News Update Place

The opposition says that Japan should not be involved in what it calls “American wars” [GALLO/GETTY]

Japan’s ruling party has endorsed a draft bill to extend a refuelling mission in support of US-forces in Afghanistan and at the same time scale back Japanese support for combat operations.

he opposition says that Japan should not be involved in what it calls “American wars” [GALLO/GETTY]
But the bill, set to go to the cabinet on Wednesday, was unlikely to placate the opposition which has lobbied to end the mission entirely.

The proposed bill limits Japanese ships to refueling and supplying water to ships on patrol.

They will not refuel vessels involved in military operations, such as attacks, rescue operations or humanitarian relief.

The opposition, which controls the upper house of parliament, has not officially rejected the compromise bill, saying it wants to debate the issue once the cabinet approves it.

The upper house, dominated by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) since July, has the ability to slow the ruling blocs legislative plans but not derail them.

The ruling camp could override the upper house through its two-thirds majority in the more powerful lower chamber, tough legislators may be reluctant to risk a public backlash by doing so, according to analysts.

Compromise bill

The new bill was due to go to the Diet, or parliament, for a plenary vote, ruling party and government officials said.

“Hopefully the bill wins the Democrats’ support and get passed by parliament,” Taku Yamasaki, a Liberal Democratic Party executive, said.

But the opposition says that Japan should not be involved in “American wars”, though it has yet to agree on a counter-proposal to the government bill.

The opposition remains divided on a compromise, with Ichiro Ozawa, who heads the DPJ, suggesting that Japan could provide support for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, a UN-authorised, Nato-led peacekeeping mission.

The current mission, started in 2001, expires on November 1.

LONDON: Pakistan tennis star Aisamul Haq has said that playing Wimbledon Tennis Championship was his dream, which was now coming true and added that he would be landing in the court with the determination of defeating, no matter even if facing Roger Federer also.

Aisamul Haq hoped that the Pakistani residents in Britain would come to witness his maiden match in large number and the ground would be overcast with the green high- flying Pakistani Flags.

KINGSTON, Jamaica

(CNN)

A pathology report indicated that Pakistani cricket coach Bob Woolmer died of “manual strangulation,� according to a statement from Jamaican police commissioner Lucius Thomas.

“In these circumstances, the matter of Mr. Woolmer’s death is now being treated by the Jamaican police as a case of murder,� the statement said Thursday night.

Police announced Tuesday that Woolmer’s death was suspicious, two days after he was found unconscious in his room at the Pegasus Hotel. Woolmer, 58, was declared dead at a hospital soon after he was found. (Watch what has emerged as a possible motive in Woolmer’s murder )

Initial media reports indicated he died of a heart attack.

Woolmer’s death came less than 24 hours after former world champion Pakistan was beaten and eliminated by the relatively unknown Irish team on St. Patrick’s Day, one of the biggest shocks in World Cup cricket history. The loss on Saturday prompted outrage among the team’s hardcore fans, with protesters burning effigies of Woolmer and the team captain in Karachi.

Asked about suspects, Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields would only say, “We have a few definite lines of inquiry,� acknowledging later that betting on cricket matches was among them.

Shields urged people with any information about the case to come forward.

“It’s a very busy hotel,� he said. “I’m absolutely certain that someone saw something that could help us in this investigation.�

Blood, vomit and diarrhea were splattered over the walls and floor of Woolmer’s hotel bathroom, said Pakistan’s team spokesman Pervez Mir Wednesday afternoon. (Watch Mir describe what he saw )

Police refused to comment on that report.

Earlier on Thursday, police fingerprinted all members of the Pakistani cricket team at the hotel, and they were to submit statements to police as part of the ongoing investigation, Mir said.

“It is standard procedure,� Mir added. “Each of them will come along and give a written statement.�

The players’ hotel rooms were on the same floor as Woolmer’s.

The team has been cleared to leave Kingston, and there was no reason to detain anyone, a Jamaican official said Thursday.

The team left the hotel secretly and was believed to be flying to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for two days’ rest before returning to Pakistan.

Woolmer, who was English, played Test cricket for England in the mid-1970s. He later turned to coaching and coached the South African national team before taking over as Pakistan’s coach in 2004.