Indian-origin writers join anti-terror bill stir

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

London

Oct. 12: Leading British authors of Indian origin Hari Kunzru, Daljit Nagra, Hardeep Singh Kohli and Nikita Lalwani are among 42 renowned British writers have joined forces to attack the Labour government led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown over its plans to hold terrorism suspects for 42 days without charge.

Launched at noon on Sunday, 42 Writers for Liberty has been organised by Mr Hari Kunzru, the author of bestselling novels Impressionist, Transmission and My Revolutions, along with Mr Simon Prosser, publishing director of Hamish Hamilton and Ms Anya Serota, publishing director of Canongate Books.

The campaign, which is coordinated by human rights group Liberty, involves a website (www.42writers.com) that has contributions by 42 writers, in form of stories, essays, poems, statements or even interviews. All the contributions by the writers, including Mr Philip Pullman, Ms Monica Ali, Mr Julian Barnes, Mr Ian Rankin, Mr Mohsin Hamid, Mr Alain de Botton, Mr Ali Smith and Ms A.L. Kennedy, are in response to the question: "What do you think of the proposed extension to 42 days?" The launch of the campaign on Sunday come just before the expected vote in the House of Lords on the controversial bill on Monday.

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Kim photos were taken before stroke

Seoul, Oct. 12: Recently-released photographs of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il were taken before his reported stroke in mid-August, South Korea’s Yonhap agency reported Sunday citing intelligence sources. The North’s state television on Saturday showed photographs of Mr Kim for the first time in almost two months since he disappeared from the public eye.

But Yonhap said the dark green colour of grass and trees in the images led intelligence authorities to believe they were taken in summer, and it was not even clear which year.

North Korea is now in autumn. "Analysis of the Kim Jong-Il photos shows that given natural environments displayed in them, they were taken in July or August, although with the year unknown," an unidentified intelligence source told the news agency.

Yonhap said intelligence officials believe the photos were shot before Mr Kim underwent brain surgery in mid-August.

An unide-ntified government source told Yonhap the 10 still photographs were apparently released to show Mr Kim’s regime is "in good shape".

—AFP