Biden, who travelled to Pakistan after two days in Afghanistan, said on Tuesday in Kabul that more support was needed from Pakistan if Washington was to continue efforts to control insurgents as it begins to withdraw its forces.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Joe Biden arrives in Pakistan
Biden, who travelled to Pakistan after two days in Afghanistan, said on Tuesday in Kabul that more support was needed from Pakistan if Washington was to continue efforts to control insurgents as it begins to withdraw its forces.
Australia floods inundate Brisbane, 43 missing
BRISBANE: Massive floods shut down the centre of Australia's third-largest city, sent thousands fleeing from their homes and sparked panic buying of food on Wednesday as rescuers searched for 43 people missing in floodwaters.
Australia's biggest floods in a century have so far killed 16 people since starting their onslaught across northern mining state Queensland last month, crippling the coking coal industry, destroying infrastructure, putting a brake on the economy and sending the local currency to four-week lows.
The flood surge is expected to peak in Brisbane, a riverside city of two million people, before sunrise on Thursday and last for days.
"We are in the grip of a very serious natural disaster," Queensland state premier Anna Bligh said, predicting almost 20,000 homes could be flooded at the river's peak.
"Brisbane will go to sleep tonight and wake up to scenes many will never have seen before in their lives," she warned.
The flood peak hit Ipswich, a satellite town to the west, late on Wednesday. More than 1,500 Ipswich residents sheltered in evacuation centres, but others fled homes with little more than what they are wearing, as floodwater rose around the city.
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said the flood peaked at 19.4 metres, about a metre below expectations, saving some 6,000 homes from flooding. "It's the difference between bad news and devastation," he said.
Brisbane residents on Wednesday pushed food-laden shopping carts through submerged streets, others waded in shoulder-high water to rescue possessions, while boats and pontoons were ripped from moorings in the Brisbane River and smashed into bridges as the muddy brown tide gathered strength.
At flooded intersections people paddled surfboards through floodwaters, balancing their possessions on the deck of the boards, while boats ferried evacuees to dry ground.
"I am feeling a sense of horror and awe at the power of the river. Sadly in coming hours we will see bits of people's homes float down the river," Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman said, warning the torrent could take three to four days to subside.
Four thousands people sheltered in evacuation centres.
FLOODS HIT AUSTRALIA ECONOMY
Economists have raised their estimates of the economic impact of the flooding, with one central bank board member saying on Wednesday the disaster could cut 1 percent off growth -- equal to almost $13 billion, double the previous highest estimate.
The Australian dollar sank to a fresh four-week low of $0.9803 on the comments from Warwick McKibbin, an academic and a member of the central bank's policymaking board.
Treasurer Wayne Swan in November forecast GDP growth of 3.25 percent in the 2010-11 fiscal year, up from a 3.0 percent projection, but said spending would be cut to ensure a surplus of A$3.1 billion or 0.2 percent of GDP in 2012/13.
Australia exports more than half the world's coking coal, which is used in steel manufacturing, and it is also the second-biggest exporter of thermal coal used for power generation.
"The coal industry will take several weeks and in some cases months to get back to full production," Bligh said.
Food prices are surging around the country as the floods ruin Queensland crops and distribution networks. Prices for tomatoes have leapt about 200 percent in two weeks, while beef is up 11 percent and wheat has risen 4 percent in four months.
BRISBANE A DESERTED CITY
Rescue crews took advantage of some rare sunshine to look for 43 people still missing from tsunami-like flash floods that tore through townships west of the city this week.
"Some of the houses have exploded with the force of the water. People have been washed away. It will take days to complete this search and recovery," said Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart.
In Brisbane, thousands of homes and businesses were deserted as swirling floodwaters rose in and around the city, forcing residents to flee with a few possessions to higher ground and to evacuation centres crowded with more than 3,500 people.
"If you start to see water in your yard, get out. Take your family and get to safety. This water could rise very, very quickly," said state premier Bligh.
Some Brisbane residents tried to carry on as normal, with early morning joggers running even though parts of their routes were underwater. Others were distraught.
"This is my whole life, everything is gone. I never thought it would get this bad," said Kim Hung, manager of the Salt 'n' Pepper catering business, as two friends floated a coffee machine toward higher ground.
As the waters rose strangers formed human chains, sometimes in chest high water, to pass family possessions from flooded homes to dry land and into cars and trucks and safety.
Raw sewage began spilling into the river and creeks, prompting authorities to warn of heightened disease risk as spillage from damaged treatment works polluted the floodwaters.
Dams built to protect Brisbane and outlying towns were spilling floodwaters into swollen rivers. The Port of Brisbane was closed, shutting down Australia's third-busiest container port and a 5 million tonnes per year coal-loading facility.
Power company Energex shut power to some low-lying areas of Brisbane, including parts of the financial district, for fear that live power lines could electrify floodwaters. Some 78,000 homes in the southeast of Queensland were without electricity.
'TERRIFYING, CHAOS'
Prime Minister Julia Gillard arrived in Brisbane to inspect the devastation and said she was deeply concerned about the impact on jobs and livelihoods.
"I have been shocked. I think we've all been shocked by the images of that wall of water just wreaking such devastation. The dimensions of it are truly mind-boggling," Gillard said.
The floods have been blamed on a La Nina weather pattern in the Pacific, with Australia recording its third-wettest year on record in 2010, with two wet-season months to go.
Weather officials are forecasting an above-average cyclone season, while scientists said climate change is likely to have intensified the monsoon rains behind the floods.
As the Queensland floods and rains move south, major rivers in New South Wales state have begun flooding or threatening to break their banks, forcing 3,000 people to leave some rural areas. In Victoria state in the southeast, heavy rain caused flash flooding and landslides, prompting fears a lake near Horsham could break its banks.
New Punjab Governor appointment challenged in LHC
The petitioner is on the view that Khosa was removed from the office of Attorney General because of having corruption charges and the case in this regard is pending in Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) due to which under the article 62 and 63 of the constitution, Khosa is not eligible, asking the court to term his appointment as unconstitutional and illegal.
Justice Umar Atta Bandyal adjourned the hearing till January 19. Meanwhile, President of Lahore High Court Bar has also been called for assistance
Pak has expertise to refine copper, gold, SC told
ISLAMABAD: Renowned nuclear scientist and member of the Planning Commission, Dr Samar Mubarakmand told the Supreme Court (SC) today that the foreign company wanted to take the raw copper and gold from the Reko Diq reserves out of the country.
The country has the expertise to explore and refine copper and gold, he added. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry heard the case.
The scientist pointed out that the copper reserves were only 0.02 and very difficult to refine but we have the expertise to process it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Obama leads moment of silence for Arizona victims
| WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle led Americans to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the weekend's shooting in Arizona that critically injured a US Congresswoman and killed six people, including a nine-year-old girl and a judge. Obama and Michelle observed the moment of silence at 11am local time to honour the innocent victims of the senseless tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, including those still fighting for their lives. As a bell rang three times, Obama and his wife bowed their heads and closed their eyes, their hands clasped in front of them, as members of the White House staff joined them on the side. They then turned around and walked back inside the White House. Obama also signed a proclamation Sunday calling for flags to be flown at half-mast. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords continued to be in critical condition, doctors said. She was shot in the back of her head Saturday at a public function held at a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona. Nine other patients remain hospitalized. The alleged shooter, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, is scheduled to appear in a Phoenix courtroom later on Monday. Loughner has been charged on five counts - two of murder and three of attempted murder -- according to the charge sheet filed by Arizona US Attorney, Dennis K Burke. Federal investigative authorities say Loughner tried to kill Giffords. | ||
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India announces reward for Samjhauta suspects info
The suspects include Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra.
The suspects were named by Swami Aseemanand in his confession to the NIA.
Swami Aseemanand was arrested on November 19, 2010 for his alleged involvement in the Samjhauta Express blasts.
Sixty-eight people were killed when bombs were set off in two coaches of cross-country Samjhauta Express, running between Delhi and Lahore, around midnight on February 18, 2007 at Diwana near Panipat, 80 kilometres north of Delhi.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bilawal vows to protect minorities after Taseer killing
ONDON: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), on Monday condemned the killing of Salman Taseer for seeking changes to blasphemy laws, and called those celebrating his death “the real blasphemers”.
Bilawal, the son of former premier Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated in 2007, also pledged to defend the country’s minorities — increasingly under siege from powerful religious lobbies and often targets of extremist violence.
“To the Christian and other minority communities in Pakistan, we will defend you,” he said at a memorial ceremony in London for Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province who was killed by his own security guard last week.
“Those who wish to harm you for a crime you did not commit will have to go through me first.”
Taseer, a leading politician in the ruling PPP, had spoken out in defence of a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who had been sentenced to death under blasphemy laws which critics say are misused, often to settle personal scores.
The man who confessed to his killing has been celebrated as a hero by some in Pakistan, and up to 50,000 people joined a rally organised by religious parties in Karachi on Sunday to oppose any changes in the blasphemy laws.
Bilawal condemned all those who justified violence in the name of Islam, through suicide attacks and murder.
“To those who are praising or justifying these crimes, I say: you along with the killers of Shaheed (martyr) Salman Taseer are the real blasphemers.”
Taseer’s killing has further cowed those in Pakistan promoting liberal, secular views, and PPP politicians including Bilawal’s father, President Asif Ali Zardari, have been criticised for failing to speak out.
Bilawal, who is studying in England, said “the dark forces of violent extremism, intolerance and bigotry are intent on devouring our country and our faith” and Taseer’s killing was meant to cow its opponents into remaining silent and frightened.
He said he would uphold the legacy of his mother and his grandfather, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was hanged in 1979. “I will not be silenced by fear.”
He also condemned clerics who warned against mourning Taseer’s death, saying of those who threatened Muslims who prayed or grieved for him: “You too shall be defeated.”
Five hundred religious scholars from the mainstream Barelvi religious tradition, usually seen as more moderate than Taliban militants who follow Deobandi Islam, had praised Taseer’s killer and said those who mourned his death could meet the same fate.
“The assassination of Shaheed Salman Taseer is not about liberals versus conservatives or moderate versus radical Islam. It is about right and wrong,” Bilawal said.
Religious parties rarely win much electoral support in Pakistan but they have the capacity to bring large numbers out into the streets. The PPP-led coalition government has been criticised for failing to deliver the kind of governance needed to turn the tide against militancy.
No ultimatum given: Nawaz
LAHORE - PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif Monday said he didn’t believe in politics of ‘blackmailing and horse-trading’, adding that he did not give any ultimatum to the government, as the word ‘ultimatum’ had no place in his political dictionary.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference after chairing a high-level meeting of the party at Raiwind. He was flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Senator Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif and Khawaja Saad Rafique.
Nawaz said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had become a ‘powerful’ premier after the passage of 18th Amendment and was now in a position to take difficult tasks, which he (Gilani) could not do before the approval of stated amendment.
He said the PML-N and the entire nation would monitor the government for 45 days to enforce 10-point agenda for steering the country out of the multi-faceted crises.
The PML-N chief said the prime minister’s ‘yes’ to 10-point agenda meant that he would enforce the agenda.
He informed reporters that his party had constituted a four-member committee comprising Ishaq Dar, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Pervez Rasheed and Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, which would coordinate with the government for implementing the agenda, which could change the country’s fate.
The PML-N chief said the sovereignty of the country was being challenged while the international media was terming Pakistan the most dangerous place on the earth.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference after chairing a high-level meeting of the party at Raiwind. He was flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Senator Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif and Khawaja Saad Rafique.
Nawaz said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had become a ‘powerful’ premier after the passage of 18th Amendment and was now in a position to take difficult tasks, which he (Gilani) could not do before the approval of stated amendment.
The PML-N chief said the prime minister’s ‘yes’ to 10-point agenda meant that he would enforce the agenda.
He informed reporters that his party had constituted a four-member committee comprising Ishaq Dar, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Pervez Rasheed and Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, which would coordinate with the government for implementing the agenda, which could change the country’s fate.
The PML-N chief said the sovereignty of the country was being challenged while the international media was terming Pakistan the most dangerous place on the earth.
Naseerullah Babar dies
He also remained Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 1975-1977 under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto government and was Interior Minister in the second term of PPP government from 1993-1996. He was Special Assistant in Benazir Bhutto’s first government from 1988-1990.
His early education was from Presentation Convent School during 1935 to 1939. From 1939 to 1941 he attended Burn Hall then located at Baramula and Sarinagar. The school was subsequently shifted to Abbottabad after partition. He also attended Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College in Dheradun and joined the Pakistan Army in 1948. He was from the first PMA long course which graduated in 1950.
In his long career in the Army, Babar served in the Artillery Corps and Aviation. During the 1965 war with India, Babar single headedly captured an entire Indian company of soldiers (over 70 POWs) and was awarded Sitari-e-Jurat for this action. In the 1971 war, he commanded an artillery brigade in support of 23 Division and later commanded an infantry brigade until he was wounded and evacuated from the battlefield. He also had the distinction of being awarded SJ & Bar.
In 1972, he was appointed Inspector General Frontier Corps. He resigned from the Army in 1974 while commanding an infantry division and was appointed Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He joined the Pakistan People’s Party in 1977 after the arrest of Bhutto. He famously threw away his Hilal-i-Jurat (with bar) and other army medals at the presiding officer of a military tribunal, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged by the military regime of Gen Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.
Law to monitor agencies sought
ISLAMABAD - The year of 2011 would be the year of recovery of missing persons, remarked Justice Javed Iqbal while heading a three-member bench that was hearing a suo moto case of missing persons on Monday.
Additional Advocate General (AAG) for Pakistan, K.K. Agha, presented the report of the Inquiry Commission. He said that without permission of the Federal Government the report could not be made public. He, however, said that according to the report 134 persons had been released in eight months. The report also suggested that Parliament should legislate in order to curb the practice of enforced disappearances.
The court has ordered the Federal Government to submit a report regarding the implementation of measures suggested in the Commission’s report to redress the missing persons issue.
In April 2010, the apex court had decided to give the Government a chance and, therefore, advised it to constitute a commission for hearing of missing persons’ cases. The aggrieved families were directed to cooperate with the commission. The Federal Government respecting the court’s order formed a 3-member Inquiry Commission including Justice (Retd) Kamal Mansoor Alam, President, Justice (Retd) Fazal-ur-Rehman (Member) and Justice (Retd) Nasira Iqbal (Member). The commission after hearing the aggrieved families suggested for almost eight months some measures to curb the practice
of enforced disappearance.
Justice Javed Iqbal inquired from the AAG whether responsibility was established in disappearances and what action was taken against the responsible persons. Hashmat Habib Advocate informed the court that some missing persons were kidnapped by the state agencies. He said there should be some sort of legislation as proposed in the report, and Chuadhry Ikram hurriedly added particularly to the intelligence agencies.
The Judge said that there should be some tribunal for the hearing of missing person cases.
The AAG said, “Nothing is dodged in the report and it is very courageous.” He said that after 9/11 certain steps were taken outside the law, but no legislation was done to stop enforced disappearance.
Chairperson of Defence of Human Right (DHR) and Public Service Pakistan, Amina Masood, informed the court that though the report had been prepared five months ago, they had not been supplied copy of it. She said, “We have been living in agony for more than five years.”
Additional Advocate General (AAG) for Pakistan, K.K. Agha, presented the report of the Inquiry Commission. He said that without permission of the Federal Government the report could not be made public. He, however, said that according to the report 134 persons had been released in eight months. The report also suggested that Parliament should legislate in order to curb the practice of enforced disappearances.
In April 2010, the apex court had decided to give the Government a chance and, therefore, advised it to constitute a commission for hearing of missing persons’ cases. The aggrieved families were directed to cooperate with the commission. The Federal Government respecting the court’s order formed a 3-member Inquiry Commission including Justice (Retd) Kamal Mansoor Alam, President, Justice (Retd) Fazal-ur-Rehman (Member) and Justice (Retd) Nasira Iqbal (Member). The commission after hearing the aggrieved families suggested for almost eight months some measures to curb the practice
of enforced disappearance.
Justice Javed Iqbal inquired from the AAG whether responsibility was established in disappearances and what action was taken against the responsible persons. Hashmat Habib Advocate informed the court that some missing persons were kidnapped by the state agencies. He said there should be some sort of legislation as proposed in the report, and Chuadhry Ikram hurriedly added particularly to the intelligence agencies.
The Judge said that there should be some tribunal for the hearing of missing person cases.
The AAG said, “Nothing is dodged in the report and it is very courageous.” He said that after 9/11 certain steps were taken outside the law, but no legislation was done to stop enforced disappearance.
Chairperson of Defence of Human Right (DHR) and Public Service Pakistan, Amina Masood, informed the court that though the report had been prepared five months ago, they had not been supplied copy of it. She said, “We have been living in agony for more than five years.”
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