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‘Occupy’ protesters rally against ‘predatory capitalism’ in London
Thousands march in Spain over austerity
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PM Gilani continues to ‘defend’ Saeed
Sun sets on UK’s only museum on British
Empire
China, Japan warn N Korea over N-test
Hillary, Nooyi & Sonia on World’s Powerful Moms list
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‘Occupy’ protesters rally against ‘predatory capitalism’ in London
London, May 13 On the continent, the biggest wave of protest was in crisis-hit Spain where thousands of "indignants" marched in some 80 towns around the country against economic injustice yesterday. In the heart of London's financial centre, anti-capitalist protesters said they pitched around a dozen tents outside the Bank of England. Earlier, the group of around 300 demonstrators went on a tour of the City's banking institutions before stopping outside the central bank, scene of the G20 protests in April 2009. "The Bank of England stands right at the intersection of finance and government," said Occupy London supporter David Lincoln. "In the light of Bank governor Mervyn King's recent comments about 'vested interests' standing in the way of reform of the financial sector, it is clear that that balance in the UK is fundamentally skewed. "Hundreds of people gathering by the Bank of England is a powerful symbol of how things have to change." The demonstrators, some waving the Occupy movement's trademark tents or wearing white "V for Vendetta" masks, held banners declaring "normal predatory capitalism", "we expect political democracy" and "shut down the 1 per cent". They gathered outside Saint Paul's Cathedral in spring sunshine for a "teach-out" from a series of speakers. James Meadway, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, told AFP: "This is a good turnout. The issues haven't gone away. The crisis is getting worse." Norwegian student Ragnhild Freng Dale said the main achievement of the movement-galvanised by anger over social inequality in the economic downturn-was to attract people who did not normally see themselves as activists. "The movement has made a big impact," she said. Minor skirmishes broke out between protesters and police who briefly encircled the demonstration. Four people were arrested over public order offences. Occupy organisers said in a statement: "Nowhere in Europe is the unequal distribution of wealth as striking as in the UK. "The richest 1,000 persons, just 0.005 percent of the adult population, increased their wealth by £155 billion ($249 billion, 193 billion euros) over the last three years. "That is enough for themselves alone to pay off the entire budget deficit and still leave them with £30 billion to spare."
— AFP
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Thousands march in Spain over austerity
Madrid, May 13 Protesters in Madrid converged on the central Puerta del Sol plaza in the evening and aimed to stay for three days. But authorities warned they wouldn't allow anyone to camp out overnight, and up to 2,000 riot police were expected to be on duty. Marches were also held in Barcelona, Bilbao, Malaga and Seville. Sympathisers held demonstrations in other European cities. The protests began May 15 last year and drew hundreds of thousands of people calling themselves the Indignant Movement. A year ago, the "indignados" pitched tents and occupied town and city squares across Spain for weeks. Demonstrators clashed with police who eventually moved in to evict them.
— AP
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Afghan peace council member killed in Kabul
Kabul, May 13 Arsala Rahmani was a former Taliban official who reconciled with the government and was active in trying to set up formal talks with the insurgents. His assassination follows that of the council's head last year. He was shot at an intersection in western Kabul by a gunman in a white Toyota Corolla while being driven to his office, said Mohammad Zahir, head of the city police's criminal investigation division. He did not have a bodyguard with him at the time. "Only one shot was fired," Zahir said. "Our initial reports are that it was a pistol with a silencer. Rahmani died on the way to the hospital." Zahir said an investigation was under way. The Taliban denied responsibility for the killing, although they had earlier indicated that they would target peace negotiators. Rahmani was one of about 70 influential Afghans and former Taliban appointed by President Hamid Karzai to the council to try to convince insurgent leaders to reconcile with the government. The Taliban have refused to have direct contact with the council, which they consider to be an organ of Karzai's government. They have said publicly in the past that they do not want to negotiate with Karzai or his administration, which they consider a puppet of the United States. Privately, however, some representatives of the Taliban who are open to negotiating a settlement have met with US, Afghan and other international officials. Rahmani, along with other members of the peace council, was trying to forge relations with those Taliban amenable to peace talks.
— AP
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PM Gilani continues to ‘defend’ Saeed
Gilani said there was insufficient evidence to warrant the arrest of Saeed, who moves freely in Pakistan and heads outlawed Jamaat-ud Dawah. "If you arrest him, that means he will be released by the courts. For the courts you need more evidence," Gilani told the Daily Telegraph in London. "You know the judiciary is completely independent in Pakistan." The US has offered a USD 10 million reward that could lead to arrest or conviction of Saeed, accused of plotting the Mumbai attacks that claimed 166 lives in November, 2008. Gilani also denied reports of presence of al Qaeda's new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri inside Pakistan. "Why should I think he (Zawahiri) is in Pakistan?" he asked. Noting that the CIA and Pakistan's ISI were co-operating closely, he said: "They should work together and if there is any credible, actionable information, please share with us so that we should catch hold of him. You have claimed that somebody has said that he is in Pakistan: if there is any information, please share with us." Asked for his own view on whether Zawahiri was in Pakistan, the prime minister replied: "We don't think so." US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recently said that Zawahiri was in Pakistan. Gilani also expressed confidence that cricketer-turned- politician Imran Khan would not pose a challenge in the next elections due in 2013. — PTI
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Merkel’s party routed in big German state Duesseldorf, May 13 The election in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a western German state with a bigger population than the Netherlands and an economy the size of Turkey, was held 18 months before a national election in which Merkel is expected to fight for a third term. She remains popular in Germany for her steady handling of the euro zone debt crisis, but the sheer scale of her party's defeat leaves her vulnerable at a time when a backlash against her insistence on fiscal discipline is building across Europe. According to first projections, the Centre-Left Social Democratic Party (SPD) won 38.8 per cent of the vote and will have enough to form a stable majority with the Greens, who scored 12.2 per cent. The two Left-leaning parties had run a fragile minority government for the past two years under popular Social Democratic Party leader Hannelore Kraft, whose decisive victory on Sunday could propel her to national prominence. Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) saw their support plunge to just 25.8 per cent, down from nearly 35 per cent in 2010, and the worst result in the state since World War Two. The blow comes only two days before France's new president, Socialist Francois Hollande, is due to visit Berlin and press Merkel for a shift away from austerity and more emphasis on growth-oriented measures in Europe. Other big countries like Italy also want Merkel to take a more balanced approach to the debt crisis and an election in Greece last week showed massive public resistance to tough austerity. Hollande's victory, coupled with the NRW result, is bound to give the SPD new momentum before the federal vote in the autumn of 2013. — Reuters
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Greek leaders hit impasse in last push to avert polls
Athens, May 13 Leaders of the three biggest parties, each of whom had failed to form a government in the past week, convened at the presidential mansion, where President Karolos Papoulias had a last opportunity to implore them to form a coalition before he must call another election, probably in mid-June. The meeting broke up after less than two hours of talks, and leaders said the discussions had hit a snag, though they expressed the hope that difficulties could be overcome. "Even now, despite the impasse at the meeting we had with the President, I hold on to some limited optimism that a government can be formed," said Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos, whose PASOK party finished a humbling third in Sunday's election. But he warned time was running out. "The moment of truth has come. We either form a government or we go to elections." His conservative counterpart, Antonis Samaras, said talks to form a government were continuing but blamed the radical Leftist SYRIZA party for blocking efforts to form a coalition. Samaras placed first in the election last week but fell far short of an outright majority, punished by voters for backing a bailout package tied to harsh austerity cuts in the heavily indebted country. SYRIZA, which campaigned against the bailout, finished a surprise second in the vote. Both Samaras's New Democracy and Venizelos' PASOK party, which have taken turns to rule Greece for nearly four decades and jointly negotiated a bailout that requires deep cuts in public spending, are eager to avoid facing the voters again. Polls since the election show the balance of power tipping even further towards opponents of the bailout, who were divided among several small parties but now appear to be rallying behind SYRIZA's Alexis Tsipras, a 37-year-old ex-Communist student leader. If the vote is repeated, Tsipras's SYRIZA party is tipped to place first, winning an automatic extra 50 seats at the expense of Samaras.
— Reuters
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From 2014, no appeal against UK family visitor visa refusal
London, May 13 The removal of the right to appeal against the visa refusal in courts is intended to save tens of millions of pounds and free up tribunals to deal with more serious cases, official sources here said. The new restriction has been included in the Crime and Courts Bill, which was published on Friday. It is expected to come into effect from 2014 after parliamentary approval and Royal Assent. Immigration Minister Damian Green has announced that in future the vast majority of failed visa applicants will have to re-apply, rather than launching a lengthy, taxpayer- subsidised appeal. Green said: "We are not stopping anybody visiting family in the UK; if an applicant meets the rules they will be granted a visa. However, it is grossly unfair that UK taxpayers have had to foot the huge bill for foreign nationals who, in many cases, have simply failed to provide the correct evidence to support their application". A Home Office release said the number of appeals against family visitor visa refusal had soared since 2000, when full appeal rights were re-introduced for family visit visas. It was expected that there would be a maximum of 20,000 appeals per year but by 2010-11, the number had risen to almost 50,000, they said, adding that the cost of processing these appeals is estimated at 29 million pounds per year. The release said: "We are also removing the full appeal right because it is out-of-step with every other category of visit visa, such as the business or tourist visa, none of which attract a full right of appeal". Refused applicants will still be able to appeal on limited grounds of human rights or race discrimination, it added.
— PTI Fresh norms
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British town celebrates 250th anniversary of sandwich
London, May 13 The first written record of the sandwich was in 1762 and the Kent town of Sandwich, which is the earldom of the Montagu family, is celebrating 250 years of the meal. The story goes that fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for beef served between slices of bread so that he could eat while continuing to play cards and his friends asked "to have the same as Sandwich", according to the British Sandwich Association. The fourth Earl of Sandwich was considered "a daring man" to eat with his fingers at that time. Over the weekend the east Kent town hosts sandwich-making competitions and re-enactments of the moment the fourth Earl of Sandwich asked for the food in bread, the BBC reported. Sandwich Celebration Festival organiser Mandy Wilkins said it had interest from around the world, including America, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France and Russia. "The sandwich is a global food and Sandwich, our town, is just a little town full of medieval buildings. It's bizarre that such an important food item should be named after us," Wilkins said. Today the 11th Earl of Sandwich, who shares his name with the fourth Earl after which the sandwich is said to be named, hosts a lunch in Sandwich. John Montagu said: "I am delighted to wish a happy 250th birthday to the sandwich. My ancestor, the 4th Earl, could never have imagined that his simple invention would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people in this country." According to the British Sandwich Association the industry employs more than 300,000 people in the UK and has a commercial value of over 6 billion pounds. "My favourite sandwich is a traditional one: roast beef and hot horseradish on freshly baked bread," Montagu added.
— PTI
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Writers lead protest walk against Putin in Moscow
Moscow, May 13 The protest walk had received no formal approval from the city but was not dispersed by police despite gathering a massive crowd that blocked traffic as it advanced along Moscow's famous boulevard ring. AFP correspondents estimated the crowd at five to 7,000 people, while the Moscow police said about 2,000 attended, reporting no significant problems aside from "traffic difficulties". Akunin, whose period detective novels have been translated into many languages, has attended opposition rallies and taken part in a celebrity group that urged people to act as vote monitors during the presidential poll. He and other Russian cultural figures, including writer Dmitry Bykov, musician Andrei Makarevich and novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya, signed books and gave autographs as the procession strolled a little more than two kilometres to the Chistye Prudy
neighbourhood. Many then congregated near a peaceful sit-in where opposition activists have camped out since May 9 after riot police dispersed gatherings in other squares. Authorities have detained hundreds of people over the past week.
— AFP
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Sun sets on UK’s only museum on British
Empire
London, May 13 Sir Neil Cossons, chairman of the museum's board of trustees, blamed the demise on 'post-imperial angst'. "I think the time has not yet arrived for the proper story of Empire and Commonwealth to be told," he said. Although attitudes to Empire were improving, he said it was still an "unfashionable subject" and "more healing of time" was required. The museum opened in Bristol in 2002 but closed in 2008. It was hoped that selling the building would pay for the collection to move to London, the Daily Mail reported. But despite fetching £3.1 pounds, the museum failed to find a home in the capital. Now its 50,000-strong collection of written records, photographs,
film clips, paintings, letters and artefacts has been gifted to Bristol Museum.
— PTI
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China, Japan warn N Korea over N-test
Beijing, May 13 "Our three countries agreed that we will not accept further nuclear tests or further provocations from North Korea," South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak said. Lee met today with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda for a one-day summit. Regarding their differences on Korean Peninsula specially over North Korea, Wen said all sides concerned should ease tensions with wisdom, patience and goodwill. Fears of a third North Korean nuclear test have grown after a failed rocket launch by Pyongyang last month. Wen said the three leaders gave great attention to the situation in Northeast Asia. "Peace and stability of Northeast Asia not only involve the interests of all the nations in the region, but also work as a foremost precondition for sustainable development and prosperity there," Wen said. China, Japan and the ROK, as major nations in Northeast Asia, have incumbent responsibility in the region, he said.
— PTI
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Ex-Jamaat chief indicted for war crimes in ’71 war
Dhaka, May 13 "The International Crimes Tribunal indicted Prof Ghulam Azam for five types of crimes he committed during 1971 Liberation War" fighting with the Pakistani troops, prosecuting lawyer Syed Rezaur Rahman told PTI. "The charges has been framed against you on the basis of the chargesheet," chairman of the three-judge panel of International Crimes Tribunal Justice Mohammad Nizamul Huq told Azam after the fundamentalist leader was brought to the dock from the prison on a wheelchair under heavy security. The tribunal read out the 61 charges against Azam under five categories including conspiracy, planning, incitement, complicity and murder during the nine-month war. The panel set June 5 for starting trial against Azam, who pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out to him. Azam was the former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami in the then East Pakistan wing of the fundamentalist party and provincial minister under the Pakistani junta in 1971. The prosecution earlier described him as the "key collaborator" of the then Pakistani junta alleging he masterminded the alleged atrocities including genocides or mass murders of Bengalis during the Liberation War. According to the Bangladeshi authorities, up to three million people were killed in the bloody war. Azam rejected the charges calling them "politically motivated" as the tribunal asked him if was "guilty or not". "I don't think myself guilty," said Azam, who has been kept at the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University since his arrest on January 11, 2012. Azam's party opposed Bangladesh's 1971 independence with many of its activists joining the auxiliary forces of the Pakistani troops.
— PTI
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Hillary, Nooyi & Sonia on World’s Powerful Moms list
New York, May 13 The list released by Forbes ahead of World Mother's Day today placed 64-year-old Clinton, who has one of the world's biggest jobs in hand, at No 1. The list chosen from diverse spheres of government, business, entertainment and philanthropy ranked 64-year-old Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff at second position, who has a daughter. Nooyi (56), PepsiCo chairman and a mother of two, has been placed at third position. She says if her kids call in the middle of a meeting, she takes the call. Sonia (65), mother of Priyanka and Rahul, was ranked ahead of US First Lady Michelle Obama (ranked 7) and Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi (ranked 20). According to the magazine, "Power moms must develop unique strategies to succeed in both boardrooms and playrooms." ForbesWoman analysed the annual list of the world’s 100 most powerful women -- based on money-controlled, decision-making power and multiple measures of influence -- and teased out the moms who are at the top of their game. The list also figured Melinda Gates, co-founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of International Monetary Fund, and Sheryl Sandberg, COO of
Facebook. — PTI Mom’s the Word
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London, May 13