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| French open Afghan Military Staff College KABUL, Feb 14: France opened a Military Staff College in Afghanistan today, the latest step in efforts to get the country’s.....more 4 Pak boys
lodged FARIDKOT, Feb 14: Four of the seven teenaged Pakistani boys, languishing in the local juvenile jail for nearly three years.....more US soldier
killed, 9 KHOST, AFGHANISTAN, Feb 14: At least two Afghans and a US soldier were killed and 15 people wounded yesterday......more NYC plan
would NEW YORK, Feb 14: Would grouchy New Yorkers be willing to pay a little more for their cafe latte to help the city earn......more |
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Secret windows source code loose on internet REDMOND, WASHINGTON, Feb 14: Parts of the secret source code underlying microsoft corp.’s windows NT and......more N Korea
atomic WASHINGTON, Feb 14: A key covert north Korean nuclear program may be more advanced than the United States had.....more More
records on WASHINGTON, Feb 14: The White House said it has received additional documents.....more Bush
agrees WASHINGTON, Feb 14: The White House said that President George W Bush had agreed....more |
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French open Afghan Military Staff College KABUL, Feb 14: France opened a Military Staff College in Afghanistan today, the latest step in efforts to get the country’s fledgling National Army off the ground. The Afghan National Army is considered vital to the long-term security of the war-ravaged country, but building it from scratch since the overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001 has been a slow process. The 750,000 dollars training centre for officers is patterned on the French model and was set up by the French military in a rebuilt building on the edge of Kabul. "We are starting with 60 officers doing a four-month course," said Deputy Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak. "We realise the need for deploying the Afghan National Army to help the political stability spread," he told reporters after an opening ceremony for the Staff College. Courses include logistics, communications and operations. "We are teaching the officers how to analyse the war field," Wardak said. Nearly 10,000 soldiers have been trained so far for the National Army, but the force has seen hundreds of desertions because of low pay and tough conditions. The goal is an Army of 70,000 soldiers. But Wardak said the desertion problem was tied to the quality of recruiting and the problem had been solved. "There is the normal wear and tear, plus a lot of volunteers were not medically qualified," he said. "The rate of desertion has declined considerably, and in some battalions it is close to zero." The United States and other nations in the 11,500-strong US-led coalition in Afghanistan have been helping to develop the National Army to take the place of regional militias loyal to provincial warlords. The National Army launched its first major combat operation last July and has carried out several more since, sweeping areas of the country for Islamic militants fighting the US-backed Government. General elections set for June have added urgency to the need for security in a country racked by war for more than three decades. Besides the US-led force hunting for Al-Qaeda members and remnants of the Taliban, about 6,400 NATO-led troops are stationed in Kabul to maintain security. (AGENCIES) |
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4 Pak boys lodged in Faridkot jail to be released shortly FARIDKOT, Feb 14: Four of the seven teenaged Pakistani boys, languishing in the local juvenile jail for nearly three years, would be repatriated to their home towns on February 17 following Islamabad’s decision in this regard. Confirming the directions received from the Central Government ordering their release, SSP Kulwinder Singh said that all the four boys will be taken to Wagah border on February 17 for handing them over to Pakistani authorities. The nod from the Pakistani Government regarding their repatriation was delayed by five months after their release orders by the Indian Government on September 25. The boys to be released are Babar Ali, son of Gulam Ali resident of Attari Aki, Amjad Khan, son of Yaqoob Khan in district Sheikhupura, Sagar Ali son of Din Mohammad and Sabar Ali, son of Mohammad Asrif both of Qasur. On hearing about their imminent return, the four fortunate boys appealed for the speedy release of their three colleagues — Altaf Shah, Nasser Ali and Asif — whose release orders were issued by India in September but were not cleared by the Pakistan High Commission on October 3 last at New Delhi for want of proper identification. The Border Security Force had nabbed the Pakistani boys for straying into Indian territory from different sectors of the borders over the years.(PTI) |
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US soldier killed, 9 wounded in Afghan attack KHOST, AFGHANISTAN, Feb 14: At least two Afghans and a US soldier were killed and 15 people wounded yesterday in separate incidents in Afghanistan, police and the US military said. The US central command said a US soldier was killed and nine others wounded by a mine near Ghazni. The incident was under investigation and no further details were available. In Khost, at least two Afghans were killed and six wounded in an explosion at a Government military post near the former Taliban stronghold in southeastern Afghanistan, police said. The blast came hours after more than 20 rockets landed near Khost’s airport, where US-led forces are based, they said. It was the biggest single rocket attack since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, but US military Spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan Hilferty reported no casualties. "There were no coalition casualties," he said in a statement. Coalition forces returned fire with artillery and precision-guided bombs but "at this time there is no indication of anti-coalition militia casualties", Hilferty said. The attacks in Khost are the latest in a wave of incidents which more than 550 people have been killed in the last six months, mostly in southern and eastern Afghanistan where the Taliban militia remnants are most active. The incidents came two days after Khost’s Deputy Intelligence Chief was shot dead by a suspected Taliban militant who then blew himself up to avoid being arrested. Khost used to be part of the heartland of the Taliban, overthrown by US-led troops for harbouring Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network. US soldiers in Khost, part of the 10,600-strong American-led force hunting Al-Qaeda and remnants of the Taliban, regularly come under rocket attacks and ambushes, most of which are ineffective. (AGENCIES) |
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NYC plan would ask more bang from your starbucks NEW YORK, Feb 14: Would grouchy New Yorkers be willing to pay a little more for their cafe latte to help the city earn some extra income? That’s one measure on the table in the independent budget office’s latest proposals to increase city revenues unveiled on Thursday. It estimates that 10 cents more per cup of latte would add some 12 million dollars to the city’s bottom line. "One could see it as relatively progressive since you would think if someone pays 2.50 dollars for a coffee they could probably afford the extra 10 cents," IBO Spokesman Doug Turetsky said. Residents of Seattle, the nation’s coffee capital and home of starbucks, overwhelmingly rejected a similar tax last year. Other suggestions for boosting revenues include reducing the number of holidays for city workers and making school teachers work for one extra class period per day — both likely to run into massive opposition from unions. The 76-page list of budget-enhancing options also lays out the possible creation of a new income bracket for the very wealthy, to be taxed at a higher rate. "We’re not saying ‘do this,’ we’re saying, ‘here’s some ideas, here are the pros and the cons,"’ said Turetsky. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office seemed to find more cons than pros with the IBO’s ideas. "The city has as much chance of capturing revenues from these proposals as it does from going out and buying 50,000 lottery tickets," said Spokesman Jordan Barowitz. (AGENCIES) |
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Secret windows source code loose on internet REDMOND, WASHINGTON, Feb 14: Parts of the secret source code underlying microsoft corp.’s windows NT and windows 2000 operating systems has been leaked on the internet. Microsoft confirmed in a statement Thursday that it was investigating the postings of its closely guarded intellectual property and is working with law enforcement authorities to find out how the code got out. The statement said microsoft was taking the release of the source code "very seriously". It does not appear that the leak is the result of any breach of microsoft’s corporate network or internal security, the company said, adding that there was no known impact on customers. Microsoft has no information on the source of the leak. While windows code running on a PC is all compiled code, source code is pre-compiled code in the form of lines of text. It can be compiled into code that computers can understand. There is concern that the release of the windows source code could result in a host of new attacks on systems running windows 2000 and windows NT because it would make it easier for hackers to find holes in the operating systems. (DPA) |
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N Korea atomic program may be more advanced :US WASHINGTON, Feb 14: A key covert north Korean nuclear program may be more advanced than the United States had believed, US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly said on Friday, based on a recent confession by a Pakistani scientist that he sold nuclear technology to Pyongyang. " The recent confession of Pakistan’s A Q Khan suggests that if anything, the North Korean heu program is of longer duration and more advanced than we had assessed," Kelly said. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear arms program, said this month he had sold nuclear secrets to North Korea, Libya and Iran. The current crisis was triggered in October 2002 when the United States confronted North Korea about a secret program for enriching uranium, which can produce fuel for nuclear bombs. The North Koreans at first acknowledged the program in private talks, according to US officials, but has since denied the program’s existence. "We are confident that our intelligence in this matter is well-founded," Kelly said in a speech yesterday two weeks before the start of a new round of six-party talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis. Kelly reiterated Washington’s long-standing insistence that it will accept nothing less than the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all of North Korea’s nuclear programs. (AGENCIES) |
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More records on Bush guard service under review WASHINGTON, Feb 14: The White House said it has received additional documents on US President George W Bush’s service in the air national guard during the Vietnam war and was reviewing them for possible release. The White House has been trying this week to answer election-year charges by democrats that the republican President Shirked Vietnam war-era military duties and released records of a 1973 dental exam to show he was on duty in Alabama. "I think we just very recently received some additional documents, but I’m not sure if any of those documents are new. We’re going to take a look at those," said White House Spokesman Scott Mcclellan. "And if there’s new information relevant to the issue, then we will certainly provide you with that information." trying to nullify democratic charges that Bush was awol during part of his air national guard service, the White House on Wednesday put out a copy of a Jan 6, 1973, dental exam complete with a chart of Bush’s teeth that was performed when Bush was at the dannelly air national guard base in Alabama. Bush said on Sunday he would provide records on his service as a jet pilot for the Texas air national guard. The dental exam was the second release of documents by the White House, which has been put on the defensive by the democrats. The bush team on Monday had released pay and service records and hoped that would quell the controversy by showing that Bush had met his duties. (AGENCIES) |
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Bush agrees to meeting with 9/11 panel WASHINGTON, Feb 14: The White House said that President George W Bush had agreed to meet privately with members of the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to answer their questions but declined to give public testimony. The Commission Chairman, Thomas Kean, and the Vice Chairman, Lee Hamilton, had pressed the White House for a public discussion of intelligence he received prior to the attacks. The White House said it did not feel public testimony would be needed. "While the (Commission) chair and Vice Chair have suggested the possibility of a public session at a later time, we believe the President can provide all the requested information in the private meeting, and there is no need for any additional testimony," the White House said in a statement yesterday. (AGENCIES) |
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Taiwan’s Chen to form task force on China ties TAIPEI, Feb 14: Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bian plans to set up a task force to promote peace with China and appoint an envoy to the mainland after Presidential elections next month, a statement issued by Chen’s office said today. Chen, facing a tough re-election, said a nine-member Presidential task force would be formed after the March 20 poll to promote what he called a framework for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. More than half of the team members would come from the private sector, including representatives from the business, cultural and academic areas, Chen told Japan’s Kyodo news agency in an interview yesterday. "We plan to introduce members of the task force after March 20 and hope to decide Taiwan’s representative to be stationed in China before May 20," a transcript issued by the President’s office quoted Chen as saying, A new President formally takes office on May 20. Chen has come under fire at home and abroad for plans to hold a contentious referendum alongside the Presidential election. Chen says the referendum would ask voters whether Taiwan should buy more anti-missile weapons if China refused to withdraw 496 missiles pointed at the island, and if Taipei should open talks with Beijing to set up a framework for peaceful ties. China regards self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory and has been angered by the referendum plan, which it sees as a step towards independence and says could lead to war. Some countries including Taipei’s main supporter, the United States, have criticised Chen’s move. Earlier this month, Chen called on China to set up a Demilitarised Zone (DMC) between the bitter rivals and swap envoys, but the peace overtures have so far fallen on deaf ears. Chen told the Japanese agency he did not rule out the possibility of letting the United States, Japan or other international organisations take part in a committee to monitor operations in the DMZ in the future. Talks between Taiwan and China, foes since the end of the Chinese civil war 55 years ago, have been frozen since 1999, but trade is booming and Taiwan companies are estimated to have invested 100 billion dollars in the mainland. The latest poll by the mass circulation united daily news showed 41 per cent would vote for opposition Presidential candidate Lien Chan, compared with 37 per cent for Chen. Chen and Lien face off later today in the island’s first ever Presidential debate. (AGENCIES) Cervical cancer screening targets 1 million women SINGAPORE, Feb 14: Nearly 1 million women will benefit from a subsidized cervical cancer screening programme going into effect later this year, Singapore health officials said today. With prevention in the spotlight following the death of Hong Kong star Anita Mui from cervical cancer, women between 25 and 64 will be receiving letters from the health promotion board advising them to go for a pap smear. The board said it will subsidize half of the cost at polyclinics, leaving each patient with a bill of only 15 Singapore dollars (8.8 US dollars). The death of Mui on December 30 - and reports focusing on how earlier treatment might have saved her life - have made women more aware of the need for regular screening to improve their chances for early diagnosis and treatment. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Singapore, with between 200 and 250 new cases each year. About 90 women die annually. If detected and treated early, doctors said the cure rate is near 100 per cent. Once the board’s programme is underway, "we will have a database of women who are eligible to go, and we will follow them up," said Dr Lam Sian Lian. Reminders will be sent every three years, saying, "it is time to go again," added Lam, the board’s Chief Executive Officer. Death rates from cervical cancer are declining but remain lower than in developed countries, Lam said. (DPA) China executes man who killed 67 people BEIJING, Feb 14: China today executed one of its worst serial killers, a man who murdered 67 people and raped two dozen women in a four-year crime spree. Yang Xinhai, 38, was put to death less than two weeks after a court in the central province of henan handed down his sentence, state television said. Yang had not appealed against the sentence, the report said. The school dropout used tools such as an iron hammer or a meat cleaver to murder entire families during his rampage across four provinces. Yang previously served two stints in labour camps for other crimes, and turned to murder after his release in 1999. China, which has viewed itself as largely free of the violent crime that grabs headlines in the west, has seen several serial killings in recent months. In December, a migrant worker was sentenced to death for killing 17 teenage boys in his home, and a garbage man received the same sentence for killing 10 competitors. In a separate report today, the China news service said a Court in the southern province of hunan had sentenced to death a temporary school worker who put rat poison in a tub of cake mix last June because he was angry over a lowering of benefits. When the mix was used in September, it sickened 161 people, the agency said, adding that while no one had died, 26 people were still in hospital. (AGENCIES) |
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