|
|
|
|
|
Ukraine Prez issues peace plan to curb insurgency
Car bomb kills 34 in Syria’s Hama
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
No agreement on main issues in N-talks: Iran
Seeking reforms, 300,000 vote in Hong Kong democracy poll
Members of Occupy Central urge people to vote in an unofficial referendum in Hong Kong on Friday. Reuters
2 top Taliban commanders killed in raid
|
|
Ukraine Prez issues peace plan to curb insurgency
Kiev, June 20 The publication of the 14-point initiative followed two phone conversations in 72 hours between President Petro Poroshenko and Russia's Vladimir Putin, which highlighted the Kremlin's lingering influence over its smaller western neighbour. Poroshenko yesterday also hosted in Kiev local leaders and tycoons from the eastern rustbelt to help win their agreement for his ideas of how to end the fighting that has killed at least 365 civilians and fighters on both sides. A Ukranian military spokesman said today the latest eastern clashes claimed the lives of seven soldiers and left 30 wounded. Kiev media published copies of the document Poroshenko was due to formally unveil later in the day that demands the rebels' immediate disarmament and promises to decentralise power through constitutional reform. The plan also drops criminal charges against separatist fighters who committed no "serious crimes" and provides "a guaranteed corridor for Russian and Ukrainian mercenaries to leave" the conflict zone. But it also calls on "local government bodies to resume their operations" - a demand rejected by separatist leaders who have proclaimed their independence from Kiev and occupied administration buildings in about a dozen eastern cities and towns. One rebel commander this week dismissed news that Poroshenko was about to propose a strategy for ending the country's worst crisis in its post-Soviet history as "meaningless". The plan is officially called "Steps toward a peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukrainian regions" and is intended to stay in force for 10 days after its publication. But it makes no mention of an immediate but temporary unilateral ceasefire that Poroshenko promised on Wednesday to declare within a matter of days. Poroshenko has previously suggested that his call for Ukranian forces to halt their offensive would go into effect with the plans' publication. — AFP Ukraine announces week-long ceasefire
KIEV: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday announced a week-long ceasefire in the fight against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, his website said. “Ukrainian army, cease fire!’ it quoted him as telling military officers during a visit to the centre of the "anti-terrorist operation" in the east. “But this does not mean that we will not fight back in the event of aggression towards our military. We will do everything to defend the territory of our state,” the website quoted him as adding. |
|
|
Car bomb kills 34 in Syria’s Hama
Damascus, June 20 More than 50 persons were wounded in the attack in Al-Horra, SANA said, blaming the attack on rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. The Islamic Front, a rebel coalition, claimed responsibility. It said on Twitter that a radio-controlled bomb had targeted a “gathering of Assad militia.” The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 37 persons were killed, including civilians as well as security personnel, and more than 40 wounded. A car bomb exploded in the city of Homs, to the south of Hama, yesterday killing at least six people in a neighbourhood populated by Alawites, the Islamic sect to which Assad belongs. No one claimed responsibility for what was the second attack in Homs, Syria’s third largest city, in less than a week, but state television blamed it on rebels. Syria's conflict began in March 2011 as peaceful protests but has turned into civil war, killing at least 160,000 people. — AFP
|
|
|
No agreement on main issues in N-talks: Iran
Tehran, June 20 His remarks, broadcast live on state television, came after five days of negotiations in Vienna that seek to transform an interim deal into a lasting accord to resolve a decade-long stand-off over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "We have not reached agreement on the main issues. In some cases, we can see light for agreement but in some others, there is none yet," Zarif told a briefing with Iranian media. He said negotiators from Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany had spent at least 10 hours on an unfinished draft agreement. "There are more brackets than words in it," Zarif said, alluding to many differences yet to be bridged. — AFP |
|
|
Seeking reforms, 300,000 vote in Hong Kong democracy poll
Hong Kong, June 20 As of 8 pm local time (1200 GMT), eight hours after online polling opened, 298,268 people had taken part in the informal "civil referendum" which asks participants to choose between three methods to vote for Hong Kong's next leader in 2017. Occupy Central, the local pro-democracy movement that organised the vote, which will be held over 10 days, said a high turnout would prove the city's determination to win "true" universal suffrage. The number of participants is already set to outstrip expectations-organisers had said before polls opened that they were hoping for 300,000 people to vote in total. Under the "one country, two systems" agreement reached when Hong Kong was handed over from former colonial power Britain to Communist-ruled China in 1997, Hong Kong has guaranteed civil liberties not enjoyed on the mainland, including free speech and the right to protest. The semi-autonomous city's leader, or chief executive, is currently appointed by a pro-Beijing committee. China has promised direct elections for the next chief executive in 2017, but has ruled out allowing voters to choose which candidates can stand. Many pro-democrats fear Beijing will handpick the candidates to ensure election of a sympathetic official. Polling will continue until June 29 and residents have so far cast their votes online and via smartphones. There are plans to open polling booths around the city on Sunday. Chinese authorities said today that any referendum in Hong Kong on how to elect its leader would not have constitutional grounds and would be illegal and invalid, state news agency Xinhua reported. — AFP Seeking electoral reforms
|
|
|
2 top Taliban commanders killed in raid
Karachi, June 20 Abid Choto, a vice-emir of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan's Karachi wing, was killed during exchange of fire between the Rangers personnel and the militants in Manghopir area of Karachi, a spokesman said. "He was killed in the Sultanabad area of Manghopir and Rangers personnel had cordoned off the area sealing all entry and exit points of the locality while conducting the search operation," the spokesman said. Another TTP commander was also killed during the operation and he was identified as Fakhruddin Mehsud, sources said. The Rangers carried out their operation just a few days after the Pakistan military launched a major offensive in North Waziristan against foreign and local militants. — PTI |
Pak woman lawmaker succumbs to bullet injuries ‘CIA planned to make demon Osama toy’ Berlusconi appeals against bunga bunga conviction Now, Badaun-like incident in Pakistan Trial date set for honeymoon murder suspect Dewani Indian woman in Bahrain accused of killing husband Indian wins ‘Trafficking in Person Hero’ award in US |
||||||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Hong Kong, June 20
