'Observing that the Chinese economy is too large for it to pick and choose which rules it will follow without risking the integrity and legitimacy of the international system, the US on Wednesday asked Beijing to be more transparent in its economic policies.';Email this articlePrint this articleShare on Reditt
View the Original article
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
World Bank chief warns no region immune to European crisis
'World Bank president Jim Yong Kim on Wednesday warned that most regions of the world will be hurt by the debt crisis enveloping the euro zone and said it was vital to protect the strong economic gains of the past decade in the developing world.';Email this articlePrint this articleShare on Reditt
View the Original article
View the Original article
WikiLeaks opens new gateway for donations
LONDON: WikiLeaks has announced a new path for donations through a French credit card system Carte Bleue to find a way out of the US-backed financial blockade slapped by leading financial institutions.
Western financial institutions, including VISA, MasterCard and Western Union have choked the revenues of the world's leading whistle-blowing organisation.
In a statement yesterday on the WikiLeaks website, founder Julian Assange said: "We beat them in Iceland and, by God, we'll beat them in France as well. Let them shut it down. Let them demonstrate to the world once again their corrupt pandering to Washington. We're waiting. Our lawyers are waiting. The whole world is waiting. Do it."
WikiLeaks appealed "all global supporters to make use of this avenue immediately before VISA/MasterCard attempts to shut it down."
The statement said that after WikiLeaks published US diplomatic correspondence, US financial institutions "erected a banking blockade against WikiLeaks wholly outside of any judicial or administrative process."
The blockade resulted in 95 per cent donations being chocked, with the whistle-blowing website's income dropped to 21 per cent of its operating costs.
"The French credit card system, Carte Bleue, is coupled with the VISA/MasterCard system globally. VISA and MasterCard are contractually barred from directly cutting off merchants through the Carte Bleue system. The French non-profit FDNN (Fund for the Defense of Net Neutrality- Fonds de Defense de la Net Neutralite) has set up a Carte Bleue fund for WikiLeaks," the statement said.
View the Original article
Western financial institutions, including VISA, MasterCard and Western Union have choked the revenues of the world's leading whistle-blowing organisation.
In a statement yesterday on the WikiLeaks website, founder Julian Assange said: "We beat them in Iceland and, by God, we'll beat them in France as well. Let them shut it down. Let them demonstrate to the world once again their corrupt pandering to Washington. We're waiting. Our lawyers are waiting. The whole world is waiting. Do it."
WikiLeaks appealed "all global supporters to make use of this avenue immediately before VISA/MasterCard attempts to shut it down."
The statement said that after WikiLeaks published US diplomatic correspondence, US financial institutions "erected a banking blockade against WikiLeaks wholly outside of any judicial or administrative process."
The blockade resulted in 95 per cent donations being chocked, with the whistle-blowing website's income dropped to 21 per cent of its operating costs.
"The French credit card system, Carte Bleue, is coupled with the VISA/MasterCard system globally. VISA and MasterCard are contractually barred from directly cutting off merchants through the Carte Bleue system. The French non-profit FDNN (Fund for the Defense of Net Neutrality- Fonds de Defense de la Net Neutralite) has set up a Carte Bleue fund for WikiLeaks," the statement said.
View the Original article
Captain Lakshmi Sehgal suffers cardiac arrest, condition critical
KANPUR: Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, who was part of Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army, was admitted to a hospital here on Thursday following a cardiac arrest, family sources said.
Sehgal(97), who was ill for some time, suffered a heart attack this morning at her residence in Civil Lines area here, Sehgal's daughter Subhashini Ali told reporters here.
A team of doctors has been appointed to monitor her health condition, she said.
Captain Lakshmi Sehgal was very active in the independence movement of India and commanded the 'Rani of Jhansi Regiment of INA, formed by Subhash Chandra Bose.
A doctor by profession, she was working as a medical practitioner and a social worker. She was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1998.
View the Original article
Sehgal(97), who was ill for some time, suffered a heart attack this morning at her residence in Civil Lines area here, Sehgal's daughter Subhashini Ali told reporters here.
A team of doctors has been appointed to monitor her health condition, she said.
Captain Lakshmi Sehgal was very active in the independence movement of India and commanded the 'Rani of Jhansi Regiment of INA, formed by Subhash Chandra Bose.
A doctor by profession, she was working as a medical practitioner and a social worker. She was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1998.
View the Original article
Students' humiliation in Bangalore school: Child rights body seeks report from Karnataka govt
background: url("/photo/14024307.cms") no-repeat scroll center bottom transparent;height: 70px;line-height: 13px;padding-top: 4px;text-align: center;width: 300px;
View the Original article
View the Original article
PN Dhar, a close advisor of Indira Gandhi, passes away
NEW DELHI: Professor Prithvi Nath Dhar, an eminent economist who served as principal secretary to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, died here on Thursday.
He was 94 and died of age-related problems. A professor of economics in Delhi University for many years, Dhar was one of the founders of the Delhi School of Economics.
He served as the United Nations assistant secretary general, research and policy analysis, in New York from 1976 to 1978.
Dhar, who was the only person in the Prime Minister's Office those days who was not from either the IAS or the IFS, had joined the PMO in 1970.
He was with Indira Gandhi in Shimla when the famous Shimla Accord was signed with the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after 1971 war with Pakistan.
Dhar, whose wife Sheila was a well known singer writer, was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's highest civilian award in 2008.
His memoir 'Indira Gandhi, the Emergency, and Indian Democracy' is considered an authoritative documentation of events of the important period in modern India's history.
View the Original article
He was 94 and died of age-related problems. A professor of economics in Delhi University for many years, Dhar was one of the founders of the Delhi School of Economics.
He served as the United Nations assistant secretary general, research and policy analysis, in New York from 1976 to 1978.
Dhar, who was the only person in the Prime Minister's Office those days who was not from either the IAS or the IFS, had joined the PMO in 1970.
He was with Indira Gandhi in Shimla when the famous Shimla Accord was signed with the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after 1971 war with Pakistan.
Dhar, whose wife Sheila was a well known singer writer, was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's highest civilian award in 2008.
His memoir 'Indira Gandhi, the Emergency, and Indian Democracy' is considered an authoritative documentation of events of the important period in modern India's history.
View the Original article
Saturday, July 21, 2012
SC notice to Centre, Kerala govt on Italian naval guards' plea to quash murder case
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and Kerala government on two Italian naval guards petition seeking quashing of the murder case against them.
The apex court, however, refused their request for stay of the trial in the case, in which the two naval guards were facing charge of killing two Kerala fishermen.
The court will hear their appeal along with Italy's petition seeking quashing of the case on August 8.
Italy and the two naval guards maintained that the shooting incident happened outside the territorial waters of India and hence either Italian courts or an international forum was competent to hear the case and not criminal courts in India.
View the Original article
The apex court, however, refused their request for stay of the trial in the case, in which the two naval guards were facing charge of killing two Kerala fishermen.
The court will hear their appeal along with Italy's petition seeking quashing of the case on August 8.
Italy and the two naval guards maintained that the shooting incident happened outside the territorial waters of India and hence either Italian courts or an international forum was competent to hear the case and not criminal courts in India.
View the Original article
Ravi Shankar Prasad set to become BJP deputy leader in RS
NEW DELHI: Ravi Shankar Prasad is set to become the new Deputy Leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha with Parliamentary Party chief L K Advani today recommending his name for the post to the Vice-President.
Advani wrote to Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who is also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, nominating Prasad to the post of Deputy Leader of BJP. The position was lying vacant since S S Ahluwalia completed his term in the Upper House and then failed to get re-elected from Jharkhand during the recent biennial polls.
Prasad, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, will assist Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. He is also the chief spokesperson and general secretary of the BJP.
A former Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Prasad served in the Coal, Mining, Law and Justice, and Information and Broadcasting ministries.
The leader from Bihar was recently given a third term in the Rajya Sabha from his state. He had started his political career as an activist in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP. He was arrested in the JP Movement in Bihar and also actively opposed the National Emergency in the 1970s.
As a lawyer-activist, Prasad fought the PIL in the fodder scam in his home state Bihar and was instrumental in the incarceration of several politicians and bureaucrats, including former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad in the case.
Prasad was also lawyer in the Ayodhya Ram temple title suit case. He represented Ram Lalla, the deity, in the case. The court had ordered trifurcation of the land with one part going to Ram Lalla and the Hindus.
View the Original article
Cong leader Digvijaya Singh defends UP CM Akhilesh on law and order
background: url("/photo/14024307.cms") no-repeat scroll center bottom transparent;height: 70px;line-height: 13px;padding-top: 4px;text-align: center;width: 300px;
View the Original article
View the Original article
PMO to set up project clearance board to fast track energy and infrastructure projects
MUMBAI: The policy paralysis in the energy and infrastructure sector is likely to ease soon with the government deciding to set up a Project Clearance Board (PCB) in line with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for speedy implementation of the energy and infrastructure projects in a time bound manner. Exploration work in over 70 oil blocks has slowed down due to lack of various clearances from government agencies.
The board will meet on a monthly basis under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary and will have representatives from the ministries of home, defence, environment & forests, commerce, coal, department of space and other infrastructure and energy related ministries and department, said a government statement adding that a common mechanism for all sectors will be evolved soon and the board will be set up in the coming weeks.
One of the biggest hurdles to speedy implementation of projects is the delays faced by project implementing agencies and private firms with concessions, in obtaining security related clearances from many agencies.
India imports about 80% of its crude needs and is seeking to step up exploration and development of local oil and gas blocks to raise output. So far, it has offered only 68% of its sedimentary basin for exploration. The government failed to attract international oil firms due to slow pace of regulatory approvals.
It took almost a year to clear $7.2 billion RIL-BP deal and $6 billion Cairn Energy -Vedanta deal, the two of the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) last year.
"There is a need to have an institutionalised mechanism for issuing clearances in a time-bound manner. A need for a FIPB like mechanism was felt for other clearances so that the issue of delayed clearances is resolved," said a statement from PMO after a meeting to review the status of clearances of oil and gas blocks awarded under the NELP regime.
It is proposed that the concerned ministries will report to the PCB about the status of issuing of clearances after following their internal due diligence processes. For oil and gas sector, the special cell for clearances being set up in Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and will act as the secretariat.
View the Original article
The board will meet on a monthly basis under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary and will have representatives from the ministries of home, defence, environment & forests, commerce, coal, department of space and other infrastructure and energy related ministries and department, said a government statement adding that a common mechanism for all sectors will be evolved soon and the board will be set up in the coming weeks.
One of the biggest hurdles to speedy implementation of projects is the delays faced by project implementing agencies and private firms with concessions, in obtaining security related clearances from many agencies.
India imports about 80% of its crude needs and is seeking to step up exploration and development of local oil and gas blocks to raise output. So far, it has offered only 68% of its sedimentary basin for exploration. The government failed to attract international oil firms due to slow pace of regulatory approvals.
It took almost a year to clear $7.2 billion RIL-BP deal and $6 billion Cairn Energy -Vedanta deal, the two of the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) last year.
"There is a need to have an institutionalised mechanism for issuing clearances in a time-bound manner. A need for a FIPB like mechanism was felt for other clearances so that the issue of delayed clearances is resolved," said a statement from PMO after a meeting to review the status of clearances of oil and gas blocks awarded under the NELP regime.
It is proposed that the concerned ministries will report to the PCB about the status of issuing of clearances after following their internal due diligence processes. For oil and gas sector, the special cell for clearances being set up in Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and will act as the secretariat.
View the Original article
Train collision near Kasara in Maharashtra, 25 injured
background: url("/photo/14024307.cms") no-repeat scroll center bottom transparent;height: 70px;line-height: 13px;padding-top: 4px;text-align: center;width: 300px;
View the Original article
View the Original article
Two dead, many injured as Vidarbha Express rams into derailed local train
Vidarbha Express rams into Mumbai local, several injuredMUMBAI: At least two people were killed and 10 injured when the Vidarbha Express rammed into four derailed coaches of a Mumbai suburban train in Thane district, Times Now reported.
Teams of senior officials, medicos and relief workers have been rushed to the scene of the double accident between Kasara and Umbermali, said a Central Railway official.
The accident occurred around 9.30pm, when four coaches of the Kasara-CST suburban local train derailed and fell across the parallel railway line.
A few minutes later, the speeding 12105 Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express rammed into the derailed bogies scattered on its route towards Kasara.
As a result, the engine of the Express train also derailed and blocked the services on both sides.
At present, suburban services and long-distance trains are being operated only till Asangaon on the CST-Satara section and efforts were continuing to clear both the railway tracks.
(With inputs from IANS)
View the Original article
Teams of senior officials, medicos and relief workers have been rushed to the scene of the double accident between Kasara and Umbermali, said a Central Railway official.
The accident occurred around 9.30pm, when four coaches of the Kasara-CST suburban local train derailed and fell across the parallel railway line.
A few minutes later, the speeding 12105 Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express rammed into the derailed bogies scattered on its route towards Kasara.
As a result, the engine of the Express train also derailed and blocked the services on both sides.
At present, suburban services and long-distance trains are being operated only till Asangaon on the CST-Satara section and efforts were continuing to clear both the railway tracks.
(With inputs from IANS)
View the Original article
Egypt's former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman dies in US
CAIRO: Egypt's former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, the urbane and shadowy power broker who enforced Hosni Mubarak's rule, died in the United States of a heart attack on Thursday. He was 76.
General Suleiman symbolised the autocratic, military-backed rule which dominated much of the Arab world for the last half-century or more, now being challenged by restive populations.
Nicknamed "the black box" for his role as one of Mubarak's most trusted advisers, he was also a willing point man in the rendition of Egyptian fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan - in which the United States handed over prisoners to Egypt for interrogation. Rights groups said he was involved in the widespread torture of detainees.
According to state news agency MENA, he died of a sudden heart attack after suffering heart and lung problems. Preparations were under way to bring his body home for burial, his assistant, Hussein Kamal, said.
Egypt's interim government paid tribute to Suleiman, calling him a "patriotic, honest figure" in a statement carried by state news website Al-Ahram.
But to his critics, he was at the heart of a system that brutally abused anyone who opposed it; a system which with the election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi as president in June is now being replaced by the very Islamists it sought to contain.
In one of the more widely quoted tales of Suleiman's alleged ruthlessness, Ron Suskind, a journalist and expert on the George W Bush government, said when US intelligence officials asked him for a DNA sample from a relative of al- Qaida leader Ayman Al-Zawahri - he offered to send the man's arm.
In the end, it fell to Suleiman to announce the end of Mubarak's 30 years in power on February 11, 2011.
Having spent most of his career in the shadows, he moved firmly into the public eye in the last days of Mubarak's rule when the president appointed him as his deputy, part of efforts to defuse the uprising raging in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
In his 13 days as vice president, Suleiman held unprecedented talks on political reform with opposition forces, including the then-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
But the youthful revolutionaries who spearheaded the uprising were incensed by his suggestion that Egyptians were not ready for democracy, and the man credited with having saved Mubarak's life during a 1995 assassination attempt in Ethiopia was not able to save his presidency.
Islamist threat
As Egypt's top man on national security, he was the mastermind behind the fragmentation of Islamist groups who rose up against the state. In the year before his death one of those groups, Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya, moved into the political mainstream and won seats in parliament.
Following the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Suleiman brought his expertise combating militant Islam to the West's fight against al-Qaida, whose top leadership has included numerous Egyptians, including Zawahri, who replaced Osama bin Laden after he was killed by US forces in Pakistan last year.
Jane Mayer, author of "The Dark Side", says Suleiman was "the CIA's pointman in Egypt for renditions - a covert program in which the CIA snatched terror suspects from around the world and returned them to Egypt and elsewhere for interrogation, often under brutal circumstances."
Suleiman's public remarks and comments in diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks showed his strategy in dealing with the West and with Israel was to portray the Egyptian government as a bastion against Iranian influence and militant Islamists.
Having said in a 2011 interview that Egypt did not yet have a culture of democracy, Suleiman entered the country's first free presidential election a year later at the eleventh hour, citing the threat of a full Islamist takeover as his motivation.
His sudden re-emergence in the public eye angered those Egyptians for whom he represented all they had risen up against. But he also found support among those worried by the rise of the Islamist movement, which had swept parliamentary elections earlier in the year.
"Many people felt that the state is going to the Muslim Brotherhood - in parliament, in government and now the presidency," Suleiman told Reuters in an April 14 interview.
But he also acknowledged the role assumed by the Islamists, describing them as "a very important segment" of society.
Suleiman's presidential hopes were cut short by an apparent administrative failure by his campaign team, which failed to secure enough voter endorsements for him to qualify for the election. Conspiracy theorists argued he had never intended to run but had entered the race so the army-backed authorities could disqualify Islamists without causing a major backlash.
Point man
Suleiman was born on July 2, 1936 in Qena, in southern Egypt. He enrolled in Egypt's premier military academy in 1954 and received further military training in the then Soviet Union. He also studied political science at Cairo University and Ain Shams University.
His full role in the opaque Mubarak administration is likely to remain a mystery. His role extended well beyond the remit of an intelligence chief, including tasks more akin to those of a foreign minister, managing relations with the United States and Israel.
Some called Suleiman "The Conductor" for the way he appeared at times to manage attempts to reconcile the Palestinians and Israelis like an orchestra.
His fiercest critics branded him an agent for Israel and the United States and said he was at the heart of Egypt's participation in the Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip.
But they conceded that Suleiman had spared Gaza from some deadly Israeli offensives by appealing to Israeli leaders and pressuring Hamas - the Islamist movement ruling Gaza - and other factions to restore calm.
Suleiman left the country after his failed presidency bid, initially travelling to Abu Dhabi with relatives.
He will take many of the secrets of the Mubarak era to his grave, his death depriving Egyptians of the opportunity to put him on trial.
"There is sorrow for all those who hoped for his punishment on earth, to see him a convicted criminal in the prisons where he put them for so long," said Facebook user Ibrahim el-Houdaiby.
View the Original article
General Suleiman symbolised the autocratic, military-backed rule which dominated much of the Arab world for the last half-century or more, now being challenged by restive populations.
Nicknamed "the black box" for his role as one of Mubarak's most trusted advisers, he was also a willing point man in the rendition of Egyptian fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan - in which the United States handed over prisoners to Egypt for interrogation. Rights groups said he was involved in the widespread torture of detainees.
According to state news agency MENA, he died of a sudden heart attack after suffering heart and lung problems. Preparations were under way to bring his body home for burial, his assistant, Hussein Kamal, said.
Egypt's interim government paid tribute to Suleiman, calling him a "patriotic, honest figure" in a statement carried by state news website Al-Ahram.
But to his critics, he was at the heart of a system that brutally abused anyone who opposed it; a system which with the election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi as president in June is now being replaced by the very Islamists it sought to contain.
In one of the more widely quoted tales of Suleiman's alleged ruthlessness, Ron Suskind, a journalist and expert on the George W Bush government, said when US intelligence officials asked him for a DNA sample from a relative of al- Qaida leader Ayman Al-Zawahri - he offered to send the man's arm.
In the end, it fell to Suleiman to announce the end of Mubarak's 30 years in power on February 11, 2011.
Having spent most of his career in the shadows, he moved firmly into the public eye in the last days of Mubarak's rule when the president appointed him as his deputy, part of efforts to defuse the uprising raging in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
In his 13 days as vice president, Suleiman held unprecedented talks on political reform with opposition forces, including the then-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
But the youthful revolutionaries who spearheaded the uprising were incensed by his suggestion that Egyptians were not ready for democracy, and the man credited with having saved Mubarak's life during a 1995 assassination attempt in Ethiopia was not able to save his presidency.
Islamist threat
As Egypt's top man on national security, he was the mastermind behind the fragmentation of Islamist groups who rose up against the state. In the year before his death one of those groups, Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya, moved into the political mainstream and won seats in parliament.
Following the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, Suleiman brought his expertise combating militant Islam to the West's fight against al-Qaida, whose top leadership has included numerous Egyptians, including Zawahri, who replaced Osama bin Laden after he was killed by US forces in Pakistan last year.
Jane Mayer, author of "The Dark Side", says Suleiman was "the CIA's pointman in Egypt for renditions - a covert program in which the CIA snatched terror suspects from around the world and returned them to Egypt and elsewhere for interrogation, often under brutal circumstances."
Suleiman's public remarks and comments in diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks showed his strategy in dealing with the West and with Israel was to portray the Egyptian government as a bastion against Iranian influence and militant Islamists.
Having said in a 2011 interview that Egypt did not yet have a culture of democracy, Suleiman entered the country's first free presidential election a year later at the eleventh hour, citing the threat of a full Islamist takeover as his motivation.
His sudden re-emergence in the public eye angered those Egyptians for whom he represented all they had risen up against. But he also found support among those worried by the rise of the Islamist movement, which had swept parliamentary elections earlier in the year.
"Many people felt that the state is going to the Muslim Brotherhood - in parliament, in government and now the presidency," Suleiman told Reuters in an April 14 interview.
But he also acknowledged the role assumed by the Islamists, describing them as "a very important segment" of society.
Suleiman's presidential hopes were cut short by an apparent administrative failure by his campaign team, which failed to secure enough voter endorsements for him to qualify for the election. Conspiracy theorists argued he had never intended to run but had entered the race so the army-backed authorities could disqualify Islamists without causing a major backlash.
Point man
Suleiman was born on July 2, 1936 in Qena, in southern Egypt. He enrolled in Egypt's premier military academy in 1954 and received further military training in the then Soviet Union. He also studied political science at Cairo University and Ain Shams University.
His full role in the opaque Mubarak administration is likely to remain a mystery. His role extended well beyond the remit of an intelligence chief, including tasks more akin to those of a foreign minister, managing relations with the United States and Israel.
Some called Suleiman "The Conductor" for the way he appeared at times to manage attempts to reconcile the Palestinians and Israelis like an orchestra.
His fiercest critics branded him an agent for Israel and the United States and said he was at the heart of Egypt's participation in the Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip.
But they conceded that Suleiman had spared Gaza from some deadly Israeli offensives by appealing to Israeli leaders and pressuring Hamas - the Islamist movement ruling Gaza - and other factions to restore calm.
Suleiman left the country after his failed presidency bid, initially travelling to Abu Dhabi with relatives.
He will take many of the secrets of the Mubarak era to his grave, his death depriving Egyptians of the opportunity to put him on trial.
"There is sorrow for all those who hoped for his punishment on earth, to see him a convicted criminal in the prisons where he put them for so long," said Facebook user Ibrahim el-Houdaiby.
View the Original article
Friday, July 20, 2012
Yousuf Raza Gilani's son wins parliamentary seat vacated by him
LAHORE: Senior Pakistan People's Party leader Yousuf Raza Gilani's son on Thursday won a byelection to the parliamentary seat in Punjab province that fell vacant when the former premier was disqualified by the Supreme Court last month.
Gilani's son Abdul Qadir Gilani won in the family's traditional stronghold of Multan by bagging 64,628 votes, according to unofficial results flashed by the state-run media.
His closest rival, Shaukat Bosan, an independent candidate backed by parties like the PML-N and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, secured 60,532 votes in the closely contested bypoll.
Observers said the victory was significant as it came in the wake of the former premier's conviction and disqualification by the apex court for refusing to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari as well as growing disenchantment with the PPP-led government at the centre following widespread allegations of corruption.
However, they pointed out that Gilani's son had won by a margin of just over 4,000 votes - an indication of the support extended to Bosan by "anti-PPP forces" like the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf led by Imran Khan and the PML-N, which rules Punjab.
"Today the people gave their verdict. They have given a befitting reply to those who had sent my father packing. The anti-democratic forces should now stop conspiring against the PPP as it still the most popular party of the country," Abdul Qadir Gilani said.
During a three-week campaign, the Gilanis targeted the judiciary more than other political parties.
Abdul Qadir said: "The people today have made it clear that they did not like its (judiciary's) decisions."
PPP insiders were of the view that Thursday's bypoll was more a contest between the PPP and the superior judiciary led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and right wing parties.
No other mainstream political party had fielded a candidate against Gilani's son but all of them, including the PML-N and religious parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, supported Bosan, the brother of senior Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf leader Sikandar Bosan.
Bosan's election billboards and posters prominently features photos of Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hasan - evidence of the support he enjoyed from these leaders.
"We are supporting Bosan as we want him and his brother to join the PML-N and contest on our party's platform," PML-N spokesman Pervaiz Rashid said.
Though Imran Khan announced that he would not forge an alliance with any other party, observers said the PML-N and Tehrik-e-Insaf were virtually in an alliance for the bypoll.
On the other hand, senior PPP leader Haider Zaman Qureshi said all anti-PPP forces had joined hands to defeat Gilani's son.
"On top of that, the judiciary has a stake in this byelection. It is trying to ensure that the PPP loses this seat, otherwise there will be a curse all around on the judiciary for disqualifying Yousuf Raza Gilani," he said.
Qureshi alleged this was the reason why Chief Justice Chaudhry had delayed the swearing in new Chief Election Commissioner Fakharuddin G Ebrahim and sent acting CEC Justice Shakirullah Jan, a serving judge of the apex court, to the constituency to oversee a "game plan" to defeat Abdul Qadir Gilani.
He contended the acting CEC had ensured that voters' lists were not provided to candidates so that they could not make arrangements to transport voters to polling stations.
Under the new rules, candidates cannot directly provide transport to the voters.
Qureshi said the turnout was not high because of this reason.
"The Election Commission is supposed to provide them with transport but it has only a few vehicles at its disposal," he said.
The PML-N government in Punjab too was using state ministry to influence the polls, he alleged.
View the Original article
Gilani's son Abdul Qadir Gilani won in the family's traditional stronghold of Multan by bagging 64,628 votes, according to unofficial results flashed by the state-run media.
His closest rival, Shaukat Bosan, an independent candidate backed by parties like the PML-N and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, secured 60,532 votes in the closely contested bypoll.
Observers said the victory was significant as it came in the wake of the former premier's conviction and disqualification by the apex court for refusing to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari as well as growing disenchantment with the PPP-led government at the centre following widespread allegations of corruption.
However, they pointed out that Gilani's son had won by a margin of just over 4,000 votes - an indication of the support extended to Bosan by "anti-PPP forces" like the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf led by Imran Khan and the PML-N, which rules Punjab.
"Today the people gave their verdict. They have given a befitting reply to those who had sent my father packing. The anti-democratic forces should now stop conspiring against the PPP as it still the most popular party of the country," Abdul Qadir Gilani said.
During a three-week campaign, the Gilanis targeted the judiciary more than other political parties.
Abdul Qadir said: "The people today have made it clear that they did not like its (judiciary's) decisions."
PPP insiders were of the view that Thursday's bypoll was more a contest between the PPP and the superior judiciary led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and right wing parties.
No other mainstream political party had fielded a candidate against Gilani's son but all of them, including the PML-N and religious parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, supported Bosan, the brother of senior Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf leader Sikandar Bosan.
Bosan's election billboards and posters prominently features photos of Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Munawar Hasan - evidence of the support he enjoyed from these leaders.
"We are supporting Bosan as we want him and his brother to join the PML-N and contest on our party's platform," PML-N spokesman Pervaiz Rashid said.
Though Imran Khan announced that he would not forge an alliance with any other party, observers said the PML-N and Tehrik-e-Insaf were virtually in an alliance for the bypoll.
On the other hand, senior PPP leader Haider Zaman Qureshi said all anti-PPP forces had joined hands to defeat Gilani's son.
"On top of that, the judiciary has a stake in this byelection. It is trying to ensure that the PPP loses this seat, otherwise there will be a curse all around on the judiciary for disqualifying Yousuf Raza Gilani," he said.
Qureshi alleged this was the reason why Chief Justice Chaudhry had delayed the swearing in new Chief Election Commissioner Fakharuddin G Ebrahim and sent acting CEC Justice Shakirullah Jan, a serving judge of the apex court, to the constituency to oversee a "game plan" to defeat Abdul Qadir Gilani.
He contended the acting CEC had ensured that voters' lists were not provided to candidates so that they could not make arrangements to transport voters to polling stations.
Under the new rules, candidates cannot directly provide transport to the voters.
Qureshi said the turnout was not high because of this reason.
"The Election Commission is supposed to provide them with transport but it has only a few vehicles at its disposal," he said.
The PML-N government in Punjab too was using state ministry to influence the polls, he alleged.
View the Original article
Annan disappointed at lack of unity in UNSC over Syria
UNITED NATIONS: International envoy Kofi Annan on Thursday expressed disappointment at the UN Security Council failure to unite and take concerted action to stop the escalating violence in Syria after a resolution on the crisis was vetoed by permanent members Russia and China.
The resolution, proposed by France, Germany, UK and the US would have threatened sanctions against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad if his authorities did not stop using heavy weapons against civilians and withdrew troops from towns and cities within 10 days.
The resolution received 11 votes in favour, including by India while Pakistan and South Africa abstained.
This is the third time in about nine months that Russia and China have vetoed a UNSC resolution that would have imposed sanctions on the Assad regime.
A statement by Annan's spokesperson said the UN-Arab League envoy is "disappointed that at this critical stage the UN Security Council could not unite and take the strong and concerted action he had urged and hoped for.
"He believes that the voice of the Council is much more powerful when its Members act as one."
UK's Permanent Representative to the UN Mark Lyall Grant said Britain was "appalled" by the decision of Russia and China to veto the draft resolution which aimed at bringing an end to the bloodshed in Syria and to create the conditions for a meaningful political process.
"By exercising their veto today, Russia and China are failing in their responsibilities as permanent members of the Security Council to help resolve the crisis in Syria.
"They are failing the people of Syria. They have - for the third time - blocked an attempt by the majority of this Council, supported by most of the international community, to try a new approach," Grant said.
He said the consequence of their decision is "obvious, further bloodshed, and the likelihood of descent into all-out civil war."
Grant blamed Moscow and Beijing for protecting a "brutal" regime and choosing to put their national interests ahead of the lives of millions of Syrians.
US's Envoy to the US Susan Rice said while the first two vetoes by Russia and China were "very destructive" the third vote against the resolution is "even more dangerous and deplorable.
"Their position is at odds with majority of UNSC, Arab League, over 100 countries, and aspirations of Syrians, who deserve much better. US has not and will not pin its policy on unarmed observer mission deployed in midst of violence that can't count on minimal UNSC support," she said.
India also termed as "regrettable" that the Security Council was not able to adopt the resolution and send a joint message that was sought by joint special envoy Kofi Annan.
View the Original article
The resolution, proposed by France, Germany, UK and the US would have threatened sanctions against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad if his authorities did not stop using heavy weapons against civilians and withdrew troops from towns and cities within 10 days.
The resolution received 11 votes in favour, including by India while Pakistan and South Africa abstained.
This is the third time in about nine months that Russia and China have vetoed a UNSC resolution that would have imposed sanctions on the Assad regime.
A statement by Annan's spokesperson said the UN-Arab League envoy is "disappointed that at this critical stage the UN Security Council could not unite and take the strong and concerted action he had urged and hoped for.
"He believes that the voice of the Council is much more powerful when its Members act as one."
UK's Permanent Representative to the UN Mark Lyall Grant said Britain was "appalled" by the decision of Russia and China to veto the draft resolution which aimed at bringing an end to the bloodshed in Syria and to create the conditions for a meaningful political process.
"By exercising their veto today, Russia and China are failing in their responsibilities as permanent members of the Security Council to help resolve the crisis in Syria.
"They are failing the people of Syria. They have - for the third time - blocked an attempt by the majority of this Council, supported by most of the international community, to try a new approach," Grant said.
He said the consequence of their decision is "obvious, further bloodshed, and the likelihood of descent into all-out civil war."
Grant blamed Moscow and Beijing for protecting a "brutal" regime and choosing to put their national interests ahead of the lives of millions of Syrians.
US's Envoy to the US Susan Rice said while the first two vetoes by Russia and China were "very destructive" the third vote against the resolution is "even more dangerous and deplorable.
"Their position is at odds with majority of UNSC, Arab League, over 100 countries, and aspirations of Syrians, who deserve much better. US has not and will not pin its policy on unarmed observer mission deployed in midst of violence that can't count on minimal UNSC support," she said.
India also termed as "regrettable" that the Security Council was not able to adopt the resolution and send a joint message that was sought by joint special envoy Kofi Annan.
View the Original article
Microsoft reports first quarterly loss as public company
Microsoft reported a net loss of $492 million, or 6 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter. Microsoft has not suffered a quarterly loss since going public in 1986.NEW YORK: Microsoft Corp reported its first quarterly loss as a public company on Thursday as it took a previously announced hit for writing down the value of its ailing online unit and suffered stagnant sales of its flagship Windows operating system.
Excluding the multibillion-dollar write-down, which was signaled earlier this month, and factoring in some deferred Windows revenue, the world's largest software company actually exceeded Wall Street's expectations, boosting its shares slightly higher in post trade.
After several years of stumbling behind mobile and internet trailblazers Apple Inc and Google Inc, and a decade-long static share price, some expectation is building that Microsoft can re-establish itself as a tech leader with its new, touch-friendly Windows 8 system, due out on October 26, and an accompanying tablet of its own design.
"Considering the macro backdrop, these numbers are very good," said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at Global Equities Research. "There's a lot of anticipation for the next Microsoft products. They are regaining credibility with enterprises."
The company reported a net loss of $492 million, or 6 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter, compared with a profit of $5.87 billion, or 69 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.
The loss was expected after Microsoft said earlier this month that it would take a $6.2 billion write-down for the value of its online unit after an ill-fated acquisition.
Microsoft has not suffered a quarterly loss since going public in 1986.
Sales rose 4 percent to $18 billion, dampened by slowing PC sales featuring its flagship Windows operating system. Global PC sales, which have been stagnant for the last two years, fell 0.1 percent last quarter, according to tech research firms Gartner and IDC.
Microsoft deferred $540 million of Windows revenue in the quarter due to an upgrade discount it is offering customers who buy machines running Windows 7 before the launch of Windows 8 in October.
Excluding the write-down, but factoring in that deferred revenue, Microsoft said it earned 67 cents per share in the quarter.
On that basis, Wall Street expected profit of 62 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Quarterly sales were slightly below analysts' average forecast of $18.1 billion.
Microsoft's shares rose 1.7 percent in post-market trading after closing at $30.67 on Nasdaq.
The stock is up 10 percent so far this year, compared to a 14 percent gain in the tech-heavy Nasdaq. But it has remained locked around the $30 level, which it has not exceeded for any prolonged period since the tech stock boom 12 years ago.
View the Original article
Excluding the multibillion-dollar write-down, which was signaled earlier this month, and factoring in some deferred Windows revenue, the world's largest software company actually exceeded Wall Street's expectations, boosting its shares slightly higher in post trade.
After several years of stumbling behind mobile and internet trailblazers Apple Inc and Google Inc, and a decade-long static share price, some expectation is building that Microsoft can re-establish itself as a tech leader with its new, touch-friendly Windows 8 system, due out on October 26, and an accompanying tablet of its own design.
"Considering the macro backdrop, these numbers are very good," said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst at Global Equities Research. "There's a lot of anticipation for the next Microsoft products. They are regaining credibility with enterprises."
The company reported a net loss of $492 million, or 6 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter, compared with a profit of $5.87 billion, or 69 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.
The loss was expected after Microsoft said earlier this month that it would take a $6.2 billion write-down for the value of its online unit after an ill-fated acquisition.
Microsoft has not suffered a quarterly loss since going public in 1986.
Sales rose 4 percent to $18 billion, dampened by slowing PC sales featuring its flagship Windows operating system. Global PC sales, which have been stagnant for the last two years, fell 0.1 percent last quarter, according to tech research firms Gartner and IDC.
Microsoft deferred $540 million of Windows revenue in the quarter due to an upgrade discount it is offering customers who buy machines running Windows 7 before the launch of Windows 8 in October.
Excluding the write-down, but factoring in that deferred revenue, Microsoft said it earned 67 cents per share in the quarter.
On that basis, Wall Street expected profit of 62 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Quarterly sales were slightly below analysts' average forecast of $18.1 billion.
Microsoft's shares rose 1.7 percent in post-market trading after closing at $30.67 on Nasdaq.
The stock is up 10 percent so far this year, compared to a 14 percent gain in the tech-heavy Nasdaq. But it has remained locked around the $30 level, which it has not exceeded for any prolonged period since the tech stock boom 12 years ago.
View the Original article
Barack Obama says Mitt Romney would kill the middle class
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama told voters in Florida on Thursday that Republican challenger Mitt Romney wants to undo the structures of American society that built a vibrant middle class.
Romney, speaking in a Boston suburb, repeated his charge that Obama was more concerned with his re-election than bringing down the nation's high rate of unemployment.
The men battling to win the November election for the White House are engaging in the kind of intense campaigning normally reserved for the final weeks of the contest.
Obama's decision to spend two days in Florida signals the importance of the state. If the president can win there, as he did in 2008, Romney would have a difficult time blocking the president's return to the White House. The US presidential elections are not won according to the popular vote nationally but in state-by-state contests.
Obama and Romney are in one of the closest presidential contests in recent memory. Incumbent presidents normally have an advantage, but Obama's has been diminished by voter concerns over the sluggish economic recovery and 8.2 per cent unemployment.
The race promises to be even closer in Florida. The state provided the deciding margin in George W Bush's victory in 2000, and it has been closely contested ever since. Obama aides said that since 1992, voters in the state have cast more than 32.5 million votes during the past five presidential elections, and only a total of 57,000 votes have separated the two parties in those campaigns.
Republicans are holding their national convention in Florida in August in hopes of giving themselves an edge in the state.
Obama was hitting hard on themes important to residents of Florida, a state heavily populated with retired Americans, military personnel and a middle class worried about the slow economic recovery and unemployment.
Obama said the basic bargain in the United States was "at risk like never before" because of Republican policies, those promoted by Romney who has a fortune estimated at a quarter billion dollars.
"No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, American has always been a place where you can make it if you work hard," Obama said.
Obama, speaking directly to retired Americans, hammered Romney for backing a plan that would overhaul Medicare, government health insurance for those over 65. He said those changes would end up costing retired people an additional USD 6,400 a year.
View the Original article
Romney, speaking in a Boston suburb, repeated his charge that Obama was more concerned with his re-election than bringing down the nation's high rate of unemployment.
The men battling to win the November election for the White House are engaging in the kind of intense campaigning normally reserved for the final weeks of the contest.
Obama's decision to spend two days in Florida signals the importance of the state. If the president can win there, as he did in 2008, Romney would have a difficult time blocking the president's return to the White House. The US presidential elections are not won according to the popular vote nationally but in state-by-state contests.
Obama and Romney are in one of the closest presidential contests in recent memory. Incumbent presidents normally have an advantage, but Obama's has been diminished by voter concerns over the sluggish economic recovery and 8.2 per cent unemployment.
The race promises to be even closer in Florida. The state provided the deciding margin in George W Bush's victory in 2000, and it has been closely contested ever since. Obama aides said that since 1992, voters in the state have cast more than 32.5 million votes during the past five presidential elections, and only a total of 57,000 votes have separated the two parties in those campaigns.
Republicans are holding their national convention in Florida in August in hopes of giving themselves an edge in the state.
Obama was hitting hard on themes important to residents of Florida, a state heavily populated with retired Americans, military personnel and a middle class worried about the slow economic recovery and unemployment.
Obama said the basic bargain in the United States was "at risk like never before" because of Republican policies, those promoted by Romney who has a fortune estimated at a quarter billion dollars.
"No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, American has always been a place where you can make it if you work hard," Obama said.
Obama, speaking directly to retired Americans, hammered Romney for backing a plan that would overhaul Medicare, government health insurance for those over 65. He said those changes would end up costing retired people an additional USD 6,400 a year.
View the Original article
Bulgaria shows images of bomber behind attack on Israelis
BURGAS: Bulgarian authorities on Thursday released images of the suspected suicide bomber behind a deadly attack on Israeli tourists that Israel has blamed on Iran.
US investigators from the FBI joined the probe into Wednesday's bombing at a Black Sea airport that killed six people and wounded more than 30 as international condemnation of the attack grew.
Israel blamed Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Iran described the accusations as "ridiculous".
"The suicide bomber, wearing shorts and carrying a backpack, looked like any other tourist," said Bulgarian interior minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
Authorities released a video showing a white man with long hair, possibly a wig, and sunglasses wandering around Burgas airport.
Tsvetanov said he appeared to be aged about 26 and had a fake driving licence from the US state of Michigan.
The authorities had taken fingerprints and were being helped by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol and Europol, to discover the bomber's identity, the minister said.
The explosion ripped through a bus as around 50 Israeli tourists arriving from Tel Aviv were loading their bags before travelling to a nearby holiday and gambling resort.
Five tourists were killed at the scene. The Bulgarian driver died later in hospital, officials said. Thirty-two people were wounded.
The remains of the victims arrived early Friday at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.
The five coffins, with Israeli flags draped over them, were taken off a military plane that landed at 12:30 am Friday (2130 GMT Thursday). Dozens of mourning relatives had gathered for the plane's arrival.
Many of the wounded, including teenagers, also arrived back in Tel Aviv after being flown home by the Israeli air force.
These included a pregnant woman and a young girl who was carrying a sandal because her right foot was wrapped in bandages.
Many had been taken in wheelchairs to ambulances to board the flight home, some still with their blood-stained holiday clothes on.
Witnesses to the bloody attack described how panicked passengers jumped from bus windows and bodies lay strewn on the ground with their clothes torn off.
"I would have lost my life in a split-second, had I not jumped out of the bus's window," survivor Moshe Moseri told Israeli news website Walla, describing seeing "corpses on the floor with their arms and legs severed".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was part of "a global campaign of terror carried out by Iran and Hezbollah".
US President Barack Obama said the United States "will stand with our allies, and provide whatever assistance is necessary" to catch the perpetrators of what he called a "barbaric terrorist attack".
The diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process -- the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and United States -- branded the attack as "brutal" and an "act of cowardice" against innocent victims.
The UN Security Council said in a statement it "condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack aimed at Israeli tourists."
Iran's state television said Israel's "ridiculous" accusations were "aimed at creating an anti-Iranian atmosphere" amid rising tensions over Tehran's nuclear drive which the West suspects is aimed at building the atomic bomb.
"The Zionist regime, which is responsible for terrorist acts organised in Lebanon, Palestine and against Iranian nuclear scientists... is launching baseless accusations against other countries to forget its own terrorist nature," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The bomber struck on the 18th anniversary of an attack on a Jewish community centre in Argentina that killed 85 people and was also blamed on Iran.
On top of the condemnation, several countries have boosted security, including Cyprus and Bulgaria's neighbour Austria.
Burgas airport reopened under heavy security with all traces of the attack removed, although the bomb site remained off-limits behind police tape.
A cordon was set up around the airport building where people had to have all bags checked.
Austria, which is home to about 10,000 Jews, said it had taken extra security measures at Jewish community buildings, airports and for groups of Israelis in the country.
The bus wreckage was loaded on to a truck and taken away, along with another bus that also caught fire in the blast and which had a large blood stain down its side.
Israel and Bulgaria have good relations and the Black Sea coast has become a popular holiday spot for Israelis, with almost 140,000 visiting the country in 2011. About 13 percent of the Bulgarian population is Muslim.
View the Original article
US investigators from the FBI joined the probe into Wednesday's bombing at a Black Sea airport that killed six people and wounded more than 30 as international condemnation of the attack grew.
Israel blamed Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Iran described the accusations as "ridiculous".
"The suicide bomber, wearing shorts and carrying a backpack, looked like any other tourist," said Bulgarian interior minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
Authorities released a video showing a white man with long hair, possibly a wig, and sunglasses wandering around Burgas airport.
Tsvetanov said he appeared to be aged about 26 and had a fake driving licence from the US state of Michigan.
The authorities had taken fingerprints and were being helped by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol and Europol, to discover the bomber's identity, the minister said.
The explosion ripped through a bus as around 50 Israeli tourists arriving from Tel Aviv were loading their bags before travelling to a nearby holiday and gambling resort.
Five tourists were killed at the scene. The Bulgarian driver died later in hospital, officials said. Thirty-two people were wounded.
The remains of the victims arrived early Friday at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.
The five coffins, with Israeli flags draped over them, were taken off a military plane that landed at 12:30 am Friday (2130 GMT Thursday). Dozens of mourning relatives had gathered for the plane's arrival.
Many of the wounded, including teenagers, also arrived back in Tel Aviv after being flown home by the Israeli air force.
These included a pregnant woman and a young girl who was carrying a sandal because her right foot was wrapped in bandages.
Many had been taken in wheelchairs to ambulances to board the flight home, some still with their blood-stained holiday clothes on.
Witnesses to the bloody attack described how panicked passengers jumped from bus windows and bodies lay strewn on the ground with their clothes torn off.
"I would have lost my life in a split-second, had I not jumped out of the bus's window," survivor Moshe Moseri told Israeli news website Walla, describing seeing "corpses on the floor with their arms and legs severed".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was part of "a global campaign of terror carried out by Iran and Hezbollah".
US President Barack Obama said the United States "will stand with our allies, and provide whatever assistance is necessary" to catch the perpetrators of what he called a "barbaric terrorist attack".
The diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process -- the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and United States -- branded the attack as "brutal" and an "act of cowardice" against innocent victims.
The UN Security Council said in a statement it "condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack aimed at Israeli tourists."
Iran's state television said Israel's "ridiculous" accusations were "aimed at creating an anti-Iranian atmosphere" amid rising tensions over Tehran's nuclear drive which the West suspects is aimed at building the atomic bomb.
"The Zionist regime, which is responsible for terrorist acts organised in Lebanon, Palestine and against Iranian nuclear scientists... is launching baseless accusations against other countries to forget its own terrorist nature," a foreign ministry spokesman said.
The bomber struck on the 18th anniversary of an attack on a Jewish community centre in Argentina that killed 85 people and was also blamed on Iran.
On top of the condemnation, several countries have boosted security, including Cyprus and Bulgaria's neighbour Austria.
Burgas airport reopened under heavy security with all traces of the attack removed, although the bomb site remained off-limits behind police tape.
A cordon was set up around the airport building where people had to have all bags checked.
Austria, which is home to about 10,000 Jews, said it had taken extra security measures at Jewish community buildings, airports and for groups of Israelis in the country.
The bus wreckage was loaded on to a truck and taken away, along with another bus that also caught fire in the blast and which had a large blood stain down its side.
Israel and Bulgaria have good relations and the Black Sea coast has become a popular holiday spot for Israelis, with almost 140,000 visiting the country in 2011. About 13 percent of the Bulgarian population is Muslim.
View the Original article
US army members to march in gay pride parade, first time in history
CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA: The defense department on Thursday announced it is allowing service members to march in uniform in a gay pride parade for the first time in US history.
In a memorandum sent military-wide, the department said it was making an exception to its policy that generally bars troops from marching in uniform in parades unless individuals get approval from their commanders.
The defense department said it was making the exception for San Diego's Gay Pride Parade that will take place on Saturday because organizers had encouraged military personnel to march in their uniform and the event was getting national attention.
The parade last year had the largest contingency of active-duty troops participate before the military lifted its ban on openly gay service members. Last year, participants wore T-shirts with their branch name.
The Pentagon said the exception is only for this year's parade in San Diego and does not extend beyond that.
San Diego Pride executive director Dwayne Crenshaw called it an historic moment.
"San Diego Pride is honored to have the privilege of celebrating our country and our service members with dignity and respect," he said. "The fight for equality is not over, and it is not easy, but this is a giant leap in the right direction."
The exception came after several service members wanting to participate in the parade were told they could not do so in uniform. Others were granted permission by their commanding officers.
"I think many people thought after 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was gone, discriminatory things would be eradicated," said former sailor Sean Sala, who led the campaign to have troops in uniform in the parade. "But now these parades have become a very sticky subject as far as commanders using their own discretion because they are showing either a bias toward a pride parade, or the right view, which this is about recognizing who people are."
Sala says more than 300 service members have signed up to participate this year. It was unclear how many will wear their uniform.
The defense department said in its message to the service members that they should adhere to policy regarding behavior while wearing their uniforms.
Service members in uniform cannot appear to endorse or selectively benefit groups or individuals, provide a platform for a political message, or appear to be commercially sponsored. They also must ensure their presence in uniform is not intended to increase sales and business traffic.
View the Original article
In a memorandum sent military-wide, the department said it was making an exception to its policy that generally bars troops from marching in uniform in parades unless individuals get approval from their commanders.
The defense department said it was making the exception for San Diego's Gay Pride Parade that will take place on Saturday because organizers had encouraged military personnel to march in their uniform and the event was getting national attention.
The parade last year had the largest contingency of active-duty troops participate before the military lifted its ban on openly gay service members. Last year, participants wore T-shirts with their branch name.
The Pentagon said the exception is only for this year's parade in San Diego and does not extend beyond that.
San Diego Pride executive director Dwayne Crenshaw called it an historic moment.
"San Diego Pride is honored to have the privilege of celebrating our country and our service members with dignity and respect," he said. "The fight for equality is not over, and it is not easy, but this is a giant leap in the right direction."
The exception came after several service members wanting to participate in the parade were told they could not do so in uniform. Others were granted permission by their commanding officers.
"I think many people thought after 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was gone, discriminatory things would be eradicated," said former sailor Sean Sala, who led the campaign to have troops in uniform in the parade. "But now these parades have become a very sticky subject as far as commanders using their own discretion because they are showing either a bias toward a pride parade, or the right view, which this is about recognizing who people are."
Sala says more than 300 service members have signed up to participate this year. It was unclear how many will wear their uniform.
The defense department said in its message to the service members that they should adhere to policy regarding behavior while wearing their uniforms.
Service members in uniform cannot appear to endorse or selectively benefit groups or individuals, provide a platform for a political message, or appear to be commercially sponsored. They also must ensure their presence in uniform is not intended to increase sales and business traffic.
View the Original article
Encounter between CRPF and Naxals in Maharashtra
GADCHIROLI: An encounter broke out between CRPF jawans and Maoists in Kaneri forest in Dhanora taluka of the district on Friday.
The firing between the two sides began at around 7.30am, police said.
Acting on a tip-off that there was a Naxal hideout in the forest area, jawans of CRPF 192 battalion rushed to the site.
On seeing the forces, the ultras started firing at them and in retaliation police also opened fire.
According to latest reports, police say Naxals have fled the area and the firing has stopped.
A search operation is on in the area.
View the Original article
The firing between the two sides began at around 7.30am, police said.
Acting on a tip-off that there was a Naxal hideout in the forest area, jawans of CRPF 192 battalion rushed to the site.
On seeing the forces, the ultras started firing at them and in retaliation police also opened fire.
According to latest reports, police say Naxals have fled the area and the firing has stopped.
A search operation is on in the area.
View the Original article
Thursday, July 19, 2012
US House votes to cut USD 650mn in military aid to Pak
WASHINGTON: In a latest jab at Pakistan by the US, the House of Representatives has unanimously voted to cut American military aid to Islamabad by USD 650 million as Republicans sought to tamp down demands for deeper reductions.
The amendment to cut the aid, which was proposed by Republican Congressman Ted Poe, passed on the floor in a voice vote. Poe had demanded a USD 1.3 billion cut, but settled for the 650 million cut. It will now go to Senate for approval.
"Pakistan is the 'Benedict Arnold' to America in the war on terror. They are disloyal, deceptive and a danger to the United States," said Poe, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"This so-called ally continues to take billions in US aid, while funding the militants who attack us. And we've kept the money flowing. It's time we turn off the tap," Poe said.
The State Department, however, refused to comment on the development, saying that since the legislative process was ongoing, he would not have any particular reaction.
"We continue to consult with Congress, but I don't have any particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate," said State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell.
"We continue to, obviously, support our Pakistani counterparts in key areas like counterterrorism, but I don't have a particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate," Ventrell told reporters.
"By continuing to provide aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans and undermining our efforts in the region. We don't need to pay them to betray us; they are already doing it for free," said Poe.
The passage of the amendment comes at a fragile time for relations between the US and Pakistan, which only recently overcame differences that led Pakistan closing down a critical supply route into Afghanistan that had cost the United States about USD 100 million in additional war costs.
View the Original article
The amendment to cut the aid, which was proposed by Republican Congressman Ted Poe, passed on the floor in a voice vote. Poe had demanded a USD 1.3 billion cut, but settled for the 650 million cut. It will now go to Senate for approval.
"Pakistan is the 'Benedict Arnold' to America in the war on terror. They are disloyal, deceptive and a danger to the United States," said Poe, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"This so-called ally continues to take billions in US aid, while funding the militants who attack us. And we've kept the money flowing. It's time we turn off the tap," Poe said.
The State Department, however, refused to comment on the development, saying that since the legislative process was ongoing, he would not have any particular reaction.
"We continue to consult with Congress, but I don't have any particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate," said State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell.
"We continue to, obviously, support our Pakistani counterparts in key areas like counterterrorism, but I don't have a particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate," Ventrell told reporters.
"By continuing to provide aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans and undermining our efforts in the region. We don't need to pay them to betray us; they are already doing it for free," said Poe.
The passage of the amendment comes at a fragile time for relations between the US and Pakistan, which only recently overcame differences that led Pakistan closing down a critical supply route into Afghanistan that had cost the United States about USD 100 million in additional war costs.
View the Original article
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)