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GOA, WEDNESDAY, 28 JULY, 2010
US to pressure Pak after leaks PTI WASHINGTON, JULY 27
The US may seek to gain leverage from the WikiLeaks disclosures about ISI's links with Taliban and Al-Qaeda, to get Islamabad act tougher on militant groups on its soil, as voices grow louder against giving Pakistan a 'blank cheque' in the war on terror. "This is now in the open", a senior Obama administration official said referring to the 92,000 documents of the US Defence department's war in Afghanistan made public by the online whistleblower WikiLeaks. "It’s reality now. In some ways it makes it easier for us to tell Pakistan they have to help us", the New York Times reported quoting the official. "The documents seem to lay out rich new details of connection between the Taliban and other militant groups and Pakistan's main spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI," the paper said. It quoted several administration officials privately expressing the view that they might be able to use leaks and their description of a sometimes duplicitous Pakistani ally to pressurise Islamabad to cooperate more fully with the US on counter-terrorism. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insisted that more
needs to be done by Pakistan as status quo was not acceptable. Gibbs said that Pakistan should not expect a blank cheque from the US in the fight against terror, and progress is to be made in addressing the issue of safe havens, of extremists operating in the country. There is a backdrop of mistrust and wariness between US forces and Pakistan's military intelligence, other US media reports said claiming that the new leaks could lead to a near freeze in cooperation between US agencies and ISI or only exchanges on the need-to-know basis. NYT quoted leading democrats as saying that while the disclosures were not altogether new, "the details underscored deep suspicions they have harboured towards the ISI". "Some of these documents reinforce a longstanding concern of mine about the supporting role of some Pakistani officials in the Afghan insurgency", Senator Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee told the Times. Levin, who recently visited Pakistan, said he had confronted senior Pakistani leaders about ISI's continuing ties to the militant groups.
Pak acquires sophisticated US missiles
JuD moves court to ban Facebook
Pakistan has acquired sophisticated air-to-air missiles from the US for its newly inducted F-16 fighter jets, a move which will bolster its defence capabilities "manifold", an official said today. The first batch of AIM-120 Advance Medium Range Air-toAir Missiles will be used with the new Block-52 F-16 C/D jets of the Pakistan Air Force delivered by the US. "The induction of these 'beyond visual range missiles' in the PAF's inventory marks the achievement of another major milestone in the air force's developmental plan and "bolsters its defensive capabilities manifold," said an official statement. The capability also brings PAF at par with other modern air forces in terms of sophistication of its air-to-air arsenal, the statement said.
Even as the Jamaat-ud-Dawah mounts pressure on Pakistani authorities to slap a ban on Facebook, a petition filed in a court has sought a permanent bar on access to the social networking website due to the launch of an "anti-Islam competition". Acting on the petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel chairman Muhammad Azhar Siddique, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court today sought the stance of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to the demand for a permanent ban on Facebook. In his petition, Siddique sought a permanent ban on the website as it was hosting a page with a contest named "Everybody Burn Quran Day". Siddique said in his petition that Facebook was also displaying blasphemous pictures of "Khana-e-Kaaba". He asked the court to declare such acts as "illegal, un-Islamic, unconstitutional and against the injunctions of Islam." He also asked the court to launch contempt of court proceedings against the website’s owners and to punish them accordingly. Siddique asked the court to direct authorities to ensure that no blasphemous material is published in the country.
PTI ISLAMABAD, JULY 27
PTI LAHORE, JULY 27
Vehicles are lined-up outside a gas station in Athens, on Tuesday after Greek truck owners started a strike in protest against a draft bill to open up the road freight market, including that of fuel that is currently served only by licenced vehicles. The strike caused serious shortages of fuel in the market.
Malaysia fines Muslims for Hindu temple protest between Muslims, who make up the majority of the country's 28 million population, and minority Hindus and Christians who complain of discrimination. ''Going ahead, this will become a political issue for the country's minorities and further reinforce their unhappiness,'' said James Chin, a politics pro-
fessor at Monash University in Kuala Lumpur. The 12 were from a group who had marched in August last year with the head of a cow to protest a plan to build a Hindu temple in their mainly Muslim neighbourhood. Hindus, who consider the cow to be a sacred animal, were angered.
Non-Muslims, who together constitute 40 per cent of the population, handed the country's ruling coalition its worst defeat in the polls in 2008 due to growing alienation. Since taking office in April last year, Prime Minister Najib Najib Razak has tried to reach out to minorities with an inclu-
Serbia vows never to recognise Kosovo
Bear crashes in runaway car
REUTERS KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 27
A Malaysian court sentenced a Muslim to a week in jail today and fined 11 others for a brandishing a cow's head during a protest against the construction of a Hindu temple. Critics said the light sentences may further strain race relations
AP BELGRADE, JULY 27
Serb lawmakers passed a resolution Tuesday vowing that their country will never recognize Kosovo as an independent state, despite a UN court ruling backing the independence declaration by the former Serbian province. As expected, Serbia's 250member parliament overwhelmingly approved the motion with 192 votes in favor, 26 against and two abstentions after a heated debate during which the opposition blasted the government for "the diplomatic debacle" before the World Court. The emergency session was held after the International Court of Justice dealt Serbia's struggle to retain Kosovo a blow by ruling last week that the former province's 2008 independence declaration was legal. Serbia lost control of the territory during a 1998-99 war
Jon, Kate reach custody settlement AGENCIES LAS ANGELES, JULY 27
Wow. What will the world be like if these two nut jobs are actually getting along and enjoying a respectful, amicable relationship? We may find out, as the epic child custody war between Jon and Kate Gosselin is officially over. The former stars of Jon and Kate Plus 8 have reached a settlement agreement. The terms are extremely confidential, but the new deal replaces a previous one in which Jon was on the hook for child support he could not pay. Jon filed documents in a Pennsylvania court asking for custody of their eight kids in April, looking to renegotiate those child support payments. He then dropped that lawsuit and sought a truce with Kate, which he apparently got. Earlier this month, the oftencontentious former couple officially agreed on a new arrangement that involves both custody and financial obligations. The terms of the agreement have been sealed by the court. "An official agreement between Jon and Kate was reached and they will be working together for the benefit of their children," a close source confirms. Good for them. Bad for celebrity gossip lovers accustomed to wars of words, tearful implosions and baseless legal accusations, but good for them.
The head of the Serbian legal team for the ICJ, Dusan Batakovic, addresses the extraordinary parliament session in Belgrade.
against ethnic Albanian rebels and the ensuing NATO air bombardment that led to an international administration of
Kosovo. The parliament resolution called for "peaceful negotiations" for a lasting solution. Kosovo
China bans shame parades REUTERS BEIJING, JULY 27
China will end the public shaming of criminal suspects by parading them through the streets, the People's Daily reported today, after online commentators championed the case of a prostitute. A spokesperson at the Public Security Bureau in central Henan province confirmed the ban on the practice long used by local law enforcement officials. Although the ban is meant to apply to all suspects, the ''shame parades'' have most often been used in periodic government crackdowns on prostitution. Online activists launched a campaign to halt the marches this month after a suspected prostitute was pictured barefoot, handcuffed and led about by a rope in a street in Dongguan in southern Guangdong province.
Netizens expressed outrage at a ''humiliating'' act and urged sympathy towards sex workers, according to Mop.com, a popular online forum. ''They would not become prostitutes if they did not have to support their younger siblings to finish school back in their home village,'' said a commentator identified only as ''388943''. ''I know sex workers who donated hundreds of yuan to the (2008) Sichuan earthquake. They are also human beings. Where is the respect? What about human rights?'' another post said. There are no official statistics for sex workers, but a World Health Organisation study estimated the number at four million. Prostitution is banned and a taboo topic that generates scant coverage in the state media, except for annual crackdowns.
British dogs urged to work off fat REUTERS LONDON, JULY 27
Over a third of British dogs are overweight, a veterinary charity warned today and the proportion could rise to nearly a half in three years if owners do not change their pets' habits. Poor diet and lack of exercise are the chief culprits, the PDSA said. In a survey of some 30,000 dogs in the UK over the past four years, it found 35 percent were heavier than they should be. It also found that owners gave them leftovers, fatty meats, cheese, pigs ears, chips and biscuits. A similar PDSA study four years ago found that 21 per cent
of British dogs were overweight, which means that nearly half of them could be too fat by 2013 if the trend continues. ''Thousands of pets across the UK are having their quality of life, and ultimately their life expectancy, cut short as a direct result of obesity'', said a PDSA senior veterinary surgeon. The latest survey also suggested that around half a million dogs are not taken on daily walks. To tackle the problem, the PDSA has relaunched its annual pet slimming competition, Pet Fit Club, which offers 10 overweight pets the chance to go on a free 100 day diet and fitness programme overseen by PDSA vets and nurses.
officials have repeatedly rejected any further talks with Serbia on Kosovo's independence. Serbian President Boris Tadic
Lufthansa cargo flight crashes in Riyadh AFP RIYADH, JULY 27
A cargo plane owned by Lufthansa crashed in Riyadh on Tuesday and the two-man crew are being treated for minor injuries, the German airline said, confirming earlier statements by a Saudi official. The Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 flying 80 tonnes of freight from Frankfurt to the Saudi capital crashed at 11.38am (0838 GMT, 1838 AEST), Lufthansa Cargo said. Both pilots suffered minor injuries and were immediately hospitalised. "The captain and the copilot are in good health; they only had minor injuries," Khalid alKhaibri, a spokesman for the Saudi civil aviation authority told AFP. The German airline said "it is not yet known exactly what type of freight it was or which customers are affected. The cause of the accident is still being investigated. At the moment, we have no further details." However, Khaibri told AFP the pilot reported to ground officials a fire in the cargo hold of the aircraf t before landing at Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport.
told the parliament his country will seek new talks on Kosovo at the UN General Assembly in September and will try to halt more international recognition of the state before the gathering. Tadic said Serbia will seek a compromise solution, and will not wage another war over Kosovo — rejecting such suggestions by some lawmakers. "We are in a very difficult situation ... but we won't beat the war drums," Tadic said. "We cannot protect our interests in Kosovo without integration into the European Union and good relations with the United States, Russia and China." Kosovo's statehood so far has won backing from 69 countries, including the US and most EU nations. But many countries in the 192-member UN General Assembly are still hesitant, some fearing it could embolden their own separatist movements.
REUTERS DENVER, JULY 27
A black bear attracted by the smell of a peanut butter sandwich managed to open the door of a car, climb in and got stuck, knocking the gear stick into neutral and sending the car rolling down a slope into trees, in Larkspur near Denver.
sive ''1Malaysia'' policy. But ethnic and religious tensions remain high after a number of religiously charged disputes including the ''cow head protest'' and an ongoing row over the use of the word Allah by Christians.