Obama hopeful on Mid-East peace
02 June 2009
US President Barack Obama has told the BBC he believes his country can help to get serious Middle East peace negotiations back on track.
Mr Obama's first interview with a UK broadcaster comes on the eve of a trip to the Middle East and Europe.
On Iran, he said he hoped to see progress by the end of the year, through "tough, direct diplomacy".
But he said, rather than imposing its values on other countries, the US should act as a role model.
Speaking to BBC North America Editor Justin Webb, Mr Obama said he believed the US was "going to be able to get serious negotiations back on track" between Israel and the Palestinians.
Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It's never a matter of quick results
Barack Obama
"Not only is it in the interest of the Palestinian people to have a state, it's in the interest of the Israeli people to stabilise the situation there," he said.
"And it's in the interest of the United States that we've got two states living side by side in peace and security."
Asked about Israel's rejection of his call for a halt to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the president urged patience, saying it was early in the conversation.
"Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It's never a matter of quick results," he said.
However, Mr Obama said he had not needed convincing by Israel of the need to address Iran's programme of nuclear development.
Mr Obama's first interview with a UK broadcaster comes on the eve of a trip to the Middle East and Europe.
On Iran, he said he hoped to see progress by the end of the year, through "tough, direct diplomacy".
But he said, rather than imposing its values on other countries, the US should act as a role model.
Speaking to BBC North America Editor Justin Webb, Mr Obama said he believed the US was "going to be able to get serious negotiations back on track" between Israel and the Palestinians.
Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It's never a matter of quick results
Barack Obama
"Not only is it in the interest of the Palestinian people to have a state, it's in the interest of the Israeli people to stabilise the situation there," he said.
"And it's in the interest of the United States that we've got two states living side by side in peace and security."
Asked about Israel's rejection of his call for a halt to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the president urged patience, saying it was early in the conversation.
"Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It's never a matter of quick results," he said.
However, Mr Obama said he had not needed convincing by Israel of the need to address Iran's programme of nuclear development.
source: bbc.co.uk
Pakistani troops rescue students from Taliban
The Pakistani army rescued a group of 80 students and school staff Tuesday, a day after Taliban fighters abducted the group, military representatives said
The army rescued the group, which included 71 students, near Razmak in Pakistan's tribal region.
The abduction took place Monday in the same tribal region, the area where the military has waged a bloody battle against Taliban insurgents, police said.
Militants attacked a convoy of 27 vehicles carrying 350 students and teachers that departed Razmat Cadet College in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The heavily armed Taliban fighters attacked about eight vehicles, while the others sped away.
The Pakistani military has been conducting a monthlong offensive against the Taliban, centered in the Swat region of North-West Frontier province.
Over the last 24 hours, the military said, 21 militants were killed and 18 others apprehended in Swat. Three soldiers were killed and six others were injured, the military said.
The abduction took place Monday in the same tribal region, the area where the military has waged a bloody battle against Taliban insurgents, police said.
Militants attacked a convoy of 27 vehicles carrying 350 students and teachers that departed Razmat Cadet College in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The heavily armed Taliban fighters attacked about eight vehicles, while the others sped away.
The Pakistani military has been conducting a monthlong offensive against the Taliban, centered in the Swat region of North-West Frontier province.
Over the last 24 hours, the military said, 21 militants were killed and 18 others apprehended in Swat. Three soldiers were killed and six others were injured, the military said.
source: cnn.com/asia
India criticizes release of Mumbai-link man
India has criticized the release from house arrest of the leader of a Pakistani group linked to the Mumbai terror attacks.
Hafiz Saeed -- whose group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, provides social welfare programs to impoverished Pakistanis -- had been placed under house arrest after the Mumbai attacks.
He was released by the Lahore High Court in Pakistan after his lawyer submitted a petition, calling his detention illegal.
Pakistan banned the group after the U.N. Security Council designated it a terror organization because of its links to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. That is the Pakistan-based Islamic militant group that India says was behind the killings of 164 people in the Indian city of Mumbai in November. India has accused Lashkar-e-Tayyiba of training the attackers, which the group has denied.
A.K. Dogar, Saeed's lawyer, said Saeed had no links to terror activity and no arms from him have ever been recovered. He said the house arrest had been based on the Security Council move against Lashkar, but the U.N. action had been wrongly interpreted by government authorities.
India voiced "serious doubts" about Pakistan's "sincerity" in dealing with terrorism after Saeed's release.
Saeed, along with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, had a "long and well-established background of planning and launching terrorist acts against India," said Vishnu Prakash, India's external affairs ministry spokesman.
"His release raises serious doubts about Pakistan's sincerity in acting with determination against terrorist groups and individuals operating from its territory," Prakash said.
He was released by the Lahore High Court in Pakistan after his lawyer submitted a petition, calling his detention illegal.
Pakistan banned the group after the U.N. Security Council designated it a terror organization because of its links to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. That is the Pakistan-based Islamic militant group that India says was behind the killings of 164 people in the Indian city of Mumbai in November. India has accused Lashkar-e-Tayyiba of training the attackers, which the group has denied.
A.K. Dogar, Saeed's lawyer, said Saeed had no links to terror activity and no arms from him have ever been recovered. He said the house arrest had been based on the Security Council move against Lashkar, but the U.N. action had been wrongly interpreted by government authorities.
India voiced "serious doubts" about Pakistan's "sincerity" in dealing with terrorism after Saeed's release.
Saeed, along with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, had a "long and well-established background of planning and launching terrorist acts against India," said Vishnu Prakash, India's external affairs ministry spokesman.
"His release raises serious doubts about Pakistan's sincerity in acting with determination against terrorist groups and individuals operating from its territory," Prakash said.
source: cnn.com/world
Serena ups the ante in French Open stroll
Serena Williams rolled into the second week of the French Open with a crushing victory over Aleksandra Wozniak to reach the quarterfinals on Monday.
The second seed has been in stuttering form in the early rounds, but extended her grand slam winning streak to 28 with a 6-1 6-2 victory over the Canadian in their fourth round match.
Serena had endured a coughing fit and made contorversial accusations of cheating after her three-set victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Saturday, but this was a 53-minute stroll.
The world number two came into the tournament off the back of three straight defeats as she struggled with injury, but is now firmly on course for a hat-trick of grand slams having won last year's U.S. Open and the Australian Open in January.
Williams, who is seeking an 11th grand slam title, will next play seventh-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
Kuznetsova had a harder fight to beat 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 1-6 6-1.
Williams, who saw her sister Venus go down to a shock defeat in the first week, is seeking her second French Open title.
She beat Venus in the 2002 final and knows that the real challenge starts now.
Serena had endured a coughing fit and made contorversial accusations of cheating after her three-set victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Saturday, but this was a 53-minute stroll.
The world number two came into the tournament off the back of three straight defeats as she struggled with injury, but is now firmly on course for a hat-trick of grand slams having won last year's U.S. Open and the Australian Open in January.
Williams, who is seeking an 11th grand slam title, will next play seventh-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
Kuznetsova had a harder fight to beat 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 1-6 6-1.
Williams, who saw her sister Venus go down to a shock defeat in the first week, is seeking her second French Open title.
She beat Venus in the 2002 final and knows that the real challenge starts now.
source: cnn.com/sports
Unpublished photos of Marilyn Monroe surfaceStory Highlights
They were taken before Marilyn Monroe became branded as the voluptuous blonde who oozed sex appeal in dozens of Hollywood films.
They were taken before rumors of an affair with President John F. Kennedy swirled and her mental breakdowns became public.
They were taken before the beautiful actress's mysterious overdose that resulted in her death at the age of 36.
In a collection discovered by Life.com last month, unpublished photographs of Monroe reveal a softer, more innocent 24-year-old budding starlet in a more peaceful time, before her fame peaked.
Her flawless face bears a natural look with minimal makeup, unusual for the star, who was often glamorized in photo shoots with lipstick, designer dresses and expensive jewelry.
Monday would have been Monroe's 83rd birthday.
They were taken before the beautiful actress's mysterious overdose that resulted in her death at the age of 36.
In a collection discovered by Life.com last month, unpublished photographs of Monroe reveal a softer, more innocent 24-year-old budding starlet in a more peaceful time, before her fame peaked.
Her flawless face bears a natural look with minimal makeup, unusual for the star, who was often glamorized in photo shoots with lipstick, designer dresses and expensive jewelry.
Monday would have been Monroe's 83rd birthday.
source: cnn.com/entertainment
Wreckage seen in search area for missing plane
Wreckage has been found in the Atlantic Ocean that could have come from a missing Air France jet that disappeared Monday with 228 passengers and crew on board, Brazilian aviation officials said Tuesday
Floating objects and seats were found 720 kilometers (447 miles) from the island of Fernando de Noronha, said Brazilian Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral.
The search will continue but there is not enough material to officially say this is the wreckage from Flight 447, Maral said.
Brazilian, French and Senegalese rescue teams were combing vast sections of the Atlantic on Tuesday.
A report of "shiny spots" in the sea along the route of Flight 447 by a crew from the Brazilian airline TAM prompted a search in the territorial waters off Senegal, but without result.
The Airbus A330, carrying 228 people, encountered heavy turbulence early Monday, some three hours after it began the 11-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, according to Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon.
At that point, the plane's automatic system initiated a four-minute series of messages to the company's maintenance computers, indicating that "several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down," he told reporters.
The search will continue but there is not enough material to officially say this is the wreckage from Flight 447, Maral said.
Brazilian, French and Senegalese rescue teams were combing vast sections of the Atlantic on Tuesday.
A report of "shiny spots" in the sea along the route of Flight 447 by a crew from the Brazilian airline TAM prompted a search in the territorial waters off Senegal, but without result.
The Airbus A330, carrying 228 people, encountered heavy turbulence early Monday, some three hours after it began the 11-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, according to Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon.
At that point, the plane's automatic system initiated a four-minute series of messages to the company's maintenance computers, indicating that "several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down," he told reporters.
source: cnn.com
During that time, there was no contact with the crew, Gourgeon said.
During that time, there was no contact with the crew, Gourgeon said.
Intikhab expresses disappointment over fielding performance
NOTTINGHAM: Pakistani cricket team coach Intikhab Alam said fielding performance of Pakistan in a warm up match against South Africa was disappointing.Talking to media here, Intikhab said defeat in a warm up match is regrettable and players should work hard for Twenty20 World Cup.He said every team need time to adjust itself with local environment but this is not an excuse for defeat. Pakistan showed poor fielding performance and players should work hard to improve fielding. Spinners would play key role in the event and any spinner could change the game, he added.
source : .geo.tv/6-2-2009/43298.htm
LHC orders release of Hafiz Saeed
LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the release of Jammat-ud-Dawa Chief Hafiz Saeed, Geo News reported on Tuesday.
A full bench of the Lahore High Court heard a habeas corpus petition against the detention of Jamatud Dawa leaders Hafiz Saeed and Col (retd) Nazir Ahmad.The bench, comprising Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Justice Hasnat Ahmad Khan and Justice Zubdatul Hussain, heard arguments of the petitioners’ counsel.
Source : geo.tv/
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