Month: June 2013

Violence kills 27 in minority Muslim region of west China

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Assailants attacked police and other people with knives and set fire to police cars in China’s restive far-western Xinjiang region on Wednesday in violence that killed 27 people, one of the bloodiest incidents since unrest in the regional capital killed nearly 200 in 2009.

Xinjiang is home to a large population of minority Muslim Uighurs but is ruled by China’s Han ethnic majority. It borders Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan and has been the scene of numerous violent incidents in recent years.

Russia wants US clarity over Geneva conference on Syria

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Moscow expects the Washington to clarify its position on the international conference on Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

“We expect more clarity from the meeting with (US Secretary of State) John Kerry about the US position regarding the joint Russia-US initiative to convene an international conference on Syria,” reported Xinhua citing Lavrov as telling reporters.

Lavrov and Kerry plan to meet on the sidelines of the East Asian Summit to be held in Brunei July 1-2.

Construction to be curbed near Gurgaon ammo depot

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To curb illegal civil construction in the restricted area within 900 metres of the ammunition depot here, administration and IAF officials Wednesday decided to erect pillars outside the boundary line, an official spokesperson said.

At a meeting at Air Force Station on Old Delhi Road, the officials chalked out a common strategy to curb illegal construction near the ammunition depot.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Pankaj assured chief administrative officer of the IAF Station, Wing Commander D.S. Chahal, of full support of the district administration.

—IANS

Power PSUs to give Rs.25 crore for Uttarakhand

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Public sector power companies will donate Rs.25 crore towards rebuilding flood-hit Uttarakhand, said a statement Wednesday.

According to a statement, Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge) Jyotiraditya Scindia took the decision in a meeting of the heads of the public sector units in the power sector.

The nine PSUs will select the projects in consultation with the state government, the statement said.

—IANS

Armani is prestigious: Giorgio Armani

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Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani says it is “honourable” when celebrities choose to wear designs from his “prestigious” label.

The 78-year-old launched his eponymous label in 1974.

“It’s a business. Although nowadays wearing something by Armani is more prestigious, I think – because with so many other brands you know that it has been paid for, contactmusic.com quoted him as saying.

“So if you see someone wearing Armani, you know it is the choice of the celebrity. It is honourable,” he added.

–IANS

Chinese company launches wind energy project in Pakistan

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A Chinese company is setting up a 50-megawatt wind energy project in Pakistan’s Sindh province at an estimated cost of $120 million, while having plans to launch nine such projects in future.

Hydro-China International Engineering Company Limited has vowed to set up a 50-megawatt wind energy project in the province’s Gharo area, reported the Online news agency citing Wang Youngqiang, the company’s vice president.

‘RPI will remain with Mahayuti despite its oppn to Hindutva’

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RPI leader Ramdas Athawale today said that his party would continue to be a part of ‘Mahayuti’ alliance despite differences with Shiv Sena on the issues of “Hindutva” and “reservation” only to defeat ruling combine of Congress and NCP.

‘Mahayuti’ or the grand alliance comprising Shiv Sena, BJP and Republican Party of India (Athawale) was formed ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections held last year.

Makka Masjid bomb blast accused get bail

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First additional metropolitan sessions judge granted bail to Makka Masjid bomb blast accused Teja Ram. National Investigation Agency had arrested him early this year. He was shifted to Hyderabad and imprisoned in Chanchalguda jail. NIA officials had arrested him in Samjhota Express bomb blast also and an additional charge he has submitted. In Makka bomb blast case NIA officials failed to submit charge sheet due to which the judge granted him bail. The judge ordered to deposit Rs.25, 000. It is reported that NIA officials will file an appeal in High Court against the judgement of a magistrate.

BJP to prepare ‘vision document’ for minority empowerment

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Apprehensive of polarisation of votes due to projection of Narendra Modi as the head of its election campaign committee, BJP has decided to come out with a vision document for minority empowerment to reach out to these communities ahead of the next general elections.

BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who is involved in the process of preparing the vision document along with party leader Shahnawaz Hussain and others, maintains this is not an attempt to appease the minorities but to highlight how they are actually being “exploited” by political parties.

Shiites block Bahrain roads after blast kills leader

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A radical Shiite group in Bahrain said today its supporters blocked roads with burning tyres after police alleged one of its leaders died in an explosion while making a bomb.

The February 14 movement said on Facebook that Hussein Abdullah, one of its local leaders, had been “martyred in a terrorist attack carried out by the intelligence services”.

His death triggered anger on the streets of the Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority Gulf state, with the group saying its supporters set alight tyres and blocked several streets in protest.

Ishrat case: CBI intensifies efforts to arrest Gujarat IPS

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CBI has intensified its efforts to arrest former ADG of Gujarat P P Pandey as it is finalising the charge sheet in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case which is likely to be filed in a special court in Ahmedabad before July 4.

CBI sources said the agency is trying to locate Pandey who has been declared an absconder by the court on its request and is believed to be hiding.

The sources said CBI is trying to question him before filing the charge sheet to elaborate his alleged role in the encounter.

Asif robbed at gun point in Lahore

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Disgraced Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif was today robbed of his belongings at gunpoint in his hometown Lahore.

Asif, who has faced a tale of woes since 2010 when he and teammates Mohammad Aamir and Salman Butt were found guilty of spot-fixing in England, was robbed by four armed men near the Lahore airport as he returned early morning after dropping a friend.

“They took away around 92,000 rupees in cash, my wallet which had bank cards, my passport and expensive watch,” Asif told reporters.

Pakistan will bounce back from Champions trophy debacle: Ajmal

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Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal believes the national team has the ability to bounce back from its recent abysmal performance in the ICC Champions Trophy.

“Don’t write us off. We know people are very disappointed with our performance in England but we will make amends by performing better in the coming series,” Ajmal said here today.

Pakistan couldn’t win a single game in the tournament and worst the team failed to play its full quota of overs in all three completed matches, raising a big question mark over the batting order.

At least one dead in Libya car bombings: officials

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Three car bombs exploded in Sebha, southern Libya, leaving at least one person dead, local officials said.

“Three car bombs exploded in three different districts within half an hour,” local town council member Ayoub al-Zarrouk told AFP, saying there was at least one known fatality.

Libya’s Lana news agency reported two people dead and 17 wounded.

A security official speaking on Libyan television said the first device went off near a police station, the second in a commercial district and the third in front of a hotel yesterday.

US ready to implement no fly zone in Syria: Pentagon

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US forces are ready to implement a no fly zone in Syria if it is asked to do so, but it would be difficult because the Syrian air defense system is sophisticated and dense, a top Pentagon official said.

“A no-fly zone is just one option of many that we have analyzed and prepared. It will be difficult because the Syrian air defense system is sophisticated and it’s dense,” said Gen Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the US Defence Secretary, Chuck Hagel present with him.

Central African gold mine collapse toll rises to 52

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The number of people killed when a gold mine in the Central African Republic collapsed at the weekend rose to 52, local officials said.

The previous toll for the disaster, which occurred on Sunday when a landslide destroyed a pit in Ndassima in the centre of the country, stood at 37.

“From the figure of 37 dead on the day of the tragedy, we have now have a count of 52 bodies recovered,” Didier Ouangai, mayor of the nearby city of Bambari, told AFP.

CIA chief announces new campaign to stop leaks

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CIA Director John Brennan is launching a new campaign aimed at pressuring CIA officers to keep the intelligence agency’s secrets secret, after a series of leaks to the media.

In a memo to the CIA workforce this week, Brennan says the “Honor the Oath” campaign is intended to “reinforce our corporate culture of secrecy” through education and training. The Associated Press obtained the memo yesterday, marked unclassified and for official use only.

Morsi warns political divisions could ‘paralyse’ Egypt

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Islamist President Mohamed Morsi warned that political divisions in Egypt “threaten to paralyse” the country, as at least one person was killed and scores were hurt in clashes between his supporters and opponents.

In a televised speech yesterday to mark his turbulent first year in power, Morsi promised reforms and called for national dialogue, as tensions mounted ahead of mass rallies planned against him on June 30.

“Egypt faces many challenges. The polarisation has reached a stage that could threaten our democratic experience and paralyse the nation and cause chaos,” Morsi said.

Woman arrested after jumping White House fence

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The US Secret Service says a woman is under arrest and in police custody today after jumping over the White House fence during a protest.

A Secret Service spokesman identified the woman, who wore an orange jumpsuit, as Diane Wilson. She was charged with unlawful entry and handed over to local authorities.

Wilson appeared to be among a group of 17 similarly attired demonstrators who had chained themselves to the fence on the northwest side of the White House.

They were protesting the detention of terrorist suspects at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Jailed activists apologise for topless Tunisia protest

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Three European women with the radical protest group Femen, jailed in Tunisia for baring their breasts, apologised at their appeals trial today and promised not to repeat the protest.

“I regret this act and I apologise,” Josephine Markmann, the German member of the group, told the judge, who said Muslim law prohibited such behaviour.

Jackson’s son says father feared concert promoter

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Michael Jackson’s eldest son testified today that his father was excited about going back on tour before his death but wasn’t happy about the terms of the ill-fated shows.

Prince Jackson told jurors his father wanted more time to rehearse and had several tense phone conversations with promoters of his “This Is It” shows that sometimes ended with his father in tears.

The 16-year-old said his father remarked after one of the conversations, “‘They’re going to kill me,'” Prince testified. He did not elaborate.

‘Satyagrah’ will influence the youth, says Kareena

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Prakash Jha-directed ‘Satyagrah’ depicts the common man’s reaction to the sorry state of affairs and shows their angst and disappointment with the system, said the actors featuring in the upcoming film.

The film, which will hit the theatres in August, stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Manoj Bajpayee, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Amrita Rao.

“We are living in an India where I think we deserve a better standard of living. I think Satyagrah is the ideal way for common man to show their angst and disappointment,” Amrita told reporters here at the first trailer launch of the film.

ATM skimming case: Police to seek information from Bulgaria

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Police will be issuing a letter rogatory (LR) to the Bulgarian Government in connection with its probe into the ATM skimming case where cloned debit cards were used to withdraw money from 37 accounts.

During its probe, police had identified two Bulgarians Evanov (27) and Tsenev (28), who fitted skimming device in an Axis Bank ATM in Colaba, South Mumbai, to hack into the bank accounts and use the debit card details to siphon off around Rs 13 lakh.

SDPI demands review of planning & construction of dams in Indian Himalayas

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(Pervez Bari): The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has expressed its deep anguish, anxiety and pain at the devastating loss of life, livelihoods, and homes in Uttarakhand and beyond caused by flash floods resulting from extremely intense rainfall which swept away mountainsides, villages and towns, irrigation canals, domestic water sources, dams, roads, bridges, and buildings — anything that stood in the way.

Chopper crash: PM condoles death of IAF personnel

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed his condolences to the families of IAF personnel who lost their lives in a helicopter crash during relief operations in Uttarakhand.

“The Prime Minister talked to Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne to extend his condolences to the families of Air Force personnel who lost their lives during the rescue and relief operations in Uttarakhand,” a government release said.

It said the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the airforce and its capability to overcome this tragedy and continue the arduous task in Uttarakhand.