International News

Rajapaksa, LTTE not heeding to our call: US

4/22/2009 12:53:24 AM

Terming the situation in Sri Lanka as "difficult", the United States on Wednesday, April 22 expressed its disappointment over neither Sri Lankan government nor the LTTE paying heed to their call or that of international community with regard to the ongoing conflict in the northern parts of the country.

"The problem is the parties (Sri Lankan Government and LTTE) are not heeding the call from not just the US, but from the broader international community," said State Department Acting spokesman Robert Wood.

"We''re trying to figure out ways that we can apply more pressure on both the government and the LTTE to cease their activities," Wood said adding that a lot of diplomatic effort is going on right now on trying to end this conflict. However, he did not divulge any details.
Wood termed fleeing of thousands of civilians trapped in the conflict zone as "positive development", and asked "both the Army and the LTTE to refrain from indiscriminate shelling into and from the no-fire zone." "The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert Blake, is in daily communication with senior Sri Lankan military and government officials," he said.

Troops move in on LTTE: Thousands flee from Lanka war zone.

4/21/2009 8:27:51 AM

Sri Lankan soldiers battled into the last redoubt of the Tamil Tigers on Tuesday, and the people trapped by the rebels in the coastal strip reached nearly 50,000, the military said.

The operation gathered speed after the military''s 24 hours (0630 GMT) deadline for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to surrender passed without any word from the separatists, in what appears to be the final act in Asia''s longest-running war.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned the situation was "nothing short of catastrophic" and urged both sides to prevent further mass casualties among civilians, saying hundreds had been killed in the past 48 hours.

The neutral agency did not assign blame to either side. Sri Lanka''s military, in what it dubbed the world''s largest hostage rescue operation, moved in to keep the stream of people moving and give troops a clear shot at the LTTE and its elusive leader Prabhakaran.

"So far 49,054 people have come out and still people are coming in. Troops are expanding the area under their control."

At least 5,000 people flee Sri Lanka war zone

4/20/2009 12:31:51 AM

At least 5,000 people burst ouf of Sri Lanka''s tiny war zone on Monday, after soldiers broke through a long earthen wall the Tamil Tiger rebels built to stall their advance, the military said.

The wall of earth had blocked the widest land link to the coastal strip where Sri Lanka''s military has surrounded the Tigers with the goal of crushing them and ending a civil war that has raged since 1983 and is now Asia''s longest-running.

"Troops captured the earth bund and so far 5,000 people have been rescued. It is still going on," military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

The no-fire zone is a 17-square-km (6.5-sq-mile) area of coconut groves, where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatists are fighting their last stand from among tens of thousands of civilians they have held there by force.

The Sri Lankan government has been under heavy Western pressure to call a ceasefire to protect people in the no-fire zone, since the LTTE has rejected all international calls to let them go and insists civilians are staying by choice.

Sri Lanka has rejected further calls for a truce after the expiration of a 48-hour pause last week, saying the Tigers only used it to bolster their defences and make it harder for people to escape.

The state-run Daily News said 15,000 people had fled on Monday, which Nanayakkara denied.

However, military sources told Reuters that the number was likely to climb later in the day, and that the 5,000 figure given only represented those people who had been checked and cleared by soldiers for onward passage to refugee camps.

Anyone approaching military lines has to be screened for weapons or bombs, since an LTTE suicide bomber in February blew herself up at a refugee screening centre and killed at least 28 and wounded nearly 100.

IPL 2 extravaganza kicks off today in South Africa

4/18/2009 6:15:41 AM

The wait for the world''s grand cricket carnival is over now, as the IPL 2 is back to enthrall the cricket fans worldwide. The IPL 2, which promises to be a perfect marriage of cricket and entertainment, will kickstart today with an opening ceremony at the Newlands Stadium in South Africa.

Pakistan: last 15 months 1942 Terror attacks

4/17/2009 11:55:54 AM

At least 1,942 terror incidents were reported in Pakistan during the last 15 months, claiming 1,395 lives. This information comes out in the lower house of parliament during the question hour on Friday.

Rs.250 million compensation was paid out to the families of the victims of this, Rs.103 million was paid in Punjab, Rs.99 million in the North West Frontier Province, Rs.70 million in Sindh, Rs.47 million in Balochistan and Rs.28 million in Islamabad.

In the 15 months between January 2008 and March 2009, seven terror incidents occurred in Islamabad claiming 87 lives. These include the Sept 20, 2008 suicide bombing at the Marriott Hotel that claimed 54 lives.

Archaeologists are in search for Cleopatra's tomb

4/16/2009 2:27:10 PM

Archaeologists are to search three sites in Egypt that they say may contain the tomb of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Excavation at the sites, which are near a temple west of the coastal city of Alexandria, is due to begin next week.

Teams working in the area say the recent discovery of tombs containing 10 mummies suggested that Antony and Cleopatra might be buried close by. The teams also found a bust of Cleopatra and coins carrying her image.

Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide in 30BC after losing the Battle of Actium

Russia ends Chechnya operation

4/16/2009 2:23:15 PM

Russia has ended its decade-long "counter-terrorism operation" against separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya to create conditions to further normalise the situation.

Russian forces have fought two wars in the mainly Muslim republic since 1994.

Reacting to this news Chechen President Ranazan Kadyrov said “Now the Chechen Republic… is a peaceful, developing territory, and canceling the counter-terrorism operation will only promote economic growth in the republic.”

"The leadership of Russia has officially confirmed the fact that the nest of terrorism has been crushed, that illegal armed groups have been neutralised, and militant leaders on whose conscience lay the grief and suffering of thousands of people have been destroyed, detained and brought to court."

Moscow says Chechnya has stabilised under its pro-Kremlin President, Ramzan Kadyrov, but human rights groups accuse his militias of widespread abuses.

India topple Australia from 2nd spot in ODI ranking

4/15/2009 11:55:17 AM

India achieved their highest rankings in the ICC ODI Championship table since its inception in 2002, toppling Ricky Ponting''s men from the second spot in the chart issued on Wednesday.

After their series victory in New Zealand with 122 rating points in their kitty, Mahendra Singh Dhoni''s men are just a point ahead of Australia, while South Africa sits pretty at the top with 127 points.

The Graeme Smith-led side''s success in winning seven out of nine ODIs against Australia this year has consigned the four-time World Champions to their lowest ranking in the ICC ODI Championship table.

Interestingly, out of a total of 79 months since the launch of the ICC ODI Championship table, Australia has held the top spot for 69 months, including 52 straight months from October 2002 to January 2007.

However, despite trailing 1-3 against South Africa in the on-going five-match series, Ponting''s men will regain their second spot from India if they manage to win the final ODI against the Proteas on Friday in Johannesburg.

Terrorist linked to Samjhauta also involved in 26/11: Pak

4/15/2009 12:45:10 AM

Pakistan on Tuesday, April 14 said that it had "information" that a terrorist linked to the Samjhauta Express blasts was also involved in the Mumbai terror strikes, a day after India ridiculed it for seeking slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare''s statement on the probe into the train attack.

Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik, speaking to media persons in the southwestern city of Quetta, explained why Pakistan was insisting on Karkare''s statement on his probe into the 2007 blasts on the cross-border train Malik contended that Karkare''s statement was needed as Pakistan had "information" that a terrorist involved in the attack on the Samjhauta Express was also involved in the Mumbai incident. However, no further details were gioven.

Zardari signs Islamic law deal

4/14/2009 7:45:25 AM

Notwithstanding opposition from various countries, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has ratified a regulation for enforcing Islamic Shariah laws in the restive Swat Valley as part of a peace deal with the Taliban militants.

Zardari signed Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 Monday night hours, April 13 after it was approved with majority by the Parliament, Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar told reporters. The President left for a short visit to Dubai soon after approving the Regulation, which envisages the implementation of Shariah or Islamic law in the Malakand division of the North West Frontier Province, including the Swat valley.

Western powers, including Britain and the US, as well as India have expressed concerns about the peace deal in Swat. Observers have said it would embolden the militants to demand the enforcement of Shariah in other parts of Pakistan. The moves comes barely a week after the Taliban protested against the delay by government in imposing the Islamic law, claiming there cannot be peace in Swat without enforcement of the strict Sharia law.

Zardari''s signing implemented a deal agreed to in February in exchange for a ceasefire between security forces and the local Taliban.