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North Korea’s heir debuts at giant military parade
Another Kiwi anchor sparks racist controversy
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‘Kill Musharraf, get prize’
Wife ‘meets’ China’s jailed Nobel laureate
At the surface, a taxing new life will begin for them
After 12 rounds of poll, Nepal still without PM
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North Korea’s heir debuts at giant military parade
Pyongyang, October 10 The two Kims stood on a reviewing stand at Pyongyang’s central Kim II Sung Square, named after the country’s national founder, where goose-stepping military personnel marched by and military hardware, including tanks, passed below. The festivities were broadcast on state television, giving the North Korean people one of their first good looks at their future leader, who will succeed his father to carry the communist dynasty into the third generation. The elder Kim entered the venue to huge cheers from the crowd. He was accompanied by his son and other top officials, including Kim Yong Nam, the president of the country’s parliament. The parade is a part of celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The party last month held a landmark political convention, its most significant gathering in 30 years, at which Kim Jong Un was promoted to vice-chairman of the organisation’s central military commission. Kim Jong Un, who was not dressed in military uniform as some analysts had expected, saluted the military personnel as they goose-stepped past the reviewing stand. He wore the same dark, communist-style outfit he has been seen photographed in recently since making his public debut late last month. Earlier, a North Korean flag was raised and military officers in full dress uniform watching as a band played rousing music and the large crowd looked on. “If the US imperialists and their followers infringe on our sovereignty and dignity even slightly, we will blow up the stronghold of their aggression with a merciless and righteous retaliatory strike by mobilizing all physical means, including self-defensive nuclear deterrent force, and achieve the historic task of unification,” Ri Yong Ho, chief of the General Staff of the North Korean army, said before troops began marching. Even in a country known for its elaborately staged displays of military might, the scale and pomp of the weekend festivities less than two weeks the news that Kim Jong Il’s 20-something son would succeed him and grandfather as leader suggested something special. Today’s appearance was a heady debut for the mysterious young man who until two weeks ago was a virtual unknown outside North Korea’s inner circle of military and political elite. Kim Jong Un is the third son of Kim Jong II but his name never appeared in state media until late last month, and even the exact spelling of his name was unclear. Nor were they any photos of him as an adult until the state’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper last week published a group shot of the young man seated with his father and other top party leaders. This week, state television showed still images of father and son watching a military unit carry out live-fire drills. The Swiss-educated son said to be his 68-year-old father’s favourite emerged in recent months as the rumored front-runner to inherit the mantle of leadership, despite his youth and inexperience. There were reports that children were singing odes to “the Young Commander,” and that his January birthday had been made a national holiday like those of his father and grandfather. — AP
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Another Kiwi anchor sparks racist controversy
Melbourne, October 10 Even as TV presenter Henry's racial remarks against both Dikshit and Satyanand landed him in a soup, forcing him to quit, radio host Michael Laws sparked another racial row, yet again targeting the Governor-General. He said Satyanand was a "very large, fat man" who appears to have "never left" the buffet table. "I don't know why but just on an Indian it seems slightly incongruous. I mean, we don't all expect Indians to be begging on the streets of New Delhi, but it's like Anand discovered the buffet table at, like, 20 and he's never really left it," he said. The comment came last week, the same day when Henry's remarks attracted much media attention, the New Zealand Herald reported. It said Laws' bosses at RadioLive have also come under fire for saying they were comfortable with his remarks. RadioLive station manager Jana Rangooni said in a statement that she was not concerned about Laws' comments. "... Michael Laws made some personal observations about his size which were not racist, and having listened to the audio I am comfortable from the tone of the comments that they were not intended to be offensive," she said.
— PTI
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‘Kill Musharraf, get prize’
Islamabad, October 10 The offer was made by Talal Akbar Bugti, the son of late Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and chief of the Jamhoori Watan Party, while addressing a news conference in Quetta yesterday. Bugti said Musharraf also deserved a death sentence for overthrowing an elected government in 1999. “I give the status of wajib-ul-qatl (fit to be killed) to Musharraf. As you are aware, he ended a democratic government elected with a large mandate in 1999 and he deserves the death sentence according to Article 6 (of the constitution which relates to high treason). Therefore, he is wajib-ul-qatl,” said Bugti. “(Musharraf) is also wajib-ul-qatl for killing innocent people in Balochistan. The government allowed him to leave the country,” he said. He said Musharraf also deserves to die for killing innocent people. Besides, Musharraf was fit to be killed as he had committed many “unforgivable” crimes, including the killing of innocent people during the 2007 Lal Masjid operation, he said. Bugti said he would give land and money to any person who killed Musharraf, now living in self-exile in Britain. Bugti condemned Musharraf’s allegation that his father was a traitor and claimed the former President had strengthened case against him by acknowledging his links in the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti. Addressing the news conference along with senior PML-N leader Sardar Yaqoob Nasir, Bugti said Musharraf had been fully exposed in front of the public after his recent comments to the media. Such “false statements” by Musharraf have caused irreparable damage to Pakistan’s sovereignty, he said.
— PTI
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Wife ‘meets’ China’s jailed Nobel laureate
Jinzhou, October 10 The couple met this afternoon, the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said in a faxed statement, citing Liu Xiaobo’s mother-in-law. Immediately after he was announced the winner on Friday, his wife Liu Xia said the police was arranging to take her to Liu’s prison in northeast China, where she hoped to inform him of the award. Since then her mobile phone has been switched off and her whereabouts unknown. — AFP
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At the surface, a taxing new life will begin for them
There will be celebrations and euphoria in the next few days, as the trapped Chilean miners see daylight for the first time since August 5. But as yet unknown is the impact of the long incarceration on the minds and bodies of these 33 men. Psychologists warn that once the initial jubilation has died down, the long-term effects of the ordeal could show. Most common is likely to be recurring flashbacks. Peter Kinderman, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: When you are exposed to a life-threatening incident, you are likely to have episodes where you go through this emotional re-imagining of the trauma from time to time. You can expect to wake up in the middle of the night with traumatic memories. Anything likely to trigger a recollection, whether that is the smell of damp stone or a sound that was familiar like dripping water - can cause a sudden emotional reaction. Rebuilding relationships with wives and girlfriends after the experience could also be a test. Christine Northam, a relationship counsellor, said: The separation is one thing, but it is the way the couples cope with the trauma they have been through that will be the test. Relationships can be enhanced when you have been through a drama and proved you can survive it, but the long-term mental health problems for someone buried alive could cause relationship breakdown. One miner, Yonni Barrios, whose 10-year affair was exposed when his wife and mistress were both calling his name from the mine edge, is likely to face a tumultuous few weeks. Ms Northam said: The normal feelings around affairs and betrayals will be intensified because of the events, meaning relationship breakdown and change is more likely to happen. The miners could also experience the physical impact of their entombment in the coming weeks. While they used giant elastic bands to stretch and keep fit, and maintained a diet of 2,200 calories a day until the eight-hour fast each miner must undergo before getting in the rescue capsule, there were some aspects of daily life it was not possible to recreate, above all, daylight. Derk-Jan Dijk, professor of sleep and physiology at Surrey University, said: Because the miners have not been exposed to natural light, their sleep cycles will be affected. As they readjust to the hours of daylight and night, they will experience what is effectively jet lag. They could also suffer from stress-related sleep problems if they relive their experiences in their dreams. — The Independent.
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After 12 rounds of poll, Nepal still without PM
Kathmandu, October 10 Poudyal (65) received 89 votes in the 601-strong Constituent Assembly, where just 119 MPs were present during the voting. One lawmaker voted against him and 29 remained neutral. This was the lowest number of votes he has polled for the coveted post so far. A candidate needs 301 votes to secure simple majority. Maoists, who have 238 seats; CPN-UML with 109 MPs and the three main Terai-based Madhesi parties having nearly 80 lawmakers have been staying away from the election process as they want formation of a national government now. The 13th round of election has been scheduled for October 26. The country has been in political limbo since the June 30 resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, which has stalled Nepal’s peace process and further delayed the annual budget. Nepalese parties have been unable to elect a new leader despite a series of polls since June 30, when Nepal stood down under intense pressure from the Maoists. Poudyal, who is the leader of the second-largest Nepali Congress (NC) party, which has 114 seats in the Constituent Assembly, has refused to accept Maoists’ demand to withdraw his candidature so that the process for a national government could be initiated. — PTI
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Pyongyang, October 10
