Andanh.com

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan on Tuesday announced that he was quitting the committee formed to finalise the resolution on the judges’ restoration, saying he does not want to be part of dillydallying on the issue.

Aitzaz’s decision came a day after another member of the committee, Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ibrahim, disassociated himself from the committee, citing similar reasons. A source close to Law Minister Farooq H Naek, who is also convener of the committee, told this correspondent that Aitzaz has intimated the committee in writing on Monday night that Tuesday’s appearance would be his last in the committee meetings.

The source, while quoting the law minister, said Aitzaz told the committee that he does not want to be part of the deliberations if the same are concluded by May 6, as by that time it would be difficult to meet the May 12 deadline set by the top leadership of the PPP and the PML-N for the judges’ restoration.

read more

SHEPHERDSTOWN, West Virginia: Democrat Hillary Clinton Wednesday vowed she was staying in the party's bitter White House race, despite mounting pressure to hand the baton over to rival Barack Obama.

"I am staying in this race until there is a nominee," Clinton told reporters in West Virginia, which holds its presidential primary next Tuesday. "I am going to work as hard as I can to become that nominee."

The former first lady had leapt straight back onto the campaign trail with a hastily arranged stop here, after being trounced by Obama in Tuesday's North Carolina primary and winning by only a hair's breadth in Indiana.

But the results triggered swift calls Wednesday for her to end the party's agony, and step down to allow the healing process to begin ahead of the November presidential elections.

George McGovern, the Democrats' defeated presidential candidate in 1972, urged the New York senator to step aside as he threw his support behind Obama.

"I do not see how she has much chance of pulling out the nomination now, and I think it is important for Democrats to get united to win the general election in November," McGovern, who previously supported Clinton, told Fox News.

read more

HONG KONG:China should be aware of the difficulties new visa restrictions could cause for businesses ahead of the Olympics, Australia's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"It is important that the Chinese authorities understand the potential practical, on-the-ground difficulties that this is causing," Stephen Smith told reporters in Hong Kong.

Australia is seeking clarification from Chinese authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong about the new restrictions, which travel agents across Asia have said has seen China stop issuing multiple-entry visas.

China has insisted multiple-entry visas are available but said in a statement that officials would "consider the real need of the applicant" when granting one.

Business travellers and tourists must also provide hotel receipts and travel tickets before any visa will be issued, travel agents have said.

Smith said he understood why China was making the apparent changes, but it must be aware of the pitfalls.

"Australia has had recently an Olympics as well with the Sydney Olympics, so we understand the general public policy motivation," he said.

read more

YANGON: Millions of people in Myanmar have been left homeless by a devastating cyclone and piles of bodies have begun rotting in the disaster zone, a director of aid agency Save the Children said Wednesday.

Cyclone Nargis which slammed in the southern coast on Saturday has left at least 22,000 people dead and another 41,000 missing by the official count, but the toll is expected to rise.

"There are 41,000 people missing but most people assume most of those 41,000 missing are dead," said Andrew Kirkwood, Myanmar country director for Save the Children, one of the few aid agencies allowed to operate there.

"And clearly there are millions of homeless, but how many millions we don't know," he said by telephone from Yangon.

Kirkwood said the organisation's staff had gathered harrowing eyewitness accounts from the worst-hit area of the Irrawaddy Delta region, a low-lying agricultural region which was inundated by a huge storm surge.

LOS ANGELES: Lindsay Lohan will attempt to revive her flagging acting career by starring in six episodes of the hit US sitcom "Ugly Betty", it was confirmed on Monday.

Lohan, 21, regarded as one of Hollywood's brightest young stars before a string of personal problems and a series of box-office flops blighted her career, will make her debut in the show's season finale on May 22, ABC said.

According to the network, Lohan will play a "a mean girl from high school who suddenly resurfaces in Betty's life." The role will continue in five episodes next season, ABC added.

An English-language adaptation of a successful Colombian soap, "Ugly Betty" charts the progress of a geeky secretary as she attempts to forge a career at a New York fashion magazine.

Lohan's role on the sitcom comes after another troubled starlet, Britney Spears, appeared on CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" in March, with a performance that boosted the singer's image.

Lohan's acting career was overshadowed last year by twin arrests for drink driving and drugs offenses, as well as a stint in a rehabilitation center where she was treated for alcohol and drug dependency.

read more