The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Stop killings, UN chief tells Syrian President Assad offers amnesty for ‘crimes’ during revolt Beirut, January 15 The UN chief told Bashar al-Assad today to "stop killing your people" and the Syrian leader offered an amnesty for "crimes" committed during a 10-month-old revolt against him. Assad's violent response to the uprising has killed more than 5,000 people, by a U.N. count. The Syrian authorities say 2,000 members of the security forces have also been killed. "Today, I say again to President Assad of Syria: stop the violence, stop killing your people. The path of repression is a dead end," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a conference in Lebanon on democratic transitions in the Arab world. "From the very beginning of the ... revolutions, from Tunisia through Egypt and beyond, I called on leaders to listen to their people," Ban said. "Some did, and benefited. Others did not, and today they are reaping the whirlwind." Syria's state news agency said Assad had granted an amnesty for "crimes committed in the context of the events since March 15, 2011, until January 15, 2012". The amnesty would run to the end of the month, covering army deserters and people held for having unauthorised arms or violating laws on peaceful protest. Addounia television said Arab League monitors discussed implementing the amnesty with the Damascus police on Sunday. They also visited a hospital in the coastal city of Banias. Anti-Assad protests began in March inspired by a wave of popular anger against autocratic rulers sweeping the Arab world. Assad has issued several amnesties since the start of protests, but opposition groups say thousands of people remain behind bars and that many have been tortured or abused. The Avaaz campaign group said on December 22 that at least 69,000 people had been detained since the start of the uprising, of whom 32,000 had been released. Freeing detainees was one of the terms of an Arab peace plan, which also called for an end to bloodshed, the withdrawal troops and tanks from the streets and a political dialogue. Arab intervention? Qatar's emir, once a friend of Assad, has said Arab troops may have to step in to halt the bloodletting that has gone on unchecked despite the presence of Arab League monitors sent to find out if the Arab peace plan agreed last year is working. Asked if he was in favour of Arab nations intervening in Syria, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told the US broadcaster CBS: "For such a situation to stop the killing ... some troops should go to stop the killing." The emir, whose country backed last year's NATO campaign that helped Libyan rebels topple Muammar Gaddafi, is the first Arab leader to propose Arab military intervention in Syria. — Reuters
	ElBaradei pulls out of presidential race Says there is ‘no democracy’ in Egypt even after Mubarak’s ouster Cairo, January 15 Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading contender for Egyptian presidential race, abruptly withdrew his candidacy in protest over the military’s continued grip on power, saying there is “no real democracy” even after the ouster of former strongman Hosni Mubarak. Declaring there is still no real political change in the country, ElBaradei, 69, said in a statement, “My conscience does not allow me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless there is real democracy.” Elbaradei, who had played a significant role in the January revolution, said a fair election would not be possible under the military’s grip. The former IAEA chief said he had taken his decision in protest at the way Egypt’s military rulers governed “as though no revolution had taken place”. He said yesterday that his decision does not mean a complete withdrawal from the political scene but that he will continue serving society “outside any positions of power, freed from all the chains”. The Nobel Peace Laureate praised the revolutionary youths who led massive popular uprisings that toppled Mubarak last year but said “the former regime did not fall”. ElBaradei’s comments reflect growing disenchantment with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which has been running Egypt since Mubarak was ousted in February last year following an 18-day popular revolt. The Egyptian presidential election is scheduled to take place in June 2012. The SCAF has repeatedly pledged to cede full powers to civilian rule when a president is elected by the end of June, but there is widespread belief that the military wants to maintain a political role in the country’s future. ElBaradei had wanted a new constitution to be drawn up from scratch before any elections took place. However, the SCAF opted to go ahead with parliamentary elections first. The SCAF has also come under fire over its human rights record in recent months, in the face of accusations that it has been resorting to Mubarak-era tactics to stifle dissent. Egypt witnessed deadly clashes between democracy protesters and security forces in November - before parliamentary polls began. Mubarak is on trial and the prosecution has called for him to be hanged over the killing of hundreds of demonstrators in the January to February 2011 unrest. However, ElBaradei’s critics say he never stood much chance of becoming president, his decision is being seen by some as a blow to the liberal camp, Al Ahram online said. The Islamists, who won more than two thirds of the vote in the first round of parliamentary elections, are projected to win all three stages of the country’s first polls since a popular uprising Mubarak. — PTI
	Al-Qaida militants seize Yemen town Sanaa, January 15 Al-Qaida militants have seized a small town southeast of Yemen's capital Sanaa today in another setback to efforts to restore order after President Ali Abdullah Saleh formally handed over power following almost a year of mass protests against his rule. A police source and witnesses said the militants met little resistance from a small police force when they entered the town of Radda in al-Baydah province, 170 km from Sanaa, on Saturday night, seizing an ancient citadel and mosque. The capture of Radda expanded Al-Qaida control outside the southern province of Abyan, where they have taken over several towns since the uprising against Saleh began. Saleh signed a deal brokered by Yemen's Gulf neighbours in November under which he shifted formal power to his deputy. But he has not yet left the country and continues to wield a great deal of power through relatives' control of security forces. "I call again on President Saleh to abide by the terms of the agreement," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said in Beirut during a Middle East visit, noting that a UN mediator had been "at the heart of negotiations" with Saleh. The anti-Saleh unrest has emboldened groups linked to Al-Qaida's Yemen-based regional wing, which the United States has called the most dangerous branch of the militant network. — Reuters
	Blast at Shia procession claims 20 lives in Pak Lahore, January 15 A powerful blast ripped through a Shia procession in Pakistan’s Punjab province today, killing at least 20 devotees and injuring more than 30 others, witnesses said. The explosion targeted the procession marking the ‘Chehlum’ of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Hazrat Imam Husain in Khanpur, 350 km from Lahore, this afternoon. Witnesses said people ran helter-skelter when the blast went off as the procession was making its way to the Darbar Husain ‘imambargah’ or prayer hall in the centre of the town. A journalist at the site of the blast told PTI that he had seen 15 bodies being brought to a hospital. Officials said another five persons succumbed to their injuries at the same hospital. Over 30 injured people were taken to hospitals in Khanpur and nearby Rahim Yar Khan, officials said. “I was present some 300 metres from the site of explosion, which appeared to have been caused by a planted device,” a witness named Abbas Raza said. The impact of the blast was so powerful that he was thrown to the ground and could not recover his senses for several minutes, he said. “Several people were lying in a pool of blood,” Raza said. Local residents took the injured to a nearby hospital before rescue teams reached the site, he said. Geo News channel beamed dramatic footage that showed the blast going off as the procession made its way along a narrow street with residential buildings on both sides. Men, women and children ran in panic as the explosion threw up a dense cloud of dust. Hospital officials said many of the injured were hit by pellets. — PTI
	A loud bang, then panic as ship ran aground Ordeal began as passengers ate dinner Around 100 jumped into the sea after lifeboats overloaded Giglio, January 15 Passengers had just settled down to a relaxed dinner when the first shock was felt, launching them into a terrifying ordeal as their liner flipped over off the coast of Italy. "We heard a loud rumble, the glasses and plates fell from the tables, the ship tilted and the lights went off," said passenger Luciano Castro, describing the first moments after the giant liner Costa Concordia hit a rock. Castro, an Italian, was one of the more than 3,200 people who had just begun a weeklong cruise of the western Mediterranean. For the 1,000-strong crew of the Costa Concordia, a floating resort that boasted seven restaurants, a dozen bars and the largest spa and biggest cinema ever built on a cruise ship, it was a routine trip conducted throughout the year. But there was confusion that turned quickly to panic and chaos after the shock was felt among the passengers and the army of waiters, musicians and entertainers on board. "We didn't understand at once. We thought it was some kind of a drill, or maybe a minor accident, and that all would end in a minute," said Ludmila Yatsyshian, a Russian passenger. Officials believe the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, had brought the 114,500-tonne vessel too close to the shore, where it struck the rock, tearing a large gash in the hull. He did not give an immediate order to abandon ship but made an attempted safety manoeuvre before realising he had no choice but to evacuate as water poured in. "He turned the prow towards the port of Giglio and cast the anchors into the water in a bid to hold the ship steady as close as possible to the coast," a coastguard official said. Schettino has been arrested for manslaughter after at least three people died. Prosecutors also charged him with leaving the ship around midnight, when some passengers were still on board. After the initial impact, the lights went out and passengers were left waiting for long minutes until an announcement was made over the intercom that the ship had suffered a technical problem but there was no cause for alarm. "After approximately 20 minutes a voice told us there was a problem with the electricity that they were trying to fix," Castro said. "The ship continued to tilt further. After 15 minutes they said again that it was a problem with the electricity, but no one believed it," he said. The ship's big staterooms and stairwells were quickly filled with frightened passengers. Crew members, few of whom knew the Italian spoken by the largest number of passengers, nearly 1,000, struggled to contain the rising panic as the ship began to list alarmingly. Cabin crew eventually began to gather people at meeting points and direct them towards lifeboats but panic was spreading quickly among passengers. As the ship listed heavily, it became very difficult to lower the packed boats into the water and many frightened passengers were left waiting in cold weather for as much as two hours before they were taken off the stricken vessel. As delays continued and the crush built up in the lifeboats, many passengers decided to take their fate into their own hands and swim to shore. Once in the cold water, however, they faced a new danger as the enormous ship loomed above them, listing heavily. "I kept looking at the boat, it was coming down so I wanted to make sure I could get further away, so that if it comes it doesn't trap us," Davies said. "And I got on my back and I said to my wife: kick! kick! kick! swim!" He said he saw around 100 people swim ashore in the dark and icy waters. — Reuters 130 Indians rescued New Delhi: At least 130 Indians were rescued on life boats and taken to a safe place. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has instructed Indian Ambassador to Italy Debabatra Saha to reach the accident spot by tomorrow morning. Two Indian officials have already reached the site. — PTI
	Not a happy New Year for Indians in UK London, January 15 The New Year has begun with bad news for Indians in Britain, mainly of the crime variety, with members of the community figuring prominently in murders and deaths, starting with the fallout of the unprovoked killing of Anuj Bidve, a day after Christmas. As Bidve’s killing sent shock waves among parents in India whose children are currently studying here, or are considering sending them here from the next academic year, at least three more high profile cases turned Indian journalists based here into crime reporters in the past two weeks. Britain is considered as one of the safest places to study or live, and university officials have exerted to reassure Indians students and parents of their safety. Efforts are continuing to ensure that the Bidve killing does not lead to less applications from potential students in India and elsewhere at a time when deep funding cuts makes income from international students vital for the survival of subjects departments in many universities. As Bidve’s family visited the spot of his killing in Salford, an unnamed Asian was subjected to group and racial assault during an attempted robbery nearby on January 3. The Asian ran off after being assaulted by the person on the bike, but the group chased him and later all four assaulted him. He was punched in the head and subjected to racist abuse, the police said. The Greater Manchester Police, whose handling of the Bidve killing has been appreciated by the family and others, remained busy with another incident, when a British Asian of Indian-origin, Gurdeep Hayer, was reported missing since January 2. He had travelled from West Bromwich to Manchester to celebrate New Year eve with friends. More than a week after he was reported missing, as friends and family put up posters in Manchester to help trace him and the police scoured CCTV footage, Hayer’s body was found in River Medlock in the city centre. Another recent case that shocked the Indian community was the double murder last week of Birmingham-based Avtar Singh Kolar and his wife Carole Kolar. Their bodies were found by their police officer son, Jason Kolar, from their house in a locality described as ‘posh’. There was a grim irony behind the couple’s murder because they reportedly sold a house in Goa because they worried that India was ‘unstable’. There are now little signs of stability outside their house, where a police tent has been put, shocked residents lay flowers and message, and the news media jostle for space. An Indian-origin person was again in the news for the wrong reasons, this time from the hallowed academic environs of the University of Oxford. Devinder Sivia, a Mathematics lecturer, was initially suspected to have caused the death of his close friend and colleague, noted astrophysicist Professor Stephen Rawlings last week. Sivia, whose parents have roots in Punjab, has since been defended by Rawlings’ wife, who asked that he should not be “tarnished” for her husband’s death. After his arrest on January 12, Sivia has been released on bail, without any charge. Senior Labour MP Keith Vaz, who interacted with the Bidve family during their visit here to collect Anuj’s body, says visitors to Britain “deserve the best”, and has called for efforts to ensure more safety for international students. Commending the efforts of the Greater Manchester Police for its handling of the Bidve case, Vaz wrote: “But we need to try even harder. After the trial, we need a full and comprehensive report of exactly what happened so that everyone can know the full facts. But, above all, we want a swift and fair trial so that the criminal justice system will match the great dignity of the Bidve family. Nothing less will do”. — PTI 2012: An ominous start Anuj Bidve (23) was shot dead near Manchester a day after Christmas and is in the news since the beginning of the year. The body of 20-year-old Indian-origin student Gurdeep Hayer was found in Manchester city center on January, eight days after he went missing. An Indian-origin man Avtar Singh Kolar and his wife Carole Kolar were found murdered in Birmingham on January 11. An Indian-origin person was again in the news for the wrong reasons. Devinder Sivia, a Mathematics lecturer, was initially suspected to have caused the death of his close friend and colleague in Oxfordshire
	Democracy icon Suu Kyi hints at possible govt role Yangon, January 15 Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi today said that she did not rule out taking a government position if she wins a parliamentary seat in upcoming byelections. “It depends on the circumstances and it depends (on) minister of what,” the Nobel laureate replied when asked whether she would accept a government post if offered one. When a reporter suggested the post of foreign minister, she laughed and replied: “I will have to think very seriously about that.” The 66-year-old, released from years of house arrest in November 2010 soon after a controversial election won by the military’s political allies, plans to contest the April 1 by-election in a constituency near Yangon. A nominally civilian government took power in Myanmar last year, ending almost five decades of outright military rule, but its ranks are filled with former generals. Suu Kyi today held talks with visiting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, the highest-level French diplomat ever to visit the country also known as Burma. A total of 48 seats are up for grabs in the April vote, 40 in the lower house, six in the upper house and two in regional assemblies. The polls are to fill places vacated by those elected in the controversial vote who have since become ministers and deputy ministers in the government. But the number of seats available is not enough to threaten the resounding majority held by the ruling party. Relations between the government and the opposition have seen a significant thaw since the opposition leader’s release, with high-profile dialogue between Suu Kyi and former generals including President Thein Sein. — AFP
	Fat: The sixth human taste! London, January 15 It's long known that there are five basic tastes which the human tongue can detect — sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury. Now, scientists say there exists a sixth one — fat. A team at Washington University in the US claims to have identified a potential chemical receptor for tasting fat, and also found that its sensitivity varies between individuals, the 'Journal of Lipid Research' reported. The receptor is, in fact, located in the taste buds on the tongue which recognises fat molecules, say the scientists. The finding may help to explain why some people consume more fatty foods, as they are less aware of the taste as they eat, and can be used to combat obesity by increasing people's sensitivity to fat in their food, the team says. In their research, the scientists have showed that people with more of a receptor called CD36 were better at detecting the presence of fat in food. They found that variations in a gene that produces CD36 makes people more or less sensitive to the presence of fat. The study found that those with half as much CD36 were eight times less sensitive to the presence of fat. "The ultimate goal is to understand how our perception of fat in food might influence what foods we eat and the qualities of fat that we consume. We've found one potential reason for individual variability in how people sense fat. "What we will need to determine in the future is whether our ability to detect fat in foods influences our fat intake, which clearly would have an impact on obesity," 'The Sunday Telegraph' quoted Prof Nada Abumrad, who led the team. Up to 20 per cent of people are believed to have a variant of the CD36 gene that is associated with producing lower levels of the receptor, which could mean they are less sensitive to the presence of fat in food. This may make them more prone to obesity. Dr Yanina Pepino added: "If we follow the results in animals, a high-fat diet would lead to less production of CD36, and that, in turn, could make a person less sensitive to fat. "From our results in this study, we would hypothesise that people with obesity may make less of the CD36 protein. So it would seem logical that the amounts of the protein we make can be modified, both by a person's genetics and by the diet they eat." — PTI