Would love to see what Sharif will do to improve ties with India: Omar Abdullah

SRINAGAR: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating", Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday, emphasizing he would love to see what Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will do to improve ties with India.

Describing as "heartening" some of the statements emanating from Islamabad after Sharif's return to power, Omar said that improved relationship between India and Pakistan benefitted his state which suffers when Indo-Pak ties turn sour.

The chief minister expressed the view that one indicator of Sharif's commitment to improve the ties could come from whether Pakistan buys 500 MW of electricity from India.

"I mean today Pakistan has villages where 22 out of 24 hours, there is no electricity, cities where 10 hours you have power cuts. Whether the establishment and some other forces in Pakistan allow him to buy that electricity, let's see. Will he be able to give India Most Favoured Nation status that also remains to be seen," he said.

"Because if you can't move forward on areas in which Pakistan is going to benefit, how could we expect him to move forward in areas like Siachen, Sir Creek and the biggest question of all which is Kashmir," the chief minister said.

After Sharif was voted back to power, Omar had said the PML(N) leader had the track record of trying to improve relations between the two countries.

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Myanmar jails two Buddhists for riot murders: Official

YANGON: Myanmar has sentenced two Buddhist men to seven years in prison for murders during religious violence in March that left dozens of people dead, a local official said on Monday.

The defendants were convicted after separate trials at the district court in Meiktila for their part in deadly rioting in the town, which mainly targeted Muslims and sparked waves of religious unrest across the country.

Meiktila district chairman of Tin Maung Soe said one man, aged 24, was sentenced on June 28, becoming the first Buddhist known to be sentenced for a serious offence over the rioting, which left at least 44 people dead.

"He was found at the scene where some people were killed during the unrest in Meiktila. That is why he was charged with murder," he said.

He said the second suspect, aged 21, was handed sentences of seven years and one year with hard labour — to be served concurrently — on Friday for his part in the killings.

Thousands of local Muslims were driven from their homes during the violence, as Buddhist mobs torched whole neighbourhoods, destroyed shops and damaged mosques.

Human rights groups have accused the police of being slow to stop the killings, while activists have called on authorities to fully investigate and prosecute those responsible.

At least 10 Muslims have so far been handed jail terms for serious offences during the rioting.

In May seven Muslims were sentenced to between two and 28 years for their parts in the murder of a Buddhist monk in Meiktila during the unrest.

The violence was apparently initially triggered by a quarrel in a gold shop and three Muslims, including the business owner, were jailed for 14 years in April for assaulting a Buddhist customer.

State media recently said 49 people were on trial for murder, with scores more facing court for their roles in the unrest.

"The other cases are still ongoing and still under investigation," Tin Maung Soe said.

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Malaysia withdraws bill allowing unilateral conversion

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Monday withdrew a controversial bill that allows one parent to give consent for the conversion of a child following an outcry over two minor ethnic Indian Hindu children embracing Islam without their mother's permission.

The controversial Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 was withdrawn from parliament following a motion by minister in the Prime Minister's department Jamil Khir Baharom.

Baharom moved the motion to withdraw the bill for its second third and fourth reading and from being debated on.

The bill was tabled for the first reading in Parliament on June 26.

Various groups had voiced their opposition to the bill, which included a controversial provision allowing a child to be converted with the consent of only one parent.

On Friday, deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said the bill would be withdrawn until an agreement was reached with all stakeholders.

He said the Cabinet decided to withdraw the bill from the current parliament meeting following concerns from various quarters, including the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional's component party members. The component party include Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).

The move comes after two ethnic Indian Hindu children were converted to Islam without their mother's consent, triggering protests from the country's Bar Council which called unilateral conversion as illegal.

According to a media report, ethnic Indian Hindu woman identified as S Deepa, 29, from Jelebu, discovered that her husband, who left her 16 months ago, had converted their two children into Islam without her knowledge.

Multi ethnic Malaysia's 28 million population includes 25 percent ethnic Chinese who are mostly Buddhists or Christians and eight percent ethnic Indians who are mostly Hindus.

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Malaysia withdraws bill allowing unilateral conversion

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Monday withdrew a controversial bill that allows one parent to give consent for the conversion of a child following an outcry over two minor ethnic Indian Hindu children embracing Islam without their mother's permission.

The controversial Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 was withdrawn from parliament following a motion by minister in the Prime Minister's department Jamil Khir Baharom.

Baharom moved the motion to withdraw the bill for its second third and fourth reading and from being debated on.

The bill was tabled for the first reading in Parliament on June 26.

Various groups had voiced their opposition to the bill, which included a controversial provision allowing a child to be converted with the consent of only one parent.

On Friday, deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said the bill would be withdrawn until an agreement was reached with all stakeholders.

He said the Cabinet decided to withdraw the bill from the current parliament meeting following concerns from various quarters, including the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional's component party members. The component party include Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).

The move comes after two ethnic Indian Hindu children were converted to Islam without their mother's consent, triggering protests from the country's Bar Council which called unilateral conversion as illegal.

According to a media report, ethnic Indian Hindu woman identified as S Deepa, 29, from Jelebu, discovered that her husband, who left her 16 months ago, had converted their two children into Islam without her knowledge.

Multi ethnic Malaysia's 28 million population includes 25 percent ethnic Chinese who are mostly Buddhists or Christians and eight percent ethnic Indians who are mostly Hindus.

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25 dead in two days of Iraq violence including six family members

MOSUL: Two days of violence in Iraq killed 25 people, including six family members shot dead while returning from a wedding, police officers and doctors said on Monday.

The deadliest attack on Monday hit north Iraq, where a car bomb south of the city of Mosul killed six people, including three children, and wounded eight.

A car bomb in the city also killed one person and wounded four.

In Madain, south of Baghdad, a bomb exploded near a football field inside a sports club on Monday, killing at least five people.

And gunmen attacked a checkpoint on a highway in northern Iraq, sparking clashes that killed three anti-al-Qaida fighters and two militants.

The anti-al-Qaida fighters, known as Sahwa, are a collection of Sunni tribal militias that turned against al-Qaida and sided with the US military from late 2006 onwards, helping turn the tide against Iraq's bloody insurgency.

The militiamen are regarded as traitors by Sunni militants and are frequently targeted in attacks.

On Sunday night, gunmen killed a policeman, his father, his wife and three children as they drove south of Baghdad on their way back from a wedding.

And armed men shot dead two police in an attack on a checkpoint in Tikrit, north of the capital.

With the latest violence, over 185 people have been killed in unrest in the first eight days of July — far more than in the whole month of December, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

Iraq has seen a surge in violence since the beginning of the year, coinciding with ongoing protests in the Sunni Arab community that analysts and diplomats say have boosted recruitment to Sunni militant groups and given them room to manoeuvre.

The country is also struggling with a political deadlock and months-long protests by its Sunni Arab minority.

Iraqi political leaders have vowed to resolve outstanding disputes, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki meeting with his two main rivals last month in a bid to ease tensions, but no tangible measures have been announced.

Analysts and diplomats worry that the standoff, which is often linked to levels of violence, is unlikely to be resolved at least until general elections due next year.

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Govt red flags hiking FDI cap in defence, space, I&B and other key sectors

NEW DELHI: The home ministry has raised serious concern over hiking FDI cap in defence, space, telecom and a few other areas, contending that flow of funds from countries like China in these sectors may compromise country's security.

This was conveyed by the home ministry to the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) and it is all set to dash off another letter conveying its strong opposition to any such move which may jeopardize country's security.

The home ministry said FDI beyond certain limit from countries like China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in defence, space, telecom, information and broadcasting, civil aviation may allow people from these countries to dictate terms which could be contrary to India's interests.

"It is a serious issue. We have already conveyed our view to DIPP and will soon write another letter explaining the reasons behind our opposition in hiking the FDI cap in these key sectors," a home ministry official said. FDI in these sectors needs mandatory security clearance from the home ministry. The recommendation of a committee to raise FDI limit to 49 per cent in almost all sectors through automatic route was also opposed by the home ministry saying safeguards must be put while allowing hike in FDI in key sectors. The committee, headed by economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram, had recommended that FDI limit be raised to 49 per cent in almost all sectors through automatic route.

The committee suggested that FDI in defence be raised to 49 per cent under the government approval route, from the current 26 per cent. Last week, the DIPP held first round of consultations on the proposal to raise FDI ceilings in different segments. All the concerned departments and ministries are expected to send their views on hiking the FDI ceiling to the DIPP within a day or two and subsequently it would submit a detailed report to commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma by July 7.

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Dalit youth's death: National Commission for Scheduled Castes members visit Dharmapuri

DHARMAPURI (TN): A team of National Commission for Scheduled Castes arrived on Sunday to take stock of the situation in the wake of the death of Dalit youth Illavarasan, whose body was found on a railway track.

The team visited the medical college hospital where Ilavarasan's body has been kept in the mortuary as per a high court directive. It also visited Natham colony, from where the youth hailed, and met his parents.

Ilavarasan's parents submitted a memorandum to the team listing several demands, including CBI probe into the death.

The high court has directed the state government to preserve the body till Tuesday, when it will hear the matter again.

Referring to Ilavarasan's death, a NCSC member Sivanna said they cannot make any decision as to whether it was a murder or suicide, and investigations by authorities are proceeding.

The member said commission is not satisfied with the execution of rehabilitation works for Dalit victims in the violence-hit areas and advised the district administration to expedite it.

The panel members later held discussions with the new district collector K Vivekanandan, SP Asra Garg and other top officials.

The marriage of Ilavarasan and Divya, a Hindu girl, had triggered anti-dalit violence in three villages of Dharmapuri district in November last.

His body was found along the railway track in Dharmapuri on Thursday, a day after the girl said she would never go back to him.

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Dalit youth's death: National Commission for Scheduled Castes members visit Dharmapuri

DHARMAPURI (TN): A team of National Commission for Scheduled Castes arrived on Sunday to take stock of the situation in the wake of the death of Dalit youth Illavarasan, whose body was found on a railway track.

The team visited the medical college hospital where Ilavarasan's body has been kept in the mortuary as per a high court directive. It also visited Natham colony, from where the youth hailed, and met his parents.

Ilavarasan's parents submitted a memorandum to the team listing several demands, including CBI probe into the death.

The high court has directed the state government to preserve the body till Tuesday, when it will hear the matter again.

Referring to Ilavarasan's death, a NCSC member Sivanna said they cannot make any decision as to whether it was a murder or suicide, and investigations by authorities are proceeding.

The member said commission is not satisfied with the execution of rehabilitation works for Dalit victims in the violence-hit areas and advised the district administration to expedite it.

The panel members later held discussions with the new district collector K Vivekanandan, SP Asra Garg and other top officials.

The marriage of Ilavarasan and Divya, a Hindu girl, had triggered anti-dalit violence in three villages of Dharmapuri district in November last.

His body was found along the railway track in Dharmapuri on Thursday, a day after the girl said she would never go back to him.

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Two thirds of Syria's Homs rebel area destroyed: NGO

BEIRUT: Intense fighting in the central Syrian city of Homs has left 60 to 70 per cent of a besieged rebel-held district damaged, destroyed or uninhabitable, a monitoring group said on Sunday.

The estimate from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights came nine days into an all-out army assault on the rebel-held Khaldiyeh and Old City neighbourhoods, which have been under siege for more than a year.

On Sunday, regime forces subjected insurgent areas of the city to fierce shelling, said the Observatory.

"Sixty to 70 per cent of buildings in Khaldiyeh are either totally destroyed, partially destroyed, or unsuitable for habitation," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Homs is Syria's third-largest city, and tens of thousands of its residents have fled the fighting.

"Of all Syria's cities, Homs has suffered the highest levels of destruction... Images of Homs make it look like a world war has hit the city. Much of it has been flattened," he added.

Amateur video posted online by activists on Sunday showed flames and thick black smoke rising from several empty burnt-out buildings already riddled with holes.

Some structures shown in the video are barely standing.

"Even if the regime takes the neighbourhoods back, there's barely a house left standing to return to," said Abdel Rahman.

"It would even be dangerous to return. People from Homs are constantly under regime surveillance wherever they are in Syria, because their city has served as a rebel bastion since early in the revolt" against President Bashar al-Assad.

On Sunday, government troops used mortars, rocket fire and heavy artillery to target rebel areas in the city, the Britain-based Observatory said.

On the edges of Khaldiyeh, fresh clashes broke out between rebels and troops and pro-regime militiamen, it added.

According to the United Nations, some 2,500 to 4,000 people are trapped in the besieged areas.

In Damascus, regime warplanes targeted Jubar in the east of the capital, while tanks hit Qaboon in the northeast, said the Observatory.

Several mortar rounds hit Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus, it added, as rebels and troops clashed nearby.

In northern Damascus, the army tried to storm Barzeh, where rebels are still holed up, the watchdog said.

Syria's 27-month war has killed more than 100,000 people, the Observatory estimates.

On Saturday alone, at least 69 people were killed nationwide, it said.

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Two thirds of Syria's Homs rebel area destroyed: NGO

BEIRUT: Intense fighting in the central Syrian city of Homs has left 60 to 70 per cent of a besieged rebel-held district damaged, destroyed or uninhabitable, a monitoring group said on Sunday.

The estimate from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights came nine days into an all-out army assault on the rebel-held Khaldiyeh and Old City neighbourhoods, which have been under siege for more than a year.

On Sunday, regime forces subjected insurgent areas of the city to fierce shelling, said the Observatory.

"Sixty to 70 per cent of buildings in Khaldiyeh are either totally destroyed, partially destroyed, or unsuitable for habitation," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Homs is Syria's third-largest city, and tens of thousands of its residents have fled the fighting.

"Of all Syria's cities, Homs has suffered the highest levels of destruction... Images of Homs make it look like a world war has hit the city. Much of it has been flattened," he added.

Amateur video posted online by activists on Sunday showed flames and thick black smoke rising from several empty burnt-out buildings already riddled with holes.

Some structures shown in the video are barely standing.

"Even if the regime takes the neighbourhoods back, there's barely a house left standing to return to," said Abdel Rahman.

"It would even be dangerous to return. People from Homs are constantly under regime surveillance wherever they are in Syria, because their city has served as a rebel bastion since early in the revolt" against President Bashar al-Assad.

On Sunday, government troops used mortars, rocket fire and heavy artillery to target rebel areas in the city, the Britain-based Observatory said.

On the edges of Khaldiyeh, fresh clashes broke out between rebels and troops and pro-regime militiamen, it added.

According to the United Nations, some 2,500 to 4,000 people are trapped in the besieged areas.

In Damascus, regime warplanes targeted Jubar in the east of the capital, while tanks hit Qaboon in the northeast, said the Observatory.

Several mortar rounds hit Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus, it added, as rebels and troops clashed nearby.

In northern Damascus, the army tried to storm Barzeh, where rebels are still holed up, the watchdog said.

Syria's 27-month war has killed more than 100,000 people, the Observatory estimates.

On Saturday alone, at least 69 people were killed nationwide, it said.

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