Posts

Showing posts from August 12, 2012

Gunmen raid homes, kill 6 people in northern Iraq

Gunmen kill 6 people in northern Iraq Baghdad: Iraqi officials say gunmen have raided two family homes in a northern Iraqi city, killing six people. Provincial police officials say the raids took place on Saturday in the city of Mosul. In the first attack, four people were killed, including a husband and wife. In the second house, gunmen killed two men. Local authorities say they are investigating the two attacks. Mosul was once an al-Qaeda stronghold. It is about 360 kilometers north of Baghdad. The attacks came two days after a relentless assault across the country killed at least 93 people and wounded many more in what was the second deadliest day in Iraq since US troops left in December. Source http://post.jagran.com/gunmen-raid-homes-kill-6-people-in-northern-iraq-1345302519

Mullah Omar taunts US, Britain

London: Taliban leader Mullah Omar, one of the world's most wanted terrorists, has spoken out against the US and Britain by saying the "invading enemy" will "come under crushing blows" and flee Afghanistan. Mullah Omar has been on the run for more than a decade and has even been reported dead, The Sun reported. The 53-year-old one-eyed terrorist was the staunchest supporters of slain Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. He has a prize of more than 6.5 million pounds ($10 million) on his head. According to the Telegraph, the Taliban leader's statement to mark Eid ul-Fitr said militants had "cleverly infiltrated in the ranks of the enemy according to the plan given to them last year". "Many conscious Afghans in the rank and file of the enemy have shown willingness to help the Mujahideen," he said. "As a result, the foreign invaders and their allies in their military centres and bases do come under crushing blows of these heroic s

Syria revolt attracts motley foreign jihadi corps

A fighter returns to a Free Syrian Army safe house after a shift on the Aleppo frontline, cranks up the volume of the television, lights a cigarette and looks at himself in a broken mirror. "Anyone got hair gel? I look a mess." Meet Abu Zeid al-Tunsi, a Tunisian elite sniper and the group's official jihadi troubadour. Syria's rebellion has attracted fighters from dozens of countries but their motivations do not always fit the Al-Qaeda mold, making for a colourful and multilingual crew with some very personal interpretations of jihad, or holy war. Abu Zeid, who also fought alongside Libya's rebels last year to help bring an end to Moamer Kadhafi's 42-year rule, describes himself as a "freelance" jihadi fighter who does not belong to any group. President "Bashar al-Assad and his people are Shiite and it is my duty to help in restoring true Islam, Sunni Islam," he explains, gulping down a bottle of ice-cold mandarin crush. "I

US drone kills six militants in Pakistan: officials

A US drone attack Saturday killed at least six militants in a remote Pakistani tribal town near the Afghan border as local people celebrated the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, security officials said. The attack was the first since Pakistan's spymaster, Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam, held talks with his CIA counterpart in Washington earlier this month in which drone strikes were said to have been discussed. The drone fired two missiles on a compound in Shuwedar village in Shawal district of the troubled North Waziristan region, considered a stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants. "US drones fired two missiles into a militant compound. Six bodies have been recovered from the compound so far," a security official told AFP. Residents and local intelligence officials confirmed the attack and the casualties. The missiles also destroyed a car parked at the compound, they said. It was the third drone attack since the start of the Muslim fasting mont

Troops, communist rebels clash

By Bong Garcia Saturday, August 18, 2012 GOVERNMENT troops have recovered ammunitions and subversive documents, including a laptop computer, abandoned by communist rebels following a clash in Zamboanga Sibugay, a military official said Saturday. Army's 1st Infantry Division spokesman Captain Alberto Caber said the clash broke out around 4:30 p.m. Friday in the village of Palalian, Malangas, Zamboanga Sibugay province. Caber said the clash broke out when the troops from the 14th Scout Ranger Company of the 4th Scout Ranger Battalion were checking the presence of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Palalian village as reported by a civilian informant. The firefight lasted for several minutes, after which the NPA from the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) fled to different directions. No one among the government forces were either killed or injured while the NPA rebels were believed to have suffered casualties, Caber added. The troops, who scoured the cla

11 'FARC aides' arrested in southwestern Colombia army offensive

SATURDAY, 18 AUGUST 2012 ADRIAAN ALSEMA Colombia's defense minister said Friday the army has captured 11 aides of the FARC in the violence-ridden southwest of the country. The 11 suspects were arrested in a surprise raid on the village of El Palo, located in the north of the Cauca department that has suffered under extreme violence between FARC and army for years. According to a press release of the Defense ministry, the 11 are aides of the guerrillas' 6th Front. Additionally, armed forces arrested "El Enano," an alleged guerrilla suspected of having killed an army major earlier this year, Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said. The Colombian armed forces have been carrying out several offensives in response to a series of rebel attacks in the north of the Cauca department, a hotbed of guerrilla activity and considered crucial for the cultivation of coca and marijuana, and an important corridor for several drug trafficking organizations trying to transport illic

FARC controls 93% of illicit crops in Cauca: Colombia police

SATURDAY, 18 AUGUST 2012 07:48 ADRIAAN ALSEMA Colombia's largest rebel group FARC control 93% of coca and marijuana crops in the southwestern Cauca department, the National Police told Congress Friday. According to newspaper El Tiempo, Police director Jose Roberto Leon sent a report to Congress in which he explained that the FARC's 6th Front, an elite unit of the rebel organization, is in charge of the FARC's drug cultivation and trafficking in the department. Recent violence in the north of Cauca is due to the FARC's attempt maintain control of important drug trafficking routes through the region and the recover territory in the neighboring Tolima and Huila departments lost in 2010 and 2011 when the army launched a major offensive that eventually led to the killing of the FARC's supreme leader, "Alfonso Cano," said the report. Additionally, one of the objectives of the FARC's 6th Front is to "seek sources of financing through drug traffi

Kidnapping, Spats on Docket of Syria Rebel Boss

By CHARLES LEVINSON QOBTAN JEBEL, Syria—One morning this week, Sheik Tawfeeq Shehab Eddin replaced his AK-47 with a Bic pen and took up his post behind a metal desk. Mr. Shehab Eddin is one of the four rural commanders of the Tawheed Division, an Islamist-dominated umbrella force that is leading Syrian rebels' fight around the country's largest city, Aleppo, against forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Their division has driven pro-Assad forces from much of the Aleppan countryside and some of Aleppo. On Friday, division fighters fought regime tanks near the city's airport. The regime's pullout from much of the countryside last month has left the Tawheed Division as the area's army, government and police. That is why on Wednesday, Mr. Shehab Eddin and his aides spent some 14 hours hashing out questions about their next deployment to the front line in Aleppo, scrambling to defuse a flare-up with a neighboring Kurdish village and mediating petty disputes be

Shamoon virus targets energy sector infrastructure

17 August 2012 Saudi Aramco is Saudi Arabia's national oil provider A new threat targeting infrastructure in the energy industry has been uncovered by security specialists. The attack, known as Shamoon, is said to have hit "at least one organisation" in the sector. Shamoon is capable of wiping files and rendering several computers on a network unusable. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's national oil company said an attack had led to its own network being taken offline. Although Saudi Aramco did not link the issue to the Shamoon threat, it did confirm that the company had suffered a "sudden disruption". In a statement, the company said it had now isolated its computer networks as a precautionary measure. The disruptions were "suspected to be the result of a virus that had infected personal workstations without affecting the primary components of the network", a statement read. It said the attack had had "no impact whatsoever"

Nato air strikes in eastern Afghanistan kill Taliban

18 August 2012 At least 13 Taliban militants have been killed in Nato air strikes in the east Afghan province of Kunar, which lies on the border with Pakistan. Local officials reported the death of 46 suspected Taliban members while the insurgents themselves confirmed 13 had been killed and 10 wounded. Kunar border areas have come under heavy shelling from the Pakistani side in recent months. Afghanistan and Pakistan accuse each other of failing to stop infiltrators. The air strikes occurred in the Chapa Dara district of Kunar. There are conflicting reports about what the Taliban had been doing before the attack. District police chief Najibullah Gujar told AFP news agency the militants had gathered to publicly execute a man accused of killing another man from a rival family. However, Mohammad Daud Zarba, deputy police chief of Kunar, told the agency that the militants had been planning to attack and take over the district. Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-193

Yemen attack: 'Al-Qaeda' fires on Aden intelligence HQ

18 August 2012 GMT The militants managed to escape after carrying out the attack Suspected al-Qaeda militants have attacked the intelligence headquarters of Yemen's southern city of Aden killing 14 people, officials say. The militants attacked the building from two sides, firing rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons inside. The "well-planned" attack took place in Aden's coastal Tawahi neighbourhood. Al-Qaeda remains active in the area, after a security vacuum was created in a year of protests against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Militants have seized large parts of the south and east of the country. A recent, two-month military offensive backed by the US drove them from their strongholds in towns in the southern Abyan province but many escaped into nearby mountains from where they continue to launch attacks. Among the dead in the Aden attack were at least 11 soldiers, many of whom were reported to be sleeping when hand grenades were thro

Thousands continue to flee Indian cities

The BBC's Yogita Limaye said Bangalore railway station was crowded for the third day running The exodus of people from India's north-eastern states living in the southern city of Bangalore continues with more migrant workers fleeing. There are reports of people from the region fleeing the cities of Chennai (Madras) and Pune as well. PM Manmohan Singh has appealed for calm and said peace "must be maintained at any cost". Officials have blamed the exodus on "rumour mongering" linked to clashes in the north-eastern Assam state. More than 300,000 people fled after fighting between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim settlers in Assam. Fresh violence between the two sides was reported on Thursday when a mob set fire to a bus and a road bridge, reports say. At least nine people were reported to be injured in clashes. The main railway station in Bangalore was flooded with migrant workers from north-eastern states for a second successive day on Thursday

Crisis in Syria boosts Kurdish hopes

18 August 2012 By Orla Guerin BBC News, Syria Government forces have pulled out of much of the quiet corner of Syria With Syrian forces focused on the fighting in the big cities, Kurdish leaders say they now control half of their region in the north-east. Travelling undercover, the BBC's Orla Guerin found many already looking forward to autonomy in a democratic Syria. With gold-rimmed glasses, a neat black moustache and a pinstripe shirt, the middle-aged man who came to meet us could have been a bank manager. He was unmarried, he explained, and had no children. He wanted us to know that was a choice, not a twist of fate. "As a Kurd I am not free," he said. "I couldn't father a child who was also a prisoner." Instead of becoming a husband and a father, he became a guerrilla fighter, and an activist. He has spent 15 years fighting for self-rule for the Kurds. These days he feels it is getting a lot closer. In parts of Syria's Kurdish north-e

EXPLOSION AT INTELLIGENCE CENTER IN QAMIŞLO

by Naila Bozo The Kurdish Youth Movement (Tevgera Ciwanên Kurd, TCK) in West Kurdistan has confirmed that an explosion has taken place today at a Syrian intelligence center in Qamişlo. The explosion could be heard in the western part of the town 4 kilometers away from the center. A store owner 2 kilometers away from the intelligence center said books fell down from the shelves in his store. The Hamza battalion of the Free Syrian Army takes responsibility for the explosion, says Avend Akreyî, a member of TCK. This will most likely cause concern among Kurdish parties in Qamişlo seeing as they do not accept the Free Syrian Army to fight in the Kurdish areas. The video shows the intelligence center where the explosion took place: Explosion in Qamişlo, August 18th 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvfvuWxLBc&feature=youtube_gdata_player Avend Akreyî says the video has been recorded from a distance because the regime soldiers surrounded the center after the explosion.

Guard against terrorism as race & religion are still exploited globally: DPM Teo

TODAYonline | Singapore | SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean has urged Singaporeans to continue to guard against the threat of terrorism. He said race and religion are still being exploited as divisive factors in many parts of the world. He said the deliberate misinterpretation and misuse of religious teachings is particularly dangerous. Mr Teo said: "That is why we have continually invested in efforts to promote inter-faith harmony and relations. We must all work together to ensure that our society will be resilient enough to withstand the trauma, should an attack take place in Singapore in spite of our best efforts." He made this point at a break fast or "iftar" session at Khadijah Mosque this evening. He commended the Religious Rehabilitation Group for its efforts in helps Jemaah Islamiyah detainees and self-radicalised individuals rehabilitate. The group hosted the annual breaking of fast at the mosque. About 100 guests from various

Homegrown terrorism needs honest accounting

August 16, 2012 Can we finally say the thing we have not said so far? Last week, a white supremacist shot up a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, killing six people and wounding three. It is considered likely that the shooter mistook the Sikhs, whose men wear beards and turbans, for Muslims. The massacre came a few weeks after a characteristically baseless charge by Michele Bachmann and several other conservative legislators that a Muslim aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has ties to Islamic extremism. The juxtaposition of those two events is emphatically not meant to suggest Bachmann somehow “caused” the Wisconsin rampage. No, the point is that we are looking for terror in all the wrong places. Or, perhaps more accurately, that we are not looking for it in all the right places. In the almost 20 years since the first attack by Muslim extremists on the World Trade Center, the following things have happened: The bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City leaves 168 dead a

10 killed in fresh Karachi violence

August 18, 2012 - KARACHI: At least 10 people have been killed in fresh spree of violence in Karachi, Geo News reported. According to reports, unidentified armed men shot dead three people in North Karachi sector 5-C. The deceased are identified as Faizan, Yehya and Maeed. Following the killing, armed men opened fire in at Anda Mor sector 10-C in North Karachi, injuring several people. Later, five of them succumbed to injuries. Earlier, two people were gunned down at Water Pump in the F.B area, spreading a wave of panic among local residents. The local markets located on the Sharah-e-Pakistan were shut down. Police and Rangers have reached the area. Source http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-63857-10-killed-in-fresh-Karachi-violence

Four killed in Quetta blast

August 18, 2012 - QUETTA: At least four people were killed and six security personnel injured in a blast at Qambrani road, Sharifabad area, Geo News reported. According to SHO Shalkot, the security forces signaled a suspicious vehicle to stop and started chasing it when it did not do so. Armed men present in the explosive-laden vehicle detonated themselves as a result four people were killed and six security men injured. The injured were shifted to CMH. Police is further investigating into the incident. Source http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-63854-Four-killed-in-Quetta-blast

Blast outside school in Charsadda

Saturday, August 18, 2012 CHARSADDA: A bomb exploded outside a government school in Shabqadar Tehsil without causing any human or material damage, official sources said on Friday. he sources said the militants had planted explosives outside the Government High School No1 for Boys that went off early in the day. The sources said the blast caused concern in the area, but it didn’t cause any damage. The police rushed to the spot and started an investigation. Source http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-127113-Blast-outside-school-in-Charsadda

The invisible enemy

Saturday, August 18, 2012 Shiba Nanda Basu The future belongs to cyber criminals," was how a senior officer of Kolkata Police expressed his dismay after nabbing a Nigerian national who had cheated a city-based businessman by sending him fraudulent e-mails. Ahead of the Olympics, London's Metropolitan Police received a number of complaints from people who had been inundated with emails informing them that they had won an "Olympic Lottery." The letters were fraudulently signed off by "Reverend Green" who is in fact a Games official. In all cases, the recipients were asked to ring a certain telephone number to stake their claim. But Metropolitan Police acted quickly and established it was a cyber scam. It soon posted a warning on its website that reads: "This is a scam. If you have received such a letter or e-mail do not respond in any way. You may wish to report the matter to Action Fraud via the internet by visiting actionfraud.org.uk." Q

70 computers used for illegal cyber seized

August 18, 2012, Saturday KOTA KINABALU: Police have confiscated more than 70 computer sets modified for illegal cyber activities during a series of raids around the state capital. Acting city police chief ACP Jauteh Dikun said cyber outlets in six locations here were raided during Ops Dadu between August 13 and 16. “Six caretakers of premises, aged 20 to 30, have been detained to facilitate police investigation,” he said at a press conference at the city police headquarters in Karamunsing here yesterday. Besides the 70 computer sets, police also seized a total of RM580 in cash during the raids, he said. Police are investigating the case under Section 4B (a) of the Common Gaming House Act 1953, which carries a fine of between RM20,000 and RM200,000 or five years in jail on conviction. Meanwhile, police have also arrested five people, aged 20 to 40, for selling illegal four-digit numbers to members of the public. Jauteh said the arrests followed a tip-off from the public.

Reseachers Working On Stopping Flame Virus “Gauss”

(CNN) — Researchers at the same cybersecurity lab that announced the discovery of the Flame virus this past May believe they have discovered a related set of code that serves as a Trojan horse, and they’re asking the wider cryptographic community to help them crack it. The newly found code dubbed “Gauss” appears to be a cyber-espionage toolkit that has the ability to intercept passwords, steal computer system configuration information and access credential information for banks located in the Middle East. But researchers at Kaspersky Lab in Russia say things don’t seem to be only as they appear. “We’re talking about a complex package,” says senior security researcher Kurt Baumgartner, who says the code appears to be created by a nation-state. “It’s unique and different in a few ways; it maintains code and has similar functionality to Flame and Stuxnet.” Flame and Stuxnet are computer viruses that have the ability to rewrite code. Stuxnet targeted Iran’s nuclear program. It rewro

Five Peruvian Soldiers Killed In Rebel Attack

8/17/2012 4:46 AM ET (RTTNews) - Peru's military said on Thursday that five of its soldiers were killed after their patrol was ambushed by Shining Path rebels in the country's central region. According to the Armed Forces Joint Command, soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade were ambushed by "terrorist criminals" in the forested Junin region, some 190 miles east of capital Lima, on Wednesday night. It said four sergeants and a corporal were killed in the resultant fighting, which also wounded four other sergeants and another non-commissioned officer. But the statement did not say whether the rebels suffered any casualties. Incidentally, Thursday's rebel attack comes just three months after Peru's Defense and Interior Ministers resigned in May amidst severe criticism over the death of eight police officers in a fierce clash with the Left-wing Shining Path rebels in the country's south. The incident in question happened after Shining Path rebels amb

Rebel dies in clash with soldiers

Friday, August 17, 2012 KIDAPAWAN CITY -- A member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter with the military on Wednesday morning in Sultan Kudarat. The man was identified as alias Ka Ben, operating under the NPA's Southern Alib Regional Guerilla Unit (Sargu) lead by Kumander Joyjoy. Click here to get the latest Kadayawan 2012 updates. According to the Army's 6th Infantry Division Public Affairs chief, Colonel Prudencio Asto, members of the 27th Infantry Division crossed paths with at least 50 NPA men in barangay Dela Paz, Columbio in Sultan Kudarat around 10 a.m. Wednesday. A firefight ensued that lasted 30 minutes with both groups using high-caliber of weapons. The rebels retreated toward the boundary of Columbio and Davao del Sur. The military recovered five high-powered weapons and the body of Ka Ben. The Army's 27th Infantry Battalion commander Colonel Noel Bravo is grateful for the assistance of the residents who oppose the NPA move

PKK Kidnapping Points to Competition Over Tunceli,

17 August 2012 Friday 15:36 The kidnapping of CHP deputy Huseyin Aygun is part of the PKK's strategy to gain greater influence over Tunceli, analysts say. By Alakbar Raufoglu for SES Türkiye -- 16/08/12 The dramatic kidnapping and subsequent release of parliamentarian Huseyin Aygun this week is only one of 142 PKK kidnappings this year, as the terrorist organisation tries to show its strength and ability to undermine the authority of the state. Aygun, a Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy from Tunceli, was abducted late Sunday night (August 12th) after militants stopped his car on a highway in Tunceli. The 42-year-old Kurdish-Alevi lawmaker, who is also a member of the Parliament’s Human Rights Commission, was released unharmed near Ovacik in the Tunceli Province on Tuesday. The kidnapping follows nearly a month of intensified clashes between the PKK and Turkish troops in the southeast. In the PKK's statement regarding Aygun, the group called on the governmen

Colombia's administration not a victim in false FARC demobilization trial

A Colombian judge has denied the request of the Prosecutor General's Office to be named as a victim in the false FARC demobilization trial, reported local media Friday. According to judge in charge of the case, the investigating agency had failed to prove it had suffered damages specifically related to the 2006 false demobilization of a fictitious FARC guerrilla unit, and therefore the Prosecutor General's Office "could not be recognized as a victim." The judge emphasized that it is the role of the prosecution to prove that the accused has committed a crime in specific reference to the case of the false demobilization. "That's where you must prove the alleged harm," said the judge according to newspaper El Espectador. The Prosecutor General's Office had requested to be named as a victim because of damage it suffered due to receiving false information during its investigation. The judge noted that if the prosecution had been named victim in th

Maoists push farmers to grow marijuana

Chhattisgarh's restive Bastar region is fast turning into a hotspot for growing marijuana with Maoist guerrillas making farmers switch to the cash crop, say police officials. "Maoists are pushing farmers in far-off parts of the region to take to growing 'ganja' (marijuana)," Bastar Superintendent of Police BL Meena told IANS. Marijuana is being grown in large areas in Bastar and Dantewada districts bordering Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and in Jashpur district bordering Jharkhand, where police have little access and guerrillas run a parallel government. "The state administration is aware of the cultivation of marijuana in certain areas of Chhattisgarh. It is devising ways to end this menace," the home department's principal secretary NK Aswal told IANS. According to police, the guerrillas took to the new practice after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) opened a cell in state capital Raipur to curb their drug smuggling trade. The southern par

Arms hidden by Maoists found

Jhargram (WB), Aug 17 (PTI) Police today recovered arms hidden by the Maoists in the forests of West Midnapore district. Jhargram SP Bharati Ghosh said based on leads provided by arrested Maoist Ranjan Munda, they searched a forest area near Nayagram village along the Odisha border and found the arms and ammunition hidden inside a plastic bag. The arms include a number cartridges, an AK-47 rifle, 18 detonator and other ammunition. Source http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/arms-hidden-by-maoists-found/1046213.html

Jharkhand: Breakaway group pledge to root out Maoists

Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC), a breakaway group of the CPI (Maoist), on Friday pasted posters warning the Maoists that they would be rooted out. Police sources said the posters appeared in Katkumsandi, Ichak and Barkagaon police station areas which read 'Jharkhand ke nav nirman liye maowadion ko khatam karo, maowadi desh ka dushman hai, maowadi ko Jar se khatam karo (Maoists will be rooted out as they are the enemies of Jharkhand and the country)'. The posters were removed later, police sources said. The two extremists’ outfits, which have a running feud, were locked in gun battles several times. Source http://zeenews.india.com/news/jharkhand/jharkhand-breakaway-group-pledge-to-root-out-maoists_794331.html

Psyjihad against NE people may recreate forgotten barriers

In the psyjihad directed against the people from north-east, one sees the beginning of an insidious attempt to re-create the mental divide and drive a new wedge, says B Raman What we have been seeing since May, 2012, is a proxy jihad through the Internet and modern means of communications such as the cell phone and I-pad, being waged by a new generation of unidentified IT-savvy jihadis. It started in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, following violent clashes between some Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, who are considered as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The clashes resulted in nearly 80 fatalities from both communities and the internal displacement of a large number of Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims. Following these clashes, a group of as yet unidentified Islamic elements, possibly based in the Myanmar-Bangladesh-India region, started a vicious campaign through the Internet and new social media sites for the demonisation of the Myanmar government and for promoting Islamic soli

Fearful migrants flee Indian cities as Islamic fundamentalists issue threats

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured migrants from the northeast of the country that they were safe as thousands fled Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities, fearing a backlash from violence against Muslims in Assam. Railway authorities have laid on extra trains from Bangalore and other cities for the two-day journey back to Assam, a northeastern state famous for its tea and oilfields. Some media reports said that by Friday as many as 15,000 had left cities in the south and west. "What is at stake is the unity of our country. What is at stake is communal harmony," Singh told parliament. "I assure you ... that we will do our utmost to ensure that our friends and our children and our citizens from the northeast feel secure in any and every part of our country." Muslims across India have been alarmed by clashes in recent weeks between indigenous people in Assam and Muslim settlers from neighbouring Bangladesh. At least 75 people have been killed and mor

‘The Assam clashes are about land and livelihood, not religion’

25 Aug 2012 CURRENT AFFAIRS ASSAM RIOTS Q&A Bertil Lintner, Journalist and Author AS BERTIL LINTNER mentions in the introduction of Great Game East, the expression “Great Game” was originally used to denote the struggle between two western powers to wrest control of energy-rich Central Asia. Across the Himalayas, in the east, another great game has been on for some time now between the two Asian giants — India and China. The fight began over Tibet and now includes Northeast India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Indian Ocean. Lintner has even devoted one chapter to Indo-Bangladesh relations in his book. Here, he talks to Kunal Majumder about the ongoing violence in Assam and how the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), once a nationalist movement, ended up becoming a pawn in the great game. Bertil Lintner Great game East Bertil Lintner Harper Collins 442 pp; Rs 699 EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW Your book has an entire chapter on the relationship between Assam and Bangl

India reacts strongly against OIC mentioning J&K as a country

- Hindustan Times India on Friday strongly reacted to Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s mention of Jammu and Kashmir as a country, terming it as 'unacceptable'. "We note that there is an erroneous and factually incorrect mention about an integral part of India by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in its communique issued at its Fourth Extraordinary Summit held in Makkah on August 14-15, 2012. "This is wrong, unacceptable and we reject it," official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin said. He was replying to India's position on OIC's reference to Jammu and Kashmir in its meet in Makkah. Under the heading of 'Solidarity With Other Member States', Final Communique at OIC Summit, said "The Summit affirms its solidarity and full support for Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir, Iraq, Yemen, Ivory Coast, the Union of Comoros and the Republic of Turkish-Cyprus in addressin

India conveys to Pak serious concern over abduction of Hindus

New Delhi: India has conveyed to Pakistan its "serious concerns" over the abduction and forced conversion of Hindu girls and marriage against their will to Muslim men there, government told the Rajya Sabha on Friday. In reply to a question over the problems of Hindus in Pakistan, Minister for External Affairs E Ahamed said the government has come across reports on the issues faced by minority communities in Pakistan. "Government has from time to time come across reports on the problems faced by members of the minority communities in Pakistan, including the reports on abduction of Hindu traders from Baluchistan and the televised conversion of a Hindu young man in Pakistan to Islam," he said. He said it is the responsibility of Pakistani government to discharge its obligation towards its citizens and "incidents of persecution and intimidation of Hindus have also been reported." Based on reports of persecution of minority groups, the

DA warns: 160 gangs looking for trouble

Seeds of violence are planted across the Hub by what authorities say are 160 gangs — some just small crews of kids from the same block, armed to the teeth and itching to fight — that can grow into sophisticated drug operations with international ties. The staggering number of gangs poses a unique problem for Boston lawmen as they scramble to find the ruthless killer of three young women Sunday night on Harlem Street. Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, whose office revealed the shocking tally yesterday, said gang-linked murders make up the “bulk” of the city’s homicides. “It could be just organized around mischief and mayhem,” Conley told the Herald. “Sometimes it’s things most adults in the city would view as completely inconsequential: Somebody looked at you for too long or somebody asked a girl you were interested in out on a date. “When these worlds collide, it could be at a barbecue or a house party, and when you couple that with easy access to firearms and young

Pakistan provides military flights for civilians as 20 more Shias massacred

| World news | guardian.co.uk A series of sectarian massacres on one of Pakistan's most important roads has forced the government to lay on military flights for Shias travelling to and from the country's capital. The decision to allocate C-130 Hercules transport planes for the use of civilians travelling between Islamabad and the north-eastern provincial capital of Gilgit follows the killing on Thursday of 20 Shias. In the third such incident on the road in six months, the victims were pulled off a bus some 100 miles north of Islamabad by armed men, lined up and shot. Local officials said the up to a dozen people wearing army uniforms had stopped the bus before mounting their attack. "After checking their papers, they opened fire and at least 20 people are reported to have been killed," said Khalid Omarzai, administration chief of Mansehra district. Pakistan is struggling to deal with a rising tide of sectarian violence and extremist Sunni militant groups

Syrian activists attack Russian embassy in London

London: Opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pelted the Russian embassy in London with stones overnight, causing significant damage to the building, the embassy said in a statement on Friday. "On the night of August 16-17, the consulate department of the Russian Embassy in London was attacked by a large group of people who were chanting slogans against the Syrian government and throwing stones at the building hosting the diplomatic mission," it said. The building had several window glasses shattered and suffered "significant material damage", it said. None among the embassy employees was, however, hurt.  Russian diplomats expressed regret over the conduct of London police who they said had arrived at the scene but "failed to take proper measures to neutralise the unsanctioned demonstration which was under way and detain the attackers". Earlier this year, supporters of the Syrian opposition splattered paint on the embassy fence, i

Protests in Lucknow after Friday prayers; media attacked

Lucknow: A protest march after the last Friday prayers of Ramadan on Friday turned violent here as a group of people, shouting slogans against alleged atrocities on minorities in Assam and Myanmar, resorted to stone pelting and vandalism. The protest march which started from near the Tile Wali Masjid created a ruckus on its way forcing business establishments to close down and vandalising parks and vehicles, a senior police official said. When the RAF and PAC tried to stop them they indulged in brick batting damaging public properties and vehicles.  "An excited group of protesters indulged in brick batting and vandalism during their march which started following a discourse after Friday prayers," SSP Lucknow RK Chaturvedi said. The protesters also took offence to the presence of media covering the event and damaged their vehicles and equipments, police said. Later police resorted to cane charge as the protesters tried to march towards Vidhan Sabha. Princ

Russia: Pussy Riot members jailed for two years

Moscow: A Russian court on Friday sentenced three members of girl punk band Pussy Riot to two years in prison each. The trio were found guilty of hooliganism by a Moscow district court. They performed a "punk prayer" calling on the Virgin Mary to "drive Putin out" and were arrested shortly after their performance.  They say they were protesting against the Orthodox Church's support for Putin ahead of the March 04 Presidential Elections, in which he won a third term in the Kremlin. Judge Marina Syrova said Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were guilty and would not be acquitted. The judge said the action was carefully planned by an organised group. "The defendants were aware of the offensive nature of their actions," she said. "They sought to publicise their act and provoke a public reaction; they wanted to insult not only church clergy but also the broad sections of society." &qu