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China begins air patrol of disputed islands
Nurse had injuries on her wrist
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Zardari, 34 ministers fail to file tax returns
Beirut, December 13 At least 24 civilians, including a large number of children, were killed in two separate car bombings southwest of Damascus today, state media reported.
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China begins air patrol of disputed islands
Beijing/Tokyo, December 13 The jets were mobilised after a Chinese maritime aircraft ventured over the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, just after 11 am (0200 GMT), Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters in Tokyo.It was a fixed-wing Y-12 aeroplane belonging to the Chinese State Oceanic Administration. We confirmed that this aeroplane flew in our country's airspace," he said. China's move to send the plane came after it regularised patrols by its maritime and naval vessels, challenging Tokyo's hold over the unmanned islets. The plane, B-3837 conducted joint patrols with a fleet of four surveillance ships, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted a statement by the State Oceanic Administration. The fleet declared the Chinese government's stance and ordered the Japanese ships that had entered China's territorial waters to leave the area immediately, the statement said. Japan mobilised eight F-15 jets and an E2C early-warning aircraft, the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing a defence ministry source. But the incident appeared to have passed off without any direct confrontation. This is the first time China has deployed maritime planes after it began sending the patrol ships since September questioning Japan's move to buy the islands. Before that China has not seriously challenged Japan's administrative hold on the islands, though it all along claimed sovereignty over them. China termed Japan's move provocative and said it would continue to make its presence felt around
the islands. Analysts say the two countries could make an attempt to break the impasse after the current elections in Japan. In Beijing, China's foreign ministry said the flight had been routine. "China's maritime surveillance plane flying over the Diaoyu islands is completely normal," said spokesman Hong Lei. — PTI
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Nurse had injuries on her wrist
London, December 13 Jacintha Saldanha (46) was found dead on Friday, three days after the call from Australian radio presenters pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles. She had transferred the call at the King Edward VII's Hospital to a colleague who detailed Kate's condition. The inquest, which opened at Westminster Coroner's Court today, heard that Saldanha, a mother of two, was found hanging by the neck from a scarf on a wardrobe door in her room near the hospital in central London. Saldanha also had injuries on one of her wrists. "Jacintha Saldanha was found by a colleague and a member of security staff. Sadly she was found hanging. There was also injuries to her wrist. The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene. At this time there are no suspicious circumstances," Detective Chief Inspector James Harman told the inquest. He told the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court that two notes were found in her room and another was among her possessions. He did not disclose their contents. Coroner Fiona Wilcox opened and adjourned the inquest until March 26, as inquiries are continuing. —
PTI
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Zardari, 34 ministers fail to file tax returns
Over 60 per cent of Pakistan’s Cabinet and two-thirds of its federal lawmakers paid no tax last year, according to a report released on Wednesday on tax evasion among the country’s political leaders. The study entitled “Representation without Taxation” by investigative journalist Umar Cheema unmasks tax culture among Pakistan’s elected leaders who do not tax despite an estimated average net wealth of $8,82,000. President Asif Ali Zardari did not file a tax return in 2011 and neither did 34 of the 55 Cabinet members, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik regarded as one of richest members of the Cabinet. Of the 20 Cabinet ministers who did pay, most made only negligible contributions, including Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, with only Rs 142,536. In 2010, none of the then Cabinet, including dismissed premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, paid tax though he finally got a tax number that year, more than two years after coming to power. Pakistan has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world, estimated at 9.2 per cent. Only 2,60,000 out of 180 million citizens have paid tax consecutively for the last three years, according to the FBR.
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Bomb blasts kill 24 in Damascus
Beirut, December 13
Eight persons, mostly women and children, were killed by a car bomb in the poor Sunni town of Jdaidet Artuz. A similar blast rocked the town of Qatana earlier in the day, leaving 16 persons dead, including seven children. — AP
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US for tracking hate crimes against Sikhs, Hindus Hindu doctor shot dead in Pak Whites to lose majority status in US
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Beijing/Tokyo, December 13
An Indian-origin nurse, who committed after being duped by a prank call made by two Australian RJs to a UK hospital treating a pregnant Kate Middleton, was found hanging at her staff accommodation, an inquest heard today.
