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32 killed in Indonesia quake
California House passes ‘kirpan’ bill
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Nepal expands cabinet again
Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi after he was shot in the leg in Islamabad on Wednesday. — Reuters Curbs on AQ Khan again
Obama hosts Iftaar at White House
No immediate pardon for scribe: Lanka
Execution footage worries UN
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32 killed in Indonesia quake
Jakarta, September 2 The 7.0 magnitude quake that struck at 2:55 pm local time off the southern coast of the island of Java, also triggered landslides leaving several houses buried. The quake also sent people out in panic in the capital Jakarta, 200 km away from the south. A tsunami alert was issued but later withdrawn as there were no large waves. A massive tsunami triggered by an earthquake in 2001 had caused heavy loss of life and property in this country and elsewhere in Asia including Sri Lanka and India. Building collapses and rock slides left a trail of destruction and caused most of the deaths due to the quake that had a depth of 50 kms, officials said. There were also reports of injuries in Jakarta. Some people were also killed in a rockslide near the southern coast of Java island. However, the final number of injured was not yet known in the southern areas as scores of people were being admitted to hospitals. “I ran out in panic, the whole house was spinning and my windows and shelves were rattling madly,” Rinku Khanna, an Indian national living in Jakarta said. She said according to her Indonesian friends it was the strongest ever quake felt in the capital. “Even my Toyota Alphard, which is such a heavy vehicle, which was parked in the garage moved by itself, it was just too scary,” Khanna said. A group of Indian women holidaying in Jogjakarta, however, said the quake was not felt in that area. “We knew there had been a quake but Jogjakarta was fine, we did not feel anything,” Deepika Sharma, a resident of Pune and an IT education specialist, said. Residents of Tasikmalaya town, about 115 kms from the epicentre, too felt it was the most powerful quake ever. So far 10 deaths have been reported in the southern Cianjur district of West Java. The quake triggered landslides leaving several houses buried in the area. Health Ministry Crisis Center head Rustam Pakaya said at least 27 people were hospitalised in Jakarta but that the number could go up as more were being admitted. Indonesia is prone to seismic activity along what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. —
PTI
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California House passes ‘kirpan’ bill
Washington, September 2 The legislation (AB 504) was unanimously passed by the California State Legislature. The bill moves to Governor Schwarzenegger, to sign it into law. “AB 504 is an important bill that recognises the state's responsibility to protect religious freedoms, while ensuring public safety,” said Assembly member Warren Furutani, who introduced the bill in the state legislature this year. “The Sikh community should not live in fear of arrest by law enforcement for carrying the kirpan,” he added. The bill defines a kirpan as a blade that resembles a sword and is required for the practice of the Sikh faith. While several police and sheriff's departments have recognised the need for this type of training and have been conducting it on an ad hoc basis, the bill would standardise the process statewide, the legislation said. The training would specifically advise officers “how to recognise and interact with persons carrying a kirpan.” The Sikh Coalition, a Sikh advocacy group, hailed the passage of the bill as a historic occasion. “Should it become a law, this would be the first law pertaining to kirpan in the US,” the Sikh Coalition said. It said the legislation arose out of a number of Sikhs being arrested for carrying kirpans because the police mistakenly believes them to be in violation of concealed weapons laws. “Our hope is that being educated about kirpan and its religious significance will decrease the number of wasteful arrests,” the coalition said. “Given Sikhs' long history in California, as well as the fact that this state has the highest number of Sikhs nationwide, it is entirely appropriate that California take this pioneering step,” said Neha Singh, Western Region Director of the Sikh Coalition. “We hope that the education will help reduce the number of Sikhs needlessly being arrested for practicing their faith and focus the energy of law enforcement on actual threats to the public safety,” Singh said. The bill requires the commission on peace officer standards and training within the Department of Justice to make available to all the law enforcement agencies training content on how to recognise and interact with persons carrying a kirpan, as specified. It requires that the training content includes instruction on how arrests of Sikhs carrying a kirpan have historically been treated and the alternatives to those arrests and detentions that have successfully been used. — PTI
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Nepal expands cabinet again
In a less then the period of 100 days in the office, Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Wednesday expanded his 33-member cabinet by appointing two ministers, six ministers of state and an assistant minister, mainly from the Madhesh-based political parties.
In accordance with the recommendation of the Prime Minister, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sarvadev Prasad Ojha of Madeshi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) and Laxman Lal Karna of Sadbhavana Party as the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare and the minister without portfolio, respectively. Similarly, the PM administered the oath office to Karina Begum, Catrughan Prasad Singh Koiri, Ram Bachan Ahir Yadav and Sanjaya Jha from the MPRF-D, Saroj Yadav of Sadbhavana Party and Indra Prasad Dhungel of Rastriya Janashakti Party as ministers of state at a programme at his office. Likewise, the Prime Minister has inducted Kalawati Devi Isad of Forum Loktantrik as the Assistant Minister for Physical Planning and Works. With the induction of new ministers, the PM now has a jumbo team of 42 ministers. Political analysts claim that the PM is in a mood to appoint a few more ministers from some fringe political parties in his cabinet to retain majority in the House.
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Pak minister shot at, driver killed
Pakistan federal minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi was seriously injured while his driver was killed when two unidentified gunmen sprayed bullets on has car near the busy Melody Market in the heart of Islamabad on Wednesday. Kazmi received bullet injuries in the legs. Driver Younas was killed on the spot, while gunmen was also injured. “The attackers were two young men riding a motorbike,” interior minister Rehman Malik told reporters at the local hospital where he visited the injured minister. Malik said a witness saw the attackers and had provided some useful information to the authorities about them. “We hope to nab the attackers soon,” Malik added. He said doctors had removed bullets from Kazmi’s leg and his condition was now stable. Kazmi has been critical of the Taliban and other militants said to be behind scores of attacks in Pakistan over the past over two years. He had been playing a leading role to mobilise religious lobbies in the country against militants and extremists. President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have condemned the attack and vowed to continue campaign against militants and extremists.
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Curbs on AQ Khan again A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday suspended an earlier interim order lifting restrictions on the movement of nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and restored security curbs on his movement. The bench headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar suspended the verdict of the court’s single bench after hearing intra-court appeal on the pleading by the federal government. In its petition, the federal government said the Islamabad High Court (IHC) specified the security protocol of Qadeer Khan; hence the Lahore High Court was not authorised to nullify it, as it was not the substitute court of IHC. The bench, holding the government’s petition as maintainable, suspended the interim order of the single bench and directed to present the entire matter before the division bench. The court scheduled another hearing for Sept 15. The lifting of restrictions on Khan’s movement was severely criticised by Washington.
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Obama hosts Iftaar at White House
Washington, September 2 “Together, we have a responsibility to foster engagement grounded in mutual interest and respect. And that's one of my fundamental commitments as President, both at home and abroad,” Obama said at the Iftaar. “That is central to the new beginning that I have sought between the United States and Muslims around the world. And that is a commitment that we can renew once again during this holy season,” Obama said before a host of diplomats, including Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar, lawmakers, his cabinet colleagues and eminent American Muslim leaders. “Tonight, we celebrate a great religion, and its commitment to justice and progress. We honour the contributions of America's Muslims. And we rededicate ourselves to the work of building a better world,” he said. — PTI
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No immediate pardon for scribe: Lanka
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ruled out an immediate Presidential pardon for jailed journalist J.S.Tissainayagam on Wednesday saying that such an option could only come into consideration after all levels of judicial appeal were exhausted. The government statement came following growing criticism of sentence of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment that was handed down to the journalist under the Prevention of Terrorism Act mainly for his publication of a magazine which was sympathetic towards the Tamil Tigers and for aiding the funding of the LTTE.
The Foreign Ministry said it was regrettable that some sections of the international community thought it fit to criticise the verdict given on August 31 by the high court bringing into question the judicial process and integrity of judicial officers in Sri Lanka. “It may be noted that the said verdict was arrived at after following a due process according to the domestic laws of Sri Lanka, and therefore did not amount in anyway to a negation of media freedom in the country,” the Ministry said. It added that the questioning or criticising of this judicial action was misplaced, especially since Tissainayagam yet had the right to appeal in accordance with Sri Lanka’s judicial process in respect of the appellate courts.
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Execution footage worries UN
United Nations, September 2 “The UN has always viewed with utmost concern the reports and information that it receives from various sources of serious human rights violations, including those related to war crimes,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe said. Okabe was responding to a question about the Channel Four footage that appears to be showing Sri Lankan soldiers killing Tamil prisoners. “The footage broadcast on Channel Four (UK) last week that shows Tamil prisoners being summarily executed allegedly by Sri Lankan armed forces personnel is no exception,” she said. — PTI
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Jakarta, September 2
