Madagascar's army has called on the country's feuding political leaders to resolve their disputes within 72 hours, or face intervention from the military. Edmond Rasolomahandry, the army's chief of staff, urged political groups and leaders across Madagascan society, as well as foreign envoys, to work for a solution to Madagascar's three-month long political crisis on Tuesday. "We implore all political players, civil society organisations and other parties to reunite immediately and to find a solution," he said. "If no solution is found within this time, we, the armed forces, will fulfil our responsibilities in the greater interests of the nation," said the army chief, without elaborating. More than 100 people have been killed, the majority at the hands of the security forces, in a wave of opposition protests against the rule of Marc Ravalomanana, Madagascar's president, since the start of the year.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Many killed in Sri Lanka bombing
At least 14 people have been killed and scores injured in a suicide bomb attack near a mosque in southern Sri Lanka, authorities say. Tuesday's attack came at the end of a ceremony celebrating an Islamic holiday in Akuressa in the Matara district, about 160km south of Colombo, the military said. "Six ministers were there and terrorists used this opportunity to target us. Only one minister, Mahinda Wijesekara, got injured," AHM Fowzie, Sri Lanka's oil resources minister, told the Reuters news agency. "Seven bodies have been found at the spot." Wijesekara is Sri Lanka's minister for post and telecommunications. The AFP news agency said 60 people were wounded in the attack. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, Sri Lanka's defence spokesman, blamed it on the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "Definitely, it is LTTE," he said. The LTTE has in the past launched attacks on senior government officials. It has been blamed by the Sri Lankan government for hundreds of suicide attacks.
Hi-Tech Choppers Are Key to American Mission in Afghanistan
Afghanistan was a helicopter graveyard back in the '80s, when the Soviet Union occupied the country. Members of the insurgent Mujahideen, supplied with American-made Stinger missiles, systematically shot down Soviet helicopters. Without crucial air supremacy, the modern Red Army was paralyzed. Forced to her knees, Moscow withdrew in defeat. Decades later, as the United States escalates its war against Al Qaeda and Taliban extremists in Afghanistan, the helicopter remains an essential military workhorse in remote areas where goats are more suited for travel than cars. But this time, while noisy, low-altitude helicopter flights remain dangerous above hostile territory, today's military is using advanced design and stealth technology to keep American choppers in the air and out of harm's way. “Nobody has enough helicopters,” said war correspondent Michael Yon, author of “Moment of Truth in Iraq” and a very frequent visitor to Afghanistan. “Our troops are spread as thin as an eggshell in extremely rough territory. Some bases are hours or even days from the nearest paved roads, and those areas typically are filled with countless 'perfect' ambush spots.”
Brazilian GDP increased 5.1 percent in 2008
China, India world's biggest smokers: study
China and India are the world's biggest tobacco users, according to new research which highlights concerns about increasing death rates in developing countries and smoking by women. Statistics compiled by the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation for the third edition of their "Tobacco Atlas" found that some 311 million men in China and 229 million in India use tobacco in some form. For women the figures were 14 million and 12 million, respectively, putting the two Asian giants far ahead as the world's biggest smokers. There were 24 million female tobacco users in the United States, said the study, which was released in Mumbai at the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health. Worldwide nearly one billion men and 250 million women use tobacco every day, said the study, released on Monday. Some six million people will die from tobacco use next year, rising to seven million by the end of next decade and eight million in 2030, it estimated.
YouTube forced to block video clips in Britain
Suicide bomber kills scores near Baghdad
At least 33 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a marketplace west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials have said. Tuesday's blast appeared to target a group of tribal leaders and security officials who were touring the crowded market in Abu Ghraib as part of an effort towards national reconciliation. One police source said that the dignitaries were leaving a reconciliation meeting at Abu Ghraib's municipal headquarters when the blast occured. "Casualties rose to 33 dead and the victims were civilians, including tribal leaders, as well as soldiers," an interior ministry official said. Brigadier-General Qassim Atta, a spokesman for Baghdad army command operations, said: "The suicide bomber targeted a tour of the tribal leaders under the command of Major-General Mared Abdel Hassen [the head of tribal affairs in the interior ministry] and other officers in the market near the town hall." The Cairo-based Baghdadiya TV said that one of its correspondents and a cameraman who had been covering the reconciliation meeting were killed in the blast. Three other journalists were injured in the attack. First Lieutenant Ahmed Mahmoud, a police official in Abu Ghraib said that at least 29 people, including schoolchildren, had been wounded in the blast.
The history of the Tamil Tigers
The conflict between Sri Lanka's government forces and armed Tamil rebels has raged for nearly 60 years. Thousands have died and many more have been made homeless by the fighting. Here we answer questions about the Tamil rebels, their composition and their stated goals.
When was the LTTE formed?
Since Sri Lanka's independence from Britain in 1948, the Tamil minority has felt increasingly marginalised and politically disenfranchised. In that very year, Solomon Bandaranayake, the country's first prime minister, made Sinhala, which is spoken by the majority of Sri Lankans, the official language. After 1948, the Tamils also became the targets of numerous riots that swept through the island nation. Believing that these riots were instigated by the Sinhalese authorities, Tamils began calling for an independent state and for an organisation to protect their rights. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was one of the many groups that came into existence to fight for Tamil rights. Formed in 1975 with its base in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, the group vowed to form a separate state called Tamil Eelam.
No, initially the LTTE was one of many Tamil armed groups. Other prominent armed groups included the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOT), the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation (EROS) and the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF). These armed groups lost ground and became obsolete as the LTTE killed their leaders and absorbed their trained cadres.
What is the organisational structure of the LTTE?
Prabhakaran is the 'supremo' of the LTTE [AFP] |
The various wings of the LTTE include:
When did LTTE start using suicide bombings?
LTTE began using suicide bombings on July 5, 1987 when a truck laden with explosives was rammed into a building housing Sri Lankan soldiers.
How does LTTE function as a government?
Though labelled a terrorist organisation by the US, UK, the EU and many others, the LTTE has operated a civilian government in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The group believes that operating a civilian government will allow it a seamless transition once an independent state is declared. Each of the civilian government departments has many employees on its payroll. The Sri Lankan government claims that contrary to LTTE propaganda, the salaries of most of these employees come from the Sri Lankan government treasury and not from the LTTE. About 20 divisions function at each district level through committees, structured on a functional and departmental basis. Some of the LTTE civil administration includes departments of economic affairs, finance, foreign affairs, labour and recruitment, planning and development, traffic, criminal complaints, judiciary, education, health, banking and communications.
How does the LTTE fund itself?
The LTTE's financial infrastructure is among the most complex and most secret of any terrorist group. It has investments in stocks and money markets, real estate, restaurants and a large number of Asian grocery stores throughout the world. Its shipping operations carry legitimate goods and also engage in the smuggling of drugs, arms, gold, and has also been indicted for human trafficking to UK and parts of Europe. The bulk of LTTE funds are known to come from illegal means like robbery, extortion, forgery, international arms sales and siphoning of monies from donations provided by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), aid organisations and other benevolent entities.
Does the LTTE have any links with other armed groups?
An LTTE suicide bomber killed Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 [EPA] |
Dozens killed in Iraq bombing
At least 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a marketplace west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials say. A group of tribal leaders and security officials were touring the crowded market in Abu Ghraib on Tuesday when the blast occurred, Major-General Qassim Moussawi, a security spokesman in Baghdad, said. Journalists, police officers and soldiers are among the dead, an Iraqi police source said.
Stranded South Koreans allowed to cross border
Balance of forces |
Army: 1.12m troops (plus 4.7 million reserves)
Tanks: c.3,500
Air force: 1,500 aircraft*
Navy: 420 warships
SOUTH KOREA
Army: 587,000 troops (plus 29,000 US troops based in country)
Tanks: 2,330
Air force: 790 aircraft
Navy: 162 warships
Sources: SIPRI, Globalsecurity.org
(*most North Korean aircraft are considered obsolete and possibly unable to fly due to lack
suicide bombing at mosque in Sri Lanka
Guantanamo Detainees Say They Planned 9-11 Attacks
The five detainees at Guantanamo Bay charged with plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks have filed a document accepting responsibility for the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and expressing pride at their accomplishment, The New York Times reported late Monday. The document, which the newspaper said may be released publicly on Tuesday, describes the five men as the "9/11 Shura Council," and says their actions were an offering to God, according to excerpts of the document read to a reporter by a government official, the report said. "'To us,' the official read, 'they are not accusations. To us they are a badge of honor, which we carry with honor,'" the paper said. The document is titled "The Islamic Response to the Government's Nine Accusations," the military judge at the U.S. Naval base said in a separate filing, obtained by the Times, that described the detainees' document. The document was filed on behalf of the five men, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who has called himself the mastermind of the attacks. Some of the men had said earlier that they planned the 2001 attacks and that they wanted to be martyrs. The reason for the new filing, which the report said reached the military court on March 5, was not clear. The brief court order describing the filing said the men sought no legal action.
Blast at a mosque in Sri Lanka
Poorer nations face financing gap
Developing countries face a financing gap of $270bn to $700bn this year as trade income dwindles and rich nations vie for capital to deal with a global slump, the World Bank says. Resources of international financial institutions would not be sufficient to meet their needs as more and more emerging and developing countries are hit, the World Bank said on Monday. "Should a more pessimistic outcome occur, unmet financing needs will be enormous," the World Bank said in a paper prepared for meetings of the G20 group of countries in London in April. Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said developing countries would need $25bn, and possibly as much as $140bn, in 2009 to meet their financing needs. The World Bank said the crisis could have long-lasting repercussions for developing countries, which are contending with a drop in exports as world trade shrinks for the first time since 1982.At the same time, remittances from overseas workers are slowing and falling commodity prices have sapped a revenue source that many countries rely on."The challenge facing developing countries is how, with fewer resources, to pursue policies that can protect or expand critical expenditures, including on social safety nets, human development and critical infrastructure," the World Bank said in its report. It estimated that in 2009, 104 of 129 developing countries will have current account surpluses smaller than private debt. For these countries, total financing needs were expected to amount to more than $1.4 trillion during the year. Financial demands on international donors are expected to exceed private sources of financing (equity flows and private debt disbursements) in 98 of the 104 countries, implying a financing gap in those 98 countries of about $268bn. Should rollover rates, or loan renewals, come in lower than expected, or capital flight significantly increase, this figure could rise to almost $700bn, the World Bank said. It said the situation could become as severe in poorer countries where falling growth will impact families living just above the poverty line, who are particularly vulnerable.
Battling SA frustrate Australia
Australia 352 & 331/5d South Africa 138 & 244/2 (80.0 ov) | South Africa require another 302 runs with 8 wickets remaining |
Chanderpaul leads Windies chase
England 546/6d & 80/3 (15.0 ov)
West Indies 544England lead by 82 runs with 7 wickets remaining
US says China 'harassed' navy ship
Tribesmen sign peace deal in Bajaur: officials
KHAR A major tribe straddling the Pak-Afghan border in the restive Bajaur tribal region on Monday gave an undertaking to the government to end militancy, refuse shelter to foreign militants and respect state authority. Mamoond, the largest and most strategically placed tribe in Bajaur, signed a comprehensive 28-point undertaking to surrender key figures of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Bajaur, lay down arms, disband militant groups and stop militant training camps. According to the second clause of the undertaking,TTP senior leadership in Bajaur including the TTP, deputy leader, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad and its chief spokesman Maulvi Said Muhammad alias Maulavi Omar will surrender to the government. Other TTP office bearers in Bajaur who are required to be surrendered to the government include key militant commander Jan Wali alias Sheena and Commander Aliur Rehman. The Mamoonds, who had been dragging their feet on government’s demand to surrender militants and end militancy, decided to switch sides when the capture of two strategic heights by security forces on the night February 23 turned the tables, forcing the TTP in Bajaur to call a unilateral ceasefire. ‘It’s the peoples’ victory more than a military success’, Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan, who led Operation Sherdil (Lion Heart) in Bajaur, told Dawn News in an exclusive interview.
Dalai Lama urges legitimate autonomy for Tibet
Eid Milad-un-Nabi (S.A.W.W) being celebrated today
Obama Says Government Will Not Open the Door for Human Cloning
President Obama said Monday that he will ensure the government never "opens the door" for human cloning, before signing an order to lift restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Some critics say the stem cell research can lead to human cloning, but Obama said his administration would develop "strict guidelines" to avoid such experimentation. "We cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse. And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction," Obama said. "It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society." Rather, Obama said he was signing the order to unlock the potential for scientists to find better treatments for ailments ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's disease to cancer. "That potential will not reveal itself on its own. Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident. They result from painstaking and costly research," Obama said. He said the move rejects the "false choice" between science and morality. The order would not fund the creation of new stem cell lines, but would allow federally funded scientists to conduct research on existing embryonic stem cells that under the Bush administration were off limits. Obama warned of the risks of falling behind other countries in scientific research by keeping in place government restrictions on funding.
Pakistan Women score World Cup win against Sri Lankans
CANBERRA The Pakistan Women’s cricket team bounced back in the ICC Women’s World Cup with a 57-run win against Sri Lanka Women on Monday. Urooj Mumtaz, Pakistan captain won the toss and elected to bat first at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, despite skittling out for 51 in the first match against India. This time, however, Pakistan got off to a good start with openers Nain Abidi and Bismah Maroof adding 47 runs for the first wicket. The other batters also chipped in with useful knocks of 20, 21 and 22 from Sajida Shah, Urooj Mumtaz and Sana Mir. Pakistan ended up with a total of 161 off their allotted 50 overs, a big improvement from their previous total against India. When the Sri Lankan team came in to bat, they were put under pressure straight away with three quick wickets from pacer Qanita Jalil, who removed openers Chamari Kumariham and Hiruka Fernando in the third over. The Sri Lankan captain, Shashikala Siriwardene played a solid knock and tried to hold the innings together but wickets kept falling around her and when Siriwardene got out for 58 in the 36th over, there was no way back for the Lankans.
Actor Tom Cruise And Family Mobbed In Japan
The actor accompanied by his wife Katie Holmes and two-year-old daughter Suri, caused quite a stir when they touched down at Narita Airport. Cruise is in the country to promote his latest film, Valkyrie, and turned the airport terminal into a giant red carpet. He happily greeted the waiting fans, signing autographs, shaking hands and posing for pictures. Cruise, who is making his first visit to Japan as a father, said he was looking forward to spending some time in the Far East.He said:"We're gonna hang out. We're gonna see some sights, you know, and we want to eat great sushi that they have here, and just looking forward to seeing some friends." The Hollywood star is expected to travel to Tokyo and Osaka next week as part of his world tour to promote Valkyrie. The World War Two thriller, which was released in the UK in January, is based on the true story of a doomed attempt by German officers to kill Adolf Hitler. Cruise plays Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg who plants a briefcase bomb under a table at Hitler's military headquarters.
Zardari betrayed us in name of reconciliation: Nawaz
Injured Tsvangirai returning to Zimbabwe for wife's funeral
Pakistan Warns Opposition Chief Sharif Comes Close to Treason
ISLAMABAD Pakistan's top security official warned opposition leader Nawaz Sharif on Monday that his recent anti-government speeches amount to treason. Rehman Malik said the government had "no intention" of arresting Sharif but suggested it had the grounds to do so. Political tensions are rising in Pakistan ahead of a planned anti-government rally in the capital by Sharif's party and lawyers later this week. The crisis comes as the nuclear-armed country battles rising violence by al-Qaida and Taliban militants. In a televised media conference, Malik read out extracts from several speeches he said were made by Sharif, a former prime minister, in recent weeks. "Inciting people for disobedience is sedition. ... It could get life imprisonment and a fine," Malik said. Any move to arrest Sharif or other high-profile members of his party would be a major escalation of the crisis and would likely trigger violent protests. Rehman also appealed for Sharif to negotiate with the government for a solution to the crisis, which was triggered last month when the Supreme Court banned the opposition leader and his brother from elected office. Malik said the government would not outlaw the march but said the protesters would not be allowed to rally in front of the parliament building or other downtown areas, as they are planning. He suggested they protest in a park on the outskirts of the Islamabad.