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Hearing against first Pakistani detainee in Guantanamo begins today
Egypt: Judges withdraw from trial of 16 Americans
Asian stocks firm, Nikkei at 7-month high
Captain pleads guilty over N Zealand oil spill
Clinton defends US role in Afghanistan
8 Guatemalan soldiers killed in helicopter crash
SC to hear Asghar Khans petition today
Japan's industrial production surges in Jan
Brazil Congress divided over alcohol sales at WCup
Mian Channu: Five family members killed in road accident
Turkey welcomes French court cancelling genocide law
Tahir Rafique Butt recommended as new air chief
Raise in petroleum products price recommended
By-polls: Altaf seeks action against violators
Governor Punjab approves raise in VCs salaries

Hearing against first Pakistani detainee in Guantanamo begins today

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Majid Shoukat Khan, a Pakistani-American, will appear for an arraignment hearing before a US military commission at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba on February 29 (Wednesday). He is the first detainee of Pakistani origin who is going to appear for a trial in Guantanamo. The charges against a couple of other detainees from Pakistan were brought by the Department of Defense but later dropped, so the case was never referred for trial.  Khan is accused of a failed plot to assassinate the then President Pervez Musharraf in March 2002 when he wore a suicide jacket to a mosque where Musharraf was supposed to visit. He had also recorded a video of himself swearing to kill Musharraf, but the plot failed when Musharraf never arrived at the mosque. He is also accused of acting as a courier to arrange $50,000 for JW Marriot hotel bombing in Jakarta in 2003 besides providing material and other kind of support for terrorist attacks in United States, on the directions of top al-Qaeda operative, Khalid Shaikh Muhammad post-9/11.    Khan was picked-up from Karachi in late 2003 and was reportedly kept at a secret location by CIA before shifting him to Guantanamo in September 2006. He had moved to United States with his family in 1996 and obtained nationality before returning to Pakistan in 2002. The US Defense Department announced formal charges against him on February 14 this year. The charges mention that he used a forged travel document to travel to Pakistan from his home in Baltimore, Maryland, in United States in January 2002. “Khan is charged with conspiracy, murder and attempted murder in violation of the law of war, providing material support for terrorism and spying”, Pentagon said and the military commission will start its hearing at Guantanamo accordingly. The Chief Prosecutor of the US Military, Mark Martins, has referred the charges against Majid Khan to the convening authority with the recommendation that these be referred to the military commission for trial. Because he had not recommended any of these to be referred to a military commission empowered to award death penalty, therefore the maximum allowable penalty for the charged offenses could lead to life imprisonment. However, Khan, who turned 32 a day before the hearing, has reportedly entered a plea agreement with the US government, thereby agreeing to testify against other Guantanamo detainees in exchange for a reduced sentence.   A spokesman of the US Department of Defense, Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale confirmed the plea agreement without going into the specifics. He, however, said that a “part of the agreement included sentencing period between 25 to 40 years”. There have been reports of Majid Khan’s marriage to Dr. Afia Siddiqui, convicted in September 2010 to 86 years in prison by a US court, on alleged charges of assault with attempt to murder US military personnel. However, the US military is reluctant to confirm or deny these reports.    Coutney Sullivan of the US Justice Department has been assigned as the trial counsel, with Army Lt. Col. Michael Hosang and Navy Lt. Nathaniel Gross as assistant trial counsels, in this case while Jonathan Dixon will be Khan’s defense lawyer. A military judge will hear the case under the US Military Commissions Act of 2009.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Gunatanamo Bay, Cuba

Egypt: Judges withdraw from trial of 16 Americans

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All three judges on Tuesday pulled out of Egypt s trial of 43 pro-democracy workers, including 16 Americans, according to a court official, throwing into question the case that has ripped U.S.-Egypt relations. The defendants are charged with using illegal foreign funds to foment unrest that has roiled Egypt over the past year. The pro-democracy groups and the U.S. flatly deny the charges, and U.S. officials have hinted that foreign aid to Egypt is in jeopardy. Lead Judge Mohammed Shoukry said Tuesday that "the court felt uneasiness" in handling the case, according to the court official. He did not elaborate. The official said new judges will be assigned to the case. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. The trial has proceeded only as far as its opening session, and it would need to be restarted with a new panel of judges. Coupled with indications that the two countries are trying to find an acceptable resolution to the crisis, it was seen possible that the trial might be called off at some point. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told two Senate panels on Tuesday that the United States and Egypt are "in very intensive discussions about finding a solution." "We ve had a lot of very tough conversations," she said. "We re moving toward a resolution." "It s important that they know that we are continuing to push them," she said. Egyptian lawyer and rights activist Ahmed Seif al-Islam said it was hard to interpret what was behind the resignations. He said that judges pull out of cases over relationships with defendants or their lawyers. In other cases, especially the political ones, judges might feel pressure and prefer to stay away. "In general, the main reason is that the judge feels that he cannot act as a real judge, and his rulings would be unfair or influenced," Seif al-Islam said. The affair began in December when Egyptian security raided 17 offices of 10 pro-democracy and human rights groups, confiscating documents and equipment. It led to charges that the groups have financed protests over the past year with illegally obtained funds and have failed to register with the government as required. The groups insist their financing is transparent, and all their efforts to register have been stalled by the Egyptian government. The charges dovetail with constant pronouncements from Egypt s military rulers that protests against their rule are directed by unnamed, dark foreign forces, a claim that is ridiculed by Egyptian activists. Furious over the charges and travel bans against civil society workers, the United States has threatened to cut off aid to Egypt, putting at risk $1.3 billion in military aid this year and another $250 million in economic assistance. Egyptian officials claim the matter is entirely in the hands of the judiciary, and many of them view the U.S. threat as unacceptable meddling. The trial began Sunday, but the foreign defendants were not present. Shoukry declared a two-month adjournment to give lawyers time to read the case files, said to be in excess of 1,500 pages, and for authorities to find interpreters for non-Arabic speaking defendants.

Asian stocks firm, Nikkei at 7-month high

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Asian stocks firmed and the euro held its ground on Wednesday ahead of a fresh cash injection by the European Central Bank, while strong US consumer confidence data and a drop in oil prices bolstered Wall Street. Markets expect European banks to borrow about 500 billion euros ($670 billion) of cheap funds on offer from the ECB later on Wednesday, although forecasts range from 200 billion to 750 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. The euro and commodity currencies held steady in early trade with the former within easy reach of a 2-1/2 month peak of $1.3486 hit last Friday and on track to end the month up 3 percent, its best performance since October. Asian stocks were firmer, taking a cue from overnight gains in the U.S. The MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan added 0.4 percent while Japan s Nikkei rose 0.7 percent to a fresh seven-month high and was on track for its best February in two decades. The S&P 500 pierced the 1,370 level and rose above its March 2011 peak after US consumer confidence hit a one-year high in February, as optimism about the labor market outweighed concerns over higher gasoline prices in the world s largest economy. The sharpest drop in oil prices in 2-1/2 months helped to ease concerns that rising energy costs, fed by tensions over Iran s nuclear program and other supply-related issues in the Middle East, would hurt the global economy. US crude oil futures settled down $2.01 a barrel and were trading slightly lower, down 0.1 percent, early Wednesday. Precious metals were also strong with silver rallying more than 4 percent on Tuesday, while gold raced toward $1,800 an ounce ahead of the ECB s offer of cheap loans to banks. Following the ECB s cash injection, market attention will turn to US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke s semi-annual testimony on monetary policy before the House Financial Services Committee due at 1500 GMT.

Captain pleads guilty over N Zealand oil spill

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The captain and second officer of a cargo ship which grounded off New Zealand last year pleaded guilty Wednesday to causing the country s biggest ever sea pollution disaster, officials said. The officers pleaded guilty to operating the vessel Rena in a dangerous manner and criminal charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice by altering records after the October 5 accident, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said.

Clinton defends US role in Afghanistan

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US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is defending the U.S. mission in Afghanistan after a week of anti-American violence and the killing of U.S. military advisers. Clinton told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday that the United States has made progress in combating terrorism through operations in Afghanistan. She insisted that President Barack Obama has made clear that U.S. involvement is not an "endless commitment." Democrats on the panel pressed Clinton about the continued U.S. role. More than 30 people have died in clashes since it became known last week that copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and other religious materials were thrown into a fire pit used to burn garbage at a U.S. base near Kabul. Obama has apologized for what he said was a mistake.

8 Guatemalan soldiers killed in helicopter crash

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"Inside the helicopter were eight members of the armed forces, six crew and two pilots, resulting in eight deaths," Peten province Governor Henry Amezquita told a local radio station. According to preliminary information, the helicopter crashed near the community of Chacalte, in San Luis Peten, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of the capital of Guatemala City, Amezquita said. The governor did not specify the cause of the accident but said the mountainous jungle terrain might have contributed to the crash. "The village of Chacalte is in a hilly area and there is an area of jungle out there that has some rather high hills and it could be there that the accident occurred," Amezquita said. "I think there might have been a mistake on the issue of flying very low." Amilcar Lemus, spokesman for the local volunteer fire department, said a rescue team was sent to the scene but found no survivors. "What we have here on the site is a pile of what remains of the fallen aircraft and the people are dead under the helicopter, but we have not removed them because there is no order from the prosecutor s office," Lemus told a local radio station. The helicopter was flying from Guatemala City to the site of the country s Northern Air Command in Peten, but the mission of the crew was not revealed by the Guatemalan military. An army statement said the helicopter was piloted by a lieutenant. The accident was the second Guatemalan military helicopter crash this week. In the other one, three people were injured when a helicopter made an emergency landing during a mechanical failure in the El Guarumo area of Guatemala s Caribbean coast.

SC to hear Asghar Khans petition today

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A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry will hear Asghar Khan’s petition regarding misuse of public money reportedly disbursed through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to influence the 1990 elections. Retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan had filed a petition in the SC in 1996, requesting the apex court to look into the allegation that in 1990 Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) distributed millions of rupees to right-wing politicians including Nawaz Sharif to cobble an alliance against the Pakistan People’s Party. Former Chief of Army Staff General Mirza Muhammad Aslam Beg, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt-General Asad Durrani and Younis Habib of Habib Bank and Mehran Bank have been made respondents in the petition. Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul Haq will appear on notice. Senior advocates Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, Habib-ul-Wahab-ul-Khairi and Muhammad Akram Sheikh, Salman Akram Raja and others will also appear in the case.

Japan's industrial production surges in Jan

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Japan s industrial production in January rose by a bigger-than-expected 2.0 percent from the previous month as companies stepped up output of cars and electronic products, the government said Wednesday. The rise beat average market expectations of around 1.5 percent growth and followed a revised month-on-month rise of 3.8 percent in December. Industrial production is showing "signs of an upward movement," the economy, trade and industry ministry said in a monthly report. Main contributors to the January growth were transport, information and communications and the steel industry, it said. By item, production rose for passenger cars, digital cameras and car navigation systems. A survey of producers by the ministry showed industrial output was expected to rise 1.7 percent in February and another 1.7 percent in March.

Brazil Congress divided over alcohol sales at WCup

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But congressmen remained divided on whether to allow the sale of alcohol at games during the monthlong tournament, dealing a setback to FIFA and local organizers. FIFA says Brazil has to allow the sale of beer inside stadiums during the World Cup and Confederations Cup next year, but some congressmen are against it because alcohol sales in Brazilian stadiums have been against the law for years. The issue will be voted on separately on Wednesday, along with other changes which have been generating controversy in Brazil. Cheaper tickets for the elderly and to students, another guarantee currently allowed by Brazilian law, were approved despite FIFA s initial attempts to limit them. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said recently that he hoped the bill setting the legal framework for the World Cup would be approved in its entirety on Tuesday. Football s governing body wants the proposed law to take effect by the end of March, allowing organizers to get on with the job of preparing the country for the tournament. The bill would give FIFA the necessary guarantees to organize the World Cup, the first in Brazil since the 1950 tournament. But critics say it gives too much power to FIFA and exempts football s governing body from responsibilities. After approval in the commission, the bill will still have to be approved by the lower house and then by the senate. President Dilma Rousseff also has to sign it before it takes effect. The vote was expected to happen two weeks ago, but it was delayed after some members of the commission asked for more time to analyze the proposed law. The sale of alcohol remained the main sticking point, as Budweiser is a major World Cup sponsor. Critics say it took Brazil a long time to ban alcohol from its stadiums, a move they say ultimately reduced fan violence in Latin America s biggest country. "If the commission approves this, we will take our fight to the (lower house and the senate), this is a mistake," said opposition congressman Wanderlei Macris. The law would be in effect only during the Confederations Cup and the World Cup, and would allow only the sale of beer, and only in plastic cups. Only those in the VIP areas would have access to other types of alcoholic beverages. "It s an exception, security will be reinforced during that time," congressman Afonso Hamm said. Just before the vote on Tuesday, prosecutors met with lawmakers and asked them to oppose the sale of alcohol during World Cup, claiming that incidents involving violence and alcohol inside stadiums dropped significantly after the current law went into effect. Congressmen on Wednesday will also try to remove text determining the definition of crime in cases of trademark infringement, as well as extending electronic visas to visitors to other sporting events in the country. The text approved on Tuesday also said that those older than 60 will be entitled to half-priced tickets in all categories, and that students will pay less for 50,000 tickets for the 2013 Confederations Cup and 300,000 for the World Cup. The approved text also kept unchanged issues regarding responsibilities for the event. President Rousseff had said she wouldn t admit text saying that Brazil will be held responsible for problems caused by nature catastrophes or terrorist attacks. She said Brazil can be held accountable only in cases of omission or direct connection to damages and losses. "FIFA wanted to see the civil responsibilities explicit on the text, but the federal government believes that the original text already contemplates what FIFA wants," congressman Renal Filho said. He said the proposed law can still be changed until Rousseff signs it. "Until then, FIFA will negotiate with the government to try reach an agreement," he said. On Monday, Brazil s top consumer rights groups protested against the proposed law, urging the population to go on Twitter and Facebook to tell congressmen to vote against the bill. The Brazilian Institute of Consumer Rights said nearly 1,200 people protested on Facebook and some 5,000 tweets were posted in protest, making it the third most popular trending topic in Brazil.

Mian Channu: Five family members killed in road accident

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As per details, a car collided with a tree at National Highway near Mian Channu, killing at least five members of a family including two minors and injuring two others. On receiving the information, rescue teams reached the spot and all the injured people have been shifted to Nishtar Hospital Multan.

Turkey welcomes French court cancelling genocide law

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France s Constitutional Council rules that a bill aiming to make it illegal to deny the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago is unconstitutional, a move welcomed by Turkey. Turkey welcomed a ruling by France s highest court overturning a law making it illegal to deny the killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire a century ago was genocide. The court ruling could help defuse a potential diplomatic row between Turkey and France, but Turkish foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the cabinet will decide whether to restart economic, political and military meetings with Paris. "The French constitutional committee s ruling is in compliance with universal human rights and European values that we all favour. In this respect, I would like to congratulate the constitutional committee," Davutoglu told reporters. The French parliament passed the law on Jan. 23 making it illegal to deny the killings of Armenians in 1915 was illegal. But more than 130 French lawmakers from both houses of parliament and across the political divide appealed to the court arguing the events of 1915 were still being debated by historians and making it illegal to deny there was a genocide therefore compromised the right to free speech. Turkey accused President Nicolas Sarkozy of trying to win the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in the two-round presidential vote on April 22 and May 6. French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked his government on Tuesday to draft a new version of a law. "Let me remind you that negationism (genocide denial) isn t the expression of an ordinary opinion, the aim of negationism is to cast a cloud on consent and to make sure that the crime is forgiven in order to prolong the crime," said Valerie Boyer, one of the initiators of the proposal and a right-wing UMP party member, adding she would push for another bill proposal. Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government. Turkey says there was a heavy loss of life on both sides during the fighting in which Armenian partisans supported invading Russian forces.

Tahir Rafique Butt recommended as new air chief

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Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has advised President Asif Ali Zardari to appoint Air Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt as the new Pakistan Air Force chief. Current Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman will retire from the post on March 18. Butt is currently the senior most officer of PAF. He joined the force on March 6 1977 as a GD pilot.

Raise in petroleum products price recommended

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As per details, OGRA has recommend to enhance the price of petrol by Rs 2.75, diesel by Rs 1.20, high octane by Rs 8.50, kerosene oil by Rs 4.50 and light diesel by Rs 3 per litre. OGRA has also suggested that if the price of petroleum products are kept stable by decreasing petroleum levy, the government would have to face loss of Rs 3 billion per month.

By-polls: Altaf seeks action against violators

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While addressing the 25th Foundation Day of MQM Labour Division at Red Fort Ground Karachi, he said that the people who halted women from casting their votes should be declared illegal for ten years. He said that the rulers should crave out some reasonable solution to the Balochistan issue; otherwise they should ready to face horrible consequences of their negligence and irresponsibility. He said that the sophisticated arms were exhibited during by-polls; how such elections could be termed candid and transparent. He has appealed the political parties’ leaders to condemn the tactics used to halt women from casting their votes. He said labours rights should be secured. He also stressed that undue interruption in national institutions should be discouraged and sincere and professionally expert officials should be appointed in PIA, Pakistan Railways, Steel Mills and others.

Governor Punjab approves raise in VCs salaries

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Now the salaries of Vice Chancellors would be equal to track professors after approval of summary issued by the Punjab government to the Governor. According to new policy, now a VC would get Rs 3,00,000 per month. Apart from this, increase in allowance has also been approved.

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Cricket - Sports

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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