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US, EU want Assad to go
42 killed in fresh Karachi violence
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7 Israelis dead in series of attacks by Gaza militants
Phone Hacking Bangladesh HuJI chief arrested Dogs can detect lung cancer, say scientists
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US, EU want Assad to go
Amman, August 18 While UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Assad had assured him that military operations were over, activists said Syrian forces had carried out raids in Deir al-Zor and surrounded a mosque in Latakia on Thursday. President Barack Obama ordered Syrian government assets in the United States frozen, banned US citizens from operating or investing in Syria and banned US import of Syria petroleum. In a coordinated move, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called on Assad to step aside and said the EU was preparing to broaden sanctions against Syria. “The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way,” Obama said. “His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people.” United Nations human rights investigators said Assad’s forces had carried out systematic attacks on civilians, often firing at short range and without warning and committing violations that may amount to crimes against humanity. In a telephone call with Assad on Wednesday Ban Ki-moon joined a chorus of condemnation, expressing alarm at reports of widespread violations of human rights and excessive use of force by security forces against civilians. “The Secretary-General emphasised that all military operations and mass arrests must cease immediately,” a UN statement said. “President Assad said that the military and police operations had stopped.” But the Syrian Revolution Coordinating Union, a grassroots activists’ group, said security forces fired machine guns near a mosque in Latakia which was surrounded by armoured vehicles. In the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, which was stormed by tanks 11 days ago, security forces backed by troops raided houses in al-Jubaila district, it said. As well as the growing Western pressure, Assad also faces criticism from regional Arab states and neighbouring Turkey over his military campaign against the uprising that escalated after the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Aug. 1. “Assad is trying to convince Turkey that the attacks have stopped, which could also help appease the United States, thinking he could once again stop Washington from calling on him to step down,” a Western diplomat in Damascus said, before Obama’s statement. — Reuters
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42 killed in fresh Karachi violence Karachi, August 18 The trouble, which started from Lyari and its adjoining areas in old Karachi yesterday, escalated after Waja Karim Dad, former member of National Assembly or lower house of Parliament, and four of his associates were gunned down while sitting at a restaurant to break their Ramzan fast last evening. A gang of seven to eight unidentified gunmen also abducted 13 employees of a private company but later released 12 of them, the police said today. Geo News reported that 42 persons have been killed in the fresh wave of violence, including 26 who lost their lives overnight due to incidents of firing and torture. President Asif Ali Zardari, in a condolence message, expressed his deepest sympathies on the death of the former PPP MP, who represented Lyari area. Zardari also lauded the contribution of Waja Karim Dad as a PPP lawmaker. —
PTI
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7 Israelis dead in series of attacks by Gaza militants
Jerusalem, August 18 Militants armed with heavy weapons, guns and explosives launched three attacks targeting a passenger bus, a military patrol and a private car in the southern Eilat, leaving seven Israelis dead and dozens injured. Israel said the militants had entered Israeli territory through the Sinai Peninsula and slammed Egypt for loosening control over the region. Defence Minister Ehud Barak blamed elements from Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip for the attacks in Eilat, close to the border with Egypt. The attack that has escalated tensions in the fragile region, prompted the authorities to declare a state of high alert across Israel as Barak vowed to respond "with all our strength and determination". "This was a grave terror attack at multiple scenes. It reflects Egypt's failing hold on Sinai and the rise of terror elements," Barak said. In the first attack, a bus travelling from Israel's southern city of Be'ersheba to the Red Sea resort city of Eilat was ambushed by a three-man terror cell, security officials said. The three attackers opened fire from a sedan on the bus, which was carrying several soldiers returning to their bases. The bus driver continued driving under fire, preventing the gunmen from inflicting more damage. As security forces and emergency teams carried the injured to hospital, a second attack was launched involving multiple roadside bombs and rocket fire at IDF forces patrolling the Israel Egypt border fence. A third incident was reported at around 1 pm local time, involving yet another shooting on a bus and a private vehicle travelling south. Medics said seven persons were killed in these attacks which forced authorities to impose roadblocks and shut down the airport deploying hundreds of troops. —
PTI
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Phone Hacking
London, August 18 Desborough joined the News of the World in 2005 as a showbiz and news reporter and was promoted to become US editor, based in Los Angeles, in 2009. He worked for the News of the World up until it closed last month. US agencies are investigating whether the News of the World’s phone-hacking activities extended to the United States. So far, they have not found evidence that they did. —
Reuters
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Bangladesh HuJI chief arrested Dhaka, August 18 Mohammad Bahauddin, 22 and Yar Mohammad, 50, the two militants accompanying Yahiya, were arrested at a makeshift RAB checkpost near Bhairab Bridge. HuJI chief and his two accomplices briefly appeared before the media, but were not allowed to speak to reporters. — PTI
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Dogs can detect lung cancer, say scientists Researchers from Schillerhoehe Hospital in Germany found that dogs, known for their ability to detect smells that escape the human nose, can identify a tumour in 71 per cent of patients, if trained properly. They believe dogs could become even better at picking up cancer cases with more practice, the Daily Mail reported. But the ultimate goal is to identify the cancer-specific chemical compounds the dogs can smell and develop a device that could be used to help diagnose lung cancer victims at an earlier stage, they say. For their study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, the researchers trained four dogs - two German shepherds, an Australian shepherd and a Labrador - to detect in the breath of patients a volatile organic compound (VOC) which is linked to the presence of cancer. The team worked with 220 volunteers, including patients with lung cancer at early and advanced stages, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and healthy volunteers. The dogs took part in a number of tests to see if they could reliably distinguish compounds in the breath of lung cancer patients - even if they smoked. It’s found that the dogs correctly identified 71 samples with lung cancer out of a possible 100. They also detected 372 samples that did not have lung cancer out of a possible 400. Dr Thorsten Walles, who led the research, said: “In the breath of patients with lung cancer, there are likely to be different chemicals than normal breath samples and the dogs’ keen sense of smell can detect this difference at an early stage of the disease. Our results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer. This is a big step forward.” —
PTI
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United States and European Union called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down today after a five-month crackdown on protests.
Karachi, August 18
Jerusalem, August 18
London, August 18