Thursday, January 31, 2013

Lalu Prasad dubs Anna Hazare's Jantantra rally as 'flop show'



RJD President Lalu Prasad refused to attach any importance to the rally by anti-graft activist Anna Hazare here today and dubbed it as a 'flop show'.

"It is nothing but a flop show," he told reporters on his arrival at Patna airport.


US teen who performed at Barack Obama's inauguration shot dead in Chicago



A 15-year-old girl who performed at President Barack Obama's inauguration last week was shot dead in Chicago by a gunman who opened fire on a group of kids hanging out in a park, police said today.


Seven die in Karachi violence



KARACHI: Different incidents of violence in various areas of Karachi claimed at least seven lives on Thursday, DawnNews reported.


Pakistan court dismisses petition challenging Kayani's extension



Islamabad: A petition filed by a retired Colonel challenging the unprecedented three-year extension given by Pakistan government to Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was on Thursday dismissed by a court here.


Nine militants killed in Orakzai airstrikes



PESHAWAR: Nine militants were killed and three hideouts demolished in airstrikes in the upper Orakzai tribal region, DawnNews reported on Thursday.


James Pattinson, Glenn Maxwell included in Australia's squad for India Tests



Sydney:Australia will take four spin-bowling options to India for their four-Test tour, with Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith named Thursday in a 17-man squad alongside Nathan Lyon and Xavier Doherty.


Kargil War controversy: Musharraf hits back at Shahid Aziz



Lahore: Describing former Pakistan chief of army staff Lt. Gen. (retired) Shahid Aziz as an imbalanced personality who has indulged in uncalled for character assassination, former president and army chief General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, justifying the 1999 Kargil War, said there was absolutely no need to inform everyone about the operation.


Union Cabinet approves changes to Lokpal Bill


New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the key recommendations made by the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha to the Lokpal Bill. 

According to reports, the revised bill incorporates a number of changes recommended by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee, including appointment of the Director of Prosecution by the CVC. 

Israeli strike on Syria violates UN Charter: Russia


Moscow: Condemning an Israeli strike on Syria, allegedly targeting a military research centre, Russia has expressed concern saying that it was an unacceptable act and violation of UN Charter.

Yesterday Israel launched a rare strike inside Syria, which according to Western groups and Lebanese security forces, targeted an arms convoy headed to Lebanon, while a Syrian army statement said it destroyed a military research center northwest of the capital, Damascus.

In a statement, the Syrian military denied that any convoy was carrying chemical weapons or missiles to Lebanon and that the Israeli warplanes targeted a scientific research facility outside Damascus.

A statement by Russian Foreign Ministry said, "If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it."


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Pakistan panel likely to visit India by mid-Feb



Islamabad: A Pakistani judicial panel is expected to make a second visit to Mumbai by mid-February after being given a green signal by India to cross-examine four officials in connection with the probe into the 26/11 attacks.


Unused bombs of 1965 Indo-Pak war recovered



Jaipur: As many as 60 bombs, which remained unused during the 1965 war, have been recovered in the premise of border home guard office in Barmer district, police said Thursday.


One killed, 34 injured as bus falls into ditch


One person was killed and 34 others injured, 16 of them seriously, when a private bus fell into a roadside ditch near Kultali in South 24-Parganas district today, police said.

The bus was coming to Joynagar from Petkulchand when the incident occurred, police said, adding, the driver fled after the accident.

Locals rescued the passengers and later vandalised the bus, they said.
The injured were admitted to Jamtola block hospital, they said.


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Taufeeq ruled out of Test series against South Africa



Experienced Pakistan opener, Taufeeq Umar has been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa and will be returning home due to a shin injury.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday that Taufeeq will be replaced by another left handed opener, Imran Farhat, who is being sent to possibly join the team before the first test begins from Friday in Johannesburg.


Nine injured in Peshawar blast



PESHAWAR: A blast targeting a police van on Jinnah Park road  near Peshawar’s Jinnah Park injured at least nine persons on Thursday.

Security and emergency teams rushed to the site.


Reports on Indian soldiers beheading Pak troops baseless: AK Antony



New Delhi: A report that Indian soldiers had tortured and decapitated Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) was baseless, Defence Minister AK Antony said Thursday.

A day after the Indian Army described as “erroneous and speculative” the report, the defence minister too lent it the weight of his voice. The allegations, Antony said on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi, were “totally baseless”.


Twenty three pilgrims killed, 15 injured in road accident



Ahmedabad: Twenty three pilgrims, including five children and eight women, were killed when an open loading van in which they were travelling collided with the state transport bus near Jhilwada village of Patan district, police said on Wednesday.


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

MQM to transform Pakistan’s fate, says Altaf



KARACHI: Muttahia Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Wednesday said only his party would be able to transform the fate of the country, DawnNews reported.

Speaking via telephone to a gathering of party leaders and workers in Islamabad, Hussain said the MQM would soon hold a public meeting in Punjab which he said would be the biggest in the country’s history.


Delhi HC stays non-bailable warrant against Raj Thackeray



The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackery on two complaints lodged for alleged hate speeches he made against the people of Bihar.


2G scam: Delhi court says it has no jurisdiction to order FIR against PM



A Delhi court on Wednesday said that it had no jurisdiction to order registration of an FIR against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his former Cabinet colleague Dayanidhi Maran over alleged irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation scam.


US Senate confirms John Kerry to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State



Veteran Senator John Kerry, known for his relationship-building skills, is all set to replace Hillary Clinton as the new US Secretary of State after the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed his nomination.

69-year-old Kerry, currently the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been a close confidant of President Barack Obama on foreign policy issues especially on the volatile Af-Pak region.


Gold declines for fifth day on sluggish demand



New Delhi : Gold prices maintained downtrend for the fifth straight day by losing Rs 20 to Rs 30,980 per ten grams in the national capital today on sustained selling by stockists on sluggish demand.

However, silver recovered by Rs 500 to Rs 58,500 per kg on industrial units and coin makers buying at prevailing lower levels. The metal had lost Rs 1,750 in last four days.


Govt will be prompt in pursuing Verma panel report: Manmohan



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that the government will be prompt in pursuing the recommendations of J.S. Verma Committee to amend the law to deal effectively with cases of sexual assault against women.


Armed men rob California Gurudwara


Armed men barged into a Gurudwara in California city and took away the money from a donation box kept inside the complex, police said.

According to the local Livingston police in California, three robbers entered the Gurudwara through the front door early Sunday morning. One of the men was armed with a gun, while another with a knife. The third robber was unarmed.

The three men took a few thousand dollars from a donation box and left through a side door, joining two other men who were waiting outside, local newspaper Merced Sunstar quoted police as saying on Tuesday.

North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) president Satnam Singh Chahal also that the three men took money from the donation box and left through a side door.


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Tamil Nadu wants me out, Kamal Haasan says



Putting up a brave front in wake of reports that the screenings of Vishwaroopam was cancelled abruptly in several parts of the State on Tuesday morning, actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan said he is likely to face the third complete bankruptcy of his life and that if he found no place in Tamil Nadu to continue his profession, he may have to look for a place in any other secular State in the country.


Ajmal Pahari arrested again



KARACHI: After being released from the Karachi jail on Jan 25, 2013, Ajmal Pahari was arrested again on Wednesday over implication in new murder cases, DawnNews reported.


Kashmir IAS topper victim of phishing, duped of Rs. 75,000



Kashmir's poster boy, Shah Faesal, who became first Kashmiri to top the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 2010, is aghast with online shopping. Like many other online shoppers, Faesal too has become a victim of phishing, which cost him Rs. 75,000.


Pulwama district's deputy commissioner, said he received a message this week that he has shopped for Rs. 70,000 in Dubai.


UK activists moves UN on Indian prisoner's death in Pak jail


AMRITSAR: A UK-based rights activist has moved United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International seeking investigation into the murder of Indian prisoner Chamel Singh in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.

Jes Uppal, the activist, said, "I have sought to investigate the circumstances of the unlawful death in custody and to ensure justice by making those responsible to be tried in the court of law." She said that despite repeated requests Pakistan authorities have failed to provide information as to why Chamel Singh was in prison and what was his jail term.


I am Indian, father fought for freedom, Shah Rukh Khan says



NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday sought to clear the air over his article in an Indian magazine, saying he had written nothing to indicate he felt unsafe in India. "Being an Indian and my parents' child is an unconditional accepted truth of my life and I am very proud of both...


Writer Salman Rushdie's visit to Kolkata cancelled



Author Salman Rushdie's visit to Kolkata has been cancelled at the last minute, allegedly because of pressure from the state government and police.


No room for retired generals, judges in interim govt: PPP



ISLAMABAD: As part of its broad election strategy, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party has decided in principle to have non-political personalities inducted as caretaker prime minister and provincial chief ministers, to dissolve all assemblies by mid-February and hold elections for national and provincial assemblies on the same date in the middle of May.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Former Ogra chief arrested in Abu Dhabi



ISLAMABAD: Former chairman of the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Tauqir Sadiq was arrested in Abu Dhabi, DawnNews reported on Tuesday.


Will not accept Asma Jahangir as caretaker PM: Imran



LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday said that his party will not accept the appointment of prominent social activist and former Supreme Court Bar Council chairman Asma Jahangir as caretaker prime minister.


Egypt military chief warns of collapse of state



CAIRO: Egyptian Defence Minister and military chief General Abdel Fattah al Sissi warned on Tuesday that the political crisis rocking the country could lead to the collapse of the state.


Policeman killed in attack on polio vaccination team in Swabi


SWABI: Unknown gunmen attacked a polio immunisation team in Gullu Dheri area of Swabi district on Monday killing a policeman who was escorting the team.

The two assailants, who were riding a motorcycle, fled from the area after the attack.

SHO of Swabi police station told Dawn.com that the two lady health workers, comprising the anti-polio team, remained unhurt and were sent back to their unit, adding that the anti-polio campaign continued in other parts of the province.

The body of the deceased policeman was shifted to the District headquarters Hospital Swabi.
.

North Korea threatens ‘merciless’ retaliation on South


SEOUL: North Korea on Tuesday vowed “merciless” retaliation against the South for its support of UN sanctions, as Seoul urged Pyongyang to step back from a widely expected nuclear test.

The perennially tense situation on the Korean peninsula has been stretched to its limit in the past week, with almost daily threats from the North that it is preparing to conduct a nuclear test as a riposte to the expanded sanctions.

A lengthy commentary published Tuesday by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reiterated that the sanctions resolution passed by the UN Security Council was tantamount to a “declaration of war”.


Dubai looks to Qatar for oil as flow from Iran cut



DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Dubai's government-run oil company says it has started importing supplies from Qatar and is seeking other sources in apparent moves to replace Iranian crude lost because of international sanctions.


Iran formally snubs EU after oil, gas bans



TEHRAN : Iran's oil ministry spokesman says all crude oil and gas exports have been banned to the 27-nation European Union, which has already imposed its own boycott on Iranian energy imports as part of sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program.


Plane crash in Kazakhstan kills 22, official says



KYZYL TU, Kazakhstan Twenty-two people were killed in a passenger plane crash near Kazakhstan's commercial capital Almaty on Tuesday, an emergency services official said.


Govt, political class slam Pak minister's safety 'worry' for SRK



NEW DELHI: The government as well as the political class on Tuesday slammed Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik's unsolicited statement asking India to provide security to Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan, stating that India was fully capable of looking after the security of its citizens.


Six killed in suicide blast outside Somali PM’s office



MOGADISHU: At least six people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up amongst a group of security officials outside the Somali prime minister’s office on Tuesday, army officials said.


Shahzeb murder: CJ orders arrest of those who helped Shahrukh flee



ISLAMABAD: During Tuesday’s hearing of the suo motu notice over the murder of Shahzeb Khan, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said those who aided prime suspect Shahrukh Jatoi in fleeing the country should be arrested, DawnNews reported.


India should provide security to Shah Rukh Khan: Malik



ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday requested the Indian government to ensure security of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.


Car bombing in Yemen kills 11 soldiers


SANAA: A car bomb exploded Monday next to a military checkpoint in a central town where Yemeni government forces waged their first offensive targeting al Qaeda militants in the area, killing 11 soldiers, security and military officials said.

The officials said that the explosion rocked the town of Radda, about 160 kilometers south of the capital, Sanaa, when a suicide bomber blew up his car in an attack that bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.

The bombing came on the same day that the military launched a wide offensive against al Qaeda in surrounding Bayda province, which has become a militant stronghold.


Monday, January 28, 2013

UAE puts 94 people on trial for plotting to overthrow regime



Dubai: Cracking down on Islamist groups, the UAE has put 94 people with suspected links to the Muslim Brotherhood on trial for plotting to overthrow the Gulf regime and seize power.UAE Attorney General Salem Saeed Kubaish said 94 suspects have been referred to the Federal Supreme Court for trial.


Pakistan seeks sustainable peace, security in Afghanistan: General Kayani



ISLAMABAD: During a meeting with Afghan Defence Minister General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi on Monday, army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said Pakistan sought sustainable peace and security in Afghanistan, DawnNews reported.


B'desh cabinet approves extradition treaty with India



Dhaka: Bangladesh on Monday approved a proposed extradition treaty with India as the two countries are set to ink a crucial deal later today agreeing to deport wanted "criminals" hiding or lodged in each other's jails.

"The treaty will allow transfer of the convicted and under-trial criminals," Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters emerging from a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here.


Woman killed by brothers for marrying against their will


Munger : In an incident of honour killing, a woman was lynched by her brothers in Bihar's Munger district today for marrying a man of her choice.

Phulan Devi's two brothers were angry with her for abandoning her first marriage and marrying a man from a neighbouring village recently, police said.

They mercilessly beat the 25-year-old woman to death before hanging her body on the roof of their house at Gobatta village, the police said.


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Kiran Bedi speaks in favour of Justice Verma panel recommendations



Srinagar: Former IPS officer-turned-social activist Kiran Bedi today said she fully supported the Justice Verma recommendations for amending the law related to sexual harassment that will end impunity for members of armed forces if involved in cases like rape.


Eemergency declared in Egypt after clashes kill 49



CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi declared a month-long state of emergency on Sunday in three cities along the Suez Canal which have been the focus of anti-government violence that has killed dozens of people over the past four days.Seven people were shot dead and hundreds were injured in Port Said on Sunday during the funerals of 33 protesters killed at the weekend. A total of 49 people have been killed in demonstrations around the country since Thursday and Mursi's opponents have called for more protests on Monday.


Kamran Faisal case: NAB expresses distrust on Supreme Court




ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) expressed its distrust both on the Supreme Court (SC) and the bench hearing a case regarding death of Kamran Faisal in mysterious circumstances, CNBC Pakistan reported Monday.


Pakistan women arrive in India for World Cup



Bhubaneswar: Amid tight security, Pakistan team arrived here on Sunday to participate in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup and proceeded straight to Cuttack, which is one of the venue for the tournament along with Mumbai.


Karachi violence toll rises to 13



KARACHI: Violence continued in Karachi as at least 13 more people, including two children, fell prey to the ongoing firing incidents in different areas, CNBC Pakistan reported.

Police and rescue sources said two children were shot dead in armed clash between two groups at New Karachi sector 11 late on Sunday.


Pakistan to announce dates for elections within ten days



Islamabad: Pakistan will announce dates for elections and dissolution of assemblies within ten days, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Sunday.

The announcement came after a government delegation held talks with a religious leader Tahir-ul-Qadri in Lahore on Sunday. Qadri led a long-march on Islamabad and later staged a sit-in in Islamabad earlier this month to press the government for electoral reforms. The meeting in Lahore was part of a deal reached with Qadri to persuade him to call off his sit-in outside parliament that paralysed the centre of Islamabad two weeks ago.


India, Pakistan armies exchange sweets on Republic Day



Jammu:In keeping with tradition, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged sweets along the LoC in the Poonch sector to mark India's 64th Republic Day on Saturday. Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged sweets at the Chakan-da-Bagh cross point as a goodwill gesture, army officials said.


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Fourteen dead, 33 hurt in Myanmar bus crash: police



YANGON: Fourteen people were killed and 33 injured Wednesday when a passenger bus plunged off the side of a mountain in western Myanmar, police said.

The vehicle was travelling from Yangon to Thandwe in Rakhine state when it crashed, the Myanmar Police Force said on its Facebook page.


Ten people die of swine flu in Punjab



Jalandhar: Ten persons have died of swine flu and 35 others, found to be affected by the disease, are undergoing treatment in Punjab this winter, officials said.

"In this winter season ten people died due to swine flu in the state. Six of them were residents of Punjab while the remaining were from different states," state health official Deepak Bhatia said.


PML-N protests leader’s killing in Karachi



LAHORE: Protesting against the deteriorating law and order situation and targeted killings in Karachi, Pakistan’s main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), staged a walk-out from both the upper and lower houses of Parliament on Wednesday.


Zardari should give up post of PPP chief: Lahore high court



LAHORE: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari should "quit political activities" and give up the post of the chief of the ruling PPP in line with a judgement issued last year, the Lahore high court has said.

The Chief Justice of the high court, Umar Ata Bandial, asked Wasim Sajjad, the counsel for the federal government, to present a clear point of view on behalf of the president about implementing the court's order of May 12, 2011 that had said Zardari was expected to quit as the chief of the PPP.