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Pak premier harps on Kashmir again
Jhumpa in Obama’s arts panel
Pak scientist likely to get life term in US
Russia unveils new nuclear doctrine
Hindu temple vandalised in Bangladesh
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Indians’ DVD to show Oz as safe place
Indian abducted in Nigeria
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Pak premier harps on Kashmir again
Islamabad, February 6 "There is an imperative need to end the long legacy of hostility and distrust and to work towards a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Gilani said yesterday at a function to mark 'Kashmir Solidarity Day'. He said Kashmir remained "an unfinished agenda" and "unfulfilled promises over the years have taken a heavy toll on the Kashmiri people." The Premier noted that India and Pakistan had had a "constructive" engagement under the composite dialogue process before the Mumbai attacks and "Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of that dialogue." "Unfortunately, in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attack, India has put a pause on the composite dialogue process. "We have reiterated our desire to engage India in a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue for resolving all outstanding issues," he said. Gilani pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had agreed during a meeting in Sharm el-Shiekh last year that dialogue is the only way forward. Gilani said Pakistan believes that the Kashmiri people should be associated with the bilateral dialogue process and should be "the principal beneficiaries". He claimed that the Kashmir issue is the "root cause of tension in South Asia." Pakistan has "always emphasised the necessity of a meaningful dialogue" to settle the Kashmir problem, he said, even as he added that the issue should be resolved in accordance with UN resolutions. The Prime Minister also noted that several confidence-building measures had alleviated the sufferings of Kashmiris. Among them were the ceasefire along the Line of Control, opening of crossing points across the LoC to bring together divided families and trans-LoC bus services and trade. "Greater interaction between Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC and visits to Pakistan by Kashmiri leadership from (Jammu and Kashmir) have been warmly welcomed by us," he said. — PTI |
Washington, February 6 "I am proud that these distinguished individuals will serve in my Administration. The arts and the humanities enhance the vibrancy of our society, inspire us and strengthen our democracy," Obama said in a statement. "I look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead," Obama said. Besides Lahiri, other appointed to the committee are Chuck Close, Fred Goldring, Sheila Johnson, Pamela Joyner and Ken Solomon, the White House said. A fiction writer, Lahiri's debut collection of stories, 'Interpreter of Maladies', received the Pulitzer Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Addison M Metcalf Award and the New Yorker magazine's Debut of the Year. Her novel, 'The Namesake', was a New York Times Notable Book, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was selected as one of the best books of the year by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. Her latest story collection, 'Unaccustomed Earth', won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and the Vallombrosa-Gregor von Rezzori Prize. — PTI |
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Pak scientist likely to get life term in US
Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui who was indicted in New York earlier this week on the charge of aiming a gun at US soldiers in Afghanistan may have to spend her entire life in prison. A press note issued by the US Department of Justice in Washington says Dr Aafia, 37, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the attempted murder and armed assault charges; life imprisonment on the firearm charge; and eight years in prison on each of the remaining assault charges. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison on the firearm charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced during next 24 hours. She is accused of attempted murder and assault on US nationals and US officers and employees in Afghanistan. She was found guilty of all charges against her following a 14-day jury trial before United States District Judge Richard M. Berman in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The jury rejected Dr Aafia’s claims that she did not attempt to shoot or kill American interrogators at an Afghan police compound on July 18, 2008. “The family is trying to deal with this news, and they unfortunately have been subjected to a lot of bad news over the past six years,” Tina Foster, Dr Aafia’s family spokeswoman and a human rights lawyer for the New York-based International Justice Network, told reporters. |
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Russia unveils new nuclear doctrine
Moscow, February 6 “Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction against it and its allies, as well as an aggression against the Russian Federation with the use of conventional weapons jeopardising the very existence of the state," a military doctrine signed by President Dmitry Medvedev said. Speaking on the conditions of anonymity some foreign diplomats believe that the lowering of threshold for the nuclear weapons could be a veiled warning to China, which has an overwhelming numerical advantage over Russia with the total population less than 147 million. A retired three-star Soviet general, who wished not to be named, said yesterday that after 1968 border conflict with China, the Soviet General Staff had virtually given up the concept of a conventional war with “our great Asian neighbour”, the new doctrine has publicly stated the stance. Expansion of NATO closer to the boundaries of Russia, deployment of missile shield elements on the perimeter of its land and maritime borders, international terrorism, proliferation of WMD and growing number of nuclear powers have also been identified as the external threats for the security of the nation. — PTI |
Hindu temple vandalised in Bangladesh
Dhaka, February 6 A gang of 30-35 men attacked the Sonargaon temple and broke six idols, said Md Yunus Ali, the local police chief. He said the incident took place when the devotees were holding a religious function at the Sree Sree Rakshakali Temple at Ashrafdi village. The miscreants vandalised the temple and four houses, injuring at least five persons, in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon subdivision yesterday, the private bdnews24 news agency said.
— PTI |
Indians’ DVD to show Oz as safe place
Melbourne, February 6 Postgraduate students, whose stay has by and large been positive and free of such safety concerns here, have taken the unusual step of making their own DVD to be distributed in India. The DVD is being made with an aim to reassure people back home that Victorian state of Australia, which has witnessed most of recent attacks on Indian students, is a safe place. It will have five Indian students talking about their good and safe stay in Melbourne and about their enthusiasm for Australia, ABC channel reported. These students believe that the portrayal of Australia as racist is "incorrect." The idea to bring out a DVD was initiated by doctoral student Subatra Mukherjee, a resident of Geelong. Mukherjee has been living in Australia for the last two years with his wife and said he never faced any safety issues. "So when I came here I was really apprehensive about how the place will be and whether we'll be accepted there or not. But after coming here, truly speaking, it's the Australian people who made me comfortable and they accepted me, accepted us nicely. So, yeah, it's a pleasant experience for me," he said. PHD student Ranjani Sudharshan told the TV channel that the attack hysteria had left her parents worried back home. However, after visiting this place, they were satisfied. "I just took them (here parents) around Melbourne, Geelong and a lot of other places and they were very happy to be with me. And my mum particularly likes Geelong a lot." — PTI |
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Indian abducted in Nigeria
Abuja, February 6 The man, who works with a home building and property management company as the general manager, was kidnapped yesterday, said Rita Abbey, the police spokesperson in Port Harcourt. Abbey said the police had followed kidnappers in hopes of rescuing the man. But the attempt by the police to trail the kidnappers and rescue the victim and another eight-month old infant, who was kidnapped on Thursday, was not successful. Officials at the Indian High Commission here said they were monitoring the situation very closely and hoped that the security operatives will rescue the man.
— PTI |
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