LOS ANGELES: The slavery drama "12 Years a Slave" won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry's highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars.
British director Steve McQueen's unflinching portrayal of pre-Civil War American slavery won two other Oscars, including best supporting actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong'o and best adapted screenplay based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free man tricked and sold into slavery in Louisiana.
"Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup," said McQueen in his acceptance speech.
"12 Years a Slave," prevailed over space thriller "Gravity" from Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, which nevertheless racked up the most Oscars of the night with seven, including the best director honor for Cuaron, a first for a Latin American director.
The film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut lost in space swept the technical awards like visual effects and cinematography, a reward for its groundbreaking work on conveying space and weightlessness.
Referring to the "transformative" experience he and others undertook in the four-plus years spent making "Gravity," Cuaron, whose hair is graying, said, "For a lot of these people, that transformation was wisdom. For me, it was just the color of my hair."
In one of the strongest years for film in recent memory, the 6,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered golden Oscar statuettes among the many acclaimed movies in contention.
It was a good night for the scrappy, low-budget film "Dallas Buyers Club," a biopic of an early AIDS activist two decades in the making that won three Oscars, including the two male acting awards.
Matthew McConaughey, in a validation of a remarkable career turnaround, won best actor for his portrayal of the homophobe turned AIDS victim turned treatment crusader Ron Woodroof, a role for which he lost 50 pounds (23 kg).
His co-star, Jared Leto, won best supporting actor for his role as Woodroof's unlikely business sidekick, the transgender woman Rayon, for which he also slimmed down drastically.
Australia's Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for her acclaimed role as the socialite unhinged by her husband's financial crimes in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine."
"As random and subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of, yet again, extraordinary performances by women," said Blanchett, who beat out previous Oscar winners Bullock, Amy Adams, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.
The big loser of the night was director David O. Russell's 1970s crime caper "American Hustle," which walked away empty-handed despite earning 10 nominations, the same number as "Gravity." Martin Scorsese's tale of financial greed, "The Wolf of Wall Street," also failed to take home Oscars.
But it was also a night of predictable wins for heavy favorites.
The tale of Nordic princesses, "Frozen," won best animated film, a first for Disney Animation Studios since the category was introduced in 2002, and its girl-power anthem "Let It Go" won best original song.
For best foreign language film, Italy took its 11th Oscar in that category with "The Great Beauty," a visually stunning film about life in Rome and a writer in crisis.
Comic and talk show star Ellen DeGeneres returned as Oscar host on Sunday, bringing a deadpan affability, and pizza, to the Academy Awards show while still poking fun at Hollywood royalty.
In her easy breezy style, DeGeneres mixed with the crowd like she did back in 2007, taking a star-studded selfie with the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie that broke the record for retweets on Twitter. And she largely avoided the ribald humor that landed her predecessor Seth MacFarlane in hot water last year.
Early reviews were broadly positive, but Variety's Brian Lowry noted that the opening monologue by DeGeneres "screamed of a desire to dial the show back to safer terrain."
Kenyan actress Nyong'o was one of the big stars of the night, not only for her winning pale blue Prada gown on the red carpet, but also for her touching speech.
In accepting the first award of the night for "12 Years a Slave," Nyong'o, 31, paid homage to her character, who picked more cotton than anyone else but suffered at the hands of her besotted yet evil master.
"It doesn't escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's, and so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey, for her guidance," a tearful Nyong'o told the audience.
Sunday capped an unusually long awards season, extended by the Winter Olympics, and for "12 Years a Slave" it spells the end of six months of both high acclaim and uncertainty over awards stemming from the perception that it was a hard film to watch.
The film from studio Fox Searchlight compelled Oscar voters to go see the film with the ad 'It's Time," fearing that they might skip it and throw their weight behind "Gravity." It has earned nearly $140 million at the worldwide box office, a fraction of the $700 million for "Gravity."
Right to the end, McQueen and his fellow producers, including Pitt, stuck to his line that slavery was a theme that is not only historical but also current.
"We just hope this film remains a gentle reminder that we are all equal," said Pitt backstage.
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Thursday, 6 March 2014
Oil prices edge higher as Ukraine tensions mount
New York (AFP): Global oil prices pushed higher Thursday as tensions mounted over Russia's incursion into Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for April delivery, added 11 cents, finishing at $101.56 a barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for April gained 34 cents at $108.10 a barrel in London deals.
WTI prices were lower in early trade but spiked almost $2, and Brent gained $1, after US President Barack Obama toughly challenged Moscow's support for a referendum in Crimea on joining Russia.
"The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate international law," Obama said.
"Any discussion about the future of Ukraine must include the legitimate government of Ukraine."
"In 2014, we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders," the US president said.
Earlier, the parliament in Crimea, under the de facto control of pro-Russian forces since the ousting of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to examine a request for their region to join the Russian Federation.
Russia faces sanction from the US and Europeans which potentially could wreak turmoil in markets -- especially as Russia is a crucial global energy producer and exporter of natural gas to Western Europe.
More than 70 percent of its gas and oil exports to Europe pass through Ukraine.
New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for April delivery, added 11 cents, finishing at $101.56 a barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for April gained 34 cents at $108.10 a barrel in London deals.
WTI prices were lower in early trade but spiked almost $2, and Brent gained $1, after US President Barack Obama toughly challenged Moscow's support for a referendum in Crimea on joining Russia.
"The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate international law," Obama said.
"Any discussion about the future of Ukraine must include the legitimate government of Ukraine."
"In 2014, we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders," the US president said.
Earlier, the parliament in Crimea, under the de facto control of pro-Russian forces since the ousting of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to examine a request for their region to join the Russian Federation.
Russia faces sanction from the US and Europeans which potentially could wreak turmoil in markets -- especially as Russia is a crucial global energy producer and exporter of natural gas to Western Europe.
More than 70 percent of its gas and oil exports to Europe pass through Ukraine.
China 'will not stop increasing' military spending: Media
BEIJING (AFP): Chinese state-run media backed the country s military spending Thursday, after the government announced a 12.2 percent increase in its defense budget for 2014.
The plans should not be regarded as evidence of a mounting "China threat", newspapers said, arguing that Beijing s steady raises in the defense budget were rooted in a desire for peace rather than conflict.
Beijing is embroiled in a series of territorial disputes with Japan and other neighbors, and has pursued its claims more assertively in recent years.
China announced Wednesday, on the opening day of its Communist-controlled National People s Congress (NPC), that it plans to spend 808.23 billion yuan ($132 billion) on the People s Liberation Army for 2014, in the latest double-digit increase.
That figure is still far short of the $633 billion defense budget for 2014 approved by the United States, the global leader in military spending.
But analysts believe China s actual defense expenditure is significantly higher than publicized.
"China will not stop increasing its military spending," the state-run Global Times wrote in an editorial Thursday. "It is believed the best scale for it in the long run is keeping it at half or two-thirds of that of the US."
This year s official rise is the largest since 2011, and in its editorial the China Daily newspaper said China was "only making up for what it has neglected to do in the past".
"The current increase is both imperative and legitimate, because China now has broader interests to defend," the paper wrote. "At the same time, more security threats are sprouting up in its immediate neighborhood."
Beijing s growing military expenditures and capabilities have raised worries in Asia and the US, and Japan s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Wednesday that its lack of transparency on spending "has become a matter of concern for the international community, including Japan".
China s official Xinhua news agency dismissed those concerns in a bylined commentary Thursday, arguing that "it is Washington and Tokyo, instead of Beijing, that should explain to the world their military postures and intentions".
The plans should not be regarded as evidence of a mounting "China threat", newspapers said, arguing that Beijing s steady raises in the defense budget were rooted in a desire for peace rather than conflict.
Beijing is embroiled in a series of territorial disputes with Japan and other neighbors, and has pursued its claims more assertively in recent years.
China announced Wednesday, on the opening day of its Communist-controlled National People s Congress (NPC), that it plans to spend 808.23 billion yuan ($132 billion) on the People s Liberation Army for 2014, in the latest double-digit increase.
That figure is still far short of the $633 billion defense budget for 2014 approved by the United States, the global leader in military spending.
But analysts believe China s actual defense expenditure is significantly higher than publicized.
"China will not stop increasing its military spending," the state-run Global Times wrote in an editorial Thursday. "It is believed the best scale for it in the long run is keeping it at half or two-thirds of that of the US."
This year s official rise is the largest since 2011, and in its editorial the China Daily newspaper said China was "only making up for what it has neglected to do in the past".
"The current increase is both imperative and legitimate, because China now has broader interests to defend," the paper wrote. "At the same time, more security threats are sprouting up in its immediate neighborhood."
Beijing s growing military expenditures and capabilities have raised worries in Asia and the US, and Japan s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Wednesday that its lack of transparency on spending "has become a matter of concern for the international community, including Japan".
China s official Xinhua news agency dismissed those concerns in a bylined commentary Thursday, arguing that "it is Washington and Tokyo, instead of Beijing, that should explain to the world their military postures and intentions".
Fatima Bhutto nominated for fiction prize
LONDON (AFP) - Fatima Bhutto, the niece of assassinated Pakistani former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has been nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the judges announced Friday.
Bhutto is among 20 women on the long list for the award, which was formerly known as the Orange prize and is open to English-language novels from anywhere in the world.
She is nominated for "The Shadow of the Crescent Moon", her first attempt at fiction following several fact-based books, including a memoir of her family's blood-soaked history.
Bhutto is a fierce critic of her charismatic aunt, who twice served as prime minister, claiming she was power hungry and "morally responsible" for the murder of her brother, Fatima's father Murtaza Bhutto, in 1996.
The winner of the prize, which will be announced at the Royal Festival Hall in central London on June 4, receives 30,000 pounds ($50,000, 36,500 euros) and a bronze known as a "Bessie".
Other nominees for the 19th annual award include "The Luminaries" by New Zealand author Eleanor Catton, which won the 2013 Booker Prize.
Australia's Hannah Kent is nominated for "Burial Rites", while Indian-American Jhumpa Lahiri is long-listed for "The Lowland".
Penguin Books UK's managing director Helen Fraser chairs the five-woman judging panel, which will announce the short list on April 7.
"This is a fantastic selection of books of the highest quality -- intensely readable, gripping, intelligent and surprising -- that you would want to press on your friends," she said.
Former winners Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2007) of Nigeria and Suzanne Berne (1999) of the United States are on the long list, which also contains six debut novels.
The other long-listed authors are from Britain, Canada, Ireland and Pakistan.
US writer A. M. Holmes won last year's prize with "May We Be Forgiven".
Bhutto is among 20 women on the long list for the award, which was formerly known as the Orange prize and is open to English-language novels from anywhere in the world.
She is nominated for "The Shadow of the Crescent Moon", her first attempt at fiction following several fact-based books, including a memoir of her family's blood-soaked history.
Bhutto is a fierce critic of her charismatic aunt, who twice served as prime minister, claiming she was power hungry and "morally responsible" for the murder of her brother, Fatima's father Murtaza Bhutto, in 1996.
The winner of the prize, which will be announced at the Royal Festival Hall in central London on June 4, receives 30,000 pounds ($50,000, 36,500 euros) and a bronze known as a "Bessie".
Other nominees for the 19th annual award include "The Luminaries" by New Zealand author Eleanor Catton, which won the 2013 Booker Prize.
Australia's Hannah Kent is nominated for "Burial Rites", while Indian-American Jhumpa Lahiri is long-listed for "The Lowland".
Penguin Books UK's managing director Helen Fraser chairs the five-woman judging panel, which will announce the short list on April 7.
"This is a fantastic selection of books of the highest quality -- intensely readable, gripping, intelligent and surprising -- that you would want to press on your friends," she said.
Former winners Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2007) of Nigeria and Suzanne Berne (1999) of the United States are on the long list, which also contains six debut novels.
The other long-listed authors are from Britain, Canada, Ireland and Pakistan.
US writer A. M. Holmes won last year's prize with "May We Be Forgiven".
Chinese woman world's youngest billionaire
HONG KONG (AFP) - A 24-year-old Hong Kong-based woman has been named the world s youngest billionaire, replacing a former Facebook co-founder and spurring gossip in the city.
Perenna Kei, a graduate from the University of London who lives in Hong Kong, was ranked by Forbes as the world s youngest tycoon in its annual super-rich list, with a net worth of $1.3 billion.
"Little-known Perenna Kei, a newcomer to the list, displaces former Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz as the very youngest billionaire," Forbes said on its website along with the release of the billionaires list.
It said her wealth grew along with the listing of a company run by her Chinese tycoon father, Ji Haipeng.
"Kei debuts on this year s Forbes Billionaires List following the Hong Kong listing in December of Logan Property Holdings," Forbes said, describing her debut as "an unexpected twist".
The city of seven million, where 45 billionaires were on the Forbes list for 2014, is a popular destination for Chinese high-rollers to set up businesses or invest in property.
A growing number of wealthy Chinese are also relocating to the city.
Logan Property is a mid-sized developer based in the mainland city of Shenzhen bordering Hong Kong.
When the company listed on the city s bourse in December, it raised some HK$1.6 billion ($206 million), the South China Morning Post said in a report at the time.
Forbes said Kei, also known as Ji Peili, has an 85 percent stake in the property firm through various companies and a trust.
Kei s debut on the global super-rich list comes as a surprise for some in the city, with the Post describing her as a "secretive woman".
A staff member at the Shenzhen office of Logan Property said Kei would not give interviews
Perenna Kei, a graduate from the University of London who lives in Hong Kong, was ranked by Forbes as the world s youngest tycoon in its annual super-rich list, with a net worth of $1.3 billion.
"Little-known Perenna Kei, a newcomer to the list, displaces former Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz as the very youngest billionaire," Forbes said on its website along with the release of the billionaires list.
It said her wealth grew along with the listing of a company run by her Chinese tycoon father, Ji Haipeng.
"Kei debuts on this year s Forbes Billionaires List following the Hong Kong listing in December of Logan Property Holdings," Forbes said, describing her debut as "an unexpected twist".
The city of seven million, where 45 billionaires were on the Forbes list for 2014, is a popular destination for Chinese high-rollers to set up businesses or invest in property.
A growing number of wealthy Chinese are also relocating to the city.
Logan Property is a mid-sized developer based in the mainland city of Shenzhen bordering Hong Kong.
When the company listed on the city s bourse in December, it raised some HK$1.6 billion ($206 million), the South China Morning Post said in a report at the time.
Forbes said Kei, also known as Ji Peili, has an 85 percent stake in the property firm through various companies and a trust.
Kei s debut on the global super-rich list comes as a surprise for some in the city, with the Post describing her as a "secretive woman".
A staff member at the Shenzhen office of Logan Property said Kei would not give interviews
"Violence against women is a reflection of gender inequality":Mikael Gustafsson
Brussels: This year's International Women's Day, which is always held on 8 March, is dedicated to preventing violence against women. Facebook fans asked why this was chosen as the theme. Gustafsson said they wanted to send a strong message to the European Commission and the member states to prioritise this issue.
Many people also asked how to make people think differently about gender inequality. "We have to fight gender inequality at all levels and also talk about the issue of violence against women," Gustafsson said. " Especially, in early ages and in school we need to involve men and boys in this struggle."
On the question why in the 21st century violence against women still exists, Gustafsson replied that we lived in a society that is gender-unequal and violence against women is a direct reflection of that gender inequality.
Facebook fans were also interested to know what member states could do to foster equality. Gustafsson said member states could ratify the Istanbul convention on combatting violence against women. "It is a very good convention but too few member states have signed and ratified it."
To read the full text and find out more about what the Parliament is doing, click on the links on the right.
Many people also asked how to make people think differently about gender inequality. "We have to fight gender inequality at all levels and also talk about the issue of violence against women," Gustafsson said. " Especially, in early ages and in school we need to involve men and boys in this struggle."
On the question why in the 21st century violence against women still exists, Gustafsson replied that we lived in a society that is gender-unequal and violence against women is a direct reflection of that gender inequality.
Facebook fans were also interested to know what member states could do to foster equality. Gustafsson said member states could ratify the Istanbul convention on combatting violence against women. "It is a very good convention but too few member states have signed and ratified it."
To read the full text and find out more about what the Parliament is doing, click on the links on the right.
K. C. EU condemns expulsion of Kashmiri students from an Indian University
Brussels (PR): Kashmir Council EU has condemned the framing of sedition charges against the Kashmiri students studying at an Indian university for cheering Pakistan’s victory in the ongoing Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
Kashmir Council EU Chairman urged the world community to force India to stop war crimes and pave the way for tripartite talks to resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully
In a statement issued from Brussels, Chairman Kashmir Council EU Ali Raza Syed said, the expulsion of the Kashmiri students from the university in Meerut in Utter Pradesh on the charges is an inhuman and shameful act.
He said, such action proves that India has fake democracy as it is not taking care of the basic human and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
How India is a democratic country and particularly, it claims largest democracy of the world but there is no room for opposition’s voices in India.
Ali Raza Syed termed the harassment, violence against a number of Kashmir student and their expulsion from the university and registration of the treason case against them as a black stain on the so-called Indian democratic face.
He said, world should be aware of Indian behaviour with the innocent people of Kashmir who are the struggling for right of self-determination.
Chairman Kashmir Council EU said, we are writing letters to the different international powers including U.S. and EU about the Indian illicit action against the innocent Kashmiri students.
Celebration of Pakistan’s victory in a cricket match by the Kashmiri students in an Indian city means, the people of Kashmir do not accept the Indian occupation over their territory, he further argued.
He said that South Asia would continue to be marred with instability, dangers and tension unless the Kashmir dispute was resolved as per people’s aspirations. He said that it was the responsibility of the U.S., EU and the world community to stress India to give right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir.
Ali RAza syed also demanded impartial probe into the recent killing of seven youth by Indian troops in Lolab area of Kupwara district in IHK.
Kashmir Council EU Chairman urged the world community to force India to stop war crimes and pave the way for tripartite talks to resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Delhi HC blocks release of 'Gulaab Gang'
DELHI:The Delhi High Court Wednesday stayed the release of forthcoming Hindi movie "Gulaab Gang", reportedly based on the life of activist Sampat Pal, who formed Gulabi Gang, a group of pink sari clad women vigilantes in Uttar Pradesh. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva stayed the release of the film, starring Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla, saying that if it is allowed to be released it will cause irreparable damage to the reputation of Sampat Pal. The film was set for release March 7. "Reputation once lost is lost forever and can not come back and even can't be compensated with monetary terms," the court said.
Britain’s first Muslim MEP to chair European Parliament ethics committee
BRUSSELS (PR):Britain’s first Muslim MEP has been appointed Chairman of the European Parliament watchdog body which has been set up to stop unethical behaviour by MEPs. Conservative Legal Affairs spokesperson Dr Sajjad Karim will lead the European Parliament Advisory Committee on the Conduct of Members which is responsible for ensuring all MEPs follow the Code of Conduct which prohibits receiving expensive gifts and forces MEPs to declare any extra payments they receive.
The Code was introduced in January 2012 after an undercover report from the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper alleged that four MEPs accepted cash in exchange for influencing EU legislation.
Dr Karim is the only British MEP to serve on the Advisory Committee and his appointed was made by the European Parliament President.
He said,“It is an honour to chair the Advisory Committee ahead of the European elections in May. Under the guidance of the Code of Conduct, the European Parliament has made great strides in improving transparency and my mission is to continue to provide the greatest level of transparency possible.”
“We need to win back the trust of EU citizens who have been dismayed by some of the scandals in the past and the Advisory Committee and Code of Conduct goes some way in achieving that.”
Dr Karim MEP will chair his first committee meeting in Brussels on 18th March with five MEPs from across the political spectrum.
The Code was introduced in January 2012 after an undercover report from the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper alleged that four MEPs accepted cash in exchange for influencing EU legislation.
Dr Karim is the only British MEP to serve on the Advisory Committee and his appointed was made by the European Parliament President.
He said,“It is an honour to chair the Advisory Committee ahead of the European elections in May. Under the guidance of the Code of Conduct, the European Parliament has made great strides in improving transparency and my mission is to continue to provide the greatest level of transparency possible.”
“We need to win back the trust of EU citizens who have been dismayed by some of the scandals in the past and the Advisory Committee and Code of Conduct goes some way in achieving that.”
Dr Karim MEP will chair his first committee meeting in Brussels on 18th March with five MEPs from across the political spectrum.
"Military aggression not the solution"
BRUSSELS:Belgian key ministers discussed the situation in the Ukraine. The government is concerned about the situation in the southern Crimea region, but retains hopes of a peaceful outcome. Meanwhile, Belgium is not taking any individual sanctions yet against Russia.
Belgium joins the European position on the matter. Diplomacy is the key word, the crisis should be solved by negotiating and not by military action. "It is obvious that the European Union could never accept that kind of violation of the Ukraine's territorial integrity. Each country has the right to strive for democracy. But military action can never an answer to this", Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo told reporters.
"We strongly condemn the Russian intervention and demand that the Russian troops return to their barracks. We also demand that respect is being paid to the rights of minority groups and their protection in Russia and the Ukraine."
Mr Di Rupo agreed with Barack Obama that "Russia is on the wrong side of history" in the matter. It is possible that the EU will take sanctions if there is no solution. The situation is being monitored on a permanent basis. It is not yet clear whether Belgium will take individual sanctions against Russia, such as freezing Russian assets in Belgium. Foreign Minister Didier Reynders did not make any clear statements on this, but did say that a distinction should be made with Russian companies.
Mr Di Rupo added that 8 percent of natural consumption in Belgium comes from Russian supplies.
Belgium joins the European position on the matter. Diplomacy is the key word, the crisis should be solved by negotiating and not by military action. "It is obvious that the European Union could never accept that kind of violation of the Ukraine's territorial integrity. Each country has the right to strive for democracy. But military action can never an answer to this", Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo told reporters.
"We strongly condemn the Russian intervention and demand that the Russian troops return to their barracks. We also demand that respect is being paid to the rights of minority groups and their protection in Russia and the Ukraine."
Mr Di Rupo agreed with Barack Obama that "Russia is on the wrong side of history" in the matter. It is possible that the EU will take sanctions if there is no solution. The situation is being monitored on a permanent basis. It is not yet clear whether Belgium will take individual sanctions against Russia, such as freezing Russian assets in Belgium. Foreign Minister Didier Reynders did not make any clear statements on this, but did say that a distinction should be made with Russian companies.
Mr Di Rupo added that 8 percent of natural consumption in Belgium comes from Russian supplies.
4,500 jobs lost in January and February alone
BRUSSELS:3,000 jobs have been lost in Belgium so far this year as a result of company restructurings. Bankruptcies take the total number of Belgian jobs that have disappeared in only two months to 4,500.
According to the consultants Graydon,Radiator manufacturer Henrad in Herentals wants to shed 113 jobs. "That takes Belgian job losses in January and February to 3,500" says Graydon spokesperson Eric Van den Broele.
Add the number of jobs under threat as a result of companies going to the wall and the figure is closer to 4,500. Some of these jobs may still be rescued if a takeover candidate steps forward.
Graydon's Eric Van den Broele: "The figures have improved slightly, but we are still in the doldrums. Businesses are down to their last reserves and that leads to restructuring and bankruptcies. Many more dismissals will occur in coming months."
But it's not all bad news. Eric Van den Broele: "The employment agency VDAB reports an increase in the number of vacancies. Businesses are paying each other's bills more easily. That points to increased confidence."
According to the consultants Graydon,Radiator manufacturer Henrad in Herentals wants to shed 113 jobs. "That takes Belgian job losses in January and February to 3,500" says Graydon spokesperson Eric Van den Broele.
Add the number of jobs under threat as a result of companies going to the wall and the figure is closer to 4,500. Some of these jobs may still be rescued if a takeover candidate steps forward.
Graydon's Eric Van den Broele: "The figures have improved slightly, but we are still in the doldrums. Businesses are down to their last reserves and that leads to restructuring and bankruptcies. Many more dismissals will occur in coming months."
But it's not all bad news. Eric Van den Broele: "The employment agency VDAB reports an increase in the number of vacancies. Businesses are paying each other's bills more easily. That points to increased confidence."
"Belgian women suffer partner abuse"
BRUSSELS:Figures from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights reveal that a third of women in the EU have been assaulted physically or sexually. At 36% for Belgium the figure is above the European average.
The Belgian figure is lower than in neighbouring countries: the Netherlands (45%), France and Britain (44%), Luxembourg (38%) and Germany (35%). The highest levels of violence against women occur in the Nordic countries: Denmark (52%), Finland (47%) and Sweden (46%). The country with the lowest number of women who admit to being a victim is Austria (20%).
5% of women in the EU say that they have been raped, while a fifth told researchers that they had been felt up or kissed against their will, often by a superior or colleague at work. Across the EU 22% of women admit to being the victim of partner abuse. At 25% the figure for Belgium is higher than the EU average.The research involved a sample of 42,000 women across the EU.
The Belgian figure is lower than in neighbouring countries: the Netherlands (45%), France and Britain (44%), Luxembourg (38%) and Germany (35%). The highest levels of violence against women occur in the Nordic countries: Denmark (52%), Finland (47%) and Sweden (46%). The country with the lowest number of women who admit to being a victim is Austria (20%).
5% of women in the EU say that they have been raped, while a fifth told researchers that they had been felt up or kissed against their will, often by a superior or colleague at work. Across the EU 22% of women admit to being the victim of partner abuse. At 25% the figure for Belgium is higher than the EU average.The research involved a sample of 42,000 women across the EU.
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Wajid congratulates Pakistani community on historic cricket victories
LONDON (PR):Pakistan High Commissioner for UK Mr Wajid Shamsul Hasan has congratulated the Pakistani community living in the UK on Pakistan cricket team’s successive historic victories in the Asia Cup Cricket Tournament against India and then Bangladesh today. In his message on this happy occasion, the High Commissioner lauded the heroic efforts of Pakistani cricketers especially Shahid Afridi,Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad and Fawad Alam in the last two matches.
The High Commissioner said,“The Pakistani nation has a passion for cricket; it’s a binding force that always keeps them together. It is all the more important for the nation to rejoice the victories as it is going through difficult times of their history due to the menace of terrorism.” He also expressed best wishes for the Pakistan cricket team in the Asia Cup final this Saturday.
The High Commissioner said,“The Pakistani nation has a passion for cricket; it’s a binding force that always keeps them together. It is all the more important for the nation to rejoice the victories as it is going through difficult times of their history due to the menace of terrorism.” He also expressed best wishes for the Pakistan cricket team in the Asia Cup final this Saturday.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Use of force in Ukraine approved by Russian Lawmakers
MOSCOW: The international conflict over Russia's military moves in Crimea escalated precariously Saturday as lawmakers in Moscow authorized the use of armed forces to protect their nation's interests and ethnic Russians in Ukraine and President Obama pressed President Vladimir Putin during a 90-minute phone call to back down.
The unanimous vote in the upper house of the parliament came after Russian troops had already taken up positions in Crimea, the Ukrainian region that is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet, and in spite of Obama's warning Friday that "there will be costs" if Moscow intervenes in its neighbor's political upheaval.
During Saturday's call, Obama threatened Russia with "greater political and economic isolation," according to a White House statement. The president, who had already issued a warning to Russia during a hastily called news conference Friday, suggested the United Nations would take action for what he called a "breach of international law."
A Kremlin statement on the phone call suggested that Putin was unmoved. It said the Russian president told Obama the unrest in Ukraine was the result of "provocations and criminal actions by ultranationalist elements encouraged by the current powers in Kiev," and said Russia reserved the right to defend its citizens and interests from those aggressions.
The standoff follows the overthrow late last month of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich after three months of protests by mostly urban and western Ukrainians who favor ties with the West, leaving Ukrainians in Crimea and elsewhere in the east, who tend to favor ties with Moscow, fearful for their future.
The unanimous vote in the upper house of the parliament came after Russian troops had already taken up positions in Crimea, the Ukrainian region that is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet, and in spite of Obama's warning Friday that "there will be costs" if Moscow intervenes in its neighbor's political upheaval.
During Saturday's call, Obama threatened Russia with "greater political and economic isolation," according to a White House statement. The president, who had already issued a warning to Russia during a hastily called news conference Friday, suggested the United Nations would take action for what he called a "breach of international law."
A Kremlin statement on the phone call suggested that Putin was unmoved. It said the Russian president told Obama the unrest in Ukraine was the result of "provocations and criminal actions by ultranationalist elements encouraged by the current powers in Kiev," and said Russia reserved the right to defend its citizens and interests from those aggressions.
The standoff follows the overthrow late last month of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich after three months of protests by mostly urban and western Ukrainians who favor ties with the West, leaving Ukrainians in Crimea and elsewhere in the east, who tend to favor ties with Moscow, fearful for their future.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Zionist Saudi Royals ‘seeking Pakistan arms for terrorists in Syria’
Saudi Arabia is in talks with Pakistan to provide anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets to Syrian militants to try to tip the balance in the war to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, a Saudi source says.
The United States has opposed arming the militants with such weapons, fearing they might end up in the hands of extremists, but Syrian opposition figures say the failure of Geneva peace talks seems to have led Washington to soften its opposition.
Pakistan makes its own version of Chinese shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as Anza, and anti-tank rockets — both of which Riyadh is trying to get for the militants, said the source, who is close to Saudi decision-makers, requesting anonymity.
The source pointed to a visit to Riyadh earlier this month by Pakistan’s army chief of staff, General Raheel Sharif, who met Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
Prince Salman himself last week led a large delegation to Pakistan, shortly after Saudi’s chief diplomat Prince Saud al-Faisal visited the kingdom’s key ally.
Jordan will be providing facilities to store the weapons before they are delivered to militants within Syria, the same source said.
The head of the Syrian opposition, Ahmad Jarba, promised during a flying visit to northern Syria last week that “powerful arms will be arriving soon.”
Militants have long said that anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets would help tip the balance in the battle against Assad’s forces, which enjoy air superiority.
The nearly-three-year conflict in Syria has torn the country apart, killing more than 140,000 people, including some 50,000 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The United States has opposed arming the militants with such weapons, fearing they might end up in the hands of extremists, but Syrian opposition figures say the failure of Geneva peace talks seems to have led Washington to soften its opposition.
Pakistan makes its own version of Chinese shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles, known as Anza, and anti-tank rockets — both of which Riyadh is trying to get for the militants, said the source, who is close to Saudi decision-makers, requesting anonymity.
The source pointed to a visit to Riyadh earlier this month by Pakistan’s army chief of staff, General Raheel Sharif, who met Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz.
Prince Salman himself last week led a large delegation to Pakistan, shortly after Saudi’s chief diplomat Prince Saud al-Faisal visited the kingdom’s key ally.
Jordan will be providing facilities to store the weapons before they are delivered to militants within Syria, the same source said.
The head of the Syrian opposition, Ahmad Jarba, promised during a flying visit to northern Syria last week that “powerful arms will be arriving soon.”
Militants have long said that anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets would help tip the balance in the battle against Assad’s forces, which enjoy air superiority.
The nearly-three-year conflict in Syria has torn the country apart, killing more than 140,000 people, including some 50,000 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
No coexistence with Taliban: Rally led by Altaf Hussain resolves
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain said in his telephonic address on Sunday that Pakistan’s existence is threatened adding that those who support Taliban are hypocrites and not Pakistan’s friends.
Addressing a rally held in solidarity with armed forces, Altaf Hussain said that external forces have abused Pakistan for their own agendas; world wants to see India playing a role in the region and that India wants to see a disintegrated Pakistan, he claimed. If we’re strong internally, no external power can disintegrate us, he said.
Altaf Hussain said the army should step ahead as it has backing of every Pakistani. Dedicating the rally to martyrs of the country, he said that whoever supports Taliban is a traitor of Pakistan.
Altaf Hussain said that Pakistan’s existence is under threat and isolated among the international community.
Those who slaughter innocent children and blow up schools are beats, he said.
MQM Chief said that these people were brainwashed and funded in the name of Afghan war and that we supported America in the name of cold war. Taliban were meant to be used against Soviet Union, he said while alleging that America used Muslims against Russia.
Assuring the support to Pakistan army, Altaf Hussain said that every Pakistan stands united in support of armed forces. He said that he had warned about the threat of Talibanization years ago adding that his statement about Karachi being infiltrated by Taliban was made fun of.
The rally also approved a resolution that said Taliban and Pakistan cannot coexist.
Taliban terrorists should be severely dealt with; pro-terrorism organizations should be strictly boycotted, he said.
“We term the acts of terrorism as un-Islamic,” he said. “We send tributes to all martyrs who lost their lives in terrorist attacks.”
MQM’s resolution also said that Pakistan is not anyone’s property and that everyone is equal.
Addressing a rally held in solidarity with armed forces, Altaf Hussain said that external forces have abused Pakistan for their own agendas; world wants to see India playing a role in the region and that India wants to see a disintegrated Pakistan, he claimed. If we’re strong internally, no external power can disintegrate us, he said.
Altaf Hussain said the army should step ahead as it has backing of every Pakistani. Dedicating the rally to martyrs of the country, he said that whoever supports Taliban is a traitor of Pakistan.
Altaf Hussain said that Pakistan’s existence is under threat and isolated among the international community.
Those who slaughter innocent children and blow up schools are beats, he said.
MQM Chief said that these people were brainwashed and funded in the name of Afghan war and that we supported America in the name of cold war. Taliban were meant to be used against Soviet Union, he said while alleging that America used Muslims against Russia.
Assuring the support to Pakistan army, Altaf Hussain said that every Pakistan stands united in support of armed forces. He said that he had warned about the threat of Talibanization years ago adding that his statement about Karachi being infiltrated by Taliban was made fun of.
The rally also approved a resolution that said Taliban and Pakistan cannot coexist.
Taliban terrorists should be severely dealt with; pro-terrorism organizations should be strictly boycotted, he said.
“We term the acts of terrorism as un-Islamic,” he said. “We send tributes to all martyrs who lost their lives in terrorist attacks.”
MQM’s resolution also said that Pakistan is not anyone’s property and that everyone is equal.
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Al Qaeda's Possible Collapse in Syria
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait recently joined Saudi Arabia in criminalizing the participation of its citizens in jihadist activities abroad, as part of measures intended to curb the outflow of radicalized youth to battlegrounds in the region, notably Syria and Iraq. European nations, such as France and the United Kingdom, have also taken legal action to reduce the involvement of their citizens and residents in the on-going conflicts in the Middle East. Targeting the flow of new militants adds pressure to a movement that, in Syria at least, has suffered serious, mostly self-inflicted, setbacks. This is a moment of opportunity for the Syrian revolution to recapture some of its physical and moral ground from radical elements, and for the world community to deal a serious blow to this threat.
There are two competing visions of radical jihadism in Syria articulated by two rival groups. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), based in western Iraq, is overtly seeking to expand as the core territory of a global caliphate. By dispatching funds and fighters to Syria’s civil war, ISIS has incorporated Syria into its dominion. It has also received pledges of allegiance from a previously unknown group in Lebanon and support from a radical formation in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. However, this centralized model is challenged by the distributed approach endorsed by the central core of al Qaeda, still led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s former lieutenant. Syria, according to Zawahiri, is the domain of the al-Nusra Front, while ISIS ought to restrict its presence to Iraq.
The reality on the ground is quite different from the bitter discord and deliberations conducted in cyberspace. Both ISIS and al-Nusra are part of a complex network of bands, gangs, and formations that have occupied territory and exert some control over local society and the economy in areas from which the Syrian regime has been evicted. Allegiance to either ISIS or al-Nusra ― or any other party, including the regime ― is a function of incentives and coercive measures applied to local groups. While some localities have succeeded in maintaining the original spirit of the revolution, large swaths of Syrian territory have devolved into a parallel Islamic order ― complete with self-styled governors who are often notorious figures with criminal backgrounds, kangaroo courts consisting of untrained judges dispensing harsh punishment at will, and shadowy “shura council” of jihadists elevated to the status of communal leaders. In reality, these are little more than groups of bandits.
Many regions under regime control have regressed into similar patterns, with cult-like expressions of devotion to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in lieu of enforced radical religiosity. This is a testimony to the Assad regime’s failure over the past four decades to create a stable socio-economic and cultural order. Still, the deplorable jihadist performance in managing territory has exposed weaknesses, including to a broader Islamist ideology. In fact, the blatant absence of an Islamist political or economic program, the ideology’s incompatibility with local religious practices, and its reductionist character have resulted in a reversion to unqualified coercion.
To no avail, Zawahiri has issued messages trying to fill the substantive void in the jihadist agenda. The competition for resources between the two rival al Qaeda-inspired groups in Syria has degenerated into a fratricidal war ― one in which the Syria-rooted al-Nusra is aligned with non-al Qaeda affiliates against its former, foreign-led incubator.
Al Qaeda’s claim to be at the vanguard of an Islamist order has been put to the test and has failed woefully in Syria. Yet, judging by its record, the ability of this organization to redefine and reposition itself cannot be easily dismissed. Only a proactive opposition plan to resolve the Syrian conflict, one that asserts a vision of a pluralistic democratic state, can turn al Qaeda’s current setback into a defeat of radicalism. In addition to stemming the flow of jihadists, friends of Syria in the region and in the transatlantic community need to help a hesitant opposition take serious steps toward articulating such a bold new vision for Syria.
There are two competing visions of radical jihadism in Syria articulated by two rival groups. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), based in western Iraq, is overtly seeking to expand as the core territory of a global caliphate. By dispatching funds and fighters to Syria’s civil war, ISIS has incorporated Syria into its dominion. It has also received pledges of allegiance from a previously unknown group in Lebanon and support from a radical formation in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. However, this centralized model is challenged by the distributed approach endorsed by the central core of al Qaeda, still led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s former lieutenant. Syria, according to Zawahiri, is the domain of the al-Nusra Front, while ISIS ought to restrict its presence to Iraq.
The reality on the ground is quite different from the bitter discord and deliberations conducted in cyberspace. Both ISIS and al-Nusra are part of a complex network of bands, gangs, and formations that have occupied territory and exert some control over local society and the economy in areas from which the Syrian regime has been evicted. Allegiance to either ISIS or al-Nusra ― or any other party, including the regime ― is a function of incentives and coercive measures applied to local groups. While some localities have succeeded in maintaining the original spirit of the revolution, large swaths of Syrian territory have devolved into a parallel Islamic order ― complete with self-styled governors who are often notorious figures with criminal backgrounds, kangaroo courts consisting of untrained judges dispensing harsh punishment at will, and shadowy “shura council” of jihadists elevated to the status of communal leaders. In reality, these are little more than groups of bandits.
Many regions under regime control have regressed into similar patterns, with cult-like expressions of devotion to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in lieu of enforced radical religiosity. This is a testimony to the Assad regime’s failure over the past four decades to create a stable socio-economic and cultural order. Still, the deplorable jihadist performance in managing territory has exposed weaknesses, including to a broader Islamist ideology. In fact, the blatant absence of an Islamist political or economic program, the ideology’s incompatibility with local religious practices, and its reductionist character have resulted in a reversion to unqualified coercion.
To no avail, Zawahiri has issued messages trying to fill the substantive void in the jihadist agenda. The competition for resources between the two rival al Qaeda-inspired groups in Syria has degenerated into a fratricidal war ― one in which the Syria-rooted al-Nusra is aligned with non-al Qaeda affiliates against its former, foreign-led incubator.
Al Qaeda’s claim to be at the vanguard of an Islamist order has been put to the test and has failed woefully in Syria. Yet, judging by its record, the ability of this organization to redefine and reposition itself cannot be easily dismissed. Only a proactive opposition plan to resolve the Syrian conflict, one that asserts a vision of a pluralistic democratic state, can turn al Qaeda’s current setback into a defeat of radicalism. In addition to stemming the flow of jihadists, friends of Syria in the region and in the transatlantic community need to help a hesitant opposition take serious steps toward articulating such a bold new vision for Syria.
American acquitted in teen's murder not haunted by what happened
WASHINGTON (AFP) - George Zimmerman, the US man controversially acquitted of murdering black teenager Trayvon Martin, said in an interview aired Monday that he is not haunted by what happened.
Zimmerman also told CNN he sees himself as a victim and scapegoat and that the only judge he has to answer to is God.
The Sanford, Florida, neighborhood watch volunteer fatally shot 17-year-old Martin in February 2012 as the unarmed African American high schooled was walking home with iced tea and candy.
Zimmerman insisted he had been following Martin on suspicion that the youth was involved in a robbery, and that he shot him in an act of self-defense following a violent struggle.
An initial decision by Florida investigators not to press charges set off widespread protests, with Martin s supporters alleging racism and pointing to the fact that the teenager was unarmed and had no criminal record.
A national outcry led to a jury trial for second-degree murder and manslaughter in June that ended with Zimmerman s acquittal -- and more protests.
When asked by CNN if he felt haunted by that night two years ago, Zimmerman simply answered "no."
When asked about the victim, Martin, he said: "No, I certainly was a victim when I was having my head bashed into the concrete and my nose broken and beaten. I wouldn t say I was not a victim."
He added later that he saw himself as a "scapegoat" for the government, the president and the attorney general.
Faith in God kept him from doubting himself, he said.
"I know that ultimately he s the only judge I have to answer to. I know what happened, he knows what happened. So I leave it up to him."
Zimmerman, in other remarks, said he wants to become an attorney and that he receives death threats.
Zimmerman also told CNN he sees himself as a victim and scapegoat and that the only judge he has to answer to is God.
The Sanford, Florida, neighborhood watch volunteer fatally shot 17-year-old Martin in February 2012 as the unarmed African American high schooled was walking home with iced tea and candy.
Zimmerman insisted he had been following Martin on suspicion that the youth was involved in a robbery, and that he shot him in an act of self-defense following a violent struggle.
An initial decision by Florida investigators not to press charges set off widespread protests, with Martin s supporters alleging racism and pointing to the fact that the teenager was unarmed and had no criminal record.
A national outcry led to a jury trial for second-degree murder and manslaughter in June that ended with Zimmerman s acquittal -- and more protests.
When asked by CNN if he felt haunted by that night two years ago, Zimmerman simply answered "no."
When asked about the victim, Martin, he said: "No, I certainly was a victim when I was having my head bashed into the concrete and my nose broken and beaten. I wouldn t say I was not a victim."
He added later that he saw himself as a "scapegoat" for the government, the president and the attorney general.
Faith in God kept him from doubting himself, he said.
"I know that ultimately he s the only judge I have to answer to. I know what happened, he knows what happened. So I leave it up to him."
Zimmerman, in other remarks, said he wants to become an attorney and that he receives death threats.
Iran, world powers begin talks on final nuclear deal
VIENNA (AFP) - Nuclear talks between Iran and world powers moved into new territory Tuesday as negotiators embarked on what both sides predicted will be a long and difficult path towards a lasting deal.
In a nutshell such an historic accord would let Iran retain its civilian nuclear programme, but on a modest scale and with enough oversight to make developing atomic weapons all but impossible.
Success could lead to Tehran and Washington normalising relations after a 35-year chill and could even bear fruit in other areas, such as Syria. But failure might lead to conflict.
The scheduled three-day meeting in Vienna between Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany follows an interim deal struck in Geneva in November that they now want to transform into a permanent agreement.
Iran s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who Tuesday took to Twitter to denounce nuclear weapons, set a cautious tone Monday when he said this effort would "go nowhere" but that he was not against trying.
Abbas Araqchi, a senior Iranian negotiator, told Iranian media in Vienna that a deal was a "big task, and we have long and complicated negotiations ahead of us".
"It is probably as likely that we won t get an agreement as it is that we will," said one senior US administration official.
"But these negotiations are the best chance we have ever had."
On Tuesday the seven parties held a brief plenary session before breaking off into bilateral meetings, including between the Iranian and US delegations, a senior US State Department official said.
A spokesman for the world powers lead negotiator, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said the aim of this Vienna round was a "workable framework to facilitate these negotiations".
Iran has long been suspected of seeking atomic weapons, despite its denials, and the US and Israel -- assumed to have a large atomic arsenal itself -- have never ruled out military action.
Band-aid solution -
Under the November accord which took effect on January 20, Iran scaled back certain nuclear activities in exchange for minor sanctions relief and a promise of no new sanctions.
The freeze only lasts until July 20 -- although it can be extended -- and experts say that success in Geneva came at the price of postponing the really difficult issues.
"Geneva really was a stop gap, a band-aid solution that didn t really heal the wounds," Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, Iran and Middle East lecturer at Manchester University, told AFP.
Under the "comprehensive" solution that the parties aim to sew up by November, the six powers want Iran to scale back for a "long-term duration" its nuclear programme.
This might include closing the underground Fordo facility, slashing the number of uranium centrifuges, cutting the stockpile of fissile material, altering a new reactor being built at Arak and tougher UN inspections.
In exchange, all UN Security Council, US and EU sanctions on Iran -- which are costing it billions of dollars every week in lost oil revenues, wreaking havoc on the economy -- would be lifted.
But whether Iran will play along remains to be seen. Before the talks, Tehran had set out a number of "red lines", including a refusal to dismantle any facilities.
Washington s watching -
Those in Vienna will be well aware that whatever they agree will need to be sold not only to other countries like Israel and the Sunni Gulf monarchies, but also back home.
Obama has members of Congress breathing down his neck, threatening more sanctions and demanding -- with Israel -- a total dismantlement of Iran s nuclear facilities.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, whose election in 2013 has helped thaw relations with the West, is on thin ice with hardliners seeking to turn Khamenei against him.
"The trouble is that both sides have hard men outside the negotiating room who have to be satisfied," Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Tehran now at think-tank Chatham House, told AFP.
In a nutshell such an historic accord would let Iran retain its civilian nuclear programme, but on a modest scale and with enough oversight to make developing atomic weapons all but impossible.
Success could lead to Tehran and Washington normalising relations after a 35-year chill and could even bear fruit in other areas, such as Syria. But failure might lead to conflict.
The scheduled three-day meeting in Vienna between Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany follows an interim deal struck in Geneva in November that they now want to transform into a permanent agreement.
Iran s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who Tuesday took to Twitter to denounce nuclear weapons, set a cautious tone Monday when he said this effort would "go nowhere" but that he was not against trying.
Abbas Araqchi, a senior Iranian negotiator, told Iranian media in Vienna that a deal was a "big task, and we have long and complicated negotiations ahead of us".
"It is probably as likely that we won t get an agreement as it is that we will," said one senior US administration official.
"But these negotiations are the best chance we have ever had."
On Tuesday the seven parties held a brief plenary session before breaking off into bilateral meetings, including between the Iranian and US delegations, a senior US State Department official said.
A spokesman for the world powers lead negotiator, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said the aim of this Vienna round was a "workable framework to facilitate these negotiations".
Iran has long been suspected of seeking atomic weapons, despite its denials, and the US and Israel -- assumed to have a large atomic arsenal itself -- have never ruled out military action.
Band-aid solution -
Under the November accord which took effect on January 20, Iran scaled back certain nuclear activities in exchange for minor sanctions relief and a promise of no new sanctions.
The freeze only lasts until July 20 -- although it can be extended -- and experts say that success in Geneva came at the price of postponing the really difficult issues.
"Geneva really was a stop gap, a band-aid solution that didn t really heal the wounds," Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, Iran and Middle East lecturer at Manchester University, told AFP.
Under the "comprehensive" solution that the parties aim to sew up by November, the six powers want Iran to scale back for a "long-term duration" its nuclear programme.
This might include closing the underground Fordo facility, slashing the number of uranium centrifuges, cutting the stockpile of fissile material, altering a new reactor being built at Arak and tougher UN inspections.
In exchange, all UN Security Council, US and EU sanctions on Iran -- which are costing it billions of dollars every week in lost oil revenues, wreaking havoc on the economy -- would be lifted.
But whether Iran will play along remains to be seen. Before the talks, Tehran had set out a number of "red lines", including a refusal to dismantle any facilities.
Washington s watching -
Those in Vienna will be well aware that whatever they agree will need to be sold not only to other countries like Israel and the Sunni Gulf monarchies, but also back home.
Obama has members of Congress breathing down his neck, threatening more sanctions and demanding -- with Israel -- a total dismantlement of Iran s nuclear facilities.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, whose election in 2013 has helped thaw relations with the West, is on thin ice with hardliners seeking to turn Khamenei against him.
"The trouble is that both sides have hard men outside the negotiating room who have to be satisfied," Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Tehran now at think-tank Chatham House, told AFP.
Iran should respect international borders law: Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has emphasized that Iranian forces have no authority to cross the borders in violation of the international law.
Reacting to an Iranian statement that it can send forces into Pakistan to free five border guards abducted by militants‚ Foreign Office spokesperson said the two countries must respect each other s borders.
The spokesperson said Pakistan has already informed the Iranian authorities that Frontier Corps teams have intensively combed the entire region. However‚ it could not verify the entry or presence of these Iranian border guards on its territory.
On Monday, Iran said that it would send forces into Pakistan to free five border guards said to have been kidnapped by militants if Islamabad did not take measures to secure their release.
According to Iranian media reports, the guards were seized on February 6 in the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan by militants who allegedly took them across the border to Pakistan.
"If Pakistan doesn’t take the needed steps to fight against the terrorist groups, we will send our forces into Pakistani soil. We will not wait for this country," Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli was quoted as telling the semi-official Mehr news agency.
A Sunni insurgent Iranian group calling itself Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, according to a Twitter account purporting to belong to the group. The account s authenticity could not be immediately verified.
The area where the kidnappings took place has a history of unrest, with the mainly Sunni Muslim population complaining of discrimination by Iran’s Shiite Muslim authorities, a charge Iran denies.
Iranian security forces have also fought drug traffickers in the region that borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Iranian armed forces deputy chief of staff was quoted as telling the semi-official Fars news agency that Iran would "show tough confrontation in this case".
"We will have no soft stand in this case and our neighboring country ... should account for its lack of action," Major General Hossein Hassani Sadi told reporters in Tehran on Monday, according to Fars English language website.
Sadi said the guards were still alive, and underlined that "political and military measures are underway to set them free", without elaborating.
Interior Minister Rahmani-Fazli said an Iranian delegation would visit Pakistan on Monday to secure the guards’ release, state news agency ISNA reported.
In October, 14 Iranian border guards were killed and three others captured in the same area in an attack that ISNA said was carried out by Jaish al-Adl.
Sunni Muslim militant group Jundollah, which Iran says is linked to al Qaeda, has claimed a number of attacks and kidnappings since 2003, including a 2010 suicide bombing that killed dozens of people at a Shiite mosque
Reacting to an Iranian statement that it can send forces into Pakistan to free five border guards abducted by militants‚ Foreign Office spokesperson said the two countries must respect each other s borders.
The spokesperson said Pakistan has already informed the Iranian authorities that Frontier Corps teams have intensively combed the entire region. However‚ it could not verify the entry or presence of these Iranian border guards on its territory.
On Monday, Iran said that it would send forces into Pakistan to free five border guards said to have been kidnapped by militants if Islamabad did not take measures to secure their release.
According to Iranian media reports, the guards were seized on February 6 in the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan by militants who allegedly took them across the border to Pakistan.
"If Pakistan doesn’t take the needed steps to fight against the terrorist groups, we will send our forces into Pakistani soil. We will not wait for this country," Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli was quoted as telling the semi-official Mehr news agency.
A Sunni insurgent Iranian group calling itself Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, according to a Twitter account purporting to belong to the group. The account s authenticity could not be immediately verified.
The area where the kidnappings took place has a history of unrest, with the mainly Sunni Muslim population complaining of discrimination by Iran’s Shiite Muslim authorities, a charge Iran denies.
Iranian security forces have also fought drug traffickers in the region that borders Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Iranian armed forces deputy chief of staff was quoted as telling the semi-official Fars news agency that Iran would "show tough confrontation in this case".
"We will have no soft stand in this case and our neighboring country ... should account for its lack of action," Major General Hossein Hassani Sadi told reporters in Tehran on Monday, according to Fars English language website.
Sadi said the guards were still alive, and underlined that "political and military measures are underway to set them free", without elaborating.
Interior Minister Rahmani-Fazli said an Iranian delegation would visit Pakistan on Monday to secure the guards’ release, state news agency ISNA reported.
In October, 14 Iranian border guards were killed and three others captured in the same area in an attack that ISNA said was carried out by Jaish al-Adl.
Sunni Muslim militant group Jundollah, which Iran says is linked to al Qaeda, has claimed a number of attacks and kidnappings since 2003, including a 2010 suicide bombing that killed dozens of people at a Shiite mosque
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