WORLD INFO 24x7

Damascus, May 12 (Xinhua-ANI): The ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Syria stressed on Saturday the EU's commitment to the initiative for peace by the UN-Arab League joint envoy for Syria Kofi Annan.

Vassilis Bontosoglou told Xinhua at the international airport of the Syrian capital of Damascus that the EU will do its utmost in order to help Annan and UN observer team in Syria.

"What you are seeing today is one of the assistance which the European Union is providing to the Annan initiative," he said, referring to the arrival of a new assistance shipment from the EU, including 25 armored vehicles, to the UN monitor mission in Syria.

Bontosoglou stressed the EU commitment to Annan's peace plan, which calls mainly on all parties to curb violence in order to pave the way for a political end to Syria's 14-month unrest.

The EU assistance came apparently to provide more protection to the UN observers, who have come under attacks twice while touring restive Syrian cities.

On Friday, a convoy of UN observers was pelted with stones by an unidentified group of people near a suburban area of the capital.

The convoy was attacked while heading to the suburb of Dumair, northeast of Damascus, witnesses said, adding that one of the UN vehicles was slightly damaged with smashed window, but none of the observers were injured.

Last Wednesday, a roadside bomb ripped through a UN convoy while it was en route to the southern Daraa province, injuring eight members of the accompanying security forces.

The head of the rebel Free Syrian Army has recently said that UN observers have become "perjurers," and added that his forces will not stay calm for long. He claimed that the failure of the UN mission would positively reverberate on the welfare of rebels, "as some countries have progressive attitudes toward arming the rebels. "

The UN observes' spokesman said Friday that 150 observers are now on the ground in Syria, 105 of them unarmed military monitors. (Xinhua-ANI)

Tripoli, May 12 (Xinhua-ANI): Thousands of residents rallied Friday at the Martyrs Square in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, calling thegovernment to activate the national army and collect weapons from the streets.

The demonstration, under the slogans of "Libyans with one voice, " and "No militia nor brigades," was participated by a number of officials, party members, soldiers, as well as civil society institutions.

The protesters called in a statement to activate the country's judiciary system and national army, integrate the so-called revolutionary forces by the government, and collect weapons from the streets, in order to pave the way for free and fair elections for a constituent assembly to be held in June.

Libya's new rulers are currently facing almost daily protests from armed ex-fighters who want financial and other benefits in recognition of their role in toppling Muammar Gaddafi's regime last year. (Xinhua-ANI)

Riyadh, May 12 (ANI): Five Kuwaiti lawmakers are reportedly pushing for preventing women from becoming judges.

The MPs said in their proposal to the parliament that a law should be amended to specify that judges should be only men.

The current law of the country states that judges in Kuwait have to be Muslims, but does not refer to their gender.

According to Arabic daily Al Rai, the MPs said that they are 'concerned that the law article as it stands now allows women to become judges, and that this is a matter of grave reservation and doubts.'

Several Islamists oppose allowing women to become judges, saying that their decisions can be clouded by their strong emotions, The Gulf News reports.

Local activists, however, have called for the appointment of women to the judiciary, arguing that neither Islam nor Kuwaiti law barred women from being appointed judges. (ANI)

Doha, May 12 (IANS) The London dreams of Indian paddlersAchanta Sharath Kamal, Athony Amalraj and Poulomi Ghatak lay shattered after they failed to move into the round of 16 at the World Olympic Qualification Championships here.

Only two Indians - Soumyajit Ghosh and Ankita Das - will be seen in action at the London olympics later this year as they qualified from the continental quotas after they became the highest-ranked players in the South Asia region.

Despite reaching the main draw Friday, the three Indian paddlers lost to their opponents convincingly and will now fight for places 17-20.

There are 16 players in fray for the four slots and it will be interesting to know where the Indians finish.

It was a bad day at office for the Indians as first Amalraj tasted defeat against Matis Burgis of Latvia in straight games.

Burgis won 11-4, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 and 45 minutes later, Yang Wang of Slovakia's defensive tactics brooked no challenge from Achanta Sharath Kamal. The Slovak won 12-10, 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7.

With only pride to play for, Amalraj will take on Britain's Liam Pitchford while Sharath Kamal will meet Sas lasan.

In a late match Friday night Ghatak lost to Taipei's Chia-Hui Lin 2-4 (9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 4-11) to be pushed out of top ladder. She will later play against Barbora Balazova for positions 17-20.

Coach Bhawani Mukherjee admitted that it was unfortunate that the paddlers could not live their dreams.

'Sharath had a good chance against the Slovak. But things didn't work his way,' he said.

Dharamsala/London, May 13 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader theDalai Lama has spoken of a threat to his life from Chinese agents, saying there were reports that Tibetan women are being trained to harm him.

The Dalai Lama's office based in Dharamsala, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered, Sunday confirmed that 'there is a threat perception to his life'.

'His Holiness himself received messages (about the threats),' the Dalai Lama's private secretary Chimme Choekyappa told IANS.

In an exclusive interview with this week's Sunday Telegraph in Britain, the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner revealed he had received reports from inside Tibet warning that Chinese agents had trained Tibetan women for a mission to poison him while posing as devotees seeking his blessings.

The Tibetan Buddhist leader said he lives within a high security cordon in his temple palace grounds in Dharamsala, in the Himalayan foothills, on the advice of Indian security officials.

However, security officials here said from time to time they are reviewing his security.

'Whenever there are some sort of intelligence inputs about perceived threats, we review His Holiness' security thoroughly. If there are any loopholes found in the security, they are plugged,' Director General of Police I.D. Bhandari said.

The Dalai Lama told the Sunday Telegraph: 'We received some sort of information from Tibet. Some Chinese agents training some Tibetans, especially women, you see, using poison - the hair poisoned, and the scarf poisoned - they were supposed to seek blessing from me, and my handtouch.'

He said suspicion of Chinese interference in finding his reincarnation following his death meant he may be the last Dalai lama and that Tibetans could decide to abandon the institution.

A number of young Buddhist monks, including the Karmapa lama, could emerge as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, he said.

Despite frosty relations with Beijing, he said he believes China will change its hardline stance within his lifetime and adopt democratic reforms to safeguard its economic growth.

The Dalai lama will receive the 1.1 million pound Templeton Prize at St Paul's Cathedral in London Monday for his championing of science as a vital element of religious life.