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Tribal extremism on rise: Bhutto
Historian compares Queen to uneducated ‘housewife’
Queen gets web-savvy
Chocolate firms in price-fixing scam
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Sharp rise in Canadians visiting India
Tourists in Japan drawn to cuisine
Emperor Akihito turns 74
Fistula centre rehabilitating poor women in Dhaka
At least 5 dead, many injured in multi-car US pileup
‘Asteroid hit on mars not to affect earth’ 7 held for Pak suicide bombing Indo-Canadians to sue media NextGen forensics: FBI to build $1 billion biometrics database Ex-PM’s party wins Thai polls 16 die in Tajikistan avalanche
Kidnapped Indian-origin industrialist freed
Monarchy To
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Tribal extremism on rise: Bhutto
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said the forces that are supposed to protect the people of Pakistan are busy in an operation at Balochistan and extremism is on the rise in tribal areas. Addressing a large public gathering at Larkana on Sunday, Benazir said dictators such as Ayub, Yahya, Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf have indulged in oppression against the democratic forces of the country, adding Larkana people never accepted any dictator or usurpers. She said nobody can now thwart the aspirations of the people. On this occasion talking to the people of Larkana, she said, “I am proud of you, as the youth here did not bow to any despot despite the torture and imprisonment.” “Time has proved that the hopes of labourers and farmers could not be dashed by killing Quaid-e-Awam Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto,” Benazir said, adding her brothers and associates had been killed under a conspiracy. Benazir Bhutto said the people, who were imposed on the nation by the dictators, gave nothing to the people but unemployment, hunger and restiveness. She said the stock exchange and atta mafia is trying its level best to usurp the rights of the poor citizens of Pakistan. The rulers are trying to stop the democratic forces but never tried to stop the terrorists and extremist elements, she added. The PPP chief said certain political madarassa are educating their students how to make bombs and beat women and children, adding, “Who are these people who are teaching suicide attacks.”
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Historian compares Queen to uneducated ‘housewife’
London, December 23 David Starkey, who on Boxing Day would present the last of his 17-part Channel 4 series Monarchy, compared her to an uneducated “housewife”, who had simply left some wonderful possessions and seemed more concerned about the late arrival of her gin and dubonnet than the exhibits. He said, “I don’t think she’s at all comfortable with anybody intellectual. I think she’s got elements a bit like Goebbels in her attitude - you remember. Every time I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver.” According to a report in The Sunday Telegraph , Dr Starkey said while accompanying the Queen on a tour of his exhibition on Elizabeth I at the National Maritime Museum, she showed scant interest in the displays when she identified a portrait of her ancestor as one of “mine”. But Dr Starkey, who had been described as the rudest man in Britain, reserved his most trenchant criticism for what he regarded as the Queen’s lack of awareness of her place in the long-line of the British monarchy. “Her frames of reference to the monarchy, despite this 1,500-year history, are entirely her father and grandfather,” he said. The royal biographer Penny Junor dismissed his comments and said, “The Queen is certainly cultured even if not that moved by the arts. Prince Charles had a great sense of history and a lot of that came from
his mother.” The royal historian Robert Lacey said, “She is absolutely genuine and that’s what people respond to. After 50 years the Queen is at the peak of her popularity. She must be doing something
right.” — PTI
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Queen gets web-savvy
London, December 23 The Queen’s Christmas speech would be posted on YouTube for the first time as the 81-year-old sovereign kept up with the modern technology. “The Queen always keeps abreast with new ways of communicating with people. The Christmas message was pod cast last year. She has always been aware of reaching more people and adapting the communication to suit,” a spokeswoman was quoted as saying by Britain’s Daily Mail today. A “Royal Channel” on YouTube went live just after midnight and her message would appear on Christmas. The channel features archive and recent footage of the Queen and other royals. There are plans to add new clips regularly. The royal page, which bears the heading in scarlet letters “The Royal Channel - The Official Channel of the British Monarchy”, is illustrated with a photo of Buckingham Palace flanked by the Queen’s guards in their tall bearskin hats and
red tunics. Queen Elizabeth last week became Britain’s oldest-ever monarch, surpassing the record of Queen Victoria.
— PTI
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Chocolate firms in price-fixing scam
Toronto, December 23 Court documents in the case, unsealed by an Ottawa judge on Friday, allege that senior executives at Hershey Canada Inc, Mars Canada Inc and Nestle Canada Inc met secretly in coffee shops, restaurants and at industry conventions to set prices. The allegations were contained in two search warrants granted last month to Canada’s Federal Competition Bureau as part of an investigation into the chocolate industry. The warrants authorised officials to seize thousands of corporate documents and computer files from Hershey, Mars, Nestle and ITWAL Ltd, a major food distributor. No charges have been filed. The documents allege that the chief executive of Nestle Canada handed envelopes stuffed with pricing information to a competitor, instructing the person not to be seen picking up the material in his office. ITWAL’s president also allegedly sent regular updates to the participants. Representatives of Canada's Hershey, Cadbury and Nestle confirmed to The Associated Press on November 28 that the companies were served papers and were cooperating with the investigation. Officials from the chocolate companies could not be reached for comment yesterday. The alleged collusion is reported to had begun in February 2002 and continued until a few weeks ago. Nestle USA and Mars Inc said this week they will cooperate with a separate Justice Department inquiry into the pricing practises of several chocolate makers in the US.
— AP
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Sharp rise in Canadians visiting India
Toronto, December 23 In fact, the Indian mission here has become one of the busiest abroad like those in New York and London. "I don't know the figures at New York and London, but Toronto is one of the busiest Indian missions now. This year, we are going to cross the 71,000-figure by at least seven to eight per cent," consul- general Satish Mehta told IANS. "In addition to the visas, we have also issued 20,000 Overseas Indian Cards (OICs) during the past two years. On an average, we issue 700 to 800 OICs each month. Indian visas are in big demand." Mehta said November and December were the busiest months for the mission, as most Indo-Canadians preferred to visit India to avoid the severe winter here and spend time with their extended families. "We have been issuing over 11,000 visas during the month of November for the past two years. December, of course, is the peak month for us. But we also saw a huge demand in October this year when over 10,000 visas were issued, up from 6,500 in October 2006," he said. Mehta put the rise in traffic to India down to a combination of factors. "First, India is booming as is the India-Canada trade, and so you have lots of business people and delegations going to India. Most Indian companies have set up offices here," he said. "Second, the Indo-Canadians are pretty prosperous now. Those who came here in the 1960s are retired, financially well off and free now. So they are going to India quite often to reconnect with their roots. Third, tourism is picking up very fast as India's image abroad has undergone a sea change in recent years. This positive image is making even Indian-origin youth born here go and see India," Mehta said. "Except for emergencies, you have to send your visa application and passport by post. Within two days, the visa is issued and the passport sent back. We have an excellent tracking system to locate where your passport is at any time. This system has worked well and there have been no complaints," said Mehta. — IANS
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Tourists in Japan drawn to cuisine
Tokyo, December 23 The questionnaire-based survey conducted on 726 foreign visitors to the island nation found that around 517 were interested in eating traditional Japanese dishes. The respondents were particularly keen on dishes as ‘sashimi’ (raw fish), ‘sushi’ (vinegared rice topped with raw fish), ‘udon’ (wheat noodles), and ‘okonomiyaki’ (pancakes containing vegetables and other foodstuff). The next big thing in Japan was the architecture which collected around 49.2 per cent, it said adding that 46.3 per cent were interested in visiting Japanese gardens. Some 35.5 per cent were interested in going to hot springs, followed by 28.7 per cent whose choice fell on the comfortable stay in the traditional ‘ryokan’ inns. JNTO said, “Given the fact that five of the eight restaurants given a three-star rating on the ‘Michelin Guide Tokyo 2008’ which went on sale November 22 were traditional Japanese-cuisine restaurants. It appears that Japan can expect to see travelers continuing to visit Japan with an eye on Japanese food.” Respondents were asked to select from a list of five things they were most interested in doing during their stay in Japan, JNTO said. Kyodo
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Tokyo, December 23 “I thank you for coming to wish me birthday on this cold, rainy day,” he said from the palace’s glass-covered balcony as people waived flags in the drizzle. “I hope the New Year will be a bright and happy one for you,” he said. The royal family appeared three times to greet the well-wishers in the morning, the palace said. Emperor Akihito took the throne in 1989, succeeding his father the late Emperor Hirohito. — AFP
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Fistula centre rehabilitating poor women in Dhaka
Dhaka, December 23 Inspired by success stories of women’s economic empowerment at the 20-bed rehabilitation centre in Bakshi Bazaar, a large percentage of fistula-cured patients from Dhaka Medical College Hospital are eager to join vocational training to return home with income generation skills. The stories of Rina and Mina, who have been operated upon for fistula repair, are not just moving. They demonstrate the exceptional capacity of human beings to endure suffering and yet bounce back to live with dignity. Ahmed Bir Kashem, project coordinator of the rehabilitation centre, introduces Rina and Mina as model fistula women, who have shown exemplary resilience despite their condition. Rina, 26, got married when she was 16. A year later, she lost her firstborn, a male child. Her husband, Usman, deserted her soon after. Rina was referred to the National Fistula Centre at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. After several operations, she regained her confidence and came to the rehabilitation centre. When the centre employed her as a maid, her husband returned. Rina was able to conceive again and the couple today have a son. Rina is now self-reliant despite the fact that she carries a urine bag. Although her husband lives 70 kms away from the centre, Rina is happy with their reunion. Mina, 28, who works as a maid in the centre, was married at the age of 12. She has a son who lives with his grandmother. She lost her second child after a five-day-long labour at home. Her husband wanted a traditional birth attendant (dai) to deliver the child. Her father and brother took her to Narshindi Sadar hospital. Doctors advised a Caesarean but the family could not afford the operation. After keeping her under observation in the hospital overnight, they sent her home where a ‘dai’ forcefully delivered the baby. Mina has had to pay a price for her poverty and delivery by an unskilled birth attendant. She has developed visico vaginal and recto vaginal fistula. She was referred to the Dhaka hospital and has undergone six operations but she continues to have urinary incontinence. While recovering in the hospital, she began earning by helping out patients. Today, Mina earns 3000 takkas a month and is able to support her mother. Her husband has died due to drug-addiction. Set up last November, the centre has rehabilitated 32 patients, including 17 in animal husbandry and 12 in tailoring. All of them were provided agri seeds, one-time seed money and rehabilitation material to enable them earn a livelihood. The project coordinator says although women can opt for any course, primary education is compulsory. The duration of the training for various courses varies from six days to three months. Supported by the UNFPA, the centre has been sub-contracted by the Bangladesh government to the Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition, a national non-governmental organisation that works with underprivileged women. UNFPA assistant representative Tahira Ahmed says the rehabilitation centre has so far trained 100 women with fistula. The UNFPA will motivate these women to work as community fistula advocates. Dr Deel Afroz, director, Reproductive and Sexual Health, Clinical Services, Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition, says the centre is a second home for women awaiting fistula operation as well as those in need of follow up at the Dhaka hospital.
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At least 5 dead, many injured in multi-car US pileup
Amarillo (Texas), December 23 Weather-related traffic accidents killed three people in Minnesota, one in Kansas and Texas yesterday. The fatality in Texas happened in a chain-reaction pileup involving more than 50 vehicles, including several tractor-trailer rigs, on Interstate 40, the police said. The authorities said it would take a few days to determine exactly how many were involved. Eighteen persons were taken to hospitals, two with life-threatening injuries, Sgt Michael Poston said. The tangle of twisted cars and trucks shut down the interstate for most of the day. The authorities believed that the pileup was caused by blowing snow and the resulted zero visibility. In northeast Kansas, at least one person was killed in a 30-car pileup on Interstate 70, prompting authorities to close a 40-mile stretch of the highway. The pileup occurred about 30 miles west of Topeka. The storm also affected flights at airports in the Midwest The delays rippled across the country, affecting flights in New York.
— AP
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‘Asteroid hit on mars not to affect earth’
Moscow, December 23 American scientists discovered the asteroid, which is travelling at 8 miles per second, in November. Sergei Smirnov said the explosion could be on a scale equal to the Tunguska event, when a meteorite, which crashed into central Siberia in 1908, caused destruction on a nuclear scale. The enigma still thrills scientists all over the world. “It will not influence the earth in any way,” Smirnov was quoted by Ria Novosti as saying. The scientist said if the collision took place, it would not be visible without high-definition telescopes, but would still provide valuable scientific data. “The object is sure to change its flight path, and this will considerably enrich our knowledge of the mass and density of asteroids,” he said. He added that a large asteroid was expected to pass near the earth in 2028, which could cause a major disaster, if it collided with the planet. The newly discovered space rock, known as 2007 WD5, has a one in 75 chance of colliding with the planet on January 30 next year. If 2007 WD5, which is about 100m in diameter, does strike mars on January 30, it would cause an explosion equivalent to several mega tones of TNT.
— UNI
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7 held for Pak suicide bombing Islamabad, December 23 The seven men, most of them believed to be Afghans, were arrested this morning from a madarssa at Turangzai in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), about 4 km from Sherpao’s village where the blast took place. The former minister escaped unhurt in the blast during the Id prayers at the mosque. Local residents said four vehicles came to the seminary and the police and intelligence officials arrested the seven men. They were taken away to an unknown location for interrogation, the Dawn News channel reported. Investigators, who scoured the site of the blast, found the legs of the suicide attacker though his head was not recovered. Pieces of his clothing and shoes were also found. The remains were sent for DNA testing to determine the attacker’s identity. The mosque was packed with nearly 1,000 people and the blast ripped through them, killing many instantly. Officials believe the blast could have been carried out by pro-Taliban militants from the nearby tribal areas bordering Afghanistan or from the Swat valley in the NWFP, where the army is conducting a major operation against followers of radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah. Musharraf condemned the attack and said the perpetrators of such crimes would be “pursued relentlessly.”
— PTI
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Indo-Canadians to sue media Vancouver, December 23 At a news conference here on Saturday, his supporters told the media that Laibar Singh continued to enjoy full support from the whole South Asian community and many white mainstream organisations, and they had not abandoned him after stopping his deportation on December 10. When media persons highlighted the fact that Laibar Singh had entered Canada on a fake passport, his supporters said there was nothing illegal in it as the Canadian and UN laws allowed entry to refugees without valid papers. Annoyed by what they termed “biased reporting by the mainstream media”, Singh’s supporters said this was causing misconceptions in the mainstream community about this case. Speaking to IANS, Harjap Grewal, spokesman for Laibar Singh’s supporters, said: “We are planning legal action against some section of the media as they persist with their misinformation campaign. We quoted the law to tell them that there was nothing illegal in Laibar Singh’s entry on a fake passport, but the media is not willing to listen. It is one of the scandalous approaches that the Canadian media has taken in recent times.”
— IANS
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NextGen forensics: FBI to build $1 billion biometrics database Washington, December 23 The FBI, the main investigative arm of the Department of Justice, has already started compiling digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns in its systems, the paper said. In January, the agency which focuses on violations of the federal law, espionage by the foreigners and the terrorist activities expects to award a 10-year contract to expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives, it said. At an employer’s request, the FBI will also retain the fingerprints of the employees who have undergone criminal background checks, the paper said. If successful, the system, called the Next Generation Identification, will collect the biometric information in one place for identification and forensic purposes.
— Reuters
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Ex-PM’s party wins Thai polls
Bangkok, December 23 Samak Sundaravej (72), who had declared himself as a ‘nominee’ of Thaksin at a press conference here, said he was ready to be the country’s new democratically-elected Prime Minister. Samak, with a right-wing past, said Thaksin had congratulated him on the election outcome. He said he would like to invite all parties to join the government. According to unofficial results so far, Samak’s People Power Party (PPP) has won a majority in the 480-member lower house of Parliament. “I am confident that I will become the next Prime Minster because my party has nearly half of House seats now. Speaking to newspersons, Samak said his party’s victory was a victory of the Thai people.
— UNI
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16 die in Tajikistan avalanche
Dushanbe, December 23 A ministry spokesman said “rescue work is continuing and we don’t know how many vehicles and people could still be under the many metres thick avalanche”. “The dead are drivers of heavy cargo vehicles and their passengers, who ignored warnings from the traffic police about the danger of avalanches and risked their lives trying to cross a dangerous sector,” the spokesman said. First an avalanche trapped the trucks, which were carrying agricultural products, then another buried the vehicles, officials said. Tajikistan is an impoverished ex-Soviet republic that borders Afghanistan and has mountains across more than 90 per cent of its territory.
— AFP
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Kidnapped Indian-origin industrialist freed
Kathmandu, December 23 Mahesh Murarka, 59, the owner of Pashupati Paints, was kidnapped near the famous Pashupatinath Temple here on Monday evening. He returned home safely last night. He was kidnapped while he was returning home from his office located at Thapathali. — PTI
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