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Amnesty
condemns JERUSALEM, Feb 21: The Amnesty International human rights group today harshly condemned Israel for "assassinating" Palestinians suspected.....more
General
elections in DHAKA, Feb 20: Bangladesh may go in for the next general elections little ahead of the ruling Awami League completing its full term in June this year......more Barak
declines defence JERUSALEM, Feb 21: Faced with opposition within his labour party, Israeli caretaker.......more |
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HK breeder wants stolen HONG KONG, Feb 21: A furious Hong Kong dog breeder has offered a huge reward for the return of his stolen pedigree pet, dead or alive.......more Indian
pilgrim arrives MECCA, Feb 21: A 60-year old Indian, who set out for the holy land on foot three years ago, is among 5,77,000 pilgrims from all over the world who have.....more New
drug approach may WASHINGTON, Feb 21: A whole new class of drugs that block a hormone produced by heart failure patients may offer them renewed hope, .....more Bangladesh
prepares DHAKA, Feb 21: Bangladesh made preparations today for talks with kidnappers who seized two danes and a Briton last week and are holding .....more Powell
defends WASHINGTON, Feb 21: Secretary of State Colin Powell of patroling Iraq’s air space and said it would continue "as long as we.........more |
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Amnesty condemns Israeli ‘assassination’ policy JERUSALEM, Feb 21: The Amnesty International human rights group today harshly condemned Israel for "assassinating" Palestinians suspected of attacking Israelis and for using excessive force in five months of fighting. The London-based group said its delegates had found during a recent visit to the area that Israel had killed some people who could have been arrested during the Palestinian uprising. It said that in other cases, Israel had used "excessive, random or negligent" force. Israel’s policy of "targeting Palestinians suspected of attacking Israelis amounts to a policy of state assassination," the group said in a statement released early on Wednesday. The organisation is "urging the Israeli authorities to put an end to this liquidation policy and to investigate all unlawful killings of Palestinians". More than 400 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed since the start of the uprising in late September. Sixty-one Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have also died. Israel has denied it has a "policy of assassination" but has admitted killing some Palestinian militants. Most recently, Israeli security officials said they had gunned down Hamas activist Mahmoud Madani near the West Bank city of Nablus for carrying out two bombings in Israeli cities in which two Israelis were killed. A week ago, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak congratulated troops in the Gaza Strip for successfully killing Hamas militant Masoud Ayad in a helicopter missile strike. The Israeli Army said it would continue to use all means to protect its soldiers and citizens from Palestinian attacks, while avoiding hurting the civilian population. "The actions and the means taken by the Israeli side have been taken according to international law and this contrary to the attacks carried out by palestinians which completely disregard the international laws," an Army spokesman said. Amnesty said it had rejected Israel’s argument "that the situation was one of armed conflict which allows the Government to liquidate those who may have targeted Israelis and to kill without investigating each death". It said there were instances — as when Hamas militant Hani Abu Bakra was gunned down from a distance of two metres in the Gaza strip in December — when Israel could easily have arrested the suspect. The group said Abu Bakra was killed, a second Palestinian later died of wounds and a third was permanently disabled in the Israeli attack. "The acceptance by Israel of unlawful killings and the failure to investigate each killing at the hands of the security services is leading to a culture of impunity among Israeli soldiers and is fuelling a cycle of violence and revenge in the region," it added. Amnesty said it had found evidence that Israeli forces had used "high explosive air burst weapons" that injure or kill anyone in the area. "This appears to have happened on more than one occasion," it said. The group also condemned armed Palestinian groups for targeting Israeli civilians and for shooting at Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, often from residential areas. Ahmed Abdel Rahman, an aide to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, welcomed Amnesty’s condemnation of Israeli activities but brushed off criticism of Palestinian actions against Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "They should not refer to these settlers as civilians. They are armed people and accessories to the Israeli Army. They have to deal with the cause of the issue and that is their illegal existence on the occupied territories," he told Reuters. Jewish settlements, dotted throughout the lands Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians want for a future state, are illegal under international law. "Israeli security forces and Palestinian armed groups are showing an appalling disregard of the supreme human right — the right to life," Amnesty said in its statement. (REUTERS) |
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General elections in Bangladesh soon DHAKA, Feb 20: Bangladesh may go in for the next general elections little ahead of the ruling Awami League completing its full term in June this year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who assumed power in June 1996, has already given indications that she is ready to transfer power to caretaker authority in a few months, little ahead before the ruling Awami League can complete its full term. Last Friday, she made a sudden overture while talking informally with foreign envoys at her official residence Gano Bhaban. It triggered fresh speculations in political and diplomatic circles when Hasina said she was ready to hold elections anytime, provided opposition leader Khaleda Zia came to Parliament and told her when she wanted the polls. Although Khaleda Zia spurned the olive-branch held out by the Prime Minister for fear of landing into snares of intricate politics, the ruling party seems to be working overtime on its own blueprint to set the election time at its convenience, preferably by June. We’ve only four months on hand, we will resign and transfer power to nonparty caretaker Government and there will be new elections, said Hasina, who has been ruling the country for nearly five years. Now two more theories are being formulated about the full-term of Government and election, in addition to the full-term of Parliament. As per the constitution, the five-year term of Parliament will be counted from the first sitting and accordingly full-term will be complete on July 13. Prime Minister Hasina had formed her Government on June 23 1996, so the full length will be complete on June 23, 2001. But the policymakers are now counting the full-term of election. Last general election was held on June 12, 1996. So the completion of five years of the elections will be on June 12, 2001. The party in power is possibly considering this bottom line-accounting since it is pondering over early elections completing five-year term under any of these three formulae. Another argument of Awami League strategists for pre-dry polls is that if the Prime Minister hands over power on July 13 at the latest, the election will be held by October which is rainy season in Bangladesh. In case the election could not be held within 90 days of the handover of power due to floods, it could be deferred by another 90 days under the 12th amendment of the constitution that endorsed the provision of non-party caretaker Government. It means the election will have to be deferred by six months altogether if there is any extraordinary situation. In that case, Awami League policymakers feel that many of the achievements of the Sheikh Hasina Government might be overturned under non-party caretaker administration. Close aides to Hasina say the Prime Minister at present has two options to set up the timeframe for next elections. If she wants election before the dry season, that means before July, she will hand over power to a caretaker Government by the middle of April, but if she wants election in August or September, the flooding time, she may abdicate power in May or June or after completing its full term. But there is growing speculation about elections being held before July this year. Moreover her social programs and micro-credit schemes, implemented during her rule, started giving benefit to rural people, particularly the vast section of poor women. The only problem Hasina perhaps is facing in tackling terrorism and killings mainly in major cities and towns, including Dhaka, Chittagong and Feni. What is more embarrassing is that ruling party leaders or their sons and cadres were found linked with those terrible incidents. Although the alliance called hartal called for on February 25 and 26 might not be convincing to the common man, particularly before the Eid festival as people would remain busy next week. Some analysts say that the opposition leaders may not like to go for serious confrontation with the Government and face warrants or arrests a few months before the general elections. Already several front-ranking leaders like Ershad of Jatiya Party and Maulana Azizul Huq were put behind bars, slowing down their organisational work. But the opposition would like to make the anti-Government agitation intense by calling series of hartals in next months from a safe distance. Alongside the spearheading of movement, Khaleda Zia requires to finish the difficult task of sharing nominations for 300-seat Parliament among her alliance partners who earlier decided to field common candidates against the Awami League. The alliance unity might depend on amicable distribution of seats among BNP and its allies. It is believed that the Prime Minister would launch her formal election campaign from next month on completion of holy pilgrimage at Mecca in the first week of March. (UNI) |
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Barak declines defence post in Sharon Govt JERUSALEM, Feb 21: Faced with opposition within his labour party, Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak has refused to serve as Defence Minister in a Government of national unity led by Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon. Reversing his earlier decision to join the Government of national unity, an apparently battered Barak accused Sharon in a letter last night of treating labour like a soldier who must follow orders. Barak accused Sharon of treating labour in a way that seriously harms "the trust between us and does not allow me to accept the position of Defense Minister". According to the Barak’s Labour Party secretary, the premier is also quitting as head of the party and as a member of Parliament. Following his crushing defeat on February six, Barak had first announced resignation from party leadership, Parliament and quit politics for the time being. But later he made a turnaround and decided to serve as Defense Minister under Sharon, triggering a stiff opposition from within his labour party. The move has also tarnished Barak’s image, political analysts said. Though Barak has blamed sharon in his letter, he is believed to have taken the decision in the wake of stiff opposition to his "zig-zag" politics within his party. The Labour Party, neverthless, is expected to go ahead with negotiations and join the coalition with the elder statesman Shimon Peres at the helm of affairs. Barak said he still favoured a unity Government and would recommend that to his fellow Labour Party members. Negotiations between the two main parties - Likud and Labour - ran into trouble over the inclusion of far-right groups that reject compromise with the Palestinians. Barak said the labour would not join a Government with the far-right, but the Prime Minister-elect insisted on the same. Barak’s announcement has come as a surprise as less than a week ago he had accepted the offer to work in a coalition with the Likud Party, prompting severe criticisms from within his own Labour Party. His decision to quit party leadership paves the way for a leadership struggle inside labour. Sharon has until March 29 to form a new Government and if he can’t, another election would be held 60 days later. Barak would stay in office until another Government is formed. Sharon’s landslide victory in the elections was seen by many as a repudiation of Barak’s policy of offering far-reaching concessions to the Palestinians for peace. Over 400 people, most of them Palestinians have died since the violence broke out in September following Sharon’s visit to temple mount. (PTI) |
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HK breeder wants stolen dog back, dead or alive HONG KONG, Feb 21: A furious Hong Kong dog breeder has offered a huge reward for the return of his stolen pedigree pet, dead or alive. Michael Leung, who believes his 18-month old Neapolitan Mastiff Anna was stolen by rival breeders, said he will pay a whopping Hong Kong 500,000 dollars (US 64,100 dollars) to anyone who hands over the dog and information on her kidnappers. Leung said he would pay Hong Kong 300,000 dollars even if the dog’s body was returned as long as he could nail down the thieves. "I not only want to find the dog, but I want to tell others that I am determined to find the culprits," Leung told Reuters. Leung said his girlfriend called police after she heard furious barking and saw two men bundling Anna into a van before getting away. Anna, who weighs 59 kg and is one metre tall, was worth 700,000 dollars and was so pure-bred that she was one of only 100 in her class worldwide, Leung said. He said some buyers had already booked to buy her puppies at US 3,500 dollars each. The Neapolitan Mastiff is an old breed from Italy. They were traditionally kept as guard dogs and for hunting. (REUTERS) |
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Indian pilgrim arrives in Mecca on foot MECCA, Feb 21: A 60-year old Indian, who set out for the holy land on foot three years ago, is among 5,77,000 pilgrims from all over the world who have arrived here for the Haj. Haji Muhammad Zafar Kadir, who had walked a distance of 17,000 kms from Dhanbad was among the 9,000 pilgrims who arrived by land, the Saudi Gazette newspaper reported yesterday. Some 5,62,000 other pilgrims arrived by air and 6,000 by sea. Zafar arrived at the Halan border near Riyadh last week and is ready to perform the Haj. He was quoted as saying that he began his arduous journey in May 1998 which took him across Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and finally to Saudi Arabia. "I faced no major problems along the way except for fear of being attacked by wild animals," he said. "I had enough provisions before leaving home. However, they started to dwindle as I proceeded with the journey," he added. (AGENCIES) |
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New drug approach may help heart failure: Studies WASHINGTON, Feb 21: A whole new class of drugs that block a hormone produced by heart failure patients may offer them renewed hope, researchers have said. The drugs stop the effects of a hormone pumped out by blood vessels trying frantically to support the overworked heart. The body’s approach works in the short-term but can damage the heart and circulatory system long-term, the researchers said yesterday. Writing in the American Heart Association journal circulation, two teams of researchers said two separate drug approaches worked to block the hormone, called Endothelin-1. It is not clear whether the drugs make heart failure patients feel any better or live any longer, but the researchers are hopeful. "I think you can be optimistic," Dr. Guillermo Torre-Amione of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Director of the Heart Transplant Program for the Debakey Heart Center, said in a telephone interview. Torre-Amione’s team used a fast-acting, injectable drug called tezosentan, which blocks the receptors, or cellular doorways, used by endothelin-1. He said several drug companies started working to develop such a drug after it was learned that heart failure patients produced too much of the hormone. "When somebody has heart failure, the heart is a little weak and blood pressure drops, so the body compensates for that by releasing hormones that attempt to maintain blood pressure," Torre-Amione said. One of these is Endothelin-1. It constricts the blood vessels, keeping blood going to the brain, but over time forces the heart to pump harder. This in turn strains the heart muscle and it often enlarges. More than 500,000 people in the United States alone have heart failure, and half of them die of it within five years. Many require heart transplants, although treatment with drugs known as ace inhibitors, beta-blockers and even simple diuretics can help patients live a long time. Torre-Amione’s team gave Tezosentan, developed by Swiss researchers at a company called actelion, to 61 patients hospitalised with severe heart failure. The patients were getting standard heart failure treatment and were able to tolerate the Tezosentan without suffering blood pressure that fell too low and without abnormal heart rhythms, Torre-Amione said. A measure of blood flow called cardiac index increased by 24.4 per cent to 49.9 per cent as the dose of Tezosentan increased, while cardiac index increased three per cent in patients given a dummy injection. His team plans to report next month on a group of 280 patients who got the drug in hopes of making them healthier. In a second report in circulation, Dr. Thomas Neunteufl and Dr. Rudolf Berger of the University of Vienna in Austria said they had successful results with one experimental version called LU 135252, made by Germany’s Basf Pharma. Unlike Tezosentan, LU 135252 can be taken in pill form and acts over time, so it might be useful for patients to take at home. Neunteufl’s team reported that 14 out of patients who got the drug had better blood vessel dilation — and thus better blood flow. Endothelin-1 acts on two different receptors called A and B. Tezosentan targets both while LU 135252 targets a companies are trying to determine which form might be better. Actelion is working with US-based Genentech to develop Tezosentan while Basf is working with Myogen, Inc., a Colorado-based biopharmaceutical company, to develop an alternative form of LU 135252 called BSF 208075. (REUTERS) |
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Bangladesh prepares for talks with kidnappers DHAKA, Feb 21: Bangladesh made preparations today for talks with kidnappers who seized two danes and a Briton last week and are holding them for ransom in a remote forest region. An Army intelligence officer said that Government negotiators could leave with mediators as early as this afternoon for a meeting at a secret location in the Chittagong hill tracts, a region bordering India and Myanmar. Officials, meanwhile, said that fresh supplies of food, clothing, rugs and mosquito-nets had been sent to the hostages through go-betweens. "So far they are well," one official said. The intelligence officer said that preparations for the meeting were being kept secret. "This is being arranged with utmost care and amid tight secrecy," he told Reuters, without giving any details. "Mediators are expected to escort Bangladesh Government representatives to a remote place around noon for the likely meeting with the kidnappers," he added. Danes Torben Mikkelsen and Nils Hulgaard and Briton Tim Selby, who were working on a Danish-financed road project in the Chittagong hill tracts, were seized at Guniapara near Rangamati, about 400 km (240 miles) from the capital Dhaka on Friday. Another Briton, David Weston, 56, was taken captive along with a Bangladeshi driver, but freed with a ransom demand for 90 million taka ( 1.6 million). Security officials believe the kidnappers are from a hardline ethnic minority faction opposed to a 1997 peace treaty between tribal Shanti Bahini guerrillas and the Government, ending a 25-year revolt in the hill tracts. The United People’s Democratic Front, blamed by the officials, has denied responsibility. The authorities have rejected the ransom demand and a demand from the kidnappers to withdraw troops from the area. But Dipankar Talukder, a member of Bangladesh Parliament, told reporters in Rangamati yesterday the kidnappers had accepted a Government offer of a face-to-face meeting. "They have agreed to talk... Any place, any time," Talukder said. One official at Rangamati, who declined to be named, said today that details were still being worked out. "We are discussing modalities and noting down all issues that may come up during the talks," he told Reuters. "We are glad that they have agreed to talk but the details of where, when the meeting will take places are still being worked (out)." Security forces have cordoned off a 30-sq-km area near the remote Kalapahar (black hill), where they believe the kidnappers are hiding. The area can only be reached on foot. Buddhist rebels in the hill tracts battled the Government in muslim-majority Bangladesh for greater autonomy for years, but most fighters laid down their arms with a 1997 peace deal. The Danes work for Danish construction consultancy firm Kampsax, based in Copenhagen. Selby works for British-based company, Ross Silcock, specialising in highway safety and management. He was working under contract to Kampsax. (REUTERS) |
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Powell defends Iraq policy; says air patrols to continue WASHINGTON, Feb 21: Secretary of State Colin Powell of patroling Iraq’s air space and said it would continue "as long as we believe that mission is necessary" to contain Iraq’s military ambition. In renewed defiance of the joint US-British patrols in "no fly" zones over southern and northern Iraq, Iraqi air defenses fired surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery at allied planes in the southern zone on Saturday and Sunday, Pentagon officials said yesterday. No planes were hit. In comments to reporters at the State Department, Powell defended Friday’s air strikes against Iraqi air defense installations and said they were required to reduce the threat to allied pilots. Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said the strikes had achieved their purpose of "disrupting and degrading" Iraq’s air defenses, but he said there would be no detailed public assessment of the effectiveness of the attack. To do so could help iraq prepare for any future attacks, he said. Quigley would not say how many or which type of US bombs were dropped. Powell discussed Iraq and other subjects with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who expressed his Government’s "understanding" - but not support - for Friday’s US-British airstrikes. While acknowledging that Iraq has been pursuing weapons of mass destruction in violation of UN Security Council requirements Powell nonetheless defended the policy of containment - a reference to the 10-year effort led by the US and UK to reduce Iraq’s ability to threaten its neighbors. "Containment has been a successful policy, and I think we should make sure that we continue it until such time as Saddam Hussein comes into compliance with the agreements he made at the end of the war," Powell said. "But we have to find ways to do it, to not hurt the Iraqi people." Powell stressed that the Bush administration is reviewing its Iraq policy, and that he intends to discuss the matter this weekend during visits to several Arab countries and to Israel and Belgium, where he will meet with NATO Foreign Ministers. He said the purpose of enforcing "no fly" zones over Iraq is to "keep Iraq from being the aggressor against its own citizens," a reference to minority Kurds in the north and rebellious Shiites in the south. "As long as we believe that mission is necessary, then we’re going to protect our pilots," he said. Quigley said Friday’s attack was in response to indications that Iraq was integrating its air defenses in a way that would give them a better chance of shooting down an allied plane. The bombs were aimed at radars and command and control "nodes" that are part of the air defense network. "We think we had an impact on that," he said. "Was it permanent? no." Later, he said the Pentagon was pleased with the results, even if the bombs were not 100 per cent effective. "It isn’t perfect. It never is." (AP) |
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