Child exploitation on rise in Sri Lanka: Report

COLOMBO, Dec 31: Over 30,000 children are reportedly employed in various sectors in Sri Lanka, a study by a SAARC committee has said while expressing concern over the rise in child exploitation in the Island nation.

The study conducted by the Committee of SAARC Action Plan under the 'Social Charter' of the South Asian grouping revealed that exploitation of children had increased during the past few years in the country.

The report said the official figures reveal only a "tip of the iceberg and that most of the children suffer in silence due to stigmatisation", the Daily Mirror reported today.

The shortcomings in law enforcement and "child-unfriendly" judicial process were also identified as factors contributing to the problem to a great extent, the newspaper said.

"Over 30,000 children of the country's child population are reported to be employed in various sectors", according to the report.

"Out of this over 15 per cent engage informally in the manufacturing sector, three per cent in hotels, small shops and garages", it said adding that over 60 per cent children were engaged in the agriculture sector both as unpaid family workers and paid employees.

Besides, the report also expressed concern over the recruitment of child-soldiers in the war zones.

The study pointed out that nutrition was a problem in the country with 16.7 per cent of the babies being underweight.

In addition, over one-fourth of the infants and pre-school children are affected by under-nutrition especially among the disadvantaged families, the report said.

A series of programmes have been initiated by the 'South Asia Partnership' and this included a trainer guide on the prevention of human trafficking, it said. (PTI)

Bhutto killing should not be used to put off polls: Obama

WASHINGTON, Dec 31: Former premier Benazir Bhutto's killing should not be used as an excuse to put off elections in Pakistan indefinitely, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has said, stressing that the US' primary interest was to see a "legitimate" Government in the troubled country.

The Democratic Senator from Illinois who is seeking the party's nomination for the 2008 Presidential elections has said that it did not matter if the elections in Pakistan had to be postponed a little for the bottom line is one of legitimacy of the polls.

"... The key is to make sure that there's legitimacy to those elections. And given the enormous tragedy that has happened, I think that it is understandable if those elections are delayed slightly.

"But it's important that they are not used -- that this is not used as an excuse to put off, indefinitely, elections" Obama said in a Sunday Talk Show.

He said the opposition parties should feel comfortable that they have the opportunity to participate in fair and free elections by reinstating an independent judiciary and making sure that there is a free press

"Because our primary interest is making sure that whatever government emerges in Pakistan is viewed as legitimate," he added.

"And one of the things that we haven't focused on is that the vast majority of the Pakistani people are moderate and believe in rule of law. That's who we want as allies in the fight against Islamic extremism," Obama said.

Asked about his view on security arrangements for Bhutto, Obama stressed that Pakistan Government should include opposition figures and people with credibility in a probe to ascertain what had happened.

"... I think an investigation has to be completed to determine how the suicide bomber got as close to the former prime minister as he did, what exactly happened.

"And that's why it's so important for us to ensure that we are providing all the assistance we can to the Pakistani government and that the Pakistani government is pressured to include opposition figures and, and people who are credible in the investigation process," Obama said on Meet The Press.

"Until we know exactly what happened, I think it would be premature to judge that. What I do know, though, is that, moving forward, we have to have credible elections and we have to continue to pressure the Musharraf government, as I said back in August, to focus on the problem of Islamic extremism in Pakistan," he added.

Obama said Al Qaida and the Taliban had taken root in the northwest province which was spilling over into the rest of Pakistan.

"This poses a grave danger. Benazir Bhutto herself recognized increasingly that this was one of the greatest threats to Pakistan and also to stability in the region and to the United States of America. And we have to ensure that whoever is in power is taking that process seriously," he said. (PTI)

Waistline grows along with country's economy: Study

NEW YORK, Dec 31: An inevitable consequences of advanced and rich economy is a fatter population, says an health economist and co-author of a new book "The Fattening America".

Though obesity has established itself in western industrial societies, the author Eric Finkelstein gives example of India and China where, he says, waistlines are growing rapidly along with their economies.

"Combine that with cheap, prevalent food, and the result is bound to be weight gain. We're seeing this now all over the world," he emphasizes in an interview with Newsweek.

But he disagrees from economist perspective that people are making worse choices.

"We're fatter, but that does not mean we are worse off. We could do without the low-cost food or new technology, but most Americans would prefer not to. The reason is costs of being thin, in terms of what they would have to forgo, have just gotten so high that people are saying 'I'd rather be fat' than make the increasingly difficult sacrifices necessary to be thin.

He argues Americans spend more time on their "butts" at computer, in front of television screen, in the car -- than their parents and grandparents did and spend much less time in the kitchen making healthful meals or outdoors burning calories. And everywhere, they are tempted by growing array of cheap, high calorie, fat and sugar-laden treats.

The result: two-thirds of American adults are qualified as overweight or obese.

But choices that Americans make are deliberate and with knowledge that overweight puts them at risk, he said. The research suggests even with this knowledge, many people will still choose to be overweight. (PTI)

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg may enter US Prez race

NEW YORK, Dec 31: New York Mayor and billionaire Michael R Bloomberg might enter next year's US presidential race as an independent upsetting all calculations of the current front-runners on both sides.

So far, Bloomberg has kept everyone guessing over his intentions but media reports have suggested that he would not be dependent on donations as he could easily spend USD one billion on his own if he so decides.

Bloomberg, whose worth has been estimated by Forbes magazine at about USD 12 billion, had spent around USD 70 million of his own money on campaign in 2001 when he first successfully ran the office of Mayor and USD 84 million during re-election in 2005.

Though Bloomberg denies that he would run, his aides are aggressively laying the groundwork for him and constantly assessing his chances.

What has sparked fresh speculation was his joining Democrat and Republicans elder statesmen to pressure major party candidates to renounce partisan gridlock.

The Times also said that Bloomberg had been more candid with friends and associates about his interest in running.

Despite public denials, the mayor has privately suggested several scenarios in which he might be a viable candidate, the paper added.

Replying to a question recently, Bloomberg said, "if it's a three-way race, the public has more choice than if it's a two-way race, and has more choice in a two-way race than a one-way race. Why shouldn't you have lots of people running, and what's magical about people who happen to be a member of a party?" (PTI)

Oil prices rise amid geopolitical tension

SINGAPORE, Dec 31: Oil prices rose today due to instability in Pakistan and on the Turkish border with Iraq, heading towards USD 100 per barrel again on the last trading day of the year, dealers said.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for February delivery, was 35 cents higher at USD 96.35 per barrel.

The contract had briefly approached USD 98 on Friday, a one-month high, after the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, before falling back due to profit-taking.

Oil prices have roughly doubled in 2007 from a low point of just below USD 50 in January, with some analysts predicting a price of USD 100 or higher during 2008.

Dealers said a US report last week showing a higher-than-expected drop in US crude stockpiles had also supported prices, which are still within sight of the all-time record of USD 99.29 per barrel reached in November.

Brent North Sea crude for February delivery was 41 cents higher at USD 94.29 per barrel. It hit a one-month peak, USD 95.86, in London on Friday and achieved its all-time high of USD 96.53 in November.

Dealers said Bhutto's killing, which plunged Pakistan into crisis and sparked global condemnation, would have a psychological impact on the market even though the country is not an oil producer.

"Political unrest around the world has once again become a major factor," said David Johnson, an oil analyst with Macquarie Securities in Hong Kong.

Tension along Turkey's border with northern Iraq has added to concerns about geopolitical instability, Johnson said. (AGENCES)

Musharraf still the best bet for US, suggests Prez hopeful

WASHINGTON, Dec 31: President Pervez Musharraf is the best bet for the US despite the turmoil in Pakistan but Washington must go after al-Qaeda unilaterally in that nation if it is in America's national interest, a leading Republican Presidential hopeful has suggested.

"It is in our best interest for there to be some stability. Right now Musharraf, despite some of the concerns we have about him, represents at least some level of security, more so than if he were ousted immediately", former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee said.

"I don't think it's in the US' best interest to try to get rid of him. I think Kayani being now in charge of the military is a good thing because, clearly, he's stable, he has a sterling reputation both as a military commander and as a person who is not so political, but I think will give an even hand to the military, which is something Pakistan has needed" he said on Meet The Press programme on NBC.

When asked about the implications of the unilateral intervention by US in Pakistani territory by destabilising Musharraf, Huckabee said: "If it saves American lives, if it potentially takes out al-Qaeda's number one operative, that's a decision that a president would have to make. If I were sitting there as President, I would weigh all that information".

Justifying his case, former Arkansas Governor said: "Let me make sure that everybody understands, the number one job for the American president is to protect this country, to do every and anything that it can do to make sure that we don't see skyscrapers tumble to the ground in major cities like we did on September 11th.

"Whatever we must do to protect our sovereignty against those whose ideologies are so extreme that they would do something so cowardly and so dastardly as to take thousands of innocent lives in that kind of terrorist action, yes sir, you better believe that I'll do anything necessary", he said.

"I don't want to do it with disregard to what it might do in stabilisation of a nation. But sometimes, you have to look at all the risk and weigh heavily, but remember that your most single critical job is that of protecting and preserving the American people", Huckabee said.

Asked how soon into his (possible) presidency would he launch a strike in Pakistan, Huckabee replied "it would depend on how soon we had fixed a target."

Expressing apprehension over Pakistan's spending of US aid given to it, the top republican candidate said: "I don't think it (unilateral intervention) would be an effort to destabilise Musharraf Government. I think what we do have to recognise is, we've spent over USD 10 billion in aid, and the purpose of that aid in Pakistan was to fight terrorism.

"Now, as we kind of look at where that money's spent, we realise that not that much of it has likely gone to fight terrorism in Pakistan. A lot of it has gone to their military for reasons that didn't have to do with terrorism", he said. (PTI)

Pak army says fears about nukes "nonsense"

WASHINGTON, Dec 31: Pakistan's powerful Army has insisted that country's nuclear weapons are safe and that the fears about their falling into the hands of Islamic extremists are totally "unfounded and nonsense".

"Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is very secure.... And our security measures are one of the best in the world. All these fears are basically unfounded and nonsense, of course, about nuclear weapons falling into Islamic radicals. There's nothing like that," army spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said.

"We very well understand how to keep our nuclear weapons secure, how to look after them. We are a very responsible people, with a responsible institution and a responsible country," he told CNN's Late edition blaming "militias and vested interests" for such reports.

The top military official said that the killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was an act of terrorism but claimed that "the basic problem of Taliban is in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan" and Islamabad would ultimately eliminate the local militants.

"... Basically, it was an act of terrorism. They targeted one of the major political leaders in the country... I think the spokesperson for the ministry very clearly said that it's Al Qaida and these people, Baitullah Mehsud, who was behind this act of terrorism, which killed Minister Benazir Bhutto," Arshad said.

"We have segments of local militants in our area, or local extremists, and are dealing with them quite effectively and are very confident that we're going to deal with them and eliminate them, ultimately, from our place," the Pakistani military official said. (PTI)

Child exploitation on rise in Sri Lanka: Report

COLOMBO, Dec 31: Over 30,000 children are reportedly employed in various sectors in Sri Lanka, a study by a SAARC committee has said while expressing concern over the rise in child exploitation in the Island nation.

The study conducted by the Committee of SAARC Action Plan under the 'Social Charter' of the South Asian grouping revealed that exploitation of children had increased during the past few years in the country.

The report said the official figures reveal only a "tip of the iceberg and that most of the children suffer in silence due to stigmatisation", the Daily Mirror reported today.

The shortcomings in law enforcement and "child-unfriendly" judicial process were also identified as factors contributing to the problem to a great extent, the newspaper said.

"Over 30,000 children of the country's child population are reported to be employed in various sectors", according to the report.

"Out of this over 15 per cent engage informally in the manufacturing sector, three per cent in hotels, small shops and garages", it said adding that over 60 per cent children were engaged in the agriculture sector both as unpaid family workers and paid employees.

Besides, the report also expressed concern over the recruitment of child-soldiers in the war zones.

The study pointed out that nutrition was a problem in the country with 16.7 per cent of the babies being underweight.

In addition, over one-fourth of the infants and pre-school children are affected by under-nutrition especially among the disadvantaged families, the report said.

A series of programmes have been initiated by the 'South Asia Partnership' and this included a trainer guide on the prevention of human trafficking, it said. (PTI)

Simply stand to lose weight...........

LONDON, Dec 31: Just as you are going to resolve to lose weight in the New Year, here is a piece of advice-- Simply stand to lose weight.

Studies have shown that the sheer effort of standing upright could help you lose those extra calories.

This comes as welcome news for those who break into a sweat at the mere thought of going to the gym or for that matter doing any form of rigorous exercise.

Researchers now say that gentle activity such as pacing around while talking on the phone or tidying cupboards while watching television could help one keep fit.

Professor Marc Hamilton of the University of Missouri, said, ''If you stand up, you are much more likely to end up pacing or pottering around and that seems to make a crucial difference.''

In a series of studies, he showed that enzymes responsible for breaking down fat are suppressed when a person is sitting rather than standing, leading to fat being stored, rather than burned off.

Given that few of us exercise vigorously every day, pottering could make an important contribution to a person's weight and fitness, the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

He added, ''The lifestyle change we're studying is unlike exercise because it does not require that people squeeze an extra hour into their day and get sweaty at the gym, but instead improve the quality of what they are already doing.'' (UNI)

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Emirates for unified visit visa to curb illegal workers ....

DUBAI, Dec 31: In a move that is widely seen as to curb illegal workers in the Emirates, the government has completed all preparations to implement the unified system of issuance of visit visas.

''The Naturalisation and Residency Departments (NRDs) at the Ministry of Interior have completed all preparations to implement the unified system of issuance of visit visas in all the emirates,'' said Director of the Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department (ADNRD) Colonel Nasir Al Awadi Al Minhali yesterday.

The move comes with a view to weeding out the menace of illegal workers from the country, Khaleej Times reported.

''The new system will restrict the issuance of visit visas for immediate relatives only, such as parents, brothers or sisters,'' Al Minhali said.

He talked tough on workers who had entered the country on business visas and said they stand to face life ban. The NRDs across the country will reject any application to amend the status of the applicant from his/her business visa to worker_s visa, he added.

Al Minhali said the measures would be implemented soon after getting the approval from the Minister of Interior, Shaikh Saif bin Zayed.

(UNI)

Scotch whisky to get more piracy protection ....

LONDON, Dec 31: Scotch whisky is to be given greater protection against counterfeiting, under a consultation launched today by the Government.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs launched the consultation on draft legislation that aims to strengthen the definitions of Scotch to help fight global counterfeiting.

The Government aims to introduce the legislation in spring next year.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has said it can be fighting up to 70 court cases around the world at any one time against overseas manufacturers who use tartan designs or pictures of pipers on their packaging, or who give their whisky names which are supposed to sound Scottish.

The proposed regulations will strictly regulate the descriptions and geographical locations that can be used on whisky bottles.

Whisky will be strictly defined under one of five categories: single malt, single grain, blended, blended malt and blended grain.

Distillers will also be allowed to attach one of five regional names -- Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Campbeltown, Islay -- but will be barred from labelling whisky with the name of a distillery or a similar name if it is not a product of that distillery.

Des Browne, the secretary of state for Scotland, said: ''Not only is Scotch whisky one of our most iconic products, it is also economically hugely significant with exports worth 2.5 billion pounds each year.

''Once the proposed legislation is enacted, Scotch whisky, and in particular, single malt Scotch whisky, will be defined by law in Scotland, the UK, the EU and nearly every export market around the globe.''

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the SWA, which has helped produce the draft regulations, said the body's members would be ''delighted'' that the Scotch whisky industry's ''international significance and important contribution to the economy have been recognised''.

''The legislation will put in place a robust and comprehensive legal framework for Scotch whisky, improving its protection from unfair practices globally, and ensuring consumers receive clear and consistent product information,'' he added.

(AGENCIES)

Benazir wanted to call Nawaz Sharif minutes before she died

ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: Minutes before she was killed, former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto wanted to speak to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif whose supporters had been attacked in Rawalpindi on the same day.

Bhutto was assassinated on December 27 shortly after she addressed an election rally at the historical Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

As she left the venue in her bulletproof vehicle, Bhutto said she wanted to speak to Sharif, but then she heard the "Jeay Bhutto" slogans from her supporters and decided to wave to them from the car’s sunroof.

Bhutto’s political secretary Nahid Khan reportedly told a mourner that the former premier initially sat in the vehicle and asked for her mobile phone, the Dawn newspaper reported today.

Bhutto said she wanted to call Sharif as she had just learnt that five of his supporters had been killed in an attack as he was also campaigning in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Khan said when Bhutto fell inside the vehicle after the attack, she thought she had lost her balance and slipped.

"I said ‘Bismillah’ when BB almost fell into my lap but then to my horror I saw blood oozing out of her head and she was almost unconscious," Khan recalled.

Bhutto had called Sharif a day before her assassination to discuss with him the Government’s alleged plan for "massive rigging" in the January 8 general elections.

The two leaders had a long telephonic conversation and talked about evolving a joint strategy to foil the rigging plans. She had also sent flowers and a cake to Sharif on his birthday on December 25.

Chief political adviser of Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party, Safdar Abbasi said Bhutto’s last words were "Long live Bhutto".

Bhutto, who was chanting slogans along with her supporters from the sunroof of her vehicle, said "Long live Bhutto" just before she fell.

"She did not say anything more," Abbasi, who is Nahid Khan’s husband, recalled.

Recounting the incident, Abbasi said: "All of a sudden there was the sound of firing. I heard the sound of a bullet.

"I saw her: she looked as though she ducked in when she heard the firing. We did not realise that she had been hit by a bullet."

He said he looked up to see Bhutto sliding back through the sunroof just before the vehicle was rocked by a huge explosion.

There was no sound from the 54-year-old Bhutto and Abbasi said he noticed blood seeping from a deep wound on the left side of her neck.

Abbasi said Bhutto chose to travel in the first of two waiting vehicles. "She was smiling and she was extremely happy," he said. (PTI)