Iraq forces arrest Sunni MP, kill brother and 5 guards

RAMADI, Iraq: Iraqi security forces on Saturday raided the home of a Sunni MP who backs anti-government protesters, arresting him and sparking clashes that killed his brother and five guards, police said.
Ahmed al-Alwani's arrest and the deaths during the raid threaten to inflame widespread discontent among Iraq's minority Sunni Arab community and could compound the rampant violence bedevilling the country.

"Security forces attacked the residence of MP Ahmed al-Alwani in central Ramadi to arrest him this morning, sparking a battle with his guards with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades," a police major told AFP, referring to the capital of Anbar province west of Baghdad.

"Five of Alwani's guards and his brother were killed and eight others wounded, while 10 security forces members were also wounded," the major said.

A police captain confirmed the details of the raid, while a doctor at the Ramadi hospital confirmed the toll.

It was not immediately clear why Alwani, in his 40s and serving his second term as an MP, was arrested, though he is a well-known supporter of Sunni Arab anti-government protesters camped on a highway near Ramadi, and has frequently spoken at the site.

Protests broke out in Sunni Arab-majority areas of Iraq late last year after the arrest of guards of then-finance minister Rafa al-Essawi, an influential Sunni Arab politician, on terrorism charges.

The arrests were seen by Iraqi Sunnis as the latest example of the Shiite-led government targeting one of their leaders.

But the demonstrations have tapped into deeper grievances, with Sunnis saying they are both marginalised by the Shiite-led government and unfairly targeted with heavy-handed tactics by security forces.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite, said on December 22 that the protest site near Ramadi had become a headquarters for Al-Qaeda, and called on legitimate demonstrators to leave.

"I say clearly and honestly that the sit-in site in Anbar has turned into a headquarters for the leadership of Al-Qaeda," Maliki said in remarks broadcast on state television.

He called on "those who are with them in this place who refuse sabotage and who have legal or illegal demands... to leave these camps, and leave this place, so that Al-Qaeda stays alone," adding protesters had a "very short period" in which to leave.

Sunni discontent has been a key factor in the escalating unrest in Iraq this year, boosting recruitment for militant groups, pushing them to carry out attacks and eroding cooperation with security forces.

But while the government has made some concessions aimed at placating Sunni Arabs, including freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of anti-al-Qaida fighters, underlying issues remain unaddressed.

The last major security operation at a protest site, near the northern town of Hawijah on April 23, sparked clashes in which dozens of people were killed.

Nationwide death tolls from violence has spiked, reaching a level not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a brutal period of sectarian killings.

More than 6,700 people have been killed in violence since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical reports.

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Zimbabwe's envoy to Australia asks for asylum: Report

SYDNEY: Zimbabwe's ambassador to Australia has asked Canberra for asylum, lashing out at her country's "illegitimate" government and voicing fears for her safety if she returns home at the end of her posting next week, reports said on Saturday.

Jacqueline Zwambila said July elections in Zimbabwe had been "stolen" by President Robert Mugabe's government and she had no intention of using her business class ticket to return home, the Canberra Times reported.

"I don't feel safe about returning to Zimbabwe at all," said Zwambila, who is aligned with Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

"Once the elections of 31 July were stolen by the current government -- which is illegitimate -- I knew that this was the end of the line," Zwambila, whose tenure as ambassador ends on Tuesday, said in a video posted on the Canberra Times website.

"End of the line for the people of Zimbabwe... and for people like me, who were appointed by the ex-prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai."

Zwambila said she was seeking a protection visa from Australia so she can stay on in the country along with her family once her diplomatic status expires. But it was not immediately clear whether Canberra would approve her request.

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison would not confirm whether Zwambila had sought asylum, saying he could not comment on individual cases.

"If or when an application for a protection visa is received it would be assessed on its merits and in accordance with the normal rules that apply in these circumstances," he said in a statement.

"The government does not provide commentary on individual cases as it can prejudice their case or, worse, place people at risk. As a result it would be inappropriate to confirm or otherwise comment on any individual application."

Mugabe, Africa's oldest leader who has been in power for 33 years, began a new five-year term after winning a landslide victory in disputed elections end of July.

His rival, opposition leader Tsvangirai, described the vote as "fraudulent", citing an unusual number of voters turned away in urban constituencies that are considered opposition strongholds.

Australia, which had offered reduced sanctions as an incentive for free and fair elections, joined the United States and Britain in questioning the credibility of the polls and called for a re-run.

But the 89-year-old veteran leader dismissed the view, brusquely telling his opponents to accept defeat.

Zwambila said that when she learned about Mugabe's victory, she saw "doom, a black cloud".

"I knew then it was the end of my term," the report quoted her as saying.

The ambassador voiced fears of indefinite detention if she returned home, saying she had been threatened with arrest in Zimbabwe after a court found that she owed several hundred dollars to a tradesman. She denied the charge.

"So many things have been done to me since I've been here in Australia, the smear campaigns and threats... There is no way I feel safe being in Zimbabwe or going back to Zimbabwe," she said.

Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, is serving under a new constitution and has not ruled out running again when he will be 94.

Tsvangirai had shared power with Mugabe until the July elections, with his MDC party controlling the finance ministry after they forged a unity government in 2009 following violent disputed polls.

But the shaky power-sharing deal ended when the veteran president won the July 31 polls with 61 percent against his rival's 34%.

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Police file on Newtown massacre yields chilling portrait

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut: Connecticut police released thousands of pages Friday from their investigation into the Newtown massacre, providing the most detailed and disturbing picture yet of the rampage and Adam Lanza's fascination with murder, while also depicting school employees' brave and clear-headed attempts to protect the children.

Among the details: More than a dozen bodies, mostly children, were seen packed "like sardines" in a bathroom. And the horrors inside school were so terrible that when police sent in paramedics, they tried to select ones capable of handling what they were about to witness.

"This will be the worst day of your life," police Sgt. William Cario warned one.

The documents' release marks the end of the investigation into the December 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead.

Lanza, 20, went to the school after killing his mother, Nancy, inside their home. He committed suicide with a handgun as police arrived at the school.

The paperwork, photos and videos were heavily blacked out to protect the names of children and to withhold some of the more grisly details. But the horror comes through at nearly every turn.

Included in the file were photographs of the home Lanza shared with his mother. They show numerous rounds of ammunition, gun magazines, shot-up paper targets, gun cases, shooting earplugs and a gun safe with a rifle in it.

A former teacher of Lanza's was quoted as telling investigators that Lanza exhibited anti-social behavior, rarely interacted with other students and obsessed in writings "about battles, destruction and war."

"In all my years of experience, I have known (redacted) grade boys to talk about things like this, but Adam's level of violence was disturbing," the teacher told investigators. The teacher added: "Adam's creative writing was so graphic that it could not be shared."

The documents also fill in more details about how the shooting unfolded and how staff members looked out for the youngsters.

Teachers heard janitor Rick Thorne try to get Lanza to leave the school. One teacher, who was hiding in a closet in the math lab, heard Thorne yell, "Put the gun down!" An aide said she heard gunfire and Thorne told her to close her door. Thorne survived.

Teacher Kaitlin Roig told police she heard "rapid-fire shooting" outside of the school, near her classroom. She rushed her students into the classroom's bathroom, pulled a rolling storage unit in front of the bathroom door as a barricade and then closed and locked the door.

She heard a voice say, "Oh, please, no. Please, no." Eventually, police officers slid their badges under the bathroom door. Roig refused to come out and told them that if they were truly police, they should be able to get the key to the door - which they did.

Others weren't so lucky.

Police Lt. Christopher Vanghele said he and another officer found what appeared to be about 15 bodies, mostly children, packed in another bathroom. So many people had tried to cram inside the bathroom that the door couldn't be closed, and the shooter gunned them all down, Vanghele surmised.

In a letter accompanying the files, Reuben F Bradford, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, wrote that much of the report was disturbing but that it also showed teachers trying to protect their children, law enforcement officials putting themselves in harm's way, and dispatchers working calmly and efficiently.

"In the midst of the darkness of that day, we also saw remarkable heroism and glimpses of grace," he wrote.

Peter Lanza, who was estranged from his son, told police that Adam had Asperger's syndrome - a type of autism that is not associated with violence - and exhibited symptoms of being "slightly OCD," meaning obsessive compulsive disorder.

A former Newtown High student who was in Tech Club with Adam Lanza recalled him pulling his sleeves over his hands any time he was handed an object from someone.

A nurse at the Yale Child Studies Center who met with Adam Lanza said he had several ritualistic behaviors, including frequently washing hands and changing his socks 20 times a day, to the point his mother did three loads of laundry a day.

The nurse said that Lanza's mother declined to give him prescribed antidepressant and antianxiety medication and that she failed to schedule a follow-up visit after he missed an appointment.

In the documents, a friend told police that Nancy Lanza reported that her son had hit his head several days before the shootings. And an ex-boyfriend told police that she canceled a trip to London on the week of the shooting because of "a couple last-minute problems on the home front."

Prosecutors previously issued a summary of the investigation last month that portrayed Lanza as obsessed with mass murders, but the report concluded that Lanza's motives for the massacre might never be known.

Lanza "was undoubtedly afflicted with mental health problems; yet despite a fascination with mass shootings and firearms, he displayed no aggressive or threatening tendencies," it said.

The new files revealed chaos during the rampage, and contain sometimes-conflicting accounts from witnesses.

Lanza remained silent as he aimed and fired in Room 10, according to an officer who interviewed the mother of one of the surviving students. The woman said her son, who ran from the classroom, recalled the shooter kicking in the door and then firing.

The documents indicate investigators were gentle in their questioning of children, interviewing youngsters only if they or their parents requested it. Some of the parents thought talking openly about the shooting and getting accurate information out would help their children heal.

After the interviews, the children were given a copy of Margaret Holmes' book "A Terrible Thing Happened" to help them deal with that they witnessed.

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Bangladesh capital under siege ahead of opposition march

DHAKA: Bangladesh's capital was on Saturday under virtual siege with overnight stoppage of transport services with the rest of the country as main opposition BNP is set to defy a government ban on their protest march tomorrow, escalating tensions afresh.

Paramilitary troops patrolled city streets while elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police kept a sharp vigil at Dhaka's entry points amid the political face-off between the BNP-led opposition alliance along with fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and the ruling Awami League.

Transport operators said they stopped operating buses and ferries to and from Dhaka due to "security concerns" as advised by law enforcement agencies while pro-government transport associations called a two-day strike to protest vandalism during the past weeks of opposition protests.

Thick fog also halted ferry services in major waterways and highways linking the capital with major cities making it tough for opposition activists to march towards Dhaka in response to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's call.

"Most buses are not operating on the long routes apart from a few operators loyal to the BNP," the counter manager of a private bus service told a TV channel in Dhaka.

Zia last night urged people to rally in Dhaka tomorrow defying the ban.

But media reports said activists of BNP and Jamaat started moving towards the capital from yesterday evening well ahead of the programme fearing police interception.

The reports said many planned to reach Dhaka by tomorrow under cover of bridal parties as many wedding ceremonies are set to take place in the capital on the weekend.

The opposition BNP-led alliance is demanding formation of a poll-time caretaker government with an "acceptable figure" as its ahead replacing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and want the shelving of the January 5 election.

The TV channels said 100 activists of Jamaat were detained alone today as they were heading towards Dhaka in several buses from central Tangail district.

Meanwhile, police detectives have arrested at least seven BNP leaders including two lawmakers in the capital while sporadic incidents of violence have left two policemen dead so far and dozens wounded.

In the latest violence, suspected opposition activists in a pre-dawn attack hurled several patrol bombs at the village home of Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad in western Chuadanga today.

Police said no one was hurt in the attack as the house was vacant and an unexploded petrol bomb was recovered.

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Indefinite curfew in Assam's violence-affected villages

GUWAHATI: Indefinite curfew continued in Chokihola area of Karbi Anglong district of Assam, where Karbi Peoples' Liberation Tiger (KPLT) militants killed four people Friday, attacking a Naga village, setting fire and firing indiscriminately.

The Assam government rushed three companies of additional forces Friday night to the affected areas so violence is contained and does not spread.

A group of armed KPLT militants attacked Khoaani village near Chokihola under Bokajan subdivision of the district at dawn Friday, setting some houses on fire. The militants started firing indiscriminately, killing four people instantly. Among those killed were three Naga women.

There is also a report that a Naga militant outfit, Rangma Naga Hills Protection Force (RNHPF), had retaliated and launched a counter-attack on the KPLT militants, killing two of the KPLT militants. However, their bodies have not been recovered so far, police said.

"We have imposed indefinite curfew in the affected areas. There are no fresh incidents of violence today," state Commissioner Secretary (Home) G.D. Tripathi said Saturday.

"We have reviewed the situation today morning and search operation is on. However, we have not recovered the bodies of the KPLT militants," he said.

"Three relief camps have already been opened in Chokihola and Barpathar areas and about 500 people are taking shelter in the relief camps," he said, adding that the police and administration are trying to persuade affected people to return to their villages.

"We have intensified security arrangements in and around the affected areas. There is no need to panic and we are trying to convince the affected people to return to their villages at the earliest," Tripathi said, adding that indefinite curfew will continue for now.

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Taliban suicide attack on Nato convoy in Kabul: Officials

KABUL: A Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed vehicle next to a Nato military convoy in Kabul on Friday, officials said, though no details about casualties were immediately available.

The attack occurred on a main road that passes by a series of government compounds and military facilities in the Afghan capital on the way to the eastern city of Jalalabad.

"Around 1:00pm, a suicide bomber blew up a car targeting a convoy of foreign forces on the Kabul-Jalalabad road," Hashmatullah Stanikzai, spokesman for the Kabul police, said.

"Our security forces have rushed to the scene to investigate, and we don't have any information on casualties yet."

An AFP reporter said that civilian ambulances and armoured vehicles from the US-led Nato mission in Afghanistan were at the blast site, which was quickly cordoned off by police.

"Our mujahideen have detonated a car bomb attack on a convoy of foreign forces today afternoon," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

"As a result of the attack, several foreign forces were killed and a number of their vehicles were damaged."

The Taliban routinely exaggerate death tolls after attacks.

A spokesman for Nato's mission in Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said the explosion was being investigated but gave no further details.

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70 injured in carnivorous fish attack in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: An attack by a school of carnivorous fish has injured 70 people bathing in an Argentine river, including seven children who lost parts of their fingers or toes.

Director of lifeguards Federico Cornier on Thursday said that thousands of bathers were cooling off from 100-degree temperatures in the Parana river in Rosario on Wednesday when some suddenly began complaining of bite marks on their hands and feet.

He blamed the attack on palometas, "a type of piranha, big, voracious and with sharp teeth that can really bite''. Paramedic Alberto Manino said some children he treated had lost entire digits.

He told Todo Noticias channel that city beaches were closed, but it was so hot that within a half-an-hour, many people went back to the water.

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Kidnapped girl found in Agra, family alleges Samajwadi Party MLA's involvement

AGRA: A 14-year-old girl, who was abducted last month has been rescued from a house in Shikahabad area even as her family alleged that the kidnapper was being protected by an Samajwadi Party legislator.

The girl was kidnapped on November 13 and found yesterday by Sikandra police.

According to a report lodged by the relatives of the girl, the abduction was a result of a dispute between the family of the girl and that of the accused.

The report said the man had threatened the girl's family that he would abduct her following which she was brought from Ban to Agra to stay at her uncle's house. The accused apparently followed her here and kidnapped her, the family members alleged.

The girl's relatives claimed that the Sikandra police did not lodge their complaint because of the protection offered to the accused by a legislator. They then approached another legislator, after which the report was lodged.

According to the relatives, the girl was recovered from the house of the legislator who was giving protection to the alleged accused and the youth was also present during the time of the recovery but was allowed to escape by the police.

However, Shalabh Mathur, SSP Agra has denied allegations that the accused was allowed to escape by police.

Meanwhile, the girl has been sent to the women's police station for recording of her statement.

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Activists press for introducing Disabilities Bill in Parliament soon

NEW DELHI: Disability rights groups on Friday expressed dismay over the inordinate delay in introducing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill in Parliament even after it was approved by the Cabinet a few days ago.

Activists of the Disabled Rights Group (DRG) and the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NRPD) said they will approach major political parties to convince them to introduce the Bill when Parliament reconvenes.

"Parliament session will be convened to pass the Vote on Account in January and February. This important piece of legislation must also be taken up by both, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for enactment," NPRD secretary Muralidharan said.

DRG convener Javed Abidi said, "We will be approaching all major political parties to garner support for this as we genuinely believe that the cause of disability is a totally non-partisan and non-political issue."

Besides offering a comprehensive definition of disability, the legislation which will replace the Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995, provides for an increase in the quota for persons with disabilities from three per cent to five per cent in government jobs.

It also makes private companies accountable for creating a disabled-friendly environment.

As a mark of protest, disability rights activists will hold candle-light vigils in various parts of the country on December 31, the members said. In Delhi, the vigil will be held outside the Vice President's House as he is the chairman of Rajya Sabha, they said.

With India ratifying the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007, it was expected that all the four disability-specific legislations -- the Mental Health Act 1987, Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992, Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 and the National Trust Act 1999 -- would be harmonised with the provisions of the UNCRPD.

However, while the Mental Health Care Bill has been introduced in Parliament, the bill replacing the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995 is yet to be introduced.

Though the process of drafting the new law started over four years back and has gone through various stages, the delay in introducing this legislation is inexplicable, Abidi said.

More than a year has passed since the new draft of the proposed bill was uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in September 2012.

The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment had given an assurance that the bill would be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the draft bill on December 12. However, the abrupt end of the Parliament session on December 18 prevented the bill from being tabled.

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10 dead as army shells funeral tent in south Yemen

ADEN: An army tank shelled a funeral tent erected by the Southern Movement at a school in Yemen on Friday, killing 10 people among them children, a medic and witnesses said.

"We received 10 bodies, among them children, and 15 wounded people," the medic from Al-Nasr hospital in the southern province of Daleh told AFP.

Witnesses said that an army tank had shelled the tent in Sanah, 300 km south of the Yemeni capital in Daleh province, in an attack linked to tension between southerners and the political and military authorities.

One witness told AFP by telephone that troops fired more shells "when we tried to hospitalize the casualties," adding that "there are wounded victims still inside the tent."

The tent was set up by the Southern Movement, which is campaigning for autonomy or outright secession for the formerly independent south, for mourners paying condolences following the death of a man killed during clashes with security forces on Monday.

The clashes in Daleh erupted when southern secessionists attempted to storm the governorate building to hoist a flag of the former South Yemen, which was an independent state until it was united with the north in 1990.

The gunfight left two Yemeni policemen and a civilian dead.

Violence has intensified in south Yemen amid tribal anger over the killing of a local chief and his bodyguards at a checkpoint earlier this month.

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CCEA approves national scheme of welfare of fishermen during 12th plan

MANGALORE: The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) has approved central sector scheme - national scheme of welfare of fishermen during the 12th Plan. The department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, ministry of agriculture has formulated the scheme and is an ongoing scheme. Its objectives are: provision of basic amenities like drinking water and sanitation in fishing villages, better living standards for fishermen and their families.

The scheme also envisages social security for active fishermen and their dependants, and strives to ensure their economic security. During the 12th Plan period, the following benefits have been targeted for fisherman across India, This includes construction of additional 4,600 houses per year, coverage of 3.5 lakh fishermen under saving-cum-relief every year, and additional coverage of 3 lakh fishermen under group accident insurance has been set.

The benefit will also cover 6,400 fishermen per year under training and extension activities. The scheme will be implemented within outlay of Rs 640 crore including a central outlay of Rs 320 crore for remaining part of 12th Plan, release from the Press Information Bureau here on Thursday states. The scheme entails group accident insurance for active fishermen, development of model fishermen village, saving-cum-relief, and training and Extension.

The cabinet also approved enhancement in the amount of assistance and compensation to fishermen. Accordingly, cost of construction of house has been revised to Rs 75,000 in 12th plan, cost of construction of tube well is Rs 40,000 for all states and union territories and Rs 45,000 for North Eastern states, cost of construction of community hall has been enhanced to Rs 2 lakh per hall. Relief under saving cum relief component has been hiked to Rs 2,70

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Cabinet nod for constitutional status to proposed Judicial Appointments Commission

NEW DELHI: Amid demands by jurists and BJP, government on Thursday gave the go ahead to grant constitutional status to a proposed commission for appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary to ensure that its composition cannot be altered through an ordinary legislation.

A Parliamentary standing committee which examined the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Bill, 2013 had also made a similar recommendation.

There were demands that the composition as well as the functions of the proposed Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) should be mentioned in the Constitution as a safeguard against future changes.

The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held here on Thursday.

According to the proposal, while new Article 124 A of the Constitution will define the composition of JAC, Article 124 B will define its functions.

At present, the composition of the proposed panel is defined in the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2013 which was introduced along with a separate constitutional amendment bill in Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session.

The constitutional amendment bill says there will be a JAC but does not say it will be headed by the CJI or mentions the composition.

While the constitutional amendment bill - an enabling bill - was passed by the Upper House, the main bill - the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2013--was referred to the standing committee.

The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill defines the establishment of the proposed body to recommend appointment and transfer of judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts.

"We have made compromises to make the bill palatable to all. We have satisfied all demands.... The bill with official amendments will be tabled in the Lok Sabha now," law minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

While a constitutional amendment bill requires two-third majority for passage in a House, a normal legislation just needs a simple majority.

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Three women killed in mine blast in Jharkhand

RANCHI: Three women were killed in a blast that occurred as a small hill was being mined for stone in Jharkhand's Pakur district on Thursday, police said.

There were other labourers too at the site at the time of the incident. Some of the others were buried for a while under rubble following the blast.

The incident took place near Arjundaha village of Pakur district, around 500 km from state capital Ranchi.

Police are searching for the owner of the mine, and say the mining was taking place illegally.

Police sources said more than 150 stone mines are operating illegally in Pakur. Stone extracted from here is supplied to stone crushers for making chips used in building construction.

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Hazare writes to Maharashtra chief minister, warns of stir if laws not implemented

MUMBAI: Anna Hazare on Thursday asked Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to ensure proper implementation of laws including those on empowering gram sabhas and transfer of officials, warning that he would launch an agitation if action was not taken.

"It is becoming unbearable for the common man to live, owing to large scale corruption in every sphere of society. The people of the state had, through 'jan andolan', forced the government to enact laws on empowering gram sabha, delays in discharge of official work, transfer of officials, and citizens charter," he said.

It is a sad thing that despite good laws having come into existence, they are not being implemented, Hazare said, in the letter to the chief minister.

The gram sabha's place is above that of Lok Sabha and legislative assembly. Gandhiji used to say that India's development will come through development of the villages, he said.

"I am going to send a reminder to you on the issue of implementing these laws properly. If no action is taken, a people's agitation will have to be launched to ensure implementation of these laws," Hazare said.

The veteran anti-corruption crusader also warned the Maharashtra government against revoking the Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act 2006, and said he will start a statewide campaign if the law is scrapped.

"Ten years back, there used to be corruption in transfer procedure of government officers. The officers were transferred on the whims and fancies of ministers. This practice was an injustice done to honest officers. We had protested against this, and it lasted eight years," he said.

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Egyptian police arrest Brotherhood supporters under anti-terror laws

CAIRO: Egypt escalated its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday, detaining at least 16 of the group's supporters on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization the day after it was declared one by the government.

The activists were held in the Nile Delta province of Sharkiya on suspicion of "promoting the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood group, distributing its leaflets, and inciting violence against the army and police," the state news agency said.

The government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group on Wednesday in response to a suicide attack a day earlier that killed 16 in the Nile Delta, accusing the group of carrying out the bombing. The Brotherhood condemned the attack.

Interior ministry spokesman Hani Abdel Latif told state TV on Thursday that anyone taking part in Brotherhood protests would be jailed for five years. "The sentence could be death for those who lead this organization," he added.

Earlier in the day a bomb explosion in Cairo wounded five people, and Latif said a second similar home-made device was found nearby and dismantled.

The government did not provide evidence to back up the charge that the Brotherhood had staged the Nile Delta attack in Mansoura, north of Cairo, which was claimed by the Sinai-based radical Islamist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has taken responsibility for several other major bombings, including a failed attempt to kill the interior minister in September.

The Brotherhood's Islamist allies responded defiantly to the cabinet decision announced late on Wednesday, vowing to continue the protests it has staged against the army since the overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi.

"The putchists are a terrorist organisation. The Brotherhood are peaceful patriots," they said in a statement.

Driven underground

Wednesday's move marked an escalation in the government's campaign to suppress the Islamist movement that propelled Mursi to the presidency 18 months ago but has been driven underground since the army toppled him in July after big protests against him.

In the weeks after Mursi's removal, the security forces killed hundreds of his supporters while dispersing their protest camps, and arrested thousands more including most of the Brotherhood's top leadership.

Though the Brotherhood has been outlawed for most of its existence, this is the first time it has been formally listed as a terrorist organisation.

State prosecutors last week ordered Mursi and others to stand trial on charges including terrorism for which they could be executed. A Brotherhood activist, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of arrest, said the new decision seemed aimed at deterring further protests against the government.

The cabinet said terrorism charges could be applied to anyone who finances or promotes the group "verbally and in writing". Publication of the Brotherhood's newspaper, Freedom and Justice, was halted in response to the decision.

"We will continue with the protests. Peaceful action is the hope," said the activist from Alexandria.

The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, the pro-Mursi coalition, called for a "week of anger" and the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Brotherhood, called for protests on Friday after the cabinet's move.

The public prosecutor's office, which is investigating the Mansoura bombing, said there would be no comment until its investigation was complete.

Bombings and shootings targeting the security forces have become commonplace, with around 350 soldiers and policemen killed. The state has declared itself in "a war on terror".

Most of the attacks have been in the Sinai Peninsula, though the Mansoura attack suggested the violence is spreading to the more heavily populated areas of the Nile Valley and Delta.

The government has said violence will not derail its political transition plan. The next step is a mid-January referendum on a new constitution.

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SBI to act as lead bank for four newly formed Meghalaya districts

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 25, 2013, 08.17PM IST

MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank has assigned State Bank of India (SBI) to act as the lead bank in four newly constructed districts in Meghalaya.

The four new districts created in the state are North Garo Hills, East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills and South West Garo Hills.

The RBI also assigned SBI the district working codes for the purpose of basic statistical returns (BSR) reporting.

"There is no change in the lead bank responsibilities of the erstwhile districts and of other districts in the State of

Under lead bank scheme, each district is assigned to different banks to act as a consortium leader to coordinate the efforts of banks in the district, particularly in matters like branch expansion and credit planning.

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Two rockets land in US embassy compound in Kabul, no injuries: US

KABUL: Two Taliban rockets landed inside the US embassy compound in Kabul early on Wednesday, causing no casualties but underlining Afghanistan's continuing security problems as many foreigners in the capital marked Christmas Day.

"At approximately 6:40 local time in Kabul, approximately two rounds of indirect fire impacted the US Embassy compound," a statement from the embassy said. "All Americans are accounted for and no injuries were sustained."

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Violence continues unabated in Bangladesh, 2 killed

DHAKA: A policeman and an Awami League leader were killed in two separate incidents of violence in Bangladesh hours after the opposition's 83-hour nationwide blockade demanding the scrapping of the January 5 polls ended.

Officials said a bus carrying traffic policemen was set afire at Bangla Motor area of Dhaka by unidentified persons shortly before midnight, instantly killing a constable and injuring the driver.

"As soon as we got on board the bus, there was a huge bang and the vehicle was ablaze...I managed to get down but (my colleague) Ferdous could not and was burnt to death," said constable Faizul Islam, who survived the attack.

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker said members of law enforcement agencies were being attacked under a plan to cripple the state machinery during protests by opposition parties.

In western Meherpur, an Awami League leader was hacked to death by suspected rival activists late last night, reports said. In Chittagong, two truckers were badly burned after opposition members set fire to a truck.

Meanwhile, two persons who sustained burn injuries earlier this week during the opposition blockade died today at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is boycotting the polls and political violence during nationwide strikes and blockades enforced by an opposition alliance have left over 120 people dead and crippled the economy since November.

Besides the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance, a key ally of Premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party has also boycotted the polls. Hasina, however, insists the vote will go ahead as planned.

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Pirni villagers celebrate former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 89 birthday

MANALI: As former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee turned 89 today, people of Pirni and another nearby villages kept their tradition by celebrating the senior BJP leader's birthday.

Vajpayee considers Manali as his second home and he even had a small house in adjoining Pirni village, which he visited regularly till 2007.

Villagers from all walks of life assembled at a local school here and offered prayers for his long life.

Kundan Lal, ex-village pradhan fondly remembered Vajpayee as "an excellent leader" and said he has no match in "simplicity, wit and compassion."

"Ataljee used to meet every villager personally and had taken keen interest in development of the village and welfare of people," he recalled.

Even the caretaker of his summer cottage at Prini, Sukhram remembered the days when Manali vibrated with unusual activity during the visit of Vajpayee when he served as Prime Minister of the country.

"Baap jee was very fond of trout fish and local kadhi and it was here in Manali where he penned some of his famous poems," Lal said.

He said that Vajpayee is very fond of Manali but due to failing health he has not been able to visit the place in the past few years but his love for the people of Manali has not diminished.

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Former Bengal lokayukta extends support to Justice AK Ganguly

KOLKATA: Amid demands for Justice (Retd) AK Ganguly's removal as WBHRC chairman following a complaint of sexual harassment by a law intern, a former state lokayukta today came to his defence, saying the judge should not resign merely on the basis of an unproven allegation and that he be allowed to present his case.

Former West Bengal lokayukta Samaresh Bandopadhyay, a retired judge, today said, "I don't think that it will be appropriate for him to resign. And why should he resign just on the basis of an allegation unless he is proved guilty?".

Bandopadhyay, the state's first and only lokayukta, felt that Ganguly had been pronounced guilty just on the basis of an allegation and had not been allowed to present his case.

"Ashok Ganguly has been pronounced guilty just on the basis of an allegation, which is absolutely wrong. He should be allowed to present his case and his version," said Bandopadhyay.

Bandopadhyay also questioned the enormous pressure being put on Justice Ganguly to step down as the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) chairman.

"The politicians who are demanding his resignation just on the basis of an allegation, I want to ask them, do politicians also resign from their posts when allegations are levelled against them, which is quite rampant?" he wondered.

Justice Ganguly recently wrote an eight-page letter to Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam, denying that he had sexually harassed the intern and alleged that there was a "palpable design" to malign him because of the judgements he had delivered against "powerful quarters".

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Riots can happen even in stable society: Singapore PM

SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today said the December 8 riot here is a good reminder to people that even in a stable society, such incidents can still happen.

Lee said the first priority was to look into what caused the riot and to ensure something like that does not happen again.

He said the incident, the country's worst riot in 40 years, was a good reminder to people that even in a stable society, such incidents can still happen.

Speaking to reporters, Lee said authorities were also looking at ways to strengthen the police force by beefing up resources and employing technology such as equipping officers with wearable cameras.

Lee also heard from the 38 Home Team/police officers who were the first responders in Little India riot triggered by a fatal traffic accident involving an Indian national.

Lee thanked the officers for performing their duty with courage and collectedness, and encouraged them not to heed some of the online criticism about their actions.

Asked if policymakers should think about a new social compact with foreign workers, beyond simply segregating them, Lee said those are broader issues that should be dealt with only after the Committee of Inquiry releases its findings.

The government appointed committee is investigating the riot related issues.

Twenty-five Indian nationals would be charged in the court this Friday for rioting, and face up to seven years in jail and canning.

Singapore police also deported 52 Indian nationals and one Bangladesh national in connection with the case.

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New Indian envoy arrives in US amid diplomatic row

WASHINGTON: S Jaishankar has arrived here to take charge as the new Indian ambassador to the US amid a raging diplomatic row over the arrest and strip-search of senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade on visa fraud charges.

He is assuming the post at a time when both countries have intensified efforts to find an amicable resolution to the issue of Khobragade's arrest.

Jaishankar, who till recently was ambassador to China, arrived in Washington yesterday. He is expected to present his credentials to President Barack Obama at the White House after the New Year.

Known as one of the brightest diplomats of his generation and a key player during negotiations for the India-US civilian nuclear deal, Jaishankar's first task will be to prevent ties from being hit any further over the incident involving Khobragade.

She was arrested on December 12 for allegedly making false declarations in a visa application for her maid Sangeeta Richard and released on a USD 250,000 bond after being charged with visa fraud.

Khobragade has since been transferred from the Consulate in New York to India's permanent mission to the UN. The US is reviewing paperwork it received from the UN for her diplomatic accreditation, a State Department spokesperson told PTI today.

Revelations that she was strip searched and held with criminals after her arrest triggered a row between the two sides.

Born in New Delhi in 1955, Jaishankar is the son of prominent strategic affairs analyst, commentator and civil servant K Subrahmanyam and brother of historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam.

Jaishankar succeeds Nirupama Rao, who was appointed envoy to the US after she retired as Foreign Secretary. He also served as First Secretary in the Embassy in Washington during 1985-88.

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Bomb hits Iraq defence minister's convoy, wounds two

BAGHDAD: A bomb struck the acting Iraqi defence minister's convoy west of Baghdad on Tuesday, wounding two of his guards, the ministry said in a statement.

A roadside bomb hit Saadun al-Dulaimi's convoy as it travelled between Fallujah and Ramadi, "wounding two of his guards and damaging one of the vehicles," spokesman Mohammed al-Askari was quoted as saying.

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Keshubhai Patel likely to join BJP again before Lok Sabha polls

AHMEDABAD: With the return of his son Bharat Patel to BJP on Monday, Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) president Keshubhai Patel's entry back into the party appears imminent before the Lok Sabha polls. Former chief minister and MLA from Visavadar, Keshubhai's GPP had fought against Narendra Modi led BJP on all the seats in the 2012 assembly elections.

Bharat re-joined the BJP in the presence of state president RC Faldu and senior leaders Surendra Patel and Vijay Rupani.

He said, "I was president of youth BJP and also general secretary and am now returning back home. I left the BJP to support my father who was fighting election from Visavadar as GPP leader. I met Narendrabhai several times and believe in his leadership and have joined the party again unconditionally.''

When asked about Keshubhai Patel's plans to come back to the saffron fold, he said, "I can not comment on his behalf at this moment.''

Sources claimed that Keshubhai's re-entry is just a matter of time now. He is likely to come out in support of Modi just before the Lok Sabha elections.

Faldu said, "We have no negative thoughts for him. He founded Jan Sangh and BJP in the state and is a respected leader.''

When asked about the possibility of former BJP and present Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela joining the BJP, he said, "We will welcome him if he is ready to return to the party.''

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Centre to modernise powerlooms, set up bank for weavers

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 24, 2013, 07.55PM IST

KARIMNAGAR: The Centre has set a target of modernising 23 lakh powerlooms and also establish a separate bank to meet financial needs of weavers.

Nearly 23 lakh powerlooms would be modernised nationwide in the next few years, Union Minister for Textiles Kavuri Sambasiva Rao said today.

A Yarn Bank will be established soon to meet financial needs of weavers, he said, speaking after inaugurating a powerloom modernisation project at Sircilla in Karimnagar district.

Rao, during his visit, inaugurated a weaving centre and a textile park in Sircilla.

The Minister assured proper implementation of Government- backed health insurance scheme for weavers and promised to push for waiver of their loans.

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No proposal for revision of train fares for now: Kharge

BANGALORE: Railway minister M Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said there are no plans for revision of train fares for now.

"There is no such proposal before the railway ministry for a revision of train fares" he told reporters during his visit to the rail wheel factory here.

Kharge said the passenger fares will be adjusted according to the cost of the fuel every six months, but for now there is no proposal in this regard.

Talking about projects in Karnataka, Kharge said the railways have proposed to set up an administrative office in Gulbarga city to augment the Solapur division of the South-Central and Central Railway.

Kharge said there was also a proposal to set up a unit at Yadgir in Karnataka for manufacturing spare parts of Linke Holfmann Busch (LHB) coaches at cost of Rs 750 crore.

"The unit will cater to the spare parts needs of Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), Kapurthala (Punjab) and Perambur (Tamil Nadu) coach factories," he said.

A sum of Rs 75 crore had been earmarked for the purpose in the supplementary budget, Kharge said.

He said the state government has agreed to give 150 acres for setting up Yadgir unit and all the costs will be borne by the Railways, which expects the unit to function by February.

Kharge said railways have acquired 30-acre land on which the defunct Binny Mills in Bangalore is situated. "This will nicely fit into the railways' expansion plans," he added.

Railways will develop Yelahanka as the third terminus station for Bangalore, and spend Rs 18 crore towards it.

"In the next 10 to 15 days work on it will commence," he said. Four to five new platforms will be built at Yelahanka station.

Kharge said rail connectivity to Vaishnodevi Temple had become a reality after completion of the track-laying work.

The Railways have also got clearance from the railways safety commissioner and efforts are on for inaugurating the project soon.

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Anna Hazare declines to comment on Kejriwal's move to form govt in Delhi

RALEGAN SIDDHI: Anna Hazare on Monday declined to comment on Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's decision to form the new government in Delhi, but added he would express his views when his former protege acts on the Lokayukta issue.

"Mein bolta hoon, Kejriwal par no comment. Koi baat nahi karna hai," Hazare said, when asked about his reaction to Kejriwal meeting Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and announcing that AAP would form the next government.

Asked about Kejriwal's party accepting outside support of Congress, Hazare said, "Whatever is good, let him do it... He will do whatever is right."

On whether Kejriwal's move was ethical, Hazare shot back, saying "I don't want to speak... Abhi pata nahi na, woh kya karnelwale hai (I don't know what they are going to do)."

To a query on the implementation of Lokayukta decision by the new government in Delhi, Hazare said, "I will speak when they take that decision."

Hazare had parted ways with Kejriwal following his decision to form a political party.

The relations between the Gandhian and AAP convenor had hit a new low when he recently ordered its frontline leader Gopal Rai out of his fast venue and village after he engaged in a spat with former Army chief General V K Singh, who slammed Kejriwal and others for having deserted Hazare and formed a political party.

AAP had immediately recalled Rai from Hazare's fast venue.

Hazare, who thanked everybody, from MPs to political parties, to policemen at his fast venue, the 'pandalwala' to the doctors who had looked after him during the hunger strike, had chosen not to make any mention of Arvind Kejriwal and others from the AAP after breaking his fast following passage of the Lokpal Bill on December 18.

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Anna Hazare declines to comment on Kejriwal move to form govt

RALEGAN SIDDHI: Anna Hazare on Monday declined to comment on Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's decision to form the new government in Delhi, but added he would express his views when his former protege acts on the Lokayukta issue.

"Mein bolta hoon, Kejriwal par no comment. Koi baat nahi karna hai," Hazare said, when asked about his reaction to Kejriwal meeting Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung and announcing that AAP would form the next government.

Asked about Kejriwal's party accepting outside support of Congress, Hazare said, "Whatever is good, let him do it... He will do whatever is right."

On whether Kejriwal's move was ethical, Hazare shot back, saying "I don't want to speak... Abhi pata nahi na, woh kya karnelwale hai (I don't know what they are going to do)."

To a query on the implementation of Lokayukta decision by the new government in Delhi, Hazare said, "I will speak when they take that decision."

Hazare had parted ways with Kejriwal following his decision to form a political party.

The relations between the Gandhian and AAP convenor had hit a new low when he recently ordered its frontline leader Gopal Rai out of his fast venue and village after he engaged in a spat with former Army chief General V K Singh, who slammed Kejriwal and others for having deserted Hazare and formed a political party.

AAP had immediately recalled Rai from Hazare's fast venue.

Hazare, who thanked everybody, from MPs to political parties, to policemen at his fast venue, the 'pandalwala' to the doctors who had looked after him during the hunger strike, had chosen not to make any mention of Arvind Kejriwal and others from the AAP after breaking his fast following passage of the Lokpal Bill on December 18.

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Mangalore Diocese to implement Pope Francis message of Christmas

MANGALORE: Taking cue from the message of Pope Francis that a Church should be poor and serve the poor, the Mangalore Diocese has decided to help the poor this Christmas. The Diocese has decided to implement programmes to remove poverty. So far many activities have been planned in this regard and diocese is awaiting advice on programmes to be implemented said Rt Rev Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Bishop in his Christmas message to people here on Monday.

There exists a norm in all religions to remove poverty. "We Christians are thinking to join hands whenever it is required to accomplish this good deed. With this, poor people too will get an opportunity to live equally with other people," the Bishop said. Jesus Christ was born, in Bethlehem as a common man in a family of carpenters. Today the birth place at Bethlehem is recognised as a historic place and witnesses Jesus Christ love for poor, he said.
Jesus during his live time always emphasized that poor are Gods children, the Bishop said adding we will put special efforts with respect to the poor, children and those who need help. With this an environment will be created wherein all can live equally. It is nice to know that Christmas is among the poor, will be for the poor and from the poor in line with the spirit of the Pope's message, the Bishop said. "When we celebrate this, let our slogan be this," he added.

In Rome, the representative of the Pope Francis had repeatedly told this in Christmas Message and he had told to all Christians to implement programmes to remove the poverty, the Bishop noted and wished all a happy Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014. The vicar general Rev Msgr Denis Moras Prabhu, Chancellor Rev Henry Sequeira, public relations office Rev William Menezes, and leading laity Marcel Monteiro, Raymond D'Cunha was present.

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India, Pak border guarding forces to meet tomorrow in Lahore

AMRITSAR: Drug trafficking, infiltration, smuggling of arms and fake Indian currency are among the main issues India will take up with Pakistan in Lahore at a high-level meeting between the border guarding forces of the two countries from December 24-28.

"Defence constructions, border incidents and trans-border crimes like drug trafficking, infiltration, smuggling of arms/ammunition and fake Indian currency, inadvertent border crossings and other matters of mutual interest will be discussed for effective border management," said DIG Punjab Frontier, BSF, R P S Jaswal.

The Indian delegation will be crossing over to Pakistan on Tuesday.

The Indian delegation is being headed by BSF director general Subhash Joshi and Pakistan Rangers delegation will be led by major general Rizwan Akhtar, director general Pakistan Rangers of Sindh Province.

The Indian delegation also includes special DG BSF, (Western Command) Chandigarh, inspector generals from Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat Frontiers and BSF headquarters New Delhi, Jaswal said.

The Indian delegation will cross over to Pakistan through Joint Check Post, the land transit route of Attari-Wagah international border.

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Saudi King Abdullah appoints son Prince Mishaal to head Mecca province

RIYADH: Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday appointed his son Prince Mishaal as governor of Mecca Province, one of the most prominent jobs in the country, the latest move in a rolling reshuffle of senior ruling family members over the past two years.

He replaces Prince Khaled al-Faisal, who has been made education minister, a move that may revive stalled educational reforms aimed at reducing the influence of religious conservatives, Saudi analysts said.

The appointments were announced in a royal decree carried by state media in the world's top oil exporter, where moves among senior princes are closely watched for their impact on the country's opaque succession process.

Since 2011, a series of deaths, retirements and promotions mean most top government positions held by princes, plus the three top provincial governor jobs, have switched hands after decades with little change.

Analysts have said the changes reflect a desire by King Abdullah, who is thought to be 90, to establish his sons and other allies in key positions for the future.

"Appointing a son of the king to one of the major governorates in the kingdom is noteworthy. He is giving his sons a big chance to have a place in the succession process," said Khaled al-Dakhil, a Saudi political scientist.

He has appointed his son Miteb as minister of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, his son Abdulaziz as deputy foreign minister and his son Turki as deputy Riyadh governor.

Mishaal, the new Mecca governor, was previously governor of Najran province on the border with Yemen.

The job of Mecca governor carries big administrative responsibilities because the province has a large population, as well as symbolic importance through its guardianship of Islam's holiest site and hosting of the annual haj pilgrimage.

Education reform?

Unlike in European monarchies, the Saudi succession does not pass directly from father to eldest son, but has moved along a line of brothers born to the kingdom's founder King Abdulaziz, commonly known as Ibn Saud.

Abdullah's heir is Crown Prince Salman, who is 78. After Salman, most analysts believe only two of Ibn Saud's living sons, Prince Ahmed and Prince Muqrin might have a chance to become king. After that, one of Ibn Saud's hundreds of grandsons must be chosen.

Besides his own sons, Abdullah has also promoted nephews to other top jobs, including interior minister, intelligence chief, Eastern Province governor, Riyadh governor and deputy defence minister.

By moving Prince Khaled to the education ministry, King Abdullah may also be signalling that he intends to revive stalled reforms to the country's creaking school system.

"Khaled al-Faisal was very critical of extremism in our educational system. But fixing education is a hard job that requires years and years," said Jamal Khashoggi, head of a television news channel owned by billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

Significant control over education was given to Islamic conservatives in the 1980s to try to placate them after a militant attack in 1979, but they produced generations of young people with more religious knowledge than practical skills.

Saudi Arabian officials often say the biggest long-term challenge facing the world's top oil exporter is to find real jobs for young people who have proved unable to compete with lower-paid expatriates in the local employment market.

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Rahul Gandhi speaking as if he is in opposition: Venkaiah Naidu

HYDERABAD: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's recent comments on corruption and the fall in growth rate seemed like they were coming from an opposition leader, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said here today.

"The Congress vice-president's speech at the FICCI conference yesterday appears like the speech of an opposition leader. He seems to have forgotten that his party is in power for the last ten years. Earlier, it was in power for more than 50 years," he said, talking to reporters here.

"Whatever he was preaching yesterday, his party did not practise it. He said graft is bleeding India. Who is responsible? It is his party, which was in power and which is in power. He says without growth, you cannot alleviate poverty. Then, who brought down the growth? Your party. You should explain that," Naidu said.

Referring to Rahul's reported comment that good news about government does not sell newspapers in Delhi, Naidu asked where was the good news for media to report.

"Is he talking about scam after scam? Betrayal after betrayal on every promise? Economic downturn, rupee devaluation, unemployment, suicides by farmers or growing atrocities on women? Misuse of CBI for political ends or stalling of women's reservation bill and Lokpal bill for six years?" Naidu said.

Accusing Congress of patronising the corrupt and misusing Constitutional institutions, he alleged that Congress government tried to cover up those involved in Adarsh society scam "even after judicial indictment".

"Your Governor goes out of the way to reject permission for CBI to prosecute a former Chief Minister. The Governor has violated the principles of Constitution. He has no right to be in that post. He should be recalled immediately. The Cabinet of Maharashtra, they absolved their own ministers and they rejected the report. Then, why did you appoint a commission," he said.

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Singapore’s Little India riot: 200 foreign workers get police advisories

SINGAPORE: Two hundred foreign workers, including Indians, on Sunday received advisories from Singapore police for alleged involvement in the worst street violence here in 40 years.

The workers started arriving at the Police Cantonment Complex at 10am to receive police advisories at the Criminal Investigation Department.

The development came two days after 56 Indians and a Bangladeshi were deported from Singapore for alleged involvement in the riot in Little India, a precinct of Indian-origin businesses, eateries and pubs where most South Asian workers take their Sunday break.

While a police warning is usually issued "in place of prosecution" and indicates that an offence may have been committed, an advisory is given to those who have not committed offences, and face no further action, The Straits Times quoted Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee as saying.

He had earlier said those set to receive the advisories had played "a passive and incidental" role during the riot, compared with the ones who have been deported.

Three other Indian nationals, who had charges against them dropped, will be given advisories together with the 200-odd other workers. All of them will be allowed to stay and work in Singapore, Ng said last week, adding that their employers will have to be present with the workers during the process.

"We want the employer to be present as a witness. "The advice is given to the guest worker, so he has to acknowledge that he has received it," Ng said, adding that the advisory will be given both orally and in written form.

Meanwhile, the 28 Indians charged with rioting are set to make an appearance in court tomorrow after being remanded for investigations.

The trouble started after a private bus fatally knocked down an Indian pedestrian, 33-year-old Sakthivel Kuaravelu, in Little India. Some 400 migrant workers were involved in the rampage that left 39 police and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles — including 16 police cars — damaged.

Singapore previously witnessed violence on such a scale during race riots in 1969.

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Turkey removes another 25 police chiefs over graft inquiry: Report

ANKARA: Turkish authorities have removed another 25 police chiefs from their posts, media reported, widening a crackdown on the force since it launched a corruption investigation that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called a "dirty operation" against his rule.

Erdogan accused "international groups" and "dark alliances" on Saturday of encouraging the graft investigations and signalled the purge of people behind it would continue.

The furore has roiled markets and exposed deep rifts between Erdogan and his former ally Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Islamic preacher who wields influence in the police and judiciary.

Twenty-four people have been formally arrested under the corruption investigation, including the sons of two government ministers and the general manager of state-owned Halkbank . Scores have also been detained.

In response, about 70 police officers, including the powerful head of Istanbul's force, have now been sacked or moved to different posts since the detention of bribery suspects began last week.

Erdogan's position is under no immediate threat, but the row between his ruling AK Party and Gulen's Hizmet movement could help decide local elections due in March.

The prime minister said on Saturday the crackdown on people behind the corruption investigation would continue.

"Those who want to establish a parallel structure alongside the state, those who have infiltrated into the state institutions ... we will come into your lairs and we will lay out these organisations within the state," he said in a speech in the northern city of Ordu.

Erdogan has refrained from naming Gulen, but years of disagreements between the two men spilled out into the open last month over a government plan to abolish private "Prep" schools, including those run by Hizmet.

The schools, part of a network with global reach, are an important source of revenue and bedrock of Hizmet's influence.

One of the first moves by Istanbul's new police chief, Selami Altinok, was to ban journalists from entering police stations across the country, local media reported on Sunday.

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AAP to contest Lok Sabha polls from Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: Buoyed by its performance in Delhi polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, though the party is yet to finalize the number of seats.

"We will definitely contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh and will be in a position to decide the number of seats we will be contesting in nearly a month's time," AAP State Secretary, Akshay Hunka told PTI.

The party will be taking out rallies in all the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state between January 12 and 19 to identify the issues for the polls and also take people's feedback on the problems faced by them, he said.

During these rallies, the party will also form constituency-wise teams for the polls, he added.

AAP on Sunday held a strategy session of its members in all the districts of the state for the general elections.

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