W O R L D

Car bomb kills 53 in Damascus 
Damascus, February 21
A powerful car bomb exploded near the ruling Baath party headquarters in the Syrian capital today, killing at least 53 persons, wounding nearly 200 others and leaving a trail of destruction, a watchdog said.

Vehicles burn near a crater on a road after an explosion in Damascus on Friday. — Reuters

Pak intel agencies get licence to spy on phones, emails 
Islamabad, February 21
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday signed into law a controversial Bill that will give Pakistan's intelligence agencies sweeping powers to conduct surveillance and collect electronic data by tapping phones and eavesdropping on emails.

Car bomb kills 53 in Damascus

Damascus, February 21
A powerful car bomb exploded near the ruling Baath party headquarters in the Syrian capital today, killing at least 53 persons, wounding nearly 200 others and leaving a trail of destruction, a watchdog said.

Images of charred bodies lying next to mangled vehicles were broadcast by state television channel Al-Ekhbariya, which said children were among those wounded, as the blast occurred near a school in the central Damascus district of Mazraa.

"At least 53 persons were killed in the blast," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The attack was the deadliest in the Syrian capital since 55 persons died in double suicide bombings on May 10 last year.

Shortly after the mid-morning blast, two mortars were fired at a military headquarters in Damascus, Al-Ekhbariya and the Observatory both reported, without giving information on casualties.

The car bomb exploded at the 16 November Square near the Al-Iman mosque, next to the head office of the Baath party, which has been in power for half a century.

Buildings were shattered by the blast, which sent thick black smoke billowing across the capital's skyline and all roads in the area were quickly sealed off. Ambulances sirens rang out, and machine gun fire was also heard in the area, as firemen rushed to the scene to douse the flames.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which left a large crater in a major road, according to pictures released by the SANA state news agency.

"It is terrorism... Is that what you call Islam?" one of the wounded told Syrian television. "Is that the freedom you want? Is that the (rebel) Free Syrian Army?" said another man, speaking at the site of the attack. The windows of the Russian embassy were blown out by the blast, but none of its staff were hurt, Russian news agencies reported. — Agencies

Pak intel agencies get licence to spy on phones, emails 

Islamabad, February 21
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday signed into law a controversial Bill that will give Pakistan's intelligence agencies sweeping powers to conduct surveillance and collect electronic data by tapping phones and eavesdropping on emails.

The "Investigation For Fair Trial Bill 2013" was signed by Zardari during a ceremony at the presidency, an official spokesman said. "According to the stated aims and objectives of the Bill, it provides for investigation for collection of evidence by means of modern techniques and devices to prevent and effectively deal with scheduled offences and to regulate the powers of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies," a statement said. The Bill has been criticised by rights groups for posing a threat to privacy and civil liberties.

Officials said it will empower intelligence and security agencies to tap phone calls, monitor emails and gather data from SMSes and other means of electronic communications as part of the war on terrorism.

Law Minister Farooq Naek has said that after the new law is enacted, all law enforcement and intelligence agencies will be governed by a uniform legal system for collecting evidence that will be admissible in court even if it is collected before the registration of an FIR. — PTI

Electronic sPy

• The electronic data gathered by security agencies through phone calls, emails and SMSes will be accepted as evidence in court in cases registered under five security-related laws
• The purpose of the Bill is to eliminate terrorism and it is aimed against enemies of humanity and terrorists, and not against ordinary citizens

No radiation leak at Kudankulam: India

Colombo, February 21
India on Thursday dismissed as "baseless" the reports here about radiation leaks at the yet-to-be-commissioned Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, saying it has a robust regulatory mechanism to ensure safe operation. "These reports are totally baseless. There has been no radiation leak at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant," an Indian High Commission statement said.

It said presently, various works and commissioning tests as per laid down procedures are progressing.

This is in line with the stage-wise clearances accorded by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The AERB reviews the various reports of performance tests and accords clearance for the next stage to ensure safe operation.

An Indian delegation is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka in the near future for the second round of the dialogue on these and other areas of potential cooperation, including the area of safety.

"It is reiterated that safety is accorded utmost attention in Nuclear Power Plants and encompasses the entire gamut of activities associated with these plants," it said.

Before operationalising the plant, all the performance parameters are thoroughly checked to ensure safe operation. It is also reiterated that India has a robust regulatory mechanism and the AERB accords stage-wise clearances only after thorough review of operational parameters and conditions for various systems. All nuclear power plant sites in India are capable of managing the radioactive wastes generated at these sites. Each of them has adequate facilities for handling, treatment and disposal of such waste, in line with international standards.

The establishment and verification of appropriate emergency response plans is a mandatory prerequisite for all Nuclear Power Plants in India. — PTI 

NATO to bid farewell to Panetta

Brussels, February 21
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta will get a fond farewell from his NATO colleagues at a two-day meeting beginning today, as the alliance faces a difficult withdrawal from Afghanistan and looks for a new supreme military commander.

Panetta (74) had expected to bow out earlier but his replacement, Chuck Hagel, has had a rough ride so far in the US Senate which has delayed a vote on President Barack Obama's nominee over parts of his otherwise distinguished record.

"It is great to have Panetta back for a last hurrah!" said a senior NATO official, dismissing any suggestion that Hagel's delayed nomination presented a problem.

By the same token, the withdrawal of US General John Allen, the former commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, from consideration for the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR) also made no difference.

The United States will in due course nominate another person for the SACEUR and the process will go forward as normal, the senior NATO official said.

The two-day defence ministers’ meeting will focus on capabilities and review progress in 'smart spending' -- making stretched budgets go further as costs rise and governments are under intense pressure to cut spending to balance finances. — AFP

Quetta blast toll rises to 91; Malik favours action against LeJ
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

(With Agency inputs)

Chinese ship in disputed waters: Japan coastguard

Tokyo, February 21
A Chinese government ship briefly entered territorial waters off Japanese-controlled but disputed islands in the East China Sea today, Japan's coastguard said.

The fishery patrol boat entered the 12-nautical mile zone off Kubajima, one of the Senkaku islands, at about 3.36 pm (local time), according to a statement. It added that the ship moved out of the zone after 22 minutes, watched by a Japanese coastguard vessel. Beijing claims the islands, which it calls the Diaoyus. — AFP

Pak envoy to US faces blasphemy charge

Lahore, February 21
A case of blasphemy has been registered against Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Sherry Rehman over her remarks on a TV show, a charge that carries the death penalty.

The police in Multan city of Punjab province registered the case over remarks purportedly made by Rehman on a TV talk show in 2010.

They were acting on a complaint against Rehman by businessman Fahim Akhtar Gill, who claimed her remarks about the country's blasphemy law were blasphemous. — PTI 

BRIEFLY

Crowley launches initiative to track hate crimes against Sikhs, Hindus
Washington: Congressman Joe Crowley, who is the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, has launched a major effort among lawmakers asking the Department of Justice and the FBI to track the hate crimes committed against Sikhs, Hindus and Arab Americans. So far, over 40 Congressmen have signed onto the letter addressed to the Department of Justice and the FBI. — PTI

8.2% Indian-Americans live in penury
Washington: Boasting of having the highest per capita income among all the major ethnic groups, more than eight per cent of the nearly three million Indian-Americans are living below the poverty line in the US, a latest Census report revealed on Thursday. The national poverty rate is 14.7 per cent.— PTI

Tibetan teens die after immolation
Beijing: Two Tibetan teenagers died after they set fire to themselves in protest at Chinese rule, reports and Western rights groups said, in a rare instance of a double self-immolation in the restive region. The former primary school classmates were named as 18-year-old Sonam Dargye and a 17-year-old identified by US-based Radio Free Asia as Rinchen. — AFP

Gunmen kill seven at mosque in Kenya
Nairobi: Gunmen stormed a Kenyan mosque near the border with Somalia on Friday killing seven persons, including women, police and a local official said. The attack occurred in Malleley near the border town of Liboi when heavily armed men stormed a mosque and shot at people indiscriminately. — AFP

App to keep you tweeting after death!
London: Ghost writer! A new application will soon allow users to keep posting Twitter updates even from beyon d the grave. The app independently uses intricate knowledge of a person's online character to create a virtual continuation of their personality after death. "When your heart stops beating, you'll keep tweeting," says the new application's tagline. — PTI

Indian student dies in UK 
London: An 18-year-old Indian student has died in the UK after taking 'lethal' bodybuilding pills to help him lose weight. Sarmad Alladin, son of a millionaire from Hyderabad, also known as 'Mr Muscles', was taken to hospital hours after taking tablet which contained the drug DNP, linked to several deaths. — PTI