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Anti-austerity protests paralyse Greece
Twin blasts rock Syrian Army HQ |
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Poll: Obama widens lead in two main battlegrounds
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Anti-austerity protests paralyse Greece
Athens, September 26 The clashes occurred after more than 50,000 people marched to Parliament chanting "We won't submit to the troika (of lenders)" and "EU, IMF Out!" on a day of strikes against a new round of cuts demanded by EU and IMF lenders. As the rally ended, dozens of black-clad youth threw stones, petrol bombs and bottles at the riot police, who responded with several rounds of teargas. The police chased the protesters through Syntagma square in front of Parliament as helicopters clattered overhead. Smoke rose from a small blaze in a corner. The strikes, called by the country's two biggest unions representing half the four-million-strong work force, is shaping up to be the first test of whether PM Antonis Samaras can stand his ground. Police officials estimated the demonstration was the largest since a May 2011 protest, and among the biggest since Greece first resorted to aid from international lenders in 2010. "We can't take it anymore - we are bleeding. We can't raise our children like this," said Dina Kokou, a 54-year-old teacher and mother of four who lives on 1,000 euros a month. "These tax hikes and wage cuts are killing us." The traditional summer break has allowed the fragile conservative-led coalition to enjoy relative calm on the streets since narrowly coming to power on a pro-euro, pro-bailout platform, but unions predict an end to the lull. "Yesterday the Spaniards took to the streets, today it's us, tomorrow the Italians and the day after, all the people of Europe," Yiorgos Harisis, a unionist from the ADEDY public sector group told demonstrators. Ships stayed docked, museums and monuments were shut to visitors and air traffic controllers walked off the job for a three-hour stoppage. — Reuters Feeling the heat
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Twin blasts rock Syrian Army HQ Damascus, September 26 Iran's Press TV said the shooting killed one of its correspondents and wounded its Damascus bureau chief as they reported from the scene. The Syrian Army said all of its officers had escaped unharmed from the bombings targeting its general staff headquarters in the capital's Umayyad Square district. It said there had been "indiscriminate" shooting around the perimeter of the compound and in adjacent streets. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that fierce clashes erupted leaving dead on both sides. The spectacular assault on the command centre of the army's operations against the 18-month rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad came as the worsening bloodshed dominated proceedings at the UN General Assembly in New York. "The terrorist explosions were caused by two bombs but the only damage was to property," Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi told state television. "All military commanders and army spokespeople are fine," he added. A communique issued by the Army also said there had been no casualties among its officers. — AFP
Over 30,000 persons, most of them civilians, have been killed in violence since the outbreak of a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad in March last year, a monitoring group said on Wednesday.
"At least 21,534 civilians, 7,322 soldiers and 1,168 defectors have been killed in the past 18 months," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Included in the civilian toll are non-military individuals who took up arms to join the insurgency, Abdel Rahman said. The toll does not include thousands of people arbitrarily detained and held in Syrian jails, he added, nor does it include hundreds of unidentified corpses, most of which were found across the war-torn country in the past three months.
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United Nations, September 26 He said Kashmir remains a symbol of failure of the UN system and Pakistan’s principled position on territorial disputes remains a bedrock of its foreign policy. “Kashmir remains a symbol of failures, rather than strengths of the UN system,” Zardari said in his 20-minute speech at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly here. “We feel that resolution of these issues can only be arrived in an environment of cooperation,” he said. “We will continue to support the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to peacefully choose their destiny in accordance with the UN Security Council’s long-standing resolutions on this matter,” the Pakistani President said. Later, as Zardari exited the General Assembly hall, he was asked by PTI to comment on his remarks that Kashmir is a “symbol of failure” of the UN system. Zardari, however, did not clarify or elaborate further. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar also did not elaborate on the president’s remarks on Kashmir. “It is in the speech, please read that. He said what he said. It is elaborated enough,” she said. Pakistan has raked up the issue of Kashmir at the UN forum time and again but India has insisted that it is its internal matter. US President Barack Obama has also ruled out any “outside” solution to the Kashmir issue, saying in an interview in July that disputes between India and Pakistan can only be resolved among themselves. Highlighting his country’s foreign policy towards its neighbours in the sub-continent in his address, Zardari said Pakistan approaches its relations with India on mutual trust. “Our principled position on territorial disputes remains a bedrock of our foreign policy,” he added. Noting that contacts between the leadership of India and Pakistan are “expanding”, Zardari said he was “encouraged” by his discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month in Tehran. — PTI
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Poll: Obama widens lead in two main battlegrounds Washington, September 26 The Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News poll put Obama ahead of Republican challenger Mitt Romney 53% to 44% in Florida, 53% to 43% in Ohio and 54% to 42% in Pennsylvania, less than six weeks ahead of the November 6 vote. Florida has the most electoral votes of any of the so-called swing states expected to decide the election, and no Republican has ever become president without winning Ohio. Obama's favorability rating in all three states was a comfortable 54%, while Romney's was 41%. Even worse for Romney, the poll found that more than 90 per cent of voters in all three states have made up their minds, leaving a dwindling number of independents that could be swayed by more television ads or campaign events. The survey was carried out September 18-24, in the aftermath of what was arguably the worst week of Romney's quest for the White House. The survey was conducted by phone among nearly 1,200 likely voters in each of the three states, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. — AFP
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World’s lowest roadworthy car measures a record 18 inches
London: It may look like a toy, but this miniature car has as much right to be on the road as any other vehicle. Measuring just 45.2cm or 17.79 inches in height, Mirai — 'future' in Japanese — has just entered the Guinness World Records Book 2013 for being the lowest roadworthy car. Mirai was created by students and teachers of The Automobile Engineering Course of Okayama Sanyo High School in Asakuchi, Japan, the Daily Mail reported.
— PTI
Abu Hamza’s extradition to US put off
LONDON: Convicted radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza got a last-minute reprieve on Wednesday when a high court judge issued interim injunctions preventing his extradition to the US until the case is heard in court. Earlier in the day, Hamza had launched the appeal in the HC against his extradition to the US, two days after a European court ruled he could be handed over to Washington on terrorism charges.
— PTI
MALE: A court on the Maldives put former President Mohamed Nasheed on ‘island arrest’ on Wednesday, meaning he has to seek permission before leaving the capital Male. Nasheed faces trial charged with abducting a Criminal Court judge during his final days in office in the luxury Indian Ocean resort islands. — PTI
Swami wanted in US escapes to India
Houston: An 83-year-old wheel-chair bound Indian spiritual guru, a fugitive after being convicted of groping two young girls, may have sneaked clandestinely into India, a US court has been told. US Marshals suspect that Prakashanand Saraswati, known to his devotees as Swamiji, may have fled America in connivance with his close associates. — PTI
UK church bans yoga classes
LONDON: A church in Britain has banned yoga classes from its premises as the ancient Indian system of physical exercise was "not compatible" with the Catholic faith, according to a media report . Yoga instructor Cori Withell said the classes she booked for yoga and pilates at St Edmund's Church building in Southampton were cancelled with 10 days to go. — PTI
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The Greek police fired teargas at hooded youths hurling petrol bombs and stones as tens of thousands took to the streets in Greece's biggest anti-austerity demonstration in months on Wednesday.
Deadly gunfire erupted around the headquarters compound of the Syrian Army in the heart of Damascus today following twin bombings targeting the heavily guarded complex.
US President Barack Obama has widened his lead in the two main battleground states in the 2012 White House race as well as in Pennsylvania, according to a new opinion poll released today.
The Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News poll put Obama ahead of Republican challenger Mitt Romney 53% to 44% in Florida, 53% to 43% in Ohio and 54% to 42% in Pennsylvania, less than six weeks ahead of the November 6 vote.
