W O R L D

Taliban in talks with US: Karzai
Kabul, March 10
Afghan President Hamid Karzai today criticised the Taliban for holding daily talks with the United States even while they also launch suicide attacks that kill civilians and children.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai sits among the audience prior to his nationally televised speech in Kabul on Sunday. — AP/PTI

Myanmar Oppn reappoints Suu Kyi as leader
Yangon, March 10
Myanmar’s long-silenced Opposition today reappointed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as party leader at a landmark maiden congress, as it eyes victory in elections due in 2015.

Myanmar’s Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at the congress of her National League for Democracy party in Yangon on Sunday. — AP/PTI

150 held for Pak Christian colony mayhem
Lahore, March 10
The Pakistani police today arrested over 150 persons here after a mob torched about 160 homes and two small churches in a Christian neighbourhood in search of an alleged blasphemer as outraged members of the minority community took to the streets in many cities.

Ogoh-ogoh, a paper-mache effigy that symbolises Balinese Hinduism's mythical demons and monsters, at a parade to celebrate Nyepi (Day of Silence) in Bali on Sunday. — AP/PTI

7 kids among 8 killed in German building fire
Berlin, March 10
An early morning fire today at an apartment building in southwestern Germany left eight persons dead, seven of them children, the police said. Three other persons were injured in the fire in Backnang, a town near Stuttgart, and taken to hospitals. The police said the victims were of Turkish origin. Turkey's ambassador to Germany is expected to travel to the site.

Seven foreign hostages killed in Nigeria: Italy
Kano (Nigeria), March 10
Italy's foreign ministry said today that seven foreign hostages kidnapped in northern Nigeria had been killed as claimed by Islamic extremists, the worst such foreign abduction violence to hit the turbulent West African nation in decades.

US, allies use UN rights panel to pressurise defiant N Korea
Washington, March 10
The United States and its allies are applying a new form of pressure on North Korea, already facing a tightening ring of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests: tougher UN censure of Pyongyang’s human rights record.

Mandela back home after spending night in hospital
Johannesburg, March 10
Anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela was back home today after spending a night in hospital where he underwent a "successful medical examination", the President's office said.

Taliban in talks with US: Karzai

Kabul, March 10
Afghan President Hamid Karzai today criticised the Taliban for holding daily talks with the United States even while they also launch suicide attacks that kill civilians and children. The Islamist militants deny re-opening talks after they broke off tentative contact with the US in Qatar in March last year due to failed attempts to negotiate a prisoner exchange.

Reacting after two suicide bombs killed 19 persons in Kabul and Khost yesterday, Karzai accused the Taliban of negotiating with their enemy and at the same time, murdering innocent Afghans.

“The Taliban said they wanted to show their strength (by launching the attacks),” he said. "This is while the leaders of the Taliban, their representatives, are every day at meetings with the Americans abroad. "We know about it, both the foreigners and the Taliban tell us about it. In Europe as well as in Gulf countries, the Taliban and the Americans and foreigners are in talks daily."

Karzai, who offered no proof of the talks, said the attacks enabled the US-led military to justify its presence in Afghanistan. — AFP

Myanmar Oppn reappoints Suu Kyi as leader

Yangon, March 10
Myanmar’s long-silenced Opposition today reappointed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as party leader at a landmark maiden congress, as it eyes victory in elections due in 2015. The former political prisoner, who entered Parliament last year, was unanimously selected as chairwoman by her National League for Democracy's 120-member Central Committee, a party source said.

Hundreds of NLD members have gathered in Yangon for the conference in a display of political strength that would have been unthinkable under the junta.

But the meeting also revealed the challenges facing the party, including a lack of experience as well as internal divisions which saw four members banned from attending, accused of trying to influence the voting.

Suu Kyi today urged her Opposition party to "seize the opportunity" as it gears up for what is expected to be a major victory for NLD in 2015 polls, if the vote if free and fair.

"For the benefit of the country we should unite and get along," she told delegates. "I would like to ask that you do not allow personal feelings to harm the future of the nation," she added.

After being sidelined by Myanmar's military rulers for two decades, the party entered the political mainstream last year as a result of sweeping reforms initiated by a new reformist government. — AFP

150 held for Pak Christian colony mayhem

Lahore, March 10
The Pakistani police today arrested over 150 persons here after a mob torched about 160 homes and two small churches in a Christian neighbourhood in search of an alleged blasphemer as outraged members of the minority community took to the streets in many cities.

7 kids among 8 killed in German building fire

Berlin, March 10
An early morning fire today at an apartment building in southwestern Germany left eight persons dead, seven of them children, the police said. Three other persons were injured in the fire in Backnang, a town near Stuttgart, and taken to hospitals. The police said the victims were of Turkish origin. Turkey's ambassador to Germany is expected to travel to the site.

The police said they believe the fire broke out in a second-floor apartment, and said in a statement that their investigation was focusing on a heater in the apartment.

The building is part of a former leather factory that was converted into a row of three-storey apartment blocks.

Police spokesman Klaus Hinderer said that 13 persons are registered as living in the two apartments worst affected by the fire, though it wasn't clear how many were there when the fire broke out.

The police said a German-Turkish cultural association has an office on the building's ground floor. They said there was no indication that the fire might have been set deliberately or have been a racist attack. — AP

Seven foreign hostages killed in Nigeria: Italy

Kano (Nigeria), March 10
Italy's foreign ministry said today that seven foreign hostages kidnapped in northern Nigeria had been killed as claimed by Islamic extremists, the worst such foreign abduction violence to hit the turbulent West African nation in decades.

Greece also confirmed one of its citizens had been killed by Ansaru, the radical group that claimed responsibility for abducting the foreigners from northern Bauchi state on February 16.

Authorities in Lebanon and the United Kingdom have yet to comment publicly, while Nigerian officials could not be immediately reached for comment today. Italy also denied a claim by Ansaru that the hostages were killed before or during a military operation by Nigerian and British forces. — AP

US, allies use UN rights panel to pressurise defiant N Korea

Washington, March 10
The United States and its allies are applying a new form of pressure on North Korea, already facing a tightening ring of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests: tougher UN censure of Pyongyang’s human rights record.

In a move human rights advocates say is long overdue, the European Union and Japan are circulating a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva calling for a formal commission of inquiry into North Korea’s record.

The US-backed move could, in theory, lay the foundation for referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity for its system of gulag penal camps and other serious abuses. — Reuters

Mandela back home after spending night in hospital

Johannesburg, March 10
Anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela was back home today after spending a night in hospital where he underwent a "successful medical examination", the President's office said.

"Former President Nelson Mandela has this afternoon returned to his Johannesburg home following a successful medical examination at a Pretoria hospital," South African presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said.

"The doctors have completed the tests. He is well and as before," he said. — PTI