W O R L D

Ash clouds cost airlines millions
EU commission may approve compensation
Paris, April 19
Airline industry group IATA called today for steps to reopen European airspace shut down by a volcanic ash cloud and the European Commission said it may approve compensation for airlines losing $250 million a day.

Travellers queue up at an airline check-in counter at Nice International Airport in France on Monday. — Reuters

Indian American is judge in California
Washington, April 19
Indian-American Vijay C Gandhi has been sworn in as a federal magistrate judge in a Californian district, making him only the second from the diaspora to become federal judge in the history of the US.

Ceremonial hat sits uneasy on Zardari's head
Islamabad/ New Delhi, April 19
The question about their President that is nagging most Pakistanis this week is whether Asif Ali Zardari will remain content with a ceremonial role after giving up his sweeping powers on Monday. Zardari is just 54 years-old and has enjoyed virtually unbridled power during the last 19 months.

Peshawar market blast claims 25 lives
Peshawar, April 19
At least 25 persons were killed when a suicide bomber struck during a protest organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami in this northwestern Pakistani city today, hours after a blast outside a police-run school killed a young boy.

Plane kills two on runway
Jakarta, April 19
Two persons taking a shortcut on a runway in Indonesia were killed when struck by a plane today, an official said. The Tobago 10 light aircraft was coming in to land at an airstrip outside Jakarta when the two local residents rode in front of it on a motorcycle, said Civil Aviation Department director general Herry Bhakti Singayuda. "The plane couldn't avoid them... It hit the motorcycle and instantly killed the two," he said.

Ash clouds cost airlines millions
EU commission may approve compensation

Paris, April 19
Airline industry group IATA called today for steps to reopen European airspace shut down by a volcanic ash cloud and the European Commission said it may approve compensation for airlines losing $250 million a day.

IATA head Giovanni Bisignani criticised authorities in Europe who he said had "missed opportunities to fly safely", as officials said they expected less than a third of flights to operate in Europe on Monday, the fifth day of disruption.

"This volcano has crippled the aviation sector, firstly in Europe and is now having worldwide implications. The scale of the economic impact (on aviation) is now greater than 9/11 when US airspace was closed for three days," Bisignani said, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

"We must move away from this blanket closure and find ways to flexibly open air space, step by step," he told a news briefing in Paris.

Airline shares fell in early trade on Monday and European Union competition chief Joaquin Almunia said the EU Commission is considering easing stringent rules for state aid to airlines.

"I am looking carefully at what we did after September 11. We can use similar instruments. We are indeed facing exceptional circumstances," he said.

British Airways, which says it has lost £15-20 million pounds ($22-30 million) a day in passenger and freight revenue said it had asked the EU and national governments for compensation.

European transport ministers are due to discuss the airspace crisis after a meeting of the European aviation control agency Eurocontrol, which said on Monday it expected between 8,000 and 9,000 flights to operate in Europe.

That would represent just 30 per cent of normal flight traffic, compared to earlier predictions by European Union officials that half of flights could be operating on Monday.

Over the weekend only a fifth of normal flights were flown and figures released by Eurocontrol show 80,000 fewer flights in Europe since Thursday compared to the same period a week ago.

Austria opened its airports on Monday but other countries kept no-fly decrees in place. Italy closed its northern airspace after briefly opening it on Monday. Millions of passengers have been stranded by the closures, and trade has also been hit.

Businesses dependent on fast air freight felt the early impact of the disruption. Kenya's flower exporters said they were already losing up to $2 million a day. Kenya accounts for about a third of flower imports into the European Union. In export-reliant Taiwan, the island's two major international carriers China Airlines and Eva Air said they had cancelled a total of 14 cargo flights to four European airports since Thursday. — Reuters

Indian American is judge in California

Washington, April 19
Indian-American Vijay C Gandhi has been sworn in as a federal magistrate judge in a Californian district, making him only the second from the diaspora to become federal judge in the history of the US.

One of the youngest federal judges currently serving in California Central District, Gandhi, 38, is also the first Indian American federal judge in this district.

Sworn in on April 14, judge Gandhi will sit in Los Angeles and will preside over matters arising from all three divisions of the court. The Central District of California is the largest district in the nation, serving more than 19 million people.

We are exceptionally proud of Judge Gandhi for his accomplishments, especially given his steadfast commitment to the South Asian community,” said Joseph J Centeno, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Formerly a litigation partner at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, Gandhi practiced law for nearly 12 years at the firm, as an associate from 1998 to 2006, and as an equity partner, thereafter.

Prior to joining Paul Hastings, Gandhi clerked for the Honorable Kenneth M Hoyt, US District Court Judge for the Southern District of Texas.

He also worked on a full-time basis as a volunteer Deputy District Attorney and first-chaired multiple jury trials as a prosecutor. — PTI

Ceremonial hat sits uneasy on Zardari's head
TNS & Agencies

Islamabad/ New Delhi, April 19
The question about their President that is nagging most Pakistanis this week is whether Asif Ali Zardari will remain content with a ceremonial role after giving up his sweeping powers on Monday. Zardari is just 54 years-old and has enjoyed virtually unbridled power during the last 19 months.

The onslaught of Islamic fundamentalists, the economic recession and his decision to embrace the United States have cost him his popularity at home, which plummeted soon after he assumed office in 2008. But while he has always been perceived as a weak President, his tenure has seen Pakistan receiving unprecedented levels of aid, grants and assistance from the United States. It also saw the Army go after the Pakistani Taliban.

While it might be too early to assess his presidency, for the time being Zardari does not seem to have too many options but play footsie. Pakistan’s Supreme Court in December put an end to the amnesty enjoyed by his office and demands for re-opening cases of money-laundering in Switzerland have been revived. He does have immunity against prosecution till he remains in office though. But corruption charges against him are likely to surface again and he might find it difficult to cope with a resurgent judiciary.

Reviled as Mr 10 per cent, Zardari enjoyed the reputation of being a playboy. Born into a prosperous family, he was sent to London to study business. But he never graduated. An arranged marriage with Benazir Bhutto brought him close to power and he made the most of it. His wife was PM of Pakistan twice and both occasions Zardari was a minister who wielded enormous clout and power.

His life has been a roller coaster ride though with Zardari spending as many as 11 years in jail, although he was never jailed by any court. In 1990 he went to jail for the first time on corruption charges. Released in 1993, he returned to jail three years later, hours after Benazir’s government fell. This time his stay was longer and he was released only in 2004 after being cleared of 17 charges ranging from corruption to murder.

Following his release he lived in Dubai in exile. He did not return to Pakistan when Benazir returned in October, 2007 and he was not there when she was assassinated two months later. He, however, returned to Pakistan to mourn his wife and soon became the co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party along with his teenaged son, who continues to study in Oxford.

His candidature for Presidency was endorsed by PPP, largely as a tribute to the sacrifice made by his wife and Zardari assumed office of the President in September, 2008.

The 14h President of Pakistan has just clipped his own wings by restoring the Constitutional provisions introduced in 1973 by his father-in-law. But nobody is ready to bet on Zardari fading into oblivion. He has bounced back in the past and his brazen, even cheeky statement on Monday, darkly hinting at accidents, would have revived uneasiness about the man and his well-deserved reputation for manipulation.

Peshawar market blast claims 25 lives

Peshawar, April 19
At least 25 persons were killed when a suicide bomber struck during a protest organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami in this northwestern Pakistani city today, hours after a blast outside a police-run school killed a young boy.

The bomber detonated his explosive jacket in the famous Kissa Khwani Bazar at a short distance from a meeting organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami to protest frequent power cuts, witnesses said. The blast occurred at about 6.30 pm.

North West Frontier Province Senior Minister Bashir Bilour said 25 persons were killed.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Gulfat Hussain and senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader Haji Dost Muhammad were among the dead.

Forty-two persons, including policemen and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and workers, were injured, said Peshawar district administration chief Siraj Ahmed Khan.

He said the bomber was a teenaged youth who was part of the crowd that had gathered for the protest. The bomber specifically targeted DSP Hussain and blew himself up after getting close to the police officer, Khan said.

Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and officials of the bomb disposal squad confirmed the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. Officials said they had found the bomber's head. Witnesses said the bomber's explosive vest was packed with ball bearings that caused numerous injuries. — PTI

Plane kills two on runway

Jakarta, April 19
Two persons taking a shortcut on a runway in Indonesia were killed when struck by a plane today, an official said. The Tobago 10 light aircraft was coming in to land at an airstrip outside Jakarta when the two local residents rode in front of it on a motorcycle, said Civil Aviation Department director general Herry Bhakti Singayuda. "The plane couldn't avoid them... It hit the motorcycle and instantly killed the two," he said.

A flight instructor and student on board the aircraft suffered serious injuries and were rushed to hospital. Singayuda blamed officials at the government-run flying school for failing to prevent keep nearby residents from driving on the runway. "It should be a restricted zone," he said.— AFP