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Maoist combatants come under govt control
Nepalese youths choose mock Prime Minister |
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Did nothing immoral in Big Boss-4, says Veena Malik
Pakistani court adjourns 26/11 case to Feb 4
Rich Indians flock to buy London houses Russian astronauts begin spacewalk Facebook is worth $ 50bn
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Maoist combatants come under govt control
Almost five years after signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006, the home-grown peace process of Nepal on Saturday entered into the new stage as the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists formally renounced the command and control of its combatants.
Organising a special ceremony in Third Division of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Shaktikhor, Chitwan district, Maoists Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias, Prachanda, handed over the PLA, former fighters, formally to the Prime Minister-led Special Committee for their Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation. At the programme, where leaders from different political parties, security forces' chiefs, representatives from national and international community, including diplomatic corps, were present, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoists Chairman Dahal signed a 12-point declaration stating that the Maoists combatants have been formally handed over to the Prime Minister-led Special Committee. Prior to signing the declaration, Prime Minister Nepal hoisted national flag in Shaktikhor Cantonment instead of their party's flag. Following the agreement, over 19,500 Maoist fighters residing in seven major cantonments and 21 satellite camps across the country, who are yet to be managed through the possible integration into the security forces and rehabilitation in the society to make the peace process a success, have come under the control of Special Committee. Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Nepal, said: "Nepal's peace process has set an example to the world with its uniqueness and want to conclude it uniquely." He urged all to concentrate towards exploring new avenues of cooperation and understanding by forgetting the past misunderstandings in a bid to make the peace process a success by managing the PLA with their timely integration and rehabilitation. He also thanked the Maoists Chairman Prachanda and all Maoists leaders and cadres for their cooperation to bring the peace process at that stage. Similarly, the Maoist Chairman Dahal reiterated PLA's contribution to peace process during and after the war. "UNMIN withdrew from Nepal without completing its mission to restore peace but still we are positive and committed to peace process," said Maoist Chairman Dahal. On the day before United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) officially withdrew from Nepal on Januay 15, the government and the Maoists had forged a three-point pact on arrangements to continue the monitoring of arms and armies after UNMIN’s closure by bringing the PLA under the Special Committee.
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Nepalese youths choose mock Prime Minister
Kathmandu: Poking fun at the Nepalese Parliament that failed to elect the Prime Minister even after 16 rounds of elections, a group of youths has chosen a 'Prime Minister' from 55 contestants who participated in a running race here.
Harendra Bhatta of Baitadi was declared as the Prime Minister after he won the mock race at a function attended by hundreds of people. The race, known as "Lig Lige Daud", was organised by the Youth Pressure Campaign as a satire on political parties, which failed to elect a new Prime Minister even seven months after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned. In the race, Sher Bahadur Bhul of Kailali district and Bina Pun of Myagdi district were declared as Dy Prime Ministers for running second and third, respectively. — PTI
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Tunisian PM pledges to quit after ‘free’ poll
Tunis, January 22 "After the transition, I will retire from political life," Ghannouchi said in an interview with Tunisian television and promised to stage "transparent and democratic elections - the first since independence" from France in 1956. "All undemocratic laws will be scrapped" during the transition to democracy, he added, mentioning electoral, anti-terrorism and media laws. The Prime Minister, who occupied the same post in the previous government before the downfall of Ben Ali exactly a week ago, was speaking as protesters yesterday called for all old regime figures to be removed from the government. "Like all Tunisians, I was afraid" under Ben Ali, he said in the interview, his ever first direct address to the nation. Ghannouchi, who earlier said in an interview with a French radio station that he had the impression that the North African country was run by Ben Ali's unpopular wife Leila, stressed yesterday that "there is no going back.
— PTI
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Did nothing immoral in Big Boss-4, says Veena Malik
"All criticism of my action is baseless, because it is being hurled without knowing the facts," Veena said in an interview with the Express TV Friday night. "I belong to the entertainment industry and have not done anything that I have not done before," she said. The actress said she was not representing Pakistan on the show but only the entertainment industry. "I know my limits. I did not wear any revealing clothes or kissed Ashmit or any co-star in the show," she said. "I was there to promote love and a spirit of friendship and have no regrets in doing so." Responding to a question about her physical intimacy with Ashmit Patel during the show, Veena denied having any such contact. "I was as close to Ashmit as any other inmate of the house," she said. "I performed namaz in the Big Boss house and even Ashmit prayed with me," she revealed, and also produced a video to prove her point. Meanwhile, Ashmit Patel, speaking on the phone from Mumbai during the interview, said that he had prayed because he found the movements in namaz "very much like yoga". "I don't believe in religion as such but have respect for all religions and keep collecting information about them," he said, adding that he found peace in performing namaz. An Islamic cleric, Mufti Abdul Baqi, who also participated in the interview, said: "Veena had shamed all Pakistanis and Muslims with her immoral acts during the show." "I want to tell her that she has not done justice to her talents by doing something which she can't watch while sitting with her brother or son in future," he said, asking her to mend her ways.
— IANS
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Pakistani court adjourns 26/11 case to Feb 4
Islamabad, January 22 Prosecutors sought more time from judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court so that the Lahore High Court could decide on the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA's) petition seeking a direction for Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai attacks, and Fahim Ansari to be declared proclaimed offenders or fugitives, sources said. Ansari was accused of surveying the places to be targeted during the 26/11 terror strikes and passing maps to his Pakistani
handlers. — PTI
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Rich Indians flock to buy London houses London, January 22 In the residential property market in which each house is worth £5 million and above, Indians now figure as the second biggest foreign buyer group. European buyers top the prime market, while Chinese buyers are third, behind Indians, according to Savills, a prominent estate agent. "Indians are a force to be reckoned with this year as they continue to buy prime residences in London. The favourable exchange rate brought foreign investors to the city’s property market in 2010," head of research at Savills, Yolande Barnes, told PTI. Indians bought residential property worth £290 million in the city's prestige areas of Mayfair, Belgravia, South Kensington, Chelsea and Holland Park during 2010. "Indians have a preference for areas such as Mayfair, Belgravia, Regent's Park, St John's Wood," Jonathan Hewlett, head of Savills London, told PTI. "The super high net worth individuals (global billionaire status) look for very substantial properties at the very top of the price range, probably in the £50 million plus bracket, while high net worth Indian buyers have budgets of £10 million pounds to £20 million," he added. The properties are reported to be second or third homes for a rising number of wealthy Indians, who now account for 7.3 per cent of all sales in £5 million-plus residential property market in London. This puts India ahead of the Asia-Pacific (7.2 per cent) in 2.6 billion super-prime real estate market here. The average property in this segment is a four-bedroom house, with a room for domestic help, used as a second home by rich Indians or their children studying in the city. — PTI
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Russian astronauts begin spacewalk
Moscow, January 22 Dmitry Kondratyev, 41, and Oleg Skripochka, 41, will spend six hours in space as part of the 27th Russian space station spacewalk, the Russian mission control centre said. It will be the first time in open space for Kondratyev and the second time for Skripochka. The astronauts arrived at the ISS on December 17 as part of the International Expedition 26 led by American Scott J. Kelly. They are to install new high-speed data transmission system and a protection hood. Kondratyev and Skripochka are attired in new Russian Orlan-MK spacesuits equipped with a digital computer. Kondratyev earlier said in his blog that the crew had tested the spacesuits onboard to make sure they were hermetically sealed under high pressure. In emergency situations, a digital screen on
the spacesuit shows what action needs to be taken. — IANS
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London, January 22 "Our business continues to perform well and we are pleased to be able to bolster our cash position with this new financing," the BBC quoted David Ebersman, Facebook's chief financial officer, as saying. The company added that it had no immediate plans for the proceeds from the fundraising, but would "continue investing to build and expand its operations". — ANI
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Islamabad, January 22