| India 'close friend', Pak 'conjoined twin' of Afghan: Karzai Islamabad, Mar 11 : In a delicate balancing act, President Hamid Karzai today described India as a "close friend" while referring to Pakistan and Afghanistan as "conjoined twins." In remarks apparently aimed at assuaging Pakistan's concerns about the Indian presence in Afghanistan, Karzai said his country would never allow its soil to be used for activities directed against any of its neighbours. "India is a close friend of Afghanistan but Pakistan is a twin brother of Afghanistan. We are more than twins, we are conjoined twins. There is no separation, there cannot be a separation," he said in response to a question during a joint news conference with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. At the same time, Karzai, who was here on a two-day visit, made it clear that India and Afghanistan have "very close friendly relations." Noting that he had provided details of the cooperation between the two countries to Gilani, Karzai said: "India has gone out of its way to help Afghanistan with reconstruction and to offer Afghan youth education in India." "Afghanistan will not allow its territory to be used against any one of our neighbours, in particular against Pakistan. And we hope the same will reflect towards Afghanistan that Pakistani territory will not be used against Afghanistan," Karzai said. Pakistan's top leadership, including Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, have often spoken of concerns related to India's presence in Afghanistan. Interior Minister Rehman Malik has alleged that Indian elements were directing terror attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan. However, Karzai said Afghanistan would act "if there is any information of any country, not only India, using Afghan territory against a neighbour." He also said Pakistan should be aware that there cannot be peace and stability within its territory "without a stable and peaceful Afghanistan." "The bottom line is that Afghanistan does not want any proxy wars on its territory. It does not want a proxy war between India and Pakistan (or) between Iran and the US. "It does not want any big or small country, neighbour or far, to engage in any activity against another nation in Afghanistan," Karzai said. In response to a question, Gilani acknowledged that he and Karzai had discussed Afghanistan's demand for the handing over of senior Afghan-Taliban leaders recently arrested in Pakistan, including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy of Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar. Gilani said Pakistan is yet to decide on Afghanistan's demand. "We have our own judiciary and they are quite active. We are looking into the (matter) and consulting legal experts too. We will sit with them and discuss about it and get back to (Karzai)," Gilani said. US looking for new round of sanctions against Iran Washington, Mar 11 : The United States is looking for a new round of sanctions against Iran and is currently holding discussions with its international partners in this regard, the Obama Administration has said. "We are continuing to move forward with prospective sanctions and I would expect you will see this advance over the next several weeks," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said. The US is looking for countries and companies to be supportive as America and its allies try to find the right formula to put economic and political pressure on Iran to change its course, he added. "We have had a wide range of conversations with our counterparts within P-5+1 process as we have discussed ideas for putting additional pressure on Iran. We have centred on various industries and tried to call to the attention of companies in the energy sector, in the financial sector, others that if they choose to do business with Iran, it can have commercial implications," Crowley said. Noting that the Obama Administration is continuing with its efforts on a couple of fronts, he said: "One is, obviously, there are existing international and national sanctions that apply to Iran, and we continue to find ways to enforce what exists. We are looking at a new round of sanctions and talking to countries about how to best do this." Gates: Iran support for Taliban 'pretty limited' A US military base in southwest Asia, Mar 11 : US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said today that Iranian support for the Taliban in Afghanistan is "pretty limited" - so far. Gates noted that he had a public exchange of barbs with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week over which country is doing harm in Afghanistan. He had accused Tehran of undermining US and NATO efforts by helping the Taliban. "I have talked about Iran playing a double game in Afghanistan, wanting a good relationship with the Afghan government and wanting to make our lives harder," he said. "At this point the level of their effort I think is not a major problem for us," Gates said. "The level of their support for the Taliban, so far as best we can tell, has been pretty limited. I was just trying to express the hope that it wouldn't get any worse." In a press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said it was the United States that was playing a "double game." "They themselves created terrorists and now they're saying that they are fighting terrorists," Ahmadinejad said. Taliban commander killed in road accident Peshawar, Mar 11 : A key Taliban commander was killed and three of his accomplices were injured in a road accident in the Aurakzai tribal region in northwest Pakistan today. Militant commander Hameedullah was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was involved in the accident in Sanghar area, sources were quoted as saying by the state-run APP news agency. Three of his accomplices were also injured in the accident, the report said. Hamas to release British reporter held in Gaza: lawyer Gaza City, Mar 11 : The Islamist Hamas movement will today release a British reporter it arrested in its Gaza enclave last month, his lawyer said. "The British reporter Paul Martin will be released today, in the next few hours," Sharhabil al-Zaim told AFP. A ceremony would be held marking the release at the home of Hamas leader Mahmud al-Zahar, Zaim added. Martin is the only foreigner to be arrested by Hamas since the Islamist group seized power in Gaza in June 2007 after driving out forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. He was arrested on February 14 in a Gaza courtroom while testifying for a friend accused of "collaborating with Israel." Zaim said he was being held on an unspecified "security charge." Britain has expressed concern over Martin's case, as has the Jerusalem-based Foreign Press Association, which said he had been freelancing in the region for the past five years and was also a filmmaker. The Hamas-run interior ministry had accused Martin of "violating Palestinian law and security in the Gaza Strip," without providing further details. Court orders Muslim convert husband to return baby to wife Kuala Lumpur, Mar 11 : An ethnic Indian Hindu woman, who has been embroiled in a bitter custody battle with her Muslim convert husband, was given custody of her 22-month-old child by a Malaysian High Court today. Justice Wan Afrah Wan Ibrahim of Ipoh High Court said that the child Prasana Diksa be handed over to M Indira Gandhi, a 35-year-old kindergarten teacher immediately. According to Indira Gandhi's lead counsel M Kulasegaran the order stated that Indira Gandhi's husband, now known as Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah, or anyone having custody of the child must return to the mother immediately. "The judge said as Indira Gandhi's two other children are with her now, it is in the family's best interest that the toddler be returned to her," Star online quoted him as saying adding that the court also ruled that Mohd Ridzuan was entitled to once-a-week visitation rights. Earlier, Kulasegaran said lawyers from the state Religious Department had objected to Justice Wan Afrah listening to the case. "But the court said Indira Gandhi being a non-Muslim, she has no right to go to the Syariah Court therefore giving the High Court jurisdiction to hear the matter," he said. Zardari not considering extension in service to Kayani: Wahab Lahore, Mar 11 : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is not considering any proposal to grant extension in service to powerful army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, a senior leader of the ruling PPP has said, amid reports that he may get another two years in office. "Neither the army chief nor anyone from the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party has forwarded a proposal to the President in this regard," PPP spokesperson and parliamentarian Fauzia Wahab told a group of reporters here yesterday. Recent reports in the media had suggested that Kayani was indirectly informed by the government that it was willing to give him a two-year extension. The reports further suggested that Washington too wanted Kayani to remain in his post for a couple of years as Pakistan and the US had made gains in the war against terror due to his contributions. Wahab, one of the close aides of Zardari, made it clear that the PPP was against extensions in service for army officials. Future of Afghanistan has a regional dimension: US Washington, Mar 11 : Observing that the future of Afghanistan has a regional dimension, the Obama Administration has hoped that Iran would play a constructive role in bringing long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country. The Obama Administration said this in its reaction to yesterday's Kabul visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who slammed US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. However, the US's reaction was a bit toned down given it is engaged in a war of words with Iran on nuclear issue. Iran is a neighbour of Afghanistan. Obviously, it has a legitimate interest in the future of Afghanistan. There have been times in the past where the interests of Iran and the US have coincided. The two countries cooperated constructively during the Bonn process that led to the establishment of civilian government in Afghanistan, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P J Crowley said. "We have issues with respect to Iran, not only within Afghanistan, but more broad in the region. We have been prepared to have that kind of conversation with Iran. They have declined to engage seriously in response to the President's offer of engagement out of mutual interest and mutual respect," he noted. PM Maliki leads Iraq vote in two provinces Baghdad, Mar 11 : Preliminary results from Iraq's national election began to trickle in today, showing Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ahead in the country's largely Shi'ite south. Preliminary results from the electoral commission, the first to be released, showed Maliki ahead in Najaf and Babil provinces south of Baghdad. But full initial results from across Iraq's 18 provinces, including areas where support is expected to be strong for Maliki's rivals, were still unknown four days after a national election Iraqis hoped would bring stable government and help end years of sectarian conflict as US troops ready to leave. Officials at Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said full initial results, which are to be made public when 30 per cent of the vote is counted, may be released later today. Final results may take weeks. They are anxiously awaited by foreign oil companies making plans to invest billions of dollars and vault Iraq into the top echelon of global producers, and by Washington policymakers as the United States prepares to formally end combat operations by the end of August and leave the country before 2012. The IHEC results showed Maliki's State of Law coalition with 124,734 votes in the two provinces with at least 30 per cent of votes counted, followed by 103,583 for a mainly Shi'ite rival, the Iraqi National Alliance. A secular, cross-sectarian list headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi got 40,916 votes. That list is expected to do well in Sunni areas in north and western Iraq. A clear victory by any of the blocs is unlikely and negotiations to form a coalition government could take months, leaving the possibility of a dangerous political vacuum. China 'appreciates' Indian stand on Tibet Beijing, Mar 11 : China today appreciated the stand of the Indian government recognising Tibet autonomous region as an integral part of China and New Delhi s assertion not to allow "Tibetan separatist" activities in the country. "The Indian government has said that the Tibet Autonomous Region is an integral part of Chinese territory and that they do not allow Tibetan separatist activities in India. We express our appreciation to the Indian side," Jiang Yu, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said today. She was replying to a question whether Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama s speech on the 51st anniversary of the Tibetans' National Uprising Day yesterday had any negative impact on China s ties with India and does Beijing think that New Delhi is doing enough to restrict the Tibetan separatist activities. "China and India are the promoters of the five principles of peaceful coexistence. One of the principles is mutual respect for each others sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope China and India can develop conducive and comprehensive relations," she said. The 74-year-old exiled spiritual leader accused China of trying to deliberately "annihilate Buddhism" in Tibet by conducting a campaign of patriotic re-education in monasteries there. Two Australians held for attacking crippled Canadian Melbourne, Mar 11 : Two Australian teenagers have been arrested on charges of brutally assaulting a wheelchair- bound Canadian tourist with a metal bar in Sydney, an attack reminiscent of the spate of incidents against Indians here. The 35-year-old man, whose identity was not released, was punched, stomped and beaten up at Mount Druitt train station on Tuesday night. He is still in hospital and has had surgery for a fractured skull. New South Wales police said he was waiting at the station in Sydney's west after watching a friend's band play a concert when the two teens approached and punched him in the face while he attempted to roll into a station lift. He fell out of his wheelchair, was stomped on and bashed on the head with a metal bar wrenched from his wheelchair, causing a depressed skull wound and severe cuts, police said. Police arrested a 16-year-old boy yesterday and produced him in the Parramatta Children's Court on charges of causing grievous bodily harm and armed robbery. He was refused bail. A second alleged offender surrendered before police last night, ABC News reported, adding that the 15-year-old appeared on the same charges and was also refused bail. Their names were not released because they are minors. Three south Yemen separatists killed in clashes with police Sanaa, Mar 11 : Three south Yemeni independence activists were killed and five wounded today when demonstrations in southern towns sparked clashes with police, opposition sources said. Two Southern Movement followers were killed and two wounded in a gunfight during protests in the town of Daleh, a leading opposition figure said, asking not to be named. Another activist was killed and three wounded in a similar clash as police tried to recapture a government building occupied by separatist activists in the town of Tur al-Bahah, in Lahij province, another source said. Pro-independence protests have multiplied in the south in the face of Yemen's worsening economic problems. South Yemen was independent from 1967 until it united with the north in 1990. An attempt to break away again in 1994, sparking a short-lived civil war that ended when the south was overrun by northern troops. On Monday, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh warned separatists that they could not prevail against the security forces but he also offered to engage in dialogue over their demands. Top UN official concerned over Nepal's stalled peace process Kathmandu, Mar 11 : A top UN official today expressed concern over Nepal's peace process, saying it was at a "very serious point" amid a political deadlock among the 22-party ruling coalition and the main Opposition Maoists. After a series of meetings with top leaders in Nepal, including Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoists' supremo Prachanda, UN Under Secretary General for political affairs B. Lynn Pascoe expressed concern over the slow progress in the 2006 peace process. Asking the party leaders to act on pledges made after the conclusion of peace pact, the UN official urged them to expedite the process of integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants and drafting of the new constitution. "We do see things at a very serious point here, the process is just not moving the way it should be," he told journalists. He underlined the need for the early integration and rehabilitation of former Maoists guerrillas to push the peace process forward. Israel PM expresses 'regret' over settlement announcement Jerusalem, Mar 11 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed "regret" to US Vice President Joe Biden over the decision to announce plans for 1,600 new east Jerusalem settler homes during his visit, the premier's office said today. "The (prime minister) spoke to Vice President Biden and expressed his regret for the unfortunate timing," his office said in a statement. Netanyahu said that "in light of the ongoing disagreement between Israel and the US on building in Jerusalem," there had been no need to advance the planning process this week. The announcement on Tuesday sparked an international furore and enraged the Palestinians, who have called off US-backed plans for indirect talks with Israel until the decision to build the houses is cancelled. Netanyahu indicated he was unaware of the announcement by the interior ministry, and his office said he had summoned Interior Minister Eli Yishai yesterday to express his "displeasure" at the timing of the announcement. China origin of malicious cyber activities targeting US:Expert Washington, Mar 11 : Claiming that China is the origin of malicious cyber activities targeting the US, a noted American security expert today said the government here should vigorously monitor and defend its computer and critical infrastructure networks. "China is the origin of extensive and malicious cyber activities that target the US," Larry Wortzel, Vice Chairman of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, said at a Congressional hearing. The commission, in a contracted report, provided a case study of a penetration into the computer systems of an American high-technology company. "The study detailed the way the data was acquired and transferred to an Internet protocol address in China and what institutional and individual actors in China may have been involved," Wortzel said. 13 Indians held for working illegally in UK London, Mar 11 : Thirteen Indian citizens are among 14 people arrested during raids by immigration officers at a freight warehouse in Heathrow and at residences for working illegally in Britain. During the raid on Scanwell Freight Services on Amberley Way in Hounslow, immigration officials conducted checks on freight and interviewed staff to check they had the right to work in the UK. Eight members of staff, all Indian men, were arrested for a variety of immigration offences. The company has been warned that it could face a fine of up to 90,000 pounds for employing the eight men. As a result of the arrests, searches were carried out at three residential addresses in Hayes and Southall, and a six more people were arrested: four Indian men and an Indian woman, besides one South African man. Seven of the 14 remain in immigration detention pending their removal from the UK. The others have been granted bail while the agency works to get travel documents for them. Obama names Clinton as certification authority of Indo-US deal Washington, Mar 11 : Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was today named as the new certification authority by US President Barack Obama to verify the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear Act for the US Congress after every six months. "I hereby delegate to you (Secretary of State) the functions conferred upon the President by section 204(c) of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act (Public Law 110-369)," Obama said in a signed memorandum issued to the Secretary of State. Under the Act, the US President needs to certify to the appropriate congressional committees that it is the policy of the US to work with members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, individually and collectively, to agree to further restrict the transfers of equipment and technology related to the enrichment of uranium and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Fresh earthquake shakes Chile Santiago, March 11 : A strong quake shook Chile Thursday, just minutes before the start of the inaugural ceremony of incoming President Sebastian Pinera. The 7.2-magnitude tremblor caused panic in several areas across central-southern Chile, which was hit by a devastating quake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale Feb 27. Thursday's quake was centred some 147 km south-west of Santiago. Hundreds of strong aftershocks have rattled the South American country since the initial quake last month. The ceremony at the Congress building in Valparaiso was to go on as planned. Pinera, 60, is to succeed outgoing President Michelle Bachelet, who is set to leave office with record popularity. She has the support of 84 percent of Chileans in the quake's aftermath, according to an opinion poll that was made public Wednesday. Not sure how long our marriage would last: Bruni London, Mar 11 : Adding fuel to speculation about their extra-marital affairs, French First Lady Carla Bruni has claimed that she isn't sure how long her marriage to President Nicolas Sarkozy would last. In an interview to Britain's 'Sky News', the former Italian supermodel-turned-singer described her relationship to Sarkozy as a "fairy tale" but gave a halfhearted response when asked about whether her marriage "was forever". While discussing her 55-year-old flamboyant husband, Bruni was asked: "Is he for keeps -- is he forever?" After a long pause, the 43-year-old First Lady replied: "I guess marriage should be forever but who knows what happens. I wish it was forever, that's my hope... But we could be dead tomorrow." Rumours have been doing the rounds in recent days that Sarkozy and Bruni, who wed in February 2008, just three months after meeting in November 2007, are cheating on each other. While the President is said to be romancing his 40-year-old Ecology Minister, also a karate champion, Bruni is rumoured to be involved with Benjamin Biolay, a mop-haired pop star six years her junior. |