'US drone' hits Pakistan home

The drone attacks that often cause civilian deaths have sparked anger in Pakistan[AFP] At least four people have been killed and several more injured in a suspected US drone attack on a house in Pakistan's northwest. Pakistani intelligence officials said the missile strike targeted a hideout of anti-government fighters in the Babar Raghazi area of North Waziristan on Saturday. But local security officials told Al Jazeera that those killed in the attack were all civilians. Unmanned drones are often the weapon of choice for the United States as it targets the Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in remote, rugged areas along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. But the US military has rarely confirmed the attacks. The use of so-called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which allow the military to operate in highly dangerous areas, is expected to grow in the coming years with the US defence department expected to buy 700 drones next year alone. But the long-distance, remote-controlled warfare that inflicts heavy civilian casualties has sparked public anger in Pakistan. The US government has called on Islamabad to step up its efforts against Taliban- and al-Qaeda-linked fighters who cross over into Afghanistan. The Pakistani army recently completed an offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan, which borders North Waziristan. But Pakistani authorities say the military may soon pursue similar operations in other parts of the lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Second chance for Tamil former child soldiers

Sri Lanka's government says it has more than 500 child soldiers in its custody Hundreds of former Tamil Tiger (LTTE) child soldiers are being educated in Sri Lanka as part of government rehabilitation efforts following the rebels' defeat in May. The BBC Tamil service's Swaminathan Natarajan spoke to some of them. Sri Lanka's government says it has 550 ex-child soldiers in its custody - and about half of them are being given the chance of education. "I am from Trincomalee. I was studying in [the] ninth year when I was forcefully taken away by the Tigers," says Murugan, one of the former combatants studying in Colombo. "My mother rescued me from the Tigers with the help of Unicef and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC)," he says. "After my release I went to a school in the LTTE-controlled area. But the situation was not conducive to pursue education. Here we have good facilities. I know I will not get these kinds of opportunities again. I want to be a judge," adds Murugan. Officials say 273 former child combatants are currently attending the Ratmalana Hindu College near Colombo. "Others are given vocational or technical training because their education has been interrupted for a long period," the commissioner general of rehabilitation, Maj Gen Daya Ratnayake (Retd), told the BBC. Forcibly recruited Most of the former child combatants studying in Colombo said they were forcibly taken by the Tigers. Before coming here, these former soldiers were kept in rehabilitation centres in Vavuniya, in northern Sri Lanka, and Ambepussa in the south. I would be happier if I am allowed to stay with my family Former child soldier Students were given vocational training in these centres but were taught in Sinhala - a language they could not understand. But in the new school, students are taught in Tamil. They are learning the school curriculum and after a gap of many months, they also get a chance to interact with members of the Tamil community on a daily basis. "These students are very keen to learn. They don't want to talk about their past. They want to forget it. We understand that. We are trying to create a good atmosphere in the classroom and motivate them," one teacher said. Students are provided with hostel accommodation. But these children are not allowed to mingle with other students and are taught in separate classrooms. The military keeps a constant watch over them. Their movements are restricted. "In due course we will merge them into our regular classes. They are very keen to continue their education. Now we are assessing each and every individual to see where they will fit in," says Nadaraja Manmadaraja, principal of Ratmalana Hindu College. These boys and girls are also encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities like yoga and literary events. Most of these students are aged between 14 and 18. Their families are scattered across the north and the east of the country. Some say their relatives are living in camps for internally displaced people in Vavuniya. "I lost my father. I saw my mother after six months. I met her after coming to Colombo. I will not be able to meet her whenever I want," says Kavitha. "I am always thinking about my home. I would be happier if I am allowed to stay with my family," said another boy. Officials say they are organising special buses from Vavuniya to bring their parents to the school on a regular basis. Propaganda move? However, the rehabilitation programme has also raised concerns. "Some of the parents whose children are studying in the college were apprehensive about this move, because they feared the media spotlight on this school would make it a vulnerable target during a communal clash," a source well connected with the school management told the BBC. But the school principal says he has not received any complaints from the parents. "Generally they are very supportive," he says. Most of the students are aged between 14 and 18 The biggest Tamil political group in Sri Lanka's parliament - the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which was seen as a pro-Tiger grouping during the conflict - is also not impressed with the government's action. They see this as a propaganda move. "The government wants to showcase this to the international community and to the media. It wants to create an impression that other camps are run on the same lines. Sri Lanka's government is keeping over 10,000 suspected LTTE members in various camps. International organisations are not given any access to these camps," says MK Sivajilingam, an MP who recently met the children. But Gen Ratnayake says the government has nothing to hide. "We will provide financial, educational and vocational assistance to help them become independent, responsible citizens," he says. There is no word yet, however, on when the children will be allowed to join their families and be able to lead a normal life, away from the control of the army. A senior United Nations envoy recently called for Sri Lanka to reunite all former child soldiers in its custody with their families. "Military administration at the rehabilitation centre, though appearing gentle with the inmates until now, may not bring a desirable change in the children who witnessed a horrible war in the Wanni region," warns one person with access to the children - and who preferred to remain anonymous. "When the children get used to the new limited atmosphere and realise that they are not free to move and do things they like, unrest might develop." Visit : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8400366.stm

'Five taken hostage' in post office in Virginia, US

Police have evacuated buildings around the post office Five people have been taken hostage in a post office in the US by a man in a wheelchair claiming to be carrying explosives, say reports. Local media reports say grenades have been found in the man's vehicle parked outside the post office in Wytheville. The town mayor of Wytheville, Trent Crewe, told the Associated Press news agency the man had fired shots from the building but no injuries were reported. Police are at the scene and people have been told to evacuate the area. Local businesswoman Susan Holman told the Wytheville Enterprise newspaper police had warned the man had "enough explosives to take out the whole block". Police have cordoned off the scene and advised people to evacuate homes and businesses in the immediate area. "It's completely surrounded by police in every direction," said town manager Wayne Sutherland, speaking from his office nearby. "All I can see is blue lights," he told AP. A police hostage negotiator was reported to have been speaking to the man. Pete Rendina, spokesman for the US Postal Inspection Service, said the man, who was missing part of his leg, had made no demands other than a request for a pizza. Three employees and two members of the public were believed to be inside the post office.

Many missing as Philippines ferry collides with boat

At least 27 people are missing after a passenger ferry collided with a fishing boat in the Philippines, officials say. The wooden-hulled ferry and the fishing boat were between them carrying at least 73 people when they collided in Manila Bay in the early hours. Coastguard spokesman Commander Armando Balilo told local media 46 people had been rescued from the waters. There were no reports of bad weather conditions in the area and the cause of the collision is not yet clear. It comes as thousands of people in the Philippines travel home for the Christmas period. "These are small, wooden vessels," Mr Balilo was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. He said rescue teams had been dispatched and boats in the area had also been asked to help hunt for survivors, reported AFP. Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of tropical weather, badly maintained passenger boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.

Burma to buy Russian MiG planes

MiG-29s are designed in Russia, and used by many nations worldwide Russia has signed a contract to deliver 20 MiG-29 fighter planes to Burma, Russian media reports say. The contract is worth 400m euros (£356m; $570m), sources close to the Russian arms firm Rosoboronexport say. Many countries in the West have imposed sanctions against Burma, in response to its poor human rights record. But the country's military rulers still receive many... for more , Visit : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8428148.stm

'Revenge killings' rattle Mexico

Armed men have killed family members of a Mexican special forces marine involved in a military raid last week that ended in the death of a powerful drug leader. The attack at the family's home in Quintin Arauz on Tuesday took place just hours after the military honoured the officer, Melquisedet Angulo Cordova, as a national hero. He died in the same raid that killed Arturo Beltran Leyva, a cartel head in Cuernavaca. Officials condemned the killing of the For more : http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/12/200912236162828547.html

Russia's Soyuz craft docked with space station

Advertisement Nasa footage shows the Soyuz spacecraft docking at the space station A Russian spacecraft carrying an international crew has docked with the International Space Station, Russia's mission control says. Spokesman Valery Lyndin said the Soyuz TMA-17, launched from Kazakhstan on Monday, docked at 0148 Moscow time on Wednesday (2248 GMT on Tuesday). American Timothy J Creamer, Soichi Noguchi of Japan and Russia's Oleg Kotov were on board. They join an American and a Russian currently on the station. Jeff Williams and Maxim Surayev have been there since October