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Maoists thrash Indian priests
90 killed in NATO air strike
No favourites in Pak, says Saudi ambassador
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Political tensions in Pak to diffuse
Obama advisers divided on size of Afghan force
Bruni in Woody’s next flick
Indian American to contest Illinois seat
US role in 1971 war a ‘mistake’
Yash Chopra named ‘Asian filmmaker of the Year’
Myanmar court to hear Suu Kyi's appeal
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Maoists thrash Indian priests
The agitating Maoists cadres on Friday thrashed the newly appointed Indian priests in Pashupatinath Temple just a day before they were to formally start their routine puja at the temple. According to the police, the Maoists cadres, including the members of the Maoists aligned youth wing Young Communist League and Joint Struggle Committee at the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), manhandled the Indian priests, who had gone for ritual meditation. Following the government decision to appoint two Indian priests from Kerala on Wednesday, the Maoists have been intensifying protests near around the temple area demanding to appoint Nepali priests by ending around 300-years-old tradition of appointing Indian priests. Meanwhile, Minister for Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Culture Minendra Rijal, who is the chairperson of the PADT denounced the Maoists attacks against the priests dubbing it as a blatant attack against religion, tradition and rule of law by the atheists. "The government, which has appointed the priests in revered Hindu Temple Pashupatinath, has taken it very seriously and firmly committed to uphold the rule of law, ritual tradition," Rijal told The Tribune. When asked about the government position regarding the Indian Embassy's concerns for the safety and security of the Indian priests, Rijal said the government had deployed police personnel under the command of Superintendent of Police and it could increase the number of security force to provide necessary security for the priests and safeguard the tradition.
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Kabul, September 4 Militants seized the two trucks, which were delivering fuel to NATO forces, around midnight near the village of Omar Khel in Kunduz province. The alliance launched an air strike when the Taliban fighters stopped the vehicles at a river crossing, the Police Chief Gulam Mohyuddin said. One of the police official said at least 90 persons were killed, and 40 of them were civilians, including some who were receiving fuel being distributed by militants at the crossing. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity over the issue of civilian deaths in the Afghan conflict. NATO confirmed that there was an air strike in Kunduz overnight. A spokesman said the coalition was investigating the incident. Omar said the dead included the Taliban commander for several Kunduz districts, Abdur Rahman, several other senior Taliban and four Chechen fighters. “Abudur Rahman is a very dangerous man,” the governor said. “I hope that the death of Abdur Rahman will have a positive effect on Kunduz city.” — AP
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No favourites in Pak, says Saudi ambassador
Saudi Arabia does not want Pakistan’s political parties to fight each other, but will intervene to reconcile them only if asked to play such a role, the Kingdom's envoy has said. “Political wrangling between parties in Pakistan is the country’s internal matter. But if our brothers ask us to intervene, our doors will always be open for them,” Ambassador Abdul Aziz Ibrahim Al Ghadeer said in an interview. His statement came amid speculation sparked by a series of meetings in Riyadh against the backdrop of evolving political scene in Pakistan. Former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf and Interior Minister Rehman Malik had back-to-back separate meetings with Saudi Monarch Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz early this week while the main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Thursday confirmed he would be visiting Saudi Arabia soon. Media reports had indicated Musharraf wanted the Saudi king to dissuade Sharif from his current campaign for his trial on treason charges. Nawaz Sharif asked the media to avoid speculations that the Saudis want to get involved in Pakistan’s politics. "We better not involve them in our politics,” Sharif said. But he said that he also planned to visit Saudi Arabia soon for Umrah. “Let’s see if (anyone) talks about him (Musharraf) during my visit.” Ambassador Ghadeer said the political tangle demanded of all parties to sit down to resolve their differences -- something which can be facilitated by Saudi Arabia as an ‘elder brother’. Apparently referring to the unusual protocol accorded to Musharraf in Riyadh, the ambassador made it clear that his country did not have any favourite. “We have relations with all the leaders for Pakistan’s sake and that is very important,” he said, adding: “Our main concern is to have a stable, safe and secure Pakistan.”
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Political tensions in Pak to diffuse Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and interior minister Rehman Malik’s back-to-back visits to Saudi Arabia and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif’s planned trip to the Gulf country next week have triggered speculations that the ruling family of Saudi Arabia is taking keen interest to defuse current political tensions in Pakistan. Musharraf and Malik were in Riyadh early this week at the same time where they separately met King Abdullah. Malik said he delivered a message from President Asif Zardari to King Abdullah but denied meeting Musharraf. He evaded direct answer to questions whether demand for Musahrraf's trial on treason charges also cropped up in the meeting but called for forgetting the past and looking forward to resolve the country's myriad problems. The almost royal treatment given by the Saudi government to the former President during his visit to Riyadh has thrown his opponents into a total confusion. Reports that King Abdullah sent a special plane to bring the retired General from London to Riyadh have surprised a number of politicians. These reports have sparked speculations that the Saudi ruling family is taking keen interest to defuse tension in Pakistan and try to use its influence to persuade PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to give up his demand for Gen (retd) Musharraf’s trial for high treason. Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday confirmed that he planned to visit Saudi Arabia but denied knowledge of any Saudi mediation on behalf of Musharraf to dissuade him from continuing current campaign for his trial on sedition charges. He advised the media to avoid indulging in speculation. “We should avoid speculations that the Saudis want to get involved in Pakistan’s politics. We better not involve them in our politics,” Sharif said. But he said he also planned to visit Saudi Arabia soon for Umrah. “Let’s see if (anyone) talks about him during my visit.”
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Obama advisers divided on size of Afghan force
Washington, September 4 As the situation there is getting worse during the past few months, there has been increasing voices from the commanders seeking more troops for the country. In a report, The New York Times said today even before the commanders can send a formal request for more troops to combat insurgency in Afghanistan, senior Obama advisers are divided on the issue as to what should be the proper size of the US mission in Afghanistan. Defence Secretary Robert Gates has reiterated his concern over increasing foreign footprint in Afghanistan, indicating that he is resistant to the idea of sending more troops. Same is the case with Vice-President Joe Biden, the report said. Biden has expressed deep reservations about an expanded presence in Afghanistan on the grounds that it may distract from what he considers the more urgent goal of stabilising Pakistan, officials said.
— PTI
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London, September 4 The American film-maker recently met the former supermodel in Paris and offered her a leading role in his next movie, to which Bruni said yes, reported Daily Mail quoting French daily Le Parisien. The 41-year-old wife of French President Nicholas Sarkozy, had long been on the wish list of Allen who had expressed his desire to work with her in an interview earlier. “I would like to work with Carla Bruni. She is an accomplished artist, she is very beautiful and I am sure she would have a gift for comedy,” the 73-year-old director had told the Spanish paper ‘El Mundo’. Bruni has little experience as far as acting goes, but she was a popular singer before her whirlwind romance and marriage to Sarkozy, after which she put her musical career on hold to look after her official duties. Her last public performance was in July, when she sang on stage with Dave Stewart at a New York gig to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday. The filming of the planned movie is set to begin later this year in Paris. — PTI
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Indian American to contest Illinois seat
Chicago, September 4 Announcing his candidacy, Mohan Manian, who came to the US in 1989 from India, said his priority would be to make Illinois more business-friendly and to address the state's financial crisis. “Our leaders have lost the trust of our people but still hold on to the power through backroom deals and corruption. They have failed us ethically and economically and I am keen to restore public faith in Illinois," Manian told PTI. A Republican, Manian has announced his candidacy for the seat of State Representative for District 59, which is currently vacant after its incumbent Kathy Ryg resigned last month. The election to the State Representative seats would be held in February next year.
— PTI
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US role in 1971 war a ‘mistake’
Dhaka, September 4 “Senator Kennedy helped my country correct the mistake back in 1971 and we expressed that by quickly recognising Bangladesh,” US Ambassador in Dhaka James F Moriarty said while speaking at a memorial meeting on Edward Kennedy at the Liberation War Museum here on Wednesday. “I think we expressed that view by very quickly recognising Bangladesh after the end of the war. I think you all will recall that we were one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh," Moriarty said.
—PTI
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Yash Chopra named ‘Asian filmmaker of the Year’
Kuala Lumpur, September 4 Chopra, known as the king of romance in Hindi film industry, is being awarded for enhancing “the global status of Indian films as well as Asian cinema” in his five-decade long career in the Hindi film industry. “His efforts in raising the international profile of Indian movies through joint investments and co-productions with Hollywood have been highly acknowledged,” a statement from the festival organisers said. The 76-year-old filmmaker will be presented with the award on during the Pusan film festival, which runs from October 8-16 in South Korea. The festival will also show four movies — 'Lamhe, 'Dhoom 2', 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and recently released 'New York'. Chopra directed 'Lamhe' in 1991 while 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' was directed by his son Aditya Chopra last year.
— PTI
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Myanmar court to hear Suu Kyi's appeal
Yangon, September 4 ”The Yangon divisional court has accepted our case and hearing of arguments will start on Sep 18," said Nyan Win, one of Suu Kyi's lawyers. The attorneys submitted the appeal yesterday on behalf of their client, who has spent 14 of the past 20 years under detention and is currently being detained at her Yangon family compound. On August 11, a special court set up in Yangon's Insein Prison found Suu Kyi, 64, guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest and sentenced her to three years in prison with hard labour.
— DPA
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