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19 firefighters killed in Arizona wild blaze
Firefighters move away from the Yarnell Hill fire near Yarnell in Arizona on Sunday. — AFP |
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Mandela’s health is in god’s hands now, says ex-wife
Rudd inducts six women in Cabinet
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (3rd-L front row) and Governor-General Quentin Bryce (C-front row) with the women ministers in Canberra on Monday. — AFP
Don’t buy electricity from India, Saeed tells Pak govt
Indian trader helps free hapless jail inmates in UAE
39 killed, 13 missing in China’s rainstorms
Taj third among top landmarks
16 dead in Egypt protests; Oppn gives ultimatum to Mursi
Protesters during a demonstration against Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Mursi in Tahiri Square in Cairo on Monday. —
AP/PTI Snowden applies for political asylum in Russia
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19 firefighters killed in Arizona wild blaze
Houston, July 1 All the firefighters died while racing to contain the Yarnell Hill wildfire, north of Phoenix, after the blaze destroyed the town yesterday, forcing people to flee. US President Barack Obama hailed the firefighters killed as "heroes". "They were heroes -- highly-skilled professionals who, like so many across our country do everyday, selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens they would never meet," Obama said in a statement today. "The federal government is already assisting, and we will remain in close contact with state and local officials to provide the support they need," Obama said as he headed to Tanzania on the final leg of an official tour of Africa with his family. "But today, Michelle and I join all Americans in sending our thoughts and prayers to the families of these brave firefighters and all whose lives have been upended by this terrible tragedy," said Obama. The firefighters were part of a specially trained "hotshot" unit who had battled other wildfires in New Mexico and Arizona in recent weeks, officials say. The fire, believed to have been ignited by lightning, broke out on Friday and according to local forestry officials has already
covered 2,000 acres, spreading rapidly through the dry, forested area amid strong winds. An estimated 500 homes have been ravaged by the deadly blaze which came amid a scorching heatwave and tinder-dry conditions across the US south-west, with records broken over the weekend in Arizona and California. — PTI |
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Mandela’s health is in god’s hands now, says ex-wife
Pretoria, July 1 Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who was married to the former South African President from 1958 to 1996, dismissed any suggestion that the family was discussing whether to end life support to 94-year-old Mandela. "It was nonsense to suggest we needed to take a decision to pull the tubes," Winnie told ITV News. "It was hurtful and cruel." "It is extremely painful to see him going through what he's going through now. But it's God's wish," Winnie said. Mandela remains in critical but stable condition at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria where he has been battling a recurring lung infection since June 8. But daughter Zindzi Mandela told ITV that her father is alert and recognises when a new person enters his hospital room. "The one time he did speak was to tell my mom to sit down because she was standing at the edge of his bed," she said. Mandela, respected across the globe as a symbol of resistance against injustice, spent 27 years behind the bars fighting the minority apartheid regime to establish the multiracial democracy in South Africa. Mandela had a long history of lung problems, dating back to the time when he was a political prisoner on Robben Island during apartheid. While in jail he contracted tuberculosis. Mandela is revered for leading the fight against white minority rule in the African country and then preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. — PTI
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Rudd inducts six women in Cabinet
Melbourne, July 1 Governor-General Quentin Bryce swore-in the ministers today afternoon before the first Cabinet meeting in Canberra. Rudd named six women to his Cabinet, the largest number in Australian parliamentary history. Days after he dramatically ousted the country's first woman premier Julia Gillard, the 55-year-old Rudd named 11 women ministers out of the 30 all up on the frontbench - and six in Cabinet. In another first, 43-year-old Ed Husic was elevated to a senior role and named parliament secretary to the Prime Minister as he become the first-ever Muslim to be sworn on to a federal government frontbench. Rudd staged a remarkable comeback by winning a caucus vote by 57 to 45 last week, three years after Gillard toppled him in a similar showdown to become the first woman premier. Rudd said he wanted the "best players on the field" and his new ministry has been chosen on merit and it outpoints the opposition on quality and experience, local media reported. He pledged to work for a "stronger, fairer Australia... and never ever, ever allow the fair-go to be thrown out the backdoor." The women ministers include newcomers Jacinta Collins as minister of mental health and ageing, Tasmanian MP Julie Collins as minister for housing, homelessness and status of women and Catherine King as minister for Regional Australia. — PTI
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Don’t buy electricity from India, Saeed tells Pak govt
Lahore, July 1 "India is producing electricity on Pakistani rivers and offering the same to us to buy. Don't our rulers understand this basic point?" Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, asked while addressing an 'Ummat Conference' at Sheikhupura, 40 km from here, yesterday. Saeed, who is carrying a $10 million bounty on his head declared by the US, has been freely moving and conducting his activities mostly in Punjab, a province of 90 million. "There is no need to beg India," Saeed, the former head of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, added. His warning to the Sharif government came in the wake of its proposed plan to buy electricity from India and China to cope with the current energy crisis. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had said India is ready to sell up to 2,000 MW electricity to Pakistan and "we are seriously pondering to purchase electricity from India". Sharif had told members of the Pak-India Joint Business Council last week that he had directed Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Water and Power, to visit India and explore potential areas of cooperation between the two countries. — PTI
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Indian trader helps free hapless jail inmates in UAE
Dubai, July 1 Firoz G Merchant, owner of a jewellery company, has already secured the release of over 3,700 prisoners since 2011, including 500 this year - spending an estimated Rs 6 crore and plans to pay off the debts of another 1,000 inmates later this year. "I have seen the plight of these people who are in jail even after serving their term only because they don't have the money to go home. Jails here have excellent facilities. They are centrally air-conditioned. Prisoners get good food, even education. But at the end of the day, it is still a jail and these people must be reunited with their families," Merchant said. Merchant moved from Mumbai to the UAE in 1989 to set up a jewellery business. He has secured the release of 500 persons this year alone. The repatriated prisoners are from various nations, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Morocco. Merchant maintains he helps people in jail for bounced cheques, housing rent, car loans, credit cards or unpaid education loans, but does not bail out those on murder, rape or drug charges. He was inspired to start the aid programme when scores of construction workers lost their jobs during the economic downturn. "These are not criminals I am trying to help and everybody should obey the law. However, these people were caught in unfortunate circumstances and need help. I am just doing what I can," Merchant said. — PTI good samaritan * Firoz G Merchant, owner of a jewellery company, has helped prisoners from several nations who had served their sentences but remained in jails in the UAE for lack of money, by paying off their debts and buying them air tickets for home * Merchant has already secured the release of over 3,700 prisoners since 2011, including 500 this year - spending an estimated Rs 6 crore and plans to pay off the debts of another 1,000 inmates later this year
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39 killed, 13 missing in China’s rainstorms
Beijing, July 1 The Ministry of Civil Affairs said 18 persons were dead and four missing in northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, while nine others lost their lives and another four remain missing in eastern Anhui Province. One person died in central Hubei Province after heavy rains led to flooding and landslides. The natural disaster also led to nine deaths and five missing cases in sout-western Sichuan Province, as well as two deaths in south-western Chongqing municipality, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Over 2.44 million people in 34 counties in Sichuan have been affected by the extreme weather conditions and forced the relocation of some 1.20 lakh people. The rainstorms also destroyed more than 5,600 houses and damaged another 10,000, the ministry added. — PTI
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New York, July 1 The website says the Taj Mahal was ranked third in the list of top 25 landmarks. The top two places were taken by Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia respectively. “The winners of Travelers’ Choice Attractions awards were determined based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews of attractions,” said the website. The Taj, listed among the new seven wonders of the world, is renowned the world over for its architecture and aesthetic beauty. — PTI
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16 dead in Egypt protests; Oppn gives ultimatum to Mursi
Cairo, July 1 In the capital here, thousands of people massed at the iconic Tahrir Square - the epicentre of pro-democracy protests in 2011 - under the banner of Tamarod (Rebellion) movement which is driving the campaign with a petition of signatures seeking 61-year-old Mursi's ouster and a snap election. Anti-government protesters also stormed the national headquarters of Muslim Brotherhood here. They also ransacked the six-storey building and set it on fire. State media quoting the country's Health and Population Ministry said the nationwide death toll from June 30 protests stands at 16, with the total number of injuries estimated at 743 in 17 governorates. "We give Mohamed Mursi until 5.00 pm (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, July 2, to leave power, allowing state institutions to prepare for early presidential elections," Tamarod said in a statement on its website. The statement warned that Mursi would face a campaign of civil disobedience if he did not leave power by tomorrow. Opposition activists claim more than 22 million people in the nation of 84 million have signed the petition and have urged the signatories to come out in the Tahrir Square. Eight persons were killed in clashes between opponents and supporters of Mursi here, while three persons died in the Assiut province. One each died in the provinces of Fayoum, Beni Sueif and Kafr el-Sheikh. One protester died during a rally outside the presidential palace and another died in Alexandria, the ministry said. — PTI |
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Snowden applies for political asylum in Russia Last night, Snowden applied for political asylum at the consulate office of the Sheremetyevo airport, where he had been staying for more than a week in legal limbo, a foreign ministry official told AFP. "At 10.30 pm (1830 GMT) yesterday, British citizen Sarah Harrison turned up at the consulate department at Sheremetyevo airport and submitted a request from Snowden about granting him asylum," consulate officer Kim Shevchenko told AFP. Sarah Harrison is an employee of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, who accompanied Snowden on his June 23 trip from Hong Kong, where the former NSA contractor leaked details of the US surveillance programme after leaving his job in Hawaii. Putin appeared to respond to Snowden's request today by saying at a news conference that Snowden, who is wanted in the United States on charges of espionage, must stop leaking information damaging Washington if he wants to stay in Russia. "Russia never hands over anybody anywhere and has no intention to do so," Putin said when grilled by reporters about the fate of the leaker believed to be holed up in the airport's transit zone since his arrival from Hong Kong on June 23. — PTI
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Pak to release 11 Indian civil prisoners
Indian student goes missing in New Zealand Cigarette packs will talk you into kicking the butt Dewani wants to fight murder charges in S Africa
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An elite team of 19 firemen were killed battling a rapidly spreading wildfire which destroyed scores of homes and forced the
evacuation of two towns in central Arizona, in one of the deadliest incident of
its kind in the US for nearly 80 years. All the firefighters died while racing to contain the Yarnell Hill wildfire, north of Phoenix, after the blaze destroyed the town yesterday, forcing people to flee.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today unveiled his new Cabinet, including a record number of six women, along with the first-ever Muslim in the country's Parliament.
Governor-General Quentin Bryce swore-in the ministers today afternoon before the first Cabinet meeting in Canberra. Rudd named six women to his Cabinet, the largest number in Australian parliamentary history.
Cairo, July 1
Moscow, July 1
