Saturday, May 3, 2014

Revealed: 10 greatest mysteries about the Bermuda Triangle!

Bermuda Triangle has always been engulfed by mystique. Many theories revolve around the mysterious disappearances of ships and airplanes from the area. While some flaunt scientific explanations, some blame it on the supernatural. While Bermuda Triangle remains an enigma for all, we bring to you some of the most interesting facts about the world’s most intriguing mystery. 1. Many people have heard of the Bermuda Triangle, but did you know that it is also known as The Devil’s Sea and also The Hoodoo Sea. 2. The first person to document strange goings on in the area was actually Christopher Columbus, on his first trip through the area. He stated that he saw mysterious lights and had difficulty with the compass as it did funny things. 3. In alleged occurrences that happen in the Bermuda Triangle, there are often no signs of debris or anything to do with the object that has gone missing. This is said to be because the Gulf Stream runs the Bermuda Triangle and it can very quickly get rid of any debris, thus leaving no sign of any incident. 4. The area of the Bermuda Triangle is said to be around 440,000 miles of sea. This is an area much larger than Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma combined. 5. The most famous case to date of the Bermuda Triangle is the disappearance of a plane called flight 19 and also search planes that was sent out to try and find them. Combined 27 men and 6 planed were never found. This happened in 1945. 6. Possible theories include UFOs, the lost city of Atlantis, a Wormhole and even natural reasons like bad weather. 7. There have been approximately 1,000 lives taken in the past 100 years, apparently caused by the Bermuda Triangle. Not all of these in suspicious circumstances, but it just goes to show that it is tricky to navigate the area. 8. There is also another mystery in a mystery as the exact location of the Bermuda Triangle is not actually known, making it even more of a talking point. 9. The said three points of the Bermuda Triangle are said to be Florida, Puerta Rico and of course Bermuda. As said before though, the exact co-ordinates are not known precisely. 10. In the Bermuda Triangle, it is one of two places on Earth, that on a compass will not point true north. This means that you have to compensate, otherwise you could end up of course- which could be why so many have done so.

SHOCKING: 8-year-old ‘hero’ BEATEN TO DEATH as he tries to protect his sister from a rapist

Virginia: In a shocking incident, an eight-year-old was beaten to death as he tried to protect his 12-year-old sister from a rapist. According to a report in Daily Mail, “The boy, identified as Martin Cobb, was pronounced dead at the scene in the 200 block of Brandon Road on Thursday night. His sibling, whose name is not being released because of her age and the nature of the crime, was taken to a hospital. Police have since apprehended the suspect, who turned out to be a black teenager. Initially, the victim described her assailant as a white man with scraggly facial hair, the local station WWBT reported. Investigators later determined that the suspect had threatened to kill the 12-year-old girl if she provided police with accurate information about him.” The report said, “The teenager is currently being evaluated at Tuckers Psychiatric Clinic in Richmond as police are preparing to charge him with murder and assault. At around 6.30pm on Thursday, the brother and sister were playing by the train tracks near their home when a stranger approached the 12-year-old girl, sexually assaulted her and slashed her face, the kids' aunt and stepfather told WRIC. When her 8-year-old brother tried to intervene, the teenage attacker allegedly turned on him, throwing a rock at his head. Martin died instantly.” According to the report, “Police responded to the scene a short time later after someone saw the 12-year-old girl running naked and covered in blood out of the nearby woods. The child was taken to a hospital to be treated for bruises and lacerations. Her family said she was very distraught by what happened. As officers gathered evidence at the scene at dusk, shaken neighbors gathered in a circle for an impromptu prayer. Neighbor Merkeita Boyd described the 8-year-old Cobb a happy child who was beloved by everyone who knew him.”

World Press Freedom Day: Which is the most dangerous country for journalists?

New Delhi: On May 3, which is celebrated as the World Press Freedom Day, let’s talk about the freedom given to journalists in various countries. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 70 journalists were killed around the world in 2013, including 29 who died covering the civil war in Syria. A US-based watchdog said recently that Syria is the world’s most dangerous country for journalists as it published its annual impunity index tracking unsolved killings of reporters. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists reported a ‘rising number of targeted killings’ of reporters in Syria as a recent threat to journalists operating in the war-torn country. “With unprecedented numbers of abductions and high rates of fatalities in combat and crossfire, Syria was already the world’s most dangerous country for journalists,” CPJ said. Iraq remained on top of the rankings with the worst record for solving murders of journalists. Somalia came in second with the Philippines third, the watchdog announced. Iraq, with 100% impunity in 100 cases, has topped the rankings ever since the survey began in 2008. Since then, 2012 was the first year that no journalists were killed in relation to their work in Iraq, but 2013 saw a spike to 10 journalist killings, nine of them murders, CPJ said. There were four new murders in Somalia in 2013. “Elusive armed insurgent groups have terrorised the media beyond the reach of Somalia’s fragile law and order institutions, but authorities have also failed to adequately investigate attacks by other sources,” CPJ said. The Impunity Index calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a country’s population. Only those countries with five or more unsolved cases are included on the index. In 2013, 13 countries met the criteria. There were 12 in 2012, CPJ said. The watchdog said 96% of victims are local reporters, most of whom covered politics, corruption and war. Other countries that are proving to be dangerous for journalists are Mexico Russia China Iran Iraq Pakistan India Geo News senior anchor and Pakistan's famous journalist Hamid Mir was shot in Karachi. Some motorcycle-borne unidentified assailants opened fire at Mir’s vehicle at Natha Khan bridge. He received bullet injuries and was shifted to a private hospital, Geo News reported.

Assam massacre: 31 Muslims killed by Bodo militants for not voting for tight candidate; Army deployed

Guwahati: Army was deployed on Saturday evening after as many as 31 Muslims were killed in violence unleashed by NDFB-Songbijit militants in Bodoland Territorial Administration Districts (BTADC) area in Assam. The massacre took place towards the end of 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which has widened religious and ethnic divisions across the country. The bodies of the victims, including four children and two women, were recovered from Khagrabari village under Salbari sub-division adjacent to the Manas National Park, official sources said. Bodies of two children were identified as Ilina Khatun and Ariful Islam. The tea-growing state witnessed bloodshed due to what is being said as failure of immigrant Muslims, to vote for a tribal party candidate in Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat. Kokrajhar is the headquarters of the ethnically volatile areas under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), which is ruled by the Bodoland People's Front (BPF), a constituent of the Congress-led government in Assam. Indefinite curfew was imposed in Kokrajhar, Baksa and Chirang districts of Assam following the violence.

Nawaz to leave for Iran on May 11

ISLAMABAD: Amid rapid geo-political developments taking place in the region, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to embark on a visit to Iran. "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will pay a two-day official visit to Iran from 11th to 12th of the current month," a diplomatic source told dawn.com Diplomatic sources added that during the two-day official visit, PM Nawaz would hold official talks with Iranian president Hasan Rouhani at the President's office on May 11. Bilateral relations, the regional political situation and various protocols would come under discussion, sources said. Prime Minister Nawaz is also expected to pay a call on Iranian grand spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei on May 12. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir and Adviser to the PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz are also expected to accompany the premier on his visit. Sources said both sides are expected to discuss the Pak-Iran gas pipeline during official level talks. Furthermore, the situation in Syria, Afghanistan and Middle East would also be discussed between the Pakistani and Iranian leadership.

Press Freedom Day: Protesters demand end to journalists’ killing

QUETTA: To mark the World Press Freedom Day, journalists marched on the roads of Quetta to mourn the killings of colleagues and voice for freedom of speech and expression on Saturday. The members of Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) staged a protest rally outside the Quetta Press Club to mark the International Press Freedom Day. The journalists were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans demanding the arrest of journalists’ killers and compensation to the affected families. The BUJ demanded functioning of the judicial commission already formed by Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch to probe the killings of journalists in Balochistan, Pakistan’s volatile and least developed province. “We want the commission to probe the murder of our colleagues,” Shehzada Zulfiqar, a senior official of the BUJ told Dawn.com. More than 30 journalists have been killed in Quetta and other troubled parts of Balochistan during last more than seven years. “The murderers are still at large, despite our repeated appeals,” Zulfiqar said. The protesters chanted full-throated slogans for freedom of expression and speech and demanded an end to impunity in the province, plagued by violent attacks by militants. The rally turned into a protest demonstration outside Quetta Press Club where senior journalists addressed the protesting media men. They lashed out at law enforcers for their inability to bring the perpetrators of journalists’ killings to book. “We stand for freedom of expression, despite all odds,” Khaliq Baloch, the Secretary General of QPC said. Apart from working journalists, a large number of hawkers also participated in the rally to mark the International Press Freedom Day. The journalists demanded protection and expressed concerned voice over increasing polarisation in the media. “We will not bow down our heads before any pressure,” Khudai Noor Nasar, a young journalist who works for Radio Mashaal told Dawn.com. Nasar urged upon the journalists to bury their hatchet and struggle for common cause of freedom of expression and speech. Balochistan is considered to be the most dangerous province in Pakistan for journalists. With New York size population of 8 million people, more than 30 journalists have lost their lives in their struggle to inform, educate the people about the unfolding stories in Pakistan's geographically largest province.

Rigging in May 11 elections: JI ameer accepts Imran's invitation to take part in new protests

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Sirajul Haq accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan’s invitation to take part in a new protest movement against the rigging in the May 11, 2013 general elections which will be launched from May 11, Express News reported on Saturday. The invitation was accepted over a telephone conversation and Haq stated that not only the leaders of the party but also workers from Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as well as Federally Administered Tribal Areas will take part in the protests. Imran had vowed on April 25 to start protests against what he claimed was widespread rigging in the 2013 general elections from May 11, a year after the watershed polls that saw his party rise to power in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and become the third largest party by seats in the national assembly. Addressing a rally in Islamabad on April 29 to mark PTI’s 18 years, Imran had announced the party’s decision to begin a fresh round of protests for a free and fair election commission. Reiterating his claim that the May 2013 general elections were massively rigged, the PTI chief had demanded a probe into the shady role of former chief justice, returning officers and a media group. Imran had said a massive protest movement will be launched from May 11, adding that during the one year, no major complaint against the election rigging was addressed by the election tribunals.

Mumbai: Four men offer money for sexual favours, but woman refuses; they gangrape her at knifepoint

Mumbai: Two persons have been arrested for allegedly gangraping a 21-year-old married woman at her house in suburban Goregaon five days ago, police said. The accused, identified as Vellipandi Devendra (29) and his cousin Jaisraj Devendra (27), were apprehended from Dadar railway station as they were about to escape to their native place in Tamil Nadu, said an officer at Mumbai Crime Branch. Vellipandi, who is the son of a slumlord, his cousin Jaisraj and two others allegedly at knifepoint gangraped the woman who lived as a tenant in their shanty in a slum area at Aarey Colony in the wee hours of Saturday. According to the police, the four accused had offered money to the woman for sexual favours. When she rejected their offer, the four took turns to rape her. A case of gangrape, wrongful confinement and restraint and criminal intimidation has been registered against the accused. The other two accused are absconding.

The Pissing Tanker: A group that punishes public urinators

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaEqZQXmx5M New Delhi: In a unique but impressive initiative of its kind, an anonymous group named ‘ The Pissing Tanker’ has taken to a revolution against the men who are in a habit to urinate in public premises in India. It’s a common sight to see some males urinating in public shamelessly without even an iota of guilt inside. This act of these men not only soils the places but causes diseases of various kinds. The group of crusaders or anti-public urination activists move about on a huge water tanker and launch a forceful attack through ‘water hoses’ on the culprits. A video on You Tube shared by ‘The Clean Indian’ has received more than 216,000 hits in just three days. The motto of this group is 'You Stop, We Stop'.

Assam violence pics: Death toll rises to 32; Kapil Sibal blames Narendra Modi for communalism

Guwahati: The death toll in firing by suspected Bodo militants in Assam's Baksa and Kokrajhar district has risen to 30 in last 36 hours. At least 14 people are severely injured after the attack. The deceased people are all Muslims of Bangladesh. IG SN Singh said that nearly 40 armed people of suspected terrorist group NDFB-S attacked some houses in Balapur village of Kokrajhar. At least 5 children and 4 women are among the ones who died. According to sources, the suspected Bodo militants attacked these people because they did not vote for their party candidate in Lok Sabha Elections. The government called for Army after there was no improvement in the situation. Indefinite curfew was imposed in Kokrajhar, Baksa and Chirang districts of Assam from 6 in the evening to 4 am following the violence. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has called for an emergency meet over the violence. According to TV reports, the police have arrested at least 12 people in Baksa in connection with the terror attacks and eight people have been picked up for interrogation in Kokrajhar. As per IGP SN Singh, the militants burnt down nearly 70 homes belonging to minority community, in Baksa district near Manas National Park. he said Six companies of central forces have reached the area and flag marches are being conducted. The minority students' organisation has alleged Tarun Gogoi for poor law and order situation. On the other hand, Gogoi has demanded NIA probe in to the attacks and said 'those guilty of violence will not be spared.' Law Minister Kapil Sibal has blamed BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for communalism in the country. Expressing his shock and grief towards the violence, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the attacks are cowardly attempts to spread fear and terror among our citizens. He said that his heart reaches out and grieves for all those who lost their near and dear ones and other affected people.

Pakistan protests Indian refusal of issuing visas to pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan lodged strong protest with India on Friday over refusal of visas to 500 Pakistan pilgrims who wanted to go for the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti, to be held at the Sufi saint’s shrine in Ajmer. “The Indian deputy high commissioner was summoned to the foreign office today, and a protest was lodged,” Spokesperson of the Foreign office, Tasneem Aslam said in a statement. “The visits to religious shrines in Pakistan and India are governed under the bilateral protocol on visits to the religious shrines, 1974,” the spokesperson said. She said the foreign office conveyed its deep disappointment and concern over the denial of visas by the Indian government. “This is the fourth time that visas have been denied to Pakistani pilgrims in the last one year. This is not only against the bilateral agreement, but also runs contrary to the efforts towards normalising ties between the two countries and the spirit of people-to-people contacts,” the spokesperson remarked. Besides Hindu pilgrims, hundreds of Sikh pilgrims visit Pakistan every year to celebrate the festival at the shrines of Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.

22 killed in rebel attacks in India

GAUHATI: Separatist rebels wearing black masks opened fire on Muslim villagers and set their homes ablaze in remote northeastern India, killing at least 22 people over two days, police said on Friday. It was the worst outbreak of violence in the region in two years. The gunmen are members of the Bodo tribe and belong to a faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, said regional police inspector general L.R. Bishnoi. Bodo tribesmen have long accused Muslims of sneaking into India illegally from Bangladesh and encroaching on their ancestral land in Assam state. The dead included at least six women and three children, police said. The violence comes at a time of heightened security during India’s general elections, with the voting taking place over six weeks. Tensions have been high since a Bodo lawmaker in the parliament criticised Muslims for not voting for the Bodo candidate, said Lafikul Islam Ahmed, leader of a Muslim youth organisation called the All Bodoland Muslim Students’ Union. In 2012, weeks-long violence between Bodo people and Muslims killed as many as 100 people in the same area. Police said that in the third and most recent attack, which took place on Friday evening, a group of militants entered a village in the western Baksa district and set at least 20 Muslim homes ablaze before opening fire. Assam’s additional director general of police R.M. Singh said at least 11 bodies, all of them shot to death, have been recovered from the attack, taking the total death toll in two days of violence to 22. Few other details were immediately available as reports trickled in from the remote villages, Singh said. The first attack took place in the same district late on Thursday night when at least eight rebels opened fire on a group of villagers sitting in a courtyard. Four people were killed and two others were wounded, police said. The second attack happened around midnight in Kokrajhar district when more than 20 armed men, their faces covered with black hoods, broke open the doors of two homes and sprayed them with bullets, killing seven people, witnesses said. Crying inconsolably, 28-year-old Mohammed Sheikh Ali said his mother, wife and daughter were killed in the attack. “I will curse myself forever because I failed to save them,” Ali said in a telephone interview from a hospital where he was waiting for doctors to complete the autopsies on his family. “I am left all alone in this world. ... I want justice.” Local television reports showed hundreds of Muslim villagers fleeing their villages, carrying their belongings on pushcarts or in their hands. Most were headed to nearby Dubri district which is near the border with Bangladesh. Television footage showed hundreds of people, most of them poor farmers or labourers, squatting in a large field in Dubri. The National Democratic Front of Bodoland has been fighting for a separate homeland for the region’s ethnic Bodo people for decades. The Bodos are an indigenous tribe in Assam, making up 10 per cent of the state’s 33 million people. Dozens of rebel groups have been fighting the government and sometimes each other for years in seven states in northeast India. They demand greater regional autonomy or independent homelands for the indigenous groups they represent. The rebels accuse the federal government of exploiting the region’s rich mineral resources but neglecting the local people. At least 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Assam state alone in the last three decades.

Moral police go on billboard ‘blackening’ spree

SLAMABAD: Upscale Jinnah Super Market is abuzz with suspicion that a moral brigade is out after discovering that someone had disfigured faces of women on a few advertisement billboards on the College Road. Women advertising a beauty care salon and summer fabrics offended the unknown vigilantes who either scratched or blackened their faces. Neither the advertising agencies nor their clients reported the acts of vandalism to the police or the Capital Development Authority (CDA). “There is no use involving the police or anybody else,” said advertiser Sohail Shah, adding that “the best thing is to replace the ad before the client complaints”. However, religious elements are suspected to be behind the defacing of ads. Sobia Amir, owner of the salon, said her “well-wishers” thought it was the act of “right wing students”. “Madressah students usually do such things. But Islamabad has seen very few such incidents,” said Iskander Khan, who owns a shopping plaza overlooking College Road, which leads to a girls college. There are two madressahs in the vicinity and seminary students are often seen strolling on College Road. While the management of Jamia Fareedia, located at some distance in sector E-7, refused to comment on the defacing incident, a religious student on a stroll said there should be a complete ban on the display of “bare faces” in Islamabad, which many classify as “a liberal city”. “I do not know who defaced the advertisements but they should not be there in the first place,” he said pointing to the billboards hanging from the electricity poles. “These pictures are immoral and give rise to many ills in the society.” Hafiz Mohammad Fahim, a cleric of the Madressah Taleemul Quran situated in Jinnah Super grounds, denied that his students were behind the act of vandalism but praised it at the same time. “We are against displaying women like this – and feel worst for the women who pose for them willingly,” he told Dawn. “Though the defacing would have been done by some pious person, we are against using illegal methods to convey the right message.” His words echoed the speeches made at a recent meeting of the Milli Yekjehti Council (National Solidarity Council). There religious leaders of all sects expressed concern over “vulgarity and obscenity spilling over from the media onto the streets, and spreading”. They traced the unhealthy trend to “a conspiracy by the West to weaken Pakistan by promoting a liberal lifestyle”. The telltale vandalism in Islamabad was reminiscent of such acts witnessed in the northwest Pakistan and in Karachi years ago.In 2006, religious activists had pulled down billboards in the then Northwest Frontier Province after the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal-led provincial government warned of action against advertisements featuring women. And around the same time, the nazim (mayor) of Karachi Naimatullah Khan, who belonged to Jamaat-i-Islami, had ordered that all advertisements featuring women needed a certificate of decency from his office.

Six arrested in Dera Ismail Khan chemical waste deaths case

PESHAWAR: Police on Saturday registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the Dera Ismail khan incident in which chemical waste coming out of Chasma Sugar Mills-2 claimed the lives of 10 people including five of a family. Seven people including the owner of the mill was charged in the FIR while six officials of the Mills had been arrested so far. The owner, according to police, was still absconding and a search was in progress for his arrest. The funeral of the deceased had been held while the affected families blocked the Indus Highway near Ranak to protest the incident. Soon after the funerals, angry villagers also pelted stones at the main gate of the mill and broke open its gate. The police also resorted to tear gas shelling and stray firing to disperse the angry crowd and more force had been called in from Dera Ismail Khan to control the situation. Khyber Pakthunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak had yesterday took notice of the incident and had said that those responsible would be taken to task. The water channel, usually crossed on foot by the locals, is less than two feet deep and mainly carries waste from the mill. Most of the people used to cross the water channel in Ramak's Paloon area on a daily basis for different activities and farming.

Sindh Rangers tasks special unit to probe MQM allegations

KARACHI: Taking the allegations levelled by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement into account, the Sindh Rangers has tasked a special unit to probe the party's claims that personnel from the paramilitary force were involved in the “extrajudicial killing” of four MQM workers, DawnNews reported. A spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said in a statement that the unit would investigate the claims of the party and legal action would be taken against those found responsible of using the force's uniforms for the purpose. The statement added that the Rangers have in the past arrested groups who used the force's uniforms to extort money out of the families of arrested men. It said that the Rangers operated within the legal perimeters prescribed for them, adding that if citizens are witness to any incidents of kidnapping, they should call at 1101 to report these. MQM to stage demonstrations if killers not arrested On Friday, the MQM accused Rangers of being involved in the “extrajudicial killing” of four party workers and warned of staging demonstrations on highways in Sindh if the killers were not arrested within 72 hours. Addressing a press conference, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar appealed to Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to direct Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani to hold an inquiry into the killings. He also called upon the prime minister to appoint a judicial commission to investigate the incident and ensure recovery of “missing workers” of the MQM in 72 hours. Dr Sattar said that MQM was a responsible party which did not unnecessarily blame any individual or institution. He said the party believed that some Rangers personnel were involved in illegal arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings.

Cleric murder case: Court orders Musharraf's appearance on May 22

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad accepted former president Musharraf’s request from exemption in today’s hearing in a case relating to the murder of Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and has ordered his appearance in its next hearing on May 22, DawnNews reported. Additional district and sessions Judge Wajid Ali was hearing the case against Musharraf. During the hearing, an acquittal plea was submitted in the court on behalf of the retired general. Musharraf’s counsel Akhtar Shah presented the stance that the Lal Masjid operation was conducted on the directives of the then-administration. He added that Deputy Commissioner Islamabad had written a letter to Triple One Brigade for conducting the operation. Shah moreover said it would be an injustice to hold Musharraf responsible for the operation. The court issued notices to the concerned parties on Musharraf's applications seeking permanent exemption from court proceedings and acquittal from murder charges. It also accepted Musharraf’s application seeking exemption from today's hearing and ordered his appearance in its next hearing on May 22. The Lal Masjid operation was a 2007 government crackdown on the controversial pro-Taliban mosque in Islamabad, which ended in a bloody eight-day siege killing at least 58 Pakistani troops and seminary students. The operation, ordered by Musharraf, followed a week-long standoff between the mosque's supporters and security forces.

Lawyer, his driver killed in Karachi firing

KARACHI: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle on Saturday killing a lawyer and his driver in Karachi's Orangi Town area, DawnNews reported. Police said the armed men had come to attack the vehicle carrying Advocate Chaudhry Idrees, on motorbikes. His driver Nauman Shah, who is said to be an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was also killed in the attack. Following the advocate's killing, lawyers announced a boycott of the city courts. Meanwhile, Saif Yar Khan, a member of MQM's Coordination Committee, claimed that Shah was an activist of the MQM. Also today, police in Orangi Town raided various area of the neighbourhood and detained 15 suspects, six of them most wanted. Police said two of the suspects were involved in an attack on a police van in Baldia’s Ittehad Town area.

More than 2,100 confirmed dead in Afghan landslide

Afghan villagers gather at the site of a landslide at the Argo district in Badakhshan province, May 2, 2014. — Photo by Reuters KABUL: Afghan officials gave up hope on Saturday of finding any survivors from a landslide in the remote northeast, putting the death toll at more than 2,100, as the aid effort focused on the more than 4,000 people displaced. Officials expressed concern that the unstable hillside above the site of the disaster may cave in again, threatening the thousands of homeless and hundreds of rescue workers who have arrived in Badakhshan province, bordering Tajikistan. “More then 2,100 people from 300 families are all dead,” Naweed Forotan, a spokesman for the Badakhshan provincial governor, told Reuters. Villagers and a few dozen police, equipped with only basic digging tools, resumed their search when daylight broke but it soon became clear there was no hope of finding survivors buried in up to 100 metres of mud. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said the focus was on the more than 4,000 people displaced, either directly as a result of Friday's landslide or as a precautionary measure from villages assessed to be at risk. Their main needs were water, medical support, counselling support, food and emergency shelter, said Ari Gaitanis, a spokesman from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The impoverished area, dotted with villages of mud-brick homes nestled in valleys beside bare slopes, has been hit by several landslides in recent years. The side of the mountain above Ab Barak collapsed at around 11 am on Friday as people were trying to recover belongings and livestock after a smaller landslip hit a few hours earlier Hundreds of homes were destroyed in the landslides that were triggered by torrential rain. Officials worry another section of the mountainside could collapse. The Afghan military flew rescue teams to the area on Saturday, as the remote mountain region is served by only narrow, poor roads which have themselves been damaged by more than a week of heavy rain. “We have managed to get one excavator into the area, but digging looks helpless,” Colonel Abdul Qadeer Sayad, a deputy police chief of Badakhshan, told Reuters. He said the sheer size of the area affected, and the depth of the mud, meant that only modern machinery could help. Nato-led coalition troops are on standby to assist but on Saturday they said the Afghan government had not asked for help. Frigid conditions Hundreds of people camped out overnight in near freezing conditions, although some were given tents. Officials distributed food and water. At least 100 people were being treated for injuries, most of them by medics who set up facilities in a stable building. Seasonal rains and spring snow melt have caused heavy destruction across large swathes of northern Afghanistan, killing more than 100 people. US President Barack Obama said American forces were on standby to help. “Just as the United States has stood with the people of Afghanistan through a difficult decade, we stand ready to help our Afghan partners as they respond to this disaster, for even as our war there comes to an end this year, our commitment to Afghanistan and its people will endure,” he said. About 30,000 US soldiers remain in Afghanistan, although that number is falling as Washington prepares to withdraw by the end of this year all combat troops who battled Taliban insurgents. Police said they had provided a security ring around the area, which has been relatively free of insurgent attacks. The Taliban said in a statement they were also willing to provide security.

Egypt court jails 102 Morsi supporters for 10 years: TV

CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced 102 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to 10 years in prison Saturday over protest violence, state television reported. The army-installed government has rounded up thousands of Morsi supporters and put them on mass trials since overthrowing him in July. The Cairo court sentenced two others to seven years in prison. Last week a court in the southern city of Minya sentenced 683 people, including the leader of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, to death in an initial ruling.

545 faces, not 3: Where the Indian elections went wrong

With just two of the 10 phases of the Great Indian Elections to go, we are at a unique vantage point to reflect this poll season. An election that has been characterised by high turnouts in most parts of the country reinforces our people’s faith in democracy. Strong anti-incumbency against the current government, large scale use of social media and multibillion dollar campaigns launched by not just main players, but smaller, regional parties has made these polls seem an even grandiose affair – a watershed election in distant public memory. But dig deeper and the infallibilities that this election exemplifies come tumbling out, making the enthusiasm markedly misplaced. The campaign itself is between faces and ideologies. A scion of the Gandhi family leads the deeply unpopular, incumbent Congress party – a campaign harping on positive social indicators but eclipsed by misrule, policy paralysis and profound arrogance of the decade-old United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The other face of this election is what is being referred to as the undeniably strong “Modi wave”, the ubiquitous “Modi aane waala hai, ache din lane waala hai” (Modi is coming, good times await) exemplifies this sentiment. The third side is the amorphous face of the regional players, of which India has plenty. This face takes different shapes; in the TV studio it is Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party. But it keeps changing faces as you move across States. Arguably, holding the key to these elections, this third front might decide the next resident of 7, Race Course Road, the residence of the Indian Prime Minister. But, beyond the faces lies the burden of the ideologies that all these parties carry. Congress isn’t getting into the governance argument, resorting rather to the oft used scaremongering around religion which isn’t misplaced. But by not delving into the misgivings of the last 10 years and cloaking behind minority rights and inclusivity, it is compartmentalising secularism and continues to preside over a decayed secular institutional framework. While, granted that Modi might have stayed away from the communal exchanges, his aides haven’t. Principal amongst them is Amit Shah, pegged to be the second most-important man only after Narendra bhai himself, if the latter comes to power. Shah has repeatedly spewed venom against the Muslim minority, forcing the Election Commission to bar him from campaigning (which was later revoked after his apology to the EC). Another supporter, Giriraj Singh recently asked all Modi critics to leave for Pakistan. It is this rhetoric that vertically divides the Indian society, leading to a certain polarisation which gets manifested in the bigot talks on the streets and in middle-class drawing room conversations, of which, majority Indians including the writer is most fearsome of. The farcical notions of ideology and one PM solution have diverted the debate from the principal question of institutions, particularly the Parliament, for which this massive exercise is being undertaken in the first place. Two critical points suggest that the next Parliament in its composition and thinking would not be very different from the last one. First, change depends on the policies that political parties pursue in the coming Parliament. It is astonishing that a piece as critical as the manifestos got little coverage and even lesser scrutiny in the mainstream press, which reveals how similar they are in almost all spheres of economy, social welfare and foreign policy items. As a matter of fact, on issues like rights-based development approach, employment generation and urbanisation, both principal parties seem to be on the same page. On corruption, another principal agenda, all political entities have the same solution: Lokpal (Ombudsman). But Lokpal is a complaining authority, not a preventing one. A change in parliament may hence, not necessarily mean a change in policy. Second, the fabric of the Parliament needs alteration if the contagion of fecklessness, which has in the past shrouded national institutions, has to go. Data from the Parliamentary Research Service showed that the productive time of the Lok Sabha in last five years stood at 61 per cent; the worst in over 50 years. Two other indicators to judge the efficacy of the Parliament – time spent on debates discussing legislations and Question-Hour data portrays a grim picture. Thirty-six per cent of the total bills passed in the house were debated for less than thirty minutes (20 Bills were passed in less than five) and 60 per cent of the time kept separate for MPs to ask questions from the Minister was wasted due to house adjournments. Many intellectuals argue that if the Parliament functioned and committees such as the Public Accounts Committee did a good job, policy paralysis wouldn’t have taken place. One can, thus, not even begin to write on the primacy of good 545 parliamentarians and not one. One of the greatest churnings of the last three years has been the shift in public discourse emanating from the public outrage on the rhetoric of caste, class and religion to two critical issues of corruption and women empowerment. It was expected that during the largest test of institutions, these two issues would be reflected. But as it stands today, an average 32 per cent of candidates of parties have criminal records – 21 per cent with serious criminal charges. Interestingly, the number of women candidates being fielded in the Parliament has increased only marginally – from 6.89 per cent to 7.83 per cent. A corrupt Parliament with fewer women parliamentarians is alarming. In the wake of a huge political vacuum, the people of this country are being forced to believe that one individual, whichever party it may be, will bring tumultuous change in governance of this country. Unfortunately, many are overlooking the limitations of the Prime Minister’s Office. In a fractured, federal structure like ours, with many checks and balances, there is very little that the Prime Minister alone can do without taking the multitudes of political and public opinion. A strong leader might improve systems but strong institutions like the Parliament cannot be ameliorated by a single man. Even in issues which might be considered as exclusive to the Central government viz: Finance and External Affairs, there is very little leeway provided by the internal dynamics of the country. The Goods and Service Tax bill has been in the pipeline since 2000 but it couldn’t be passed due to resistance offered by different State leaders. The Indian PM had to drop the Teesta Water treaty on water sharing and the Constitution (119th) Amendment Bill (acquiring of territories by India and transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh) after Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal burst out against the Prime Minister and Asom Gana Parishad, a party with just one MP, disrupted the floor of the house. Bringing the two narratives together, India – a vibrant democracy – is reflected by the strength of her institutions. In the last 10 years, the vacuum caused by a weak Parliament has resulted in the interventions by the Judiciary and Civil Society. A sustained campaign to choose between the three faces, when 545 candidates should have been grilled means a non-functioning Parliament that will lead to little change.

Blast targets FC vehicle in Bolan; one killed

QUETTA: One Frontier Corps (FC) man was killed and another was injured in a bomb explosion in Balochistan province’s Bolan district on Saturday, a security official said. Khan Wasey, a spokesman for the FC, told Dawn that a security forces’ vehicle was on routine patrolling when it was attacked in Bolan’s Dhadar area in the morning. "A loud and powerful explosion was heard in the area. It appeared to be a remote-controlled blast,” Wasey said. He said two FC personnel inside the vehicle were seriously wounded as a result. Subsequently, one of the two wounded succumbed to his injuries on way to a hospital. The bomb also damaged the security forces’ vehicle. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. However, Wasey said he suspected that the attack was the work of Baloch separatists operating in the area. Bolan is considered to be among the sensitive districts of the southwestern province where separatist militants have been targeting power pylons, gas pipelines and other vital installations.

Friday, May 2, 2014

No false hope of immediate end to load shedding: Asif

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif said on Friday that he did want to give false hope of an immediate end to load shedding. During a news conference, Asif emphasised that electricity will only be provided to those who pay their bills. He added that electricity will be disconnected for power thieves. Asif further said that electricity theft could not take place unless official personnel were involved. The federal minister said that those protesting were defaulters and wanted to steal electricity through ‘kundas.’ Khawaja Asif said they had disconnected electricity supply to federal and provincial departments. According to Asif the government did not want millions to suffer because of some defaulters.
Power Crisis will Increase-02 May 2014 by GeoNews

Saudia asked to exempt Pakistani Hajj pilgrims from food charges

RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf Friday said the final list of successful intending pilgrims who would perform the religious obligation under the government scheme would be issued on May 15. This year around 56,684 and 86,684 pilgrims would be sent to Saudi Arabia under the both government and private schemes for Hajj respectively. The Minister said the ministry was compiling 1, 27,000 applications it received under the government scheme and hopefully the process would be completed by May 15 on First come First served basis. He was talking to reporters at Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad after inaugurating the direct flight operation of Flynas Airlines from Islamabad to Saudi Arabia and back. He said four airlines including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Flynas Shaheen and Saudi Airlines would participate in the pre and post Hajj flight operations to airlift Pakistani pilgrims to the Holy land and bring them back. On special directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he said hajj package has been reduced by Rs 23 000 per pilgrim as part of the government’s commitment to extend maximum facilities to the guests of Allah Almighty. Replaying to a question, Sardar Yousaf said the ministry has made a special request with the Saudi authorities to exempt Pakistani Hujjaj from submitting food charges to be served to Hujjaj during their stay in Saudi Arabia. However, he said there would be no increase in the Hajj package which the governments already announced for both the South and North regions of the country. The government will itself bear all additional charges if imposed by the Saudi authorities. He said all out efforts were being made to ensure the Hajj arrangements flawless and smooth, adding a special committee has already been assigned the task to acquire residential buildings for Pakistani hujjaj in Saudi Arabia.

CBI chargesheets 7, including 3 juveniles, in Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania’s murder case

New Delhi: The CBI on Friday chargesheeted seven people, including three juveniles in the murder of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania in the Capital. Initial reports suggest that they have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Chargesheet has been filed in the Court of CMM for offences related to culpable homicide, illegal confinement and offences under the SC/ST Attrocities Act against accused Farman, Pawan, Sunder and Sunny Uppal whereas proceedings against the 3 juvenile will be carried out by the Juvenile Justice Board. A court in Delhi extended the judicial custody of the four people involved in Nido Tania killing case on April 22. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pritam Singh extended the judicial custody of accused Pawan, Sunder, Sunny Uppal and Farman for next 14 days, after the four were produced before it.
The four were arrested February and booked under various charges dealing with murder and Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for passing racist remarks against Tania.
Tania, 19, died in hospital Jan 30, a day after being beaten up by several shopkeepers in south Delhi's Lajpat Nagar area following an argument over his appearance and clothing.

The story of Osama Bin Laden’s wives: How they used to fight over sex! Dailybhaskar.com | May 02, 2014, 15:06PM IST

Islamabad: It’s been three years since the dreaded terrorist Osama Bin Laden was shot dead in Abbottabad by US forces. Ever since his death, there has been much stuff about him that is doing rounds in media. There has been much information about his personal life, about which few people know. One of the major things among them was the quarrels among wives of Osama bin Laden. The eldest wife of Osama Khairiya claimed that his younger wife Amal desired sex with Osama the entire day. There used to be regular quarrels between Khairiya and Amal due to this. Meanwhile, Amal had accused Khairiya of disclosing the whereabouts of Osama to the US authorities shortly before his death in 2011. Two years after the terror mastermind, a leaked Pakistani government report accused the leadership for ‘gross incompetence’ over the bin Laden affair. The report revealed that bin Laden lived undetected in Pakistan for nine years before he was killed by the US forces in 2011. The 336-page report included some fresh details about bin Laden's day to day life after he fled the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, arriving in Pakistan in the spring or summer of 2002. It also pointed out Pakistani incompetence and negligence that allowed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to live in the country. However, CIA spies tracked down bin Laden to the northwestern town of Abbottabad, where he was shot dead by US Navy SEALs on May 2, 2011 during a dramatic raid near Pakistan's military academy.
According to ‘The Sun’, Osama’s 29-year old widow Amal Abdulfateh had a desire to settle in Britain along with her five children. Notably, Amal also got injured during the operation against Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad. (In picture: Amal Abdulfateh)
Osama Bin Laden used to love his first wife Najwa Bin the most as he knew Najwa before marriage and both were in love. Osama fell in love with Najwa when he was 17 and Najwa was 15 years old. Laden had six wives.
The book titled ‘Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World’ revelas a lot about Osama’s life. The book explains how Osama and Najwa were in love before marriage. It said that Najwa’s mother was against the marriage as she didn’t want Najwa to leave Syria and go to Saudi Arabia.
The book said that Najwa was forced deliver babies. Osama did not allow her to use things like electricity and gas stove. Najwa had a difficult life in Afghanistan, the book revealed. She had to give up painting, cycling and tennis being Osama’s wife.
According to Pakistan Army Brigadier Shaukat Kadir, Osama’s elder wife was the reason behind his death. He said that the elder wife wanted to live with him but when that was not possible, she decided to betray Osama.
Osama was killed in mere 90 seconds during the operation by US Navy SEAL in Abbottabad.

Blog Archive