Barak agrees to join Netanyahu's coalition, TV reports

Israel's Labour Party has voted to join Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in a coalition following a deal made with Labour's leader, Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Netanyahu now has the majority he needs in parliament to form a government.Israel's Labour party voted on Tuesday to join forces with Benjamin Netanyahu, giving the hawkish premier-designate the parliamentary majority needed to form a government, Israeli television reported. Labour delegates voted 680-507 in favour of a coalition deal which the leader of the party, outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak, had reached earlier in the day with Netanyahu, who heads the right-wing Likud party. The agreement will allow Netanyahu to broaden a coalition that would otherwise have been entirely dependent on support from far-right and religious parties. Greeted with a mixture of cheers and jeers, Barak told the convention before the vote that Israel "needs unity" after last month's tight general election. "An absolute majority of the citizens want to see us together with the right in the same government," he told delegates."I am not afraid of Benjamin Netanyahu, we will not be his figleaf ... We will be a counterweight that will ensure that we do not have a right-wing government," Barak said. Netanyahu has pushed for as broad a coalition as possible amid concerns a narrow right-wing alliance would be unable to survive for long in the turbulent world of Israeli politics.But he has failed to win over the centrist Kadima party of outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni -- the largest faction in parliament.Labour -- the once-dominant party that suffered its worst-ever showing in the February 10 election -- should get five ministries, according to the draft accord reached by Netanyahu and Barak.Barak, Israel's most highly decorated soldier, will keep the defence portfolio.Barak had initially objected to joining a Netanyahu-led government, but in a stark about-face he argued last week that Labour's participation was in Israel's interests.Under the agreement, the Netanyahu government platform will include a commitment "to reach a comprehensive regional peace agreement" and respect previous international agreements Israel has signed -- an apparent reference to accords reached with the Palestinians.

Sufi threatens to withdraw from Swat deal

Sufi Mohammad, who does not allow to be photographed,

 addresses a news conference at his headquarter mosque in Mingora.

SWAT Defunct TNSM chief Sufi Mohammad has said that his organization (TNSM) would withdraw from the deal reached with the NWFP government regarding enforcement of Nizam-e-Adal Regulations in Swat if the deal was not enforced, saying that ‘I am not satisfied with steps taken so far in this regard.’‘We are still committed to the agreement but the steps taken by the government in this regard are not enough and the government would be responsible if the deal was not enforced in letter and spirit,’ Sufi said while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday.He said that the law and order situation had been good for the last one month but the agreement was not being implemented, adding that the implementation of Nizam-e-Adal was also promised in Kohistan and Hazara in addition to Malakand Division but was not being honored.‘Qazis have been appointed in Swat in place of judges but have no powers and can not make decisions,’ he remarked, adding that no Qazi had been appointed in other districts of the Malakand Division so far.TNSM chief said he was going to finish camp and go back.To a question, he said, ‘he had signed the deal with the provincial government and not with President Zardari.’

NeWs from Pakistan:Chief Justice Iftikhar calls for end to corruption

Lawyers file petition to reverse appointments of dozens 

of judges nominated under emergency rule and 

another petition calling for Musharraf to face trial for treason.

ISLAMABAD Reinstated Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry urged lawyers Tuesday to wipe out corruption in the judiciary amid a hero’s welcome on his first day in court for 16 months.Millions of Pakistanis hope he will cleanse the judiciary, but experts warn that he faces huge challenges to bring about legal and institutional reform.‘It is a matter of great satisfaction and a day of thanksgiving to Allah the almighty that after a long period the original court has been restored,’ Chaudhry told a courtroom packed with lawyers who gave him a standing ovation.‘There is rampant corruption in this institution (judiciary). This cannot be eradicated without the help of lawyers. You people should come forward to point out such cases,’ he said.‘I will request all of you, being officers of this court, to put your house in order first,’ Chaudhry said.His vehicle was showered with rose petals after swinging into the Supreme Court compound under heavy police escort as lawyers waved Pakistani flags and welcome banners, and activists released colored balloons into the sky.Meanwhile, lawyers filed a petition to reverse the appointment of dozens of Supreme Court and high court judges nominated under emergency rule in Pakistan and without going through the correct legal processes.Another petition was filed at the Lahore branch of the Supreme Court, calling for Musharraf to face trial for treason.

PM, PML-N agreed on implementation of CoD: Nawaz

LAHORE Pakistan Muslim League-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that his party would join hands with Pakistan People’s Party to implement charter of democracy (CoD).Nawaz said this while meeting with PML-N workers who turned up here from across Pakistan. He said the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had an important meeting with him. “I conveyed to the prime minister that the two parties could join hands by implementing the Charter of Democracy (CoD)”. The PML-N Quaid said both the PML-N and PPP have agreed to implement the CoD. Nawaz said judges’ restoration was a revolution of its kind. He said no state could make headway without having an independent judiciary.

Windies level after Chanderpaul ton

An unbeaten 112 from Shivnarine Chanderpaul guided West Indies to a 21-run victory over England in the second one-day international at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The win ties the five match series at 1-1 after England won the previous opener and sets the contest up nicely before next week's two games in Barbados. Chanderpaul, batting on his home ground, put on a crucial 133-run partnership with fellow Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan (74) and then carried his bat to make his 10th one-day century as West Indies made 264 for eight in their 50 overs.

AIG bosses agree to return bonuses amid public outcry

Fifteen of 20 top AIG bosses have agreed to pay back 50 million dollars in bonuses received after the insurance company came under fire for using government bailout funds to pay for staff bonuses.Bosses at embattled insurance giant AIG have agreed to pay back 50 million dollars in bonuses, amid an outcry over the use of taxpayer money for executive perks, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Monday. "So far, nine of the top 10 bonus recipients have agreed to give the bonuses back. Of the top 20, 15 have agreed to return the bonuses," Cuomo said in a statement.AIG has been lambasted after it emerged the firm had used 165 million dollars of government bailout funds to pay for staff bonuses, despite massive losses at the firm.In the final quarter of 2008, AIG posted a 61.7 billion dollar loss, the largest quarterly loss ever recorded in the United States.The US government has so far pumped around 170 billion dollars into the insurance giant to keep it afloat, fearing its collapse could deepen a market-wide liquidity crisis. News that AIG staff had received retention bonuses derived from tax payers cash prompted US lawmakers to propose a 90 percent tax on the premiums.The New York Times earlier reported that 30 million dollars of the bonus payback would come from the firm's financial products division.

Three Families Killed in Montana Plane Crash

Dr. Irving "Bud" Feldkamp was at the entrance of the ultra-exclusive resort where he planned to spend the week skiing with his children and grandchildren when he got the call from his nephew."He said, 'Nobody survived.' And we knew it was our plane," Feldkamp said Monday. Two of his daughters, two sons-in-law and five of his grandchildren were among 14 people killed Sunday when their single-engine turboprop plane nose-dived into a Catholic cemetery near the Butte airport and burst into flames.Speculation over the crash shifted to ice on the wings Monday after it became less likely that overloading was to blame. The plane was designed to carry just 10 people but seven of those on board were children under 10. Feldkamp spoke after visiting the snowy crash scene with his wife, their two surviving children and other family members. For about 45 minutes, they stood near the twisted and charred debris, talking with investigators as a light snow fell. Scattered across the site were tarps covering the remains of the victims.

Does Pres. Obama risk overexposure?

I like him, but I’m tired of looking at him. It feels like President Obama is everywhere these days. When he holds a prime time press conference tomorrow night, it will already be the second one in his very young administration.He was chatting it up with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show last week; which was great until they started talking about bowling. Every day some town hall meeting or summit at the White House or elsewhere gets covered live by the cable networks. We show him leaving, getting there, doing it, leaving, and getting back. Enough! Plus, you can’t pass a newsstand without dozens of Obamas staring at you… Politico dubs Mr. Obama “the Everywhere President,” pointing out how despite a severe recession and two wars overseas — he’s making the effort to give off a very personal and intimate presidential image. But some experts suggest a personality-driven presidency does have its risks. One media and pop culture expert says the president is trying to “metaphorically remove the moat from around the presidency,” but that can be tricky. Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers says that when a president is in the public eye too often, people may just stop listening at some point.Republicans have already been critical of the president for appearing on ESPN to fill out his college tournament brackets and doing the Tonight Show interview. But the GOP attacked Mr. Obama for being a “celebrity” during the campaign; and that didn’t seem to work too well.And the Special Olympics gaffe on the Tonight Show aside, interviews outside the realm of hard news do give him a chance to connect to more Americans. ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ scored its fourth highest ratings ever the night the president was on.

Thousands demonstrate against new president

Supporters of ousted Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana took to the streets in the capital, Antananarivo, to protest the army-backed takeover of the island by the new president, Andry Rajoelina.Thousands of opponents of Madagascar's new president, Andry Rajoelina, rallied on Monday for the first of what they said would be daily protests against his army-backed takeover on the Indian Ocean island.Unrest prior to Rajoelina's rise killed 135 people, crippled the $390 million-a-year tourism industry and unnerved foreign investors in the important mine and oil sectors.Witnesses said about 3,000 supporters of former president Marc Ravalomanana, who stepped down last week after a seven-year rule, gathered in an Antananarivo park for several hours from Monday morning, chanting slogans and pledging resistance. "I am here to show my refusal to accept the transitional government. Ravalomanana had two more years left. Why didn't they wait for elections and listen to the Malagasy people?" said schoolteacher Olga, who declined to give her surname. The demonstrators had planned to march to the same May 13 square where Rajoelina held months of near-daily protests that pressured Ravalomanana to stand down. They dispersed, however, when an army vehicle pulled up and fired a shot, apparently in warning, into the air."We have not finished yet!" the crowd chanted in Malagasy, pledging to protest daily through the week.Rajoelina, who is Africa's youngest president at 34, does appear to have strong support among the young and poor in the capital. He also has the military top brass behind him.

U.N. warns India against anti-Muslim prejudice

NEW DELHI The U.N. human rights chief urged India Monday to counter suspicion against its Muslim minority following the Mumbai attacks and warned the country's strict anti-terror measures threatened human rights.India is still on edge after gunmen killed 166 people in a three-day rampage on the financial hub last November. Hundreds of Muslims were detained and questioned over the attacks, angering rights activists who said innocent people were caught up in the backlash."The horrific terrorist attack in Mumbai has also polarized society and risks stoking suspicions against the Muslim community," said U.N Human Rights chief Navanethem Pillay."Both internal and external terrorist threats have led to counter-terrorist measures that put human rights at risk," Pillay said in New Delhi during her India visit.Religious and caste-based prejudices remain entrenched in Indian society, she said.Secular India has a long history of tensions between its majority Hindus and minority Muslims that have exploded in deadly violence. More than 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed in communal riots in Gujarat state in 2002.

Israel accused of 'new Gaza crime'

A senior UN official has suggested that Israel should be held accountable for a "new crime against humanity" during its January assault on the Gaza strip.Richard Falk, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said Israel had confined Palestinian civilians to the combat zone in Gaza, a unique move which should be outlawed. "Such a war policy should be treated as a distinct and new crime against humanity, and should be formally recognised as such, and explicitly prohibited," Falk said in a report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. Palestinian civilians were prevented from leaving the Gaza Strip during the three-week bombardment by the Israeli authorities. Falk also called for an investigation into Israel's attack on Gaza, in which more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed and homes destroyed. Israel said it carried out the assault to stop Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel.

Al-Qaeda tops US Afghan strategy

The administration of Barack Obama, the US president, has been devising a new war strategy for Afghanistan to ensure that al-Qaeda cannot attack US interests.But the US president reiterated that the US approach must include non-military elements and have an "exit strategy". The outlines of the strategy have gradually emerged in public statements and media reports as Obama prepares to take his blueprint to a Nato summit in April, when he is expected to appeal to European allies for more help. In a wide-ranging interview aired by US broadcaster CBS on Sunday, Obama said "making sure al-Qaeda cannot attack the US homeland and US interests and our allies, that's the number one priority". He said that building up economic capacity in Afghanistan, improving diplomatic efforts in Pakistan as well as the region, and more effective co-ordination with allies may all be needed to achieve that goal.

Armstrong breaks collarbone in race crash

American cyclist Lance Armstrong suffered a shattering blow in his comeback bid on Monday when he broke his right collarbone after falling on the first stage of a five-day race in northern Spain.Emerging from a hospital with his arm in a sling, Armstrong said he will return to the United States, where doctors will determined whether he needs surgery. "I'm miserable," said the record seven-time Tour de France champion. "I just need to relax a couple of days and then make a plan." Armstrong could be out for three to four weeks said Jacinto Vidarte, spokesman for the Vuelta Ciclista Castilla y Leon race, following a crash that involved a group of 15 to 20 riders some 20 kilometers from the finish. The injury looks certain to end Armstrong's hopes of challenging for the Giro d'Italia from May 9-31 and must cast big doubts on his plans to chase an eighth Tour crown from July 4-26 in France. The 37-year-old Armstrong was taken to a hospital by ambulance and was seen pointing to his collarbone, CNN's Al Goodman reported from northern Spain.

Daimler boosted by UAE investment

Shares in Daimler, the German carmaker, have been boosted following a $2.7bn investment from a company linked to the government of Abu Dhabi.Aabar Investments, a fund set up by the Gulf state, said it would purchase a 9.1 per cent stake in Daimler, becoming its largest shareholder. Shares in the carmaker leapt by 6.26 per cent on the Frankfurt stock exchange on Monday as investors reacted to the news. The deal comes after the company reported a net loss of $2.1bn in the final quarter of last year as the global financial crisis hit demand for its vehicles. Aabar's purchase of shares in Daimler, which makes Mercedes-Benz cars and is the world's leading heavy truck manufacturer, will help bolster the carmaker's finances. The investment highlights the continuing financial power of some Gulf region states despite the global downturn. The second largest shareholder in Daimler is Kuwait's main sovereign wealth fund, which has a 6.9 per cent stake in the company. Last December, Aabar agreed to purchase AIG Private Bank, the Swiss-based wealth management arm of the American International Group.

Two dead in FedEx cargo plane crash

Two crew members were reported dead after a FedEx cargo aircraft crashed in gusty conditions and burst into flames at Japan's Narita International Airport east of Tokyo.A FedEx cargo aircraft crash-landed in strong winds Monday morning at Japan's Narita International Airport east of Tokyo and burst into a ball of flames, police and news reports said. "A cargo plane crash-landed at the airport, but we have not had any information of casualties," a local police official said after the accident about 6:50 am (2150 GMT Sunday). The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was FedEx Flight 80 from Guangzhou, China and was manned by a pilot and co-pilot, Kyodo News reported. Public broadcaster NHK reported that one of the pilots was taken from the plane and sent to hospital, but his condition was not known. Television footage showed the three-engine widebody airplane tip sideways shortly after touch-down amid strong winds and then, as one of its wings clipped the ground at high speed, burst into a ball of flames. Fire engines and scores of fire-fighters in flame retardant silver suits rushed to the crash site near the runway and doused the fire with foam as the gutted aircraft lay upside down billowing black smoke. The four-kilometre (2.5-mile) airstrip, one of the airport's two runways, was closed to air traffic, airport officials said. The two pilots were believed to be US citizens, NHK said.

Israel Military Condemns Violent Anti-Palestinian T-Shirts

JERUSALEM  Israel's military condemned on Monday T-shirts worn by soldiers that depict scenes of violence against Palestinians as the army faces increasing domestic criticism over its conduct during the recent Gaza war.he T-shirts, ordered by troops to mark the end of basic training and other military courses, were worn by a number of enlisted men in different units, the daily Haaretz newspaper reported. They were not made or sanctioned by the military. One depicts a child in the cross-hairs of a rifle with the slogan, "The smaller they are, the harder it is," said one of T-shirts shown in Haaretz. Another shows a pregnant woman in the cross-hairs and the words "1 Shot 2 Kills." Others depict a soldier blowing up a mosque and Palestinian women weeping over a gravestone.

Bangladesh to disband border force

Bangladesh says it will disband the country's border force and raise a new paramilitary unit to replace it.The announcement on Saturday came nearly a month after troops of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) staged a bloody mutiny in the capital, Dhaka. "A new border force will be raised soon with disciplined and competent troops, including those not involved in the  BDR mutiny," Brigadier-General Moinul Islam, the new BDR chief, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as telling border security officials at Mymensingh, 150km north of Dhaka. "The BDR, which has been maligned by last month's mutiny, will stand disbanded," he said. More than 70 people, mainly Bangladeshi army officers, were killed in the mutiny at the Dhaka headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles. The incident, which began on February 25, ended after 33 hours when the rebels laid down their arms. The mutinous border guards ambushed their superiors, shooting and burying dozens of them in shallow graves. The ambush was apparently sparked by grievances of poor pay and work conditions.