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Wedding inferno kills 47 in
Kuwait
Book says Queen Victoria ensured end to royal Sikh bloodline
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Pilot killed in Sukhoi mid-air collision
Nepal’s visit may not bring much gain
Up to Pak to decide about offensive: Holbrooke
Zardari, Obama to co-chair summit
Mush Trial
Bush went soft in 2nd innings, says his deputy
N Korea threatens retaliation over US, UN sanctions
115 immigrants rescued off Malta coast
Suu Kyi Case
Quake strikes Sumatra
Cop to Bob Dylan ‘Who are You?’
William, Kate to marry in 2011: Report
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Wedding inferno kills 47 in Kuwait
Dubai, August 16 The blaze which broke out yesterday in a tent reserved for women at a wedding ceremony in Jahra north of Kuwait City killed 44 women and three children, chief of the fire department told ‘Arab News’ today. “The fire broke out at around 9.20 pm on Saturday in the tent allocated for women. Apart from the dead, 80 women are injured and have been rushed to hospital for treatment,” Major General Jassem al-Mansouri told the paper. The rescue efforts were hampered as the burning tent collapsed on women and the power supply failed. Many were also killed in a stampede that ensued. About 20 fire trucks and dozens of firemen battled the blaze, while the injured were rushed to hospitals, Mansouri added. “The remains of the dead, some of which have been charred beyond recognition, will be subjected to DNA examination for identification.” Major Khalil Al-Amir, Manager Public Affairs at Kuwait Fire Department told the paper. The pictures taken from the spot showed all equipments inside the tent, including chairs, tables, air conditioners were burnt while the interiors was full of black debris. “It was a horrific scene with bodies and many shoes stuck to the ground at the only exit, they must have trampled over one another,” al-Mansouri said adding that it was the worst fire scene he had seen in 40 years of his service. Kuwait’s Interior Ministry today set up a hotline and a special criminal investigation centre for families to seek information about their kin. The exact cause of the fire is not known although authorities say that there must be some problems with electrical wiring or the equipment used to keep the food warm or the coals used for burning incense, al-Mansouri said. He said that in Kuwait wedding parties are held in tents, which should be approved by the authorities, but this particular event was organised without an official permission. Usually there are separate parties in tents for both men and women, which is followed by a buffet dinner with the children mostly attending the women parties. There is also no information about the bride or how many people were inside when the tragic incident took place. The tent was 12 metres long where 180 people could stay, al-Mansouri said. — PTI
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Book says Queen Victoria ensured end to royal Sikh bloodline
London, August 16 Peter Bance, a specialist in the history of Sikhs in Britain, writes about the reported instruction by Queen Victoria in his latest book, “Sovereign, Squire & Rebel”, a biography of Duleep Singh, son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Sikh kingdom, among the fiercest opponents of the British Raj, is today among the few - if not the only one - of the erstwhile major Indian kingdoms without any direct royal descendants. Duleep Singh had six children from his first marriage and two from his second. All eight, including four who were married, died without any issue, a fact that the writer says fanned his curiosity. In his book, London-based Bance says Queen Victoria gave the instruction to Lady Anne Alice Blanche -the aristocratic English wife of Duleep Singh’s eldest son Prince Victor Albert Jay - in the summer of 1898. Lady Anne was the youngest daughter of the 9th Earl of Coventry. The reported instruction came 12 years after the British army physically stopped a disgruntled and rebellious Duleep Singh from returning to India from England, where he had been taken as a 12-year-old boy-king after being converted to Christianity. Bance, a Sikh, said he obtained the startling piece of information from a close “Coventry family source” of Lady Anne, who died in 1956. “This person, who told me not to mention his name, asked Lady Anne once, ‘why didn’t you have any children?’ and that was when Lady Anne spoke about Queen Victoria’s instructions. Of course Lady Anne, being an aristocrat herself, went by those instructions,” he said. Bance said the main reason why Queen Victoria would have given such a harsh command was the nascent Indian nationalism that had showed in Duleep Singh - otherwise a thorough ‘English’ country gentleman - throughout the late 1880s. Mounting expenses for the upkeep of the family would have been an additional factor. “There is no doubt that the family was always a thorn for the British establishment,” said Bance, who has being researching the life of Duleep Singh since 1996. Although Queen Victoria was very fond of Duleep Singh, he had been increasingly distressed by the failure of the British authorities to honour financial and other pledges made to him. The book goes on to refer to a second startling claim about an alleged British plot to stem the royal Sikh bloodline. It says Princess Bamba had told members of the Fakir family, who were former ministers in her father’s court, that when they were children their English cooks would put “substances” into their food so as to make them infertile. “The story seemed a bit far-fetched, but nonetheless not one of the Duleep Singh children had any issue,” says the book. “But this is really what struck me as being very odd - a man with a big family, eight children, and no grandchildren,” Bance said.
— IANS
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Pilot killed in Sukhoi mid-air collision
Moscow, August 16 The Su 27 Flanker jets belonging to Russian Knights aerobatic group of the Russian Air Force were part of a joint drill with another aerobatic group of MiG-29 fighters, when they collided over the Russian town of Zhukovski. There were three pilots in the ill-fated jets, who ejected out. However, parachute of the commander of the legendary ‘Russian Knights’ aerobatics team failed to open, Air Force spokesman Lt Col Vladimir Dirk said. One of the planes rehearsing for MAKS-2009 international aero-space show was a two-seater fighter trainer. “All the three ejected after the collision, however, the parachute of the ‘Russkiye Vityazi’ commander Colonel Igor Tkachenko did not open resulting in his death,” he said. Another pilot with backbone injuries has been hospitalised in serious condition. Even as the Defence Ministry ordered a high-level probe, the organisers of the airshow held once in two years at the Zhukovski airbase near here, ruled out any change in plans. However, the aerobatics programme of the ‘Russian Knights’ is likely to be cancelled, although extra crews and planes were available. Unlike other air forces of the world, including IAF, which use trainer jets for aerobatics, Russia is the only country which has regular combat jets in its globally acclaimed aerobatics teams. According state-run Vesti 7X24 news channel, ‘human error’ and a bird-hit are said to be the cause of collision. “Probably a bird sucked into the engine of the leading jet, resulted in the drastic drop in its thrust causing the trailing aircraft to touch its wing,” Former Soviet space shuttle Buran’s test-pilot” Hero of Russia, Mogamed Talboyev told the channel. The two aircraft were regrouping after performing aerobatic element. Their wreckage fell on a cottage cooperative near Moskva River floodlands wounding a 50-year-old woman and gutting two cottages, ITAR-TASS added.
— PTI
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Nepal’s visit may not bring much gain
Nepalese Prime Minister and veteran communist leader Madhav Nepal will be going to India on a five-day official visit, beginning August 18.
Despite his efforts to garner support from major political parties, his visit may not result in the signing of major agreements as he doesn’t have political consensus at home. Moreover, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M), the single largest party at the Constituent Assembly and the main opposition in the Legislature-Parliament, has become a stumbling block for the Prime Minister's visit. A few days ago before he left for Europe’s tour, Maoists chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, met Prime Minister Nepal and advised him not to reach any treaty or agreements during his visit to Delhi. In response, Prime Minister Nepal had reassured that he would not sign any major agreement. However, he had expressed a keen interest on pursuing the multi-purpose Pancheshwar hydro project with India if there was a consensus among the political parties. There are also indications that the Prime Minister might sign the new trade and transit treaty with India; but with consensus eluding him, chances of any major agreements being signed are dim. Besides, senior officials at the foreign ministry said India might be keen to have the new extradition treaty signed with Nepal. Meanwhile, former ambassador to Delhi Bhekh Bahadur Thapa said, "Given the fragmented political situation at home, and the fact that it is a transitional government, no agreements of major implications should be signed now." Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari undertook visits to Delhi recently to prepare for the PM's visit. But Bhandari's agenda — purchase of arms for the Nepal army from Delhi — has been stalled as some UN agencies and Maoists have raised strong objections, warning that it would jeopardise the ongoing peace process in Nepal. Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, however, is learnt to have discussed with India about sale of arms and other technical equipments for police forces. The foreign ministry officials also informed that Prime Minister Nepal would try to persuade Indian investors to invest in the industrial sector in Nepal by assuring them an investment-friendly environment in the country.
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Up to Pak to decide about offensive: Holbrooke
US Special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke has said that it is not the job of the United States to tell Pakistan to launch operation in Waziristan as it is up to the Pakistani leadership to decide when and what it wants to do about it.
Talking to reporters Holbrooke said his meetings with Pakistani leadership would be focused on how to overcome the power shortage in the country. Holbrooke arrived here on Saturday on a four-day visit during which he will meet top Pakistani leadership. He said a task force led by Marry Bethman had been set up to find ways to help resolve the issue of electricity shortage in Pakistan...”people of Pakistan are suffering because of power loadshedding and we got to help them,” he added. He said Pakistan was neglected as compared to Afghanistan after 9/11 incident by the international community and whatever needed was not done in the power sector in Pakistan. “And now, since we have a little breathing space as far as security situation is concerned, it is time for us to focus on other important issues like power crisis,” he added. “I cannot tell whether the Taliban were destroyed or dispersed as a result of this operation until I go myself over there and talk to the people on ground but one thing was quite obvious that security forces regained Swat and Buner from Taliban which itself was very significant,” he added. He said that the political situation here had improved significantly, as on March 15 the PML-N was at odds with the government when it held long march. He that Nawaz Sharif had come out with strong statements against Taliban. “Nawaz Sharif is a popular leader and his party is ruling the largest province of Punjab that’s why I believe that distancing from Nawaz will not be in the interest of the US.”
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Zardari, Obama to co-chair summit
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will co-chair a meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) in New York on September 24.
The date and President Barack Obama’s participation were confirmed after Pakistan’s Ambassador to United States Husain Haqqani’s visited the White House recently. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had originally mooted the idea of the summit. According to sources, the summit would affirm international support for Pakistan at a time when it was facing grave challenges of rooting out terrorism and extremism. The forum committed $5.4 billion in two years at the Tokyo conference early this year, but it hadn’t materialised till date.
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Govt under no pressure from army: Gilani
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said there is no pressure from the army on the issue of the trial of Pervez Musharraf and his case would be dealt with according to the law. “The army has nothing to do with the trial of Pervez Musharraf and we have no sympathy for him,” he said while talking to reporters in Sheikhupura after inaugurating a rental power plant near Lahore. Responding to a question about an unusual increase in the US presence in the federal capital where it has launched a billion-dollar expansion programme in the embassy, Gilani evaded a direct response. He admitted that reports were in circulation that the Americans were buying properties in the federal capital, but said he would comment only when something came to his knowledge. When asked about the Swat operation, he said a majority of the area had been cleared of terrorists, still, the army would remain in the area, as the operation was not over in some regions. About his criticism against buying rental power plants, Gilani said the country was facing certain challenges such as flour crisis, terrorism and sugar crisis, against which the government had always showed a strong commitment. As far as rental power plants were concerned, they were the fastest medium of producing electricity within a limited time. He said the government was committed to providing relief to the people at the earliest. He said, “Our commitment in the matter is reflected by the fact that we have formed a cabinet committee which is responsible for closely monitoring the power situation, besides reviewing the transmission and distribution losses and recommending efficiency improvement plans.” The committee will facilitate provision of enhanced supply of oil and gas to the power plants. The circular debt issue has almost been resolved.
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Bush went soft in 2nd innings, says his deputy
Washington, August 16 After years of praising Bush as a man of resolve, Cheney now intimates that the former president turned out to be more like an ordinary politician in the end. Cheney views Bush’s concessions to public sentiment as “moral weakness”. Cheney’s expressed his disappointment with Bush recently during informal conversations with former associates working with the former vice-president on his memoirs. Cheney felt that Bush turned away from his advice during their second term in the White House, showing a surprising independence as he started taking more flexible positions on a range of issues, The Post reported. “In the second term, Cheney felt Bush was moving away from him,” a participant in the recent gathering was quoted as saying by The Post. “He said Bush was shackled by the public reaction and the criticism he took. Bush was more malleable to that. The implication was that Bush had gone soft on him, or rather Bush had hardened against Cheney’s advice. He’d showed independence that Cheney didn’t see coming. It was clear that Cheney’s doctrine was cast-iron strength at all times-never apologize, never explain-and Bush moved toward the conciliatory,” he said. Cheney, who has said “the statute of limitations has expired,” now tells confidants that his memoir, expected to be published in spring 2011, will describe his heated arguments with his former boss in full. “When the president made decisions that I didn’t agree with, I still supported him and didn’t go out and undercut him,” Cheney said, according to Stephen Hayes, his authorised biographer. “Now we’re talking about after we’ve left office. I have strong feelings about what happened. ... And I don’t have any reason not to forthrightly express those views.” Cheney is least bothered, close associates told The Washington Post, about his low approval ratings or to complaints by Republicans about his effect on the GOP’s decline.
— PTI
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N Korea threatens retaliation over US, UN sanctions
Seoul, August 16 The warning came in response to an annual computer-simulated war game Seoul and Washington will kick off Monday, which North Korea sees as preparations for an invasion. The US and South Korea say the maneuvers are purely defensive. “Should the US imperialists and the Lee Myung-bak group threaten the (North) with nukes, it will retaliate against them with nukes,” said a North Korean military statement reported today by the country’s official Korean Central News Agency, referring to South Korea’s president by name. Despite the North’s recent conciliatory gestures of freeing two detained US journalists and a South Korean worker, tensions continue on the divided Korean peninsula mainly over the North’s nuclear programme. The US is moving to enforce UN as well as its own sanctions against North Korea to punish its second nuclear test in May and a series of missile tests. The UN sanctions strengthened an arms embargo and authorized ship searches on the high seas to try and rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear program. The sanctions also ordered an asset freeze and travel ban on companies and individuals allegedly involved.
— AP
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115 immigrants rescued off Malta coast
Valletta (Malta), August 16 The drifting vessel was first reported by a fisherman and three Maltese patrol boats were sent to the scene some 20 miles south of the Mediterranean island. According to initial reports, the group consisted of 81 men and 34 women. They claimed to be Somali and had left from Libya. Some of those on board were seasick, according to the officials. It was the first arrival of African immigrants to Malta in three weeks after a sudden decline in human trafficking in the Mediterranean. Another boat, carrying 84 migrants, was spotted 90 miles off Malta earlier in the week but returned to Libya after being intercepted by the Italian navy. A baby born on the boat was airlifted to Malta with its mother.
— IANS
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US intruder returns home
Yangon, August 16 Democratic Senator Jim Webb told reporters at the airport in Yangon today that he was leaving Myanmar with John Yettaw, whose swim to Suu Kyi’s home in May led to her renewed detention. He met Myanmar’s junta leader, Than Shwe, at the remote new capital of Naypyidaw yesterday and then flew to Yangon to meet with Suu Kyi at a guesthouse immediately afterward. Webb said he also asked for Suu Kyi to be released. Asked about the junta’s response, he repled: “I’m hopeful about this.” Yettaw did not attend the news conference. A police officer told Reuters he had been taken from prison to the airport, where he joined the senator’s party. Their plane left Yangon for Bangkok. Other observers remained bitter at the treatment of Suu Kyi. “The most tangible outcome of his visit is the release of John Yettaw, who caused the mess,” said Thakhin Chan Tun, a former ambassador to North Korea. — Reuters
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Jakarta, August 16 The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 0738 GMT, was located 43 km southeast of Siberut island off western Sumatra. It was measured at a depth of 32 km. West Sumatra provincial health crisis centre chief Jasmarizal said seven persons were being treated in hospital for “light injuries” in Padang city on the west coast of Sumatra. “Five people were injured when an escalator at a mall in north Padang collapsed. Two others were hurt when the fences of their homes gave way. They had light injuries like abrasions on their arms and legs,” he added. There were no reports of casualties or damage on Siberut island, Jasmarizal said. “But the residents there had fled to the mountains for safety,” he added. The country’s geophysics agency’s technical chief Suharjono said no tsunami warning had been issued. “It was a sea quake but there’s no potential of tsunami.”
— AFP
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Cop to Bob Dylan ‘Who are You?’
Los Angeles, August 16 The young cop in Long Branch, New Jersey picked up the ‘Blowin in the Wind’ hitmaker after locals reported about a “scruffy man acting suspiciously” and apparently she had no clue about Dylan’s icon status. The musician, who is in the city for a concert on 23 July in Lakewood, tried to explain who he was but could not convince the woman about his celebrity status. She insisted on escorting the musician to his hotel and later phoned her colleagues to ask if they had heard of Bob Dylan, Access Hollywood reported. “Bob Dylan was on a walkabout but the woman officer wasn’t entirely convinced of his innocence. She took him back to the hotel to check his papers, then called us. We all fell about laughing,” another cop said. The musician was let off only after the hotel staff vouched for him.
— PTI
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William, Kate to marry in 2011: Report
London, August 16 While marriage is a "done deal" between William and Middleton, both 27 years old, it's not expected until 2011 at the earliest, the 'News of the World' reported. The plan is that by the time the Queen celebrates her historic diamond jubilee in 2012, Middleton will be on the palace balcony at her side as a princess.
— PTI
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At least 47 women and children died and about 80 were injured when a devastating fire, barely lasting three minutes, charred a tent at a wedding ceremony in Kuwait City.
