Briefly world

The top US commander in Afghanistan,G en David H Petraeus,has warned that plans by a Florida church to burn copies of the Quran.

Petraeus says Quran burning will put troops in danger

The top US commander in Afghanistan,Gen David H Petraeus,has warned that plans by a Florida church to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday,the anniversary of September 11 attacks,could play into the hands of extremists.

Burning copies of the Quran,would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan and around the world to inflame public opinion and incite violence, he said.

Petraeus added,It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort. It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems.

Nepal House fails to elect new PM in 7th attempt

KATHMANDU: Nepals Parliament failed to elect a new Prime Minister during the 7th round of election Tuesday. Prachanda,Chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists UCPN-M and Ramchandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress,failed to secure the minimum requirement of 300 votes. The Maoist leader,however,improved his tally compared to past attempts securing 252 votes.The next round of voting is to take place on September 26.

Japan reporter plays Twitter trick on captors

TOKYO: A Japanese journalist held hostage in Afghanistan for five months managed to send out a message via Twitter that he was alive when his captors asked him how to use a cell phone. Days before he was freed,Kosuke Tsuneoka said one of the militants brought him his new cell phone and asked the prisoner to set it up. The militants were interested in accessing Al-Jazeera,but Tsuneoka managed to shift their attention to Twitter. Thats how I got the message out, Tsuneoka said in Tokyo Tuesday,a day after he arrived safely back in Japan. Im sure they never thought they were tricked.

Boost for Rajapaksa as SC backs amendment

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COLOMBO: Clearing the way for Mahinda Rajapaksa to run for a third term,Sri Lankas Supreme Court has ruled that the proposed amendment to end a two-term limit for the President can be enacted with a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Rajapaksa,who in January this year won a second six year term in office,has proposed to end a two-term limit for the President.

Myanmar military leader in Beijing

BEIJING: Myanmars top military leader Than Shwe arrived on a five-day visit Tuesday amid speculation over the two countries firming up defence ties. Shwe will hold talks with Chinas President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. China and Myanmar are friendly neighbours and this year marks 60th anniversary of bilateral ties, Chinese Foreign Ministry said.