NATO investigates shooting incident
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has pledged to launch a rapid and thorough investigation into a shooting incident by a U.S. service member that left 16 civilians dead in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Sunday, an ISAF spokesman said here on Monday. "ISAF offers its profound regret and deepest condolences to the victims and their families. We pleaded to all the noble people of Afghanistan our commitment to a rapid and thorough investigation," Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson told reporters in a press briefing.
The bloody incident happened early Sunday morning in Zangabad village of Panjwai district when a rogue U.S. soldier walked out from a military camp and broke into three houses with indiscriminate shooting which left 16 people including women and children dead and injuring nine others.
"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the shooting incident yesterday in Kandahar province," the spokesman said.
ISAF spokesman also added that he did not see the attack as a revenge for recent incident in which a total of six ISAF service members including two U.S. advisors were killed by Afghan army and police after burning Quran by U.S. forces in the main U.S. military base in Bagram 50 km north of Kabul in mid February.
Asked whether the serial killer in Panjwai district would be tried in accordance with the Afghan laws, ISAF spokesman said," the legal status of the soldiers of the ISAF is clearly regulated in the military technical agreements between Afghanistan and the international community." However, he didn't give details.
Meantime, NATO's civilian spokesman Dominic Medley said at the same press briefing that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen fully supports NATO-led ISAF forces commander General Allen's commitment to establish the facts and hold anyone responsible to account with regard to killing civilians in Afghanistan.
Sri Lankan navy concerned with Indian allegations
The Sri Lankan navy on Monday expressed deep concerns over allegations that it has harassed Indian fishermen.
"The Sri Lankan navy expresses deep concerns over the malicious allegations raised time to time accusing it of harassing Indian fishermen. None of these has, however, been able to provide credible proof regarding Sri Lankan navy's involvement. Most have been found to be mere hearsay and accusations based on ill intentions aimed at straining the good relations between the two friendly neighboring countries of Sri Lanka and India,"the navy said in a statement.
The Indian media reported that 16 fishermen from southern India had alleged that they were attacked by the Sri Lankan navy near the sea boundary which divides the two countries.
It was also reported that the Indian External Affairs Ministry had raised its concern over the alleged attack with Sri Lanka.
The navy,however, said that as a responsible naval force, it adheres to international maritime laws and carries out surveillance and patrolling to defend Sri Lankan waters.
Alleged attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy have been frequently reported for several years but the navy had maintained it was never involved in such attacks.
"On numerous occasions, the Sri Lankan navy has come to the rescue of Indian fishermen in distress on humanitarian grounds and provided them with assistance using its vessels and personnel. It will continue its humanitarian operations in future and make available its expertise in rescuing and providing protection to seafarers when they are in difficulty in Sri Lankan waters," the navy said.
Malaysian minister husband indicted for misusing federal loan
The husband of beleaguered Malaysian minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was indicted on Monday for allegedly misusing federal loan meant for a cattle rearing project in a corruption scandal that had forced the minister to resign. Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the husband of Shahrizat, Minister of Women, Family and Community, was charged with four counts of criminal breach of trust and violating the Companies Act for allegedly abusing 49 million ringgit (16.15 million U.S. dollars) in federal funds granted to the National Feedlot Corporation. Mohamad Salleh was the executive chairman of the feedlot project. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mohamad Salleh and his three children who run the company were said to have bought land, luxury condominium units in Malaysia and abroad and a car that were unrelated to the project using part of a 250 million ringgit (82.4 million U.S. dollars) loan from the government. The National Feedlot Centre was started in 2006 when Shahrizat was a cabinet minister as an initiative to reduce the country's dependency on imported beef. The project made national headlines last year after it was revealed in the Auditor General's report to have missed production target. Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration has been under attack over the corruption scandal ahead of a general election widely expected to be called by June. Shahrizat announced on Sunday her resignation from her cabinet post effective April 8 amid mounting pressure over the scandal but insisted she's not involved.
South Korea introduces new security measures ahead of nuclear summit
South Korea's police chief on Monday announced a series of security measures to ensure the successful hosting of the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. Cho Hyun-oh, commissioner of the National Police Agency (NPA), unveiled security preparations, including protective services, countermeasures against illegal demonstrations, and traffic management, for the two-day global event that will start March 26. "South Korea's successful hosting of the Nuclear Security Summit, the top-level forum in the security field, is a significant opportunity to raise the country's national brand a step further," Cho told a press briefing. He said a total of about 36,000 police officers will be mobilized for the summit to guarantee the safety of leaders of participating countries. Some 5,000 military and police personnel will be deployed to facilities vulnerable to terrorist attacks, while police maintain a heightened level of preparedness against potential terrorist assaults, including explosive attacks or cyber terrorism, according to Cho. Cho vowed to deal strictly with illegal and violent demonstrations during the summit in accordance with laws and principles. He stressed that traffic management is the key to the successful hosting of the biggest diplomatic event the country has ever hosted, calling for active support and participation of the public to reduce traffic congestion. He urged the public to use public transportation instead of driving during the Summit. Top leaders from 53 nations and four international organizations, including U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, will attend the March 26-27 summit to discuss how to prevent nuclear terrorism. It will be the second since Obama launched the summit in Washington in 2010.
Bomb explosion kill 1 child leaves another wounded in Philippines
One child was killed and another wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded last Sunday afternoon in Tapaz, a municipality in the central province of Capiz, military said here Monday. Captain Reylan Java, spokesman of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, said a six-year-old girl died on the spot while her five- year-old sister was wounded when the bomb exploded in their house in Brgy Tacayan, Tapaz. According to findings of initial investigation, the explosion was caused by the lapses in the process of assembling an IED by the members of the New People's Army rebels (NPA). At least two unidentified members of the NPA were also seriously wounded during the explosion, eye witnesses said. Java added that the IED is to be used by the rebels for terrorist attacks in Capiz and other parts of Panay. Major General Jose Mabanta, commander of the Third Infantry Division, expressed his deepest sympathy to the innocent victims of bomb blast. "We appeal to the leadership of the NPA to spare our children from harm and stay away from the communities that choose to live in peace," he said. "The four decades of armed struggle have only brought senseless deaths and miseries to the lives of innocent civilians," he added.
Long way before peace-talks end in Myanmar
Myanmar's government failed to sign a peace agreement with ethnic Kachin rebels over the weekend after three days of fruitless negotiations, officials said Monday. Similar talks ended in failure in late January.
'The reason we couldn't sign an agreement was because mutual trust still needs to be built up and has not reached a solid level yet,' Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) peace group leader Sumlut Gam said in the Chinese border city of Ruili. 'But we hope we will have a peace deal one day.'
Myanmar's army has been carrying out an offensive against the KIO guerrillas since mid-2011 with the fighting in the northern state of Kachin displacing more than 40,000 civilians. The Kachin are one of a dozen ethnic groups that have been struggling for semi-autonomy in their territories for the past five to six decades. Myanmar's pro-military government, which came to office a year ago, has this year signed tentative peace agreements with Karen, Shan, Chin and Mon rebel groups but has failed to ink a similar pact with the Kachin.
'If we cannot make it in this time, we will try a third, fourth and fifth time,' Aung Thaung, the government's peace talks leader, said. 'We are determined to have eternal peace with all ethnic groups.' One of the main obstacles to concluding a peace agreement was that the KIO wanted to discuss a long-term political solution to its claim to semi-autonomous rule in Kachin State before signing a ceasefire, sources said.
The government said the ceasefire must be signed first, in keeping with international practice. The two sides signed a joint statement in which they agreed to continue their talks. The Kachin Independence Army, the military arm of the KIO, is the only major rebel group still engaged in combat operations against government forces.
Batavia Airplane derails runway at Indonesian airport
A Batavia Air plane from Bali to China's Hangzhou, with 176 Chinese tourists aboard, derailed at a transit airport in Central Indonesia, but it does not cause any casualties,an official with Chinese Embassy said here Monday. The embassy got into touch with the Batavia Air immediately after the incident and a plane has left Jakarta for Balikpapan, East Kalimantan to pick up the passengers and fly them back to Hangzhou, said Zhong Ruiming with the Consular Department of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia. According to the information from the airline, a sinking section on the runway of the airport is to blame for the incident, he said. Local media reports said the incident took place at 11:31 a.m. Monday when the plane tried to land at the airport for transit.
High-speed railway section collapses in central China
Hundreds of workers are rushing to repair a section of a new high-speed railway in central China's Hubei Province that collapsed after persistent rain, local authorities said on Monday. The Hanyi High-speed Railway, which links the provincial capital Wuhan and Yichang city, is expected to open in May. The collapsed part has already undergone test runs. The roadbed of a 300-meter section rail in Qianjiang city collapsed Friday afternoon. Workers working the section said heavy rain in the past few days may have caused the problem. The 291-km Hanyi railway, constructed by the China Railway 12th Bureau Group Co., will be a major high-speed rail in central China.
Indonesia goes for one time zone
Indonesian government wanted to bring the entire archipelago, from westernmost province of Aceh to easternmost Papua, under a single time zone in a move it says would be a boon for business and increase productivity, a local media reported on Monday. Indonesia is currently split into three time zones, with the first at GMT+7. Under the a proposed plan, residents across the archipelago would set their clocks to GMT+8, Edib Muslim, spokesman for the Indonesian Economic Development Committee (KP3EI) said. The committee is in charge of implementing the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI), which divides the country into economic corridors. It is chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the chief economics minister, Hatta Rajasa, is the executive chairman. The move to one time zone is being considered to boost productivity, Edib said.
"A one-hour difference among the three time zones is not effective," he said. "For example, transactions in Jakarta, located in the Western Indonesian time zone, start at 9 a.m., and end at 5 p.m. This means there is effectively a four-hour window for trade between people in the Western time zone and the Eastern, "which is two hours ahead.
He said having just one time zone would eliminate problems like this, making business easier. "It will allow people living in the west, central and east of Indonesia to have the same standard time, " he said. "But we are still discussing how to put it in place."
Hatta said a single time zone would be a financial blessing for the country.
"There are studies that say that with a single time zone, arrangements are more efficient and beneficial, so trillions (of rupiah) could be saved," he was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying.
Hatta added that putting Indonesia under a single time zone at GMT+8 would also put country on the same time as China and several neighbors, such as Singapore and the Philippines.
"If our time zone could be made the same as our neighboring countries, then we could save substantially in terms of working hours, traffic and economic activity," he said.
The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) welcomed the plan. "We really agree with this because this could save time and make it easier in computing the duration of trade distribution time," Apindo chairman Sofyan Wanandi said recently.
He also said the move would help improve the country's economic competitiveness, at least when compared to other countries in the region. Emmanuel Sungging Mumpuni, a space and solar system researcher from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan), said that although ideally a country as large as Indonesia should be divided into three time zones, having just one wouldn't cause any problem. The Indonesia Council of Ulema (MUI), which holds the highest authority on Islamic matters, said the move would not affect prayer times for Muslims. Islam has five prayers a day. Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population.
China is ready to co-operate with GCC in the Syria-crisis
China is ready to step up communication and cooperation on Syria with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), visiting Chinese special envoy Zhang Ming said. China is willing to play a constructive role in pushing for a political solution to the Syrian issue, Zhang told GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani on Sunday. Noting that China has attached great importance to the significant role that the GCC has played in regional affairs, Zhang said his country is willing to work hard together with the organization for a fair, peaceful and proper solution to the year-long political crisis in Syria. Zhang reaffirmed China's six-point statement on Syria, stressing that China and GCC nations have all appealed for an immediate end to violence, effective protection of civilians, implementation of humanitarian relief as well as respect for Syria's independence, sovereignty, unification and territory integrity. Al-Zayani said Arab countries take China as a real friend and have similar stances on Syria. He expressed the hope that China and the GCC would work together for an early political settlement of the Syrian crisis. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Zhang also held talks with Prince Abdul-Aziz, the country's deputy foreign minister.
