|
|
Karzai win gives chance to cleanse Afghan Government KABUL, Nov 4: Incumbent Hamid Karzai was declared the winner of last month’s Afghan Presidential election and now faces the task of forming a .....more Bush
reaches out to WASHINGTON, Nov 4: US President George W Bush has described his winning a second term in office as a chance to reach out to the whole nation .....more New UAE President appreciates Kalam’s gesture ABU DHABI, Nov 4: UAE’s new President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan .....more Old
battles await BOSTON, Nov 4: Life will be at once different and familiar for John Kerry. The crowds, motorcades and media entourage will be gone, but a new US senate session and some old battles await. . .......more |
|
Musician urges parents to tune in to Mozart effect LONDON, Nov 4: Mozart started listening to music before he was born — and by the age of four was already beginning to compose his own. .....more Indian
Americans NEW YORK, Nov 4: The Indian American community in the US has welcomed the re-election of President.....more Software Honchos Sanguine as pro-outsourcing Bush triumphs BANGALORE, Nov 4: Just six months ago the Indian software industry appeared ...more Refugees from Ugandan war say world has forgot them LALOGI CAMP, NORTHERN UGANDA, Nov 4: Natalia lariang survives on handouts in one of scores of refugee camps ....more |
 |
||
|
Karzai win gives chance to cleanse Afghan Government KABUL, Nov 4: Incumbent Hamid Karzai was declared the winner of last month’s Afghan Presidential election and now faces the task of forming a Government minus the warlords and drug runners who tainted his last cabinet. For the past three years Karzai has led an interim Government installed after US and Afghan resistance forces overthrew the Taliban militia in late 2001 for refusing to handover Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. But Karzai’s second cabinet will look very different from his first if he sticks to his word that he will not be forming coalitions with main rivals, characterised as regional strongmen who rely on ethnic loyalties and private militias. The advent of democracy in the Islamic country after two decades of war was hailed by President George W Bush as a foreign policy success as he campaigned for re-election himself. State department spokesman Richard Boucher echoed that view on the day Bush also won, congratulating US-backed Karzai. "Everyone involved has much to be proud of in bringing Afghanistan to this point, just three years after the end of a quarter-century of war and repression," he said. Zakim Shah, head of the UN-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), declared Karzai the winner of Afghanistan’s first election of a leader through a direct ballot, saying he had won 55.4 percent of the vote. "The JEMB ... Announces his excellency Hamid Karzai the winner of the first election for a President of Afghanistan," Shah said in a broadcast to the nation. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulated Karzai and wished him well in addressing the challenges that "still remain in Afghanistan’s path to lasting peace, stability and economic recovery," promising UN support towards "peaceful and secure conditions in Afghanistan," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said. Karzai will be inaugurated at the end of this month, but his triumph has been soured by the kidnapping last week of three un election officials. Yesterday, an Islamist militant group that has threatened to kill the Filipino diplomat and women from northern Ireland and Kosovo extended a deadline for its demands to be met as negotiations continued with Karzai’s Government. The group demanded authorities release all Taliban prisoners in US custody in Afghanistan and Guantanamo bay by 0730 gmt yesterday, but extended the deadline until 0930 gmt on Friday. Armed with a mandate from the people, Karzai can now form a cabinet of his own choosing, though his choices will have to be ratified once the National Assembly is established after Parliamentary elections due in April. "The coming Government should not be formed according to the vote. We should have a new formula to achieve national reconciliation in Afghanistan, security and political stability," former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who supported Karzai and remains an influential figure, told . Rabbani’s own Government disintegrated in a civil war that paved the way for the Taliban militia to take over the country in the mid-1990s. He is now a strong advocate of Karzai’s disarmament policies so long as former Mujahideen fighters are retrained or given pensions to reward their sacrifices. Karzai’s victory was never in doubt, but counting the votes from the Oct 9 poll took several weeks and a three-man panel had to investigate allegations of vote fraud. "There were fewer problems on election day than many experts had expected," Craig Jenness, the Canadian member of the panel, read from the conclusion of their report. The panel made several implicit criticisms of the election commission, remarking on opposition candidates’ lack of trust in the body, and it put a priority on taking an audit of the voter register before Parliamentary elections due in April. Karzai is dependent on nearly 28,000 US and NATO troops to guarantee security and fight an insurgency in southern provinces by remnants of the Taliban. A US-trained Afghan national army is in the making. Now more than 15,000-strong, the plan is for a force of 70,000 troops by 2007. (AGENCIES) |
|
Bush reaches out to "whole nation" WASHINGTON, Nov 4: US President George W Bush has described his winning a second term in office as a chance to reach out to the whole nation and said the country was entering a season of hope. "America has spoken," Bush said in his acceptance speech before flag-waving supporters, "and I am humbled by the trust and confidence of my fellow citizens." He promised he would do his best to fulfil his duty every day he is President. "A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation. We have one country, one constitution, and one future that binds us, and when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America." Bush congratulated the American people for showing strength and courage. "Our people have restored the vigour of this economy and shown resolve and patience in a new kind of war. Our military has brought justice to the enemy and honour to America. Our nation has defended itself and served the freedom of all mankind." "Because we have done the hard work," he said, "we are entering a season of hope." Outlining his agenda for the next four years, the President said "we will continue our economic progress, reform the outdated tax code, strengthen social security for the next generation, we will make public schools all they can be, we will uphold the deepest values of family and faith." On the foreign policy front, Bush said "we will help the emerging democracies of Iraq and Afghanistan so they can grow in strength and defend their freedom." Referring to senator John Kerry, who conceded defeat in a telephonic conversation with the President earlier yesterday, Bush said "we had a really good, fine call. He was very gracious." Offering the democratic Presidential candidate and his family his best wishes, Bush said Kerry "waged a spirited campaign and he and his supporters can be proud of their efforts." (PTI) |
|
New UAE President appreciates Kalam’s gesture ABU DHABI, Nov 4: UAE’s new President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has said that his country valued its special relationship with India and appreciated President A P J Abdul Kalam’s gesture in personally coming here to express condolences over the death of his father and predecessor Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Khalifa, who took over as President in a smooth transition of power last night, made the comment when Kalam met him at the Al-Bateen palace here to express condolences over the demise of his father. During the meeting, Kalam recalled his recent visit to the UAE when he was impressed by the economic transformation brought about by Sheikh Zayed and said he recited ‘Sura Yaseen’, the verses from holy Quran which one says on losing someone near and dear to him, when he heard about the UAE President’s demise. UAE Prime Minister and Vice President and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was also present during the meeting. "I came here to pay tributes to a great soul on behalf of people of India and my Government. Sheikh Zayed Marhoom was indeed the founder of UAE. More than anything he was a great human being and architech and a visionary who built UAE from humble beginnings to the present prosperous state. He nurtured and developed this soil as a passion," Kalam later told a gathering of the Indian community. "After my visit to UAE in October 2003 I received a letter from him (Sheikh Zayed) and his thoughts are still fresh in my mind. I was asking myself what made the great soul of UAE Sheikh Zayed to dream and have a vision. I got an answer that a visionary always loves his people and country," Kalam told the 150-strong audience at a condolence function organised by the Indian embassy. 56-year-old Sheikh Khalifa, who was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Emirate and deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the eldest son of Sheikh Zayed. UAE Federal Council, comprising the leaders of the seven Emirates of the oil-rich UAE, unanimously elected Sheikh Khalifa, who was also the head of Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Patroleum Council, as UAE President. Sheikh Zayed, ruler of UAE since 1971 and one of the longest serving rulers of the Arab world, was laid to rest last night as the nation mourned the death of a statesman who turned a desert state into an oasis of prosperity in just three decades. Kalam’s visit underscored India’s perception of Sheikh Zayed as a moderate and wise voice of the Arab world as well as a close friend of India, and stressed India’s commitment to continue close political ties with the new leadership. The President was accompanied by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan and Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed when he met Sheikh Khalifa, official sources said. Several world leaders, including Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Saudi Crown Prince Abdulla Bin Abdul Aziz and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad attended the funeral of Sheikh Zayed at the Sheikh Zayed grand Mosque here last night. (PTI) |
|
Old battles await Kerry back in senate BOSTON, Nov 4: Life will be at once different and familiar for John Kerry. The crowds, motorcades and media entourage will be gone, but a new US senate session and some old battles await. In the last Hurrah of a two-year, back-from-the-dead campaign to unseat President George W Bush, the democratic challenger stood before tearful family, staff, volunteers and friends yesterday and lamented: "I wish, I wish, you don’t know how much I wish, I could have brought this race home." In Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall, beneath a painting of John Quincy Adams with a brass plaque declaring "liberty and union now and forever," the Massachusetts senator called for healing in America but vowed to fight on for the principles he brought to his White House bid — health care, middle class tax cuts and a sensible foreign policy. Kerry now takes that battle back to the US senate, where he has served since 1984 and has another four years left of his current term. "In the years ahead, I am going to fight on for the principles and people of Massachusetts," he said. "I’m proud of what we stood for in this campaign and of what we accomplished." When the end comes for Presidential candidates, it comes quickly. Less than 24 hours ago, Kerry and his staff were ebullient, upbeat at the prospect of winning and oblivious to the cool drizzle that threatened their outdoor victory celebration. But as a blustery and sunny Wednesday dawned, they were wondering, "What now?" Kerry telephoned Bush in late morning and conceded. By 2 p.m. Local time, he left his home in Boston’s exclusive beacon hill with family and friends in a motorcade of a dozen or more vehicles trailing three van loads of media. Ten minutes later, he delivered a gracious and heartfelt concession speech and, within the hour, three black Suv’s deposited him and his party back at his townhouse. The custom outfitted red, white and blue boeing 757 emblazoned with Kerry’s name and campaign logo "the real deal" prepared to fly staff back to Washington. It will be stripped, refitted and used to ferry oil executives around central Asia. The beefy men in dark suits and earpieces will disappear soon. As a former Presidential nominee, Kerry will not rate around-the-clock secret service protection. The confetti and balloons have dropped for the last time. He will not bound onto the senate floor to the beat of Bruce Springsteen’s "no surrender." Crowds will not be parted nor traffic stopped. The sirens have fallen silent. "I did my best to express my vision and my hopes for America," Kerry said. "We worked hard and we fought hard, and I wish that things had turned out a little differently." After a long and divisive election — in which he was first the democrats’ best hope for victory and then declared a sure loser only to claw his way back into contention — Kerry urged Americans to find "common cause." "We must join in common effort, without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancour, he said. "America is in need of unity and longing for a larger measure of compassion." But Kerry signaled to Bush that he would not give up the fight and gave subtle notice of his intention to hold the President’s feet to the same fires that divided them during the campaign. "I believe that what we started in this campaign will not end here," he said. "Now, more than ever, with our soldiers in harm’s way, we must stand together and succeed in Iraq and win the war on terror ... Our fight goes on to put America back to work and to make our economy a great engine of job growth." Trying to console his devastated staff, Kerry told a sea of anguished faces: "When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race ... But we stood for real change and we defined that choice to America." "I’m ok," said Adviser Joe Lockhart, a veteran democratic operative who worked for former President Bill Clinton. "Been here before." (AGENCIES) |
|
Musician urges parents to tune in to Mozart effect LONDON, Nov 4: Mozart started listening to music before he was born — and by the age of four was already beginning to compose his own. Of course not every child exposed to music in the womb and in the first months of life will display such genius, but according to Don Campbell, musician, teacher and author of "the Mozart effect", a little music early on can produce huge benefits. And, he insists, Mozart does it better than anyone else. "The power of music has to do with patterns and the timing of perception," Campbell told in an interview. "What we are looking for from the music is form, repetition, variation, clarity and — overall — just not too much. "Mozart’s music is very organised, and clarity and organisation are as important as any other aspect of the Mozart effect." Campbell, an American who travels the world teaching about the beneficial qualities of music, has launched a series of "Mozart effect" CDs with compilations of pieces aimed at babies ranging from unborn foetuses through tantrum-throwing toddlers to demanding schoolchildren. He also runs a web site www.Mozarteffect.Com, but stresses he is not out to create child prodigies or encourage pushy parents. His stated aim is to convince parents, doctors and teachers of music’s role as a "powerful catalyst for healing, creativity and development." "None of these CDs claims that if you listen to it you will get smart, or if you put this on, the child will instantly go to sleep. That’s a bit najive," he says. "What we are talking about here is developing sonic awareness." "Everything that goes into the ear comes out as language —it becomes the tool of emotion and expression." Campbell’s enthusiasm for music as a therapy for happier, healthier, more focused children is backed by plenty of evidence. Specialist research published in 1997 found that premature babies who listened to classical music in their intensive care units gained more weight, left hospital earlier and had a better chance of survival than those without music. A 1998 report by the college board which administers scholastic aptitude tests in the United States, showed that high school students who sang or played an instrument scored up to 52 points higher than those who did not. And music can work magic with adults too. Scientists at the University of Washington found that the accuracy of 90 copy editors increased by 21.3 per cent when they listened to light classical music. Mozart’s music has the all-important repetition children love and provides a "familiarity of structure and rhythm to the ear" which Campbell says is key. Mozart was a master of the Sonata Allegro form so every first movement has a theme, a development of it, and then a recapitulation of the theme. "Children grow very well when they have a routine," he says. "Music can be used as a ‘sound marker’, so instead of just saying ‘it’s bedtime’, you put on a certain piece of music and immediately it indicates the bedtime routine is starting." But Campbell also insists any kind of music, even melodic, rhythmic talking or chanting, can be used as a sound marker. He suggests making day-to-day activities — like cooking or hanging out the washing — opportunities for songs, and says parents should have the confidence to just make them up. "It’s so important for parents to use their voices and not be afraid to sing or chant with their children. " Campbell bemoans the sonic overload many children suffer and says parents often fail to realise the harm it can cause. A newborn baby comes out of the womb and into an environment with telephones, mobiles, televisions, radios and maybe an older sibling, all of which bombard its ears with sound. "We need to be aware that we are in an overwhelm of sound and stimulation," he says. "an enormous amount of this work is about managing the stress and chaos in a child’s life." So although he sees music as such a life-blood, he does concede there are some forms which can be bad. "The only bad music is loud music," he says. "Sometimes, in this modern world I think there is more room for silence than any music. We need to think about whether we can create quieter homes, and quieter minds." (AGENCIES) |
|
Indian Americans welcome Bush’s victory NEW YORK, Nov 4: The Indian American community in the US has welcomed the re-election of President George W Bush with several community leaders expressing the hope that it would strengthen relations in the field of trade and defence and give a fillip to the growing strategic partnership between the two countries. They also urged Bush to fulfil his promise of visiting India in the first year of his second term. President of the India-America Chamber of Commerce Rajiv Khanna said with Bush’s re-election, the "outdated protectionist prejudices against outsourcing" would be "permanently consigned to the dustbin of history." Observing that former President Bill Clinton laid the foundation of "excellent relations" between India and the United States, he told PTI that "President Bush has done a remarkable job of building on that foundation and has taken the relationship between the two countries to new heights". Expressing the hope that Bush’s re-election would lead to further strengthening of relations between the two countries in various spheres including trade and defense, president of the Indian National Congress Surinder Malhotra said it would also give a fillip to the growing "strategic partnership." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bush had struck a personal chord when they met in New York in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session and that would help to take relations between the two countries to new heights, he added. The debate over outsourcing, Malhotra said, would become a thing of past as mutually beneficial relations take the center stage. Chairman of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Thomas Abraham expressed the view that the relations between the two countries would be furthered strengthened during Bush’s second term. Indian Americans, he added, welcome the re-election with the confidence that the two countries would be able to work together in fighting terrorism which is priority for both the nations even as they expand cooperation in trade, defense and other fields. "It is great victory for President Bush and for all of us, specially Indian Americans, who believe in the cause of a freedom, democracy, war against global terrorism and a plan for a safer world," Sampat S Shivangi, voice chair, Indian American Republican Council and senior executive vice president of the Indian American Forum for political education, said yesterday. "I feel President Bush would be good for India and Indian Americans on many issues that concern India US relations," he said. President Bush’s promised visit to India in the first year of second term would be great boost to US-Indian relations, he said. Hoping there will be acceleration of Indo-US relations, especially in the field of commerce and the war against terrorism, former President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Navin Shah "this will be a new beginning of the real partnership between the two democracies". (PTI) |
|
Software Honchos Sanguine as pro-outsourcing Bush triumphs BANGALORE, Nov 4: Just six months ago the Indian software industry appeared to be praying fervently for US President George Bush to keep his job at the White House. Mr Bush has won a second four-year term, but the mood among software honchos has changed: There are no joyful celebrations, not even expressions of grateful relief. What has happened in the intervening period is that Indian software entrepreneurs have been convinced that market economics had triumphed in America once again even before Mr Bush defeated democratic rival and outsourcing critic John Kerry. In an illustration of this new-found sanguineness, infosys technologies president and chief executive officer Nandan M Nilekani observed: "We believe that the outcome of the US elections will not have any impact on business. The US is a strong proponent of free trade and corporate America is not swayed by political outcomes. We are convinced that offshoring is a mega trend that will continue." The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), which had even hired a public relations outfit to educate the American public about the benefits of outsourcing, now appears disinterested in the outcome of the elections. "Mr Bush or Mr Kerry, outsourcing to India will grow in the next five years," declares NASSCOM chairman Jaithirth Rao. "The trends in terms of it outsourcing are pretty well established. In fact we have seen more and more companies coming to India to increase their engagements or to set up shop here. I think there is going to be no significant impact," according to N R K Raman, the Chief Operating Officer of iflex solutions, regarded as a shining examples of a software product company from India. Sridhar Mitta, the president of the Bangalore chapter of mentoring group the Indus entrepreneurs and managing director of e4e labs, is the rare individual to say a Bush win was a good thing for the Indian software industry. "It will be a much more friendly atmosphere. Overall, in a political sense, the Bush administration has been pro-India. That should lead to more trade and business opportunities. From the India perspective and the it perspective it is a good thing," he observed. Wipro technologies president (enterprise solutions) Sudip Banerjee believes that the flap about outsourcing resulted from the negative stories in the US media and when once those stopped, the debate seemed to have petered out. "From our point of view, we were looking for continuity of policy and hopefully that’s what we will get," he stated. Pawan Kumar, chairman and CEO of Vmoksha Technologies, said that if hard-nosed American businessmen felt working with India was good for profits they would do it no matter who the occupant of the White House was. "No doubt Mr Bush is good for business, but when it comes to politics I wish he respects the sentiments of the international community," he said. (UNI) |
|
Refugees from Ugandan war say world has forgot them LALOGI CAMP, NORTHERN UGANDA, Nov 4: Natalia lariang survives on handouts in one of scores of refugee camps dotted across northern Uganda, praying for an end to one of the world’s most brutal civil wars. The mother of eight says outsiders have forgotten her and the other victims of an 18-year-old conflict that has driven at least 1.6 million people from their homes — many more than in neighbouring Sudan’s Darfur. "Definitely they have forgotten us," Lariang says as she queues for a meagre ration of United Nations beans, maize and cooking oil at Lalogi camp in Gulu district, epicentre of a bloodsoaked insurgency by Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. "If they knew, they wouldn’t have left us to suffer like this," she says, shaking her head. Uganda’s Government reacts angrily to comparisons of the plight of the north with Darfur, and says security is rapidly returning thanks to increased military spending, which has now whittled the LRA down to small bands of fugitives. But camp residents remain fearful after the army said last month that it had forced Joseph Kony, the cult-like group’s dreadlocked leader, to flee into Gulu from mountain hideouts in lawless southern Sudan. Leaning on a stick at the camp, an elderly man says the refugees often hear gunfire rattling around their impoverished settlement, meaning the conflict is closer. "We live in fear most of the time, especially now we’ve been told Kony is back from Sudan. "We pray the Government sends more troops to protect us," he appeals. Infamous for kidnapping and forcibly recruiting tens of thousands of children, massacring villagers and mutilating their victims, his fighters move swiftly on foot through the region’s dense forests and rolling grasslands. Lalogi’s 19,000 residents sit in their tightly packed huts and hope the self-proclaimed Prophet isn’t marching back to his home village, less than ten miles away in Odek sub-county. Despite recent military victories, Uganda’s Government says it is not yet safe for them to go home. Nine rebels were shot dead by helicopter gunship crews earlier this month near the camp, and residents say troops from the 200-strong unit assigned to defend them sometimes die in rebel ambushes. "They are not enough," Lariang says, as soldiers in camouflage and rubber boots ride past on an armoured car, throwing up a thick cloud of yellow dust. "They fight with the LRA and the LRA kill our soldiers. You cannot compete with people who live in the Bush and know how to hide." At least 90 per cent of northern Uganda’s population is crammed into squalid refugee camps like Lalogi. Aid workers say about half fled there voluntarily, and half were ordered to abandon their homes by the army. This month, UN aid chief Jan Egeland said it was a "moral outrage" that as many as two million people were suffering under such "sub-human" conditions. The main threat for camp residents is starvation. Few dare venture more than a mile or two into the Bush to plant crops for fear of being killed or maimed by the rebels. After years of war, groups of women in one of Uganda’s most fertile regions are reduced to begging and cheering the arrival of heavily-guarded World Food Programme (WFP) trucks. With no jobs, the misery of life for many men in the camps is only relieved only by alcohol abuse and promiscuity. Child prostitution is rife and health workers say HIV/AIDS infection rates of around 12 percent in the north are double those in the rest of Uganda. "Immorality is very high. These people in the camps have already given up on life," says one local NGO worker. Uganda’s Government and Army say they are confident the war will end soon, but that offers little hope for camp residents who have lost everything. One report by a Ugandan Parliamentary Committee said it might take 30 years to rehabilitate the region. In Teso district, 100 miles southeast of Gulu, some villagers have slowly started moving back to their homes. But few have much to look forward to. Lariang has not seen her house in seven years. Until it is safe to leave Lalogi, she has little to offer the children. "At least when we could get to our gardens, I could sell some food for school fees," she tells . "I don’t have a husband, and I can’t look after all of them alone. I’m afraid they will just grow up to become thieves." (AGENCIES) Taiwan court upholds Chen’s election win TAIPEI, Nov 4: Taiwan’s High Court today rejected an opposition lawsuit contesting the March Presidential election and upheld President Chen-shui-Bian’s narrow victory. Chen defeated nationalist party leader Lien Chan by a hair’s breadth on March 20, a day after the incumbent was slightly wounded in a mysterious shooting. Lien refused to concede, saying the attack on Chen might have been staged to win sympathy votes, and filed two suits contesting the poll. Chen denied the allegation and analysts had widely expected the court to rule in his favour. "The case is dismissed," said Judge Wu Ching-Yun, without giving a reason for the decision. The court was due to explain its verdict later today. A few hundred nationalist supporters gathered outside the courthouse to wait for the ruling, sounding airhorns and chanting "no truth, no President". As soon as they heard the court’s ruling, the protesters shouted: "The justice system is unfair. We object we object". Barbed wire barricades blocked off the building to the demonstrators, who were outnumbered by police eager to prevent a repeat of the massive post-election protests. The disturbances paralysed policy-making for weeks in one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The dispute gradually faded from the public eye, however, as an unprecedented vote recount dragged on for months with Judges examining all disputed ballots. Nationalist lawyers said they might appeal against Thursday’s ruling on the first lawsuit, but they have also acknowledged that the 40,000 disputed votes found in the ballot recount were unlikely to reverse the election outcome. Both the DPP and the nationalists say the recount found Chen’s winning margin narrowed to about 22,000 votes from a previous 30,000. Nationalist lawyers have instead pinned their hopes on a second lawsuit — still pending — that will seek a new election by citing other voting irregularities. "This lawsuit is aimed at the most powerful person in Taiwan," said Jaclyn Tsai, a lawyer for Lien. "We believe democracy in Taiwan must include a fair election system. We should not compromise on that." The DPP said the recount had found no signs of vote-rigging or systematic fraud. "We must all believe and respect the Independence of the justice system," said Chen’s lawyer, Wellington Koo. "we hope the people can bravely face the true ending and accept the result." Chen’s election campaign was marked by his aggressive claim that Taiwan is an independent state. Lien, whose party once ruled the Chinese mainland, adopted a more conciliatory stance towards Beijing, which claims the island as part of its territory. With just one month to go before legislative elections on Dec 11, the court ruling could become a hot campaign issue and further split the island, analysts said. "The suit to invalidate Chen’s victory is not having much impact on the market," said Alex Huang, vice president of Barits securities, but he added: "There may be some real impact on the market from the (second) suit to invalidate the election because there are more questions about flaws and oversights in the election process." (AGENCIES) Annan seeks more UN Council pressure on Darfur UNITED NATIONS, Nov 4: Sudan’s troubled Darfur region is getting more dangerous, and the Security Council needs to increase pressure on the Government and rebels to stop the fighting, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said. Attacks are on the rise as both sides try to grab more territory a new rebel movement has emerged, and there has been no verified progress in disarming fighters, as both sides have promised, Annan yesterday said in his latest progress report on Darfur. As a result, the 15-Nation Council "may wish to consider creative and prompt action to ensure effective implementation of the demands set out in its earlier resolutions," he said. Previous council resolutions have threatened sanctions, including possible measures targeting Sudan’s oil exports, if the Government failed to meet commitments to end attacks on civilians, rein in marauding Arab militias and prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. A Nov 18-19 Security Council meeting in nearby Nairobi, Kenya, will offer a chance to discuss next steps, Annan said. United States UN Ambassador John Danforth said he expected the council in Nairobi to offer the parties incentives in the form of international assistance, rather than threaten sanctions. "It’s not so much the stick it’s the carrot," he said. In Washington, US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the recent mobilization of thousands of Arab militia in parts of western and southern Darfur after rebels kidnapped 18 people showed that "the parties are not really serious about establishing peace." "We call on all the parties to refrain from acts of violence as called for in the April cease-fire agreement," Boucher said. Darfur, which the United Nations says is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, has been torn by violence since rebels took up arms against the Khartoum Government in February 2003, saying it had neglected the impoverished region. The rebels accuse the Government of arming mounted Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, to loot and burn non-Arab villages in a campaign of ethnic cleansing in an area where Arab nomads and mostly non-Arab farmers have fought over resources for years. Annan’s report cited the slowly growing force of African Union peacekeepers in the region as a rare bright spot. On most other fronts, he said, things were worsening. While the vast majority of those battered by the fighting in Darfur are getting food and other aid, many are not. This is due to the growing insecurity, and the number of needy is still growing, he said. Some 30 percent of the hungry are not getting food, and 22 percent in the region are suffering from acute malnutrition, according to the report. Cease-fire breaches, banditry and kidnappings are all increasing the police can still not be trusted, and war crimes and crimes against humanity are occurring "on a large and systematic scale" with little fear of punishment, Annan said. "Political leaders, on any side, who deny the facts on the ground, neglect the sorrow of poor and vulnerable people living in areas under their control and use delaying tactics in negotiations and implementation procedure are acting irresponsibly," Annan’s report said. (AGENCIES) Israeli Parliament approves first reading of evacuation plan JERUSALEM, Nov 4: In a big push to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s disengagement plan, the Israeli Paliament has given its approval to the first reading of the evacuation and compensation bill calling for the evacuation of the Gaza Strip and four isolated settlements in the West Bank. The bill outlines compensation for settlers to be evacuated and also warns those who actively oppose it will invite punitive measures. The bill was passed 64-44, with nine abstentions as the opposition Labour party, which has provided Sharon with a "safety net" on the plan, voting in favour of it. The bill will now be transferred to a joint panel comprising of the Knesset Finance Committee and the Knesset constitution, Law and Justice Committee to prepare for its second and third readings, following which it will become a law. Contrary to the expectations of Prime Minister’s aides, Likud party rebels voted in their full strength against the bill. It was expected that some of them will switch sides with Sharon getting a political boost following his victory in the Knesset on the disengagement plan. However, the Government had to delay the vote on the 2005 budget for lack of majority in the Parliament. The Labour Party has said that it will withdraw its safety net on the budget as it badly hurts the disadvantaged section of the society. Opposition leader Shimon Peres made it clear today that his party would oppose the budget if it was brought today. Peres didn’t completely rule out support for the budget but suggested postponing the vote by one or two weeks in order to conduct thorough talks between the coalition and the Labour party. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared that he will resign if Sharon didn’t declare a referendum within 14 days following the vote on disengagement, today tried to garner support for the budget with the Prime Minister. The current alignment of lawmakers gives the Government merely 57 votes, from Likud, Shinui and national religious party lawmakers. This can further dwindle if the Likud party rebels decide to vote against it to block the disengagement plan. (PTI) World leaders come to terms with Bush win LONDON, Nov 4: A divided world came to terms with the prospect of four more years of US President George W Bush, with friends hailing his re-election and critics vowing to make the best of it, especially in Iraq. Allies like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi saw Bush’s victory as bolstering the US-declared "war on terror". But some disenchanted Europeans urged him to heal transatlantic rifts. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, whose outspoken opposition to war in Iraq angered Washington but helped him win re-election in 2002, sought common ground with Bush. "Our security and stability are threatened by international terrorism, the risk of the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, regional crises, poverty, climate change and epidemics. These challenges can only be met together," Schroeder yesterday said in a telegram. French President Jacques Chirac, another Fierce critic of last year’s Iraq war, congratulated Bush and also spoke of "our joint fight against terrorism". Bush’s staunchest ally in the Iraq conflict, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, told Parliament that peace in the west Asia was key to defeating terrorism and the world must work with Bush to achieve it. "The need to revitalise the west Asia peace process is the single most pressing political challenge in our world today," Blair told reporters later. Many Arabs forecast further bloodshed in the west Asia because of what they saw as the misguided policies of Bush, who has backed away after seeing his peace "road map" for the region shredded by violence. Elsewhere, politicians and commentators said continuity in the White House had its merits and Bush supporters abroad focused on what they saw as the President’s more resolute anti-terror line three years after the Sept 11 attacks. In dramatic proof of the changes in Moscow in the past 20 years, Putin said victory for Bush meant the United States had not allowed itself to be cowed by terrorists. "I can only feel joy that the American people did not allow itself to be intimidated, and made the most sensible decision," he told a Kremlin news conference. Berlusconi, also in Moscow, said: "Bush will continue with the policy that assigns the United States the role of defender and promoter of freedom and democracy". In Poland, which like italy has troops in Iraq backing US forces, President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that on terrorism Bush "is a very decisive leader who is right, simply right" and that continued cooperation with him was "really good news". Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq after his March election win following Madrid attacks claimed by a group linked to Al-Qaeda, expressed his wish to work with Bush. The US election was watched intently around the world with issues of deep international interest, including the Iraq conflict and the state of the US economy, dominating the race. The European Union said it looked forward to strengthening ties with the United States. Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik spoke for several countries when he said: "I hope that (Bush) will try to build bridges ... And do more to cooperate via international organisations." Both sides in the Middle East conflict congratulated Bush. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said in Paris, where he is undergoing medical tests, that he hoped Bush’s second term would lead to Middle East peace and "guarantee the just national rights of the Palestinian people," an Aide said. Israeli deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose country enjoys strong support from the world’s only superpower, said: "we congratulate the American people for their choice." But with the exception of Israelis and some Iranians, west Asian peoples reacted with resigned disappointment. Khaled Maeena, editor of Saudi newspaper Arab news, said: "Four more years means (Bush) will be relentless in fighting so-called terrorism. More innocent people will be victims ... All the Saudis I’ve seen so far are disappointed." Analysts said Bush would need to restore goodwill eroded by us opposition to worldwide issues such as the Kyoto pact to fight global warming — a top issue for Britain’s Blair — and the international criminal court. "(Kyoto is) not an easy issue for Bush to shift on. He may be prepared to make some cosmetic, face-saving shifts to try and help Blair, but I can’t see him making a fundamental shift of position," said British politics professor Wyn Grant. (AGENCIES) |
|
|
