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| Miss Ireland is crowned Miss World in China SANYA, CHINA, Dec 7: Nineteen-year-old Miss Ireland, Rosanna Davison, daughter of singer Chris De Burgh, was.....more Pak
hesitant to ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Despite being designated as a "terrorist support organisation" by the United States, the Karachi-based.....more 2
Indian road KABUL, Dec 7: Two Indians working on a US-funded project to reconstruct a highway in Afghanistan have been kidnapped by suspected Taliban guerrillas ......more Human
rights CAIRO, Dec 7: Egypt began the trial of five men it accuses of plotting to overthrow the Government to set up a communist regime, launching a legal.....more |
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Carrefour exec killed in British plane accident LONDON, Dec 7: Three people, including a principal shareholder in the French supermarket giant carrefour, were killed in a plane crash near Oxford ....more 4
hurt in Prague PRAGUE, Dec 7: A 31-metre tall Christmas tree crashed to the ground during a windstorm at a market filled with holiday shoppers in Prague’s....more Eminem
song checked NEW YORK, Dec 7: Secret service agents are taking a closer look at lyrics of shock rapper eminem’s latest song because the words may be a threat to ....more Nigerian
army LAGOS, Dec 6: The Nigerian Army raided a village in the country’s oil-rich south killing at least four people after a fresh round of clashes between rival ....more |
Miss Ireland is crowned Miss World in China SANYA, CHINA, Dec 7: Nineteen-year-old Miss Ireland, Rosanna Davison, daughter of singer Chris De Burgh, was crowned Miss World 2003 in communist China’s first international beauty pageant, an event that would have once been branded a heretical display of western decadence. "I would like to describe myself as a fun-loving yet humble person and hopefully a great Ambassador for my country and for women all around the world," Davison said yesterday when asked to describe her life and character just before the result was announced. Runner-up was Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam, 24. Chinese contestant Qi Guan, a fashion designer, was second runner-up in the country’s third attempt at grabbing the crown. In contrast to last year’s pageant, moved to Britain from Nigeria following Muslim-Christian riots sparked by controversy over the contest, more than 100 beauty Queens displayed their talents on the peaceful, semi-tropical island of Hainan. Showing how far China has come since the 1966-76 cultural revolution, when women could be branded counter-revolutionaries for wearing makeup, officials embraced the contest as a way of boosting Hainan’s image, according to state-run media. Until recently, China banned beauty contests as expressions of decadence but beauty has become big business. Fashion show catwalks grace fancy shopping malls and billboards advertising beauty products and brand names are common. The state-run media recently called 2003 "the first pageant year in China" but local contests have attracted young beauties for the best part of a decade. At least 10 beauty contests were held in the southern city of Guangzhou last year, according to the Xinhua News Agency. China banned beauty pageants after the communists swept to power in 1949 and did not enter the Miss World competition, which started two years later, until 2001. But even with official sanction, the transition to a beauty contest-friendly China has not been all smooth. Last year, police in southern China raided an auditorium during the Miss China contest saying the organisers did not have a permit. The pageant was quietly allowed to continue and the winner, Zhuo Ling, went on to become second runner-up at the Miss Universe finals in Puerto Rico. China, an economic giant striving to raise its profile in ways other than hosting the summer olympics in 2008, has its sights on other beauty contests. The web site of the communist party’s sober-minded mouthpiece, the people’s daily, recently reported the Miss International competition would be held in China next year. (AGENCIES) |
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Pak hesitant to curb activities of outfit linked to Al-Qaeda ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Despite being designated as a "terrorist support organisation" by the United States, the Karachi-based Al-Akhtar trust, allegedly having a nexus with Al-Qaeda, continues its work unhindered as the Pakistan Government appears hesitant to impose any restrictions on its activities. "The entire operations of the trust are being carried out in a normal routine and from the same platform. We are not afraid of anyone except god and we are not going to change the name of the trust," Zahid Ahmed Khan, Al-Akhtar’s director of the administration told Pakistan’s ‘The Herald’. Two days before declaring Dawood Ibrahim as a global terrorist, the US treasury department designated the Al-Akhtar trust as a designated terrorist support outfit and froze its all bank accounts on October 14, claiming that the activities of the organisation revealed "dangerous alliance between corrupt charities and the terrorists". The US claimed that the Al-Akhtar provided support to the Al-Qaeda in carrying out its activities. "We will not be deterred by the US decision and keep serving poor, needy and helpless people. We have not been approached by any provincial or federal Government officials and are working freely without any official restrictions," Mr Zahid said. However, he claimed that all six foreign and local currency accounts with the Habib bank and the Muslim Commercial Bank were frozen on May 12 this year. The trust has challenged the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision in this regard. He refuted allegations that the Al-Akhtar was the frontal organisation of the banned Al-Rasheed Trust. The annual budget of the trust, which has regional offices in Gilgit, Tando, Jan Mohammad and other places, runs into millions of rupees. The US claimed that the Al-Akhtar secretly treated wounded Al-Qaeda fighters in its medical centres in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It quoted a senior Al-Qaeda detainee revealing that Al-Akhtar and Al-Rasheed Trusts were the primary relief agencies for Al-Qaeda to move its supplies to Kandahar. When Al-Qaeda members fled from Kandahar, these organisations provided financial assistance to the family members of the members of the terrorist organisation, the Herald said. (UNI) |
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2 Indian road workers abducted in Afghanistan KABUL, Dec 7: Two Indians working on a US-funded project to reconstruct a highway in Afghanistan have been kidnapped by suspected Taliban guerrillas in the same area where a Turkish engineer was abducted in October, an official said. The men were were abducted in Shah joy district of Zabul province yesterday afternoon while they were out shopping, Zabul Police Chief Haji Mohammad Ayoub told . "They were picked up by suspected Taliban along with three Afghan colleagues who were released and informed the authorities about the kidnapping," he said. "Efforts are underway to trace the Indians and their captors." News of the abduction comes a week after Turkish engineer Hassan Onal was released by Taliban kidnappers following a month in captivity having been abducted on the same Kabul-Kandahar road project. (AGENCIES) |
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Human rights groups slam Egypt communist trial CAIRO, Dec 7: Egypt began the trial of five men it accuses of plotting to overthrow the Government to set up a communist regime, launching a legal process that human rights groups have called an attack on political freedom. "The defendants led an illegal group aiming to topple the Government and set up an extreme communist regime," the prosecutor said yesterday at the start of the trial, held in an emergency court under heavy security. Only one of the five, Ashraf Ibrahim, appeared in court with the remaining four at large. All are human right activists and were also charged with giving false information about Egypt to foreign human rights groups. Ibrahim pleaded not guilty to the charges, which lawyers said could carry a jail sentence of up to 15 years. Amnesty international said in a statement: "The trial of these five men is a pretext to punish them for criticising Government policies." joe Stork of New-York based human rights watch said: "If President (Hosni) Mubarak’s talk of democratic reform meant anything, the Government would halt these proceedings immediately and release Ashraf Ibrahim from detention." Some human rights activists have said the five were arrested and charged because of their participation in demonstrations opposing the Iraq war and in support of the Palestinians. Emergency laws in place since Muslim militants killed ex-President Anwar Sadat in 1981 allow Egypt to try civilians in military courts, which human rights groups say deny defendants a fair trial. Egypt usually refers those it accuses of Muslim militancy to military tribunals and state security emergency courts, but it rarely does so with secular defendants. (AGENCIES) |
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Carrefour exec killed in British plane accident LONDON, Dec 7: Three people, including a principal shareholder in the French supermarket giant carrefour, were killed in a plane crash near Oxford when the light aircraft attempted to land, police and sources said. Paul-Louis Halley, 69, cofounder of the distribution group Promodes, was killed in the accident, a source close to the family said. His wife and the pilot of the small plane were also killed, the source said yesterday. The plane is believed to have been trying to land at Kidlington airport in Oxfordshire in central England when it crashed into a field, the spokeswoman said. "The plane crashed as it was coming into the airport," she said. "We can confirm that three people died. There are no survivors." French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin remembered him as a "brilliant personality" in the French world of business. In 1961, Halley cofounded the Promodes group with his brother and his father. In 1962, he opened his first supermarket before developing the supermarkets champion, followed by the hypermarkets continent and the convenience stores shopi. Named President of the board of Promodes in 1972, he was behind the 1999 merger of Carrefour/Promodes with Daniel Bernard, the chairman of Carrefour. The firm is now the world’s second-largest supermarket group. Harley was born on September 11, 1934, in Cherbourg. He was the father of three children. (AGENCIES) |
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4 hurt in Prague Christmas market as tree falls PRAGUE, Dec 7: A 31-metre tall Christmas tree crashed to the ground during a windstorm at a market filled with holiday shoppers in Prague’s ancient old town Square injuring four people. Prague rescue officials said yesterday a gust of wind snapped the tree, sending it plunging down into the stalls of several vendors at the market. Marek Uhlir, a spokesman for the Prague rescue department, said two people suffered broken bones when the tree landed on them, while two others, including a child, had cuts and bruises. (AGENCIES) |
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Eminem song checked by secret service NEW YORK, Dec 7: Secret service agents are taking a closer look at lyrics of shock rapper eminem’s latest song because the words may be a threat to US President George W Bush, media reports have said. The lyrics reportedly say "I don’t rap for dead presidents. I‘d rather see the president dead." the term "dead Presidents" stands for money in the US as dollar bills feature past Presidents. The song, "we are American", has yet to be released, but lyrics popped up on fan websites. A spokesman for eminem, Dennis Dennehy, said yesterday on CNN that the lyrics were not meant as a threat to Bush. He added that the song was not completed and that the lyrics had either been lost or stolen. It was not clear if the song would be released in the future. Eminem, a Grammy and Oscar winner, is notorious for controversial lyrics in his songs. (DPA) |
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Nigerian army raids village after ethnic clashes LAGOS, Dec 6: The Nigerian Army raided a village in the country’s oil-rich south killing at least four people after a fresh round of clashes between rival communities, sources from the ethnic Ijaw group said. "Between two and four (in the afternoon) Itsekiri youths went in a convoy of 36 speedboats to launch an attack on the Ijaw community of Ojudorgbene," local human rights activist Joel Bisina told yesterday. "Following that attack a military helicopter went to another community known as Ububarakiu and opened fire... And killed four people." A local official from the Itsekiri ethnic group said there had been "some fighting and some killings" but could not provide further information. Military officials were not available for comment. Daniel Ekpebide, a member of the militant group federated niger delta Ijaw communities, put the death toll from the ethnic clashes and the army raid much higher, at a minimum of 50. "We are not going to fold our arms and watch the Itsekiri people kill us," he said, adding that the Itsekiris had threatened further attacks in the area. The southern Niger delta has seen an upsurge of violence since March, when Ijaws launched a rebellion against Itsekiris, the army and oil multinationals. At its height the rebellion cut off around 40 percent of oil production capacity in Nigeria, the world’s seventh largest exporter and a major supplier to the United States. Ten percent of capacity remains shut off by the unrest. (AGENCIES) |
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Iran says committed to agreement on nuclear checks TEHRAN, Dec 7: Iran today stressed it was committed to signing an international agreement binding it to intrusive, snap inspections of its nuclear facilities. Iran was expected to sign the additional protocol shortly after the board of Governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month and its failure to do so has led to some concern it may be stalling. "We have agreed to sign the additional protocol. For us that is definite," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news conference today. Asefi said the agreement was under discussion at cabinet level but did not give an expected date for when the agreement would be signed. The IAEA board last month strongly condemned Iran for an 18-year cover-up of sensitive nuclear research, including activities which could point to a weapons programme. Iran flatly denies any intention to build nuclear arms. Under concerted international pressure to allay concerns about its nuclear programme, Iran provided in october a detailed report on its atomic facilities, agreed to sign the additional protocol and said it would suspend uranium enrichment temporarily. Diplomats said on Friday the European Union was waiting for Iran to make good on its promises before resuming talks on a lucrative trade deal with Tehran. (AGENCIES) More than half of australians are obese -study MELBOURNE, Dec 7: Fifty-six per cent of Australian adults and 27 per cent of children are obese because they eat too much and exercise too little, a study found today. About 9 million Australians over the age of 18 are overweight and childhood obesity rivals north American levels and exceeds those of Britain, the medical journal of Australia said. Combined with inactivity and poor nutrition, obesity is responsible for at least 10 per cent of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and cancers, making the health effects as bad as those of tobacco, the journal said. In a separate study, it said Australian women spent a total of 414 million Austrlian dollars (306 million dollars) each year in their quest to slim, with some women spending more than 3,000 Australian dollars annually. Annual expenditure on commercial weight loss programs, gyms, fitness equipment, personal trainers, weight loss pills, slimming products and meal replacements averaged a 441 per woman. Yet all their efforts seem to be in vain as obesity rates continue to rise, the journal said. Bigger portions, cheaper processed foods, and heavy marketing of takeaway foods and soft drinks are among the factors driving obesity in Australia. (AGENCIES) Chechens turn out large in Russian Duma elections MOSCOW, Dec 7: Amid tight security, Chechen voters are turning out in large numbers in the break-away Republic of Chechnya to elect a new Government, as polling at 94,000 stations for the state Duma elections, in 11 time zones across Russia began early today. "Chechnya’s all polling stations have been provided with necessary equipment for smooth conduct of the elections, including communication, transport and round-the-clock beefed up security," Chechnya’s Election Commission Chief Abdulkerim Arsakhanov told Itar-Tass. "Security has been beefed up to prevent any untoward incident," he said. Twenty-three parties and blocks have fielded about 3,000 candidates, for the 450-seat Duma, the lower house of Russian Parliament. Under Rrussia’s complicated electoral system, half of the Duma’s seats are allotted by countrywide voting for party lists, the other half go to the winners of first-past-the-post local constituency races. Low voter turn out was reported in the first few hours in Russia’s far east region, state television said. Far east Governor Sergei Darkin was first to cast his vote at one of the Vladivostok’s polling station. Pro-Kremlin United Russia Party, Communist Party are the front-runners in these elections. According to opinion polls, United Russia was expected to win a clear majority, as Russian President Vladimir Putin was backing it to the hilt. Communists are almost certain to retain the second position but pollsters have predicted a reduction in the number of their seats in the new Duma. Russia’s central Election Commission Chairman Alexander Veshnyakov said that the elections preliminary results were expected early tomorrow. The Duma elections are considered as a dress rehearsal for the coming Presidential elections, next March, in which Putin will face his arch rival communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. (UNI) Shimon criticises Israeli leadership for failed peace initiatives JERUSALEM, Dec 7: Nobel laureate and former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, ruing the loss of two opportunities that could have saved the country from the present spate of violence, has slammed the Likud leadership for their obsession with the settlements in West Bank and Gaza strip. Dubbing them the "great mistakes", he said the first opportunity came following the victory of Israel in the six day war in 1967 which could have been exploited to make peace with Egypt and Jordan. The lack of foresight of the then leadership has led Israel paying a big price till date, Mr Peres is reported to have said in a newspaper colomn. The military victory could have been converted into a political victory if Israel "invested the necessary energy in making peace with Egypt after Nasser’s death, and with Egypt before the Yom Kippur war". This according to him would have probably avoided the Kippur war and achieved a "different kind of peace accord than we got at camp David". Peres says that with Ben-Gurion at the helm of affairs the "lifeless words" of then leadership which were like "freight cars" without "real engine" could have been avoided. Ben-Gurion had been by then reduced to the stature of a statesman, though he continued to be active in politics, whose words did not carry any meaning. Discussions with Egypt would have led to peace with Jordan and King Hussein would have "managed" the Palestinian issue. This he says was proved in the agreement he reached with King Hussein in London in 1987 which was thwarted by then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, whose supporters, Peres say, regret it till this day. (UNI) |
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