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Bush says death penalty for Saddam appropriate (Go To Top)

          Washington, Dec17: The Bush Administration has said that it would not object if Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was given the death penalty, even though this could reopen divisions with the United Nations and even some allies who oppose execution, a foreign news agency reported on Wednesday. (Contd)

It's sad, but little Alka has to leave! (Go To Top)

          Pratapsingpura (Rajasthan), Dec 17: It's gloom at home as 10-year old Alka prepares for a new life in a new country. After a two-year legal battle, the Supreme Court has finally cleared her adoption by an Italian couple, Carla and Lancerotli Massimo. (Contd)

Why feminism is losing its charm? (Go To Top)

          Washington, Dec 17: New research shows that in spite of an advance brought about by the women's movement, young adults are far less likely than their middle-aged counterparts to call themselves feminists. (Contd)

Pak Samjhauta team arriving for talks (Go To Top)

         New Delhi, Dec17: Crossing the Wagah border this morning, a team of senior Pakistan Railway officials will arrive here later tonight to hold technical-level talks with their Indian counterparts on Thursday and Friday on the resumption of the Samjhauta Express between the two countries. The railway link was suspended after the December 13, 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament. Pakistan Railways' Additional General Manager Mohammad Iqbal Khattri will lead a four-member Pakistani team at the talks. Pakistan's Railways Chief Commercial Manager ' Syed Gulrez Hashmi, its Chief Mechanical Engineer Asad Saeed and Chief Financial Adviser Chaudhry Mohammed Ali are the other members of the team. Railway Board Member S B Ghosh will lead the Indian team. Its other members are S. Balchandran, Adviser (Accounts), Pradeep Bhatnagar, Acting Director (Traffic), and R S Birdi, Director (Mechanical). An inter-ministerial group, comprising Home, External Affairs and Railway Ministry officials met here last week to discuss the agenda for the talks.

Bhutan Operation has over 100 casualties (Go To Top)

          Guwahati, Dec 17: The ongoing Operation "All Clear" launched by the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) against anti-India militants operating from its soil intensified on Wednesday as the casualties on both the sides rose to more than 100 in the past 48 hours. Officials of the Royal Bhutan Government and Indian Intelligence said about 90 insurgents - 38 ULFA, 40 NDFB and 12 KLO - have been killed in the fierce gun battles till Tuesday. The RBA also suffered losses and about 34 personnel had died so far, while many were injured.

          Repots reaching here said that the Indian Army cordoned off a stretch of about 730 km on the border along Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal and Assam's Darrang district to prevent the insurgents from sneaking into the country. The RBA launched the operation in southern parts of Bhutan on Monday against militants waging war against India.

          A Kolkata report said ULFA leaders have reportedly sought refuge in Bangladesh in the wake of the crackdown. According to reports filed by Indian and Pakistani papers, witnesses have confirmed that ULFA leaders Paresh Baruah and Arabinda Rajkhowa have entered Bangladesh, even as Indian Army choppers have been pressed into service to assist the Royal Bhutan Army in tracking down the fleeing insurgents. So far, however, no one has been caught. Meanwhile, thousands of Indian troops backed by helicopters have sealed the border with Bhutan to help the Bhutanese army flush out anti-Indian guerrillas from camps on its soil.

Cyclone-hit Andhraites seek relief (Go To Top)

          Visakhapatnam, Dec 17: People living in the coastal region here have sought relief from the state government after a powerful cyclone killed several and rendered thousands homeless. The cyclone hit the region on Tuesday. "Here some 800 families depend on fishing and the Goddess Ganga did not show mercy on them and 28 boats were damaged by the cyclone and we request help from the government," Lakshmana, a fisherman said on Wednesday. Appa Rao, another fisherman said: "We lost everything due to cyclone." J.V.M. Naidu, director of meteorological department, said such a powerful cyclone was unexpected as the natural phenomena usually occurs after a gap of 20 years. "If we look at the history, only two cyclones that is...each cyclone comes up after 20 years gap and it is normally very usual. It is not good for the agriculture or for the farmers," he said.

          The storm hit the state just after midnight bringing heavy rain and winds reaching speeds of 120 kph. Several people were killed and thousands evacuated as a cyclone hit shore, uprooting trees and snapping power and telephones lines. The storm had weakened by Tuesday evening. Authorities said that about 13,000 people had been moved out of the coastal districts of Guntur and Krishna, which bore the brunt of the storm. The actual damage to property and crops is being assessed. At least 10,000 people were killed in the neighbouring state Orissa in 1999 when a powerful cyclone hit its low-lying coast.

No-trust motion against Rabri Govt defeated (Go To Top)

          Patna, Dec 17: The no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against Rabri Devi government was defeated in the Bihar Assembly on Wednesday by voice of vote. The Opposition bench did not even press for division in the voting in the face of certain defeat. The no-trust motion was the first against Rabri Devi's nearly six-and-a-half-year old government.

Parliament passes ICWA restoration Bill (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 17: Parliament on Wednesday passed a Bill to restore the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) to its pristine glory after the Rajya Sabha adopted the resolution by a voice vote. The ICWA (Amendment) Bill that had already been passed by the Lok Sabha received the support of members from all sections of the House. Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh assured the Rajya Sabha that the government was committed to making the ICWA a catalyst in determining the country's foreign policy. "We will make every effort to see that the dreams of those behind the initiative to set up this institution are fulfilled," he added. Eminent personalities from different walks of life would be associated with the institution for contributing to its smooth functioning, Singh said.

India's Black Cats arrive for SAARC summit (Go To Top)

          Islamabad, Dec17: India's Black Cat commados have arrived here to provide security to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his stay here for the SAARC summit being held early next month. Interior Ministry sources here told the Dawn that special arrangements were also being made by Pakistan for Vajpayee's security. Requesting anonymity, a ministry official said that another contingent of Indian commandos would be travelling with Vajpayee, when he arrives here on January 3, a day ahead of the three-day summit. The Indian security team will meet the officials of Pakistani intelligence and law enforcement agencies within a couple of days to chalk out a joint security plan. The source said a special security squad had been formed to ensure foolproof security for the foreign delegates during the SAARC summit. The squad comprised 100 commandos of ISI, he added.

Osama fled to Peshawar after Tora Bora bombing: Washington Times (Go To Top)

          Washington, Dec17: Saudi-born Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden fled to Peshawar in December 2001 after surviving a massive US military assault on his Tora Bora base in Afghanistan, the Washington Times has quoted US intelligence and law-enforcement sources as saying. The Daily Times quoting the Washington Times report said that Bin Laden left to meet Mulla Omar near Kandahar, Afghanistan, and later was believed to have moved into Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. "Bin Laden is a hero to many of the autonomous tribes that live along the Pakistan-Afghan border and who support the hard-line vision of Islam promoted by the Al Qaeda founder, U.S. intelligence officials say. By contrast, they say, Saddam Hussein was a dictator whom many Iraqis were willing to turn in," the report adds. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Al Qaeda's operations chief, who was arrested on March 1 this year in Rawalpindi, reportedly gave conflicting information to Pakistan's ISI, the CIA and the FBI as to whether Bin Laden was alive, and whether he had met him after the September 11 attacks.

Benazir supports Kashmir's struggle for selef-determination: PPP (Go To Top)

          Lahore, Dec 17: Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has rejected suggestions by Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed that she visited New Delhi recently to ensure the failure of next month's SAARC summit in Islamabad and that she did not support the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination. Reacting to Ahmed's charge on Tuesday, PPP Federal Council Secretary-General Khalid Kharal was quoted by the Dawn as saying that Bhutto wanted the Kashmir dispute settled according to the aspirations of Kashmiri people. The former premier, he said, wanted Kashmiris to be part of the Indo-Pakistan dialogue on the Kashmir issue. The PPP believed that the freedom movement in occupied Kashmir was indigenous and that the presence of Indian troops in Kashmir was violative of the human rights of the Kashmiri people.

160-year jail term for Jordanian hijacker (Go To Top)

          Washington, Dec 17: A Jordanian hijacker has been sentenced to serve 160 years in prison for attempting to divert a Pan Am plane in Karachi in 1986. A statement issued by the US Department of Justice said that Zaid Hassan Abd Latif Safarini had acknowedged his involvement in the botched incident that led to the death of 19 people. The attempted hijacking took place on September 5, 1986. Safarini and three of his accomplices took control of the plane at Karachi while it was on its way from Bombay to New York. The pilot and flight engineer managed to escape through a cockpit window, thus making a takeoff impossible. The hijackers demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Cyprus, but opened fire after Pakistani authorities refused to accede to their demands. Two Americans were killed in the incident injuring seventy-two other people. A former member of the Abu Nidal terrorist group, Safarini who had already served 15 years in a Pakistani jail, was released and recaptured by the Americans in September 2001.

`Pigeon' ruled out of the remainder of India series (Go To Top)

          Sydney, Dec 17: As if losing the second Test to India wasn't bad enough comes another bad news for the Aussie team - leading pacer Glenn `Pigeon' McGrath won't play in the remaining two Tests too. McGrath, 33, was earlier scheduled to make a comeback from an ankle surgery in October in the third Test beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26. However, after undergoing a fitness test recently to see if he could play for his New South Wales team in Friday's domestic Pura Cup match against Tasmania at the Sydney Cricket Ground, he was ruled out. According to NSW physiotherapist Pat Farhart, McGrath's ankle was still not strong enough to carry him through a first-class match.

          McGrath now aims to return in NSW's home match against Victoria from January 9, a week after the fourth and final Test at the SCG. On the brighter side, fellow pacer Brett Lee is expected to play in the penultimate Test after emerging unscathed from NSW's Pura Cup loss to Victoria on Monday, his return to first-class cricket after ankle surgery in October. But, there is still a big question mark over Jason Gillespie's fitness. The 28-year-old paceman limped off during the second Test at the Adelaide Oval with a groin strain. Australia will announce its team for the third Test on Friday.

Bush says death penalty for Saddam appropriate (Go To Top)

          (Contd) In a TV interview, President George Bush said that Saddam Hussein should face 'the ultimate penalty' as the Central Intelligence Agency took charge of interrogating the ousted Iraqi leader. "I did not want a kangaroo court for Saddam and it is for the Iraqis to decide the trial and punishment without an American presence," Bush said. A senior State Department official also made it clear that Washington would not oppose the death penalty. Hussein was captured by American troops on Saturday night near his hometown of Tikrit. He hhas since been taken to an undisclosed destination for further interrogation.

          On Monday, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that the former Iraqi dictator was not cooperating with the interrogating team. He also said that Saddam would be treated as a Prisoner of War, which means that the Geneva Convention rules will be applied to him. Since his arrest, the Iraqi resistance has stepped up its attacks across the country, and is reported to be specifically targetting allied troops led by the United States. A bomb blast on Monday was followed by a roadside explosion next to a fuel truck in Baghdad's Bayya'a neighborhood on Wednesday. The huge ball of fire caught a minibus in which 17 were killed and several others were wounded, police said.

Saddam capture, a shameful event: Marxists (Go To Top)
-by Gautam Ghosh

          Kolkata, Dec 17: The US army's success in apprehending the deposed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussain has given a jolt to the CPI(M) and evoked mixed reaction from other major political parties. The Marxists, who were extremely vocal against "the US aggression in Iraq", have described Saddam's capture from his hideout in Tirkit as "a shameful event which has completely exposed the US imperialists."

          The news of the Iraqi leader's surrender to the US forces without any resistance obviously came as a shock to the CPI(M)'s top brass engaged in a serious discussion on the party's strategy to meet the challenge of a resurgent BJP. CPI(M) general secretary H.S. Surjeet, in his initial reaction to the "unexpected development," appeared sarcastic. "It does not show the US army's bravado. Surjeet also feels the US allegations against the deposed Iraqi leader will not stand ground if the report of the United Nations observers, who failed to trace any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, is accepted.

          The CPI(M) politburo, which informally discussed the issue, is believed to have endorsed Surjeet's reaction. The Marxists' hard stand vis-a-vis Saddam's capture by US forces is also apparent from an editorial published in today's edition of "Ganashakti," the state party mouthpiece. The CPI(M) organ has been highlighting the resistance put up by pro-Saddam elements in Iraq against the US army and the captured leader's "refusal to succumb to brutal US interrogation."

          Mainline opposition parties like Trinamul Congress and Congress have so far been non-committal on Saddam's capture. However, Trinamul Congress MP Ajit Panja appears somewhat hurt over the manner in which the US forces apprehnded the Iraqi leader from his hideout. Panja, as a former union minister of state for external affairs, had met Saddam and been deeply impressed by him. The state BJP leaders are apparently happy over Saddam's arrest, but have so far declined to comment on it.

A mother's farewell for her little daughter! (Go To Top)

          (Contd) The shy girl from this village in Rajasthan has already begun working on her English. She is likely to leave for Italy next month. The youngest amongst eight siblings, Alka had always been a darling of the Massimos, who often accompanied her father Sumer Singh Yadav, a regular chauffeur for them, during their trips to India. But, life took a turn for the worst when Yadav was killed in a road accident four years ago. Touched by the plight of the struggling family with an illiterate mother, seven sisters and a 15-year-old brother as the sole earning member, the Massimos offered to adopt Alka. Though initially shocked and angered by the offer, the family later gave in in the interest of the girl's future.

          Stringent adoption laws made the process protracted with the courts trying to ensure that the minor would not be enslaved. But, the Massimos recently won the legal right to adopt her. The Massimos had also taken Alka on a holiday to Goa a few years ago to see if she could mix with them and adapt their lifestyle. Saddened at the prospect of bidding goodbye to her little one, Alka's mother, Anokha is busy preparing `ladoos' for her youngest child. "I am very happy for her. Alka is my youngest daughter. I have to prepare her clothes and also some ladoos for her. There is a little sadness because she will remember me when she goes away," Anokha said.

          Meanwhile, the beady-eyed girl is full of excitement about the new change in her life. "I will become a big doctor when I go there. Whenever I will remember my home, I will call them and also write letters to them," she said. Bhagwan Singh, Alka's brother, feels sad at her going away but consoles himself at the bright future awaiting her. "We are definitely sad because she is our little sister and we all love her a lot. But our uncle and aunty (the Massimos) are very, very good people, I am sure they will keep her well, give her a good education and make her into something," said Singh. And, as the final travel documents are being worked out, Alka is getting ready for an intensive course in Italian in New Delhi.

Why feminism is losing its charm? (Go To Top)

          (Contd) The study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania examined the link between age and social attitudes about feminism and observed that the support for abortion rights and gender equality in the workplace is unrelated to whether young adults as well as senior citizens call themselves feminists.

          "These results suggest that men and women whose political coming of age coincided with the feminist movement are more likely to think of themselves as feminists than their younger or older counterparts," Jason Schnittker, assistant professor of sociology at Penn and co-author of the report, said. The study "Who Are Feminists and What Do They Believe: The Role of Generations" was published in the American Sociological Review and was conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While the feminist movement may not lose any of its hard-won accomplishments, the findings indicate that it may be increasingly difficult for contemporary feminists to present the united front once characteristic of feminism.

          "There appear to be many more conceptions of feminism these days than there were in earlier generations, allowing a variety of different people, with a variety of different ideologies, to self-identify as feminists, Schnittker said. The study also found that women were more than twice as likely as men to think of themselves as feminists. Men and women born between 1935 and 1955 were the most likely to self-identify as feminists. Racial differences played no significant role in self- identification as feminists and marital status, parental status, employment status and income were not significant factors in self-identification as feminists.

Bottomlines

Ben's paranoia over Jen's flu! (Go To Top)

          Washington, Dec 17: Jennifer Lopez has become the most high-profile person thus far to contract the epidemic virus, which has gripped 24 of America's 50 states. According to IMDB, J Lo's worried fiance Ben Affleck, who's busy touring the U.S. promoting his new movie Paycheck, is keeping a close eye on his bedridden girlfriend to ensure she's in the best condition possible. "She's whacked with the flu, so I'm taking all the echinachea, and I shoot up with Vitamin C or whatever they tell you to do 'cause I'm so afraid to get the flu. Jen never gets sick, so when she's sick it's the deadly flu. What's the story with the flu? All of a sudden it kills everybody," he says. In the western states alone, 11 children have died so far of a Fujian flu strain. Affleck jokes he may have to consider spending time around Lopez in a rubber mask and gloves.

Ozzy needs six months to recover: Sharon (Go To Top)

          Washington, Dec 17: Rocker Ozzy Osbourne will take six months to recover from the injuries he sustained from his quad bike accident last Monday. The 55-year-old singer is now able to breathe unaided and is celebrating his first number one British single, a duet of the 1972 Black Sabbath song "Changes" with daughter Kelly Osbourne. According to IMDB, wife Sharon Osbourne has revealed it will take around half a year for her wildman husband who slept for a week following the crash to fully recover. She says, "Probably about six months. But he will be back, he's not going anywhere. He'll be ordering everybody around, don't worry. He is doing so good. He's so much better."

45 beers, then fall Farrell! (Go To Top)

          Sydney, Dec 17: Colin Farrell's personal guide on the "Alexander the Great", Addoul Cherkoui strongly feels that he is badly in need of "psychiatric help" for his weird behaviour. Cherkoui said that Farrell is "clearly unhinged" after seeing him gulp 45 beers in one night, grab a few hours' sleep and then get up at 5 a.m. for filming. According to Sydney Morning Herald, Cherkoui revealed that Farrell drove Angelina Jolie to move hotels after he kept banging on her hotel door late at night. "I think Colin fancied Angelina, but she found his antics very childish and irritating and brushed him off," he said. Cherkoui said, "His behaviour was often appalling and disrespectful. He upset a lot of people. He is clearly unhinged and needs some psychiatric help about his conduct and drinking problems." He also said that on one of their nights out together, Farrell got so wasted that he ended up sleeping in the car. "That night he drank 45 beers and they went down like clockwork one after the other," he says.

Courtney Cox in reality show! (Go To Top)

          Sydney, Dec 17: `Friends' actress, Courtney Cox has been loved all over the world for her role as Monica in the popular sitcom. The interesting fact, however, is that she is as prim and proper as her meticulous alter ego when it comes to her home. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Courtney lives in her Hollywood home with her husband, actor David Arquette. With news of the winding up of `Friends', Courtney is concentrating on a new television project called 'Mix It Up' that is based on her real life. "I was sitting around and talking with some friends. Someone brought up the fact that when David moved in, everything changed in my home because he had so much stuff to incorporate. I just thought it would be a great idea for a show," she says. 'Mix It Up' has been co-produced by the celebrity couple and will show a design conflict between two people who live together that has to be resolved within three days for less than 2,500 dollars. "There's always some conflict - people have problems in their relationships because they can't come together on their sense of style. Or one person's a neat freak and the other's a clutterbug," says Courtney. 'Mix It Up' will be premiered in the US in October. The show, however, is yet to be picked up by Australian television networks.

Heidi Klum all set to be a mum! (Go To Top)

          London, Dec 17: First it was Oscar-winning U.S. actress Gwyneth Paltrow who announced her pregnancy, now it's German supermodel Heidi Klum who is expecting her first child with her Italian tycoon lover Flavio Briatore. "They (Heidi and Flavio) are happy to announce they are having a child in the late spring," the Sun quoted Heidi's spokeswoman as saying. "Heidi is past the three-month mark." "She has always looked forward to motherhood." As a result of the pregnancy, the 30-year-old catwalk beauty has called off her modelling assignments. The 53-year-old Flavio, who is the boss of Formula 1 racing team Benetton, used to date British supermodel Naomi Campbell, 33, earlier. And though he is ready to settle down with Heidi, she isn't ready to walk down the aisle again after a failed marriage to celebrity hairdresser Ric Pipino, 43.

I used my acting skills to get women into my bed: McGregor (Go To Top)

          London, Dec 17: Ewan McGregor of "Moulin Rouge" fame claims to have used his acting skills to pull women into his bed. Talking about when he was single, he said, "Playing with a woman's emotions was the fastest way to get them into bed," the British actor was quoted by the Sun, as saying. "It's very difficult to tell whether emotions are real or fake, especially with someone like me," he added. Meanwhile, McGregor will soon be seen with Alison Lohman in the Tim Burton-directed film "Big Fish", based on a novel by Daniel Wallace.

-ANI