| Syrian activists: 200 dead in government assault Beirut, Feb 4 : Syrian forces unleashed a barrage of mortars and artillery on the battered city of Homs on Saturday, killing more than 200 people in what appears to be the bloodiest episode in the nearly 11-month-old uprising, activists said. The government denied the assault, saying the reports are part of a "hysterical campaign" of incitement by armed groups against Syria, meant to be exploited at the Security Council as it prepares to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar Assad to give up power. With the violence in Syria growing increasingly chaotic, diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the crisis have gained pace. But Russia, a strong ally of Syria, signaled Saturday it would oppose any resolution calling for a political transition in the country and had submitted its own amendments to the Western-backed draft. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Washington that any attempt to put a resolution to vote without taking Russia's opinion into account will only lead to "another scandal" at the Security Council. He spoke in an interview broadcast Saturday on Russian state television Rossiya. Meanwhile, telephone calls to Khaldiyeh, the hardest hit district in Homs, were not going through, but residents of nearby areas described a hellish night of ceaseless shelling. "Homs is on fire," said one opposition activist in a quieter area near the city, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisal. "All sides are attacking each other and the number of casualties is more than anyone can count," he said. The government denied the assault and said that corpses shown in amateur videos posted online bodies that activists said were victims of the assault were purportedly of people kidnapped by "terrorist armed groups" who filmed them to portray them as victims of the alleged shelling. Israel 'plans attack on Tehran within months' London, Feb 4 : Israel is planning to attack Iran "within months", the Daily Mail reported Saturday. Fears of a global nuclear war breaking out were stoked after Israel said Iran has been developing missiles with an extraordinary range of 6,200 miles, enough to reach the US. An international political storm is now in full force as the US desperately tries to talk Israel out of an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities amidst fears a strike could now come within just two months, the Mail said. Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon said the missiles were being tested at a site near Tehran that was destroyed three months ago and they were "aimed at America, not at us". Ya'alon said Iran is creating "a nightmare for the free world". Iran, which is accused of preparing to build a nuclear bomb, says it will retaliate over Western- backed oil sanctions and any attack threat. The US doesn't believe Iran is producing such a long-range missile, but Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is still reportedly fearful of a growing chance Israel would attack Iran as early as April. "Threatening Iran and attacking Iran will harm America," Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned in a defiant speech Friday. "Sanctions will not have any impact on "our determination to continue our nuclear course" and it will impose any threats "at the right time", he added. "I have no fear of saying that we will back and help any nation or group that wants to confront and fight against the Zionist regime (Israel)." America is leaning heavily on Israel, even though it has largely concluded that outside argument will have little effect on Israeli decision-making. The stand-off poses a major political challenge for US President Barack Obama, who has been regularly mocked by most of the GOP presidential candidates for failing to take a tougher stance against Iran. US, EU must deepen economic ties to fight crisis: Clinton Munich, Feb 4 : US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today called for Europe and the United States to trade more and urged them to "work harder" together to battle economic crises. In a speech in Munich, Clinton voiced confidence that Europe has "the will and the means" to cut runaway debt, build "the necessary firewalls" to protect the euro and take steps to spur growth. While acknowledging that the United States was dealing with its own financial crisis, Clinton pointed to improved US jobs figures, which showed unemployment dropping to 8.3 per cent -- its lowest level since February 2009. "Although we get good news from time to time as we did yesterday with jobs figures and drops in unemployment, we know we have a ways to go as well," she said at the Munich Security Conference, an annual defence policy gathering. "As Europe emerges from economic crisis, we have to work harder to reinforce each other's recoveries. As deep as our economic relationship is, it has not yet lived up to its potential," Clinton said. A US- European Union working group on jobs and growth, launched by President Barack Obama and EU leaders, must be at the "forefront of our efforts to put our people back to work," she said. Clinton called for the United States and Europe to trade more with each other and the rest of the world, and team up to break down trade barriers. Iran holds military drill Tehran, Feb 4 : Iran Saturday launched a military drill on its southern territorial waters. The exercise dubbed Hamiane Velayat is conducted by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the China Daily reported. It did not specify the location and duration of the drill. IRGC ground forces commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour confirmed the launch of the exercise and said it is aimed at testing the armed forces' battle readiness. Iran mass producing anti-ship cruise missile: TV Tehran, Feb 4 : Iran has begun mass production of an anti-ship cruise missile, state television's website said today. The Zafar missile, as it is dubbed in the report, "is a short-range, anti-ship cruise missile capable of destroying small- and medium-sized targets with high precision." It can be mounted on speed boats and other light vessels, can withstand electronic warfare, and is able to fly in low altitudes to avoid detection, the report said. Iran has a fleet of speed boats that often challenge US and allied warships in the Gulf. The vessels are usually controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards and can be equipped with missiles. The Islamic republic says it has a wide range of missiles. It says some are capable of striking targets inside Israel as well as Middle Eastern military bases of its other main archfoe, the United States. Tehran regularly boasts about developing missiles having substantial range and capabilities, but Western military experts cast doubt on its claims. Iran's military said in January that it could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, through which a third of global marine oil traffic passes, if it is attacked. US expects Pak to resolve internal issues consistent with laws Washington, Feb 4 : Close on the heels of Pakistan's top court announcing that it will frame contempt charges against the Prime Minister, the US has said it expects the country to resolve any of its internal issues in a way that is consistent with its laws and Constitution. The US is closely following the events in Pakistan, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at his daily news conference last evening. "What we've said all along is that we expect Pakistan to resolve any of its internal issues in a way thats consistent with Pakistani laws and its Constitution," he said. Toner's remarks came a day after Pakistan Supreme Court summoned Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to appear before it on February 13 for framing of contempt charges against him for his failure to act on its order to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. The State Department spokesman said that he does not agree with the statement that the internal situation in Pakistan limits America's ability to engage with the country. "We remain in very close consultation through our Ambassador in Islamabad, Cameron Munter, and his counterparts on the ground in Islamabad, but at a variety of levels with the Pakistani Government," he said. On broader bilateral ties which were deeply affected following the November 26 NATO raid that killed 24 Paistani soldiers, Toner noted that a Parliamentary review was underway in that country over the relationship with Washington. Iran to stop Europe oil exports Tehran, Feb 4 : Iran will stop its oil exports to Europe, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said Saturday. The development comes after the European Union endorsed the measures adopted by the foreign ministers of the 27-member block Jan 23 against Iran's oil exports. Qasemi Saturday called on the EU to review its decision and said Iran's oil exports to Europe comprise only 18 percent of the country's total oil exports. He was speaking at a press conference Saturday, China Daily reported. The embargo will not create any problem to Iran, he said. Anger refuses to die down in Egypt; 10 killed in three days Cairo, Feb 4 : Egypt's streets continued to simmer with anger with 10 lives lost over three days, as fuming protesters clashed with police over its failure to prevent Port Said's unprecedented football violence. Police in Cairo fired teargas and birdshots at protesters who tried to march on to the interior ministry and threw stones at security forces guarding the building today even as anti-government activists smelled conspiracy in the deadly riots that had claimed 74 lives on Wednesday. Six people died in the eastern port city of Suez, as police used live rounds to hold back crowds yesterday, according to a report in Al Jazeera. Three protesters were also killed in Cairo as crowds broke down walls and barbed wire barriers to reach the heavily guarded interior ministry. The government said one soldier was also killed when a riot police truck hit him and more than 2,500 people stood injured in the clashes. The fresh unrest in Egypt began on Thursday as angry protesters took to the streets, shaken by violence that occurred after a soccer match in the northern city of Port Said. The protesters chanted anti-military slogans as witnesses said riot police did little to prevent the violence when fans of the victorious Al Masry club flooded the ground and chased the players and supporters of the popular club Al Ahly. Russia warns of 'scandal' if UN vote on Syria text Moscow, Feb 4 : Russia today said that the Western-backed text of a UN Security Council resolution on the violence in Syria did not suit Moscow at all and warned of a "scandal" if that draft was brought to a vote. "If they (the West) want yet another scandal on the Security Council for themselves then we cannot stop them" putting the draft to a vote, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian television. "The draft does not suit us at all and I hope that it is not put to a vote," he added. A diplomat at the United Nations said earlier the UN Security Council will meet later today to vote on the resolution condemning the violent repression in Syria. Lavrov gave the interview to Russian state television at a Moscow airport early today before heading to the Munich Security Conference where he plans to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He said that the changes Russia wanted to make to the resolution were "well known" and that he had already sent them to Clinton. "There can be no doubt about the sense and the objectivity of these amendments. I hope that a prejudiced approach does not prevail over common sense," he added. Russia has repeatedly objected to the current text -- introduced by Morocco and backed by Western powers -- saying any resolution must make clear it cannot be used to justify foreign military intervention in Syria. Imran Khan asks Supreme Court to stay Feb 25 by-poll Islamabad, Feb 4 : Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has approached the Supreme Court for staying by-elections to the national and provincial assemblies scheduled for February 25 till the Election Commission issues new voters' lists. In an application filed yesterday, Khan asked the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission to suspend its January 27 notification announcing the schedule for the by-polls. The by-elections are being held for six seats of the National Assembly or lower house of parliament and four seats of the assemblies of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Khan claimed the issuance of a notification for polls in the absence of error-free voters' lists amounted to disobedience of the apex court's directive of January 19 to postpone by-elections until new and verified rolls are completed. The ruling had earlier triggered a row between the Supreme Court and Chief Election Commissioner Hamid Ali Mirza, who described the order as unconstitutional. The apex court countered that elections held on unverified voter lists could not be described as just, fair and in accordance with the law. Court asks defence lawyers to appear on Feb 7 in Mumbai case Islamabad, Feb 4 : The Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of seven suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks has issued notice to defence lawyers to appear on February 7 to hear an application seeking early hearing of the case. Anti-terrorism court Judge Shahid Rafique issued the notice yesterday after prosecution lawyers filed an application for early hearing of the case to decide on the issue of sending a judicial commission to India to interview key officials who participated in the probe into the Mumbai incident. The prosecution filed the application as a hearing scheduled for today could not be held due to a national holiday in connection with the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. "We have received the notice but the court should have consulted us in this regard," defence lawyer Malik Rafiue told PTI. He said there appeared to be pressure on the court from Interior Minister Rehman Malik as he wanted the commission to leave for India by February 10. Gilani to visit Turkey to discuss Afghan reconciliation Islamabad, Feb 4 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will discuss the reconciliation process in Afghanistan during his visit next week to Qatar, where the Afghan Taliban are set to open a political office. Gilani will travel to Qatar on Monday for a two-day visit. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is expected to accompany the Premier. Besides discussing the Taliban's plan to open an office, Gilani will explain Pakistan's position on the Afghan reconciliation process. "Our Prime Minister will have discussions in this connection with the Qatari leadership," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told the media. Gilani will inform the Qatari leaders about "the Pakistani perspective in this situation," he said. The Premier is expected to be given a briefing by the Qatari leadership on efforts being made for the Afghan peace process and the Taliban's plans to open a political office, official sources said. The Taliban announced last month that they had struck a deal to open a political office in Qatar to facilitate direct negotiations on the endgame in Afghanistan -- the first indication that they might be ready for formal talks with US-led coalition forces. The move could help revive the reconciliation process that had stalled following the assassination of Afghan High Peace Council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani in September last year. Charges dropped against soldier in Afghan deaths Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Washington), Feb 4 : The Army has dropped all charges against the fifth soldier it had accused of killing Afghan civilians for sport during a 2010 deployment. Spc Michael Wagnon, 31, had been charged with the unlawful killing of one Afghan civilian in February 2010. He had been expected to go on trial in March. In a statement yesterday, Joint Base Lewis-McChord said the charges were dismissed "in the interest of justice." Wagnon's lawyer, Colby Vokey, said his client was "ecstatic" at the news, "very, very relieved" and eager to tell his wife. "He kept saying over and over 'This is great news, I can't wait to tell Carrie,'" Vokey said in a telephone interview yesterday with The Associated Press. Four other soldiers from a Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade have been sent to prison in connection with the killings of three unarmed men during patrols in Kandahar province. In all, 12 soldiers were charged in connection with alleged misconduct that in addition to murder included hash smoking, collection of illicit weapons, the mutilation and photography of Afghan remains and the gang-beating of a soldier who reported the drug use. Eleven soldiers were convicted on various counts. Taliban deny their leader sent letter to Obama Kabul, Feb 4 : The Afghan Taliban today denied that their leader Mullah Omar had written to President Barack Obama last July. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said reports that Omar had sent a letter indicating an interest in talks key to ending the war in Afghanistan were "baseless allegations." "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is strongly condemning these rumours and allegations," Mujahid said in an email to media organisations, referring to the Taliban by the name Afghanistan had while under their rule. He added that the reports were aimed at sowing confusion among Afghans. Current and former US officials told The Associated Press the letter purportedly from Omar was unsigned. It was passed through a Taliban intermediary and intended for the White House. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter and its contents are part of sensitive diplomacy with a fighting force that still targets US troops. The previously undisclosed communication was considered authentic by people who saw it, but sceptical administration officials said they cannot determine it actually came from Omar. The Obama administration did not directly respond to the letter, two officials said, although it has broadened contacts with Omar's emissaries since then. Sources who described the letter did not disclose its precise contents, but one current and one former official said it addressed Taliban willingness to build trust with the United States. Dozens hurt in clashes over Yemen vote: activists Aden, Feb 4 : Armed clashes between supporters and opponents of a presidential election in Yemen left dozens of people wounded in the main southern city of Aden, activists from both sides said today. The violence erupted late yesterday when supporters of the Southern Movement, a separatist group, attacked a march organised by rivals from a year-old protest movement against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, one activist said. More than 30 demonstrators were injured, some by gunfire, he added. A medical official confirmed that dozens of people had been hurt, and one who suffered serous head injuries was rushed to hospital in Aden. A Southern Movement activist blamed the other side for triggering the violence by staging their demonstration in a stronghold of the movement, and said 15 people from his group were injured -- nine by bullets. Nasser Tawil of the Southern Movement said the "tragic and unacceptable" clashes happened because supporters and opponents of Yemen's presidential election set for February 21 were in the same neighbourhood. Some factions of the Movement have been campaigning for a boycott of the election, which they say fails to meet their aspirations for autonomy or even southern independence. Europe cold snap claims 250 lives, sends ferry aground Rome, Feb 4 : Hundreds of people were plucked to safety today after a ferry caught in a snow storm ran aground off Italy, as a vicious cold snap that has claimed over 250 lives across Europe refused to ease its clench. Ukraine has suffered the heaviest toll of 122 deaths, including many people who froze to death in the streets, as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 38.1 degrees Celsius (minus 36.5 Fahrenheit) in parts of the continent. Some airports were shut, flights and trains were delayed, and highways gridlocked as emergency services raced to clear the falling snow. But as Europe huddled indoors for warmth, Russian gas giant Gazprom said it could not satisfy western Europe's demand for more energy. In Italy, the Shardon ferry ran aground shortly after setting off from Civitavecchia port near Rome, causing panic among the 262 passengers who feared a repeat of a cruise ship tragedy in the area last month which killed 32 people. Coastguard spokesman Carnine Albano said the accident, which tore a 25-metre hole in the ship's side above the waterline, was caused after the vessel was buffeted by a violent snow storm from the north-east. Riot police surround Occupy DC camp Washington, Feb 4 : Police in riot gear surrounded an anti-Wall Street protesters' camp in downtown Washington early today in apparent preparation for a crackdown against the Occupy DC encampment. About 50 riot police officers -- some of them on horseback -- surrounded McPherson Square in the pre-dawn hours, but refrained from immediate action. Most nearby streets were cordoned off by police vehicles. However, the so-called "Tent of Dreams" that draped the statue at the centre of the square was peacefully taken down and carefully folded by protesters. Also removed was a mask the occupiers had put on the statue. According to media reports, police planned to search tents in the encampment later this morning to remove all sleeping gear inside them, but not the protesters themselves. A police official told the group, "We are not here to evict," but to check to see if protesters are complying with no-camp rules. Under National Park Service regulations, demonstrations are allowed on the service's property, but people are barred from sleeping there. Last month, the service, which controls the square, said it would start enforcing a ban on camping in the park, after tolerating the open-ended encampment from the outset. But no specific date was given. US changing visa rules to attract the highly-skilled Washington, Feb 4 : To make America more attractive to highly-skilled foreign students and workers, the United States has announced a series of reforms, including changes in the F-1 and H- 1B visa rules, that may benefit professionals from India. The interim measures are aimed at improving the competitiveness of US companies in the world market and stimulating US job creation before comprehensive immigration reforms for "fixing our broken immigration system," the Department of Homeland Security announced. The proposed changes include providing work authorization for spouses of certain H-1B holders and allowing outstanding professors and researchers to present a broader scope of evidence of academic achievement. Also proposed is expanding eligibility for 17-month extension of optional practical training (OPT) for F-1 international students to include students with a prior degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The changes would also allow for additional part-time study for spouses of F-1 students and expand the number of Designated School Officials (DSOs) at schools certified by DHS to enrol international students. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will launch Feb 22 its Entrepreneurs in Residence initiative with an Information Summit in Silicon Valley, California to discuss how to maximize current immigration laws' potential to attract foreign entrepreneurial talent. |
