The Daily Star: Internet Edition Mon. August 21, 2006

Vol. 5 Num 795

Mon. August 21, 2006


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International

Lanka moves to lift Jaffna siege amid fighting
Sri Lankan troops backed by artillery and fighter jets are resisting a Tamil Tiger rebel advance on the Jaffna peninsula amid moves to lift a nine-day siege of the embattled region, military officials

Pak aid group probed in UK terror plot
A British government agency that oversees charities said Saturday it is looking into a report that several suspects in the alleged plot to bomb jetliners were linked by involvement with an aid group that

Indian lawyer launches crusade against rights abuses in Kashmir
It took Supreme Court lawyer Sonia Raj Sood just one visit to Indian-administered Kashmir to find her true calling in life -- to fight atrocities against Kashmiris attributed to India's security forces.

Musharraf failing to curb extremism in Pakistan: Benazir
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf needs to do more to limit the influence of religious parties and militant groups to tackle extremism, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto said in London yesterday.

Saddam's genocide trial revives Kurd anger
New trial starts today
Iraq's ousted leader Saddam Hussein will return to the dock today to face genocide charges in a highly-charged case that has revived bitter memories among the country's Kurdish minority.

Nepal revokes fuel price hike after angry protests
Nepal's government Sunday cancelled price rises for gasoline and other fuel after two days of widespread protests crippled the capital, a minister said.

Pakistan to offer incentives to foreign firms in nuke field
Pakistan has decided to set up 'designated nuclear power parks' as an additional incentive to attract foreign investors to build and run atomic power plants in the country.

Rebels blow up gas pipeline in Pakistan
Tribal insurgents blew up a gas pipeline in southwestern Pakistan's restive province of Baluchistan early yesterday, disrupting supplies in the area, officials said.

Canadian arrested in major drug bust in India
A Canadian was arrested with illegal drugs worth five million dollars in the Indian capital in what was billed as a major effort to stop narcotics being shipped to the West, police said yesterday.

11m illegal immigrants living in US
The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States likely rose from 10.

Protests in Kathmandu over fuel price hike
Activists torched dozens of vehicles and attacked a senior politician in Kathmandu on Saturday in protest against an increase in prices of petroleum products, police and witnesses said.

Malaysia ruling party warns split could cost power
The party, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957 could lose power over a dispute between the current prime minister and his predecessor, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said.

Lebanon warns against truce violations
Lebanese PM accuses Israel of committing crimes against humanity
Anyone who violates a ceasefire deal by firing rockets on Israel from Lebanon will be tried for treason, Defence Minister Elias Murr said yesterday, in an implicit warning to Hezbollah and other armed

Iran defiant as nuclear deadline nears
Iran insisted yesterday that a nuclear freeze was not on the agenda and showed off its latest weaponry, two days before it is to respond to an international offer aimed at ending the long-running crisis.

Scandals rock Israel after the war
The president is locked in a sex scandal, the justice minister is quitting over a purported stolen kiss, the prime minister is haunted by a property deal and the country's top general is under fire for

US, South Korea to start military drills
US and South Korean troops start military drills today which are likely to increase regional tensions already high due to the North's July 5 missile launches and reports it is preparing for a nucleartest.

'Clarify' contribution to Lebanon force
France asks EU
France yesterday called for a meeting of EU countries to "clarify" their troop contributions to the UN force in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told AFP.

Experts call for radical re-think in global water management
With the world's population forecast to grow by 2-3 billion by 2050 and water already a scarce resource for some, there has to be a radical transformation in the management of the planet's resources of

Thackeray flays golden throne for Sai Baba
The Shirdi Sai Baba temple trust's plan to install a Rs 22-crore golden throne for the saint has evoked sharp criticism from Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who said the money should be used for welfare

'Hillary to run for US presidency'
US Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton is quietly putting in place the infrastructure and logistics for a White House run, Time Magazine reported in its issue to hit the newsstands today.

Nepali women strip and plough to appease rain gods
Dozens of Nepali women stripped naked and ploughed their fields in west Nepal, hoping to appease the gods and get some much needed rain, a newspaper report said yesterday.

... to appease rain gods
Dozens of women stripped naked and ploughed their fields in west Nepal, hoping to appease the gods and get some much needed rain, a newspaper report said yesterday.