Page 444 - War Conflict
Lankan panel recommends no promotion, transfer of state officials accused in war-era disappearances
Sri Lankan officials accused in abductions and enforced disappearances during the country's brutal civil war against the LTTE should not be promoted or transferred till the final determination of such cases, a special panel has recommended. The Office of Missing Persons (OMP), which is tasked with determining the status of all persons who went "missing" during the war-era, also recommended interim measures to provide relief and reparation to the families affected by the disappearances of their loved ones. "In particular, ensure that suspected officials are not transferred, promoted or offered any other office in the armed forces, police or the public service while cases against them are pending," the OMP recommended in an interim report published Wednesday. The OMP came into force in February as the first steps toward reconciling the island nation's war-era past tracing about 20,000 people who went missing during 37 years of fighting for a separate Tamil state. The Liberation Tigers .
Twin blasts turn regular Kabul wrestling session into massacre
The wrestling mats were spattered with blood, the sports bags and water bottles still strewn across the floor Thursday, hours after a double bombing ripped through the Maiwand sports club in Kabul, killing at least 26 people. A regular training session on Wednesday afternoon turned into a massacre when a suicide bomber shot dead a young, unarmed guard at the entrance before blowing himself up near the scores of wrestlers, some of whom were as young as 10. An hour later a car packed with explosives detonated outside the club, apparently targeting reporters and emergency workers who had gathered at the scene. Two journalists from Tolo News, Afghanistan's largest private broadcaster, were among the dead. Four media workers were wounded. "There were dead and wounded everywhere," 14-year-old wrestler Sayed Rohullah told AFP from his bed at Isteqlal hospital, where dozens of casualties were taken after the twin blasts. "Everyone was covered in glass and pieces of shrapnel, and shouting for .
Youth Cong workers protests in Jaipur against fuel prices, unemployment
Youth Congress members on Thursday demonstrated in Jaipur over issues of inflation, corruption and unemployment and tried to march towards the Rajasthan assembly. "Unemployment in the state has risen and fuel prices are also skyrocketing, but the government is doing nothing. Therefore, we are holding this demonstration today," Congress MLA Ashok Chandna, who led the march, told reporters. The members demonstrated near Sahakar road and tried to march towards the assembly building, prompting the police to use force and water cannon to prevent them.
Pakistan marks Defence Day
Pakistan observed Defence Day on Thursday by paying tribute to martyrs on the 53rd anniversary of the 1965 war with India.
Contributions to 'Bharat Ke Veer' exempted from income tax
All contributions to 'Bharat Ke Veer', a home ministry fund which aids families of paramilitary personnel who died fighting extremists, have been exempted from the income tax, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday. The trust was formed with film star Akshay Kumar and former national Badminton champion Pullela Gopichand, among others. "Ministry of finance @FinMinIndia has now given approval to @BharatKeVeer Trust under 80(G) which in effect means that all contributions to the trust will be exempted under the income tax. I thank the ministry and FM Sh. @ArunJaitley for the exemption to #BharatKeVeer Trust," Singh tweeted. Singh said the home ministry had taken up the Bharat Ke Veer initiative in April last year, and the success of it has been stupendous. Singh said the initiative has now been formalised into a registered trust for providing a platform to all citizens to contribute and provide assistance to the families of martyred paramilitary personnel. "The @BharatKeVeer Trust has
Attacks kill 19 Afghan forces after twin bombings in Kabul
Insurgents killed 19 security personnel in separate assaults in Afghanistan, officials said Thursday, a day after twin bombings in Kabul killed 21 people, including two local TV reporters. Another 89 people were wounded in Wednesday's bombings, in a Shiite neighborhood of the capital. The attack bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group, which has carried out a wave of bombings against minority Shiites in recent years. The Taliban denied responsibility. Later Wednesday, suspected Taliban insurgents overran a security outpost in the northern Badghis province and then ambushed reinforcements, killing a total of 10 soldiers, according to Jamshid Shahabi, a spokesman for the governor. In what is being described as an insider attack, a local police official in the northern Takhar province turned his weapon on his colleagues early Thursday, killing all eight. Abdul Khali Aseir, the provincial police spokesman, says the gunman escaped. Two journalists from Afghanistan's TOLO TV were ...
India, US sign key defence pact
India and the US on Thursday signed a long-negotiated and landmark defence agreement, COMCASA, which will enable Indian armed forces buy more military equipment from Washington and also access critical and encrypted defence technologies.
Death toll in Kabul blasts rises to 25
The death toll in a double suicide bombing, claimed by the Islamic State terror group, at a wrestling club in the Afghan capital has risen to 25, a police spokesman said on Thursday.
Bharat Bandh: Security heightened in MP
Security was heightened in various parts of Madhya Pradesh in view of Bharat Bandh announced by several minority rights organisations against amendments in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Thursday."Forces have been divided judiciously across districts in Bhopal. It has been peaceful until now. Nobody can force anyone to be a part of the bandh," police said.A high alert has been issued in 35 districts across the state in the wake of the bandh. As many as 34 companies of security forces and 5,000 security personnel have been deployed in various districts. Section 144 has also been imposed in several districts of the state while drones are also being used for surveillance in Gwalior. All schools and colleges in Gwalior also remained closed.Speaking to ANI, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Narottam Bhargavi said, "Lot of security forces deployed. We are fully ready to face any kind of situation. Section 144 imposed at several places. It is very ..
Coalition says Yemen raid 'might have' killed civilians
The Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government acknowledged Thursday there may have been "collateral damage" from August 23 strikes that the UN says killed 26 children south of the port of Hodeida. The coalition has drawn heavy UN criticism for the high civilian death toll from its more than three-year-old bombing campaign in Yemen. Coalition commanders have admitted a small number of mistakes but have accused the rebels of routinely using civilians as human shields. Despite repeated calls from the United Nations and human rights group, there has been no public disciplinary action or changes to the coalition's rules of engagement. In the August 23 strikes, coalition warplanes killed 26 children and four women in Al-Durayhimi, UN humanitarian operations chief Mark Lowcock said the following day. The coalition said on Thursday that its joint forces command had now completed an after-action review of the strikes. "According to the results of the comprehensive review... there might
Airstrike kills 10 militants in Afghanistan
Ten insurgents, including a Taliban judge and a doctor working for the insurgent group, have been killed following an airstrike in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, official said on Thursday.
63 dead, 12 missing in Tripoli clashes
A total of 63 people died and 12 went missing in the clashes in Libya capital Tripoli, said the Ministry of Health has said.
Iraq forces open fire on protesters during new clashes, one dead
One person was killed and 25 injured, some seriously, on Wednesday as Iraqi security forces opened fire on protesters as clashes broke out in the southern city of Basra, a day after six people were killed in demonstrations over poor public services. An AFP journalist reported gunshots and tear gas were fired by security personnel directly at demonstrators, who had gathered in their thousands outside the regional government headquarters. The measures failed to disperse protesters, who responded by hurling Molotov cocktails and letting off fireworks at the security forces. Security forces later stopped firing in the direction of protesters and instead fired shots in the air and used tear gas. "One demonstrator was killed and 25 others wounded, including some seriously," said Mehdi al-Tamimi, head of the government's human rights council in Basra province. Medical sources confirmed to AFP the death of a young man. Reinforcements had been sent to Basra and concrete blocks erected to ...
Twin blasts in Afghanistan kill 20
At least 20 people were killed and dozens others were injured in two bomb blasts that occurred in Kabul's Qala-e-Nazer area on Wednesday.The first explosion was a suicide bombing incident that occurred around 6 PM (local time) at the Moalem wrestling club, killing at least four and injuring several others, reported TOLO News.Police said that the explosives were detonated with the bomber present among the athletes in the club.The second explosion, a car bombing which killed at least 16 and wounded 65 others, occurred about an hour later. Two TOLO News journalists were among the dead in the second blast.Journalist Samim Faramarz and cameraman Ramiz Ahmadi were covering the first blast when the second explosion took place, killing both.Afghanistan's Presidential Palace condemned the attacks in a statement and labelled it a "crime against humanity.""An attack on civilians and media is an attack on the freedom of press and a crime against humanity. President Ghani condemns the terrorist ...
At least 20 killed in twin blasts on Kabul wrestling club
At least 20 people have been killed including two Afghan journalists after twin blasts at a Kabul wrestling club on Wednesday that left another 70 wounded, officials said, in the latest deadly assault on the capital. An hour after a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the sports hall in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood, a car packed with explosives detonated as journalists and security forces gathered at the scene, police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said. At least four journalists were wounded in the second explosion, media support group NAI said. Tolo News, Afghanistan's largest private broadcaster, confirmed two of their journalists were killed. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the twin explosions, the US-based SITE intelligence group reported, citing the IS propaganda channel Amaq. IS often targets Afghanistan's minority Shiite community. The Taliban denied involvement in a WhatsApp message to journalists. "An attack on civilians and media workers of the country .
Pak could emerge as world's 5th largest nuclear weapons state: report
Pakistan currently has 140 to 150 nuclear warheads and the stockpile is expected to increase to 220 to 250 by 2025 if the current trend continues, according to a latest report by authors keeping a track of the country's nukes. The current estimate of 140 to 150 nuclear weapons exceeds the projection made by the US Defense Intelligence Agency in 1999 that Pakistan would have 60 to 80 warheads by 2020. "We estimate that the country's stockpile could more realistically grow to 220 to 250 warheads by 2025, if the current trend continues. If that happens, it would make Pakistan the world's fifth-largest nuclear weapon state," Hans M Kristensen, Robert S Norris and Julia Diamond said in the report 'Pakistani nuclear forces 2018'. Kristensen, the lead author, is the director of the Nuclear Information Project with the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) in Washington, DC. Over the past decade, the US assessment of nuclear weapons security in Pakistan appears to have changed considerably
Suspected militants attack Assam Rifles post In Manipur
Suspected militants attacked an Assam Rifles post in Manipur's Chandel district Wednesday but there was no report of any casualty, police said. The suspected militants attacked the Assam Rifles post located at Aigijang village near Sajit Tampak Wednesday morning, they said. The Assam Rifles personnel returned the fire and there was an exchange of fire for a few minutes but the the militants managed to escape through the thick jungle, police said, adding there was no report any casualty on either side. More security forces have rushed to the spot and search operations launched to nab the militants, they added.
Death toll climbs to 14 after twin blasts in Kabul: health ministry
At least 14 people have been killed after twin blasts at a Kabul wrestling club on Wednesday that left another 25 wounded, including four journalists, officials said, in the latest assault on the Afghan capital. The second bomb detonated an hour after a suicide bomber blew himself up inside the sports hall in a heavily Shiite neighbourhood, as journalists and security forces gathered at the scene.
Sovereignty of Chagos Archipelago is with Mauritius: India
India on Wednesday told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that historical facts and legal aspects confirm that sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago has been and continues to be with Mauritius.
ANP leader shot dead by gunmen in northwest Pak
Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday gunned down a leader of the liberal Awami National Party (ANP) and his nephew in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal region, police said. The unknown gunmen opened fire at the car of ANP leader Mohammad Ibrar Khalil in Tehkal area of Peshawar. Ibrar and his nephew Arshad succumbed to their injuries on way to a hospital, police said. The motive remained unclear as Khalil, the ANP candidate in PK-74 during the recently-concluded general elections, was party to a longstanding family feud, police said. In July, during the general election campaign, seasoned ANP politician Haroon Baloor along with 19 others were killed as suicide bomber detonated his vest in Yaka Toot area of Peshawar. Meanwhile, in a separate incident at least five people, including a woman, were killed in restive North Waziristan tribal district. The army has launched a military operation 'Khyber-4' under 'Radd-ul-Fasaad', which roughly translates to 'elimination of discord', to eliminate