The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	UN adopts resolution on Syria, India abstains United Nations, August 3 The UN General Assembly today overwhelmingly adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution on Syria that expressed "grave concern" at the escalating violence in the country, but India was among the 31 nations that abstained. The 193-member General Assembly passed the resolution that denounced Syria's crackdown on its people and demanded that the country should lockdown its chemical and biological weapons. The resolution also deplored "the failure of the Security Council to agree on measures to ensure compliance of Syrian authorities with its decisions". The resolution got 133 votes in favour, while 12 countries voted against and 31, including India, abstained. An earlier draft of the resolution had provisions that demanded regime change, called on President Bashar Al-Assad to resign and asked countries to place sanctions against the country for the violence and killing. India was not in favour of these provisions and a senior member of Indian delegation had said that officials "worked overtime" to get these demands dropped from the resolution. Others countries like Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa were also not in support of the provisions demanding regime change and sanctions. Indian Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri had also held several rounds of discussion with his Saudi and Qatari counterparts over the provisions of regime change and sanctions in the resolution. Unlike a UN Security Council resolution, the General Assembly resolution is not legally binding. It is only moral and symbolic in nature. The resolution strongly condemns "the continued widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities and pro-governmental militias". Addressing the 193-member General Assembly before the vote on the resolution, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the violence and acts of brutality being reported in Syrian cities might constitute "crimes against humanity or war crimes". He said despite repeated verbal acceptances of the international envoy six-point plan endorsed by the UN Security Council, the Syrian government and the opposition continue to rely on weapons and not diplomacy, believing that they would win through violence. The Syrian crisis has escalated in the past 17 months when the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad's regime began. More than 10,000 persons have been killed and thousands others displaced due to fighting between the government and rebel forces. — PTI Blame game after Annan’s resignation Aleppo: World powers traded blame on Friday after Kofi Annan quit as international peace envoy to Syria, complaining that his initiative to end the bloodshed there never received the support it deserved. As Syria's government deployed fighter jets against rebels armed with tanks around the commercial capital Aleppo, the outgoing UN-Arab League envoy voiced regret at the "increasing militarisation" of the nearly 17-month conflict. The former UN Secretary-General hit out at "continuous finger-pointing and name-calling" at the UN Security Council, which he said had prevented coordinated action to stop the violence. "I did not receive all the support that the cause deserved," Annan told a hastily arranged news conference in Geneva. Annan's resignation sparked a new round of recriminations among the council's five permanent members, with the United States blaming Russia and China for vetoing three separate UN resolutions on the conflict. "Annan's resignation highlights the failure at the United Nations Security Council of Russia and China to support meaningful resolutions against Assad that would have held Assad accountable," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. Germany also said Annan's decision was partly due to Chinese and Russian opposition to sanctions. But Russia's envoy to the world body, Vitaly Churkin, insisted Moscow had supported Annan "very strongl.," Russia sends warships to Syria MOSCOW: Moscow is sending three large landing ships with marines aboard to a Russian naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartus, Russian news agencies quoted a source in the general staff as saying on Friday. The source said each ship would have up to 120 marines on board and that the vessels, already in the Mediterranean, would arrive in Tartus by the end of this week or early next week. The source said the ships' mission was to replenish supplies at the small Russian maintenance and repair facility, manned by fewer than 100 personnel, according to analysts. Russia had earlier said it was preparing to send marines to Syria in case it needed to protect personnel and remove equipment from the naval maintenance facility.
	Pak SC strikes down new contempt law Sets stage for possible disqualification of PM Afzal Khan in Islamabad Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday struck down the government's new contempt law, aimed to prevent the premier being pressured to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, setting the stage for the possible disqualification of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ruled that the Contempt of Court Act of 2012 was "unconstitutional" and struck it down. The bench gave its order in response to more than 25 petitions that had challenged the new law. The order also said that granting immunity to holders of public office was in violation of the Constitution that guarantees equality of all citizens before law. It said the government did not have the authority to formulate the rules for contempt of court, adding that the law was an attempt to curtail the independence of the judiciary. The new contempt law was bulldozed in Parliament ostensibly as a pre-emptive measure to stall SC action against Raja Ashraf who was on notice from the court to inform it of his decision whether he would write letter to Swiss authorities or not. The order held that while Parliament has the privilege to pass any law, it was the prerogative of the courts to interpret it and ensure it does not violate the Constitution. No government official can be given any immunity, the bench maintained, adding that the 2003 contempt of court ordinance will now come into effect. Earlier during the hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir contended that the words of the Constitution should be "given new meaning" in accordance with the law. President Zardari had on July 12 signed into law the new Contempt of Court Act after it was passed by the two houses of Parliament. The law was aimed at saving Prime Minister Ashraf from possible disqualification by the apex court for refusing to reopen corruption cases against Zardari in Switzerland. The new law had protected top government functionaries, including the President, Prime Minister and provincial Governors, from contempt for their executive actions. Today's judgment came five days before another bench takes up the case related to the apex court's order to the government to approach Swiss authorities to revive the graft cases against Zardari. Prime Minister Ashraf's predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was disqualified on June 19 by the apex court following his conviction of contempt for refusing to reopen the cases against Zardari. Legal experts have said Ashraf could face the same fate if he refuses to revive the graft cases.
	US never listens to us: Pak London, August 3 At a time when both countries are trying to mend their ties, Pakistan's top envoy here said some factions in the US still prefer to work with "just one man" rather than a democratic government, and accused Washington of "talking in miles" when it comes to democracy but of "moving in inches". The remarks were made by Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan who was "scathing about what he sees as the weak commitment of the US towards democracy in Pakistan and Afghanistan". "They talk in miles in support of democracy, but they move in inches. They say, 'We are fully for democracy, we want democracy, we support the Arab Spring, we are opposed to military interference in Egypt'. "Hillary Clinton has really supported democracy. But she is one person. There are so many pillars of power in the United States, and they act differently," Hasan said in an interview to London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism. — PTI
	corruption charges spell trouble Mongolian court jails ex-President Ulan Bator, August 3 A court in Mongolia has jailed former President Nambar Enkhbayar for four years after finding him guilty of corruption charges that he has called politically motivated. Enkhbayar, 54, served as the Prime Minister and then as the President for almost a decade until losing office in 2009. He was arrested in April in a dawn raid broadcast live on national television. Yesterday, a Mongolian court found him guilty of misappropriating gifts intended for a monastery, along with other corruption charges, in a hearing broadcast on national television. The court originally sentenced him to seven years, but commuted three, citing an amnesty law. — AFP
	One-year sentence for Fiji former PM Suva, August 3 Fiji's last democratically elected leader was sentenced today to one year in prison after being convicted on corruption charges that his supporters say were politically motivated. Laisenia Qarase was found guilty of abusing his office and failing to perform his duties. Court documents say the 71-year-old former PM failed to disclose a private investment interest in three companies that he was helping manage in an official capacity some 20 years ago. Qarase served six years as the PM before being ousted in a 2006 coup. At the time of the offences, Qarase was financial adviser for the Fijian Affairs Board and the now-disbanded Great Council of Chiefs, as well as a company director. — AP