The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	20 Pak troops killed in attack on Army convoy Taliban own up strike Sharif cancels Switzerland visit TNS & Agencies Islamabad/Peshawar, January 19 Twenty security personnel were killed and 30 others injured on Sunday in a bomb attack by the Taliban inside a cantonment in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, prompting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to cancel his visit to Switzerland. The army retaliated by shelling suspected militant hideouts in the area. The Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the attack, issued a statement saying it was ready for talks with the government. A police officer said the blast took place as a convoy of army troops and paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) was preparing to leave Bannu Cantonment for the Miranshah area in the North Waziristan tribal region, a haven for Pakistani Taliban and other Al-Qaida linked groups. The blast was triggered by remote control. Convoys of security forces, comprises 25-30 vehicles, move between Miranshah and Bannu every Sunday after clamping curfew in the areas, it is learnt. As a convoy proceeded to North Waziristan today, it came under attack near Aamandi Chowk, Razmak Gate, on the Bannu-Miranshah Road in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu. PTI reported that the blast took place in a private van hired by the FC to transport troops. "Frontier Corps troops were sitting inside the vehicle and lined up for moving to North Waziristan Agency," the military's media arm said in a statement. The explosion occurred at 8.45 am (Pakistan time) when the van was parked at a parade ground in the cantonment. "Twenty security personnel (were killed) and 30 others were injured in a vehicle-borne IED attack in Bannu Cantonment today," the statement said. Military sources said six bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. "DNA tests are being carried out to identify them. Fifteen injured in a very critical condition were shifted to a military hospital in Peshawar by helicopter," a source told PTI. Earlier reports said 22 troops were killed, but the military confirmed 20 deaths. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said Sharif had cancelled his visit to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum in the wake of a spike in terror attacks, including the incident in Bannu. "Our nation is united against extremism and terrorism and the sacrifices rendered by our citizens and personnel of law enforcing agencies will not go in vain," Sharif said. Earlier, he strongly condemned the attack. Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, said in a statement his group carried out the attack to avenge the killing of its leaders. At the same time, he said the Taliban were ready for talks with the government. "Our stance about the dialogue is very clear. If the government proves its power and sincerity, we are ready for meaningful talks despite our great losses." The outfit had earlier vowed to step up attacks on security forces after electing Mullah Fazlullah as its chief at the end of last year. Bannu town, which stands at the gateway to the semi-autonomous Waziristan tribal region, is 150 km southwest of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The town has witnessed a number of attacks, including one on the town's central jail in April 2012 when 384 prisoners escaped.
	28 hurt in Bangkok blasts Military chief calls for both the sides to end crisis Bangkok, January 19 Twenty-eight persons were wounded, seven seriously, in explosions on Sunday at a camp of anti-government protesters in Bangkok, the latest violence in a prolonged political crisis dividing the country and threatening the Thai economy. The explosion comes a day after the military urged both sides to settle their differences in the more than two-month long dispute, in which protesters are trying to bring down the elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. "There were 28 persons injured from the blast at the Victory Monument," Suphan Srithamma, director-general of the Bangkok Emergency Medical Centre, told reporters. "Among these seven persons were seriously injured." Witnesses said they heard two explosions. "The first blast I heard was from behind the stage," said Teerawut Utakaprechanun, who told Reuters Television he had been turning out for the protests every day. "People were looking around. I saw the security guards running after a suspect. After one minute I heard another bomb blast." On Friday night, one man was killed and 35 protesters were wounded in a grenade explosion in the capital. That takes to nine the death toll since the protests started in November. They form the latest episode in an eight-year conflict pitting Bangkok's middle class and royalist establishment against poorer, mainly rural supporters of Yingluck and her brother, the self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. The protesters accuse Thaksin of nepotism and corruption, and aim to eradicate the political influence of his family by altering electoral arrangements, though in ways they have not spelt out, along with other political reforms. The firebrand leader of the anti government protests, Suthep Thaugsuban, spent much of Sunday leading thousands in a march through Bangkok demanding that Yingluck resign, and collecting bundles of cash from supporters in the streets in what has become a trademark of his public appearances. However, there are signs the protests against the government could be running out of steam. The government has allowed protesters to take over key buildings without confrontation and, crucially, the military has so far remained neutral. "Now all of us need to help each other in taking care of our own nation," supreme armed forces commander Thanasak Patimapakorn told reporters after Saturday's Army Day parade. "The relationship between the government and the army is normal ... We need to respect law and order. I myself respect the law and I respect all sides and I request that all sides should come together and talk to find a solution," he said. — Reuters
	Put down arms, begin peace talks: US to Taliban Washington, January 19 The US has asked the Taliban to put down arms and begin peace talks as it condemned the deadly suicide attack on a popular Kabul restaurant that killed 21 persons, including an Indian-origin British politician among several foreign nationals. "We call again on the Taliban to put down their arms and begin peace talks which is the surest way to end the conflict in a peaceful manner," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement yesterday. Dhamender Singh Phangurha, a British politician of Indian-origin was among 21 persons killed in a Taliban suicide attack on Taverna, a Lebanese restaurant, on Friday. Singh was a Labour Party candidate from the South East for the European Parliament. "There is no possible justification for this attack which has killed innocent civilians, including Americans, working every day to help the Afghan people achieve a better future with higher education and economic assistance at the American University, United Nations, International Monetary Fund and other organisations," he said. While lauding the "quick and skillful response" of Afghan security services in the aftermath of the attack, Carney offered condolences to the bereaved families. — PTI
	Egypt must take steps towards reconciliation, peace: US Washington, January 19 The US has asked the interim Egyptian government to honour its commitment and take steps towards reconciliation that will lead to a civilian-led, inclusive government through free and fair elections. "As Egypt's transition proceeds, the United States urges the interim Egyptian government to fully implement those rights and freedoms that are guaranteed in the new constitution for the benefit of the Egyptian people, and to take steps towards reconciliation," US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement yesterday. "The work that began in Tahrir Square must not end there. The interim government has committed repeatedly to a transition process that expands democratic rights and leads to a civilian-led, inclusive government through free and fair elections."Now is the time to make that commitment a reality and to ensure respect for the universal human rights of all Egyptians," Kerry said. Egyptian voters approved the new constitution by more than 98 per cent in a referendum result that the government hailed as a popular endorsement of the army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Egypt's turbulent experiment in participatory democracy last three years has reminded all that it's not one vote that determines a democracy, it's all the steps that follow, he noted. Noting that democracy is more than any one referendum or election, Kerry said it is about equal rights and protections under the law for all Egyptians, regardless of their gender, faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. — PTI
	Queen to hand over charge to Prince Charles gradually? London, January 19 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II seems set to gradually hand over charge to her son and heir to the throne Prince Charles as it emerged that the two will embark on an effective "job share" from this year. The press offices of the 87-year-old Queen and the Prince of Wales are to be merged, in a further sign of preparations for the day when Prince Charles becomes king. The new operation will be run by the prince's spokesperson, but will be based at Buckingham Palace. "We are merging the press offices to better coordinate various strands of activity," a palace statement said. According to a report in 'The Sunday Times', the 65-year-old Prince of Wales will accompany the Queen on the beaches of Normandy this summer to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the joint trip on June 6 is the most high-profile example yet of Charles sharing official duties with his mother on the world stage. The future king will stand in for the Queen at some of the day's key engagements. After 261 official visits overseas in her 62-year reign, the Queen will be joining British veterans of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France this year. The Queen turns 88 in April and,has steadily been shifting responsibility to younger generations. — PTI
	UAE plans conscription for all males Dubai, January 19 The UAE has decided to make military service compulsory for all adult males, but kept it optional for women. Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the cabinet has approved compulsory military service for all men aged between 18 and 30. The service will be optional for women. "The National Service will be mandatory for all male UAE nationals, above 18 yrs, or high school grads; it will be voluntary for females," Shaikh Mohammad wrote on on his official Twitter handle. The Service will cover military training at the armed forces, 9 months for high school grads & 2 yrs for those with less than high school. — PTI