Nepal's
Maoist rebels reject deadline
Kathmandu:
Nepal's Maoist rebels have rejected a two-month deadline
earlier set by the government to begin their peace talks
with the Sher Bahadur Deuba government. According to the
BBC, the chairman of Nepal's Maoist Communist Party, Prachanda,
has said that the rebels were keen to enter into talks,
but feared that the government's was hatching a conspiracy.
In a statement, Prachanda said, that the government had
not created a favourable atmosphere for negotiations. He
further added that the government had through its deadline
further diminished the prospects for a peaceful talk between
them and the government. Prachanda further repeated the
group's longstanding demand for credible international mediation,
something the government has rejected in the past. Incidentally,
the rebel's response came just three days after Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba gave a deadline of 13 January for the
rebels to return to discussions. The government has however,
said that it will discuss all issues and ensure negotiators'
safety. On Thursday, Mr Deuba hinted the government's willingness
to discuss a key rebel demand for a constituent assembly
to draw up a new constitution.
Viagra
goes official in Pakistan (Go
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Islamabad:
Viagra, the male potency drug, will now be available
to Pakistanis officially. According to The News, the drug
appellate board under the Pakistan Health Ministry met early
this week in Islamabad and agreed to allow registration
of Viagra for sale in the open market. Besides Viagra, three
other potency medicines made by Abbott, Lilly and Bayer
pharma companies would be registered as official drugs.
Made by Pfizer pharma, New York, and sold to millions in
almost 118 countries, Viagra had been struggling for past
five years to win its case in Pakistan. But, Islamabad had
been reluctant to register the medicine both for the type
of its fame, and also due to the fact that death of a Viagra
user in the west in 1998 was connected with the medicine.
The drug was, however, widely available in Pakistan through
black marketing, the paper added. It said that all provincial
governments as well as board of experts consented in favour
of the registration of Viagra. It was also agreed that Viagra
should be allowed to be sold in Pakistan to patients on
doctors' prescription only.
Kashmir
tops agenda: Musharraf (Go
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Islamabad:
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that it
was high time that the Kashmir issue was resolved, and that
the issue would form part of his main agenda of talks with
world leaders. Before embarking to his six-nation tour yesterday,
the President said that Kashmir would be the main subject
of discussion with the leadership of the countries he would
be visiting. Musharraf is scheduled to tour Latin American
countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. His second
leg of tour will include the US, Britain and France. "The
resolution of the Kashmir and Palestine issues will be the
main subject of discussion with US, British and French leaders.
We have to resolve these issues, which will bring considerable
stability in the world," the Daily Times quoted the President
as saying. Apparently suggesting that the dispute was affecting
the Muslim world more, Musharraf said that the West should
deliver the second prong of his strategy of "enlightened
moderation", and Western countries, especially the US, should
help resolve all political disputes mainly affecting Muslims.
Ex-Indian
Army Gurkhas killed in Baghdad blasts (Go
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Baghdad:
Four Nepalese soldiers, including three who earlier
served in the Indian Army, died in two mortar blasts in
Baghdad, The Sun reported today. They worked for a London-based
security firm - Global Risk Strategies, the paper added.
One of the died worked with the Gurkha regiment of the British
Army, it reported adding that the blasts took place sometime
on Thursday. 12 other former Gurkhas employed by security
firm also were reportedly injured in the twin attacks.
Kokhropar-Munabao
rail link to cost Pak Rs 2 m (Go
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Lahore:
Pakistan Railways has said that re- establishing the
Kokhropar and Munabao rail route lying in its territory
would cost around two million rupees, and that its technical
committee had submitted a report to the Planning Commission
to resume the rail link between the two stations. The country's
Railway Minister Ishaq Khakwani announced this in Lahore
yesterday. He said that the job would take around one year
to complete. The minister, however, said that this was a
political and diplomatic decision "which will be made by
New Delhi and Islamabad." He further said that the Pakistan
government was planning to lay a broad gauge rail track
along the 120-km long rail route. According to the paper,
during the 1965 and 1971 wars, the Pakistan Army had occupied
the Munabahoo railway station in India and train service
was suspended. Thereafter, New Delhi closed down the rail
track. Quoting sources, it further said that the Pakistani
side of the Mirpur Khas to Khokhropar rail track was also
damaged in the wars.
Woolworths
is coming to India (Go
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Sydney:
Even as supermarts, shopping malls, and food chains
continue to mushroom in many satellite towns in the country,
Woolworths, Australia's leading food retailer, is thinking
of opening an outlet in India. According to "The Australian",
Woolworths is planning to open an outlet in Asia, perhaps
in China or India, within five years. "We are thinking about
it," the food chain's chief executive Roger Corbett was
quoted by the paper as saying. He said the opportunity could
lie in China or India, which, according to him, were both
strong economies. Corbett further said that any offshore
expansion would be handled in a "small way". "Obviously
there are some parts of the world where we believe there
are growing opportunities, where the industry is less mature,
and we are actually looking at those at the moment. But
we have not finalised any major plans," he said. He added
that any overseas entry could be possible within five years,
and that it was likely to proceed in partnership with a
local retailer.
