President Pervez Musharraf on Friday met with senior leaders of his ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), to devise strategy over the impending battle in the parliament over restoration of deposed judges. Former president Farooq Leghari, former premier Zafrullah Khan Jamali, ex-speaker Hamid Nasir Chathha, Manzoor Wattor and others attended a long session with Musharraf in the Army House. On Thursday Musharraf met PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Informed sources said Musharraf is working on two tracks - possible cracks in PPP-PML-N alliance that may open up opportunity for realignment of forces and unity within ranks of the PML-Q to counter moves for restoration of judges if PPP and PML-N stick to their Murree Declaration on reinstatement of judges through a resolution of the National Assembly.

The meeting also discussed reorganisation of the PML-Q including a change of leadership. Musharraf felt that PPP-PML-N alliance would not last long and the PPP would be forced to lean on the PML-Q and MQM to stay in power at the centre and install its own chief minister in Punjab with the help of PML-Q and independents.

Washington, May 2
US President George W. Bush has asked the Congress to approve $ 770 million as aid against the current global food crisis, even as he urged the countries to lift restrictions on agricultural exports. The proposed aid is in addition to the existing $ 200 million assistance that has already been provided by the US. “I am calling on the Congress to provide an additional $ 770 million to support food aid and development programmes. Together, this amounts to nearly $ one billion in new funds to bolster global food security,” Bush said, speaking at the White House yesterday.

“And with other food security assistance programmes already in place, we’re now projecting to spend nearly -- that we will spend nearly $ 5 billion in 2008 and 2009 to fight global hunger,” he stated. While the US would stay in the “lead” in terms of providing food assistance, “other countries have a role to play as well,” the US President said.

“We’re working with G8 partners and other developed nations to secure commitments from their governments for additional food aid,” he said. The embattled President, who is pressured domestically as well as internationally to act on the looming crisis, also asked the countries to remove export caps on agricultural goods.

Bush also sought to link the global food crisis to the Doha Round arguing that it was all the imperative to get the trade round finalised. — PTI

London, May 2
The police has arrested and charged an Indian-origin employee of HSBC bank in London for an attempted fraud worth nearly £70 million. The attempt by Jagmeet Channa (25) was discovered last week at HSBC's securities services division, which settles trades for clients. A payment to a bank reportedly raised suspicions at the division in HSBC's head office building at Canary Wharf and the police was called.

A police spokeswoman said Channa, from Ilford in Essex, was charged on April 25 with conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and abusing a position of trust. He was remanded in custody until June 25, when he will appear at Southwark Crown Court. The police said three other men aged 26, 33 and 38 were on police bail in connection with the investigation.

HSBC said that no customer funds were involved and no transactions were disrupted. No customer or bank funds were lost, the bank added.

"HSBC is cooperating fully with a police investigation into an alleged fraud at the bank. As the matter is before the courts, we cannot comment further," a bank spokesman said.

Banks around the world have tightened anti-fraud systems after Sociiti Ginirale of France suffered losses of 4.9 billion euros in the fourth quarter from the biggest rogue trading scandal in history. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Israeli PM quizzed in corruption case
Jerusalem: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was questioned by the country’s fraud squad today for the third time since he assumed Israel’s premiership in a possible corruption case, prompting calls from lawmakers for his suspension. The National Fraud Squad, led by its chief Lt-Commander Shomi Ayalon began questioning Olmert at 10 am (local time) this morning at his official residence, which lasted for an hour. It has not been disclosed yet as to which case the questioning pertained to. — PTI

Hundreds evacuated in Maine amid record flood
BOSTON: A river swollen by heavy rain and melting snow overflowed its banks along the US-Canadian border, forcing hundreds of people to flee homes and businesses in Fort Kent, Maine, and closing two border crossings. The St John River rose 30 feet (9 metres) and spilled into the town leaving stores and homes on Main Street under seven to eight feet of water, said John Bannen, Fort Kent's director of community development. Police and Border Patrol blocked off downtown Fort Kent. Officials called it the worst flood in 80 years of record keeping. — Reuters

Biggest measles outbreak in US since 2001
WASHINGTON: The biggest US outbreak of measles since 2001 is unfolding in 10 states, with at least 72 people ranging from infants to the elderly becoming ill -- most of them unvaccinated, US health officials said on Friday. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said said none of those who caught the highly contagious viral illness has died, but at least 14 people have been hospitalised, most with pneumonia triggered by measles. — Reuters

Brown mauled in local poll
LONDON: The Labour party is faced with an electoral debacle in local polls in four decades, as the Conservative and the Liberal Democrats pushed it to the third place. With two-thirds of over 4,000 election results announced, the Labour party had so far lost over 140 seats, while the Conservatives had made significant gains, winning 45 local councils, a net gain of eight councils. The Conservative had gained 44 per cent of the votes, the Liberal Democrats 25 per cent and the Labour 24 per cent. The full results would be announced later in the day. — Reuters