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Freed sailors, Marines arrive in London London, April 5 The plane carrying 15 members of the Royal Navy crew freed by Iran, arrived at London's Heathrow Airport, today. Armed police patrolled the tarmac as two military helicopters idled on the airport's north runway. Faye Turney, one of the 15 British navy personnel held captive in Iran, arrives at Heathrow airport, in west London on Thursday. — AFP

Cell dealing with Bhutto cases closed
In a major development signifying the Musharraf-Benazir thaw, the government has closed the special wing of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) dealing with corruption cases against former premier Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Zardari and shifted their most virulent tormentor to another assignment.

This photo made available by Siriraj Hospital shows conjoined Thai girls, Pantawan and Panwad, after their successful operation at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. The two nine-month-old Thai girls have been separated in what the hospital claimed on Thursday was the world's first successful operation on conjoined twins whose hearts and livers were connected. Pantawan and Panwad Thiyenjai were separated by a team of 61 medical staff, including five heart surgeons, at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital, after 12 hours on the operating table. — AFP

LTTE men kill 4 farmers
Colombo, April 5
LTTE rebels shot dead four Sri Lankan farmers in the island’s northeast today, the military said, the third attack on civilians in a week. Troops also found and defused a powerful bomb north of the capital.

Lead role for Shilpa in London musical
London, April 5
Indian cine star Shilpa Shetty, winner of the Celebrity Big Brother show, has signed a mega-bucks deal to play the lead in a grand Bollywood musical, its producer said today.

More rape charges against Indian designer 
Los Angeles, April 5
A celebrity fashion designer accused of luring young women and girls with promises of modelling work and then raping or sexually assaulting them was charged with attacks on four more victims.

Despite protest, Moscow to have Krishna temple
Moscow, April 5
The Moscow mayor has allocated land to the local unit of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to build a temple despite objections by the orthodox Christians, who have threatened to renew their stir against the  construction.

Musharraf lenient on ‘jehadi’ media: Paper
New York, April 5
When President Pervez Musharraf moved to contain the judicial crisis in Pakistan, mainstream media were among the first casualties but no threat was directed at the radical “jehadi” press, which has been just as critical of his decision to suspend Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, a prominent US daily said today.

Himalayas, Sunderbans face desolation: WWF
Brussels, April 5
The Himalayas and Sunderbans are among ten of the world's natural wonders, which face destruction if global warming continues at the same pace, warns the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 

 

Freed sailors, Marines arrive in London

London, April 5
The plane carrying 15 members of the Royal Navy crew freed by Iran, arrived at London's Heathrow Airport, today. Armed police patrolled the tarmac as two military helicopters idled on the airport's north runway. The British Airways plane landed at the VIP suite near Heathrow's Terminal Four, and passengers were being led off the back of the plane.

As the 15 arrived, Prime Minister Tony Blair said, new and interesting lines of communication had opened with Iran. But he called for continued international pressure on Tehran following the deaths of four servicemen in an attack in Iraq earlier in the day.

"Now it is far too early to say that the particular terrorist act that killed our forces was an act committed by terrorists that were backed by any elements of the Iranian regime, so I make no allegation in respect of that particular incident," Blair said.

He said it was sensible for Britain to continue to pursue the new lines of communication. "However, the international community has got to remain absolutely steadfast in enforcing its will, whether it is in respect of nuclear weapons or in respect of the support of any part of the Iranian regime particularly when directed against democratic governments." Yesterday's announcement of their release in Tehran was a breakthrough in a crisis that had escalated over nearly two weeks, raising oil prices and fears of military conflict in the volatile region. The move to release the sailors suggested that Iran's hard-line leadership decided, it had shown its strength but did not want to push the standoff too far. — (AP)

Cell dealing with Bhutto cases closed
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

In a major development signifying the Musharraf-Benazir thaw, the government has closed the special wing of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) dealing with corruption cases against former premier Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Zardari and shifted their most virulent tormentor to another assignment.

Hasan Waseem Afzal, deputy chairman of the NAB, who was earlier given a go-slow signal on cases pending against former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Zardari, has finally been withdrawn from the bureau and named principal secretary to governor of Punjab, officials here confirmed.

Hasan was specially called from Punjab government and was named as deputy chairman NAB, about three years ago because of his expertise on Bhutto cases that he had probed under Nawaz Sharif.

Media reports said back-channel negotiations between emissaries of President General Pervez Musharraf and the PPP chairwoman Benazir Bhutto are ostensibly nearing conclusion.

To show its sincerity in talks with Bhutto, the government has transferred National Accountability Bureau deputy chairman Hasan Wasim Afzal and appointed him principal secretary to Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retd). "This is an indication of a change in the government's policy," a senior government official said.

The present government brought Afzal back to the NAB, to pursue the cases pending against Bhutto in foreign countries, including Switzerland and Spain. "I cannot comment at the moment," a NAB official said, when asked if the cell headed by Afzal at the NAB would now be closed.

Pak President Pervez Musharraf said, “Leave Bhutto to me, I will take care of her.”

However, Information minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said the cases against Bhutto would be pursued in accordance with the law. "The law will take its course. The transfer of Wasim Afzal is a normal routine process," he said.

But another minister, who did not want to be named, said there was a possibility that the government wanted to convey a positive massage to Bhutto, by transferring Afzal to the relatively dormant position of principal secretary to the Punjab Governor, who once headed the NAB.

LTTE men kill 4 farmers

Colombo, April 5
LTTE rebels shot dead four Sri Lankan farmers in the island’s northeast today, the military said, the third attack on civilians in a week. Troops also found and defused a powerful bomb north of the capital.

The shootings in Polonnaruwa, near a swathe of jungle where troops are fighting Tiger insurgents, were the latest in a spree of extrajudicial killings and attacks.

“Three farmers were shot dead on the spot and another later succumbed to his injuries,’’ said military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe. “About eight Tigers have come and shot them while they were cultivating paddy.’’

Samarasinghe said five persons were arrested just north of Colombo in a separate incident after a tip-off led troops to a 10 kg Claymore mine, which suspected Tigers have used in many attacks.

“It was hidden in an office. Four Tamils and a Sinhalese girl have been arrested. The bomb has been defused and taken away.’’ The LTTE , who are seeking to carve out an independent state in the north and east for minority Tamils, were not immediately available for comment on either incident. —Reuters

Lead role for Shilpa in London musical

London, April 5
Indian cine star Shilpa Shetty, winner of the Celebrity Big Brother show, has signed a mega-bucks deal to play the lead in a grand Bollywood musical, its producer said today.

Farhath Hussain told PTI that the musical, yet to be titled, would be staged in September this year.

Hussain, who has earned a name for himself in show business organising mega Bollywood concerts, planned to sign a top leading man, choreographer and music director, from the Indian film industry.

“In all, there will be 52 artistes from India and the UK in the musical and it will be staged not only in the UK but also in the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe,” he said.

“Though it will be Bollywood in spirit, it will completely cater to Western sensibilities. It's a hugely ambitious musical and I'm very excited,” Shilpa 
Shetty said.

“If it all goes well, be the biggest staged extravaganza ever to feature someone from the Mumbai film industry. — PTI

More rape charges against Indian designer 

Los Angeles, April 5
A celebrity fashion designer accused of luring young women and girls with promises of modelling work and then raping or sexually assaulting them was charged with attacks on four more victims.

Anand Jon, who appeared on the popular television show “America’s Next Top Model,” is now charged with 32 counts involving sexual assaults on 12 victims, all women or girls from 14 to 23 years old with ties to the fashion industry.

“It’s violent. It’s sexual offence against younger female victims,” Deputy District Attorney Mara McIlvain told the court at Jon’s arraignment in Beverly Hills yesterday. “It’s a pattern of conduct that is like a serial sex offender.” The 33-year-old Indian-born designer, touted by Newsweek magazine as a person to watch in 2007, pleaded innocent to all of the charges.

His attorney has said the sex was consensual and that the women falsely accused Jon because he did not make them famous.

Superior Court Judge Eldon Fox ordered Jon, who is free on 1.3 million dollars bail, back to court on June 12.

The judge said Jon could resume work as a fashion designer but must not be alone with a woman under the age of 30. Models under that age must sign documents swearing they were never alone with him.

Fox rejected a request by prosecutors to raise Jon’s bail in light of the additional charges. If convicted, Jon faces life in prison. — Reuters

Despite protest, Moscow to have Krishna temple

Moscow, April 5
The Moscow mayor has allocated land to the local unit of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to build a temple despite objections by the orthodox Christians, who have threatened to renew their stir against the 
construction.

“The 2 hectare plot has been given to ISKCON near a village 10 km away from Moscow,” Kommersant daily reported.

Earlier, following protests from the orthodox Christians in 2005, Mayor Yuri Luzhkov was forced to withdraw the allocation of plot.

“We believe that the mayor has taken a right decision, which suites every one.” Moscow chapter head Sergei Andreyev said. He did not made a secret that the Moscow mayor had taken the decision to allocate the land to followers of Lord Krishna at the request of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who had last year visited Russia for the Delhi culture fest.

However, the orthodox Christians have threatened to renew the stir against the Krishna temple like in 2003, which led to the annulment of earlier land allocation orders. — PTI

Musharraf lenient on ‘jehadi’ media: Paper

New York, April 5
When President Pervez Musharraf moved to contain the judicial crisis in Pakistan, mainstream media were among the first casualties but no threat was directed at the radical “jehadi” press, which has been just as critical of his decision to suspend Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, a prominent US daily said today.

Critics, reported the Christian Science Monitor, say the discrepancy underscores how Musharraf’s nurturing of Pakistan’s private press has spawned a “virulently anti-western and anti-government jehadi media”.

The country’s secular television stations and newspapers face “consistent harassment” by the government, the paper said quoting human rights groups.

“Under increasing political pressure at home and abroad, the Musharraf government is resorting to heavy-handed tactics in dealing with critics and the independent media,” a recent statement from the New York-based committee to Protect Journalists said.

The proliferation of “jehadi” media, said the paper, puts the President in a difficult position: either crack down on them and risk further alienating a “dangerous segment” of the population, or let them undermine his leadership with conspiracy theories and calls to arms that bolster terrorism.

Pakistan’s “jehadi” press, about two decades old, has largely escaped heavy-handedness, even though it “glorifies” the bloody exploits of outlawed militants and expresses violent opposition to the government’s policies, said the Christian Science Monitor.

Few have seriously studied “this universe of anger and alienation,” but those who have say it frightens them. Since 9/11, they say they’ve watched the collective audience of jehadi media grow four times in size, the report said. — PTI

Himalayas, Sunderbans face desolation: WWF

Brussels, April 5
The Himalayas and Sunderbans are among ten of the world's natural wonders, which face destruction if global warming continues at the same pace, warns the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). A WWF briefing released ahead of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says only drastic action by governments to reduce emissions can hope to stop the complete destruction of these natural wonders.

''While adaptation to changing climate can save some, only drastic action by governments to reduce emissions can hope to stop their complete destruction. — UNI