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World briefs |
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Palestinians observe 60 years of uprooting: Palestinians marked the 60th anniversary of their uprooting with rallies, sirens and black flags on May 15 – an annual ritual that turned even darker this year because of crippling internal divisions, diminishing independence hopes and the stark contrast to Israel’s all-out birthday bash. The memorial coincided with a high-profile visit to Israel by President Bush as part of Israel’s 60th independence celebrations. Bush’s embrace of Israel at a time when the Palestinians were mourning was bound to further harm the tainted US image in the Palestinian areas and across the Arab world.
Bush remarks on Iran trigger firestorm: President Bush has ignited a firestorm by telling the Israel Knesset [Parliament] that those advocating a dialogue with countries like Iran are like people who favoured engaging Adolf Hitler. The remarks in an address to the Israeli Parliament were promptly interpreted as a swipe at Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama who has emphaised the importance of dialogue with American enemies. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino promptly countered that Obama was not the target of the remarks and that Bush was echoing “long-established US policy.”
Obama breaches Hillary’s last bastion: Democratic front-runner Barack Obama has for the first time nudged past Hillary Clinton in the all-important “Super delegates” count – the one yardstick where she had led him thus far, even while slipping in all other indices. With new endorsements in the past couple of days, Obama now has a slim lead with his tally as of Sunday morning standing at 275 in an AP tabulation as against Clinton’s 271.5. Obama has also secured endorsement from rival John Edwards, a blow to Hillary Clinton’s long-shot bid to salvage her campaign.
Sudan snaps ties with Chad: Sudan cut its diplomatic relations with Chad on May 11 after an attack on Khartoum by Darfur rebels which it said was supported by Chadian President Idriss Deby. The rebels fought Sudanese troops in a suburb of Khartoum a day earlier in a bid to seize power. The attack was repulsed but it was the first time in decades of conflict that rebels had brought their battle to the capital.
Zimbabwe Presidential run-off in July: Zimbabwe election authorities have said the Presidential run-off between President Robert Mugabe and Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will be held on July 31. Tsvangirai claims he won the Presidential race outright. But, official results released weeks after the March 29 poll show he did not win enough votes to avoid a second round against Mugabe.
French ban on Sikh turban – Supreme Court refuses to pass orders: Contending that it has no jurisdiction for safeguarding rights in a foreign land, the Supreme Court of India has refused to pass any direction on a Public Interest Litigation petition opposing the decision of France to ban the Sikh turban and other religious symbols.
Hearing a petition filed by a Sikh association, Singh Legal Foundation, which sought the Centre’s intervention to protect the fundamental rights of Indian citizens within the country and abroad, a Bench of the Supreme Court said on May 13: “We can only protect the fundamental rights of the citizens within the boundary of India. Fundamental rights cannot be protected in a foreign land.”
However, the Court suggested that the Foundation could take up the matter either with the International Court of Justice or even the European Court.
The French Government had passed a law banning the conspicuous religious symbols in its schools, including the turban of Sikhs, in February 2004.
Britain asked to ease Schengen visa regime: A high-powered Parliamentary Committee in London has asked the British Government to explore with Schengen countries how the visa regime for Indian residents in the UK and those needing to travel to other European countries could be eased as getting a Schengen visa now is something short of a nightmare.
Headed by Conservative MP Peter Luff, the 11-member committee also asked the Government to end the anomaly in the period allowed to Indian students to remain in the UK after completing their studies.
First Indian woman becomes Lord Mayor in UK: Manjula Sood became Britain‘s first Asian woman Lord Mayor in Leicester on May 15. Sood, who was born and raised in Ludhiana said in an interview, she was proud of her Indian identity and values. She went to London in 1970 and initially worked as a teacher.
As Leicester’s First Citizen, the Lord Mayor has a high profile role in maintaining and promoting the interests of the city and its people.
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