W O R L D

Anger after Russia, China block UN action on Syria
Beirut/United Nations, Feb 5
Western and Arab countries responded with outrage on Sunday after Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have backed an Arab plan urging Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.

Protesters opposed to the Syrian regime burn Russian and Chinese flags in Beirut. — AFP

US Presidential Election
Romney wins Nevada primary
Emerges as Republican front-runner to take on Obama
Washington, February 5
Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney today secured an overwhelming victory in the Nevada caucuses, recording his second straight win that cemented his position as the party front-runner to take on President Barack Obama in the November 6 polls.

9-yr-old undergoes six organ transplants
A nine-year-old girl is making what doctors described as a remarkable recovery today, days after surgeons transplanted six of her organs in a groundbreaking medical procedure.

Big freeze claims 300 lives in Europe

A man walks past a snow-covered car at Lake Geneva in Versoix city, near Geneva, on Sunday. — AFP

The Arctic cold snap that has hit Europe for over a week had claimed nearly 300 lives by Sunday, brought air travel chaos to London and dumped snow as far south as Rome and even North Africa. In worst-hit Ukraine, another nine deaths raised the toll to 131 -- most of them homeless people who perished on the streets-since the deep freeze started nine days ago. Some 1,800 people had been hospitalised and 75,000 had sought warmth and food in over 3,000 shelters. London’s Heathrow Airport, the world's busiest air hub by passenger traffic, cancelled a third of the day's flights, while much of Britain was blanketed in snow, leaving drivers stranded on roads overnight. In Italy, over 400 members of the armed forces helped clear cities after the heaviest snowfall in 27 years. Snow-covered Rome was virtually paralysed, thousands were trapped on trains and the weather emergency sparked runs on supermarkets. In Serbia, which has recorded nine deaths, states of emergency have been declared in 32 municipalities. Almost 70,000 people remained cut off in snowed-in villages. The cold front has even brought rare snow to North Africa. In Algeria, at least 16 people died and more than 100 have been injured since snow covered cities over the weekend.

Anger after Russia, China block UN action on Syria

Beirut/United Nations, Feb 5
Western and Arab countries responded with outrage on Sunday after Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have backed an Arab plan urging Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.

Arab League head Nabil Elaraby said the body still intends to build support for its plan. The veto "does not negate that there is clear international support for the resolutions of the Arab League," he said. — Reuters

Syria frees qaida’s europe chief

London: In a retaliatory move against the West, Syria has quietly freed Al-Qaida's operations chief in Europe and the London 7/7 bombings mastermind after keeping him in detention for six years, a report said. Abu Musab al-Suri, who had a $4.75 million US State Department bounty on his head, has been freed from a Syrian jail, The Telegraph said. Al-Suri alias Mustafa Setmariam Nasar is accused of planning London bombings in 2005, Madrid train bombings in 2004 and an attack on the Paris Metro in 1995. — PTI

Attacks on Syrian embassies continue

Tripoli: Some 300 Syrian exiles and Libyan supporters occupied the Syrian Embassy in Tripoli and hung the Syrian opposition's flag on the gate. There were also protesters at Syria's embassy in Tunisia, which decided to expel Syria's ambassador and end its recognition of President Bashar Assad's regime in response to what it called a "bloody massacre" in Homs. — AP

US Presidential Election
Romney wins Nevada primary
Emerges as Republican front-runner to take on Obama

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney greets supporters in Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP

Washington, February 5
Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney today secured an overwhelming victory in the Nevada caucuses, recording his second straight win that cemented his position as the party front-runner to take on President Barack Obama in the November 6 polls.

The 64-year-old Romney, former Massachusetts' Governor, ran well ahead of his three opponents during his second decisive first-place finish in four days, following his victory in the Florida primary on Tuesday.

With nearly 47 per cent of Nevada votes counted, Romney had 42.6 per cent of the vote followed by 26 per cent for Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Texas representative Ron Paul was third with 18.5 per cent, followed by Rick Santorum, a former US senator from Pennsylvania, with 13 per cent.

Romney thanked supporters at his campaign headquarters in Las Vegas, telling them, "This isn't the first time you gave me your vote of confidence, but this time I'm going to take it to the White House," alluding to his win in Nevada in 2008.

But then he turned his attention to Obama, saying Nevada has had enough of his kind of help in fixing its home mortgage crisis and that he failed at bringing down unemployment, saying, "America has also had enough of your kind of help. This President's misguided policies made these tough times last longer," he said.

"We won't settle for a President who tells us it could be worse. What defines us as Americans is our unwavering conviction that things must be better. That conviction guides our campaign. It has rallied millions of Americans to our cause, including tens of thousands of Nevadans who gave me their support today," Romney said. — PTI

Clamour in UK to stop aid to India

London, February 5
Public unease has given way to increasing fury here over giving millions of pounds in aid to an increasingly prosperous India, as the David Cameron government continues to resist pressure to stop it despite being in the throes of an economic crisis.

The clamour to stop the aid reached a new high when India last week decided to prefer the French fighter jet Rafale to the Typhoon, which is partly manufactured in Britain.

The debate was passionately renewed today with The Sunday Telegraph reporting that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had stated in the Rajya Sabha last August that India did not need British aid which, according to him, was "peanuts".

India preferring France to Britain in the fighter jet deal has added public pressure to stop aid to India.

Last night, officials insisted that British aid to India was necessary and that "now is not the time to end aid to India." Cameron government's policy to continue the aid has come in for much ridicule, also because International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell had linked the continuation of aid to "seeking to sell Typhoon." — PTI

9-yr-old undergoes six organ transplants
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

A nine-year-old girl is making what doctors described as a remarkable recovery today, days after surgeons transplanted six of her organs in a groundbreaking medical procedure. The surgery performed on young Alannah Shevenell sought to remove an aggressive cancerous growth festering since 2008 that had attacked her stomach, liver, pancreas, esophagus, small intestine and spleen. — AFP