W O R L D

93 dead as 7.2-quake rattles Philippines
Cebu (Philippines), October 15
The death toll from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines rose to 93, the police said today, as more reports trickled in about toppled buildings and historic churches near the epicentre. Bohol police chief Dennis Agustin said 77 of the deaths came from the province, where the quake hit near the town of Carmen.

Residents inspect a car after a concrete block fell on it during an earthquake in Cebu city, central Philippines, on Tuesday. — Reuters

Strong typhoon heads for Japan nuclear plant
Tokyo, October 15
A typhoon, described as the “strongest in 10 years”, was closing in on Japan today, on a path that will take it towards the precarious Fukushima nuclear power plant. Typhoon Wipha, packing winds of nearly 200 kmph near its centre and bringing heavy rains, was in the Pacific south of Japan today evening and moving north at 35 kmph, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Ukrainian ultra-nationalists raise slogans during a march in Kiev on Monday to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. — AFP

Wisconsin Sikh temple chief‘s son eyes Cong seat
Washington, October 15
The son of a Sikh temple president killed in a mass shooting outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last year is planning to run for the congressional seat held by Republican Paul Ryan. Amar Kaleka, 35, said he would file paperwork to form an exploratory congressional committee and plans to formally announce his candidacy as a Democrat next month.

Russia averts ‘terror’ attack on chemical arms facility
Moscow, October 15
Russian investigators said today they had detained two suspected Islamists who planned to blow up a chemical storage facility in central Russia. The two natives of Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region had since September been preparing a “terrorist act” at the chemical storage facility in the central Kirov region that could have put the lives of “hundreds of people” at risk, investigators said in a statement.

us government shutdown
Obama turns down Republican debt plan
Washington, October 15
Efforts to end the US government shutdown and avoid a debt default before the October 17 deadline remained elusive as the White House today dismissed the latest House Republican proposal to resolve the impasse, alleging it was tantamount to "ransom".

This Eid, sacrificial animals in Pak can cost more than a car
Islamabad, October 15
With preparations for Eid-ul-Azha in full swing across Pakistan, a scramble for buying sacrificial animals at the last-minute has begun. Yet, much to the chagrin of the general public, several animals have reportedly also been stolen from homes.

Brar attack case: Sentencing on December 10
London, October 15
Three Sikh men and a woman convicted of carrying out a life-threatening attack on Lt Gen (retd) KS Brar, the hero of Operation Bluestar, will be sentenced on December 10, a UK court has ruled.

Indian-American charged with murder of school friend
Washington, October 15
An Indian-American (24) has been charged with the murder of his high school friend in the US state of Maryland after a night of drinking and birthday celebration turned into a tragic jealous rage.

93 dead as 7.2-quake rattles Philippines

Cebu (Philippines), October 15
The death toll from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines rose to 93, the police said today, as more reports trickled in about toppled buildings and historic churches near the epicentre.

Bohol police chief Dennis Agustin said 77 of the deaths came from the province, where the quake hit near the town of Carmen. At least 16 others died in nearby Cebu province and another on the Siquijor Island.

The quake struck at 8.12 am and was centred about 33 km below Carmen on the Bohol Island, where many buildings collapsed, roads cracked up and bridges fell.

Extensive damage also hit densely populated Cebu city, across a narrow strait from Bohol, causing deaths when a building in the port and the roof of a market area collapsed.

The quake set off two stampedes in nearby cities. When it struck, people gathered in a gym in Cebu rushed outside in a panic, crushing five persons to death and injuring eight others, said Neil Sanchez, provincial disaster management officer.

“We ran out of the building, and outside, we hugged trees because the tremors were so strong,” said Vilma Yorong, a provincial government employee in Bohol.

"When the shaking stopped, I ran to the street and there I saw several injured people. Some were saying their church has collapsed," she said.

As fear set in, Yorong and the others ran up a mountain, afraid a tsunami would follow the quake. "Minutes after the earthquake, people were pushing each other to go up the hill," she said.

But the quake was centered inland and did not cause a tsunami. — AP

State of calamity declared

• Four bridges collapsed and roads cracked, with many declared impassable due to landslides, prompting the authorities to declare a state of calamity in Bohol and Cebu provinces
• The quake set off two stampedes in nearby cities, crushing five persons to death and injuring eight others

Strong typhoon heads for Japan nuclear plant

Tokyo, October 15
A typhoon, described as the “strongest in 10 years”, was closing in on Japan today, on a path that will take it towards the precarious Fukushima nuclear power plant. Typhoon Wipha, packing winds of nearly 200 kmph near its centre and bringing heavy rains, was in the Pacific south of Japan today evening and moving north at 35 kmph, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

It was forecast to reach an area off the Tokyo metropolitan area by early tomorrow and later in the day would be off the coast of Fukushima where the crippled nuclear power plant sits. “It is the strongest typhoon in 10 years to pass the Kanto region,” Hiroyuki Uchida, the agency’s chief forecaster, said.

As the agency issued warnings of rain and strong winds, the operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co, said it was bracing for the storm after a series of leaks of radiation-polluted water. — AFP

nari hits vietnam

Wisconsin Sikh temple chief‘s son eyes Cong seat

Washington, October 15
The son of a Sikh temple president killed in a mass shooting outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last year is planning to run for the congressional seat held by Republican Paul Ryan. Amar Kaleka, 35, said he would file paperwork to form an exploratory congressional committee and plans to formally announce his candidacy as a Democrat next month.

According to the Huffington Post, Kaleka said he wanted to bring accountability and transparency back to Washington. He blamed the government shutdown on Ryan, who is the House Budget Committee chairman, and his Republican colleagues.

He said citizens are tired of career politicians who care more about staying in power than serving the people.

Kaleka’s father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was a small-business owner who founded the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee, the report said. — ANI

Russia averts ‘terror’ attack on chemical arms facility

Moscow, October 15
Russian investigators said today they had detained two suspected Islamists who planned to blow up a chemical storage facility in central Russia. The two natives of Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region had since September been preparing a “terrorist act” at the chemical storage facility in the central Kirov region that could have put the lives of “hundreds of people” at risk, investigators said in a statement.

“According to the investigators, the suspects are Wahhabi followers and have come to the Kirov region from Moscow,” the statement said, referring to an ultra-conservative branch of Islam.

“The act was being prepared with the aim of influencing decision-making by authorities and international organisations,” the statement said without providing specifics. — AFP

Two detained

• The suspects, aged 19 and 21, planned to build a bomb and attack the Maradykovsky chemical weapons storage and disposal facility in the Kirov region
• Authorities had detained two Islamists who are followers of Wahhabism — an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam — and have come to the Kirov region from Moscow

us government shutdown
Obama turns down Republican debt plan

Washington, October 15
Efforts to end the US government shutdown and avoid a debt default before the October 17 deadline remained elusive as the White House today dismissed the latest House Republican proposal to resolve the impasse, alleging it was tantamount to "ransom".

“The President has repeatedly said that members of Congress don’t get to demand ransom for fulfiling their basic responsibilities to pass a Budget and pay the nation’s bills,” said White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage.

“Unfortunately, the latest proposal from House Republicans does just that in a partisan attempt to appease a small group of Tea Party Republicans who forced the government shutdown in the first place,” she said.

Democrats and Republicans in the Senate were working in a "bipartisan, good-faith effort to end the manufactured crises" that have harmed families and business owners, she said. With only a couple of days remaining until the US exhausts its borrowing authority, it is time for the House to do the same, she added.

President Barack Obama was scheduled to meet the House Democrat leadership, including Nancy Pelosi, later in the day to chalk out their next course of action.

Earlier, House Republicans in a closed door meeting announced a plan to keep the government open until January 15, 2014 and lift the debt ceiling by February 7.

The plan under discussion would raise the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling by enough to cover the nation’s borrowing needs at least through mid-February.

Simultaneously, the legislation would also delay the “Obamacare” tax on medical devices for two years; cancel health-insurance subsidies for members of Congress, the President, Vice President and the cabinet; and beef up income verification requirements for Affordable Care Act subsidies.

"Our leadership team met with our members today trying to find a way forward in a bipartisan way that would continue to provide fairness to the American people under Obamacare. There are a lot of opinions about what direction to go. There have been no decisions about what exactly we will do,” John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives said.

"But we're going to continue to work with our members on both sides of the aisle to try to make sure that there is no issue of default, and to reopen our government," he said. — PTI

This Eid, sacrificial animals in Pak can cost more than a car

A costly affair

Brar attack case: Sentencing on December 10

Indian-American charged with murder of school friend

Washington, October 15
An Indian-American (24) has been charged with the murder of his high school friend in the US state of Maryland after a night of drinking and birthday celebration turned into a tragic jealous rage.

Rahul Gupta was being held in the Montgomery County jail on a $2-million bond, according to court records. He was pursuing a master's degree in biomedical engineering at George Washington University. Rahul attacked Mark Edward Waugh, 23, with a knife on Sunday after he found that his girlfriend was cheating on him with his high school friend, The Washington Post reported.

“My girl and my buddy were cheating. My girl was cheating with my buddy. I walked in on them cheating and I killed my buddy, “ Rahul said.

Both Waugh and Rahul attended Langley High School in McLean, Northern Virginia, where they took several Advanced Placement and honours classes together. —  PTI