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200 killed in Nigeria violence
France, Italy to send officers to train rebels |
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Syria arrests Oppn leader
Pak’s Hatf-9 aims to deter India’s ‘Cold Start’ doctrine
Nepal vows not to allow anti-India activities
Americans need not visit India for cheap health care: Obama
Indian gets death for drug trafficking
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200 killed in Nigeria violence
Abuja, April 20 Buhari also vowed in a statement to recover "a stolen mandate", a declaration interpreted by analysts that the former military dictator may be going to court to challenge the outcome of the election. The violence erupted close on the heels of incumbent Goodluck Jonathan emerging victorious in Presidential polls. Civil Rights Congress (CRC) in an emailed statement here signed by its president, Shehu Sani said his members and staff were able to arrive at the figure rigorously despite restriction of movement in northern Nigeria. The CRC put the death toll in post-election violence at 200. It said the number of arrests by the military in Kaduna town alone was 1,000 just as a curfew of 24 hours which has been relaxed a little bit was put in place. Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in northern Bauchi state said 32 of its members and 82 churches were burnt in the state alone. Buhari in his statement had told his supporters: "May I use this opportunity to inform you that we have commenced consultations at the highest levels to recover your stolen mandate. I would therefore urge you to continue to be patient." He alleged that the rigging of the election was done through computer manipulations. He told his followers it is wrong to allow miscreants infiltrate their ranks and destroy worship places. "Needless to say this act is worse than the rigging of the elections." he said. People protesting the victory of Jonathan burnt homes, churches and police stations. Anti-riot policemen and the military were deployed in the streets following rioting. Riots broke out in the north after Jonathan, a Christian from the south was declared winner on Monday of a landmark vote that exposed regional tensions and led to the deadly rioting.Jonathan secured 59 per cent of the vote and easily beat his northern rival, ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who had only 32 per cent. More than 50 persons have been killed with many wounded in rioting in states of Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, Niger, Borno, Jigawa, and Nasarawa, eyewitnesses and hospital sources said. An estimated 25,000 have been displaced and some 375 wounded, according to the Red Cross. 24-hours curfew was imposed in Kaduna and Kano, while limited restrictions of movement were enforced in the remaining states as Buhari's supporters took to the street violently protesting the results of the elections. — PTI
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France, Italy to send officers to train rebels
Tripoli/London, April 20 French President promised to step up air strikes on Gaddafi's forces. "We are indeed going to intensify the attacks and respond to this request from the (Libyan) national transition council. We will help you," Nicholas Sarkozy told Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the leader of the opposition Libyan National Council in Paris. The European military officers will help advise rebels on technical, logistical and organisational issues. In Washington, officials said that the US will give $25 million to rebels in non-lethal assistance. Meanwhile, fearing a massacre in Misurata, rebel leaders asked NATO to dispatch ground troops to break the siege. — PTI
Syria arrests Oppn leader
Damascus: Syrian authorities arrested an opposition figure in the restive city of Homs, an activist said on Wednesday as rights groups derided the government’s move to end decades of draconian emergency rule. Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Mahmud Issa was taken into custody in Homs on Tuesday, hours after the cabinet approved a bill to rescind the state of emergency. The bill will now go before parliament, which is not due to meet until after May 2. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people defied the authorities and protested against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in the northern coastal city of Banias late on Tuesday, witnesses said. — AFP
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Pak’s Hatf-9 aims to deter India’s ‘Cold Start’ doctrine
Pakistan’s new short-range nuclear-capable Hatf-9 missile is primarily aimed at deterring India’s ‘Cold Start’ military doctrine that envisages quick thrusts by small integrated battle groups in the event of hostilities, experts and analysts here have claimed. The Hatf-9 or Nasr, described as a missile with a range of 60 km and designed to carry “nuclear warheads of appropriate yield with high accuracy”, was tested for the first time at an undisclosed location on Tuesday.
The missile will be deployed with a mobile multi-barrel launch system that has “shoot and scoot attributes”, or the ability to fire at a target and immediately relocate to another position to avoid enemy counter-fire. Strategic planners term the test a ‘new and very significant development’ since the missile falls in the category of tactical nuclear weapons. “This is a low-yield battlefield deterrent, capable of deterring and inflicting punishment on mechanised forces like armed brigades and divisions,” said an expert in the field of missile technology. “This takes care of the Indian Army’s obsession with finding space for limited war under the nuclear umbrella,” he said. With the development of the Hatf-9’s shoot and scoot capability, “Indian planners will now be deterred from considering options of limited war”, the military sources said. The Pakistani military had formulated its “new war fighting concept” in response to India’s Cold Start doctrine, the Dawn newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying. The development of the Hatf-9 is also being seen as a major achievement in terms of miniaturisation of nuclear warheads, the daily reported.
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Nepal vows not to allow anti-India activities
Against the backdrop of increased anti-India activities by Maoists, Nepal on Wednesday assured New Delhi that its security concerns would be addressed and vowed not to allow any activity from its soil directed at the neighbouring country.
On its part, India affirmed its commitment to Nepal’s peace process and voiced confidence that the Jhala Nath Khanal government here would be able to draft a new Constitution by the May 28 deadline to take the democratic process forward. “Peace process and drafting a Constitution are the twin responsibilities of the Prime Minister of Nepal and I am confident that he will be able to fulfill his responsibility,” External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, who is on a three-day visit here, told reporters after meeting Nepal’s top leadership Krishna, who met President Ram Baran Yadav, Premier Khanal and Deputy Premier Bharat Mohan Adhikary, discussed peace, security, bilateral cooperation and current political developments in Nepal with them. According to Milan Tuladhar, Prime Minister Khanal's foreign affairs adviser, Krishna expressed serious security concerns and possible cross-border crimes. "Since there is an open border between Nepal and India the latter can be affected from the possible political instability here in Nepal," Tuladhar quoted Krishna as saying to Khanal. During the talks, Nepal assured India that it would address its security concerns. Instability and insecurity in Nepal would also pose a threat to India, Tuladhar said, briefing reporters about the talks. “The Prime Minister has assured India that Nepal will not allow any activity that would pose threat to India’s security,” he said.
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Americans need not visit India for cheap health care: Obama
Washington, April 20 "My preference would be that you don't have to travel to Mexico or India to get cheap health care. I'd like you to be able to get it right here in the United States of America that is high quality," Obama said amidst applause at a community college in Virginia. Obama was responding to a question from the audience on increasing health care cost in the US. Earlier, Obama's remarks on American companies outsourcing jobs to Indian firms had stirred a controversy in India. "Before we went on the path of you can go somewhere else to get your health care, let's work to see if we can reduce the costs of health care here in the United States of America. That's going to make a big difference," he said. — PTI
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Indian gets death for drug trafficking
Kuala Lumpur, April 20 Waheed was convicted of smuggling more than three kilograms of ketamine at an international airport outside Kuala Lumpur, National news agency Bernama reported. Malaysia hands down mandatory death sentence for crimes including drug trafficking. In early January, a Malaysian High Court judicial commissioner had sentenced Indian national Najmudeen Abdul for drug trafficking. — PTI
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Abuja, April 20
Tripoli/London, April 20
Against the backdrop of increased anti-India activities by Maoists, Nepal on Wednesday assured New Delhi that its security concerns would be addressed and vowed not to allow any activity from its soil directed at the neighbouring country.
