SANYA, China - Thunderous applause and cheers greeted the Olympic torch on Sunday on the first leg of its marathon relay through mainland China after a protest-harried overseas journey.
“Go China,” people lining the streets chanted, waving Chinese flags as the flame made its way from a man-made island just off the tropical resort city of Sanya, on the southern tip of the island province of Hainan.
Some of the thousands who turned out climbed up trees to get a better view of the torch, which has already been paraded through the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome.
“As the first stop for the torch relay in mainland China, we are very honoured and proud,” Sanya’s Communist Party boss, Jiang Zelin, told a carefully selected audience of dignitaries, celebrities and ordinary people, before the relay set off.
The torch ended its Sanya leg of its tour with Hong Kong-born action star Jackie Chan, running with a local resident, carrying the flame to a closing ceremony on a beachfront park.
A bold plan to take a special flame to the top of Mount Everest faced a possible setback at the weekend as snow fell on the world’s highest mountain.
The climbing team has been at 6,500 metres (21,300 feet) in advanced base camp or higher for at least three days, waiting for better weather to take the flame to the 8,848-metre (29,030-foot) peak and claim the crowning moment of a relay that was marred by anti-China protests on its round-the-world journey.
The demonstrations that dogged the main torch, which were mostly over China’s crackdown against protests in Tibet, deeply embarrassed Beijing and provoked retaliatory rallies at home and abroad by patriotic Chinese.
Talks with envoys for exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing blames for inciting the Tibet protests, were scheduled to start in southern China on Sunday.
Some in the Hainan crowd wore nationalist T-shirts reading: ”Tibet was, is and will always be part of China”.
Others wore T-shirts emblazoned with the calligraphy of Chairman Mao Zedong: “A sea of red over the rivers and mountains of the motherland”.
“JOURNEY OF HARMONY”
Security in Sanya was low key but noticeable, with police speedboats patrolling offshore and officers helping marshal the crowds, where a carnival-like atmosphere prevailed.
The chances of any further disruption to the torch relay as it snakes its way through China ahead of August’s Beijing Games appeared remote.
“The sacred Olympic flame relay will have a ’Journey of Harmony’ through the land of China,” organisers said in a statement, using a Beijing-coined phrase to express a sentiment much lacking in cities like London, Paris and San Francisco.
Thoughts of Tibet and the problems that marred the global leg of the relay appeared to be far from the minds of the people who flocked to see the torch on Sunday.
“That we can reach the stage where we can hold the Olympics shows that we are a developed country which is becoming rich and powerful,” Wu Qi, 23, a teacher from Hainan, said.
Though the weather in Sanya was sunny and warm, meteorologists expect showers in the coming days across much of Hainan and relay organisers have prepared raincoats for the torch runners, a Website of state news agency Xinhua said.
Chinese Olympic speed skating gold medallist Yang Yang was the first person to carry the torch.
“It went too fast,” she told state television, having run just 200 metres, like the other torch bearers.
The torch was to be carried by 208 runners -- including businessmen, celebrities, athletes and “model” Communist Party members -- and run over a course featuring both beaches and coconut groves.
After Sanya it works its way up to provincial capital Haikou and then onto every province in China, including Tibet and the restive far western region of Xinjiang, where Beijing has accused al Qaeda of working with Muslim separatists.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
More than 240 killed in Myanmar cyclone: govt
YANGON - More than 240 people were killed when cyclone Nargis tore through military-run Myanmar this weekend, an information ministry official said on Sunday.
“According to the latest information we have, altogether 19 people were killed in Yangon division and then about 222 people killed in Ayeyawaddy division,” the official told AFP.
Nargis made landfall around the mouth of the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) river, about 220 kilometres (137 miles) southwest of Yangon, late Friday before hitting the country’s economic hub of Yangon.
The cyclone ripped down power lines, battered buildings and left uprooted trees and other debris scattered across the streets of Yangon.
Five central and southern regions and states -- Yangon, Ayeyawaddy, Bago, Mon and Karen -- have been declared disaster areas, the official said.
Police and army have been deployed throughout the worst hits areas to start the clean-up operation.
The information ministry official said that seven empty boats had sunk in the country’s main port, while Yangon’s international airport was closed until further notice with flights diverted to the city of Mandalay.
The storm cut most electricity and telecommunications in the nation just a week before a crucial referendum on its new constitution, the first polling in Myanmar since general elections in 1990.
“According to the latest information we have, altogether 19 people were killed in Yangon division and then about 222 people killed in Ayeyawaddy division,” the official told AFP.
Nargis made landfall around the mouth of the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) river, about 220 kilometres (137 miles) southwest of Yangon, late Friday before hitting the country’s economic hub of Yangon.
The cyclone ripped down power lines, battered buildings and left uprooted trees and other debris scattered across the streets of Yangon.
Five central and southern regions and states -- Yangon, Ayeyawaddy, Bago, Mon and Karen -- have been declared disaster areas, the official said.
Police and army have been deployed throughout the worst hits areas to start the clean-up operation.
The information ministry official said that seven empty boats had sunk in the country’s main port, while Yangon’s international airport was closed until further notice with flights diverted to the city of Mandalay.
The storm cut most electricity and telecommunications in the nation just a week before a crucial referendum on its new constitution, the first polling in Myanmar since general elections in 1990.
Brown Brown says he can recover from British poll debacle
LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown voiced confidence on Sunday that his Labour Party would recover from its worst local election defeat in 40 years and rejected suggestions he should resign.
As commentators warned that last week’s poll rout could spell the end for the Labour government at national elections due by 2010, he admitted mistakes but said the global economic slowdown was largely to blame for his party’s performance.
Starting his post-election fightback with an interview on BBC television, he said: “Of course we can recover from this position and I will tell you how.
“First of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy and showing people we can come through, as we have in the past, very difficult economic times.
“Secondly by showing people we have a vision of the future that will carry the country -- optimistically in my view -- into its next phase.
“The test of the leadership is how you deal with adversity,” Brown said.
He said Labour was putting “big building blocks” in place for the future, such as giving working families a fair deal and helping people buy their first home.
He said he was looking forward to taking the fight to the main opposition Conservative Party, who were the big winners in the elections in England and Wales, capped by the victory of the eccentric Boris Johnson in the London mayor race.
The local elections had amounted to a “referendum on Labour”, but when the country was faced with a general election and a clear choice between the Conservatives and Labour “it will be very clear that Labour is the party on the side of hard-working families,” Brown said.
He added: “If we are the underdog, we are certainly fighting and we are fighting hard.”
Asked if he would stand down less than a year since taking over from Tony Blair, Brown said: “I think it is time to get on with the job.
“I’m resolute and determined and I’ve got conviction and ideas and I’m not going to be put off by a few days’ headlines from the job that I’m determined to do for this country.”
He compared his predicament to Senator John McCain, who was written off in the US presidential election race last year but recovered to clinch the Republican Party nomination.
Brown conceded that rumours last year about him calling a snap general election before he decided against holding a vote had been damaging.
“I let speculation on the general election go on for too long and perhaps I spent too little time on getting our message across,” he said, adding he would now spend more time travelling the country to meet voters.
Responding to suggestions he came across as a distant person who played badly with the electorate, Brown said: “I think it’s true that I am a more private person in a public arena.
“Perhaps I have spent too much time... looking at the detail to solving people’s problems.
“But to solve people’s problems you have got to understand their problems.
“I come from a pretty ordinary background, we as a family felt the pinch when things were wrong, we as a family felt under pressure when the economy was going through difficult times.
“I understand what people are thinking and I understand what people are feeling and I believe that I’m the right person to take the country through these difficult times.”
The prime minister insisted he would not re-introduce the 10-pence tax rate, the scrapping of which has been pinpointed by senior Labour figures as a mistake.
Instead, the government would introduce measures to help low-income families and people aged 60 to 64, he said.
And he said he would press ahead with his plan to extend the period of detention without charge for terror suspects to 42 days -- a move which is likely to lead to another clash with Labour backbenchers.
“It’s the right thing for the country,” he said.
As commentators warned that last week’s poll rout could spell the end for the Labour government at national elections due by 2010, he admitted mistakes but said the global economic slowdown was largely to blame for his party’s performance.
Starting his post-election fightback with an interview on BBC television, he said: “Of course we can recover from this position and I will tell you how.
“First of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy and showing people we can come through, as we have in the past, very difficult economic times.
“Secondly by showing people we have a vision of the future that will carry the country -- optimistically in my view -- into its next phase.
“The test of the leadership is how you deal with adversity,” Brown said.
He said Labour was putting “big building blocks” in place for the future, such as giving working families a fair deal and helping people buy their first home.
He said he was looking forward to taking the fight to the main opposition Conservative Party, who were the big winners in the elections in England and Wales, capped by the victory of the eccentric Boris Johnson in the London mayor race.
The local elections had amounted to a “referendum on Labour”, but when the country was faced with a general election and a clear choice between the Conservatives and Labour “it will be very clear that Labour is the party on the side of hard-working families,” Brown said.
He added: “If we are the underdog, we are certainly fighting and we are fighting hard.”
Asked if he would stand down less than a year since taking over from Tony Blair, Brown said: “I think it is time to get on with the job.
“I’m resolute and determined and I’ve got conviction and ideas and I’m not going to be put off by a few days’ headlines from the job that I’m determined to do for this country.”
He compared his predicament to Senator John McCain, who was written off in the US presidential election race last year but recovered to clinch the Republican Party nomination.
Brown conceded that rumours last year about him calling a snap general election before he decided against holding a vote had been damaging.
“I let speculation on the general election go on for too long and perhaps I spent too little time on getting our message across,” he said, adding he would now spend more time travelling the country to meet voters.
Responding to suggestions he came across as a distant person who played badly with the electorate, Brown said: “I think it’s true that I am a more private person in a public arena.
“Perhaps I have spent too much time... looking at the detail to solving people’s problems.
“But to solve people’s problems you have got to understand their problems.
“I come from a pretty ordinary background, we as a family felt the pinch when things were wrong, we as a family felt under pressure when the economy was going through difficult times.
“I understand what people are thinking and I understand what people are feeling and I believe that I’m the right person to take the country through these difficult times.”
The prime minister insisted he would not re-introduce the 10-pence tax rate, the scrapping of which has been pinpointed by senior Labour figures as a mistake.
Instead, the government would introduce measures to help low-income families and people aged 60 to 64, he said.
And he said he would press ahead with his plan to extend the period of detention without charge for terror suspects to 42 days -- a move which is likely to lead to another clash with Labour backbenchers.
“It’s the right thing for the country,” he said.
China seeking ‘positive outcome’ from Tibet talks
SHENZHEN, China - China’s president said he was hoping for “positive results” from talks with envoys of the Dalai Lama, which opened on Sunday, but state media kept up a barrage of attacks on Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader.
“(I) hope contacts this time will yield positive results,” China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted Hu Jintao as saying.
The fence-mending talks between Chinese officials and the two aides of the Dalai Lama, the first since an eruption of Tibetan protests and deadly riots in March, began behind closed doors in the city of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong.
The unrest, the most serious challenge to Chinese rule in the mountainous region for nearly two decades, prompted anti-China protests around the world that disrupted the international leg of the Olympic torch relay and led to calls for Western leaders to boycott August’s Beijing Games.
“When determining a person’s position, we must not only listen to what he says but also watch his deeds,” Hu told a group of Japanese reporters in Beijing ahead of his Japan visit.
“The door to dialogue has always been open. We sincerely hope the Dalai side can show through action that they have genuinely stopped separatist activities, stopped plots to incite violence and stopped to sabotage the Beijing Olympics,” Hu said.
These would “create conditions for the next round of dialogue”, Hu added.
Security was tight outside the Shenzhen state guest house where the talks were believed to have been held, and reporters were not allowed into the compound.
“The meeting took place this morning. It will continue tomorrow and possibly the day after ... We are expecting them back on the 7th or 8th (of May),” Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the Dalai Lama, told Reuters on Sunday.
“We hope the Chinese are serious about the talks and we are hopeful that the Chinese are willing to look into the problems in Tibet.”
Xinhua identified the Chinese negotiators as Zhu Weiqun and Sitar, both vice-ministers of the Communist Party’s United Front Work and responsible for winning over religious leaders and ethnic minorities.
Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama’s representatives in Washington and Switzerland respectively, arrived in China on Saturday.
A commentary in the Tibet Daily, mouthpiece of the Tibet regional government, accused the Dalai Lama of being a “loyal tool of international anti-Chinese forces” and attempting to split Tibet from China.
EXPECTATIONS LOW
Some analysts said the repeated condemnations in the run-up to the talks suggested that China was in no mood to compromise following the riots in Tibet, which stoked Western criticism of its rule there.
The India-based Tibetan government-in-exile has said it ”can’t have great expectations” from the talks.
There have been six rounds of dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama’s envoys since 2002, with no breakthrough.
China proposed the latest talks last month after Western governments urged it to open new dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who says he wants a high level of autonomy, not independence, for the predominantly Buddhist Himalayan homeland he fled in 1959.
The Dalai Lama also says that he objects to violence and supports the Beijing Olympics. China says he is insincere.
China says the rioting in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in March killed 18 “innocent civilians” and a police officer. It has not specified how many, if any, protesters have died but says troops used maximum restraint and avoided using lethal weapons.
Exiled groups say many more Tibetans have died in a crackdown on rioters. The government-in-exile estimated last week that 203 Tibetans might have died in the unrest since March 10.
“(I) hope contacts this time will yield positive results,” China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted Hu Jintao as saying.
The fence-mending talks between Chinese officials and the two aides of the Dalai Lama, the first since an eruption of Tibetan protests and deadly riots in March, began behind closed doors in the city of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong.
The unrest, the most serious challenge to Chinese rule in the mountainous region for nearly two decades, prompted anti-China protests around the world that disrupted the international leg of the Olympic torch relay and led to calls for Western leaders to boycott August’s Beijing Games.
“When determining a person’s position, we must not only listen to what he says but also watch his deeds,” Hu told a group of Japanese reporters in Beijing ahead of his Japan visit.
“The door to dialogue has always been open. We sincerely hope the Dalai side can show through action that they have genuinely stopped separatist activities, stopped plots to incite violence and stopped to sabotage the Beijing Olympics,” Hu said.
These would “create conditions for the next round of dialogue”, Hu added.
Security was tight outside the Shenzhen state guest house where the talks were believed to have been held, and reporters were not allowed into the compound.
“The meeting took place this morning. It will continue tomorrow and possibly the day after ... We are expecting them back on the 7th or 8th (of May),” Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the Dalai Lama, told Reuters on Sunday.
“We hope the Chinese are serious about the talks and we are hopeful that the Chinese are willing to look into the problems in Tibet.”
Xinhua identified the Chinese negotiators as Zhu Weiqun and Sitar, both vice-ministers of the Communist Party’s United Front Work and responsible for winning over religious leaders and ethnic minorities.
Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama’s representatives in Washington and Switzerland respectively, arrived in China on Saturday.
A commentary in the Tibet Daily, mouthpiece of the Tibet regional government, accused the Dalai Lama of being a “loyal tool of international anti-Chinese forces” and attempting to split Tibet from China.
EXPECTATIONS LOW
Some analysts said the repeated condemnations in the run-up to the talks suggested that China was in no mood to compromise following the riots in Tibet, which stoked Western criticism of its rule there.
The India-based Tibetan government-in-exile has said it ”can’t have great expectations” from the talks.
There have been six rounds of dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama’s envoys since 2002, with no breakthrough.
China proposed the latest talks last month after Western governments urged it to open new dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who says he wants a high level of autonomy, not independence, for the predominantly Buddhist Himalayan homeland he fled in 1959.
The Dalai Lama also says that he objects to violence and supports the Beijing Olympics. China says he is insincere.
China says the rioting in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in March killed 18 “innocent civilians” and a police officer. It has not specified how many, if any, protesters have died but says troops used maximum restraint and avoided using lethal weapons.
Exiled groups say many more Tibetans have died in a crackdown on rioters. The government-in-exile estimated last week that 203 Tibetans might have died in the unrest since March 10.
Georgia calls on UN to check Russian presence in Abkhazia
MOSCOW - Georgia has called on the United Nations to send more observers to the separatist Georgian region of Abkhazia to check on the increase in Russian troops there, a parliamentary spokesman said Saturday.
"We have serious suspicions that there have been violations," said Nika Sturoua the vice-president of the defence and security committee, the Interfax news agency reported.
Sturova said they believed that Moscow had exceeded the quota of troops allowed for its contingent in the pro-Russian province and that "illegal weapons" had been deployed there.
Sturovas said that the UN was going to send extra observers to check on the weapons displayed, he added.
Extra Russian troops deployed Thursday in Abkhazia, despite objections from Georgia, which denounced the move as a "dangerous escalation."
The development sparked expressions of concern from the United Nations, the European Union and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Russia already had a force of more than 2,000 stationed there as part of an agreement ending the armed conflict in the early 1990s between the Abkhaz separatists and the Georgian government.
That agreement allows for up to 3,000 Russian soldiers to be deployed there, said Abhkhaz foreign affairs spokesman Sergei Chamba. It is not clear how many Russian soldiers arrived in the region Thursday.
The United Nations observers mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) was set up in 1993 to ensure the ceasefire there was respected.
Meanwhile, the so-called defence minister of Abkhazia, Merab Kichmario, said his forces were prepared for any kind of military intervention by Georgia, Interfax said.
"We are in the loop about Georgian plans for a military intervention in Abkhazia. We are ready ... and our units are in a state of alert," he said, warning that in such a case his forces would enter Georgian territory.
"We have serious suspicions that there have been violations," said Nika Sturoua the vice-president of the defence and security committee, the Interfax news agency reported.
Sturova said they believed that Moscow had exceeded the quota of troops allowed for its contingent in the pro-Russian province and that "illegal weapons" had been deployed there.
Sturovas said that the UN was going to send extra observers to check on the weapons displayed, he added.
Extra Russian troops deployed Thursday in Abkhazia, despite objections from Georgia, which denounced the move as a "dangerous escalation."
The development sparked expressions of concern from the United Nations, the European Union and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Russia already had a force of more than 2,000 stationed there as part of an agreement ending the armed conflict in the early 1990s between the Abkhaz separatists and the Georgian government.
That agreement allows for up to 3,000 Russian soldiers to be deployed there, said Abhkhaz foreign affairs spokesman Sergei Chamba. It is not clear how many Russian soldiers arrived in the region Thursday.
The United Nations observers mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) was set up in 1993 to ensure the ceasefire there was respected.
Meanwhile, the so-called defence minister of Abkhazia, Merab Kichmario, said his forces were prepared for any kind of military intervention by Georgia, Interfax said.
"We are in the loop about Georgian plans for a military intervention in Abkhazia. We are ready ... and our units are in a state of alert," he said, warning that in such a case his forces would enter Georgian territory.
China on alert as deadly EV-71 virus spreads
BEIJING - China's Health Ministry has ordered heightened efforts to stem the spread of infectious diseases following an outbreak of a virus that has killed 22 children in one city and is spreading.
The outbreak of enterovirus 71, a type of hand, foot and mouth disease that children are susceptible to, is another headache for the communist government as it prepares for the Olympic Games already tarnished by an uprising among Tibetans in western China and an international torch relay disrupted by protests.
Stepped up vigilance by health bureaus and hospitals to prevent the spread of infectious diseases was necessary to guarantee the smooth staging of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and to practically preserve social stability," the ministry said in an order posted on its Web site Saturday.
What prompted the government to act was an unusual jump in cases of the enterovirus, known as EV-71, in Fuyang, a fast-growing city set amid the rural heartland of central China.
As of early Saturday, 3,736 cases of EV-71 were reported in Fuyang's mainly rural outskirts, a rise of 415 in about 24 hours, health officials said. Besides the 22 deaths, 1,115 people remain hospitalized, 42 of them in serious or critical condition, said the health department of Anhui province, where Fuyang is located.
The ministry sent expert teams to Anhui to lead treatment of the disease and prevent the spreading. State-run television showed workers spraying disinfectant around houses in rural areas outside Fuyang and medical teams visiting families with small children.
Meanwhile, nearly 800 other cases were reported elsewhere in Anhui, the health department said in a statement on its Web site. In Guangdong province, 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the south, preliminary tests showed an 18-month-old boy who died Friday was infected with EV-71, and a second suspected death was under investigation, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Cases of hand, foot and mouth outbreaks, but not necessarily EV-71, have been reported in at least two other provinces, Xinhua said.
Hand, foot and mouth disease are viruses that cause fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters. Spread by contact with the stool or discharges from sneezes or coughs of infected people, the viruses mainly strike children 10 years and younger. Some cases can lead to fatal brain swelling. The illness is not related to the foot and mouth disease that hits livestock.
The outbreak of enterovirus 71, a type of hand, foot and mouth disease that children are susceptible to, is another headache for the communist government as it prepares for the Olympic Games already tarnished by an uprising among Tibetans in western China and an international torch relay disrupted by protests.
Stepped up vigilance by health bureaus and hospitals to prevent the spread of infectious diseases was necessary to guarantee the smooth staging of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics and to practically preserve social stability," the ministry said in an order posted on its Web site Saturday.
What prompted the government to act was an unusual jump in cases of the enterovirus, known as EV-71, in Fuyang, a fast-growing city set amid the rural heartland of central China.
As of early Saturday, 3,736 cases of EV-71 were reported in Fuyang's mainly rural outskirts, a rise of 415 in about 24 hours, health officials said. Besides the 22 deaths, 1,115 people remain hospitalized, 42 of them in serious or critical condition, said the health department of Anhui province, where Fuyang is located.
The ministry sent expert teams to Anhui to lead treatment of the disease and prevent the spreading. State-run television showed workers spraying disinfectant around houses in rural areas outside Fuyang and medical teams visiting families with small children.
Meanwhile, nearly 800 other cases were reported elsewhere in Anhui, the health department said in a statement on its Web site. In Guangdong province, 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the south, preliminary tests showed an 18-month-old boy who died Friday was infected with EV-71, and a second suspected death was under investigation, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Cases of hand, foot and mouth outbreaks, but not necessarily EV-71, have been reported in at least two other provinces, Xinhua said.
Hand, foot and mouth disease are viruses that cause fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters. Spread by contact with the stool or discharges from sneezes or coughs of infected people, the viruses mainly strike children 10 years and younger. Some cases can lead to fatal brain swelling. The illness is not related to the foot and mouth disease that hits livestock.
Exiled Tibetan PM positive about talks
BEIJING - Tibet's prime minister in exile said he was hopeful of a positive outcome from talks with Chinese officials beginning Sunday, but cautioned not to expect too much from the first meeting between the two sides since violent anti-government protests erupted in Tibet.
Talks were scheduled to last for a day or two in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharmsala, India.
We are positive that something good will come out of it,' Samdhong Rinpoche told The Associated Press.
A report by China's official Xinhua News Agency confirmed the Dalai Lama's envoys, Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, would meet with two vice ministers of the United Front Work Department, designed to deal with influential people in groups outside of China's Communist Party.
Two of the Dalai Lama's representatives planned to push for peace in Tibetan areas of China and address Beijing's accusations that the spiritual leader has been masterminding the recent unrest, Samdhong Rinpoche told a public rally in Dharmsala.
Our hopes are high, but this is just a small step in a long process,' he said.
The Tibetan government-in-exile has called the meetings informal talks with representatives of the Chinese leadership.'
International critics have accused China of heavy-handed tactics in quelling protests in Tibet and other Tibetan areas of western China. Some experts believe Beijing agreed to meet with the Dalai Lama's envoys to ease that criticism ahead of the Olympics, which begin in August.
China says 22 people died in violence in Tibet's capital of Lhasa in March, while overseas Tibet supporters say many times that number have been killed in protests and the security crackdown.
Beijing argues the Dalai Lama and his supporters organized the riots with the aim of breaking the far western Himalayan region of Tibet away from Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet amid a failed uprising in 1959, says he is seeking meaningful autonomy for Tibet rather than independence from Chinese rule. He has decried cultural genocide' in his homeland, which has a unique Buddhist tradition distinct from the rest of China.
Talks were scheduled to last for a day or two in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharmsala, India.
We are positive that something good will come out of it,' Samdhong Rinpoche told The Associated Press.
A report by China's official Xinhua News Agency confirmed the Dalai Lama's envoys, Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, would meet with two vice ministers of the United Front Work Department, designed to deal with influential people in groups outside of China's Communist Party.
Two of the Dalai Lama's representatives planned to push for peace in Tibetan areas of China and address Beijing's accusations that the spiritual leader has been masterminding the recent unrest, Samdhong Rinpoche told a public rally in Dharmsala.
Our hopes are high, but this is just a small step in a long process,' he said.
The Tibetan government-in-exile has called the meetings informal talks with representatives of the Chinese leadership.'
International critics have accused China of heavy-handed tactics in quelling protests in Tibet and other Tibetan areas of western China. Some experts believe Beijing agreed to meet with the Dalai Lama's envoys to ease that criticism ahead of the Olympics, which begin in August.
China says 22 people died in violence in Tibet's capital of Lhasa in March, while overseas Tibet supporters say many times that number have been killed in protests and the security crackdown.
Beijing argues the Dalai Lama and his supporters organized the riots with the aim of breaking the far western Himalayan region of Tibet away from Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet amid a failed uprising in 1959, says he is seeking meaningful autonomy for Tibet rather than independence from Chinese rule. He has decried cultural genocide' in his homeland, which has a unique Buddhist tradition distinct from the rest of China.
Survivors count blessings after US twisters
DAMASCUS, Arkansas - Smoke rose from burning heaps of wreckage Saturday as residents of rural Arkansas cleaned up what was left of their homes after deadly tornadoes scoured a state that has been plagued by severe weather this year.
The storms killed seven people, damaged or destroyed about 400 homes, and knocked out electrical and telephone service for thousands of customers.
Altogether, meteorologists said more than 25 tornadoes may have touched down across middle America late Thursday and early Friday, but Arkansas was the hardest hit.
All that remained of Shelia Massey's home was a chimney, a bathroom wall, and a bathtub that was her storm shelter.
God's hand came down and held us there while the rest of the house just blew away," said Massey, 54. That's all there was to it. The Lord held us there."
Down the road from Massey's house, parishioners at Southside Baptist Church salvaged what was left of their old sanctuary and their new church, still under construction.
Men backed up pickup trucks to the front door of the old church and loaded up boxes filled with red-leather hymnals. The storm had collapsed the roof of the their new sanctuary, bending its steel beams like sipping straws.
In the countryside outside Damascus, John Rusin, 62, said he and his wife, Marsha, 60, took shelter in a small room along with two dogs after forecasters broke in on a television show they were watching. Winds almost ripped a mattress out of his arms as he held it over his wife, he said.
The pressure on it felt like my ears were going to pop off my head," he said.
Only after the storm passed did he realize it had picked up their house and moved it 65 feet (20 meters) off its foundation.
Public officials offered comfort and support. U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, an Arkansas Democrat, shook hands with volunteers cleaning the church, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe toured damaged areas.
National Weather Service teams were sent out to survey damage for their count of the tornadoes, and state emergency management workers helped county officials with damage assessments. Arkansas National Guard members were on hand to provide security.
Elsewhere Saturday, the National Weather Service posted tornado watches during the morning for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as an arc of strong thunderstorms rolled across the region.
Those storms, with possible tornadoes, damaged at least two dozen homes and knocked out power Mississippi's Union County. No injuries were reported.
A line of storms crossing southeastern Louisiana damaged trees and homes. The Weather Service reported 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) of rain in parts of the states with estimates of 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) in some places, meteorologist Bob Wagner said. Flooding was expected along the Bogue Falaya River at Camp Covington, but there was no immediate estimate of how many people lived in the area.
In Arkansas, Massey, learned of the approaching tornado from a friend who lived miles south in the larger town of Perryville and had seen television news reports.
Massey and her daughter ran to the bathroom with Massey's three grandsons, ages 2 weeks, 2 and 4. The boys and their mother slumped down in the tub, covered by sofa cushions, while Massey held on to the outside. Massey said she felt the house shake and the bathtub begin to move as the storm hit. A wall fell on them, but instead of causing injury it provided protection against other debris.
Catastrophic weather has been a recurring event in Arkansas this year, with at least 26 deaths, most occurring in rural communities and on farms far from the nearest warning siren.
Six of those who died Friday resided among the rolling hills and piney woods of central Arkansas. A 4-year-old girl and her grandparents died when a tornado struck their home near. A teenage girl died in the city of Siloam Springs in northwest Arkansas.
Near Center Ridge, Beebe paused briefly to watch a bulldozer shove drywall, bedding and a television set into a burn pile.
Beebe acknowledged that state officials have become adept at responding to disasters since tornadoes killed 13 Arkansans on Feb. 5. After that bout of severe weather, the state endured a foot-deep (30.48-centimeter) snowfall; later, at least five people died in widespread flooding.
It never gets any easier," Beebe said.
After walking past mud-stained clothes drying on an uprooted tree, Beebe spoke with Bobby Rose, 43, who was helping clean up after Friday's storm. The governor offered his condolences to residents of the rural neighborhood, but Rose remained upbeat.
This is Arkansas," Rose said. We hold up."
The storms killed seven people, damaged or destroyed about 400 homes, and knocked out electrical and telephone service for thousands of customers.
Altogether, meteorologists said more than 25 tornadoes may have touched down across middle America late Thursday and early Friday, but Arkansas was the hardest hit.
All that remained of Shelia Massey's home was a chimney, a bathroom wall, and a bathtub that was her storm shelter.
God's hand came down and held us there while the rest of the house just blew away," said Massey, 54. That's all there was to it. The Lord held us there."
Down the road from Massey's house, parishioners at Southside Baptist Church salvaged what was left of their old sanctuary and their new church, still under construction.
Men backed up pickup trucks to the front door of the old church and loaded up boxes filled with red-leather hymnals. The storm had collapsed the roof of the their new sanctuary, bending its steel beams like sipping straws.
In the countryside outside Damascus, John Rusin, 62, said he and his wife, Marsha, 60, took shelter in a small room along with two dogs after forecasters broke in on a television show they were watching. Winds almost ripped a mattress out of his arms as he held it over his wife, he said.
The pressure on it felt like my ears were going to pop off my head," he said.
Only after the storm passed did he realize it had picked up their house and moved it 65 feet (20 meters) off its foundation.
Public officials offered comfort and support. U.S. Rep. Vic Snyder, an Arkansas Democrat, shook hands with volunteers cleaning the church, and Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe toured damaged areas.
National Weather Service teams were sent out to survey damage for their count of the tornadoes, and state emergency management workers helped county officials with damage assessments. Arkansas National Guard members were on hand to provide security.
Elsewhere Saturday, the National Weather Service posted tornado watches during the morning for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as an arc of strong thunderstorms rolled across the region.
Those storms, with possible tornadoes, damaged at least two dozen homes and knocked out power Mississippi's Union County. No injuries were reported.
A line of storms crossing southeastern Louisiana damaged trees and homes. The Weather Service reported 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) of rain in parts of the states with estimates of 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) in some places, meteorologist Bob Wagner said. Flooding was expected along the Bogue Falaya River at Camp Covington, but there was no immediate estimate of how many people lived in the area.
In Arkansas, Massey, learned of the approaching tornado from a friend who lived miles south in the larger town of Perryville and had seen television news reports.
Massey and her daughter ran to the bathroom with Massey's three grandsons, ages 2 weeks, 2 and 4. The boys and their mother slumped down in the tub, covered by sofa cushions, while Massey held on to the outside. Massey said she felt the house shake and the bathtub begin to move as the storm hit. A wall fell on them, but instead of causing injury it provided protection against other debris.
Catastrophic weather has been a recurring event in Arkansas this year, with at least 26 deaths, most occurring in rural communities and on farms far from the nearest warning siren.
Six of those who died Friday resided among the rolling hills and piney woods of central Arkansas. A 4-year-old girl and her grandparents died when a tornado struck their home near. A teenage girl died in the city of Siloam Springs in northwest Arkansas.
Near Center Ridge, Beebe paused briefly to watch a bulldozer shove drywall, bedding and a television set into a burn pile.
Beebe acknowledged that state officials have become adept at responding to disasters since tornadoes killed 13 Arkansans on Feb. 5. After that bout of severe weather, the state endured a foot-deep (30.48-centimeter) snowfall; later, at least five people died in widespread flooding.
It never gets any easier," Beebe said.
After walking past mud-stained clothes drying on an uprooted tree, Beebe spoke with Bobby Rose, 43, who was helping clean up after Friday's storm. The governor offered his condolences to residents of the rural neighborhood, but Rose remained upbeat.
This is Arkansas," Rose said. We hold up."
Family of missing Pakistan's envoy worried
ISLAMABAD - The family of Pakistan's ambassador to Kabul kidnapped by the Taleban in a tribal region three months ago expressed concern over the government's failure to recover him and urged authorities to expedite their efforts.
Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin went missing in the Khyber tribal region on the Afghan border along with his driver and guard while traveling to Kabul on February 11.
Last month, Azizuddin appeared in a video on an Arabic television saying he was being held by the Taleban and urged the Pakistani government to meet their demands.
"We, the wife, children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters and our close family are deeply concerned and in a state of anguish that after a lapse of almost three months there are no signs of his and his companions early and safe recovery," the statement released late on Saturday said.
"We appreciate that such a case would not be without its complexities, but what we're unable to understand is why it's taking so long with all the resources at the disposal of the authorities."
The family also urged the kidnappers to release the envoy and his companions as early as possible.
In his video, Azizuddin did not say what demands the Taleban wre making but Pakistani media reports had reported they had called for the release of several jailed militants.
Government officials said the kidnappers have not communicated any demands to them.
Pakistan's long tribal belt on the Afghan border is notorious for being a den for smugglers and bandits and has turned into a major sanctuary for al Qaeda and the Taleban militants who fled from Afghanistan after a U.S.-led invasion in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
Scores of people have been abducted in the dangerous border region and the ambassador's disappearance highlighted mounting lawlessness in the tribal areas.
Ambassador Tariq Azizuddin went missing in the Khyber tribal region on the Afghan border along with his driver and guard while traveling to Kabul on February 11.
Last month, Azizuddin appeared in a video on an Arabic television saying he was being held by the Taleban and urged the Pakistani government to meet their demands.
"We, the wife, children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters and our close family are deeply concerned and in a state of anguish that after a lapse of almost three months there are no signs of his and his companions early and safe recovery," the statement released late on Saturday said.
"We appreciate that such a case would not be without its complexities, but what we're unable to understand is why it's taking so long with all the resources at the disposal of the authorities."
The family also urged the kidnappers to release the envoy and his companions as early as possible.
In his video, Azizuddin did not say what demands the Taleban wre making but Pakistani media reports had reported they had called for the release of several jailed militants.
Government officials said the kidnappers have not communicated any demands to them.
Pakistan's long tribal belt on the Afghan border is notorious for being a den for smugglers and bandits and has turned into a major sanctuary for al Qaeda and the Taleban militants who fled from Afghanistan after a U.S.-led invasion in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
Scores of people have been abducted in the dangerous border region and the ambassador's disappearance highlighted mounting lawlessness in the tribal areas.
Terrorism hurdle in investment, prosperity: Gilani
MULTAN : Terrorism is a hurdle in the way to foreign investment, progress and prosperity, said Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here Sunday.Talking at the residence of MPA Ahmed Hassan Daher the Prime Minister said the nation is facing challenges like, law and order, terrorism, sectarianism and economic wellbeing.
He said the country can not progress unless its law and order improves and terrorism comes to an end. He said foreign investors want a peaceful milieu for their investment.
The Prime Minister said the menace of terrorism is smearing the image of the Muslims all over the world and it has to be extirpated.
He said the Muslim saints spread Islam with the help of rosary and affection and not with sword as it is commonly misconceived.
He said we have to defend our borders not only for defence but to stop smuggling and cross-border intrusions as well.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani called upon the need to establish peace in the society so that economic activities could be geared up for the betterment of the common man.
He said coalition partners including PML-N, ANP, MMA, MQM, Fata and other independent members are working with harmony and would steer the country out of the big challenges like independence of judiciary, media, revival of the 1973 Constitution and end to price hike and unemployment.
The Prime Minister said the government would enforce the manifesto of PPP by providing bread, clothing and shelter to all citizens.
Prime Minister’s brother Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani and Ahmed Hassan Daher also spoke on the occasion.
Government to take along coalition partners to confront all challenges; Gilani
MULTAN : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday said the coalition government will take along all its partners to resolve the challengs confronting the country.Addressing a large gathering here at the Multan Public School to distribute cheques among the deserving for health, education and small business, worth around Rs 90 million, the Prime Minister vowed to protect all national institutions.
Prime Minister said that PPP’s founder-chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto founded a strong federal system in which Parliament and Constitution rule supreme and gave this nation a unanimous Constitution of 1973 which has kept the federation intact and it will be protected and upheld at all cost.
He said the federation today owes its strength to this constitution and pointed out that the the clause of amending the constitution through two-third majority was placed to ensure that all major decisions are taken with consensus and the rights of the small provinces are protected.
“Parliament will not be a mere rubber stamp and all institutions will be protected, while judiciary and media freedom will be ensured,” Gilani said. He said cheap justice at the door steps of the people will serve each and every person across the country and help make the country strong.
The Prime Minister quoted British Premier Churchill who had said if British courts are working independently then the country faces no danger.
He said the challenges being faced by the masses were not easy to address and will take time, but the Prime Minister vowed that these would be met.
“We would not blame the previous governments for all the prevailing ills. Now the people have given us the mandate and it is now our responsibility to tackle all the challenges with courage and determination to provide the best possible facilities to the people,” the Prime Minister said.
Owing to the large number of cheques, the Prime Minister handed over the cheques to heads of various departments. The money was distributed among 4000 recepients.
He said the PPP was given a split mandate in the Feb 18 elections and in the supreme national interest the party formed coalition governments at the centre and in the four provinces. He said these are broad-based dispensations.
He said it was the endeavour of the PPP government to take along all its coalition partners to serve the masses and address their long standing problems and meet their just demands.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government was currently facing numeous challenges in all areas, but the government was determined to address these through prudent policies. He cited end of poverty as his government’s top priority. Provision of employment was a key element of the planning of his government, he added.
He said around 25 percent of country’s population were living below the line of poverty, while 56 percent constituted the middle class, living at the threshold. He added that it was government’s endeavour to maintain balance by increasing the middle class. He said the government was endeavouring to bridge the divide between the rich and the poor.
He said the poor were suffering the most and the government was helping them through Pakistan Baitul Mal.
The Prime Minister said 85 percent of the people did not have full access to health and education and can be termed as the most vulnerable sections of the society.
He said for health and education sector the Pakistan Baitul Mal has provided 7.500 million which were being given to 2.5 million people, while the allocation for food support program has been increased to rupees six billion, while under the child support program free uniform, books and and food will be provided to encourage them to get education, and Rs 150 million has been allocated for the Jinnah burn centre.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani appreciated the Managing Director of Pakistan Baitul Mal Brig. Sarfraz and his entire team for the good work done to help the needy. He also noted the computerisation of the PBM which has also been appreciated by the United Nations.
He said Rs 30,000 will be provided to 1000 students of Bahauddin university, along with 500 students from Nishtar medical college. He said 120 children will be provided free education, books, uniform and Rs 300 per month to encourage them to study in the labour colony.
Multan will also have a diagnostic centre, while free treatment will be provided to patients suffering from Hepatitis and cancer and two dialysis centres will be established with the cooperation of NGOs, he said adding, at the Tehsil level centres will be setup for women trainings in various fields.
The Prime Minister pointed that 53 items have shown an increase of 12.2 percent in their prices and was continuing to increase. He said this was a strong cause of concern in the society about the shortage of electricity and gas and rising prices of everyday commodities.
He addded that these crisis were not created overnight but were the result of wrong policies that have created this situation. However, he said the government was in the process of taking steps to improve the situation, as the nation has reposed confidence on the new leadership.
He said vocational training was being provided to the people so that they may turn out to be useful citizens of the society and contribute to the national economy.
Brig. (Retd) Mohd Sarfraz MD Pakistan Baitul Mal informed the Prime Minister about the various schemes of Baitul Mal and how it was helping the various segments of the society by providing assistance to the needy through free medical treatment, education scholarships and small loans.
Governor Punjab Lt Gen (Retd) Khalid Maqbool said poverty was a big impediment and damaged the will and determination to progress. He said it was the responsibility of a true Islamic welfare state to provide the necessary funds to help people stand on their feet and live their livelihood in a respectable manner.
He cited in detail the various steps the Punjab government has taken to help the needy and those with little resources to provide them health, education, vocational training and funds to set up their own business.
Restoration of judiciary linked to country’s development: Nawaz
LONDON: President of his own faction of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Sharif has reiterated that the restoration of judiciary was linked with the development and progress of the country.
In his brief inter-action with the media soon after his arrival in the British capital on a expected week long visit, he said countries without independent judiciary have no future and they continue to wallow in bad governance, poverty, illiteracy, high unemployment, a disturbed peace of mind and general lawlessness.
He described the independent judiciary as the ‘jugular vein’ of Pakistan, saying without it, the country has little hopes of a bright future. The PML-N Chief said the coalition government was determined to undo the measures taken in the wake of November 3 imposition of emergency when the entire higher judiciary was sacked.
Sharif said both his party and PPP have constituted a committee of top legal experts to thrash out issues which will pave the way for the restoration of deposed judges of the Supreme Court by May 12 through a resolution to be passed by the national parliament.
He said the country can progress and move forward only when the higher judiciary was brought to the position which existed prior to November 3 action.
29 Pakistani prisoners in India to be released this month
KARACHI:At least 29 Pakistani prisoners are expected to be released and repatriated to Pakistan this month from Indian jails, as their nationality has been established and their release agreed by the Indian authorities.
The announcement of the release and repatriation of these Pakistani prisoners from Indian jails is expected during the trip of Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Pakistan in the end of this month, former Federal Minister Ansar Burney said here Sunday.
Ansar Burney, had visited India recently where he received a list of 169 Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails (including 19 mental patients and 29 women), along with guarantees of their release by the Indian Government on the condition that Ansar Burney Trust would confirm their nationalities and convince the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to provide them with travel documents.
The Trust has since released the list through the Pakistani media and located the families of many of these persons to confirm their nationalities and all details were forwarded to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry and Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.
Pak officials visited the jails where these Pakistanis are lodged and have confirmed the nationalities of almost 29 prisoners in Indian Punjab alone out of 49. With confirmation of their nationalities, the Trust has requested the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to prepare travel documents without any further delay for these 29 Pakistanis; so they may be released and repatriated to Pakistan as soon as possible.
Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi was also requested to confirm the nationality of other Pakistani prisoners lodged in Indian jails, including another 20 in Indian Punjab alone whom the Indian authorities were willing to release.
USC denies increase in profit margins
ISLAMABAD : The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has clarified that the recent increase in prices of different commodities at its stores is due to an increase in their rates by the manufacturers.
“We have not increased our profit margins but as the manufacturers have enhanced prices of their products we are forced to sell them accordingly, “Managing Director USC Brig ® Hafeez Ahmed told APP on Sunday.
Dismissing the reports appeared in a section of press that the corporation had increased the rates of ‘atta’, rice, ghee and cooking oil without any reason, he said that the basic objective of USC was to provide essential items to the deserving at affordable rates and not to make money.
He said the hike in price of edible oil in the domestic market was also due to a recent surge in price of palm oil in the international market, which he added had a great share in the manufacturing of edible oil.
He said the corporation had only increased the prices of those items, which had also witnessed an increase in the open market, adding that the gap between USC and open market prices was still the same as before the current rates.
He also rejected the reports that the increase in prices at the utility outlets had decreased the number of customers.
“The number of customers at our stores has not decreased but it is increasing with each passing day. It is also evident from the long queues of people in front of utility outlets,” he remarked.
The new rate of a 20 kg bag of flour is Rs. 280 as compared to Rs. 260, while basmati rice which was selling at Rs. 60 per kg is now Rs. 72. per kg. Similarly, the new rate of Manpasand ghee is Rs. 80 kg as against to its old price of Rs. 67 per kg.
Consumers are paying Rs. 370-380 for a 20 kg bag of flour in the open market, which translates into a big difference of Rs. 90-100 per bag when compared with USC rates. They are paying Rs. 100-105 per kg for basmati rice in the market, which still makes a difference of Rs. 28-33 per kg.
Similarly, ghee and cooking oil is available in the open market at Rs. 140-150 per kg, which makes a sharp difference of Rs. 68-78 per kg when compared with USC branded Manpasand ghee.
Sherry Rehman condoles death of Iqbal Rind
ISLAMABAD : Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Reheman Sunday expressed heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of renowned columnist of The Daily Express Iqbal Rind, who passed away in Karachi.
The Minister called the death of the journalist an irreparable loss of the media fraternity and prayed that may Allah Almighty gave the courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss.
Mr. Iqbal rendered outstanding contribution to his profession by writing columns on different national and other important issues and always stood for the freedom of press. He also remained behind the bar during the martial-law regime of General Zia ul Haq for promoting the cause of his profession.
Iqbal Rind who was 52, left behind two sons, four daughters and a widow to mourn
his death.
ISLAMABAD : Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Reheman Sunday expressed heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of renowned columnist of The Daily Express Iqbal Rind, who passed away in Karachi.
The Minister called the death of the journalist an irreparable loss of the media fraternity and prayed that may Allah Almighty gave the courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss.
Mr. Iqbal rendered outstanding contribution to his profession by writing columns on different national and other important issues and always stood for the freedom of press. He also remained behind the bar during the martial-law regime of General Zia ul Haq for promoting the cause of his profession.
Iqbal Rind who was 52, left behind two sons, four daughters and a widow to mourn
his death.
3 members of line staff of electricity deptt electrocuted
LAHORE : Three members of line staff of Electricity Department were electrocuted at different places during last couple of days.
Muhammad Iqbal Lineman of Kangan pur Sub Division of Chairman Sub Division and Zafar Iqbal Assistant Lineman Cantt Division Multan were electorcuted yesterday.
Earlier, M.Naseem Butt, Lineman GD-I Sheranwala Gate Sub Division, LESCO Lahore was also electrocuted.
Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Central Labour Union CBA in a meeting held here Sunday under the chairmanship of Khurshid Ahmad, General Secretary expressed a deep sense of grief and sorrow over the tragic death of these workmen who died as a result of accident including Muhammad Iqbal Butt Lineman Gd-I, Madina Town Sub Division Lahore.
The meeting appreciated the services of these dedicated workers and prayed that may Allah Almighty rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant patience to the members of the bereaved families. The Union demanded of PEPCO Management to take emergent measures to prevent such tragic accidents in future besides all possible help to the members of the bereaved families and employment and education of their children.
Pakistan to enhance its media interaction with China , developing countries
BEIJING : Pakistan , China and 29 other countries from Asian and African regions pledged to enhance their media interaction to counter negative and biased reporting by a section of Western press.At a 15-day seminar on Media development held here, the participants agreed to maintain close liaison with each other through regular interaction to help formulate a common strategy for projecting political, socio-economic situation in their respective countries in its true prospective.
The seminar was sponsored by the Chinese Commerce Ministry and organized by the Communication University of China. The participants vowed to strengthen their communication network, exchanging of news reports of common interest through print and electronic media.
It was also agreed that the participating countries would uphold the slogan of ‘One world, one dream and one network achieving the common aspirations of their people’.
The Director News, Associated Press of Pakistan Javed Akhtar who represented Pakistan assured the delegates that his country would fully stand by them in promoting peace and development in the region through news exchanges under bilateral agreements.
The seminar was as an annual event meant to develop and promote communication network among the developing countries. It discussed wide-ranging topics like introduction to the international communication, media development in China and International Media Study.
Prominent professors and well-known scholars delivered lectures with the help of slides, followed by question and answer session.
During the course of seminar, talks by some speakers were also focused on the happening of violence incident took place in Lhasa , the capital of Tibet region on March 14, in the background of the forthcoming Beijing Olympics.
The speakers termed some Western media’s reports as totally fabricated saying that they presented an event which never happened in China.
The reports carried distorted facts having no truth whatsoever, in fact some media circles having vested interest instigating the world to make an attempt to boycott the Beijing Olympic.
The speakers were of the view that China was not against the western media, but against the lies and fabrications tendency and the media’s prejudices in their reporting.
They called for concerted and coordinated efforts on the part of the developing countries to safeguard their interest and promote their good image world- wide, through a strong communication network. One of the speakers called for projecting a slogan “One World, One Dream and One Network”.
The concluding session of the seminar was addressed by Vice President
of the Communication University Prof. Ding Junjie, who reiterated China’s commitment to help the developing countries in all fields of mutual interest. He also underlined the need of regular media interaction among the participating countries, upholding their common cause and to achieve the ultimate objective of global peace and development.
عالمی صحافتی جدوجہد اور پاکستان ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ تحریر چودھری احسن پریمی
وزیراعظم سیّد یوسف رضا گیلانی نے اس عزم کا اعادہ کیا ہے کہ پیپلز پارٹی شہید ذوالفقار علی بھٹو اور محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو شہید کے فلسفہ اور پارٹی منشور پر عمل کرتے ہوئے عوام کے بنیادی مسائل کو حل کریگی، 1973ء کے آئین اور عدلیہ کی بحالی، اداروں کے استحکام، آزاد صحافت کے فروغ سمیت بنیادی سہولتوں کی فراہمی کو یقینی بنایا جائے گا۔ اداروں کو مضبوط بنائیں گے،صحافت کو مکمل آزادی میسر ہو گی،شہید بھٹو کے ”روٹی ،کپڑااور مکان “کے منشور پر عملدرآمد ہوگا،عوام کی خدمت کرتے ہوئے ان کی توقعات پر پورا اترینگے،وزیراعظم نے واضح کیا ہے کہ عدلیہ کی آزادی کی جنگ ہم لڑیں گے،وزیر اعظم سے پاکستان کے عوام کا پر زور مطالبہ ہے کہ کسی صورت بھی چیف جسٹس کے سوموٹو ایکشن کو ختم نہ کیا جائے کیونکہ ایک عام آدمی کے پاس منہ زور انتظامہ کے سامنے حصول انصاف کے لئے ایک ہی شاٹ کٹ ہے وزیراعظم اب عوام کی عملی طور پر خدمت اور مختلف منصوبوں کا آغاز کریں جن سے عوام یہ محسوس کریں کہ واقعی حکومت عملی طور پر ان کیلئے کام کر رہی ہے۔ اس وقت عوام جو محسوس کر رہے ہیں وہ یہ ہے کہ ابھی تک نگران حکومت والی کیفیت ہے ۔آٹا،بجلی،مہنگائی، بے روزگاری،ناانصافی جیسے مسائل اور بحرانوں پر جوں تک نہیں رینگی۔ اگرچہ ان بحرانوں کی کڑیاں سابقہ ادوار سے جا ملتی ہیں لیکن موجودہ حکمرانوں کو یہ حق نہیں پہنچتا کہ موجودہ بحرانوں کو سابقہ حکومت کے کھاتے میں ڈال کر دن گزارتے جاہیں۔عوام نے آپ کو منتخب کر کے اس لئے بیجھا ہے۔ کہ آپ جنگی بنیادوں پر ان کو حل کریں۔اگر آپ ایسا نہیں کر سکتے تو آپ کو قو می خزانہ پر بو جھ بننے کی کوئی ضرورت نہیں اور اقتدار سے الگ ہوجائیں۔ اس وقت وزیر اعظم پاکستان کو عوام کیلئے کچھ عملی طور پر کرکے ثابت کرنا ہوگا کہ بھٹو کل بھی زندہ تھا اور آج بھی زندہ ہے، اگر آپ نے اور آپ کی حکومت نے ایسا نہ کیا تو پیپلز پارٹی اور اس کے سیا سی جانشین جناب آصف زرداری کی بد نامی کے ذمہ دار آپ ہوں گے۔ کیونکہ انھوں نے وزارت عظمی کا منصب آپ کو سونپا ہے۔ تین مئی پاکستان سمیت دنیابھرمیںصحافت کاعالمی دن منایاگیا۔اسلام آباد اورصوبائی دارالحکومتوں سمیت ملک کے تمام چھوٹے بڑے شہروں میں اس موقع پر صحافتی تنظیموں کے زیر اہتمام سیمینارز،ریلیوں، مباحثوں اور دیگر تقر یبا ت کا انعقاد کیاگیاجن میں ذرائع ابلاغ کی آزادی اور قومی و بین الاقوامی سطح پر ذرائع ابلاغ کے کردار پر روشنی ڈالی گئی۔ صحافیوں نے اس موقع پر جلوس اور ریلیاں بھی نکالیں۔ آزادی صحافت کی بات کرنے والوں کو بھی صحافت میں بھی جمہوریت کو متعارف کرانا ہوگا۔کسی کو بھی یہ حق نہیں پہنچتا کہ ملک بھر کے صحافیوں کے نام پر چند لوگ اپنی صحافتی دوکان چمکائیں۔ اور اس ضمن میں ضروری ہے کہ ملک بھر کے صحافی اپنی صفوں میں اتحاد پیدا کریں اور ایک دوسرے کے وجود کو تسلیم کریں ۔ اور صحافتی تنظیموں اور پریس کلبوں کے عہدیداران سے بھی گزارش ہے کہ وہ صحافیوں کی پیشہ وارانہ تعلیم و تربیت اور آزادی صحافت پر تحقیقی کا موں پر بھی زور دیں۔ تاکہ ایک پروفیشنل صحافی اور صحافتی مزارع،سیاسی مزارع اور حکومتی مزارع میں فرق نظر آئے۔ اور ملک بھر کے پریس کلبوں کے عہدیدیران سے بھی گزارش ہے کہ ممبر شپ کے طریقہ کار کو بھی بین الاقوامی میڈیا کی تنظیموں کے معیار کے برابر لائیں۔ ہمارے ہاں یہ المیہ ہے کہ ہر پریس کلب کی لیبر ونگ پورے پریس کلب پر مسلط ہے۔ پریس کلب تو ایک انسٹی ٹیوٹ یعنی ایک ادارہ ہوتا ہے جس میں پبلشرز، ایڈیٹرز، نیوز پہپرز کے چیف ایگزیکٹو، پبلک ریلیشنز ایکسپرٹ، میڈیا کے طالب علم اور ا خباری اداروں کے کل وقتی ملازم صحافی ہوتے ہیں۔ لیکن ہمارے ہاں ایسا نہیں۔ آپ ملک بھر کے کسی بھی پریس کلب کا جائزہ لے لیں۔ وہا ں آپ کو صرف نام کے اجرتی ملازم صحافی نظر آئیں گے اور اخبارات و جرائد کے پبلشرز اور ایڈیٹرز نہ ہونے کے برابر ہیں۔ صحافت کے تمام شعبوں کی ایک جگہ نمائندگی نہ ہونے کی وجہ سے بھی صحافیوں کے مسائل نہ حل ہونے کی ایک وجہ یہ بھی ہے۔ پاکستانی صحافت اور اس ملک کی سیاست کرنے والوں کے طریقہ کار میں کوئی خاص فرق نہیں۔جس طرح اس ملک کے سیاسی انویسٹرز ساٹھ سال سے کسی عام آدمی کو آگے نہیں آنے دیتے رہے یہی حال پاکستان کی صحافت کا ہے۔چند صحافتی صنعتکاروں نے بھی ایسی اجارہ اداری قائم کی ہوئی ہے کہ ملک بھر کے ایک عام صحافی کا اب خواب ہی رہ گیا ہے کہ وہ ساری زندگی مشقت کرنے کے بعد کوئی اخبار یا میگزین کا اجراءکرکے اپنی سوچ کی آزادی کا اظہار کرسکے۔ جو اسے ان اخباری اداروں میں نہیں ملتی جہاں وہ ساری عمر اخباری مالک کے مفادات کیلئے قلم استعمال کرنے کا پابند ہوتا ہے۔ تمام صحافتی تنظیموں کے عہدیداران سے گزارش ہے کہ کوئی ایسا لائحہ عمل بنائیں۔جس میں ایک اخباری ملازم اور ایک اخباری مالک کو ایک پلیٹ فارم کے نیچے اکٹھا کرنے کا پا بند کیا جائے اور اس کے لئے ضروری ہے کہ ہر شہر کے اخباری پبلشراور اخباری ورکرکو متعلقہ شہر کے پریس کلب کے پلیٹ فارم سے اپنے مسائل اور حقوق کی جنگ لڑنے کا پابند کیا جائے۔اور آل پاکستان کے نام کی تنظیموں کا خاتمہ کیا جائے۔ اخباری مالکان سے درخواست ہے کہ یہ وہی صحافی ہیں جنہوں نے آپ کے اداروںکی سلامتی کیلئے سڑکوں پر آکر ڈنڈے کھائے ہیں۔ کسی اخباری مالک نے ڈنڈا نہیں کھایا خون ورکرز کا نکلا ہے اخباری ورکرز کی عزت کرنا ہوگی۔جبکہ وزیراعظم سید یوسف رضا گیلانی نے پاکستان الیکٹرانک میڈیا ریگولیٹری اتھارٹی (پیمرا)کاانتظامی کنٹرول اطلاعات ونشریات ڈویڑن کو منتقل کردیا ہے اس سے قبل کابینہ ڈویڑن کے پاس پیمرا کا نتظامی کنٹرول تھا ایک نوٹیفکیشن کے مطابق وزیراعظم نے 1973ء کے رولز آف بزنس کی دفعہ3شق 3کے تحت پیمرا کے انتظامی کنٹرول کی منتقلی کی منظوری دی، یہ نوٹیفکیشن فوری طور پر نافذ العمل ہوگا۔واضح رہے کہ ابتدائی طور پر پیمرا کو کابینہ ڈویڑن کے ماتحت رکھا گیا تھا لیکن بعدازاں جب سید انور محمود کو وزارت اطلاعات کا سیکرٹری مقرر کیاگیا تو ان کے دور میں پیمرا کو وزارت اطلاعات کاماتحت ادارہ بنایا گیا تھا بعدازاں عام انتخابات کے دوران نگران حکومت نے اس ادارہ کو واپس کابینہ ڈویڑن کے ماتحت کردیا ۔ جبکہ فاقی وزیر اطلاعات و نشریات شیری رحمن نے کہا ہے کہ تحریر و تقریر کی آزادی پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے منشور میں شامل ہے، موجودہ دورمیں میڈیا مکمل آزاد ہے، حکومت ریگولیٹر کی بجائے معاون کا کردار ادا کریگی تاہم میڈیا کو خود ذمہ داری کا مظاہرہ کرنا ہو گا، صحافیوں کیلئے جلد ہی وکٹمزفنڈ کااعلان کیا جائے گاجبکہ حکومت ویج بورڈ کے مسئلہ پر پوری تندہی کے ساتھ کام کر رہی ہے،3نومبرکے پریس ایکٹ کوختم کیاجائے گا۔ حکومت وزارت اطلاعات اور پیمرا کو ریگولیٹر کی بجائے معاون بنائے گی اوراس اہم ترین دن پرہمیں عزم کرنا ہے کہ ہم اپنی جدوجہد جاری رکھیں گے۔ انہوں نے یقین دلایا کہ پیمرا کو اطلاعات کنٹرول کرنے کیلئے استعمال نہیں کیا جائے گا،پیمرا سے کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ ختم کر دیا گیا ہے، اب میڈیا پر لازم ہے کہ وہ اپنا کوڈ آف کنڈکٹ خود وضع کرے اورریاست کے اہم ستون کی حیثیت سے ذمہ داری کا مظاہرہ کرتے ہوئے ذاتی پسند و ناپسندسے گریزکرے۔ رواں ماہ کے وسط میں ایک کانفرنس بلائی جائے گی جس میں فریقین سے میڈیا کی آزادی سے متعلق مشاورت کی جائے گی۔ وزیراطلاعات نے کہاکہ پریس نے ہمیشہ ہرجمہوری قوت کاساتھ دیاہے اور پیپلز پارٹی میڈیا کے اس کردار کو ہمیشہ یاد رکھے گی۔ صحافیوں کی انشورنس اور تحفظ کے حوالہ سے انہوں نے کہا کہ انشورنس فنڈ ہونا چاہئے، حکومت جلد ہی صحافیوں کیلئے وکٹمز فنڈ کا اعلان کرے گی۔شیری رحمن نے کہا کہ حکومت ویج بورڈ کے مسئلہ پر کام کر رہی ہے اور وزیر اعظم کے ساتھ بھی اس مسئلہ پر بات ہوئی ہے۔ سرکاری اشتہارات کے بارے میں انہوں نے بتایا ہے کہ اب وزارت اطلاعات کے پاس صرف 25 فیصداشتہارات رہ گئے ہیں، باقی اشتہارات مختلف محکموں کے اپنے کنٹرول میں ہیں۔ گزشتہ کئی سالوں کی طرح اس سال بھی دنیا بھر میں تین مئی کو آزادی صحافت کا دن منایا گیا ۔صحافیوں کے حقوق کے لئے کام کرنے والی عالمی تنظیم کے مطابق سال 2008ء بھی صحافیوں کے غیر محفوظ سال ثابت ہو رہا ہے ۔پاکستان میں سال 2008ء کے پہلے چار ماہ 3صحافی جاں بحق ہو چکے ہیں ۔صحافتی آزادی کے لئے کام کرنے والے ایک عالمی گروپ نے اپنی رپورٹ میں ان مسائل کی نشاندہی کی ہے جو 2007کے دوران میڈیا کی آزادی کی راہ میں حائل رہے۔رپورٹ کے مطابق دنیا کی 42فی صد آبادی کو اظہار رائے کا حق حاصل نہیں جبکہ اظہار کی آزادی کے اعتبار سے پاکستان دنیامیں چھیاسٹھ ویں نمبر پر ہے۔ دنیا بھر میں آزادء صحافت کی صورتھال کا جائزہ لینے والی غیر سرکاری امریکی تنظیم فریڈم ہاوس نے اپنی سالانہ جائزہ رپورٹ میں 2007کو عالمی طور پر صحافتی تنزلی کا سال قرار دیا ہے۔ سال 2007 ء میڈیا کے لیے بھی بھاری ثابت ہوا ۔ میڈیا کے اعتماد کی بحالی حکومت کے لیے 2008 ء میں اہم چیلنج ہو گا ۔ ملک میں 2007 ء میں میڈیا کو ایوب خان اور ضیاء الحق کے آمرانہ دور سے زیادہ پابندیوں اور سخت حالات کا سامنا کرنا پڑا ۔ 2007 ء میں نہ صرف 9 صحافی اپنے پیشہ وارانہ فرائض کی انجام دہی میں جاں بحق پچاس زخمی نو اغواء اور سو سے زائد گرفتار ہوئے ۔ بلکہ تین نومبر کو ایمرجنسی کے نفاذ اور پی سی او کے نتیجے میں آزادی صحافت سلب کرتے ہوئے نجی ٹی وی چینلز کی نشریات پر پابندی عائد کر دی گئی اور میڈیا سے متعلق پریس نیوز پیپرز ، نیوز ایجنسیز اینڈ بکس رجسٹریشن ترمیمی آرڈیننس 2007 ء اور پاکستان الیکٹرانک میڈیا ریگولیٹری اتھارٹی تیسرا ترمیمی آرڈیننس 2007ء جاری کئے گئے ۔ جن کی ہر سطح پر مذمت اور انہیں پریس کے خلاف کالے قوانین قرار دیا گیا ۔ نجی ٹی وی چینلز کی نشریات بند کر دیں گئیں ۔2007 ء میں دنیا بھر میں اپنے فرائض کے دوران ہلاک ہونے والے 66 صحافیوں میں سے سات کا تعلق پاکستان سے ہے۔ صحافیوں سے متعلق ایک عالمی تنظیم کی رپورٹ کے مطابق 2007 ء میں مرنے والے صحافیوں کی تعداد گزشتہ دس سالوں میں سب سے زیادہ ہے ۔2007 ء میں اپنے فرائض کے دوران ملک میں جاں بحق ہونے والے 9صحافیوں میں چارسدہ کے فری لانس صحافی محبوب خان ، قبائلی علاقے باجوڑ میں روزنامہ پاکستان کے نور حکیم خان ، اسلام آباد میں مرکز اخبار اور برطانوی ٹی وی ایم ڈیجیٹل کے جاوید خان کراچی میں اے آر وائی کے محمد عارف ، میرپور خاص میں روزنامہ جنگ کے زبیر احمد مجاہد ، سندھ میں ڈسٹرکٹ خیر پور کے علاقے پیر جوگوٹھ میں خبرون کے نثار احمد سونگی اور پشاور میں نجی ٹی وی چینل نیوز ون کے سید کامل مشہدی شامل ہیں ۔ سید کامل مشہدی سال ختم سے ایک روز قبل 30 دسمبر کی شام پشاور میں قتل کر دئیے گئے تھے ۔ سی پی جے کی تحقیقات کے مطابق سب پاکستانی صحافی اپنے کام یا تحقیقی رپورٹنگ کی وجہ سے مارے گئے ۔ 2007 ء کے وسط میں اسلام آباد میں ایک خبر رساں ادارے کے چیف ایڈیٹر شکیل احمد ترابی کو ایجنسیوں کی جانب سے تشدد کا نشانہ بنایا گیا بلکہ ان کے بیٹے حسن شرجیل ترابی پر بھی سکول کے باہر تشدد کیاگیا اس طرح بلوچستان میں ریاض مینگل نامی صحافی کو اغواء کیا گیا ۔2007 ء کے اوائل میں ایک فائیو سٹار ہوٹل کے باہر خود کش دھماکے کی کوریج کے دوران بھی صحافیوں کو پولیس تشدد کا سامنا کرنا پڑا جس میں آٹھ سے زائد صحافی اور کیمرہ مین زخمی ہوئے ۔نومبر 2007 ء میں شمالی وزیرستان میں صحافی حیات اللہ مرحوم کی اہلیہ ایک بم دھماکہ میں جاں بحق ہو گئیں پی ایف یو جے کے مرکزی صدر ہما علی کو سنگین نتائج کی دھمکیاں دی گئیں ۔ اپریل میں کراچی میں ایک ریلی کے دوران 16 صحافیوں کو زخمی کیا گیا 3 نومبر کو میڈیا پر عائد پابندی کے خلاف کراچی پریس کلب سے نکلنے والی ریلی کو حکومت کی جانب سے روکتے ہوئے 100 سے زآئد صحافیوں کو گرفتار کر لیاگیا ۔29 ستمبر کو الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان کے باہر شاہراہ دستور پر سیکیورٹی اہلکاروں کے تشدد کے نتیجے میں 30 سے زائد صحافی زخمی ہوئے اور متعدد کے خلاف تھانہ سیکرٹریٹ میں مقدمہ درج کیا گیا۔ اس طرح دسمبر 2007 ء کے تیسرے ہفتہ میں سول سوسائٹی طلباءاور وکلاء کی معزول چیف جسٹس افتخار محمد چوہدری سے ملاقات کے لیے جانے والی ریلی پر پولیس کے تشدد کے نتیجے میں پانچ صحافی زخمی ہوئے ۔ راقم الحروف کو عالمی میڈیا کی تنظیم ورلڈ ایسوسی ایشن آف نیوز پیپرز WANاور ورلڈ ایڈیٹرز فورم نے جو براہ راست رپورٹ بیھجی ہے وہ بھی قارئین کی نذر ہے۔Nearly 17 percent of journalists jailed worldwide in 2007 were held without any publicly disclosed charge, many for months or years at a time and some in secret locations, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found in a new analysis.CPJ's annual worldwide census of imprisoned journalists found 127 behind bars on December 1, a decrease of seven from the 2006 tally. (Read detailed accounts of each imprisoned journalist..) The drop is due in large part to the release this year of 15 Ethiopian journalists who were either acquitted or pardoned of antistate charges stemming from a broad government crackdown on the press. CPJ and others had waged an intensive advocacy campaign on their behalf.China, which has failed to meet its promises to improve press freedom before the 2008 Olympics, continued to be the world's leading jailer of journalists, a dishonor it has held for nine consecutive years. Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, and Azerbaijan round out the top five jailers among the 24 nations that imprison journalists.Antistate allegations such as subversion, divulging state secrets, and acting against national interests remain the most common charge used to imprison journalists worldwide, CPJ found. About 57 percent of journalists in the census are jailed under these charges, many of them by the Chinese and Cuban governments.The proportion of journalists held without any charge at all increased for the third consecutive year. Eritrea and Iran account for many of these cases, but the United States has used this tactic as well. U.S. authorities have not filed charges or presented evidence against Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj, held for more than five years at Guantánamo Bay, or Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, held in Iraq for more than 19 months. The U.S. military said in November that Hussein's case would be referred to Iraqi courts for prosecution but continued to withhold details explaining the basis for the detention."Imprisoning journalists on the basis of assertions alone should not be confused with a legal process. This is nothing less than state-sponsored abduction," CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. "While we believe every one of these 127 journalists should be released, we are especially concerned for those detained without charge because they're often held in abysmal conditions, cut off from their lawyers and their families."The practice of holding journalists without charge has eroded basic standards of fairness and accountability. Iranian authorities, for example, jailed Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand in July, but they have yet to file formal charges or bring the editor before a judge. Kaboudvand's lawyer has not been allowed to see him or review the government's case. Eritrean authorities will not even confirm whether the journalists in its custody are alive or dead. At least 19 journalists worldwide are being held in secret locations, CPJ found, with Eritrea the worst offender in this regard.Continuing a decade-long trend, Internet journalists make up an increasing proportion of CPJ's census. Bloggers, online editors, and Web-based reporters constitute about 39 percent of journalists jailed worldwide. Print journalists make up the largest professional category, accounting for about half of those in jail.The rise of Internet journalism and its risks are evident in China, where 18 of the 29 jailed journalists worked online. China's list includes Shi Tao, an award-winning journalist serving a 10-year sentence for e-mailing details of a government propaganda directive to an overseas Web site. The Internet giant Yahoo supplied account information to Chinese authorities that led to Shi's 2004 arrest and triggered an ongoing debate over corporate responsibility.China continues to rely heavily on the use of vague antistate charges, imprisoning 22 journalists on accusations such as "inciting subversion of state power." Despite China's 2001 promises to the International Olympic Committee that it would ensure "complete media freedom," its leaders continue to jail reporters and operate a vast system of censorship, CPJ found in a special report in August. CPJ has urged the IOC and the Games' corporate sponsors to hold Beijing accountable to its word."China has remained the world's worst jailer of journalists from the day the Games were awarded through today, just months before the Olympics are scheduled to begin," said CPJ's Simon. "China and the IOC have an obligation to make good on the broad promises made when Beijing was selected. For the torch to be lit in Beijing next August as 29 journalists languish in jail would mock the ideals of the Olympic movement."Fidel Castro 's absence from day-to-day power has not led to media reform in Cuba, the world's second-leading jailer. Twenty-four Cuban journalists are imprisoned, CPJ found, most of them swept up in a March 2003 crackdown on the independent press. Eritrea ranks third, with 14 jailed journalists, all held in undisclosed prisons.Two countries--Iran and Azerbaijan--are new to the list of leading jailers. Facing domestic dissent and economic troubles, Iranian authorities are meting out harsher penalties to journalists. Twelve are now in Iranian jails. One of them, Adnan Hassanpour, editor of the now-banned weekly Aso, was sentenced to death after being convicted in January of endangering national security and engaging in propaganda against the state.Imprisonments also spiked in Azerbaijan, where nine journalists are currently in jail. The imprisoned ranks include editor Eynulla Fatullayev, whose April arrest came shortly after he published an in-depth report alleging an official cover-up in the 2005 slaying of fellow Azerbaijani editor Elmar Huseynov.CPJ research shows that journalist imprisonments rose significantly after governments worldwide imposed sweeping national security laws in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Imprisonments stood at 81 in 2000 but have since averaged 129 in CPJ's annual surveys. Here are other trends and details that emerged in CPJ's analysis: o In about 12 percent of cases, governments used a variety of charges unrelated to journalism to retaliate against critical writers, editors, and photojournalists. Such charges range from regulatory violations to drug possession. In the cases included in this census, CPJ has determined that the charges were most likely lodged in reprisal for the journalist's work.o Criminal defamation, the next most common charge, was lodged in about 7 percent of cases. Charges of ethnic or religious insult were filed in about 5 percent of cases, while violations of censorship rules account for another 2 percent.o Print and Internet journalists make up the bulk of the census. Television journalists compose the next largest professional category, accounting for 6 percent of cases. Radio journalists account for 4 percent, documentary filmmakers 2 percent. o The longest-serving journalists in CPJ's census are Chen Renjie and Lin Youping, who were jailed in China in July 1983 for publishing a pamphlet titled Ziyou Bao (Freedom Report). Codefendant Chen Biling was later executed.CPJ believes that journalists should not be imprisoned for doing their jobs. The organization has sent letters expressing its serious concerns to each country that has imprisoned a journalist. In addition, CPJ sent requests during the year to Eritrean and U.S. officials seeking details in cases in which journalists were held without publicly disclosed charges. CPJ's list is a snapshot of those incarcerated at midnight on December 1, 2007. It does not include the many journalists imprisoned and released throughout the year; accounts of those cases can be found at http://www.cpj.org/ . Journalists remain on CPJ's list until the organization determines with reasonable certainty that they have been released or have died in custody.Journalists who either disappear or are abducted by nonstate entities, including criminal gangs, rebels, or militant groups, are not included on the imprisoned list. Their cases are classified as "missing" or "abducted." Details of these cases are also available on CPJ's Web site.
مذکورہ رپورٹ کے ساتھ دنیا بھر میں صحا فیوں کی ہلا کتیں اور گرفتاریوں کا گراف بھی موجود ہے۔
Kareena: The Greek Goddess
Kareena's new look is the talk of the town. And the number one actress has achieved her greek goddess look by sticking to a diet plan specially for her Greek schedule in Tashan . Says her dietician, " Greece was tough but we had it all planned. Greece is a fully non veg place. But she would have Fava (peas vegetable), stuffed tomatoes & bell peppers, Revithia (chick peas in olive oil), Fakes (lentil dal),Fasolada (bean soup) ,spinach beans feta casserole. Here she was on a 7 meals per day plan Kareena is a dream client. Once she has faith in you, she will do exactly as asked. She has no starry airs & takes her work very seriously. The results have been so great only because she would always plan in advance for all her meals. In Greece I had even told her about places she could get organic food from." So for all of you wanting to become a size zero, discipline is the key.
Most Beautiful’ Kate
Kate Hudson graces the cover of a magazine’s Most Beautiful issue. But, the 29-year-old actress insists she doesn’t pay much attention to her looks and would rather spend time with her four-year-old son Ryder than treat herself to a manicure. She said, “I even got to the point where I started waxing my own legs because I don’t have the time. I’d rather be home with Ryder sitting there waxing my legs. I haven’t gotten a facial in a million years. I don’t do those kinds of things. And when I do, I always think, ‘I should do this more often.’” Jessica Alba – who is also featured in the issue with her fiance Cash Warren – revealed expecting her first child has made her feel like a teenager again. She said, “Pregnancy is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you. I have a glow. Everything in my face is puffed up. I have the face of a teenager! I feel like I’m 16 again.” Other stars to make the list areEva Longoria and her husband Tony Parker, Mary J Blige, Salma Hayek, Christina Applegate, Julianne Moore, Isla Fisher and the cast of hit US TV show Gossip Girl.
Lara is mixing well
Actor Lara Dutta is fit and fine these days. The sexy damsel says it’s her single status and professional career graph that’s adding to the glow and tone. When we met her on the sets of Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai, the girl let us in on her releases in the coming year. “In Banda...I’m sharing screen space with Govinda. It’s great to be working with someone who has such great comic timing and mass appeal. I’m looking forward to the release of Sudhir Mishra’s Devdas, in which I play the modern Paro, and then there’s an action film titled Blue with Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt. So a mix ofcomedy , art and action is a great mix for an actor!” Never mind her professional life, the girl is being linked with many a great hunk these days — the macho Salman Khan, the very married Bobby Deol, dear friend Dino Morea... Now that’s a great mix, too. But Lara waives off these silly link-ups as just plain rumours that don’t amuse her anymore!
‘Padma shri, who me?’
Okay, congratulations are in order. Our Madhuri Dixit , Bollywood’s original dhak-dhak girl, is getting the Padma Shri for her contribution to Indian cinema. She will be coming to receive it on May 10 from Florida with husband Dr Sriram Nene in tow. The couple’s children won’t accompany them. Which is a pity, because May 15 is Madhuri’s birthday, and there will be a dinner with family and close friends. Madhuri is delighted with this double celebration. Talking to BT from Florida, where she has settled down, she said excitedly, “Everyone works hard and to be acknowledged for it is a huge thing. I am honoured. As a young girl, I thought the Padma Shri was accorded only to scientists. Awards are important, but I never aspired for any, I just put my best foot forward.” Madhuri’s comeback film last November, Aaja Nachle, bombed at the box office, but that did nothing to dent her image in Bollywood or diminish her considerable fan following. In fact M F Husain, her greatest admirer, while expressing disappointment over the film blamed its failure on filmmaker Yash Chopra. Madhuri defended the film, “Husain saab must have expected more from it, but I don’t believe in blame games. Everyone worked hard on the film and I had fun doing it. You win some and lose some. Filmmaking is unpredictable business.” Was it true that the Barjatyas are planning a sequel to that delightful entertainer, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, in which Madhuri and Salman Khan will be shown 15 years older? “If the news is true, this too will be so much fun,” replied the Padma Shri actress enthusiastically.
Mush ready to give up key powers
ASSOCIATED PRESS SERVICE
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf has agreed to give up his powers to dissolve parliament and dismiss the prime minister following several rounds of secret parleys with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, a media report said on Saturday. The embattled president agreed, in principle, to give up his sweeping powers under Article 58(2b) of the constitution and had the message conveyed to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari through a messenger, Dawn News channel reported. The presidential camp contacted Zardari after several rounds of secret talks between Musharraf’s aides and the PPP, the channel said. However, Musharraf linked the repeal of the controversial constitutional article to two conditions — that legal cover be provided to all the actions he had taken as army chief after imposing emergency on November 3 last year, and that the National Security Council not be scrapped. The channel also quoted sources in the presidential camp as saying that Musharraf would back the reinstatement of dozens of judges he sacked provided he is allowed to serve as constitutional head of state for his full tenure. Musharraf was re-elected for a five-year term in October last year before he doffed his military uniform. While the PPP is ready to forge a "working relationship" with Musharraf, its ally PML-N has been insisting that the president quit. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif made a fresh demand on Friday for Musharraf to step down while unveiling plans to restore the deposed judges on May 12.
Abbas sends forces to north West Bank
JENIN, West Bank - Hundreds of forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas deployed to the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Saturday for a law-and-order campaign meant to show the government is laying the ground for statehood.
In a campaign dubbed "Operation Smile and Hope", jeeps and buses which commanders said carried up to 600 security men arrived in the city in coordination with Israel. Another 150 men already in Jenin, long a militant bastion, will join them.
Washington, whose efforts for a deal on a Palestinian state this year have shown little sign of progress, sees the Jenin push as a chance for Abbas to prove he can rein in militants -- Israel's main condition for implementing a peace agreement.
The deployment of the forces, some of whom receive U.S.-funded training in Jordan, coincides with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's arrival in the region on Saturday.
"This is our country, our land and we will do our jobs regardless of what the Israelis do until we establish our own state," General Diyab al-Ali, head of national security forces in the West Bank, told reporters in Jenin.
A similar security push launched last year in Nablus was marred by Israeli army raids and travel restrictions, and, while Western officials hope the Jewish state will be more cooperative in Jenin, Ali said he had received no assurances from Israel.
The Israeli government has emphasised that "ultimate security responsibility will remain in Israel's hands".
Militants
A senior Palestinian security official said the forces would target criminals such as car thieves and had orders to confiscate illegal weapons, but stopped short of explicitly saying the campaign would target militants.
Security men distributed leaflets to local residents on Saturday asking for tips on troublemakers and saying only they had the right to carry guns.
U.S.-backed peace talks were launched in November with the goal of reaching a deal before Bush leaves office in January, but Washington says neither side is doing enough to meet their obligations under a 2003 peace "road map."
Under the road-map, Israel is meant to halt settlement activity and remove Jewish outposts. The Palestinians are meant to combat militants in the West Bank, where Abbas holds sway, and in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas Islamists.
Washington is keen to show security and economic progress in the West Bank before U.S. President George W. Bush visits Israel later this month. The Jenin operation will be accompanied by a series of economic development projects.
Rice arrives on Saturday for meetings with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. A senior Abbas aide said the two men would also meet on Monday and that the Palestinians expected Israel to produce maps showing the borders of a future state.
The Jenin forces are expected to take up positions on Sunday. The campaign is supposed to last three months.
Israel reoccupied West Bank cities -- seven of which had been under Palestinian control after the 1993 Oslo peace accords -- after the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in 2000.
One Palestinian security source in Jenin said Abbas's forces would be authorised to enter Jenin's volatile refugee camp and other areas that have been off-limits to Palestinian forces.
Security has improved in Jenin over the last six months as militants from Abbas's Fatah faction turned in weapons as part of an amnesty programme coordinated with Israel.
Turkish army says kills more than 150 PKK rebels
ANKARA - The Turkish army killed more than 150 Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq in air strikes carried out on Thursday and Friday, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on its website on Saturday.
It said it destroyed all the targeted PKK posts in Qandil area in the operation. Senior PKK members might be among the killed, it added.
"It was detected that more than 150 terrorists were left ineffective and the operation caused a big panic among the terror organisation's members," the statement said. The Turkish army uses the term "ineffective" to mean killed.
Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Thursday and Friday. The army has stepped up its strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq in recent weeks in addition to operations in Turkey.
Turkish troops conducted a large-scale incursion across the border in February.
A rebel spokesman said on Friday that Turkish warplanes struck targets in northern Iraq overnight but there were no reports of any casualties.
Military sources told Reuters at least 30 warplanes were involved in the raids, which they said targeted senior PKK members in Iraq's remote, mountainous Qandil area.
The PKK uses northern Iraq as a base to stage attacks on Turkish territory. Turkey blames the PKK, which is fighting for an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey, for the deaths of more than 40,000 people.
The United States and the European Union consider the PKK a terrorist organisation.
The February incursion, during which the army said it killed 240 guerrillas and lost 27 of its own men, lasted eight days.
Baghdad government protested earlier Turkish airstrikes in northern Iraq.
It said it destroyed all the targeted PKK posts in Qandil area in the operation. Senior PKK members might be among the killed, it added.
"It was detected that more than 150 terrorists were left ineffective and the operation caused a big panic among the terror organisation's members," the statement said. The Turkish army uses the term "ineffective" to mean killed.
Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Thursday and Friday. The army has stepped up its strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq in recent weeks in addition to operations in Turkey.
Turkish troops conducted a large-scale incursion across the border in February.
A rebel spokesman said on Friday that Turkish warplanes struck targets in northern Iraq overnight but there were no reports of any casualties.
Military sources told Reuters at least 30 warplanes were involved in the raids, which they said targeted senior PKK members in Iraq's remote, mountainous Qandil area.
The PKK uses northern Iraq as a base to stage attacks on Turkish territory. Turkey blames the PKK, which is fighting for an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey, for the deaths of more than 40,000 people.
The United States and the European Union consider the PKK a terrorist organisation.
The February incursion, during which the army said it killed 240 guerrillas and lost 27 of its own men, lasted eight days.
Baghdad government protested earlier Turkish airstrikes in northern Iraq.
At least 17 killed in new prison riot in Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA - At least 17 inmates died in a riot at a Honduran prison, the second such incident in the country's overcrowded jail system in just over a week.
Security Ministry spokesman Hector Ivan Mejia told Reuters on Saturday police eventually took control of the National Penitentiary facility, Honduras' main prison, after the riot broke out on Friday.
Last Saturday, nine prisoners were killed with machetes and knives during a riot at another prison in the northern city of San Pedro Sula.
The small Central American country's jail system of 25 prisons is overflowing with some 12,000 inmates. Fights are frequent as members of street gangs, known as maras, struggle to gain control inside the penitentiaries.
The streets of Honduras' main cities are blighted by maras, often involved in drug and weapons trafficking.
Security Ministry spokesman Hector Ivan Mejia told Reuters on Saturday police eventually took control of the National Penitentiary facility, Honduras' main prison, after the riot broke out on Friday.
Last Saturday, nine prisoners were killed with machetes and knives during a riot at another prison in the northern city of San Pedro Sula.
The small Central American country's jail system of 25 prisons is overflowing with some 12,000 inmates. Fights are frequent as members of street gangs, known as maras, struggle to gain control inside the penitentiaries.
The streets of Honduras' main cities are blighted by maras, often involved in drug and weapons trafficking.
Shuttle reaches launch pad for May 31 liftoff
HOUSTON - Space shuttle Discovery reached its Cape Canaveral, Florida, launch pad on Saturday in preparation for a May 31 liftoff to place a huge Japanese research complex on the International Space Station
With the shuttle in position, NASA will hold a practice launch countdown with the seven-member crew next week. The mission is the third of five planned for this year.
NASA has 10 shuttle flights remaining to the $100 billion space station before the fleet is to be retired in 2010. The U.S. space agency also plans a final servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope this fall.
The shuttles, which were designed in the 1970s, are being retired due to safety issues and to pay for the development of new spaceships that are capable of traveling to the moon as well as low-Earth orbit.
NASA estimates the country will need to depend on Russian space transports to ferry station crewmembers to and from the station for about five years while the new ships are under construction.
Discovery's crew, led by Mark Kelly, includes five first-time fliers and two veterans. Kelly has made two previous spaceflights and lead spacewalker Michael Fossum, has flown once.
The crew includes Japan's Akihiko Hoshide, who will oversee the initial setup of Kibo, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's primary contribution to the space station. Also aboard will be pilot Ken Ham, spacewalker Ron Garan, Karen Nyberg and space station flight engineer Greg Chamitoff, who will replace Garrett Reisman as a member of the live-aboard space station crew.
NASA delivered a storage compartment for Kibo during its last shuttle mission in March. A final segment of the elaborate lab, an exposed back porch for microgravity research experiments, is due to arrive next year.
With the shuttle in position, NASA will hold a practice launch countdown with the seven-member crew next week. The mission is the third of five planned for this year.
NASA has 10 shuttle flights remaining to the $100 billion space station before the fleet is to be retired in 2010. The U.S. space agency also plans a final servicing call to the Hubble Space Telescope this fall.
The shuttles, which were designed in the 1970s, are being retired due to safety issues and to pay for the development of new spaceships that are capable of traveling to the moon as well as low-Earth orbit.
NASA estimates the country will need to depend on Russian space transports to ferry station crewmembers to and from the station for about five years while the new ships are under construction.
Discovery's crew, led by Mark Kelly, includes five first-time fliers and two veterans. Kelly has made two previous spaceflights and lead spacewalker Michael Fossum, has flown once.
The crew includes Japan's Akihiko Hoshide, who will oversee the initial setup of Kibo, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's primary contribution to the space station. Also aboard will be pilot Ken Ham, spacewalker Ron Garan, Karen Nyberg and space station flight engineer Greg Chamitoff, who will replace Garrett Reisman as a member of the live-aboard space station crew.
NASA delivered a storage compartment for Kibo during its last shuttle mission in March. A final segment of the elaborate lab, an exposed back porch for microgravity research experiments, is due to arrive next year.
Iran must halt enrichment during talks: Russia
MOSCOW - World powers have proposed Iran cease uranium enrichment during international talks with Tehran on its nuclear programme, Interfax news agency quoted Russia's foreign minister as saying on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after his return from a London meeting of major powers on Iran, said uranium enrichment would have to be suspended for the talks.
"Our first condition is the freezing, suspension of uranium enrichment," Lavrov was quoted as saying in Moscow by Interfax. "The view of the six (powers) is that Iran must cease enrichment of uranium only for the period in which talks last."
"It is not an ultimatum, it is a proposal," Lavrov said. "It is a very genuine proposal."
Major powers agreed on Friday to make a new offer of incentives to Iran to halt its sensitive nuclear work, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.
"We very much hope that they will recognise the seriousness and the sincerity with which we have approached this issue and that they will respond in a timely manner to the suggestions that we are making," Miliband said on Friday in a statement, saying the details of the offer would not be made public.
The group is comprised of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- along with Germany.
The United States and other Western nations suspect Iran of using its civil nuclear programme as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is needed to generate electricity so that it can export more of its oil and gas.
In June 2006, the six countries offered incentives to Iran, including civil nuclear cooperation and wider trade in civil aircraft, energy, high technology and agriculture, if Tehran suspended uranium enrichment and negotiated with the six.
Tehran has so far spurned that incentives offer, saying it wanted to be rewarded for suspending enrichment, and brushed off three U.N. Security Council resolutions that imposed sanctions for its failure to halt the nuclear work.
Russia has been the main country to promote the idea of refreshing the June 2006 offer while the United States has made no secret of its scepticism, with U.S. officials saying they saw little reason to expect Iran to change course.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after his return from a London meeting of major powers on Iran, said uranium enrichment would have to be suspended for the talks.
"Our first condition is the freezing, suspension of uranium enrichment," Lavrov was quoted as saying in Moscow by Interfax. "The view of the six (powers) is that Iran must cease enrichment of uranium only for the period in which talks last."
"It is not an ultimatum, it is a proposal," Lavrov said. "It is a very genuine proposal."
Major powers agreed on Friday to make a new offer of incentives to Iran to halt its sensitive nuclear work, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.
"We very much hope that they will recognise the seriousness and the sincerity with which we have approached this issue and that they will respond in a timely manner to the suggestions that we are making," Miliband said on Friday in a statement, saying the details of the offer would not be made public.
The group is comprised of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- along with Germany.
The United States and other Western nations suspect Iran of using its civil nuclear programme as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is needed to generate electricity so that it can export more of its oil and gas.
In June 2006, the six countries offered incentives to Iran, including civil nuclear cooperation and wider trade in civil aircraft, energy, high technology and agriculture, if Tehran suspended uranium enrichment and negotiated with the six.
Tehran has so far spurned that incentives offer, saying it wanted to be rewarded for suspending enrichment, and brushed off three U.N. Security Council resolutions that imposed sanctions for its failure to halt the nuclear work.
Russia has been the main country to promote the idea of refreshing the June 2006 offer while the United States has made no secret of its scepticism, with U.S. officials saying they saw little reason to expect Iran to change course.
Afghanistan urges Pakistan to stop 'terrorists'
KABUL - Pakistan should stop "terrorists" from using its soil to attack Afghanistan if it makes deals with Taliban militants along the troubled border, the Afghan defence ministry said Saturday.
Islamabad has been trying to reach a peace deal with a Taliban commander on its side of the frontier. The militant halted talks last week because the government refused to withdraw its troops from his area.
The Afghan defence ministry said it was concerned any such deal would not result in a cessation of violence in Afghanistan by militants said to be based in Pakistan and to cross the border to attack.
The ministry cited media reports that a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban vowed to continue the "real jihad (holy war)" in Afghanistan even if a peace deal was reached with Islamabad.
"Afghanistan supports any action resulting in peace and stability in the region but only if such actions do not cause further terrorist activities in Afghanistan," it said.
The ministry described a now-defunct 2006 deal between Pakistan and pro-Taliban militants in its Waziristan area as a "bitter experience."
It had allowed militants "sufficient time to regroup, re-equip and moblise themselves and take the lives of hundreds of children, women and men," it said, referring to a wave of extremist violence in both countries.
"Afghanistan's biggest hope from the brotherly and friendly country of Pakistan is that its land be not used by terrorists against Afghanistan," it added.
The Taliban were removed from government in Afghanistan in a US-led invasion in late 2001 for harbouring Al-Qaeda, which it allowed to operate training camps.
Many rebels fled across the border to Pakistan from where they are said to be plotting an Al-Qaeda-backed insurgency that has left thousands of people dead in Afghanistan, including civilians and international troops supporting Kabul.
The US State Department said last week that Al-Qaeda is rebuilding itself in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province, both on the border with Afghanistan.
Kabul favours peace talks with rebels to halt the unrest, but only with those who agree to accept the new government and renounce violence.
Islamabad has been trying to reach a peace deal with a Taliban commander on its side of the frontier. The militant halted talks last week because the government refused to withdraw its troops from his area.
The Afghan defence ministry said it was concerned any such deal would not result in a cessation of violence in Afghanistan by militants said to be based in Pakistan and to cross the border to attack.
The ministry cited media reports that a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban vowed to continue the "real jihad (holy war)" in Afghanistan even if a peace deal was reached with Islamabad.
"Afghanistan supports any action resulting in peace and stability in the region but only if such actions do not cause further terrorist activities in Afghanistan," it said.
The ministry described a now-defunct 2006 deal between Pakistan and pro-Taliban militants in its Waziristan area as a "bitter experience."
It had allowed militants "sufficient time to regroup, re-equip and moblise themselves and take the lives of hundreds of children, women and men," it said, referring to a wave of extremist violence in both countries.
"Afghanistan's biggest hope from the brotherly and friendly country of Pakistan is that its land be not used by terrorists against Afghanistan," it added.
The Taliban were removed from government in Afghanistan in a US-led invasion in late 2001 for harbouring Al-Qaeda, which it allowed to operate training camps.
Many rebels fled across the border to Pakistan from where they are said to be plotting an Al-Qaeda-backed insurgency that has left thousands of people dead in Afghanistan, including civilians and international troops supporting Kabul.
The US State Department said last week that Al-Qaeda is rebuilding itself in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province, both on the border with Afghanistan.
Kabul favours peace talks with rebels to halt the unrest, but only with those who agree to accept the new government and renounce violence.
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