Neighbour Watch

Pak falls behind in loan repaymentWASHINGTON: Crisis-hit Pakistan has fallen behind in repayments on existing World Bank loans and a spok...

Pak falls behind in loan repayment

WASHINGTON: Crisis-hit Pakistan has fallen behind in repayments on existing World Bank loans and a spokesman said the bank was watching the situation closely. The spokesman said Pakistan, already in default with some of its creditors, was now more than 30 days late with a World Bank payment of 25.8 million. This was enough to cause alarm, but not to trigger full default under world bank rules. 8220;It8217;s not a big deal yet, that happens after 60 days, but we have some concerns,8221; he said. Meanwhile, Sharif has sought help from private sector businessmen in raising five billion to bridge the resource gap the country is facing.

No third party mediation: LTTE agrees

COLOMBO: The LTTE has agreed to drop its demand for third party mediation and expressed its willingness to accept a neutral facilitator to begin negotiations with the Sri Lankan government. quot;If there is a facilitator we would then not need mediation. I think this is an option that should be keptin mind. It is irrelevant who the facilitator is as long as both parties can be brought to the negotiating table,quot; LTTE8217;s North American spokesman V Rudrakumaran told the Midweek Miror in London.

Tension in Dhaka as Opp leaders held

DHAKA: Police in Bangladesh arrested two prominent Opposition politicians as tension mounted today between the ruling Awami League and its main rival on the eve of a general strike called by an anti-government alliance. Opposition sources said Anwar Zahid, a former information minister, and Shafiul Alam Prodhan, a key figure in the Right-wing pro-Islamic alliance, were picked up from their residences early today by plain-clothes policemen.

Teacher stabbed to death in PoK

MUZAFFARABAD: A teacher was stabbed to death after he penalised a candidate for cheating in a university examination in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir PoK, police said on Wednesday. Professor Raja Naeem Khan was attacked late Tuesday by three people in his home in Rawalkot, 115 km from here.Police said they were looking for three people involved in the murder of that triggered a noisy demonstration by teachers and staff of educational institutions here.

ILO drive to eliminate child labour in Pak

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan8217;s carpet industry is to launch a new drive with the International Labour Organisation ILO to end the use of thousands of child workers, officials said on Wednesday. The project will target at least 8,000 children in the country8217;s largest cottage industry, ILO sources said. The ILO and the Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association PCMEA will formally sign an accord here on Thursday, they said. The campaign will start in December under the guidelines of the ILO8217;s international programme on the elimination of child labour IPEC, active in Pakistan since 1994.

Begum Zia re-elected BNP chief

DHAKA: Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister, was elected chairperson of Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party for a fourth term of two years, her partysaid on Wednesday. She was elected unopposed on Tuesday since there was no other contestant for the post, Abdus Salam Talukdar, a party leader said. Zia8217;s party controls 113 seats in 330-member Parliament.