The camp was organized in collaboration with Pakistan Kick-Boxing Federation and Punjab Kick-Boxing Association. This week long camp was absolutely free for college students. It inculcated among students importance of discipline and need for training.
A big number of students joined the camp. on the closing ceremony certificates were delivered among the students who completed the training successfully.
Friday 29 March 2013
Saturday 16 March 2013
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Wednesday 13 March 2013
Putin yet concerned over acid attack on Bolshoi ballet's chief
MOSCOW (AFP) - Vladimir Putin is following the probe into the acid attack on the Bolshoi ballet s chief, his spokesman said Wednesday, after theatre staff signed a letter to the Russian president defending the dancer charged with masterminding the crime.
"Putin, like everyone, is following the investigation, but the investigation of an attack on a person is not the president s prerogative, it is the prerogative of the law enforcement authorities," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
The police detained Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko last week along with the suspected getaway driver and the perpetrator of the attack on Sergei Filin, which caused facial disfigurement and serious eye damage.
Dmitrichenko admitted in court that he had asked the perpetrator to beat up Filin but said he had never intended the use of the sulphuric acid that the attacker flung in Filin s face.
Filin has undergone numerous operations and is currently being treated in Germany.
The theatre s workers -- including dancers, choir and orchestra members and stage crew -- said in a letter to Putin and the government published online on Tuesday that Dmitrichenko s confession seemed forced.
"For everyone who knows Dmitrichenko, the very idea that he could have thought of and ordered this crime -- committed in such a brutal manner -- is absurd," said a copy of the letter published on the website of Moscow Echo radio.
"Putin, like everyone, is following the investigation, but the investigation of an attack on a person is not the president s prerogative, it is the prerogative of the law enforcement authorities," his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
The police detained Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko last week along with the suspected getaway driver and the perpetrator of the attack on Sergei Filin, which caused facial disfigurement and serious eye damage.
Dmitrichenko admitted in court that he had asked the perpetrator to beat up Filin but said he had never intended the use of the sulphuric acid that the attacker flung in Filin s face.
Filin has undergone numerous operations and is currently being treated in Germany.
The theatre s workers -- including dancers, choir and orchestra members and stage crew -- said in a letter to Putin and the government published online on Tuesday that Dmitrichenko s confession seemed forced.
"For everyone who knows Dmitrichenko, the very idea that he could have thought of and ordered this crime -- committed in such a brutal manner -- is absurd," said a copy of the letter published on the website of Moscow Echo radio.
India asks Italy to hand over under trial marines
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India summoned the Italian ambassador on Tuesday to demand that Rome hand over two of its marines facing trial for the killing of two fishermen, an Indian foreign ministry statement said.
The marines are accused of shooting dead two fishermen off India s southwestern coast in February last year, when their fishing boat came close to the Italian oil tanker they were guarding.
The marines said that they mistook the fishermen near the port of Kochi for pirates. They were granted leave by India s top court to return home for four weeks in order to vote in the February 24-25 national elections.
India s foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai met with the Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini and said Rome "was obliged to ensure their return to India", a day after officials said that the men would not be coming back to Delhi.
India s demand was conveyed to Mancini in the "strongest terms," the statement issued by the foreign ministry said.
The marines were allowed to go home last month by India s Supreme Court, after Italy gave an undertaking that they would return to face trial once their leave expired at the end of March.
"The government of India states firmly that it does not agree with the position conveyed by the Italian government on the return of the two marines to India," the ministry statement said.
"India expects the Republic of Italy as a country that is committed to the rule of law to fulfil the sovereign undertaking given by it to the Supreme Court of India."
The case, which was transferred from a local court in India s southern Kerala state to the Supreme Court in New Delhi, has created diplomatic friction between the two countries.
Italy insists the marines should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters, but India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.
Rome has said Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone will not go back to India in view of the "formal international controversy" between the two countries.
New Delhi s demand comes amid anger over Rome s decision, as politicians from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Italy of treating India like a "banana republic".
"This is contempt of the Supreme Court of India. Is India a banana republic? How can the Italians treat India like this?" BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told AFP.
The marines were granted special permission once before to return home to Italy for Christmas, but later returned to India.
Armed guards are increasingly deployed on cargo ships and tankers in the Indian Ocean to tackle the threat posed by Somali pirates, who often hold ships and crews hostage for months demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms.
The marines are accused of shooting dead two fishermen off India s southwestern coast in February last year, when their fishing boat came close to the Italian oil tanker they were guarding.
The marines said that they mistook the fishermen near the port of Kochi for pirates. They were granted leave by India s top court to return home for four weeks in order to vote in the February 24-25 national elections.
India s foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai met with the Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini and said Rome "was obliged to ensure their return to India", a day after officials said that the men would not be coming back to Delhi.
India s demand was conveyed to Mancini in the "strongest terms," the statement issued by the foreign ministry said.
The marines were allowed to go home last month by India s Supreme Court, after Italy gave an undertaking that they would return to face trial once their leave expired at the end of March.
"The government of India states firmly that it does not agree with the position conveyed by the Italian government on the return of the two marines to India," the ministry statement said.
"India expects the Republic of Italy as a country that is committed to the rule of law to fulfil the sovereign undertaking given by it to the Supreme Court of India."
The case, which was transferred from a local court in India s southern Kerala state to the Supreme Court in New Delhi, has created diplomatic friction between the two countries.
Italy insists the marines should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters, but India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.
Rome has said Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone will not go back to India in view of the "formal international controversy" between the two countries.
New Delhi s demand comes amid anger over Rome s decision, as politicians from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Italy of treating India like a "banana republic".
"This is contempt of the Supreme Court of India. Is India a banana republic? How can the Italians treat India like this?" BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told AFP.
The marines were granted special permission once before to return home to Italy for Christmas, but later returned to India.
Armed guards are increasingly deployed on cargo ships and tankers in the Indian Ocean to tackle the threat posed by Somali pirates, who often hold ships and crews hostage for months demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms.
Taapsee Pannu confesses her crush on Ranbir Kapoor
NEW DELHI (Web Desk) - Southern actress Taapsee Pannu, who is working with veteran actor Rishi Kapoor in forthcoming film ‘Chashme Baddoor’, confessed to him about her crush on his actor son Ranbir.
"While on the sets, Rishiji and Taapsee bonded well over food and films, their two favourite things. Taapsee blushed at the very mention of Ranbir," said a source.
"She confessed to him that she is a huge fan of Ranbir`s work. `Rockstar` is her favourite film," added the source.
Taapsee, a popular name down south, is making her Bollywood debut with ‘Chashme Baddoor’, a remake of Sai Paranjpye-directed and Farooque Sheikh and Deepti Naval-starrer buddy film of 1981 of the same name.
Directed by David Dhawan and produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, the film also features Ali Zafar, Siddharth and Divyendu Sharma. It is releasing April 5.
"While on the sets, Rishiji and Taapsee bonded well over food and films, their two favourite things. Taapsee blushed at the very mention of Ranbir," said a source.
"She confessed to him that she is a huge fan of Ranbir`s work. `Rockstar` is her favourite film," added the source.
Taapsee, a popular name down south, is making her Bollywood debut with ‘Chashme Baddoor’, a remake of Sai Paranjpye-directed and Farooque Sheikh and Deepti Naval-starrer buddy film of 1981 of the same name.
Directed by David Dhawan and produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, the film also features Ali Zafar, Siddharth and Divyendu Sharma. It is releasing April 5.
Frenchman gets 5-month prison for violating Muslim woman
NANTES (AFP) - A Frenchman who ripped a Muslim woman s veil off her face as she strolled in a fairground was Wednesday given a five-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to compensate his victim.
The 30-year-old man, who admitted charges of aggravated assault, had justified the September 2012 attack at the time as an attempt to uphold a controversial law banning women from wearing niqabs, face-covering veils, in public.
That defence was thrown out by public prosecutors, who accused him of acting as a vigilante and carrying out an assault motivated by his victim s religious faith.
The man, who was not publicly identified on the request of his lawyers, was also convicted of presenting a false identity to police.
The incident in the western city of Nantes was the latest in a series triggered by France s controversial ban on the wearing of full face veils in public, which came into force in April 2011.
Last September, Louis-Marie Suisse, a Muslim teenager in Marseille, was sent to prison for two months after being convicted of biting a policewoman in an altercation sparked by her arrest for wearing a full-face veil.
Under the law, women found guilty of wearing niqabs in public can be fined 150 euros ($190) or be forced to undergo citizenship training.
Human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the legislation as breaching French citizens right to freedom of expression.
The 30-year-old man, who admitted charges of aggravated assault, had justified the September 2012 attack at the time as an attempt to uphold a controversial law banning women from wearing niqabs, face-covering veils, in public.
That defence was thrown out by public prosecutors, who accused him of acting as a vigilante and carrying out an assault motivated by his victim s religious faith.
The man, who was not publicly identified on the request of his lawyers, was also convicted of presenting a false identity to police.
The incident in the western city of Nantes was the latest in a series triggered by France s controversial ban on the wearing of full face veils in public, which came into force in April 2011.
Last September, Louis-Marie Suisse, a Muslim teenager in Marseille, was sent to prison for two months after being convicted of biting a policewoman in an altercation sparked by her arrest for wearing a full-face veil.
Under the law, women found guilty of wearing niqabs in public can be fined 150 euros ($190) or be forced to undergo citizenship training.
Human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the legislation as breaching French citizens right to freedom of expression.
Germany bans 3 Islamic groups
BERLIN (AP) - German authorities banned three ultraconservative Islamic groups Wednesday, including one whose Internet propaganda videos helped inspire the extremist who killed two American airmen at Frankfurt airport in 2011, the country s domestic intelligence chief said.
Police launched early morning raids on 21 apartments and one meeting room belonging to DawaFFM, Islamic Audios and al-Nussrah all of which adhere to the hardcore conservative Salafi interpretation of Islam.
The groups were largely involved in recruitment, fundraising and propaganda, including videos and other postings urging people to fight against those who did not believe in their version of Islam, said Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of Germany s domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
"These organizations are oriented against the basic right to freedom of religion against Christians and other faiths including Shiites," Maassen said.
For example, he said, in one DawaFFM YouTube posting, an Arabic speaker told Shiite Muslims: "If the Prophet Muhammad heard your words he d hack off your hands and feet and banish you from the earth."
It was also DawaFFM YouTube videos and Facebook postings that helped radicalize Arid Uka the lone-wolf attacker who killed two U.S. airmen and injured two others at the Frankfurt Airport in 2011, Maassen said.
Uka was convicted of murder last year and sentenced to life in prison.
The Salafi movement in Germany has been growing quickly, attracting both Muslims and converts, primarily men between ages 20 and 30.
In 2011 there were some 3,800 people Salafis known to authorities and there are now some 4,500.
Some 70 percent are Germans and 30 percent are non-Germans, coming from a variety of nations including Turkey, Morocco and Bosnia, according to a security official who was only allowed to discuss the figures on condition of anonymity. About a quarter are Muslim converts.
They have been under close observation since 2010, but that was stepped up further last year after they clashed with police in Bonn last year at a far-right demonstration.
Following the incident, a known German-born terrorist who is now based in Pakistan s border area with Afghanistan called on Salafis in Germany to kill members of the far-right group known as pro-NRW as well as employees of Der Spiegel magazine, which printed photos of the demonstrators holding Prophet Muhammad signs.
"We have determined that in the past year the Salafis have begun acting not only aggressively and militantly in their prayer rooms or on the Internet but also violently on the streets," Maassen said.
In an operation unrelated to the ban on the Salafis, German public television station SWR reported Wednesday that police had arrested two Islamic extremists who were planning an attack on pro-NRW s leader.
Essen police confirmed "several people" had been arrested overnight but declined to comment further on the report, citing ongoing police investigation.
Already last summer, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich banned the Salafi organization Millatu Ibrahim, of which al-Nussrah was a splinter group, and opened the investigation of DawaFFM.
He said Wednesday s move to extend the ban should be seen as a "clear sign against those who practice exclusion, violence and intolerance."
Police launched early morning raids on 21 apartments and one meeting room belonging to DawaFFM, Islamic Audios and al-Nussrah all of which adhere to the hardcore conservative Salafi interpretation of Islam.
The groups were largely involved in recruitment, fundraising and propaganda, including videos and other postings urging people to fight against those who did not believe in their version of Islam, said Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of Germany s domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
"These organizations are oriented against the basic right to freedom of religion against Christians and other faiths including Shiites," Maassen said.
For example, he said, in one DawaFFM YouTube posting, an Arabic speaker told Shiite Muslims: "If the Prophet Muhammad heard your words he d hack off your hands and feet and banish you from the earth."
It was also DawaFFM YouTube videos and Facebook postings that helped radicalize Arid Uka the lone-wolf attacker who killed two U.S. airmen and injured two others at the Frankfurt Airport in 2011, Maassen said.
Uka was convicted of murder last year and sentenced to life in prison.
The Salafi movement in Germany has been growing quickly, attracting both Muslims and converts, primarily men between ages 20 and 30.
In 2011 there were some 3,800 people Salafis known to authorities and there are now some 4,500.
Some 70 percent are Germans and 30 percent are non-Germans, coming from a variety of nations including Turkey, Morocco and Bosnia, according to a security official who was only allowed to discuss the figures on condition of anonymity. About a quarter are Muslim converts.
They have been under close observation since 2010, but that was stepped up further last year after they clashed with police in Bonn last year at a far-right demonstration.
Following the incident, a known German-born terrorist who is now based in Pakistan s border area with Afghanistan called on Salafis in Germany to kill members of the far-right group known as pro-NRW as well as employees of Der Spiegel magazine, which printed photos of the demonstrators holding Prophet Muhammad signs.
"We have determined that in the past year the Salafis have begun acting not only aggressively and militantly in their prayer rooms or on the Internet but also violently on the streets," Maassen said.
In an operation unrelated to the ban on the Salafis, German public television station SWR reported Wednesday that police had arrested two Islamic extremists who were planning an attack on pro-NRW s leader.
Essen police confirmed "several people" had been arrested overnight but declined to comment further on the report, citing ongoing police investigation.
Already last summer, Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich banned the Salafi organization Millatu Ibrahim, of which al-Nussrah was a splinter group, and opened the investigation of DawaFFM.
He said Wednesday s move to extend the ban should be seen as a "clear sign against those who practice exclusion, violence and intolerance."
IJI funds: PPP to press for recovery from politicians
LAHORE (Dunya News):-PPP Members Punjab Assembly have decided to go on hunger strike on Thursday as a protest against politicians particularly Sharif Brothers who are accused of sabotaging 1990 general elections.
Opposition leader Raja Riaz while speaking at Punjab Assembly on Wednesday said that the hunger strike camp would be installed at the Mall Road where ten members of provincial assembly would record their protest in the first phase of the demonstration.
He also appealed to the Election Commission of Pakistan to take proper measures for recovery of ‘grabbed money’ out of Sharif Brothers regarding Asghar Khan Case.
Opposition leader Raja Riaz while speaking at Punjab Assembly on Wednesday said that the hunger strike camp would be installed at the Mall Road where ten members of provincial assembly would record their protest in the first phase of the demonstration.
He also appealed to the Election Commission of Pakistan to take proper measures for recovery of ‘grabbed money’ out of Sharif Brothers regarding Asghar Khan Case.
Batsman with bad performance should be eased out: Zaheer Abbas
KARACHI (Agencies) - In an interview to a local news agency legendary Zaheer Abbas has advised the Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint a batting coach with the national team.
The former Pakistan skipper also suggested that senior players in the side had become a liability and should now be eased out of the team.
"I see the failure of the team in South Africa, be it in Tests or the ODIs, purely due to the substandard performances of the top-order batsman," Abbas said.
Known as the Asian Bradman for his scoring feats in his illustrious career in which he notched up 108 first class centuries, Abbas said he felt sad to see the way Pakistani batsmen were humbled in South Africa.
"There was a time when Pakistan produced one after another great batsman. Today it is distressing to see that we don t even have batsmen capable of scoring a half century in trying conditions like South Africa," he said.
"It is disappointing to see the way we lost the first one-day match to South Africa even after playing eight batsmen," Abbas added.
"I squarely blame the batsmen. Unless they don t play with a clear mind and have passion and confidence to do well for the country they can t succeed."
Abbas, 65, who played 78 Tests, said every Pakistani cricketer wants to play in every format and that is the main problem for the inconsistent show of the national team.
"The time has come to get rid of such players who give mediocre performances and try to blood some new and young players. I believe that those batsmen or players who have become borderline cases and are not coming up to expectations must be replaced by fresh blood," he said without taking any names.
The former captain said it appeared as if the Pakistani cricketers had become accustomed to playing only on subcontinent pitches.
"But what surprised me was that in South Africa the ball didn t bounce much and the pace was also not that much. Yes, the ball seamed and moved around and our batsmen even failed to cope with that. Those players who have become a burden on the team must go," said Abbas.
The former Pakistan skipper also suggested that senior players in the side had become a liability and should now be eased out of the team.
"I see the failure of the team in South Africa, be it in Tests or the ODIs, purely due to the substandard performances of the top-order batsman," Abbas said.
Known as the Asian Bradman for his scoring feats in his illustrious career in which he notched up 108 first class centuries, Abbas said he felt sad to see the way Pakistani batsmen were humbled in South Africa.
"There was a time when Pakistan produced one after another great batsman. Today it is distressing to see that we don t even have batsmen capable of scoring a half century in trying conditions like South Africa," he said.
"It is disappointing to see the way we lost the first one-day match to South Africa even after playing eight batsmen," Abbas added.
"I squarely blame the batsmen. Unless they don t play with a clear mind and have passion and confidence to do well for the country they can t succeed."
Abbas, 65, who played 78 Tests, said every Pakistani cricketer wants to play in every format and that is the main problem for the inconsistent show of the national team.
"The time has come to get rid of such players who give mediocre performances and try to blood some new and young players. I believe that those batsmen or players who have become borderline cases and are not coming up to expectations must be replaced by fresh blood," he said without taking any names.
The former captain said it appeared as if the Pakistani cricketers had become accustomed to playing only on subcontinent pitches.
"But what surprised me was that in South Africa the ball didn t bounce much and the pace was also not that much. Yes, the ball seamed and moved around and our batsmen even failed to cope with that. Those players who have become a burden on the team must go," said Abbas.
New pope unanimously elected
Vatican: White smoke rose from the Vatican s Sistine Chapel this evening, signalling cardinals had elected a new pope to succeed Benedict.
At the same time the bells of St Peter s pealed.
The election, on the first full day of voting by the 115 cardinals, came more quickly than many had expected after no obvious front runner had emerged following the surprise abdication of Benedict last month.
The identity of the new pope will be announced to the world from the central balcony of St Peter s Basilica within an hour.
At the same time the bells of St Peter s pealed.
The election, on the first full day of voting by the 115 cardinals, came more quickly than many had expected after no obvious front runner had emerged following the surprise abdication of Benedict last month.
The identity of the new pope will be announced to the world from the central balcony of St Peter s Basilica within an hour.
Pakistan dismisses India's allegations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly rejected the remarks made by Indian Home Secretary alleging that "prima facie evidence suggests that the militants who attacked the members of the Central Reserve Police Force in occupied Kashmir were from across the border."
A Foreign Office statement issued on Wednesday also rejected the statement made by Indian Defence Minister in the Rajya Sabha accusing Pakistan Army of beheading two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control in January this year.
Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan said this trend of making irresponsible statements and knee-jerk reactions by senior Indian government functionaries have the potential of undermining the efforts to normalize relation between the two countries.
Pakistan has called upon India to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident before leveling such accusations
A Foreign Office statement issued on Wednesday also rejected the statement made by Indian Defence Minister in the Rajya Sabha accusing Pakistan Army of beheading two Indian soldiers on the Line of Control in January this year.
Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan said this trend of making irresponsible statements and knee-jerk reactions by senior Indian government functionaries have the potential of undermining the efforts to normalize relation between the two countries.
Pakistan has called upon India to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident before leveling such accusations
EU to give news rights to stranded air passengers
BRUSSELS - Passengers left stranded in airports by delays and cancellations are set to win new rights to food, water, compensation and fresh flights under a package of measures unveiled by the European Commission on Wednesday.
The EU passed flagship legislation on passenger rights eight years ago, but said though "very strong," the existing rights needed to be fleshed out and toughened up as travellers "can have difficulty claiming them and feel frustrated when air carriers do not appear to apply them".
Among the proposed new rules, due to become law next year, would be that carriers must inform passengers of any delay no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time.
Airline companies likewise would be forced to provide free water, air conditioning and access to toilets to travellers stuck in planes on tarmacs for at least an hour.
After five hours on the tarmac, passengers could disembark and be reimbursed.
And in the case of a delay of more than 12 hours, an airline would have to offer to reroute passengers on another carrier.
"It s important that passenger rights don t just exist on paper," said Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas. "We all need to be able to rely on them when it matters, at the airport, when things go wrong."
The EU passed flagship legislation on passenger rights eight years ago, but said though "very strong," the existing rights needed to be fleshed out and toughened up as travellers "can have difficulty claiming them and feel frustrated when air carriers do not appear to apply them".
Among the proposed new rules, due to become law next year, would be that carriers must inform passengers of any delay no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time.
Airline companies likewise would be forced to provide free water, air conditioning and access to toilets to travellers stuck in planes on tarmacs for at least an hour.
After five hours on the tarmac, passengers could disembark and be reimbursed.
And in the case of a delay of more than 12 hours, an airline would have to offer to reroute passengers on another carrier.
"It s important that passenger rights don t just exist on paper," said Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas. "We all need to be able to rely on them when it matters, at the airport, when things go wrong."
Hollande: Friendly yet disliked
DIJON (AP) - French President Francois Hollande dived into the heart of Burgundy and turned on his self-effacing charm to try to win back support from voters deeply disappointed in him. It didn t really work.
Sending troops earlier this year against potential terrorists in the West African country of Mali gave Hollande a temporary boost in popularity but record-high and still-growing unemployment matters more, as he discovered this week on a trip to reconnect with the electorate.
According to some polling agencies, Hollande has the worst approval ratings of any French president since 1981, with less than a third of respondents saying they trust him to solve the country s problems.
The paradox of Francois Hollande is that wherever he goes, he wins a generally cordial welcome. Voters find him friendly and approachable like a regular guy but are disappointed in his leadership of the country and frustrated that he hasn t turned the economy around.
This was evident on a two-day visit to Dijon this week that s part of a new presidential push to woo the French heartland. Comfortable with the hand-shaking exercise, Hollande always looked happy to kiss a young child, chat with parents, pose for a picture, or taste a regional culinary specialty.
At the yearly Agricultural Fair in Paris last month, Hollande spent 10 straight hours at the convention center, consuming wine and cheese, listening to farmers woes and hopes. He laughed it off when a goat tried to eat his suit jacket. He brushed a cow with one hand, showered her with a hose in the other hand. He was greeted with friendly cries of "Hello, Francois!" from farmers from his electoral home region of Correze.
The French president plays on his good nature and calm temper to try to appease the anxiety of a population confronted by high unemployment and a series of factory closures and layoffs.
France s unemployment rate reached 10.6 percent in the latest quarter of 2012, the highest in 13 years, and youth employment is over 25 percent.
In Dijon, a bastion of his Socialist Party, Hollande spent several hours saying hello to inhabitants and Socialist sympathizers, as if a smile and kind gaze was the best answer he could give.
"There are and it s normal in such a crisis some fears, sometimes some doubts," he said. "I wanted ... to hear the impatience, and show that the government has some political tools that will allow us to reverse the unemployment trend by the end of the year."
But when he arrived in a disadvantaged neighborhood, suffering from a 30 percent unemployment rate, Hollande couldn t ignore the disappointment of a part of the population. "And the promises? Where promises, where are they, M. Hollande?" shouted a man in the crowd, referring to Hollande s pledges during his election campaign last year to stimulate the economy.
"I do not believe in him anymore, nobody does," said Fabien Bauduin, 32, a construction worker. "The country has never been as tense as today. I voted for him because I believed in him, like thousands of us. We re very disappointed. These kinds of visits will not solve the problems."
Hollande s non-aggressive, compromise-prone character partially explains why the bitterness expressed in the polls does not focus on his personality, but on his ability to push France out of economic crisis.
Hollande is cultivating his image as "Mr. Normal," a nickname he gained during his campaign for the presidential election in contrast with his conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, who was often described in French media as the "bling-bling president."
Hollande arrived in Dijon by train in the middle of other passengers, without any aides or government members, just his numerous bodyguards. His car stopped carefully at every red light in the town, whereas Sarkozy used to ask for an extended protection convoy moving quickly with loud sirens. Before attending a formal dinner in Dijon, Hollande made a point to visit a downscale cafe for a pre-dinner drink.
Also known as "Mr. Little Jokes," Hollande often can t resist treating a serious subject with a bit of humor. When he was visiting a Dijon company that specializes in medical bandages and sells some of its products in Germany, he made an allusion to France s stagnant economy in 2012 vs. Germany s growth: "Germans are healing much quicker than us, that explains the difference of growth between us at the moment."
Hollande s reforms, focused on competitiveness and youth unemployment, could take time to get some results. He unveiled last week a plan to loosen France s worker-friendly labor rules and convince employers to hire more easily. He also introduced a new job contract for unqualified young workers, where up to 75 percent of the salary is subsidized by the state, and a so-called "generation contract" that encourages companies to hire people under age 25 while keeping workers over age 57.
Francois Rebsamen, the Socialist mayor of Dijon, wants the government to better explain the new measures. "There are a lot of expectations, a lot of fears, we can t deny it," he said to journalists.
To keep on his charm offensive, Hollande plans to visit a new region of France every six to eight weeks.
"My conception of the presidency is not of a locked, timid one," he said. "There are some moments of doubts, of unpopularity. And so what? I have to show that we can succeed."
Sending troops earlier this year against potential terrorists in the West African country of Mali gave Hollande a temporary boost in popularity but record-high and still-growing unemployment matters more, as he discovered this week on a trip to reconnect with the electorate.
According to some polling agencies, Hollande has the worst approval ratings of any French president since 1981, with less than a third of respondents saying they trust him to solve the country s problems.
The paradox of Francois Hollande is that wherever he goes, he wins a generally cordial welcome. Voters find him friendly and approachable like a regular guy but are disappointed in his leadership of the country and frustrated that he hasn t turned the economy around.
This was evident on a two-day visit to Dijon this week that s part of a new presidential push to woo the French heartland. Comfortable with the hand-shaking exercise, Hollande always looked happy to kiss a young child, chat with parents, pose for a picture, or taste a regional culinary specialty.
At the yearly Agricultural Fair in Paris last month, Hollande spent 10 straight hours at the convention center, consuming wine and cheese, listening to farmers woes and hopes. He laughed it off when a goat tried to eat his suit jacket. He brushed a cow with one hand, showered her with a hose in the other hand. He was greeted with friendly cries of "Hello, Francois!" from farmers from his electoral home region of Correze.
The French president plays on his good nature and calm temper to try to appease the anxiety of a population confronted by high unemployment and a series of factory closures and layoffs.
France s unemployment rate reached 10.6 percent in the latest quarter of 2012, the highest in 13 years, and youth employment is over 25 percent.
In Dijon, a bastion of his Socialist Party, Hollande spent several hours saying hello to inhabitants and Socialist sympathizers, as if a smile and kind gaze was the best answer he could give.
"There are and it s normal in such a crisis some fears, sometimes some doubts," he said. "I wanted ... to hear the impatience, and show that the government has some political tools that will allow us to reverse the unemployment trend by the end of the year."
But when he arrived in a disadvantaged neighborhood, suffering from a 30 percent unemployment rate, Hollande couldn t ignore the disappointment of a part of the population. "And the promises? Where promises, where are they, M. Hollande?" shouted a man in the crowd, referring to Hollande s pledges during his election campaign last year to stimulate the economy.
"I do not believe in him anymore, nobody does," said Fabien Bauduin, 32, a construction worker. "The country has never been as tense as today. I voted for him because I believed in him, like thousands of us. We re very disappointed. These kinds of visits will not solve the problems."
Hollande s non-aggressive, compromise-prone character partially explains why the bitterness expressed in the polls does not focus on his personality, but on his ability to push France out of economic crisis.
Hollande is cultivating his image as "Mr. Normal," a nickname he gained during his campaign for the presidential election in contrast with his conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, who was often described in French media as the "bling-bling president."
Hollande arrived in Dijon by train in the middle of other passengers, without any aides or government members, just his numerous bodyguards. His car stopped carefully at every red light in the town, whereas Sarkozy used to ask for an extended protection convoy moving quickly with loud sirens. Before attending a formal dinner in Dijon, Hollande made a point to visit a downscale cafe for a pre-dinner drink.
Also known as "Mr. Little Jokes," Hollande often can t resist treating a serious subject with a bit of humor. When he was visiting a Dijon company that specializes in medical bandages and sells some of its products in Germany, he made an allusion to France s stagnant economy in 2012 vs. Germany s growth: "Germans are healing much quicker than us, that explains the difference of growth between us at the moment."
Hollande s reforms, focused on competitiveness and youth unemployment, could take time to get some results. He unveiled last week a plan to loosen France s worker-friendly labor rules and convince employers to hire more easily. He also introduced a new job contract for unqualified young workers, where up to 75 percent of the salary is subsidized by the state, and a so-called "generation contract" that encourages companies to hire people under age 25 while keeping workers over age 57.
Francois Rebsamen, the Socialist mayor of Dijon, wants the government to better explain the new measures. "There are a lot of expectations, a lot of fears, we can t deny it," he said to journalists.
To keep on his charm offensive, Hollande plans to visit a new region of France every six to eight weeks.
"My conception of the presidency is not of a locked, timid one," he said. "There are some moments of doubts, of unpopularity. And so what? I have to show that we can succeed."
'China cyber attackers are 'state sponsored'
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama said in an interview aired Wednesday that some, but not necessarily all, cyber attacks on US firms and infrastructure originating in China were "state sponsored."
In an interview with ABC News, Obama also cautioned about the need to avoid "war rhetoric" when discussing cyber attacks, and called on Congress to act to strengthen cyber security while protecting civil liberties.
Obama was asked about claims in Congress that recent cyber strikes on US firms amounted to the United States being at "war" with China.
"You know, there s a big difference between them engaging in cyber espionage or cyber attacks and obviously a hot war," Obama said in the interview recorded Tuesday.
"What is absolutely true is that we have seen a steady ramping up of cyber security threats. Some are state sponsored. Some are just sponsored by criminals."
"We ve made it very clear to China and some other state actors that, you know, we expect them to follow international norms and abide by international rules.
"And we ll have some pretty tough talk with them. We already have," Obama said, complaining that billions of dollars and industrial secrets were lost to the consequences of cyber hacking.
China earlier Wednesday said that it was willing to cooperate with the United States and others to combat hacking and also said it was a victim of such attacks.
"What is necessary in cyberspace is not war, but rather regulation and cooperation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
She spoke after US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said in New York on Monday that Beijing must take steps to investigate and stop cybercrime.
Last month a report from US security firm Mandiant said a unit of China s People s Liberation Army had stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organizations, mostly based in the United States.
A US congressional report last year named China as "the most threatening actor in cyberspace."
Beijing has flatly rejected such accusations. Following the Mandiant report. China s defense ministry countered that US-based hackers carried out regular attacks last year on two Chinese military websites.
In an interview with ABC News, Obama also cautioned about the need to avoid "war rhetoric" when discussing cyber attacks, and called on Congress to act to strengthen cyber security while protecting civil liberties.
Obama was asked about claims in Congress that recent cyber strikes on US firms amounted to the United States being at "war" with China.
"You know, there s a big difference between them engaging in cyber espionage or cyber attacks and obviously a hot war," Obama said in the interview recorded Tuesday.
"What is absolutely true is that we have seen a steady ramping up of cyber security threats. Some are state sponsored. Some are just sponsored by criminals."
"We ve made it very clear to China and some other state actors that, you know, we expect them to follow international norms and abide by international rules.
"And we ll have some pretty tough talk with them. We already have," Obama said, complaining that billions of dollars and industrial secrets were lost to the consequences of cyber hacking.
China earlier Wednesday said that it was willing to cooperate with the United States and others to combat hacking and also said it was a victim of such attacks.
"What is necessary in cyberspace is not war, but rather regulation and cooperation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
She spoke after US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said in New York on Monday that Beijing must take steps to investigate and stop cybercrime.
Last month a report from US security firm Mandiant said a unit of China s People s Liberation Army had stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organizations, mostly based in the United States.
A US congressional report last year named China as "the most threatening actor in cyberspace."
Beijing has flatly rejected such accusations. Following the Mandiant report. China s defense ministry countered that US-based hackers carried out regular attacks last year on two Chinese military websites.
Tuesday 12 March 2013
Iran mulls suing Hollywood over 'Argo'
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian media say authorities are planning to sue Hollywood over the Oscar-winning "Argo" because of the movie s allegedly "unrealistic portrayal" of the country.
Several news outlets, including the pro-reform Shargh daily, said on Tuesday that French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre is in Iran for talks with officials over how and where to file the lawsuit. Coutant-Peyre is also the lawyer for notorious Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.
The decision on the lawsuit came after a group of Iranian cultural officials and movie critics screened the film in a closed audience in a Tehran theater late Monday.
Iranian officials in February dismissed "Argo" as pro-CIA, anti-Iran propaganda.
The movie is based on the escape of six American hostages from the besieged U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Syria army ready to fight rebels for years
DAMASCUS - Syria s army could go on fighting "for years" rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, a pro-regime newspaper said on Tuesday, adding however that citizens could join according to their capacities.
"The army is in perfect condition, its soldiers and officers have been fighting for two years with a courage and bravery unparalleled in world history, in the fiercest of battles," said Al-Watan newspaper, as the conflict prepared to enter its third year.
"The Syrian army has at its disposal enough men and weapons to fight for years to defend Syria," the newspaper said, adding however that Syrians could join "each according to his capacity." The army and insurgents have been locked in a bloody conflict that the UN says has claimed 70,000 lives and forced at least one million people out of Syria.
The insurgency erupted after the army and security forces unleashed a brutal repression campaign against dissent.
Al-Watan also pointed to a call by the High Islamic Council in Syria, the country s top religious authority, which stressed that "the defence of a united Syria and the Syrian people is an obligation which all (citizens)... must fulfill."
The pro-regime council aimed to "encourage people to get involved in defending the land and honour, because Syria is facing a real invasion by... Turkey from the north, Lebanon from the west and Jordan from the south," said Al-Watan.
The Assad regime has consistently blamed foreign powers for the violence in Syria. The opposition Syrian National Council dismissed the council s appeal as a "call for help from the Syrian regime."
But Al-Watan insisted that everyone in Syria must be aware that the country is "in a state of war." "The army is fulfilling its duties and citizens must now defend their districts, each according to their capacity, as they have done in Aleppo, Hama and Homs, where residents have taken up arms and created national defence committee," earlier this year, it added.
"The army is in perfect condition, its soldiers and officers have been fighting for two years with a courage and bravery unparalleled in world history, in the fiercest of battles," said Al-Watan newspaper, as the conflict prepared to enter its third year.
"The Syrian army has at its disposal enough men and weapons to fight for years to defend Syria," the newspaper said, adding however that Syrians could join "each according to his capacity." The army and insurgents have been locked in a bloody conflict that the UN says has claimed 70,000 lives and forced at least one million people out of Syria.
The insurgency erupted after the army and security forces unleashed a brutal repression campaign against dissent.
Al-Watan also pointed to a call by the High Islamic Council in Syria, the country s top religious authority, which stressed that "the defence of a united Syria and the Syrian people is an obligation which all (citizens)... must fulfill."
The pro-regime council aimed to "encourage people to get involved in defending the land and honour, because Syria is facing a real invasion by... Turkey from the north, Lebanon from the west and Jordan from the south," said Al-Watan.
The Assad regime has consistently blamed foreign powers for the violence in Syria. The opposition Syrian National Council dismissed the council s appeal as a "call for help from the Syrian regime."
But Al-Watan insisted that everyone in Syria must be aware that the country is "in a state of war." "The army is fulfilling its duties and citizens must now defend their districts, each according to their capacity, as they have done in Aleppo, Hama and Homs, where residents have taken up arms and created national defence committee," earlier this year, it added.
Hackers post Michelle Obama's personal data online
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Suspected hackers have posted online what they say are personal data and credit files of US first lady Michelle Obama, FBI chief Robert Mueller and celebrities including Beyonce and Jay-Z.
The website posted what appeared to be reports from the leading credit rating agencies with personal financial information and social security numbers of Obama and the others.
Among those whose data was posted were Obama, Mueller, US Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Eric Holder, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and celebrities including Britney Spears, Mel Gibson and Ashton Kutcher.
The White House declined to comment, and credit rating agencies involved -- Transunion, Equifax, Experian -- did not immediately comment.
The website posted what appeared to be reports from the leading credit rating agencies with personal financial information and social security numbers of Obama and the others.
Among those whose data was posted were Obama, Mueller, US Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Eric Holder, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and celebrities including Britney Spears, Mel Gibson and Ashton Kutcher.
The White House declined to comment, and credit rating agencies involved -- Transunion, Equifax, Experian -- did not immediately comment.
Aisy Dastoor Ko Mien Nahi Manta
LAHORE - Habib Jalib was a Pakistani revolutionary poet, left-wing activist and politician who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression.
Habib Jalib was born as Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a village near Hoshiarpur, British India.
He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India and worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi.
He was a progressive writer and soon started to grab the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry.
He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and issues.
But the conviction behind his words, the music of his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sensitivity of the socio-political context is what stirred the audience.
Jalib was a Marxist-Leninist and aspired to the ideals of Communism.
He was initially a member of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP), but joined the National Awami Party (NAP) in 1957 following the ban on the CPP in 1954.
His views led to imprisonment. Ayub Khan s martial law Jalib was first imprisoned during the martial law regime of Ayub Khan due to his opposition of Khan s policies.
He wrote his poem "Dastoor" during those days.
Jalib was banned from official media but he remained undeterred.
He rather started a tirade against the tyranny with more resolution.
It reached its zenith when Fatima Jinnah decided to contest elections against Ayub Khan.
All democratic forces rallied around her and at her election meetings, Jalib used to recite his fiery poems in front of an emotionally charged crowd.
In 1972 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to power. According to sources close to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, one day Habib Jalib went to Bhutto s place to meet him. When Bhutto invited him to join his political Party, Jalib asked, "Have the oceans ever fallen in rivers.”
Two members of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party — Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman — launched a music video reciting Jalib s famous poem "Musheer Se" under the band title Laal, symbolizing Jalib s struggle for the workers and peasants.
Laal band remastered and remixed the revolutionary poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib s voice and included it in their 2009 album Umeed-e-Sahar.
On 23 March 2009, President of Pakistan has given the highest civil award (posthumously) to the legendary poet, which was received by his daughter.
Solo artist Umair Salim composed his poem "Dastoor" in a musical track to tribute the poet on his death anniversary in 2009, followed by a music video portraying Habib Jalib s life.
But as nation remembers this great poet, Pakistani channels have aired a story that Habib Jalib’s wife is fighting with illness and she is deprived of the money President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister have announced for her.
Books
Sir-e-Maqtal
Zikr Behte Khoon Ka
Gumbad-e-Bedar
Kulyaat e Habib Jalib
Is Shehar-e-Kharabi Main
Goshay Main Qafas K
Harf-e-Haqq
Harf-e-Sar-e-Daar
Ehad-e-Sitam
Habib Jalib was born as Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a village near Hoshiarpur, British India.
He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India and worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi.
He was a progressive writer and soon started to grab the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry.
He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and issues.
But the conviction behind his words, the music of his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sensitivity of the socio-political context is what stirred the audience.
Jalib was a Marxist-Leninist and aspired to the ideals of Communism.
He was initially a member of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP), but joined the National Awami Party (NAP) in 1957 following the ban on the CPP in 1954.
His views led to imprisonment. Ayub Khan s martial law Jalib was first imprisoned during the martial law regime of Ayub Khan due to his opposition of Khan s policies.
He wrote his poem "Dastoor" during those days.
Jalib was banned from official media but he remained undeterred.
He rather started a tirade against the tyranny with more resolution.
It reached its zenith when Fatima Jinnah decided to contest elections against Ayub Khan.
All democratic forces rallied around her and at her election meetings, Jalib used to recite his fiery poems in front of an emotionally charged crowd.
In 1972 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to power. According to sources close to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, one day Habib Jalib went to Bhutto s place to meet him. When Bhutto invited him to join his political Party, Jalib asked, "Have the oceans ever fallen in rivers.”
Two members of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party — Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman — launched a music video reciting Jalib s famous poem "Musheer Se" under the band title Laal, symbolizing Jalib s struggle for the workers and peasants.
Laal band remastered and remixed the revolutionary poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib s voice and included it in their 2009 album Umeed-e-Sahar.
On 23 March 2009, President of Pakistan has given the highest civil award (posthumously) to the legendary poet, which was received by his daughter.
Solo artist Umair Salim composed his poem "Dastoor" in a musical track to tribute the poet on his death anniversary in 2009, followed by a music video portraying Habib Jalib s life.
But as nation remembers this great poet, Pakistani channels have aired a story that Habib Jalib’s wife is fighting with illness and she is deprived of the money President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister have announced for her.
Books
Sir-e-Maqtal
Zikr Behte Khoon Ka
Gumbad-e-Bedar
Kulyaat e Habib Jalib
Is Shehar-e-Kharabi Main
Goshay Main Qafas K
Harf-e-Haqq
Harf-e-Sar-e-Daar
Ehad-e-Sitam
North Korea threat serious: US
WASHINGTON (AP) The director of National Intelligence says an unpredictable North Korea, with its nuclear weapons and missile programs, stands as a serious threat to the United States and East Asia nations.
James R. Clapper delivered that sober assessment Tuesday in testimony to the Senate Intelligence committee. He and newly installed CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director Robert Mueller provided an overview to Congress on worldwide threats.
Clapper discussed the global threats of terrorism, cyber, weapons of mass destruction, the months-long civil war in Syria and the unsettled situation in post-Arab Spring nations.
The outlook on North Korea comes as the communist regime announced that it was "completely scrapping" the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War and has maintained peace on the peninsula for more than half a century.
North Korea would likely only use nuclear weapons if it perceived a threat to its survival, but the United States remains uncertain how it would define such a threat, the US national intelligence chief said Tuesday.
"Although we assess with low confidence that the North would only attempt to use nuclear weapons against US forces or allies to preserve the Kim (Jong-Un) regime, we do not know what would constitute, from the North s perspective, crossing that threshold," James Clapper, director of national intelligence, said in an annual report to Congress on global security threats.
James R. Clapper delivered that sober assessment Tuesday in testimony to the Senate Intelligence committee. He and newly installed CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director Robert Mueller provided an overview to Congress on worldwide threats.
Clapper discussed the global threats of terrorism, cyber, weapons of mass destruction, the months-long civil war in Syria and the unsettled situation in post-Arab Spring nations.
The outlook on North Korea comes as the communist regime announced that it was "completely scrapping" the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War and has maintained peace on the peninsula for more than half a century.
North Korea would likely only use nuclear weapons if it perceived a threat to its survival, but the United States remains uncertain how it would define such a threat, the US national intelligence chief said Tuesday.
"Although we assess with low confidence that the North would only attempt to use nuclear weapons against US forces or allies to preserve the Kim (Jong-Un) regime, we do not know what would constitute, from the North s perspective, crossing that threshold," James Clapper, director of national intelligence, said in an annual report to Congress on global security threats.
Snowfall causes flight cancellation, traffic jams in Europe
PARIS (AP) - Frankfurt airport closed, a quarter of flights out of Paris were canceled, Belgium suffered record traffic jams and high-speed trains were stuck in stations all because of a sudden dump of oddly late snowfall on Western Europe.
Less prepared for the kind of heavy snow that regularly hits northern and eastern neighbors, France, Britain and Belgium struggled Tuesday to keep moving amid the frosty, blustery conditions.
Frankfurt airport, Europe s third busiest, closed at midday after recording about 12 centimeters (5 inches) of snow. More than 100 flights had already been canceled and many others were delayed.
Stefan Schulte, a spokesman for airport operator Fraport AG, said that he hoped operations could resume in the afternoon when the snow was expected to let up.
Paris airport screens flashed with red warnings after the French civil aviation authority ordered 25 percent of flights out of Charles de Gaulle Airport canceled, and 20 percent of flights out of Orly Airport.
Office buildings in the French capital like those in the European Union s capital, Brussels were only partly full. The French train network SNCF urged commuters in the Paris region to stay home Tuesday instead of trying to reach downtown "because of the unfavorable evolution of weather conditions."
Instead of enjoying the onset of spring, Belgium had a record 1,600 kilometers of traffic jams during morning rush hour as snowdrifts turned roads slippery and reduced vision. A strong wind made conditions even tougher.
Thousands of commuters were left stranded on snowed-in platforms after many trains from Belgium were canceled, including some of the Thalys high-speed trains to France, Germany and the Netherlands.
In southeastern England, snow and ice stranded hundreds of motorists as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 3 Celsius (27 Fahrenheit), and many motorists abandoned their cars. Traffic backed up for 30 miles (50 kilometers) in some spots, with reports of people being stranded for 10 hours or more.
Among those stuck was a group of 120 German students who had to stay overnight in the town hall at Hastings on the south coast of England when families set to pick them up could not reach them.
Police in Sussex reported responding to more than 300 auto collisions in 24 hours because of slippery roads but no serious injuries were reported. Scores of schools in southeastern England closed because of severe weather.
Roads around northern France were blocked by snow or closed by transport authorities, and trucks were banned from several routes.
Less prepared for the kind of heavy snow that regularly hits northern and eastern neighbors, France, Britain and Belgium struggled Tuesday to keep moving amid the frosty, blustery conditions.
Frankfurt airport, Europe s third busiest, closed at midday after recording about 12 centimeters (5 inches) of snow. More than 100 flights had already been canceled and many others were delayed.
Stefan Schulte, a spokesman for airport operator Fraport AG, said that he hoped operations could resume in the afternoon when the snow was expected to let up.
Paris airport screens flashed with red warnings after the French civil aviation authority ordered 25 percent of flights out of Charles de Gaulle Airport canceled, and 20 percent of flights out of Orly Airport.
Office buildings in the French capital like those in the European Union s capital, Brussels were only partly full. The French train network SNCF urged commuters in the Paris region to stay home Tuesday instead of trying to reach downtown "because of the unfavorable evolution of weather conditions."
Instead of enjoying the onset of spring, Belgium had a record 1,600 kilometers of traffic jams during morning rush hour as snowdrifts turned roads slippery and reduced vision. A strong wind made conditions even tougher.
Thousands of commuters were left stranded on snowed-in platforms after many trains from Belgium were canceled, including some of the Thalys high-speed trains to France, Germany and the Netherlands.
In southeastern England, snow and ice stranded hundreds of motorists as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 3 Celsius (27 Fahrenheit), and many motorists abandoned their cars. Traffic backed up for 30 miles (50 kilometers) in some spots, with reports of people being stranded for 10 hours or more.
Among those stuck was a group of 120 German students who had to stay overnight in the town hall at Hastings on the south coast of England when families set to pick them up could not reach them.
Police in Sussex reported responding to more than 300 auto collisions in 24 hours because of slippery roads but no serious injuries were reported. Scores of schools in southeastern England closed because of severe weather.
Roads around northern France were blocked by snow or closed by transport authorities, and trucks were banned from several routes.
NKorean can launch sudden strike on SKorea
SEOUL (AP) - Recent Korean history reveals a sobering possibility: It may only be a matter of time before North Korea launches a sudden, deadly attack on the South. And perhaps more unsettling, Seoul has vowed that this time, it will respond with an even stronger blow.
Humiliated by past attacks, South Korea has promised as recently as Tuesday to hit back hard at the next assault from the North, opening up the prospect that a skirmish could turn into a wider war.
Lost in the headline-making North Korean bluster about nuclear strikes on Washington in response to UN sanctions is a single sentence in a North Korean army Supreme Command statement of March 5.
It said North Korea "will make a strike of justice at any target anytime as it pleases without limit."
Those words have a chilling link to the recent past, when Pyongyang, angry over perceived slights, took its time before exacting revenge on rival South Korea.
Vows of retaliation after naval clashes with South Korea in 1999 and 2009, for example, were followed by more bloodshed, including attacks blamed on North Korea that killed 50 South Koreans in 2010.
Those attacks three years ago "are vivid reminders of the regime s capabilities and intentions," Bruce Klingner, a former U.S. intelligence official now at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, wrote in a recent think tank posting.
Almost a mirror image of the current tensions happened in 2009, when the U.N. approved sanctions over North Korean missile and nuclear tests, and Pyongyang responded with fury. In November of that year, Seoul claimed victory in a sea battle with the North, and Pyongyang vowed revenge.
In March 2010, the Cheonan, a 1,200-ton South Korean warship, exploded and sank in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors. A South Korean-led international investigation found that North Korea torpedoed the ship, a claim Pyongyang denies.
The Cheonan sinking may have been retaliation for the naval defeat four months earlier, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea specialist at Seoul s Dongguk University.
In November 2010, North Korea sent a warning to South Korea to cancel a routine live-fire artillery drill planned on Yeonpyeong Island, which is only seven miles from North Korea and lies in Yellow Sea waters that North Korea claims as its own.
South Korea went ahead with the drills, firing, Seoul says, into waters away from North Korean territory. North Korea sent artillery shells raining down on the island, killing two civilians and two marines.
South Korea responded with artillery fire of its own, but the government of then-President Lee Myung-bak was severely criticized for what was seen as a slow, weak response. Lee, a conservative who infuriated North Korea by ending the previous liberal government s "sunshine policy" of huge aid shipments with few strings attached, vowed massive retaliation if hit again by the North.
The government of newly inaugurated President Park Geun-hye, also a conservative, has made similar comments, though she has also said she will try to build trust with North Korea and explore renewed dialogue and aid shipments.
South Korea s Defense Ministry on Tuesday repeated that it would respond harshly to any future attack from the North. Spokesman Kim Min-seok said there were no signs that North Korea would attack anytime soon, but warned that if it did, it would suffer "much more powerful damage" than whatever it inflicted on South Korea.
If war broke out, the United States would assume control of South Korea s military because of the countries decades-old alliance that began with the U.S.-led military response to North Korean invaders in 1950. But South Korea has made clear that it has a sovereign right, and a political necessity, to respond strongly to future North Korean attacks.
A clue to when North Korea might attack may be in the timing of the current threats. North Korea is furious over ongoing annual U.S.-South Korean military drills that will continue until the end of April.
Humiliated by past attacks, South Korea has promised as recently as Tuesday to hit back hard at the next assault from the North, opening up the prospect that a skirmish could turn into a wider war.
Lost in the headline-making North Korean bluster about nuclear strikes on Washington in response to UN sanctions is a single sentence in a North Korean army Supreme Command statement of March 5.
It said North Korea "will make a strike of justice at any target anytime as it pleases without limit."
Those words have a chilling link to the recent past, when Pyongyang, angry over perceived slights, took its time before exacting revenge on rival South Korea.
Vows of retaliation after naval clashes with South Korea in 1999 and 2009, for example, were followed by more bloodshed, including attacks blamed on North Korea that killed 50 South Koreans in 2010.
Those attacks three years ago "are vivid reminders of the regime s capabilities and intentions," Bruce Klingner, a former U.S. intelligence official now at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, wrote in a recent think tank posting.
Almost a mirror image of the current tensions happened in 2009, when the U.N. approved sanctions over North Korean missile and nuclear tests, and Pyongyang responded with fury. In November of that year, Seoul claimed victory in a sea battle with the North, and Pyongyang vowed revenge.
In March 2010, the Cheonan, a 1,200-ton South Korean warship, exploded and sank in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 sailors. A South Korean-led international investigation found that North Korea torpedoed the ship, a claim Pyongyang denies.
The Cheonan sinking may have been retaliation for the naval defeat four months earlier, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea specialist at Seoul s Dongguk University.
In November 2010, North Korea sent a warning to South Korea to cancel a routine live-fire artillery drill planned on Yeonpyeong Island, which is only seven miles from North Korea and lies in Yellow Sea waters that North Korea claims as its own.
South Korea went ahead with the drills, firing, Seoul says, into waters away from North Korean territory. North Korea sent artillery shells raining down on the island, killing two civilians and two marines.
South Korea responded with artillery fire of its own, but the government of then-President Lee Myung-bak was severely criticized for what was seen as a slow, weak response. Lee, a conservative who infuriated North Korea by ending the previous liberal government s "sunshine policy" of huge aid shipments with few strings attached, vowed massive retaliation if hit again by the North.
The government of newly inaugurated President Park Geun-hye, also a conservative, has made similar comments, though she has also said she will try to build trust with North Korea and explore renewed dialogue and aid shipments.
South Korea s Defense Ministry on Tuesday repeated that it would respond harshly to any future attack from the North. Spokesman Kim Min-seok said there were no signs that North Korea would attack anytime soon, but warned that if it did, it would suffer "much more powerful damage" than whatever it inflicted on South Korea.
If war broke out, the United States would assume control of South Korea s military because of the countries decades-old alliance that began with the U.S.-led military response to North Korean invaders in 1950. But South Korea has made clear that it has a sovereign right, and a political necessity, to respond strongly to future North Korean attacks.
A clue to when North Korea might attack may be in the timing of the current threats. North Korea is furious over ongoing annual U.S.-South Korean military drills that will continue until the end of April.
Clashes, blasts mark Bangladesh opposition protest
DHAKA (AP) - Several bombs exploded in Bangladesh s capital and police clashed with protesters Tuesday as opposition leaders enforced a daylong, nationwide general strike over what they say is police intimidation.
Witnesses and news reports said several homemade bombs exploded during the beginning of the shutdown. RTV and Bangla Vision stations reported explosions in different areas of Dhaka. It was not clear if there were any injuries.
Small-scale clashes were reported inside and outside Dhaka, and thousands of security officials were deployed in the capital to maintain order.
Nearly 400 members of paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard were deployed to aid police in Dhaka, said Maj. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, the force s director general.
Schools and most businesses in Dhaka were closed Tuesday. Traffic was thin on the usually clogged streets.
An 18-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, was enforcing the strike to protest alleged police intimidation during a rally on Monday.
The party and its allies are demanding restoration of a caretaker government system to oversee upcoming elections. Its ally Jamaat-e-Islami also wants a halt to trials of several opposition politicians accused of crimes stemming from the country s 1971 independence war.
After Monday s rally, police arrested some senior leaders and more than 100 activists of the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, during a raid on its party headquarters in Dhaka.
Police said they recovered at least 10 homemade bombs from the headquarters. But the party accused police of putting the bombs inside the headquarters to create a drama.
BNP s acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a former mayor of Dhaka City Corp. and a former home minister were among those detained.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities released three leaders including Alamgir after they had been held for nearly 18 hours.
A Dhaka court jailed about 100 others pending more hearings on their bail petitions, government prosecutor Abdullah Abu said. They were taken to court Tuesday after an overnight stay in a police station. The next bail hearing has been set for March 20.
Zia, in a meeting with senior party leaders, criticized the government for the arrests and later announced a similar nationwide shutdown for March 18 and 19 if the detained senior leaders are not freed immediately.
Alamgir went straight to the party headquarters from police custody and said they would go ahead with the plan for more shutdowns if all the leaders and activists are not freed by Thursday.
Also on Tuesday, police filed two cases accusing more than 150 opposition activists of Monday s explosions and alleging they had obstructed police, said police official Golam Sarwar.
Zia s party and Jamaat-e-Islami have denounced the trials of several opposition politicians accused of mass killings and atrocities during Bangladesh s 1971 independence war against Pakistan, saying they are politically motivated.
The administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina initiated the trials in 2010 and three verdicts have been handed down. Ten of the defendants convicted or on trial are from Jamaat-e-Islami, the country s largest Islamic party, while two others belong to the BNP.
One death sentence given to a senior Jamaat-e-Islami party leader last month sparked violent clashes between opposition activists and police, leaving about dozens dead.
Bangladesh says the war left 3 million people dead, 200,000 women raped and forced millions to flee to neighboring India. Jamaat-e-Islami campaigned against the independence of Bangladesh, but denies committing any atrocities.
Witnesses and news reports said several homemade bombs exploded during the beginning of the shutdown. RTV and Bangla Vision stations reported explosions in different areas of Dhaka. It was not clear if there were any injuries.
Small-scale clashes were reported inside and outside Dhaka, and thousands of security officials were deployed in the capital to maintain order.
Nearly 400 members of paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard were deployed to aid police in Dhaka, said Maj. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, the force s director general.
Schools and most businesses in Dhaka were closed Tuesday. Traffic was thin on the usually clogged streets.
An 18-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, was enforcing the strike to protest alleged police intimidation during a rally on Monday.
The party and its allies are demanding restoration of a caretaker government system to oversee upcoming elections. Its ally Jamaat-e-Islami also wants a halt to trials of several opposition politicians accused of crimes stemming from the country s 1971 independence war.
After Monday s rally, police arrested some senior leaders and more than 100 activists of the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, during a raid on its party headquarters in Dhaka.
Police said they recovered at least 10 homemade bombs from the headquarters. But the party accused police of putting the bombs inside the headquarters to create a drama.
BNP s acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a former mayor of Dhaka City Corp. and a former home minister were among those detained.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities released three leaders including Alamgir after they had been held for nearly 18 hours.
A Dhaka court jailed about 100 others pending more hearings on their bail petitions, government prosecutor Abdullah Abu said. They were taken to court Tuesday after an overnight stay in a police station. The next bail hearing has been set for March 20.
Zia, in a meeting with senior party leaders, criticized the government for the arrests and later announced a similar nationwide shutdown for March 18 and 19 if the detained senior leaders are not freed immediately.
Alamgir went straight to the party headquarters from police custody and said they would go ahead with the plan for more shutdowns if all the leaders and activists are not freed by Thursday.
Also on Tuesday, police filed two cases accusing more than 150 opposition activists of Monday s explosions and alleging they had obstructed police, said police official Golam Sarwar.
Zia s party and Jamaat-e-Islami have denounced the trials of several opposition politicians accused of mass killings and atrocities during Bangladesh s 1971 independence war against Pakistan, saying they are politically motivated.
The administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina initiated the trials in 2010 and three verdicts have been handed down. Ten of the defendants convicted or on trial are from Jamaat-e-Islami, the country s largest Islamic party, while two others belong to the BNP.
One death sentence given to a senior Jamaat-e-Islami party leader last month sparked violent clashes between opposition activists and police, leaving about dozens dead.
Bangladesh says the war left 3 million people dead, 200,000 women raped and forced millions to flee to neighboring India. Jamaat-e-Islami campaigned against the independence of Bangladesh, but denies committing any atrocities.
Iran ready to promise UN not to seek bomb in writing:report
TEHRAN (AP) - The Tuesday report by the semi-official Mehr news agency quotes Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi as saying, "Iran plans to declare in the U.N. that it will never go after nuclear bombs. "
Rahimi did not say when the promise would be delivered.
He charged that the Western sanctions aim to thwart Iran s "scientific progress." Several rounds of sanctions aimed at the nuclear program have impacted heavily on Iran s economy.
Iran has repeatedly denied West suspicions that it is pursuing weapons construction under cover of its nuclear program.
In 2005, Iran s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a religious edict "banning production, storage and use of nuclear weapons."
Rahimi did not say when the promise would be delivered.
He charged that the Western sanctions aim to thwart Iran s "scientific progress." Several rounds of sanctions aimed at the nuclear program have impacted heavily on Iran s economy.
Iran has repeatedly denied West suspicions that it is pursuing weapons construction under cover of its nuclear program.
In 2005, Iran s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a religious edict "banning production, storage and use of nuclear weapons."
Secret agencies not above law: CJP
Islamabad (Online) - Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary has said that secret agencies should keep in mind that they have authority to function only within the ambit of law
He was giving his remarks during the hearing of missing persons from Adiyala jail on Tuesday.
He said that no would should even think that the courts are helpless, if courts would be unable to dispense justice, they how the country would run. CJP said that extra legal measures from any one would not be tolerated at any cost.
CJP said that no institution of the country has authority to keep the people into custody for the whole life illegally.
He showed his resentment that although Attorney General represents the federation but he does not know anything about the case.
This situation is the last limit of irresponsibility. He said that the trial of missing prisoners could not be completed until now.
Justice Gulzar Ahmed Ahmed said in his remarks that the secret agencies have realized that the trial of the under detention persons should be started now after lapse of long time.
He said that after reviewing record it seems that a new story was fabricated
During hearing the lawyer of applicants Tariq Asad has completed his argument, while Attorney General Irfan Qadir would commence his arguments on 20 March.
The lawyer of secret agencies Raja Irshad presented the record of Hamza Camp in the court with the request that it may be kept secret.
He said that the accused were involved in suicide attack on Hamza Camp and they would be prosecuted under FRC.
On which CJP asked the lawyer that the trial of the accused was completed long ago but the secret agencies kept them under custody forcibly. Now how would proceeding against them be started under FCR.
The court adjourned the hearing till 20 March.
He was giving his remarks during the hearing of missing persons from Adiyala jail on Tuesday.
He said that no would should even think that the courts are helpless, if courts would be unable to dispense justice, they how the country would run. CJP said that extra legal measures from any one would not be tolerated at any cost.
CJP said that no institution of the country has authority to keep the people into custody for the whole life illegally.
He showed his resentment that although Attorney General represents the federation but he does not know anything about the case.
This situation is the last limit of irresponsibility. He said that the trial of missing prisoners could not be completed until now.
Justice Gulzar Ahmed Ahmed said in his remarks that the secret agencies have realized that the trial of the under detention persons should be started now after lapse of long time.
He said that after reviewing record it seems that a new story was fabricated
During hearing the lawyer of applicants Tariq Asad has completed his argument, while Attorney General Irfan Qadir would commence his arguments on 20 March.
The lawyer of secret agencies Raja Irshad presented the record of Hamza Camp in the court with the request that it may be kept secret.
He said that the accused were involved in suicide attack on Hamza Camp and they would be prosecuted under FRC.
On which CJP asked the lawyer that the trial of the accused was completed long ago but the secret agencies kept them under custody forcibly. Now how would proceeding against them be started under FCR.
The court adjourned the hearing till 20 March.
Musharraf to return on March 24
DUBAI: Former president Pervez Musharraf has decided to return home on March 24.
According to details, prominent leaders of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), workers and world media representatives will accompany former president Pervez Musharraf on his return to Karachi from Dubai on March 24.
The APML leaders and workers have been advised to reach Dubai on March 23. The sources said that an advertising campaign will also be launched before Musharraf’s return
According to details, prominent leaders of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), workers and world media representatives will accompany former president Pervez Musharraf on his return to Karachi from Dubai on March 24.
The APML leaders and workers have been advised to reach Dubai on March 23. The sources said that an advertising campaign will also be launched before Musharraf’s return
EU reaffirms deep commitment with Pakistan
Brussels: (PR) EU foreign leaders met in Brussels last night to adopt firm commitments on a "deepening and widening relation with Pakistan."
The EU Foreign Affairs council chaired by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, welcomed the forthcoming elections in Pakistan and offered to support the democratic process by deploying an election observation mission.
Catherine Ashton has been instrumental in spearheading EU-Pakistan relations and travelled to Pakistan last year to launch the 'EU-Pakistan 5-Year Engagement Plan'. The 5 year plan focuses on promoting regular strategic dialogue and sectoral cooperation in a number of areas.
A statement released from last night's meeting of the 27-nation bloc showed the EU's keen desire to "re-energizing the 5-Year Engagement Plan" and is in the process of preparing high level ministerial meetings with the new Pakistani government. It also highlighted possibility of a third EU-Pakistan summit.
Sajjad Karim MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament Friends of Pakistan Group, welcomed the outcome of the meeting. He said:
"This commitment from the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, and the EU foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, to Pakistan is real. There is a lot of support for Pakistan and in the EU they have a powerful ally."
"All eyes will focus on Pakistan for these crucial elections, as the stability of the country and the region is of paramount importance."
The British MEP is set to co-host a dinner tonight with the Ambassador of Pakistan to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, Munawar Saeed Bhatti, and will feature an exclusive group of cross party MEPs including Syed Kamall, Richard Howitt and Michael Gahler. residing
The EU Foreign Affairs council chaired by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, welcomed the forthcoming elections in Pakistan and offered to support the democratic process by deploying an election observation mission.
Catherine Ashton has been instrumental in spearheading EU-Pakistan relations and travelled to Pakistan last year to launch the 'EU-Pakistan 5-Year Engagement Plan'. The 5 year plan focuses on promoting regular strategic dialogue and sectoral cooperation in a number of areas.
A statement released from last night's meeting of the 27-nation bloc showed the EU's keen desire to "re-energizing the 5-Year Engagement Plan" and is in the process of preparing high level ministerial meetings with the new Pakistani government. It also highlighted possibility of a third EU-Pakistan summit.
Sajjad Karim MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament Friends of Pakistan Group, welcomed the outcome of the meeting. He said:
"This commitment from the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, and the EU foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, to Pakistan is real. There is a lot of support for Pakistan and in the EU they have a powerful ally."
"All eyes will focus on Pakistan for these crucial elections, as the stability of the country and the region is of paramount importance."
The British MEP is set to co-host a dinner tonight with the Ambassador of Pakistan to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg, Munawar Saeed Bhatti, and will feature an exclusive group of cross party MEPs including Syed Kamall, Richard Howitt and Michael Gahler. residing
Monday 11 March 2013
Welcome To Tasty Crunch!
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Cras fermentum porta velit, id mollis dolor vulputate non. In tincidunt blandit neque, interdum pharetra augue lobortis vitae. Nam eleifend nibh eget lectus cursus adipiscing. Duis fringilla tristique viverra. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum vehicula tortor eget erat molestie ac vestibulum nisl sodales. Praesent tempor adipiscing egestas. Nullam scelerisque nulla sit amet elit lacinia auctor. Pellentesque ut nisl ut metus iaculis malesuada. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Vivamus a consectetur velit.
Cras fermentum porta velit, id mollis dolor vulputate non. In tincidunt blandit neque, interdum pharetra augue lobortis vitae. Nam eleifend nibh eget lectus cursus adipiscing. Duis fringilla tristique viverra. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum vehicula tortor eget erat molestie ac vestibulum nisl sodales. Praesent tempor adipiscing egestas. Nullam scelerisque nulla sit amet elit lacinia auctor. Pellentesque ut nisl ut metus iaculis malesuada. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Vivamus a consectetur velit.
Sunday 10 March 2013
Sunday 3 March 2013
Syria, Russia condemn US, EU aid to rebels
DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syria and ally Russia denounced a US pledge to provide direct non-lethal aid to rebel fighters, saying it will fuel more violence in the two-year conflict, which claimed dozens more lives on Friday.
Just two weeks away from the second anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the spiralling conflict in Syria that has killed at least 70,000 people was breaking the country apart.
US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the crisis with Turkish leaders in Ankara on Friday after Washington said it would provide direct aid to the rebels in the form of food and medical assistance, as well as $60 million in funding for the political opposition.
Russia s foreign ministry said the decision would backfire and encourage "extremists to take power by force."
But senior opposition figure Burhan Ghalioun told AFP it was the very failure to arm the rebels that "favours the rise of extremists," saying he hoped Washington would realise this was a "mistaken policy."
The opposition and outgunned rebels have repeatedly urged world powers to arm them, but the West fears that the weapons will fall into the hands of Islamic extremists also battling Assad s regime.
Russia s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the US decision was "unfortunate" and that it was time for the opposition to come up with a "well-articulated political programme to be able to enter into talks with the Syrian government."
A Syrian government newspaper said US and European decisions to back Syria s rebels with direct aid would only lead to more bloodshed and encourage "terrorism."
A State Department official travelling with Kerry said Washington wanted outside powers, including Moscow, to push for a transition as agreed in Geneva last June, as the new secretary of state visited key regional ally Turkey.
"Together we work to strengthen the Syrian opposition so that we are in a position now to be able to do more," Kerry said, adding that the United States and Turkey were trying to reduce the money "flowing to Assad regime s war machine."
"There is no legitimacy in a regime that commits atrocity against its own people," he said.
Kerry had announced the aid package after talks in Rome on Thursday of the Friends of Syria group of Arab and Western nations.
The move marked a significant shift in US policy but falls short of rebel demands for Western backers to supply the rebellion with weapons or non-offensive military equipment.
In a sign of growing diplomatic momentum, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama discussed the conflict by phone, with Putin noting "the need to end military activities as soon as possible."
Just two weeks away from the second anniversary of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the spiralling conflict in Syria that has killed at least 70,000 people was breaking the country apart.
US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the crisis with Turkish leaders in Ankara on Friday after Washington said it would provide direct aid to the rebels in the form of food and medical assistance, as well as $60 million in funding for the political opposition.
Russia s foreign ministry said the decision would backfire and encourage "extremists to take power by force."
But senior opposition figure Burhan Ghalioun told AFP it was the very failure to arm the rebels that "favours the rise of extremists," saying he hoped Washington would realise this was a "mistaken policy."
The opposition and outgunned rebels have repeatedly urged world powers to arm them, but the West fears that the weapons will fall into the hands of Islamic extremists also battling Assad s regime.
Russia s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the US decision was "unfortunate" and that it was time for the opposition to come up with a "well-articulated political programme to be able to enter into talks with the Syrian government."
A Syrian government newspaper said US and European decisions to back Syria s rebels with direct aid would only lead to more bloodshed and encourage "terrorism."
A State Department official travelling with Kerry said Washington wanted outside powers, including Moscow, to push for a transition as agreed in Geneva last June, as the new secretary of state visited key regional ally Turkey.
"Together we work to strengthen the Syrian opposition so that we are in a position now to be able to do more," Kerry said, adding that the United States and Turkey were trying to reduce the money "flowing to Assad regime s war machine."
"There is no legitimacy in a regime that commits atrocity against its own people," he said.
Kerry had announced the aid package after talks in Rome on Thursday of the Friends of Syria group of Arab and Western nations.
The move marked a significant shift in US policy but falls short of rebel demands for Western backers to supply the rebellion with weapons or non-offensive military equipment.
In a sign of growing diplomatic momentum, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama discussed the conflict by phone, with Putin noting "the need to end military activities as soon as possible."
Britain wants to arm Syrian terrorists: Assad
LONDON (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accused Britain of wanting to arm terrorists in his country as the UN chief and his Syria envoy offer to broker peace talks between the regime and rebel leaders.
Britain has been pushing to lift a ban on the sale of arms to Syria s rebels, but at a meeting last month European Union foreign ministers ruled that only "non-lethal" aid and "technical assistance" could be given to the opposition.
"How can we expect them to make the violence less while they want to send military supplies to the terrorists and don t try to ease the dialogue between the Syrians?" Assad said in a rare interview with a UK newspaper.
"Britain has played a famously unconstructive role in different issues for decades, some say for centuries -- I m telling you the perception in our region," he told The Sunday Times.
"The problem with this government is that their shallow and immature rhetoric only highlights this tradition of a bullying hegemony." His comments came as UN chief Ban Ki-moon and his Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said they were prepared to broker peace talks between the Assad regime and the opposition.
A joint statement by the pair said the UN would "be prepared to facilitate a dialogue between a strong and representative delegation from the opposition and a credible and empowered delegation from the Syrian government".
The offer came after both sides in Syria had indicated a "willingness to engage in dialogue", the UN said.
They also warned that both the regime and opposition fighters "have become increasingly reckless with human life" and said perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice.
In Tehran on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Assad will take part in next year s presidential election and that it is up to the Syrian people to choose their own leader.
Assad, who took over as president in 2000 following the death of his father Hafez, has repeatedly rejected calls by the opposition, Western and Arab nations to step down.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague had called for changes to the existing arms ban "so that we can provide a broader range of support to the National Coalition" -- the opposition umbrella group in Syria.
British is currently bound by an EU arms embargo which European foreign ministers decided not to lift at a meeting in Brussels on February 18. "We give them strong political and diplomatic support. We also give them assistance in terms of equipment at the moment to help them try to save people s lives," Hague said.
"I think there is a broader range of equipment that we could give to them," he added. The United Nations estimates 70,000 people have been killed in the 23-month conflict.
In his video-taped interview Assad dismissed the suggestion that Britain could play a constructive role in resolving the fighting, saying: "We don t expect an arsonist to be a firefighter." He added that the British government had long been out of contact with Syria and lacked credibility in the country due to its dealings in the Middle East.
Damascus has repeatedly blamed foreign-backed "terrorists" for the unrest, using the term to refer both to rebels and peaceful opponents.
On the ground, the army said Saturday it had seized control of a key road linking the central province of Hama to Aleppo international airport, the scene of fierce battles since mid-February.
Fierce clashes raged in the northern city of Raqa, where 16 rebels and 10 soldiers were killed, according to chief of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman.
At least 133 people were killed nationwide on Saturday, the Observatory said. They included two Palestinians hanged by rebels from trees at Yarmuk refugee camp in Damascus on suspicion of aiding the regime by pinpointing rebel targets, the Observatory said.
The Israeli military said mortar rounds believed to have been fired from Syria hit the southern Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday without causing damage or casualties. The Observatory said there had also been clashes in the Quneitra area, with two rebels and an unknown number of soldiers killed.
Britain has been pushing to lift a ban on the sale of arms to Syria s rebels, but at a meeting last month European Union foreign ministers ruled that only "non-lethal" aid and "technical assistance" could be given to the opposition.
"How can we expect them to make the violence less while they want to send military supplies to the terrorists and don t try to ease the dialogue between the Syrians?" Assad said in a rare interview with a UK newspaper.
"Britain has played a famously unconstructive role in different issues for decades, some say for centuries -- I m telling you the perception in our region," he told The Sunday Times.
"The problem with this government is that their shallow and immature rhetoric only highlights this tradition of a bullying hegemony." His comments came as UN chief Ban Ki-moon and his Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said they were prepared to broker peace talks between the Assad regime and the opposition.
A joint statement by the pair said the UN would "be prepared to facilitate a dialogue between a strong and representative delegation from the opposition and a credible and empowered delegation from the Syrian government".
The offer came after both sides in Syria had indicated a "willingness to engage in dialogue", the UN said.
They also warned that both the regime and opposition fighters "have become increasingly reckless with human life" and said perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice.
In Tehran on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Assad will take part in next year s presidential election and that it is up to the Syrian people to choose their own leader.
Assad, who took over as president in 2000 following the death of his father Hafez, has repeatedly rejected calls by the opposition, Western and Arab nations to step down.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague had called for changes to the existing arms ban "so that we can provide a broader range of support to the National Coalition" -- the opposition umbrella group in Syria.
British is currently bound by an EU arms embargo which European foreign ministers decided not to lift at a meeting in Brussels on February 18. "We give them strong political and diplomatic support. We also give them assistance in terms of equipment at the moment to help them try to save people s lives," Hague said.
"I think there is a broader range of equipment that we could give to them," he added. The United Nations estimates 70,000 people have been killed in the 23-month conflict.
In his video-taped interview Assad dismissed the suggestion that Britain could play a constructive role in resolving the fighting, saying: "We don t expect an arsonist to be a firefighter." He added that the British government had long been out of contact with Syria and lacked credibility in the country due to its dealings in the Middle East.
Damascus has repeatedly blamed foreign-backed "terrorists" for the unrest, using the term to refer both to rebels and peaceful opponents.
On the ground, the army said Saturday it had seized control of a key road linking the central province of Hama to Aleppo international airport, the scene of fierce battles since mid-February.
Fierce clashes raged in the northern city of Raqa, where 16 rebels and 10 soldiers were killed, according to chief of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman.
At least 133 people were killed nationwide on Saturday, the Observatory said. They included two Palestinians hanged by rebels from trees at Yarmuk refugee camp in Damascus on suspicion of aiding the regime by pinpointing rebel targets, the Observatory said.
The Israeli military said mortar rounds believed to have been fired from Syria hit the southern Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday without causing damage or casualties. The Observatory said there had also been clashes in the Quneitra area, with two rebels and an unknown number of soldiers killed.
Libya halts gas export to Italy after clashes
TRIPOLI (AP) - A Libyan security official says transport of natural gas to Italy has been halted after clashes between armed tribesmen and forces guarding a natural gas complex in the country s west.
The official said Sunday the clashes broke out a day earlier between guards at the Mellitah Oil and Gas complex near Zwara city, west of Tripoli, and local ethnic Berber tribesmen. The complex is a joint venture between Libya s National Oil Corporation and Italy s largest energy company, Eni SpA.
It was not clear what set off the clashes. The official said a company staffer was injured.
He said the halt of exports is a security measure, but no pipelines were affected. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
The official said Sunday the clashes broke out a day earlier between guards at the Mellitah Oil and Gas complex near Zwara city, west of Tripoli, and local ethnic Berber tribesmen. The complex is a joint venture between Libya s National Oil Corporation and Italy s largest energy company, Eni SpA.
It was not clear what set off the clashes. The official said a company staffer was injured.
He said the halt of exports is a security measure, but no pipelines were affected. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
Iran frees 14 journalists: report
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has freed 14 journalist working for reformist papers who were arrested in January and accused of cooperating with a "Western-linked network", the reformist Shargh newspaper reported on Sunday.
The newspaper said the journalists were released from jail after posting bail, while four others were still behind bars.
At the time of their arrest in late January the intelligence ministry said in a statement that the journalists belonged to "one of the biggest media networks" linked to the West. Their network, the statement said, was established by the BBC and operates "in cooperation with several Western governments."
The ministry said their goal was to "exploit what they learned during the sedition period" after the 2009 presidential election, which Iran accuses the West and Western media, including the BBC, of inciting.
The election, which returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power despite reformist opposition candidates alleging fraud, triggered protests which were met by a bloody regime crackdown.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticised the arrests, urging Iran to free the journalists. But the intelligence ministry dismissed such calls.
Tehran deems as hostile the Persian services of various international media, including the BBC Persian, the Voice of America and Radio Farda -- a US-funded Prague-based Persian radio.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 45 journalists were in Iranian prisons at the start of December 2012. The journalists work for various reformist outlets such as Shargh, Arman, Bahar and Etemad newspapers, the Aseman weekly, as well as the ILNA news agency.
Shargh identified the freed journalists as Pouria Alami, Emily Amraei, Javad Daliri, Milad Fadaei, Narges Jodaki, Soleiman Mohammadi, Akbar Montajabi, Pejman Mousavi, Motahareh Shafiey, Hossein Yaghchi, Fatemeh Sagharchi, Reyhaneh Tabatabaee, Keyvan Mehregan and Pejman Mousavi.
The report also added that Sasan Aghaei, Nasrin Takhayori, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Saba Azarpeyk are still behind bars.
The newspaper said the journalists were released from jail after posting bail, while four others were still behind bars.
At the time of their arrest in late January the intelligence ministry said in a statement that the journalists belonged to "one of the biggest media networks" linked to the West. Their network, the statement said, was established by the BBC and operates "in cooperation with several Western governments."
The ministry said their goal was to "exploit what they learned during the sedition period" after the 2009 presidential election, which Iran accuses the West and Western media, including the BBC, of inciting.
The election, which returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power despite reformist opposition candidates alleging fraud, triggered protests which were met by a bloody regime crackdown.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticised the arrests, urging Iran to free the journalists. But the intelligence ministry dismissed such calls.
Tehran deems as hostile the Persian services of various international media, including the BBC Persian, the Voice of America and Radio Farda -- a US-funded Prague-based Persian radio.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 45 journalists were in Iranian prisons at the start of December 2012. The journalists work for various reformist outlets such as Shargh, Arman, Bahar and Etemad newspapers, the Aseman weekly, as well as the ILNA news agency.
Shargh identified the freed journalists as Pouria Alami, Emily Amraei, Javad Daliri, Milad Fadaei, Narges Jodaki, Soleiman Mohammadi, Akbar Montajabi, Pejman Mousavi, Motahareh Shafiey, Hossein Yaghchi, Fatemeh Sagharchi, Reyhaneh Tabatabaee, Keyvan Mehregan and Pejman Mousavi.
The report also added that Sasan Aghaei, Nasrin Takhayori, Ehsan Mazandarani, and Saba Azarpeyk are still behind bars.
Bulgarians rally against poverty, corruption
SOFIA (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Bulgarians rallied across the country on Sunday, in the latest sign that the government s resignation last month failed to calm public anger about poverty and corruption.
In the capital Sofia metal fences and a heavy police presence prevented protesters from reaching an official flag-raising ceremony for national liberation day commemorating the end of Ottoman occupation in 1878.
But around 7,000 demonstrators, according to AFP estimates, blocked traffic on several key boulevards for hours, waving white-green-and-red Bulgarian flags and shouting "Mafia!"
Local media said that over 20,000 gathered in the Black Sea city of Varna where the initial protests against high electricity bills started last month, calling for the resignation of mayor Kiril Yordanov.
Smaller protests were held in about a dozen other cities, gathering between several hundred and several thousand people, reports said.
In Sofia, protesters carried slogans that read "Anarchy against organised crime and the monopolies!", "The mobsters in jail!" and "People against the mafia."
Lawyer Ivan Hristov, who raised a "Power to the people" slogan as the rally passed by the parliament buildings, told AFP that protesters wanted more say in how the country was run.
"We will rally outside parliament on Wednesday to demand changes to the elections code to give civil groups the same rights as those enjoyed by political parties," he said.
A major rally of supporters of the ultra-nationalist Ataka party was also expected in Sofia later on Sunday.
Bulgaria has been rocked for three weeks by sometimes violent demonstrations over high electricity prices, deepening poverty, cronyism and corruption in the European Union s poorest member state.
The rallies forced the surprise resignation on February 20 of tough-guy Prime Minister Boyko Borisov s government five months before his term was due to expire, clearing the way for early elections on May 12.
Political analysts say the election could return a highly fragmented new parliament that might make the formation of a new government extremely difficult.
In the capital Sofia metal fences and a heavy police presence prevented protesters from reaching an official flag-raising ceremony for national liberation day commemorating the end of Ottoman occupation in 1878.
But around 7,000 demonstrators, according to AFP estimates, blocked traffic on several key boulevards for hours, waving white-green-and-red Bulgarian flags and shouting "Mafia!"
Local media said that over 20,000 gathered in the Black Sea city of Varna where the initial protests against high electricity bills started last month, calling for the resignation of mayor Kiril Yordanov.
Smaller protests were held in about a dozen other cities, gathering between several hundred and several thousand people, reports said.
In Sofia, protesters carried slogans that read "Anarchy against organised crime and the monopolies!", "The mobsters in jail!" and "People against the mafia."
Lawyer Ivan Hristov, who raised a "Power to the people" slogan as the rally passed by the parliament buildings, told AFP that protesters wanted more say in how the country was run.
"We will rally outside parliament on Wednesday to demand changes to the elections code to give civil groups the same rights as those enjoyed by political parties," he said.
A major rally of supporters of the ultra-nationalist Ataka party was also expected in Sofia later on Sunday.
Bulgaria has been rocked for three weeks by sometimes violent demonstrations over high electricity prices, deepening poverty, cronyism and corruption in the European Union s poorest member state.
The rallies forced the surprise resignation on February 20 of tough-guy Prime Minister Boyko Borisov s government five months before his term was due to expire, clearing the way for early elections on May 12.
Political analysts say the election could return a highly fragmented new parliament that might make the formation of a new government extremely difficult.
Syrian rebels kill more than 34 government forces
BEIRUT (AFP) - Syrian rebels killed more than 34 government forces in an attack Sunday on a police academy in the northern province of Aleppo and seized large parts of the facility, a monitoring group said.
They "seized control at dawn of large parts of the police academy" in Khan al-Assal, after eight days of fierce fighting for one of the regime s last bastions in the west of Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"More than 34 regime forces were killed" inside the town s sprawling police academy, it said.
The watchdog, which relies on activists and medics on the ground, said it did not have immediate reports on rebel casualties, but it has previously reported dozens of fighters killed on both sides in the battle for the police academy.
They "seized control at dawn of large parts of the police academy" in Khan al-Assal, after eight days of fierce fighting for one of the regime s last bastions in the west of Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"More than 34 regime forces were killed" inside the town s sprawling police academy, it said.
The watchdog, which relies on activists and medics on the ground, said it did not have immediate reports on rebel casualties, but it has previously reported dozens of fighters killed on both sides in the battle for the police academy.
EU lifts ban on Pak fish exports
BRUSSELS: (Awaaz News) - The Ambassador of Pakistan in Brussels Mr. Munawar Saeed Bhatti on Thursday told in a meeting with a local Pakistani community that Pakistan’s two fish companies were allowed exports to European countries.
He said exports would be started from March 12.
A ban was imposed on country’s fish exports to EU in April 2007 because of poor hygienic conditions.
Pakistan had been losing at least $50 million worth of market a year since the ban.
He said exports would be started from March 12.
A ban was imposed on country’s fish exports to EU in April 2007 because of poor hygienic conditions.
Pakistan had been losing at least $50 million worth of market a year since the ban.
EU stocks gain from Wall Street bounce
LONDON (AFP) - European equity markets mostly rose after Wall Street hit five-year peaks on bright data and upbeat comment from the heads of the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, dealers said.
London s benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading companies added 0.40 percent to 6,351.11 points and in Paris the CAC 40 won 0.42 percent to 3,707.12.
Frankfurt s DAX 30 index gained 0.82 percent to 7,738.16 points, aided also by official data which showed that Germany s jobless total fell to its lowest level in five months in February.
Milan s FTSE Mib index dipped 0.02 percent to 15,822.40 points amid ongoing political deadlock in Italy after inconclusive elections that had sparked a fierce sell-off earlier in the week.
In foreign exchange activity, the euro fell to $1.3118, down from $1.3136 late in New York on Wednesday. Gold prices declined to $1,590.95 an ounce on the London Bullion Market from $1,604.25 Wednesday.
In Wall Street action overnight, the Dow index jumped 1.26 percent to end at its highest level since October 2007, sparking another raft of gains in Asian trading.
Sentiment rose also on upbeat US economic data and after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi soothed concerns over the eurozone outlook.
The comments, which came after Bernanke declared that Fed easing measures would stay in place, came as relief to markets after Italy s poll deadlock raised fears of a return to Europe s debt crisis.
Wall Street was boosted also by news that US pending home sales rebounded sharply in January to the highest level in almost three years.
Durable goods orders in January, excluding volatile aircraft, surged 1.9 percent, with gains particularly strong in capital goods, suggesting business confidence in the economy in upcoming months.
European investors meanwhile pored over a raft of company results in Thursday trade.
Royal Bank of Scotland shares sank 4.30 percent to 331.87 pence after the group logged its fifth successive annual loss on the back of compensation payouts, Libor rate-rigging fines and a vast accounting charge.
Losses after tax widened to 5.97 billion ($9.05 billion, 6.89 billion euros) in 2012, when the bank was rocked by a series of scandals. That compared with a shortfall of 1.997 billion in 2011.
Meanwhile, International Airlines Group shares soared 7.62 percent to 238.60 pence, despite the company posting an annual net loss of 943 million euros ($1.24 billion) on financial woes at Spanish wing Iberia and a high fuel bill.
Across in Frankfurt, German pharmaceuticals giant Bayer saw its share price surge 2.55 percent to 75.74 euros after expressing optimism for the current financial year, but also revealed that profits had fallen slightly in 2012.
On the downside, Deutsche Telekom sank 1.32 percent to 8.12 euros after it announced that massive writedowns in the United States pushed it into a net loss of 5.255 billion euros ($6.9 billion) in 2012.
London s benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading companies added 0.40 percent to 6,351.11 points and in Paris the CAC 40 won 0.42 percent to 3,707.12.
Frankfurt s DAX 30 index gained 0.82 percent to 7,738.16 points, aided also by official data which showed that Germany s jobless total fell to its lowest level in five months in February.
Milan s FTSE Mib index dipped 0.02 percent to 15,822.40 points amid ongoing political deadlock in Italy after inconclusive elections that had sparked a fierce sell-off earlier in the week.
In foreign exchange activity, the euro fell to $1.3118, down from $1.3136 late in New York on Wednesday. Gold prices declined to $1,590.95 an ounce on the London Bullion Market from $1,604.25 Wednesday.
In Wall Street action overnight, the Dow index jumped 1.26 percent to end at its highest level since October 2007, sparking another raft of gains in Asian trading.
Sentiment rose also on upbeat US economic data and after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi soothed concerns over the eurozone outlook.
The comments, which came after Bernanke declared that Fed easing measures would stay in place, came as relief to markets after Italy s poll deadlock raised fears of a return to Europe s debt crisis.
Wall Street was boosted also by news that US pending home sales rebounded sharply in January to the highest level in almost three years.
Durable goods orders in January, excluding volatile aircraft, surged 1.9 percent, with gains particularly strong in capital goods, suggesting business confidence in the economy in upcoming months.
European investors meanwhile pored over a raft of company results in Thursday trade.
Royal Bank of Scotland shares sank 4.30 percent to 331.87 pence after the group logged its fifth successive annual loss on the back of compensation payouts, Libor rate-rigging fines and a vast accounting charge.
Losses after tax widened to 5.97 billion ($9.05 billion, 6.89 billion euros) in 2012, when the bank was rocked by a series of scandals. That compared with a shortfall of 1.997 billion in 2011.
Meanwhile, International Airlines Group shares soared 7.62 percent to 238.60 pence, despite the company posting an annual net loss of 943 million euros ($1.24 billion) on financial woes at Spanish wing Iberia and a high fuel bill.
Across in Frankfurt, German pharmaceuticals giant Bayer saw its share price surge 2.55 percent to 75.74 euros after expressing optimism for the current financial year, but also revealed that profits had fallen slightly in 2012.
On the downside, Deutsche Telekom sank 1.32 percent to 8.12 euros after it announced that massive writedowns in the United States pushed it into a net loss of 5.255 billion euros ($6.9 billion) in 2012.
Thousands march in Portugal to protest austerity
LISBON (AP) - Many thousands of demonstrators held marches in more than 20 cities in Portugal on Saturday to protest against government-imposed austerity measures aimed at lifting the ailing country out of recession.
Tens of thousands of people filled a Lisbon boulevard leading to the Finance Ministry carrying placards saying "Screw the troika, we want our lives back." The troika is a reference to the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, the lenders behind the country s financial bailout.
Many protesters were singing a 40-year-old song linked to a 1974 popular uprising known as the Carnation Revolution. Some waved handkerchiefs in a symbolic gesture, saying goodbye to the government.
"If the government pays attention to what is happening and understands that the people are against them, they should get out," said Serafin Lobato, 65. "If not, this won t stop."
Portugal is expected to endure a third straight year of recession in 2013, with a 2 percent contraction. The overall jobless rate has grown to a record 17.6 percent.
The marches were powered mostly by young people. Unemployment among people under 25 is close to 40 percent.
The country s largest trade union, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers, with some 600,000 members, also supported the marches and swelled numbers.
After several years of tax increases and welfare cuts, austerity is poised to deepen as the government looks for another €4 billion ($5.2 billion) to cut over the next two years, with the national health service, education, pensioners and government workers likely to be the hardest hit.
"There is no future without education, there is no future without culture," said student Ana Julia, 23. "We have to protest to get back what they are trying to take away from us."
The government is locked into debt-cutting measures in return for the €78 billion ($102 billion) financial rescue set up in 2011. More tax hikes this year sliced another chunk off wages.
Tens of thousands of people filled a Lisbon boulevard leading to the Finance Ministry carrying placards saying "Screw the troika, we want our lives back." The troika is a reference to the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, the lenders behind the country s financial bailout.
Many protesters were singing a 40-year-old song linked to a 1974 popular uprising known as the Carnation Revolution. Some waved handkerchiefs in a symbolic gesture, saying goodbye to the government.
"If the government pays attention to what is happening and understands that the people are against them, they should get out," said Serafin Lobato, 65. "If not, this won t stop."
Portugal is expected to endure a third straight year of recession in 2013, with a 2 percent contraction. The overall jobless rate has grown to a record 17.6 percent.
The marches were powered mostly by young people. Unemployment among people under 25 is close to 40 percent.
The country s largest trade union, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers, with some 600,000 members, also supported the marches and swelled numbers.
After several years of tax increases and welfare cuts, austerity is poised to deepen as the government looks for another €4 billion ($5.2 billion) to cut over the next two years, with the national health service, education, pensioners and government workers likely to be the hardest hit.
"There is no future without education, there is no future without culture," said student Ana Julia, 23. "We have to protest to get back what they are trying to take away from us."
The government is locked into debt-cutting measures in return for the €78 billion ($102 billion) financial rescue set up in 2011. More tax hikes this year sliced another chunk off wages.
EU to crack down against illegal timber trade
BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union is cracking down on the timber trade in an effort to curb illegal logging, blamed for a host of ills from social upheaval to environmental and economic damage.
The European Commission, the EU s executive arm, said Friday that new rules effective from Sunday would affect everyone in the trade by barring illegally harvested timber from its huge internal market of some 500 million people.
"Illegal logging has severe economic, environmental and social impacts: it is associated with deforestation and climate change, it can undermine the efforts and livelihoods of legitimate operators, and it can also contribute to conflicts over land and resources," it said in a statement.
The new regime covers both imported and domestically produced timber and timber products -- from paper and pulp to solid wood and flooring.
When timber first comes to market, the owner must apply "due diligence" to ensure the wood is legally sourced.
Traders who buy or sell timber already on the market are required to keep adequate records so it can be traced back to check the country of origin, supplier and compliance with national rules.
The commission said the new regulations would back up US and Australian efforts and complement bilateral accords with the world s six main timber producers -- Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Ghana, Liberia and Indonesia.
Global trade in primary timber products was worth more than 108 billion euros in 2011, of which 35 percent was accounted for by the EU, according to Commission figures.
The European Commission, the EU s executive arm, said Friday that new rules effective from Sunday would affect everyone in the trade by barring illegally harvested timber from its huge internal market of some 500 million people.
"Illegal logging has severe economic, environmental and social impacts: it is associated with deforestation and climate change, it can undermine the efforts and livelihoods of legitimate operators, and it can also contribute to conflicts over land and resources," it said in a statement.
The new regime covers both imported and domestically produced timber and timber products -- from paper and pulp to solid wood and flooring.
When timber first comes to market, the owner must apply "due diligence" to ensure the wood is legally sourced.
Traders who buy or sell timber already on the market are required to keep adequate records so it can be traced back to check the country of origin, supplier and compliance with national rules.
The commission said the new regulations would back up US and Australian efforts and complement bilateral accords with the world s six main timber producers -- Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Ghana, Liberia and Indonesia.
Global trade in primary timber products was worth more than 108 billion euros in 2011, of which 35 percent was accounted for by the EU, according to Commission figures.
Iran rejects spying charges in Nigeria
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran on Friday rejected it had committed any "illegal act" in Nigeria after the West African nation s secret police arrested three Nigerians accused of spying for the Islamic republic.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted in media reports as saying he "rejected Nigerian and Western media reports of illegal activities by the Islamic republic in Nigeria".
Amir-Abdollahian said relations between Iran and Nigeria were "developing" and urged officials of the two nations to prevent such accusations from being made.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian secret police paraded a 50-year-old Islamic cleric and two accomplices who they alleged were spying on prominent individuals and targets for Iran.
Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, presented as a leader of the Shiite sect in the central city of Ilorin, was arrested in December "for his active involvement in espionage and terrorist activities," Nigerian security service spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said.
Investigations revealed that Berende, accused of establishing a "terrorist cell" in Nigeria s southwest, with a particular emphasis on Lagos, recruited the two other suspects for the task, Ogar said.
Berende underwent his training in Iran and his Iranian sponsors requested him "to identify and gather intelligence on public places and prominent hotels frequented by Americans and Israelis to facilitate attacks," she said.
He allegedly gave to his Iranian handlers the names of former dictator Ibrahim Babangida, and ex-supreme leader of Muslims in Nigeria, Ibrahim Dasuki, as targets for attacks that could "unsettle the West," she added.
Berende denied involvement in espionage or terror-related activities but admitted seeking information about some individuals and institutions.
The institutions included USAID and the Jewish Cultural Centre (Chabad) in Lagos, Ogar said, adding the suspects would soon be charged in court.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted in media reports as saying he "rejected Nigerian and Western media reports of illegal activities by the Islamic republic in Nigeria".
Amir-Abdollahian said relations between Iran and Nigeria were "developing" and urged officials of the two nations to prevent such accusations from being made.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian secret police paraded a 50-year-old Islamic cleric and two accomplices who they alleged were spying on prominent individuals and targets for Iran.
Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, presented as a leader of the Shiite sect in the central city of Ilorin, was arrested in December "for his active involvement in espionage and terrorist activities," Nigerian security service spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said.
Investigations revealed that Berende, accused of establishing a "terrorist cell" in Nigeria s southwest, with a particular emphasis on Lagos, recruited the two other suspects for the task, Ogar said.
Berende underwent his training in Iran and his Iranian sponsors requested him "to identify and gather intelligence on public places and prominent hotels frequented by Americans and Israelis to facilitate attacks," she said.
He allegedly gave to his Iranian handlers the names of former dictator Ibrahim Babangida, and ex-supreme leader of Muslims in Nigeria, Ibrahim Dasuki, as targets for attacks that could "unsettle the West," she added.
Berende denied involvement in espionage or terror-related activities but admitted seeking information about some individuals and institutions.
The institutions included USAID and the Jewish Cultural Centre (Chabad) in Lagos, Ogar said, adding the suspects would soon be charged in court.
Five Bangladesh students held for killing blogger
DHAKA (AFP) -, as four people were killed in fresh protests over the sentencing to death of an Islamic party leader for war crimes.
The students allegedly confessed to hacking to death blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider after he helped organise protests against leaders of the biggest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, who are being tried by a war crimes court, police said.
The students, all enrolled at the elite private North South University, targeted Haider, 35, "because of his allegedly blasphemous writings against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed," Dhaka police deputy commissioner Masudur Rahman said.
"They tracked him by his Facebook account" and "on the day of the murder they played cricket in front of his home and waited for his return", he told AFP.
The arrests came as police firing claimed four lives during street protests over the sentencing of Islamist leaders for crimes committed in the 1971 independence war.
The deaths bring the total toll of those killed since the tribunal delivered its first verdict on January 21 to 57, according to police.
The trials of a dozen Jamaat and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders have opened old wounds and divided the nation.
More unrest looms on Sunday in the impoverished South Asian nation, when Jamaat is due to hold a nationwide general strike to protest against the trials.
In Saturday s violence police said they killed three people outside the port city of Chittagong when they opened fire on Islamists protesting against the death penalty given earlier in the week to Jamaat vice president Delwar Hossain Sayedee.
The 73-year-old firebrand preacher was the third person to be convicted by the tribunal, whose verdicts have been met by outrage from Islamists who say the process is more about settling scores than delivering justice.
Another protester was shot dead when border guards fired on more than 1,000 Jamaat demonstrators in northern Joldhaka town, police said.
Police and media reported clashes between Jamaat supporters and police in at least half a dozen towns and cities, while in Dhaka police said they fired rubber bullets and gas at protesters.
The government, which says the 1971 independence war claimed three million lives, accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the carnage -- charges they deny.
Independent estimates put the death toll from the war in which Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan at a much lower 300,000 to 500,000.
The fresh violence came a day after the United States called for calm.
"While engaging in a peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, we believe violence is never the answer," US State Department deputy acting spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington.
The students allegedly confessed to hacking to death blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider after he helped organise protests against leaders of the biggest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, who are being tried by a war crimes court, police said.
The students, all enrolled at the elite private North South University, targeted Haider, 35, "because of his allegedly blasphemous writings against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed," Dhaka police deputy commissioner Masudur Rahman said.
"They tracked him by his Facebook account" and "on the day of the murder they played cricket in front of his home and waited for his return", he told AFP.
The arrests came as police firing claimed four lives during street protests over the sentencing of Islamist leaders for crimes committed in the 1971 independence war.
The deaths bring the total toll of those killed since the tribunal delivered its first verdict on January 21 to 57, according to police.
The trials of a dozen Jamaat and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders have opened old wounds and divided the nation.
More unrest looms on Sunday in the impoverished South Asian nation, when Jamaat is due to hold a nationwide general strike to protest against the trials.
In Saturday s violence police said they killed three people outside the port city of Chittagong when they opened fire on Islamists protesting against the death penalty given earlier in the week to Jamaat vice president Delwar Hossain Sayedee.
The 73-year-old firebrand preacher was the third person to be convicted by the tribunal, whose verdicts have been met by outrage from Islamists who say the process is more about settling scores than delivering justice.
Another protester was shot dead when border guards fired on more than 1,000 Jamaat demonstrators in northern Joldhaka town, police said.
Police and media reported clashes between Jamaat supporters and police in at least half a dozen towns and cities, while in Dhaka police said they fired rubber bullets and gas at protesters.
The government, which says the 1971 independence war claimed three million lives, accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the carnage -- charges they deny.
Independent estimates put the death toll from the war in which Bangladesh won its independence from Pakistan at a much lower 300,000 to 500,000.
The fresh violence came a day after the United States called for calm.
"While engaging in a peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, we believe violence is never the answer," US State Department deputy acting spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington.
Munnabhai 3` to go on floors early next year
MUMBAI (Web Desk - "Right now, I am completely tied up with `Jolly LLB` and after the film`s release, we will start scripting for `Munnabhai`. So most probably the film will go on the floors early next year," Kapoor told reporters.
The first two films – ‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S.’ and ‘Lage Ragho Munna Bhai’ - were directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who narrated the social satires with humour.
Extraordinary performances by Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani made both the films entertaining and enlightening. They were super sccuessful films of 2003 and 2006 respectively.
Will the third film be titled ‘Munna Bhai Chale Delhi’?
"I don`t know from where this `Munna Bhai Chale Delhi` has come from. Nothing has been finalised yet. Once Raju Hirani gets free from `Peekay`, we will sit together and discuss the film.
"Right now only one thing has been finalised that I will be direct the film. Nothing more than that," he said and confirmed that "Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi will be part of the film."
"The leading lady will be finalised as the script shapes up
The first two films – ‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S.’ and ‘Lage Ragho Munna Bhai’ - were directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who narrated the social satires with humour.
Extraordinary performances by Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani made both the films entertaining and enlightening. They were super sccuessful films of 2003 and 2006 respectively.
Will the third film be titled ‘Munna Bhai Chale Delhi’?
"I don`t know from where this `Munna Bhai Chale Delhi` has come from. Nothing has been finalised yet. Once Raju Hirani gets free from `Peekay`, we will sit together and discuss the film.
"Right now only one thing has been finalised that I will be direct the film. Nothing more than that," he said and confirmed that "Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi will be part of the film."
"The leading lady will be finalised as the script shapes up
7,000 illegal people live in I/11 sector Islamabad
ISLAMABAD (Online) - The city civic agency revealed in the National Assembly standing committee on Cabinet division that more than 7000 illegal afghans and Pakistanis have encroached in Sector I/11 Kachi Abdi.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) pointed out that they had informed the Islamabad Police about the illegal residents of the Sector I/11 Kachi Abadi but no action has been taken yet. Last week the National Assembly standing committee on Cabinet division have also expressed annoyance over the inaction of the Police in eradication of at least 7995 illegal individuals residing in the Sector I/11.
It is pertinent to mention that on February 26 the National Assembly standing committee on Cabinet division called Chief Commissioner Islamabad,Inspector General Islamabad Police and the chairman Capital Development Authority to solve the issue of the illegal encroachers.
More than 7995 individuals from at least 11 regions of Pakistan are still residing in the Sector I/11 Kachi Abadi, including Mohmand agency 2878, Bajawar agency 321, Mardan 1018, Charsadda 382, Peshawar 877, Dir (upper/lower) 188, Nowshehra 71, Swabi 355, Hangu and Laki Marwat 10, Mansehra 35, Swat 24, Malakand 18, Kohistan 6, Badeen 8, Chitral 17, Buneer 17, Batagram 52, Loralai 12, Kohat 5, Punjab origine dweller 415 people and 254 Afghans refugees are residing in the area.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) pointed out that they had informed the Islamabad Police about the illegal residents of the Sector I/11 Kachi Abadi but no action has been taken yet. Last week the National Assembly standing committee on Cabinet division have also expressed annoyance over the inaction of the Police in eradication of at least 7995 illegal individuals residing in the Sector I/11.
It is pertinent to mention that on February 26 the National Assembly standing committee on Cabinet division called Chief Commissioner Islamabad,Inspector General Islamabad Police and the chairman Capital Development Authority to solve the issue of the illegal encroachers.
More than 7995 individuals from at least 11 regions of Pakistan are still residing in the Sector I/11 Kachi Abadi, including Mohmand agency 2878, Bajawar agency 321, Mardan 1018, Charsadda 382, Peshawar 877, Dir (upper/lower) 188, Nowshehra 71, Swabi 355, Hangu and Laki Marwat 10, Mansehra 35, Swat 24, Malakand 18, Kohistan 6, Badeen 8, Chitral 17, Buneer 17, Batagram 52, Loralai 12, Kohat 5, Punjab origine dweller 415 people and 254 Afghans refugees are residing in the area.
Third French soldier killed in Mali
PARIS (AFP) - France said Sunday that one of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in northern Mali, in the third death of a French serviceman since the launch of its military intervention in mid-January.
The presidency said in a statement that the soldier, from the First Parachute Chasseur Regiment, was killed in combat on Saturday night.
President Francois Hollande in the statement expressed his "profound respect for the sacrifice of this young soldier" and hailed the "courage and ardour" of French forces fighting in Mali.
The government said in a separate statement that the soldier "was mortally wounded during fighting against armed terrorists taking refuge in the Adrar of the Ifoghas (mountains), in northern Mali."
France has so far suffered relatively few casualties during its operations in Mali, launched in mid-January to back up Malian forces against Islamist rebels who seized control of the country s vast desert north last year.
A legionnaire with the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment was killed amid heavy clashes on February 19 and a helicopter pilot died at the very start of the operation.
The intervention quickly ousted the rebels from the north s main cities and operations are now focused on hunting them down in mountainous areas.
The presidency said in a statement that the soldier, from the First Parachute Chasseur Regiment, was killed in combat on Saturday night.
President Francois Hollande in the statement expressed his "profound respect for the sacrifice of this young soldier" and hailed the "courage and ardour" of French forces fighting in Mali.
The government said in a separate statement that the soldier "was mortally wounded during fighting against armed terrorists taking refuge in the Adrar of the Ifoghas (mountains), in northern Mali."
France has so far suffered relatively few casualties during its operations in Mali, launched in mid-January to back up Malian forces against Islamist rebels who seized control of the country s vast desert north last year.
A legionnaire with the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment was killed amid heavy clashes on February 19 and a helicopter pilot died at the very start of the operation.
The intervention quickly ousted the rebels from the north s main cities and operations are now focused on hunting them down in mountainous areas.
Pakistan rout South Africa in T20
CENTURION (AFP) - Pakistan scored a crushing 95-run victory over South Africa in the second and final Twenty20 international at SuperSport Park here on Sunday.
Mohammasd Hafeez scored 86 and took three wickets for 25 runs, while fast bowler Umar Gul took five for six as South Africa collapsed to 100 all out in reply to Pakistan s 195 for seven.
Fast bowler Umar Gul took 5 wickets for only six runs and captain Mohammad Hafeez smashed a career-best 86 off 51 balls to lead Pakistan to a 95-run victory over South Africa in the decisive second Twenty20 match on Sunday.
Hafeez s entertaining knock inspired Pakistan to 195-7 and Gul grabbed four top order wickets in the space of six balls at SuperSport Park as South Africa was bowled out for 100 in 12.2 overs, its lowest ever Twenty20 international score.
Pakistan won the two-match series 1-0 after the first Twenty20 at Durban was washed out on Friday.
Scoreboard Sunday at the end of the second Twenty20 cricket international between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park:
Nasir Jamshed c Ontong b Tsotsobe 13
Ahmed Shehzad run out 46
Mohammad Hafeez hit wicket b Kleinveldt 86
Umar Akmal c du Plessis b Morris 11
Shoaib Malik c Miller b Kleinveldt 7
Shahid Afridi not out 19
Kamran Akmal c Peterson b Morris 1
Umar Gul c Behardien b Abbott 1
Saeed Ajmal not out 0
Extras: (6lb, 5w) 11
TOTAL: (for 7 wickets) 195
Overs: 20.
Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-112, 3-155, 4-170, 5-171, 6-174, 7-190.
Did not bat: Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan.
Bowling: Kyle Abbott 4-0-41-1 (1w), Lonwabo Tsotsobe 4-0-28-1 (1w), Rory Kleinveldt 4-0-27-2 (1w), Chris Morris 4-0-35-2 (2w), Robin Peterson 2-0-26-0, Justin Ontong 2-0-32-0.
AB de Villiers b Irfan 36
Henry Davids c Ajmal b Khan 7
Faf du Plessis c Kamran Akmal b Gul 6
Chris Morris c Ajmal b Gul 0
Justin Ontong lbw b Gul 0
Farhaan Behardien c Shehzad b Gul 0
David Miller c Shehzad b Hafeez 9
Robin Peterson c Afridi b Hafeez 13
Rory Kleinveldt c Umar Akmal b Hafeez 22
Kyle Abbott c Kamran Akmal b Gul 2
Lonwabo Tsotsobe not out 0
Extras: (1lb, 4w) 5
TOTAL: (all out) 100
Overs: 12.2.
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-50, 3-50, 4-51, 5-53, 6-53, 7-67, 8-98, 9-98, 10-100.
Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 3-0-27-1 (2w), Junaid Khan 2-0-22-1 (1w), Umar Gul 2.2-0-6-5,
Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-25-3 (1w), Saeed Ajmal 2-0-19-0
Match Result: Pakistan won by 95 runs.
Series Result: Pakistan won 1-0.
Toss: Pakistan.
Umpires: Johan Cloete, South Africa, and Shaun George, South Africa.
TV umpire: Adrian Holdstock. Match referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand.
Mohammasd Hafeez scored 86 and took three wickets for 25 runs, while fast bowler Umar Gul took five for six as South Africa collapsed to 100 all out in reply to Pakistan s 195 for seven.
Fast bowler Umar Gul took 5 wickets for only six runs and captain Mohammad Hafeez smashed a career-best 86 off 51 balls to lead Pakistan to a 95-run victory over South Africa in the decisive second Twenty20 match on Sunday.
Hafeez s entertaining knock inspired Pakistan to 195-7 and Gul grabbed four top order wickets in the space of six balls at SuperSport Park as South Africa was bowled out for 100 in 12.2 overs, its lowest ever Twenty20 international score.
Pakistan won the two-match series 1-0 after the first Twenty20 at Durban was washed out on Friday.
Scoreboard Sunday at the end of the second Twenty20 cricket international between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park:
Nasir Jamshed c Ontong b Tsotsobe 13
Ahmed Shehzad run out 46
Mohammad Hafeez hit wicket b Kleinveldt 86
Umar Akmal c du Plessis b Morris 11
Shoaib Malik c Miller b Kleinveldt 7
Shahid Afridi not out 19
Kamran Akmal c Peterson b Morris 1
Umar Gul c Behardien b Abbott 1
Saeed Ajmal not out 0
Extras: (6lb, 5w) 11
TOTAL: (for 7 wickets) 195
Overs: 20.
Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-112, 3-155, 4-170, 5-171, 6-174, 7-190.
Did not bat: Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan.
Bowling: Kyle Abbott 4-0-41-1 (1w), Lonwabo Tsotsobe 4-0-28-1 (1w), Rory Kleinveldt 4-0-27-2 (1w), Chris Morris 4-0-35-2 (2w), Robin Peterson 2-0-26-0, Justin Ontong 2-0-32-0.
AB de Villiers b Irfan 36
Henry Davids c Ajmal b Khan 7
Faf du Plessis c Kamran Akmal b Gul 6
Chris Morris c Ajmal b Gul 0
Justin Ontong lbw b Gul 0
Farhaan Behardien c Shehzad b Gul 0
David Miller c Shehzad b Hafeez 9
Robin Peterson c Afridi b Hafeez 13
Rory Kleinveldt c Umar Akmal b Hafeez 22
Kyle Abbott c Kamran Akmal b Gul 2
Lonwabo Tsotsobe not out 0
Extras: (1lb, 4w) 5
TOTAL: (all out) 100
Overs: 12.2.
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-50, 3-50, 4-51, 5-53, 6-53, 7-67, 8-98, 9-98, 10-100.
Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 3-0-27-1 (2w), Junaid Khan 2-0-22-1 (1w), Umar Gul 2.2-0-6-5,
Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-25-3 (1w), Saeed Ajmal 2-0-19-0
Match Result: Pakistan won by 95 runs.
Series Result: Pakistan won 1-0.
Toss: Pakistan.
Umpires: Johan Cloete, South Africa, and Shaun George, South Africa.
TV umpire: Adrian Holdstock. Match referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand.
PPP will make history by democratic transition of power: Zardari
SIALKOT/ GUJRANWALA: Addressing a gathering in Bajwat area (the constituency of MNA Ashiq Firdous Awan), Zardari said PPP laid the foundations of democratic process in the country and for the first time in the country’s history a democratic government would hand over power to another elected government.
He said government had undertaken unprecedented development projects during its tenure.
He paid tributes to the people of Sialkot for their bravery and industriousness.
Earlier, addressing party workers in Gujranwala President Zardari said the grievances of disgruntled party workers would be redressed.
He asked the party workers to start preparing for the elections.
He said government had undertaken unprecedented development projects during its tenure.
He paid tributes to the people of Sialkot for their bravery and industriousness.
Earlier, addressing party workers in Gujranwala President Zardari said the grievances of disgruntled party workers would be redressed.
He asked the party workers to start preparing for the elections.
British Queen hospitalized with gastroenteritis
LONDON (AFP) - Britain s Queen Elizabeth II, suffering from gastroenteritis, was admitted to hospital on Sunday, a Buckingham Palace spokesman told AFP.
All the 86-year-old s engagements for this week, including a visit to Rome, have been called off, the spokesman added.
"The Queen is being assessed at King Edward VII s Hospital in London after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. As a precaution, all official engagements this week will be either postponed or cancelled," he said.
Britain s head of state is known for her robust health and devotion to duty, and rarely misses engagements.
The sovereign first felt unwell on Friday and cancelled a visit Saturday to a military celebration in the city of Swansea to mark St. David s Day, the national day of Wales.
Instead of that engagement, she had been spending the weekend resting at Windsor Castle, west of London.
That she was taken to the royals regular hospital in central London suggests that her condition was not serious enough to warrant going to a hospital close to Windsor.
Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip were due to visit Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, when they were to meet Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
The monarch celebrated her diamond jubilee in 2012, marking her 60 years on the throne. This year further ceremonies will be held to mark the six decades since her coronation in 1953.
All the 86-year-old s engagements for this week, including a visit to Rome, have been called off, the spokesman added.
"The Queen is being assessed at King Edward VII s Hospital in London after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis. As a precaution, all official engagements this week will be either postponed or cancelled," he said.
Britain s head of state is known for her robust health and devotion to duty, and rarely misses engagements.
The sovereign first felt unwell on Friday and cancelled a visit Saturday to a military celebration in the city of Swansea to mark St. David s Day, the national day of Wales.
Instead of that engagement, she had been spending the weekend resting at Windsor Castle, west of London.
That she was taken to the royals regular hospital in central London suggests that her condition was not serious enough to warrant going to a hospital close to Windsor.
Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip were due to visit Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, when they were to meet Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
The monarch celebrated her diamond jubilee in 2012, marking her 60 years on the throne. This year further ceremonies will be held to mark the six decades since her coronation in 1953.
45 killed, over 135 hurt in Karachi blast
KARACHI (Dunya News) According to eye witnesses, blast occurred in a residential plaza in Abbas Town near Abul Hassan Isfahani Road.
Police and rescue teams rushed to the area after the blast while the injured were shifted to different hospitals. Panic spread in Abbas Town which is a densely populated area.
Women and children were among the dead including brother-in-law and sister-in-law of Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Shehla Raza, and a three-year-old child.
Talking to Dunya News, Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Shehla Raza said that her relatives were residing in Abbas Town and still there was no information about some of them.
She said that the nation should unite to defeat terrorism. Shehla appealed to the people to remain calm.
According to Commissioner Karachi, 50 injured persons were in critical condition.
Police claimed that engine of the vehicle used in the blast was recovered and the accused were being traced with the help of number of the engine. They added that at least 150 kilogram explosives were used in the blast.
Electricity supply was suspended after the blast. 50 flats and 15 shops were gutted down as aresult of the blast.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf strongly condemned the blasts and expressed sympathies with heirs of the victims.
They said these cowardly acts cannot deter our determination to eliminate terrorism from the country.
President Asif Ali Zardari telephoned Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and sought information regarding today s Karachi blasts.
He ordered for enhanced compensation to the affected families.
The governement has announced Rs 15 lakh for the dead and Rs 10 lakh for the ijured as compensation.
The Sindh government, MQM, PML-N and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen called for a day of mourning on Monday while Jafria Alliance has announced wheel-Jam strike.
All markets and schools will remain closed on Monday. Public transport will also be suspended.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other political leaders have strongly condemned the attack. The demanded immediate action against the criminals.
Police and rescue teams rushed to the area after the blast while the injured were shifted to different hospitals. Panic spread in Abbas Town which is a densely populated area.
Women and children were among the dead including brother-in-law and sister-in-law of Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Shehla Raza, and a three-year-old child.
Talking to Dunya News, Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Shehla Raza said that her relatives were residing in Abbas Town and still there was no information about some of them.
She said that the nation should unite to defeat terrorism. Shehla appealed to the people to remain calm.
According to Commissioner Karachi, 50 injured persons were in critical condition.
Police claimed that engine of the vehicle used in the blast was recovered and the accused were being traced with the help of number of the engine. They added that at least 150 kilogram explosives were used in the blast.
Electricity supply was suspended after the blast. 50 flats and 15 shops were gutted down as aresult of the blast.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf strongly condemned the blasts and expressed sympathies with heirs of the victims.
They said these cowardly acts cannot deter our determination to eliminate terrorism from the country.
President Asif Ali Zardari telephoned Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and sought information regarding today s Karachi blasts.
He ordered for enhanced compensation to the affected families.
The governement has announced Rs 15 lakh for the dead and Rs 10 lakh for the ijured as compensation.
The Sindh government, MQM, PML-N and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen called for a day of mourning on Monday while Jafria Alliance has announced wheel-Jam strike.
All markets and schools will remain closed on Monday. Public transport will also be suspended.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other political leaders have strongly condemned the attack. The demanded immediate action against the criminals.
CM Punjab delivers Laptops to Teachers
Lahore:(correspondent) Today the CM Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif delivered Laptops to the teachers studying in M.Phil/P.Hd at GC University Campus.
A large number of teachers belonging to various colleges and universities were called to attend the ceremoney. The ceremony started hours late from its scheduled time. Naturally their was great fuss created by the angry crowed invited under mandatory attendance notices from the Education Department.
Many a teachers told the CM had been using the teachers even for his political compaign. They were there just to clap.
Furthermore, the Awaaz was informed that only the teachers-cum-scholars of the govt.-run Universities were being delivered the laptops. A great number of teachers were thus thrown out of the fold who were studying at other Chartered Universities. The neglected teachers said their should have been no such distinction between govt.-run and other universities as all are autonomous bodies and affiliated with HEC. They claimed that thier names were dropped just one day ago.
The teachers-cum-scholars also claimed that they equally deserved laptops to be delivered. It is all happening under the widely chanted slogans of transperency.
It was also brought under the notice of the Awaaz that the teachers
A large number of teachers belonging to various colleges and universities were called to attend the ceremoney. The ceremony started hours late from its scheduled time. Naturally their was great fuss created by the angry crowed invited under mandatory attendance notices from the Education Department.
Many a teachers told the CM had been using the teachers even for his political compaign. They were there just to clap.
Furthermore, the Awaaz was informed that only the teachers-cum-scholars of the govt.-run Universities were being delivered the laptops. A great number of teachers were thus thrown out of the fold who were studying at other Chartered Universities. The neglected teachers said their should have been no such distinction between govt.-run and other universities as all are autonomous bodies and affiliated with HEC. They claimed that thier names were dropped just one day ago.
The teachers-cum-scholars also claimed that they equally deserved laptops to be delivered. It is all happening under the widely chanted slogans of transperency.
It was also brought under the notice of the Awaaz that the teachers
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