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Top nuke scientists among 44 killed in Russian plane crash
Tunisia’s Ben Ali, wife get 35-yr jail, in absentia |
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Indian Consul General slapped with
forced-labour suit
JuD wants India to hand over Samjhuta blast accused
Serving Pak brigadier held for ‘terror links’
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Top nuke scientists among 44 killed in Russian plane crash
Moscow, June 21 The Tu-134 plane belonging to the Rus-Air airlines was flying from Moscow to the Karelian republic’s capital Petrozavodsk when it crash landed on a highway, 1 km from the airport, emergencies situation ministry spokesperson Irina Andrianaova said. “There were 52 persons on board, including nine crew. Forty four persons were killed and eight survived, including an air-hostess,” Andrianova told Rossiya 24 TV. Sergei Ryzhov, Chief Designer of the light water VVER nuclear reactors, built by Russia in foreign countries, including at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, has been killed in the crash along with the top leadership of the Russian nuclear industry. “In Petrozavodsk crash, practically whole leadership of OKB Gidropress (Hydropress) united designing bureau was killed, including its director and general designer Sergei Ryzhov, deputy director and chief designer Gennady Banyuk, and head designer and chief of branch Nikolai Trunov,” Gidropress spokesman Sergei Sorokin said saying this was a great blow and loss for the Russian nuclear industry. The Emergency Situations Ministry statement said the dead foreigners were a Swedish and a Dutch citizen and two Ukrainians, as well as the Russian-American family of four. According to eyewitness accounts carried by the TV channels, the plane was landing in bad weather with fog and rain and its landing path was perpendicular to the location of runway of the nearby airport. The ill-fated Tupolev Tu-134 jet of a little-known RusAir airlines, specialising on VIP charters, took off from Moscow’s Domodedovo airport. TV channels reported that the high-intensity landing lights on the runway were switched off despite the poor visibility and there was a five second power outage. “This power outage could have proved lethal as the pilot of any landing aircraft feverishly looks for light on the ground, the pilot of the ill-fated airliner mistook the nearby highway for the runway,” a former pilot was quoted as saying by Vesti FM radio. — PTI
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Tunisia’s Ben Ali, wife get 35-yr jail, in absentia
Tunis, June 21 Ben Ali, who has been in Saudi Arabia since he was forced from power, was found guilty after just one day of deliberation of theft and of illegally possessing jewellery and large sums of cash. The same sentence was handed down to his wife Leila Trabelsi, a former hairdresser whose lavish lifestyle and clique of wealthy relatives were symbols of the corruption of the Ben Ali era for many Tunisians. Ben Ali and his wife flew to Saudi Arabia on January 14 after mass protests against his 23-year rule. The Tunisian government said in February it had asked Saudi Arabia to extradite Ben Ali. During his time in office, members of his extended family accumulated fortunes while his security forces routinely arrested anyone who dared to dissent. In a statement issued by his lawyers, Ben Ali denied all the charges against him, saying that he was the victim of a political plot. He said he had been tricked into leaving the country. Judge Touhami Hafian, who read out the verdict and sentence in the Palace of Justice in the Tunisian capital, also ruled that Ben Ali and his wife would have to pay fines totalling 91 million Tunisian dinars ($65.6 million). — Reuters Tunisian revolution helped inspire ‘Arab Spring’
Tunisia’s revolt electrified millions across the Arab world who suffer similarly from high unemployment, rising prices and repressive governments. Ben Ali’s case has been watched closely in Egypt, where former president Hosni Mubarak is due to stand trial over the killing of protesters.
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Indian Consul General slapped with forced-labour suit
New York, June 21 Santosh Bhardwaj, Dayal’s former maid, has filed a forced labour suit against him for making her work for long hours everyday at $300 a month, confiscating her passport and letting her sleep in a storage closet. She has also alleged him of making sexual advances. “I filed the complaint because I want to be paid for all the labour I provided and for all the injustice I suffered, and I want my passport returned,” Bhardwaj (45), the mother of four, said. Dayal, however, has rubbished the charges against him. “Complete nonsense”. “These are mischievous and malicious lies,” he told PTI. Meanwhile, External Ministry sources said India was trying to ascertain details of the case. “We are trying to ascertain the details,” sources accompanying External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on his Myanmar visit said. Dayal’s lawyer Ravi Batra described the charges as a “fantasy” and said, “This fraudster of a woman, seeing dollar signs, has hit on a ‘GET RICH QUICK’ scheme after a year and a half of illegally staying and working in New York: fraudulent defamation of a highly respected and honored member of the diplomatic corps in New York.” Bhardwaj said she was lured to the US with a promise of an hourly pay of $10 and overtime pay. Instead, she said her payment was less than $1 an hour, and her passport was confiscated. She also alleged that on one occasion Dayal told her she could only have the additional money if she gave him a “massage.” “Bhardwaj interpreted this as a sexual advance and was deeply offended. After that incident, Bhardwaj left the Dayals home and did not return,” said the statement. Dayal rejected the accusation, saying, “No question. I never asked for a massage... I deny it outright...I don’t need a massage... I’m fit.” According to Dayal, Bhardwaj had absconded in January 2010 after he did not allow her to work outside the Consulate since it was not permitted under the terms of her visa. “She wanted to moonlight (earn more money). But it was against the rules so I did not permit it,” he said. — PTI
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JuD wants India to hand over Samjhuta blast accused
Islamabad, June 21 The 10-point declaration was adopted at the “Defence of Islam and Pakistan’s Stability” conference organised by JuD at the Jamia-al-Dirasat Islamia seminary in Karachi yesterday. It called for the US to be declared an enemy of Pakistan and warned the government against releasing Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh. It also warned the people about alleged attempts by India, Israel and the US to destabilise Pakistan and called for unity among citizens to defend the country. — PTI
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Serving Pak brigadier held for ‘terror links’ Islamabad, June 21 Khan’s detention was first reported by BBC Urdu, which said the officer had been serving in the Regulation Directorate of the General Headquarters for two years and went missing one-and-a-half months ago. Abbas said the investigation into Khan’s links with an outlawed militant group was underway. He avoided giving details, saying it could affect the probe. Khan allegedly had links with the banned Hizb-ut-Tehrir and was reportedly involved in a plot to attack the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan, sources said. Reports have said that US drones operate from Shamsi airbase, but Pakistani authorities have denied them. BBC quoted an unnamed officer as saying that army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had personally ordered Khan’s arrest. Sources close to Khan’s family told BBC Urdu that he had not returned home on May 6. The family was then told that Khan had been stopped for questioning and “would soon reach home.” A senior army officer told BBC on condition of anonymity that no formal chargesheet had been framed against Khan but the army’s Special Investigation Branch (SIB) is conducting an inquiry into his links with Islamic extremists. — PTI
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At least 44 persons, including Russia’s top nuclear design scientists and eight foreigners, were killed today when a passenger plane crash landed and burst into flames.
New York, June 21
