W O R L D

UN: Syrian forces face prosecution for Houla
Geneva, June 1
Syrian forces and pro-government militia accused of committing a massacre in Houla could face prosecution for crimes against humanity, the United Nations said today and rights experts said Syrian authorities had directly ordered torture.

With the Reichstag building in the background, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the roof of the Chancellery in Berlin. — AFP

Mubarak’s verdict to be beamed live
Cairo, June 1
The long-awaited verdict on ousted Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and his sons tomorrow would be broadcast live to the world, with the state television offering the rights at hefty fees.

UN: Syrian forces face prosecution for Houla
Qatar, Turkey, US seek UN investigation on massacre

Geneva, June 1
Syrian forces and pro-government militia accused of committing a massacre in Houla could face prosecution for crimes against humanity, the United Nations said today and rights experts said Syrian authorities had directly ordered torture.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called again for the Security Council to refer Syria to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and for world powers to help implement Kofi Annan's peace plan to end the violence.

In a speech read out on her behalf to an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council, she cited allegations that the Syrian military unleashed a barrage of heavy weapons on the town of Houla a week ago and that shabbiha groups killed dozens of the 106 victims, including women and children.

"These acts may amount to crimes against humanity and other international crimes and may be indicative of a pattern of widespread or systematic attacks against civilian populations that have been perpetrated with impunity," she said.

Pillay, a former war crimes judge, added: "I reiterate that those who order, assist or fail to stop attacks on civilians are individually criminally liable for their actions."

The Human Rights Council was set to call for a full UN inquiry into the massacre after putting initial blame on government bombardment and gunmen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, diplomats said. It is the 47-member forum's fourth special session on Syria in a year, raising pressure on his increasingly isolated government.

But Syria's ambassador, Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, accused 600-800 "terrorists" using Israel-made weapons of carrying out the slaughter in Houla so as to "ignite sectarian strife".

A Syrian investigation was underway to identify the perpetrators and instigators of the killings, he said, adding: "We will submit their confessions to the whole world."

Qatar, Turkey and the United States have submitted a draft resolution for adoption at the session. But the European Union has yet to endorse the text as it wants stronger wording, including a call to refer the case to the ICC, diplomats said.

The text condemns "the wanton killings of civilians by shooting at close range and by severe physical abuse by pro-regime elements and a series of government artillery and tank shellings of a residential neighbourhood". — Reuters

Merkel, Putin want political solution

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that she and Russian President Vladimir Putin both favoured a political solution in Syria. "The latest massacre in Houla showed once again how terrible the human and human rights situation is in Syria," Merkel said at a joint news conference with Putin after talks in Berlin.

"We both made clear that we want a political solution, and that the Annan plan can be a starting point, but we must work with all our energy and force, particularly in the UN Security Council, on implementing this plan and if necessary developing other political actions." 

Mubarak’s verdict to be beamed live

Cairo, June 1
The long-awaited verdict on ousted Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and his sons tomorrow would be broadcast live to the world, with the state television offering the rights at hefty fees.

The Egyptian television is offering foreign media live coverage for$7,000 to $10,000, Al Ahram reported quoting the head of Egyptian radio and television.

Mubarak, along with former interior minister Habib El-Adly and six of the latter's assistants, are accused of instructing subordinates to fire on unarmed protesters during the 18 days of Egypt's revolution.

The ousted president, along with his two sons and runaway businessman Hussein Salem, also faces a host of corruption charges.

Guilty or not, tomorrow's verdict in Hosni Mubarak's trial will likely deepen Egypt's polarisation. — PTI 

Decision today

n Hosni Mubarak, the first Arab leader to be tried by his own people, faces charges of complicity in the killing of some 900 protesters during last year's uprising

n He also faces separate corruption charges along with his two sons, one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa, and a family friend who is on the run.

n If convicted, he could face the death penalty

Romney gives ‘F’ grade to Obama’s foreign policy

Washington, June 1
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has given "F" grade to the Obama administration's foreign policy, inviting criticism from the US President's campaign which said he was misguided and misinformed.

The clash between the two campaigns started after Romney in an interview to the CBS news said that he would give Obama a poor "F" grade on his foreign policy front even as he was successful in eliminating Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

"I'd look at the fact that he was looking to have a force of American troops staying in Iraq, securing what had been so hard won there, and with the Status of Forces agreement. He failed to achieve it," Romney said.

"In the Middle East, the Arab spring has become the Arab Winter. That's hardly a success. As I look around the world, I have to believe his positions in foreign policy have not communicated American strength and resolve," he said.

The Obama campaign immediately fired back. "Romney's comment assigning a grade to President Obama's foreign policy is just as misguided and misinformed as his statement about Russia being our top geopolitical foe," Tim Roemer, the former US Ambassador to India, said in a statement on behalf of the Obama campaign. — PTI 

Panetta: US to bolster military presence in Asia-Pacific

Washington, June 1
Embarking on a strategic tour of Asia, including India, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said Washington planned to bolster its military presence in the Asia-Pacific through alliances rather than setting up bases.

Asserting that the US was serious about shifting focus to the region, Panetta told reporters on way to Singapore that a new strategy focused on Asia would bring more troops and high-tech weapons to project American power in the region over the next decade.

Instead of setting up large bases, US military forces, including naval ships, aircrafts and troops, will deploy on short assignments for joint exercises, training and operations with partner countries.

Elaborating on expanding US military footprints in Southeast Asia, Panetta was quoted by Pentagon as saying: "We are moving towards a very innovative relationships in which we will develop rotational deployments." US "power projection" in the Pacific would be enhanced by investments in new technologies, he said. Panetta's comment come amid growing concerns about China's increasingly aggressive posture. — PTI

3 Indians die in Australia house fire

Melbourne, June 1
Three members of an Indian family died today in a suspected case of murder-suicide after a massive fire tore through their Melbourne house.

The police said four people of Indian descent were known to be living in the house located in a city suburb, though at the time of the fire two boys aged five and 10 and their 37-year-old mother were believed to be there.

The father was reportedly visiting his sick mother in India when the incident happened.

The bodies of the victims were found together in a back room of the home. But the police was yet to identify the bodies or determine exactly how many were dead, detective Geoff Maher said.

The police found a handwritten note on a car in the driveway of the home and is investigating whether it was written by the mother. — PTI

Attack on US base kills 14 in Afghanistan

Kabul, June 1
A suicide truck bomber attacked a US-run base today, sparking clashes that killed up to 14 people in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, officials said.

NATO's US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said none of its personnel was killed in the attack in Khost province, a Taliban flashpoint that borders Pakistan.

The Taliban militia, which is leading a 10-year insurgency against foreign troops and the Kabul government, claimed responsibility for the attack. But the precise details of what happened were murky.

An Afghan security official said the bomber drove a truck packed with explosives into the outer security checkpost of Forward Operating Base Salerno, which is run by the US.

"Initial information shows that seven Afghans have been killed and 13 others injured," the official said.

According to the official, the victims are Afghan workers involved in a construction project at the base. But Khost provincial police chief Sardar Mohammad Zazai later told AFP that only three attackers were killed as they stormed the base.

The ISAF, however, said 14 insurgents were killed in clashes, but released no further details.

A spokesman for the Taliban claimed that a "large number" of foreign soldiers were killed, but the militia is known to exaggerate its claims. — AFP 

Briton admits to killing Pune boy Anuj Bidve

They added: “This is the first time we have returned to the UK since Anuj was taken away from us on Boxing Day of last year, and the first time we have come face-to-face with the man charged with his murder, so clearly this is a very emotional and difficult time for us.” — PTI