‘Stop artillery attacks on civilians’, HRW asks Sri Lanka

NEW YORK: A leading international watchdog has asked the Sri Lankan government to “immediately cease” its indiscriminate artillery attacks on civilians in the northern Vanni region and review its policy of detaining displaced persons in internment camps.

In a report released on Saturday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said since early January 2009, civilian casualties have skyrocketed in the fighting between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The 45-page report, HRW said, is based on a two-week fact-finding mission to Vanni region of northern Sri Lanka in February. The government has prohibited journalists and human rights monitors from going to the battle zone in the Vanni, making access to information difficult.

“This ‘war’ against civilians must stop,” said James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch. “Sri Lankan forces are shelling hospitals and so-called safe zones and slaughtering the civilians there.”

Human Rights Watch also called on the LTTE to allow civilians to leave the war zone, stop shooting at those who try to flee to government-controlled territory, and cease deploying forces near populated areas.

Human Rights Watch said that both the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE were responsible for the dramatic increase in civilian casualties during the past month, approximately 2,000 killed and another 5,000 wounded, according to independent monitors on the ground.

source : jang.com.pk

Oil prices rally above 47 dollars

LONDON: World oil prices rallied Tuesday as traders awaited a key vote on a massive US economic stimulus plan that could boost crude demand in the world's biggest energy consumer.

Brent North Sea crude for March delivery climbed 1.09 dollars to 47.11 dollars a barrel in London trade.

New York's main futures contract, light sweet crude for March, added 1.01 dollars to 40.57 dollars a barrel.

The market had slid on Monday, ending below 40 dollars in New York, on jitters over the fate of the stimulus package which could help pull the United States out of recession, dealers said.

US President Barack Obama warned Congress of "catastrophe" if it did not pass his stimulus plan this week, as America's dire economic plight cast a somber shadow over his first news conference.

Obama piled more pressure on lawmakers to complete a long political tug-of-war over the 800-billion-dollar-plus package, with the once mighty US economy suffocated by staggering job losses and mired in a credit crunch.

The Senate earlier voted 61-36 to end debate on its 838-billion-dollar version of the stimulus package, reviving hopes the final bill could end up on Obama's desk by his self-imposed deadline of February 16.

Asian markets crude prices steady

SINGAPORE: Oil prices remained steady near $40 a barrel in early Asian trade Tuesday ahead of an US economic stimulus package expected to be approved this week.

Light sweet crude for March delivery slid 1 cent to $39.55 a barrel at 10.00 a.m Singapore time. On Monday the contract settled down 61 cents at $39.56 a barrel in New York. London Brent crude rose 2 cents to $46, maintaining a rare premium against US prices.

Investors and governments worldwide are keeping an anxious eye on US plans to stimulate its economy and rescue its banks on Monday, hoping the world's largest economy can lead the way out of a global crisis.