W O R L D

Health reform vote a win for Americans: Obama
Washington, March 22
Jubilant at the passage of the landmark Health Care bill by the House of Representatives, US President Barack Obama today said it was a major reform and a victory for the American people.


US President Barack Obama, joined by Vice-President Joe Biden, makes a statement to the nation after the final vote in the House of Representatives for overhaul of the health care system, in the White House in Washington on Sunday. — AP/PTI

Rs 26 crore spent on upkeep of Sikh shrines by Pak govt
Pakistan government has spent Rs 260 million for maintaining and up-keeping Sikh Gurdwaras across the country while millions more have been earmarked for 22 other projects designed to improve facilities are in the pipeline, chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Syed Asif Hashmi has said.

Quake kills 3 in Haiti
Port-au-Prince, March 22
A small earthquake struck northern Haiti, collapsing an apartment building and killing at least three persons, a UN spokesman said. Residents said the tremor struck Haiti’s second-largest city of Cap-Haitien shortly after midnight yesterday, collapsing the four-storey building. Some nearby structures were damaged by the collapse but no other quake effects were reported. Three survivors were pulled out of the rubble and taken to a hospital, UN spokesman Louicius Euguene said.

UAE is fourth-biggest arms buyer
Dubai, March 22
The UAE has become the world’s fourth biggest weapons importer - only behind China, India and South Korea - and is set to continue to buy more hi-tech arms, a leading peace research group has said in a new report.

Egypt releases Israeli scribe
Jerusalem, March 22
Egypt released an Israeli journalist arrested a week ago trying to cross the border illegally with an African migrant, an Israeli official said. “Israeli journalist Yotam Feldman was released following an intervention by Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman,” said the Israeli official.

Health reform vote a win for Americans: Obama

Washington, March 22
Jubilant at the passage of the landmark Health Care bill by the House of Representatives, US President Barack Obama today said it was a major reform and a victory for the American people.

“Tonight’s vote is not a victory for any one party - it’s a victory for them. It’s a victory for the American people. And it’s a victory for common sense,” a beaming Obama said shortly before the historic vote was passed by 219 to 212 votes.

“This isn’t radical reform, but it is major reform.” Obama, who put his presidency at stake and postponed his foreign trips for the passage of the bill, congratulated the Congress for passing his signature legislative goal, which is sweeping overhaul of the American health insurance system as it will provide coverage for nearly all Americans.

“Tonight when the pundits said it was no longer possible, we rose above the weight of our politics,” Obama said in televised remarks from the White House after the legislation was passed by the Congress.

“We proved that we are people capable of doing big things. We proved that this government — a government of the people and by the people — still works for the people,” he said. Obama is expected to sign the bill soon, White House officials said.

“Today’s vote answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a health care system that works for insurance companies, but not for ordinary people,” Obama said. “This isn’t radical reform. But it is major reform. This legislation will not fix everything that ails our health care system. But it moves us decisively in the right direction,” he added. — PTI

Rs 26 crore spent on upkeep of Sikh shrines by Pak govt
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Pakistan government has spent Rs 260 million for maintaining and up-keeping Sikh Gurdwaras across the country while millions more have been earmarked for 22 other projects designed to improve facilities are in the pipeline, chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Syed Asif Hashmi has said.

Talking to reporters at Gurdwara Punja Sahib Hasan Abdal, one of most important Sikh temples in the country, Hashmi said three of the new projects would be undertaken at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. Another sixteen will be launched in Nankana Sahib in addition to the three earmarked for Punja Sahib Hasan Abdal.

“The PPP government right from its start in 2008 embarked on an aggressive plan for addressing the issues related to the religious shrines of Sikhs and other minorities,” Asif Hashmi said. An amount of Rs 49 million were spent on providing additional facilities and improvements in Sikh Gurdwaras alone. In the first four months of 2009 an amount of Rs 172 million was spend on this count. Special attention was paid on providing safe and comfortable journey to Gurdwaras and temples.

He said all possible facilities were provided to Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities, including security, on-site comforts and uninterrupted observance of festivals and religious rites during sacred days. The trust also plans to build a 100-bed hospital at the Punjab Sahib along with a well-equipped trauma centre where modern treatment facilities would be made available.

The project for ‘lungerkhana’ at Punja Sahib to allow free meal had remained dormant for five years but has now been completed within four months. A three-storey building has been completed at a cost of Rs 20 million where about 500 persons can have their meals.

For the upcoming Baisakhi festival arrangements have been made to ensure security and peaceful atmosphere for yatris, he said.

Quake kills 3 in Haiti

Port-au-Prince, March 22
A small earthquake struck northern Haiti, collapsing an apartment building and killing at least three persons, a UN spokesman said. Residents said the tremor struck Haiti’s second-largest city of Cap-Haitien shortly after midnight yesterday, collapsing the four-storey building. Some nearby structures were damaged by the collapse but no other quake effects were reported. Three survivors were pulled out of the rubble and taken to a hospital, UN spokesman Louicius Euguene said.

The Haitian police, civil protection authorities and UN peacekeepers from Chile and Nepal found the body of another person killed inside.

Cap-Haitien lies along the fault line that produced three moderate earthquakes in nearby Cuba on Saturday. It was not affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, some 130 kilometre to the south. — AP

UAE is fourth-biggest arms buyer

Dubai, March 22
The UAE has become the world’s fourth biggest weapons importer - only behind China, India and South Korea - and is set to continue to buy more hi-tech arms, a leading peace research group has said in a new report.

According to the report on international arms transfers, prepared by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the UAE is in the fourth place worldwide in total arms purchase from 2005 to 2009 with the country spending $6.5 billion.

Notably, the UAE was ahead of Israel, in sixth place, while its nearest Arab country was Egypt, in 15th place, with $2.5 billion in imports.

According to the report, the US is by far the biggest supplier of arms to the UAE, the third-largest US weapons client. The UAE is also France’s biggest arms export destination. The majority of the UAE’s spending is on aircraft, missiles and air defence systems from the US and France.

From 2005 to 2009, the UAE received deliveries of 34 Mirage 2000 combat aircraft from France and 72 F-16 fighters from the US.

The UAE is poised to strengthen its position as a top importer with the delivery of Patriot-3 surface-to-air missile systems as well as transport aircraft and other missile-defence systems from the US, France and Russia. — PTI

Egypt releases Israeli scribe

Jerusalem, March 22
Egypt released an Israeli journalist arrested a week ago trying to cross the border illegally with an African migrant, an Israeli official said. “Israeli journalist Yotam Feldman was released following an intervention by Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman,” said the Israeli official.

Feldman was sent by Israel’s Channel 10 television to report on migrants trying to illegally cross into Israel, said the official. — AFP

BRIEFLY

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan poses with his trophy after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Monday. — Reuters

Shirts to pressurise Thai PM
BANGKOK: Anti-government protesters would continue in Thailand to put more pressure on PM Abhisit Vejjajiva by sending groups of Red Shirt protesters to follow him everywhere he goes, until he bows to the UDD demand to dissolve Parliament, UDD core leader Natthawut Saikua said. Natthawut said starting from Monday, a rapid response group of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) activists with some 10,000 members, will follow the premier to everywhere.

Indian Doc pleads not guilty
MELBOURNE: Indian-American surgeon Jayant Patel, accused of gross incompetence and manslaughter while working at an Australian hospital, on Monday pleaded not guilty at a Brisbane court. He is also accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Rodney Vowles while working at Bundaberg hospital in Queensland between 2003 and 2005.