W O R L D

Mush rejects pleas for his resignation
President Pervez Musharraf has rejected pleas for his resignation saying he was elected for five years by Parliament under the Constitution. “Nobody would be allowed to create anarchy under the pretext of agitating on this issue,” Musharraf was quoted by PML-Q’s newly elected members of the Punjab Assembly as saying during their meeting at the Army House.

Sharif for probe into Mush role in Kargil war
Islamabad, March 2
The new government in Pakistan should review the causes for the Kargil war, including President Pervez Musharraf’s role, and fix responsibility for the conflict with India, former premier Nawaz Sharif has said.

Pak oppn lawyer Aitzaz released
Lahore, March 2
Top Pakistani lawyer and senior PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan, who had been under house arrest for four months since President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule last year, was freed today.

Russia may elect Putin’s chosen successor
Moscow, March 2
Russia today voted to elect its third post-Communist President with pollsters predicting a cakewalk for Vladimir Putin’s chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev in the election declared a “farce” by the opposition and derided by western observers.

61 Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli attacks
Gaza City, March 2
Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak warned today that Hamas would “pay the price” of its actions in the Gaza Strip where 61 Palestinians were killed the previous day.

Sajani Shakya (11), the controversial young Nepali girl worshipped by many Buddhists and Hindus as a “Kumari”, or living goddess, walks in her home city of Bhaktapur in Kathmandu on Sunday. Sajani, revered for nine years as the Kumari of the ancient temple-town of Bhaktapur, has given up her divine position following a request from her family. — Reuters

US, S. Korea begin massive drill
Seoul, March 2
Tens of thousands of US and South Korean troops today kicked off a massive drill, sparking immediate anger from North Korea, which condemned it as provocative and aggressive.

EU plan for blue card on lines of US green card
Brussels, March 2
There is good news for Indian professionals seeking jobs abroad, as the European Union (EU) is planning to set up a US “Green card” style visa programme to attract highly qualified immigrant workers.

Nepal govt inks pact with ethnic groups
Kathmandu, March 2
The government has inked a pact with an alliance of indigenous ethnic groups agitating for greater autonomy in the eastern hilly regions of Nepal, clearing yet another hurdle to the holding of the key constituent assembly poll next month.

‘Obamamania’ grips English lexicon
New Delhi, March 2
Barack Obama, who has been able to cement his front-runner status in the Democratic White House race, is influencing English users too, as they are increasingly using variants of his name both in spoken and written form.

Study: Insulin resistance cause of diabetes among Indians
Houston, March 2
Indians, regardless of their body weight, have cells that are more resistant to insulin, a reason that makes them more prone to type 2 diabetes, says a new study.

Critically ill Indian teenager in UK returns home
London, March 2
Critically ill Indian teenager Zarine Rentia, whose plea to stay in the UK was turned down by the immigration authorities in February on the ground that her rare genetic condition could be treated in India, has returned home.

Interpol red alert for JI militant
Singapore, March 2
Interpol has issued an international red alert for an alleged Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant leader, who escaped from a detention centre in Singapore, the global police body’s website said today.

Mush rejects pleas for his resignation
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

President Pervez Musharraf has rejected pleas for his resignation saying he was elected for five years by Parliament under the Constitution.

“Nobody would be allowed to create anarchy under the pretext of agitating on this issue,” Musharraf was quoted by PML-Q’s newly elected members of the Punjab Assembly as saying during their meeting at the Army House.

Former Punjab chief minister Pervez Elahi led the group to the President. They discussed the strategy to counter the PML-N drive against the President.

Earlier, former speaker Hamid Nasir Chattha met the President shortly before he was named the parliamentary party leader of the PML-Q in Punjab Assembly.

He later called on PPP co-chairperson Asif Zardari, reportedly in a last ditch effort to persuade him to join a coalition with the PML-Q in Punjab against PML-Nawaz. He claimed that independent’s now joining the PML-N under impression that it would form the government in country’s biggest province and would support a PPP-PML-Q coalition. “The two parties can also join to form a coalition in Balochistan,” Chattha was quoted as saying.

PPP sources said Zardari simply listened to Chattha’s assertions, but remained non-committal. PPP vice chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani played down the significance of the meeting, saying Chattha had been an old friend and ally of the PPP in 1993 and had come for a courtesy call. It was his second meeting with Zardari since the elections.

In chat with PML-Q group, Musharraf said he had served the nation for eight years, strengthened economy and taken measures against terrorism.

He said he had fulfilled the promise of fair polls and he was ready to work with the government of any party at the Centre. He stressed the need for national consensus to confront the challenges being faced by the country.

PML-Q to form Oppn, Chaudhry Pervez leader

The Central Executive Committee of the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) has endorsed the decision to sit in the opposition and named former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as its parliamentary leader in the national Assembly.

The committee further decided that former speaker Hamid Nasir Chathha would be leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly. Chathha lost the National Assembly poll but won on provincial seat.

PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain told newsmen that the PML-Q would act as opposition party at the centre and three provinces, including Punjab, Sindh and NWFP, but would form government in Balochistan. He said being the largest opposition party in the national Assembly with 40 members, Pervez would be the leader of the opposition.

Pak EC notifies election of winning candidates

The Election Commission has notified election of 258 winning candidates of the National Assembly and 550 of the four provincial assemblies in the 2008 general elections, clearing the way for convening of the sessions of respective assemblies and new governments.

The gazette notification was issued after disposal of a number of petitions, EC secretary Kunwar Dilshad told reporters after a long session of the commission adding that the names of successful candidates would be posted on the EC website.

Those elected as independent would be provided three days to join any party if they so desired for computing the final tally of the strength of each party. Subsequently each party would be allocated seats reserved for women and minorities proportionately.

PPP denies it will name stand-in PM

PPP co-chairperson has discounted speculations that the party would initially name a stand-in Prime Minister for a couple of months before he qualifies for the coveted slot by winning byelection to the National Assembly. “There can be no such joke any more,” Zardari remarked during an information chat with journalists while apparently referring to the episode of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain becoming Prime Minister for forty days to make way for Shaukat Aziz.

He also laughed away the question if he plans to meet President Musharraf before formation of the government.

One correspondent asked, “Will you meet President Pervez Musharraf and when?” “May God not will so,” he said in a lighter vein. He said it would be for the Prime Minister and the ministers to do so. “I have nothing to discuss with Musharraf,” he remarked.

Regarding his own candidature as Prime Minister, Zardari said, “I will not assume the office of the premier during the current term of the National Assembly, and in future too I would never vie for the slot.” But he did not rule out contesting byelection from Larkana where these were postponed due to death of Benazir Bhutto.

Sharif for probe into Mush role in Kargil war

Islamabad, March 2
The new government in Pakistan should review the causes for the Kargil war, including President Pervez Musharraf’s role, and fix responsibility for the conflict with India, former premier Nawaz Sharif has said.

The Charter of Democracy signed by the Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-N nearly two years ago committed both parties to setting up a commission to review the Kargil conflict, Sharif, whose party has decided top support a PPP-led coalition government, said.

The document also committed the parties to abolishing the National Security Council, making the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency accountable to the civilian government and getting all army officers to declare their assets annually, the PML (N) chief said.

“We stand by the charter. We think it’s an excellent document (and) it must be implemented in letter and spirit. And I have all intentions to do that,” Sharif told interviewer Karan Thapar on the “Devil’s Advocate” programme.

“The PPP is committed to that because it bears the signature of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.” Asked if he was still committed to the setting up of a commission to look into the causes of Kargil and to fix responsibility, Sharif replied, “Yes.” Sharif, whose PML (N) emerged as the second largest party after PPP in the Feb 18 polls, also said the charter continued to be binding despite slain former premier Bhutto’s talks on a possible power-sharing arrangement with Musharraf. — PTI

Pak oppn lawyer Aitzaz released

Russia may elect Putin’s chosen successor

61 Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli attacks

US, S. Korea begin massive drill

EU plan for blue card on lines of US green card

Nepal govt inks pact with ethnic groups

Kathmandu, March 2
The government has inked a pact with an alliance of indigenous ethnic groups agitating for greater autonomy in the eastern hilly regions of Nepal, clearing yet another hurdle to the holding of the key constituent assembly poll next month.

The interim Seven Party Alliance government and the Federal Republican National Front (FRNF), an alliance of several indigenous ethnic groups, including Limbuwan, Khambuwan, Tamangsaling and Tharuhat agitating for greater autonomy in the eastern hilly regions and southern plains, reached a five-point pact yesterday. PM Girija Prasad Koirala inked the agreement on behalf of the government while D.K. Buddhist and other leaders signed on behalf of the agitating alliance.

Under the agreement, the government has expressed its commitment to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic and provide compensation to the family members of those killed during the ethnic movement last year.

“A complete federal system of governance along with scientific autonomous guarantee shall be established based on the historical background, language, geography, region and economic resources and viability of the Limbuwan, Khambuwan, Tamangsaling, Tharuhat, Madhes, remote region, indigenous and nationalities, Dalit and backward communities, keeping intact the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country,” stated the pact.

The FRNF withdrew its agitation following the the pact. “This has paved the way for holding the constituent assembly election that would decide the future political system of Nepal,” said Nepali Congress vice-president Gopalman Shrestha. — PTI

‘Obamamania’ grips English lexicon

New Delhi, March 2
Barack Obama, who has been able to cement his front-runner status in the Democratic White House race, is influencing English users too, as they are increasingly using variants of his name both in spoken and written form.

“Obamamentum, obamacize, obamarama, obamaNation, obamanomics, obamican, obamafy, obamamania, and obamacam... and the list is growing,” reported the Global Language Monitor (GLM), which analyses current trends in language.

“The latest word to enter the English language is ‘Obama’ in its many variations,” GLM said.

For example, “Obamazon” is not some place nearby Amazon but used to indicate an ardent female supporter of Obama.

A hilarious video by CNN shows how Obama has managed to storm into the lexicon.

Anything that Obama says is “Baracklamation”, means of communication for all his staffers is “Barackie Talkie”, while the federal government under the black leader is dubbed “Barackracy”.

“To enter the English language, a word has to meet certain criteria, including frequency of appearance in the written and spoken language, in the media, have a large geographic footprint, and to stand the test of time,” said Paul JJ Payack, GLM president and chief word analyst.

“In the past, this process would unfold over many years, even decades or centuries. However the Internet, with instant global communication to billions of people, has radically accelerated the cycle,” Payack said.

According to the GLM, by August 2007, ‘Obama’ had become a political buzzword, ranking No 2 on its top political buzzwords list of the 2008 presidential campaign. — PTI

Study: Insulin resistance cause of diabetes among Indians

Houston, March 2
Indians, regardless of their body weight, have cells that are more resistant to insulin, a reason that makes them more prone to type 2 diabetes, says a new study.

In a study published in the March issue of ‘Diabetes’, Mayo clinic college researchers examined whether Indians had observable differences in the way their cells converted nutrient fuel to make energy available and whether these differences might increase the risk for diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body utilises sugar (glucose). People with type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar into cells, and their cells resist the effects of insulin (insulin-resistant).

“The question we asked is whether any metabolic differences between Asian Indians and Americans of Northern European origin can explain the higher incidence of diabetes in Indians. Indians often acquire the disease at an earlier age and at lower body mass index than people of European origin,” explains Mayo endocrinologist K. Sreekumaran Nair, MD, PhD, the studys lead researcher.

Mayo researchers studied 13 diabetic Indians, 13 non-diabetic Indians, and 13 non-diabetic northeast Americans of European descent, who were matched for gender, age and body mass with Indian study participants.

Study participants were fed the same diet and underwent tests for insulin resistance and muscle biopsy to see whether differences occurred at the cellular level among the different study subject groups.

Researchers observed that the Indian subjects, irrespective of their diabetic status, had a greater degree of insulin resistance than the American subjects of northern European origin, even though the study subjects were not obese, a condition commonly associated with insulin resistance.

“Our study showed that the Indian diabetic and non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance actually had mitochondrial function that was higher than those observed in the northern European American subjects,” says Nair.

Earlier, research had established that people with insulin resistance typically had poorly functioning muscle mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the part of cells responsible for converting energy from nutrients to ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the chemical form of cellular energy that the body uses for almost all functions.

Nair hypothesizes that key to understanding this difference may lie in an examination of how populations adapt as they become more urbanized. Urban societies typically move away from lifestyles that involve a higher level of physical activity and diets dominated by low-calorie foods.

“The higher capacity to produce ATP that the Indian subjects displayed may have been an adaptive advantage for the generations that preceded them, when energy content of their diet was lower. But today, this trait may be a disadvantage given the higher energy content of their current diets,” explains Nair.

Nair and his team are hopeful that the information gained from this study will have a substantial impact on understanding the cause of the global epidemic in diabetes.

“Our findings have potential to help determine the energy requirements of different populations and what role this plays in the onset of diabetes” says Nair.

Around 32 million Asian Indians have been diagnosed with diabetes and the number is expected to double over the next 30 years. — PTI

Critically ill Indian teenager in UK returns home

London, March 2
Critically ill Indian teenager Zarine Rentia, whose plea to stay in the UK was turned down by the immigration authorities in February on the ground that her rare genetic condition could be treated in India, has returned home.

Rentia’s condition, Fanconi Bickel Syndrome, is reported to be in an advanced stage. She returned to India last week with her mother, Tasnim Rentia, who decided that she needed to be with her father and the extended family.

She was being treated in the Homerton Hospital in east London. One of the grounds for her bid to stay in the UK was that there were no medical facilities in India to treat her condition.

A campaign was organised on Rentia’s behalf, including an early day motion in the House of Commons, online petitions as well as legal representations. A large number of British and people of Indian origin here supported her bid to stay in the UK. — PTI

Interpol red alert for JI militant

Singapore, March 2
Interpol has issued an international red alert for an alleged Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant leader, who escaped from a detention centre in Singapore, the global police body’s website said today.

Authorities were combing Singapore for Mas Selamat bin Kastari, the alleged JI leader in the city-state, who escaped last Wednesday after he was allowed to use the toilet during a visit of his relatives.

The Singapore police today said it believed Kastari was still in the country four days after he fled the detention centre, but gave no further details. — AFP