W O R L D

Slain Punjab Governor’s son abducted in Pakistan
Salman Taseer was killed by his own bodyguard for opposing blasphemy law 
Lahore, August 26 
Shahbaz Taseer, the son of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer who was killed for opposing Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law, was today abducted by four gunmen near his office here.

A policeman examines the car of Shahbaz Taseer (right) in Lahore on Friday. — AFP

18 killed as car bomb hits UN building in Nigeria
Abuja, August 26 
A suicide attacker today rammed an explosives-laden car into the main UN office building in the Nigerian capital Abuja, killing at least 18 persons, including two women and a foreigner. The blast destroyed a huge portion of the five-storey building that houses 400 employees of the United Nations in Nigeria.

Rescue workers evacuate a wounded man from the UN building of the Nigerian capital Abuja on Friday. — AFP

Japan PM Naoto Kan quits
Tokyo, August 26 
The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced today that he was stepping down after almost 15 months in office as his government’s ratings plunged due to handling of nuclear crisis triggered by tsunami. Kan appeared on national television to announce that he was resigning as the leader of the ruling Democratic Party, effectively ending his tenure as Prime Minister.

Naoto Kan’s exit paves the way for election of Japan’s sixth Prime Minister in five years.

It’s Bhattarai vs Poudyal in Nepal PM poll
Kathmandu, August 26 
A direct contest for Nepal’s premiership will take place between leftist candidate Dr Baburam Bhattarai and democratic candidate Ram Chandra Poudyal on Sunday after they filed their nomination papers today. UCPN (Maoist) vice-chairman Bhattarai and Nepali Congress (NC) vice-president Poudyal filed their nomination papers at the Parliament Secretariat in Singha Durbar.

Mexican casino attack claims 53 lives
Monterrey, August 26 
The death toll climbed as workers continued to pull bodies out of a burned casino in northern Mexico, where gunmen spread gasoline and ignited a fire that trapped and killed at least 53 gamblers and employees.

 

 

Slain Punjab Governor’s son abducted in Pakistan
Salman Taseer was killed by his own bodyguard for opposing blasphemy law 

Lahore, August 26
Shahbaz Taseer, the son of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer who was killed for opposing Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law, was today abducted by four gunmen near his office here.

The armed men travelling in a four-wheeler intercepted Shahbaz’s car on Hussain Chowk in Gulberg area when he was going to his office along with his friend, Senior Superintendent Police (Investigation) Abdur Razzaq Cheema said.

“After intercepting Shahbaz’s car, the armed men beat his friend and took him away on their four-wheeler,” he said.

He said Shahbaz’s friend immediately informed the police on emergency number about the incident. “Witnesses told us that the kidnappers’ vehicle moved towards Firdos Chowk and on way they also dropped a Triple 2 rifle,” Cheema said, adding all the exit points of the city had been manned.

Punjab province’s Law Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that “terrorist organisations” were involved in Shahbaz’s abduction. SSP Cheema said two laptops and a cell phone had been recovered from the Mercedes car of Shahbaz.

To a question about the involvement of any religious extremist group in the incident, he said: “At the moment the police have no idea about the kidnappers”.

After the assassination of Salmaan Taseer in January by his security guard who was angered by his opposition to blasphemy law, security was given to his family members by the Punjab government, but it was surprising that no police guard was with Shahbaz when the incident took place.

“We have deputed two Elite Force personnel with Shahbaz but today they were not with him and we will investigate it,” Lahore Police chief Ahmed Raza Tahir said.

To a question whether the kidnapping could be a result of some business dispute, Tahir said “it will be premature to say anything about it till the investigation” is over.

On the other hand, Law Minister Sanaullah claimed that terrorist organisations operating in South Waziristan tribal region were involved in Shahbaz’s abduction.

“The militants of South Waziristan come here and commit crime,” he said and claimed that his government would soon recover Shahbaz and an American aid expert who was abducted on August 13 from Lahore’s Model Town area.

But he could not give a reply when asked whether Shahbaz was abducted to pressure the government to free Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of his father.

The Taseer family had been receiving threats since the killing of the Governor in January this year at the hands of his own security guard Qadri of Elite Force. — PTI

18 killed as car bomb hits UN building in Nigeria

Abuja, August 26
A suicide attacker today rammed an explosives-laden car into the main UN office building in the Nigerian capital Abuja, killing at least 18 persons, including two women and a foreigner.

The blast destroyed a huge portion of the five-storey building that houses 400 employees of the United Nations in Nigeria.

The police said 18 persons died in the blast and eight others injured. Among the dead were a foreign national, who was not identified, and two women, local Daily Times newspaper reported.

The rescue work was going on at the site and fire fighters and police officers had cordoned off the area.

An eyewitness said some 300 persons could be trapped in the building as its first, second and third floors, including the reception area, were gravely damaged by the blast.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is suspected that this could be the handwork of radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram, the newspaper said.

Nigeria has faced an increasing threat from Boko Haram, which wants to impose the strict Shariah law on the country. The sect is responsible for assassinations and bombings, including the June car bombing of the national headquarters of the federal police.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack, saying "this was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others." "We condemn this terrible act utterly," he said, adding the UN did not have exact casualty figures "but they are likely to be considerable." — PTI 

Japan PM Naoto Kan quits

Tokyo, August 26
The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced today that he was stepping down after almost 15 months in office as his government’s ratings plunged due to handling of nuclear crisis triggered by tsunami.

Kan appeared on national television to announce that he was resigning as the leader of the ruling Democratic Party, effectively ending his tenure as Prime Minister.

His exit paves the way for election of Japan’s sixth Prime Minister in five years, as the country is struggling to come out from the devastation caused by March 11 earthquake which triggered a nuclear crisis.

“I resign as the party president effective today”, Kyodo news agency quoted him as telling his party leaders. He was the first leader in Japan, not hailing from a well-connected political family to don the premiership.

The ruling Democratic party will vote on Monday to elect a new leader. Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara is viewed as a frontrunner to replace Kan. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Trade Minister Banri Kaieda may also enter the fray. — PTI 

It’s Bhattarai vs Poudyal in Nepal PM poll

Kathmandu, August 26
A direct contest for Nepal’s premiership will take place between leftist candidate Dr Baburam Bhattarai and democratic candidate Ram Chandra Poudyal on Sunday after they filed their nomination papers today. UCPN (Maoist) vice-chairman Bhattarai and Nepali Congress (NC) vice-president Poudyal filed their nomination papers at the Parliament Secretariat in Singha Durbar.

Maoist Chairman Prachanda proposed Bhattarai’s name and vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha seconded the proposal, while Poudyal ‘s name was proposed by senior NC leader Prakash Man Singh and seconded by central committee member Bimalendra Nidhi.

Former Prime Minister Jhalnath Khanal resigned on August 14. — PTI 

Mexican casino attack claims 53 lives

Monterrey, August 26
The death toll climbed as workers continued to pull bodies out of a burned casino in northern Mexico, where gunmen spread gasoline and ignited a fire that trapped and killed at least 53 gamblers and employees.

Family members gathered at the caution tape outside the Casino Royale after the fire in the northern industrial city of Monterrey, some crying and others yelling at police for providing no information. Later they were allowed to view bodies in the morgue to help identify the victims.

Gov Rodrigo Medina tweeted that the attack was “an abhorrent act of terror and barbarism” that requires “all of us to persevere in the fight against these unscrupulous criminal bands.” — AP