Pakistan coalition to move for Musharraf impeachment

Islamabad - Pakistan's ruling coalition will move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf on charges of plunging the country into a political and economic crisis, party leaders said on Thursday.

They also warned Musharraf, a former general who first came to power in a 1999 military coup, against any attempt to dismiss the government.

The move is likely to deepen political uncertainty in the nuclear-armed Muslim nation, a key U.S. ally which already faces a faltering economy and a threat from Islamist militants.

Resources Wars: Arctic map flags up territorial disputes over oil

The new map design follows a series of historical and ongoing arguments about ownership, and the race for resources, in the frozen lands and seas of the Arctic.

©Copyright International Boundaries Research Unit

The Arctic map is believed to be the first published map that depicts maritime jurisdictional issues in the Arctic with geographic precision.

The potential for conflicts is increasing as the search for new oil, gas and minerals intensifies. The move to comprehensively map the region illustrates the urgent need for clear policy-making on Arctic issues - an area rich in natural resources. The Durham map shows:

1) where boundaries have been agreed
2) where known claims are
3) the potential areas that states might claim

Director of Research at the International Boundaries Research Unit (IBRU), Martin Pratt says: "The map is the most precise depiction yet of the limits and the future dividing lines that could be drawn across the Arctic region.

"The results have huge implications for policy-making as the rush to carve up the polar region continues.

Australia: preserving traditional languages

A new program designed to preserve traditional languages is set to improve literacy rates in Aboriginal communities.

The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation believes committing the oral languages to paper will help indigenous Australians with their English language skills.

Foundation founder Mary-Ruth Mendel said the indigenous languages needed to be converted from oral formats into the written word.

"It's needed for the preservation of the language and to bring the language into the space of a living language again because, as the elders pass on, the knowledge and understanding . . . are passing with them," Mrs Mendel said.

Mauritania: Army Stages Coup; Junta Takes Charge

Army officers staged a coup in Mauritania on Wednesday and detained the president and prime minister, overthrowing the first government to be freely elected in the desert country in more than 20 years.

Pakistan's Musharraf scraps Olympic visit amid ouster talks

President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday abruptly cancelled plans to attend the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, as Pakistan's coalition government held talks on his possible impeachment.

The US-backed leader scrapped the trip ahead of a second day of crucial meetings between the leaders of the fragile coalition, which trounced Musharraf's allies in elections in February.

"The Chinese government has been informed that the president will not be able to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq told AFP.