Houston/Washington, January 9
A prominent US lawmaker was in critical condition after being shot in the head by a gunman, who also killed six other persons including a federal judge in a shooting rampage in Arizona, sending shock waves across the nation.

A nine-year-old girl was among those killed and 12 others were injured when the gunman fired a volley of bullets from his semi-automatic handgun as the Congresswoman was meeting with her constituents in Tucson.

The 40-year-old Democratic lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, a House Representative, was in critical condition following a surgery late last night for what doctors called a "through and through" injury.

The bullet that was fired at close range entered her head from the front and exited from the rear, and police believes she was the target of the attack.

The 22-year-old man, who sprayed bullets at the event, has not been named by the police but media reports said he was identified as Jared Lee Loughner.

The man is being held at the Pima County Jail and police is yet in the dark over what his motives were.

Five persons, including Chief Judge John Roll of the US District Court for Arizona and Gabe Zimmerman, a Giffords staffer, died at the scene. The sixth victim, a 9-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at a hospital.

President Barack Obama termed the incident as an "unspeakable tragedy" and said Giffords was "gravely wounded" in the attack. In a statement, Obama said "we do not yet have all the answers" and termed the incident as "a senseless and terrible act of violence that has no place in a free society".

The police recovered a 9mm Glock Model 19 handgun believed used in the shooting, and the weapon had a 30-round magazine. — PTI

Kabul, January 9
In a clear pointer to Pakistan, India today said any “external” interference in the transition process of Afghanistan would be detrimental to both its success and the future of the Afghan people. Echoing India’s views, Afghanistan said the peace process cannot succeed without being led by the Afghan people and noted that the process was fully controlled by it.

These views were expressed at a joint press conference here by External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his Afghan counterpart Zalmay Rasool after their extensive talks on issues like terrorism in the region, security of Indians and various economic projects.

Though both leaders refrained from naming Pakistan, the message was clear for Islamabad, which has been pressing for a decisive role in the Afghan transition process. They were asked about international concerns that the transition process might become Pakistan-brokered and not Afghan-driven. “Any external interference in the reintegration process would be detrimental to its success and for the future of democratic, stable, pluralistic and prosperous Afghanistan,” Krishna said.

Rasool said the peace process was from people of Afghanistan and insisted that it cannot succeed without being led by Afghan people.

Krishna, who also called on President Hamid Karzai, is here on a two-day visit to convey India’s concerns over some aspects of the transition process in Afghanistan, including Karzai’s move to provide representation to the Taliban over which New Delhi has serious reservation. India feels that such a move amounts to giving legitimacy to these elements.

Krishna also asserted that despite security concerns, India will continue to provide developmental assistance as long as the Afghan government wants. He also noted that Afghanistan government has assured India of full security. “India is not going to be cowed down by such threats. We will continue to remain in Afghanistan as long as the legitimately elected government of Afghanistan wants us...,” Krishna said. — PTI

Thousands queue up to vote for ‘new dawn’ JUBA: Millions of jubilant south Sudanese started voting on Sunday in an independence referendum expected to see their war-ravaged region emerge as a new nation. 

People queued up for hours in the burning sun outside polling stations in the southern capital Juba, where banners described the week-long ballot as a "Last March to Freedom" after decades of civil war and perceived repression by north Sudan. 

"This is the moment the people of southern Sudan have been waiting for," Southern president Salva Kiir said after casting his ballot, urging people to be patient as they waited to vote. "I am voting for separation," said Nhial Wier, a veteran of the north-south civil war that led up to the vote. — Reuters

Tehran, January 9
At least 70 persons were killed and 32 injured when an Iranian passenger plane crashed due to bad weather near northwestern city of Urumiyeh today, the Iranian media said. The death toll could rise, sources said.

The semi-official Fars news agency quoted the head of Iran’s State Emergency Center, Gholam Reza Masoumi as saying that there were 105 persons on board, but the state TV put the number at 156.

Iran has suffered a string of crashes in the past few decades. US sanctions against Iran have prevented it from buying new aircraft or spare parts from the West.

The last major air crash in Iran was in July, 2009, when a Caspian Airlines Tupolev aircraft bound for Armenia caught fire in mid-air and crashed into farmland near the city of Qazvin, killing all 168 people on board.

One of the country’s worst air accidents happened in February, 2003, when an Iranian Ilyushin-76 troop carrier crashed in Southeast Iran, killing all 276 Revolutionary Guard soldiers and crew aboard the plane. — Reuters