Ruined remains of rebel 'capital'
| By Roland Buerk BBC News, Kilinochchi |
Attack helicopters flew overhead, tanks spluttering black smoke squealed and rattled through town on tracks rusty from the last monsoon, and soldiers with bandoliers of bullets slung around their necks posed for photographs in front of Tamil Tiger war memorials.
Two days after the fall of Kilinochchi, the town that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had used as their de facto capital was firmly under military control.
Almost all journalists have been refused access to much of northern Sri Lanka for a year and a half.
But the government was keen to show off its greatest prize so far in this phase of the war, so reporters were crammed into an Mi-17 transport helicopter for a ride to the front.
It was so full some had to stand.
The pilots flew very low and very fast, at treetop height over jungles recently captured from the Tigers, a precaution against being shot down.
 Sri Lankan troops are securing the roads around the town |
Wild peacocks on the ground below staggered to get away in the down force as we rushed overhead.
The helicopter landed south of Kilinochchi and we drove into the town in armoured personnel carriers, up the main A9, dubbed the Highway of Death in Sri Lanka because so many have been killed fighting for its control.
At one place soldiers were waving metal detectors over the middle of the road, probing for mines.
In Kilinochchi there was hardly a building with a roof. Shops were in ruins or pockmarked with bullets, a huge water tower was lying on its side.
Trappings of state
On the western side of town, the bodies of rebels who died fighting for independence for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority still lay in a huge cemetery, under long rows of identical grey cement tombstones. The ornate gates, which used to feature ironwork of upturned AK-47s, had been destroyed.
 |  It's the capital of the LTTE... We have captured their prestige  Maj Gen Jagath Dias  |
The Peace Secretariat, where the Tigers met visiting diplomats and journalists during the failed 2002 ceasefire, was a shell. The windows and furniture had gone, the paving stones in the car park had been torn up.
A commando armed with rocket-propelled grenades guarded the gate. Nobody is talking peace now.
Kilinochchi was a potent symbol of the Tigers' separatist aspirations.
There they had established the trappings of the state for the Tamil minority for which they have fought for a generation.
They had law courts there, administrative offices, a tax system, even their own bank.
All that has now been smashed and abandoned.
 The Tamil Tigers have headed east to the jungles and Mullaitivu |
"It's the capital of the LTTE," said Maj Gen Jagath Dias, who led the 57th Division of the Sri Lankan army into the town. "We have captured their prestige. It's a very important milestone, it's a great achievement."
But the military has taken a town virtually devoid of people. Apart from soldiers the only signs of life on the streets were stray dogs.
The vast majority of the remaining population left with the Tigers towards the east, the jungles and Mullaitivu.
The government says they have been forced to go with the rebels as human shields.
The Tigers say they have gone of their own accord because they support their aims.
About 20 people who were in Kilinochchi had been gathered in a waiting room at the otherwise empty town hospital.
There, while a large number of soldiers and officers looked on, they told us they were happy to see the back of the Tigers.
One 14-year-old girl said the rebels had forced her to fight.
The Tigers' former headquarters town will now be used as a staging post for the next phase of the offensive against them.
Already government forces are advancing beyond Kilinochchi, and the sound of artillery fire thumped steadily over the jungles and fallow paddy fields.
Special forces troops bedecked with weaponry could be seen readying for the battle.
The remaining strategic targets for Sri Lanka's military include Elephant's Pass to the north on the narrow isthmus that leads up to Jaffna, and Mullaitivu, the last remaining town under Tiger control, which is on the north-east coast.
| MAP OF THE REGION  |
Cloud hangs over Macworld opening
Cloud hangs over Macworld opening
| By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley |
 More than 50,000 people are expected to attened the annual event |
Macworld, the annual tech gathering for the Apple faithful, opens Monday with a cloud hanging over it.
In a surprise move, the company shocked fans by recently announcing this year's event is its last.
Apple also revealed that CEO Steve Jobs would not present the keynote address, reigniting speculation his health has deteriorated following pancreatic cancer in 2004.
Some analysts however see Mr Jobs' decision as part of a succession plan.
"Steve is clearly beginning to share the spotlight with some other executives and sooner or later someone has to step up to the CEO role," said Van Baker, vice president of research for IT consulting firm Gartner.
"I don't think this is about Steve's health. I think he is trying to back off from being a 'one man band' and he is trying to make way for a possible succession and spread the wealth among the executive team that Apple has," explained Mr Baker to BBC News.
Apple has said the reason for pulling out of future shows is because it feels the forum does not provide value for money.
In an earlier statement, the company said that "every week 3.5m people visit our retail stores. And like many companies, trade shows are a minor part of how Apple reaches its customers."
Rumour mill
With Apple refusing to answer questions about Mr Jobs' health, concern and rumour continues to take on a life of its own. Much of it was sparked off in the middle of last year when he appeared at Apple's World Wide Developer Conference looking very thin and gaunt.
Just last week Gizmodo.com, a popular tech and gadget web site, posted a report from an anonymous source who said Mr Jobs' health was "rapidly declining".
 A thin looking Mr Jobs at last year's WWDC reignited health concerns |
Within minutes, Apple stock dipped from $87.92 (
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Mumbai evidence given to Pakistan
Mumbai evidence given to Pakistan
 Mr Mukherjee says Pakistan must act on the evidence |
India has handed over evidence to Pakistan linking the Mumbai attacks to "elements" in that country, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee says.
Gunmen stormed multiple locations in Mumbai (Bombay) in November. At least 173 people died in the attacks.
Pakistan must act on the evidence and implement the bilateral commitments it has made to India, Mr Mukherjee said.
In the past, Pakistan has accused India of blaming it for militant attacks without giving any proof.
India again blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the attacks.
LeT and the Pakistani government have denied any involvement.
Last month, Mr Mukherjee described militant groups in Pakistan as "the greatest danger to peace and security in the entire world".
He accused Islamabad of "denial" and "shifting the blame" for the deadly Mumbai attacks.
'Unpardonable crime'
"We have today handed over to Pakistan evidence of the links with elements in Pakistan of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on 26 November, 2008," Mr Mukherjee said.
 The attacks left 173 people dead |
"What happened in Mumbai was an unpardonable crime," he said.
"As far as the government of Pakistan is concerned, we ask only that it implement the bilateral commitments that it has made at the highest levels to India, and practices her international obligations. These are clear," he added.
Mr Mukherjee said the evidence was handed over to the Pakistani high commissioner in Delhi by Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.
According to a press release issued by the Indian ministry of external affairs, the evidence includes "material from the interrogation of Mohammad Ajmal Qasab" - the sole surviving gunman from Mumbai attacks who is in Indian custody.
"Details of the terrorists' communication links with elements in Pakistan during the attack, recovered weapons and equipment, and data retrieved from recovered GPS and satellite phones" have also been handed over to Pakistan, the release says.
Gunmen stormed two Mumbai (Bombay) hotels, a crowded railway station, a Jewish outreach centre and a popular restaurant on 26 November.
The attacks lasted three days and left 173 people dead.
Strong earthquakes hit Indonesia
Strong earthquakes hit Indonesia
 A number of buildings collapsed in Manokwari |
At least four people have been killed and dozens injured after a series of powerful earthquakes hit eastern Indonesia, officials say.
The strongest tremor, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck north of the city of Manokwari in West Papua province at 0443 on Sunday (1943 GMT).
It was followed by another big quake and a string of aftershocks.
Witnesses said the tremors triggered mass panic in Manokwari, where several buildings were flattened.
A tsunami alert was issued by Indonesian authorities following the earthquakes, but withdrawn within an hour.
Assessment teams and medical supplies are expected to arrive in the remote region, some 2,955km (1,830 miles) east of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, within the next 24 hours.
The first quake struck on land about 95 miles (150km) north of Manokwari at a depth of 22 miles (35km), the US Geological Agency said. It was followed by another tremor and aftershocks.
 |
The BBC's Lucy Williamson said eyewitnesses described crowds of people running terrified through the streets of the region's main city amid fears of a tsunami.
Among the four victims of the quakes was a 10-year-old girl who was crushed by a falling wall, officials said.
At least 37 people were injured and were being treated in hospitals.
An official with the World Vision aid organisation said 10 buildings had been totally destroyed, including several hotels and the house of a government official.
Officials said three people, who had been staying at the Mutiara hotel in Manokwari, were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital.
Electricity was also cut off in the city with a population of some 160,000 people.
Japan's Meteorological Agency told Reuters news agency the earthquakes also triggered a small tsunami which hit the Japanese coast, but did not cause any damage.
A huge quake off western Indonesia on 26 December 2004 caused a massive tsunami that killed around 230,000 people around the region.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Israeli troops enter Gaza Strip
Israeli troops enter Gaza Strip
Israeli forces move towards the Gaza Strip
Israeli ground troops have entered the Gaza Strip, Israeli military officials have confirmed, a week after the offensive against Hamas began.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the intention was to take control of areas from which Palestinian militants have been firing rockets into Israel.
Witnesses say armoured vehicles crossed into northern Gaza at four separate points, supported by helicopters.
Earlier, Israel intensified air and artillery attacks on the territory.
France has strongly criticised the Israeli land campaign. The British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, said the escalation of the conflict would cause alarm and dismay.
| We will not break, we will not surrender or give in to your conditions Khaled Meshaal Hamas leader-in-exile |
In New York the UN Security Council is to hold a special meeting on the situation in Gaza shortly.
Israel has carried out more than 800 strikes on the Gaza Strip since the offensive started eight days ago, including 40 on Saturday.
The UN has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis, and believes 25% of more than 400 Palestinians killed by Israel so far were civilians. Israel says about 80% of those killed were Hamas militants. Four Israelis have been killed by rocket fire from Gaza.
'Not war-hungry'
An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed ground operations had begun and said the objective was "to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations".
|  |
"We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas," Maj Avital Leibovitch told reporters.
Israeli officials have described the offensive as a "limited" operation.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak said the ground campaign against Hamas "will not be easy or short, but we are determined".
"Our aim is to force Hamas to stop its hostile activities against Israel and Israelis from Gaza, and to bring about a significant change in the situation in the southern part of Israel," he told a news conference.
"We have carefully weighed all our operations. We are not war-hungry, but we shall not allow a situation in which our towns, villages and civilians are constantly targeted by Hamas."
Mr Barak also said Israel would "keep a sensitive eye" on its northern border with Lebanon, where it fought a short but bloody war with the Shia Hezbollah movement in 2006.
"We hope the situation will remain calm. Nevertheless, we are ready and alert to face any unwanted development in that area," he added.
|  |
The BBC's Paul Wood in Jerusalem says this is probably just the first wave of the assault, since there are said to be some 10,000 Israeli troops and hundreds of tanks massed on the border with Gaza.
The office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has also announced that the government has ordered the urgent call-up of "tens of thousands" of extra military reservists.
Just before the ground offensive began, Hamas issued a statement promising that Palestinian children would be picking over the ruins of Israeli tanks and the body parts of Israeli soldiers.
The militant group's exiled political leader, Khaled Meshaal, earlier warned Israel against a ground offensive, saying that a "black destiny" awaited Israeli forces if the entered Gaza.
"We will not break, we will not surrender or give in to your conditions," he said in a speech from the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Our correspondent says this promises to be a very bloody encounter.
Mosque attack
Earlier on Saturday, at least 13 people were killed in one Israeli raid when a missile struck a crowded mosque in Beit Lahiya, Palestinian medics said.
Witnesses said more than 200 people had been inside the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque for evening prayers when it was struck.
Correspondents say Israel has accused Hamas of using mosques to hide weapons and ammunition, but this is the first time a mosque has been hit at prayer time.
Militants in Gaza fired more rockets into southern Israel on Saturday, one of which hit the port of Ashdod, injuring two people.
Ceasefire calls
Tens of thousands of demonstrators meanwhile have been protesting worldwide against Israel's military operation, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The biggest rally was in Paris where more than 20,000 people gathered. About 10,000 people protested in London.
Demonstrations also took place in Brussels, The Hague, Amsterdam, Ankara and Cyprus.
In Israel itself, tens of thousands of Israeli Arabs gathered in the town of Sakhnin to protest against their government's actions.
Strong earthquake rocks Indonesia
Strong earthquake rocks Indonesia
 |
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 has rocked eastern Indonesia, meteorologists say.
The tremor struck south-west of Manokwari, West Papua, at 0443 on Sunday (1943 GMT), the US Geological Survey said.
A tsunami alert has been issued by the local geophysics agency.
The Indonesian archipelago straddles several continental plates where seismic and volcanic activity is recorded on an almost daily basis.
Israel steps up offensive on Gaza
Israel steps up offensive on Gaza
 Correspondents say there has been an increased number of Israeli air strikes |
The Israeli military has stepped up its attacks on Gaza, as the offensive on Hamas enters its second week.
Israeli artillery and tanks bombarded the territory for what is thought to be the first time during the offensive, and further air strikes were launched.
Correspondents say the activity could be an indication the Israeli military is preparing to launch a ground attack.
In one raid, at least 13 people were killed when a missile hit a mosque in Beit Lahiya, Palestinian medics said.
Witnesses said more than 200 people had been inside the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque for evening prayers when it was struck.
Palestinian medics and Hamas officials said they believed dozens were injured. Four boys were among the dead, hospital officials told the AFP news agency.
| If you commit the stupidity of launching a ground offensive then a black destiny awaits you Khalid MeshaalPolitical leader of Hamas |
The BBC's Katya Adler in Jerusalem says the Israeli military has destroyed a number of mosques since it began its Gaza campaign a week ago. Israel says Hamas uses them to store weapons.
The Israeli government insists its military offensive will continue until the group's infrastructure is sufficiently weakened to stop all attacks on Israeli civilians.
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired more rockets into southern Israel on Saturday, one of which hit the port of Ashdod, injuring two people.
Israel has now carried out more than 800 strikes on Gaza since launching the offensive a week ago, including 40 on Saturday.
The UN has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis, and believes 25% of more than 400 Palestinians killed by Israel so far were civilians. Four Israelis have been killed by rocket fire from Gaza.
Hamas defiant
Plumes of black smoke rose from northern and eastern Gaza as night fell on Saturday after Israeli artillery and tanks massed near the border bombarded the coastal territory for what is thought to be the first time in the offensive.
 Palestinian militants meanwhile fired more rockets into southern Israel |
Israeli media said the military was targeting Hamas infrastructure, personnel and rocket-launching sites along the entire length of the frontier.
A BBC correspondent on the border says increasing numbers of aircraft had also been pounding targets in Gaza City all day.
The main road through the Gaza Strip was bombed in three different places, making travel from one side to the other almost impossible, reports say.
Another two commanders of Hamas's military wing, Abu Zakaria al-Jamal and Mohammed Maaruf, were also killed in separate Israeli air strikes. Their deaths came only two days after the death of a top military leader, Nizar Rayyan.
In another strike, at least one person was killed as large parts of the American International School in Beit Lahiya were destroyed. The Israeli military said the school had been used to launch rockets.
The Hamas government in Gaza said on Saturday that the Israeli military action would not "change realities" in the territory.
"Whoever thought a change in the political area could come through the bombs of planes and the tanks and without dialogue is an illusionist," it said in a statement.
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BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen says that because a week of aerial bombardment has not been able to stop militant rocket attacks, the Israeli military now has to decide whether to send in its ground troops.
But Israel's Deputy Defence Minister, Matan Vilnai, played down speculation that Saturday's artillery fire heralded an ground offensive.
"I don't think this is the next stage. This is part of a military campaign being waged and now artillery cannons have joined in," he said.
Earlier, the exiled political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, warned a "black destiny" awaited Israel if it launched a ground war.
"We will not break, we will not surrender or give in to your conditions," he said in a speech from the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Ceasefire calls
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have meanwhile been protesting worldwide against Israel's military operations in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
 Organisers of the London protest said it was "just the start of the campaign" |
The biggest was in Paris where more than 20,000 people gathered.
About 10,000 people joined a rally in London, during which hundreds of shoes were thrown at the entrance to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's residence, echoing the protest of an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush last month.
Protests also took place in Brussels, The Hague, Amsterdam, Ankara and Cyprus.
In Israel itself, tens of thousands of Israeli Arabs staged a protest against Israel's actions in the town of Sakhnin. One politician, Jamal Zahalka, said it had been the biggest demonstration by Israel's Arab minority in the past 10 years.
President Bush, however, blamed the violence firmly on Hamas.