W O R L D

Pak shuts down 16 relief camps run by LeT & Co
The government acted after receiving reports that outlawed terrorist groups like the LeT and JuD had been collecting donations for flood victims by using different names and by disguising their actual leadership
Peshawar/Islamabad, August 23
Authorities in northwest Pakistan have launched a crackdown against banned terrorist groups like LeT that are engaged in relief efforts for flood victims and closed down 16 camps set up by these organisations.

Flood victims receive food distributed by a local charity in Mehmood Kod village in Muzaffargarh district of Punjab province on Monday. — Reuters

Beef served to Hindus at relief camp
Islamabad: Hundreds of minority Hindus rendered homeless by the devastating floods in Pakistan were served beef by authorities at a relief camp in Karachi, triggering protest from the community members.

Ex-lawmaker among 38 killed in Pak blasts
Peshawar, August 23
At least 38 people, including a former parliamentarian, were killed and nearly 50 others injured in a suicide attack on a mosque and two bombings across northwest Pakistan today, marking a spurt in militant violence after a relative lull over the past few weeks.

Philippines bus hostage crisis ends with 8 dead
Manila, August 23
A 12-hour hostage stand-off on a hijacked Philippine bus ended in bloodshed today, with officials saying at least seven Chinese tourists were dead along with the disgruntled ex-policeman who seized their vehicle in a bid to get his job back.

Prachanda, Poudyal fail yet again
Nepal House to vote for PM for 6th time on Sept 5
Nepal’s lawmakers on Monday rejected Maoist chief Prachanda and his NC rival Ram Chandra Poudyal for the fifth time in the Prime Ministerial elections as neither of the candidates could muster the simple majority in the 601-member House.

For cheapest air tickets, book eight weeks in advance
London, August 23
Confused whether to book tickets in advance of at the last minute for the best deal? Well, Japanese economists say that to get the most of your money, buy tickets exactly eight weeks in advance and book them in the afternoon.

Pak shuts down 16 relief camps run by LeT & Co
The government acted after receiving reports that outlawed terrorist groups like the LeT and JuD had been collecting donations for flood victims by using different names and by disguising their actual leadership

Peshawar/Islamabad, August 23
Authorities in northwest Pakistan have launched a crackdown against banned terrorist groups like LeT that are engaged in relief efforts for flood victims and closed down 16 camps set up by these organisations.

The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has issued instructions to authorities to close down relief camps operated by groups linked to the LeT, which has been blamed by India for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and its front organisation JuD, a spokesman for the provincial Home Department said.

“Upon receiving reports of LeT-sponsored relief camps in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, we immediately issued directives to the police and other agencies to stop them functioning in districts affected by the devastating monsoon rains and flash floods,” the spokesman said.

Media reports said the provincial government had closed 16 relief camps established by groups with terror links, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah that has been blamed by India for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Relief camps in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Swat, Dir, Dera Ismail Khan, Shangla and other flood-affected districts were among those closed down.

Details about the closure of the relief camps have been sent to the federal Interior Ministry by the provincial government, the media reports said.

However, the Home Department spokesman said he was unaware of the number of such camps that were operational or had been closed down. The LeT and JuD are not operating any camps on their own in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The groups are functioning in the name of Faleh-e-Insaniyat Foundation, which has established a camp at Kandar village and has plans to set up another at Aza Khel in Nowshera district. — PTI

Beef served to Hindus at relief camp

Ex-lawmaker among 38 killed in Pak blasts

Peshawar, August 23
At least 38 people, including a former parliamentarian, were killed and nearly 50 others injured in a suicide attack on a mosque and two bombings across northwest Pakistan today, marking a spurt in militant violence after a relative lull over the past few weeks.

Former lawmaker Maulana Noor Muhammad was among 26 people killed when a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in the volatile South Waziristan Agency. Local residents said he had differences with the Taliban.

The attacker detonated his suicide jacket as Muhammad was delivering a sermon to a group of worshippers in the mosque at Wana, the headquarters of the tribal region. About 30 others were injured in the attack.

Officials said the death toll could rise as many of the injured were in a critical condition. The mosque, located within a religious school run by Muhammad, was severely damaged by the blast.

Witnesses said the bomber, who joined the worshippers, suddenly blew himself up. They said they had seen several bodies and human flesh and blood spattered on the walls and floor of the mosque.

Maulana Noor Muhammad, a noted cleric who was elected to the previous National Assembly or lower house of parliament as an independent candidate, had survived several attempts on his life.

Earlier in the day, eight persons were killed and 10 more injured when a bomb ripped through a jirga or tribal council in the restive Kurram tribal region.

The remote-controlled blast occurred when the jirga was meeting in Khomcha area to settle a dispute regarding the ownership of a school. A school teacher who was acting as a mediator was among those killed.

In the third attack, three members of a "peace committee" or anti-Taliban militia and a child were killed and six more injured when a roadside bomb went off in Mattani area, 30 km south of provincial capital Peshawar.

The police said the bomb targeted a vehicle of the peace committee. Police launched a search for the attackers. No group claimed responsibility for the three attacks.

In a separate incident, security forces arrested four militants and destroyed their hideout during an operation in Shal Gazyan area of Kurram Agency.

Hundreds of people have died in clashes between rival Shia and Sunni tribesmen in the Kurram Agency since late 2007. — PTI

Philippines bus hostage crisis ends with 8 dead

Manila, August 23
A 12-hour hostage stand-off on a hijacked Philippine bus ended in bloodshed today, with officials saying at least seven Chinese tourists were dead along with the disgruntled ex-policeman who seized their vehicle in a bid to get his job back.

At least six captives survived, four of whom were seen crawling out the back door of the bus after Philippine police stormed it today evening when the hostage-taker started shooting at the 15 Chinese tourists inside.

The police and ambulances were lined up next to the vehicle in the pouring rain after the standoff ended. The crisis began when the dismissed policeman, Rolando Mendoza, 55, armed with a M16 rifle seized the busload of Hong Kong tourists to demand his reinstatement in the force. — AP/AFP

Prachanda, Poudyal fail yet again
Nepal House to vote for PM for 6th time on Sept 5
Bishu Budhathoki in Kathmandu & PTI

Nepal’s lawmakers on Monday rejected Maoist chief Prachanda and his NC rival Ram Chandra Poudyal for the fifth time in the Prime Ministerial elections as neither of the candidates could muster the simple majority in the 601-member House.

Prachanda, a former Prime Minister, managed to bag only 246 votes, with 111 members opposing his candidature. Poudyal, 65, also failed to touch the magic figure of 301, receiving just 124 votes in favour and 243 against, forcing the House to fix another round of voting for September 5.

Out of the total 563 lawmakers who participated in the voting, 206 members, mostly from CPN-UML and Madhesi parties, remained neutral. During the fourth round of voting on August 6, Prachanda had secured 213 votes while Poudyal got 122.

The CPN-UML with the strength of 109 and the Madhesi alliance with the combine strength of 84 and other smaller parties had earlier decided to remain neutral.

In accordance with the existing parliamentary regulations, election should be held until and unless a candidate secures simple majority of 301 votes in the 601-member parliament.

After the voting, caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said political parties now should forge a consensus based upon the proposal his party floated on Saturday.

Since a consensus appears nowhere in the sight, parties now should give a thought to the UML’s primary draft proposal to build a national consensus and complete the pending task of peace and constitution, he said. He said as a new government could not be formed as yet, the House should think about allowing the caretaker government to present the budget before the parliament for the fiscal.

The Madhesi alliance of four parties — Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), MPRF-Democratic, Terai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana Party — had maintained they would back the party that provided a clear roadmap to conclude the peace process and addressed demands of the Indian-origin community from the southern Terai region, including greater economic and political rights for them.

However, the two major parties in the fray have refused to give a clear commitment to the Madhesi parties on declaring the southern plains as a single autonomous region.

The first round of voting was held on July 21 while the second round took place on July 23 and third round on August 2. Both Prachanda and Poudyal had been defeated in all five rounds so far.

For cheapest air tickets, book eight weeks in advance

London, August 23
Confused whether to book tickets in advance of at the last minute for the best deal? Well, Japanese economists say that to get the most of your money, buy tickets exactly eight weeks in advance and book them in the afternoon.

Daily Mail reported that economists Makoto Watanabe and Marc Moller have come up with a way to calculate the cheapest air ticket. The mind-boggling math formula “A = gUG + min (k- g), (1 - g)(1 - r)” has been published it in the latest edition of The Economic Journal.

The only problem: When we book our flight weeks ahead, we have to account for the possibility of unforeseen events, which make our trip impossible. In order to make consumers take their chances, airlines have to offer advance purchase discounts. As a consequence, ticket prices increase as the travel date approaches.

If buying tickets more than eight weeks ahead looks like the best option, it could, however, mean that the consumer risks having to pay to alter booking if the plans change.

But, if one leaves it for later, there’s an increased risk that prices may go up or the flight could be fully booked. Regarding booking the ticket in the afternoon, economists explained that business travellers, who are less concerned about price, tend to book trips from the office earlier in the day. They suggested that holidaymakers would book at home later on.

The report states: “The purchase of airline and theatre tickets are both examples, where an individual demand uncertainty and rationing risks interfere. However, there is empirical evidence that shows that airline ticket prices typically increase over time, while theatre tickets are often sold at a discount on the day. When we purchase our theatre ticket last minute, there exists the possibility that the event has sold out. In order to make consumers bear this risk, theatres implement a clearance sale by offering last-minute discounts.” — IANS