Six tourists killed in ferry accident in Thailand

BANGKOK: An overcrowded tourist ferry capsized and sank near a popular Thai seaside town, killing six tourists, including two Russians and a Chinese, police said. The rest of the roughly 200 people aboard were rescued.

The double-decker ferry, carrying Thai and foreign tourists, left Lan island for the 30-minute trip to the resort town of Pattaya on Sunday evening, said police Col. Suwan Cheawnavinthavat. Shortly after the boat departed, an engine problem sent the passengers on the first deck rushing to the second floor, causing the ferry to flip on its side and eventually sink.

"Witnesses said there were neither enough tubes nor life vests on the ferry. Some of those who cannot swim had to cling onto coolers or ice containers until rescuers came," Suwan said by phone.

He said the foreigners who died were a Russian man, a Russian woman and a Chinese man. Three Thais — two women and a man — also were killed. The rest of the passengers were rescued, including a 12-year-old Russian boy who was in intensive care at a hospital. None of the others were hospitalized.

Suwan said the ferry was operating over its capacity of about 130 to 150 passengers. He said police were looking for the ferry driver to investigate the cause of the accident.

Pattaya, which is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Bangkok, has had several fatal boat accidents this year. Last month, an Indian tourist celebrating her wedding anniversary was killed in a parasailing accident off the town's coast. In August, two Chinese tourists were killed in a speed boat accident near Pattaya's main pier.

Lan island is a popular daytrip destination among tourists near Pattaya.

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Indian troops arrive in China for joint military exercises

BEIJING: Indian and Chinese armies are all set to hold their third joint military exercises after a gap of five years, as a 150-strong Indian army contingent on Monday arrived in Chengdu city to take part in anti-terrorism drills.

The 10-day drill code named "hand in hand" would be formally inaugurated tomorrow at a designated area close to Chengdu city.

The annual exercises, which began in 2007, are being resumed after a gap of five years.

The first exercises were held in China's Kunming city followed by the second round at Belgaum in Karanataka in 2008.

The next round was called off by India following the denial of visa to a top General heading troops in Jammu and Kashmir on the grounds that the region formed part of disputed territory.

The two sides resumed contacts after China rescinded its decision and began issuing regular visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir, a move that facilitated a broad engagement between the two giant neighbours.

However, border tensions flared up when Chinese troops pitched tents deep inside the Indian side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region in April this year.

It was resolved subsequently ahead of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to New Delhi followed by return visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month.

During Singh's visit, the two countries signed the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) which both sides believe would effectively address a host of issues causing tension at the disputed border.

The military exercises were firmed up during defence minister A K Antony's visit here in July this year.

Significantly, the exercises focussing on anti-terrorism drills were taking place as China stepped up its campaign against terrorism after last week's suicide attack at the Forbidden City overlooking Tiananmen square here.

Following this China said it would up step anti-terrorism cooperation members of the six member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation consisting of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan are observers in the grouping.

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Indian troops reach China for joint military exercises

BEIJING: Indian and Chinese armies are all set to hold their third joint military exercises after a gap of five years, as a 150-strong Indian army contingent on Monday arrived in Chengdu city to take part in anti-terrorism drills.

The 10-day drill code named "hand in hand" would be formally inaugurated tomorrow at a designated area close to Chengdu city.

The annual exercises, which began in 2007, are being resumed after a gap of five years.

The first exercises were held in China's Kunming city followed by the second round at Belgaum in Karanataka in 2008.

The next round was called off by India following the denial of visa to a top General heading troops in Jammu and Kashmir on the grounds that the region formed part of disputed territory.

The two sides resumed contacts after China rescinded its decision and began issuing regular visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir, a move that facilitated a broad engagement between the two giant neighbours.

However, border tensions flared up when Chinese troops pitched tents deep inside the Indian side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region in April this year.

It was resolved subsequently ahead of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to New Delhi followed by return visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month.

During Singh's visit, the two countries signed the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) which both sides believe would effectively address a host of issues causing tension at the disputed border.

The military exercises were firmed up during defence minister A K Antony's visit here in July this year.

Significantly, the exercises focussing on anti-terrorism drills were taking place as China stepped up its campaign against terrorism after last week's suicide attack at the Forbidden City overlooking Tiananmen square here.

Following this China said it would up step anti-terrorism cooperation members of the six member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation consisting of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan are observers in the grouping.

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India, US to kick off their naval wargames tomorrow

NEW DELHI: India and the US will kick off their next round of "Malabar" naval wargames in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.

The US Navy is deploying Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS McCampbell and P3C maritime patrol aircraft, among other platforms, for the exercise from November 5 to 11. India, in turn, will be participating with its stealth frigate INS Shivalik, guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay and TU-142M maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

"The US and India share common values and seafaring traditions. Our navies are natural partners, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the bonds and personnel relations between relationships between our navies through the conduct of the Malabar series of exercises," said an official.

"Malabar", a regularly scheduled bilateral naval field training exercise, has grown in scope and complexity over the years.

"The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training. While ashore training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges, the at-sea portions will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal. They are designed to advance participating nations military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment," he said.

"Events planned during the at-sea portions include professional exchanges and embarkations; communications exercises; Surface Action Group operations; leapfrogs; helicopter cross-deck evolutions; gunnery exercises; Visit Board Search and Seizure; and anti-submarine warfare," he added.

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BSP also demands ban on opinion polls during elections

LUCKNOW: The Bahujan Samaj Party is also in favour of banning opinion polls and surveys during elections.

In response to the letter of the Election Commission of India seeking views of the political parties on the proposal to restrict opinion polls during elections, BSP general secretary SC Mishra on Tuesday wrote to the principal secretary, EC, that his party's stand has been that the opinion polls should not be allowed to be published during elections as they do not and cannot reflect the correct opinion of the public/voter at large. He said that such surveys are conducted by different agencies which claim that they have taken view of the people but the fact is that the view taken is of a very limited and selective voters which cannot be said to the opinion of people at large.

The opinion polls are based on the views elicited from few hundreds people in a constituency where there are more than 20 lakh voters. It cannot be shown and depicted as a view of the entire constituency. Similarly, views obtained of few thousand people throughout the state cannot be shown as the opinion of the entire electorate of the state, Mishra said.

Further, Mishra said "There is no proper scientific method by means of which general view can be obtained from the electorate at large in a democracy where most of the voters do not like to reflect their view except through ballot that to in a secret manner. Such distorted opinions by agencies who are paid to conduct the polls are susceptible for being managed or purchased to confuse the voters and public at large just before the polls."

"Our party is of the view that no outside influence which may effect and confuse the minds of electors and the criteria of which has no uniform basis should not be permitted and opinion polls is one of them. It is therefore necessary for conducting free and fair elections that such opinion polls should be banned during the elections," Mishra said.

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Nato soldier, 2 police officers killed in Afghanistan

KABUL: Nato says a foreign soldier has been killed in an attack in eastern Afghanistan, while authorities say two officers have been killed in separate shootings in the country's south.

A Nato statement says that the soldier was shot dead on Sunday. It did not say where the shooting happened, nor did it give the nationality of the soldier killed in the attack.

In southern Uruzgan province, police spokesman Fared Ayel said a group of insurgents attacked a police checkpoint in the Dehrawod district today morning. The spokesman says one officer and four insurgents were killed in the attack, which also wounded four.

In southern Kandahar city, governor's spokesman Javed Faisel said a police officer was shot and killed by two gunmen riding a motorbike.

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Police record statement of Malayalam actor Shweta Menon in 'molestation' case

KOCHI: Leading Malayalam film actress Shweta Menon, who was allegedly molested by Congress MP N Peethambara Kurup at the president's boat race event at Kollam two days back, on Sunday gave her statement on the incident to police.

A police team from Kollam, including a woman circle inspector arrived here at 9am and recorded Shweta's statement at her residence. The actress reportedly broke down while the statement was being recorded.

The police team refused to disclose the details. Shweta is understood to have mentioned the names of two persons, including Kollam MP Kurup, who has denied the charge.

Last night Shweta had told reporters after meeting office bearers of various film industry bodies that she would send a detailed complaint to chief minister Oommen Chandy, whom she is likely to meet on Tuesday.

Her statement was recorded by police on a complaint by DYFI, the youth wing of CPM.

Shweta has so far not named her tormentor, saying all details are in the complaint and she was pained that collector B Mohan had "ignored" her charge when informed about it.

To this, Mohan had said she had not given any complaint, either orally or in writing.

He said he had ordered Kollam City police commissioner to enquire into the incident following an SMS complaint from Aisha Potti, MLA.

Shweta had also rejected Kurup's contention that the charge was politically motivated and said she would not back out from her complaint.

The incident has triggered strong protests from the film fraternity and women's outfits deploring 'failure' of the authorities to act against the MP.

While 73-year-old Kurup termed the charge as untrue, Shweta had said she stood by whatever she had stated on the incident that allegedly occurred at the venue of the President's Trophy boat race. TV footage showed the MP moving towards the actress and touching her.

Chandy had told reporters at Kottayam yesterday he had not received any complaint from the actress so far and that appropriate action would be taken after investigation if a complaint was received.

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Kerry meets Egyptian counterpart, says Cairo a "vital partner"

CAIRO: US Secretary of State John Kerry met his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Sunday and said Egypt was a "vital partner" that Washington was committed to working with.

Kerry, the most senior US official to visit Egypt since the army overthrew Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July, stressed the need for fair and transparent trials for all Egyptians.

Kerry's visit happened the day before Morsi and 14 other senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders were due to go on trial charged with inciting violence.

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Indian Mujahideen fugitive wanted to start drug peddling business in Nepal

MUMBAI: Indian Mujahideen's suspected operative, Afzal Usmani, caught last week from the Indo-Nepal border, told interrogators that he wanted to start drug peddling from Nepal. Usmani, who had fled from Mumbai's Sessions court on September 20, was caught by the state ATS on October 27.

Usmani, now 37, is alleged to have participated in as many as over a dozen bomb blast cases. He was caught while he was trying to flee to Nepal where he wanted to settle down. "Usmnai told us that he had planned to steal cars and sell them in Nepal. Besides this, Usmani also knew some drug peddlers and said that he wanted to smuggle drugs between Indian and Nepalese peddlers since it's a profit making business," said a police source. The investigators said that Usmani told them that he had even planned to create special space in the four doors of the car to keep drugs. In each turn he could smuggle at least four to five kg drugs that would give a profit of more than Rs five lakh in each trip," the officer said. Usmani was first caught by the Mumbai crime branch in 2008 for his alleged role in stealing cars that were used for the Gujarat bomb blasts.

On October 27, had the state ATS personnel reached half an hour late at the Indo-Nepal border Usmani might have made his way into the Nepal. Loitering near the border, Usmani could see the Nepal entrance just from a distance of 250 meters but he ran out of luck. He was waiting for some families or group of people to mingle with before entering into Nepal. This was the time the Mumbai ATS spotted him, waiting impatiently, and caught him.

"At a time when he had planned his escape to Nepal and wanted to start a drug peddling business, he might have been in touch with some drug lords. We are now questioning him about their whereabouts and how did he came in touch with them. Generally, the drug money is also used in financing terror operations," the source added.

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24 inmates escape from East Timor's main prison

DILI ( EAST TIMOR): Twenty-four inmates escaped on Sunday from East Timor's main prison after attacking guards, and about half were recaptured, an official said.

The director of Becora prison, Joao Domingos, said the inmates escaped from the facility in the capital, Dili, after Mass on Sunday.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao inspected the prison afterward and ordered security forces to capture the inmates as soon as possible. Hours later, 13 of them were recaptured in a hilly region on Dili's outskirts, Domingos said.

He said one of two guards who were attacked was hospitalized in critical condition.

Domingos said Juga Gama, a famous 24-year-old singer who was sentenced to 20 years last month in a drug case, was believed to be the mastermind of the escape. Gama escaped and is still missing.

It was the second escape from the prison since the August 2007 escape of rebel soldier Alfredo Reinado, who was imprisoned for deserting the army. Reinado was later fatally shot by presidential guards during a February 2008 attack on the compound of then-President Jose Ramos-Horta.

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