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Deadlock keeps Terai parties out of poll process
76 rebels, 3 soldiers killed in Lanka
40 killed in suicide blast near Baghdad
Spy agency manipulated 2002 Pak polls: ISI ex-official
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Ramming loader into gurdwara
Indo-Canadian held in murder case
Ex-royal butler could face perjury charges
Around the space by 2010
Pak blocks YouTube for ‘blasphemous’ content
Mining sets off quake in Germany
Raul Castro nominated to lead Cuba
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Deadlock keeps Terai parties out of poll process
Kathmandu, February 24 Deadlock between the government and the political parties seeking greater autonomy for the Terai region continued as protesting groups did not submit the names of their candidates under the proportionate electoral system for the April 10 polls as the extended deadline expired. “None of the Madhesi parties submitted their names for the election under the proportionate voting system,” said Ramchandra Ray, central committee member of the Terai Madhes Democratic Party, which is part of an alliance enforcing shutdown and strikes in the southern plains of Nepal that has disrupted normal life in the country. “We have not submitted our names as April’s constituent assembly polls are not going to be meaningful exercise,” he said, adding “but we have no intention to obstruct the polls.” Ray alleged that a “conspiracy is being hatched” not to let the Madhesis community participate in the key polls that will frame a new constitution and decide the fate of the 239-year old monarchy in the Himalayan nation. “The three top leaders of major parties - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Maoist chief Prachanda and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal - have to take the responsibility for the disintegration of the nation as they are depriving half of the population of the country from participating in the polls,” he pointed out. The United Democratic Madhesi Forum (UDMF), an alliance of regional political parties fighting for greater rights for the Madhesi community living in the southern plains, has been spearheading the indefinite protest since February 13. Talks between the Nepal government and agitating parties have been stalled after the ruling seven-party alliance rejected their key demand for an autonomous region of Terai, heightening the political uncertainty in the country. An earlier meeting of the seven major parties decided to fulfil all demands of the Madhesis except that of ‘one Madhes, one Pradesh’- a single autonomous region of Terai with right to self-determination. The parties said they were ready for further negotiations to resolve the ethnic strife, but the Terai groups insisted that they would only sit for a dialogue if it is “meaningful” and would not take part in April’s crucial elections if their demands were not fulfilled. Meanwhile, indefinite blockade and shutdown by regional ethnic parties in Nepal brought normal life to a halt across Terai districts today and further deepened the petroleum crisis in the country. The strikes and shutdown, which entered the 12th day today, is aimed at forcing the interim government to agree to greater economic and political rights, including more autonomy, for Nepal’s Terai region, bordering India.
— PTI
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76 rebels, 3 soldiers killed in Lanka
Colombo, February 24 The Air Force jet pounded the LTTE’s Mannar area leader’s camp in Parappukkandantan and “the target was successfully engaged,” the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said. In ground clashes, 11 LTTE rebels were killed in Koilmadu, two each in Sulanmarathumadu and Navathkulamand, and three others in Periyapandivirchchan area of Vavuniya yesterday. Separately, eight LTTE cadres were killed in Kallikulam and four in Perankulam area of Mannar yesterday, the defence ministry said. Seven more rebels were killed in Palamodai area of Mannar in fierce clashes with security forces yesterday, the MCNS said, adding four guerrillas were gunned down by troops at Perakamam. In clashes in Jaffna, at least six LTTE rebels were killed yesterday, it said. Seven Tamil Tigers and a soldier lost their lives in a confrontation in the general area of Mullikulam yesterday, the defence ministry said. In the Mannar front, troops launched an attack targeting a tractor carrying Tiger rebels yesterday, killing two LTTE cadres and destroying the vehicle, it said.
— PTI
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40 killed in suicide blast near Baghdad
Hilla, February 24 At least 60 people were wounded in the blast, said Karim Al-Tamimi, a police lieutenant from the Babil province where Iskandiriyah is located and where the bomber struck. Mohammed Al-Zaidi, of Babil province state health office, gave the same toll and said that at least 25 of those wounded were seriously injured.
— AF
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Spy agency manipulated 2002 Pak polls: ISI ex-official
Islamabad, February 24 Maj-Gen Ehtesham Zamir (retired), who headed the ISI’s political cell at the time of those polls, has called the recent defeat of the “King’s party” — the PML-Q — “a reaction of the unnatural dispensation (of 2002)”. “You are quite right,” Zamir, who rose to be number two in the powerful intelligence agency, told The News when asked if there was a heavy penetration of the ISI in the last general election. Asked who directed him to manipulate the polls, Zamir said, “Obviously (it was done) on the directives of President Musharraf.” He said he was embarrassed about his role. “I was a serving officer and I did what I was told to do. I never felt this need during the service to question anyone senior to me,” he said. Zamir admitted that corruption cases were used as pressure tactics against lawmakers. “Yes. This tool was used, not only by the ISI. The National Accountability Bureau was also involved in this exercise.” Looking back at “blunders” which had pushed Pakistan backwards, Zamir said he was “ashamed of his role and conduct”. Zamir has called for the closure of the ISI’s political cell though he thinks last week’s polls were “fairer than 2002”. Another former top associate of Musharraf, Lt-Gen Jamshed Gulzar Kiyani (retired), has said a majority of corps commanders had opposed the President’s decision to patronise the PML-Q. “We had urged Musharraf many times during corps commanders’ meetings that the PML-Q leadership was the most condemned. They are the worst politicians who remained involved in cooperative scandals and writing off loans. But Musharraf never heard our advice,” Kiyani said. — PTI
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Ramming loader into gurdwara
Silicon Valley, February 24 Michael Benjamin Rafferty (40) is scheduled for sentencing on March 20, his attorney Michael Sharpe said. Rafferty, who is being held on a $1 million bail, told the police that he rammed the loader into the 9,000-square-foot gurdwara in March because "it was owned by foreigners", police officer Tim York testified at Rafferty's preliminary hearing last year. "He thought they were Arabs," York said. "He said they didn't believe in Jesus and didn't belong there." Rafferty had pleaded not guilty by reason of
insanity. But he changed his plea to no contest to charges, including vandalism, vehicle theft and a civil rights violation, Redding.com reported. He faced about a dozen years in prison if
convicted. He also had three felony cases pending, including vehicle theft and methamphetamine possession, could have netted him an additional seven years in prison, Sharpe said. However, the charges were dismissed as part of a plea bargain. Sharpe said Rafferty will apologise to the Sikh community at his sentencing hearing and request a sentence of fewer than 12 years in prison. Shasta County sheriff's Detective Pam Depuy said that Rafferty admitted to having used methamphetamine three to four hours before his rampage.
— PTI
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Indo-Canadian held in murder case
Toronto, February 24 British Columbia police arrested Raminder Singh (Mindy) Bhandher and charged him with first-degree murder in the slaying of an Indo-Canadian man. Bhandher, who testified for Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik in May 2004, will appear in Surrey provincial court tomorrow. His father Balwant is also an Air India suspect. Bhandher is alleged to have entered a woman’s condo on January 28 and gunned down 24-year-old Tejvir Singh Bains, the young lover of the woman. The woman was the ex-girlfriend of one of Bhandher’s closest associates, police said. Bhandher had testified for Air India bombing suspect Malik in May 2004 to refute the testimony of the Crown’s star witness who claimed she overheard Bhandher and Malik discussing Air India. Malik has been acquitted in the case. Bhandher’s father Balwant is also a close associate of Malik and a suspect in the June 23, 1985 Air India bombing. Bhandher was also named in a civil case filed by ICBC in December 2006 for a massive fraud scheme involving stolen luxury cars, the police said.
— PTI
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Ex-royal butler could face perjury charges
London, February 24 Coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker has summoned Burrell back to the witness box after he was caught making the astonishing admission on camera earlier this month in a New York hotel. According to the report, he said of the inquest: “When you swear an oath you have to tell the truth. I didn’t tell the whole truth.” “Perjury is not a nice thing to have to contemplate. I was very naughty and I made a couple of red herrings and I couldn’t help doing it.” The tabloid quoted a source close to Burrell saying: “He was entrapped by one of his friends — he is devastated. This person approached Paul three years ago with an idea for a TV documentary on Diana. They were friends.” “They happened to be in New York at the same time and decided to meet up, but it was a trap. He believed he was speaking to a friend he could trust, but he was being filmed secretly.”
— PTI
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Prince William puts love on hold
London, February 24 The News of the World claimed that 25-year-old Prince, currently learning to fly with RAF, has hinted he may propose when he becomes a full-time royal in 2009. Quoting a royal source, the tabloid reported: "Kate has been playing second fiddle since the start of the year spending very little time with William. It's almost a case of, 'Don't call me, I'll call you'. "At the moment the only chance she gets to see him is at weekends when he returns from RAF training. "William has told her in no uncertain terms he wants to prioritse his duties and throw himself into
the role." The couple split last April for about two months but never went more than two days without texting or phoning each other. But they have hardly seen each other this year with the prince snubbing Kate by spending a rare free weekend in Newquay, Cornwall, surfing with a dozen male friends a fortnight ago, the report said. William is stationed at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. In June he joins the Royal Navy on a stint which may take him abroad for up to several weeks. From 2009 he begins intensive training on his constitutional duties including a stint at the Foreign Office.
— PTI
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First biofuel-powered
flight
London, February 24 Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747 had one of its four engines connected to an independent biofuel tank that would provide 20 per cent of the engine’s power. The flight did not carry passengers. According to Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, using technology to develop greener fuel options will not only lower emissions, but also allow for other global warming issues to be tackled. “It’s not necessarily going to be the silver bullet for the long-term future but will prove that a fuel like this can fly at 30,000 feet,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC. “The demonstration flight will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint,” he said. The biofuel was derived from a mixture of babassu nuts and coconuts. The three other engines were capable of powering the plane on conventional fuel had there been a problem. Earlier this month, Airbus used the world’s largest passenger jet, the A380, to test another alternative fuel — a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid. The three-hour Airbus flight from Filton near Bristol to Toulouse on February 1 was part of an ongoing research programme.
— PTI
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Around the space by 2010
London, February 24 ''With the Earth under attack from a myriad of environmental impacts, including climate change concerns and pollution, outer space is the next viable frontier to explore and make longtime plans for,'' tourism expert Fred DeMicco said. While there were global policies to be determined relating to private ventures in space, the technology was being developed to make space travel safer and cheaper. Space is a destination for the 'extreme tourists'-- those seeking the ultimate new travel adventure and the thrill of outer space. According to surveys on the demand for space tourism, the average age of the wannabe space tourist is 55 years old. While 72 per cent are males and 28 per cent females, 46 per cent have above average fitness.
— UNI
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Pak blocks YouTube for ‘blasphemous’ content
Islamabad, February 24 The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has directed all the Internet service providers of the country to block access to Youtube, the media reported here. The order, issued by the director of the enforcement agency, claimed the ratio of “non-Islamic objectionable video” has increased on the website. “The site would remain blocked till further orders from the PTA,” a local ISP worker said. Some ISPs have also asked the users to write to the youtube.com administrators to “remove the objectionable web content/movies because this removal would enable the authorities to order un-blocking of this website.” Local media cited different reasons for the government move, some referring to a trailer from Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ controversial anti-Islam movie that is available on the site. There were also reports that the website contained a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed reprinted by 17 Danish newspapers earlier this
month. — PTI
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Mining sets off quake in Germany
Berlin, February 24 A police spokesman in the Saarlouis region on the French border said the earthquake measured 4.0 on the Richter scale, the strongest on record in the area, and had knocked over chimneys and caused electricity outages yesterday. After the quake, roughly 1,000 demonstrators gathered near the epicentre in Saarwellingen, the police said, to demand an end to mining work which has sparked dozens of small tremors this year alone.
— Reuters
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Raul Castro nominated to lead Cuba Havana, February 24 In a surprise move, orthodox Communist Party ideologue Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, 77, who fought alongside the Castro brothers in their 1950s revolution, was nominated for the deputy leader post as first Vice-President, Mendez said. Commentators had expected the deputy leader post to go to 56-year-old Carlos Lage, who drew up limited economic reforms in the 1990s. Machado’s nomination suggests change is unlikely to be deep or abrupt. Raul Castro has led the West’s last communist state since July 2006 when long-time US foe Fidel Castro temporarily handed over power after undergoing intestinal surgery. Analysts expect that Raul Castro will introduce limited reforms to kickstart the state-run economy in this Caribbean nation, where most people live in tumbledown houses and struggle to find enough to eat. — Reuters
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