W O R L D

Ship with 25 Indians hijacked
Mumbai/Kuala Lumpur, November 28
In yet another hijacking of a cargo ship, heavily-armed Somali pirates today seized a chemical tanker with 25 Indians among the 31 crew in the Gulf of Aden.

American Indians honoured
Portland (Oregon) November 28
For the first time, federal legislation has set aside the day after Thanksgiving for this year only to honour the contributions American Indians have made to the United States. 

Pakistani demonstrators burn a US flag during a protest in Lahore on Friday against US missile strikes in Pakistani tribal areas. — AFP

Bomber kills 12 in Iraqi mosque
Baghdad, November 28
A suicide bomber wearing an explosives-packed vest killed 12 persons and wounded 17 others inside a Shi’ite mosque south of Baghdad at prayer time on Friday, the police said.

Driving Licence Photo
Sikh man loses right to wear turban
London, November 28
A Sikh person has lost the right to wear turban in his driving licence photograph, following a ruling by a European Union court.

Ship with 25 Indians hijacked

Mumbai/Kuala Lumpur, November 28
In yet another hijacking of a cargo ship, heavily-armed Somali pirates today seized a chemical tanker with 25 Indians among the 31 crew in the Gulf of Aden.

The hijacking came barely two weeks after ‘M T Stolt Valor’, which was seized on September 15 along with an 18-member crew, was released by the pirates. The fate of another seven Indians on board the Hong Kong-registered ‘Delight’, captured by the pirates last week, remained unclear.

Besides having 25 Indians aboard, the Liberian-registered cargo ship ‘MT Biscaglia’ had three Bangladeshis, two Britons and an Irish national among the crew, Directorate General of Shipping in Mumbai said.

The vessel, which was sailing between Indonesia and Europe, was seized in the Gulf of Aden and now headed for an unknown destination after the armed hijackers took control of it. Its last port of call was Dumai in Indonesia.

Immediately on the receipt of the report of the hijacking, the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard and the International Maritime Board piracy reporting centre had been informed for assistance, the DG Shipping said in a statement.

The piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur has responded and contacted the coalition forces, which have sent out two helicopters.

The ship, on way to Europe via Suez Canal, was hijacked at around 7 am, the statement said, adding an Indian naval vessel in the Gulf of Aden was refuelling as scheduled at the time of hijacking of the cargo vessel.

No other information was available, the statement said. — PTI 

American Indians honoured

Portland (Oregon) November 28
For the first time, federal legislation has set aside the day after Thanksgiving for this year only to honour the contributions American Indians have made to the United States. 

Frank Suniga, a descendant of Mescalero Apache Indians, who lives in Oregon, said he and others began pushing in 2001 for a national day that recognises tribal heritage. Suniga (79) proposed his idea to a cultural committee that is part of the Portland-based Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians. — AFP

Bomber kills 12 in Iraqi mosque

Baghdad, November 28
A suicide bomber wearing an explosives-packed vest killed 12 persons and wounded 17 others inside a Shi’ite mosque south of Baghdad at prayer time on Friday, the police said.

The US military said initial reports indicated a suicide bomber killed seven worshippers and wounded 30.

The attack took place a day after Iraq’s Parliament passed a security pact with Washington that allows US troops to remain for another three years and puts them under the control of the Baghdad government from 2009. — Reuters

Driving Licence Photo
Sikh man loses right to wear turban

London, November 28
A Sikh person has lost the right to wear turban in his driving licence photograph, following a ruling by a European Union court.

Shingara Mann Singh, a French national, had appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to give him the right to wear a turban while being snapped for his new driving licence, after losing a series of appeals in France.

Under French regulations, motorists are required to appear bareheaded and facing forward in their licence photos.

However, as the Sikh religion requires men to wear a turban at all times, 52-year-old Shingara Singh took his case to the ECHR complaining that the French regulations made no provision for separate treatment for members of his community.

But the Strasbourg-based court dismissed the case and ruled that “identity photographs for use on driving licences, which showed the subject bareheaded were needed by the authorities in charge of public safety”, leading British newspaper the ‘Daily Mail’ reported. — PTI