Nirmal Om newsline

John Ashe elected UN General Assembly President

The United Nations General Assembly elected by acclamation Ambassador John W Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda as President of its upcoming 68th session.

Taking the floor immediately after his election, Ashe, who is Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, said that in 18 months, the world body would launch an agenda for sustainable development for all, which “may very well be the boldest and most ambitious project that the United Nations has ever had to accomplish.”

“In order to succeed, the General Assembly needs to be equally bold, ambitious and collaborative if we are to rise to the task we are about to undertake and ensure its completion,” he said, adding “failure is not an option. Let us show the world…we can be bold and decisive in our actions.”

While it was important to draw on past experiences, lessons learnt from the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), he said that it would also be important to reflect on new and emerging development challenges, with attention to two main goals: overcoming poverty and ensuring sustainable development.

New and revised partnerships are paramount in integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, the President elect-said.

Zimbabwe in crisis as Prez Mugabe sets election for July 31

Zimbabwe plunged into fresh political crisis on Friday as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai vowed to fight a unilateral decision by President Robert Mugabe to hold elections on 31st July.

Mugabe used temporary presidential powers to set the date for a vote that would put an end to their uneasy power-sharing government.

“Today, early in the morning, I received a letter from president Mugabe (proclaiming)… July 31 as the election day,” Tsvangirai said. “President Mugabe is acting unlawfully and unconstitutionally,” said Tsvangirai. ”As prime minister I cannot and will not accept this.”

Tsvangirai vowed to take the matter to court and urged regional leaders to step in and stop Mugabe. While Mugabe’s move would comply with a constitutional court order to hold elections by the end of July, the date of the vote is fiercely contested.

The PM has vowed to veto any election date that comes before democratic reforms are put into place, fearing Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party may once again attempt to manipulate the vote.

Lady students killed in Pakistan bomb blasts

At least eleven Lady students were killed and about 24 wounded in a series of blasts in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday. The first bomb went off in a bus with students near a women’s university in Quetta, causing 11 fatalities and injuring about 20. “The dead were all female students,” the local police chief Zubair Mahmood told AFP. An “improvised explosive device” was planted on the bus and exploded just as the bus was leaving the university, he added. Police are investigating if the device was remotely activated. Another explosion rocked the city hospital, where the dead and the injured were taken, reportedly upon arrival of local government and police officials. The blast injured four, and was followed by rounds of fire, although it was not immediately clear who started it. The city of Quetta is the capital of Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan, and the region has seen a surge in militant attacks in recent months. While no one has yet taken responsibility for the recent blast, violent attacks on Pakistani women have been carried out by both separatist and Islamists groups, who oppose women’s education.

Militants attacked on Quaid-e-Azam residency

Three bombs exploded triggering a fire that destroyed a historic house in a Pakistani mountain resort town of Ziarat in Baluchistan province, associated with the country’s founder, police said. The militants shot dead a guard in the historic building during the attack with planted bombs on motorcycles, said senior police officer Asghar Ali Yousufzai. Another six bombs were recovered from the site of the incident said District police officer. The attackers removed the Pakistan flag and replaced it with the flag of the Balochistan Liberation Army, said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan local media reports. Quaid-e-Azam residency, is the most famous landmark of city and the place where Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, spent the last days of his life.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday strongly condemned the rockets and hand grenades attack, targeting the Quaid-e-Azam Residency in Ziarat.

The attack resulted into partial destruction of this historical monument where the Founder of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, spent the last days of his life.
Expressing his sorrow and grief over the death of a policeman in the attack, the Prime Minister prayed peace for his soul and grant of courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss.
The Prime Minister said that all measures would be taken to ensure the safety and security of such national assets and heritage.

Students hospitalised in China

346 students, including 45 in serious condition, have been hospitalised in southwest China, local officials informed on Friday.

The publicity department of the Dongpo District of the city of Meishan said the students, who were hospitalised last evening, were from the Yingtian Middle School in Sichuan Province.

So far, 216 students are being treated at a local hospital, including 45 who are seriously ill, state-run news agency reported, without providing details of the illness. Other 130 students are under observation, the report said.

In a separate incident in east China’s Anhui Province, 21 doctors and nurses have been hospitalised after being diagnosed with viral pneumonia, local health officials said.

The medical workers have been quarantined for treatment and none of their infections are critical, Xinhua reported. All the 21 work in the department of respiratory care at the General Hospital of the Wanbei Coal-Electricity Group

Three killed in missile attack on Iranian exile camp near Baghdad

At least three people were killed and 11 injured after a blast rocked the camp of an Iranian exile group near Baghdad, said a local police colonel. UN spokeswoman Eliana Nabaa confirmed that the attack was fatal, adding “We don’t have the figures but yes, people were killed and injured,” as quoted by AFP. In a second attack on the camp this year, more than a dozen “missiles” hit the zone, setting fire to multiple trailers, said Shahriar Kia, a spokesman for members of the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran. The former US military base Camp Liberty near Baghdad’s international airport is currently housing exiled Iranian opposition members.

Israel urges more sanctions against Iran irrespective of election result

Stricter sanctions must be implemented against Iran no matter the outcome of its presidential election, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said in an interview with a local radio station. “We must make this country understand that we still consider a military option to stop its dangerous nuclear program,” he said. Ya’alon also expressed opinion that the Iranian vote doesn’t matter as it’s the country’s spiritual leader Ali Khamenei, who really appoints the president. Moderate cleric, Hassan Rohani, enjoys a commanding lead, with 16 million ballots already counted in the Iranian election.

More than 470 homes destroyed in Colorado wildfire

Two people have been killed and more than 470 homes have been destroyed in the wildfire which has swept through the Colorado Springs area, authorities say. The fire, the worst on record, broke out on Tuesday and is said to be 30 percent contained. Unexpected showers aided firefighters in their efforts to contain the blaze outside of the city. Police believe arson or negligence could be to blame for the fire, which has forced the evacuation of more than 40,000 people after sweeping through more than 24 square miles of forested area. Around 800 firefighters are currently battling to extinguish the flames.

Czech president opinion govt should resign after scandal

Czech President Milos Zeman opinion the government of Prime Minister Petr Necas should resign due to accusation brought against members of the administration, informs Czech News Agency (CTK) on Saturday. Seven high-ranking officials and closest aides of Necas, including the head of military intelligence and the head of PM’s office, have got arrested for illegally ordering intelligence officers to spy on three people and also being involved in a bribery case where former lawmakers were offered jobs at state-owned companies. “I believe all the charges are very serious. After my meetings with the head of the police and the General Prosecutor, I came to the conclusion that all this is confirmed with sufficient evidence, Czech President said.

Imposing Syria no-fly zone from Jordan would violate intl law – Lavrov

Any attempt to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria using F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missiles from Jordan would violate international law, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. His comment comes on top of speculation in the media that a no-fly zone over Syria mulled by Washington could be imposed through the deployment of the missiles systems and fighter jets sent by the US to global military drills in Jordan. Washington said the military assets could stay on when the war games are over. Media agencies

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