Earthquake hits near Indonesia islands

DHAKA: An earthquake of at least 6.3 magnitude has struck off eastern Indonesia`s Tanimbar islands, but there was no tsunami alert, seismologists said.

The quake struck at 10:24 am local time (0124 GMT) on Sunday, 351 kilometres (217 miles) east-northeast of the East Timor capital Dili at a relatively shallow depth of 10 km, the US Geological Survey said.

The AFP news agency reported the quake`s magnitude as 6.3, where as Reuters reported that it was 6.9.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any alerts following the tremor in the remote region at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago between the islands of Timor and New Guinea.

In an initial assessment, the USGS said there was a low likelihood of damage or casualties.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

A 6.1 magnitude quake that struck Aceh province on Sumatra island in July killed at least 35 people and left thousands homeless.

Egypt panel to vote on new constitution

DHAKA: A 50-member panel drafting Egypt’s new constitution begins voting on Saturday on the final document which will then be put to a referendum, officials said.

The constitution is the first key milestone in a road map envisaged by Egypt’s military-installed rulers after the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi on July 3.

Its adoption will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections due to take place by the middle of 2014.

‘The vote on the draft will last one or two days,’ state media quoted the panel’s deputy head, Kamal al-Helbawi, as saying, with members due to begin voting later on Saturday, reports The Voice of Russia.

The panel began work on drafting the basic law at the beginning of September.

The road map stipulates that a referendum on the constitution be held by the end of the year, but government officials have said this is now expected in the second half of January.

Egypt’s interim rulers suspended the previous constitution after Mursi was removed following just one year in office.

BDST: 1554 HRS, NOV 30, 2013

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Pak PM in Kabul to push Taliban talks

Pakistan`s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visits Kabul on Saturday on a trip that aims to push forward the Afghan government`s stalled talks with the Taliban and spur joint economic projects that could ease Pakistan`s chronic electricity crisis.

Mr. Sharif`s trip—his first to neighboring Afghanistan since taking office in June—comes as Afghan President Hamid Karzai is embroiled in a deepening crisis with the U.S., refusing to sign promptly a security agreement that would allow for some American troops to remain in Afghanistan after next year. The Pakistani prime minister, who seeks to reassert civilian control over his nation`s foreign and security policies, has made the improvement of relations with Mr. Karzai`s government a top priority, tempering the Pakistani security establishment`s long-term support for the Afghan Taliban insurgency. "Peace and stability in Afghanistan are in Pakistan`s vital interest," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Friday, reports Wall Street Journal. Nawaz Sharif, center, at dinner for retiring Army chief, in a government photo. Press Information Department / European Pressphoto Agency Pakistani and Afghan officials will also discuss a plan to bring electricity from Central Asia through Afghanistan to alleviate Pakistan`s power shortages. With most or all U.S. troops leaving Afghanistan next year, Islamabad is particularly concerned that Pakistan`s own militants could exploit chaos across the border to intensify their war against the Pakistani state. "Sharif understands the value, and has reasonable clarity on how to achieve [stability in Afghanistan,] when others continue to view Karzai as not the best partner," said Mosharraf Zaidi, a former adviser to Pakistan`s Foreign Ministry. "Pakistan must not react to what seem to be provocations from Afghanistan. The relationship is much further along than most people give it credit." Afghan officials view Pakistan, where most Afghan Taliban leaders are based, as holding the key to initiating peace talks with the insurgency. The Taliban have refused to negotiate with Mr. Karzai, dismissing him as an American "puppet." The Afghan officials say they believe that Pakistan has the capacity to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. In a radio interview this week, Mr. Karzai described both the U.S. and Pakistan as "obstacles to peace" with the Taliban insurgency. A senior Afghan official said that Kabul is particularly angered by the continuing thwarting of Mr. Karzai`s attempts to open contacts with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban`s former second-in-command who was arrested by a joint Pakistani and Central Intelligence Agency operation in Karachi in 2010. Messrs. Karzai and Baradar belong to the same Popolzai Pashtun sub-clan, and Mr. Karzai said this week he will discuss the Baradar case during Mr. Sharif`s visit on Saturday. Following an agreement between Messrs. Sharif and Karzai at a summit in England in October, a delegation of senior Afghan peace negotiators recently traveled to Karachi to meet with Mr. Baradar, an encounter that Kabul believed could breathe new life into the peace process. However, to their dismay, the Afghan negotiators found Mr. Baradar heavily sedated and "not in a position to talk," a senior Afghan official said. The Taliban leader remained in Pakistani custody, even though he was released from prison in September at Kabul`s request. Pakistani officials told the Afghan negotiators that Mr. Baradar`s freedom is being limited because of a U.S. request, the senior Afghan official said. Laura Lucas Magnuson, a White House spokeswoman, didn`t directly address the Afghan complaints, but said that the U.S. supports "efforts to further Afghan-led reconciliation" and encourages "consultations between the Afghan and Pakistani governments in support of reconciliation efforts." Some U.S. officials have privately expressed concern that Mr. Baradar could return to the insurgency if he were freed, as happened with other Taliban commanders released by Islamabad in the past. They are also skeptical that peace talks can begin before a successor to Mr. Karzai is picked in elections slated for April. As a gesture to Kabul, Islamabad freed several mid-ranking Afghan Taliban detainees in recent days. The Afghan government sees such releases as a way to encourage the insurgents to join peace negotiations. Mr. Karzai`s dispute with the U.S. intensified ahead of Mr. Sharif`s arrival, following a U.S. airstrike that mistakenly killed an Afghan child. Mr. Karzai said he won`t sign the security deal with the U.S. as long as such killings continue. U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of the U.S.-led coalition, late Thursday called Mr. Karzai to apologize for the airstrike, which targeted a midlevel Taliban commander in Helmand province. In addition to peace talks, Pakistan and Afghanistan will also discuss the plan to bring electricity from Central Asia to alleviate Pakistan`s power shortages. Pakistani cities suffer rolling blackouts of 12 hours or more, a crisis that has crippled the country`s industry and stunted economic growth. Kabul enjoys far more regular electricity thanks to power lines that stretch from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The so-called "CASA-1000" project that Messrs. Sharif and Karzai plan to discuss Saturday would extend and expand those lines to carry all the way into Pakistan the surplus electricity produced in the summer by hydropower stations in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The World Bank is the lead donor of the $1 billion project, which has already secured most of the funding, and could be operational in 2016. "While Afghanistan has historically been a center of trade and transit, this time it`s a demonstration project," said Bob Saum, the World Bank country director for Afghanistan. "It will demonstrate the role Afghanistan can play as a regional partner and as a source for investment, and will provide much needed energy to the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan." Pakistan would receive some 1,300 megawatts of electricity a year, partially offsetting its power shortage, while Afghanistan would be able to draw around 300 mw and levy around $15 million in transit fees annually, under the plan. Another, more ambitious, energy project that Messrs. Sharif and Karzai plan to discuss Saturday would build a pipeline to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan, Pakistan and to India. Pakistan suffers from a severe natural gas shortage.

Police helicopter crashes into pub

A police helicopter has crashed into a pub on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow.

The crash happened at The Clutha in Stockwell Street at 22:25, reports BBC. Police Scotland confirmed there were three people on board. It has been reported that about 120 people were in the pub at the time. There are thought to have been multiple casualties but it is not known if anyone has died. It is understood some people are trapped inside the pub. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing the helicopter "falling like a stone". Police Scotland As he left the Accident and Emergency Department of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, a member of staff who did not want to be interviewed was asked how serious the injuries were. He replied with one word: "Very". First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Given an incident of this scale we must all prepare ourselves for the likelihood of fatalities". The emergency services could be seen on the roof of the pub trying to rescue people from inside. A large area of the city centre has been cordoned off. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service`s response includes a specialist urban search and rescue crew. The BBC`s Scotland correspondent James Cook said rescuers were working "methodically" as they attempted to get people out safely. Images of the crash showed the wreckage of a dark blue helicopter with a yellow "POLICE" insignia lying on the roof of the pub. A police spokesman said: "Police Scotland can confirm that the service helicopter crashed earlier this evening in Glasgow city centre. "A major incident has been declared after the Eurocopter EC135 T2 - with a crew of three consisting of two police officers and a civilian pilot - came down on the roof of a pub in Stockwell Street at 10.25pm. "Emergency services responded immediately and remain at the scene at the present time. "Cordons have been put in place to allow the rescue operation to take place. "At present Police Scotland is not in a position to confirm any details regarding injuries". Jim Murphy MP tells the BBC that "something horrific and serious happened" The Police Roll of Honour Trust tweeted "Our thoughts are with the crew of @policescotland SP99 helicopter that has crashed in Glasgow - hoping everyone is alright." Jim Murphy, the Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, said he ran into the pub to help before the emergency services arrived on the scene. He told the BBC: "I was just a few yards away and I arrived on the scene outside the pub a few seconds after the impact. No-one knew what it was but you saw the pandemonium of the people trying to get out of the pub. "It was almost like slow motion. Like other people you just do what you can to help." Crash scene A police insignia could be seen on the wreckage of the helicopter Mr Murphy, who is the shadow international development minister, said it was a "horrific scene". He added: "As you stood there you could see the helicopter embedded in the roof and sticking out the top of the roof and you knew it was something really serious." Mr Murphy, who had blood on his shirt which he said was not his, said he did not see the crash happen and it was all a bit of a blur for a few minutes before the emergency services arrived. He added: "People just formed a bit of human chain, side by side with each other, to help pull injured people out." Eyewitness Fraser Gibson, 34, was inside the pub with his brother to see his former band, Esperanza. "Midway through their set it sounded like a giant explosion," he told BBC Scotland. "Part of the room was covered in dust. We didn`t know what had happened. We froze for a second; there was panic and then people trying to get out the door." Mr Gibson said that immediately following the incident there was a suggestion that a helicopter had crashed into the roof of the pub. Gordon Smart of the Scottish Sun: "I saw the whole thing happen" "There was no obvious sign of that," he said. "I couldn`t hear of any rotors or anything like that before the event happened or any sign when we came out of the pub." "I would say there was maybe 120 people inside the pub. A lot of people managed to get out straight away, but it was hard to tell how many were actually trapped in the other half of the bar. "We wanted to get out of the way and let the emergency services get in there to help. "I spoke to one of my former band members and he`s as much in the dark over the situation as me. "We checked that each other was safe and the rest of the band were safe. The immediate group I was with are all safe. "We`re obviously very concerned about what casualties have been sustained in the incident. Scene of crash Emergency services vehicles at the scene "There were no signs (of a helicopter) at all. The roof had just totally collapsed, there were shards of wood sticking out the top but nothing that said there had been a helicopter crash." A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "I can confirm that we have people at the scene. "It is obviously a major incident. There are numerous fire engines there; 15 fire engines at the moment along with specialist services. "I cannot confirm if there have been any injuries." BBC Scotland reporter Andrew Kerr said: "I live nearby and actually heard the helicopter overhead just around that time and there was a definite change in the rotor noise and then there was just silence. "I thought nothing more of it until I heard the sirens. The actual Police Scotland helicopter SP99 is based just two miles west along the River Clyde. It is well-known for the people of Glasgow to see, covering things like football matches in the city." Claire Morris, who lives near the Clutha bar, told BBC News: "We heard this bang. We didn`t really know what had happened and then we heard people coming out and screaming. "I wasn`t sure whether there had been an explosion. My daughter said to me it was a helicopter that had hit the roof. "Police are everywhere. We are just very shaken." She added the pub was very popular and would have been busy on a Friday night. Map of the area The crash happened at a pub in the centre of Glasgow First Minister Alex Salmond tweeted: "The emergency services are in full operation. Our thoughts are with everyone involved. Scottish resilience operation now mobilised." Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in Glasgow - and the emergency services working tonight." In 2002, a police Eurocopter EC-135 came down in a field in Ayrshire. All three people on board survived. In 1990, a police sergeant was killed when a Bell Jet 206 helicopter crashed in bad weather at Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire.

Fire ravages Brazil Niemeyer building

Authorities in Brazil`s largest city, Sao Paulo, are fighting a major blaze at a landmark building designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer. A large plume of smoke billowed from the Latin America Memorial, a cultural centre which hosts an art gallery, an auditorium and other facilities, reports BBC. At least 15 firefighters were injured as dozens of crews went to the scene. Niemeyer, who was behind some of the 20th Century`s best known modernist buildings, died a year ago aged 104. He designed the main government buildings in the futuristic capital, Brasilia, developing a style defined by sweeping curves and stark concrete. The Latin America Memorial, built in the west of Sao Paulo in 1989, was empty at the time of the fire and authorities say no members of the public were hurt. The cause of the fire is unclear. Fire first swept through the 1,600-seat Simon Bolivar auditorium at the complex at around 15:00 local time (17:00 GMT). While the extent of the damage was unclear, there were fears for some of the art works at the complex. A spokesperson told reporters that a giant tapestry by Brazilian artist Tomie Ohtake may have been partially destroyed. Another building in the complex hosted the Latin American Parliament from 1992 to 2007. The parliament is now based in Panama. The Latin America Memorial comprises several buildings in an area of more than 84,480 sq m (101,376 sq yards) and was designed by the famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and conceived by the anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro.

Rouhani touts `brotherhood` with UAE

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will not allow any external threats to damage the "brotherhood" between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, Iran`s Press TV quoted him on Friday.

“Our friendship and brotherhood with the United Arab Emirates is such that no external factors can damage them,” Rouhani told UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a diplomatic visit. The meeting was followed by a ceremony at the UAE Embassy in Tehran, where the foreign minister raised the UAE national flag. The visit came after an interim agreement was signed in Geneva on Sunday, implementing strict guidelines for curbing nuclear development, and relieving financial sanctions. In light of the agreement, Iran is able to re-establish commercial relationships with various countries, including the UAE. Rouhani mentioned his intention to mend ties, Press TV reported, praising Iran`s “close cultural and economic relations” with Abu Dhabi. Rouhani touched on the overall atmosphere currently presiding over the Middle East, saying that Iran “favors a stable and developing region,” downplaying past accusations that they are in fact the ones who seek violence. The UAE foreign affairs minister congratulated Rouhani on the deal signed in Geneva, saying it would positively affect the region. Improving relations with regional countries is a central plank of Iran`s diplomatic policy under Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, who will visit Kuwait and Oman next week. Rouhani and Zarif have stressed greater regional stability as a priority, arguably an attempt to blunt the opposition of Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, to Tehran`s newly minted nuclear deal with world powers.

Thai PM rules out early election

Thai Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ruled out an early election, following six days of protests aimed at removing her from office.

She told the BBC the situation in Thailand was not calm enough for polls. She also said she would not authorise the use of force against protesters occupying government ministries. She was speaking after demonstrators forced their way into the army headquarters in Bangkok and held a demonstration there. On Thursday, Ms Yingluck called for an end to the demonstrations after surviving a no-confidence vote. But protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has rejected her appeal.