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Syria’s Assad vows ‘iron fist’ Syrian President Bashar al-Assad delivers a speech on Tuesday. — AFP
India, Israel should cooperate to end terror: Krishna
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NY prohibits cos from doing biz with Iran
The New York state legislature has passed a bill prohibiting companies doing business with Iran’s energy industry from entering into contracts with the state. The Bill named the ‘Iran Divestment Act’ was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. It would prohibit companies that provide goods, services or credit worth $20 million or more to Iran’s energy industry from entering into or renewing state and local government contracts.
Suu Kyi becomes party chief as bypoll nears
Blast kills 29 in Pak’s Khyber region
At least 29 persons were killed and over 40 others injured when a powerful bomb blast ripped through a crowded market in the restive Khyber tribal region of northwest Pakistan today, officials and witnesses said. The bomb was planted in a pick-up truck that was parked at a stand for trucks and buses at the market in Jamrud, one of the main towns of Khyber Agency. All persons sitting in the truck were killed instantly when the bomb went off, witnesses said.
Body of Indian-origin student found in UK
 The body of 20-year-old Indian-origin student Gurdeep Hayer has been found in Manchester city
centre, eight days after he went missing, the UK police said today. The body was found in River Medlock in the city centre of Manchester yesterday and was identified today as that of
Gurdeep, who was missing since January 2.
Bombers storm Afghanistan govt building, 7 killed
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Syria’s Assad vows ‘iron fist’
Beirut, January 10 The President’s 100-minute speech, his first public address since June, contained vague promises of reform, but no sweeping concessions that might split an opposition now determined to end more than four decades of domination by the Assad family. Assad, 46, gave no sign that he was willing to relinquish the power he inherited on his father’s death in 2000. “I am not someone who abandons responsibility,” he declared. “I am in this position because of support from the people and if I leave it will be because of the desire of the people.” Assad made scathing remarks about the Arab League, which has sent monitors to check Syria’s compliance with an Arab peace plan after suspending it from the 22-member body in November. “The Arab League has failed for six decades to take a position in the Arab interest ... We should not be surprised,” he said, while adding that Syria would not “close the door” to any Arab proposal that respected its sovereignty and unity. Syria, Assad complained, was the target of a relentless foreign media campaign. Blaming unrest on “outside planning”, he said, “The outside now regrettably includes Arabs.” His approach to unrest, casting it as a foreign conspiracy and countering it with violent repression and hazy promises of reform, resembled that of other Arab leaders confronted by mass protests in the past year. Despite the persistent upheaval in Syria, in which insurgent attacks have begun to eclipse civilian demonstrations, Assad’s security forces seem to retain the upper hand. “The Syrian regime is likely to retain power throughout most of 2012,” said Ayham Kamel of the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy. “Although military defections will increase, the army is likely to maintain its coherence,” he said, adding that powerful business leaders in Damascus and Aleppo would only abandon Assad if a credible alternative leadership emerged. The Syrian opposition, riven by factional splits, has yet to form a widely accepted representative council. Reviewing progress since the monitors began work on December 26, the Arab League said on Sunday that Syria had only partly kept an agreement to stop violence, withdraw troops from cities, free prisoners, provide media access and open a political dialogue. Many of Assad’s critics say the Arab monitoring mission has failed to halt the bloodshed and is only giving the authorities more time to crack down on protesters. The League has decided to expand the 165-strong mission and keep it going at least until it reports again on January 19.
— Reuters Israel readies for refugees JERUSALEM: Israel is making preparations to house refugees from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite sect should his government fall, Israel’s military chief said. “On the day that the regime falls, it is expected to result in a blow to the Alawite sect. We are preparing to take in Alawite refugees on the Golan Heights,” he said. 11 monitors hurt in attack CAIRO:
Eleven members of a team of Arab monitors were injured when their vehicles were attacked this week by protesters in the Syrian city of
Latakia, a senior Arab League official said on Tuesday. “Eleven monitors among a group visiting Latakia were wounded when protesters attacked vehicles transporting the team. No side fired shots,” he said.
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India, Israel should cooperate to end terror: Krishna
Jerusalem, January 10 The two countries signed an Extradition Treaty and a pact on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners as Krishna wound up his two-day visit here, first by an Indian Foreign Minister in over a decade. During his stay here before travelling to Palestine, Krishna met the top leadership including President Simon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu besides holding elaborate talks with his counterpart Avigdor Lieberman. The External Affairs Minister highlighted the problems faced by both India and Isreal due to terrorism. “So I think we will have to work out a strategy as how we address ourselves to the scourge of international terrorism which has become a curse for the entire humanity,” he said. "I think our efforts should be to checkmate it and ultimately eradicate terror from the face of the earth," Krishna said in comments that came in the backdrop of increasing cooperation between Tel Aviv and New Delhi in the field of homeland security and defence. — PTI
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NY prohibits cos from doing biz with Iran
New York, January 10 “The Senate’s swift action shows how important it is that we stand together to condemn tyrannical governments like Iran which sponsor terrorism, have attempted to acquire nuclear weapons and threaten US allies like Israel, as Iran has repeatedly done,” Skelos said. Federal law authorises state and local governments to divest from companies whose interests in Iran’s energy sector directly or indirectly support its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The divestment would apply to companies engaged in oil or natural gas development in Iran, as well any company found to be directly involved in nuclear power. The legislation directs the Office of General Services to create a list of people, corporations and other organizations with investments of more than $20 million in the Iranian energy sector. Those on the list would be excluded from bidding on government contracts. The Bill also requires individuals or entities to certify they are not on the list when they submit bids to state agencies.
— PTI
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Suu Kyi becomes party chief as bypoll nears
Yangon, January 10 The Nobel laureate has taken the reins of her National League for Democracy
(NLD), a party she helped form more than two decades ago, as part of a decision to enter the political mainstream amid nascent reform in the country. "According to our party structure Daw Aung San Suu Kyi became the chairman of the
NLD," spokesman Nyan Win told AFP. Daw is a term of respect. He added that Suu Kyi took up the chairmanship during the official registration process, which began late last year and was formally approved last week. Locked up by Myanmar's previous military rulers for much of the past 20 years, Suu Kyi was long a figurehead for the
NLD, but the leadership role went to older party members, as is the cultural norm in the country. The 66-year-old now plans to contest the April 1 by-elections in a constituency near
Yangon. A total of 48 seats are up for grabs in the vote, but the number available is not enough to threaten the resounding majority held by the ruling party. One quarter of parliament's seats are also reserved for soldiers.
— AFP
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Blast kills 29 in Pak’s Khyber region
Islamabad, January 10 The bomb was planted in a pick-up truck that was parked at a stand for trucks and buses at the market in Jamrud, one of the main towns of Khyber Agency. All persons sitting in the truck were killed instantly when the bomb went off, witnesses said. Officials of the political administration told the media that at least 29 persons had died in the attack. The injured were initially taken to nearby hospitals. Those with serious wounds were shifted to Peshawar city, the capital of Khyber-Paktunkhwa province. The blast damaged a petrol pump and several vehicles. Reports said members of an anti-Taliban militia were passing through the market at the time of the explosion. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Several militant groups, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam, are active in the region. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan recently warned it would carry out attacks in retaliation for operations against its fighters in the tribal belt.
— PTI
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Body of Indian-origin student found in UK London, January 10 The body was found in River Medlock in the city centre of Manchester yesterday and was identified today as that of Gurdeep, who was missing since January 2. The Greater Manchester Police investigating his disappearance today said the body was found in the river near the York Street in the Manchester city centre and was today formally identified as that of Gurdeep. "There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. A Home Office post-mortem is due to take place later this week," the police said. The police said the search for Gurdeep had been called off after the body was
discovered. No further details were available on the circumstances related to his death.
— PTI
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Bombers storm Afghanistan govt building, 7 killed
Kabul:
Three policemen and four civilians were killed when a group of suicide bombers stormed a government building in southeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the interior ministry said. After a siege that lasted for hours, all the bombers were killed, ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told AFP on Tuesday.
“There were three suicide bombers, one of them was gunned down by police, the two others detonated themselves. “Three policemen and four civilians have been martyred, and two policemen and one civilian have been injured,” he said.
— PTI
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Beirut, January 10
Democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi has become head of her political party, a spokesman said today, as she prepares to fight by-elections to enter Myanmar's army-dominated parliament.
The Nobel laureate has taken the reins of her National League for Democracy (NLD), a party she helped form more than two decades ago, as part of a decision to enter the political mainstream amid nascent reform in the country.
"According to our party structure Daw Aung San Suu Kyi became the chairman of the
NLD," spokesman Nyan Win told AFP. Daw is a term of respect. He added that Suu Kyi took up the chairmanship during the official registration process, which began late last year and was formally approved last week.
