Mexican prison riot leaves 44 dead

MONTERREY: At least 44 inmates were killed in a Mexican prison riot on Sunday, just days after a deadly inferno in a jail in Honduras, again highlighting terrible overcrowding in Latin American prisons.

The deaths occurred as clashes broke out in the early hours of Sunday between rival gangs at Apodaca prison, near Monterrey, which was holding some 3,000 inmates despite an official capacity of 1,500.

Notorious for violence and overcrowding, prisons in the region are beset by a litany of problems such as rampant drug trafficking and gang members seeking to settle scores.

The prison population in Mexico and Central America has swollen in line with the region's increasingly important role in the cocaine trafficking trade, meaning outdated facilities are straining at the seams.

Families gathered Sunday outside the Apodaca prison, located some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the northern city of Monterrey, awaiting news of loved ones in a desperate scene, with some women fainting.

"We have 44 deaths," state security spokesman Jorge Domene told reporters, adding the casualties were not killed by firearms but had suffered stab wounds.

Domene said the fight likely was part of a turf war between the brutal Zetas drug gang and their former employers, the Gulf cartel, for control of the prison.

Monterrey, an industrial hub and Mexico's third largest city, has seen an upsurge in violence in recent months blamed on fighting between the two groups.

Domene said the situation inside the prison was now calm and that forensic teams were working to identify the bodies.

It was the second deadly such brawl in recent months in the Monterrey area after seven inmates died and 12 were injured in a clash in October at Cadereyta prison.

The toll from the two incidents appeared to top the total deaths in Monterrey's three main prisons in all of last year, when 50 inmates died from executions, brawls, and suspected suicides, according to official data.

In Honduras, the toll of Tuesday's blaze at the overcrowded Comayagua prison, thought to be the world's worst-ever prison fire, rose by one to 359 dead, after an inmate succumbed to severe burn injuries.

Anger was building among families over the slow return of bodies and at the slow pace of the investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Only 38 bodies have so far been identified in the morgue in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, and just 19 have been returned to their families for burial.

Forensics experts were conducting blood tests on corpses, many too charred to be identified by sight, in a bid to discover their identities.

Expert teams from the United States, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru are helping the Honduran authorities with their investigations into the fire, the cause of which remains unclear. (AFP)

Iran stops oil sales to British, French companies

TEHRAN: Iran has stopped selling crude to British and French companies, the oil ministry said on Sunday.

"Exporting crude to British and French companies has been stopped ... we will sell our oil to new customers," spokesman Alireza Nikzad was quoted as saying by the ministry of petroleum website.

The move appeared to be in retaliation for a decision by the European Union in January to stop importing crude from Iran from July 1 over its disputed nuclear programme, which the West says is aimed at building bombs. Iran denies this.

Iran's oil minister said on Feb. 4 that the Islamic state would cut its oil exports to "some" European countries.

"We have our own customers ... The replacements for these companies have been considered by Iran," Nikzad said. (Reuters

Altaf links strong Pakistan to empowered women

KARACHI: Founder leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movment (MQM), Altaf Hussain on Sunday linked a strong Pakistan to empowered women. 

Addressing a mammoth rally of women titled 'Empowered women, strong Pakistan' near Mazar-e-Quaid, Altaf Husain said that the massive rally at Mazar-e-Quaid proved that even the women supporters of MQM 'are enough to compete against other politicians'.

The MQM Chief claimed that Sunday's rally of women was the biggest not only in the history of Pakistan or the Asian continent but the entire world.

He said the aim of today's rally was to ensure women's empowerment in the country and that those who meted out ill treatment to women should be hanged.

Altaf Hussain said that MQM had come out to challenge the antiquated customs that had been in practice to suppress women and other weak segments of society. "It was MQM that staged a million march for the rights of Baloch people and also got the bill for women empowerment passed by the Parliament."

The MQM Chief put the number of women who turned up at Sunday's public meeting near Mazar-e-Quaid at one million. "If anyone is keen to witness revolution, come to Bagh-e-Quaid," he claimed and challenged that even a combined rally of all the parties of the country could not beat today's turnover.

He regretted that even today, women in rural areas of the country were deprived of their basic rights and that is why MQM, instead of paying only lip service, took practical steps to safeguard their rights.

Criticising the US congressmen bill on Balochistan, Hussain questioned as to why the learned brains of Pakistan failed to pay heed to the pressing situation of the province and address its issues?

He termed the current unrest in Balochistan as a failure of government, warning that the province had been pushed to the brink of separation.

Altaf Hussain said MQM stood with women who were struggling for the recovery of missing persons and demanded of the government secure their release and expose the abductors.

The MQM Chief said if every citizen was ensured his rights, the concept of minority would automatically fade away.

He said MQM wanted politics to be done in the country on the basis of merit and that it wanted an end to hereditary politics, terming it no less than 'a thuggery'.

He said MQM ensured increased woman participation in the country's politics.

Hussain described the Sunday's rally as the biggest show of people's solidarity.

Amna taken to France

LAHORE: Eleven year old Amna has been taken to France by her mother. Her father has decided to file an appeal in the Lahore High Court.

Amna’s uncle has claimed that her father divorced his French wife in 2005 and with her consent had brought Amna to Pakistan.

Meanwhile Amna’s lawyer claimed that there was government pressure in this matter.

The French Embassy had written a letter to IG Punjab on 12 July 2010 in which it was stated that during President Zardari’s visit to France, President Sarkozy had raised the issue of Amna and the responsibility to solve the matter was given to Interior Minister Rehman Malik

Independent Balochistan not our policy: US envoy

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy Islamabad, Richard E. Hoagland said supporting Balochistan independence is not the policy of the Obama administration.

While talking to Geo News, the US diplomat said the US respected Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Clarifying a resolution presented in US Congress about Balochistan he said, Balochistan is an important issue but not part of US foreign policy.

‘We have taken up the matter of human rights violation in the province with Pakistan. More than 4000 resolutions/Bills were presented in the Congress in a year but only 91 got approval.

Cricket: Pakistan lose 3rd ODI by 9 wkts and series to England

DUBAI: Pakistan lost three matches in a row after making clean sweep in three-Test series against England, who won the third One-day International by nine wickets remaining here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

The victory gave England an unassailable 3-0 win in the series, with the fourth and final One-day International to be played on the same ground on Tuesday.

Kevin Pietersen hit his eighth ODI hundred while Alastair Cook missed a third consecutive century.

The 31-year-old Pietersen notched an unbeaten 98-ball 111 while opening partner Cook hit 80 to help their team overhaul a modest 223-run target set by Pakistan with 12.4 overs to spare.

Pietersen, whose last hundred came against India at Cuttack in November 2008, hit his 10th boundary to bring up the win.

Pietersen, who also hit two sixes, crossed the 4,000 one-day run mark when he reached 57, becoming the seventh England batsmen to reach the milestone.

He pushed paceman Aizaz Cheema towards square-leg for two to reach his hundred off 93 balls, his first in 36 innings.

Cook, who hit a career-best 137 and then 102 in the first two matches, was shaping well for his third century but fell when he was caught behind off spinner Saeed Ajmal after a fluent 98-ball knock, hitting six boundaries and a six.

It was a one-sided win as the Pakistan bowlers looked helpless against some impressive batting by Cook and Pietersen who improved on the previous best opening stand of 147 against Pakistan, set by Michael Atherton and Robin Smith in Karachi in the 1996 World Cup.

Cook fell with 53 still needed before Eoin Morgan (24 not out) helped Pietersen see off the target.

Earlier, Shahid Afridi hit a 55-ball 51 while Umar Akmal scored a 92-ball 50 during their 79-run sixth wicket stand which lifted Pakistan from a precarious 97-5 after Misbah-ul Haq won the toss and chose to bat.

Pakistan lost Azhar Ali (five), Mohammad Hafeez (29) and Misbah (one) in the space of just two runs.

Two of these wickets went to paceman Stuart Broad, who finished with 3-42, while the impressive Steven Finn added Hafeez to his early breakthrough of Imran Farhat (nine) in this pace-dominated period.

Finn, who took four wickets in both of the first two matches after sitting out the Test series, finished with 3-24 off 10 overs.

Afridi and Umar repaired the innings, with Afridi hitting three boundaries and a six.

Broad returned for his second spell to dismiss Umar, caught by Samit Patel after hitting just one boundary.

Afridi followed four runs later when he failed to connect properly with a big drive off paceman James Anderson who finished with 2-52.

Pakistan, who made two changes from the second one-dayer, were forced to leave out experienced batsman Younis Khan who was suffering from a fever.

Asad Shafiq (18) added 46 for the fifth wicket with Umar before he was run out. Umar Gul made 27 not out to give some late momentum to the innings.

Both teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals in Dubai (February 23 and 25) and Abu Dhabi (February 27).

Syrian forces fire on anti-Assad crowd in capital

AMMAN/BEIRUT: Syrian security forces fired live ammunition to break up a protest against President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Saturday, killing at least one person, opposition activists said.

A Chinese envoy met the Syrian leader earlier in the day and urged all sides to end 11 months of bloodshed, while backing a government plan for elections.

The shooting broke out at the funerals of three youths killed on Friday in an anti-Assad protest that was one of the biggest in the capital since a nationwide uprising started.

"They started firing at the crowd right after the burial. People are running and trying to take cover in the alleyways," said a witness, speaking to Reuters in Amman by telephone.

The opposition Syrian Revolution Coordination Union said the gunfire near the cemetery had killed one mourner and wounded four, including a woman who was hit in the head.

Up to 30,000 demonstrators had taken to the streets in the Mezze district of Damascus, witnesses said.

Footage of the funeral broadcast live on the Internet showed women ululating to honor the victims. Mourners shouted: "We sacrifice our blood, our soul for you martyrs. One, one, one, the Syrian people are one".

Assad described the turmoil racking Syria as a ploy to split the country.

"What Syria is facing is fundamentally an effort to divide it and affect its geopolitical place and historic role in the region," he was quoted by Syrian state television as saying after meeting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun.

CHINESE SUPPORT

Zhai, speaking hours before the shooting at the funerals, said China backed Assad's plan for a referendum on February 26 followed by multi-party elections to resolve the crisis. The opposition and the West have dismissed the plan as sham.

The Chinese envoy appealed for an end to violence from all sides, including the government and opposition forces. His comments nevertheless amounted to a show of support against world condemnation of Assad's crackdown on the popular uprising.

"China supports the path of reform taking place in Syria and the important steps that have been taken in this respect," he said.

China's state news agency Xinhua highlighted Zhai's comments that China was "deeply concerned by the escalating crisis". The Syrian TV report quoted him as saying: "The Chinese experience shows a nation cannot develop without stability."

Beijing and Moscow have been Assad's most important international defenders during the crackdown which has killed several thousand people and divided world powers. The United Nations, the United States, Europe, Turkey and Arab powers want Assad to step down and have condemned the ferocious repression.

Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on February 4 calling on Assad to quit and also voted against a similar, non-binding General Assembly resolution on Thursday.

BOMBING THE OPPOSITION

Syrian government forces meanwhile renewed their bombardment of the opposition stronghold of Homs on Saturday.

A blanket of snow covered Homs, on the highway between Damascus and the commercial hub Aleppo, as Syrian troops pounded mainly Sunni Muslim rebel districts with rockets and artillery.

The troops were close to Baba Amro, a southern neighborhood that has been target of the heaviest barrages since the armored offensive began two weeks ago, activists said.

"Troops have closed in on Baba Amro and the bombardment is mad, but I don't know if they are willing to storm the neighborhood while it is snowing," activist Mohammad al-Homsi said from Homs.

"There is no electricity and communications between districts are cut, so we are unable to get a death toll... there is no fuel in most of the city."

The military has also opened a new offensive in Hama, a city with a bloody history of resistance to Assad's late father. The Assad clan are Alawites, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, in a majority Sunni country.

Assad, who succeeded his father Hafez when he died in 2000 after 30 years in power, says he is fighting foreign-backed terrorists.

The uprising began with civilian protests in March, but now includes a parallel armed struggle led by the loosely organized Free Syria Army, made up of army deserters and local insurgents.

Syria's other significant ally is Iran, itself at odds with the West. An Iranian destroyer and a supply ship sailed through the Suez canal this week and are believed to be on their way to the Syrian coast, a source in the canal authority said.

The West is concerned that the conflict is sliding towards a civil war that could spread across the region's patchwork of ethnic, religious and political rivalries.

But it has ruled out Libya-style military intervention, instead imposing sanctions and urging a fragmented opposition, which includes activists inside Syria, armed rebels and politicians in exile, to present a common front against Assad.

Tunisia, which is hosting a meeting on Syria next week, said on Friday Arab countries would encourage the opposition to unite before they would recognize them as a government-in-waiting. (Reuters)

Israel will make own decision on Iran: army chief

JERUSALEM: Israel will ultimately decree on an Iranian strike on its own, its military chief of staff said in an interview broadcast Saturday, as a senior US official arrived for talks on the Islamic Republic.

"Israel is the central guarantor of its own security; this is our role as army, the State of Israel should defend itself," Lieutenant General Benny Gantz told state-owned Channel One TV.

"We must follow the developments in Iran and its nuclear project, but in a very broad manner, taking into account what the world is doing, what Iran decided, what we will do or not do," he said.

In recent weeks, there has been feverish speculation that Israel was getting closer to mounting a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear programme, though Israel has denied reaching such a decision.

Tensions between Iran and Israel have been simmering with Iranian warships entering the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal in a show of "might", a move Israel said it would closely monitor.

On Wednesday, Iran said it had installed another 3,000 centrifuges to increase its uranium enrichment abilities and was stepping up exploration and processing of uranium yellowcake.

And Israel blamed a recent wave of attacks targeting Israeli diplomats on agents of Tehran, allegations Iran denies.

US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon will on Sunday begin talks with Israeli officials on a range of issues including Iran, two weeks ahead of a Washington visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for White House talks with US President Barak Obama on the same topic.

A recent article in the Washington Post said that US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta thinks Israel may strike Iran's nuclear installations in the coming months.

According to Gantz, whose interview was conducted prior to the Saturday developments, Iran was not only an "Israeli problem", but also "a world and regional problem"

Chinese envoy says all sides in Syria must end violence

DAMASCUS: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun called on all sides in Syria to stop the violence and elections to go ahead peacefully after Damascus talks with President Bashar al-Assad Saturday, state media said.

"The position of China is to call on the government, the opposition and the rebels to halt acts of violence immediately," Zhai said, adding that it was vital that "calm be restored as quickly as possibly as that serves the interests of the Syrian people."

"We hope that the referendum on a new constitution as well as the forthcoming parliamentary elections pass off calmly," state television quoted him as saying.

On Thursday, Syrian opposition groups rejected a newly drafted constitution that could end nearly five decades of single-party rule, and urged voters to boycott a February 26 referendum on the charter.

U.S. Navy fears small Iranian boats, confident of own

ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Nerves were strained as an Iranian patrol boat approached the USS Abraham Lincoln at speed.

A helicopter escort hovered above the vessel in a warning not to get any closer, and the grey boat, tiny compared to the massive U.S. aircraft carrier, eventually turned around.

The encounter involving U.S. and Iranian boats, common in recent weeks, underscores rising tensions in the Gulf region between rival powers since Tehran threatened to close the Hormuz Strait, the world's most important oil shipping waterway, over Western moves to ban Iranian crude exports.

U.S. and Iranian warships shadow each other as they ply the Gulf in a standoff over Iran's nuclear program the West fears is aimed at producing an atomic weapon. Many fear any incident could trigger a war.

"I watch it morning, noon and night. I take it (the threat to close Hormuz) very seriously. In fact it's pretty much my life these days," the commander of U.S. naval forces in the Gulf region, Vice Admiral Mark Fox, told a news conference in Bahrain ahead of the fleet's voyage earlier this week.

The fleet, known as "Carrier Strike Group Nine" has been making forays through Hormuz despite the Iranian threats.

The 10-hour voyage through the waterway on February 14 was the second time the fleet had been through Hormuz in two months. Passage is done on a need-only basis as the U.S. Navy tries to avoid "escalation of hostilities or miscalculations," as a result of their crossing, U.S. officials say.

With four helicopters circling overhead and two destroyers leading, the carrier entered Hormuz while up in the watch tower, some seven Navy commanding officers, intelligence chiefs and legal experts were gathered in a small but busy control room.

They inspected the Gulf waters intently. The head of the fleet, Rear Admiral Troy Shoemaker, spotted two small boats, thought to be of smugglers, being battered by the high waves.

"It is going very well, relatively quiet. We have had a couple of surveillance aircraft, a helicopter and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) but nothing in the way of surface activity," Shoemaker said, referring to activity from Iranian side.

The geography of the Strait, where a third of the world's seaborne oil trade passes, is challenging for a fleet of this size.

The waterway is 34 km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point, and as it sails through the Gulf, the aircraft carrier comes within range of the Iranian coastal missile defense system.

Over a month ago Iran warned another U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS John C. Stennis, not to return to the Gulf after it passed through the Strait. But that has not deterred the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"We routinely operate close to them while we operate in the Arabian Gulf," Shoemaker said.

"They have ships that would come out and observe us as you would expect we would do in our territorial water back in the United States, so all those exchanges were very professional," he added.

The Iranians make their presence felt every time U.S. forces cross the strait, by almost escorting the fleet either by air or using patrol boats. The U.S. in return reassesses the threat from Iran on regular basis by studying Iranian activity.

ALWAYS ON ALERT

Military experts say the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet patrolling the Gulf - which always has at least one giant super carrier accompanied by scores of jets and a fleet of frigates and destroyers - is overwhelmingly more powerful than Iran's navy.

But it is the small boats that worry the U.S. Navy most. Vice Admiral Fox said last week that Iran had built up its naval forces in the Gulf and prepared boats that could be used in suicide attacks.

Iran is thought to have increased the number of small boats based in the strait and around its Gulf Islands, and some boats are capable of carrying cruise missiles and rockets.

Five thousand sailors live on board the 20-storey USS Abraham Lincoln. Fifteen to twenty thousand meals are prepared daily with 800 pounds of vegetables, 900 pounds of fruit and 620 pounds of hamburger consumed every day.

For many of the sailors, Iran's threats were not always something they paid attention to. They often saw their mission in simpler terms.

"We want that oil to go where it needs to go in this world. We want people in this region to be able to get the products they can buy from Europe, from America, other regions of the world," said Naval Aviator Matt Driskill, 33, who recently flew fighter planes over Libya and over Iraq in 2004.

The day after the passage, the mood on board the USS Abraham Lincoln is considerably more relaxed onboard.

Fighter aircraft that have been sitting on deck over the past 24 hours with their noses pointing towards Iran and readiness to launch within 15 minutes have now been stowed.

The admiral said the same preparations are taken every time the fleet passes a narrow canal. But he admitted that the fleet can be seen as show of force.

"Part of the reasons we exist is to be present around the world and be visible, even if itself the carrier, the planes and everything else on board is a show of force," Shoemaker said.

If Iran attacks, the United States is ready to defend, Shoemaker said.

"It is certainly a possibility that they could take some actions to try and close the straits but we are prepared for that, we have the capabilities resonant in this force, in this strike group to respond if that happens." (Reuters)

Iranian exiles move to new Iraq camp

BAGHDAD: Several hundred Iranian exiles were travelling to a UN-approved site near Baghdad on Saturday after leaving Camp Ashraf, where Iranian opposition members have been based for decades.

The move is part of a December 25 deal between the UN and Iraq, which was reached after extensive talks, under which around 3,400 Iranians opposed to the regime in Tehran will be moved to a new location called Camp Liberty, as part of a process that aims to see them resettled outside Iraq.

Three hundred and ninety seven exiles departed in 18 buses beginning about 1:30 am on Saturday (2230 GMT on Friday), escorted by Iraqi security forces, Behzad Saffari, the legal adviser for residents of the camp, told.telephone.

The departing exiles and their belongings were searched prior to their departure in a lengthy process that began around 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) on Friday, and continued until 1:15 am on Saturday (2215 GMT on Friday), said Saffari, who was travelling with the group to Camp Liberty, near Baghdad airport.

Iraq had previously aimed to close Camp Ashraf in Diyala province, which now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein allowed the People's Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) to set up during his 1980-88 war with Iran, by the end of the year.

Congressmen Balochistan bill violation of international laws: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday termed the bill tabled in House of Representatives by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, seeking right to self-determination for Balochistan, as a 'highly irresponsible attitude'.

According to the statement issued here, the Foreign Office said mover of the bill is 'oblivious to the ground situation' and hoped the move will never succeed.

It said presentation of the bill is in violation of the international laws and shows a 'highly irresponsible attitude' on part of the congressman.

The bill states that the Baloch people 'have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country; and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status'.

US not seeking to interfere in Pakistan internal issues

WASHINTON: United States is not seeking to interfere in Pakistani internal issues, said state department on Friday.

During a daily press briefing here, US State Department's Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that if the Pakistan and Iran gas pipeline does go forward, and there have been a lot of false starts and backing and forthing on that, US have issues of concern on the pipeline which US had been very clear about those with the government of Pakistan.

Answering a question, Nuland said that the US is not seeking to interfere in their internal issues.

Bill introduced to award Dr Shakil Afridi

WASHINGTON: A Pakistani doctor, Shakeel Afridi who had a role in the CIA operation to hunt down Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad has been nominated for the US Congressional Gold Medal, the country's highest civilian honour.

Dana Rohrabacher chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has introduced a bill in House of Representatives to recognise Dr. Afridi with the Congressional Gold Medal and declare him a US citizen.

Afridi had set up a fake hepatitis immunisation campaign in an attempt to obtain DNA from bin Laden's children and confirm the presence the area.

Bill on Balochistan lands in US congress

WASHINGTON: A bill has been tabled in the US House of Representatives calling upon Pakistan to recognize the right of self-determination for Balochistan.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) introduced a House Concurrent Resolution that the Balochi nation has a historic right to self-determination.

The bill states that the Balochi people “have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country; and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status.”

“The Balochis, like other nations of people, have an innate right to self-determination,” says Rohrabacher. “The political and ethnic discrimination they suffer is tragic and made more so because America is financing and selling arms to their oppressors in Islamabad.”

Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and Steve King (R-IA) have also signed on as original co-sponsors of the bill.

Rep. Rohrabacher is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan vow to jointly counter terrorism

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Friday said Pakistan along with Afghanistan and Iran was committed to jointly work to rid the region of the "menace" of terrorism.

Addressing a joint press conference with the Presidents of Afghanistan and Iran here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, at the end of the third trilateral summit, President Zardari said only joint efforts could help the region overcome terrorism, which he believed was being fuelled by billions of dollars of drug trade.

"The three presidents, and our extended neighbours will fight this menace," he said at the press conference that was also addressed by Presdident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and President Hamid Karzai.

President Zardari said he has repeatedly raised his voice internationally to urge the world to join hands in helping the region counter drug trade.

To a question, the president strongly dispelled the notion that the country's armed forces were directly or indirectly involved in supporting the extremist or terrorist elements.

He however said there might be some elements in the country, whom he termed as "residue of war" who could be blamed for militancy. He said these persons were the remnants of the war against Soviet Union who fought in Afghanistan.

"I personally suffered a loss," the President said and referred to the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto in a terrorist attack and said still "no one would tell me who was the financer of Baitullah Mahsud."

Zardari said the three presidents have gathered here with the objective to build nations.

The summit that resolved to address all its issues regionally was aimed at enhancing cooperation at all levels between the three countries.

"InshAllah we are going to witness a very good progress," President Ahmadinejad said.

President Karzai said any impediments in the way would be removed and termed the tripartite meeting "future-oriented" that helped focus on recognition of opportunities and formulation of an actionable and implementable policy to act upon.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stressed that the problems of the region must be resolved regionally and the trilateral meeting was a step to achieve such goals.

Ahmadinejad described President Zardari and President Karzai as brothers, he said they were determined to work out a mechanism.

"We are here to strengthen and solidify cooperation among the three countries," Ahmadinejad said and added, "We are going to move towards removing problems.

He called for denying others the opportunity to interfere in regional affairs and said the three countries had the resources to face the challenges. He said the three countries had large lands, talented human resources and rich humanitarian culture.

Ahmadinejad said the trilateral meeting was held under very friendly atmosphere and the three nations were determined to move in the right direction.

"InshAllah we are going to witness very good progress in our countries."

President Hamid Karzai stressed any impediments in the way had to be removed sooner or later. He expressed satisfaction over the recent engagements between the three countries as "fruitful and deep" and hoped that it would be helpful in understanding the affliction brought upon the people of Afghanistan.

President Ahmadinejad when asked about his country's nuclear program called for going beyond the issue in building relations between the nations.

He said Iran's relationship with Pakistan was based on humanitarian and common values, and said peace and fraternity were the common goals of the three countries and their nations.

"We are shaking our hands to achieve this. We have great hopes of victory in future."

To a question about international pressure to not to materialize the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, President Zardari said Pakistan was lobbying the world and added the point of view that the two countries were neighbours, had been looked at and
accepted.

"We need to inter-depend on each other. Our bilateral relationship cannot be considered or undermined by any international pressure of any kind," he said.

President Ahmadinejad regretted that due to the tight schedule of the summit, he could not interact with the people of Pakistan and assured that he would do so in his next bilateral visit.

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari, President Hamid Karzai and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inked the document of Joint Communique at the end of the two-day third trilateral summit, aimed at enhancing cooperation.

Rising anger in Honduras over deadly prison fire

OMAYAGUA: Anger rose in Honduras Thursday as word spread of witness accounts that inmates were left trapped in a raging prison fire, or were shot trying to flee the blaze that killed 355 prisoners.

Resentment over the conduct of prison guards deepened as experts sought to identify the charred remains of those killed at the overcrowded Comayagua prison, thought to be the world's worst-ever jail fire.

"If the guards had opened the gates, they would not have died," said Rosa Caseres, whose husband, serving five years for kidnapping, died in the inferno.

"This is criminal. The authorities are incompetent," said the mother of three young children.

Other relatives echoed her fury.

"How can you believe 350 people died just like that? It's because they let them die. They (guards) did not come with the keys," said Angelina Raudales, 62, as she waited outside the morgue in Tegucigalpa for the body of her husband, Jose Adrian.

To make matters worse, reports were spreading that prison guards began shooting at inmates who managed to flee the flames.

"One of the prisoners who survived said my husband made it out, but the guards shot him and then threw him into the flames," said Yadira Hernandez, whose husband was serving a murder sentence.

Police officials have denied negligence in the deaths, but some firefighters pointed out that prison guards were slow to open cell doors and gates when the fire broke out.

The prison housed 852 inmates, twice its capacity. Authorities put the final death toll at 355. (AFP)

Karzai urges Pakistan to resume Nato supplies

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has urged Pakistan to resume Nato supplies and charge increased levy, as it will benefit both Pakistan and Afghanistan,

He was talking to senior journalists over the breakfast here today.

While responding to questions about talks between the US and Taliban and role of Afghan government, he said we are aware of US-Taliban contacts but we would decide where to hold Afghan-Taliban talks.

The Taliban can open office in Qatar but Kabul will hold talks in Turkey or Saudi Arabia with them.

Upon a query over Indian influence in Afghanistan, Karzai said Pakistan does not need to worry about it as Pakistan and India are already engaged in trade agreements.

Option of getting Afghan National Army trained by Pakistan is available but trust deficit between the two countries is a hurdle, he said.

Hafiz Saeed’s presence in public rally concerns US

WASHINGTON: United States Thursday expressed ‘concern’ over the recent public appearance of Hafiz Saeed at a Difa e Pakisan rally in Karachi.

The statement issued by US State Department said that Lashkar e Taiba and Jamaat ud Dawa is internationally sanctioned because of its associates with al Qaeda.

It said that “We have and continue to urge the government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1267/1989.

Meanwhile on trilateral meeting in Islamabad, US said that we support the process of talks among Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, adding that the regional states need to support the process if its going to be successful.

During a daily press briefing, US State Department's spokesman Victoria Nuland said that the US was not trying to stop legitimate trade in food, medicines and these kinds of things between Iran and its neighbours.

She said that US obviously object over the attitude of Iran to its nuclear obligations.

Pakistan-Afghan-Iran summit opens today

ISLAMABAD: A two-day summit of three neighbouring countries Pakistan, Afganinstan and Iran devoted to counter-terrorism will begin today,

Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan will attend the summit being hosted by President Asif Ali Zardari.

The talks come at a time of heightened tension between Iran and the United States, notably over speculation about a possible Israeli attack against Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

It also comes with Afghanistan keen to start peace talks with Taliban insurgents. Kabul is reportedly concerned about being sidelined by contacts between the US and the Taliban.

"It is a two-day summit, to be held on February 16 and 17 in Islamabad," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters. It will be attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he said.

"The trilateral summit is important for the leaders to get together and discuss important regional issues pertaining to counter-terrorism and organised crimes including drug trafficking," Basit said.

Despite strong US objections, Pakistan says it is pressing ahead with a multi-billion-dollar project to build a gas pipeline to import fuel from Iran. "We are looking to complete the pipeline project by 2014 to meet our energy requirements.

It is important for our economic growth," Basit said. In the deal signed in 2010, Iran has agreed to supply natural gas to its eastern neighbour from 2014. US President Barack Obama unveiled new sanctions on Iran's central bank in an effort to force it to reverse course on its nuclear programme.

Asked about US sanctions, Basit said Pakistan opposed any new conflict in the region and called for dialogue

Senate to approve 20th Amendment bill today

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the session of the Senate with one-point agenda of passage of the 20th Amendment Bill today.

The landmark 20th Amendment Bill was okayed unanimously by the National Assembly on Tuesday. Once the bill is cleared by the upper house of parliament, it would be sent to the president whose signature on it would make it an Act of Parliament. The Senate session would be prorogued the same day.

The 20th Amendment in the Constitution would envisage validation of by-elections on 28 seats, including nine in National Assembly and three in Senate. The 12 restored parliamentarians would be able to attend joint sitting of parliament scheduled to start on Monday to debate 63 recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on 'terms of engagements' with the United States.

Punjab: SC seeks names of doctors on strike Punjab: SC seeks names of doctors on strike

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan taking a suo moto notice has sought lists of doctors’ names staging strikes in Punjab,

Apex court has tasked Chief Secretary Punjab with a report on the prompt.

SC has also summoned Secretary Health Punjab and Advocate General of Pakistan.

US-Taliban talks only exploratory: Afghan envoy

iSLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban and the United States have made only exploratory contacts for possible reconciliation which do not involve the Kabul government, the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan said on Thursday.

"I must emphasise that word 'exploratory'. They are not talks," Umar Daudzai told Reuters.

"When there's talks, it's supposed to be between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We have not reached to that stage although we wish to reach to that stage."

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported, based on an interview it conducted with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, that the U.S. and Afghan government had begun secret three-way talks with the Taliban.

The newspaper quoted Karzai as saying the Taliban were "definitively" interested in a peace settlement to end the 10-year war in Afghanistan, and that all three sides were now involved in discussions.

"There have been contacts between the U.S. government and the Taliban, there have been contacts between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and there have been some contacts that we have made, all of us together, including the Taliban," Karzai said in the interview.

The Wall Street Journal said Karzai had declined to specify the location of the talks or go into further detail, saying he feared this could damage the process.

The Afghan Taliban announced last month it would open a political office in Qatar, suggesting the group may be willing to engage in negotiations that could likely give it government positions or official control over much of its historical southern heartland.

"At a high level, (there are) secret talks and American-Taliban talks. I'm not aware of any other than the Qatar process," said Daudzai.

"The Qatar process is exploratory contacts between Taliban and the United States."

The Afghan ambassador said the Kabul government's contacts with the Taliban were limited to communications between low-level officials and local insurgent commanders.

Washington wants to accelerate contacts with the Taliban so it can announce serious peace negotiations at a NATO summit in May, officials say, in what would be a welcome bright spot in Western efforts to end the war in Afghanistan.

The United States hopes it can declare a start to authentic political negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban at the May 20-21 summit in Chicago, after a year of initial, uncertain contacts with militant representatives.

It would be a needed victory for the White House and its NATO partners in Afghanistan as they struggle to contain a resilient insurgency and train a local army while moving to bring their troops home over the next three years. (Reuters)

Senate elections: assets of Aitzaz, Awan, Khosa challenged

ISLAMABAD: Assets of Senate nominees from Punjab Babar Awan, Aitzaz Ahsan, Zulfiqar Khosa and Zafarullah have been challenged in the election commission,

As per the details of assets submitted to the Election Commission, Babar Awan possesses Rs77.8 million in cash and Rs9.7 million in banks.

He also owns Rs20 million each property in Spain and Pakistan, while in Islamabad he has a house worth Rs35 million.

The value of Awan's office in Saddiq plaza Lahore is Rs2 million, while he has also invested Rs4 million in a private bank. The documents revealed that Babar Awan also owns four vehicles.

Aitzaz has Rs100 million bank accounts, 800 canal land property, while his wife Bushra Aitzaz possess 400 canal.

PML-N candidate Zulfiqar Khosa possesses 99 acres of agricultural land and Rs0.7 million bank accounts. He had paid agriculture of tax of Rs7000 only.

Zafarullah owns 2594 canals of land, has two vehicles and an amount of Rs0.5 million.

He had paid just Rs3000 as agriculture tax.

Stable Afghanistan in Pak interest: PM Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday met here and discussed bilateral issues and regional situation.

Karzai is on a two-day official visit to join President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a trilateral summit, aimed at promoting regional cooperation and strengthening peace and stability in the region.

In a meeting held in cordial atmosphere at the Prime Minister House, Gilani and Karzai discussed a range of issues concerning Pakistan and Afghanistan in diverse areas. They called for strengthening bilateral relations between the two neighbourly
countries.

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing efforts for ensuring peace in Afghanistan for an ultimate peace in the region.

Both sides agreed to strengthen mutual cooperation to overcome the common challenges of terrorism and extremism and expressed their resolve to work for the stability and peace of both countries.

Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan supported any peace process in Afghanistan, which was Afghan-led and Afghan-owned because peace, prosperity and independence of Afghanistan was in the best national interest of Pakistan.

Both sides reviewed the current developments in the region relating to peace and stability.

They also discussed bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and commerce, infrastructure development, regional transit trade and cross border movement.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan would continue to extend full cooperation to Afghan government in the investigation of the assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.

Afghan President Karzai expressed his deep sense of gratitude to the government of Pakistan for the assistance in the investigation of assassination of Professor Rabbani.

He apprised Prime Minister Gilani the several initiatives which were currently underway to promote peace and stability in
Afghanistan.

Karzai termed Pakistan's support as critical to the success of Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process and reconciliation in the
country.

He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were twin brothers and therefore should cooperate in the same spirit for the cause of peace and stability in both countries.

The meeting was followed by delegation-level talks. Prime Minister Gilani was assisted by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Defence minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Interior minister Rehman Malik, Information minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Advisor to the PM on natural resources Dr Asim Hussain, Advisor on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh,and minister-in-waiting Engineer Shaukatullah.

Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, Director General Inter Services Intelligence Lt. Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha and senior government officials were also present.

The Afghan President's delegation comprised Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Zalmai Rassoul and Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak. National Security Advisor, Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Jawed Ludin, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan Muhammad Umar Daudzai and other senior Afghan government officials.

Karzai visited the Prime Minister House soon after his arrival in the capital this morning. Prime Minister Gilani received the Afghan President and his delegation at the PM House.

Earlier, the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai was received by the Prime Minister on his arrival at the PM's House.

US drone strike kills 8 in North Waziristan

MIRANSHAH: A second drone strike within eight hours has taken place in the North Waziristan agency.

The attack took place in the Mir Ali Tehsil. Eight people were killed in the attack in which a vehicle was targeted by two missiles.

In an earlier drone strike six people were killed when a compound was targeted.

Pakistani politicians don't want Americans to go away: Munter

WASHINGTON: US Ambassador Cameron Munter has said that Pakistani politicians don't want Americans to go away from their country.

During his lecture at Harvard Kennedy School, Munter said that the relationship between CIA and ISI were still intact.

"The CIA-ISI relationship is still cooperative," Munter said. "The Pakistani government realizes that we have a lot in common on counter-terrorism and we still have a decent relationship with the intelligence."

But this may change when DG ISI Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, announces his retirement, Munter added.

US ambassador said when military aid was limited because of the incident he told Kayani when trainers would leave Pakistan, equipment would also go with them.

Deep down, he said, Pakistani politicians do not want Americans to go away.

Pakistani aerial supply route open: US

WASHINGTON: US State Department said that Ambassador Cameron Munter has already told that Pakistani airspace is being used for Nato supply which made clear that the route is open, however refused to comment in detail.

Replying a question during a daily press briefing, US State Department's spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that she don't have an accurate answer regarding Pakistani aerial supply routes to Afghanistan.

Kuwait forms new cabinet with change in oil, defence

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah named a new cabinet on Tuesday with 10 new faces, including the oil and defence ministers, and no women, despite objections from the opposition.

Hani Hussein, a former chief executive officer of the national oil conglomerate Kuwait Petroleum Corp, was appointed oil minister, replacing Mohammad al-Baseeri.

Sheikh Ahmad Khaled Al-Sabah, a member of the ruling family and former chief of staff, was appointed defence minister.

Mustafa al-Shamali, the long-serving finance minister, kept his job.

The new cabinet does not include a single Islamist, the largest opposition bloc that scored an impressive victory in the February 2 general elections when they won 23 seats in the 50-member parliament.

The 16-member cabinet was announced less than a day after failure in talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah and the opposition to include more newly elected MPs.

The opposition said in a statement Monday that it accepted an offer from the prime minister to take part in the government but it demanded nine portfolios. The premier offered them only three posts, and they refused, the statement said.

But Shuaib al-Muwaizri, an opposition MP, decided to independently accept a ministerial post to become the only elected MP in the new cabinet line-up.

Al-Muwaizri was named state minister for housing and parliamentary affairs.

The snap elections were held after youth-led street protests forced former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to step down in late November.

Soon after, parliament was dissolved for the fourth time in less than six years.

Women were not represented in the cabinet for the first time since 2005, the same year parliament granted them the right to vote.

Women also failed to secure a single parliament seat in the latest elections. All four women who made history in the 2009 polls by getting elected to office, lost their seats in the February polls.

Aside from the prime minister, the cabinet includes four other members from the ruling family, including those in charge of the so-called sovereign ministries of defence, interior and foreign affairs, all traditionally controlled by the emir's relatives, as well as the ministry of information.

Some candidates in the February elections called for an end to the Al-Sabah monopoly over the sovereign ministries, but to no avail.

Some opposition MPs have already voiced their objections to the newly formed cabinet.

Islamist MP Waleed al-Tabtabai predicted the new cabinet will not survive for long.

"This is like a caretaker cabinet. It includes several members who are likely to trigger crises and its formation followed the same old style," Tabtabai said in a statement.

Mohammad al-Dallal, another Islamist MP, was critical of the decision to retain the finance minister. (AFP)

Pakistan admits allowing Nato supplies by air

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad publicly admitted Tuesday that it had allowed NATO to use Pakistani airspace to fly supplies into Afghanistan, despite a more than two-month blockade on the border crossings.

"The permission has been given for food items," a defence ministry official quoted Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar as saying at a function in Islamabad.

"Since the food items were perishable, we have allowed them to transport them by air to Afghanistan.

"We have told them to take the supplies out by air and don't bring more for the time being," the official quoted him as saying.

US ambassador to Islamabad, Cameron Munter, last week confirmed that NATO had continued to fly supplies into Afghanistan despite Pakistan's closure of the border to NATO trucks and oil tankers on November 26.

Relations between Pakistan and the United States sunk to an all-time low after air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan border in an incident that the United States blamed on mistakes made by both sides. (AFP)

Ivanovic advances in Qatar Open

DOHA: Ana Ivanovic made the second round of the Qatar Open on Monday, but she was denied a full match as rival Carla Suarez Navarro retired with a back problem in the second set.

Ivanovic, the former world number one, who has now slipped to 19th in the rankings, had won the first set 6-1 and was leading 4-1 in the second when her Spanish rival quit after receiving courtside treatment.

And the Serbian star knows she has a long way to go before she reaches the level that saw her win the French Open in 2008.

But despite the challenges, the Serbian beauty added that her goal was to get as higher in the rankings as possible.

Meanwhile, former US and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova survived a tough first set to beat Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez-Sanchez 7-5, 6-3.

As the top eight seeds who have been given first round byes enjoyed a rest, the first upset of the event came when Kazakhstan's Ksenia Pervak defeated the 10th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenko of Russia 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Israeli Shahar Peer and China's Shuai Peng also advanced, beating Arab wild cards Nadia Lalami of Morocco and Fatma al-Nabhani of Oman respectively in straight sets.

The Qatar Ladies Open is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with six of the top 10 players taking part including world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. (AFP)

National Assembly unanimously passes 20th amendment bill

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has unanimously passed the bill for 20th amendment to the Constitution,

The Prime Minister in his address after passage of the 20th amendment bill by the house, congratulated the nation and all the Parliamentarians including the opposition on a landmark development.

The Premier said special thanks to Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Opposition Leader in NA for his input for the preparation of the bill of 20th amendment which was passed by the house with 247 votes and not a single member of the Parliament voted against it.

He said the passage of the bill has ensured formation of an independent Election Commission and it has been proved that free and fair elections could be held in the country. Now a caretaker prime minister would not have to be brought from outside, he added.

He acknowledged the 'important role' of Senator Raza Rabbani and Ishaq Dar towards passage of the bill which has 'raised the status of the Parliament and strengthened the democracy'.

The Prime Minister said all the political forces could sit together for a national interest.

Bodies of five infants found from Manzor colony

KARACHI: Police on Tuesday recovered dead bodies of five newborn babies from a garbage bin in Manzor colony,

Mehmodabad police said, on pointation of the residents, police recovered dead bodies of five infants from a garbage bin placed near a nullah in sector-E, Manzor colony.

The bodies have been handed over to rescue officials.

Further investigation is underway.

Last day for filing Senate nomination papers

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is receiving nomination papers for the Senate elections for federal territory, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and four provinces for the second day today.

According to the schedule announced by the ECP, the returning officer will continue receiving nomination papers in provincial election commissions and central election commission offices till Tuesday. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be carried out on Thursday and Friday, February 16- 17.

PPP leaders Dr Babar Awan and Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan submitted their nomination papers in Lahore today.

Those who submitted papers Monday include;

PML-N: Ishaq Dar, Sardar Lateef Khosa, Zafarullah Dhandla, Malik Rafiq, Kamran Michael, Nuzhat Amir, Syed Nawab Shah, Akbar Iskani, Baraat Khan, Faisal Agha and Kishwar Ahmed.

PML-Q: Kamil Ali Agha.

ANP: Shahi Syed, Baaz Mohammad Khan, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Ilyas Ahmed Bilour and Zahida Khan.

PPP: Farhat ullah Babar, Shamroz Khan, Saifullah Magsi and Khalida Mohsin Qureshi.

MQM: Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Nasreen Jalil, Kanwar Khalid Younus, Barrsiter Farrukh Nasim, Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Nasreen Jalil and Naila Latif Muneed.

The appeals regarding objections would be disposed off on February 22 and 23. The finalised list of the candidates will also be announced on February 24.

The elections are being held on 54 seats including 11 from each province, four from Fata and two sets from federal capital while four minority members (one from each province) would also be elected for the first time.

Members of Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan will elect to Senate seven members from general seats, two from seats reserved for women and two for seats reserved for technocrats including Ulema.

The National Assembly members will elect to Senate one member against general seat and other on seat reserved for technocrats including Ulema from the Federal Capital.

National Assembly members from Fata will elect to Senate four members against the general seats. In addition, Provincial Assembly members of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan will elect to Senate one member on seats reserved for non-Muslims.

A total of 50 senators are being retired in March after completing their respective terms including 11from each province, four Fata and two from federal capital.

SC dissatisfied over NAB report on railways

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) expressed its dissatisfaction over the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) report detailing Pakistan Railways (PR) corruption, .

The SC was hearing PR corruption case and issued notices to Defense Secretary and Interior Secretary over the armed forces occupying railways land.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry reprimanded NAB’s prosecutor general and remarked that if NAB had done anything, then the corrupt would have been behind the bars by now.

The hearing was adjourned till February 22.

Arabs agree Syria opposition contacts, peace force

CAIRO: The Arab League said it agreed on Sunday to open contacts with Syria's opposition and to ask the United Nations to form a joint peacekeeping force to the unrest-swept nation in moves swiftly rejected by Syria.

Arab diplomats "will open channels of communication with the Syrian opposition and offer full political and financial support, urging (the opposition) to unify its ranks," it said in a statement..

They would also "ask the UN Security Council to issue a decision on the formation of a joint UN-Arab peacekeeping force to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire," it said.

After marathon talks in Cairo, the 22-member bloc also announced it had formally ended its own observer mission to Syria, suspended last month because of an upsurge in violence.

Only Algeria and Lebanon expressed reservations about the resolution, an Arab League official said.

Syria's ambassador to Cairo "categorically" rejected the Arab League moves.

"The Syrian Arab Republic categorically rejects the decisions of the Arab League," which "reflects the hysteria of these governments" after failing to get foreign intervention at the UN Security Council, Yusef Ahmed said in a statement. (AFP)

Seven killed in Iraq attacks

FALLUJAH: Seven people including a tribal chief were killed on Saturday in attacks west of Baghdad and in the capital itself, police and medics said.

A roadside bomb at Amariyat al-Fallujah in Anbar province killed Sheikh Najem Mustafa al-Hafez, head of the Aweissat tribe, along with his brother, his wife and their two-year-old son, police lieutenant Jabbar Hamad said.

Hamad said Hafez was well-known for his hostility to insurgents and his loyalty to the police and army.

A doctor at Fallujah hospital 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Baghdad confirmed that the facility had received four bodies after the incident.

The hospital also received the remains of two people killed when a magnetic bomb attached to their car in the city exploded.

In the capital, an interior ministry employee named as Haidar Shamki was killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car in east Baghdad, a ministry official said. (AFP)

Zawahiri supports Syria uprising in new video: SITE

HONG KONG: Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has voiced his support for the Syrian uprising in a new video message released on jihadist forums, US website monitors said Sunday.

In the video titled "Onwards, Lions of Syria", Zawahiri criticised the Syrian regime for crimes against its citizens, and praised those rising up against the government, the SITE Intelligence Group said.

Zawahiri, shown in front of a green curtain in the video released Saturday which runs for over eight minutes, urged Syrians not to rely on the West or Arab governments, whom he said would impose a new regime subservient to the West.

He called on Muslims in Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon to support the uprising and remove the current regime which he condemned as anti-Islam.

Since March last year, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government has carried out a bloody crackdown on an uprising in which more than 6,000 people have been killed.

Arab League foreign ministers will meet on Sunday in Cairo to discuss their next move over the crisis.

Long Al-Qaeda's number two, Zawahiri took over the helm of the group after Osama bin Laden was killed in May 2011 during a US special forces night raid deep in Pakistan.

The video is the latest of a number in which the militant chief has attempted to seize on the "Arab Spring" revolutions.

Al-Qaeda has been absent from the popular protests that swept the Arab world last year, leading to the fall of leaders in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia and provoking major unrest elsewhere.

Analysts argue that the phenomenon has left the global terror outfit weakened and increasingly irrelevant.

The United States said last year that it believed Zawahiri, who has been in hiding since the United States declared a "war on terror" after the September 11, 2001 attacks, was still in Pakistan. (AFP)

Iran speaker warns Gulf states not to side with US

TEHRAN: Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani warned Iran will not forgive Gulf Arab nations if they continue backing US "plots" against Tehran, local media reported on Sunday.

"We recommend to some of the countries in the region who were siding with (Iraq dictator) Saddam (Hussein) and now are siding with the US plots against the Iranian nation to give it up," he was quoted as saying.

"Iran will not forgive them again. There will be consequences in the region if new plots against our nation are carried out," Larijani said.

Larijani was referring to the generous financial aid and political support provided by Gulf Arab states, namely Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, to the Iraqi regime during the 1980-1988 war against Iran.

His comments come at a time when the United States and the European Union have imposed new sanctions on Iran's central bank and oil exports in January over its controversial nuclear programme.

Tehran has called on Saudi Arabia to reconsider a vow to make up for any shortfall in Iran's oil exports due to these new sanctions, saying Riyadh's pledge to intervene on the market was unfriendly.

Long-strained ties between Shiite-dominated Iran and Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia deteriorated after Saudi-led troops intervened in Sunni-ruled Bahrain in March help the government there crush Shiite-led pro-democracy protests.

The relations worsened late last year following US allegations that a foiled plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington had been hatched in Tehran.

In addition, the Gulf Cooperation Council comprising of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have called on Iran to "stop interfering in the internal affairs" of their nations.

The worsening ties continued after the six Gulf monarchies ordered their envoys home from Syria and expelled Damascus's ambassadors, joining mounting pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the killings of civilians.

Tehran has been Damascus main regional ally since the 1979 Islamic revolution and has been supportive of Assad's regime in the 11 month uprising that has seen more than 6,000 people killed, according to human rights groups

PM Gilani allowed to bring his car inside SC premises

ISLAMABAD: Registrar Supreme Court has allowed Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to bring his car inside the premises of the court when he arrives for hearing in contempt case today,
Earlier, the SC had prevented the prime minister from driving his car inside the court premises. He was asked by the apex court to park his car in the parking area and then walk to the courtroom where proceedings are to take place.

The Supreme Court is all set to frame charges against the Prime Minister in contempt of Court case today for not implementing the SC verdict on NRO despite several

We are not scared of jails: Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari

KARACHI: In a series of messages on social website twitter, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari emphasized that the PPP was not scared of jails.

Bakhtawar tweeted: “People cry over immunity but forgot my father spent 11 and a half years in prison without a single conviction. Jails don’t scare us."

She went on to tweet that her grandfather, mother, father and the current Prime Minister had all been to prison and fought in every court.

“PPP is not a party of cowards. We are a party of fighters and martyrs because we believe in a democratic Pakistan” she tweeted.

DPC launches ten-point manifesto

KARACHI: Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) in its rally here Sunday announced a ten-point manifesto,

The rally, addressed by a number of religious and political leaders, drew massive cohorts from across the metropolis.

At least 40 different religious parties participated in the event.

JUI chief, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq in his concluding address launched an appeal for peace and harmony.

Going forward he condemned America’s hegemonic designs and vowed to safeguard the ideological boundaries of the country form internal and external threats.

Ruling parties to shrink by half ahead of polls: Imran Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan has said that in the wake of caretaker government the ruling parties would erode by half, whereas PTI would see a ten-fold surge,

Talking to the PRI professional forum here, he said that politicians think, by dishing out laptops they would fool the masses, absolutely not.

He said Nawaz Sharif was a copycat as he was mimicking his (Imran Khan’s) policies all the time.

Laughing, he said that, youth would not take PML-N’s laptops, but vote for PTI.

Difa-e-Pakistan rally in Karachi

KARACHI: The Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) rally is underway at Mazar-e-Quaid,

Key leaders including Sheikh Rasheed and Ijaz-ul-Haq have addressed the rally.

Speeches at the rally have focused on not resuming Nato supplies, drone attacks, the release of Dr. Aafia and Balochistan.

The DPC finalised all arrangements for its Defence of Pakistan rally, as the entire city witnessed a display of posters and banners placed by the Jamat-ut-Dawa, particularly at major intersections.

PML-N announces Senate candidates

ISLAMABAD: The PML-N has announced the names of its candidates for the upcoming senate elections.

Zulfiqar Khosa, Rafiq Rajwana, M. Hamza and Zafarullah Dhandla will be the candidates for the general seats.

Ishaq Dar will contest the technocrat seat while Kamran Michael will be the candidate for the minority seat.

Nasba Aamir Sadiq will be candidate for the women’s seat.

Car bombs kill 28 in Syria's Aleppo as tanks hit Homs

DAMASCUS: Twin car bombs targeting security posts in Syria's second city of Aleppo killed at least 28 people, state media said, with the rebels accusing the regime of launching the attacks as a diversion.

The explosions Friday came as tank-backed troops advanced on pockets of resistance in the besieged protest hub of Homs, and as heavy security deployments nationwide thwarted planned protests against regime ally Russia.

The powerful mid-morning blasts in the northern commercial hub also wounded 235 people, said state television, which broadcast gruesome footage.

Mangled bodies were shown in pools of blood outside rows of shattered buildings and piles of rubble strewn across a broad avenue.

State television called the bombings, the first in Aleppo since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime erupted almost a year ago, the work of "armed terrorist gangs."

It said a "suicide bomber in a car packed with explosives" had attacked a police station, flattening a nearby food distribution centre. The second targeted an intelligence base.

The rebel Free Syrian Army blamed the government itself for the attacks. (AFP)

Snow blocks in tens of thousands as cold death toll rises

BELGRADE: Snow drifts reaching up to rooftops kept tens of thousands of villagers prisoners in their own homes Saturday as the death toll from Europe's big freeze rose past 550.

More heavy snow fell on the Balkans and in Italy, while the Danube river, already closed to shipping for hundreds of kilometres (miles) because of thick ice, froze over in Bulgaria for the first time in 27 years.

Montenegro's capital of Podgorica was brought to a standstill by snow 50 centimetres (20 inches) deep, a 50-year record, closing the city's airport and halting rail services to Serbia because of an avalanche.

Eight more people were reported to have died in Romania, taking the toll for the country to 65, three in Serbia, one in the Czech Republic and one in Austria.

Polish fire brigade spokesman Pawel Fratcak said Saturday that defective heating had triggered a spate of deadly blazes in houses and apartments, with eight people killed on Friday night and three the night before.

New Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu and his defence and interior ministers, who were sworn in only on Thursday, flew by helicopter to the eastern Buzau region, one of the worst hit, on Saturday.

He called on the authorities to work hard to beat the challenges facing them, as food threatened to run out in some villages in spite of air drops.

At Carligul Mic firemen and volunteers helped people dig tunnels and trenches in the snow reaching to the house roofs in some places.

Authorities said an estimated 30,000 people were still cut off in Romania, and more than 110,000 in the Balkan countries, including 60,000 in Montenegro, nearly 10 percent of the population.

Belgrade has taken steps to limit electricity consumption in the face of threatened shortages, calling on companies to reduce their activities to a minimum.

With Wednesday and Thursday already public holidays for Serbia's national day, the government has also declared Friday a non-working day to extend into next weekend.

In neighbouring Kosovo, an avalanche killed at least people in a southern mountain village and left nine others trapped in several houses under 10 metres of snow.

A helicopter from the NATO-led peacekeeping force was dispatched to help with the rescue effort but could not land due to thick fog.

Forecasters expect the cold snap, which started two weeks ago, to continue until mid-February.

In Italy Rome was again blanketed by snow for the second time in a week, but authorities seemed to have learned from their previous experience, when the capital was brought to a halt.

Public transport functioned almost normally, thanks to 700 snowploughs and gritters mobilised, but other parts of the country, especially the south where snow is extremely rare, were having difficulties.

In the Calabria region, Campana's mayor Pasquale Manfredi, where many villages were cut off, likened the weather to "an earthquake without the shaking."

Meteorologists in Belgium said the country had recorded its longest cold snap in 70 years, with temperatures in Brussels' suburbs remaining below zero for 13 consecutive days.

On the French Mediterranean island of Corsica snow was up to one metre thick in the higher villages and all flights were cancelled from Bastia airport.

Many people are determined to enjoy the icy conditions to their utmost, however. Thousands have taken to frozen lakes and rivers, including the Aussenalster lake at Hamburg in northern Germany, iced over for the first time in 15 years, which is mounting a huge festival expected to attract one million people over the weekend.

In Poland ice yachting or ice-surfing, on a surfboard equipped with skates, are the rage, while in the Czech Republic tourists have flocked to the village of Kvilda, reckoned to be one of the coldest in the country, for the experience of camping out in temperatures of up to minus 39 Celsius (minus 38 Fahrenheit).

As some Swiss regions recorded temperatures of minus 23 Celsius (minus 10 Fahrenheit), the tourism board said the ice cover on Fribourg's Black Lake was thick enough to plan for aircrafts to land on it in the coming days. (AFP)

Hungary orders Danube closed amid big freeze

BUDAPEST: Hungary closed the Danube to river traffic Friday due to thick ice, bringing shipping to a near standstill on Europe's busiest waterway, as the continent's cold snap death toll passed 540.

"Shipping was ordered stopped overnight Thursday to Friday because of conditions created by icing along the Hungarian part of the river," Istvan Lang, who heads the national technical supervisory body OMIT said.

"All ships still underway must immediately head for the closest harbour," Lang, quoted by MTI news agency, said.

Hungary's navy had to send its biggest icebreaker, the Szechenyi, to try to ram through the frozen river at Budapest.

"I've not seen so much ice on the Danube since 1985," said its captain, Dezso Kovacs.

The freeze had already forced other countries along the Danube, including Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria, to suspend river traffic.

The 2,860-kilometre (1,780-mile) river, which flows through 10 countries and is vital for transport, power, irrigation, industry and fishing, was nearly wholly blocked, from Austria to its mouth on the Black Sea.

Forecasters expect the cold snap, which started two weeks ago, to continue until mid-February.

So far the freeze has claimed 37 lives in the Balkans -- 16 in Serbia, 11 in Bosnia, five in Slovakia, four in Montenegro, three in Croatia, two in Macedonia and one in Albania.

At least 135 people have died of the cold in the Ukraine, 82 in Poland, 46 in Russia, 25 in the Czech Republic, and 24 in Lithuania.

Serbia's government reduced power supplies to 2,000 companies it said were not vital to everyday life and appealed to consumers to cut energy use by 10 percent.

But consumption hit 162.67 million kWh per day -- which local media said was around 10 percent more than the same period last year.

In neighbouring Bosnia, an army helicopter had to make an emergency landing while transporting provisions to isolated villages in the southern Kalinovik region.

The chopper was damaged but all 11 crew members were well. They were evacuated by a helicopter of EU peacekeepers stationed in Bosnia.

In Romania, the death toll had risen to 57 since the start of the cold spell, with more than 20,000 people still cut off by snow in the east of the country where food was running out.

In the southern village of Varasti, inhabitants had to tunnel their way out from under four metres (13 feet) of snow.

"I fear all my hens and turkeys are dead," said Varasti resident Marin Boacana, 60, pointing to his snow-covered chicken coop.

Rome braced for fresh snow, with forecasters predicting up to 30 centimetres (11 inches).

At the Porta Portese street market, snow chains have been selling for up to 400 euros ($530) in recent days, following a city order that all cars must be equipped in case of heavy snow.

In the city of Padua in the northeast, firefighters had to hack down a three-metre (10-foot) icicle weighing 50 kilos (110 pounds).

In Bulgaria where 32 have died, authorities continued a massive relief effort in the southeastern village of Biser, submerged under the icy waters of a nearby dam that burst on Monday. The ensuing floods killed 10 people.

In France, the death toll increased to at least 12 as the cold claimed two more lives.

A nuclear reactor at the Cattenom plant shut down because of a fault, placing fresh pressure on the already strained national power grid Friday, state energy giant EDF said.

And for the first time since World War II, Azerbaijan set up shelters for homeless people in the capital Baku on Friday.

Liquified gas prices down by Rs3 per kg

KARACHI: Marketing companies have reduced prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 per kilogram to Rs128 to pick up dwindling sales in the country.

Chairman of FPCCI Standing Committee on LPG and All Pakistan
LPG Distributors Association (APLDA) Abdul Hadi Khan said that LPG sale has declined to 50 percent and marketing companies have slashed the margins to boost demand.

He said that price of 11.8 kg cylinder has declined by Rs 30 to 40 to Rs 1500 to Rs 1510, while 45.4 kgs cylinder price has downed by Rs 136 to Rs 140 to Rs 5810.

Hadi said that this decrease will help in boosting sales which have declined considerably due to high prices.

He was of the opinion that LPG sale can go up, if marketing companies volunteer to further decrease their margins. This will be in the benefit of LPG industry, he noted.

It may be noted that LPG prices had jumped to record Rs 145 to Rs 165 per kg, as local producers shifted the burden of levy on LPG to 60 million consumers, raising its prices by Rs 15,850 to a record Rs 109,700 per ton on February 3, 2012.

Hadi pointed out that LPG prices can be brought to reasonable level if local producers increase their daily production and do not link local prices to Saudi Aramco Contract Price (CP).APP

Eight class student arrested on kite flying charges

GUJRANWALA: Police arrested a teenager on kite flying charges and presented him before the court of Judicial Magistrate,

Model police station detained Arsalan, 14, student of class eight under kite flaying act. The teenager handcuffed with criminals presented before Judicial Magistrate. Court sent him to jail.

Arsalan, while talking to Geo News said that he looted a kite and was caught by police while going to the roof of his house.

“Please give me pardon, I will never touch a kite, my annual paper is on tomorrow” Arsalan cried.