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'Sexting' US lawmaker Weiner quits

Posted: 17 Jun 2011 10:24 AM PDT


US congressman Anthony Weiner announced his resignation on Thursday, done in by lewd photos he took of himself, sent to women online.

NEW YORK: US congressman Anthony Weiner announced his resignation on Thursday, done in by lewd photos he took of himself, sent to women online and then adamantly lied about after being caught. Party leaders have been pressing him to resign so that Democrats could resume positioning themselves for the 2012 election campaign without constant criticism from Republicans on moral grounds. "I'm here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused," he said reading from a brief statement in New York City's Brooklyn borough. "I make this apology to my neighbors and my constituents, but I make it particularly to my wife, Huma." Weiner's wife was absent as he announced his decision, as she was 10 days ago when he admitted having sent inappropriate messages and photos to several women online. The crowd on Thursday included hecklers and radio shock jocks, vying for attention at what became a New York media event. Weiner said he had hoped to remain in Congress but conceded his predicament had made that impossible. Instead, he said he would resign "so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and, most importantly, that my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused." Weiner, 46, took a leave of absence and had been at a treatment facility at an undisclosed location since last weekend. Until Thursday's press conference, he had not been seen in public since telling reporters last Saturday he intended to return to work. His decision to give up his House seat marks the end of a scandal that resulted from the brash New Yorker's use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook. He at first denied having sent any inappropriate photos, then recanted in a remarkable news conference 10 days ago at which he admitted having exchanged inappropriate messages with several women. His confession triggered a tabloid-style frenzy in print and online that only grew more pronounced a few days later when an X-rated photo of the lawmaker surfaced on a website. After initially calling for a House ethics committee investigation, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi dramatically ramped up the pressure on Saturday when she joined other party leaders in calling on Weiner to step down. Within hours, Weiner disclosed his plans to enter treatment, and Pelosi's aides made it known that did not negate her demand for a resignation. President Barack Obama added to the pressure on Monday, saying it he were in Weiner's situation, he would step down. Several officials have said in recent days that Weiner was reluctant to make any decision about his career without speaking with his wife, Huma Abedin, a top aide to secretary of state Hillary Clinton who had been overseas since shortly after the scandal broke. The trip ended Tuesday night. Abedin is pregnant with the couple's first child. The Democrat's decision to leave Congress marks at least an ignominious pause if not an end in a once-promising career. Weiner ran for New York mayor in 2005, and had talked of seeking the office again. His outspoken, in-your-face style cheered liberal supporters and angered conservatives. He even irritated some party leaders in 2009 when he led the charge for a government-run health care system long after the White House had made it clear that Obama was opposed. New York governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to call a special election to fill the seat. Weiner's problems began on May 28 when BigGovernment.com, a website run by conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart, posted a lewd photograph of an underwear-clad crotch and said it had been sent from Weiner's Twitter account to a Seattle woman. Initially, Weiner lied, saying his account had been hacked. But he pointedly did not report the incident to law enforcement - a step that could have led the way to charges.

China growth model impressive but unsuitable to India: Nitish Kumar

Posted: 17 Jun 2011 10:22 AM PDT


BEIJING: On a study tour to China to comprehend its development, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar appeared impressed with its growth but sounded diffident about it's applicability to India. Kumar was however, struck by how a Communist country was transformed into a that of a capitalist one in the process. Summing up his week-long tour to both urban and rural areas of China, visiting various infrastructure projects which propelled the country into a second largest economy in the world, Nitish told Indian media that Chinese system showcased well how development can be achieved through a centralised system of governance. But the country which was once headed Communist revolution took to capitalist mode of development. "If you can not say this capitalism, what else is it," he asked, asserting that profit is the motive in a capitalist model which was shunned in a Communist ideology," the Lohiate socialist said. Nitish was on a tour at the invitation of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) which in the past invited several chief ministers from India to showcase its model of development. Yet another contrast was wherever he went, the Chinese officials from cities, provinces and the centre spoke only about GDP of their areas. There was no talk about below poverty line and its related issues, he said.
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Carstens set to visit China to seek support for IMF bid

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 02:02 AM PDT


Mr Carstens is hoping Asian countries will follow Latin American nations in backing him. Mr Carstens and the French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde are the two candidates shortlisted by the IMF to take over as the managing director. Mr Carstens is expected to arrive in China at 1300 local time on Thursday. Leading Asian and Latin American countries have said a candidate from outside Europe should be considered for the post. Mr Carstens said that his experience in working with the emerging economies made him an ideal candidate for the job. "For the last several years the economies who have been contributing to world economic growth and stability are emerging markets," Mr Carstens said. "We're doing something right," he added. 'Over-represented' All 10 of the IMF's managing directors since its inception have been European. However, the balance of economic power has shifted drastically in the past two to three years. While the financial crisis took a heavy toll on the US and countries in the European Union, emerging economies, especially in Asia, have witnessed robust growth during the period. "Europe is over-represented in the fund, with more voice and representation that Europe has in the world economy," Mr Carstens said. Mr Carstens has also voiced concerns, that given the debt- crisis in some European countries, there may be a conflict of interest if a candidate from the region were to head the fund.

Santos star Neymar puts brakes on Real Madrid move

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:35 PM PDT


Neymar has now stressed that he is more than happy at Santos , who he is hoping to lead to Copa Libertadores success later this month as they face Penarol in the final. "I am very happy because I'm getting goals," he said. "I do not know what will happen to my future. I have a contract with the Saints and now I do not know if I will go abroad."

Knotty affair: Arnie's mistress reveals all

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:14 PM PDT


Arnold Schwarzenegger's mistress has opened up for the first time since their love child scandal broke.
LONDON: Arnold Schwarzenegger's mistress has opened up for the first time since their love child scandal broke. In an interview, Schwarzenegger's former maid Mildred Baena said that when her son came to know that the Hollywood star was his father, he exclaimed, "Cool!". Joseph, 13, discovered his true parentage only one year ago and is now looking forward to building a relationship with the former California governor. Baena also spoke of the moment Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, realized she had been betrayed after hearing 'whispers' in the house about the resemblance of the boy to her husband. The maid described collapsing to her knees and tearfully confessing to Shriver late last year. But, instead of being vengeful, Shriver told her to get up and then cried with her.

26 held in NY child porn investigation

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:51 AM PDT


Authorities have arrested 26 people for possession of videos and images depicting sexual assault of tens of thousands of children, New York District Attorney said.

NEW YORK: Authorities have arrested 26 people for possession of videos and images depicting sexual assault of tens of thousands of children, New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance said. In a statement released Tuesday, the prosecutor said the arrests on charges of possession and promotion of child pornography followed a five month investigation. "These defendants stockpiled images of the brutal rapes and sexual assaults of tens of thousands of real children," Vance said. "These victims were made to engage in physically and psychologically damaging sexual assaults that were recorded and disseminated online, feeding the appetites of pedophiles for more victims." He said the victims ranged from one year olds to adolescents. None of those arrested were charged with assault on minors, but Vance said at least one had shown photos and videos of violence to minors to familiarize them with this type of behaviour. At least two others expressed a desire to engage in sexual assaults on children, he alleged. Some of those arrested had jobs that put them in contact with children, including Joshua Ruiz, 32, who worked as a substitute teacher in New York public schools. Glen Barfield, a 39-year-old architect, was accused of exchanging images of pedophilia with a 16-year-old boy living in Canada. The authorities said they seized three computers at the home of Moshe Gerstein, a 35-year-old lawyer, containing about 5,000 images of child pornography.

UK demands Lanka probe, sets timeline

Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:49 AM PDT


COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: The British government said Wednesday it is shocked by a documentary that purportedly shows Sri Lankan troops committing war crimes, and warned that it will back international action unless the island nation shows progress with an investigation this year. Foreign office minister Alistair Burt said he was "shocked by the horrific scenes" in the documentary aired by Britain's Channel 4 television late Tuesday. "Since the end of the conflict, the UK has called for an independent, thorough and credible investigation of the allegations that war crimes were committed during the hostilities, and the UK government expects to see progress by the end of the year," Burt said in a statement. "If the Sri Lankan government does not respond we will support the international community in revisiting all options available to press the Sri Lankan government to fulfill its obligations," he said. The documentary appears to show civilian deaths and prisoner executions in the last stages of the country's civil war, which ended in May 2009. It shows screaming civilians running for cover during a shelling attack, and dead men, women and children lying on a road and inside makeshift hospitals that came under attack. It also shows three people who appear to be young female rebel fighters sitting on the ground blindfolded with their hands tied behind them. A man gives instructions and another man who appears to be a soldier shoots at their heads, and they slump down. Channel 4 said the video was obtained from ethnic Tamil civilians and Sri Lankan soldiers, and last month a UN expert said it showed "definitive war crimes." Sri Lanka's government says the video is fake. "As far as the Channel 4 video clip is concerned, at the very outset we had experts brought in and in accordance with their analysis the authenticity of the footage was in serious doubt," Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. "This kind of manipulation will not be taken lightly," he said, without explaining what action the government would take. He also criticized Britain's "unilateral" decision to set a time frame in asking Sri Lanka to show progress in its investigation. Sri Lanka's embassy in London said the film "has the potential to incite hatred amongst different communities in Sri Lanka, including future generations, and thereby, adversely affect the ongoing national reconciliation process." In a statement, it called the allegations regarding army conduct "malicious," but said if they are proven to be true the government-appointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission would take legal action. A UN experts panel reported in April that there are credible reports that both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels committed serious human rights violations - including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity - in the last months of the decades-long war. It said tens of thousands of civilians may have been killed, and called for an independent international investigation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon has said he can initiate an investigation only with the approval of the UN General Assembly, Security Council or Human Rights Council. Sri Lanka counts on the support of Russia and China to extricate itself from any possible international action. China was among Sri Lanka's allies that defeated a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council in 2009 within days after the end of the civil war, calling for an investigation into alleged atrocities committed during the conflict. The countries also pushed through a resolution praising Sri Lanka for defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels.
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Now, reach Beijing to Shanghai in 5 hrs

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 08:15 PM PDT


BEIJING: Sometime in end June Beijing and Shanghai would get another connection: the bullet trains. The new bullet trains linking Beijing and Shanghai will cost passengers three to four times more than what India' s Rajdhani costs and run more than three times faster. Bullet trains will nearly halve the travel time to five hours and would be of two types; one running at 300kph and another at 250kph. The fare will be 1,750 yuan for business class for the 1,300km journey between Beijing and Shanghai for the 300khp train. Second class seats on the bullet train will cost 550 yuan, the equivalent. '' The fare is much lower at 410 yuan for second class and 650 yuan for first class for trains running at 250kph,'' China' s vice minister of railways Hu Yadong said. Trains moving at 300kph will cover the distance in 4.48 hours. The normal express trains take about 10 hours at present

The last big bang in Nepal

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 10:33 AM PDT


KATHMANDU: A distant rumbling and a flash of fire followed by the earth shaking marked the demolition of the last land mines planted by Nepal' s army during the Maoist "People' s War" to secure vital installations from guerrilla attacks. Nepal' s peace and reconstruction ministry and the UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT) jointly organised an event in the forested Pulchowki area in Kathmandu valley on Tuesday in which Prime Minster Jhala Nath Khanal and army chief Gen Chhatra Man Singh Gurung detonated the two last mines placed by the army, making Nepal officially land mine field free, the second country to be declared so after China. "It was a positive bang," said Shaligram Sharma undersecretary at the ministry. "In 2006, after the government of Nepal and the Maoists signed a peace accord, both agreed to provide records about where each side had laid mines and other explosive devices within 30 days and to demolish them in 60 days. However, it took longer." During the 10-year armed revolt, Nepal Army planted 10,941 mines around army positions and vital installations like telecom towers and airports to repel Maoist attacks. These were spread over 53 areas and from October 2007, with the civil war over, the army began clearing the mines. Trained and equipped by UNMAT, with western donors providing over $8 million for the demining operations, Nepal Army today boasts of 180 de-miners who have been certified by the UN agency as being among the world' s best. Besides the anti-personnel mines bought from a Russian manufacturer, the army also fought the war with improvised explosive devices, planting them in 275 areas. So far, 170 places have been cleaned and the government has reinforced the programme with a public awareness campaign as well as a victim assistance plan. However, while the army, having kept meticulous records of its explosive arsenal, has been doing its bit to rid Nepal of dangerous explosive remnants of war, the nearly 20,000-member strong Maoist army is lagging behind. As Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda had admitted, his People' s Liberation Army (PLA), said to possess only about 4,000 firearms, fought the underground war mostly with IEDs made of gun powder smuggled from Bihar. After declaring peace, the PLA handed over 52,617 crude bombs to the UN agency monitoring them, which subsequently destroyed the IEDs. But with the PLA records being inadequate, clusters of bombs devised by it are still likely to be hidden in village homes in Nepal. Even the bombs they used during clashes with the army could have been left unexploded and could still be lying in public places, posing an acute danger to passersby. According to the Unicef, IEDs claimed 16 casualties in the first five months of the current year with the victims being mostly children below 14 and women. Also, emboldened by the Maoists' success with violence, newer armed groups have begun to wage war on the state and society once the Maoist uprising ended. The terror of bomb attacks therefore continues. Last year, for instance, a Hindu militant group bombed a church and two mosques, killing four people. In March this year, three blasts were reported in the Terai plains, targeting public buses. While two passengers were killed, over 40 people were injured.

Gaddafi plays chess as Libya burns

Posted: 14 Jun 2011 10:31 AM PDT


Check mate: Gaddafi plays chess with Ilyumzhinov, the president of the international chess federation, in Tripoli.

TRIPOLI: State television showed footage of Muammer Gaddafi playing chess with the head of the World Chess Federation, as fighting between the Libyan strongman's forces and rebels raged on many fronts Monday. The images broadcast late on Sunday showed the chess game between Gaddafi and FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov being watched by the Libyan leader's eldest son Muhammad. Gaddafi, who was last seen in public when was shown on TV welcoming South African president Jacob Zuma to Tripoli on May 30, wore a brown cloak and dark sunglasses. The television did not say where the chessboard meeting took place but Ilyumzhinov told Russia's Interfax news agency that he had played against Gaddafi in Tripoli on Sunday. The Russian eccentric who once claimed he hosted extraterrestrials, also sat down for a game of chess with Gaddafi's son Muhammad and the two played the Sicilian defence, Interfax said. "The meeting lasted around two hours, we played some chess with Kadhafi," Ilyumzhinov, who is on a visit to Tripoli in his capacity as FIDE president, told Interfax. "Gaddafi stated that he is not going to leave Libya, stressing that it is his motherland and a land where his children and grandchildren died. He also said that he does not understand which post he needs to step down from." "I am neither premier nor president nor king. I do not hold any post in Libya and therefore I have no position which I should give up," Ilyumzhinov quoted Gaddafi as telling him. Ilyumzhinov, who also met with foreign and education ministers, said he saw a lot of destruction in Tripoli. The chessboard encounter came as fighting between Gaddafi's forces and rebels raged across Libya.
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Angela Johnson to make her debut with ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:46 AM PDT

Sonam Kapoor chosen as the face of India International Jewellery Week

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:44 AM PDT

Katrina Kaif voted the FHM’s sexiest woman for the third time

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:42 AM PDT

Ajay Devgan back into action with Rohit Shetty’s ‘Singham’

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:40 AM PDT


Ajay Devgan made his debut in Bollywood as an action star in ' Phool Aur Kaante' and gave quite a few superhits in action films. However, slowly he shifted his genre and switched over to excel in comedies with box office hits like Golmaal series, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. Now, after eight years, Devgan is back into action with the role of a rural cop in Rohit Shetty' s ' Singham' which promises to be a raw hardcore action packed drama. "It' s a film about men. Singham will mark the return of hardcore raw action to the cinemas with a lot of dialogue-baazi and machismo. It should sock a punch; it will connect to the man on the street because of its simple narrative and terrific action," reveals Devgan. Devgan feels that times may have changed but action remain the same as ever. "We believe that it is not changing. I don' t think so. Look at the last 3-4 films that have released. Dabbang and Ghajini action is the same we used to do before 15 years. Even Wanted. I think we are trying to be over intelligent by trying to make different films. All the audience wants is entertainment. Look at Robot. It' s entertainment. Singham is hardcore entertainment; it has humor, drama and hardcore action." However, personally he prefers comedy to action and some of his all time favorites are classics like are Golmaal (the classic), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and Chupke Chupke.

World Day against Child Labour today, End of child labour – still a Dream

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:36 AM PDT


On World Day against Child Labour, few chotus (child labours) in Pakistan are aware of the importance of this day as they strive to earn their own and family' s bread. It is a fact that several million Pakistani children work for extremely long hours in exchange for little pay at the risk of maltreatment. Instead of being in school, these children are left at mercy of a cruel world where they continue to struggle hard as child labours. Despite government recognition of laws against child labour and empty-pledges made by politicians to end child labour in the country, these children - our future - is being crushed by the unkind society. One such child labour, Siddique Nawaz, 11, working for the last 4 years is not alone in his profession but has little or no hope for the fulfilment of his dreams to become a police officer. When asked about his dream Siddique told this scribe: "If I am able to continue my education I will join the police force and will severely punish the drug addicts." No wonder why Siddique is so dismayed by the people who use and trade in drugs. To the fate of irony, Siddique' s father, himself a drug addict, is one of the causes for Siddique becoming a child labour. Narrating his sorrowful story, Siddique continues that it was her mother' s dream that he could get a good education but the fact remains that if her children would not work she cannot live an honourable life without begging or compromising with the society. Siddique' s painful practical life began when he was only 7 years old and was deployed with his cousin to wash parked cars at Sunday Bazaar in Aabpara. After 2 years of experience he was able to earn Rs. 200 plus per week when misfortune hit him and underground mafia (that controlled the area) began demanding 50 per cent of his earnings which forced him to leave the place and find a job elsewhere. One bright Sunday, Siddique met one of his old car customers who offered him a job at his clothes shop and since then he considers himself a lucky one to get a job of Rs. 4000 per month. Like Siddique there are several thousand children living miserable lives by working 10-14 hours a day and earning as little as Rs. 10 per day in the glamorous cities such as Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Most children work in auto- mechanical shops while several others work as car washer and cleaner. Others can be seen mending flat tyres, selling flowers at traffic signals, or selling fruit and vegetables in markets or working as house- maids. Child rights activists have long urged the government to compiled new statistical data on child labourers as there has not been a National Child Labour Survey since 1996 which had found that 3.3 million of the 40 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 in Pakistan were "economically active on a full- time basis". Coalition against Child Labour Pakistan (CACLP) report claims that there were 21 million children employed as labourers across the country. ILO 2011 report has warned that an appallingly high number of children are still caught in hazardous work - some 115 million of the world' s 215 million child labourers. A recent report on ' State of Pakistan' s Children 2010' released by Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) revealed that "the trend of child labour is decreasing globally but unfortunately in Pakistan there has been an increase in child labour." Children working as labour are denied education, which is now a recognized right for every child between the ages of six and 14. The plight of our child-labour demands urgent action by both the government and society to end the exploitation of young children and secure the future of our next generation.

Blasts rock Peshawar, 30 killed

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:32 AM PDT


Peshawar—Two powerful blast ripped through a roadside restaurant located in the Khyber Super Market in Peshawar, killing at least thirty persons and wounding scores of others. Some people died due to raging fire. Death toll may rise further due to critical condition of wounded persons.The blasts to shattered windowpanes of nearby buildings while the restaurant located alongside a five-story residential tower was destroyed completely. A major portion of the plaza has collapsed.

Police and law enforcement agencies rushed to the site and cordoned off the area.

Filipino declared world's shortest man

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 07:45 AM PDT


A Filipino blacksmith's son who stopped growing when he was a toddler was declared the world's shortest man today as he celebrated his 18th birthday.

SINDANGAN (PHILIPPINES): A Filipino blacksmith's son who stopped growing when he was a toddler was declared the world's shortest man today as he celebrated his 18th birthday. Measuring just 59.93 centimetres, or 23.5 inches, Junrey Balawing is the oldest of four siblings -- the rest all of normal stature -- born in the rural town of Sindangan on southern Mindanao island. "Officially he is the world's shortest man," said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of the Guinness Book of World Records who measured Balawing in front of cheering relatives and villagers. The previous record holder was Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal, who was measured in 2010 at just over 26 inches. "Thank you to all of you for supporting my son, the world's shortest man," Junrey's father, Reynaldo, told a crush of reporters and photographers. Junrey then blew out a candle on a cake specially made for him, before telling the crowd in a tiny voice in the local dialect: "Kapoy (I'm tired)." A throng of wellwishers, including politicians, witnessed the official measurement then handed him wads of cash which his parents said would go towards the family's meagre savings. Junrey's father said he had always believed his son to be special. He said he had been sickly as a toddler and stopped growing when he was two years old, but all the local doctors who examined him could not diagnose the problem. His mother, Concepcion, said Junrey has difficulty standing for long periods and has to be assisted when walking. His uncle, Paulino Empag, who is the local village chief, said friends and relatives were very protective of Junrey and some considered his special condition a lucky charm for the rural, superstitious community. "He is a very special boy. He has trouble speaking and standing up, but he is God's blessing to his family and to the community," he said. After the official announcement, Empag said the family was expected to return to their modest home in the village and celebrate Junrey's birthday. "Noodles and meat have been prepared. We're just happy for him," Empag said.

ICC chief hopes Gaddafi will 'be arrested' soon

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 07:43 AM PDT


MADRID: International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo, in an interview published Sunday, said he hoped that embattled Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi "will be arrested" by his people in the coming weeks on crimes against humanity charges. "We hope that the arrest warrant (to face charges of crimes against humanity) will be delivered soon and that Gaddafi will be detained by the Libyan people. That's what we are expecting," he told the Spanish daily El Mundo. Moreno-Ocampo said he was hopeful ICC judges would rule on Gaddafi's arrest in the coming weeks. "We are working on the assumption he will be arrested by his people, by members of his regime" and if "that is not possible by the (rebel) National Transitional Council," he added. Last month, the ICC prosecutor said he would seek arrest warrants for three people considered most responsible for crimes against humanity in Libya, Gaddafi, his son Seif Al-Islam and Libyan intelligence chief Abdallah Al-Senoussi. Libya's deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaaim retorted that Tripoli was "not concerned" by ICC decisions since it was not a party to the Rome Statute that founded the ICC. But Moreno-Ocamp argued that Libya is bound to cooperate with the court as demanded by a UN Security Council resolution adopted last Fberuary 26. And he maintained that Libya would be legally required to act on the arrest warrants if they are approved by the ICC judges. Established in 2002, the ICC is the world's first permanent, treaty-based court set up to try those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide if the accused's own country cannot or will not do so.

Aussies like the Queen, Rudd tells Brits

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 03:32 AM PDT


The former prime minister, in London today where he will make an opening address at the Saving Children's Lives conference, was first a guest on BBC Television. Following a brief rundown of Australia's ongoing involvement in Afghanistan and the nation's links to growing superpower China, the topic turned to the monarchy. "She's always very welcome in Australia, and she's very well- liked in Australia," Mr Rudd said of the Queen, who will travel to Perth later in the year for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). However, Mr Rudd confirmed the Labor Party's intention for Australia's future. "The Australian Labor Party is committed to turning the country into a republic," he said.
"We've not stipulated a timeline for doing that. We are sensitive to the other priorities we've got as a nation and in the world, but in time the country will head in that direction. "There is a deep affection in Australia for the Queen and I mean, the Queen has been the queen ever since I was born. She is part of the firmament of Australia's national life. There is a deep respect for her role. But the country is evolving." While Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said that Australia should become a republic at the end of the Queen's reign, Mr Rudd did not rule out Prince Charles becoming Australia's king. "That's entirely a matter for how we go about the conduct of future referendums and when they might be conducted, but I emphasise that what are our priorities now - members of the G20 trying to make sure the global economy doesn't fall apart, developments in Europe, making sure we deal effectively with ... (the) rise of China," Mr Rudd said of when the shift to a republic may occur. "This (republic issue) falls somewhat down, shall I say, the totem pole of priorities." Mr Rudd is scheduled to make a welcoming address to the Saving Children's Lives conference, hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, during which global health alliance GAVI will seek $3.7 billion funding for continued and expanded childhood vaccinations in less developed nations. Gillard handed a royal audience The Australian, 30 Apr 2011 Support for Aussie republic dwindles Perth Now, 24 Apr 2011 Royals for the chop if republicans prevail The Australian, 22 Apr 2011 Downer: New way to embrace tradition Adelaide Now, 17 Apr 2011 Queen's Aussie trip a royal farewell? The Daily Telegraph, 25 Mar 2011 RELATED COVERAGE Queen beheaded
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