web analytics

ARY NEWS

Web Desk

  • Third blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh – police

    Ananta Bijoy Das, a blogger who advocated secularism, was attacked by four assailants in the northeastern district of Sylhet on Tuesday morning, senior police official Mohammad Rahamatullah told Reuters.

    Rahamatullah said Das was a 33-year-old banker.

    Das wrote for ‘Mukto Mona’, or free mind, a website propagating rationalism and opposing fundamentalism that was founded by U.S.-based blogger Avijit Roy.

    Roy himself was hacked to death in February while returning with his wife from a Dhaka book fair.

    His widow, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, suffered head injuries and lost a finger. In an interview with Reuters in the United States published on Monday, Ahmed called her husband’s killing “a global act of terrorism”.

    Religious militants have targeted secularist writers in Bangladesh in recent years, while the government has tried to crack down on hardline Islamist groups seeking to make the South Asian nation of 160 million a sharia-based state.

    On March 30, Washiqur Rahman, another secular blogger who aired his outrage over Roy’s death on social media, was killed in similar fashion on a busy street in the capital, Dhaka.

    Their deaths followed the similar killing in 2013 of Ahmed Rajib Haider, who backed calls to impose the death penalty on Islamist leaders accused of atrocities in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. (Reuters)

  • Nine killed, buildings collapse in fresh Nepal earthquake

    At least four people were killed in Chautara town in Sindhupalchowk district, north of the Nepali capital Kathmandu, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration said.

    Police in the Himalayan nation confirmed at least three deaths, as the government struggled with patchy phone lines to gather information. It wasn’t immediately clear if they were referring to the same people.

    Four people were also killed in Indian states bordering Nepal, one in Uttar Pradesh and three in Bihar, officials said.

    One person died in Tibet after rocks fell on a car, according to Chinese state media.

    The U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday’s earthquake was centred 68 km (about 42 miles) west of the town of Namche Bazaar, close to Mount Everest and the border with Tibet.

    A magnitude 7.3 quake, it was felt as far apart as New Delhi and Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The quake was followed by at least half a dozen aftershocks, including one 6.3 magnitude quake.

    The temblor, which struck around 12.30 pm local time, came just weeks after a 7.8 quake killed more than 8,000 people and damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in Nepal.

    The epicentre of Tuesday’s quake was close to Everest Base Camp, which was evacuated after an avalanche triggered by last month’s quake killed 18 climbers. Mountaineers seeking to scale the world’s tallest peak have called off this year’s Everest season.

    Nepal is still picking up the pieces from the devastation caused by last month’s earthquake, the worst in more than 80 years in the country. Hundreds of thousands of buildings, including many ancient sites, were destroyed and many more were damaged.

    PANIC IN KATHMANDU

    The latest earthquake unleashed panic in Kathmandu, Reuters witnesses said.

    Parents could be seen clutching children tightly and hundreds of people were frantically trying to call relatives on their mobile phones.

    Shopkeepers closed their shops and the streets were jammed with people rushing to check on their families.

    “I’m heading straight home,” said Bishal Rai, a man in his 20s, who said he was trying to contact his family in the north of the capital.

    Medics and volunteers formed a human chain at a Kathmandu hospital to keep a path open for ambulances.

    A volunteer at the hospital said five or six injured people had been brought in, two on stretchers. So far, few ambulances had arrived, he said.

    Some aid teams which were on their way back from Nepal were considering whether to return to the country to help.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at welcoming ceremony for a military rescue delegation after it landed back in Tel Aviv from Nepal, said they were prepared to go back if needed.

    De Wojtek Wilk, CEO of the Polish Center for International Aid, said he could send his team of medics “back straight from the airport.”

    “There is a huge concern for the people who may be living in structures that did not prove earthquake sound,” he said.

    Indian Air Force spokesman Simranpal Singh Birdi said one MiG 17 aircraft stationed in Kathmandu has been sent to Namche Bazaar to assess the damage.

    “Our team is conducting an aerial survey before we decide to launch rescue operations,” he said.

    LEFT SHAKEN

    In Sindhupalchowk district, which suffered the heaviest death toll in last month’s quake, the new temblor also triggered at least three big landslides in the district. A district official there said 12 people had been injured.

    “The latest earthquake has left us shaken. I  am still trembling,” the official, Diwakar Koirala, said, when reached soon after the quake.

    Rhita Doma Sherpa, a nurse with the Mountain Medicine Center in Namche Bazaar near the quake’s epicentre, said the quake caused cracks in several buildings, including a school, but she had not seen major damage.

    “It was lunchtime. All the kids were outside. Thank god,” she said.

    Residents in the Indian town of Siliguri, near the border with Nepal, said chunks of concrete fell off one or two buildings.

    Last month’s quake killed at least 8,046 people and injured more than 17,800. It was recorded at 7.8 magnitude, almost six times stronger than Tuesday’s quake.

    But a 7.3 magnitude earthquake has the potential to cause significant damage and landslides. (Reuters)

  • Former principal of Karachi’s St Joseph’s College forced to leave Pakistan following threats

    Dr. Bernadette L. Dean, who has served as Principal of St.Joseph College for Women and Kinnaird College in Lahore, was forced to vacate Pakistan after being warned of dire consequences if she refused to do so. She was also serving as a member of the government’s advisory committee for curriculum and textbooks reforms. Owing to her position in the committee, she wrote textbooks for which she was seen as ‘secular’ and propagating un-Islamic thoughts.

    Dr. Dean stated that a political party was instrumental in unleashing a hate campaign against her. She also revealed how it all began a few months earlier, when her colleagues and members of the advisory board received threatening phone calls. She also stated how religious leaders hailing from Sindh and Punjab visited the Sindh Text Book Board and voiced their discomfort, complaints at the work Dr. Dean was doing. She also received a letter which termed her as a foreigner, working to impose a secular agenda on the Pakistani masses.

    Dr. Dean also stated that she hadn’t authored any book of her own but that the reformed books were co-authored by her with Muslim authors. Also, the written books went under a great deal of scrutiny and internal review before being published.  The New National Curriculum has made Islamiat as a compulsory subject from grade 3 whereas it included it as part of General Knowledge from grade 1-2.

    Dr. Dean disclosed all of these details in an email that she had forwarded to her friends, apologizing for leaving the country in haste and not announcing it beforehand. She also stated that she had undertaken the decision on behalf of advice issued by friends, family and police.

     

     

  • KP Assembly members protest in Islamabad

    Imran Khan, Chairman of ruling party in KP Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said that there will be no compromise on the nation’s rights and the federal government will have to give the province its share in the economic corridor and gas royalties.

    Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak arrived in Islamabad to participate in the sit-in of the provincial assembly members.

    Khattak, speaking to media, said that they will lay their demands today and will give a one week deadline to the federal government.

    He has warned that the entire province will stage a protest if their demands are not met.

    “This is a token protest. Theives are hiding in Wapda. The cheaper electricity being generated in KP and is being sold to the people of the province on higher prices”, he said.


    KP chief minister leads protest for provincial… by arynews

    KP’s minister for finance Mushtaq Ghani stated that the federal minister has not paid Rs. 653 billion dues to the province.

    Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have supported the protest while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) has opposed the sit-in call by the provincial government.

  • Pakistani film starring Imran Abbas breaks through to Cannes

    Pakistani actor Imran Abbas has had an impressive run this far. After starring in prominent Pakistani drama serials and being the most known male model in the country, Abbas ventured into Bollywood. Although his Bollywood debut Creature 3D did not do well and failed to gain a nod from the critics. However, it was a prominent elevation for the Pakistani hunk, who availed the chance to star opposite Bollywood’s renowned actress Bipasha Basu.

    Reportedly now, the actor’s upcoming movie Abdullah has successfully entered the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and reportedly, the event will be held from 15th-21st of May. Ther actor himself tweeted the news and announced that he was happy, honoured to attend the prestigious film event.

     

    Abdullah revolves around the ghastly events of 2011 that took place in Quetta, when five Russians were killed at a Frontier Corps post. The foreigners were suspected to be militants and suicide bombers. According to a local newspaper, Imran will play the role of a truck driver.

    It would be interesting to see how Imran Abbas fares in the upcoming movie. Since the movie has made it into Cannes, there seems to be little doubt as regards to its quality. This is the third Pakistani film which has made it to Cannes, after Saffan Qadir’s Holiday in December and Rayika Choudhri’s Baat Cheet  already made it into Cannes.

    Good luck to the rising star and we wish him well for the upcoming film, as well as all his other upcoming projects!

     

  • American TV series Sense8 to feature Anupam Kher

    Priyanka Chopra recently made headlines when she ventured into American Tv industry and bagged a central role in Quantico. Earlier than that, Anil Kapoor had been roped in to play a fictional character in critically acclaimed American show series 24. The latest Bollywood superstar who was decided to try his hand in an American TV show is none other than famed actor Anupam Kher.

    Anupam himself took to Twitter and broke the news of his joining the Sense8 cast. “Presenting the sensational trailer of Wachowskys @sense8 for #Netflix. Happy to part of this terrific project,” he tweeted.

     

    The series has been created, written and executive produced by Matrix trilogy creators Andy and Lana Wichowski. Babylon 5 helmer J Michael Straczynski will also be involved in the project. The show also has, other actors to its name such as Brian J Smith, Tuppence Middleton and Aml Ameen.

    Sense8 will premiere on the digital streaming service Netflix on June 5th. The trailer of the upcoming show was released and provides a promising insight as to how the show is most likely to turn out. The plot of Sense8 is a complex one and takes a turn for the unusual bit. 8 strangers are unified by the unique ability to share their own memories, thoughts and skills. Deemed as dangerously unique to the rest of the world, they undergo unexplainable feelings of anger, pleasure, remorse, happiness etc. High-octane action sequences,. reminiscent of the Matrix trilogy.

    It will be interesting to see Anupam make his debut in an American TV series, and that too which has such acclaimed producers, writers and creators to its name. Provide Kher has his own acting school through which he imparts knowledge regarding the profession, we can expect the actor to deliver a stellar performance.

  • PM Nawaz Sharif arrives in Kabul on state visit

    PM Nawaz Sharif is accompanied by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Adviser to Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and other officials.

    This is his second visit to Afghanistan since Ghani became president. He had also visited the neighbouring country on 30 November 2013.

    Prime Minister after his arrival in Kabul on Tuesday held one on one meeting with President Ashraf Ghani.

    Nawaz Sharif exchanged views with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and discussed bilateral relations.

    The two sides also held delegation level talks.

    Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also called on Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.

     

    Full statement of Pakistan’s Foreign Office on the state visit:

  • May 12 bloodshed: Pakistan lawyers to observe Black Day today

    Karachi turned into a battleground on this day eight years ago as street clashes witnessed at various areas of the metropolis, claiming around 50 lives on the arrival of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Pakistan’s largest city.

    Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry

    The culprits of the killings and rioting have not been apprehended as yet.

    Pakistan Bar Council observing black day to mark the incidents in which blood spilled on the streets of Karachi.

    Black flags will be hoisted on the bar council buildings across the country while lawyers will don black arm bands.

    The lawyers will stay away from court proceedings today.

  • Appeals court upholds convictions against S. Korea ferry operator

    The high court in the southern city of Gwangju agreed with a lower court verdict that Kim Han-Sik had allowed the passenger ferry to be routinely overloaded and approved illegal renovations to increase its passenger capacity.

    The Sewol sank in April last year, with the loss of 304 lives — most of them high school students on an organised trip.

    The high court upheld prison sentences or suspended jail terms for five other officials belonging to Kim’s Chonghaejin Marine Co., while one was given a reduced sentence.

    Kim had asked the court to reconsider the manslaughter charge, insisting he was just a salaried employee under the thumb of company owner Yoo Byung-Eun who he described as deeply involved in the firm’s operations.

    But the argument was rejected, with the court ruling that Kim shared “collective responsibility” with other company officials and crew members of the Sewol.

    An embezzlement conviction was also upheld, but the jail term reduced on the grounds that Kim had skimmed the money under instructions from Yoo Byung-Eun, rather than for his personal enrichment.

    Following the Sewol disaster, Yoo became the target of a massive manhunt. His badly decomposed body was found weeks later in a field. (AFP)

  • U.S. rejects notion that Gulf rulers snubbing Obama summit

    King Salman’s abrupt decision to skip the U.S.-hosted regional talks shows how Gulf rulers, displeased by what they see as U.S. indifference to Iranian meddling in the Arab world, may hesitate to bless any final nuclear deal that President Barack Obama reaches with Tehran.

    Some analysts and diplomats in the Middle East and Washington interpreted Salman’s decision to stay away from the meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat as a diplomatic snub, despite denials from U.S. and Saudi officials.

    Riyadh announced the monarch’s no-show on Sunday, only two days after the White House had said he would attend the summit of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states – some of which have long doubted Obama’s commitment to confronting Iranian backing of Shi’ite Muslim militias across the region.

    Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who has strong ties with the U.S. political and security establishment, will represent Saudi Arabia at the May 13-14 gathering along with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s son who serves as the defence minister. Since Salman took power in January, the pair have determined most aspects of Saudi policy.

    Only two of the Gulf countries – Kuwait and Qatar – will be represented by their ruling monarchs, while the others are all sending lower-ranking officials.

    U.S. officials quickly pushed back against the notion that Gulf Sunni Muslim allies downgraded their attendance to signal dissatisfaction with Obama’s diplomacy with Shi’ite Iran ahead of an end-June deadline for a landmark nuclear deal.

    The White House announced that Obama had spoken by phone to Salman on Monday, apparently trying to show that relations remained on a solid footing.

    Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said the administration was convinced that the president would have “the right group of people around the table” at Camp David. “These are the people responsible for the security portfolios,” he told reporters in a pre-summit briefing.

    The Saudi government said one of the main reasons Salman was skipping the summit was because it overlapped with a five-day humanitarian ceasefire in neighboring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is waging a bombing campaign against Iran-allied Houthi rebels.

    The leading Gulf Arab power has complained for years that Washington does not take its concerns seriously. It thinks a focus on settling the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program has distracted the United States from more urgent problems and raised questions about broader security commitments to the region.

    SEEKING TO PLACATE ALLIES

    Seeking to reassure the Gulf allies, White House officials said on Monday the summit would produce announcements on integrating ballistic missile defense systems and increasing joint military exercises.

    They said there would also be a statement outlining both U.S. and Gulf states’ commitments but were vague about whether that would entail the written U.S. assurances that some Gulf diplomats have sought. The U.S. officials said, however, that they told Gulf states they would not offer a defense treaty, which would face steep obstacles in Congress.

    Washington is also poised to offer new weapons under a push for a joint region-wide missile defence system, senior U.S. officials said last week.

    “The conspiracy theorists of old have been proven right. The U.S. creates threats for us and then offers us more weapons systems. That does not bode well for us,” said Sami Alfaraj, a Kuwaiti security adviser to the six-nation GCC.

    Riyadh believes Iranian support for militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen is the biggest cause of regional instability, aggravating sectarian tensions, undermining strong government and boosting Sunni Muslim jihadists.

    The Saudis fear Obama sees a settlement between world powers and Tehran as his legacy. Such a deal on the nuclear program – which the West believes may be aimed at building weapons despite Iranian denials – could lift international sanctions without taming the country’s regional ambitions, they think.

    Backing from the GCC – made up of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman – is important for Obama to show Congress that the Iran deal has broad regional support, despite Israeli opposition.

    Salman expressed guarded support for a framework nuclear agreement reached last month, but insists any accord must be robust, verifiable and no threat to Tehran’s neighbours.

    Echoing White House denials, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Washington that the notion of a snub by Salman was “really off-base,” and he insisted the king’s absence was not related to any disagreements between the two countries.

    But others in the region cited reasons for Saudi disappointment.

    “Their experience of six years from Obama is assurances, promises, nice words. But at the end of the day they got nothing in their hands,” said Mustafa Alani, an Iraqi security analyst with close ties to the Saudi crown prince’s Interior Ministry.

    Some diplomats in the region believe the absence from Camp David of King Salman and close ally King Hamad of Bahrain, host of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, may backfire.

    “Of course it (Salman’s non-appearance) is a snub. But I don’t think Obama is going to put up with this. He wants the nuclear deal. It is the number one priority,” said a Western diplomat based in the region. (Reuters)