone-throwing crowds fought in Beirut and Christian areas to the north, even though troops caught in the middle fired in the air to deter them.

Black smoke billowed over Beirut as demonstrators shut main roads, including those to the port and international airport, to enforce a general strike called by Hezbollah and its allies.

Several airlines cancelled flights. — Reuters

Jerusalem, January 23
Prosecutors intend to charge President Moshe Katsav with rape and other crimes against women employees, the Justice Ministry today said, in what would be an unprecedented indictment against an Israeli head of the state.

Mr Katsav has denied wrongdoing. His post is largely ceremonial and the scandal is unlikely to have a direct impact on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has himself been hurt politically by a string of investigations into suspected corruption, which he has denied.

The case against Mr Katsav, months in the making, appeared to have strengthen the feeling among many Israelis that misconduct is rampant at the top.

''The Attorney-General, with the agreement of the state attorney, reached the conclusion that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to indict the President,'' the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

The scandal erupted last year when several former staffers filed complaints with the police, accusing Mr Katsav of sex crimes.

The ministry said an indictment would include the charge of raping one of the four women who accused him of sexual assault.

In the statement, Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz gave Mr Katsav a last chance to present legal arguments before a final draft of the indictment, proposing a hearing at which he promised to hear the President's response with an ''open heart and a willing soul''.

Asked on Channel 10 television if Mr Katsav intended to resign, his lawyer Sharon Nahari said: ''I think it is too early to say. What is important is that this is a very difficult day for Israel.” The ministry said a date for the hearing would be set soon. — Reuters

Arbil (Iraq), January 23
A Christian shopkeeper who walks with a limp, Adison Brikha fled Baghdad after he was beaten in his shop. He made it to Arbil, in relatively peaceful Iraqi Kurdistan -- but now he's begging for work.

''The gunmen broke into my shop and beat me brutally. It was obvious that Christians are no longer wanted in Baghdad,'' said Brikha, who can barely pay the rent for a tiny house.

''I used to own a shop and now I'm begging people to let me work even as a servant or a labourer, but no one will take me because my foot is crippled,'' he said, through tears.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Baghdad, the epicenter of violence in Iraq. The United Nations, launching an appeal for aid for Iraqis who have fled their homes or left the country, said this month about one in eight Iraqis is now displaced.

It said the exodus is the largest long-term movement of people in the West Asia since the creation of Israel in 1948.

Many, including non-Kurds, have taken refuge in Kurdistan -- a largely autonomous region in the northern mountains that has been a haven from attacks .

London, January 23
Expressing its profound regret for any offence caused to viewers, Channel 4 has said it was launching a review into its ‘Big Brother’ reality show following racist bullying of Bollywood star.

Speaking outside Channel 4’s offices following a board meeting last night, its Chairman Luke Johnson said ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ would remain on air until its completion next week, but it has commissioned a review of the “editorial and compliance processes” which support it.

“Clearly many people were worried and offended by what they saw. I want to reassure them that we take the views of our audience very seriously and profoundly regret any offence that may have been caused.

“All board members of Channel 4 abhor racism. We are also committed to ensuring that the Channel continues to fulfil its remit to explore important social issues,” he said. The statement came as senior managers briefed the board’s eight non-executive members on the network’s handling of the damaging row about racist bullying.

Johnson said the board would receive a full report and seek to identify lessons that could be learned for the future. Johnson made no mention of the long-term future of the show. Shilpa Shetty is now odds-on favourite to win the show, with bookmaker William Hill cutting her price from 5-1 10 days ago to 8-11 now.

“The Channel 4 board recognises that the events of the last week on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ have provoked an unprecedented level of public complaint. Britain’s Education Secretary Alan Johnson argued “British values” needed to be taught in schools to combat the “ignorance and bigotry” seen on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’. — PTI

Bangkok, January 23
Nearly half of the world's waterbird species are in decline, mostly due to rapid economic development and the effects of climate change, according to a global survey released today.

The fourth annual Waterbird Population Estimate found that 44 per cent of the 900 species globally have fallen in the past five years, while 34 per cent were stable, and 17 per cent rising.

Altogether, 12 families of birds have half or more of their global populations showing a decreasing trend, including storks, shoebills and plovers.

The worst decreases occurred in Asia, where 62 per cent of the waterbird populations had declined or become extinct.

That was followed by a 48 per cent decline in Africa, 45 per cent in Oceania, 42 per cent in South America, 41 per cent in Europe and 37 per cent in North America.

Simon Delany, a waterbird conservation officer for Netherlands-based Wetlands International which coordinated the survey, said the cause of the decline was a loss of wetlands either from economic and agriculture development rising temperatures which are blamed for worsening droughts and rising sea levels.

The survey represents about 50,000 hours of field work done in 100 countries.

"The most frequent known cause of population decrease is habitat destruction, often caused by unsustainable human activity," Delany told The Associated Press.

"The frantic pace of economic development is clearly having adverse impacts on the environment, including numbers and population trends of waterbirds," he said. — AP