Oppn may field Fonseka against Rajapaksa: Report

COLOMBO: Sarath Fonseka, the Sri Lankan Army General who presided over the annihilation of the LTTE, has emerged as the Presidential candidate of an alliance of Opposition parties, a report said on Sunday. Constituent parties of the newly-formed United National Front (UNF), whose thrust is the abolition of President’s executive powers, agreed on Fonseka this week as their candidate in case of an early Presidential poll, the Sunday Times reported. The UNF is led by former PM Ranil Wickremasinghe’s United National Party, in alliance with minority Tamil and Muslim parties.

A Q Khan backs Iran’s n-weapon quest

ISLAMABAD: Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist A Q Khan has backed Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy and said a campaign had been launched against that country’s atomic programme. The West is biased against the nuclear programmes of all Islamic countries, Khan said to the Iranian state-run Irna news agency. “If Iran fires a missile then it is wrong, but if Israel does it then it is right,” said Khan, who was placed under house arrested after he confessed in early 2004 that he had provided nuclear secrets to countries, including Iran.

Karzai: No corrupt officials in new govt

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai insisted on Sunday there’s no place for corrupt officials within his government. President Barack Obama and other international leaders have urged Karzai to crack down on corruption after he won Afghanistan’s fraud-marred election by default.

Warship with WTC steel commissioned

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