W O R L D

C’wealth vows to fight terror, piracy 
Perth, October 30 
The group of Commonwealth nations today collectively pledged to fight terrorism by preventing the use of their territories for terrorist acts or financing and also vowed to accelerate efforts to combat piracy and strengthening maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari (third from left) during the final day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth on Sunday. — PTI

Kamalesh Sharma reappointed Commonwealth Secy-Gen

Assad warns of ‘earthquake’ if West intervenes
London, October 30
Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad has warned that Western military action against his country could cause an “earthquake” that could create “another Afghanistan” and burn the whole of the Middle East. His warning came hours after UN chief Ban Ki-moon asked Syria to “immediately” end attacks on civilians, saying the violence is “unacceptable.” Western countries “are going to ratchet up the pressure, definitely,” Assad told the UK’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper in a rare interview.

The Tokyo Sky Tree, which is under construction in downtown Tokyo, will stand 634 m (2,080 feet) high after completion, and will be the tallest stand-alone communications tower in the world. — Reuters

Drone strikes again, 6 dead
Islamabad, October 30 
US drones targeted a vehicle and a compound in North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan today, killing six suspected militants, officials said.

1-child norm to continue: China
Beijing, October 30 
Despite the looming challenges of a skewed demography presented by over three decades of enforced one-child norm, China has no plans to change its family planning policy, a top official has said.

PML-N offices attacked in Sindh
Karachi, October 30 
Armed men have attacked PML-N offices across Sindh province and burnt alive a party leader two days after the main opposition party staged a major rally against ruling PPP co-chairman and President Asif Ali Zardari.

 

 

C’wealth vows to fight terror, piracy 

Perth, October 30
The group of Commonwealth nations today collectively pledged to fight terrorism by preventing the use of their territories for terrorist acts or financing and also vowed to accelerate efforts to combat piracy and strengthening maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

In a communique issued at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here, the 54-nation bloc committed to "unequivocally preventing the use of their territories for the support, incitement to violence or commission of terrorist acts".

They also agreed to work towards implementing the necessary legal framework for the suppression of terrorist financing, and preventing the raising and use of funds by terrorists, their front organisations, and transnational terrorist organisations.

They also committed to "accelerate efforts to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism".

The heads of states of the bloc met here for a three-day meeting that ended today. Vice-President Hamid Ansari represented India.

On the international security front, piracy was another issue that figured prominently in the communique as the group maintained their commitment to a stable and secure national and international environment.

Besides accelerating efforts to combat piracy and to strengthen maritime security, including through enhancing the capacity of coastal states, the communique also urged the international community to recognise that the menace of piracy in the Indian Ocean cannot be effectively tackled in the absence of political stability and security in Somalia.

It stressed for "concerted efforts towards strengthening the Transitional Federal Government and other state institutions, including the security sector”.

It also called for encouraging the international community to mobilise additional funding for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) as also combating proliferation and trafficking of illicit small arms and light weapons.

The Commonwealth leaders advocated the embracing of moderation as an important value to overcome all forms of extremism, as called for in the 'Global Movement of the Moderates' and improving legislation and capacity in tackling cyber crime and other cyber space security threats, including through the Commonwealth Internet Governance Forum's Cyber Crime Initiative.

The group also affirmed support to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and its Seventh Review Conference in December 2011 and pledged to continue tackling the root causes of conflict, including through the promotion of democracy, development and strong legitimate institutions. — PTI

Kamalesh Sharma reappointed Commonwealth Secy-Gen

Seasoned Indian diplomat Kamalesh Sharma was reappointed Secretary-General of the 54-nation Commonwealth grouping for a four-year term beginning April 2012. India proposed 70-year-old Sharma's name for a second term to the coveted post at the concluding session of the 21st Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here. Pakistan seconded it. Everybody accepted the proposal unanimously.

Lanka to host next summit

The Commonwealth on Sunday announced that Sri Lanka would host its next summit in 2013, ending speculation that the island nation could be stripped off the rights over concerns of war crime allegations during the final push to defeat the LTTE in 2009. In a communique at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here in the western Australian city, the leaders of the 54-nation grouping reiterated their decision to hold the next meeting in Sri Lanka.

A step towards reform

Taking a step-by-step approach to reforms, the Commonwealth on Sunday agreed to adopt one third of the 106 recommendations of an eminent persons group to make the grouping more relevant in current times, but virtually rejected the proposal for a human rights commissioner. Faced with a tough task of ushering in reforms, leaders of the 54-nation bloc had asked their foreign ministers to work overnight on recommedations of the 11-member Eminent Persons Group, which had gone public with its criticism. 

Assad warns of ‘earthquake’ if West intervenes

London, October 30
Syria’s embattled President Bashar al-Assad has warned that Western military action against his country could cause an “earthquake” that could create “another Afghanistan” and burn the whole of the Middle East.

His warning came hours after UN chief Ban Ki-moon asked Syria to “immediately” end attacks on civilians, saying the violence is “unacceptable.” Western countries “are going to ratchet up the pressure, definitely,” Assad told the UK’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper in a rare interview.

“But Syria is different in every respect from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen. The history is different. The politics is different. Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if you play with the ground you will cause an earthquake. Do you want to see another Afghanistan? Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region. If the plan is to divide Syria, that is to divide the whole region.”

The paper said 46-year-old Assad admitted that “many mistakes” had been made by his forces in the early part of the uprising, but insisted that only “terrorists” were now being targeted. — PTI 

Drone strikes again, 6 dead

Islamabad, October 30
US drones targeted a vehicle and a compound in North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan today, killing six suspected militants, officials said.

The CIA-operated spy planes fired six missiles at the house and the vehicle in Datta Khel area, which has witnessed numerous drone attacks over the past two years.

The missile strike occurred in an area located a few kilometres from Miranshah, the main town in the tribal district.

Two suspected militants were injured in the attack, officials told TV news channels. The large number of missiles fired seemed to indicate an important militant was targeted. The identities of those killed could not immediately be ascertained.

Residents of Miranshah said on phone that armed Taliban fighters arrived at the site and removed the bodies.

Local residents said they had not approach the site because of fears of another missile strike.

This was the third drone attack in Waziristan in four days. At least 11 suspected militants, including a Taliban commander, were killed in strikes in South and North Waziristan on Thursday.

US officials have said the Datta Khel is an important base for Afghan and Pakistani Taliban commanders as well as Al-Qaida elements.

The US has pressured Pakistan to target militants in North Waziristan, saying they stage cross-border attacks against American troops in Afghanistan. — PTI 

No permission given for attacks inside Pak: Gilani

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said no permission had been given to the US to launch drone attacks on targets inside Pakistan. 

1-child norm to continue: China

Beijing, October 30
Despite the looming challenges of a skewed demography presented by over three decades of enforced one-child norm, China has no plans to change its family planning policy, a top official has said.

Dismissing concerns over the fact that the world’s most populous country would be saddled with over 440 million old people in the next four decades, Li Bin, director of State Population and Family Planning Commission said, keeping reproduction rate low would still be a policy priority.

China will adhere to its family planning policy so as to maintain a low reproduction rate, Li said in an interview with official Xinhua news agency.

“Over-population remains one of the major challenges to social and economic development,” he said, adding that the population of China will hit 1.45 billion in 2020 from the current 1.34 billion.

Li said maintaining and improving the existing family planning policy and keeping a low reproduction rate, along with addressing the issues of gender imbalance and an aging population, will be the major tasks in the future.

China’s family planning policies might have helped contain its rapid rise in population but experts have warned that this has skewed the demographics, leaving the country with a growing older population.

Besides, preference of a male child has also led to a kewed sex ratio. Li’s words came just one day before October 31, the day on which the United Nations estimates the world’s population will reach seven billion.

In 2010, there were 118 boys for every 100 girls born in China, while over 13 per cent of the country’s population is aged 60 or above. — PTI 

PML-N offices attacked in Sindh

Karachi, October 30
Armed men have attacked PML-N offices across Sindh province and burnt alive a party leader two days after the main opposition party staged a major rally against ruling PPP co-chairman and President Asif Ali Zardari.

PML-N offices were ransacked and set on fire in different cities and towns of southern Sindh province, a stronghold of the Pakistan People’s Party, late last night, the police said. The armed attackers fired gunshots in the air, witnesses said. No one was hurt in the attacks as all the offices were closed at the time of the attacks. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks but PML-N leaders blamed the ruling PPP and its allies for the incidents.

In a separate incident, unidentified men poured petrol on PML-N leader Rana Shaukat and set him alight while he was sleeping at his home at Changa Manga near Kasur in Punjab province early this morning.

Shaukat was found with severe burn injuries by his relatives. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Shaukat was a relative of Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Mohammed Iqbal.

It could not immediately be ascertained if the attack on Shaukat was linked to the attacks on PML-N offices.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Sindh’s Home Minister Manzoor Wasan condemned the attacks on PML-N offices in the province and ordered an inquiry. “These things will not be tolerated or allowed and the culprits will be brought to book. In democracy such intolerant acts are unacceptable,” Malik said.

PML-N leaders said unknown men attacked three PML-N offices within an hour. A police official confirmed that in Hyderabad, Kandkot, Jacoabad and Nawabshah, the miscreants also burnt posters of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. — PTI