W O R L D

220 massacred in Hama, claims Syrian Opposition
Amman/Beirut, July 13
About 220 Syrians, mostly civilians, were killed in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen who slaughtered some families, opposition sources said on Friday.
A picture released by the Syrian Opposition's Shaam News Network on Friday shows destruction in the rebellious Hama region. — AFP

Taliban ban on polio vaccination puts over 2 lakh Pak kids at risk
Peshawar, July 13
A Taliban ban on polio vaccinations will put 240,000 children at risk in troubled northwest Pakistan if an inoculation campaign cannot start next week, officials warned today.

Jirga formed to save Dilip Kumar’s ancestral home
Islamabad, July 13
Several civil society groups and activists from Pakistan's northwest have formed a 'jirga' or council to work for the protection of Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar's ancestral home in Peshawar.

30 killed in SA train crash
Johannesburg, July 13
At least 30 persons were killed today when a train collided with a truck carrying dozens of farm workers in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. The truck carrying about 50 farm workers reportedly crossed onto the tracks and collided with a high-speed train. The truck was split in two by the impact.

Hostage crisis at Pak jail, 1 killed 
Karachi, July 13 
A prisoner was killed and six more were injured as security forces quelled a protest at the Hyderabad Central Jail in southern Pakistan and freed 15 prison staff who had been taken hostage.

Sun on fire!

This image provided by NASA shows a solar flare (lower centre) erupting from the Sun on Thursday. Space weather scientists said there should be little impact of these flares on the Earth. The flare erupted from a region which rotated into view on July 6. — AP/PTI

 

 

 

220 massacred in Hama, claims Syrian Opposition
United Nations says helicopters, tanks attacked region

Amman/Beirut, July 13
About 220 Syrians, mostly civilians, were killed in a village in the rebellious Hama region when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen who slaughtered some families, opposition sources said on Friday.

UN special envoy Kofi Annan said he was "shocked and appalled" by news of "intense fighting, significant casualties, and the confirmed use of heavy weaponry such as artillery, tanks and helicopters" in the village of Tremseh. "I condemn these atrocities in the strongest possible terms," Annan said in a statement.

There were no independent accounts of the number of dead or how they were killed. UN monitors in Syria are currently confined to Damascus because of mounting violence.

An activist video, the only film record to appear so far, showed the bloodied corpses of 15 young men with faces or shirts drenched in blood. Most wore T-shirts and jeans.

Syrian state television said there had been fighting in Tremseh and accused "armed terrorist groups" of committing a massacre there, but gave no death toll. It said three soldiers had been killed.

Opposition reports also said rebels of the Free Syrian Army had been killed in a battle. Lt Ibrahim Zuait al-Tarkawai was among rebels who died "defending the people of Tremseh", the Hama Revolution Leadership Council said.

"We can verify continuous fighting yesterday in the area of Tremseh," said United Nations monitoring mission chief General Robert Mood. "This involved mechanised units, indirect fire, as well as helicopters," he said.

UN monitors were ready to "go in and seek verification of facts if and when there is a credible ceasefire", he said. If scores of civilians were killed, this could be the worst atrocity in 16 months of fighting between rebels and the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

Activists said the killing took place on Thursday, as the UN Security Council began negotiating a potentially crucial new resolution on Syria. Washington said it showed the need to move to tougher action, but Russia again ruled out such a step. — Reuters 

Taliban ban on polio vaccination puts over 2 lakh Pak kids at risk

Peshawar, July 13
A Taliban ban on polio vaccinations will put 240,000 children at risk in troubled northwest Pakistan if an inoculation campaign cannot start next week, officials warned today.

Local Taliban and Pakistani warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur, whose followers are fighting Western troops in Afghanistan, have banned polio vaccinations in the northwestern tribal region of Waziristan to protest against US drone attacks.

They have condemned the immunisation campaign, which is slated to begin on Monday, as a cover for espionage. "There is possibility that we may have to skip the polio campaign in North and South Waziristan because we are not getting clearance from the army nor is the situation conducive," a government health official said.

"We have threats from the Taliban. Going to these areas for a polio campaign would be tantamount to putting the lives of our staff in jeopardy," added the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi was jailed for 33 years in May after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden using a hepatitis vaccination programme as cover. — PTI

Jirga formed to save Dilip Kumar’s ancestral home

Islamabad, July 13
Several civil society groups and activists from Pakistan's northwest have formed a 'jirga' or council to work for the protection of Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar's ancestral home in Peshawar.

The civil society groups involved in the move include the Bangladesh, Bharat and Pakistan People's Forum, Karwan, Citizen for Clean Environment and Almi Pushto Congress.

Journalists and columnists like Younas Qiyasi, Syed Bukhar Shah and Nasir Hussain are also part of the jirga.

Addressing a news conference at Dilip Kumar's residence in Mohallah Khudadad today, Bangladesh, Bharat and Pakistan People's Forum chairman Shakeel Ahmad said the jirga was formed to save the heritage of Peshawar.

Dilip Kumar in a celebrity of international stature and protection of his ancestral home is a responsibility of the government and people of the region, he said.

The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province recently put on hold its plan to buy Dilip Kumar's home and preserve it as a national heritage site after several persons laid claim to the property on learning that authorities were willing to pay a sizeable amount for it.

The provincial government has plans to acquire the homes of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor and declare them heritage sites.

The government's decision prompted the civil society groups to approach the current owner of Dilip Kumar's home and to request him to delay its destruction. — PTI 

Supplies for NATO troops
Pak, US to sign fresh agreement
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

Islamabad and Washington will soon formally sign a new agreement to regulate trucks carrying supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan, the Foreign Office has said. The vital overland routes reopened last week under old arrangements after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologised on July 3 for the botched US air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Moazzam Ali Khan told reporters at his weekly news briefing that Pakistan and the United States had almost completed technical discussions, and officials were now consulting with their respective authorities to finalise the new accord.

"We are quite hopeful that a memorandum of understanding will be signed shortly," the spokesman said.

The government decided to scrap the Musharraf-era war on terror agreements with the United States following the botched US strikes on Pakistani checkpoints near the border with Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, top military commanders huddled at the Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Thursday to discuss regional security. 

30 killed in SA train crash

Johannesburg, July 13
At least 30 persons were killed today when a train collided with a truck carrying dozens of farm workers in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. The truck carrying about 50 farm workers reportedly crossed onto the tracks and collided with a high-speed train. The truck was split in two by the impact.

"There are pieces of bodies scattered over a two-kilometere area as the train dragged the truck in its path before it could come to a halt," a paramedic said.The accident occurred on the main line linking South Africa with neighbouring Mozambique. Mpumalanga is South Africa's greenest province, with fruit farms scattered throughout the area. — PTI

Hostage crisis at Pak jail, 1 killed 

Karachi, July 13 
A prisoner was killed and six more were injured as security forces quelled a protest at the Hyderabad Central Jail in southern Pakistan and freed 15 prison staff who had been taken hostage.

Scores of security personnel, including troopers from the Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Corps, were deployed to bring the situation under control after the prisoners broke out of their barracks and took 15 staff, including the assistant jailer, hostage. One prisoner was killed and six more were injured when the security forces opened fire, officials said. Some reports said two prisoners were killed.

DIG (Prisons) Gulzar Channa told the media that several high-profile prisoners, including some arrested for involvement in the abduction and murder of American reporter Daniel Pearl, were being held at Hyderabad Central Jail.

Channa said prompt action was taken by authorities to prevent a jailbreak by these high-profile prisoners. Prison guards used teargas and fired in the air to disperse prisoners who tried to break down a wall and a gate.

Several policemen were also injured, officials said. The prisoners were reportedly protesting against the lack of amenities at the jail. — PTI