Pakistanis with US citizenship to have dual nationality

By: Salman Alvi

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: All Pakistani people who are now citizens of the United States shall have dual nationality, the government announced.

In a press release, the Interior Ministry said that the government has realized the difficulties and sense of deprivation among the Pakistanis who had acquired the US citizenship and in due course lost the Pakistani citizenship by virtue of the Pakistan Citizenship Act.

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India deploys 30,000 extra forces in H Kashmir

By: A. A. Rathor

SRINAGAR, Held Kashmir: New Delhi has deployed around 30,000 Indian paramilitary forces and police commandos in occupied Kashmir.

The move came as the state elections are starting next month in four phases.

Police said Saturday that already 10,000 police officials are providing security to political leaders, bureaucrats, journalists and businessmen. The new guards will give security to candidates, political leaders and voters.

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EU urges Iraq to allow return of UN inspectors

By: Nabil Raza

ELSINORE, Denmark: The European Union foreign ministers meeting here on Saturday urged Iraq to immediately allow United Nations arms inspectors back into country.

Speaking at a news conference on behalf of his EU counterparts, Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Per Stig Moeller said: “The Iraqi regime must allow UN inspectors in, and it must do it immediately.”

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw while speaking outside EU meet spoke of overwhelming support for the demand that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein readmit UN weapons inspectors to his country unconditionally.

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Thousands demonstrate at UN Summit

By: Special Reporter

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: Thousands of demonstrators, demanding action on poverty and the environment, marched at the 10-day Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

The protestors left South Africa's poorest township, Alexandra, for the eight-kilometer march to the fashionable Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, where the summit, focused on forging accords on reducing poverty while protecting the planet's environment, is taking place.

The South African government has deployed thousands of police officers to protect the UN conference venue.

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Plane with 31 people aboard crashes in Brazil

By: Special Reporter

RIO BRANCO, Brazil: At least 24 people were killed when a plane with 28 passengers and three crewmembers aboard crashed Friday in Brazil's Amazon region shortly after taking off from the airport in Rio Branco in northwestern Acre state.

A Brazilian federal legislator, Ildefonso Cordeiro, and his wife were among the dead. Several other people were hospitalized in critical condition.

Rico Linhas Aereas Airlines, an air taxi service that has been flying in the Amazon region for decades, operated the Brazilian turboprop plane.

The twin-engined aircraft, an Embraer Brasilia, crashed 1.5 kilometers (one mile) from the end of the airport's runway, amid heavy rainfall, reports said. Rescue workers said the rain and difficult terrain made access to the crash site difficult.

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