CURRENT AFFAIRS: 09/28/11

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Pakistan PM warns U.S. against fanning anti-Americanism

(Reuters) - Pakistan's prime minister warned the United States on Tuesday to stop accusing it of playing a double game with Islamist militants, and said Washington must correct a perceived tilt toward arch-foe India.

Hina widens NYinteractions UNSG briefed on Paak anti-terror response

New York—Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar held meetings with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Russian, Iranian and other foreign ministers at the UN Headquarter, here on Tuesday.

While talking to the UN Secretary General (UNSG), the

Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has defended her country’s intelligence agencies in fighting terrorism amid a row with the U.S. over allegations that the ISI had backed the Haqqani network in carrying out high-profile terror attacks.

China's foreign minister urged the United States on Monday to reconsider its decision to upgrade Taiwan's F-16 jet fighter fleet, saying it could harm ties between Washington and Beijing, a U.S. official said.

A stampede triggered when a fire broke out on board a docked ferry in Indonesia left at least eight people dead and dozens injured yesterday, officials said.
More than 500 passengers panicked when a freight truck carrying onions overheated and caught fire around dawn aboard the KM Kirana IX, docked at the giant Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, eastern Java’s biggest city.

Eight killed in stampede sparked by ferry fire

Eight passengers aboard the KM Kirana IX ferry were trampled to death in a stampede sparked by panic on Wednesday, after a truck laden with garlic caught fire inside the ferry at Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya.

The fire triggered chaos as passengers attempted to flee the vessel, which was about to leave for Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she hoped Egypt would lift its emergency law before June 2012, the date set by the caretaker military rulers in Cairo.

But Clinton, speaking at a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr, said Washington supports the steps Egypt has taken toward democratic elections following president Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in February.

Bedouins watch fire from a previous attack on a terminal of the Egyptian natural gas pipeline in July. Gunmen have attacked the pipeline, which supplies Israel and Jordan, for the sixth time since February. (Associated Press)

Gunmen have attacked Egypt's main natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan for the sixth time since the uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak in February, security officials say.

Internally displaced Tamils at a camp Sri Lanka, where those forcibly removed from the UK face risk of maltreatment, say charities. Photograph: Eranga Jayawardena/AP

The government has conceded that it is doing almost nothing to establish what is happening to scores of Tamils who are being forcibly removed from the UK, despite concerns for their safety in Sri Lanka.

A flight chartered by the UK Border Agency was due to depart on Wednesday with up to 50 failed asylum applicants on board, 24 hours after several human rights groups warned that they could face detention without trial, torture or even death.

Reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa—

Two retired icons and Nobel Peace Prize laureates, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, are being kept waiting as the South African government weighs a decision on granting a visa for the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Visa Furor Over Dalai Lama Visit to Africa

JOHANNESBURG—South Africa on Tuesday refused to say whether it would grant an entry visa to the Dalai Lama, whose plan to visit next week puts the country's leadership in a tight spot with its largest trading partner, China.

Associated Press

The Dalai Lama in India on Friday.

WASHINGTON — The United States condemned what it called a "violent attack by a Serb mob" against NATO peacekeepers at a checkpoint in northern Kosovo, calling for calm from Pristina and Belgrade.

The State Department said that nine members of the alliance's KFOR peacekeeping force were injured in Tuesday's incident on the disputed border. An earlier toll said four peacekeepers were hurt.

Kosovo Serbs flash traditional three-finger signs, a traditional Serbian Orthodox gesture, in front of Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers from Germany at the closed Serbia-Kosovo border crossing of Jarinje September 27, 2011. REUTERS/StringerMILITARY)

At least 16 Kosovo Serbs and four NATO troops were injured in clashes at a disputed Kosovo-Serbian border crossing on Tuesday, NATO officials and local authorities said.

Eight policemen were killed in an attack early Wednesday near a southern city that is seen as a pioneer in transition from Nato to Afghan control over security, an Afghan police commander said.

8 policemen shot dead in Afghan checkpoint attack

Eight policemen were killed in the attack Photo: EPA

11:31AM BST 28 Sep 2011

Gen. Nabi Jan Mullahkhail, deputy regional commander in the south, said the predawn attack targeted a police checkpoint near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, where the insurgency has strongholds. Three police were wounded in the attack.

SANAA, Yemen — Yemeni military officials say armed tribesmen have shot down a government warplane that was bombing their positions north of the capital, Sanaa.

A Defence Ministry official confirmed Wednesday's incident but gave no further details.

Tribesmen overran a military base belonging to Yemen's elite Republican Guards earlier this week in the area where the aircraft was shot down.

Saudi woman to be lashed for driving

CAIRO: A Saudi woman has been sentenced to be lashed 10 times with a whip for defying the kingdom's prohibition on female drivers, the first time a legal punishment has been handed down for a violation of the ban in the ultraconservative Muslim nation.

Saudi Arabia will allow women to stand for election and vote, the king announced on Sunday, in a significant policy shift in the conservative Islamic kingdom.

In a five-minute speech, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud said women will also take part in the next session of the unelected, advisory Shura Council, which vets legislation but has no binding powers.

Elation turned to tears this week in Saudi Arabia as women’s rights took a small step forward and a giant leap back.

Just 48 hours after King Abdullah announced to his Shura Council of advisers on Sunday that, henceforth, women would have the right to stand for office and to nominate candidates in future municipal elections, a court convicted a Saudi woman of driving without government permission. It sentenced her to 10 lashes with a whip, the most serious punishment ever given for the offence.

Saudi King Abdullah has overturned a court ruling sentencing a Saudi woman to be lashed 10 times for defying the kingdom’s ban on female drivers, a government official said Wednesday.

The official declined to elaborate on the monarch’s decision, and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

Typhoon heads to China after hitting Philippines

HONG KONG (AP) — Residents of Hong Kong braced themselves Thursday for the arrival of a powerful typhoon that brought death and destruction when it tore through the Philippines earlier this week.

Hong Kong's stock market closed Thursday and shops and businesses shuttered as Typhoon Nesat made its way across the South China Sea from the Philippines, where the storm killed 35 people and that left another 45 missing.

Huge floods in Manila as typhoon hits Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Massive flooding hit the Philippine capital on Tuesday as typhoon winds and rains isolated the historic old city where residents waded in waist-deep waters, dodging tree branches and debris.

Egypt's first parliamentary elections since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak will begin on Nov. 28, the country's military rulers say in an announcement greeted with little fanfare by activists, who have grown deeply suspicious of the generals' commitment to change.

THE US and its European allies dropped their bid to impose United Nations sanctions on Syria in order to win votes for a Security Council resolution that condemns repression of protesters and demands an end to the violence.

Indian economy will continue to grow: President

Amid growing fears of another global recession looming large, President Pratibha Patil today exuded confidence that India with its "strong fundamentals and resilience" will continue to grow economically.

Explain delay in deciding Bhullar’s mercy plea: Supreme Court to Centre

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to explain a delay of over eight years in deciding the mercy plea of terrorist Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast here in September 1993 killing nine people.

Mumbai: Taking a dig at the BJP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said the party seemed to have "opened" a Right To Information department.

He also said he was ready to face any probe with regard to the 2G spectrum scam.

Shiv Sena on Tuesday had sought a probe against him.

Five militants were gunned down in an ongoing encounter in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, army officials said on Wednesday. The encounter also claimed lives of three security personnel.

The encounter started on Monday in a dense forest in Kralpora area of Kupwara. Police and army personnel cordoned off the area on specific information about the presence of militants.

Lucknow: Ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Chief Minister Mayawati today announced formation of three new districts in the state drawing sharp reaction from the Opposition which dubbed the move as politically-motivated.

The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the two Left parties, the CPI and the CPI(M), have decided to fight the local body elections together. The decision follows the AIADMK's refusal to accommodate their demand for more seats. The DMDK and the Left parties were part of the AIADMK alliance in the April Assembly elections.

Vigilance probe ordered into Old Delhi building collapse

NEW DELHI: Facing allegations of allowing illegal construction in Old Delhi, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday ordered a vigilance inquiry into the building collapse incident to ascertain whether the owner had connived with civic body officials in construction activities.

At least five people have been killed in a building collapse in the Indian capital, Delhi, police say.

Rescuers freed a boy who was trapped overnight when the building in the crowded Chandni Mahal area collapsed as he was passing by late on Tuesday.

Member of Jan Lokpal drafting committee Santosh Hegde on Sunday said Goa should have its Lokayukta in place in the wake of raging controversies like illegal mining and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations in the state.

New Delhi: "Thanks for giving us motor cycles. But our income is low. We need petrol allowance too," was a plea a few physically-challenged people made to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra on Wednesday.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday made her maiden entry into the West Bengal Assembly winning the Bhowanipore seat by a convincing 54,213 votes, humbling the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s candidate Nandini Mukherjee.

Governor appointed Lokayukta in haste: Gujarat Govt to HC

Trivedi said the Governor's decision to consult the attorney general of India and then refer the list back to CJ, asking him to suggest only one name, departed from the established process. It was against the Constitution. He contended that in August, Chief Minister had conveyed his reservations against Mehta to the CJ, as well as the the Governor. CM had quoted various speeches made by Mehta at different forums in his letter, Trivedi said. When the consultation was on, the Governor should have waited, he said. Governor's office had no proper understanding of the provisions of the Constitution, he said. Such actions of personal discretion put the democracy in peril, he added.

Modi fast: Governor seeks details of expenses

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal has sought details of expenditure incurred on Narendra Modi's three-day 'Sadbhavna' fast, intensifying the faceoff with the Chief Minister who has demanded her recall.

New Delhi: The magnitude of the 2G scam which got defined by the CAG's assertion of a presumptive loss of Rs 1,76,000 crore is now under threat.

Documents accessed by network 18 show that the CAG overruled its own auditor's figure of 2,600 crores, hiking the estimated loss from 2G spectrum sale.

CAG's initial 2G loss figure was Rs 2645 crore: RTI

Fresh controversy is set to erupt over Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai's loss estimates on the 2G spectrum sale. CAG documents accessed through Right to Information Act (RTI) by accused show that CAG overruled its own auditor on 2G loss calculation.

11 more bodies found as flood water recedes in Orissa, toll 38

Rescuers today recovered 11 bodies after water receded from the inundated areas of Orissa taking the toll in the second spell of flood to 38 as the state government cancelled Dussehra holidays for personnel engaged in relief operation.

"As food water receded in most areas, some bodies were recovered today from paddy fields," Revenue and Disaster Management Minister SN Patro said.

Report by Pravuprasad Routray; Bhubaneswar: Rescue and relief operations are continuing in the flood affected areas of Orissa. Centre deployed 13 teams of NDRF. NDRF's 393 men with 78 boats and rescue equipment etc are carrying out rescue and relief operations.

2G scam: CBI to file FIR against Maran soon

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will file an FIR against former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran in the 2G spectrum allocation scam soon.

The CBI on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the charges against Maran would be finalised by September 30.

Maran was forced to resign as Union Minister of Textiles following allegations that he arm-twisted Aircel owner C Sivasankarn to sell his 74 per cent stake to Maxis group of Malaysia.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the preliminary inquiry in respect of former communications ministerDayanidhi Maran in the 2G scam has been completed and a first information report (FIR) would be registered in a few days after a decision is taken by September 30.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Ganguly that the conclusions drawn on the basis of the initial inquiry were being looked into by its officials.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Eight policemen were killed in an attack early Wednesday near a southern city that is seen as a pioneer in transition from Nato to Afghan control over security, an Afghan police commander said.

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