Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet

The poet and Nobel Laureate died in hospital in Dublin.

Dublin: Seamus Heaney,one of the worlds best-known poets and winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for literature,died on Friday after a short illness at the age of 74,his family said. The Northern Ireland-born Heaneys poems evoke an Irish country childhood,with images of potato diggers and peat bog cutters,and echo the deep political splits that have riven the island. His works include the 1966 debut Death of a Naturalist,The Spirit Level,District and Circle and an acclaimed translation of the old English epic poem Beowulf. The poet and Nobel Laureate died in hospital in Dublin this morning after a short illness, said a statement on behalf of the Heaney family released by his publishers Faber and Faber. reuters

Prosecution and conviction of Afridi sends wrong message: US

Washington: The US Friday said the overturning of the 33-year jail term given to Shakeel Afridi,the doctor who helped the CIA track Osama bin Laden,should lead to an outcome which reflects that action against the al-Qaeda chief was in Pakistans interests. We hope this latest development leads to an outcome that reflects the fact that bringing Osama bin Laden to justice was clearly in Pakistans interests as well as ours, said State Department Deputy spokesperson Marie Harf. We continue to believe,of course,the prosecution and conviction of Dr Afridi sends exactly the wrong message about the importance of this shared interest, Harf said. Our position on Dr Afridi has long been clear. We regret both that he was convicted and the severity of his sentence. pti

Hasina unveils plans to acquire submarine for Bangladesh

Dhaka: Bangladesh hopes to procure a submarine to boost the capabilities of its navy,Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said at an event marking the induction of two patrol aircraft and three warships. The government,despite an economic crunch,is committed to building an efficient,modern and balanced three-dimensional naval force to safeguard maritime interests on the high seas and littoral regions,Hasina was quoted by the local media as saying Thursday. Referring to the plans to acquire a submarine,she said,Global attention is now on maritime resources8230;Our naval force and coast guard,out of the scene,are playing an enormous role in protecting the valuable resources beating many obstacles. PTI