Friday, March 18, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
DG ISI tenure being extended, confirms Mukhtar
However, he said the extension being given is in accordance with the requirement.
Talking to media, defence minister said that never before had the Judiciary and Army sat together to resolve country’s issues, adding Shahbaz Sharif must have floated the idea in a hurry.
On the occasion, Qamar Zaman Kaira said he honored the ruling of the court.
He said it was routine thing for the government to remain in contact with judiciary and army. There is no other forum where political parties can consult them (judiciary and army), he added.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
PPP crushed COD, alleges Shahbaz
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has assured that Raymond Davis case would be dealt as per law and constitution of Pakistan, Geo News reported on Sunday.
Addressing a ceremony here, Shahbaz alleged that PPP itself broke the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed by Nawaz Shairf and Benazir Bhutto for supremacy of law and constitution besides elimination of menace of corruption.
The Chief Minister stated that Nawaz Sharif kept patience for the sake of democracy.
Referring to gas loadshedding in Punjab, he said that it was being created artificially, adding that conspiracy was being hatched to defame the provincial government.
Shahbaz Sharif informed that summary has been moved to the Punjab Governor for removal of PPP ministers as they have refused to quit themselves. (GEO URDU)
Not to be part of anti-Constitution drive: Awan
LAHORE: Pakistan people’s Party will not be part of any conspiracy that is aimed at sabotaging the Constitution, said Federal Minister for Law Babar Awan here on Sunday.
Addressing a ‘Meet The Press’ program here at Lahore Press Club, Babar Awan said: “We will not let the campaign towards derailment of reconciliatory politics and democracy succeed,” and added that PPP’s doors for talks would continue to remain open.”
On the occasion, the Law Minister announced Rs2 million for the Lahore Press Club.
He said: “The ink of the 18th and 19th amendment still hadn’t dried that N-League began indulging in the politics of Changa Manga.”
Babar Awan said the PML-N leadership had, during a tussle with Musharraf, left its workers and headed abroad. And now it (PML-N) has brought the turncoats back in its folds, he added.
He said the Punjab government squandered a whopping Rs190 billion on Chief Minister Secretariat expenditures and VVIP flights.
“I ask those who spoke of resolving problems in 45 minutes what progress they have made in two long days,” the Law Minister said.
The measurement of ‘good governance’ in Punjab, he said, can be gauged from a single fact that ‘932 employees are serving under 115 officers’. “I agree that not all went well but it’s still not too late to turn things around,” he added.
Qureshi denies forming a separate group
SUKKUR: Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Sunday dispelling the impression of forming his separate group, saying he was not forming any group against Pakistan People’s Party.
He expressed these views while talking to media at Sukkur Bipass, on his way to Garhi Khuda Baksh, Geo News reported.
“I don’t any rift within may party,” he said, adding, he had been unable to meet President Zardari due to the latter’s busy schedule.
He said he had neither cared for a ministry in the past nor does he care now. Howeve, he said, Pakistan would have to break the begging bowl and that the present opportunity to live with dignity must not be wasted.
Earlier, talking to Geo News he said he was heading to Garhi Khuda Baksh to renew his vows of commitment for the philosophy of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
Governor Punjab to hold meeting with President Zardari
KARACHI: Governor Punjab Lateef Khosa is arriving Karachi today (Monday) for a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, Geo News reported.
According to sources, the Governor will discuss summery moved by the Punjab government for ouster of PPP ministers besides prevailing political situation with the President.(GEO URDU)
According to sources, the Governor will discuss summery moved by the Punjab government for ouster of PPP ministers besides prevailing political situation with the President.(GEO URDU)
Accused target killers should be brought to book: Nawaz
LAHORE: PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif Tuesday demanded that target killings accused who had been arrested should be brought to book.
Addressing consultative meeting of party workers hailing from Karachi division here also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident of May 12, 2007.
Nawaz saud that peace in Karachi was vital for economic progress of the country.
He urged Sindhi people to stand up for crusade against poverty and unemployment from the country. "I promise that I will not take rest until and unless every citizen of the country gets rights," he assured them.
He lauded civil society for participating in the movement for judiciary's restoration, adding that restoration of judiciary was not less than a miracle in the history of Pakistan.
16-inch robot wins first robots marathon
OSAKA: Robovie-PC, a toy-sized humanoid, won the world's first full-length marathon for two-legged robots by a whisker Saturday, beating its closest rival by a single second after more than two days of racing.
Five bipedal machines began the non-stop 42.2-kilometre (26.2-mile) contest on a 100-metre indoor track in the western Japanese city of Osaka Thursday morning after doing knee bends or raising their hands to greet spectators.
One of the competitors retired after finishing only the first lap, but the others continued running day and night, getting up by themselves every time they fell to the floor or got into collisions with rivals.
Robovie-PC, 40 centimetres (16 inches) tall and weighing 2.4 kilograms (5.3 pounds), stormed into first place with only a few laps to go after Robovie-PC Lite, which had established a comfortable lead and appeared to have secured an easy victory, suddenly locked up.
Robovie-PC Lite managed to return to the track and fiercely chased the leader, but after 422 laps Robovie-PC crossed the line in 54 hours 57 minutes 50 seconds, organisers said, one second ahead of its rival.
Their average speed was 0.77 kilometres per hour.
After the dramatic finish the two robots -- both made by Vstone Co., a robot technology firm based in the industrial city which also organised the "Robo Mara Full" race -- waved their arms and bowed, to wild applause from the crowd.
According to the event's regulations, competitors were allowed to change batteries and the servomotors which control the robots' speed and other functions.
The other two robots still running had yet to complete the race Saturday evening.
Second flight carrying 180 Pakistanis arrives
Lahore: Two special flights, carrying 354 Pakistanis from strife-torn Libya, arrived in Lahore on Tuesday morning.
A chartered Turkish Airlines plane, with 174, arrived early morning in Lahore and the second plane, carrying 180 Pakistanis, arrived at 9:30 a.m. There are thousands of Pakistani expatriates and students still stranded in Libya.
Several of those arrived complained about what they called non- cooperative attitude of Pakistan embassy in Libya. They said that they were stranded for three days at the airport and had also not received anything to eat.
A Punjab minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, and other senior officials received the evacuated Pakistanis at the Lahore's Allama Iqbal international airport. A large number of family members and relatives were also there to receive their loved ones.
The repatriated Pakistani told the media about the worst stories of their lives they faced during the crisis in Libya. They also appealed to the government to take steps for the immediate withdrawal of other stranded nationals in Libya.
Romania offers educational cooperation
KARACHI: The Ambassador of Romania to Pakistan, Emilian Ion, has offered joint venture with the privately run Greenwich University.
Addressing the students here on Monday, the ambassador said that Romania was keen to extend all cooperation to the education sector in Pakistan and added that a joint venture will soon be materialised with Greenwich University by a Romanian university.
He said that the joint venture would not only promote education between the two countries but at the same time will help in understanding the culture of each other.
Emilian Ion said that education is key for the development of any country, we can share our experiences in this field for the betterment of our masses, he added.
The Romanian Ambassador said that a Memorandum of Understanding regarding joint venture can be signed between Greenwich University and one of University of Romania.
Emilian Ion said that this is his first ever visit to any University of Pakistan and he is very much impressed by the facilities provided to the students by the University.
The Vice Chancellor of the Greenwich University, Mrs Seema Mughal, spoke about academics and facilities given to the students at the Greenwich University. (APP)
Vancouver still world's most liveable city: survey
SYDNEY: Vancouver topped the list of the world's most liveable cities for the fifth straight year, while Melbourne claimed second place from Vienna and Australian and Canadian cities dominated the list's top 10 spots.
In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Canadian west coast city and 2010 Winter Olympics host scored 98 percent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure - a score unchanged from last year.
It has topped the list from 2007.
Although Melbourne pipped the Austrian capital for silver medal, there was no other major change near the top of the list of 140 cities worldwide. Auckland, New Zealand, came in 10th.
"Mid-sized cities in developed countries with relatively low population densities tend to score well by having all the cultural and infrastructural benefits on offer with fewer problems related to crime or congestion," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, in a statement.
Pittsburgh was the top US city with 29th place - just ahead of Honolulu -- while Los Angeles moved up three places to 44th and New York held onto the 56th spot.
London moved up one place to 53rd while Paris came in at number 16.
The top Asian city was Osaka at number 12, tying Geneva, Switzerland and beating out the Japanese capital of Tokyo, which came in at 18.
Hong Kong came in at 31 but Beijing, capital of the world's most populous nation and No. 2 economy, straggled in at 72.
There was also little change at the bottom, with Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, once again claiming the worst position with a rating of 37.5 percent, narrowing beating out the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.
The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranks cities based on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety.
Following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit:
1. Vancouver, Canada
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Vienna, Austria
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Helsinki, Finland
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Perth, Australia
8. Adelaide, Australia
10. Auckland, New Zealand
The bottom 10 cities were:
1. Harare, Zimbabwe
2. Dhaka , Bangladesh
3. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
4. Lagos, Nigeria
5. Algiers , Algeria
6. Karachi, Pakistan
7. Douala, Cameroon
8. Tehran, Iran
9. Dakar, Senegal
10. Colombo, Sri Lanka
(Reuters)
Sports
Only Geo Super can air World Cup on cable: SC
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has declared that only Geo Super has exclusive rights for showing the Cricket World Cup matches on cable and the Pakistan Television has the rights of showing the mega event only on antenna. The Registrar Supreme Court will monitor the complaints.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, heard the Geo Super petition against the PTV and the PEMRA.
PEMRA’s lawyer gave a written assurance that no channel would show the satellite transmission of the World Cup matches.
The PTV is showing the World Cup matches through terrestrial antenna.
The license will be cancelled if any satellite channel or cable operator violates the court order.
The Court, adjourning the hearing of the case for an indefinite period, ordered that Geo Super would lodge its complaint to the PEMRA in case of any violation of the SC Order of January 24 and the PEMRA Letter of December 22 and the PEMRA immediately resolving the complaint would also inform the Registrar Supreme Court who would monitor it.
If any injustice is done with any one then the case may again be heard on an appeal.
The Chief Justice addressing the acting chairman PEMRA ordered to fulfill his commitment.
Meanwhile, the ESPN also said that the PTV cannot show the terrestrial signals on cable.
Malinga picks up second World Cup hat-trick
COLOMBO: Spearhead Lasith Malinga took his second career World Cup hat-trick when he collected six wickets as Sri Lanka dismissed Kenya for 142 in their World Cup clash here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
Malinga had Tanmay Mishra lbw with the final ball of the 42nd over and then clean-bowled Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche with the first two of the 44th.
Malinga became the first bowler to pick up two hat-tricks in World Cups. He took four wickets in four balls against South Africa in the 2007 World Cup,
The 27-year-old speedster, who missed his side's opening two matches with a sore back, finished with six for 38 as the Kenyans were dismissed for 142.
It is the second hat-trick of the 2011 World Cup after Kemar Roach took the last three Canadian wickets in West Indies' victory in Group B on Monday.
Sri Lanka record easy 9-wkt win against Kenya
COLOMBO: Lasith Malinga turned into a one-man hit squad as he became the first man to pick up two World Cup hat-tricks to lead Sri Lanka to a crushing nine-wicket victory over Kenya on Tuesday.
Malinga, who missed his side's opening two matches with a sore back, fired back with the wickets of Tanmay Mishra (0), Peter Ongondo (0) and Shem Ngoche (0) with successive, full deliveries, the latter two clean bowled.
After finishing with a career best six for 38 to dismiss the Africans for 142, a relaxed Malinga sat back in the pavilion and watched his team mates chase down the score in just 18.4 overs.
In 2007, Malinga grabbed four in a row against South Africa.
It is the second hat-trick in two days at the World Cup after Kemar Roach took the last three Dutch wickets in West Indies' 215-run victory in Group B on Monday.
Kenya crumbled from a respectable 102-2 to 142 all out in 43.4 overs after choosing to bat first, with the Obuya brothers the only batsmen to reach double figures.
A 94-run partnership between Collins Obuya (52 off 100 balls) and his elder sibling David (51 off 106 balls) raised hopes that Kenya might cross the 200-run mark but Malinga turned into a one-man hit-squad.
He got rid of Collins with a toe crushing yorker in the 32nd over before returning for his final spell to flatten the Kenyans with breathtaking pace as he bagged four wickets in five legal balls.
Malinga trapped Mishra lbw with the final delivery of his seventh over and then returned to knock over the stumps of Ongondo and Ngoche with the first two balls of his next over.
Sri Lankan fans were already dancing in the stands to celebrate the achievement and when Malinga grounded Elijah Otieno's leg stump to grab his sixth victim of the day, a deafening roar reverberated around the R Premadasa Stadium.
Malinga could only shake his mass of blond-tinted hair in disbelief as he looked up to the arena's giant scoreboard which displayed a sign reading 6-38 underneath a picture of the man of the moment.
Once Malinga has played his part, Sri Lanka knocked the runs off the runs in double quick time, with Tillakaratne Dilshan the only man to fall for 44.
Upul Tharanga ended the match with a boundary struck over cover to remain unbeaten on 67 scored off 59 balls with 12 fours. Kumar Sangakkara was 27 not out.
This was Sri Lanka's second win out of three matches in Group A, while Kenya slumped to their third successive defeat.
FESCO issues shutdown notice
FAISALABAD: The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) has issued a shutdown programme for necessary repair, maintenance and expansion of electricity lines.
According to the program issued here on Tuesday, power supply from Nawabanwala and Muzaffar Colony feeders will remain suspended from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday (March 02) while 132-KB Khannuana grid station will observe shutdown from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday (March 03, 2011).
Car lifter gang busted in Quetta
QUETTA: Kharotabad police arrested a three-member car lifter gang and recovered a stolen car from their possession on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, a police party of PS Kharotabad conducted raid at a place and apprehended the car lifter gang, police sources said adding that a stolen car was also recovered from their possession.
The stolen car was owned by an academician.
The police have registered case against the suspects.
Three motorcycle thieves arrested
LAHORE: Anti Motorcycle Lifting Staff City Division Lahore arrested three motorcycle thieves and seized nine motorcycle worth Rs 450,000.
SP CRO Sajjad Ahmad Manj constituted a special police team under the supervision of DSP AMLS Tariq Mehmood Sukhera which collected information on a Manga alias Kuba gang and arrested its three members. During preliminary interrogation, the criminals confessed to a number of cases of motorcycle lifting in various areas of the city.
The arrested were identified as ringleader Manga alias Kuba, Allah Rakha alias Bholla and Shan.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aslam Tareen has announced cash prizes and commendatory certificates for the police team.
SP CRO Sajjad Ahmad Manj constituted a special police team under the supervision of DSP AMLS Tariq Mehmood Sukhera which collected information on a Manga alias Kuba gang and arrested its three members. During preliminary interrogation, the criminals confessed to a number of cases of motorcycle lifting in various areas of the city.
The arrested were identified as ringleader Manga alias Kuba, Allah Rakha alias Bholla and Shan.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aslam Tareen has announced cash prizes and commendatory certificates for the police team.
High-profile terrorist arrested: Malik
ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement agencies have arrested a high-profile terrorist, who wanted to hit Islamabad with rocket launchers from the Margallah Hills, Interior Minister Rehman Malik told media here on Tuesday.
The importance of the terrorist can be gauged from the fact that he was operating in different areas of the country, including the Federal Capital, the minister added.
He said that the arrested terrorist might be described as a handler or an operator because his past record depicted his involvement in subversive activities.
The security agencies have arrested almost all the members of his gang, while the remaining one or two criminals would be nabbed soon, he added.
The minister hoped that thorough investigation of the arrested terrorists would reveal more facts about the gang and its operation.
The security in Islamabad has been further strengthened, Rehman said, following the arrest of the gang members.
He said there had been indications that some external powers wanted to destabilize the country.
35 girls injured in grenade attack on college
PESHAWAR: At least 35 girls including a teacher were injured when some unknown terrorists Tuesday attacked Government Girls College Lund Khawar with hand grenades.
The wounded girls have been rushed to District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan and Lund Khawar hospital for first aid. The students were later left the hospitals.
The injured students were rushed to hospitals in private vehicles to Lund Khawar Hospital where 17 wounded girls were discharged after provision of first aid. The critically injured girls were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan.
The critically injured students have been identified as Tayyaba Islam d/o of Islamuddin, resident of Lund Khawar, S.R d/o Sahib Rehman, Sidra d/o Javed, Neelam d/o Murad residents of Lund Khawar and Safia, whose father s name could not be ascertained. The critically injured were also included a teacher wife of the Dr. Fazal Hanif while a passer by Faras Khan was also included in the injured.
The wounded girls have been rushed to District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan and Lund Khawar hospital for first aid. The students were later left the hospitals.
The injured students were rushed to hospitals in private vehicles to Lund Khawar Hospital where 17 wounded girls were discharged after provision of first aid. The critically injured girls were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan.
The critically injured students have been identified as Tayyaba Islam d/o of Islamuddin, resident of Lund Khawar, S.R d/o Sahib Rehman, Sidra d/o Javed, Neelam d/o Murad residents of Lund Khawar and Safia, whose father s name could not be ascertained. The critically injured were also included a teacher wife of the Dr. Fazal Hanif while a passer by Faras Khan was also included in the injured.
Obama and Cameron mull Libya measures
LONDON: US leader Barack Obama and his British counterpart David Cameron on Thursday promised to "coordinate on possible multilateral measures on Libya," Cameron's office said in a statement.
"The prime minister spoke to President Obama this evening," Cameron's Downing Street office confirmed.
They "agreed to co-ordinate on possible multilateral measures on Libya, including at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday."
The leaders also "agreed to work together closely on the swift evacuation of nationals," during Thursday's phonecall.
Cameron also stressed "the importance of seizing this moment of opportunity for change in the region," according to the Downing Street spokesman.
Earlier Thursday, Cameron called for an international probe into "atrocities" taking place in Libya and warned that leader Moamer Kadhafi's behaviour could not be allowed to stand.
Cameron said Kadhafi's violent attempts to cling to power were "utterly unacceptable" as Foreign Secretary William Hague said the world would be looking for ways to hold to account those responsible. (AFP)
US arrests Saudi bomb plotter
WASHINGTON: A Saudi college student living in Texas has been arrested for allegedly attempting to make bombs for possible use on a series of US targets including the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush, the Department of Justice said overnight.
Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, a Saudi national and a student at South Plains College in Lubbock, was arrested late Wednesday, local time, and faces charges of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
Aldawarsi, who was legally admitted to the US in 2008 on a student visa, allegedly spent time doing online research about how to make a chemical-based improvised explosive device (IED), according to the affidavit unsealed in the Northern District of Texas.
Some of his research indicated that Aldawarsi contemplated using dolls to conceal explosives and possible plans to carry a backpack full of explosives into a nightclub.
A search of Aldawarsi's Lubbock apartment uncovered items including a hazmat suit, wiring, a clock, and sulfuric and nitric acids, authorities alleged.
Investigators also uncovered a notebook that indicated Aldawarsi had a long-held desire to execute a terror attack within the US.
An excerpt from the purported diary showed Aldawarsi's desire to target Americans.
"And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is time for Jihad," it read in part.
Aldawarsi allegedly sent a series of emails to himself that contained lists of possible targets including nuclear power plants, hydroelectric dams, and the names of 12 reservoir dams in California and Colorado, the Justice Department said.
One email with the subject line "Tyrant's House" contained the Dallas address of former President George W. Bush.
Following the arrest, a representative for South Plains College, where Aldawarsi enrolled in January as a transfer student, said there was no threat to the campus.
If convicted, Aldawarsi faces a maximum of life in prison and a US$250,000 fine.
He is expected to make his first federal court appearance in Lubbock, Texas, today.
Obama, Sarkozy for end to violence in Libya
PARIS: US President Barack Obama and his French countepart Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday demanded an end to the use of force in Libya, the French presidency said.
"In the face of the continuing brutal and bloody repression, and to the threatening statements of the Libyan leadership, the two presidents reiterated their demand for an immediate halt to the use of force against the civilian population," it said.
In the telephone conversation initiated by Obama, Sarkozy said France would "demand a new urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Libya," the French leader's office added in a statement.
Also Thursday, France's human rights ambassador said "precise and corroborating evidence" could prove that crimes against humanity were committed during the crackdown on the popular uprising in Libya.
Francois Zimeray said he had an unconfirmed figure of at least 1,000 people killed since the protests began last week.
The evidence includes "pictures (as well as) statements by Kadhafi and his son," Zimeray told AFP by telephone.
"I've heard figures from all kinds of sources saying there are more than 1,000 dead, but I don't have the means to verify them. That (figure) seems not impossible."
The Libyan government has said that 300 people have died in the protests, while rights groups have said at least 640 have been killed.
"What's certain is that Kadhafi will fall. There are no illusions about his ability to remain in the current context, you can see that he's unravelling," Zimeray said.
"When ministers and senior officials resign, there's not much of the state left. The question is when and at what human cost."
Zimeray said that Kadhafi's threat of a wave of illegal immigrants arriving in Europe was "shockingly cynical."
"People will risk their lives in the quixotic hope of a better future that we will not be able to give them. I see this as blackmail, the regime's parting shot." (AFP)
Obama says Kadhafi must 'leave now'
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama said Saturday that Libya's leader Moamer Kadhafi needs to "leave now," having lost the legitimacy to rule, a White House statement said.
Obama took the position -- his most direct yet -- in a telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to coordinate efforts in response to the crisis in Libya, the statement said.
"The president stated that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now," it said.
Obama's call for Kadhafi's departure came as the Libyan leader hunkered down in Tripoli for what many feared would be a bloody showdown with rebels that have taken control of large areas of the oil-rich North African country.
Khadafi's son, Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, earlier told Al-Arabiya television that the crisis had "opened the doors to a civil war."
The White House said Obama and Merkel "discussed appropriate and effective ways for the international community to respond."
"The president welcomed ongoing efforts by our allies and partners, including at the United Nations and by the European Union, to develop and implement strong measures," the statement read. (AFP)
Amid fear for family, Libyans in US take to streets
CHICAGO: Amid fear for those caught in the bloodshed in Libya, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Chicago Saturday to voice their disgust with Moamer Kadhafi's deadly crackdown.
Chanting "Libya, Libya don't you cry, we won't let your freedom die" and "Enough is enough, Kadhafi's time is up," they waved monarchist Libyan flags and stomped on posters of the grim-faced dictator.
"We were hoping it would be a victory rally, but he's a madman holding the country hostage," said Abdularahman Aduib, 20, a Libyan studying in Chicago.
Much of Aduib's family is in the western city of Misurata and the last time he was able to reach them they told him mercenaries were patrolling the streets in an attempt to quash the mass uprising.
"It's very frightening," he said, and extremely difficult to be so far away.
"I feel guilty at a rally like this, when my hands get cold I want them to be colder because I feel I must sacrifice for my own country."
Cars honked in support of the protesters as cold, wet snow fell on signs proclaiming "we stand with Libya" and "solidarity with our loved ones."
In Washington, meanwhile, US President Barack Obama called Saturday on Kadhafi to "leave now," declaring that the Libyan leader had lost his right to rule after attacking his own people to put down a popular uprising. (AFP)
Train hits bus; kills15 in Bangladesh
"Three of the victims died at the Comilla medical College Hospital while seven more people are being treated for critical wounds," a local journalist reached here by phone told media.
A police official who carried out the initial investigation at the scene said the crash took place as the train hit the backside of the bus as its driver apparently tried to cross the railway crossing ahead of the train, which was coming from southeastern port city of Chittagong.
The second incident was reported from Ramnagar area of Jessore as another intercity train rammed into a bus at a railway crossing killing five people and injuring 15 others.
A police official told a TV channel that the Khulna-bound intercity train hit a Satkhira-bound bus when it was crossing the unguarded Rajarhat Ramnagar level crossing.
The report said the injured were admitted to Jessore General Hospital and other local hospitals.
Bangladesh Railways in a statement said they formed two separate committees each comprising four members to investigate the accidents while the authorities already suspended a railway gatekeeper in Jessore instantly for negligence in duties.
"The committees have been asked to find out the root causes of the accidents and submit their reports within 48 hours," it said.
Bangladesh witnessed the last major train crash in December last year 19 people were killed in a crash in suburban Narsingdi where two intercity trains collided head on with one of them was going slow as it was about stop while the other was on high speed.
Verdict due in appeal of Kasab
MUMBAI: Two Indian judges are Monday to give their decision in the appeal of the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks against his conviction and death sentence, lawyers said.
Prosecution and defence lawyers said the judgement in the case of Ajmal Kasab was due to be handed down from 10:30 am PST (0530 GMT) at the Bombay High Court.
Kasab, now 23, was convicted and sentenced to death last May for his part in the wave of attacks on India's financial capital by 10 militants which killed 166 people and injured more than 300 others.
State prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said on Sunday that he was "very confident" that the death sentence would be upheld.
One of Kasab's lawyers, Farhana Shah, added: "Inshallah (God willing), we hope for the best but it's up to the discretion of the honourable court."
Kasab was found guilty of a string of offences including waging war against India, murder, attempted murder and terrorist acts after a high-profile trial at a maximum security prison court in Mumbai.
The appeal, which began last October, saw Kasab's legal team ask for a retrial, arguing that his trial lawyer was not given sufficient time to wade through the 11,000-page charge sheet before the case began.
They also claimed that prosecution evidence and witnesses were manipulated.
Under Indian law, death sentence cases have to be referred to the local state high court. The judges can uphold the sentence, reduce it, order a retrial or overturn the conviction.
If a death sentence is upheld in the high court, there is a further right of appeal to the Supreme Court in New Delhi and as a last resort to India's president for clemency.
A decision is also expected on Monday in the state's appeal against the acquittal of two Indian nationals who were accused of providing hand-drawn maps of potential targets to the gunmen.
The trial judge rejected the prosecution evidence against them as flimsy.
After the case, the men's defence teams said a Pakistani-American man, David Coleman Headley, conducted the reconnaissance. He was arrested in 2009 and has confessed to scouting out targets.
Kasab has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest in a shoot-out with police just hours after the attacks began. He has not attended the appeal for security reasons but has been able to follow proceedings via video link.
He was found to have been one of the two gunmen responsible for the bloodiest episode in the three-day attacks, when 52 people were killed at Mumbai's main railway station on November 26, 2008.
Three luxury hotels, a popular tourist restaurant and a Jewish centre were also attacked.
Suicide bomber kills 30 as Afghan violence spreads
KUNDUZ: A suicide bomber killed at least 30 people in a government office in northern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said, with violence spiraling across the country even before an expected spring offensive.
In Kunduz province in the north, the center of a growing front in the Taliban-led insurgency, a suicide bomber killed at least 30 people, Mohammad Ayoub Haqyar, the chief of Emam Saheb district, told. Another 40 were wounded.
Haqyar said the bomber struck while people were queuing to collect identity cards inside a government office. Kunduz police chief, Abdul Qayum Ibrahimi, said three police were among the dead and that many civilians were wounded.
Kunduz has become the focus of attacks over the past two years as the insurgency spreads out of traditional Taliban strongholds in the south and east into once peaceful areas.(Reuters)
31 convicted over Indian train blaze in 2002
AHMEDABAD: An Indian court on Tuesday convicted 31 people on conspiracy and murder charges over a deadly train fire in 2002 that triggered anti-Muslim rioting in which 2,000 people were killed.
The unrest, some of the worst religious violence in India since independence, was sparked after 59 Hindu pilgrims perished in a train fire at Godhra station in the western state of Gujarat.
Special public prosecutor J.M. Panchal told reporters outside the court in Ahmedabad city: "31 people have convicted under conspiracy and murder charges, 63 others have been acquitted."
A total of 94 people stood trial for causing the train blaze. (AFP)
The unrest, some of the worst religious violence in India since independence, was sparked after 59 Hindu pilgrims perished in a train fire at Godhra station in the western state of Gujarat.
Special public prosecutor J.M. Panchal told reporters outside the court in Ahmedabad city: "31 people have convicted under conspiracy and murder charges, 63 others have been acquitted."
A total of 94 people stood trial for causing the train blaze. (AFP)
Georgian soldier killed in Afghanistan
TBILISI: A Georgian soldier was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, said the defence ministry in the ex-Soviet republic which has become a significant contributor to NATO-led efforts to combat the Taliban.
The soldier was killed in the troubled Helmand region when a mine exploded, also injuring two other Georgian troops, a ministry statement said.
Corporal Giorgi Avaliani was the sixth Georgian to be killed while serving in Afghanistan, the ministry said.
Georgia is a staunch ally of the United States with ambitions to join NATO, and has deployed 950 troops to Afghanistan -- a major contribution from a small country of 4.4 million people.
The country's leadership is seeking to "anchor Georgia firmly in the West" and prove that it is worthy of NATO membership, said a diplomatic cable from the US embassy in Tbilisi released by WikiLeaks this month.
Tbilisi's NATO aspirations have infuriated neighbouring Russia, which fought a brief war with Georgia in 2008 over the Moscow-backed separatist region of South Ossetia.(AFP)
Bomb kills nine civilians in Afghanistan
KHOST: A roadside bomb struck a civilian vehicle in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday killing nine civilians, including women and children, a provincial deputy police chief said..
The civilians were driving into Khost city, capital of Khost province, when their van was hit by the blast, Mohammad Yaqoub Mandozai said.
"Three women, four children and two men were killed by the roadside bomb explosion. They were all civilians," Mandozai said.
He blamed the attack on "enemies of Afghanistan" a term often used to refer to Taliban militants who have waged a bloody insurgency against Afghan and foreign forces in Afghanistan.(AFP)
11 death sentences in Gujarat riots case
AHMEDABAD: An Indian court on Tuesday handed down 11 death sentences and 20 life terms to those found guilty of setting a train on fire in 2002 triggering anti-Muslim rioting that left 2,000 dead.
Last week, 31 Muslims were found guilty on conspiracy and murder charges for causing the train fire in western Gujarat state.
Fifty-nine Hindu pilgrims perished in the fire at Godhra station, sparking an anti-Muslim backlash that resulted in some of the worst religious violence in India since independence. (AFP)
Oil mixed as Saudi commits to supplies
SINGAPORE: Crude prices were mixed in Asian trade Tuesday as oil kingpin Saudi Arabia's pledge to ensure sufficient supplies partially eased investor worries, analysts said.
New York's benchmark West Texas Intermediate contract for April delivery fell five cents to $96.92 and Brent North Sea crude for April delivery was up 21 cents to $112.01.
Fears about supply disruption sent Brent soaring close to $120 last week.
Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, said on Monday it was committed to the stability of the oil market after Libya's crude production dropped as the country is hit by unrest.
The government, in a statement carried by the state-run SPA news agency, said the cabinet met and discussed the anti-regime protests shaking Libya "and their repercussion on oil production in that country."
Saudi Arabia "is committed to the stability of the market" and to ensuring that oil supplies remain available, the statement said, adding that the kingdom hopes Libya's production returns to normal soon.
Chen Xin Yi, commodities analyst for Barclays Capital warned: "While news that Saudi Arabia is increasing its crude output to more than nine million barrels per day, which helped eased concerns about short term supply, the crude oil produced is not an exact substitute for the Libyan's crude."
Libya's opposition forces, in control of the country's major oil installations, said Monday they were resuming oil exports, with the expected departure of a tanker for China.
It will be the first cargo of crude to sail from Libya since February 19, after security forces began a crackdown on anti-regime protesters in the east.
On February 22, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said Riyadh would compensate for any oil supply problems caused by unrest in the Middle East, but added there was no current shortage.
Saudi Arabia pumps around 8.4 million barrels of oil per day, but Naimi said the kingdom still has a spare capacity of another four million. (AFP)
Second flight carrying 180 Pakistanis arrives
Lahore: Two special flights, carrying 354 Pakistanis from strife-torn Libya, arrived in Lahore on Tuesday morning.
A chartered Turkish Airlines plane, with 174, arrived early morning in Lahore and the second plane, carrying 180 Pakistanis, arrived at 9:30 a.m. There are thousands of Pakistani expatriates and students still stranded in Libya.
Several of those arrived complained about what they called non- cooperative attitude of Pakistan embassy in Libya. They said that they were stranded for three days at the airport and had also not received anything to eat.
A Punjab minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, and other senior officials received the evacuated Pakistanis at the Lahore's Allama Iqbal international airport. A large number of family members and relatives were also there to receive their loved ones.
The repatriated Pakistani told the media about the worst stories of their lives they faced during the crisis in Libya. They also appealed to the government to take steps for the immediate withdrawal of other stranded nationals in Libya.
A chartered Turkish Airlines plane, with 174, arrived early morning in Lahore and the second plane, carrying 180 Pakistanis, arrived at 9:30 a.m. There are thousands of Pakistani expatriates and students still stranded in Libya.
Several of those arrived complained about what they called non- cooperative attitude of Pakistan embassy in Libya. They said that they were stranded for three days at the airport and had also not received anything to eat.
A Punjab minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, and other senior officials received the evacuated Pakistanis at the Lahore's Allama Iqbal international airport. A large number of family members and relatives were also there to receive their loved ones.
The repatriated Pakistani told the media about the worst stories of their lives they faced during the crisis in Libya. They also appealed to the government to take steps for the immediate withdrawal of other stranded nationals in Libya.
Accused target killers should be brought to book: Nawaz
LAHORE: PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif Tuesday demanded that target killings accused who had been arrested should be brought to book.
Addressing consultative meeting of party workers hailing from Karachi division here also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident of May 12, 2007.
Nawaz saud that peace in Karachi was vital for economic progress of the country.
He urged Sindhi people to stand up for crusade against poverty and unemployment from the country. "I promise that I will not take rest until and unless every citizen of the country gets rights," he assured them.
He lauded civil society for participating in the movement for judiciary's restoration, adding that restoration of judiciary was not less than a miracle in the history of Pakistan.
Addressing consultative meeting of party workers hailing from Karachi division here also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident of May 12, 2007.
Nawaz saud that peace in Karachi was vital for economic progress of the country.
He urged Sindhi people to stand up for crusade against poverty and unemployment from the country. "I promise that I will not take rest until and unless every citizen of the country gets rights," he assured them.
He lauded civil society for participating in the movement for judiciary's restoration, adding that restoration of judiciary was not less than a miracle in the history of Pakistan.
All my people love me,' Kadhafi Says
WASHINGTON: "All my people love me," Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi insisted Monday, ignoring mounting global pressure to step down and perhaps head into exile after four decades at the helm of his country.
"They love me. All my people with me. They love me all. They will die to protect me," the veteran Libyan leader said in halting English during an interview with the ABC television channel, the BBC and The Times of London.
"No demonstrations at all in the streets," claimed Kadhafi, who has ruled his north African country for more than 41 years. "No one is against us, against me for what?"
Those remarks and the Libyan leader's callous lack of concern for the plight of his people were roundly condemned by US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.
"It sounds just frankly delusional, when he can talk and laugh to an American and (an) international journalist while he is slaughtering his own people," Rice said at the White House. "It only underscores how unfit he is to lead and how disconnected he is from reality."
Kadhafi sat down in Tripoli for the interview as world powers ramped up pressure on his regime. He scoffed at a question about whether he would ever use chemical weapons to maintain power.
"We got rid of all that," Kadhafi said. "This is a thing of the past and we have already finished this.
"Is it reasonable that any sensible man would use such a weapon against even his own enemy? Let alone his own people," he said.
There has been global outrage at a brutal crackdown on opposition demonstrations against Kadhafi's regime which erupted nearly two weeks ago in the wake of the upheavals in its neighbors Egypt and Tunisia.
Pro-democracy forces now control vast swaths of the east of the north African country, but rights groups say at least 1,000 people have been killed in the crackdown.
After initially groping for a response, the United States has now openly called for Kadhafi to step down, suggesting he should go into exile.
"The people of Libya have made themselves clear: it is time for Kadhafi to go -- now, without further violence or delay," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a UN Human Rights Council meeting on Libya in Geneva.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said "exile" was "one option" that would satisfy US demands for Kadhafi to go, amid the uprising.
But Kadhafi hit back, saying he had been let down by the United States.
"It is betrayal, they have no morals. I'm surprised that we have an alliance with the West to fight Al-Qaeda, and now that we are fighting terrorists they have abandoned us," he said, according to ABC television.
"Perhaps they want to occupy Libya," ABC quoted him as saying, adding Kadhafi had insisted he could not step down because he is neither a president nor a king.
He also challenged those who have suggested he has stashed money abroad to produce evidence of such funds and said he would "put two fingers in their eye," the BBC reported.
Kadhafi invited the United Nations or any other organization to conduct a "fact-finding mission" in Libya.
The BBC's Jeremy Bowen said the interview had taken place in a restaurant in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and Kadhafi had seemed relaxed throughout.
Kadhafi laughed off a question about whether he would comply with calls to step down, saying: "Why do I leave my homeland? Why do I leave Libya?"
Kadhafi also alleged the people who had come onto the streets were under the influence of drugs supplied by "outsiders". He added people had seized weapons and that his supporters were under orders not to shoot back.
"It's Al-Qaeda," he told Bowen. "They went into military bases and seized arms and they're terrorising the people.
"The people who had the weapons were youngsters and they're starting to put down their weapons now as the drugs that Al-Qaeda gave them wear off."
But witnesses said Kadhafi's forces had hit back Monday, with fighter jets bombing ammunition stores in the eastern town of Adjabiya, around 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) south of the capital Tripoli.
Two planes also attacked a munitions dump at Rajma, just south of the city, a military reservist told AFP.
The brutal crackdown on opposition protests has killed at least 1,000 people and set off a "humanitarian emergency," the UN refugee agency UNHCR has said, warning of a mass exodus from Libya. (AFP)
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